"So, why did you ask me what I thought of Brooke Davis the other day?" Lucas asked, glancing at Haley.
"Well, she asked me about you," Haley admitted.
"She asked you about me?" he asked in surprise.
Haley nodded. "Is that so hard to believe?"
"Well, yeah," Lucas said. "I'm not really her type."
Haley gave Lucas a mocking glare. "Tall, blonde, and handsome isn't Brooke Davis' type?" she asked dryly.
Lucas grinned at her. "You think I'm handsome?"
"As sin," she told him, continuing her pace. She didn't notice that he wasn't beside her anymore. "So, anyway—" she turned to face him and he wasn't there, so she turned around only to find him a few yards behind her. "Lucas, what are you doing?" she asked.
"You think I'm handsome as sin," he said from where he was with a teasing grin on his face.
Haley rolled her eyes. "Note to self. Never compliment Lucas again," she said.
"You want a piece of me, don't you?" he teased.
"Oh, sweet Lord," she said, rolling her eyes. "Are you kidding?"
"It must kill you to be around me all the time and have to keep your hands to yourself."
"Lucas—I think I just threw up a little in my mouth," she told him, gagging for show. "Now get up here! I have my first practice in less than half an hour, and I need my friend to talk me through it."
"Oh, like you can't get through it yourself," he told her.
"Fine. I totally could. But I don't want to," she said in a whiney voice. She hated to use it, but Lucas usually gave in to her when he did.
He jogged until he caught up to her then put an arm around her waist. "Let's get going, best friend," he said as they picked up their pace. "So, after I'm done with my lab partner, do you want me to wait around for you to finish practice?"
"No, that's OK," she said. "I'll call you when I get home to let you know how everything goes."
"All-right," he said as they walked into the school entrance closest to the gym. "Knock 'em dead, Hales," he commanded.
"Right," she said doubtfully.
He leaned in so he was looking closely at her lips. "Lucas, what are you doing?" she asked uncomfortably.
"You have some ice cream on your chin," he told her, lifting his thumb to wipe it away.
"Oh, thanks," she said.
"Good luck at practice," she heard a voice behind Lucas growl. She jumped at the sound of it.
"Thanks," she said nervously, her eyes darting back and forth between the brothers. This was the first time she'd seen them this close to each other with the exception of try outs.
"What are you doing here?" Lucas asked huffily.
Nathan shrugged nonchalantly. "I was just wishing my tutor good luck," he said. It was obvious to Lucas and Haley that Nathan was taunting him.
Lucas scoffed. "With her skill, do you really think she needs luck?" he asked.
"With her skill, I'm surprised they even made her try out," Nathan said softly, his eyes meeting hers in a silent challenge.
Haley knew he was daring her to tell Lucas about High Flyers, but she wasn't about to rise to the bait. "Thanks for the luck, but I'm all set," she said, clearly dismissing him.
Nathan knew when to take a hint, and with one last contemptuous look at Lucas, he turned and started walking away.
"And that is exactly why I don't give the prick a chance, Haley," Lucas practically spat.
"I get it, Lucas," she told him. "Good luck with your lab partner."
"Thanks. I'll talk to you later," she told him.
777
"Hey!" Haley said to the blonde who fouled her for the third time. "You did that on purpose!"
"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't," she goaded.
"What in the hell is your problem?" Haley asked.
The shrill sound of the whistle caused both of their heads to turn towards their coach. "Hey! Girls! This isn't pay per view mud wrestling on Saturday night!" she yelled. "Do you think we could interrupt your personal little sparring with some basketball practice?" she asked sarcastically.
"Sorry, coach," Haley said, taking her spot on the court.
As the whistle sounded again, Haley tried to get away from the girl guarding her, but she wouldn't let Haley's shirt go. Haley twisted and pulled any which way she could until she finally freed herself. She made it around the girl and clapped her hands twice, getting the attention of the other player handling the ball. She made the catch easily when the ball was passed to her, but dropped it when the girl guarding her gave her wrist a smack. Instead of going after the ball, Haley spun around. "What the hell is your problem?" she roared again.
"Maybe you're my problem!"
"Well, it sure seems that way, doesn't it?"
The whistle sounded again, but this time, neither girl paid any attention to it.
Haley sprung forward and gave a shove at the girls' shoulders, causing her to fall down backwards and land on her bottom. Haley gave a self satisfied smirk until she felt a hand around her ankle give a strong tug. She fell forward and would have landed on her face if she hadn't thrown her hands out in front of her to break her fall. "Son of a—"
"Unless you want to spend the next month in detention, James, I wouldn't finish that sentence!" Coach Drake yelled.
Haley sighed in frustration and made her way back to her feet.
"What the hell is going on with the two of you?" the coach asked.
Neither girl said anything.
"Sawyer?" the coach prompted.
She was answered with a half hearted shrug.
"Bleachers! Both of you. Now!"
"You don't want us to run?" Haley asked.
"Now you wanna tell me how to run my team, James?" the coach asked.
"No," Haley said quickly.
"Good, then follow Sawyer to the bleachers and sit your ass down! Everyone else, show's over. Get back to scrimmaging."
"What the hell was that all about?" Haley hissed when she sat down next to Peyton, making sure there was some space between them.
"How was High Flyers this summer, Haley?" Peyton asked coldly.
Haley's breath caught in her throat. "I don't know what you're talking about," she lied.
"I heard you and Nathan in the tutor center this morning. When I came to congratulate you for making the team. Joke's on me, huh?" she said sarcastically.
She was trying to pretend she was indifferent, but Haley saw the pain in her eyes.
"Peyton—"
"You said that I didn't know who your summer tryst was, Haley," Peyton reminded her.
"Trust me, Peyton," Haley said quietly. "The guy you were dating and the guy I met this summer are not the same person."
"You insinuated that you were a virgin," Peyton reminded her.
"And I am," Haley said firmly.
"Really?" Peyton said doubtfully. "Because summer flings usually involve sex, Haley."
Haley took a deep breath. "Look, Peyton, I'm really sorry—" Haley started.
Peyton laughed hollowly. "Oh, Haley James. You haven't even yet begun to be sorry," she promised.
"Are you going to tell Lucas?" Haley asked quietly.
"Lucas doesn't know?" Peyton asked incredulously.
Haley bit her lower lip and shook her head.
"Why not?" Peyton asked.
"I didn't know that Nathan was his brother until after the school year started. And then I didn't want to disappoint him by telling him that I'd…" she trailed off.
"That you'd what?" Peyton prompted.
"That I'd spent part of the summer getting to know his brother," she said evasively.
Peyton gazed at Haley unflinchingly. "I'm not sure what I'm going to do, Haley," she said.
777
Haley chewed her lower lip nervously and looked from side to side as she rang the doorbell three times with no pauses in between. Less than a thirty secons later, the door flung open and Nathan just stood there for a minute staring at her. "Peyton knows," she said softly.
"Knows what?" Nathan asked.
"About us," Haley told him.
"What?" Nathan asked. "How does she know?"
Haley sighed. "She was outside of the tutor center this morning when we were talking." She put a hand to her forehead and rubbed back and forth. "Nathan, what are we going to do?"
"I'm not going to do anything," he said flatly.
"Nathan, please. If Lucas finds out about what happened this summer, he'll—"
"He'll what?" Nathan asked with a shrug. "Take away his precious friendship?" he asked.
Haley nodded slowly.
If it weren't for the look of desperation in her eyes, he would have slammed the door right then. But dammitt, he couldn't stand to see that look on her face. "Kiss me," he said.
"What?" she asked incredulously.
"Kiss me," he said again.
"I'm not going to kiss you," she said stubbornly.
He shrugged again. "Then you're on your own," he told her.
"Are you kidding me?" she asked. "You won't help me unless I kiss you?"
Nathan nodded.
"You're blackmailing me," she said in disbelief.
"Reasoning with you doesn't work," he pointed out with a smirk fixed firmly on his face.
"I can't kiss you," she said.
"You have plenty of times before," he reminded her.
"Yeah, but that was before I knew you," she said then realized how trampy it sounded.
"Fine," Nathan said, then started to slowly close the door.
Haley took a deep breath then threw her hand out to hold the door open. "Wait!" she said, putting her hands to her temples and rubbing them. "Fine," she conceded. "I'll kiss you. But I won't like it."
"Yes, you will," he disagreed.
"Let's just get this over with," she said.
Nathan shook his head, his eyes fixed on hers. "Kisses aren't meant to be quick," he said quietly, almost dangerously, Haley thought.
She quickly leaned up on her tip toes and placed a chaste kiss on his mouth. "There," she said, backing away. "I kissed you."
"That wasn't a kiss," he told her, capturing her wrist with his hand.
"Well, it's all you're getting from me," she said firmly.
As he gave her wrist a tug, she came crashing against him. She lifted her hands between them so they rested on his chest. He felt solid beneath his t-shirt and in spite of his outward appearance, she could feel his chest rising and falling in quick succession. She suddenly realized that he was just as nervous as she was.
She timidly lifted her eyes to his, and they never left hers until their lips touched and he closed them. She felt electricity immediately and had to force herself not to jump from the impact. He ran his tongue along the seam of her lips a few times, and when she didn't open, he pulled away. "Open your mouth for me, Haley," he ordered, his mouth coming back down on hers.
She wanted to rebel, but as his lips coaxed hers, she couldn't help but obey. When his tongue swept inside her mouth, she let out a soft sigh then leaned into him. He lifted a hand to her chin and held her face there firmly as if he were afraid she was going to pull away. As if she could. She lowered her hands to his waist and gathered the hem of his t-shirt in her hands, squeezing it tightly.
It was all too soon when he pulled away, and Haley nearly groaned in disappointment. She hadn't even opened her eyes yet when she heard him speak.
"That was a kiss," he said softly. Then, "I'll take care of Peyton."
When she opened her eyes, Nathan was already closing the door. But the expression on his face caught her by surprise. Instead of the self-satisfied smirk she'd expected, there was a look of yearning in his eyes.