AN: Hey guys, decided to update sooner than usual! Thanks so much for the wonderful reviews to: asharp4, naleysocute23, Lorilozz, mayra23, ravenhottie23, OTH.daddy'sgurl.06, MrsLucasScott, SLUVER15, naley-lover-01, Sam2007, Mary Kate113, Nathanlvr23, JPNeverlosetheButterflies, NateandHales, utterlylost1108, naleyluv, and DayDreamer323.
Sorry about the last chapter being a little confusing. It should be much clearer after this chapter!
OK, guys, just to clarify: May 1st is the day Naley met, and when I say "Present Day" that is six months later. I know things got a little confusing in the last chapter. I hope this update clears a few things up.
Chapter 7
Present Day, Nathan's POV
I remember that night so vividly, it seems like it was just yesterday. I remember what color shirt I wore, what color my plastic cup was, what the exact time was when Haley James rang my doorbell. The shirt and the cup were both blue. And Haley came at 9:43. I remember staring at that clock while I tried desperately and unsuccessfully to calm my nerves, Tim's voice going on and on in the distance. But he knew I wasn't paying attention. Anyone who was around me that day knew that my mind was occupied; that something was different to make me act so completely... possessed.
I would give anything to feel that full of emotion again, even if just for a moment. Just for one day. I will never loose hope in finding her. And even if my mind sometimes thinks that this is impossible, that I should just let go, my heart knows better. My heart knows for damn sure that we will find each other again.
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May 1st
"Dude, you have got to snap out of it!" Lucas says to me for maybe the billionth time. "I don't think I've ever seen you nervous before. Especially for a girl."
"I know, I know..." I said, also for the billionth time. "I'll feel better once the party's started. It's all this waiting that getting me messed up," I said not being able to help my nervous movement. I just couldn't sit still!
"What do you think she'll think about my house, man?" I couldn't help but ramble on. My mind was saying shut up! shut up!, but I just could not listen to it. "What about the music? Oh my god, I forgot about Tim. What if Tim scares her away!" I noticed Lucas roll his eyes at this, but didn't react, I was too buys freaking out and fluffing the freaking pillows!
"Have you forgotten who Tim is? He's completely harmless!"
"I'm not worried about him harming him, Luke, I'm worried about him weirding her out! You know Tim, I mean he's not the best people-person. Uh..." I frantically tried to find a solution to this problem, while I noticed Lucas becoming increasingly fed up with me. "I know, why don't we just find him a girl and keep him shacked up all night in some bedroom away from Haley-"
"Nate-"
"No, you're right. What was I thinking? Where would we find a girl interested in Tim?"
"Nate!" Lucas yelled, grabbing my full attention... well almost full attention. "Bro, I love you... but right now you're annoying the hell our of me, and you really need to calm down, ok?" He said putting a helping hand on my shoulder. I nodded and he gave me a drink. "Alright, drink this down, but just this one, ok? Just to calm your nerves, not to make you drunk, ok?" He said this very slowly and keeping eye contact, as to make for absolute sure that I understood.
"Yes, mommy," I replied taking the drink and gulping it down.
---
About four drinks (snuck while Lucas wasn't looking) later, I started to feel a buzz. I vaguely remembered Lucas telling me to only drink one drink, and me wanting to obey him, but sneaking drinks anyways because I was just so damn nervous... Those five drinks hadn't done anything but make me, on top of still being incredibly nervous, also a little tipsy. By then the party was in full swing, and about five minutes later, at exactly 9:43 the doorbell rang.
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Haley's POV
I was getting so nervous, I was starting to not only annoy Peyton, who had to endure hours of me fussing about this and that, but myself. I didn't want to be the idiotic naïve girl that lived off of every word that comes out of a boy's mouth. Waiting desperately for a compliment or a phone call. No, I was Haley James, my own person.
"Haley, you're not seriously still nervous?" Peyton said in that tone of hers, as we walked up the steps leading the the massive Scott mansion... and this was just their beach house!
"Well, I was fine in the car, but now that we're here..." I didn't finish my sentence, knowing very well that I didn't have to. We reached the front door and I hesitated to ring the bell. Was it too late to just turn around and leave?
"Please, just relax. I promise once we're inside, and once you guys start talking, you'll be fine," I must have still looked unconvinced because for some reason she felt the need to continue. "But that can't happen unless we actually make it inside." She said nodding over to the doorbell, which I reluctantly rang.
The door swung open only seconds later by a guy, I vaguely remembered from the Ravens' basketball team. "Hey hey! Find ladies, that I would definitely remember if they went to Tree Hill High... No, you girls must have seen my online profile!" He said slightly sticking his tongue out and nodding his head; that mixed with his shaggy hair, gave me the mental image of him as a dog. He would make an adorable dog...
I tried my hardest not to laugh, and apparently Peyton wasn't trying at all, as I heard fits of laughter coming from her direction. "Actually," I managed to say with a straight face... sort of, "We're here to see Nathan. I mean, he invited me. And I invited her." I said pointing to the hysterical Peyton next to me, shaking with laughter, giving her a 'cut it out' face.
"Yeah I kind of guessed," Tim said hanging his head low. I resisted the urge to pet him and moved passed him. Peyton stopped in front of him.
"Don't worry, buddy. I have a boyfriend, but if I didn't, I'd totally dig you," She said, and then moved to join me. This seemed to cheer him up. Once we had moved out of his earshot, I asked her,
"Is that true?" She gave me a look.
"No, but I feel bad for the poor guy. All these slutty girls coming in here just for Nathan..."
"Great. That makes me feel so much better," I replied my voice full of sarcasm. But I didn't hear her response, or even if she had one, because I suddenly noticed the sight that I never thought I would see. In fact, it wasn't only unexpected, but it was utterly and completely... odd.
"Nathan, what are you doing?" I said walking over to him, Peyton staying behind to scope out the crowd. Nathan was sitting by himself at a table, busy stacking empty plastic cups on top of one another. He jumped when I spoke and the foot-tall pile fell down.
"Ah, look what you made me do!" He slurred, and I realized by whom those cups had been emptied. I was stunned, I couldn't even find one word to say. After a moment he looked up at me quickly, "Hey! Haley, you came!"
He tried to get up too quickly and fell limp, and if I hadn't caught him, he would have fallen face-flat on the floor. "Ok, I have way too many things to say to you right now, and I don't really know if I should say them, considering you may not even remember this conversation tomorrow." I said thinking out-loud.
"What?" Nathan said carrying his own weight now and practically standing up on his own. "No, Haley, I remember every single word you say to me." He said, unaware that he was yelling a little and people were starting to stare. And while I would have loved to stand there for a moment and let those sweet words sink in, I needed to get him out of there. So I dragged him outside the back door, onto a porch.
I was disappointed. Disappointed that this night, that I had looked forward to with such anticipation, could be ruined, and it wasn't even my fault. He invited me to spend more time with me. To get to know me, talk to me. So why would he get drunk? Disappointment turned to sadness. And sadness turned to anger. And when I was angry, I really wasn't responsibly for my actions.
Out of nowhere, I just brought my hand up and slapped him. Wow, that must have been a real buzz-kill, hun? As soon as I realized what I had done, I brought my hand back up to his cheek soothingly. And spat out apologies at one hundred miles an hour. What had gotten into me?
"Nathan, oh my god, I can't believe I just did that. Are you OK?" I asked frantically.
"Ow..." Was all he answered, but he didn't seem quite as out of it... Maybe this had worked to my advantage? Oh no, was I so selfish that I would hurt him just so our evening wasn't ruined?
"Maybe I should go," I said, giving up on our night, and honestly still a little upset at him.
"No, no!" He said grabbing my arm stopping me, by now he was pretty sober. I think that slap did him some good. "I deserved that... Haley, I'm so sorry. I was nervous, so I had a drink."
"A drink?"
"OK, more than one... but it was just because I was terrified. I was looking forward to the moment you stepped into my house for so long that as the time went by I just grew more and more nervous., and I'm just not good and handling stuff like that-"
"Nathan, it's ok. Trust me, if there's anyone who understands about being so nervous, it's me. And even though, you did disappoint me a little when I found you here drunk-" I said, finally finding a little confidence in me to state my true feelings.
"Haley-" He interrupted me.
"I like you, Nathan. And if slapping you out of your drunken state is the only way for us to finally have a getting to know each other conversation, then dammit, I am willing to take that risk!" I joked.
"Haha," he said sarcastically, and then his tone changed to serious, "But I like you too, Hales," He said and I smiled at his use of my nick-name. I usually didn't like it, but hearing it come from him... It wasn't so bad. "You know I can't help thinking that it's fate- you and me."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah, I mean think about it," He explained, "I just met you today, yet I've already met you three times."
"That is weird," I said thinking about it, and a plan formed in my mind. "Hey, I have an idea."
"What is it?" He looked at me skeptically.
"How about I give you my number-"
"Sounds great-"
"I wasn't done yet," I insisted, "And how about we leave it up to destiny to reunite us."
"You mean I'll have your number, but not be able to use it? That's just pure teasing..."
"Well, if this really is fate, than you won't have to use it. We're bound to bump into each other sometime, right?"
"But what if we don't? Are you willing to risk that?"
"That's what the numbers are for. If say... by the new year we haven't seen each other, and we're still interested, we call." Maybe I was in a romantic mood, or maybe I had just seen way too many chick-flicks, but the realization that the new year was seven months away didn't seem to faze me.
He thought about this for a moment, and finally agreed, "OK. You want to know why I'm agreeing to this?" I nodded and he continued, "because something tells me that we'll find each other before the new year."
"OK. So... deal?" I said extending my hand for a shake. He looked at it for a moment.
"Deal." He said placing his hand firmly in mine.
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AN: OK guys, please don't hate me! OK so the next chapter will be the next half of this party and more present day stuff. This story only has a few more chapters left. I hope you guys liked it! Please review