Chapter 9: A Tree Hill Raven always knows that detention is just a way for teachers to play games. The question is, will yours be a victory or a game over?
The final bell rang, signaling the end classes for the day and the start of detention. In all her years of schooling she had never once gotten a detention. She was always on time, never missed an assignment, didn't act up, and yet within the first two months at Tree Hill Prep, there she was. Add onto it the fact that Nathan Scott would be joining her and you pretty much have hall in a nutshell. Can you smell the tension?
Walking up the staircase to the administrative building, Haley was met with tall arched doors clad with windows. Pushing them open, she looked at the board on the wall directly across from the doorway indicating where various offices were located. Finally on the bottom she read Central Office Detention and made her way to the right finding the door directly at the end of the hallway. In an attempt to see if Nathan had gotten there yet, Haley tried to look through the doors window but quickly learned it was tinted making it had to see.
Finally pulling open the door, Haley was surprised to find that only one other two other people were occupying the room: another student and one of her teachers, Mrs. Roe. She just so happened to be the teacher who accused her and Nathan of flirting a few weeks back. Wonderful, Haley thought to herself as she shuffled into the room.
"Ah, Ms. James," Mrs. Roe stated, looking up from her papers. "So nice of you to join us."
"And I'm so glad to be here," Haley replied with fake pep.
"I'm sure you are," Mrs. Roe said giving her a knowing glance. "Now we're just waiting for a few more people and then detention will officially begin."
Just as she finished the sentence a tall figure appeared in the doorway. Haley could feel his presents. She didn't have to look up, but she did anyway, immediately caught by his icy blue eyes, and immediately focusing her eyes back on the floor in front of her.
"Nathan Scott, better late then never," Mrs. Roe chimed, a smirk across her face as she glanced between him and Haley.
"As always," he replied charmingly.
"Well you know the drill, take a seat, and nowhere too close to your fellow delinquents and then detention will finally begin."
"I thought you said we were waiting for a few more people?" The boy who'd been there when Haley arrived chimed in.
"When I said a few I really meant one. Now Marcus stop questioning me and from this point on no talking. It's now 3:05. Detention will end at 5:05."
Sitting in her place, Haley debated on starting her homework but she knew she wouldn't be able to concentrate. Nathan had chosen the seat two desks behind her and she could feel his stair boring her into the back of her head. So instead she chose to sit there and stare of to space. And by staring off into space, she meant using all her concentration to avoid the fact that Nathan was trying to get her to look this way. Not to mention the random glances she could feel from Mrs. Roe every time something squeaked or a noise was made.
The silence was finally broken about a half hour into detention. Good ol' Marcus decided to drop his pencil onto the ground. That's what started it all… Haley's hell. Going to his pen, Marcus leaned down causing his desk to creek and as soon as his pen reached his hands he fumbled with it causing it to fall to the floor yet again.
"Do we have a problem over there Marcus?" Mrs. Roe questioned skeptically.
"No, no."
"I see. Well, you're constant need to make noise is distracting me. I'm sure it's distracting your two classmates as well."
"They're not even work-" Marcus began, glancing over towards Haley who had her head on her desk and Nathan who was leaning back in his chair, arms crossed, and eyes set on Haley.
"Talking back to a teacher. You've got some nerve Mr. Fiasco. Maybe you deserve some solitary confinement huh?"
"I don't think that's necessary," he replied.
"That's twice you've talked back to me. Grab your stuff and follow me," Mrs. Roe replied swiftly getting up from her chair and opening the door.
"But-"
"Get your stuff."
"Fine," he replied, scooping up his things and walking to the door where Mrs. Roe stood.
"Now, I'm going to take care of him. I also have to make some copies and whatnot, which would be a much better way to pass the time then sit here. So, I'm going to trust you two to stay in your seats for the next hour and a half. I'll be back by 5:05 and will probably check in periodically. Stay in your seats or it's another detention tomorrow, got me?"
"Yes," Nathan and Haley replied in unison.
"Now, Mr. Fiasco, come with me," Mrs. Roe said with Marcus into, closing the door behind her.
Once the door was closed and the two were a good portion down the hallway, Mrs. Roe turned to the boy next to her. "You can go now."
"What?"
"I said you could go."
"But I have a detention Mrs. Roe."
"And I'm saying you can go."
"But you just made that big deal about-"
"Don't worry about any of that. I'm letting you get out of detention early. Besides I know for a fact you were only in there for having three tardies. Now, go."
"Are you sure I can?"
"Yes, now leave before I change my mind," she said walking in the opposite direction before he could question her again.
Meanwhile, in the detention room it was just Haley, Nathan, and the silence. Haley had her had resting atop her arms which were lying on her desk. Opening up her eyes she glanced at the clock noting they had an hour and fifteen minutes left, before closing them again. This was hell. Pure and utter hell. I mean what else would you call locking two people with obvious tension up into a room together. The silence was horrible. She tried her best to keep herself distracted. Staring at the floor, thinking about all the work she had, her funny conversations with Brooke, even sleep, but nothing kept her mind off the person three feet back who was boring a hole through her head.
As she attempted to sleep again, Haley failed because she felt the constant vibration of her chair. Yes, that's right, Nathan Scott was a desk jiggler. His desk, connected to the two empties ones between them, and then finally her own, were all faintly rattling. She couldn't take it anymore.
"Stop," she said faintly, her head and hands in the same position, her eyes still closed.
"She speaks," Nathan stated triumphantly.
"Stop," Haley replied yet again.
"Stop what?" He asked unaware of what she meant.
"Jiggling the desks."
"I'm not jiggling the desks," Nathan replied, unnoticing how his leg immediately stopped moving against the desk as she spoke to him.
"Well you're not anymore, but you were. You're a desk jiggler."
"I'm not a desk jiggler."
"Oh but you are."
"Am not," Nathan stated, still staring at her hunched over body.
"You are, and I don't feel like playing this little game. Besides we're supposed to be quiet right?" Haley stated before becoming completely silent again. It stayed like that for about five more minutes until she heard him get up. His feet moving across the linoleum, his hands grabbing the chair to the desk in front of her, him sitting in it backwards the way all the tough guys do at movies, and finally her letting out a huff because she could feel his stare course through her body, his breath ever so slightly brushing the hairs on her crossed forearms.
Unable to ignore his persistence, Haley lifted her head, leaning her chin on her arms in front of her and looking up innocently at the awaiting eyes of Nathan Scott.
"Hi," he said.
"Hi," she stated back.
"So will you finally talk to me?"
"I shouldn't."
"You know Mrs. Roe isn't coming back," Nathan stated nonchalantly.
"That wasn't what I meant, but why do you say that?"
"Because I know for a fact she's not. She always finds an excuse to leave. She's married to Dean Hargrove you know, I bet she's in his office right now."
"So she's definitely now coming back?"
"Not until a minute before 5:05."
"And I take if you've had some experience in detention?"
"This could be a true statement," he stated smirking.
"Interesting."
"But if Mrs. Roe coming back isn't why you shouldn't talk to me then what is?"
"I've come to the conclusion that you come with complications."
"What are you talking about Haley?"
"You. There's always extra strings and complications and I just don't feel like getting tied into all that."
"What if you're the one making the complications?"
"Trust me, I'm not. It's you and your territory. Can we please just stop talking about this? Haley huffed.
"Fine, then let's talk about something… tell me a current event of this moment."
"Um, Brittany Spears is divorcing K-Fed. It's about damn time if you ask me but-"
"I meant current events with you."
"Nothing then. Not since I last saw you yesterday," Haley replied diverting her eyes.
"We could talk about that. You know, our little tiff. Or me ki-"
"Let's not."
"Fine, then I have something," Nathan stated, looking into Haley's eyes.
"Shoot away."
"What were you doing with Lucas' sweatshirt this morning?"
"I was giving it back to him."
"But why did you even have it in the first place?"
"I was cold and he gave it to me," Haley said innocently.
"Why were you together?"
"I don't know. I was outside on the swing, he was outside shooting hoops, and then we just started talking."
"Intimate talks late at night outside on the basketball court… sounds familiar," Nathan stated, his voice full of jealousy.
"Is Nathan Scott jealous?" Haley teased.
"No."
"I think you are," Haley stated, a smile bursting across her face.
"I'm not."
"Oh, but you are Nathan."
"I'm not."
"You are."
"I'm really effin' not Haley," Nathan replied, his jealousy turning into venom. Hurt stinging through his eyes.
"Listen Nathan, it wasn't what you think. If you think it was like the moments me and you have shared, it wasn't. It was an innocent conversation," Haley stated, her eyes sympathetic.
"About what?" Nathan questioned, not totally convinced, but the jealously quickly going away being replaced by satisfaction.
"You actually."
"Me?"
"Yep. Your brother tries to be quite the persuasive one."
"Interesting. So I'm guessing I shouldn't have lashed out at him this morning?"
"Probably not."
"Well did whatever he say work?" Nathan asked with hopeful eyes.
"I guess you'll have to find out," Haley said looking him straight in the eyes and letting out a hint of a smile. As soon as she said that his head began to inch closer to her ever so slightly.
"What do I have to do for you to like me Haley James?" He whispered softly, his head moving closer.
"You've got to earn my trust," she whispered back, her eyes fluttering closed. Was Haley James finally giving into temptation?
"And do I have your trust?" Nathan asked; his nose touched hers, their lips almost grazing, but before she could answer or respond to the action that was inevitably about to occur, someone else responded.
"Eh-hem. Am I interrupting something?" A satisfied looking Mrs. Roe chimed from the doorway looked at the two startled teenagers. The mere hearing of her voice snapped Haley back into reality, flinging her head back away from Nathan and quickly adverting her eyes from his information-seeking stare.
"Uh, no no. In fact you came just in time," Haley replied hastily before grabbing her backpack and hurrying out of the classroom without a second glance toward Nathan.
After watching Haley's petite figure quickly walk down the hallway, Mrs. Roe turned toward Nathan. "You're dismissed now too Mr. Scott."
"Right," he said, getting up from his chair, grabbing his books, and turning towards the door to leave.
"And Mrs. Roe?"
"Hmm?" She replied looking toward him.
"Thank you."
"This was detention Nathan. It hardly deserves a thank you."
"But it does. And I know you know it. So, thank you."
"I do what I can," Mrs. Roe replied subtly before exiting the classroom, Nathan following shortly after.
Meanwhile, Haley had finally reached her dormitory, rushed up the stairs, into her room, and into the bathroom. She leaned herself back against the cool tiles of the wall and slide down to the floor; her head finding their way into her awaiting hands; her fingers lightly touching the still visible bump on her head. It was then and only then that she allowed one of her hands to move across her chest to her heart and feel her pulse running rampant. Not only from her rushed journey across the campus, but from Nathan Scott.
As much as she tried to deny it to everyone else and herself, Nathan had something over her. Something she couldn't deny, try as she might, and something that was steadily breaking down her walls. He was tugging at her heartstrings, and one day, hopefully soon, Haley James would tug back.
I know, I know. No kiss? Oh come on, there's got to be a little more struggle before the Naley lovin'! It was pretty close though eh? Gotta love/hate Karen (aka Mrs. Roe). I mean, first she sets them up in the room together and then she totally ruins it. Oh well, you'll get your momentus Naley kissingfests soon enough! I hope you enjoyed this chapter which is full of Naleyness that was lacked last chapter. Hope you liked it, and if you didn't that's okay too. Leave me reviews por favor!