A/N: Sorry for the sudden skip in time but it went with how the last chapter ended and I have been dying to get this chapter out! Hope you all enjoy, this is going to be a longer chapter cause there is a lot going on!

Also YES I do use SOME of Haley's actual graduation speech so credit to the authors of One Tree Hill for writing it.

Shout out to the creators of Boy Meets World with the slight idea but spun differently

Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of the characters but I would love to own James Lafferty

Chapter 11: Graduation and Surprises

Today was the day. It was finally here. Everything was in place and Nathan couldn't be any more nervous. He palms were sweating and he couldn't stop pacing. Haley had asked him at least four different times why he was so nervous but he just blamed it on graduation jitters. He couldn't believe that the time had finally come. He began fiddling with the ring box in his pocket, under his graduation gown and smiled. He had been guarding this thing with his life the past couple weeks and now he couldn't wait to see what it would look like on Haley's ring finger, granted she said yes.

"Are you ready for this Nate?" Mouth asked as he approached Nathan. Mouth had been such a big help to Nathan, taking care of all the technical stuff and helping Nathan plan it out so that it was perfect. Mouth also made for a great distraction when Haley was writing her speech and Nathan was able to steal it for the split second that he needed it. He knew Haley was awesome at public speaking but she still relied on her paper whenever she gave a speech, just to be a guideline in case she got nervous. He figured she was going to be pretty nervous because she had wanted this for her entire life, and she was speaking in front of a very large crowd. This was the speech that everyone was going to remember, so was this day. You never forgot your high school graduation.

"Yeah man. Thanks for all your help with it. I couldn't have pulled it off without you." Nathan gave Mouth a quick pat on the back as the headed into the hallway outside of the gymnasium where they would soon be lining up for graduation.

"I can't believe we are graduating. Brooke's pregnant; you're going to be engaged. What a life we live little brother." Lucas whispered to Nathan, who got in line behind him. Since it was alphabetical they were standing next to each other to go in and sitting together during the ceremony. Nathan never thought that he would ever be close with his brother, but right now he was glad that he was. Lucas has been a constant reassurance for him the past couple weeks through his freak out moments. Usually they were rare, but Haley brought out a new man in him.

"Who would have ever guessed right?" Nathan smirked.

"Don't be nervous, it's going to go great. Does Whitey know about it since he's reading the names?"

"Yeah, and he told Principal Turner so we should be all set. I can't wait to see her reaction, and Dan's. Mom made him come even though I told her that we didn't want him here."

"Of course, just another time for Dan to try and steal the spotlight." Lucas rolled his eyes. Anything involving Dan made him pretty mad. What also made him mad was that they were reading their names before Haley gave her speech, which made no sense to him. Usually graduations had the speech first and then the reading of the names, but Tree Hill wanted to "try something new." Lucas couldn't help but wonder if Nathan had to do with that. Nathan was loved by the entire school administration, and they were also pretty terrified of their father, but who could blame them? It wouldn't be a surprise if Nathan were able to charm Whitey into charming Mr. Turner into spinning graduation a little.

The graduation song began, and the class entered into the gymnasium as everyone stood to watch them walk in. Brooke was a couple rows away from Lucas, Nathan and Peyton, who surprisingly was able to graduate with them. Peyton Sawyer was a character, but always a good friend so they were all happy to see that she was going to be walking with them. Brooke looked back at Lucas and winked. He couldn't believe that he had managed to fall in love with a beautiful girl who just happened to love him back. He was the luckiest guy and he knew that he would spend forever with Brooke Penelope Davis but he just wanted to wait until the perfect moment came.

"Welcome Class of 2007 and congratulations, you made it!" Principal Turner's voice echoed through the microphone as everyone began to cheer. "I cannot explain to you all how proud I am of you and all of your accomplishments. As you move forward with your young lives just remember that even when you are in different parts of the world, Tree Hill will always be your home. I expect nothing short of success for all of you." Everyone clapped as he welcomed Coach Durham to the stand.

"Now, we decided this year to make things a little different. Instead of listening to some speeches while you anticipate your diploma, we are going to read names and then do the talking so be on your best behavior." Nathan smiled. He knew what was coming and he was so jittery he couldn't stay still. Lucas shot him a look and Nathan nodded. Peyton looked over at them with a confused look.

"You guys are so weird." She said as she chuckled at their odd behavior and went back to focusing on what Whitey had to say.

"We will start off with our beautiful valedictorian, Haley James Scott." Everyone looked around to see if they had missed something and Mouth turned around giving Nathan the thumbs up. Haley's face look horrified when she realized the error and Nathan's stomach began to churn a little.

"Uh Coach, it's just Haley James." She said as she walked up to shake Principal Turner's hand and took her diploma, embarrassed and unsure how that mistake was made. She knew the school knew they were together, but not that they wanted to get married.

"Sure sure, for now it is. Just sit down." Whitey responded sarcastically shaking his head and Haley awkwardly walked over and took her seat on the stage. Nathan hoped that this was going to work out, Haley's reaction made him unsure.

"Relax Nate. She just wasn't expecting that. She'll say yes." Lucas reassured Nathan and Peyton gasped.

"Oh my god is Nathan Scott going to propose during OUR graduation?!" Nathan put his hand over her mouth and shushed her. Peyton was shocked. Her and Nathan had dated when they were younger but Nathan was an ass when he first started high school because he was overly confident. It hadn't worked out well for them, and she remembered when they use to have talks about being together forever and here he was, doing an un-Scott thing and proposing to a significant other. It was true, the Scott men did not have a good reputation with dating women, but Nathan and Lucas continued to prove everyone wrong and show them that their dad was not a definition of who they were.

"Keep your voice down Peyton!" He had gotten this far; it couldn't be ruined now.

Whitey began to call names and Nathan felt his heart quicken. He just had to make it through this and then when Haley began her speech it was go time.

"Chase Adams…" Nathan zoned out. He had a long ways to go before he was even called.

"Brooke Davis." There was lots of cheering for Brooke. Nathan didn't realize how much of an impact Brooke Davis had at this school. He had always seen her as a cheerleader but as he got to know her as Haley's best friend, Brooke was a courageous, strong, and kind individual who had big dreams for the world. Nathan could see why Lucas had fallen in love with her.

"Marvin McFadden, or Mouth as you all may know him." Everyone chuckled when Whitey said this. It was true. Mouth had made a name for himself here and people always assumed it was his first name. It was rare for him, or anyone, to use Marvin when talking to him or about him. As the names continued it was time for Peyton, Lucas and Nathan to stand up. Once again, Nathan checked to make sure that the ring was still in his pocket. They began to walk towards the stage.

"Peyton Sawyer." Lots of cheering for Peyton as well. Even though she had been absent recently, she was still pretty well known at the school. A lot of people saw her as a little nuts and Nathan couldn't blame them. Peyton was nuts in her own way, and it was a good way.

"Lucas Scott." Nathan clapped and cheered loudly for his brother as he stood at the end of the steps and waited for his name to be called next. He looked over at Haley, who happened to be looking at her and he winked. Just her gaze at him made him feel this sense of calmness wash over him. He didn't feel as shaky anymore.

"Nathan Scott." Nathan could not believe the cheers that he heard when Whitey called his name. It was bittersweet. Half of these people only knew him for his basketball skills and the other half were friends that he had made over the past four years. A new chapter was beginning, in a new place. It was terrifying really, but with Haley by his side he knew that he would be able to get through it.

"Antwon Tanner." Everyone loved Skills and that was obvious when his name was called. It was crazy to see how much of an impact each one of Nathan's friends had on this school and in his life alone. They promised to always remain close, but what was going to happen when life got too busy and no one had time to shoot a text or pick up the phone and dial? He didn't want to lose touch with his friends, and he was afraid they were all going to move on from this place and never return.

The rest of the names were called in what seemed like a blur. Nathan began to sweat again when he saw Haley stand up and approach the podium. His moment was becoming closer and closer, and he wasn't sure if he was prepared enough for this. What if something went wrong? What if he tripped? Or if she didn't fall for what he wrote in her speech? What if the video didn't play or Lucas forgot to record the thing? What if she said no? Lucas patted Nathan on the back, and Nathan nodded at him to show that he appreciated the support from his brother.

"Good afternoon ladies and gentleman and welcome to the end of a chapter and the beginning of a new one." Haley took a deep breath. She had butterflies in her stomach and she could feel her heart pounding. Truth be told, she was always good at public speaking. There was something about her personality that made her not care what people thought but also wanting to leave a good mark on others and impressing them. But, she was never good at speaking in front of extremely large crowds and this was a big crowd. She couldn't believe how many people were packed into this gymnasium for graduation. People were standing in the back, who couldn't find seats, and a line of them was forming into the hallway. It was crazy. But, then again, Tree Hill was never a big town. She looked down at her paper and breathed. She didn't know why she was so nervous. She had looked over this speech a thousand times, it didn't change.

"Today we leave this place and move on to a bigger adventure. Some of us know exactly where we are going, and some don't and that's okay. I have learned in my life that you can try and have everything planned out, your entire future, but sometimes things change and that's okay. That's what life is about. We can never be sure of the road that we are meant to take, but we can be sure of the place that we came from. Today we say goodbye to friends and old lovers. We say goodbye to the educators who have taught us what we know these past four years and we embark on the world that lives outside of these walls of Tree Hill High. Frankly, that's terrifying. It's okay to be scared and it's okay to figure things out as you go." Haley took a deep breath. The audience seemed very engaged which was a good sign for her to continue.

"If we look back on where we began, we can be confident that we have made it. We have gone through the trials and even when we didn't think we would make it, we persevered and we continued marching on. This is our moment to shine and to truly begin the next chapter of our lives, whatever that may be. Always remember to continue to learn because knowledge is the best gift we could ever receive. It's okay if you don't know what you want to do, just know what you don't want to do for the rest of your life. Smile often, say hi to a stranger you just might save them. People may leave but those who love you will stand by you until the end. Life is short, but it goes on so become good at something, do what you love. Take risks, step out of your comfort zone. We may be leaving here but this will always be our home. And as I close, my best friend reminded me of a quote by William Shakespeare: "There is a tide, in the affairs of men, which taken at the flood leads onto fortune. Omitted, all the voyage of your life is bound up in sorrows and miseries. On such a full sea we now float, and we must take the current when we serve or lose our ventures." I think that what that quote means is that life is short and opportunities are rare…" This was it Nathan thought as he stood up and headed to the stage, peoples heads turning to stare. Luckily, Haley was too focused on her speech that she didn't see him. Haley James, will you marry me?" Haley stopped and blushed. This was not part of her speech and she heard the audience gasp.

"Uh, excuse me, that wasn't part of my speech.. .I uh…"

"Hales!" Haley whipped her head over to Nathan who was going up the stairs to where she stood behind the podium.

"N-Nathan, what are you doing?" Pictures began to play on the backdrop of Nathan and Haley and their song came on that they had heard on their first date: Bless the Broken Road. Nathan got down on one knee and Haley gasped. She felt like she couldn't breathe, was this actually happening right now?

"Haley James, you have blessed my life in ways that I can't even explain. You have showed me perseverance and patience, and have shown me how to be a better man. I have always loved you since we were 7 years old and I was throwing sand at you on the playground but I was too proud and arrogant to realize that. I love you with my entire heart, and you make me strive to be a better man for you. I know we haven't been together long but everything with you feels so right, and so perfect. So, Haley James, will you marry me?" Nathan opened the box and Haley gasped at the size of the ring. She was crying, she could feel the tears coming and she was completely silence, and so was the entire audience.

"Yes, yes I will!" She let Nathan slide the ring on and he stood up as she jumped into his arms. All that was heard was someone standing up and leaving, slamming the door behind them and the audience went wild.

"Now that all of that notebook stuff is done, let's move on…" Whitey said as he closed out the ceremony and everyone threw their caps in the air, cheering. Nathan grabbed Haley's hand and pulled her immediately out of the gymnasium, placing his lips aggressively on hers. He pushed her against the wall and kissed her deeply, hungry for her entire body. They slide down the wall towards the family restroom and entered, their lips never breaking apart. Nathan locked the door behind them and pulled away from Haley's lips to see her crying. He wiped her tear away and looked at her with a concerned look.

"I just love you so much." She gasped as he pulled her closer, kissing her the nape of her neck and shoulder as she moaned softly into his shoulder. "We can't do this, can we?"

"The door's locked – we have some time before people realizing that we are missing." Nathan continued to place soft kisses on her collarbone, feeling his entire body heat up and his cock twitching with every kiss that he placed on her bare skin. He pressed against her, his cock rubbing her outside, as he pushed her against the wall. He placed her hand up above and pinned them there so that he could feel like he was in control.

"Oh Nathan." Haley gasped, and the sound of her saying his name so breathlessly made him even more turned on. He slowly lifted her dress under her gown and slid his fingers up her thigh, pausing when he was close to her entrance. He figured he would tease her, just to heat things up a bit, and slid his hands back down slowly grazing her thigh. She responded by arching and attempting to break her hands free to stop him and force his entry. He began to unbutton his pants and slid them down, still in his gown and boxers as his size grew. He loved the way Haley's soft skin felt against his fingers and was so grateful that he was going to be able to spend his life with someone as soft and delicate as she was.

He reached his finger up, drawing circles on the outside of her thong on her center, slowly drawing circle over circle as she continued to moan but louder. He could feel her wetness and he couldn't wait to be able to slip right in. He slowly pulled the string to the side and slowly inserted one finger in, being gentle but poking in deep. She arched with every movement as she moaned and slowly had her first orgasm, Nathan kissing her deeper and deeper. He inserted another finger and began to speed up a little but then slow down to ensure her wetness and to drive her crazy. She fought with him as she broke away and gasped.

"Please Nathan – I need you inside of me." She whispered as she kissed his neck and he groaned. This was his biggest turn on and her lips felt so soft against his neck. He ripped of his graduation gown and ripped down her panties, as he prepared to take control inside of her.

"Shit – I was so caught up in the whole proposal thing that I forgot a condom." He broke away, frustrated that he could forget such a simple thing.

"It's okay – I need you right now. I want you so badly. I'm on the pill." Haley placed her hands on his back. He arched her leg up and held it there while the other hand prepared himself to be inside of her. He pulled the lips apart and slowly inserted the tip – making sure to be gentle because they always had used a condom. It felt so good to feel himself scrap the inside of her with no protection. She felt so raw. He slowly pushed in some more and began to thrust as she gripped onto his back tighter pulling him in closer to her.

"Tell me if I'm hurting you." He said, as he pushed further into her core, aiming for her center and her locus. She moaned louder. He began to pick up his pace, he felt like he was going to cum soon just from the feeling of their bodies connecting as one. He thrusted harder and harder as Haley moaned louder and louder, gripping onto his back even tighter. "Cum for me baby." He grunted as she responded by letting her body jolt, giving herself entirely to him, shaking. Her body was on fire. He moaned her name softly as he sped up and let himself go, climaxing as she finished hers and their bodies fell together still connected.

"I think you did a number on my back Hales." He joked as she fell into him. They just stood there, half naked, hugging and enjoying the moment while it lasted.

- One Tree Hill -

"Broody did you get that all on video?!" Brooke exclaimed as she jumped into Lucas's arms, saying a brief and polite hello to Karen and Lily.

"Of course I did."

"Looks like you have some competition. When you propose to me, I expect something just as extravagant!" Lucas half smiled. Of course, Brooke Davis was always one of those girls who liked to have things over the top. Lucas on the other hand, he was more reserved. He knew no matter how he chose to propose to Brooke that she would love it.

"Speaking of, where are the crazy couple? I haven't seen them yet." Lucas looked around, thinking it was strange that they just disappeared.

"We are right here! Sorry, we were uh, talking to Whitey." Lucas could tell Nathan was lying by the look on his face and Haley's messed up hair.

"Is that why Haley's hair looks like a bird attacked it?" Brooke asked, laughing as Haley, very embarrassed, covered her mouth looking away. How could she have forgotten to check her appearance before leaving the bathroom. "It's okay tutor girl – we have all been there." Haley playfully slapped her best friend as she let Brooke take control of her hair and attempt to fix it for the sake of the pictures that were to be taken.

Meanwhile…

Dan was pissed. How could his son be so naïve to propose to some nerdy, lowly, little girl? Especially in front of the entire student body and their families? Dan was going to be the town's laughing stock once they got word that HIS dumbass of a son did this. This was NOT part of their plan. Nathan wasn't supposed to be distracted by her. Nathan wasn't supposed to be jeopardizing his NBA career for a girl. This was NOT okay. If Felix hadn't fucked up the entire situation, this little distraction would be out of the equation. He had to think of a better plan. But what? It was already clear that Haley was Nathan's weakness, so how could he show Nathan that Haley didn't love him. She was clearly after his fame and fortune, just like Karen and Deb had been when he was with him. Dan Scott didn't like to lose, and he wasn't going to let some girl step in the way of his son's future.