Hello, all. I'd just like to start with a huge apology. I know it took me longer to update again this time and I'm really sorry. You know how everything is going really well for awhile, then one little bad thing happens and suddenly everything turns to shit? Well, if there were ever an excuse for leaving you guys hanging, that would be mine. Actually, I shouldn't be updating right now cause I'm at work and I'd definitely get in huge trouble for it, but I e-mailed this chapter to myself this morning so I could update and I'm not backing out now. :) But anyway, I hope you forgive me and here is a definitely earned shout out:
glassy waltz: Haha, yes you do rock. You just might be cooler than me... sighs What am I gonna do now? I'm not the coolest person I know anymore... lol. Well, I didn't know if you could top that last review of yours, but you definitely surprised me. This one was just as good, if not better. Oh, I hate when that happens! You always think 'Ooh, winter. Snow. Cozy fires. Hot chocolate.' Well, it used to be like that until I moved into an apartment with a heating system from last century and no damn fireplace. Of course I was waiting for your review. How could I not now? Here goes my day: Wake up. Check for Laurie's review. Make coffee. Check for Laurie's review. Go to work. Sneak online and check for Laurie's review. Get lunch. Borrow someone's laptop to check for Laurie's review... Well, you get the picture. :) And yes, I consider myself very lucky. :) Yeah, I can't imagine writing a whole story before posting it. I'm actually not sure how I feel about this whole writing 14 chapters before I post thing. It's kind of like I open up my laptop excited to write something new, then I'm like 'Oh yeah, don't have to.' It's weird. But oh well, I'll catch up to myself soon enough. Ooh, Ron Weasley. How much do you love that boy? lol. Hmm... the damage I could do with a magic wand... Oh, I know what you mean. It's a miracle when I actually really get into a story. I've only written a few, but I have like 50 other first chapters. Haha, stuttering or not, Nathan is always huggable and even more so biteable. :) My boyfriend would be so jealous... if I had a shot in hell with James Lafferty. lol. Haha, I love when people say they'll stick their foot up someone's ass. It brings me back to my That 70s Show phase. I was so obsessed. Then I saw One Tree Hill. And the rest was history. :) I'm such a dork, haha. Oh, you should definitely backpack through Europe if you ever get the chance. I tried it once with a group of friends and it was really fun... well, most of it was. We had a few... uh.. interesting situations we got stuck in, but it turned out alright. Although technically we only did it for like a week before we were like, 'Screw this, we're gonna live it up and spend all our parents' money on ritzy hotels.' I was in the middle of my freshly graduated, stubbornly independent streak back then. lol. Yes, truckers like the one I wrote definitely scare me. Luckily I've never been stuck alone in a truck with one. Poor Haley... I'm so bad to her. It's not weird at all that you like the fights and bickering. Actually, the longest relationship I've ever had, and am still in, started out with us fighting all the time. And it really did make it seem more worthwhile... plus I just didn't get bored of it as easily as I usually do... that might have helped. lol. Don't worry, they'll definitely always have their bickering. I don't really think I could ever take it out completely from this story. It's kind of their thing now, ya know? I'm glad you liked the wrestling. Haley's an angry girl, it was bound to happen. :) I agree, Nathan being a perv is something that should never be changed about him. Haha, you don't have to give up hitch riding, just you know... be careful and check out who's driving before you get in. And never agree to it when you're desperate... cause you're probably not thinking clearly and getting into something you really don't want to. Like for instance, what Haley did. lol. Yeah, if I was Haley, I would have done more than just spit. Who knows what diseases truckers have? Ok, ew! Gross! I should not have said that. It was nasty! Yes, I know. I was evil to give such a kick ass cliffhanger... but it's just the way I work. :) Well, I think they said they fixed the alerts, but if it still doesn't work this time, let me know and I'll start e-mailing you when I update. OK, that review was anything but annoying. It was the exact opposite. It was the most un-annoying, amazing review ever! Thank you so much for always making me feel awesome about my story and stuff. You definitely rock:)
OTHbabe23: Hey, girl! Thanks for an awesome review! I'm glad you liked the trucker and the Naley fighting. I thought maybe it was too much... then I decided to go for it. Thanks for reassuring me about it. I feel better now. :) And I'm obviously glad you're so excited about the next chapter. Enthusiasm from readers always puts a huge smile on my face. :D Actually yes, the certain feisty brunette is Haley. I guess technically she's a blonde, but for her look in this story, I'm thinking more like the color she had in season 1. Haha, I totally agree with you about Nathan. He has that bad boy edgy asshole thing going for him, but at the same time, he can be the sweetest guy ever. Cause let's face it, the bad boys get the girls, but the nice guys keep them. So, you have to have both to make it work, right? And Nathan's definitely the whole package. :) Anyway, thanks for your opinion on the spoiler thing, I'll definitely keep doing them. And thanks for a really sweet review. :)
HJS-NS-23: Well, I'm so glad you liked this chapter too and that you decided to review as always. :) Having someone review for every chapter means more than you can imagine. Yes, I felt a little guilty for what I did to Haley, but then I was like, 'I made her the luckiest girl ever and gave her Nathan, I should not feel bad at all.' lol. Yeah, I guess you could say Brooke's part will be pretty interesting. I'll let you find out. Thanks again. :)
sweetdevil23: Hi! Thanks for leaving great feedback. :) I'm so glad you thought the chapter was that funny. Making people laugh is like the best feeling in the world. Well, I guess you're about to find out exactly what Brooke is... Mysterious, right? lol. Actually, Nathan doesn't know about Haley having cancer and she doesn't really want him to. But sometimes it's hard to keep secrets... Anyway, yeah, Bubba was creepy and a pervert. It sucked to be Haley in that last chapter. But I think I made it up to her in this one. :)
larocca22233: I'm glad you liked the trucker nicknames. I was like 'If I was a teenage girl/guy hitching a ride with a really gross trucker, what would I call him?' Then, it was just kind of obvious. lol. You might be on to something with the whole Haley kicking Nathan thing... she does seem to like beating up on him, huh? Which requires touching... which we all know anyone loves doing when it comes to Nathan. lol. I know, trucker guy was really stupid, wasn't he? Not only could he not figure out that Haley and Nathan weren't related, but he actually thought Haley wouldn't mind making out with him. Ew, can you say herpes? I'm sure he couldn't. Wow, that was mean and kind of disgusting. lol. Yeah, I can't say I would've enjoyed being molested by that gross man. I hate even thinking about it... which is kind of ironic cause I'm the one who thought it up... but I never said I wasn't weird. :) Yes, I agree. I've always loved protective Nathan and I knew I had to bring him in here. I know what you mean about Nathan being self-obsessed... but what's done is done. lol. Haha, I laughed so hard when I read your little kid comment. I can just see some little boy walking in on them. Actually, I kind of didn't mention her shirt on purpose. She forgot it and left it in the men's bathroom because I needed a reason for her to go back in there so that something else could happen... you'll see in this next chapter cause I'm probably not making much sense explaining it. No, they're not in Tree Hill yet. Believe it or not, it actually is a really freaky coincidence. I felt like I had to bring in a few more characters, at least for a little while. Haha, there's nothing wrong with being impatient, it just means you really are hooked. Which I loved hearing, by the way. :) I'm so glad you're loving the story that much, it means the world. Thanks for such an awesome review!
xxlovin-laffertyxx: Hey, don't worry about not reviewing. I totally understand because I'm the same way with updates. When things get crazy, I don't really have time to post, but it doesn't mean that I'm not wishing I could. I'm glad you're loyal to the story. :) I'm so glad you're addicted to my story. That is such a huge compliment to me and I can't thank you enough for it. :) Haha, thanks for the cheering. I though the Naley action might make people happy. I'm glad you liked it so much. Wow, so freaky, someone else said the same thing about how Haley should jump on Nathan's back. I'll definitely have to keep that in mind. Well, I know people are probably anxious for everyone to find out about Haley's cancer, but I'm probably going to hold off on that for awhile. I kind of want relationships to be somewhat established before I deal that blow, if you know what I mean. Haha, well let's just say Nathan will have a unique reaction. He's definitely not just gonna take it quietly. Ooh, another huge Naley fan. I am such a sucker for their relationship. I always remember like everything that happens with them. Which should make me feel pathetic, but I get too happy about it to feel like a loser. lol. Haha, I'm glad you were so anxious to read the next chapter. It means I'm doing my job and keeping you at the edge of your seat. :) I'm pretty sure I read that they fixed the alerts, but let me know if they're still down and I'll start letting you know myself when I update. I don't mind at all. Thank you so much for the last comment. It was so sweet and it made my hectic day better. Hopefully I can update sooner this time. Your review definitely made me want to. :)
naley23brucas03: What's up? I'm so glad you're back and reviewing again. I missed reading your replies. :( But you're back now and it's all good. lol. I'm so happy you liked both chapters. And I'm definitely happy you liked the shed part. I thought they needed a reason to get a little closer. Yeah, concerned Nathan is always cute, isn't it? Thanks so much for saying the Naley was hot. I'm not always sure if I'm putting in too much or not enough, so I'm glad you enjoyed it. Haha, yes it did take awhile didn't it? But they finally got physical. Wow, I made that sound so much dirtier than I meant to. Ignore me, mind in the gutter. lol. Thanks again so much!
happywtmylife: Well, I can honestly say that your review put this crazy bright smile on my face that's gonna last for a really long time. I don't know, something about what you said just kind of clicked. And I just have to thank you like a million times over because I've never felt so important. lol, That probably sounded weird. What I meant was, I guess I never really realized that I could reach that many people just by writing a story for fanfiction and posting it. It really is the best part about writing, thinking that someone is reading what you've written and hopefully loving it. Those words were definitely wise and kind of blew me away. Maybe I'm sounding really stupid right now, but thank you so much for what you said. I guess it just kind of made me feel like my writing was actually maybe worth something because sometimes I get really insecure about it. I'm so glad you decided to review. :) It really made me feel appreciated and that's a great feeling. :)
mackenzie175: Hey! I'm glad to see that you're back too. Don't worry about not replying sooner. I'm just glad you did now. :) And that you thought the update was a-m-a-z-i-n-g. I just read that and was like 'Aww... I love her.' lol. Thank you so much for replying and leaving such positive words. It means more than you know. :)
Note to Everyone: Wow, am I in a sappy mood now after reading all of your reviews. I feel on top of the world and I just feel like I've just watched one of those really touching movies that makes you want to cry at the end because it was so happy and sad at the same time. If that makes any sense at all. lol. Anyway, just wanted to give a HUGE, monumental thank you to everyone who replied. I have never felt so blessed because I am writing a story for the sweetest, best people ever. I love you all. :)
Chapter 8:
Haley's POV
Finally, I'm convinced that Bubba's gone and I expect Nathan to let go of me, but he doesn't. I love how sweet he's being with me right now. I only wish it could stay that way. But knowing him, it probably won't.
Slowly, I lift my gaze to his. He's giving me this look, one filled with longing and need. And I like knowing that someone like him needs me like that.
We just look at each other. He holds my gaze. One, two, three seconds pass and I'm starting to get uncomfortable. I shift nervously, wanting him to kiss me, but knowing I shouldn't. His eyes search mine before he leans down and captures my lips in a searing kiss. I push up onto the balls of my feet, fighting to get closer, knowing this is the last thing I need right now. But I can't bring myself to stop.
I can feel his arms tighten around my waist as he holds me up. I relax against him as his lips trail down to my neck. My eyes close involuntarily and I moan as he sucks right near my pulse point. Damn. He sure knows what he's doing. Shit! I curse myself. Did I just moan? Well, if he didn't think I was desperate before, he most certainly thinks I am now. But if anything, he just kisses me harder and I decide I like his aggressiveness.
We stand there for awhile, making out. And it feels damn good. But I feel him pull away and I look up at him through hazy eyes. He's looking around wildly. I don't know what he's doing, but I think it can wait until later. What could be more important than me, right? So, I bring his lips back to mine and he doesn't protest.
Faintly, in the distance, I hear a truck drive by and it reminds me that we're standing right by the side of the road. The thought doesn't leave me brimming with confidence. So, I pull away and watch for a minute as his eyes close and he tries to catch his breath. I look around and we're standing right next to a McDonalds, so I step out of his hold and take his hand, leading him inside. He follows me blindly and I can tell he's confused. But I'm not playing games. At least not right now.
I take him right past the counter. The food smells delicious, but right now, I couldn't care less. Before long, we're standing between the doors to both the men and women's rest-rooms and I have no clue which one would be better suited for what we're about to do. I can feel Nathan growing impatient beside me until finally, he takes the reigns and pushes through the door to the men's room, pulling me in with him.
Suddenly, I find his body pressing mine against the cold wall, but the shock quickly wears off as warmth spreads throughout my entire body. I can't get enough of him and I find my legs lifting almost automatically to circle his waist tightly. I don't know how long it's been and at this point, I could care less.
I can feel his rough, callused hands slip under the hem of my shirt to dance over the bare skin of my stomach. I wait for reality to set in, but it doesn't and this time, I don't stop him. I jerk him closer to me, kissing him harder. He lifts the v-neck top over my head and it floats to the floor. Neither of us thinking about where we are. Until the door creaks open and a man clears his throat. Fuck! I can't even begin to imagine what he's thinking right now. On second thought, I don't want to know.
I straighten up, back still against the wall and try to discreetly lower my legs to the floor. Yeah, somehow, I think he caught it. Nathan doesn't make a move to look at the stranger, resting his forehead against the crook between my neck and shoulder. He's breathing hard and I can't tell if it's anger or frustration. Or maybe a little of both. "Damn it!" he whispers and there's a trace of venom in his voice. I venture a guess that it's directed at the man who interrupted us.
The guy just stares, not even trying to cover his disgust. Great, just another person to think I'm a whore. His stare is starting to make me really uncomfortable, so I do the only thing I can think of. I elbow Nathan lightly and he turns to face the guy. I catch a glimpse of his expression and it's full of anger. "What are you looking at?" he growls.
The guy doesn't skip a beat as he retorts, "Get a fucking room!" I'm about to lay into him and I can tell Nathan is too, but I feel myself dragged by the waist out of the bathroom and into the girl's one across the way.
I smile at his eagerness as he pulls me into the first stall and shoves the door shut roughly behind us, throwing the lock in place and pushing me back against the wall. "Someone's impatient," I joke, but he doesn't respond, just goes back to kissing me. I let him, trying to tell myself it doesn't mean anything. But it's starting to and it's getting harder and harder to deny how attracted I am to him.
Sounds from the restaurant filter in and I can tell someone's opened the bathroom door as several girl's voices drift closer. I start to panic, but Nathan doesn't even pause, so I decide not to worry about it. Until there's a sharp knock on our stall door and someone calls, "Hey, girl. Think you could hurry up?'
I'm perfectly content to ignore the voice and continue with our little escapade, but apparently Nathan's had enough as he jerks his lips away from mine and, groaning in frustration, unlocks the door and pushes it open with a hard shove. I dare to glance out of the stall and four girls stare back at me and Nathan, not even trying to disguise their shock.
The gorgeous brunette on the far left speaks up. "Nathan?"
Nathan stares back at her. "Brooke?"
I glance back and forth between the two in confusion. Please let it not be his girlfriend. Because damn it! If he's been lying to me this whole time… and he thought what I did to him earlier was bad. There'll be hell to pay if he's seeing someone else.
The blonde next to her chimes in. "Well, well, well. What do we have here? Nathan Scott and some skinny hoe?"
"Peyton," he responds dryly.
My eyes follow the conversation and I return my attention to Brooke as she continues. "Guess we shouldn't be surprised. But really, Nathan. The bathroom? At McDonalds? Isn't that a little low… even for you?"
What the fuck? Oh no that bitch didn't! She needs to just back off. I stare back at them coldly. Deciding to address Peyton's comment first, I turn to her. She glares back at me. "I know you did not just call me a hoe, bitch." Brooke starts laughing and I turn to her, eyes blazing. "Why are you laughing? So what if we're in McDonald's? Sorry if I'm not classy enough for you, but at least I've got a guy who's willing."
Brooke scoffs. "Please. I've already had Nathan. And honey, let me tell you, he ain't all he's cracked up to be."
"Brooke," Nathan shoots her a warning glare. I tense up beneath him. Already had him. What's that supposed to mean? Maybe he really is a manwhore. I shove him off of me, not liking the way all four girls are staring at me. They're appraising me. He looks at me, a little surprised, but I turn away. And see Brooke smirking. I roll my eyes, and stare at the wall next to me.
"Hey, wait a minute," says the girl on the other side of Peyton. "You must be Tim's cousin."
The other girl whose name I have yet to learn spoke up. "Oh yeah, Haley or something. He said Nathan was going to pick you up."
Brooke snickers. "With a cousin like Tim, how could you not be a whore?"
The others laugh too. I can see Nathan about to comment, but before he can defend me, I shoot back. "Look who's talking, slut."
I can see her about to come back with an equally snotty comment when the curly blonde Peyton interrupts. "Hey, I like your spunk. Much better than Tim's."
I smile at her. Maybe she's not as bad as I thought. "Who doesn't have jokes better than Tim's?"
She laughs and Brooke glares at her. "Come on, Theresa, Bevin. Let's leave Peyton alone with her new friend. I'm sure they want some bonding time." She whirls past me to the door, but the other two don't follow. She turns and gives them an icy glare. "Are you coming?" Slowly, the brunette one walks over to stand by Brooke, who turns her glare to the other. "Hello? Bevin, come on." She snaps her fingers and Bevin obediently exits with them.
Peyton sighs and turns back to us. She's about to say something, but stops, looking at me strangely. "What?" I say, exasperated at all the attention I'm getting.
She bursts out laughing. "You should've let Nathan keep covering you," she gets out between laughs.
I have no idea what the fuck she's talking about. Nathan looks at her strangely, then looks back at me. And promptly starts laughing. Exasperated, I look down and notice I'm standing in just jeans and my bra. Damn it!
I cover my face with my hands and I feel my cheeks grow hot with shame. "I forgot," I mumble. Shit! Here I am calling these girls hoes and I'm shirtless. Have you ever had one of those moments where you wish a hole would just open up and swallow you? But somehow, it just doesn't happen? Yeah, definitely one of those moments.
When they finally calm down, I peek through my fingers and they're sharing this look. One that I can't really read. Have you ever had one of those moments where you were with two other people and you can tell that if you weren't in the room, they'd be talking about you? Not exactly the most pleasant feeling in the world. They notice me staring at them and everything's quiet for a few seconds. Then, Nathan springs into action, shrugging off his sweatshirt. He steps closer and pulls it over my head for the second time in two days. Peyton shakes her head, smiling. I'm about to tell him to fuck off, I don't need his charity, but he chuckles and brings me to him. "Maybe you should just keep it. You two were meant to be."
Peyton rolls her eyes. "Yeah, you have such great chemistry. I mean, really gray is so your color, Haley."
Nathan interrupts. "Yeah, more than you and Tim anyway. I swear, he doesn't know when to give up."
As if on cue, my cell phone starts ringing. I pull it out and check the caller id. What a surprise. It's Tim. "Hello?" I answer dully.
"Haley," he whines. "Where are you?"
Just his voice enrages me. "Listen you little whore, stay the hell away from me. Don't call me and don't ever fucking touch me. Don't even talk to me."
There's silence and then, "What? Haley, where's this all coming from? I thought we were doing OK?"
I scoff. "Go screw yourself, Tim." Slamming my phone shut, I stick it in my pocket and look up to see Nathan and Peyton laughing.
I roll my eyes and stomp out of the bathroom. They don't follow. I'm about to go get some food when I see Brooke and her little posse at the counter. Steering away from them, I find myself at the door to the men's bathroom. I shrug. What the hell? Might as well go get my shirt.
Without thinking, I push through the door. There's about five guys in their late teens standing around, talking. Weird. I thought girls were the ones that went to the bathroom together. Must be gay. They all look at me with surprise, then one of them smirks and starts to move closer. "Back the hell off," I grumble, walking over and snatching up my shirt, kicking the guy in the shin on my way out.
I storm out to find Nathan and Peyton coming out of the opposite door. They stop and stare as the guy chases me out, grabbing my arm. I twist, trying to get out of his grip, but he's too strong. "Listen, you little bitch…" he starts, but doesn't have time to finish as he's knocked to the ground by a flying body. I look down and find it's Nathan. He and the guy are rolling around on the floor, trying to wrestle the other one to the bottom.
Nathan's on top and he punches the guy square in the nose. Blood pours down his face. The guy grunts and shoves Nathan off of him, pounding his fist against his jaw. Spitting out blood, Nathan drags himself to his feet and slams the guy back against the wall. Now, they're drawing a crowd. The manager comes rushing over and does his best to pry them apart. But he's no match for the two muscular guys as they shove him to the side and rush at each other again. It's obvious Nathan has the upper hand, but the other guy isn't doing too much worse.
Suddenly, the guy's four friends step up and advance. I can picture what's about to happen. If I don't stop it, Nathan will get slaughtered. So, I rush up to him and grab his arm. "Come on, Nathan. You'll get hurt."
He looks into my eyes and I can see the storm raging in his almost midnight blue ones. He's really pissed. "He hurt you, Haley."
"No…" I start, but am cut off as he's knocked back off his feet. He hits the ground with a thud and the five guys surround him. "STOP!!!" I scream. They don't listen. They snicker as they watch him struggle to his feet. I walk up behind Nathan and lay a hand on his bicep. "Come on, let's just go."
And then, one of the guys knocks him back again. But this time, I'm there to cushion his fall. The air whooshes from my lungs as his body slams mine to the ground. Everything goes black.
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Nathan's POV
Fuck! That's all I have to say. If Brooke's here, there's no telling what kind of shit she'll get all of us into. And I swear… if she does anything to Haley. Shit! What if she starts telling Haley about me? About my… shall we say history. There's some things about me that I'm not too proud of. And I really don't think it'd make Haley too happy either. I look around at the girls with her. Theresa, Bevin, and Peyton. Damn. All the skanks.
"Well, well, well. What do we have here? Nathan Scott and some skinny hoe?" My gaze shifts to the one talking. Peyton. Should've known. She's the bitchiest one. Or she can be.
"Peyton," I respond warily. I don't know what the hell they're trying to do, but this can't just be a coincidence, right? That would just be a little too creepy. They had to have tracked us down somehow. I always knew they were psycho stalkers just waiting to come out.
Brooke's annoying voice cuts into my thoughts. "Guess we shouldn't be surprised. But really, Nathan. The bathroom? At McDonalds? Isn't that a little low… even for you?" I wince. She just had to bring it up. I decide to give her a piece of my mind, but Haley rips into her before I can.
She looks at Peyton with fire in her eyes. "I know you did not just call me a hoe, bitch." Oooh… Peyton does not like being messed with. I can see a quip on the tip of her tongue, but before she can get it out, Haley turns to Brooke, who's laughing. Peyton just glares as she lights into Brooke. "Why are you laughing? So what if we're in McDonald's? Sorry if I'm not classy enough for you, but at least I've got a guy who's willing." Wow, honestly, I never thought she was this feisty. It's actually kind of a turn on….
Then, Brooke has to go ruin everything. I hate that bitch. She snorts. "Please. I've already had Nathan. And honey, let me tell you, he ain't all he's cracked up to be."
I give her a warning glance, managing to get out through barely repressed anger, "Brooke." I can feel Haley stiffen beneath me. Shit! I was hoping we wouldn't have to get into this. I turn to her, ready to explain, but she pushes me off her. I'm a little surprised, but I guess I shouldn't be. Brooke always messes with people's minds. Actually, she's a little like me in that respect. But we won't talk of such things.
Brooke, Theresa, Bevin, and Peyton are all staring at Haley and I can tell she's starting to get uncomfortable. She rolls her eyes and turns away from them as Brooke smirks at her. I shake my head, silently telling her not to go there. Praying she'll listen. Theresa cocks her head, looking curious. Then, her eyes light up. "Hey, wait a minute," she starts. I squeeze my eyes shut. Please don't say something stupid. But she doesn't. "You must be Tim's cousin." I'm relieved. But that probably wasn't the best conversation topic either. For some reason, the mention of him always pisses Haley off.
"Oh yeah, Haley or something. He said Nathan was going to pick you up," Bevin finally speaks up. OK, no one's said anything fatal yet.
And then Brooke laughs mockingly. And I just know she's got another little jab to throw Haley's way. Damn it! Why does she have to be so fucking annoying. "With a cousin like Tim, how could you not be a whore?" Everyone else laughs with her, but I cringe, knowing Haley's about to boil over.
So, I decide to end the madness. But, again, before I can say anything, Haley interjects her own comment. "Look who's talking, slut." My eyes bulge. If there's anything Brooke hates most in the world, it's someone calling her a slut. Last year, a poor, innocent freshman stepped on Brooke's foot by accident and Brooke started cussing them out. The brave little munchkin called her a slut. I shake my head at the memory. Some people just don't seem to realize who they should never mess with. Kids these days. The same freshman was in the hospital for two weeks when Brooke started a cat fight.
Luckily, Brooke hasn't assumed her fighting stance yet, so I guess Haley won't need to be hospitalized. But I've seen Haley in action and she's probably one of the few girls who could rival Brooke. Probably wouldn't be the smartest idea at the moment though. I sigh. I always did love a good cat fight. And with someone like Haley…. But then Peyton interrupts. "Hey, I like your spunk. Much better than Tim's."
I almost smile at that. Good ol' Peyton. Yeah, she's a bitch, but you can count on her to make a bad situation better. I can see the smile forming on Haley's beautiful face. "Who doesn't have jokes better than Tim's?" she responds easily and I find myself glad they get to see the nicer side of her. Cause she definitely doesn't show it to me all that much.
Peyton laughs and I almost do too. Until I look over and see Brooke's face. Damn. She's like a friggin ice queen. But not in a beautiful way. In a scary, menacing you better watch your back sort of way. She glares at Peyton, who's too busy laughing to notice. "Come on, Theresa, Bevin. Let's leave Peyton alone with her new friend. I'm sure they want some bonding time," she says coolly, marching toward the door.
Brooke turns back and notices no one's behind her. She glares back at Bevin and Theresa. "Are you coming?" Theresa slowly walks over to back Brooke up and they both stare at Bevin, Brooke coldly, Theresa uncomfortably. "Hello? Bevin, come on," she continues. A few seconds later, the three of them swish out the door together, letting it slam shut behind them.
Peyton sighs and turns back to her conversation with me and Haley. But she stops, giving Haley this weird look. I follow her glance, trying to see what's so strange. And we both start laughing. Haley's standing there in only her bra and jeans. I don't want to laugh at her. I know it'll probably piss her off. But who wouldn't be laughing? "What?" Haley bites out, obviously not liking being laughed at.
"You should've let Nathan keep covering you," Peyton says, barely able to choke the words out through her laughter.
Haley looks down at herself and promptly slaps her hands over her eyes, cheeks turning bright red. It's adorable really. But I shouldn't be thinking like that. "I forgot," she whispers, not able to contain her embarrassment. Our laugher finally dies down and Haley's head stays in her hand.
I look at Peyton and she looks back at me. I can see the question in her eyes. But I don't want to deal with it right now. She tilts her head ever so slightly to the side toward Haley. I shrug, getting uncomfortable. Haley and I aren't any of her damn business! Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Haley lift her head. I can see her eyes darting back and forth between the two of us and I can only imagine what it looks like.
So, I do the only thing I can think of. I pull off my sweatshirt and pull it over Haley's head for her, just like the night I did when she was sick. I think about how much better it looks on her. I never really liked it anyway. I chuckle. "Maybe you should just keep it. You two were meant to be." I pull her to me, holding her close.
Peyton rolls her eyes sarcastically. "Yeah, you have such great chemistry. I mean, really gray is so your color, Haley."
I cut in. "Yeah, more than you and Tim anyway. I swear, he doesn't know when to give up." Thinking of Tim and how pathetic he is makes me want to laugh. Just then, Haley's cell phone starts ringing. She pulls it out and as she looks at the screen, her expression hardens.
"Hello?" she says and I think I can guess who's on the other end. Peyton looks at me with brows furrowed. 'Tim,' I mouth and she nods in understanding, a slight smile curving her lips.
I can see her entire body tensing as she listens for a few seconds, then starts yelling. "Listen you little whore, stay the hell away from me. Don't call me and don't ever fucking touch me. Don't even talk to me."
I don't know what Tim says next, but it has to be something stupid because the next thing I know, Haley's saying, "Go screw yourself, Tim," and hanging up her phone. Peyton and I crack up. Anyone who knows Tim would understand why.
Haley rolls her eyes and stomps out of the bathroom. I'm about to go after her, but Peyton's hand on my arm stops me. I turn to her and she has that look in her eye. The one she gets when she wants to have a serious talk.
"Back off, Peyton," I warn.
"No!" she exclaims. "Because I know you, Nathan. And if I back off now, you'll never talk about it."
"Well, maybe if you weren't such a bitch all the time, I'd talk to you about stuff!" I cry, getting irritated.
She runs a hand through her hair. "I know I haven't been the greatest friend, Nathan, but you have to let someone in."
"No, I don't," I growl.
"Nathan," she groans. "You don't get it, do you? Well, let me explain. You and Haley, you have a connection."
I start to protest, but she raises a hand, stopping my words as she continues without pause. "You have this connection and I've never seen you be that way with anyone else before. You guys have something, I don't know what it is. But whatever it is, don't screw it up, Nathan. You're gonna need her in your life, even if you don't see it. Just… don't play her, Nate. Don't be the jackass you usually are with other girls. She deserves more than that and you know it."
"Peyton, there is no me and Haley. I mean yeah, she wants me and I want her, but that's all there is there. And I don't need you giving me advice. I can fucking take care of myself."
I turn to walk out, but she stops me again. "I'm just trying to help."
"I know," I sigh. "I just wish you wouldn't."
She nods and we lapse into an uncomfortable silence. I hold the door open for her as she steps out, then move out behind her. To find Haley storming out of the guys' bathroom, shirt in hand. I smirk. But it fades as some ugly dude with a buzz cut slams out after her and grabs her roughly. "Listen, you little bitch…" That's all I hear before I lunge at him, tackling him to the ground without even thinking.
I wrestle him until I come out on top and throw my fist against his nose. Blood spurts out and I smirk. Nice. He tries to flip us over, but I shove him back. And I smirk again. Who the hell does this guy think he is? No one fights with me and wins. I usually win. Fuck. I always win.
But then, the guy shoves me off with an elbow to the chest and I'm momentarily winded as he punches me in the jaw. I spit and blood spatters the floor. The site infuriates me as I stand up, slamming the guy back against the wall. He just punched me. He scarred my beautiful face.
People start to surround us, but I don't really take notice as I fire punches at him. The manager runs over and he pushes us in opposite directions, but I jerk out of his grasp and jump back at the guy. And we're soon fighting again. In my peripheral vision, I see his little friends coming to his aid. Logically, I know I can't take all of them at once. But my adrenaline's pumping and I'm not really thinking clearly as I keep fighting. Suddenly, I feel a small, warm hand grab my arm. I look down to see Haley. I stare into her beautiful brown eyes as she says, "Come on, Nathan. You'll get hurt." What the hell is she talking about? This guy grabbed her.
He fucking put his hands on Haley. I'm breathing hard as I respond. "He hurt you, Haley."
She shakes her head and starts to protest, "No…" But she doesn't have time to finish as I feel something smack into me and my feet fly out from under me. I hit the floor with a loud boom. I look up and catch a glimpse of Brooke's horrified face before the five guys close in a circle around me. I hear Haley screaming at them. "STOP!!!" she yells. I fight my way to a standing position, feeling the dull ache spread and increase throughout my body.
I can feel someone walk up behind me and someone lay their hand on my arm. Then, I hear Haley's soft voice in my ear. "Come on, let's just go." I don't have time to react as I'm hit again and fly backwards, this time, connecting with Haley as we both tumble to the ground. I try to roll off, but it happens too fast and I land on top of her with a sickening thud. As an automatic reflex, I immediately roll over and off of her. Sitting up quickly and ignoring the pain that shoots through my back at the sudden movement, I inspect her closely. She's not breathing.
Panicking, I feel for a pulse and sigh in relief as I find it. It's faint, but getting stronger every second. Her mouth parts slightly and I can hear her breathing start up again. It quickly regulates and I let out a breath. Her eyes flutter, but remain closed. Peyton taps me on the shoulder. "The manager said we need to leave," she whispers. I nod and lift Haley into my arms, the pain in my back not that acute anymore. I don't think it's anything serious. I carry her outside, Peyton walking next to me and the five assholes behind us.
We get out and I stand there, not knowing what to do. One of the guys calls out to me. "Hey, man, is she OK?"
"I don't know!" I yell back.
They all just sort of shrug at each other and without another word, get in their car and drive off. I want to flick them off so bad right now. But I'm still holding Haley. As if she can read my mind, Peyton smirks at me and lifts her middle finger at them. I can't tell if they saw or not.
The door opens behind us and I turn to see Brooke, Theresa, and Bevin coming out. Brooke actually looks concerned. "Is she alright?" I squint suspiciously at her. She can not be serious. She sighs. "Look, I know I was a bitch, OK? But it's no big deal. I'm over it."
I hear a small groan and look down to see Haley's mouth twisted into a grimace. She opens her eyes slowly and squints them against the bright sun. "I'm sorry," I say and can see Peyton smiling out of the corner of my eye. I glare at her and her smile just widens. 'Whatever,' I mouth at her childishly.
Haley's small voice draws my attention back to her. "It's OK. It wasn't your fault."
I slowly lower her to the ground, but don't bother removing my arms. She doesn't move to leave them.
Suddenly, a beat up gray car blasting rap music cruises into the parking lot. I widen my eyes in disbelief. No, it can't be. But it is.
The music stops and Tim steps out. "Hey, guys!" he calls cheerily, walking over to us. No one responds.
"Tim?" Haley whispers, obviously in shock. She wasn't prepared for this, I can tell. No one was.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Haley's POV
I don't know how long I've been out for, but I can feel myself coming to. I can feel waves of pain licking through my whole body and I groan softly, wondering why it has to hurt so badly. I force my eyes open and the sun practically blinds them. Looking up, I see Nathan's face and realize I'm in his arms. Again. Damn. How many times is that now?
"I'm sorry," I hear him say and I have to keep myself from smiling. I don't think I've ever heard him apologize before. Not that I've known him that long. Just, since I first met him, he's never seemed like the type of person to hand out apologies. I see him mouthing something to someone, but honestly, I'm too disoriented to care.
"It's OK. It wasn't your fault," I respond slowly, not sure what to say to him now.
He slowly brings my feet to rest on the ground and steadies me. I half expect him to drop me now, but he doesn't let go. I settle back against him and a tense silence falls over the group.
Then, we all hear terribly outdated rap music blaring as an old, beat up, gray car pulls up into the parking lot and parks in a space right near where we're standing.
A short guy with brown hair steps out and starts walking toward us. I squint against the bright light of the sun, trying to place who he is. "Hey, guys!" he yells. I freeze. No. No, no, no, no. Please no. This is not ucking happening to me.
"Tim?" I whisper, praying that he doesn't answer.
But he does. "Haley?" he says. I just close my eyes, hoping he won't be standing there when I open them. But he is and I know this isn't a dream.
His eyes drift to Nathan's arms around my waist and his eyes narrow. "Nathan?" he says.
Nathan glares back at him. "Yeah?" he answers casually, though I feel his grip on me tighten considerably.
"I thought we talked about this," Tim sounds more hurt than anything and I can't stop myself from giggling.
Nathan smirks and soon, the other girls are laughing with me. Then, I hear Nathan's voice again. "Tim, I tried man. She doesn't want you."
Tim blinks back tears and I almost feel bad. But it's too funny to be sad. He grabs me roughly away from Nathan and brings me into his arms. "Ow!" I yell as his arms slap across my back. He releases me.
"What? What did I do? Did I hurt you?" he stutters.
I frown and return to Nathan's arms.
Brooke still looks confused. "Tim, what are you doing here?"
He grins broadly, pleased with himself. "Well, I found out about your little road trip, so I followed you. I lost you for awhile back there, but it's OK now."
Peyton raises a brow. "So, we lost you for awhile?" she reiterates. "Imagine that," she mumbles under her breath and I laugh. She looks at me and smiles.
"Fine! Be buttholes. I'm going inside to get some food," Tim says petulantly, rushing at the door with arms outstretched to push it open. He reaches the door and slams into it, obviously missing the PULL sign. He winces and rubs his wrists before returning to his task, pushing at the doors with all his might. The manager walks over, looking irritated, and pushes the door open for him. Tim jumps back as the door swings out and, flushing, walks inside. We all just laugh harder.
(still Haley's POV)
It's thirty minutes later when Tim rejoins the group outside and, by this time, Brooke, Theresa, Bevin and I have made amends. We're all standing around talking as Nathan rests in the car. He shoots out of the seat and rejoins us, giving Tim a death glare as he moves toward me. Nathan stands next to me, arm loosely around my waist, shooting daggers at Tim with his eyes. Tim wisely backs up.
"So," Brooke starts, "You guys need a ride to Tree Hill?" And it hits me like a ton of bricks. Our trip is almost over. Two days ago, I would've told you that's exactly what I wanted, but now….now, I almost want to see where this thing goes with Nathan. Even if we both end up getting hurt. I don't want our journey to end.
We hesitate, looking at each other. Brooke glances back and forth between us, but apparently, doesn't realize what's going on. She babbles on. "I mean, we can give you guys a ride. You don't have a car, right?"
Tim cuts in. "Yeah, it's the only way. I mean, unless you plan to walk the whole way. And I'd think you'd rather take a ride from us."
Nathan looks resigned. Great. He can't think of anything. Yeah, and he claims to be the smart one. I frantically try to think of an excuse. I don't want to be too obvious, yet at the same time…. I'd rather not have the others intrude. "Your car," I blurt out, saying the only thing I can think of.
"What?" he looks really confused.
I nudge him. "Your car, we need to call a tow truck and… uh, have that picked up."
He finally catches on. "Oooooh yeah and um….we have to wait for them to fix it, then…uh… then we can, you know, drive to Tree Hill. No big deal."
I look away from his eyes to the rest of the group. Tim, Theresa, Bevin, and Brooke seem oblivious, but Peyton's smiling and nodding like she knows exactly what we're trying to do.
Tim looks devastated and I smirk. But then, his eyes light up. "Well, it's not like both of you need to be there for that. Nathan can stay and Haley can come with me. I'll give her a ride." Everyone looks at him skeptically. "I mean, the girls probably don't have enough room in their car, right guys?" Brooke starts nodding and I can tell everyone else is starting to see his logic.
I start panicking and I can feel Nathan bring me closer. I wrap an arm around him too. I blow up. "Tim, if you think I'm letting you give me a ride, you can just go fuck yourself because there's no way in hell I'll ever get in a car with you."
I can see the wheels turning in his head. "Come on, Haley. I won't do anything. Scout's honor." He holds up a peace sign and I snicker. He never was very good with keeping signs straight.
Nathan tenses beside me and his voice sounds a little lower when he speaks. "All her stuff's in my car, so I think it's a better idea if she goes with me. It shouldn't take long to get the car fixed and we'll be in Tree Hill before you can even miss us."
"Yeah," I nod, quickly agreeing.
"Alright, sounds good to me," Brooke claps her hands. "Let's go, girls." Giving Nathan and Haley each a hug, she and the other three start toward her car.
"But…" Tim protests.
Nathan groans quietly beside me. Peyton stalks back over to Tim and grabs him, dragging him to his car. I can't hear what she's saying, but she's yelling at him. I watch her open his door and shove him inside. Nathan and I just laugh as we turn away.
We watch both cars drive off, Brooke's roaring away, trying to out drive Tim's; Tim's going slowly. Every few seconds, he glances back at us remorsefully. I motion him forward and he sticks his tongue out at me before speeding off. I can't help it. I laugh. Again.
Nathan smiles down at me. "So, you hungry?"
I smile back. "Starved."
"I wonder what would happen if we went through the drive thru without a car," he says, glancing behind us at McDonald's.
I laugh. "Yeah, I think they've had enough of us for one day."
I drag him off, looking up at the sun setting on the second day of our adventure. And I realize, for the first time, I'm not thinking about how many days I have left. I'm thinking about how many days I've already wasted. And how I don't want to waste anymore.
Well, there goes another chapter. I hope you guys liked having an update with more characters in it. I'll also bring in people like Lucas and Jake once they get to Tree Hill, but for now I thought some of the girls and Tim were enough. Anyway, as I said before, thanks for putting me on top of the world with your reviews. :) Give me your thoughts on this one and I'll update soon, even if I have to be risky and do it at work again. ;)
For anyone who's still reading, here's some spoilers:
-Nathan and Haley getting along... for all of two minutes
-Haley says those three little words... but not the ones you're thinking of
-What happens when you mix Nathan and alcohol? And a pissed off Haley has to deal with it?
Wow, that's fun. I just love imagining what people are thinking as they're reading these. So many possibilities... Well, as always, I love reading your reviews. And they definitely inspire faster, better updating. :) Just something to keep in mind. lol.
Love, Ashley