CHAPTER 2
Nathan Scott checked his watch again and sighed. He was 10 minutes late for his first class and there he was sitting in the front seat of his fathers Range Rover as he lectured him for the umpteenth time about the upcoming game on Friday night.
"This is an important game, son. Fox Creek were undefeated last season, this is your chance to show them that the Raven's won't be walked over this year. You're the captain now, Nate. It's your job to see this through. Forget about the other guys, this game is about you." Dan Scott said seriously. "Don't let me down, son."
Nathan rolled his eyes and dragged himself out of the car. He had to force himself to go to class especially since his teachers were threatening to flunk him if he didn't start showing up and getting better grades, not to mention have him kicked off the team. At the start of the semester, he had been told in no uncertain terms that if he didn't get his act together he wouldn't graduate this year and that had definitely been the kick up the ass he had needed. No way did he want to spend another year in this dump, so he'd signed himself up for the tutoring programme. It turned out to be the best thing he'd done because it was there that he'd gotten to know Haley James. Nathan smiled as he thought about the girl who had managed to crack through the stone wall that had been around his heart for most of his life. She was completely unlike any other girl he had dated in the past and that was probably the reason he'd found himself so smitten with her. Before Haley had become his tutor she had just been the rebellious geek who just happened to be his brother's best friend, but there was so much more to her than what everyone thought. Nathan saw her obsessive need to get out of Tree Hill and understood why she worked so hard. He got why she so desperately wanted to get away from the aftershocks her parents had left her to deal with. Nathan Scott, more than anyone, knew what it was like to be gossiped about because their parents couldn't keep their pants on. Haley's mother ran off with one of her students 3 years ago. Nathan's father got 2 girls knocked up in high school and now his 2 sons play on the same basketball team. Couldn't people find something else to talk about?
Nathan managed to get through his classed without getting yelled at which meant it was a good day. Lunch rolled around and he made his way to the quad, remembering that Haley had a tutoring session so he could hang with his team mates for an hour.
"Hey!" Lucas, the famous half brother said as Nathan threw himself into a seat next to him.
"Where's my Jay-Z CD?" Nathan demanded without any preamble.
Lucas sighed and reached into his backpack and pulled out the CD in question as he shovelled down a sandwich. "It's on my MP3 player now so I don't need it." he stated with his mouthful. "Mom wants to know if she should make extra spaghetti tonight?" Lucas asked, distracted by the group of cheerleaders passing by the table and trading mock insults with the boys at the table. Nathan rolled his eyes as Lucas smiled dopily at Brooke Davis who winked at him and gave a small wave.
"Will you just ask her out already? It couldn't be more obvious that she wants to get in your pants. Stop being such a pansy and you just might lose your virginity this century." Nathan stole the other half of Lucas's sandwich and had it down his throat in two bites. "And tell your mom thanks, but I have plans with Haley tonight."
Lucas noticed his sandwich was gone and scowled at his brother. "I'll ask her out when I'm good and ready and would you shut up about the V issue!" he hissed. Nathan guffawed at his brothers sensitivity. "Ooh touchy! Quit PMS-ing and I'll shut up." Lucas was about to make his comeback when Peyton Sawyer joined the group, wedging herself between him and Nathan.
"Peyton, do you really want to sit here and listen to us guys talk about breasts, masturbation and sports while you eat your lunch?" Nathan asked his odd blonde friend.
"I have 3 brothers, you really think this conversation is new to me?" Peyton raised her eyebrow at him, daring him to challenge her. He just shrugged and made a little bit more space for her so she could get comfortable. Peyton had been his best friend since they were 8 and he had chased some girls in his class with a spider squashed between his fingers. The girls ran screaming, but Peyton had caught him in a headlock and asked him how he liked being squished like a bug. Soon after, she declared that Nathan was her new brother because she didn't like the ones she had. Even a couple of years later when they found out about Lucas, she 'adopted' him as well. Peyton seemed to prefer hanging out with guys rather than girls. She had been raised by her single father and had 3 older brothers, so she was usually a little bit awkward in the company of girls, even Haley.
The three sat in silence for a few minutes while they ate, listening to the cheerful banter around the table about the game on Friday night.
"Has your dad given you the speech yet?" Peyton asked carefully, not wanting to darken both Nathan and Lucas's mood by bringing up their shared oppressor.
Nathan nodded gravely. "This morning. The usual bullshit about the scouts and not ruining the Scott name. Bla bla bla. That's all I hear when he talks."
"Just another reason why I'm glad that Dan Scott wants nothing to do with me." Lucas stated coldly.
"Count yourself lucky, bro." Nathan patted his brother's back, knowing full well that a lot of the crap Lucas says about Dan was just a front. When Lucas was a kid, he used to wish he lived with Dan and got to play ball with him every day and just basically have a Dad. When they found out they were brothers, Lucas would ask question after question about what it was like to have one. Over time though, Lucas had started to realise what Dan was really like through Nathan, and even though he and Nathan would bitch about their father, deep inside Nathan knew there was an 11 year old Lucas in there still wanting to be accepted by his father.
"You guys should thank your lucky stars that you have a hands-off dad." Peyton said mock-seriously. "Guess what mine did last night?"
Lucas and Nathan stared blankly at her, refusing to indulge her guessing game and waited for her to give in.
"Ok, fine, don't guess. Daddy and Peyton had the 'sex talk' last night."
Nathan and Lucas chuckled, jarringly alike, both in sound and facial expression.
"That must've been fun." Lucas prompted.
"Oh so much!" Peyton yelled sarcastically, attracting a few glances from the others at the table. "I swear, I'll never look at a cucumber again without recoiling in humiliation!"
"Oh god, he pulled out the condom?" Nathan suppressed a laugh, thankful that his dad didn't care enough to even go through the motions of a sex talk. He learned the traditional way - porno flicks.
"Oh yeah. Gave me a whole pack. I didn't have the heart to tell him that he's about 2 years too late."
"You little hussy!" Lucas joked as he pulled one of her curls.
"You're just jealous, Mr Virtuous." Peyton swatted away his hand and pinched his hip playfully.
"It isn't for lack of trying, trust me. It's kind of tantric, no? I'll be amazing when I finally do. Brooke will appreciate it." Lucas grinned cheekily when both Nathan and Peyton pulled a face.
"Dude, too much information." Nathan downed the last of the soda he had managed to swipe from Peyton when she sat down. She slapped his head when she noticed it missing.
"You damn klepto!" she hissed at him. "Go and get your own fucking lunch!"
Nathan laughed as he rose from the table. "Ok, I'll jack ya and leave ya. I'm out, gotta go work these brain muscles in chemistry."
"Maybe you'll upgrade from light featherweight today?" Peyton giggled and threw her napkin at him but he dodged it and gave her a devious smile as he retreated from the group.
Later that evening, as Haley lay on Nathan's bed, her head rested on his chest as he stroked her arm. The sun was going down, casting a red glow into the room, their shadows beginning to form on the wall. They lay in comfortable silence and Haley counted each beat his heart made.
"My dad fell down the stairs last night." she said, her voice cutting away at the stillness.
Nathan looked down at her, his eyes wide. "Is he ok?"
"Yeah." she answered quietly. Nathan thought he saw disappointment in her eyes. "He was drunk." her voice had taken on that heartbreaking tone that he only ever heard when she spoke about her father, which was rare. "He's always drunk. Sometimes I wish I could just runaway from it all. Forget that I ever had this life. I've been the dutiful daughter for 3 years. Cooked and cleaned for him, taken care of him even when he's so out of it he can't remember who I am. I mop up his vomit, wash his filthy clothes and wake up and do it all over again the next day. Then I work all weekend, trying to earn enough money to support us and I'm still expected to make good grades, tutor those who don't, and get into college." Haley swallowed a sob and Nathan held her tighter. He kept quiet, wanting her to go on and let it out. She so rarely let her guard down, even with him, that these moments were the ones that counted most. When she could cry in his arms and he would assure her that her life was going to get better, that they had a future together away from Tree Hill and she would finally be happy.
"Do you know what he said to me?" she whispered. "He said I was just like my mother. Running around screwing basketball players, thinking I was better than everyone else. Thinking I was better than him. He said it with such a hatred. I've never seen him like that before, I thought he was going to hit me."
Nathan looked down at her sharply. "He ever hits you, I'll bury the bastard. I mean it, Hales. He won't ever touch you."
"He was just drunk. I don't think he means the things he says." Haley went into defence mode, it came so naturally to her when anything bad was said against her father. "He's an angry, bitter man and he takes it out on the person he loves the most." she insisted, almost believing it.
"I guess." Nathan yielded, not wanting to turn this into a fight, knowing how easily Haley would turn against him to defend her father, no matter how fucked up the things he said to her were. He knew firsthand how bitter parents could be when their lives didn't turn out the way they had planned. He saw everyday how disappointed his mother and father were with their lives and each other, and probably their son too.
"I don't wan to live my life like this anymore…" Haley said absently as she twisted her hair around her fingers.
"We graduate soon, you don't have to do this for much longer." Nathan kissed her silky hair softly. "When we go to college, we don't have to worry about our parents anymore. We'll be free. We both have our scholarships, we don't have to depend on them." Nathan smiled warmly at her. "We'll start our new life."
Haley smiled tightly and nodded. The problem is that he depends on me she thought. She wrapped herself tightly in Nathan's arms. Right now she didn't want to think about any of that stuff, or how she was going to tell Nathan that she wasn't going to college. Right now she just wanted to lose herself in the guy she loved.
A/N; Please please review!!!! Your thoughts and comments are greatly appreciated!
