Toxic
By Ashley
Chapter 1
Cosmic Girls
“So . . . what do you think?”
It seemed like a simple enough question in and of itself, but Haley James still wasn’t quite sure. She once again stared at the red slip of material covering her roommates body and cringed. It was Brooke’s third date this week, and with yet another glamorous Frat Boy. The Delta Sigma Phi house this time around, and a blonde curly headed football player by the name of Kip.
Honestly, Haley didn’t know whether to applaud her friend for her ability to attract men so easily, or cry at her own inability to do the same. It was one of those things in life that you were either very good at, or....not. And Haley and Brooke fell on opposite ends of the spectrum.
Here they were starting their second semester of their Junior year at Bayview State, and Haley still hadn’t managed to meet Mr. Right. Or anyone coming even close. Maybe she set her standards too high? Maybe she was too picky? Watching her friend spin in front of her for the fourth time, Haley began to wander if the problem was that maybe she was just too damn uptight.
“So you like,“ Brooke Davis asked, coming to a stop, and then smoothing the silky fabric of her dress, so that it lay in all the right places on her body.
Haley contemplated her for a second more, before nodding from where she sat on her bed. “Actually I do,” she replied.
“Really,” Brooke beamed, “because when I brought it home earlier, you gave me this look like I’d pulled a @#%$ vibrator out of the bag or something.”
“It looked smaller when you showed it to me the first time, skank. Besides I know you keep the sex toys in your bottom drawer,” Haley chuckled, sticking her tongue out at the other girl jokingly.
“I knew it! You play with them when I’m not around don’t you,” she hollered, her eyes wide with a comical smile, as she continued to check herself out in the mirror on Haley’s bathroom door.
“Eww, no you pervert. I do however, hear mysterious buzzing coming from down the hall and assume. Because honestly even you can’t use your electric toothbrush that often and at that late of night. Although, the mind boggles with all the possibilities.”
Brooke feigned a shock expression, letting it fall into a naughty smile. “Hey a girl’s got needs ya know, and if Frat Boy #27 is too drunk to deliver, then out comes my trusty little friend,” Brooke gave Haley another unabashed look, showing her just how confident she was. Haley wished she could be more like that sometimes. Not feel ashamed of things like vibrators or multiple sex partners, or short red dresses that covered just enough to make guys salivate over you. She shook her insecurities away for now.
“Back to the topic at hand, I do like it. The red’s definitely working,” she finally finished.
“Well I’m glad you approve. Because the lord knows my world would come to a crashing halt if Haley Anne James didn’t like my clothes,” Brooke through out sarcastically, going to pick her purse up from on Haley’s desk.
“Damn Straight,” she nodded with a grin.
Both girls gave each other a serious glare before breaking out into giggles, and then walking into the living room of their apartment. Just as the missing link of their circle came through the front door, slamming her bag down on the kitchen table with a angry huff.
“People suck,” Peyton Sawyer stated through gritted teeth, a scowl on her face.
“Another fun day in the gallows,” Brooke teased, giving her a pat on the shoulder, and then heading to the refrigerator for a drink of water.
Peyton slumped down defeatedly into a nearby chair and rubbed at her tired eyes. “I can’t go back there guys, it’s driving me insane. And not the funny looney kind. No, the I wanna go on a murdering-rampage-kill-everyone-on-sight kind of insane.”
“Oh it can’t be that bad Peyton” Haley offered, shifting her weight onto her other leg so that she was standing at an angle.
“You weren’t there tonight,” the blonde muttered, sucking in a breath of air, exhaling it long and slow, in hopes of relaxing herself.
“What happened? A buncha drunk guys try to feel you up? Oh wait that’s every night,” Brooke taunted.
Peyton rolled her eyes. “No-- I mean yes that happened, but that’s not why I’m in my current state of homicidal fury. I get in there around six to open right, and the first thing I notice is that the only other waitress working is Sonya. And you know I hate Sonya, she’s a stupid bimbo that never does anything but flirt and give guys her number.”
“We’ve all had to deal with the stupidity that is Sonya,” Brooke cut in, her and Haley sharing a knowing look.
“I know, but that’s not all,” Peyton continued. “Not only do two different tables stiff me on tips, but Dominic doesn’t manage to catch these two assholes fighting in the back, and when I try to calm them down one of ‘em throws his drink at me, and the other pukes on my shoes. On my @#%$ shoes! Can you believe that?”
Both girls tired to stifle their urge to laugh and gave their friend sad pouts, understanding her anguish. “I’m sorry babe, that bites,” Brooke offered a sympathetic hug.
“Yeah it does,” Haley agreed, grabbing both of them into one large giant group embrace, squeezing tightly until Peyton finally let out an exacerbated laugh. Then releasing and moving back to their own spots.
“You wanna know the worst part, Satan and his evil spawn weren’t anywhere to be found either, so it’s not like I could bitch at them for their shitty employer skills,” she groaned, seemingly a little less wired after her rant.
Both Haley and Brooke knew who exactly who she was referring to: Simon and Dexter, the owners of Ecstasy, the club that currently employed all three girls. They hadn’t intended on getting jobs at the local dance club in town when they first started at Bayview State, but with school loans, rent, food, and the fact that only one of them owned a car, jobs had become a necessity. And with the club being in walking distance of their gated apartment building, the choice had been a no brainer really. Peyton had started working their since she turned nineteen, Brooke close behind, and only a few months ago did Haley receive the sad call from her mother, that she could no longer help her with school, because she in fact had lost her own job. So here they were, three full-time college students with full-time jobs. Life was a peach.
“Look on the bright side,” Haley said, “winter break officially starts today. Five relaxing weeks of yummy homemade food, no homework, and best of all lots and lots of presents.”
“Yeah, and five weeks of working my ass off to pay for the lots and lots of presents I’ll be buying,” Peyton retorted sullenly.
Brooke in the mean time glanced at the microwave clock, and noticed the time read 11:00 pm. Her date should be arriving any minute. She decided to check her make-up once more before he arrived, stepping from the room as the other two girls continued to talk.
“Ok that’s it, I’m done coddling, if you want to be in a pissy mood all night, fine, I’ll be in the other room,” Haley moved to get up.
Peyton put her hand out to stop her from going, and flashed a cheesy grin. “Ok, ok, ok, I’ll be better I promise. I’m done. No more whiney Peyton. I’m fun hangy out Peyton now, see,” she declared, doing a silly little dance, that consisted of shaking her booty and flailing her arms.
“Alright cornball you’re forgiven this time,” the brunette tried for a stern face, letting a laugh spill out.
“So what have you got planned, and please tell me it has nothing to do with dark musty clubs or drunken barbarians,” Peyton asked, following Haley over to the sofa.
“No and no,” She replied pulling a couple videos off the their entertainment shelving unit. “Ok let’s see, we’ve got...Heathers, Clueless, Sleepless in Seattle, Legends of the Fall, and Armageddon,” She held the choices up for Peyton to see. “So basically we’ve got funny, we’ve got sad, we’ve got funny-sad, and we’ve got action. Pick your poison.”
“Wow Hales, you really know how to show a girl a good time,” teased Brooke, coming out of her bedroom.
“Not all of us are quite the social butterfly Brooke,” Haley retorted, folding her arms in front of her, tilting her head to the side.
“You mean we’re not all sluts, right,” Peyton through in, a brazen smile spread over her face.
Brooke tried to look mildly offended, holding her arm up in defense, “Hey! At least I’m getting some action tonight. What are your plans?”
“Movie night, duh,” Haley said flashing the movies in front of her, and waving them back and forth dramatically, before plopping them down on the coffee table beside her.
“Exactly my point. When’s the last time you went girlfriend. On a date or out with us, or anyone else for that matter,” questioned Brooke, with a knowing glare.
“I don’t need a man to fulfill me, thank you very much.”
“That’s not what I mean. I’m talking about having fun. Letting go. Being wild and crazy and completely irresponsible like all college kids should be for at least one night. When’s the last time you did that huh?”
Haley’s mouth flew open, but when she couldn’t think of a response, not a one, she clamped it shut again. Jutting her bottom lip out in a pout Haley gave sad eyes to her friends.
“Ok so I haven’t exactly been Miss Popularity lately, whatever. I’m still fun. I’m bundles of fun. Huge heaping, mounding piles of fun, and you know it. And by the way why aren’t you singling me out, Peyton’s staying home too.”
“She went out last night,” Brooke added.
“Whatever, I am fun damn it.”
“We know you are, we just want to see you experience it more often Hales,” Peyton added, giving her best friend a reassuring smile.
“Oooh I know,” Brooke said gleefully, clapping her hands together excitedly, “how bout we all go see D.J. Sonic tomorrow at the club. Some girl in my psych class said he totally kick’s ass.”
“I can go, but I’ll be there working,” Haley lamented, disappointed.
“You suck. Who the hell works on Saturdays anymore,” Brooke declared.
“Apparently I do. Blame Simon, it’s not my fault....bitch,” Haley through back at her with a challenging smirk.
“Slut.”
“Skank.”
“Ho-bag.”
“Hoochie.”
“Whore.”
“Penis...Lips!”
“WHAT,” both Peyton and Haley uttered towards Brooke, while laughing.
“I was trying to be creative, shut-up,” she giggled, throwing a nearby dish towel at them.
In the background all three girls heard the faint sound of their doorbell ring. “That would be Kip,” Brooke squealed.
“Oh joy,” Haley said dryly, twirling her pointer finger up in the air.
“Be nice,” Peyton told her, with a chuckle.
Brooke readjusted her dress once more, bringing the clinging material up a little farther on her thighs, to show just a bit more skin.
“See you in the morning girls,” she waved as she went to the door.
“Good luck,” Peyton yelled, giving Haley a goofy eye roll.
“Oh I won’t be needing it,” she winked, before disappearing into the hallway, and closing the door behind her.
Chapter 2
Around the Bend
Eggs. The smell, the crackling sound they make in a pan, the yellowy puffiness that sticks out at you offensively. It all sounded absolutely revolting to Brooke. In fact the entire concept of ever eating again in this millennia sounded like a decent plan to her at the moment.
She could vaguely make out the noise of somebody in the kitchen making breakfast. The sounds of food being made, was what woke her from her naturally light sleeping pattern. However with the hangover she was now carrying, she wanted to pray a thousands prayers to God of she could just fall back asleep. And forget about her mind numbing stomach and head ache.
Brooke tossed over and covered her face with a pillow and waited.
And waited.
And waited some more. Until she finally accepted the sad realization that sleep wasn’t going to come.
Begrudgingly she rolled as slow as possible out of bed, threw on an old sweatshirt, went to the bathroom to brush her teeth, and then finally made it into the kitchen.
Haley noticing her friends’ disheveled hair, and smeared eye make-up from the night before, when Brooke trudged to the refrigerator.
“Rough night,” she asked with a smile.
“Rough morning, more like it,” Brooke replied, grabbing a bottled water, and sinking into a nearby chair.
“Want some omelet, I made enough for two,” Haley offered, picking her plate up, and wafting the smell in front of the brunette’s face.
Brooke repressed the urge to gag and pushed it away sharply. “Do you want to see me puke all over this table?”
“Not particularly.”
“Then keep your greasy ass food far away from my face,” she grumbled, resting her head on one arm.
“Only if you promise to tell me all the dirty and debaucherous details of your date last night.”
“In a nutshell, Frat Boy # 27 was a better kisser than Frat Boy #18, a little bit less entertaining than Frat Boy #13, and a lot less smaller than Frat Boy #5. But all in all not a complete waste,” she finished, taking a slow gulp from her water, before screwing the cap back on.
“Another one-nighter then,” Haley asked, referring to her friends’ usual routine of date ‘em-do-‘em-and-dump ‘em.
“Aren’t they all,” she grinned, with heavy lidded eyes.
Haley tried not to judge her friend on her promiscuity, but sometimes couldn’t help herself. “Brooke you do realize you’re just like a guy right?”
“So what? If I wanna go out and party, and get laid by pretty college boys, with no strings attached I can. Guys don’t deserve to have all the fun ya know.”
Haley sighed, and took another bite of her omelet. “I just worry about you I guess.”
“Well don’t,” Brooke said firmly. “Worry about getting yourself some booty and pronto, girlfriend.” Brooke snapped her fingers together quickly to emphasize her point.
The ring of their cordless telephone prevented Haley from responding to the insanity that was her roommate. Picking the phone off its cradle Haley pushed on the on button.
“Hello.”
“Umm Hi, is Haley James there,” a distinctly male voice said from the other end of the receiver.
“This is her,” she replied, giving Brooke curious look.
“Oh hi, um this is Brad Shiftly, I’m in your Organic Chemistry class with Professor McCain, remember?”
“Yeah I remember you. What’s up Brad?”
Brooke’s ears perked up at the name coming from Hale’s lips, she turned to her, “Speaking of booty....”
Haley rolled her eyes, and Brooke tried to lean in to listen to her conversation. Haley swatted at her to move away.
“Ok I will...It’s not a problem...On Tuesday?...Sure...Ok...Bye Brad,” Haley finished, clicking the phone off with an evident smile.
“And who may I ask was that,” Brooke inquired, a little more a wake this time, a little more of her nosy self.
“Just a guy from my Chemistry class, he needs some help before the test, no big deal,” Haley got up, taking her plate and glass and sticking them in the sink.
“Well ask him out,” Brooke blurted to Haley.
“For what,” asked Haley, sincerely curious.
“For what?! For a date dumbass, what else?”
“Uh I don’t think so,” she replied, cleaning up the rest of her mess.
“And ...why not,” Brooke got up and followed her into the kitchen.
“Because I’m not a real pro with the whole dating thing, you know that. My two previous boyfriends ended with one dumping me for no apparent reason at all. And the other convincing me that we were in love, sleeping with me, and then cheating on me with the Homecoming Queen. So basically Haley and Dating: very non-mixy things.”
“Blah, blah, blah, who cares. New guy, new start babe. I swear, you seriously gotta stop living in the past.”
....................
The club was packed. From the outdoors the neon light sign was the only thing alighting the large groups of people waiting outside to get in. The deep thick base coming from the speakers pulsed over the dance floor, reverberating through the entire building. Soft clouds of smoke gave way, and the low cascading lights that showered the room, gave the place a very mysterious appearance.
Haley, on the other hand knew differently.
All the same people, at all the same tables, ordering the same drinks, dancing to mostly the same songs. It was her life, or at least it had been every weekend for the last six months. Serving tray firmly in hand, she skillfully ducked and dodged her way through the crowd with relative ease, coming to stop at a small group of girls who’d waved her down.
She began taking their orders, when over one of the girls’ shoulders she saw Brooke and Peyton slip in behind Dominic the bouncer, giggling to themselves about something funny they had just done.
“I’ll be right out with those,” Haley told the girl, taking the sheet to the bartender, and then stopping where her own friends had sat down.
“Hey there friend, having fun,” Brooke said leaning forward so that she could be heard.
“Oh yeah loads,” Haley yelled back, above the music. “So what are you slackers doing here? Come to taunt me on your night off?”
“Actually we came for D.J. Sonic, bothering you is just an added bonus,” Peyton teased, with a grin.
“You want the usual?”
“Yeah,” Peyton nodded.
“Brooke?”
“Huh? What,” she refocused back on Haley.
“DO YOU WANT ANYTHING,” she said slowly, holding up her tray and notepad for emphasis.
“Give me a Rum and Coke,” she replied, returning her attention to the table across the room.
Haley tried to figure out what Brooke was looking at, waving her hand in front of her face to get her attention “ Hey! What is it?”
“See that table over there? Those people look really familiar,” she pointed. Haley turned to see, but with the size of the crowd and her own shortness, wasn’t able to make out much.
“Well let me get your drinks and I’ll see what’s up. I think it’s my table anyway,” she said, giving the girls a quick wink before heading toward the bar.
About five minutes later, after all her drinks had been made and served Haley forged her way up into the corner of the club, where the bigger tables where placed. Wiping her hands on her short black apron, she readjusted the rather skimpy black and white top that her jerks for employers made all the girls wear. Stepping up a few small steps onto the platform where the last table in the corner lay, Haley took a deep composing breath, and then approached the circle.
“Hi everyone my name’s Haley. I’ll be your waitress this evening. Can I get anything for you guys tonight,” she spoke cheerfully, keeping her eyes downward, to her note pad.
“Well, well ,well if isn’t tutor girl,” Nathan Scott said, a huge smirk written all over his handsome features.
Haley flicked her head up to look at the face that came with the voice, just to make sure she hadn’t lost her mind. When she saw it was in fact him, she paused, trying to collect her thoughts or even the simplest of words, the only thing running through her mind was what Brooke had said to her earlier in the day : You gotta stop living in the past.
No shit.
Chapter 3
Ego Tripping
“So the valedictorian of Bayview high school is waitressing at a dance club. You certainly are goin’ places,” Nathan maligned, while giving Haley a cocky smirk.
Both of the girls and a of the few guys chuckled lightly at Nathan’s lame attempt to unnerve her. Haley glanced around the entire table this time, realizing she recognized every face there. She gulped back a breath of air, her throat dry and scratchy. The word Vile, rising in her brain as she looked at the group in front of her. The group that had spent the majority of high school making her feel unwelcome and unworthy.
Scott’s Seven. God she was amazed she even remembered it at all. Nathan Scott and his band of friends. The elite of the elite at West Bayview High school. A group that originated from a previous generation, of cocktail parties and caviar dinners. Dan and Deb Scott creating an empire of fortune and prestige that they gladly handed down to their sons. Nathan being the natural ringer leader of course, the big man on campus. He’d also been one of the best basketball player’s in Bayview's history, earning him recognition all over the state. Something he constantly used as leverage to get anything and everything he wanted. One of the many reasons Haley had always despised him.
Tim Smith, and Vegas Parker also sat at the table. Nathan’s two mindless lackey’s, following him around like little puppy dogs, since day one of high school. Trying to soak up any left over attention they could get. Theresa Phillips and Kelly Roberts, sat next to each other, their perfectly manicured faces, masking their true nature. Being part of the two most successful and wealthiest family’s had earned them a spot in the group, as well. That and their willingness to sleep with any guy. Leaving Jake Jagielski and Nathan’s brother Lucas to round out the group.
However, it was Lucas who seemed to stand out at Haley, his soft demeanor and kind eyes the same as she had remembered.
“Hi Luke,” Haley said peacefully, giving him a small smile.
“How you doin',” Lucas smiled back.
“Surviving,” she laughed nervously. “How’s Duke treating you?”
“Good, for the most part. Finals were killer though,” he answered lightly.
“I bet. I’m sure you did great. You always have,” she replied with another smile.
Nathan on the other hand seemed disinterested in this entire encounter, and instead snapped his fingers at her to gain her attention. Haley shot him an annoyed glare, wondering where she’d gotten the courage for that.
“Hey Heather, you gonna take our order,” barked Nathan.
“It’s Haley, and yes. What would you like?”
“What have you got,” he asked, ignoring the menu in front of him.
“We’ve got a selection of drafts, hard liquors, malt liquors, mixed drinks, shots ,” Haley listed off, pulling the menu out of it’s holder and flipping it open for him. “Why don’t you take a look for yourself.”
“I’ll have a Heineken,” he replied, with an malignant smile, his eyes never leaving hers.
Haley took everyone else’s order rather quickly, letting them know it might be a few minutes before their order was out. The whole time feeling Nathan’s eyes watching her, surveying her moves, making her nervous and rigid. She made it down the steps when she heard Nathan call to her again.
“Oh and Hannah, get us a basket of chicken wings too,” he shouted to her, turning around and laughing obnoxiously when someone else made a comment she hadn’t been able hear.
...................................
As fast as she could Haley made it back to the bar, and to her own friend’s table, taking off her apron and shoving it at them. “Here put this on.”
“Umm why,” Brooke asked, looking at her strangely.
“Because that table in the corner, the one with the people you thought looked familiar. Well they are familiar. Mostly because they are Nathan Scott and his “Magnificent Seven.” And I can’t go back over there. I really, really, really, can’t. So just take this, and pretend to be me, and I will owe you for the rest of my life. Deal?”
Peyton and Brooke noticed the pleading look on Haley’s face, and grimaced. Once upon a time they had been a part of that group. They had been on the inside, seen the way they could be cruel to almost everyone that didn’t fit their ideal, or their price bracket. But when high school had ended the group had dispersed, their relationships had dissolved like dust in the wind. Because truthfully most of them weren’t ever really friends. It seemed surreal that they were all together again, as if the last two years had never happened. Brooke especially knew what it was like to be on the outside, she’d been the target of their ridicule more than a couple times. It was different now though. They were in college, adults now damn it, they didn’t have to cower anymore.
“Ok listen to me, before you spaz out,” Brooke stated taking hold of Haley’s shoulders. “We’re going to go over to the bar, get your order, then we’re going to go back over to that table and pretend to make polite conversation.”
“But---.”
“No buts, come on lets go and get this over with,” she ordered, pulling Haley by the arm, while Peyton followed quickly behind.
As they made their way over Haley was hit with the sinking feeling that no matter what Brooke said or did, Nathan would still get the better of her friend. He knew right where her soft spot was. They did after all, have a history.
“Greetings and Salutations all,” Brooke called to them, a huge plastic smile firmly in place.
“Brooke Davis.......and Peyton Sawyer, long time no see,” Theresa stated, with false cheeriness.
“Hello Theresa,” Peyton replied dryly, “How are you?”
“Busy as always. Daddy’s moved the business over seas now, so we’ve been traveling to Europe a lot lately. We got a new boat this summer too,” she flipped her long brown curls over her shoulders gracefully.
“Intriguing,” Peyton responded, with even less enthusiasm.
“And what have you two been up to,” Nathan asked from the corner where he sat.
Brooke immediately caught his attention and let out a petty laugh. “Do my eyes deceive me, Nathan Scott actually home for Christmas? Well that’s a first.”
“One for everything,” he chimed. “So what are you doing here?”
“Don’t play dumb Nate, you know I go to school here,” Brooke said.
“Oh that’s right, I must have forgot, being up in Michigan and all.”
Brooke decided to ignore his comment, and focus on the others at the table. Making idle chit chat, while Peyton did the same. In the background Haley stood there staring at them, feeling awkward and out of place. Just like high school all over again, she thought with growing gloom.
Chapter 4
To Seek and Destroy
Haley sat at the bar, on break, alone. From where she was sitting she could still see her friends mingling with them, and it left a foul taste in her mouth. That and she was tired to say the least. The after hours crowd always seemed to spend a little bit more money on booze than the early nighters, which left Haley and the other waitresses with twice as much work. Not to mention the circles Nathan was having her run, making her get this and that and the other thing for him. Making sure she was at his beck and call. It was during a rather quiet spot that she’d managed to squeeze in a short time-out amongst the madness. A light tap on her shoulder broke her out of her thoughts, and she turned her head from side to side.
“Over here,” Lucas teased, grinning.
“I’m way too exhausted to think that’s cute right now,” she said with a heavy smile.
“Yeah well, I wanted to talk to you away from the vultures.”
“Is it just me, or have they gotten worse since graduation,” she asked.
“It’s the trust funds, they finally cashed them in. The money went straight to their heads,” he joked, and they shared a laugh together.
“Seriously though Luke, Nathan’s become Satan Junior. He might actually be evil now, maybe you should check. I hear they usually put the 666 somewhere on top the head.”
Lucas let out a chuckle, and then a breath.” He’s had a bad year Hales. Don’t be too hard on him.”
Haley shook head back and forth. “Oh, did pwoo wittle Nafan have a hawd time, at a reaw schoow,” she mocked in a child’s voice.
Lucas didn’t respond, instead only laughed at how easy it was to feel like they were friends again, “I really missed ya Haley.”
“He’s the only one,” an ominous voice came from behind them.
Haley spun her barstool to the side to see Nathan standing behind her, still managing to look as cocky as ever, even when he was inebriated.
“What do you want now,” Haley spat back at him, unwilling to deal with his attitude any longer.
“You’ve haven’t come by in a while,” he tsk’d, “ I was getting thirsty Hope.”
“It’s Haley, and I’m on a break. If you want a drink order it from the bar. You are standing in front of one after all.”
Nathan gave her a charming smile, and turned toward his brother. “Come on Luke, come back and join the party. You can bring your little friend here if you want,” he said, giving Haley a distasteful look.
“In a minute,” Lucas replied, watching Nathan nod and walk away.
“No! Don’t even ask. It’s not gonna happen,” Haley declared, putting her hand up as if to halt his words.
“Come on Hales, it’ll be fun,” he begged.
“Like a root canal,” she muttered, turning to the table and shaking her head.
“His bark is much worse than his bite, I swear. He’s been pissy to everyone today.”
“Oh and here I thought I was special,” Haley claimed, running a hand through her hair.
“Please, as a favor to me come over there, just for a few minutes,” he begged, his eyes sparkling.
Haley sighed in resignation, “Fine, but you owe me, you owe me big!”
“Anything you want,” Lucas stated, grabbing her hand and leading her back toward her doom.
..................
True to his word, Lucas had made sure everyone was being their most cordial. That didn’t however, stop Nathan from leering at Haley every few moments, while she quietly sat with them.
The entire night felt like a bad acid trip. It all seemed to much on the of the edge of surreal. And right now, she just wanted it to be over. A quick glance to her watch, informed her it was nearing closing time.
“Where you goin’,” Nathan stopped Haley as she made to leave. A teasing grin on his face. Haley looked at him, with an angry glare. Then sending Lucas a pleading glance.
“Let her go Nate,” Lucas called from the other end of the table.
Nathan gave her another evil smirk, and let her hand slip from his. “Grab me another Guinness while you’re up there,” he ordered, looking away.
Haley gave him a baffled expression, “Are you serious, we close in like 2 minutes?”
“Then I’ll drink it fast,” he returned bluntly.
Groaning in irritation Haley quickly ran up to the bar and asked for the beer.
The bartender checked below and behind him, and then turned to her, “We’re all out,” he said, “But I think we have whole case in the basement, run down there and get it,” he threw her the spare keys from under the counter. “I’m headin’ out.”
Haley nodded, and went to leave, when he called to her again. “Oh and make sure you put the keys back before you leave.
With another nod, Haley swerved through the crowed swiftly. When she came to the back hallway that held the men’s and women’s bathroom, she walked all the way to the end where the last door lie.
Grabbing the keys from her pocket she unlocked the door and traveled down a long stairwell to the basement. At the bottom of the steps was a rather large space, cut off by another two doors. One which led to the storage room where they kept the extra tables, chairs, and other odds and ends. And the other which led to where the alcohol was stored.
Haley had been down here only a few times, usually grabbing a spare case of Vodka, or Budweiser. It was almost always colder then all hell, mostly because her incompetent bosses never deemed it fit to turn the heat on down there. Not even when they did inventory at the end of February. Jerks.
With a stifling shiver, Haley wrapped her arms around her body, using her leg to prop the door open with a half empty box Bacardi.
Searching around the room practically blind, Haley found a metal chain hanging from the ceiling. She pulled down on it, so that the single light bulb dimly lit the medium sized room.
Racks of boxes surrounded her, on all fours walls, and there were no windows to be seen. The cement floor was barren except for a few old signs and a rolled up rug from last years New Year’s bash.
Almost instantly Haley found the box of Guinness on the far top shelf, in the left corner. However, unable to reach it on her own, she grabbed hold of the racks pillar’s, lifting herself up so that she stood on the second shelf.
Haley checked her watch quickly, while using her other arm to hold onto the left pillar. With a mild groan she reached into the box and pulled out a single bottle, just as the sound of an annoyingly gruff and sexy voice came from behind her.
“You almost done Holly,” Nathan purred, standing tall and proud in the doorway, hands stuffed in his pockets.
“What are you doing down here,” Haley jumped to the ground, a new level of bitterness and fatigue in her words.
Nathan cocked his head to the side, and smiled. “You know, you should really be more grateful Heidi, I only came down here to help you,” he replied innocently, snatching up the box that held the large metal door open. Walking forward a few steps, he let the door snap shut behind him. And came into the room setting the box on the ground, as if helping her move that box was his most charitable deed.
What he then noticed was Haley move as if in slow motion, bursting passed him and screaming, “NO!”
Nathan gave her an odd expression as she barreled toward the now closed exit. “Actually I was expecting more of a ‘thank you for your help Nathan,’ but...whatever.”
Haley meanwhile, frantically pulled on the silver door knob, trying with all her might to get it to open. Short heavy breaths escaped her mouth. When she finally gave up, and turned toward her enemy, pure hatred radiated from her eyes.
“I can’t even.....this isn’t happening...no...no.....I-I....You,” she seethed, settling on his face, unable to move.
Scratching his head in confusion Nathan looked to her, “Excuse me?”
“The door. The one that you just let close behind me. Only opens from the opposite side! Which means---”
“Which means we’re locked in,” he finished, his eyes wide and glassy.
Chapter 5
Trapped in Ecstacy
3:07 am.....
“Well fuck me,” Nathan laughed, reveling in the fact that he had just unintentionally locked the two of them in this dank little room.
Haley looked at him with disdain.
He partly wanted to curse his friends for bringing him to the club in the first place, and immersing him back into the world he’d happily left two and half years ago. Not that he’d really ever taken much joy out of life in Bayview in the first place. Another part of him saw this as chance to benefit, to corrupt the innocent girl, and in a basement no less. One of his more mild fantasy’s, but something that would still provide him with a small amount of sport. And Nathan Scott never backed down from a challenge, never had, never would.
However looking at Haley in her current fury, made him think this newest conquest, might take a little more persuasion than usual.
“I don’t see why you’re laughing, there’s absolutely nothing funny about this,” Haley finally spit out at him, pacing back and forth.
“Oh chill out Harriot, it’s not like this is a life or death situation.”
“It might be, if you don’t stop laughing and start thinking about a way out of here,” she replied, continuing to pace, her eyes skipping around the room, and then back to him every few seconds. Mentally, Haley was running different ideas through her head about how she could get out, each option becoming less and less possible to manage.
Nathan, meanwhile pulled out his cell phone with a jovial smile, and flipped it open. The screen only read: Searching.... He tried dialing a number, and still got no luck. He flipped it shut and put it back in his pocket.
“I’m not getting any reception, try your phone,” he told her.
“I don’t have one,” she replied dryly, still pacing rapidly, chewing on her bottom lip.
“You don’t have one,” he looked incredulous, awestruck even at her words.
“Not with me, Captain Obvious,” she growled.
Nathan could tell her anger was building, and found it to be quite amusing. So with a fair amount of liquid courage in his body, he decided to see how much farther he could push the envelope, before she really lost it.
Coming up behind her and placing his hands lightly on her shoulders, Nathan leaned down, and breathed a warm stream of hot air down her neck, causing Haley to shudder, her knees turning to jelly. “I know just how to loosen you up Hilary,” his voice silky and smooth, as his hands traveled down her chest.
Suddenly Haley realized what exactly it was that Nathan was implying, and more importantly what his hands were doing. With lightening quick speed, she twirled out of his embrace, roughly shoving him away from her.
Nathan tried to feign innocence, holding his hands up in mock surrender, even as a cocky smirk crossed his face. Haley immediately saw through his act.
“Listen Pervert, just because we’re stuck in here together, does not give you a free pass to grope on me.”
“And yet you still let it happen.”
“You came up behind me, without my knowing,” she ranted, as Nathan gave her a disinterested look, and then sat down leisurely on an old box against the wall.
“Oh give it a rest Harmony. It’s not like we had sex, although if you’re offering—,” before the next word left Nathan’s mouth, the sound of shattering glass rang through his ears.
Nathan instinctively jumped back to see the black shards of glass from the Guinness bottle Haley had thrown at him lay in scattered pieces, only inches from his body. When he realized none had actually hit him, he jumped in front of Haley, and turned an angry glare at her. “Are you out of your fucking mind? That could’ve cut me.”
“For the last time, my name is Haley. HAY-LEE. Not Holly or Heather or Helga, or any of the other stupid-ass names you can possibly think up. It’s just Haley. If you want to call me something it will be that got it? And more importantly never, ever, touch me again. Or next time when I throw something at you, I won’t miss.”
So surprised by her total outburst and unaware that she could even be that intimidating, Nathan simply gave her a small nod of recognition and went to sit across the room from her. He watched her do the same. And he began to realize that if he was going to get anywhere with her, he might need to start rethinking his plan.
..................
4:34 am......
The silence had been deafening.
Mostly because neither Haley nor Nathan had spoken for over an hour. Merely sitting in their own separate corners, staring, but not really staring at each other. Every few minutes Haley could feel herself drift off from exhaustion. The reality that she was still stuck like a caged rabbit with the “Prince” of Bayview, was the only thing keeping her from completely losing consciousness.
At one point Haley had even begun to let herself relax, believing that maybe Nathan wasn’t going to make this whole experience a living nightmare, like she had previously assumed.
But then it started.
It was soft at first, the sound so faint that it didn’t really bother her. And then it got more consistent as he continued to do it, over and over again, faster and faster as the minutes ticked away.
Haley could feel her toes curl up in irritation, her jaw twitch, as he continued to tap his foot against the floor. She couldn’t handle it anymore. She’d rather hear a baby screaming, than this monotonous, repetitive tapping.
“Could you stop doing that please,” she gritted out through clenched teeth.
Nathan turned to her, his foot only moving faster. “What?......This,” he asked, as he kept up his firm rhythm.
Pain. Lots and lots of pain, Haley thought, while she watched him taunt her with joy. “Ahhh, why do you have to be such an ass,” she said point-blank, shaking her head as if she was a disapproving elder, rather than his peer.
“Why do you have to be such a b itch,” he through back at her without a blink of an eye.
“I’m just reacting to you. You are the one that got us stuck down here after all.”
“Oh right, like I did this on purpose. Yeah, cause this is how I really wanted to spend my Saturday night.”
“Well I don’t see you trying to figure a way out, Boy Genius.”
“What and help you get free? I’d rather watch you suffer,” he answered coldly, his eyes dark. His guard up and ready to fight.
Haley looked away from him, and rested her head up against the rack she was sitting by, her eyes cast up to the ceiling as if she was trying to find some kind of guidance, while she shook her hands towards the sky. “Why me God? Why? What did I do to deserve this,” she pleaded.
Nathan watched her in amusement, “What question would like me to answer first?”
The smirk on his face was enough to make Haley want to scream. His entire being, beginning to grate on her very last nerve. “Please–please, shut the fuck up,” she implored.
Nathan gave her another arrogant grin and shook his head at her. “Such language James. Not quite like the girl I remember from high school.”
“What can I say Scott, you bring it out in me. And by it, I mean the worst,” Haley shot him an venomous glare.
“Oh I’m touched, really,” his lips curled up into a smile, as he touched his hand to his heart.
Haley tried not face him. “Can you try not speaking for more than five seconds?”
“Probably. But why would I want to do that, when I know you’re having so much fun talking with me?”
Obviously ignoring him, wouldn’t work. Mr. Popularity was too use to getting his own way, to simply be disregarded. So Haley figured if she was going to make it through the next 15 hours unscathed she would have to be straight with him. Honesty was the best policy. Right?
“If we’re both going to make it through the night, without killing each other, that would be great. It requires that you not drive me mentally insane though. Ok?”
Nathan bit back the retort he had stewing in the back of his mind, and simply shrugged his shoulders. She gave him a skeptical look at which he smiled at internally. If she wanted the cordial, sensible type of guy he could do that.
Silence befell the room once more, but only for a few minutes until Nathan spoke again. “So why’d you stay in Bayview,” he asked, appearing interested.
“What,” Haley looked at him, unsure of his attitude change. The Nathan she’d remembered had always been somewhat moody, a little all over the place, and his sudden flip to make polite conversation seemed off.
“I’m just saying, you want me to be civil, and considerate. Here it is. Let’s talk then. Tell me, why didn’t you ever leave Bayview?”
Haley contemplated him for a moment. Finally deciding that however strange this entire night had been, or how weird Nathan was beginning to act, she could still humor him even if it was solely to get him to stop pissing her off.
“I like it here. I don’t really have anything to run away from,” she replied pointedly at Nathan.
“And I do,” he asked immediately on the defensive.
“Your dad, basketball, both. I don’t know that’s just what I assumed when Lucas told me you were going to Michigan.”
“That’s right, I almost forgot, you and Lucas, the great couple of Bayview High. You guys were so tight. It would’ve almost been cute, if it hadn’t made me want to puke,” he folded his arms in front of him, his eyes focused on the box in front of him now, rather than her.
Haley and Lucas. Lucas and Haley. Their two names in connection with each other, God it felt like a lifetime ago. Haley even forgot sometimes that they had ever really been a couple. The whole thing started as a joke really, to begin with. He’d come to her for a couple books in the middle of their Senior year. They’d began talking and before either of them knew it they were friends. True friends, not like the ones that pretended to be his, in that group that followed him and Nathan around. What was entertaining, however, was that people like Nathan and Tim, and Kelly, all thought he was warming up to her to get some kind of academic crutch. To get out of doing homework, or essays, or calculus problems. But if any of them had paid close attention, they would have all known that Lucas never needed any tutoring from Haley. Which was what she loved about him the most. They felt like equals. She felt at ease around him, and he did with her. Or so she thought, until he’d broken it off with her two weeks after graduation. The same time Nathan had chosen to let go of Brooke, and their relationship of four years. Something Haley still begrudged Nathan for.
“No that would be you and Brooke, if my memory serves me correctly,” she finally managed to spat back.
Nathan’s eyes gleamed, at her abrupt turn of the conversation. “That was obligation, and nothing more. Our parents were friends, so of course we had to be together. She was a cheerleader, I was captain of the basketball team, and all that other bullshit.”
“So you never had any feelings for her,” Haley asked with dismay.
“Sure I did, it just wasn’t true love or any of that other crap everyone feeds to you about high school sweethearts. Brooke used me to climb the social latter, just as much as I used her to get my parents off my back.”
Haley shook her head in disgust, “So that makes dumping her right before you leave for school, ok then?”
“She was just as ready to be free of the relationship as I was,” he replied.
“Is that why you left then, to get away from her,” she asked with more canter this time, turning toward him.
“No. I was sick of this place. I needed get away. See life ya know, without the pressures this town puts on me. Don’t you ever get sick of it here,” Nathan through out, trying to change the subject. Feeling way to trapped and vulnerable to start discussing old battle wounds from his past.
Haley seemed to pick up on his unsure demeanor, and let it slide. “Sometimes,” she shrugged,” I wish I could travel more, have the money to travel. But I don’t.”
“Well you should try. Because the world’s a whole lot damn bigger when you can actually look at this place from the outside,” Nathan stated.
“If I had the luxury of leaving maybe I would. But I’ve never really had that option,” she told him.
“Because......”
“Again with the no money.”
Nathan watched Haley turn rigid, as she watched him speak. “Why are you looking at me that way?”
“What way,” she snapped.
“Like I just shot your damn puppy. It’s not my fault I have money and you don’t,” he declared with an innocent conscious.
It had been over two years since they’d been in high school, over two years since she’d had to deal with people like Nathan. And in that second Haley realized that’s exactly what there was. People like Nathan. The ones like him, who grew up with everything given to them, never having to struggle to buy books, or pay rent. Never being grateful or appreciative, or even graceful about what they had been given, always looking for what they didn’t have. Yes, there were people like Nathan, and then there were people like her. And the two would never mix. But Haley sure as hell wasn’t going to let him get out that easily.
“It doesn’t change the fact that you treated everyone outside of your little group like they were nothing. And you still do it even now,” she accused, waving her arm at him, in anger.
“Hey,” Nathan yelled back at her, “Just because you dated my brother doesn’t mean you understand anything about my life, or why I did what I did.”
“I see more than you me credit for,” she set her eyes on him with a hard glare.
“Yeah I bet,” he stared back at her, moving to get up.
Haley followed, pushing herself off the ground, “Take tonight for example,” she began, “Other than making me run around like a chicken with my head cut off, for your own amusement. You would’ve never gave me a second glance if we hadn’t got stuck in here together.”
“Maybe, maybe not. You don’t know me,” Nathan muttered, as he walked around the room, avoiding her.
“You’re so full of s hit,” she yelled, getting up in front of him. “We grew up in the same town together. Spent four years of high school together. And in all those years you never once said hi to me, I wasn’t even a blip on your radar. So don’t go preaching about your humble character in front of me. I don’t buy it.”
“Right, because the virtuous and innocent Haley James has never done anything stupid or regretful in her entire life,” Nathan clamored, his face tight with unbidden anger.
“No your wrong. I’m pretty positive getting locked in here with you is at the top of that list,” she turned away from him haughtily.
Nathan bit the side of his face, “Arrgh, why are you such a raging b itch,” he finally let out.
Haley didn’t even flinch. She’d expected him to resort to name calling when he couldn’t think of an intelligent comeback. In most cases the Nathan Scott she knew of would just walk away, he always walked away. This time, however he couldn’t, and Haley knew that was driving him crazy.
“I’m just being honest and you can’t handle it.”
With a resigned sigh, Nathan ran a hand through his hair, and slumped back down into his corner. “Forget it. Never mind. You were right, let’s just not talk at all.”
“Fine,” she went back to sit down, crossing her arms in front of her.
“Fine,” he mumbled, resting his head against the wall.
This girl was unbelievable. Everything she said, everything she did seemed to get under his nerves. Screw trying to get anything out of her, Nathan thought. Right now, he just wanted to be free.
Chapter 6
A Truce Among Captives
7:45 am.......
Haley looked down at her watch for the hundredth time that hour, noticing the big hand had only moved five notches, since she’d last checked it.
Across the room Nathan was half asleep. Every few minutes he’d wake up, switch sitting positions on the hard cement floor, and then doze off again. Haley attempted the same thing for the past few hours, but she just couldn’t seem to get to sleep.
She was too damn cold.
Another violent shiver ran through her body, causing her to groan in frustration, and exhaustion.
Nathan glanced over at her this time, but didn’t say anything, too annoyed by her presence, and in his own discomfort to care.
It was when Haley turned to sit up against the wall, that she noticed Nathan had pulled something from the corner of the room. It looked vaguely like one of the old rugs they’d used for last year’s Christmas, and New Year’s party’s.
Apparently he had wrapped it around himself to keep warm. When he’d done this exactly, Haley didn’t know. She inwardly cursed herself though, for not thinking of the idea sooner.
Across the room Nathan picked up her longing look, and smirked with evil glee.
“Cold,” he asked, snuggling into the rug as he saw her shiver.
“I’m good,” she shifted away from him in defiance.
“Cause ya know, all you have to do is ask nicely, and I might let you slide in with me,” he patted his lap suggestively.
Haley squeezed her hands together until her knuckles turned white. Bit down hard on her jaw to keep from screaming at him in frustration.
Because she couldn’t for the life of her figure out why he had to be so shitty all the time. Why he had to make everything so damn difficult.
She gave him a disgusted look and rolled her eyes. Not to be outdone, Nathan let out a snort and mumbled something derisive under his breath, Letting Haley know that his feelings for her were mutual. Which made her even more angry with him, for being so completely childish.
“You’re an asshole Nathan. You will always be and asshole. You know why?”
He tilted his head to the side disinterestedly, away from her. “Seeing as I can’t go anywhere, and you’re probably going to tell me whether I want to hear it or not. By all means, go ahead. Enlighten me.”
“Because you don’t have the desire or guts to be anything else,” she said simply, and with outright sincerity.
Nathan flicked his eyes up and met hers. And for a split second Haley thought she might have hit a nerve. But as quickly as she saw it, it was gone, his ever present mask back in place.
“Ooh semi-harsh comments from the peanut gallery.” He grinned at her with amusement.
“Screw you Nathan,” she muttered.
“Mmm......I’m gonna pass on that. But maybe, if you lose the Holier-than-thou-attitude, later on I’ll let you blow me,” he ran his tongue over his bottom lip, his eyes heavy lidded.
Haley snorted at him in revulsion Her voice rising. “Oh I bet you’d just love that. To see me down on my knees in front of you. Every rich boy’s wet dream. Fuck the poor girl behind Daddy’s back.”
“Like you wouldn’t kill for the chance to get in my pants. Or any of the Bayview Elites for that matter,” Nathan hissed.
“Honestly, no,” she said with conviction. “You guys were all made from the same mold Nathan. You charm your way into a girl’s bed, use her up until she’s dry, and then throw her away like last Thursday’s rotting garbage. And I don’t like to play that way.”
Nathan watched her gleaming eyes, her serious face. “No you just don’t play,” he gritted out at her, contemptuously.
Haley let out sardonic laugh, when she looked up at him again. “Funny, that’s all you ever seem to do,” she turned around then, and went back to her corner to sit down, done with the perverseness of this conversation.
At that moment he wanted to hit her like he’d never wanted to hit anything in his life. Smack her hard across the face, make her cry out. The question exactly, was why? Sure, yeah, she’d pissed him off. So had tons of other people. Nathan wasn’t really known for his patience and sensitivity. But in all of his years, he’d never wanted to hit a woman, not really. Not like he did right now. And that was what made him take a step back, because he knew, if he said one more thing, if he egged her on to say something else, and she responded like she’d been doing. Then he really would do it. And that made him feel like a true bastard. Even worse than his father.
So instead of saying what had popped into his mind, Nathan felt silent guilt. Not just for what he’d said tonight, but for all of the things he’d done to girls just like her in the past. Because something about this girl made him feel sorry, made him want to apologize.
With a sigh, Nathan walked over to Haley, and let the rug he’d been using drop down in front of her feet.
She looked up at him confused, and he just shrugged. “I’ve got my jacket,” he said quietly, retreating back to his side of the room.
Haley picked the rug up and wrapped it around her slowly, feeling somehow selfish and inconsiderate for using it for herself. She wanted to be angry, pissed at Nathan for his idiotic behavior. Of course part of her was.
But she also didn’t want to be spiteful. Because regardless of Nathan’s overall unlikable personality, he did have a point. It wasn’t his fault he’d grown up rich.
While she could blame him for his behavior, she couldn’t hold his entire up brining, his family, his social status against him. It wasn’t fair. People changed. In the last 2 years she had. Maybe, just maybe, he had too.
Picking up the rug, brining across the room, and sitting down next to Nathan, Haley pulled it up over both of them. Instead of the cocky grin, or overly arrogant smirk she’d gotten thus far,
he looked grateful. As grateful as she’d probably ever seen him be, and for the moment that was enough to curb her doubts.
For the next few hours they could call a truce, she supposed. If only to make it out of this basement in one piece.
