RECAPITULTE: "I'm Nathan, Nathan Scott." There is a name for men who think they are god's gift to women. They are chauvinistic arrogant jerks. They are people I don't intend to associate myself with for the remaining of my time high school.

CHAPTER 3 [part 2]

Nathan's POV

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You know how games you play in primary school where they ask you seemingly random questions, but really they are just a gauge for the shrinks behind the mirror to see how your mental health is going. If I had to answer the question, "if you could be any animal in the world, what would you be and why?" in my current frame of mind, my answer would probably go along these lines:

I would be a racehorse. Why? It is because racehorses are bred to race. There is no other use for them in the eyes of a breeder. When racehorses are born, they are trained from the very beginning to race. It is a predetermined fate for them. Because of this, if a horse fails, it becomes redundant. I am a racehorse. Ever since I was small a basketball was shoved into my hands I was forced to be great. But unlike racehorses, I had to be great all the time. There is no small timeframe and then retirement. No, this is a way of life. For at least the first 30 years of it. And in those 30 years, I have to be at my prime. It's more like I have no prime because I have to be my best 24/7.

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She's here. I feel like David Attenborough watching her from afar. She looks so beautiful. Even though her hair is in front of her face so you can't see her eyes, you know that they are going stunning. Thankfully I've seen them before.

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* FLASHBACK *

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"Don't you dare walk out of that door, Nathan Scott!"

BAM!

Maybe slamming the front door shut was too theatrical, but it got my point across. Then again, me taking the car dad gave me might be contradicting said point.

I've learnt a few things since I started high school. Like if you're running away from someone NEVER go to a place that they know you go to regularly. This is how I found the river court.

At first glance it looked like a place where drug dealers might congregate. With it's chain-metal net and vulgar graffiti. With it being at the edge of town right next to what the social elite dubbed the "bad-side" of Tree Hill didn't help. It is a place where no respectable person would be seen in what with the indoor sports and recreation centre newly erected. Then again, I guess that is what attracted me to here in the first pace.

But it's different today. I'm not the only one to find solace in this formally baron place. A girl is here. One I have yet to meet. Then again, I'm not a regular commute to this part of town until recently. I even park in different locations not to get people suspicious. Today I found a spot across from the court at a location which coincidentally allows me to see her without her noticing me. She may be student of Myrtle Grove High School, form the next town over. I stay in my car. I don't want her to see me. Even in the off chance that she won't know me, I don't want to risk exposing my place of peace to my father.

I don't know what is compelling me to stay and to watch her. I think I'm bordering creepy. But I stay. She is so fascinating. She is just lost in her book, Wuthering Heights. It's like she doesn't have a care I the world. I envy her.

She looks up. It's almost as if she can see me, but I know she can't. Her eyes are what captivate me. Before, they were covered by her sea of brown coloured locks. She has large brown doe eyes. The colour is so deep and entrancing. My gaze is abruptly interrupted when she starts packing her stuff into her bag.

I wonder if I'll ever see her again.

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* END *

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My memory just doesn't stand up to the real thing. Even from across the hallway she is able to captivate me. Here too she seems as if she is in her own world. Nothing is fazing her, not even all the stares she is most definitely getting.

It's not very often that we get new students around here, even less, ones that are going to be longed for by the male population. I can see Tim walking towards her. It's no wonder that he's going to be the first in line to make himself a fool of. I should probably intercept her before she gets the wrong idea about the male population of Tree Hill High.

I'm about 3 feet away from her and she hasn't acknowledged me. Is she purposely avoiding me? Did she see me watching her before at the river court? Maybe she thinks I'm a stalker or something.

Or maybe she just didn't notice my presence.

"Are you alright?"

Wow, her eyes are even more beautiful closer up. I don't know how long we've been standing here staring in each others eyes, but people are starting to stare.

"I asked you if you were okay"

I slip out of my daze but her expression seems blank. Is there something wrong with her? Maybe she's deaf and I just made everything so awkward for her.

"Yes, I'm alright thanks"

Thank goodness she responded. I'm probably annoying her. I mean what kind of guy walks up to a person they have never met before and stares at them. This sort of conversation is becoming awkward fast. Maybe I should just leave her alone.

"Are you new here?"

Or I could just randomly ask her an obvious question. Of course she is new here. You haven't seen her before and this is a small town with a small population. You know all of your classmates. Of course she's new. Now she probably thinks you some kind of slow person.

"Yeah, I just moved here with my family two days ago. I'm Haley James"

Haley James. That's a beautiful name. You know what else is a beautiful name? Haley Scott. I feel like such a girl. Next thing you know I'm going to Dan gushing about this girl I met at school. Dan. If I tell him about her he'll probably find a way of ruining everything.

She seems like such a nice girl. Like someone I can be really happy with. Better than the crowd we have around here. He'll eat her alive. If I start something, we will never have any peace. Another thing about Dan NEVER let anyone you care about anywhere near him.

"I'm Nathan, Nathan Scott. And it's spelt with two T's"

What's one way of keeping people you care about away from Dan? It's by keeping them away from me. What's one way of keeping people like her away from me? It's by being an egotistical jerk.

"What?"

"Scott, it's spelt with two T's. It's for when you write my name in your notebooks"

I have just ended the best thing that could have ever happened to me before it even started. Then again it's better than Dan ending it when I'm already in far too deep.

"Excuse me!"

"You're excused. I've got to get going. You know how it is, a new school year; I've got to make the rounds. Remember the name Nathan Scott. It will get you places."

Walking away has never been hard thing for me to do. But I guess there's always a first for everything.