"I'll be right back with your menus," Haley told the elderly couple with a smile. She turned and walked behind the counter, grabbing two to give to them. She went over to the coffee maker and grabbed a pot to refresh the coffee cups in her section. Karen was standing beside her, making fresh coffee in the other pot. She looked down at the menus in Haley's hand.
"Want to grab two more and help the table in the corner?" she asked.
"Sure," Haley said, grabbing another two and turning around with the coffee pot in her hand.
She stumbled when she saw the couple in the corner, but quickly regained her composure. You can do this, James, she coached herself. You brought your team to states and scored a three pointer at the frickin' buzzer to win the game. You can take Nathan Scott's order for breakfast.
She dropped the first two menus off and then after freshening several cups of coffee, made her way to Peyton and Nathan's table. "Hey, Peyton," she said, ignoring Nathan.
"Hey, Haley. How are ya?"
"I'm good, thanks. Do you guys know what you want or do you need to look at a menu?"
"I know exactly what I want," Nathan said, looking her in the eye. He abruptly looked away and leaned down, his mouth coming down on Peytons', surprising her. She gasped and he shoved his tongue in her mouth.
Haley wrinkled her nose at the display and dropped the menus on the table. "I'll be back to get your drink order," she said, walking away.
Peyton hit Nathan in the chest hard until he pulled away and the she gave him a dirty look. "Nathan! What the hell are you trying to do? Swallow me whole?"
Nathan shrugged as if nothing was wrong. "I was hungry and our waitress is taking too long."
"Haley is doing just fine. You, on the other hand," Peyton sighed in disbelief. "I'm not so sure about you."
"What the hell does that mean?" he asked in an annoyed tone.
Peyton looked him up and down. "It means that since you've gotten back from High Flyers and decided to give me a second chance—which by the way, I'm wondering if it was even a good idea— you've been interested in nothing but getting laid."
Nathan rolled his eyes. "I'm a guy, Peyton."
"You're a prick, Nathan," she corrected him.
"Whatever," he said indifferently.
Peyton rolled her eyes. "Do you know what you're getting?" she asked.
"Yeah," Nathan said angrily. "Pissed off. Where the hell is Holly?"
"Nathan, her name is Haley, and she's a really nice girl. Cut her some slack. She's new in town and the only person she really knows is Lucas."
"Now I just feel sorry for the broad," he said.
Peyton ignored his comment. "I think I'm going to get French Toast," she said. "What are you getting?"
777
"I can't believe I have to wait on your brother!" Haley hissed to Lucas, who was sitting at the counter. He bit off half of his sausage link and then washed it down with some orange juice. Haley grabbed the other half off his plate and put it in her mouth.
"Hey!" Lucas said.
"I'm sorry," she said after she'd swallowed it. "I'm an emotional eater."
"You are?"
"Nahh," she said with a grin. "I'm just hungry. Wish me luck."
Lucas laughed sarcastically. "Good luck with the hotshot."
Haley walked away, whacking him on the back of the head.
"Do you know what you want yet?" she asked in a forced friendly voice as she approached Peyton and Nathan again.
Nathan cleared his throat. "I'm a little worn out after last nights' activities," he told her, grinning down at Peyton who gave him a scowl in return. "What would you suggest?"
"A condom and foam," Haley shot back. She cheered inside when Nathan gave her a glare.
Peyton's eyes widened.
"And a little respect for your girlfriend," she included.
Peyton gave her a grin. "I'm gonna have the French Toast with a side of bacon," she told Haley.
"Good choice," Haley said, writing it down.
"I'm gonna have the big breakfast," Nathan told her in an angry tone.
Haley nodded and wrote it down. "And to drink?"
"I'll have coffee," Peyton told her.
"The same," Nathan said.
"I'll be right back with your coffee," she said, closing her pad and walking back towards the counter.
"Why did you have to hit me so hard?" Lucas asked, still rubbing the back of his head.
"Oh, don't be such a girl," Haley told him unsympathetically.
"So, are you going to be there tonight?" Lucas asked.
Haley shook her head, picking up two mugs and a pot of coffee. "I'm sorry," she said. "But my Dad is leaving tomorrow on a business trip and it's always this big thing where we all go out to eat together the night before he goes," she told him.
"Tric is gonna be open until two," he reminded her.
Haley's eyes strayed to Nathan and Peyton and she swallowed anxiously. "I don't think it's a good idea for me to start my night out at ten o'clock, Lucas," she told him, walking away. She didn't want to be where Peyton and Nathan were going to be tonight.
She filled their mugs with coffee. "Enjoy," she said, dropping a few creamers on the table and walking back to the counter again.
"But I went with you to get your high-lights," Lucas reminded her.
She leaned over the counter and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "And I appreciate that," she assured him. "But, clubbing isn't my thing."
"You know, I'm doing it to help my mother out. Clubbing isn't really my thing, either. But then again, neither is watching you get high-lights," he said angrily, getting up and walking away.
"Lucas!" Haley said after him.
"I'll see you later," he said, then turned around. "Oh, right, I won't. Have fun with your parents," he said on his way out the door.
Haley's eyes flew to Nathan and Peyton's table, and Nathan was sitting there with a self satisfied smirk on his face. Haley was itching to smack it off.
777
"Hey," Haley said, sitting down at the bar in front of Peyton. She'd been feeling guilty ever since Lucas had left the café that morning. She knew he was right. Whenever she wanted him to be there, he was. It was time to return the favor.
"Well it's a surprise to see you here," Peyton said.
"Why is that?" Haley asked.
"Lucas has been spouting off about you all day."
Haley laughed. "I'm sure he has been. He was pretty mad when I told him that I decided not to come tonight. Is he here?" she asked looking around.
"No, he's out with Karen looking for some more chairs. We're pretty sure the place is going to be packed tonight."
"Small town? All ages night in a hot club?" Haley said while giving the place a once over. "Yeah, I'd say it's going to be packed."
Peyton's eyes lit up. "You think Tric is hot?" she asked excitedly.
Haley laughed. "Yeah," she said. "And I bet I'm not the only one who'll think so."
"Thanks," Peyton said. "I'm a little nervous. Tric is kind of my baby and I just want it to do well."
Haley grinned. "I thought you didn't do too well with talking."
Peyton grinned back at her. "So, Lucas tells me you moved here from Seattle?"
Haley nodded. "Yeah. It's just a bit smaller here," she said laughing.
"At least you got to spend one last summer with your friends," she said.
Haley shook her head. "Not really," she said.
"How's that?"
Haley shrugged. "I spent the summer away at camp," she said evasively.
"What kind of camp?" Peyton asked.
Haley cleared her throat nervously. She didn't like this line of questioning. She didn't want to lie to Peyton, but neither was she going to tell her about the time she spent with Nathan. "Just…a summer camp."
Peyton rested her arms on the counter and leaned forward. "Coed?" she asked, her eyes twinkling.
Haley nodded.
"I always dreamed of going away to a coed camp and being swept off my feet," Peyton said in an amused voice. "Until I realized I'd just be swept away to another high school with the same drama," she said dryly.
Haley laughed.
"Did you meet any hot guys?" Peyton asked.
"Just one," Haley said quietly.
"Wow. What was he like?" Peyton asked.
"He was…an enigma, that's for sure," Haley said honestly.
Peyton grinned. "Anyone I'd know?" she asked in a teasing tone.
Haley gave a deep sigh. "Trust me, Peyton. The man I met this summer isn't like anyone I've met here in Tree Hill," she said fiercely.
Peyton nodded. "Yeah, the guys in Tree Hill aren't exactly cream of the crop," she said.
Haley laughed.
"Take my guy, for example," Peyton said bitterly. "When he went away to camp for the summer, we were sort of on the outs."
This piece of information made Haley perk up instantly.
"When he came home, he said that we could give our relationship another try. But since then, it's all about sex, sex, sex," she said making a disgusted face.
Haley could feel a stab, stab, stab in her heart, which didn't entirely make sense to her. She'd already reconciled herself to the fact that there were two very different sides of Nathan Scott, and she'd seen the fake one. "Are you sure we should be having this conversation?" she asked uncomfortably. At first she'd been hungry for any information about Nathan, but the turn of topic was just a little too much for her to take now.
Peyton shrugged. "Probably not. But my other friend is way to wrapped up in her own love life right now, so you'll do," she said with a teasing grin.
"Gee, thanks," Haley said, standing up. "I have to get going, but it was good to see you again, Peyton."
"You, too. Should I tell Lucas you stopped by?"
Haley shook her head. "No. I think I'm just going to surprise him tonight by showing up," she said.
"Then I'll see you later," Peyton said.
Haley grinned at her over her shoulder. "See you later," she said on her way out. "And good luck with your Tric debut," she said.