A Lot Can Happen At Boarding School (One Tree Hill FF)

Chapter 16

Chapter 16: A Tree Hill Raven knows that sweating the small stuff won't get you anywhere. But sweating the small stuff together... that could.

After class that day, Haley mumbled some excuse to Nathan about not feeling so well then made her way over to her dorm room. Stopping two floors short of her own, she made her way to the last room and knocked.

"Well if it isn't little Miss Rags-to-Riches," a busty redhead cooed.

"Excuse me?" Haley questioned, anger in dancing in her eyes.

"You heard me. What is Nathan like your sugar daddy or something? I mean why else would he be dating someone like you. You know, someone who's not that special, has no style, and is like a walking add for Walmart."

"You know what Rachel – actually, I'm going to do you a favor. I'm going to not waist my breath on your conceited ass. Now do me a favor and get GiGi. That's the only reason I would set foot outside your door," Haley huffed out.

"Funny, Nathan used to only come to my door for one reason too... but it wasn't that."

"Just get GiGi please. Your voice makes me want to vomit."

"Sorry can't. She's not here."

"Are you kidding me? That's five minutes of my day lost because of you. Whatever," Haley sighed to herself before briskly making her way back down the hallway. Not wanting to return to her dorm room where Peyton and Brooke where, and unable to go to her swing because Nathan would see her, Haley walked to a place Jake had shown her.

She crossed the grass down by the lake and made her way over to the other side of the boating shed, making her easily obscured from view from anyone passing because of all the canoes and trees around her. Taking her shoes off, she dipped her toes and the cool sand and laid back, the suns rays falling across her body.

After a while of just laying there, she pulled out her cell phone and dialed a familiar number. Several rings went by and she was about to hang up when someone finally answered.

"Hello?" The woman asked.

"Hey Mom! It's me."

"Oh Haley-bop! I was just thinking about you. How's school? You know Winter break is coming up."

"I'm good Mom," Haley stated, a little sigh escaping her lips.

"Honey what's wrong?"

"Nothing Mom. Why would you say that?"

"I'm your mother Haley. And having four children before you gave me a lot of experience with emotion. Tell me what's going on Sweety," her mother urged.

"Well, I have a boyfriend..."

"A boyfriend? My Haley has her first boyfriend! Honey what's wrong with that? And is he cute? What's his name?"

Haley laughs to herself before speaking into the phone. "His name is Nathan Scott and yes, he's very cute. He's got the body of a Greek god. But it's not him I have a problem with. Some people just don't, I don't know, accept me with him. And today we got assigned this project but it has to do with family and..."

"Oh Haley..."

"I'm just not ready to share all that Mom. I've met some really great people and I don't want to scare them off or have them look at me differently. I want to be just Haley no attachments, you know?"

"I understand honey. I'm so sorry. But, just think, if they're truly your friends they won't see you differently."

"As much as I'd like to believe that, something like this does change everything."