After a couple days of convincing, Haley managed to get Nathan to finally come back to school. He was dreading coming back and getting all of the pity and sympathy from everyone at school. All he needed right now was time to study for his upcoming finals, catch up a bit with Lucas, and to see Haley's smiling face. Haley, that's really what mattered to him. When with Haley he felt as if he was in a utopia, every word coming out of her mouth were euphonious and every expression she made was mesmerizing. Now that he was living with the James' he wished that they would let him stay permanently in Haley's room but that probably would be something he'd have to cherish because it'd soon be gone. Aunt Lydia and Uncle Jimmy were chill, but not that chill, especially now that they were a couple.

"How does it feel to be back?" Lucas asks Nathan as he's leaning against the lockers near them.

"Weird, but I somewhat missed this ratty place" The two let out a short laugh.

"Glad to have you back Nate" Brooke says as she hugs Nathan.

"Did Ms. Brooke Roe miss me?" she blushes at his suggestive words and let's out an adorable snort.

"Or should I say Lucas Davis?" Nathan adds.

"Barely 2 hours back to school and he's already cracking harsh jokes, Nathan really is back to normal" Brooke giggles.

Nathan smiles at the honest words. But just as happiness steadied within him he's wondering where Haley is.

"Have you guys seen Hales?" Nathan asks worriedly.

"She's probably making out with some basketball player" Brooke says trying to ease his tension.

"Haha, very funny." Nathan scoffs at the perky brunette.

The group then sees the curly-haired blonde approaching them and everyone's expressions have big smiles on their faces except for Nathan's.

"Hey Nate, how are you?" Peyton says with true concern in her voice as she hugs Nathan.

"I'm living" he says harshly.

"I see, well I needed to tell you something" Peyton says with a tense expression.

Everyone looks at each other in bewilderment and Nathan and Peyton step aside from the gang.

"What's up?" Nathan says coolly as they're in a more private spot.

"How are you and Haley?" she says in a calm tone.

"We're doing good, why do you ask?" he asks with his brow cocked.

"I know that Haley probably hates me for everything I did to her but I need to ask for a favor from you."

"What is it?"

"Well there's this ball for the Marine's, and you know how my brother is a Marine" she started.

"Yeah…"

"And I need to go with a date…"

Nathan's eyes grow large as he hears the strange request.

"What about your boyfriend? Ask Tim to go with you." He says flat out.

"Nate… come on, you know how important this is to me, I don't want my brother seeing me with a guy like, like Tim!"

As he hears her words he knows exactly why he ended things with her. He continued to shake his head in dismay but finally became still.

"So will you do it for me?"

"I don't know Peyton…"

"Oh come on Nate! I'm sure Haley won't mind me having her boyfriend for one night." She smiles at him.

"Ugh, fine. When and what time?"

"YAY! Friday at 8! Thanks so much Nathan, I owe you big time" Peyton says as she jumps up into his arms and hugs him tightly.

"Yeah, no problem…" and she's gone in a flash.

"Where were you this morning?" Nathan asks as he taps on Haley's shoulder.

"Why, did my boyfriend miss me that much?" Haley says with a cunning smile.

He can't help but smile at her cute comment.

"Of course I did" then he pokes her nose in a playful way.

"English was especially boring today" Haley says as it's finally lunch time.

As they're walking towards his car he considers telling Haley about the Marine Ball thing but he chickens out when he sees how happy Haley is this afternoon. He can't remember the last time he's seen her smile like this since his parent's death. It was a harsh thought when he suddenly remembers their death. The only pro to having his parents die was getting free food whenever he bought food at restaurants. Tree Hill was such a small town that everyone knew everyone and that included the Scott family. So to show their condolences they'd give him and Haley a free meal whenever they swung by.

"How lovely is the weather today?" Haley says as she stretches her arms in his car and puts her sunglasses on.

"Not too cold, not too hot." Nathan states as he glances over at his beautiful girlfriend.

"Where would you like to have lunch?" he adds.

"I'm kind of in the mood for some Chipotle" she says in an adorable tone.

"Alright, Chipotle it is!" he says as he drives that direction.

As they're eating their burritos Nathan watches Haley take every bite.

"What's up with you? You've been watching me eat my burrito since the first bite!" she says in a teasing way.

"You're adorable when you eat." He says as he wipes off a piece of cilantro on the corner of her mouth.

She glares at him with squinting eyes.

"Nathan… what do you need?" she says in an accusatory tone.

"What?! How'd you know?" he says baffled.

"I've known you my whole life, well minus the two day delay it took you to be born" she teased him for being two days older than him.

He smiles at her words.

"Now tell me, what's up sweetie?" she says as she wipes her mouth with her napkin.

"Promise you won't get mad, okay?" Nathan says seriously.

"I promise"

"Pinky promise?" he says as he let's his large pinky out.

Her tiny pinky wraps around his and she makes the promise official, to them at least.

"Peyton asked me to go to this ball with her."

"Mhm." She says as she shakes her head as she follows his words.

"And it's for her brother and she doesn't want to bring Tim because, well, he's Tim and so that's why she asked me to come with her"

"When is it?" Haley questions.

"This Friday."

"Ok. That's fine with me" Haley quickly answers.

"Really?" Nathan says surprised.

"Yeah."

"Are you positive?"

"Yes, Nathan" she laughs at his suspicion.

"Wow, well that was easier than I thought it would be."

"I mean, it's a valid reason to ask you to be her date, you versus Tim, you're the best eye candy out there" she says making him blush.

"God, I love you so much" he says as he kisses her rosy cheek.

"I know, I love me too" and they both go back to school.

"Pssssst, Tutor Girl" Brooke says as she's trying to get answers from Haley for the Physiology test they're currently taking.

"Whattttt?" Haley says in a loud whisper.

"What's the answer to number 23?"

"B" she mouths out to Brooke.

"What?" Brooke says confused.

"B" she says making the motions slower.

"Ohhh, ok!" Brooke says as she bubbles in B.

Haley finishes her tests and waits for someone else to finish so she's not the first to turn her paper in.

"Hales, what's number 27?" Lucas asks as he's sitting besides Brooke.

She shakes her head in amusement and simply mouths out an A.

"Thanks!" Lucas says as he gets up to turn his paper in. And Haley follows.

"Thank you children" Ms. Stahl says as she grabs the papers from them.

"Cheaters" Haley says as she's looking behind her to talk to Lucas.

"Well… you helped so you're an accomplice, so technically you're a cheater too" Lucas retorts.

-The bell rings-

"UGHHH. I didn't finish!" Brooke exclaims.

Haley quickly looks at the remaining questions.

"B,B, C, D, A." She says quickly as Brooke bubbles the answers in.

"Tutor Girl you rock because I probably got an A on that test today!" Brooke says excitedly as they leave to head towards the parking lot.

"Well, I know I'm lovely." Haley says with fake arrogance.

"Gag." Brooke teases.

"Hales, want to hang out with me today?" Lucas offers.

Then she looks over to Brooke with confusion.

"Oh, me and P. Sawyer are shopping for a dress for some ball she's going to, so go hang out with your best friend while I hang out with mine" Brooke says with a huge smile.

"Well, ok then. Let's just wait for Nate!" Haley says to Lucas.

Suddenly her phone rings.

"Hello?"

"Hey baby, I'm not going to be able to give you a ride home, can you get one from Luke or someone?"

"Oh, we were going to hang out. Is it fine if we leave you?"

"Yeah, that's fine. Go on ahead without me. I'll see you at home."

"Ok, bye sweetie"

"Bye, I love you."

"I love you too."

And he hung up.

"He's not tagging along?"

"I guess not, so you're stuck with me." Haley says as she grab ahold of Lucas' arm.

"Aww man." He says in fake despair, and they head out.

"P. Sawyer, that is smokin' hot on you!" Brooke says as Peyton shows her the red mini dress she's in.

"Shucks, I'm not that hot" she says in a spurious modest tone.

"When Nathan sees you in this his jaw will drop!" she continues to egg her on.

"You really think so?" Peyton asks as she checks herself out in the mirror.

"I'm sure of it blondie, now take it off and let's pay for it!"

The two go to the register and purchase the red dress and are now on the hunt for matching shoes.

"I kind of want some glittery ones, but I think that may be too much for my brother to take in." Peyton says in a girlish tone.

"Well we can always buy some and save them for later." Brooke says with excitement.

They walk into Aldo and check out some of their heels on display. As Peyton looks carefully for some heels Brooke watches her every movement.

"Hey, P. Sawyer, why is this so important to you? I've never seen you care so much about… your outfits."

"Well. I'm planning on getting Nate back,"

"Wait, what?" Brooke says wishing she heard wrong.

"This ball, it's my plan to win Nathan's heart over." Peyton says nonchalantly.

"Peyton! You CANNOT and WILL NOT do that to Haley!" Brooke says with annoyance.

"I can, and I will" Peyton scoffs back.

"Oh no you aren't Peyton, how can you even consider doing this?! She's done nothing to you"

"She stole Nate away from me!"

"Stole?! She's known him since, s-since they were born!"

"Whatever, that's their story."

"Their story? Uhh, hellllllllo P. Sawyer they've been attached to the hip since birth, I don't think you can get between that."

She let's out an amused chuckle.

"Attached at the hip? I don't think so, widdo Haley is still an untouched soul."

"What?"

"She's a virgin, Brooke" Peyton says bluntly trying to help Brooke understand.

"I know, but what does that have anything to do with you and Nathan?"

"Well me and Nathan have a long history of sexual activities, the one thing that I have, that precious Haley does not."

"This sounds so incredibly wrong and I am not taking part in any of this." Brooke says as she seems disturbed with her words.

"Brookey, don't worry, this plan will work out." Peyton says as she pats her best friend on the shoulder.

"I don't want it to work out! I want my friends to be happy and for no one to get hurt!"

"Then what? Do you want me to stay with Tim and let her have Nathan that easily?"

"Peyton! Nathan is hers! He's always been hers! There's nothing you can say or do that will change that!"

"We'll see about that…"

"Aww, some good ole fashioned 'Luke and Hales' time." Lucas says as they walk down the breeze-filled dock.

"I've missed us" she says as she follows the line of the planks.

"You're happy right Hales?"

"Of course, if Nathan's happy I'm happy."

"That's good."

"And what about you Romeo? How are you and Juliet doing?"

He lets out a frustrated sigh.

"Oh, me and Brooke, well we are great in the bedroom but in the conversation department we aren't doing too swell."

"What, but it's been what? Almost 7 months and you just discovered this?"

"I know, I know, but I just feel like we've lost 'the spark'"

"Wow, you sound like such a boy Lucas! Try and spice things up I guess?"

"Thanks for taking a stab at the issue Hales"

"Well what do you want me to say? I have no idea where you're coming from with this!" She says as she laughs at her lameness.

"I love her, I know that much, but… sometimes, I feel like we're so comfortable around each other and it's just not enough."

"Maybe you just need to spend some time apart to realize how much you do need her."

"Hales, you're amazing, I swear."

"I've been getting that all day." She says flattering herself.

"So are you and Nate, you know?" he says as he does this weird suggestive look with his eyebrows.

"Why do you need to know?!" Haley says surprised at the question.

"I mean, as your best friend I should be informed of these things!" Lucas says defending himself.

"Well, what you're asking is...non-existent between me and Nathan"

"Oh."

"What do you mean, 'Oh.'!" Haley exclaims.

"Nothing, nothing, it was just an 'oh' I meant nothing by it" he says laughing at the frantic girl.

"Lukeeeeeeee" she says in a whiney tone.

"Oh Hales, you have nothing to worry about."

"Should I be worried? I mean, he's so… experienced… and me, I'm such a virgin!"

"Be proud of being untouched!" Lucas suggests.

"Luke…" she says in a mean tone.

"I'm serious, you're like a unicorn; it's so rare to find a virgin at our school, let alone, Tree Hill" she shakes her head at his absurd comment but it gets a laugh out of her.

"Do you regret your first time?" Haley asks shyly.

"Yes, and no."

"gee thanks for clarifying all my worries."

He laughs at Haley's sarcastic response.

"Don't worry Hales, Nate loves you, for you. Your first time needs to be special and at the perfect moment"

"It's just that, I've wanted to wait until I got married. But that seems so impossible"

"It's possible Hales, you'll see." Then Lucas puts his arm around her and they continue walking.

"Hey mom, hey dad. It's Nate. I didn't come with Haley today because I wanted to talk to you two alone." Nathan says as he continues to speak to his parents' graves.

"Well, me and Haley are doing great. Today Peyton asked me to be her date for some ball and I said yes. Do you think that I made a mistake? I mean, I'm trying to be a good guy and help her out but I have a hunch that something bad will happen. Haley took the situation really well, that just made me feel more guilty. She misses you both dearly, she always talks about you two and I always catch her saying 'if your parents were here to see this,' things like that. Well, I hope you two are happy in heaven (or wherever dead people go). I miss you, I love you guys." And he leaves the graveyard.

"Where's Nathan?" Lydia asks Haley as she enters the house by herself.

"He's doing something, I was hanging out with Lucas."

"Oh, did he say what time he'd come home?" Jimmy chimed in.

"No, he didn't say, but I can call him."

"Yes, do that please."

"Hello, Nate sweetie? Where are you?"

"Hey baby, I'm heading home right now."

"Oh, okay. My parents were just wondering, how long do you think you'll take?"

"Five minutes, I'm close by, I'll be there soon." He says sweetly.

"Alright, I'll tell them. Bye."

"Bye."

"He says he'll be here in 5 minutes."

"Oh, well I should start cooking dinner!" Jimmy says as he gets up from the couch.

"Yes daddy you go do that while I take a shower!"

Haley felt the steam hit against her body and she started to relax under the hot water. The one place she could be naked and relaxed at the same time. She laughed at the silly thought. Her hands ran through her dark brown hair lathering the shampoo against her fingers. She was thinking of earlier in the day when Nathan was asking for her permission to be Peyton's date for the ball. The fact that he asked for her permission was adorable but was there more to it? She really didn't want to have doubts in Nathan, but it wasn't Nathan she was worried about, it was Peyton. Peyton was not the biggest fan of 'Naley' and that was proven when she pushed Haley to the ground the night of the cheerleading auction. Haley turns the showerhead off and grabs the towel to dry her hair a bit, then wraps it around her body. She steps out of the bathroom and as she opens the door the steam escapes into her bedroom.

"Hey baby," Nathan says as he looks at her from their bed.

"Hi, have you been waiting long?" she says as she kisses him on the cheek.

"No, just like 10 minutes."

"I see, well I missed you." Haley said as she went into his arms.

He looks at his freshly bathed girlfriend and he enjoys the view. Her sparkling wet body was now in between his legs and he felt himself getting tight against his jeans. The need to let out a soft moan is necessary but he doesn't want to make Haley feel uncomfortable. He knows how touchy she is about 'that' kind of thing and he doesn't want to pressure her into anything.

"I've missed you too baby" he says as he kisses her on the lips nibbling on her bottom lip.

She starts giggling into the kiss and this just entices him more. Craving her more than he did a few seconds ago.

"DINNERS READY!" the two hear from downstairs.

Nathan lets out a sigh and this just makes Haley laugh because of his frustration.

"Better luck next time sweetie" she says as she pats him on the shoulder to lead him out of the room so she could get dressed.

Friday morning

It's the morning of the Marine Ball and Peyton is especially excited for today. Haley on the otherhand has become a bit skeptical.

Haley wakes up and checks the clock on her side table; 5:45AM it reads. "Ugh… too early" she says as she plops her head back onto the pillow. To her misfortune she can't fall back asleep. She just watches Nathan sleep peacefully. She pokes his nose playfully and he doesn't seem to wake. Then she kisses him on the lips deciding to finally leave him alone.

"I love you Nathan" she whispers to the sleeping Scott

"I love you too Peyton…" he says in his deep sleep.

A/N: DUNDUNDUN! LOL, I've always wanted to say that. But sorry if this chapter was kind of too long, unless you guys like longer chapters better…? You tell me. Hehe. Also, another quick question! Do you like it better in first person or third person POV? I personally like it in Nathan or Haley's perspective but you may think otherwise. But anyways, thanks for all the followers and loyal readers! I'd love it if you guys could review though because when I only get like 2 I feel like no ones reading… regardless I'll continue with this story because I enjoy it sooooo much. Thanks for reading and please review! Love, Camille :)