#23 | Nathan Scott

chapter two

The tears that Allie tried so hard not to let out finally rolled down her face. Lucas didn't know what to say to comfort her. He could only embrace her and let her cry.

Pretty soon he felt her body relax and her breath even out. He looked at her face and saw the dried up tears. Her nose was still red from all the crying. He softly sighs before closing his eyes.

He thought about the girl in his arms. Allie Bazor, girls wanted to be her, and guys wanted to be with her. But underneath that all of that facade she puts on at school, there's a normal human being with no one by her side.

-

Monday morning, Allie walked into school with Brooke and Peyton. "How's Ada?" Brooke asks her. She softly smiles, "She's good." Allie says shortly. Brooke and Peyton both knew there was more but didn't want to push her for an answer.

The three of them walked to English together, coincidentally Lucas and Nathan were also in that class. She took her seat behind Lucas and next to Nathan.

"Alright, Peyton. Describe Lucas in one word." Peyton looks up and notices everyone looking at her, waiting for her answer. Peyton stares at him for a second before mumbling out "Choke." Laughter could be heard all around the room, except for Lucas and Allie's.

"Alright! Settle down everyone." The teacher states and continues. "Lucas, care to respond?" Lucas looks at Peyton for a brief moment before answering, "Lonely." There was a chorus of ohhhs heard around the room. Allie's lips curved into a smile.

Nathan had seen her lips move at Lucas's words. With gritted teeth and a clenched jaw, he raised his hand. "Yes, Nathan?" The teacher calls on him. "I can describe Lucas in one word." Nathan says and looks straight at Lucas. "Bastard." He continues and smirks after answering.

Allie's head immediately snapped to him. "What's wrong with you?!" She says out loud for the class to hear. "Allie, stop." Lucas says, trying to grab her arm. "No, listen here you jackass. It could've easily been you. Your asshole of a dad could have married Karen, and you would've been left a bastard." She spat out looking straight at Nathan, who let out an amusing chuckle.

She scoffs and sits back down, knowing that Nathan had nothing more to say. She touches Lucas's shoulder and offers him a small smile when he turns to look at her.

Nathan scoffs quietly. His eyes focused on her hand around his half brother's shoulder. What did Lucas have that he didn't? She's known him since grade school, she's only known Lucas about two weeks. So why was she already so close to him?

Nathan clenches his teeth for the umpteenth time that morning. His fists clenched so hard, they started turning white. Something in his twisted mind wanted to get Allie away from Lucas. He would have to come up with a perfect plan.

-

She was in the tutoring center, along with Haley. The two girls have started to get closer now that she was friends with Lucas. They were babbling about the upcoming game when Nathan walked in.

She turned to look at Haley who excuses herself. "What do you want, Scott?" She asks looking back at him. He sighs and sits in the chair Haley was just sitting in. "I'm failing alright?" The girl scoffs and goes back to doing homework.

"Okay, and? What does that have to do with me?" She asks him, not looking up from her paper. His jaw clenches, "Would you just look at me?" He says to her and grabs her chin, forcing her to look at him.

Her eyes widened and she let out a soft gasp. "Can you please tutor me?" He asks her with his puppy dog eyes. She didn't know why, but her heartbeat sped up for a second when she looked at him. Clearing her throat she rips her chin from his grasp and puts back on her poker face.

"No. No way. Not after the way you've been treating Lucas." She says and starts packing up her stuff. He softly scoffs and rolls his eyes at the mention of his name. "What's up with you two anyway?"

Allie softly chuckles. "It's really none of your business." She answers him and walks out of the tutoring center, looking for Brooke. Meanwhile, Nathan groans in frustration and throws his head back.

She was walking towards the parking lot when she saw Brooke. "Hey, we still on for tonight?" She asks the brunette. Brooke smiles, "Um yeah. I'm going straight to your place." She replies and squeals excitingly.

Allie laughs at her friend's antics, "Okay, let's go." She says and walks to her car.

-

"Too bad he's poor and can't play because he is fine." Brooke admits about Lucas. "Brooke! That's so mean." Allie says and laughs. "What? I'm just stating the facts." The two girls laugh at their conversation before hearing a knock on Allie's bedroom door.

"Come in." Allie calls out and the door opens, revealing Peyton. "There she is. We were starting to think you weren't coming." She says to the blonde girl.

She laughs and sits down next to Allie on her bed. "Hey, I think it's really good you're fighting with Nathan again." Brooke says, looking at Peyton.

She furrows her brows, "You do?" Brooke nods her head, "Yeah, every time you guys fight, I get to hear new music." Allie slightly chuckles, "That's true, P. Swayer."

Peyton slightly smiles and threatens to kick the two girls. "Do you guys ever look past it?" She asks her two best friends. Allie and Brooke share a confused look, "Past what?" They ask. "All of it. High school and basketball and just... like, the whole popularity drama?"

Allie looks down and plays with her hands in her lap. "Yeah. I mean I think about the future sometimes and it scares me. But then I think I'll go to college. I'll join the right sorority. I'll marry a rich guy, unless I get fat." Brooke confides.

Peyton slightly smiles and the two girls look at Allie. "What about you?" She hears Brooke ask. Allie sighs and looks up from her hands. "Well sometimes I do wish that I wasn't Allie Bazor you know? This whole popularity thing isn't going to matter 5 years from now."

She says and sighs before looking at Peyton. "So I guess, yeah... sometimes I do look past it."

-

Lucas was walking the halls and into the locker room when Allie caught up to him. "Hey #3!" She calls out and skips over to him. He laughs and wraps his arm around her shoulders. "Good luck out there." She says to him with a smile on her face. "Thanks." he says and before the two of them could walk further, Dan Scott approaches them.

"Son?" He asks, looking straight at Lucas. He grabs the gym bag from around his shoulder and holds it out. "Give this to my boy will you?" Lucas just stares at his so-called father. Allie scoffs and takes a step forward. She snatches the bag from his hands and walks back into Lucas arms.

"Have a nice night, Mr. Scott." She says and turns around, leaving with Lucas. "Anyways, you're going to do great, Luke." She says, hoping he forgets the interaction that just occurred. Dan looks at the two of them from behind with a smirk. "So Nathan wasn't kidding." He says to himself and chuckles.

-

Allie was stretching out her legs with her team. "Where's Peyton?" She asks Brooke who just shrugs. As if on cue, Peyton sits down right next to her and starts stretching as well. "I was beginning to think you weren't gonna show." She says to her friend.

"It's game night. Where else would I be?" She jokes and they continue stretching. "Nice number." Peyton says to her friend. Allie smiles and rubs her finger against the #3 eyeliner on her face softly. "Well I have to cheer on someone." She replies.

The cheerleaders all get up and get in formation, waiting for the players to come out. Allie was standing in between Brooke and Peyton when Lucas stopped in front of Peyton. "Your art matters. It's what got me here." He says and walks off.

Allie smiles and looks at Peyton with a knowing look. "Anything you'd like to share?" She asks quietly. Peyton just laughs and pushes her shoulder.

Allie looks at Lucas then back at Peyton and shakes her head with a whistle. "Good luck, Nate." She mumbles quietly to herself.