AN: Hey guys, I got an overwhelming amount of amazing reviews for this story, and I love it! Thank you guys so much: PrettyGirl114, dots27, elosie09, naleysocute23, JPNeverlosetheButterflies, utterlylost1108, TrudyGill23, OTH.daddy'sgurl.06, naleyluv, Mrs.LucasScott, asharp4, Nathanlvr23, and DayDreamer323!

Chapter 5

Haley's POV

I had gotten to the Tree Hill Ravens' gym just in time for the game to start. I tried to sprint over to my cheerleading squad, but somehow my legs wouldn't let me. They were paralyzed; glued to the ground... just as my eyes were glued to him. When I ran into the gym, late because of my meeting with Mrs. Brown, I had no intention but to run over to my squad and endure a shameful night of clumsily cheering on our pathetic basketball team. Of course, considering the few amount of schools in Tree Hill, I should have just assumed that Nathan went to Tree Hill High. What did I think, that he was sent from above? Or an angel perhaps, someone only I could see?

I stood still for a moment, not remembering where I was, or what I was doing. I wanted to walk up to him, ask him if all those things Peyton had told me about him, about his reputation were true. But there was a cheerleading squad waiting for me to join them, and a huge crowd of people just waiting for the game to begin. I finally broke my gaze away from him, since he obviously wasn't going to; I swear I thought that boy would stare at me so intensely I would melt.

Reaching my squad right when the start of the game was marked by the buzzer, Peyton grabbed my arm.

"I'm so sorry, Hales. I totally forgot that we were playing Tree Hill High tonight. We can blow this off if you want?" She said sympathetically. Now, that was a tempting offer. Right now, spending an hour watching the boy I thought was from my dreams running up and down a court, while all the girls fawned after him was not exactly my cup of tea. But of course, if I left then I would be a coward. And Nathan would wonder why I was afraid of him, and then move onto the next girl in line. Oh no, that was not going to happen. I may not be the toughest girl in Tree Hill, far from it actually, but I was not about to just run away. I would stay for the entire game, and afterwards, I was going to confront Nathan, face to face.

"No," I replied, "Thanks Peyton, but I think I really need to stay. Besides, what would Jake say if you just up and left in the middle of his most important game?" Jake was Peyton's boyfriend, and perhaps St. Catherine's only shot at maybe almost winning the championship. Now, St. Catherine's catholic school was many things, but good at sports was not one of them. But thanks to Jake and a few other gifted seniors, the basketball team had made it to the championship for the first time in... ever.

Peyton smiled, adorably. She was no romantic... until Jake came along. "You know what he told me before the game?"

"What?" I said excited because Jake was always saying the sweetest things. Their relationship was the kind that made every girl think, Now, why can't I have a boyfriend like that. But at the same time, I almost didn't want to hear it. Because as cute as it was, it always made me long for something I knew I wouldn't have. And I spoke with Peyton about love and actual functional relationships as if I even knew what it was like, but I don't.

"He said he's only been playing so well this year because of me. Because he wants to win every game to make me proud to be his. And that it didn't even matter to him if they won the championship, because now he has something more important to hold on to... me." She said gushing, staring lovingly at her boyfriend, just as he passed by them, and blowing him a kiss. He smiled lovingly back.

I didn't really know what to respond. It was so overwhelming. A year ago, Peyton was not like this, she was brooding, and sarcastic, and just... not happy. But all that has changed. And Haley thought that since Peyton found this person that completed her, it was only fair that Haley found someone just as special for herself, wasn't it?

"Do you even know how lucky you are, Peyton?," I said, "That you found someone that makes you feel that way? I mean the closest I came to that was..." I trailed off, not wanting to finish that sentence. The truth was, I was still a naive little girl at heart, with fantasies of disney movies coming true, and fairy-tale endings. So when I met Nathan, and felt things inside me that I had never felt before, I was amazed and completely taken away.

"Look, Haley, I know how you feel, or felt, about Nathan. And the thing is, I've never seen you so happy as you were this morning. And I've never seen you as distressed as when I told you... what I'd heard about him." Peyton said, obviously trying very hard to say the right thing. "I mean, you're both in the same room right now, you may never get this opportunity again. And what if you were right, that he is special, that he is the guy for you-"

"Peyton, what are you saying?"

"I've been thinking about this and... as much as I want to protect you from... the pain that he could possibly cause you, I feel horrible for just blurting out all that I've heard about him. I mean, you're the one that met him and talked to him and got to know him, and fell in love with-"

"Whoa, Peyton, I did not fall in love with him," I said defensively. What was she crazy? I had only just met the guy.

"Well anyways, all I'm saying is that it might be better if you talk to him. I mean, don't accuse him of anything, just maybe have an honest, open conversation about it after the game."

"Oh, I'm going to talk to him, alright." I said, maybe still a little bitter about that 'falling in love' comment. How could I fall in love with such a jerk? No, I merely used him to trick Keller into thinking I had a boyfriend. And so what if I maybe liked him just a little. He was cute, I must admit. It was all a trick, all some deceitful little trick.

"You might want to cut him some slack." Peyton said, obviously regretful that she had told me all about Nathan.

"He's so notorious for being a player he must have known that it would get back to me...," I said ignoring what Peyton had just suggested, "He probably assumed that I wouldn't care and I would just jump in his arms anyway. Well, he couldn't be more wrong. I'm going to tell him just what I think of him after the game."

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Nathan's POV

I was never so happy for a game to end when the final buzzer rang. And not only because we had won the game, gaining our school yet another championship trophy, but because Haley James, the girl I was sure I wouldn't see at the game, was in fact there. After a little celebration between the team in the locker room, I got dressed quicker than I ever thought imaginable, and sprinted outside so that I wouldn't miss her.

I was surprised to find her outside, waiting for me. The sight of her brought a smile automatically to my lips, and I started to get a little nervous, something I'm not around most girls. But Haley was not most girls, I reminded myself.

"Hey," I said awkwardly, as I realized that she didn't seem to share my pleasure in seeing her. In stead she sighed, and looked up at me square in the eye. Something was definitely off here. "Is something wrong?" She took a step back and looked at me as if I had just offended her in some way. I went over what I had just said in my mind, Is something wrong?. Nope, definitely nothing offensive there.

"How dare you?" She said, her voice a little louder than I remembered it to be. People were starting to look in our direction. I was starting to get a little confused here.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me!" She said, her voice raising even more. "How dare you make me believe that you were actually a decent guy."

"What are you talking about, Haley? I am a decent guy!" I said trying to defend myself. If I wasn't confused before, I was definitely really confused by now. What was going on?

"Yeah, you would say that wouldn't you? Let me ask you this: What kind of a "decent guy" takes pleasure in making his own brother's life a living hell, hun? What kind of a "decent guy" cheats on all his girlfriends?"

Oh no, now I see where this is going... and it's not a place I want to be. It's not a place I thought I would ever return to. When I didn't say anything, she took that as a sign to continue.

"You have quite the reputation, Nathan Scott. And I am not about to be another one of your brainless... conquests!" Her voice lowered a little, which I was thankful for, as the crowd around us began to be distracted by something else, and was no longer focused on this girl telling me off. I could just barely notice a glistening in her eyes, the slight hint of tears threatening to fall down her cheeks. Did I cause that? "You had me falling for you..." She said shaking her head, almost whispering now, and I found that that was even more painful than her yelling at me.

I watched her turn around, and walk about ten feet before that little blow-up sank in and I realized that I might never get another chance to prove myself to her. Now, normally I would let the girl walk away, I would say how it was a shame that she would think that of me, and then move on. But something inside me told me not to let this one go. So I didn't.

"Haley!" I yelled. "Wait!" And when she turned around, I saw that a few of those tears had fallen. She wiped them away, clearly embarrassed that she had fallen apart like that, but still with an angry expression on her face.

"Please... just leave me alone."

I took a deep breathe. Confrontation was never easy. But this girl was worth it. "I'm afraid I can't do that, Haley. Just let me expl-"

"There's nothing to explain! I already heard it all!" She said regaining her strength, obviously fed up with me. And to tell the truth, I was beginning to get a little fed up myself.

"I can't believe that you're just going to judge me from what you heard from someone else? Does that sound fair to you? I've spent the last year trying to prove that I'm a good person, trying to become a good person. And damn, it was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. And when I have to hear people talk about how horrible I am, it makes me think that all that reinventing and ameliorating myself was for nothing. God Haley, do you have any idea how much it kills me to find out that you, the person that I've had on my mind all day, the person I ran out to see and talk to after the game, can just judge me and write me off as some jerk, without even getting to know me a little better?" OK, so that was a little extreme, but once I started I was on a roll, and nothing could stop me. I had to get it out, get it all out, because if there was one thing I'd learned was that if I kept everything bottled up, I would just end up bitter.

And yes, I was angry that Haley went off on me like that, and a little disappointed that she could just judge me like that, but once I saw her reaction, I wanted to kick myself. Her mouth was slightly open, as if she wanted to say something but was too shocked to utter one single word. Her expression had completely transformed from exhausted and annoyed to distraught and speechless. She finally seemed to find the strength to say something. I waited attentively to see what she might say.

"I'm so sorry." She whispered, and then sadly turned around and started walking away. A multiple choice question appeared in my mind: What do I do? A) Let her walk away, and forget about her B) Let her walk away, but call her tomorrow, or C) Run after her and explain yourself. Since I realized that I didn't have her number, nor was I about to forget about her anytime soon, I opted for option C.

"Wait, Haley!" I yelled out jogging to catch up to her. She looked back surprised, and stopped, but didn't respond. I took this as my opening to explaining myself. "Can we just start over? I promise you, I am a good guy, and would really like to explain all of this to you." She looked at me, thinking this offer over, and I believe I noticed a hint of a smile appear across her lips as she nodded her head. I sighed in relief, "OK, do you want to... go for a walk?" I offered, knowing very well that it sounded a little sketchy, but really wanting to get out of there and have a little privacy.

"Okay," She agreed, and we headed off.

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AN: Thanks so much for reading! Next update will hopefully be up next week! Please review!