It had been one agonizing week for Nathan Scott. Not only did he fail to procure his spot as shooting guard back from Lucas, but the guy refused to quit. He thought maybe the kidnapping may have knocked some sense into him or even trashing the River Court but Lucas had came back to practice the next day stronger and more persistent towards playing. And to sweeten the pot, Haley had continuously refused to be his tutor.
He thought that maybe if he called her and asked for her directly that would show her how much he needed her help, but instead she had hung up on him. The next day, Nathan came into school with his failed English test to show her and she hadn't even considered helping him once. It was humiliating having to put himself out there time and time again and have her constantly rejecting him.
However, she had given him the number of another student, some Jimmy Edwards. Yeah, right, like Nathan Scott would actually go through with it. For Nathan, it was either Haley or no one. He would just go back to his original plan of sleeping with some girl to do his work for him.
And now thanks to the idiocy that was named Tim Smith, Tim had passed the ball to Lucas instead of Nathan causing Lucas to score the game winning point. His eyes immediately fell to his dad's in the crowd as the ball went into the basket. Dan was pissed.
"What was that?" Nathan screamed at Tim. He thought they had an understanding. Never pass to Lucas. If Lucas wasn't getting the ball, then surely he would want to quit.
With the game now ended, most people in attendance had started to filter out. "He had a better angle. I'm sorry. Nathan, come on, Man. I'm just trying to win," Tim apologized. Nathan was having none of it and refused to talk to him as he went over to see his parents after the game.
"What's up, Dad?" Nathan asked.
Instead of getting a speech on how Nathan should have played better or what he did wrong and could improve upon, Dan was speechless. He had stared Nathan in the eyes and then walked away and out of the gym. Somehow Nathan thought that was far worse than any criticism he'd received before.
Deb, who was not too far behind the husband, walked up to Nathan and gave him a well deserving hug. Since she was out on the road a lot working for a non-profit, she didn't get to see as many of Nathan's basketball games. When she had breaks like she did this week, she always made sure to be in attendance.
"Nice game, sweetie," Deb congratulated. Nathan had always stood out on the court and was one of the best players. She just hoped Dan realized that and congratulated Nathan on his successes from time to time.
"Try telling that to Dad," Nathan said as his eyes remained transfixed on his dad's leaving body.
When Dan had left his vision, his eyes lingered onto Lucas and Karen. Nathan couldn't help feel a pang of jealousy. He had overheard Karen telling her son how proud she was of him and congratulating him on a job well done. Sure Nathan had received similar sentiments from his mother, Nathan just wished that he could receive that treatment every week like Lucas.
Nathan hugged his mother goodbye and strolled up to Lucas once Karen left. He'd been working on a way to get to Lucas and so far his efforts had been fruitless. He thought that maybe tonight could change that.
"Two decent games in a row, man. Getting better or just lucky?" Nathan paused, extending what appeared to be an olive branch. "Team's got a party tonight. My parents' beach house."
"Why are you telling me that?" Lucas asked. There must have been some angle Nathan was playing at. No way Nathan Scott would invite him to a party out of the kindness of his heart.
"Because I said the team, didn't I? See you there," Nathan said.
"The guys kidnapped you, trashed your court, threatened you with bodily harm. Party, yeah. Sure, why not?" Haley gruffed as Lucas pulled up to Nathan's beach house.
When Lucas had stopped by the café after the game and asked Haley to go to a party with him, she laughed in his face. It wasn't until he didn't join in that Haley realized he was serious.
She had apprehensions about going. This was probably some ploy by Nathan to make Lucas quit the team. Lucas had been smart enough to see that in the offer, but it didn't deter him. "Okay, listen, I know it's all a setup, alright? But I'm not gonna let him screw with me. Whatever he dishes out he's going to get back double," Lucas explained.
"Just be careful," Haley warned. Lucas had not even been on the team for a month and Nathan was torturing him relentlessly. She didn't want to see Lucas get hurt any more. Aside from being her best friend, Lucas was practically a brother to her and she would know as she had two older brothers herself alongside three older sisters.
Haley James was the baby of Lydia and Jimmy James and probably the most well behaved of their children. Each of the James siblings had been so high maintenance that, by the time Haley came around she became the mellow one. She was also incredibly intelligent. Haley was on track to be valedictorian next year and hopefully attend Stanford.
Lucas pulling up to the beach house with the tutor girl in his work truck did not go unnoticed by attendants at the party. Nathan, Peyton, Brooke, and Tim had been hanging out on the porch drinking when Lucas and Haley arrived.
"What's he doing here?" Tim asked. He had been working so hard on getting back on Nathan's good graces since the game and the unexpected arrival of Lucas would prohibit that.
"I invited him," Nathan shrugged. "I mean, since you guys are such great friends now."
"What are you trying to pull?" Peyton asked her boyfriend. She had known Nathan well enough to know that his motives were less than honorable. With the crap Nathan had been putting Lucas through, Peyton felt sympathetic towards Lucas.
For some reason, Peyton trusted him. He was able to see right through her facade and listen to her. He was the only one concerned with her when she was going through a tough week last week. It was the anniversary of her mother's death and neither Brooke nor Nathan had said anything to her regarding it. They thought she was PMS or something. Lucas didn't even know it was the anniversary, but he had the balls to ask when he noticed something was wrong.
He'd even seen a few of her drawings by accident. What was a silly hobby to her felt important when Lucas told her that her art matters. It gave her the courage to make a comic strip for Thud Magazine.
"Nothing," Nathan lied. He had been more than pleased when he saw Haley walking up the path with Lucas. Nathan wasn't sure Lucas would show up, let alone bring Haley. She'd been avoiding him all week. This was Nathan's chance to finally convince her to tutor him. "I wasn't sure you'd come."
"That makes two of us," Lucas said walking past Nathan and into the party.
Nathan smirked at the sight of Haley and stepped in front of her, cutting her off from Lucas. "Hi. I'm Nathan Scott," he introduced himself, despite already being acquainted with her.
He extended his hand for Haley to take, but she simply rolled her eyes at him. "Cut the formalities, Nathan. We've already been through this," Haley spat.
"What's the matter with you?" Nathan asked.
"What's the matter with me?" Haley scoffed. She crossed her arms for them to quickly find her hips instead. "Jimmy said you hadn't called him to set up a tutoring session."
When Haley had refused to be his tutor, she had asked Jimmy Edwards to take on Nathan instead. He had been reluctant to even consider tutoring Nathan, but all Haley had to do was bat her big brown eyes and Jimmy agreed. After all, he did need activities for his resume. However, Jimmy had been slightly relieved when Nathan hadn't bothered to call him to set up their first session.
"Jimmy?" Nathan played dumb.
"Edwards. Jimmy Edwards. With your grades I thought you would be serious about tutoring so you could play. I guess I was mistaken." Haley tried to march past Nathan and into the house, but he was like a brick wall compared to her small frame.
Nathan held Haley's arms in place to make her stay. For added effect, he had started to rub his thumbs softly against her shoulders. That usually worked with girls, Nathan thought. The action did not go unnoticed by Haley and confused her more. What was he playing at?
"I am serious. I swear. The problem is that any tutor won't do. You're the best and to get my grades to where they need to be, I need you, Hales."
The nickname sent a shiver up her spine. She did not like it whatsoever. Lucas called her Hales. Her parents called her Hales. She never had that reaction when they did it.
Mustering up all of her strength, she pushed on his muscular chest to separate the two of them. They were too close for her liking. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
Haley didn't bother to wait for Nathan to respond. She wanted to leave, but couldn't do so without Lucas. Once in the beach house, she set her sights on finding him. Luckily for her, he hadn't made it past the foyer. "So, I know you're like, having the time of your life, but can we please make like a tree and get out of here?" Haley asked.
"We just got here," Lucas pointed out. He immediately clocked the disgruntled expression on Haley's face. Something was up. "Hey, is everything alright?"
"Yeah," Haley assured him. "It's just Nathan being Nathan."
"What's new there. Is he trying to get you to tutor him again?" Lucas asked.
Once Haley had left the tutoring center when Nathan had shown up out of the blue, she went into her shift at Karen's and told the mother and son duo all about her encounter with the mini Dan Scott. Lucas didn't even think she should set him up with another tutor. Letting Nathan fail would mean he was ineligible to play basketball, that would have made Lucas' life much easier, but that option didn't sit right with Haley. She refused to help him, but if he needed the help, she would be willing to find someone who could tutor him.
Jimmy Edwards was a friend of Lucas and Haley and was often at the River Court commentating on basketball plays with Mouth. He wanted to get into tutoring at the tutoring center, but all their spots were already filled. It was actually Lucas who came up with the idea to pawn Nathan off on Jimmy. Sure Jimmy wouldn't be thrilled, but at least it gave him something to put on his college resume.
"How'd you guess?" Haley smiled. "It's whatever. Nothing that I can't handle. You let me know when you're ready to blow this popsicle stand. I'm going to go to one of the eighteen bathrooms in this place."
"Alright," Lucas chuckled while Haley went in search of a bathroom.
Without Haley by his side, he decided to just walk around and get a feel for the party. He'd never been to a party before much less invited to one. Most nights he spent either helping his Uncle Keith at the body shop, helping his mom at the café, hanging out with Haley, or reading. Parties weren't really his thing.
He stumbled into the dining room where Brooke, Nathan, Peyton, and a couple others on the basketball team were playing a game. Brooke's face lit up at the sight of Lucas in the doorframe.
"Lucas. Come play," Brooke insisted, dragging Lucas into the group. Since Whitey had caught her topless in the backseat of Lucas' car, Brooke had been itching for an opportunity to spend some time with Lucas. He didn't seem to be as receptive as other guys had in the past when she threw her bra on him. She knew she needed a different approach with this one.
"What's the game?" Lucas implored, seeing as there were red solo cups in everyone's hands he had an idea of what it may be.
"I never…" Brooke answered.
"And yet apparently you have," Vegas, a member on the basketball team, commented taking a sip of his beer.
"Shut up, Vegas," Brooke said.
"Alright. So the game is, we all take turns saying things that we've never done, and anybody at the table who has…bam!" Nathan instructed, holding out a cup for Lucas.
"Drinks," Lucas surmised, taking the cup from Nathan's hands.
"Theresa, you're up," Nathan said.
"Okay. Lets see. I've never… had sеx with anything made out of plastic," Theresa said. Everyone looked around the room to see who would take a drink and Brooke was the only one who had.
"Okay, my turn. I've never…no I did that, um…" Brooke laughed, already slightly tipsy.
"My turn," Nathan insisted. He racked his brain to come up with something that would rile Lucas up. "Oh, let's see. Um…I've never…I've never had a dad who wished I was a stain on the bed sheets."
Those around them had laughed uncomfortably. Peyton gave Lucas a sympathetic look. That was a low blow, but of course that's what Nathan was best at when it came to Lucas. Lucas remained calm and unaffected. If Nathan was going to play like that, then Lucas was ready to dish it right back at him. With a quick glare, Lucas went over to Nathan and handed him his cup.
"Then you're welcome to mine," Lucas said leaving the dining room. Nathan laughed and drank Lucas' drink anyway. The more alcohol the better.
"Way to go asshole," Peyton commented, shoving her cup into Nathan's chest. She saw Lucas head out to the back porch and for some unknown reason, she followed him. He helped her through a lot recently, the least she could do was spare him the same curtesy he'd shown her.
"He really slammed you," Peyton said, making her presence known.
Lucas didn't bother to look back to see who was behind him. Her voice alone gave it away. "I don't care what he thinks," Lucas replied.
"Neither do I," Peyton admitted, taking a seat next to Lucas. Despite being Nathan's girlfriend, he wasn't a very good boyfriend. He constantly cheated on her, yet she stayed. The cheating hadn't affected her like she thought it would. Peyton just felt numb in the relationship.
Nathan walked out of the dining room in search of Peyton to apologize and spotted her with Lucas on the back porch. Envy and rage rushed through his blood. Peyton was his girlfriend and Lucas wasn't going to take her away from him like he had done with basketball.
"Nathan! I can't believe your parents don't have any decent pοrn," Tim commented, taking Nathan out of his Lucas spurred rage.
As he looked over at Tim raiding his video cabinet one of them caught Nathan's eye. "Wait. I've got something," Nathan said, joining Tim at the video cabinet, he handed him a tape. "Put that in."
"What is it?" Vegas asked.
"It's a comedy," Nathan insisted. By the end of it, he would definitely be laughing.
Nathan grabbed the nearby remote and sped it to the part he had wanted to play. He had hit play when, on the television screen, there was a young Karen Roe and Dan Scott standing on a stage being crowned prom king and queen.
"Tree Hill High's Prom King and Queen, Daniel Scott and Karen Roe. Karen, what's the secret to your success?" The announcer woman on the tape asked the young couple.
Lucas had perked up from his conversation with Peyton when he had heard his mother's name. He excused himself and walked inside with Peyton in tow. So many students had congregated around the television set that Lucas had to push through to see what the fuss was about. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw his mother and Dan together.
"Um, the secret to our success. Hmm. I don't know. Good question. Dan?" Karen asked, looking lovingly at Dan.
"Good sеx!" Dan joked, causing the audience to laugh.
"Be serious," Karen chastised, playfully smacking Dan's chest.
"Karen, do you think you guys will get married?" The announcer asked.
"Do I think Dan and I will get married? Hmm…who knows. I mean…he really is the sweetest guy in the whole world. So I'm thinking, yes. Come visit us in ten years and I bet you can meet the kids and get a tour of our big house and see how happy we are," Karen smiled.
Lucas' heart broke. Not for the life he didn't have but for his mother. She had looked so happy and without a care in the world. In a couple of months from that video being taken her life would be turned upside down. She never deserved any of this.
"Who's the girl?" Tim asked, pointing at the woman slung on Dan's arm.
"Okay ladies and gentleman, there's your Prom King and Queen, Dan Scott and Karen Roe," the announcer repeated.
"That's my mom," Lucas admitted, trying to fight back tears. He should have been embarrassed and angry at Nathan's stunt, but Nathan had finally accomplished what he set out to do. He finally hurt Lucas where it mattered most, his mom. Ruining his clothes, wreck the River Court, kidnap him, none of that mattered when his mother was involved.
"At least their dreams came true for one of them, right?" Nathan teased.
"Yeah, except for the happy part, right?" Lucas said, slamming Nathan against the wall as he walked out of the house. Nathan brushed himself off and laughed with his friends, but neither Peyton nor Brooke found it funny.