AN: Hey guys! I hope everyone had happy holidays! Thanks for the wonderful reviews to: deli41321, 3scottiehotties23, naleyluv, DayDreamer323, OTH.daddy'sgurl.06, NateandHales, naleysocute23, Mary Kate113, and Nathanlvr23!
I'm so sorry about all the date confusion! Here's the deal: May 1st was the day that Nathan and Haley met several times and sort of fell in a love-at-first-sight. But from now on in the story I'm just writing in the present, which is in December, seven months later and they haven't seen each other since May 1st. I hope that cleared things up!
Chapter 9
Present Day, Nathan's POV
December 31- New Years Eve
"Remind me again who's throwing this party?" I asked Lucas for maybe the tenth time. I knew I had asked dozens of times. And I knew that he had answered, but that didn't mean I had heard him. My mind was elsewhere. It was, and has been for the last seven months, with Haley. But even more so on this particular day.
"Some chick Brooke knows from cheer-camp," He answered, and I could tell he was irritated by me. But he didn't say anything, which I was thankful for.
"Have I ever met her?" I said, making small talk as I slipped a piece of paper into my jeans' pocket, hoping he wouldn't notice. That piece of paper I had told everyone else that I had torn up, a sign of me moving on. Letting go. But in fact, it was still in one piece, and I treasured it. Even if she had moved on, even if she didn't even remember me, I was going to call her at midnight tonight. It's not like me to be afraid, or nervous. But why do I get the slight feeling that me calling her at this point would be a little pathetic? Because it's also not like me to act pathetic...
"Probably. Brooke set her and Skillz up a while ago, and they've been inseparable. She's the peppy blonde girl, permanently attached to him."
"Oh, right." I mumbled, having a vague recollection of this girl. But truthfully I didn't really care. Lucas and the rest of the guys had been doing everything in their power to get me out and enjoying myself, and I was thankful. At least I wasn't lying around all day, just thinking about Haley... Instead, I was thinking about her at a party, at the mall, on the courts, etc... They kept using the old 'oh, Haley might be there!' to get me to go places, and to be honest, it worked. Is that just really, really sad?
There's a line between endearing and just pathetic... and I think I'm flirting with it.
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Haley's POV
I pulled the last top of my pile over my head, trying my best not to break the fragile material as it wrapped my body tightly. Not me, I decided. Definitely not me. Just then, the voices of Peyton and Bevin were heard outside my tiny little dressing room.
"Hales, come out and show us!" Peyton demanded.
"I swear, I am just bad luck. Eleven tops, and not one looked good on me!"
"Let us be the judges of that, and come out!" Not being one to argue much with my friends, and easily pressured, I did as I was told. Oh, what a smart move that was. Not. I will now have to get hearing aide from the damage my two friends' screaming did to my ear drums.
"Haley James, you are so hot!!" Peyton screamed, as Bevin nodded along enthusiastically. Now, I knew I should have been offended by her astonishment, and the fact that she only thought I looked hot when I was standing there in a skimpy little tube-top. But I wasn't; I was even more surprised then her at this statement.
"What? No, I'm not!" I said spinning around to look at myself in the mirror. Ok, so this top does make my boobs look bigger. Does that mean I'm all of a sudden Haley James, hot babe? Not about to happen...
"Yes, Hales, you are. This is perfect for my party tonight," Bevin said. "The boys will go crazy when they see you in this!" And that's exactly what I'm afraid of, I felt like saying. I have no interest in "the boys". I only have interest for one. One that has been exempt from my life for the past seven months.
But I failed to mention any of this to my friends, because I already know what they'd say. They'd say that that is so "Haley James" of me; to stay hung up on some guy from seven months ago. They'd tell me to move on, and find me some other guy. And since I am clearly not interested, I stopped mentioning Nathan to my friends, because it was just pointless.
So, after a full ten minutes of Peyton and Bevin convincing me to buy the top, then me changing my mind with the old "I'll never wear it. I look like a slut" (works every time... usually), I finally just bought the damn shirt just to make them shut up.
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Nathan's POV
Words could not describe this party. The second I walked in with Luke, Tim, and Skillz, I regretted it. There was still three hours until midnight and it seemed as though everyone in all of North Carolina was already there. There were some who were already piss-drunk, who would probably pass out by 10:30. Kind of defeats the purpose of this whole party, doesn't it? But then there were the ones standing in the corner, wall flowers, looking a bit awkward. It made me sad to know that in an hour or so, I would probably be one of them, bored with the party, waiting on the side while all my friends got some action... well, except maybe Tim...
Either way, I knew I wasn't going to have a good time. I wanted to, but I just couldn't. And I knew I would be spending my evening just waiting until the big and small hands reach the 12, so I can finally pick up the damn phone and call Haley.
"Dude, will you lighten up?" Lucas said, more as a command than a question.
"Seriously, man, you're usually the life of the party. What's gotten into you?" Skillz said honestly. I hadn't exactly told him about Haley. Lucas was the closest to knowing my inner-torment, and he didn't even know all of it. I just sensed that my friends wouldn't exactly understand what I was going through. It was easier to lie. Much easier.
"Nothing, man. So am I going to get to meet this girlfriend of yours or what?" I said, eager to change the subject, and to occupy myself. "I mean, I've seen her around, but I've never officially met her. I want to see who's got big-shot Skillz all whipped!" I said, dodging his playful punch to my arm.
"Hell no, I am not whipped, ok? She's my shorty," Skillz said, and the way he said it, kind of sounded sweet... In a way that made me wish I had someone to talk like that about. Just then, the petite blonde in question snuck up being him and hugged him.
"Are you guys talking about me?" She said in a slight-southern accent. There were some introductions, a few minutes of small talk before they headed off to the dance floor. Soon after Lucas was gone too, when Brooke pulled him away. I was left with Tim who, big surprise, soon ran off to a pack of girls gathered around the keg.
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Haley's POV
"I knew this was not a good idea," I said to Peyton as we walked through Bevin's giant house. "Everyone is looking at me with that look."
"What look? The 'damn she looks hot' look?" Peyton said jokingly, as she scanned the crowd for Jake.
"No, the 'damn, she's trying way to hard, she should just stick to tutoring' look," I replied, nervous, and desperately regretting having taken Peyton and Bevin's advice of wearing this top.
"Right," Peyton said sarcastically, "Hales will you please stop complaining? These guys are all lusting over you. You look great. Have fun," And with that she gave me a little nudge before running of to meet up with Jake. Great. Alone, once again. Thankfully, I'm used to it, and I came prepared, I thought as I pulled out my book that I had so conveniently snuck into my purse. This was going to be a very... uninteresting night...
---
I checked my watch for the billionth time that night. 11:54 pm. People were started to get excited. I would have thought that all of their excitement had worn off an hour ago when they thought it was midnight, only to realize that Bevin's clock was in fact an hour ahead. As a sober on-looking, it was quite amusing. But I was wrong, they seemed to be even more excited, and even more drunk than before, and I didn't think it was possible. Silly Haley, I told myself, never underestimate the drinking habits that take place on New Year's Eve.
I had decided to plant myself outside on Bevin's front porch, where the music was slightly less loud, and if I tried real hard to block out all other noises (and there were some pretty interesting noises, let me tell you) I could actually concentrate on reading my book. By now, I was wearing my oversized sweatshirt I had insisted on bringing, as it was quite cold outside.
Peyton and Bevin seemed so busy with their men, that I hadn't seen them once. Which I was pretty thankful for. I love them to death, but if I have to hear one more time about how I need to just move on and jump the next guy that slurs a few pretty words at me, I think I will explode.
---
Nathan's POV
Stupidly, all the guys around me started the countdown right at 11:59, and started at 60. Getting bored by the time they got to 45, it died down. I, not drunk like them, therefore not getting quite as excited as them, refrained from joining in. My hand found it's way into my pocket and grasped my cell phone tightly, ready to flip it open and dial the number I had been dying to dial since the moment I received it.
30 seconds left. Not feeling the whole New Years' spirit, I decided that I needed a little fresh air. I had spend the whole time inside, but not doing anything, just watching, talking a little, but mostly sitting around.
Brooke and Lucas caught me before I left though. Which surprised me, considering they had just a second ago been attached by their mouths.
"Guys, didn't anyone tell you, you're supposed to wait until it's midnight to make out," I joked and Brooke hit my arm, as Lucas just laughed.
"Where're you going, man? It's almost time," He said, ignoring my previous statement. 20 seconds.
"I'm just going to go get some air. As you were," I said and I left before they could stop me.
I pushed myself through the crown and finally reached the door. 13 seconds. When I had opened the door, I felt a huge gust of wind, and realized how refreshing it was, even though I knew in about two seconds I would freeze to death, considering I was only wearing a T-shirt. By this time, they had begun the ten-second countdown and I started to feel a little nervous.
Who knows what sparked these nerves... But there they were. And as if they were a premonition, a sign if you will, that nervousness multiplied by about ten thousand when I found myself face to face with Haley James, reading a book, completely unaware of me.
6 seconds
Or had she seen me and not recognized me? Not recognized me, of course, because she had already forgotten about me... But I was not going to be stupid enough to get my doubts in the way of my hopes. I wasn't going to just let this go. Not a chance.
"Haley?" I said, my voice cracking a little bit.
3 seconds
She glanced up from her apparently very engaging book, and those mesmerizing brown eyes grew a little wider in surprise as met mine. I gave a little smile, trying to shake off the mad butterflies in my stomach.
"Nathan?" She said, with a look of disbelief. My heart melted when she returned my smile with one of her own.
1 second.
"Wow," She said capturing the real essence of the situation. If both her and my surprise to see each other at that very moment was put into one word, that would be it: Wow
Happy New Year
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AN: Haha, I know I'm so mean for leaving it there! I hope you guys liked it; please leave a review! Happy New Year everyone! Next chapter is the last one!