Hey guys! I tried to get this out fairly quickly for you all. I only got one review for this story last chapter :( while I sincerely thank that person for reviewing I have to be honest and say that if this story isn't generating the interest that it once did I'm gonna have to leave it alone for now. I completely understand if people did lose interest because I have taken a while to update but if that's the case I'm gonna have to put this one away. Anyway, if you guys are interested in me continuing, definitely let me know!
Disclaimer: I don't own OTH or its characters
Chapter 12
Travis looked up from the hood of the car he was under when he heard footsteps towards the entrance of the garage. He let out a chuckle at the sight of a clearly exhausted Nathan. "You look like crap."
"Thanks." Nathan smiled mockingly.
Travis took a washcloth off his workbench and wiped his hands that were covered in grease. "What happened to you?"
Nathan rubbed the circles that he was sure would be permanently under his eyes and tried to straighten out his slumped over shoulders. "I got up at four this morning to workout with my Dad."
Travis let out a whistle. "Voluntarily?"
"What do you think?" Nathan questioned with a sarcastic smile.
"Point taken. Don't you have basketball practice after school?" Travis questioned while taking the hood of the car he was working on and slamming it shut.
"Yeah," He nodded. "I came as soon as it ended."
Travis looked over the teenage boy before sighing. "Listen Nathan, if you're too beat to work today we can try for another time."
Nathan looked surprised at Travis' sincere words before shrugging and putting down his backpack on the floor. "It's cool. I'm already here." Nathan didn't want to let out just how desperate he was for the money at this point.
Travis nodded at his little sister's boyfriend before walking towards his workbench and pulling out a mechanics jumper. "That's yours, the grease can be a bitch to get out of clothes."
Nathan caught the jumper with ease and nodded. "Thanks."
"So how much do you know about cars?" He questioned.
"About as much as you'd expect me to." Nathan answered with a shrug.
"So nothing." Travis nodded.
Nathan rolled his eyes and laughed slightly. He thought that this would have been super awkward but Travis was actually being kind of cool. "My Uncle Keith taught me the basics. How to change a tire, how to change oil…other than that I'm pretty clueless." He answered honestly.
Travis nodded seemingly impressed. "Hey, that's better than nothing. Well, Mrs. Tucker's car is in for an oil change and a replacement of her serpentine belt so while I work on the belt repair you wanna change the oil?"
Nathan nodded while moving to put the jumpsuit Travis had given him over his clothes. Once the jumpsuit was on he walked over to the car Travis had started on and looked for the oil filter and drain plug on the car. He and Travis worked silently for a while before Nathan decided to speak up.
"Hey Travis."
"Don't tell me you broke the car already, Scott." Travis teased.
Nathan laughed and shook his head. "Thanks for letting me work here."
Travis looked up to the teenage boy and gave him a nod. "No problem. Besides, Lindsey's been ragging me about not having enough time for her since I'm always here, now that you're here to help I might actually develop a life."
Nathan chuckled. "And about me and Haley."
"Oh jeez." Travis sighed before looking up at Nathan. "And I was actually beginning to like you Scott."
"I just wanted to say." Nathan sighed. "I really like her, and I'd never do anything to hurt her."
Travis looked over at the raven-haired boy for a few moments before nodding. "I believe you. I never meant to come off as a dick but Haley's all I got."
Nathan nodded. "I understand."
The two reached a comfortable silence and went back to working on Mrs. Tucker's car until Travis laughed gaining Nathan's attention. "What?" He questioned confused.
"I hope you know that if you ever did hurt her I'd make you live to regret it." Travis responded.
"It was implied." Nathan nodded curtly.
"Lucas." Haley called out to her blonde friend leaving the gym in a hurry to catch up with him.
"Hey Hales." He nodded. "What's up?"
"Mind giving me a ride home?" She questioned pulling the gym bag securely over her shoulder. "Nathan had to go to work at the garage."
"Yeah." Lucas smiled.
"Thanks." Haley laughed. "I'm definitely gonna have to work on the whole car thing with Travis."
"No worries." Lucas smirked. "I'll always be available for chauffeuring services."
"Whatever." She scoffed.
"So how was your first cheerleading practice?" Lucas questioned walking across the school parking lot, Haley in tow.
"It was okay." Haley nodded. "I like spending time with Rachel and Peyton but I'm kinda dreading the fallout from Teresa when she figures out I'm the one that replaced her."
Lucas shook her head. "She's all talk. Besides there is no one else you'd rather have in your corner during a cheerleader beat down than Rachel Gatina and Peyton Sawyer."
"Well, I wouldn't exactly say there's gonna be a beat down." Haley laughed.
"Way to crush a man's dream, Hales." Lucas retorted feigning hurt.
"Anyway, you missing Brooke yet?" Haley questioned knowingly getting into Lucas' red mustang.
"Majorly." Lucas responded.
"She misses you too."
"Yeah?" He questioned.
"I only hear about you for like an hour every time we talk on the phone." She answered mocking annoyance.
Lucas laughed. "I'm not gonna lie, it's hard with the long distance but I really like her so we'll see how it goes."
"Break her heart and I'll kill you, Scott." She pointed at him jokingly.
"Yeah, yeah. Like I said, I actually really like Brooke." He rolled his eyes. "Speaking of breaking hearts, how's Tree Hill's resident bad boy?"
She laughed before shaking her head. "Nathan's good."
"For what it's worth," Lucas started. "I have never seen him this into a girl before."
"Well I'm not just any girl." She joked.
"Just tell me if he ever crosses any lines, I'll have a talk with my cousin for you."
"Playing the big brother role as always." She smiled over at him cheekily.
"Just looking out for you."
"Nathan's a good guy." Haley smiled softly while leaning her head against the window of Lucas' car. "I never would've expected him to be the guy that he is when I first came to Tree Hill but I'm glad he's opened up to me."
"Nathan is a good guy." Lucas agreed. "He just gets a lot of pressure from my Uncle Dan and everyone else's expectation of him. I'm glad he found you, Hales."
"Thanks Luke." She smiled brightly over at her best friend.
"Anytime." He said driving into Haley's driveway and putting his car into park. "See you tomorrow at school."
"Thanks for the ride, Luke."
Nathan walked up the stairs to his house feeling completely and utterly drained. All he wanted at his point was a nice hot shower, a phone conversation with his girlfriend who he barely got to see today, and a good night's sleep. Working with Travis at the garage had actually been a lot better than he had expected. Truth was he was pretty intimidated by Haley's older brother but after tonight he could see that Travis was a nice guy who just wanted to look out for his younger sister and Nathan could respect that. He carefully opened the front door to his house in hopes that he wouldn't alert his father of his presence.
"Nathan." Dan questioned surprised walking into the foyer.
"So much for that." Nathan mumbled to himself.
"What did you say, you mumble all the time." Dan asked annoyed.
"Nothing, Dad." He sighed.
"Where have you been? It's late."
"Out." He answered moving across the foyer and into the kitchen.
"Where is out?" Dan questioned. "Practice ended like three hours ago."
"I was at the river court." He lied.
"No you weren't." Dan shook his head. "I stopped by there after practice to pick you up for a workout but you weren't there."
Nathan rolled his eyes. "Keeping tabs on me now?"
"Don't talk back. Here's the thing, you weren't there but Luke was and when I asked your cousin where you were he said you were at the gym. So naturally I go to the gym."
"Naturally." Nathan responded sarcastically.
"And lo and behold my son isn't there."
Nathan shrugged his shoulders not really wanting to get into it right now.
"So where were you Nathan?" Dan questioned.
"Dad, I've had a really long day, a day that I work up at 4am for." He reasoned.
"Just answer the question son."
When Nathan remained silent Dan let out an unamused laugh. "You were with that girl weren't you?"
"What gir-"
"The girl you blew me off for a few days ago!" Dan cut him off. "Nathan what did I tell you, a girl is only going to distract you."
"Oh my God." Nathan rolled his eyes. "I really don't want to talk to you about this." He grabbed his backpack from off the counter and moved up the stairs to his room.
"Nathan." Dan yelled following his son up the stairs. "We're not done talking."
"I have nothing to say!" Nathan responded annoyed, dropping his backpack on the floor once he entered his room and talking a seat at his desk.
"So just listen." Dan responded.
"You are never going to get that scholarship to Duke with the way you're prioritizing your life right now."
"I know what I'm doing Dad."
"I don't think you do." Dan shook his head. "That much is evident from the time I've spent at home. You need to eat, breathe and sleep basketball."
"Whatever." He shook his head. At this point it was taking everything in Nathan not to just let his Dad have it.
"You're never going to be as good as me Nathan. Not with the way you're playing right now." He remarked condescendingly.
"I average 20 points a game!" Nathan pointed out angrily.
"Yeah, and when I was your age I averaged 30."
Nathan shook his head. "This isn't a pissing contest."
"You're right." Dan nodded his head. "You're not making it much of a contest at all with the way you're playing. You have that game with Oak Lake in two days, I set a record when I played them my senior year of high school." Dan noted.
"Yeah, I know." Nathan nodded having heard this story for what felt like a million times. "25 points. I'll beat it."
"No you won't." Dan rejected. "You're not good enough."
Nathan looked at his father in disbelief wondering when their relationship had resorted to such crap. "I'm just letting you know that I'm going out of town tomorrow, but I'll be back in time for the Oak Lake game. Try not to screw up your training too much while I'm gone."
Nathan watched in silence as his father exited his room before grabbing the small basketball that was on his bed and chucking it at the wall across from him. He angrily reached for his cell phone in his pocket and scrolled through his contacts looking for a number. When he found the person he wanted he brought the phone up to his ear waiting for the person to respond.
"Come on, Tim." He mumbled to himself as he paced around his room heatedly.
"Yo, whatup homie?"
"You're white Tim." Nathan rolled his eyes.
"I know dawg. I don't get why people feel the need to always remind me of something I see every time I look in the mirror." Tim responded confused.
"Whatever." Nathan waved off annoyed. "That's not why I called."
"What's up Nate-man?"
"Is your brother still dealing?"
Haley smiled brightly walking into school the next morning and seeing Nathan at his locker. She made her way hurriedly past a group of overzealous freshman and wrapped her arms around her boyfriend's torso from behind.
Nathan tensed up slightly before realizing it was Haley and he let out a chuckle. "Hey you." He greeted turning around.
"Hi." She smiled while leaning up and placing a tender kiss on his lips. "What happened to you last night? You never called."
"I, uh, passed out when I came home from work." He nodded.
She looked at him weirdly for a moment before accepting his answer. "How did work go?" She asked letting go of him and leaning up against the locker next to his. "I never got the chance to question Travis, he was at Lindsey's last night."
"It went well." He nodded.
She looked at him curiously. "That's all you can give me? It went well."
"Well what do you want me to say, Haley?" He answered back slightly annoyed.
"Whatever." She rolled her eyes and made a move to leave but Nathan grabbed her wrist.
"Wait."
She looked at him expectedly.
"I'm sorry. I had a rough day yesterday." He apologized.
She nodded. "Anything you wanna talk about?"
"No." He played it off. "I'd just rather forget about it."
"Okay."
"I'm really sorry." He repeated while intertwining her fingers with his. "I didn't mean to take it out on you."
She chuckled. "It's okay, Nate."
"Let me make it up to you."
"Now you're talking." She smirked.
"My Dad's out of town, wanna come over tonight? I can make Mac and Cheese for dinner." He offered.
She smiled softly before shaking her head. "I'd love to, Nate but I'm drowning in work."
"So do work at my place!" He exclaimed.
"I don't know." She hesitated. Truth was her relationship with Nathan was progressing pretty fast and she still hadn't had the big bad sex talk with him so she was kind of avoiding any situations that would force her into the talk.
"Come on, baby." He whined. "I don't have to work at the garage today. I can give you a lift after practice. I feel like I haven't spent time with you in forever."
She looked up at his pleading blue eyes before relenting. "Okay."
"But!" She raised a pointed finger at his now smirking face. "We're doing work!"
"Scout's honor." He nodded placing three fingers over his heart.
"Yeah, yeah." She smiled moving away from his locker. "I have to head to class, I'll see you at lunch."
"And don't think I won't ask Luke if you were ever even a scout!" She called out when she was a few feet away from him.
He laughed and ignored the stares that he got. He was used to the looks but they seemed to be in affect full forced since they had come back from Thanksgiving break. Seemed like the student body was shocked to find out that Nathan Scott was officially off the market. Nathan had to laugh at the idea. They should have figured it out when they realized he hadn't hooked up with anyone since a certain blonde moved into town.
"Yo, my man." Tim greeted walking up to Nathan.
"Tim." He nodded turning back toward his locker tensing up once again. He wasn't proud of what he was about to do.
"So I talked to my brother and he gave me these." Tim pulled out a bottle of Advil handing them to Nathan.
"Advil?" Nathan questioned confused taking the bottle from his friend.
"Nah, but we gotta be covert." He answered. "They're like steroids on speed or speed on steroids."
Nathan nodded while opening the bottle and taking out two pills. He grabbed the bottle of water from inside his locker and put the two pills in his mouth and took a swig of water. "Whatever gets me jacked for Oak Lake tomorrow."
"You sure about this man?" Tim questioned hesitantly.
Nathan shoved the bottle into his backpack before placing the bag over his shoulders. "Too late now." He shut his locker closed and nodded at Tim. "Later man."
Tim looked at his friend as he retreated down the hall. "Later."
Haley hastily shoved her books into her locker and grabbed her gym back hurriedly. She was late for practice. And as much as she loved Rachel, Haley was beginning to see that she rivaled cheer-nazi Brooke.
"Well, well."
Haley's head snapped out at the voice and she had to let out a groan at the brunette making her way towards her.
"What do you want Teresa?" She questioned annoyed while trying to get the right books she needed for homework out of her locker.
"For starters my spot on the team that you took from me." She answered back with a scoff.
"Listen, I feel ya. I didn't want to be on the squad but Rachel practically begged me so that she could kick you off." Haley shrugged. "Not my fault."
Teresa rolled her eyes. "Nathan would be another thing that I want."
"Well, then you can add that to your list of things that you are definitely not getting." She laughed unamused.
"Who do you think you are?" Teresa questioned angrily.
"Oh my God." Haley sighed. "Enough with this Mean Girls crap. I'm sorry I'm on the squad and you got kicked off maybe if you were a nicer person and stopped with the whole holier than thou crap you would still be cheering and as for Nathan it's getting a little desperate sweetie."
"You have some nerve." Teresa laughed.
"I have some nerve?" Haley questioned incredulously. "You have got to be kidding me." She mumbled lowly. She shut her locker hardly before turning to Teresa. "Listen, I really don't have time to stand here while you try to intimidate me, as you know Rachel is a real hard ass when it comes to tardiness so why don't you just stick to the death glares in class. Okay Teresa?" Haley shook her head before shoving her way past the brunette and walking towards the gym.
"You picked the wrong girl to mess with Haley James." Teresa mumbled to herself before stalking off in the opposite direction.
"Okay." Rachel yelled at the cheerleaders while walking over to the dock where her ipod was connected and pressing stop. "That completely sucked!"
"Why did I sign up for this again?" Haley mumbled over to Peyton who was standing next to her.
Peyton laughed at her new friend before throwing on a sarcastic smile. "To witness and experience the pleasures of having Rachel Gatina as your captain."
"Reece, what did I tell you about your diagonal?! Keep your arms straight!" Rachel yelled over at one of their classmates.
"Clearly." Haley replied deadpanned.
Peyton snickered and Rachel snapped her head towards the blonde at the sound. "And what is so funny Sawyer?" She questioned.
"Nothing." Peyton smiled while Haley laughed.
"Alright let's try it again, from the top!" Rachel commanded walking towards her ipod dock.
"Damn it, Nathan!"
The girls turned their heads over to the booming voice of Whitey Durham. "Whoa." Rachel commented as she turned to stand by Peyton and Haley. "Someone is getting a verbal beat down."
Haley looked on curiously at Nathan who was shouting back at his coach and the result of the yelling which looked to be one of his teammates, Vegas, down on the floor.
"I made the shot!" Nathan yelled.
"Yeah, well it's not gonna matter much when you're benched for a flagrant foul!" Whitey yelled back.
"Whatever, I don't need this crap!" Nathan yelled animatedly. At this point the coach and player had gained the full attention of everyone in the gym. "I'm better than everyone on this team!"
Whitey looked at his player before shaking his head. "Hit the showers, you're done."
"What!?" Nathan questioned angrily. "Whitey-"
"Walk it off Nathan." Whitey answered sternly.
"Whatever." Nathan scoffed and threw the basketball that was in his hand towards a clearly surprised Lucas. "I'm out of here."
"What was that?" Peyton questioned once Nathan had stormed his way out of the gym.
Haley shook her head stunned at the scene she had just witnessed. "Your guess is as good as mine."
Haley exited the gym and slowly made her way towards the school parking lot. She had figured that Nathan had stormed off after the scene at practice she asked Lucas to wait up for her and give her a ride home. She was confused to say that least. She had never seen Nathan act up like that. Couple that with his behavior from earlier this morning and she was convinced that something was going on with her boyfriend. She looked around the front of the school for Lucas before a voice gained her attention.
"Hey."
She turned and saw Nathan walking towards her. "Nate, I thought you would've left by now."
"We made plans." He noted.
"I just figured…" She looked at him confused for a moment. "I asked Luke to give me a ride home."
"I saw Lucas." He nodded. "I told him I got you."
Haley fell into step with a clearly irritated Nathan and walked across the parking lot to his black SUV.
"Listen, Nate." Haley stopped and grabbed his arm forcing him to face her. "You can just drop me off at home, don't worry about our plans if you need some time to yourself."
Nathan shook his head grabbing her hand in his. "I really don't wanna be alone right now, besides being with you calms me down."
She looked at him for a moment before noticing his hand that was in hers. "Nathan, you're shaking."
He looked down at his shaking hand before pulling it out of hers and letting out a chuckle. "I'm just amped up from practice."
"What happened anyway?" She questioned, taking a strand of loose hair and pulling it behind her ear.
"Whitey doesn't know when to leave it alone." He shook his head angrily.
She looked surprise at his reaction. Afterall, he had said nothing but good things about Whitey up until this point. "I'd rather not talk about it." He responded once he took note of her expression.
Haley nodded and followed Nathan towards his car. "You do know that I'm here if you wanna talk right?"
Nathan looked at the blonde and she could have sworn she saw guilt pass through his eyes for a brief moment. "I know." He nodded. "Come on, I make a mean Mac and Cheese."
"Okay." Haley laughed walking into Nathan's room and taking a seat at his desk. "We have to do work now."
Nathan laughed and took a seat on his bed. "Why?"
"Because Brooke didn't nickname me Tutor-girl for nothing." She smiled. She was glad that the angry and irritable Nathan had disappeared since she had been at his house. She chalked up his behavior from his morning and at practice to pressure that he was feeling. The Ravens had a big game tomorrow and she was sure Nathan was feeling it from all ends.
"Oh yes," He laughed. "I forgot my girlfriend was a genius."
"Laugh all you want, but I actually have work to maintain my 4.0, and as much as I've loved spending time with you, all I've done since I've been here is eat Mac and Cheese and watch episodes of Lost." She smiled at the pout that now adorned his face before turning to his desk and pulling a few books out of her bag.
"But, Hales." He whined.
"No, but Hales." She laughed while holding up a textbook. "We have the four fathers with us and they don't appreciate the whining."
"They can watch." He answered back with a laugh.
"Nathan, I'm serious." She chuckled.
"So am I." He answered back with a smirk before walking over to his desk and pulling her out of the chair and towards his bed.
"Nathan." She moaned once his mouth made contact with the side of her neck. She let out a gasp as he sucked on her pulse point. "Nate."
He continued his ministrations making his way towards her mouth as she felt the back of her legs hit the foot of his bed. She let herself cave into him as he claimed her mouth with his and she felt him pushing her gently on top of the bed and readjusting his weight so that he wouldn't be crushing her.
"Nathan." She moaned. "We have to do work." Her protests were weakened however at the sight of her tight grasp on his shirt.
"We haven't made out the whole day." He mumbled into her mouth while placing a hand at her waist and rubbing the exposed skin between her shirt and her jeans.
Haley took a sharp breath at the feeling of his calloused hand on her sensitive skin. She laughed lightly at his attempt of an excuse for their make out session before giving into him and wrapping her arms around his neck. She felt Nathan's calloused hand move from it's comfortable spot on the skin between her shirt and her jeans and make its way up her body bringing up her shirt in the process.
"Nate." She shook her head while kissing him. He stalled his hands for a moment before continuing with his previous actions.
"Nathan, come on stop it." She called out more sternly moving her lips from him. Nathan only took this as a sign to kiss her exposed neck.
"Nathan." She pushed him off furiously when she felt his hand push her shirt up to her bra.
"What?" He questioned heatedly.
She scoffed moving off the bed and towards the desk angrily pushing her books into her bag. "I cannot believe you."
"Haley." He called out.
"No." She shook her head tears threatening to spill from her eyes.
"Hales," He sighed. "Look, we'll just do work okay?"
"It's just best if I leave, Nathan." She shook her head avoiding contact with him and walking out of the door to his room and down the steps into his foyer.
"Haley, at least let me drive you home." He followed her down the stairs.
She turned to face him and for the first time he saw the tears that she was trying her best to keep at bay. She shook her head and placed a hand on his chest stilling his actions. "I'll walk." She pulled her hand back as if he had burned her and scoffed before exiting the front door of his house and walking away as fast as she could.