Chapter 6 is finally here….and hopefully it was kind of worth the wait. Well good news, school ends on Monday which means more updates and hopefully more consistent too. I was thinking about how long the story should be. I know so many stories that are LONG but really good but then again I know a ton of stories which are like ten chapters and also really good. So after I plan the chapters out, I'll give everybody a heads up on the length of this story. Enjoy )
Chapter 6
"I knew from the moment I met you that I was going to protect you and I'm not going to let you down."
As soon as Haley stepped into the gym she saw her two very best girl friends painting each others toenails and her guy friends playing basketball. It seemed that Mouth wasn't there right then. Suddenly, her sour mood turned into a happy and humorous one just by seeing that Brooke and Peyton were actually painting each others nails in the GYMNASIUM at school. Yup, one of a kind.
"Are you serious?" Haley said out loud
"Hey tutorgirl! What's happening?" Brooke asked
"Tutorgirl? Oh wait, don't tell me.." Haley motioned to Peyton who was about to explain. "Brooke is actually sticking to her nickname that she gave me?"
"Well I think it has a nice ring to it and I'm sticking to it."
"Haley, just leave her be. You know how stubborn she is." Peyton stated
"HELLO! Hi, Brooke Davis here…former best friend of you two sluts who are talking behind my back."
"Brookie, we're talking in front of you! We're right here, you're hearing everything we're saying." Haley smiled
"Yeah, well it would have been better if you were talking behind my back cause then at least I wouldn't know about it for a while. But you're talking like I'm not even here!"
"Chill child…." Peyton said being the peacemaker of the group
Haley put down her books and the flyer the Efaco guy gave to her and walked onto the basketball court. She was pretty sure none of the boys saw her yet or at least they hadn't said 'Hi' yet and if they actually had seen her and didn't say 'Hi' on purpose she was going to be pissed.
She stood a few feet behind Luke and Jake who seemed to be playing against Nathan. Haley started jumping up and down with one of her hands waving in the air at Nathan who was facing her and her other hand to her mouth in a 'shhh' motion.
Nathan, realizing that Hales was trying to help him out of his current situation of being double-teamed, passed the ball across the court to her. Haley caught it..barely…and half dribbled, half ran to the basket and shot it in. You didn't actually think that Haley knew how to play basketball…did you? Nathan had helped her over that summer but she still didn't understand the mechanics of traveling and other things like that. If she was good at basketball, she wouldn't be barely passing Gym now would she?
Haley did her little victory dance (after Nathan had rebounded her shot which didn't go in when she threw it) and jumped onto Nathan in a hug-embrace kind of way. Nathan couldn't help but grin like an idiot when he saw his best friend laughing in his arms and pointing at Jake and Luke in a teasing manner.
"You do realize that you pretty much ran with the ball which is called traveling." Lucas pointed out but quickly shut up when he saw Nathan glaring at him "Just kidding Haley. That was awesome!"
"Yeah….that's what I thought Lukie." Haley smiled as the other girls came onto the court all done with drying their nails. Peyton had on a very chic navy blue color as Brooke liked to say. And Brooke adorned a sparkly pale pink.
"Nice nails, girls. What about yours Haley? Yours are still the same periwinkle blue?" Jake questioned
"How did you know that was a periwinkle blue? Has somebody been looking through Aunt Karen's magazines again?" Haley joked which automatically caused Jake to turn a bright crimson color.
A loud noise interrupted the hearty laughter going on in the group. They turned around and found that someone had just entered the gym. When Haley finally got a good look, she realized who it was. It was the creepy guy from the cafeteria. She quickly maneuvered herself so she was pretty much hiding behind Nathan's body. Nathan, noticing this and being the protective best friend he is, decided he would help her out and stood like a statue right in front of her. He would have to ask her about this weird guy later.
"Is that the little lady that I saw in the cafeteria twenty minutes ago?" Jack asked peering behind Nathan.
"Maybe, maybe not. What's it to you?" Nathan said through gritted teeth.
"Hey honey you mind telling your bodyguard to back off?" Jack asked of Haley
"It's haley." Haley said as she stepped out from behind her 'bodyguard'
Nathan was getting frustrated with how this guy was looking at Haley and calling her honey like he actually knew her. "He's not my bodyguard; he's my best friend."
"Sure, whatever. So I was on my way out but then I saw you heading here so I thought I would come also." Jack said
"Isn't that called stalking?" Brooke pointed out
"No Ms. I like to speak when nobody is talking to me." Jack responded rudely
"My dad is coming to pick me up. So I was wondering Haley if you needed a ride cause I could most definitely give you one."
Being the sweet girl she is, Haley kindly said "No thanks. I'll probably just catch a ride with one of my friends." Then she turned to her friends and said "Can you guys give me a ride?"
"Sorry hon, but I have to go to dance class and I know Sawyer has her art class since it's in the same building." Brooke apologized
"Jake, Luke?"
"Haley, you know that dad is taking us to the Rivercourt but I'll ask him." Jake said regretfully
"I love it when we go there. Dad is so funny when he loses like five basketballs in the river. One time we actually had to use a branch to get one out of the river." Luke laughed
"See honey? Might as well let me give you a ride. I don't think any of your friends can give you a ride." Jake smugly stated while Haley had on a disappointed face.
Haley knew that Nathan had to get home or his dad would be riding him more than usual. Their 5:00 five mile run was waiting. That's why Haley hadn't asked Nathan for a ride.
Haley never thought that her friends wouldn't be able to give her a ride. She sadly looked up to Nathan with a pleading look. The second she put on the face, he knew he was going to cave. Not that he needed the persuasion; there was no way in hell that he was leaving the most important person of his life with this guy.
"Come on Hales, I'll walk you home."
"But your run and your dad?"
"Whatever, we all know I care about you a million times more." Nathan said with a smile
Haley jumped onto Nathan and hugged the life out of him. She whispered "I love you! I love you! I love you!" into his ear.
"No need for the ride. She's walking home with me." Nathan told Jack
"Whatever, her loss. See ya!" And with that Jack was gone and the smile returned to Haley's face.
Even though Haley was immensely grateful for her savior, Nathan, she could not be more scared of how much Dan Scott was going to blow up when Nathan showed up late. Even a minute past five and Nate was dog food.
Later on that day 9:30pm
Haley's backpack was neatly organized and ready for tomorrow. She already had dinner, brushed, and was in her pajamas. Now all she wanted to do was read her book and then go to sleep. Feeling a bit cold, Haley pulled her blankets up to her stomach. She was wearing shorts and a t-shirt that had a picture of Cinderella; how old was she again?
Suddenly she heard a noise outside her window; she scolded herself for forgetting to close it. She brought her blankets over her eyes scared to look at what was climbing into her room.
"Calm down, Hales…it's me" Nathan assured her
"Holy crap! Thank gosh."
Nathan just chuckled but quickly returned to his sad mood which was his original reason of coming over; Haley knew how to make him feel better and now was the time to work her magic. He just hoped that she wouldn't feel mad at herself once he told her why he was in a bad mood.
"…What's wrong Nate?"
"Nothing."
"Puhleeez…look at who you're talking to. Now tell me what's wrong!"
"I'm not going to tell you…cause I know what you're going to do."
"What does that matter? Is it something bad? Of course its something bad; you're in a sad mood and let me guess….it's because of me. Everything bad happens cause of me. Oh my gosh, is it because you walked me home..and your dad….uh oh. I'm right, aren't I?"
All Nathan could was laugh out loud at Haley's ramblings. Even though he was in a horrible mood when he came through Haley's window, she worked her magic again and he was laughing uncontrollably.
"Nathan, stop laughing and answer me!"
"Haha…..okay, okay."
"Now tell meeeeee!"
"It's just my dad got mad cause I was late coming home. Before you say anything it had nothing to do with you."
"Next time I see your father….ugh, you might have to hold me back. That man seriously gets on my last nerve!"
Nathan just smiled slightly.
"Okay, I'll make it up to you by letting you stay over." Haley agreed.
"Uh…excuse me? You don't have to let me do anything. You know your parents would gladly let me stay over. They even told me that they would be glad if they could switch kids with my parents. And that you need some tough love from my dad." Nathan said seriously
Haley was appalled, how could her parents say something like that?
All she could muster up to say was a weak….."What…?"
Nathan knew that tone and he couldn't believe that she took him seriously.
"I never thought….umm…." Haley was about to burst into tears and Nathan realized that from how broken up Haley was that he couldn't continue this stupid joke.
He walked over to Haley and quickly wrapped her up in a hug.
"Hales, I was joking. You know your parents would never say something like that. And I am never ever going to let you have to face what I have to with my dad. You know that I love you more than anyone. I'm really sorry if you took it seriously."
Haley looked up from the hug into Nathan's blue eyes and was about to punch him in the chest for playing that joke on her but as soon as she heard the rest of his little speech, all she could do was settle herself back into the hug and say, "Good, I don't like your dad and I'm never going near him if your not with me." Haley pushed her lips out in a pout.
"So Hales, would you mind letting me stay over?"
"No, I wouldn't mind as long as you let me read before turning the lights off and going to sleep."
"Anything for you best friend." Nathan replied with a cheeky grin
Haley knew she wasn't going to concentrate on her reading when her best friend was lying right next to her with a million things going through his mind. She wished sometimes that he could have her life and she would have his. She knew that Nathan would probably take her away from Dan but she didn't like how she was helpless. She wanted to help her best friend in every way possible and for now all she could do was let Nathan sleep over and comfort him. Boy, did she love this kid.
'He should consider himself lucky.' Haley thought to herself with a smile
"I know that face. What are you thinking? I know that it's about me…" Nathan smirked
"I was thinking that YOU should consider yourself lucky and privileged to know me and better yet, to be best friends with me. Don't take me for granted mister! You never know what could happen."
Suddenly the two kids knocked on Haley's wooden dresser which was right next to her bed…superstitions.
"Nothing is ever going to happen to you. I'm going to be there to protect you always."
"Always means just till death. You're not going to protect me after that?" Haley questioned in a sweet way
"Always and forever." Nathan reassured her before they both fell asleep.
So what did you think? Leave comments with your. I'm so sorry it took me this long to write this but since school ends in like two more actual days…(yay!!) I'll update more. Thank you for everybody that kept with this story. I'm ending my sophomore year which means this summer is all about PSATs and SAT review…wow, fun. But I'm going to make sure to update this fic. By the way, guess what? I had to skip yesterday's OTH SEASON FINALE cause of finals mainly because of my chemistry final..eww/ I'm going to watch it tomorrow so how did you guys like the finale? Don't tell me what happened but what did you guys think of it? Alright long authors note...lol Remember to review…thank you!