FIVE.
SHAPE UP, NATHAN

          "SO WHAT DID HE DO TO YOU?" Jaycee muttered, her pencil in her mouth as she stared at her journalism page. She sat in the library during her free period with Lucas, trying to get more insight on how much of a dick Nathan actually is.

Lucas rested his book on the table, responding to the girl, "Do you want the truth or.."

           Taking a deep breath, not taking a second to roll her eyes at the boy. "The full thing," He's just tried to make everything for me a living hell. Taking my clothes when I was showering, that whole River Court nonsense," Lucas pipped up on the last thing, "He even basically kidnapped me, Jay!"

The girls eyes widened, her mouth opening enough so her pencil slipped out of her mouth. "What?" Jaycee blurted, not trying to seem sarcastic—she just couldn't believe what she was hearing.

The blonde boy nodded and kept explaining, "Placed a bag over my head; pulling me into their van, tying my hands behind my back, threw me in this muddy water, and told me to walk home. I didn't even know where I was at."

"What's his damage, my god," Jaycee sort of whispered to herself, "That's insane. I'm sorry this has been happening to you Luke."

Grabbing his book again, he assured, "No, don't be sorry. He learns from the best, our dad." Taking a deep breath, Lucas noticed the colorful bracelet hanging around her wrist, "Nice bracelet" He complimented before getting lost in the book once more.

Jaycee took a glimpse towards the bracelet, slowly slipping it off of her after earning what Nathan has done. It felt wrong to wear it? She didn't know who this Nathan was because after all these years, she knew the boy better than herself.

              THE DAVIS GIRL SKIPPED THE BASKETBALL GAME at home for Tree Hill High, merely just because she didn't feel like going or thats just what she was telling everyone. After the game, Jaycee heard that Nathan was throwing a party at his dad's beach house. In the back of her mind, she rather stay home and avoid him some more but Beatrice invited her and Jaycee couldn't say no to her.

             "So," Beatrice broke the silence in Jeep as she pulled out of Jaycee's driveway, "Why'd you skip the game? You know that your sister is livid right?"

             Jaycee plucked at her fingers, getting rather anxious to try and hide from the truth, "I was with Keith," she tried to defend herself.

             Beatrice laughed lightly before merging into a lane, "That's funny because Keith was there with Karen," Beatrice told, which cause Jaycee to curse under her breath, "Tell me the truth, Jay." Jaycee kept her straight face, gittering in her seat because she couldn't tell a lie for her life. "Please," Beatrice pleaded.

              "Nathan has been a huge dick to Lucas. And I finally just started to let him in again. I'm even tutoring him, he came over to my house," Jaycee spoke like it was her last day on earth, once she was finished her head fell to the dashboard earning a loud smack, "I don't know who he is anymore."

The questions seemed to pile up in Beatrice's brain, learning all this new information about Nathan and Jaycee left her—speechless? It was clear as day that Nathan and Jaycee loved each other, ever since they were little it was clear but they went years without talking. Why was she saying let him in once more?

               Beatrice tried, not really, to keep them all in but she bursted, "What do you mean let him in again? What's happening between him and Lucas?" Beatrice questioned, not realizing she pulled into Nathan's driveway.

               Jaycee quickly interrupted her, "Well! We are here! Time to go!" Jaycee basically fell out of the car, "I'll catch you later? I mean, I'll see you in the party."

               Just as Jaycee was about to escape Beatrice, she was stopped by Tim, "Jaycee, you got to talk to him." He begged, "Lucas had the better shot. You saw it, right?"

              "Tim," Beatrice called out, "Are you being pathetic?"

               Leaving his mouth ajar, a red truck pulled off towards the sidewalk. Lucas and Haley had arrived, making Tim confused, "What's he doing here?"

               "I invited him," Nathan explained, walking up towards the group. Jaycee's breath hitched as she saw the boy, she wanted to talk to him—it killed her not too but right now, she did not need it. "I mean, since you guys are such great friends now," Nathan added, only making Jaycee more lost.

                 Peyton in her dark all black outfit, asked the boy, "What are you trying to pull?"

                 Nathan looked down at her with a sincere look, "Nothing." Moving to Lucas getting out of his car, Nathan spoke, "I wasn't sure you'd come."

                Lucas, who was walking up with Haley gave him a nasty look before replying, "Makes two of us."

                Biting his tongue, Nathan stepped inbetween Lucas and Haley, to introduce himself, "Hi, I'm Nathan Scott." Jaycee, unknowingly, burning holes into the two as she watched. Her stomach turned in a jealousy type of way.

                 "Yeah, I know." Haley shook his hand, "I'm Haley." She took a glimpse over to Jaycee, noticing the fire in her eyes—she backed away from Nathan, taking the hint to ask about it later.

                 A smooth hand slapped Jaycee's back, she jumped back into focus with reality. Taking a look over her shoulder, Beatrice stood with a smirk before whispering in her ear, "It's either me or the devil, Jay."

                Jaycee swallowed harshly, nodding before going up the stairs with her arm around Beatrice. This was going to be a long night.

               The party was in full effect; Jaycee glued to Beatrice's side dodging Nathan at any given moment, Peyton being annoyed with Nathan, as goes the same for Lucas, Brooke flirting and getting drunk, and Haley was just there—so, the usual!

                Jaycee stood behind Beatrice, earning some weird looks from her friends while the rest gather around in a circle drinking their vodkas. A girl name Kallie who was on the cheer squad held up a newspaper with an anger expression on her face, "Have you guys seen this?"

                  Brooke took the newspaper in her hands, opening it up as the ground gathered closer. "The "High School Fearleader". It's a comic strip," Brooke observed, examining the sketches that represented high school stereotypes, "Wait, this is insulting, right?"

                 Jaycee took note of Peyton deeply, she knows how Peyton draws and her little sketches that she does. Jaycee for a while was the only person who Peyton could show her drawings too. And this was a magazine, Peyton always wanted to be apart of it

                 "My dog can draw better than this," Vegas scoffed.

                 Brooke ripped the newspaper back into her hands, "Really? What guy keeps his hat on during sex?" Jaycee popped her hand up, staring a little at Nathan behind Beatrice's shoulder. She remembered the time Peyton told her about the time, it was so funny that she could never ever forget it. "Who is this "Saki" person, anyway?" Brooke growled through her teeth.

                 Nathan deadpanned Peyton, not taking his eyes off her, "Yeah, I wonder."

                 Jaycee coughed before speaking, "It's just a comic strip. It's not true, anyways." Her eyes not leaving the floor or even moving so people could look at her.

                "It's more like sucky." Brooke disagreed with what her twin sister was saying, "Whoever it is doesn't know the first thing about it. It's like so..."

                "Shallow?" Lucas chimed in, keeping his distance from the group.

                "Where's the keg?" Peyton mumbled, storming away from the angry teenagers. Jaycee followed suit, turning around, her little feet clicking her heels quickly to hide.

Just as she was about to turn the corner upstairs, she ran right into a girl, knocking right on her ass. "Oh I am so—Haley?"

Haley wiped off her pants, grabbing Jaycee's hand to pull her up, "Hey Jay. How's it—" She coughed from all the dust, "going?"

"Terrible," Jaycee sank onto the bottom steps, Haley taking a place right next to her, "I wish I never came here."

Haley pulled her into a side hug, letting Jaycee rest on her shoulder, "Don't we all." The party seemed to roar, not without leaving Jaycee with a throbbing headache already, "Wanna tell me why you were about to murder me when Nathan came up to me?"

Jaycee winced, closing her eyes in embrassment, letting out an exasperating sigh, "You saw that, didn't you?"

Haley had a wide expression, "I mean, who didn't? You looked like I just kissed him while you are in love with him."

Jaycee broke a smile, showing her teeth, "That's not it, trust me." Jaycee rose her head up, "I don't know what's gotten into me. Lucas told me everything he's done and I'm just angry? I guess."

Rubbing the girls side, Haley agreed, "I know. It's terrible, and I can't help but feel guilty because I basically threw him on you and now you feel like this."

Jaycee pulled Haleys arm around her shoulder, taking her hand in hers instead, "Do not feel bad, Haley James. I rather it be you and not me," Jaycee was going to continue the conversation but Lucas walked past them, "Actually, I have an idea, hold on!"

SPEED WALKING TO CATCH UP WITH LUCAS, he headed towards the kitchen—leading Jaycee into a trap. "Lucas..Jaycee, come play," Brooke invited, Jaycee abruptly stopped looking at the friend group back around the kitchen counter. Beatrice snickering her laughs in, knowing what Jaycee just got herself into.

"What's the game?" He asked, joining the rest of them and taking a moment to ask Jaycee to do the same.

Her anxiety seemed to rise off the charts, her breath quicken but she joined anyways. "I never.." Brooke began.

"And yet, apparently, you have," Vegas laughed.

Brooke tilted her head before warning, "Shut up, Vegas."

"Alright. So the game is, we all take turns saying things that we've never done and anybody at the table who has.." Nathan holds out a cup to Lucas.

"They have to drink," Lucas finished, Nathan nodding his head in response. "Yeah, I know," Lucas took the cup from Nathan and took a sip. Brooke slid another cup to Jaycee.

"Alright. Kallie, you're up," Nathan told the brunette.

"Okay. Let's see. I never.. had sex with anything made out of plastic," Kallie smirked, eyeing Brooke.

Brooke took a sip of her drink again, "Okay, my turn. I never.. no I did that." She giggled, not being able to finish her sentence.

"Alright. My turn," Nathan stated, not giving Brooke another chance, "Oh, let's see. Um, I never.. I've never had a dad that wished I was a stain on the bed sheets." He announced, directly looking at his brother.

Jaycee's jaw slacked, as everyone around including Nathan laughed except for Peyton and Brooke. Lucas stormed off, just incase so he didn't make anything worse. Jaycee took a sip, knowing her dad—she related to it. Which didn't go notice by Nathan, his jaw tightened as she watched her.

Blinking from the burn of the alcohol, Jaycee spoke up, "My turn." Her eyes looking directly in Nathans, "I never have been such a dick to someone who came here just to have some fun." She moved her drink in Nathan's direction, "Can't hide from this one 23," the anger behind her nickname that only she called him made his heart stop, "Drink up."

                   AVOIDING LUCAS AND NATHAN SEEMED TO BE THE ONLY GOAL for Jaycee as the night rumbled on. She lost sight of Beatrice, not even going to try and find Haley in a crowd like this. So, she accepted defeat and sat on the couch with her arms crossed over her chest. At least she could be a safe driver for one of her friends whenever they turned up.

                    Tim called out for Nathan, wanting some kind of porn that Jaycee prayed that he didn't have. After a second, Nathan came stridding over—digging through the DVDs, under the shelf. Within a blink of an eye, Nathan clicked the DVD in and the crowd of people around the TV quiet down.

                     As the video appeared on screen, it observed to be an old video from the 1980s or some sort. Footage kept rolling on, Jaycee letting out a breath as she saw it was a prom video. Not just a prom video, it was Dan and Karen's prom video.

                     "Tree Hill High Snowball Court King and Queen, Daniel Scott and Karen Roe. Karen, what's the secret to your success?"

                      "Um, the secret to our success," Karen pondered, "I don't know. Good question. Dan?"

                      "Good sex!" Dan cheered.

                      Jaycee frowned in disgust. She always knew that she liked Keith more, who wouldn't? Dan was a red flag just by himself. And oh, Karen was too sweet to be heartbroken but that somehow man.

                     "Be serious," Karen scolded, her voice breaking through with sadness.

                      "Karen, do you think you guys will get married?" The interviewer pipped up.

                       "Do I think Dan and I will get married? Who knows. I mean..."

                       "Oh my god! The hair," Brooke interjected. Jaycee lifted herself on her shoulder, givng her sister a glare.

                       "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 spilled, being ever so in love

                      "Whose the girl?" Tim blurted.

                      "Okay ladies and gentlemen, there's your prom king and queen, Dan Scott and Karen Roe."

                      Lucas stood frozen, like his fight or flight mindset had kicked in, tears welling up in his eyes,
"That's my mom."

                      "At least her dreams came true for one of them," Nathan commented.

                       "Yeah, except for the happy part right?," Lucas spat back, his tears glistened in his eyes. He walked out of the party, slamming Nathan against the wall while doing so.

                        Jaycee scoffed at Nathan and certainly everyone's reaction. Leaving the opposing way from Lucas, she slammed the door outside to the ocean.

                        ESCAPING TO THE SEA, WHERE SHE COULD HANDLE HER THOUGHTS, she thought she could escape Nathan too but she was wrong. Like a little puppy dog, right as Jaycee left, so did he. Just it took a little longer for Nathan to actually speak to the brunette girl sitting down by the beach.

                     "Are you done ignoring me?" Nathan recalled, leaving space between him and Jaycee.

                     "Are you done being a jackass?" Jaycee threw the fire back at Nathan. Her words laced with the anger shes with held from him all night.

                      "Okay, that one hurt," Nathan joked, trying to see if Jaycee could light up. But he didn't know the fire that was he under, waiting to be unleashed.
 
                      Letting out a breath of exhaustion, Jaycee cautioned, "Oh I have many other things to call you. How about, a dickhead, bitch, oh! Oh! My favorite, asshole!" Jaycee ended her sentence, finally making eye contact with Nathan.

                     Nathan set his defense mechanism back up, "What? What did I do for you to be this mad?"

                    "What did you do?" Jaycee eyesbrows furrowed, "You really do need tutoring."

                      "Okay, I don't understand," Nathan's eyes slanted, searching from some kind of answer on Jaycee's face.

                     "One second, I know who you are. I remember the kind Nathan that use to be," Jaycee bellowed, "But than you prove me wrong like you did tonight."

                     Nathan kept searching her eyes, they always were soft whenever she looked at him but tonight it was different. Different enough that it broke Nathan's cold heart into two, "What?"

                      "Lucas and Peyton!" Jaycee snapped, "You have been a complete an total jackass since Lucas came onto the team. Throwing him into a puddle and leaving him there? Tonight when you embarrassed him in front of everyone with the one who was always there for him, his mom!" Jaycee took a deep breath before continuing to yell, "Don't even get me start on Peyton."

                     Behind his drunken state, he seemed to sober up fast while Jaycee yelled at him. He broke under his skin, wanting to apologize and make things right with the girl but that was one thing he just couldn't do. "They deserve it, Jaycee," Nathan bit his tongue, believing he was right in a tiny way.

                     "How?" Jaycee jumped down from the ledge, "Lucas has done nothing to you. He loves basketball, just like you do. He plays at the River Court, every night, Nathan. He finally gets his shot at being on the team and you want to be right there to ruin it."

                     Jaycee took a deep breath, "As for Peyton, she doesn't even feel loved by you. And it hurts to know that she's going through that because she deserves the world. Underneath your thick skin, I hope you can realize it too. It's killing her everyday but she puts up with it." Jaycee paused, waiting for Nathan to speak but nothing came out, allowing for her to ask, "Where is she anyways?"

                     Nathan grumbled under his breath, telling her the truth, "We got into another fight. I took her car when I was under the heat of the moment. I took it to get beer, and may have crashed it."

                    Jaycee's jaw fell to the floor, "You crashed her car and haven't told her?"

                   "I told her Tim took it and he'd bring it back in the morning," Nathan shrugged.

                   Jaycee pinched her nose, rubbing under her eye lids, "Nathan. Shape up." She warned, "You are going to lose everything if you keep this up."

                   "Yeah, whatever. Says the girl who doesn't even have parents," Nathan mumbled, stomping away and taking a swish of whatever was in his brown bag before walking into the beach house.

                  A lump was caught in her throat, Jaycee cracking her voice in little mutters. Tears spilling down her cheeks, feeling the hurt from Nathan's words. Jaycee understood that she said harsh things to him but it wasn't like she was lying neither was it something sensitive to him. She didn't lay as low as he did when it came to comebacks.

                Jaycee stuck her tongue to her cheek, licking her now chapped lips from crying, catching a salty tear in her mouth, she pulled out her phone. Hastily, clicking the pads to call the one number she could think of.

              "Hello?" The voice croaked.

              "Hi." Jaycee choked, "Can you come pick me up?"

             "Always, babygirl," Keith Scott answered through the phone.

✶ Okay so this angst almost about killed me because I just want them to be the happy couple I know they are. BUT it gets worst before it gets better guys 😓😓.

✶ THE JEALOUSY WAS SCREAMINGGGF THOUGH.

✶ Also Beatrice kinda disappeared within the chapter but Jake picked her up, don't worry 😋😋 ( ITS CANNOOONNN )

✶ Also sorry if some of this doesnt make sense, it does in my head so im rolling with it lol. i had to get something out and i ended at 3000 words SO WOOOOOO

✶ Please vote and comment your opinions and thoughts!!! I adore and love to read them all!! And thank you so much for 1.K on this!!