Thank you for reading the second chapter of Show Me How to Live!
Just want to say a HUGE thank you to all of you who have favorited, followed, and reviewed this story! I was not expecting this much positive feedback, and I am so grateful to you guys!
**FYI**
In this story, Nathan and Lucas are COUSINS, not brothers. Karen married Keith, and they had Lucas. Dan and Deb are still Nathan's parents.
Haley is a single mom to her 5-year-old son Jamie. She owns and manages Karen's Café, with her partner Karen Scott.
In this chapter, I briefly touch on who Jamie's father is. I will go into more detail in later chapters, but PLEASE DO NOT FREAK OUT! It will all make sense and will not be too OOC for Haley, I promise!
-Characters might seem a little OOC, but just go with it! I know how I want this story to go, and it will all make sense in due time!
The next morning, Friday, Lucas headed over to Haley's, hoping that she had thought about letting Jamie go the camp. The kid had a lot of talent, even for a five year old, and he loved the game.
Haley and Lucas had been best friends since she moved to Tree Hill in the fourth grade, right after Nathan had moved away. When Haley had Jamie, Lucas rightfully took his role as uncle very seriously, helping Haley whenever he could, even when he was in college. Lucas had gotten Jamie into basketball at an early age, teaching him to say "ball" (his first word) and buying him a child's size hoop for his first birthday.
"Brooke, you can't seriously be agreeing with Lucas right now," Haley exclaimed, her cell phone pressed to her ear, currently talking to her other best friend.
"Look Haley, you know I love you," Brooke began, "But I think you're being a little overprotective. Jamie loves basketball. You can't shield him from everything."
Haley, seeing the edge of Jamie's feet peeking out from under the door, now knowing he had been listening to the whole conversation, continued, "Brooke, you have to know that Nathan Scott is the biggest D-I-C-K. I've seen the interviews and the tabloids."
"But you've never met him Haley," Brooke said, "I have, and if Lucas trusts him, then so do I. I think you should let Jamie go, at least for today."
"Ugh, Brooke, why do you always have to be right," Haley relented.
Lucas knocked on the door of the small bungalow, hearing small footsteps running toward the door.
As the door opened, Jamie appeared, "Uncle Lucas!"
"J-Luke! How's my favorite man today?" Lucas asked, giving Jamie their usual high-five as he walked inside the house.
"Ready to play!" Jamie smiled, "What are we going to do today?"
"First off, where's your mom?" Lucas asked, looking around and not seeing Haley.
"She's still getting ready. She told me to answer the door when you came," Jamie said.
"Well then how would you like to go to a basketball camp today?" Lucas questioned, knowing this was dangerous territory he was treading, that Haley could come out any minute and hear him talking to Jamie about this.
"With Nathan Scott?" Jamie said, his eyes widening, "He's one of the best players in the NBA! And he's your cousin, right Uncle Lucas?"
"Yeah, he is Jamie," Lucas replied, confused about how Jamie already knew about this, "How did you know Nathan would be there?"
"I heard Mama on the phone with Aunt Brooke this morning," Jamie knowingly said, "She said that Nathan is here in Tree Hill, and then she spelled some words, so I think she knew I was listening. One of them was D-I-C.."
"Alright J-Luke," Lucas said, quieting the boy's smarts and big ears, just as Haley appeared from the hallway into the living room where the boys were.
"Ahh, my two favorite men in the same room," Haley smiled, wearing a white tank top and black mini skirt.
"Woah, Hales, you look," Lucas stammered, shocked, as she usually dressed…differently.
"Lucas Scott, just because I'm a mother doesn't mean I have to dress like a corpse all the time," Haley proceeded to explain, "You can thank your wife for my new wardrobe."
"I was wondering why she didn't come back with any milk on Saturday," Lucas smiled, "You look great Hales."
"Thanks Luke," Haley replied, grabbing her purse from the coffee table.
"Did you think any more about the camp?" he asked.
"I don't know Luke," Haley said, as she noticed Jamie's puppy dog eyes.
"Please mama," Jamie pleaded, "I'll be good, I promise. I'll do my chores without grumbling and I can help at the café too."
"That's very sweet Jamie honey, slightly illegal, but sweet," Haley laughed, looking at Lucas, "And you'll be there the whole time?"
"I won't let Jamie out of my sight," Lucas promised, "And if Nathan gets out of hand, I'll call him out on it, I swear."
"You're not supposed to swear Uncle Lucas, right Mama?" Jamie questioned.
"That's very right Jamie," Haley smiled.
"You are way too smart J-Luke," Lucas said, "And you can thank your mom for that."
"Alright, he can go," Haley relented, "But I'm picking him up. And if I don't like what I see, then no more. Deal?"
"Deal!" Jamie and Lucas said in unison, high fiving each other.
"I'll go get my jersey!" Jamie exclaimed, running to his room.
"I mean it Lucas," Haley said sternly, "Nathan Scott makes one wrong move, he'll have me to answer to."
"Duly noted Hales," Lucas said, noting how stressed out she looked and wrapping her in a hug, "Look, the camp goes from 12-3, Monday, Wednesday and Friday for a month. I'll be there and so will Whitey and Skills. Everything will be okay Hales, I promise."
"If you say so, Luke," Haley sighed, as Jamie came running back into the room, now wearing his Nathan Scott jersey.
"You have fun today Jimmy-Jam," Haley bent down, hugging her son and giving him a kiss, "Listen to your Uncle Lucas and remember, all you can do is your best, okay?"
"I love you mama," Jamie smiled, grabbing his basketball from the bin by the door.
"I love you too baby, I'll see you later!" Haley said, as Jamie and Lucas walked out the door.
It was an incredibly busy morning at the café. One of the waitresses had called in sick, leaving Haley to do the work of two people, while still performing her manager/owner responsibilities. Thankfully, all the regulars were extremely patient.
She was cursing Brooke right now for the outfit she had all but forced her at gunpoint to wear. The black mini skirt and tight white tank top were so not her, and her feet were killing her in the black strappy wedges. She had gotten several compliments on her outfits from the regulars, but most of them were elderly gentleman who she had known since she was a kid, so she laughed off their flirting.
As she picked up a large tray of orders from the kitchen to take out to the waiting tables, she heard the bells jingle and saw someone walk through the door that she definitely did not want to see. Nathan Scott.
She tried to ignore him as she walked out of the kitchen with the large tray, but as he took a seat at the counter, he noticed her, and she saw him totally jump her bones with his eyes.
After checking her out, he said rather loudly, "Excuse me, I'll have the breakfast burrito with an iced tea."
"I'm sorry, I'll be right with you," Haley said exasperated, setting the tray onto the one empty table in entire café, handing out plates to the regulars who had already been waiting almost double the time they were used to.
"You know who I am right?" Nathan questioned, as Haley returned to the counter to take Joe Turner's order. His eyes were currently wide as saucers, his mouth was open to the floor, and his hand was self-consciously holding the brim of his Charlotte Bobcats hat at the sight of Nathan Scott sitting next to him.
"I am extremely sorry to say that yes, I do," Haley replied, "But that does not mean that you're going to get any special treatment here. If you want to be treated like a celebrity, go back to Charlotte."
"Well, I don't think I appreciate your attitude, or the fact that you're enstinuating that I'm an entitled jerk."
"First of all, it's insinuating, second off, I'm not insinuating. I'm saying that you're acting like an entitled ass," Haley said, speaking her mind.
"That's it. I don't deserve to be treated like this," Nathan said angrily, "I want to speak to the manager. Tell them that their waitress is way out of line."
"You're already speaking to the manager," Haley smirked, staring Nathan dead in the eyes, "You can wait for me to take your order like everyone else, or you can leave."
"Then I want to speak to the owner," Nathan continued.
"Lucky for you, you're talking to her too," Haley replied, "Now I'm going to ask you nicely to leave. Or would you rather I call the police, and let all those photographers outside get more pictures of you in handcuffs?"
Nathan turned around to see five photographers standing outside cameras posed trying to take pictures through the long rectangular glass pane of the front door. He stood up, glaring at Haley, slamming a twenty down on the counter.
"I think I've lost my appetite," he sneered, "But I'd like to pay for this fine gentleman's meal. At least he seems to have good taste."
"Don't bother coming back," Haley said, as calmly as she could with all the anger boiling inside of her.
"Honey, not if my life depended on it," Nathan smirked, before walking out the door.
Nathan strode up to the Tree Hill High gymnasium just before 11:30, still fuming from his encounter with the insanely hot, totally bitchy café waitress/owner/manager, whoever she was.
As he walked inside, twenty small heads turned his direction, and in under ten seconds, he was being swarmed. Kids asking for pictures and autographs and asking questions.
"Woah, woah guys, let's let Nathan have a little breathing room alright?" Lucas said, breaking up the swarm.
"Thanks, Luke," Nathan sighed, feeling a lot less claustrophobic now.
"Alright, guys, go finish stretching," Lucas told the young boys, ages ranging from 5-10, "Jamie, come back for a second."
Nathan watched as the youngest and smallest boy in the group, turned around. He noticed the young boy's sandy blonde hair, large blue-green eyes, and especially, his slightly oversized Nathan Scott jersey.
"Nathan, I'd like for you to meet my partner in crime and nephew, Jamie," Lucas smiled, "Jamie, I'm sure he needs no introductions, but this is my cousin Nathan."
"Nephew?" Nathan questioned, knowing that Lucas was an only child.
"He's my best friend's son," Lucas explained, "I've been in his life since he was born, therefore making me the favorite uncle, right J-Luke?"
Jamie just smiled and stuck out his hand to Nathan, "Hi, my name is Jamie Lucas James. It's an honor to meet you Mr. Scott."
"Jamie James, huh? Interesting name," Nathan shook the young boy's hand, impressed by his politeness, "Well thank you Jamie, but you can just call me Nathan."
"I was named after my grandpa," Jamie replied matter-of-factly.
"Jamie here is one of the best players I've ever seen," Lucas admired, "He helps me coach the varsity during the school year."
"Well then Jamie, let's see what you've got," Nathan smiled, "And if you do really well, maybe I'll even sign that jersey for you at the end of the day."
Jamie's eyes got huge, as did his smile, and he quickly joined the other boys, as Nathan began to talk about what everyone was there for: basketball.
Haley had finally gotten one of the waitresses, Anna, to come in on her day off, to cover for her so she could go pick up Jamie. Thankfully, the rush had died down, the café being only half full now, but Haley was already fifteen minutes late.
She was definitely not extremely thrilled about seeing Nathan Scott again. After their encounter this morning, she did not want Jamie to keep going to the camp. She took a deep breath as she stood outside of the gymnasium at her old high school, the gym where she'd watched Lucas play many a game.
As she hurried inside, she noticed only three people left in the gym, silently cursing herself for explaining all the closing procedures to Anna three times. She had hoped she could pick up Jamie and avoid Nathan altogether. Now, it looked like them meeting once again would be inevitable.
"Thanks for signing my jersey Mr. Scott, I mean, Nathan," Jamie smiled, not even tired from all of the drills they had run that day.
"You were great today Jamie, really," Nathan assured him, "Your ball handling is really impressive for someone your age."
"Uncle Lucas has been working on that with me all year," Jamie happily exclaimed, leaving Nathan and Lucas to go shoot as he waited for his mom.
The sound of the doors to the gym opening and then closing got the attention of Lucas and Nathan, who had been talking about the Ravens upcoming roster for the season.
Nathan glanced toward the doors, only to find the rude café owner walking towards them, a scowl on her face.
"Oh great," Nathan mumbled, shifting his weight between his feet, "Here it comes."
"What are you talking about Nate?" Lucas questioned, as Jamie noticed his mother's entrance.
"Mama!" Jamie cheered, running over and jumping into her open arms. Haley's scowl quickly changed to a smile when she saw her son.
"Wait, what?" Nathan said, clearly puzzled, as Haley and Jamie walked over, hand in hand, to join the two men at half court.
"Nathan, this is my best friend Haley," Lucas began, a confused look on his face as well that matched Nathan's.
"We've met Luke," Haley replied, "At the café this morning."
"Dude, do you try the breakfast burrito like I told you?" Lucas asked, "It's like heaven in your mouth, isn't it?"
"It was really busy, so I just went back to the beach house and had some cereal," Nathan responded, looking nervously at Haley, worried she might tell Lucas what really happened.
The energy in the room had shifted, and Lucas could tell from the way Nathan and Haley were acting that something had happened between them.
"Well, thank you Luke, for taking Jamie today," Haley said, "Did you have fun?"
"Mama, can I please come back on Wednesday?" Jamie pleaded, "Nathan didn't yell at us and I did really good. Tell her Nathan!"
"This is between you and your mom Jamie," said Nathan, "But, he did do really well Haley. He's a natural."
With three pairs of pleading eyes looking her way, Haley gave in, relenting and agreeing that Jamie could keep coming to the camp, on a trial basis.
"We've got to get going Jimmy-Jam," she said, "You've got a sleepover with Andre and Chuck and you still have to do your chores like you promised."
"Haley, hang on a sec," Nathan called, causing Haley and Jamie to stop and turn around, "Can I talk to you?"
Haley looked to Lucas, who quickly jumped into action, "Hey J-Man, do you want to come help me put the balls in the locker room?"
"Can I spin around in your chair?" Jamie propositioned, as Lucas nodded, and started walking to the ball cart, Jamie following close behind.
"Not too fast kiddo," Haley laughed, watching the two walk into the locker room, before turning back, stone-faced to Nathan.
"Look, Haley, I wanted to say that I'm sorry for the way that I acted at the café this morning," Nathan said, nervously shifting his weight from one foot to the other.
"Seriously, I don't care who you think you are," Haley snapped, "But you are not any more important than any other person in my café, and I won't treat you that way."
"I know, and believe me when I say that I'm being serious," Nathan insisted, "I know I acted like…"
"A pompous jackass," Haley jumped in, finishing his sentence for him.
"If I knew what the word pompous meant, I would probably agree with you," Nathan casually laughed.
Haley laughed and rolled her eyes, trying to hold back a smile.
"I've made a lot of mistakes in the past, Haley, and I don't want to be the pompous jackass anymore," Nathan assured her, "I'm really trying to change, but it's hard to change a lifetime of behavior overnight."
"Thank you, for the apology, Nathan," Haley replied.
"Does that mean I can try that breakfast burrito tomorrow morning?" Nathan asked hopefully.
"Don't flatter yourself," Haley smirked, looking Nathan straight in the eye, before taking a deep breath, "Look, I'll think about it, okay?"
The locker room door opened, and Jamie came running out straight to Haley, Lucas following behind him.
"Mama, Nathan signed my jersey," Jamie said, almost out of breath he was so excited.
"Oh he did, did he?" Haley replied, looking at the signature on Jamie's oversized Bobcats jersey, "Well, that was nice of him. Did you say thank you?"
"He did," Nathan said, "You have a very polite son."
"Well, we try," Haley smiled, taking Jamie's hand, "And now, we really do have to go."
"We still on for tomorrow night Hales?" Lucas asked, running a hand through his hair.
"Luke, you ask me this every week, and every week it's the same answer," Haley laughed, "I'll see you at TRIC at eight."
And with that, Haley and Jamie turned and began walking toward the gym doors. As they reached them, Haley hesitated, turning back around to face the two men.
"Nathan," she said, as his head shot up and his eyes met hers, "The breakfast burrito comes with fresh guacamole tomorrow."
Nathan smiled, nodding his head as he said, "Sounds delicious."
"You're on my radar Nathan Scott," Haley replied, now a more serious tone to her voice, "Watch yourself. You don't want to be on my bad side again. Ask Lucas."
The gym doors opened and then shut, leaving the two cousins alone on the court.
"Dude, she's totally right. In high school, I got a little too drunk, got a tattoo, and missed our mini-golf game on the roof of the café. She didn't talk to me for a week," Lucas explained, "What did you do to her this morning?"
"You know, typical Nathan Scott macho bravado," Nathan replied, shrugging it off, "I'm working on it, Luke, I promise."
"I know you are Nathan," Lucas nodded, "And I think that's great."
"So what's TRIC?" Nathan asked, as the two walked out to courtyard, seeing that there were a couple photographers waiting like vultures in the parking lot.
"It's a nightclub my friend Jake and his fiancé Peyton own," Lucas explained, "Saturdays are open mic nights. All of my friends and I get together and we hang out. Do you want to come?"
"I don't know Luke," Nathan sighed, crossing his arms, "Last time I was in a nightclub, I got suspended from the NBA."
"Nate, you can't shut yourself away from the world," Lucas began, "I know you, and I know that you're punishing yourself for this way more than you need want to change what the world thinks of you? Then show them."
Hope you all enjoyed the second chapter of Show Me How to Live!
The idea came to me for this story and nagged me for weeks before I finally relented and sat down and wrote it. I haven't written any fanfiction for over a year, so I apologize for any mistakes or for this not being very good.
I recently discovered One Tree Hill on Netflix from the suggestion of a friend and watched the first 8 seasons in a month and a half (I know, I'm pretty ridiculous!)
Leave a review with any suggestions, comments, or ideas you want to see in future chapters!