Notes: This was a challenge over at OTH Writer's 911, where Haley must be like Catherine from Cruel Intentions, and Brooke must be Annette. Big thanks yous are given to Neata and Luna for their help and advice, and overall awesomeness.
Strings - Chapter One: The Plan
Haley James-Scott was amazed at how she could wrap somebody so easily around her finger.
With just a modest amount of make-up, a conservative outfit, and a bright smile with just the right amount of nods and sweet talk; people folded like paper.
They fell for the choir girl look. They loved that she came from a good background, and thought they were leaving their children in good hands.
Haley smirked as she shed her school uniform and stood in her black lace underwear.
'If only they knew,' she thought to herself as she admired her reflection in the mirror.
She was certainly a good actress.
Her door to her boudoir opened suddenly and she spun around, facing the new arrival.
"You," she said a little unsatisfied, "You know they have a wonderful thing called 'knocking'. You might want to use it."
"Expecting somebody else?" Nathan leant against the door frame and crossed his arms.
Haley just replied with a sneer, but made no attempt to cover up her body. She was comfortable in her skin, and she enjoyed the way Nathan pretended not to check her out.
Nathan Scott, annoying older step-brother who seemed to think he was God's gift to women. And to tell the truth, he probably was. Haley didn't think he was anything special, but most of the girls in the school would probably disagree.
Of course, it wasn't to say that Haley didn't appreciate him. She'd always had a little, tiny thing for him. But she had decided early on that messing with his head was so much more fun than getting emotionally involved.
It didn't matter anyway; Nathan could get anyone he wanted, when he wanted. And the cocky son of a bitch knew it.
Sometimes Haley resented him. She resented his bitch of a mother swooping in and stealing her father's heart those eight years ago. Haley had never liked Deborah Scott, especially since the gold-digging fiend came on to the scene just months after she and her father had buried Haley's mother.
Haley's mother who smelt of cookies and vanilla. The woman who softly sung Haley to sleep and let her borrow her pearls.
She was a huge difference to her step-mother, who came with her blonde hair and red lipstick. The evil woman who handed Haley over to varying nannies and only wanted to see her at dinner time.
Haley couldn't borrow Deb's pearls. She could steal them.
Her father could see no wrong in Haley, and let her get away with murder. His rose-tinted glasses only allowed him to see the seventeen year old girl who only wore a touch of lip gloss, knee-high socks, tartan skirt and a blue sweatshirt over the mandatory white blouse.
He didn't know about the vixen that had a wide range of lingerie stashed in her closet; the boys she had in her bedroom, in dark alleys outside clubs and on her father's desk while he was at work.
He didn't know that she could do a variety of different things with her tongue, nor did he know that the language she used was enough to make a sailor blush.
Nope, her father didn't see anything at all.
But Nathan did. Because Nathan was exactly the same.
A different girl for every hour of the day. Blondes, redheads, brunettes, twins. It didn't matter.
Which is probably why the two were the most popular in the school.
Nobody dared to call Haley a slut. Nobody dared to beat Nathan up for fucking their girlfriends the night before.
It was just accepted.
They knew that Haley and Nathan Scott held the power and status to kick them out of the eight-thousand-dollar-a-semester school that their parents worked hard to get them into.
"What do you want, dear step-brother?" Haley asked, her hands resting on the smooth curves of her hips.
"Mom wants you downstairs," he replied, his eyes never leaving her body. Haley rolled her eyes.
"So what?" she replied curtly as she turned and sat down at her vanity table. She saw Nathan's smile drop as she did; he could no longer stare at the full beauty of her body, since half of it was hidden under a table.
"So…" he said venturing further into the room, "She wants to see you."
"She's not the boss of me," Haley sang. She always did this when Deb requested to see her.
"She is your mother."
"Step-mother," Haley emphasized, "And she can't make me do anything."
Nathan sighed, "Haley, come downstairs to see her. Preferably not kicking and screaming."
Haley narrowed her eyes and stood up, walking briskly to the door and stopping just inches from Nathan's face.
"Fine." She bit out. Nathan looked at her up and down.
"And preferably in clothing. As much as I'm sure Mr. Davis would love to see you in your current attire, I think it'll be much more appreciated if you put on the clown gown."
Nathan pointed to where the 'clown gown' was spread across the bed. Haley had so affectionately called her school uniform that because it reminded her so much of a clown. Someone who dresses up and acts happy, when inside they're anything but.
Half the time, she thought of herself as just that.
A clown.
"Mr. Davis…" Haley mused, "Where have I heard that name before?"
"Well if you read the newspaper, rather than InStyle, you'll know that Mr. Rodger Davis owns several of them."
Haley cocked her head to the side, her fingers reaching for Nathan's midsection, and grabbing hold of his belt. Tugging it slightly so that he jerked towards her, she let her fingers graze the skin underneath.
"Tell her I'll be down in a minute," she said seductively, knowing that at this very minute, Nathan's heart was racing at an unbelievable speed.
"She…" Nathan tried not to let Haley know the effect she had on him, "She wants you downstairs… now."
"Tell her I'm just finishing off my prayers then," Haley said, letting go of Nathan and walking away. "And shut the door when you leave." She instructed.
Nathan did so and took a few moments outside her door to collect himself.
That girl was dangerous.
Five minutes later, a more demure looking Haley stepped into the living room to greet the guests. And her step-mother.
Everyone turned to face her, and Haley noted that one of the guests was a pretty brunette girl, sitting between her parents.
"And this is my daughter, Haley," Deb proudly announced. Haley held back a growl aimed at Deb and chose to smile sweetly instead.
"Hello," she said holding out her hand to greet them. "How nice it is to have you here."
Haley took a seat nearby, noticing for the first time that Nathan was also in the room. She gave him a slight nod, to which he shifted uncomfortably.
"Mr. and Mrs. Davis were interested in enrolling their daughter, Brooke, at St. James'," Deb explained. Haley had fought long and hard to let her father keep the name of the school as it was. Deb had wanted to change it to something stupid like Tree Hill Manor, but Haley's insistence that they keep the name in honor of her mother's maiden name.
"It really is an honor to have someone of your stature choose St. James'," Haley said to Rodger, "I mean… you are like a hero of mine." Haley said, holding a hand to her chest.
"Really?" Rodger Davis asked, seemingly pleased.
"Oh yes! I've always been interested in journalism," She smiled in return. It was just like tuning a violin, this art-form of hers, and she'd perfected it. Nathan rolled his eyes at her talent. He was still auditioning for the symphony, as it were.
"Well, in that case, I think you and I should talk. We could get some valuable work experience for you before college." Rodger suggested. Haley gave him a bright smile.
"We'll definitely have to discuss it," she said, even though she had no inclination to do so. Haley knew exactly how to tell people what they wanted to hear.
And the strings played on.
Haley played along as Rodger Davis grinned broadly and filled her in on the 'tricks of the trade'. She smiled demurely and nodded in the appropriate pauses, all the while thinking that murder should be legal. For a journalist, he was certainly bad at reading people... not that it mattered; she had business to conduct. And, as a Daddy's girl with a new Mercedes Sports on the way, she would do her best.
"Anyway," she said, her voice as sweet as sugar, "I feel awfully rude...We've gotten completely off track." She turned and smiled, baring her teeth in a somewhat predatory manner, to the teenage girl at the man's side. Extending her hand, she added. "I'm Haley...And, I'm so sorry, I've forgotten your name already..." She twirled a lock of her hair. "I'm such a bimbo sometimes..."
Her step-mother laughed viscously and Haley had to struggle not to send a snide remark her way.
Brooke simply smiled, "Brooke Davis," she introduced herself, shaking Haley's hand. Haley noted that her finger nails were devoid of nail varnish, and she signed inwardly.
Not another one.
"Oh, right!" she giggled, sounding so very pathetic to her own ears. "I'll store that one away like a proper journalist would." She tapped the side of her head and sent a flirtatious glance towards the Davis man.
There was nothing in the rulebook that said she couldn't enjoy herself whilst working, after all.
To the side, Nathan rolled his eyes.
"You know," Brooke's mother began, "Brooke recently had an article published in one of Rodger's newpapers. The New York Times, I believe."
"Really?" Haley cocked her head to the side, "Well, that is very interesting. What was it on?"
Rodger beamed proudly, "It was on the attitudes of teenagers today on sex."
Haley had the good grace to blush. "Oh, my..." She touched her cheek. "That is a very risqué topic, isn't it? I can't believe the way people our age behave sometimes!" Nathan arched an eyebrow and her step-mother snuffled a snort. However, she ploughed on. "I mean..." Placing a hand to her heart, she attempted to look wistful. "Whatever happened to waiting for love?"
Brooke, as predicted, broke into a wide, innocent smile. "Oh, that's exactly the way I feel!" She leant forward conspiratorially, "I think it's pointless to look at it any other way, don't you?"
'It depends,' Haley thought to herself, 'I rather like looking at the top of a man's head when he's…' She shook herself from that train of thought and chose, instead, to fine tune her newest instruments. "Of course! True love is the only way to go… I wouldn't even dream of giving my… heart," here she blushed once more for good measure, "to someone I barely knew, or barely liked!"
This response, naturally, caused Mr and Mrs. Davis to look across at one another and smile. They'd found the perfect mentor for their darling little girl! And, by the looks of it, the perfect school.
Brooke, meanwhile, was looking a bit like the cat that got the cream. It was incredibly disturbing and Haley wanted to put an end to it as soon as possible.
She turned to Mr Davis. "I do hope you find St James' suitable for your needs." She fiddled with the ornate cross that hung about her neck. "We'd love to have Brooke join us..."
"And I personally, would take her under my wing. I know how difficult it is to adjust at a new school." Haley offered
All three of them grinned widely, "Well that is just so generous of you. We were slightly unsure of leaving Brooke alone - especially since we have to leave for California tomorrow. But this puts me and my husband at rest, knowing that our little girl is in the company of such a fine role model"
"Oh, please..." Haley blushed and giggled gracefully, swatting a hand in their direction. "You flatter me..."
Nathan sighed into his glass of water, wondering how much crap Haley could spew before she made him sick.
As he glanced around the roo, he caught Brooke's eye, and she blushed suddenly, tearing her gaze away.
Haley, having noticed this, smiled slowly as a plan began to formulate.
"Well," Haley stood up, "How about you make the arrangements with my step-mother, and Brooke and I can go out for coffee, and give ourselves a chance to gossip."
"That sounds like an excellent idea," Mr. Davis nodded, rising politely as Haley attempted to drag Brooke from the room. "Oh, and Miss Scott?" He called after her, forcing her to grind her teeth.
She spun around and managed a curious smile. "Yes, sir?"
"I'll see what we can do with that work experience." He smiled broadly at her, as if expecting her to be utterly grateful.
Naturally, she appeared just that. "Oh, thank you Mr. Davis...As long as it's no bother..."
"Of course not, my dear. No bother at all."
Haley then turned to Brooke, "I hope you like lattes. Our cafeteria makes wonderful ones."
Brooke stood up from her seat and gave a slight nod. She kissed her parents both on their cheeks, followed by Deb and then gave a chaste nod in Nathan's direction. He returned it and watched as Brooke Davis - virgin - walked off with her new best friend.
Haley James-Scott - slut.
This was bound to be an interesting year.
"So... Brooke..." Haley began, twirling her spoon between her fingers. "You're... special, aren't you?" She spoke in a slow drawl, no longer forced to play the happy, perky model student. "You're not big on the sex thing, I mean."
Brooke's eyes widened. "Er... No... What I mean to say is..." She looked down at her lap. "No." She looked back up, confused. "I was under the impression that you...well...that we're in agreement."
Haley laughed throatily, "Oh, Brookie, Brookie, Brookie. You're not in Kansas anymore. This is an entirely different place. People don't care if you're smart, or have good morals. That's not the way to get ahead."
She paused as if considering something, "Or to give it, either."
The joke, sick though it was, was lost on the other girl.
"What?"
"You'll learn pretty quickly that a beautiful girl like you can't last long if you don't play the game."
"What game?" Brooke frowned, wishing that she'd chosen to stay with her parents.
Haley became frustrated with her naivety and sighed, "Look, Brooke. Guys here are only interested in one thing. And it's in your best interest to give it. There are no rooms at St. James' for virgins."
The other girl looked scandalized. "When my father hears about this-"
In an instant, Haley had her hands pinned against the table. "Daddy dearest will NOT be hearing anything, other than the fact that you're having a marvelous time." She leant backwards, beaming happily. "Got it?"
"But-"
"Despite our... let's say extra-curricular activities, St. James' is one of the best schools in the country. Relax; we're not going to write "not a virgin" on your college transcripts. It's just a... an experience. You'll make a lot of friends this way."
'And even more enemies,' she thought to herself.
Brooke was uneasy. "I'm not sure it's right for me..."
"Hon, listen to me and listen good; St. James' is right for everyone." Haley grinned wickedly. "Who knows? You may just enjoy being a naughty girl..."
Brooke gulped and stood her ground, "I've been raised by two good people who have wanted nothing but the best from me. My virginity isn't a curse, but it's a choice. I want to be in love before I give a big part of myself to somebody. I don't care if everyone else in this school is doing it; I am going to stick by my vow. You'll see."
Rolling her eyes, Haley brought out the big guns. "Alright, fine..." She smiled a little too kindly, and put her hands up in defeat. "It's your choice after all..." She shrugged, knowing intrinsically that the girl would take the bait. "It's too bad though...Nathan rather likes girls like you..." She looked Brooke up and down. "He's all for your...hidden potential."
Brooke self-consciously folded her arms across her chest, "If you don't mind, I'd rather not go for coffee. I'd like to be shown to my room, please."
"Oh, I'm sorry, I can't do that," Haley pulled out her flip-phone, "I've got an appointment I simply must keep..." She dialed a number and raised the phone to her ear. "Hi...Yeah...Need a favor...If you could take our newest lovely young thing to her room..." Her grin was predatory. "Brilliant. Alright. See you soon, gorgeous." She snapped the phone shut. "Someone will be along soon to show you around a bit more."
With those words, Haley sauntered off in the opposite direction. Brooke watched as the girl she'd previously thought to be nice and sweet had turned into a promiscuous vixen. She felt uneasy as she stood alone in the middle of the hallway - waiting for her escort - ad dreading who it could be.
"Newest lovely young thing?" Nathan asked, sneaking up on the girl from behind. He smirked as she leapt into the air, one hand at her chest.
"Oh, God, don't do that!" She cried, spinning around to come face to face with her escort. It was that boy. Haley's brother. The other girl had set her up! She scowled.
He just chuckled and shook his head, his hands buried in his pockets. "Shall we?" he questioned.
Brooke opened her mouth to say something but then just nodded.
"My parents..."
"-Are making arrangements for your luggage to be sent over from the hotel."
"They've made the deal already?" Brooke asked, disappointed to find that her parents had already sealed her fate at the school. "Don't worry," Nathan said sweetly as he put his arm around Brooke's shoulders. He was tall, and Brooke had to crane her neck up to look at him properly. "Everything will be fine. After all, you're in Haley's hands."
"That's what I'm worried about..." She replied, squirming, not exactly comfortable with being embraced by unfamiliar hands.
To her surprise, Nathan chuckled. "Ah, shown her true colors already, hey?" He 'tsked' and shook his head, before giving the shaking girl a reassuring squeeze. "Don't worry, Brooke, we're not all like her here..."
"Really?" she seemed slightly dubious at his comment.
He nodded. "Really." Pushing her forward gently, he decided to change tactics and lure her into a false sense of security. This one would be fun! "Anyway, let's give you a tour of the grounds, yeah?"
She nodded, gradually becoming more relaxed in his company.
Maybe Nathan was right. Maybe not everybody was like Haley.
"Brooke Davis…" Haley said the name slowly as if she was contemplating something.
Nathan turned his head and faced his step-sister as she said the young girl's name.
"What do you think of her?" Haley questioned. Nathan shrugged.
"Seems nice. A little naïve…"
Haley nodded, "That she is. God, she makes me sick."
"I thought you liked her," Nathan said, somewhat amused. "You seemed awfully keen on making her your new best friend." His tone was slightly mocking and Haley just rolled her eyes.
"Desperate times call for desperate measures," Haley took a sip of the brandy she'd swiped from her father's office.
"Ah yes, hence the wonderful display of sucking up I witnessed. You were just moments away from being Brooke's new step-mother."
Haley groaned, "Yeah well, Miss Davis has now graced our school with her presence, and thanks to her parents, we're forty thousand dollars richer. Yay for us."
"Wow, something's up your butt. And I don't see a football player anywhere…" Nathan ignored the glare Haley sent his way. "Brooke must really have put you in a tail-spin."
"She just bugs me," Haley inspected her nails, "That whole virgin thing just too… apple pie."
"So she has morals," Nathan took Haley's glass of brandy and filled it up, drinking it all at once. "And from what I hear, you did a good enough job of frightening her out of her skin."
"Someone had to. If I had to pretend to be Susie Sunshine for another second, I think I would have died."
"One can only hope," Nathan muttered under his breath.
"What was that?"
"Oh, uh.. I said that she's not all bad."
Haley 'hmm'ed and bit her lip, "I have an idea."
"Really?"
"Uh huh..." She sighed, deciding she was overheating. Slowly, she unbuttoned her blouse, revealing the black lace beneath, seemingly oblivious to Nathan's wandering gaze.
"I mean," she continued, leaning forward, "Things are gettin' a little boring around here..." She moved closer to her step-brother and began stroking his chest. "Don'tcha think?"
Nathan, trying his best to remain cool and unfazed by her antics, rolled his eyes. "What's your idea?" he sighed heavily as if it was taking up so much of his time.
She shrugged and unbuttoned his shirt, opting to massage his shoulders. "Oh, you know...the usual, really..."
"What grade do you need changing? And why can't you sleep with them yourself?"
She forced a laugh, and slipped effortlessly into his lap. "Oh, Nate... you can be really silly sometimes..." Her hands began massaging other parts of his body. "This isn't about grades..."
"I'm not setting you up with Robert again..." Nathan warned, becoming increasingly warm, although he tried his best not to show it.
Sensing his dilemma, she took it upon herself to unzip his pants. "No... this is about entertainment, oh brother dear."
Nathan smirked, "This doesn't have to do with our bright, young thing, does it?"
"It might..." She leant forward and nibbled his earlobe, knowing that it drove him crazy. "She's just a little too plane-Jane for St. James', don't you think?"
Tejal - ...so much more than empty conversations filled with empty words... says:
"Yeah, but I give her a week before she contributes."
Haley sighed melodramatically, "Alas, dear brother, I think we might have our work cut out for us with this one. She seems to want to hold onto her precious morals."
"And what's wrong with that?"
She snorted. "The more people like her, the less people like you and I get laid."
Nathan sighed, "So what do you want to do about it?"
"Well...I was thinking we could show her the ropes..."
Nathan gave her a sideways glance and shook his head, chuckling under his breath, "I thought you'd already taken her under your wing."
"Well, I'm done," Haley announced, "I was thinking you could do something about it though."
He closed his eyes as her hands found his flesh. "What's in it for me, then?"
That is when her lips curled into a devilish grin, "Ah... that is the killer. If you... deflower our newest boarder, then I can get you into that High Baller or whatever basketball camp it is you wanted to go."
Nathan sat up, "But that place is booked solid. You can't possibly get me into High Flyers."
"On the contrary; I know one of the guys who runs it. One mind-blowing screw and you're in."
He sighed, feeling incredibly pressured to perform. Of course, that could also have had something to do with the hand that was playing with his now-erect member. He gasped. Make that the mouth...
"Haley..." He growled in frustration, grabbing her by the hair and pulling her face back up to his, "If you're making this shit up..."
She just let out a laugh, "Would I lie to you?" she asked sweetly. Nathan just glared, "Plus, you haven't even heard what I get if you lose."
That was true, he thought to himself. He was losing touch. Or, perhaps, he'd been distracted... "Alright... What do you get?"
She crossed her arms, "There's a music school in Italy. They're doing a summer program, and I'd love to go."
"So go."
She shook her head, "The bitch you call a mother put a stop to it. She told my dad that it's too much money and that he'd have no control over me. If you lose; you convince them to let me go."
"Is that it?" Haley nodded.
"That's it."
It seemed too simple. There had to be more to it than that. He voiced his thoughts. "You're not usually so easy to please..."
She grinned wickedly, and leapt from his lap. "But, predictably, you are."
He groaned. She'd left him high and dry, yet again.
"So..." she said as she let her hand wonder the tops of the bottles at the bar, "Do we have a deal?"
Nathan contemplated it, "High Flyers for sleeping with Brooke Davis?"
She chose a drink and poured herself a shot. "That's the deal."
Nathan scratched the back of his head, "Fine." he agreed. "It's a deal."
He held out a hand to shake it with hers, but Haley just pressed her lips to his. He could taste the alcohol that lingered on her lips.
"And if you do it within two weeks - you also get me." she promised, "Think of it as a bonus."
Due to his current aroused state, he didn't even bother to throw back a cruel comment that questioned the definition of 'bonus'. "You're on."
"Great," Haley said as she took a seat and faced the window, "Your time starts now. And she's right out there."
She pointed a perfectly manicured finger out of the window and pointed to the girl sitting underneath a tree reading a book.
Nathan followed her gaze and studied the young girl. She was attractive - no doubt about that - but he was sure this might not be an easy task.
He'd have to put out all the stops.
"Watch," Nathan said to Haley, "And get ready to sleep your way into getting me into High Flyers." he told her.
Haley just looked out of the window, sipping on her drink.
Brooke Davis, dressed in a sundress and sweater, looked every inch of a fine role model. Haley could see Nathan's form approach her.
With a smirk, she watched the beginning of the re-education of Brooke Davis.