"Well, your grades certainly are impressive," Principal Turner said, looking down at Haley's transcripts.
"Thank you," Haley said modestly.
"What I'd like to do, Haley, is let you settle in for the first three or four weeks. A new school can be intimidating, and I don't want to overwhelm you. After that, I'd like you to come see me again, and as long as your grades are where they should be—and it doesn't look like that should be a problem for you--then we'll get you in at that point." He smiled at her. "I think you're going to be a wonderful asset to our tutoring center," Principal Turner told Haley.
Haley smiled widely at him. "Thank-you, Principal Turner," she said. "I was very excited to find out that you had a tutor center. They didn't have one at my old school."
Principal Turner looked down at her file again. "It says here that you played basketball for three years. You made varsity your freshman year. Are you going to try out for our Lady Ravens?" he asked.
Haley tilted her head to the side thoughtfully. "I haven't decided yet," she told him honestly.
"Tree Hill is a big basketball town," Principal Turner informed her.
"I know, but I'm more interested in graduating valedictorian than playing sports. My last school was smaller, and I was a shoo-in. Something tells me that I'm going to have to work a lot harder here."
"But you're tutoring," he pointed out.
Haley nodded. "I've got three years of basketball under my belt. Now I'd like to get some teaching experience under it."
Principal Turner nodded. "I see. Well, if you change your mind, Haley, try outs aren't for another couple of months," he told her, standing up. "Would you like a tour of the tutor center?" he asked.
"I would love one!" Haley said, getting to her feet. She followed him to the door. He turned left and she moved to follow him, but her eyes went to the right. She saw two guys heading for the gymnasium, both dribbling basketballs down the hallway. She stopped in her tracks. The taller of the two looked just like Scott from behind. The other one looked at her over his shoulder and gave her the once over. Haley sighed softly and rolled her eyes, then blew her hair off her forehead. Get a grip, James, she thought to herself. Every single guy over six feet tall dribbling a basketball is not your Scott.
"Haley?" Principal Turner said, pulling her back to reality.
"Sorry," she said, hurrying to catch up to him.
777
"Dude! Did you see that girl walking out of Principal Turners' office?" Tim Smith asked his best friend.
Nathan shook his head. "No, I was too busy concentrating on getting to the gym. You should be, too, Tim. Your game sucks!"
"Yeah, well, not all of us got to spend our summer at High Flyers," Tim joked, putting the ball up from the free throw line. It didn't go in. Nathan gave him a dirty look. "It sure looked like she was checking you out," Tim informed his friend.
"You better spend a hell of a lot of time in the gym, Tim," he said, ignoring his friends comment. "Your sorry ass isn't Ravens material as it stands right now."
Tim laughed. "It will be by the time try outs roll around," he assured Nathan.
"Good to hear," Nathan said, dunking the ball and hanging from the rim for a few seconds before letting go and landing on his feet.
Tim shook his head. "Show off."
Nathan shrugged. "I'm just good. It's hard not to notice."
"So, what's up with you and Peyton?" Tim asked putting the ball up again. This time it went in.
"We're back together, I guess."
"Back together? Dude, she made out with your brother," Tim reminded him.
"Don't call him that!" Nathan said heatedly. "He's not my brother. He's the bastard spawn."
"Whatever. She still made out with another guy."
Nathan grinned. "Well, I need to concentrate on basketball," he said. "And I can get what I want from Peyton. It's easier that wasting time finding another girlfriend. I'd hate to have to break another one in."
"Dude, that's just rotten."
"Whatever, Dim. At least I'm getting laid."
"Who says I'm not?"
"Are you?"
"No, but…it would be nice if you at least thought I could be."
"I may be a dumb jock, Tim, but I'm not that dumb."
777
"Mom, we're going to the Rivercourt," Lucas said to his mother who was wiping down the counter at the bar.
"OK, Sweetie. Have fun!" she yelled after him and Haley.
"We will," Haley promised. Lucas looped an arm around her shoulders and the two headed for the front door.
"Hey, Karen," Peyton said, walking in. She put her car keys beneath the bar.
"Hey, Peyton," Karen said greeting her young club manager. Tric had been all Peyton's idea, and Karen had been content to let her run it. She'd just been the face behind the scenes with the checkbook.
Peyton nodded her head toward the door. "Who was that with Lucas?" she asked, trying to sound uninterested.
"Oh, that was his girlfriend Haley," Karen said. "She's new in town and she asked Lucas if—"
"Hold that thought," Peyton said as the phone began to ring. "Club Tric," she said into the receiver.
Karen reached under the counter as her cell phone started ringing. She dug through her purse until she found it. "Hello?" she said, flipping it open.
Karen and Peyton hung up the phones at the same time. "I have to go!" Karen said in a rush. She removed her apron and threw it under the counter and placed her purse on her shoulder. "The café is really busy and the girls can't keep up. I need to be there. I'll be back later," Karen said.
"OK. Bye!" Peyton yelled after her boss.
Girlfriend? she thought as Karen left the club. Since when did Lucas have a girlfriend?
777
"So, you nervous for tomorrow, Hales?" Lucas asked.
Haley stood beyond the three point line and put it up. "What's to be nervous about?" she teased. "I'm going to have my pretend boyfriend with me."
Lucas grinned at her and rebounded the ball, throwing it back to her. She put it up, and again, it went in.
"Damn, girl! Look at you sink that ball!" he exclaimed. "Any chance you'll be playing basketball this year?" he asked.
"I'll tell you what," she said, catching the ball once again. "You play, I'll play."
Lucas laughed. "I don't think so," he said seriously.
"Lucas—you belong on the basketball court!" she told him solemnly.
"No, Haley," he disagreed. "My brother belongs on the basketball court. I belong on the Rivercourt."
"You belong on the court with your brother," she told him. "Lucas—you're good."
"I'm not as good as he is."
Haley shrugged. "So what? It's not a comparison of who is better. One guy doesn't make the team, Lucas. All of them together make the team. And yeah—you've got guys of different skill levels on every team. But they all contribute."
"And what would I contribute?" he asked.
"Heart," she said without hesitation.
"How do you know there already isn't enough heart on the team?" he asked.
Haley cocked an eyebrow at him and her eyes took on an amused gleam. "Because when I went to see Principal Turner this morning, he said that this was a big basketball town. You know what that tells me?"
"What?" he asked. She definitely had is interest now.
"It tells me that this town is hungry, not hearty," she teased.
He laughed. "You might be right."
"Hundred bucks says I am," she challenged.
"And how would we find out if you are or not?" he asked.
"You join the team and get us the inside scoop."
"Subtle, Hales," he said laughing.
"So, no dice, huh?" she asked disappointed.
"No dice," he confirmed, walking up to her and putting an arm around her neck. "You ready to get home? First day of school tomorrow. Don't you have…pencils to sharpen or something?" he teased.
Her eyes lit up. "As a matter of face, I do!" she said in a singsong voice. "And a few three ring binders to put together!" she said.
Lucas' eyes widened and he slowly nodded his head. "Lucky you," he said sarcastically.
She hit him softly in the stomach. "Shut up!" she said. "You spend all your time reading the classics—for fun, I might add, but I'm the geek?"
"Boy am I glad that's cleared up!" he joked.