"Love is when you meet someone who tells you something new about yourself." Andre Breton

"Why are you doing this?" Nathan asked with annoyance. It was clear that he had no desire to talk with some kid in his class, especially her. She was not in his world, not deemed worthy enough to be in his presence. Haley James was the epitome of the wrong type of girl. Sure, in reality she was the girl most desired to be, but to Nathan Scott she was a failure. Her clothes were not revealing and she was short and her hair was certainly not bleach blonde. Haley James was not ugly, but she was in no way the most gorgeous girl Nathan had ever seen. Describing her as average was an understatement, because Haley was not that. She was a girl that held such a classic beauty that putting it into a category seemed foolish. Her hair was pulled up into a pony tail and she wore little makeup, but her beauty was visible. Nathan could remember once watching a movie with his mom when he was younger and the actress in it was Audrey Hepburn. Haley always reminded him of her. But Nathan was not attracted to Haley, because she didn't meet his perfection.

Sighing, Haley placed the notebook she had been scribbling in on her lap. From time to time she liked to write down different lyrics she had been thinking up in her head, nothing really special. "Nathan, we have been meeting for a week now. You ask me this question every single day."

"Well, I'm curious." He said leaning back into his seat. There was something that intrigued him about Haley James. Maybe it was her complete lack of attraction to him, or maybe it was the fact that she cared so deeply and they barely knew it each other. Whatever it was, Nathan was fixed and he was curious. "You barely know me and you say things so personal. Do you honestly think you can trust me?"

She smiled at him warmly. "I don't trust you, but maybe in the future I will."

"Alright, I am completely confused." He stated. Why did this girl have to be so damn annoying? "You don't trust me, but you will tell me secrets about yourself? How in the hell does that make sense?"

"Well, I guess it doesn't." Haley replied back mysteriously. "I tell you things because I am hoping that you will open up with me. Learn to trust me." Deep down she knew that the walls Nathan had built up were strong. No one was able to break them and see what made him tick, but she was going to figure it out. "I have an idea."

Nathan groaned. Haley's ideas were always stupid and made him admit stupid secrets about his past. Today had not been a good day and the very fact that he had to be sitting there in an empty classroom with Haley James was annoying the hell out of him. "I am sure I am going to love it!"

"Your sarcasm is really a turn on. I bet you get all the ladies that way..." Haley said as she rolled her eyes. She was baffled at how Nathan Scott had dozens of women at his beckon call. He really was irritating. "When I am really bored I like to look up quotes and I love applying them to how I feel and how my life is. I guess what I was thinking was that maybe you could tell me a favorite quote of yours and how it relates to your life. Then I would tell you mine..."

Why was God putting him through such pain? Of all the lame ideas in the world, Haley James was actually going to make him think. "Sounds fine with me, but can you go first?" Nathan asked. "I have to think about this for a second."

"Oh, sure!" Haley said happily. Finally, he was actually doing something she asked. All she could hope was that he took it seriously and said something meaningful. It was doubtful, but Haley had hope. "Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice, and most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."

In an eerie way, that quote meant more to Nathan then he thought it would. He never really was much for following his own beliefs. It had always been about what others thought and felt. "How does that relate to you?"

"All my life I have been taught to be myself. This world is constantly trying to change us and make us these - robots, you know? They want us to think the way they tell us and feel the way that is most logical. My parents always told me and my brothers and sisters to be ourselves. Don't let anyone tell us how to live our life. They told us it was okay if we failed because failure is just another name for experience." Haley shrugged her shoulders and let out a soft laugh. "I just learned not to care what people say."

Nathan couldn't help but smile. Every word she spoke was nothing but truth and even though he would never admit it, he loved hearing what she had to say. "I guess you want my quote now, huh?" She nodded giving him a smile."Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."

It has been said that people will surprise you. Never in a million years had Haley expected Nathan Scott to say something so heartfelt and true. Admitting that he was a brainless jock was now completely out of the question. He was simply brilliant. "Nathan..."

"I know, it's pretty stupid, but I just always liked it. My - uh - my mom always told me that when I was little." He laughed as he looked at the floor nervously. "It really is true though. When you are able to say what you want and you know that person won't matter because it's real, that's how you know you have something special."

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The day had been uneventful and Haley was beginning to get irritable. Friday night and she had nothing to do, but that in itself was no surprise. After her brutal break up with Paul , things had been - dry. Dating just seemed foolish, even though Brooke insisted that she go out and plays the field. Really, what was the point? Searching for that "perfect" guy only caused more stress and Haley did not want stress. Not only was it unbelievably cold outside, but they were talking snow. Sure, it was pretty and all, but being a doctor, she wasn't able to just miss work because there was about 10 inches of snow on the ground. Thankfully she had a neighbor who had a crush on her and he always shoveled her drive way. As soon as her shift was over, Haley decided that she was going to curl up on her comfy couch and watch Oklahoma .

"When I take you out tonight with me Honey, here's the way it's gonna be. You will set behind a team of snow-white horses. In the slickest gig you'll ever see." Haley sang to herself as she wrote in her book.

Nathan looked up to see the girl sitting on a desk, her legs swinging back and forth as she sang. "Chicks and ducks and geese better hurry. When I take you out in the surrey..."

"Do not tell me you were just singing that song?" Haley questioned with a laugh. "Holy crap, you like Oklahoma?" Nathan was never one to blush, but he was sure that he was crimson.

Yes, he liked Oklahoma. It always put him in a good mood. Musicals had a funny affect on him. Never would he admit to anyone that he owned a few. Well, actually he owned more then he should, but it was a guilty pleasure. "Oklahoma, where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain. And the wavin' wheat can sure smell sweet. "When the wind comes right behind the rain," She belted out, causing Nathan to break out in hysterical laughter. "No laughing you need to finish the song!"

"Hell no." He replied stubbornly. "Just because I like it does not mean I am going to sing it. No way." Haley rolled her eyes and grabbed his arm, pulling him up out of the chair. "Hales, come on."

She giggled and he knew that there was no way he was going to escape this. "There's a bright, golden haze on the meadow. There's a bright, golden haze on the meadow. The corn is as high as an elephant's eye. And it looks like it's climbing clear up to the sky."

"Oh, what a beautiful Mornin'. Oh, what a beautiful day. I've got a beautiful feelin' .Everything's goin' my way." Nathan sang softly, just loud enough for Haley to barely hear. Why was he being forced to humiliate himself? "I hate you for this."

"Shut up you are having fun. Do you know Sound of Music?" She asked. "What am I saying? Of course you do." This was priceless, Nathan Scott liking musicals. "Hm, what song should we sing next?"

Nathan sat back down his seat, crossing his arms over his chest. "How about no more singing?"

"Oh fine, but I will so get you to sing the entire Oklahoma song with me. One day..."

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When had life become so predictable? Every decision he made felt pre planned, thought out, and that was not how Nathan wanted to live his life. It was supposed to be mysterious and exciting, but his life was far from. The women he dated were predictable, the people he hung around, predictable. Everything in life was the same. Never was he able to shock and awe people the way...the way she did. Haley once again plagued his mind. Her beautiful face and soft brown eyes haunted him. Forgetting her seemed so easy, but it ended up being the hardest task of his life. Nathan always thought about that Jim Carrey movie, how he had his girlfriend erased from his memory because the pain was just too much. Sure, Haley was never his girlfriend, but they shared so much that at times he wished he could forget it.

Their passion was undeniable, and they did in fact act on it. But even then it hurt way too much to have anything real with her. Nathan knew what Haley wanted, because on one occasion they let themselves be completely vulnerable and share something personal.

The heavy rain splashed against the window as they sat in the dark. Haley had thought it would be a brilliant idea if Nathan spent the night over her house. It was some weird bonding thing, he assumed. She even offered to pay him so that he would come. Anyway, halfway through the night the power went out and there they were, sitting in the dark with a dozen or two candles, talking. Her face reflected beautifully from the candlelight, but Nathan was not about to tell her that. "You don't have to stay. I know that you didn't want to come here in the first place."

"Nah, I'll stay. Besides my parents have been fighting a lot more then usual, I really don't feel like listening to their crap." Nathan mumbled as he played with one of the candles.

"This incense you are burning smells like ass..."

Haley snorted back a laugh. Typical Nathan, always negative. "Whatever. I like how it smells. Nobody asked your opinion."

"Whatever." He mocked.

"Why do you always have to be so mean to me?" Haley asked softly, her eyes soft and sad. "I am just trying to be nice and you always rip me apart. If it's not the incense I burn, it's the clothes I wear or my hair. It's always something. You are no better then me Nathan."

Maybe she was right, but Nathan didn't feel like answering. "Cry me a river." Haley stood up quickly and walked into the bathroom, slamming the door to give Nathan the full of affect of how angry she really was. He wasn't sure how long he sat there, taking in the silence. Why did he assume that just because they were talking that they were going to be friends?

Things did not work that way. After a good hour Haley came out of the bathroom, her cheeks tear stained. "Feel better now?"

"Screw you." She fired back. "Nobody likes an asshole." Her words did not hurt him. It wasn't as if he had never been called that. "Why can't you just give me a chance? I want to help you. Maybe learn a thing or two from the Great Nathan Scott."

He laughed coldly, picking at a piece of fuzz on his sock. "I can't teach you anything, Haley."

This girl was brilliant and she was witty, what things could she possibly want to learn?"Do you believe in true love?" Haley nodded. "Well, if you believe it, then tell me what love is to you."

"Are you going to laugh at me if I tell you?" Haley questioned. There was no way she going to spill her heart to Nathan Scott if he was just going to use it as a joke. He shook his head.

Haley took in a deep breath, for some odd reason she felt quite nervous, a very unfamiliar feeling. "Love to me is just being able to be comfortable with that person. They see you for what you really are and they won't expect you to be perfect. They love your imperfections and they find it endearing. It's when you can relate how you feel for someone in a song and it makes you feel good. Love is silliness and it's just - simplicity."

Nathan gaped at her, his whole body tense. "Do you think you will ever find that?"

"Who knows. It's easy to have all these ideas about love, but it will probably completely change when I actually do fall in love. Things in my life are really never what they seem." Haley sighed as she hopped up on her bed. "I will probably fall in love with a guy who makes me so angry that I can't even see straight, one of those karma things or whatever." Nathan laughed, this girl was completely nuts. "I really want to fall in love, Nathan."

It was moments like this that Nathan wished he was some romance guru. How are you supposed to respond to a statement like that? "Then why don't you?"

"Well, for us simpletons it's not that easy. We actually have to find people who are willing to give us a chance. Sure, you may meet that person but in the end it might not be love."

Haley explained. "It's all so complicated." She laid her head back on her pillow in exasperation. "Love should just be simple and easy for everyone."

Nathan shrugged looking out the window at the howling storm. "I guess it just gets easier with age..."