A Season in Purgatory

Chapter 2

"Nope, try again, Nathan," Haley cajoled, encouraging her tutoree to continue working the problem. She heard him groan even as he bent over his history textbook and reread the passage. Her brow furled as she realized that he had definite weaknesses with conceptual problems. Haley made a mental note to file that little fact in his record, so that she could refer back to it as their sessions progressed.

Sneaking furtive looks over at him, Haley decided that he was unquestionably eye candy. It wasn't just his smoldering good looks or his broad shoulders, but rather a mixture of good looks and boyish charm. Nathan was without doubt used to sweet-talking his way out of most situations (or with most girls, talking his way IN to situations), but that charm only went so far with Mrs. McCollum, their elderly history teacher. She didn't care if she held the key grade that decided the fate of Tree Hill's most talented athlete. In fact, she'd told both Coach Durham and the principal that she'd just as soon flunk Nate, rather than help him get a passing grade when he didn't deserve it.

Haley had helped soften the old lady somewhat on the topic of Nathan's failing grade, but he still needed to make a strong showing on this next test before the teacher would consider doing anything more to help him. Mrs. McCollum, like most teachers, adored Haley James. A model student and a gifted scholar, Haley had no trouble excelling in school, where as Nathan was the scorn of teacher lounges everywhere.

She openly stared at him, noting the way he expelled nervous energy by tapping his pencil against the table as he read the passage. Haley had her work cut out for her this time. While in the past she'd proudly told everyone there wasn't an athlete she couldn't help, she was seriously beginning to question that statement. Nathan wasn't stupid; he was just unmotivated and missing basic study skills. At first she'd worried that he was dyslexic but soon realized that he could read, he just didn't like to. Like an atrophied muscle, Nathan's reading skills had withered over the years from disuse.

Frowning, Haley tried to stop the automatic comparison between his problems and Lucas' strengths. Nathan didn't like to read and hated to study, Lucas loved books and considered libraries and study halls sacred places. It wasn't fair to compare them, she knew, but it was hard not to. For all the bluster and complaining, Nathan and Luke were so very similar in ways that it weirded her out. They were both thoughtful individuals, who deeply cared about their friends and their team responsibilities. Not that either of them would ever stop bitching about the other to notice those similarities, she realized, but Haley was a dreamer and she never gave up hope.

"Haley?" an insistent voice repeated. Nathan watched as Haley jerked back to reality and gave her a smirk. "So the point of the chapter is that the Union, while having sucky leadership, eventually won the war due to the South's lack of resources."

Haley nodded at him in excitement. "I knew you could do it, Nate. You just need to find the key concepts and reread the chapter to build on those points." He smiled at her display of genuine happiness, surprised that she cared whether he got 'it' or not. She got paid by the hour, not by the number of passing grades he got. But she truly seemed invested in every fact he learned and subject he mastered. Nathan's smile faded, wondering if anyone else cared what he did, as long as he continued to win games. His dad certainly didn't. It had taken Whitey and the principal's intervention to get Dan Scott to see that his son was in danger of failing and thus being ineligible for the second half of the season. And that's about the only reason his dad cared about his school work. It was always about basketball, he realized, missing the days when he'd come home from school to find his mother waiting with cookies and milk, full of questions about his day and what he'd learned.

She carefully watched his face drop from elation to sadness, noting a deep pain that seem to fill his intense blue eyes. "Nate, what is it?" she asked, reaching out and gently touching his hand in concern, wanting to understand what had happened in those past few seconds to dramatically alter his mood. Nathan felt a warm, soft hand on his and looked down, surprised to see her touching him. While he knew that Haley had been forced to take him on as a tutoree, she'd always been cheerful and encouraging, even as she'd kept her distance. Nate had attributed it to her friendship with Lucas and was surprised that she was willing to touch him.

Nathan suddenly drew back, straightening his shoulders and trying to escape from the memories of his mom. "I can't remember the last time someone actually cared about whether I learned something or not," he slowly confessed, looking up to meet her big brown eyes. Haley James was part of one of the biggest if not one of the least affluent families in town. She couldn't possibly understand what it felt like to be so alone.

"I'm sure your mom and dad care about you passing, Nate," she said, before realizing her mistake. She turned red, flustered at mentioning his mom. It had taken her years to stop doing the same thing with Lucas, always censoring "mom and dad" so that it was only "mom". Nothing like people always bringing up a set of parents when all you had was one. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to…" she began, distinctly upset that she'd brought up such a painful topic. Well, she assumed it was painful, since Lucas always hated it when someone asked him about his parents.

Nathan waved off her apology, secretly touched that she was sweet enough to be concerned about his feelings. Most people just assumed he was over his mother's death and Nathan never bothered to correct them. He wasn't exactly good at sharing his thoughts and feelings, but something about Haley made him want to try. "My mom's been gone now for eight years. You'd think I'd be used to it by now," he woodenly replied, taking a page from the Dan Scott school of emotional deprivation. The sympathy in her eyes was too much for him to take, and he adverted his eyes so that she'd not see the tears that were threatening to well up.

Without another thought, Haley spontaneously reached over and hugged him, startling both of them. She hated to see anyone or any creature suffer when she could do something to help them. It was her nature to soothe and comfort. And she could tell that Nathan desperately needed some comfort.

Nathan sank against her small, warm body and momentarily let his mind relax, temporarily forgetting about the big game in two hours and the entire town's expectations that he'd win another game for Tree Hill. Not to mention his father's insane goals and expectations. For a few moments, Nathan had a brief respite from the constant pressure that his life had become.

He fought the urge to pull her closer to him, to take refuge in the safety he found in her arms. Nathan was perilously close to crying. It had been a long time since he'd gotten a hug from someone who didn't attach sex to it as a prerequisite. He loved his dad, but Dan was not overly affectionate, nor was he comfortable with the touchy feely side of parenting. Hugs and other forms of demonstrative affection had been rare over the years. With no aunts or other motherly types in his life, Nathan sometimes found himself yearning for a reassuring squeeze or a quick embrace.

Reluctantly, Nathan pulled back, ending their contact. Like it or not, he had a game to focus on, and he didn't need any other distractions than his twit of a half brother. Their eyes awkwardly met, each trying to play off what had just happened.

Nathan turned back to his history book, before taking another look at her and breaking the awkward silence that had descended on the room. "You should come to my after game party tonight at the beach house," he invited, failing to stop the ultra distracting thoughts about how pretty and sweet she was.

"Oh, I'm going to be there," she confirmed, much to Nate's confusion. "Luke asked me to go with him," she clarified, noting the immediately frown that appeared on his face at the mention of his half brother.

Nate shrugged his shoulders and occupied himself with twirling his pencil around on the countertop, not wanting to show how much he hated that she was friends with his brother.

"You two seem tight," he neutrally observed, trying to cop a casualness he didn't feel. Why should he care who the bastard spawn dated?

"No tighter than you and Brooke," Haley retorted, wondering why he could be close friends with a member of the opposite sex, but that he felt he could call her on the same thing. That she even cared what Nathan Scott thought about her and Luke ticked her off. Since when did she care what he thought about her and her friends?

"I'm not taking my friend Brooke to the party as a date," he offered, trying to make some point, even if he wasn't clear what that point was. Every one at school knew that he and Brooke were just friends. Sure, they'd kissed a few times when they were kids, and experimented some, but they had no romantic feelings toward the other. He couldn't say the same thing about Haley and Lucas. Granted he didn't know much about either of them, but they were practically joined at the hip.

She carefully examined the expression on his face. Her "girl" sense was going off, sending out vague warning bells. If she weren't so aware of their situation, she'd have thought Nathan was jealous. "I'm going with Luke to make sure that the two of you don't kill each other," she elaborated, hoping that quelled the dangerous look on his face. "I'm a little surprised that you even invited him."

The team's hazing of Lucas had been a major part of her refusal to tutor Nathan. But as the weeks of school had passed, and Nathan had burned through the rest of the school's tutors, she'd agreed to help him only if the hazing stopped. Even as she capitulated to the principal's wish that she help the guy, Haley resented the fact that the school was not immune to the pressure of Dan Scott. What the man wanted, he got. And he wanted the school's best tutor for his son. That annoyed her, because he clearly wasn't concerned about Nathan learning anything, only that he remain eligible for sports.

Pressure or not, Nathan needed a good tutor more than she needed her job. Haley had agreed to help Nathan, but only if he stopped harassing her friend. Lucas was a good guy and he didn't need the mindless hazing that was being heaped on him by Nathan and his fellow goons. He knew the deal and he knew she wasn't just threatening to walk. If Nathan did one more mean thing to Lucas, she'd quit her job as a tutor before allowing herself to be blackmailed into helping Dan Scott's son.

"I invited the team and Lucas is part of the team," he clarified, not wanting anyone to think he invited Lucas out of the goodness of his heart. When it came to the fair-haired boy, Nate had no goodness left for him. The closeness of their earlier hug dissipated, leaving Nathan miffed that she'd automatically assumed he was out to hurt people. He should watch it next time, and not let her get that close to him again. "Look we aren't planning anything other than ignoring him, like usual."

Nate didn't tell her that just having Lucas at his beach house, surrounded by pictures of him and his dad was torture enough for the brat. Nathan knew that Lucas was jealous and not just for all the nice things his dad gave him. Lucas coveted his father and all the attention he gave Nathan. For all his angry rhetoric, his bastard brother was as fascinated with his distant father as he was repulsed. Nathan could see it on his brother's face every time Dan Scott was in his line of sight.

He got so sick of Luke's wounded puppy act. Every female he knew longed to comfort the poor, fatherless waif. But if anything happened to Karen, Luke still had Keith. And barring his uncle, Lucas still had a biological father. Nathan was the one who was one accident away from being an orphan. He didn't have anyone other than Dan: Keith was a virtual stranger to him, his mother was dead and his grandparents were infrequent visitors who dropped birthday cards and had sporadic visits. Lucas, by comparison, seemed rich when it came to people that adored and cared for him.

Haley stared intently at the boy who sat across from her, watching as several emotions washed over his handsome visage. The past two weeks of tutoring him had revealed a depth she'd previously not thought him capable of. And while Haley despised sports in particular, she'd found an easy rapport with the star athlete.

'Once she'd given him a chance,' she silently admitted to herself. She'd prejudged him solely because he disliked her best friend. Now she found herself wishing that Luke and Nathan could see each other the way she saw them.

"Well, Lucas and I will be there, so I guess I'll see you later," she concluded, feeling a sudden need for clear air, air that was free of Nathan's potent pherenomes. That had to be the explanation, she reasoned. It had to be some biological agent that was capable of clouding her better judgment and making her stare longingly at his ass.

He watched as she gathered her books and dumped them in her backpack, smiling despite his best efforts to remain distant. Something about this girl made him happy. She was coming to his party, even if it was as his mortal enemy's date. Even if it was to ensure that Nathan didn't beat up her best friend.

"I'll save ya a beer and a dance," he offered, with a mischievous glint in his eyes. Brooke may have been the driving force behind Nathan issuing Lucas an invitation, but his actions were reaping big rewards for himself.

Haley walked out of the massive kitchen, under the high, vaulted ceilings toward the front door. She considered his words and turned toward him. "I'll hold you to that promise," she flirted, before slamming the door shut behind her.

Nate leaned against the massive door, as a goofy grin covered his face. He jumped, hearing the door to the door to the garage slam shut.

"Nate! Snap to, you've got a game in two hours," Dan ordered, trying to place the source of his son's happiness. Dan frowned in confusion, his eyes moving from the books on the counter to the smile on his son's face. 'No way studying could have that affect on his boy,' Dan thought. He shook it off and followed Nathan into the living room for one last pre-game pep talk.

Lucas wiped his forehead with a greasy hand, before finally giving up on the engine he was working on. He only had a little bit of time left before the big game against Lexington, their conference rival. Sighing, he wiped his hands off on a rag as he headed toward the big sink in the back of the shop. Slopping the grease removing soap on his hands, Lucas absently dug at the stubborn, ever present grease that lodged under his fingernail bed. While he loved helping his uncle out at the shop, he hated that his hands and clothes left the garage with obvious signs of his manual labor. In contrast to his brother, who rarely got his hands dirty for any reason. He absently focused on the future, on life after college that promised a 9 to 5 weekday job in an air-conditioned office. That was part of his motivation to do well in school and part of his larger middle class aspirations.

Luke shook that thought off, refusing to get stuck obsessing about how unfair life was. While Nathan threw beer blasts and drove expensive cars, Lucas spent most of his free time working for a little extra spending money. He frowned, disappointed in himself for being so materialistic, but it was hard not to be jealous when he knew that Nathan was probably sitting down in front of his high def TV, relaxing before their game, while Lucas expended his extra energy on a stubborn gear shaft.

Wiping his hands on an old towel, Luke leaned against the wall and took a moment to unwind. He was more fortunate than some of his friends, he realized. He had a mother that always provided him with food and shelter, even if it wasn't in the town's best restaurants or most exclusive zip code. And Lucas knew he that he was lucky to have an awesome memory, allowing him to get by with less studying than Haley or any of his other school friends. It would be much worse if he had to work and practice and study all the time. His grades might fall down to Nate's level, he humorless thought.

The guy's arrogance rivaled only that of his biological father's. Both Nathan and Dan were egomaniacs that thought the town should build a monument to their basketball prowess. Luke fought off a wave of bitterness, realizing that he'd probably be the team's star player (and not merely the second best player) if he'd attended fancy basketball summer camps his entire life. But Lucas' knew his game had heart, and what he lacked in formal training, his passion for the game helped him rise above most of his competitors. Competitors that were on other teams, as well as on his own team. But he'd endure the team's hazing because he refused to buckle under their demeaning games. Haley called Lucas the most stubborn person she'd ever met, and there was a lot of truth in that comment. But more than that, Lucas refused to let Nathan and Dan win. And they'd have the final victory if Lucas quit the team, unable to cope with their cruel comments and actions.

Hearing a noise near the large open bay at the front of the shop, Lucas curiously looked up to see who his visitor was. A slight frown creased his brow upon seeing his Uncle Keith with a petite blonde lady. Anna.

Keith had spent hours talking about his new "friend" while he and Lucas worked on cars together. Lucas had managed to successfully avoid meeting her, until today. It wasn't that he disliked her. In fact, he knew little to nothing about the woman. She was new to town, and had met Keith after a freak flat tired had left her stranded in front of his shop. Two months later, the two were openly dating, much to Luke's chagrin. Deep down, he secretly hoped that his mom and Keith would get back together, realizing in their time apart what the other meant to them. He hadn't expected that Keith would actually meet someone and fall in love. It was hard to play matchmaker when the subjects weren't playing by his rules.

"Luke!" Keith happily called out, practically dragging the poor woman behind him. Luke stared at her a moment and realized that she knew this was a test and she wasn't much happier about it than he was. Vaguely, he recalled his friends talking about parental post divorcing dating, and being forced to meet new, potential stepparents. Luke had scoffed at that, knowing that his mother rarely dated. But he now felt that same pressure, regardless of Keith just being his uncle, and not his father.

"Hey," Luke answered in a noncommittal tone. Keith could tell the boy was uncomfortable, never happy to be meeting new people. But he pushed on anyway. "We just got back from picking up that part for the Taylor's car." He'd waited until Anna got out of school and they'd driven up to Charlotte together, having a great time and enjoying what was left of the warm weather. "Luke, I want you to meet Anna."

He practically shoved her in front of the boy, desperately hoping his nephew liked her. Keith knew Luke had taken the break up with Karen badly, and he didn't want to add any stress by dating a woman that his nephew didn't like. Luke remained silent, so Anna stuck her hand out, trying to fashion a better greeting. "Your uncle has told me a lot about you," she tentatively began.

Luke slowly reached out and shook her hand, glad that he'd paid close attention to getting all the grease off his hands. This was definitely a woman who didn't need grease in her life. He surreptitiously took in her tailored pink sweater set and wool pants and wondered how she and his uncle had found anything in common. Keith was a great guy, but he was very low maintenance. And Anna, while not snobby or anything, looked well put together and conscious of her appearance.

"Keith tells me that you teach fifth grade at the elementary school. Did Mrs. Lynch finally retire or did she die?" he asked, only half joking. The old bat had made his life hell the year he'd been in her class, and he could only be happy that some other boy from the wrong side of the tracks didn't have to endure her condescending ways. Then again, the woman was also a neighbor of Dan's, which explained of a lot of her passive-aggressive behavior toward Luke when he was in her class. He understood that now but it had been harder to deal with when he was younger, as most of his teachers generally liked him.

"She finally retired. I hear that they pretty much had to push her out the door, but her last hip replacement really affected her mobility," Anna replied, before both of them cracked up laughing. Luke privately assumed Mrs. Lynch was older than the town itself, and was happy to find someone honest enough to agree with him.

Keith pulled some drinks out of the old fridge near the office and handed one to them, encouraged that Anna had managed to get Luke to laugh during their first encounter. He'd known people that had been around him their entire life that couldn't get a smile out of his overly serious nephew.

He was worried about his oldest nephew. Keith had sensed a growing distance between the two of them since he and Karen had broken up. He'd done everything he could to reassure Lucas that they'd always be close, regardless of who he was dating. But there was a noticeable difference in Lucas the past month or so, and Keith couldn't shake the feeling that the boy was studying him, and his words. If he'd been a suspicious man, Keith would have thought that Lucas was evaluating everything his uncle said, waiting for some kind of deception or lie. He'd tried to get the boy to open up, but Luke wasn't talking very much.

Luke scrutinized the couple as he downed his drink. Keith had his hand protectively on the small of Anna's back, and the two were practically beaming. "So, how'd you end up in Tree Hill?" Lucas asked, more to be polite than out of curiosity. While the town exported talented youth to larger cities and other states, it very rarely pulled in newcomers who weren't already tied to the area via their family.

"I wanted a change of pace from city life, so I applied for the job over the summer," she added, smiling broadly at her boyfriend's nephew.

"It must have been hard to leave your family and friends," Lucas prompted, openly digging for the woman's background information.

Keith gave Lucas a quizzical look, before speaking. "Anna doesn't have any family, Luke. That's one reason she decided to move across the state." Lucas hadn't tried to be rude, but if this woman was going to be in his uncle's life, then he wanted to make sure she was okay.

They stood there for a moment in awkward silence. Luke decided that she was a pretty woman, with pale blonde hair that trailed down her back. Her clear blue eyes and pale skin reminded Luke of a china doll that Haley had once owned. She was pretty, but certainly no prettier than his mother.

Draining the rest of his drink, Luke crushed the can and banked it off the far wall of the shop, into a metal drum they used for trash. "I need to get going, Keith. I need to rest before tonight's game."

Keith nodded, relieved that their first meeting had gone so well. Anna smiled up at Luke, who towered over her petite frame. "I can't wait to see you play tonight, Lucas. Your uncle talks nonstop about how his talented nephews dominate the basketball team." Luke's immediately dropped at her inclusion of Nathan. It was one thing for everyone to know that Keith had another nephew, but it bothered Lucas to know that Keith included Nathan in his conversations.

"Yeah, I guess I'll see you both there," he muttered, anxious to get away from the couple. He'd been planning on using his games to get his mom back together with Keith. After all, there was no better place than a basketball game to fall in love.

He…I never thought tutoring athletes for 8 years in college would ever pay off in my fiction. Also, any similarities between what happens in this story and OTH are total coincidences. I write stuff because the show isn't covering something I'd like to see, so when the show airs something similar to what I have planned in my story, it bugs me! Replies are always appreciated and encourage new chapters! Thanks.