Disclaimer: I do not own claim any character, idea, etc. related to the show, One Tree Hill, as my own.

"Tutorgirl! If you don't stop fidgeting, I'm just going to smear this shit all over your face and leave you to deal with it!"

An exasperated Brooke gripped a container of concealer and dollops of it all over her fingers of the other hand.

Peyton smiled as she watched her best friend's patience wearing thin and a tiresome Haley James, with a disposition similar to a five-year-old.

Brooke carefully dabbed the makeup underneath Haley's eyes, trying to smooth away the area where Haley's movements had caused a huge glob. The frustrated brunette maintained as much of a professional face as possible, not wanting to scare off an already skeptical Haley James. She continued by gently blending foundation with a wet sponge applicator. After finishing the base of the makeup, she moved on the eyebrows, filling them in and then brushing them with a clean mascara wand. Taking a peach-tone of eye shadow, she washed it over Haley's eyelids to the brow.

Peyton refocused onto herself, manipulating a complex flat-iron.

"Do you guys think I should go straight, tonight?"

With one eye shut, Haley seriously answered,

"When were you ever not straight?"

Brooke pulled her hand away from Haley's face immediately and doubled over with fit of giggles.

Peyton's eyes widened with humor and shot back,

"Who would've thought Tutorgirl had jokes?"

Haley stuck her tongue out at Peyton jokingly and Brooke was practically rolling on the floor with laughter.

"Haha… oh my gosh, you have to admit… even if it wasn't that funny… haha… it was totally unexpected and that… haha… hint of sarcasm. You kill me, Tutorgirl!"

Peyton rolled her eyes at her friend's enthusiasm, while Haley smiled cutely at the scene she had caused. Brooke had straightened up and was wiping away the small tears at the corner of her eyes.

She took a deep breath and then happily replied,

"Go straight, for a change. It'll go nicely with the lines of your dress,"

"That's all I needed to hear. Damn," Peyton huffed slightly.

Then Brooke returned to the canvas that was Haley's face, adding a metallic gold shade just to the crease of Haley's eyes.

"Peyton? Why are you looking at me like that?" Haley questioned worriedly.

Ignoring her, Peyton commented to Brooke,

"Ms. Davis, have you ever considered going into makeup?"

Brooke smiled with glee but coolly replied,

"Nah, clothing is really my forte,"

The discomforted expression on Haley's face vanished as she began to regain some composure. The satisfied girl relaxed back into the seat as her friend went back to focusing on her face.

As Peyton began straightening her naturally curly locks, she said out loud,

"So, I hear a Tutor-somebody has a date with Tim,"

Haley let out a small gasp.

There was a devious gleam in Brooke's eyes and despite Haley's obvious discomfort, Brooke answered,

"It's a dance, Goldilocks, not a date. And I'd have to say that there is a big difference,"

"Yeah, there is a big difference; especially since I'm doing it as a favor to a friend!" Haley defended herself.

Peyton continued staring back at her reflection in the mirror and asked with the most nonchalant tone,

"And what friend might that be?"

"Oh, don't you know, it's your ex-boyfriend, Nathan Scott, himself," Brooke answered in place of Haley.

Haley looked at her makeup artist with horror and waited for a lashing from her blonde-haired friend.

This time, it was Peyton who was laughing uncontrollably.

"Haha… Haley, what's wrong?"

"Why are you laughing? Are you mad that I'm doing a favor for your ex-boyfriend?" she asked, her voice a bit shaky.

"Are you kidding?"

Peyton couldn't help but to laugh. Of course, Haley took her laughter as a bitter reply to Haley's favor for Nathan.

"I didn't… I didn't know that Nathan was your ex," she humiliatingly said.

Brooke rolled her eyes at the dramatics of their little tutor.

"Haley, it's not like you guys hooked up or something, you're just fulfilling a favor. And to say the least, Nathan and I were so done, from freshman year. We're just friends, now, even though, I still get the urge to strangle him on occasion."

Despite the blonde's reassuring words, an apologetic look remained on Haley's face.

"Okay, enough with the soap opera tears, I was just screwing with you,"

Brooke said as an attempt at cheering up a friend.

Haley didn't answer. Sometimes, Brooke just really knew how to get under someone's skin.

"Sorry," Brooke sheepishly apologized.

This was received with surprise from both Haley and Peyton, as they glanced at each other.

"It's okay. I… I just haven't known you guys as long as you've known each other, there are certain things that I'm bound to not know," Haley cheerfully answered.

It was rare that the arrogant Brooke Davis was able to sincerely apologize to anyone and even in those rare moments, you managed to feel sorry for her.

Brooke smiled at her words appreciatively, while Peyton did the same.

"Our little Tutorgirl has such insightful thoughts, does she not?"

Brooke asked Peyton, returning to her typical jokester behavior.

--

"Well, ladies, I'd have to say that we are looking pretty bitchin' tonight!" Brooke exclaimed.

And sure enough, they did. They stood in front of a large and lengthy mirror, so that all three girls were in full view. Brooke had allowed Peyton to assist her in curling just the ends of her deep brown locks, which now grazed her shoulders elegantly. Her dress was a strapless and wine-colored gown that came just above the tops of her feet. Peyton wore a white number with a knee-length bubble skirt and sequined straps. Brooke had carefully pinned one side of her shiny blonde strands with a medium-sized faux lily. They complained with dissatisfaction about tiny details, regarding their appearances that weren't even existent.

Haley, on the other hand, was having trouble believing the reflection in the mirror, was hers. She fingered the shimmery material of her dress, the one she had fallen madly in love with the day she caught sight of it. It was a gold, halter dress that came down to her ankles. It clung to her every curve and even showed a peek of cleavage, an attribute that she had been extremely nervous about before. But, now as she looked at herself, she had to admit that it was flattering. The back of the dress began just a few inches above her bottom, showing off her sexy, bare back. Both of her friends had contributed in pin-curling every strand of her hair and then Brooke had adorned it was glitter. The finishing touch was the matching golden heels that Brooke had lent her.

Brooke's cell phone rang and without even answering she announced,

"The limo's here, let's get a move on!"

--

After the limousine had stopped at Bevin's house to pick up several girls, with and without dates, the driver continued its route to Lucas' house, where he stood out front with his anxious mother. Haley stepped out of the vehicle, with an almost timid Brooke following closely behind.

"Lookin' good there, kiddo,"

Lucas greeted his best friend and gave her a soft peck on her forehead. He then stepped beside Brooke and looked her over with an approving stare.

"Oh, Hales, you look so beautiful! Both of you girls look beautiful! And, you must be Brooke," Karen excitedly commented.

After exchanging hugs with Karen, Haley moved over so that Brooke and Karen could meet.

"Hi, Mrs. Roe," Brooke quietly said.

Brooke? Quiet? This was insanely entertaining for Haley and Lucas.

"Call me Karen! So, you're the young lady that has my son, head over heels,"

"The one and only,"

Brooke nervously laughed afterwards.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I've heard wonderful things about you from both Lucas and Haley,"

Brooke gave a small sigh of relief.

"Um, I hope you don't mind," Karen continued, while pulling out a digital camera, seemingly out of nowhere.

As Lucas' mother began flashing photos, a mile a minute, his girlfriend couldn't help but to relax.

"Lucas, you have been totally holding back an awesome mama!"

After a brief five minute introduction, Brooke was hugging her boyfriend's mom like she'd known her for years.

"You guys have a fun time! All you guys, be careful!"

Thanks to the couple weeks of cheer practice, Haley had gotten to know some of the other girls to a certain extent. They gabbed excitedly as the limousine pulled into a rather upscale neighborhood. Judging by some of the looks on the girls' faces, she didn't need guess whose house was the final stop.

The door opened and in came, Tim, Skills, Jake, and finally, Nathan.

Tim made his way to a group of single gals, Skills sat down next to his girlfriend, Bevin, and for some odd, yet interesting reason, Jake sat next to Peyton, leaving an empty seat available right next to Haley.

'Perfect,' Haley thought with pure disdain.

It wasn't so much that Nathan would be sitting next to her, but the fact that Lucas was there to witness any interaction between the two individuals.

Peyton and Brooke exchanged toothy grins and quickly refocused their attention to their nearby male peers. Even as Brooke flirted with her boyfriend, he warily watched his best friend talk to his sworn enemy.

"Hey," Haley muttered.

"Hey, yourself. You look… beautiful," Nathan confidently supplied.

"Um… thanks,"

She accepted his compliment hesitantly, even if it did make her blush the slightest bit. Even though he had entered the limo with a group of his friends, she had to assume that his date was meeting him at the actual dance. He'd be reciting those same lines to whichever skank he was playing for the evening. Furthermore, it would be such a shame for guy like Nathan to be going solo. There was a bitter aftertaste in her mouth that she could only describe as jealousy. But, why?!

To nearly everyone's amazement, Nathan then turned over to Lucas and gave him one of those manly nods, a simple yet friendly acknowledgement. Lucas returned one, a bit more awkwardly and a momentary silence fell upon the passengers. Haley wanted to explode with joy but was far too stunned to react in any shape or form. Despite being pleasantly surprised, Brooke did not fail to notice Nathan grinning back at Haley as if for approval of this one good deed. Aside from popularity and good looks, if there was one thing Brooke Davis had in common with Nathan Scott, it had to be that unmistakable smirk.

--

Like every typical small-town high school, Tree Hill held both Junior and Senior Proms in their large gymnasium. Outside the front of the school, several limousines, and borrowed luxury cars stopped, dropping off its passengers. The group filed out of the vehicle, entering through an outrageous-ornamented hallway. Some of the students stopped before entering the gym to have their photos taken by a professional photographer ready and waiting with a cheesy backdrop. Haley paused briefly before observing the numerous couples lined up and tried to make her way past.

"Tutorgirl! Where do you think you're going?!" Brooke yelled after her.

She turned swiftly to see all three of her friends, Brooke, Lucas, and Peyton, gesturing for her to get her ass over there. The photographer snapped shots of Lucas and Brooke, Lucas and Haley, Lucas with all three and than just all three girls. As they turned to leave, allowing the next people in line to get their turn, she felt a familiar hand on her forearm, tugging her gently.

"Nathan," she said, a tad bit surprised.

"C'mon,"

He pulled her to his side and draped his arm around her hip a bit lazily but then she felt his grasp tighten.

"Smile!"

And lights flashed—Haley could care less what she looked like in the picture.

"Thanks, Hales—" He began before being rudely interrupted.

"Nate! Take a picture with me?"

The smile that had begun to form on Haley's face (even though the picture had already been taken) immediately disappeared when she recognized that annoying and high-pitched whining, a voice that only belonged the bitch, herself, Rach-ho.

"Uh… yeah, sure," he complied.

Haley glimpsed quickly at Nathan, but he avoided any eye contact with her.

"Oh, hey there… um… uh, oh my God, I'm so embarrassed, I don't even know you're name. My bad," Rachel greeted Haley, before whisking away Nathan.

Haley rolled her eyes and scoffed.

'Man-whore and attention-whore—what a perfect match?,' she thought bitterly.

Every so often, Haley would dance to a couple of songs with Brooke, Peyton and a few of the other cheerleaders. She was just trying to have a good time. But, of course, the deejay was out to get her and by the fourth slow song, she was on a manhunt, looking for Tim.

'Might as well get this favor over with,'

She found him trying to chat up a storm with a pair of girls who looked all too uninterested.

"Hey, Tim,"

The goofy boy tore his attention away from the girls instantly, having heard a female voice calling out his name, specifically.

"Tutorgirl?"

Haley rolled her eyes at his usage of her nickname.

"Tim, you can call me Haley, no, make sure you call me Haley, okay?"

He nodded with a blank stare.

"Okay, Haley, what's up?"

'Oh, God, here we go…'

"Do you… ah, screw it! Tim, let's dance,"

She had him by the hand as she led a stumbling Tim to the dance floor. She wasn't even paying attention to the song but she was focused heavily on where her dance partner placed his hands. Shockingly, he remained a gentleman, never allowing his hands to dip further than her waist as they moved slowly to the music.

"Oh my God!" Brooke squealed from Lucas' arms, nudging her nearby friend.

Peyton awoke from a dreamy daze as she danced with a so-called friend, Jake, after feeling Brooke poking at her. All four individuals looked in the direction that Brooke was pointing at to find Haley dancing with… Tim?!

Nathan wasn't too far, dancing with one of his many requests and he too saw the same thing they were looking at. But, he smiled happily, realizing that his favor had meant something to her.

"So, why are you dancing with me?" Tim asked sincerely.

"Huh?" she asked, feigning confusion.

"I mean, why aren't you dancing with Nate?"

"Um…"

He laughed a little at her reaction.

"If you're just trying to use me to make my best friend jealous, I don't really think it's gonna work…"

As much as she wanted to defend that he was way wrong, she remained quiet, unsure of how to go about this conversation.

"It's not gonna work… well, because I think you've pretty much gotten his attention, anyway,"

He gestured to where Nathan was dancing with an unknown girl and focusing on no one else but Haley. Haley turned her head a little and her baby brown eyes captured a pair of bright blue ones. They stared at each other for a fleeting moment.

Nathan watched inquisitively as Haley and Tim conversed freely and naturally. He stayed patient, waiting for his chance to dance with her. When the slow song had ended, he couldn't help but to burn a little when the two of them picked up the pace to continue dancing to the next song. Haley laughed and lightly hit Tim on the shoulder and they seemed to be getting along well, maybe too well.

He had lost interest in the current girl he was dancing with and started to the refreshment table to grab a drink. Involuntarily his muscles tensed and twitched when he heard another slow song coming on. He was somewhat thankful to see Lucas escorting Haley while Brooke began to dance with Tim.

"Hales, you seem like you're having fun," Lucas noted.

"It was totally a favor,"

"Yeah, Brooke mentioned that. For who?"

There was a hint of wavering in her voice but then she replied, "For Nathan,"

"What? Why would you do anything for that jackass?"

"You mean the jackass who actually hasn't been a jackass, tonight?"

She watched the blonde-haired boy roll his eyes with thick sarcasm.

"Luke, he's not as bad as you… or everyone thinks of him,"

"Why are you defending him, all of a sudden?"

The two had stopped dancing a while ago.

"If you haven't noticed, it hasn't been all of a sudden. When you started dating Brooke, it took a lot of time away from our friendship just because you weren't used to handling both. And, I'm not blaming you,"

"Then what are you trying to say?"

"Maybe, she's trying to say that she made time for me… since you didn't make any for her," Nathan stepped in quite aggressively.

Haley stared helplessly at Brooke through the crowds of confused but curious high school students.

"Get out of my face, Scott. I'm tired of the games you play and that you're playing right now, with Haley,"

Nathan ignored his snide comment, taking in the pleading expression on Haley's face. He swallowed a deep breath and what he did next, no one expected.

"No games. Look, I don't want to ruin anyone's prom night,"

He began to retreat to where he had been standing before. Both Haley and Lucas stood in shock for never in their high school history had Lucas been made the jerk by the end of a confrontation. Lucas angrily stalked away, leaving Haley behind and his girlfriend trailing after him.