Chapter Six
Nathan Scott looked up as he heard the front door open he could hear Haley talking to someone, it baffled him who it could be, because as far as he knew at the moment, no one but those at Tree Hill Middle School knew they had returned, he knew that in a small town like this, it wouldn't be too long before people started to talk, well people who knew them anyway. But Nathan honestly never thought that it would be today that Haley bought someone home, he knew his wife better than that. She was as nervous as he was when it came to those that they had left behind. When he saw Haley walk past the living room with a child of no more than 12 he frowned. Getting up he folded his arms and lent of the door frame.
"Hales babe I know you love kids but kidnapping them from middle school is not the way to go about having another one in the house" he said with an amused look on his face, Haley said nothing as she put her bag down and placed her keys on the table beside the door. She told Lilly to leave her bag at the door the so they wouldn't forget it before both walked into the kitchen.
"Uh Hales, care to introduce us?" Nathan asked following his wife into the kitchen he found Haley with her arms wrapped around Jamie smothering him in kisses, the five year old was laughing and trying to get free from his mothers attack.
Nathan smiled and watched as Haley let him go and walked over to the fridge grabbing two bottles of water she closed the door and threw one to the girl that had come home with her. She looked as amused as Nathan did at the fact Haley was ignoring him when he constantly asked his wife who she was. Finally giving up he walked over and held out his hand.
"Nathan Scott. I'm sorry your teacher has seemed to have lost her manners," he said Lilly looked over at Haley who was hiding slightly in the pantry watching her husband.
"Lilly Scott," She heard Haley laugh as Nathan's jaw dropped, he then turned to look at Haley who nodded. Before Lilly knew it Nathan had wrapped her up in a hug.
"You can't be my little sister, my little sister- well she's, and she's tiny" he said looking down at her Lilly shrugged.
"Nathan, now I know you went to Stanford and I know for a fact that, that is one school that requires a student to do at the very least basic mathematics. Four plus seven equals eleven" said Lilly Nathan laughed, shaking his head at just how much his little sister had grown, to him it was like their mother had put her in some sort stretching machine. She used to be this tiny little thing, in every aspect. Now, now she was this lanky pre-teen.
Haley glanced over at Jamie and noticed how confused he looked, she walked over to him and wrapped him up in her arms again, in the coming weeks there would be a lot of people who would wanted get to know him, people Jamie had only known from pictures, that wouldn't stop them from wanting to smother him in kisses, something he didn't even like when she did it. He wasn't going to be too impressed with the amount of people here who would try the same thing. She knew it was best if they start him off with the one person who wouldn't; Lilly knew just how annoying that could be not to mention daunting for a five year old. She'd been there-well they all had but Lilly had been there in the not so distant past.
"Jamie baby, I'd like you to meet someone. This is your aunt Lilly. Lilly this is our son Jamie." She said Lilly smiled she could only imagine how shy her nephew was bound to be around strangers, she had been the same at that age, that's not to say that she had been shy, some kids were social with new people at five she hadn't been one of them. Jamie looked up at his mother with a questioning look on his face.
"Its ok sweetie," she said Jamie nodded and slid off his seat he walked over to Lilly and gave her a quick hug that surprised the eleven year old maybe he wasn't as shy as she thought.
"You are a lot bigger then in mama's photos" he said Lilly looked over Haley who smirked and nodded; Lilly grinned and looked back at Jamie.
"I was younger then you are now, when your mum took those photos. I've gotten a little bigger since then" said Lilly Jamie looked up at her and nodded.
"You want to play on the Wii?" He asked Lilly laughed and nodded, taking his hand they walked off. Nathan turned to Haley and glared at her before walking over and wrapping his arms around her.
"That wasn't very nice Hales; not telling me you were bringing my sister home"
"You remember Dervish right? Our sixth grade English teacher, he's now the principal he and Ventura failed to tell me she was in my class, I found out today when I walked in there she was sitting in the desk I used to sit in, not that I knew it was here till someone told me her name" Nathan laughed he remembered both teachers, they were strict but fair and knew when to have a laugh and when to take a joke, although he was sure that both of them would have a field day getting back at Haley for all the things they and their friends had done.
"So, are they-
"I asked them not to say anything until we are ready; I can't say the same thing about the kids I teach though. But the staff are going to give us some time, but knowing those two. If we don't say something within the month" Nathan nodded they had a month to figure out how to let Tree Hill know they were back or it would be said for them. He gave her a quick kiss before they joined Jamie and Lilly in the living room.
The four of them spent the rest of the afternoon talking and laughing. Lilly had never felt this welcome at Lucas's place, she always felt like she was being baby sat not just visiting her big brother. She, Nathan and Jamie played the Wii for a while and when Haley asked if she would like to help with dinner Lilly jumped at the chance.
Yes she had cooked dinner at home plenty of times and some of them had even been with her mother on her better days, but the vibe wasn't the same, she could talk openly about anything to Haley she didn't have think about what she was going to say and gauge how she would react first, she could just say whatever was on her mind. It wasn't something she was used to, but it was something she enjoyed immensely. Even though Lilly had only been four, she still had a few memories from back then she knew what her mother had been like. She had different, more loving; she wouldn't space out for days on end or go off tangents for hours that would leave even her dad confused. Since they'd gotten her on medication things had been better, and now they were slowly weening her off them, she still seemed to be going quiet well. But that hadn't stopped Lilly waiting for the other shoe to drop and for her mother to go sliding backwards in what- at least for Lilly herself- had become normal.
She found it rather strange actually, that Lucas who had mostly been around and seen her start school and every other mile stone she had reached in the last seven years, still treated her like a four year old. She wasn't sure if he noticed that he did this and she hadn't once bought it up, there were more important things going on in their lives, then Lilly worrying about Lucas treating her like a little kid.
Whereas Nathan who had every right, to do that seeing he hadn't seen her since she was four, didn't- maybe it was being a dad himself, or maybe it was just that he had a better understanding of it, being the middle child. Whatever it was, she sure did find it amusing.
Then there was Haley, Lilly had found she liked her more than Peyton; however from what she could remember that had been true. Haley had always been the one to include her in things, if the girls-Peyton, Brooke and Haley- were at the cafe, it was usually Haley's lap she had sat on, although there had been a couple of times, where she had sat on Brooke's but not once that she could remember sitting on Peyton's. Lilly didn't know what it was, but she always felt like Peyton was brushing her off. Getting her to sit down and watch TV or something like that; while Haley actually wanted Lilly around, she wanted to know what was going on in her life.
For the first time Lilly now knew what her friends were talking about when they said they had favourite siblings. It was now more than ever she had wished it was Lucas who had run away and not Nathan. She knew it was mean to compare her brothers and their wives against each other, but she couldn't help but notices the total difference between them. Another thing she found was that Haley didn't try and change the subject when she asked something, Peyton always changed the subject. Last week she had done it asking if Lilly wanted to play house. Lilly hadn't played that since she was about seven all she had done was look at Peyton and roll her eyes before walking off muttering under her breath sure Lucas had yelled at her later for it, but play house really?
"You're going to have to tell mum and Dad you're here aren't you?" Lilly asked looking up at Haley as she finished washing the potatoes. Haley nodded that was one thing she wasn't looking forward to.
"Could you leave it till tomorrow, I know it would be better for you to do it tonight but dad and Luke always leave me out when it comes to you and Nathan. It's like they seem to forget he's my big brother too. Yeah I was four but I was still confused when you left and they never explained it to me. I just- for once I would like to be the person who knows something they don't." Haley smiled and nodded.
"Deal, you know what I'm not looking forward to seeing your mum and dad either so I'll tell you at school when Nathan and I are going to tell them because he might look big and strong but, your brother is a big softy, that and he hates what he did to not only your mum but everyone here, we both do." said Haley Lilly smiled she was glad they had come home, sure she wasn't silly and knew that things were going to be rocky for a little while but it would all be worth it in the end, wouldn't it?
"Well if it helps I'm not angry at you. I'm just glad your home."
"Thanks Lil, now let's get this going before those two come and bug us about when dinner is ready"
Hours later Lilly walked in the front door to see her mother walk past head in a book, and not paying any attention to what was going on around her. Walking into the lounge room she found her father watching TV.
"Hey I'm home, is mum okay I just saw her-
"She's fine, just reading that book you got her for her birthday last year. She actually wanted to do dinner with you tonight, but when you weren't here we figured you were at Mattie's for dinner. Not that we mind but, give us a heads up next time kiddo" said Keith looking over at his daughter who nodded wearily. Getting up he placed his hands on her shoulders.
"She's fine, trust me Lil she's just caught up in the book, that's a good thing; I know you're too young to remember it but this is what she was like, head in a book away with the fairies. She'll probably pop into your room later, ask how your day went. You got that new English teacher right? How was that?" Lilly smiled and nodded she would make note to ask Brooke if what her dad was saying was true; it wasn't that she didn't believe him, she just happened to know he would say anything to keep her from thinking the worst.
"Yeah good, actually really good; she's not going to put up with anything Kellie or Fay throw at her so maybe I'll enjoy English as well as music; and before you ask I left my Violin at school so Mrs. Ascot could restring and retune it for me. I'll bring it home tomorrow, I'd love to stay and chat dad but I still have about an hour's worth of home work today, because Mattie and I got into a Wii war" said Lilly kissing her dad on the cheek, it wasn't a total lie, she had gotten into a Wii war with Nathan, and she did have about that much homework left to do.
Walking into her room, she put her back pack down and pulled out the book she had to read for English, looking at the chapters her class had to read she shrugged and threw the book onto her bed. She would pass this semester easy and not because she was Haley's little sister. No, if anything Haley would be hardest on her. She'd pass easily because she had read every book they were doing this semester, and not just over summer break, like they were meant to. These were some of her favourite books. She knew all of them pretty well, so what was the use was re-reading it when she could practically quote the chapters? She still had that introduction, she had for Haley to do, even though she thought it was pretty pointless now, she did it anyway; more to save their entire class from a Kellie rant than anything else.