Chapter Four: The Failure
"Teach me how to play basketball." Haley huffed taking a seat next to her boyfriend on the bleachers at the rivercourt.
"Well hello to you too." He smirked looking over at her and tilting his head.
She leaned over and kissed him quickly. "Teach me how to play basketball."
"Why?" He laughed shaking his head.
"Cause if not I'm going to fail gym."
"What? No way."
"Yes way, if I can't get the ball in the hoop by Friday I'm failing. I've never failed at anything before." She pouted, upset.
"Hales you aren't going to fail." He said shaking his head. He pulled at her shoulders until she stood and lead her over to the net. "I'll help you."
"Really?"
"Of course" He smiled as her face lit up. "The key is to relax your hips and just shoot." He said before explaining what he meant.
"Nathan. Nathan. Nathan. Nathan. Nathan." Brooke said quickly nearly chasing him down the hallway.
He slightly chuckled and turned around to face her. "Yes Brooke."
"So you're allowed to bring two bags to the classic but...you're a guy...and all us cheerleaders are girls and well..." She lead off.
"I''m only bringing one bag, would you like to have me bring one of your uniforms and make up."
"Yes! How did you know?" She asked quickly.
"Haley."
"You're the best. I'm so excited I could kiss you right now."
"Don't" He said rolling his eyes as they kept walking.
"So did you teach Haley how to play basketball?"
"Yeah, we spent all our free time at the rivercourt but I think she finally gets it. How did you know?" He asked, unsure of why Haley would tell every one of her near failure.
"I walked in on her crying in the bathroom after school." She explained as Nathan's blood began to boil.
"Crying? Why was she crying?" He asked stopping as Brooke realized she said too much.
"Oh...She didn't tell you what happened?"
"No."
"A bunch of people" She said with a bit lip. "they were, I guess, making fun of her and all. It really wasn't a big deal." And with that Nathan turned the other way and jogged down the hall. "Where are you going?"
"I have stuff to do." He shouted back quickly, not even turning around to respond.
Haley grabbed a ball of the rack and nervously dribbled it around the gym. Today was the day, she would either pass or fail. Be looked at as an equal, or made fun of for being the girlfriend of the best player yet she couldn't knock down one shot.
"Ha, here she comes guys." She heard a group of students laugh as she headed onto the court. Walking right by them she bit her tongue to look up and see Nathan enter the gym.
"What are you doing here?" She asked walking closer to meet him.
"Why didn't you tell me?" He gently asked, swiping a piece of her hair behind her ear.
"I just...I knew it would upset you and they had a point. I'm dating the best player on the basketball team and I can't play myself."
"That doesn't matter to me okay." He assured. "I love you for you. And anyway now you can play." He said kissing her quickly before any teacher saw.
"Thank you, but what are you doing here."
"It's my free period. I wanted to be here for you so I asked Whitey if I could help him move some things around in the gym to pack up for the classic."
"You did that for me?" She asked slightly taken back.
"Of course anything for you." He smiled back.
"James. Scott." Mr. Fernis, the P.E. teacher shouted across the gym. "Break it up. James, over to the free throw line, Scott, Whitey is in the other corner, get going."
Haley's eyes grew wide and started to walk backwards away from Nathan. "That's the yellow line right?"
"Yeah," He chuckled. "now go kick ass."
Nathan walked down the hall and smirked as he saw his girlfriend at her locker. He leaned against the one next to her as she looked up to him with a smile. "Hi"
"Hi, I like the tie." She said knowing how much he hated it.
"Game day." He replied with a slight groan.
"It's cute." Haley said reaching up to fix it.
"You're cute." Nathan smiled down at her before leaning to kiss her.
"Break it up Scott." Whitey shouted down the hall at the young couple. "Go change into your warm ups for this stupid pep rally. You have to play some game. Although, I don't get the point, why do we all need pep!? Pep ain't gonna win us the game" He said as he kept walking leaving Nathan and Haley to laugh before Nathan started jogging backwards.
"Catch ya later. Watch for me out their I'm sure I'll be looking sexier than ever."
Haley rolled her eyes as he turned the corner and she went back to getting her books out.
It was the annual pep rally before the Sparkle Classic and Haley stood on the sidelines, cheering as they announced the players. Brooke nudged her as they announced Nathan and she only laughed. They sang the national anthem, as well as the school alma mater. Next their was the traditional pie eating concert, followed by a game that the junior varsity basketball team played. The cheerleaders did a routine as Nathan watched Haley with pride as if his life depended on it.
"Alright, that was great girls." Mouth announced seeing as he was the MC. "Next up is a dunking competition for the varsity players."
Of course, not like anyone could have guessed different, Nathan won. And as Nathan said, he looked sexier than ever. The final game was a blindfolded obstacle course. A cheerleader would lead a player through, the varsity team vs the junior varsity. Haley smiled as Brooke paired her up with Nathan. He was last in the line up of players. It would all depend on him, and Haley laughed as he was blindfolded. He moved around slowly, confused as he said quiet loudly "Hales?!"
"I'm right here." She said placing her hand on his to let him know, then removed it not wanting to break the rules. "Follow the sound of my voice."
"Stupid fucking blindfold." He muttered under his breath as he did so. Haley laughed as she expertly guided him.
"Watch, there is a cone right in front of you, step over it." She warned as he moved to step over it, but his foot caught on the top. He started to fall and hit Haley. Nathan knew she was going to the ground with him so he quickly wrapped his arms around her and twisted his body to land on his back, not to crush her.
"Are you okay?" She asked quickly as all the adults and their friends surrounded the couple.
Nathan pulled off the blindfold quickly as he felt a surge of pain in his back. It wasn't as bad as he thought it would be. "Yeah. Stupid fucking game."
Haley looked at his face and just started laughing as he groaned. He watched her face light up and then thought of what happened he started laughing with her as the crowded gym just watched them in confusion.
"Well it seems that the junior varsity team has won. Better luck next time varsity. Next up is the talent show portion so if everyone would take a seat we will start." Mouth announced as Haley stood up from where she laid on her boyfriend. She moved her arms down to help him up as he knit his eyebrows in confusion. She couldn't lift him.
"C'mon I'll help you." He did as she said and as he got up he nearly knocked her over. Of course he caught her and they began walking to the bleachers.
"Oh really." He laughed.
They watched as several people came out, sang, played instruments, danced, or played jokes. "Thanks for that Mike...it was interesting. Next up we have Haley James to sing for us."
"What?" Nathan questioned her in confusion.
"This is for you." She smiled kissing his cheek before moving to the center of the gym. She placed her guitar over her shoulder and began to play a melody she wrote, just for Nathan.
People say we shouldn't be together
We're too young to know about forever
But I say they don't know what they're talk-talk-talkin' about (talk-talk-talkin' about)
'Cause this love is only getting stronger
So I don't wanna wait any longer
I just wanna tell the world that you're mine, girl
Oh
They don't know about the things we do
They don't know about the "I love you"'s
But I bet you if they only knew (they don't know)
They would just be jealous of us,
They don't know about the up all nights
They don't know I've waited all my life
Just to find a love that feels this right
Baby they don't know about, they don't know about us
One touch and I was a believer
Every kiss it gets a little sweeter
It's getting better
Keeps getting better all the time, girl
They don't know about the things we do
They don't know about the "I love you"'s
But I bet you if they only knew (they don't know)
They would just be jealous of us,
They don't know about the up all nights
They don't know I've waited all my life
Just to find a love that feels this right
Baby they don't know about, they don't know about us
They don't know how special you are
They don't know what you've done to my heart
They can say anything they want
'Cause they don't know us
They don't know what we do best
It's between me and you, our little secret
But I wanna tell 'em
I wanna tell the world that you're mine, girl
They don't know about the things we do
They don't know about the "I love you"'s (I love you)
But I bet you if they only knew (if they only knew)
They would just be jealous of us (they would just be jealous of us),
They don't know about the up all nights
They don't know I've waited all my life
Just to find a love that feels this right (feels so right)
Baby they don't know about, they don't know about us
They don't know about the things we do
They don't know about the "I love you"'s
But I bet you if they only knew
They would just be jealous of us,
They don't know about the up all nights
They don't know I've waited all my life
Just to find a love that feels this right
Baby they don't know about, they don't know about us
They don't know about us
They don't know about us
"That was amazing. Thank you." Nathan said when she finished, she took her seat next to him before he kissed her.
"James! Scott! Break it up before you are in detention." Whitey shouted so the whole gym could hear, leaving Haley to blush and Nathan to smirk.
Nathan sighed and threw his book bag on the counter. It was a long practice that Whitey had made them suffer through. With the classic coming up he wanted them to be in tip top shape, but that meant Nathan was just about dead when he got home. Running his hand through his hair he reached in the fridge for a gatorade, placing two on the counter he got out glasses and filled them both before drinking half of his in one gulp. "What the leech didn't follow you home?" Dan said walking around the corner as Nathan rolled his eyes.
"Don't speak about her like that." Nathan warned.
"She only brings you down son, you'll see that one day. Did she decide to let you run free for a day before putting you back on that leash?"
"Actually." Haley said walking through the door. "I walked to grab your paper at the end of the driveway because the son of yours, that I'm bringing down and turning into a horrible basketball player, is on the front of the sports page. Did you know that, because the leech did?" She snarked with a smile.
"Well if it isn't the lovely Saint Haley." He smirked.
"Yeah, this saint is the reason you're son is doing so well in school, so if you wouldn't mind leaving us alone so I can help him with his trig homework."
"Trig homework, is that what the kids are calling it these days?" He questioned leaning against the counter.
Haley laughed pulling out her book and opening, "Yeah we're learning about tangent functions, do you want to?"
"Nope, I've been there, done that."
"I'm surprised you passed." Haley smirked taking a seat at the counter, as Nathan laughed and handed her a glass. Somehow she was always able to hold her own with him.
"Don't you have a meeting to go to today dad?" He asked annoyed that he treated Haley this way.
"Already went, I'll be just upstairs kids so keep it down."
Haley bit her lip until she heard Dan shut his office door. "He's so annoying."
"I'm sorry he treats you that way." Nathan sighed wrapping an arm around her.
"It's okay, I can deal with it."
"You shouldn't have to."
"Nate." She said placing her hand on his cheek so was looking at her "It's okay. Let's just get started."
"Nobody understands us." He sighed.
"What?" Haley questioned.
"Everybody is always giving us problems about being together."
Haley smiled reaching for his hand. She kissed it before placing it on her chest. "Feel that? My heart still races when I'm around you. This is what matters Nathan, us and only us. They don't know about us."
"I love you" He said quickly before leaning in to kiss her. "You are far too good for me."
"That I am, and I'm glad you know it." She laughed before leaning to kiss him again.