reputation | one tree hill

two

"cheerio's or special k?" delilah taylor asked her step-daughter as the two of them sat at the kitchen table. "and don't say neither, you're getting skinnier by the second."

"oh it's the drugs," jordan responded quickly. "cocaine really does that to a girl, it's the same reason i'm failing algebra."

delilah let out a fake laugh, setting a bowl of cereal in front of jordan, just as skills, delilah's son and jordan's brother, came into the room. he had his headphones on and was loudly singing along to 'c.r.e.a.m' by wu-tang clan.

"morning, ladies," he smiled, lifting a can of dr pepper out of the refrigerator and drinking almost all of it at once.

"antwon, dr pepper is not a breakfast," delilah scolded, but skills ignored her as he took another and put it into his backpack.

"yo, jordy, what's this about your boyfriend challenging luke to a one-on-one game?" he asked jordan, who responded with an eye roll and a groan.

"that dick is not my boyfriend!" she argued defensively, but it wasn't that part of the sentence that skills was interested in. "and i don't know, he's probably just being an ass."

"said he'd quit the time if lucas won."

jordan furrowed her eyebrows at this. there was nothing more important to nathan that being a raven, not his friends, not his girlfriend; it was always basketball.

skills quickly moved on from the conversation but it stayed with jordan. she was always wary of nathan when she knew he felt threatened, and his behaviour wasn't making any sense to her.

;

jordan hated school enough on a good day. today, however, someone seemed to have it out for her. she'd failed her latest social studies test, forgot her biology homework, and got hit by a ball during gym class.

by noon, she'd decided it was best for her sanity to skip the rest of the day. she waited until everybody was in class before walking out, wishing she'd took the keys off of skills that morning.

"little early, isn't it?" she heard a voice ask, turning around to see nathan, looking as smug as ever. "aren't you supposed to be in math?"

"you've memorised my schedule? little stalkerish, nate."

it was by habit she called him nate, and she internally scolded herself when she noticed him light up as she did.

"don't flatter yourself," he responded, falling into step with her. "you just suck at math so i figured you're still stuck in the sophomore class."

"you would be right," jordan said with a half smile. "now, if you'll excuse me, i'm off to take a fat nap for the rest of the afternoon."

"can i join you?"

"stop that," she muttered angrily as she stopped to face him, and nathan smirked. "don't be cute or funny about this, nathan. it's in the past, and it won't happen again."

"okay," nathan said, and jordan struggled to understand if he was being sincere or not. "if that's what you want, i'll lay off," he continued, smiling slightly; a kind smile, not the smug one he usually displays.

jordan hesitated before responding. "cool," she eventually stated. "so, what's this about you challenging lucas? you threatened?"

"i'm not threatened by anybody," nathan argues defensively, and jordan tried to hide her amusement at how much lucas was getting to him. "i just think he should stay in his little park."

"if that's your story," jordan teased him slightly. "i think it'll be hot watching the two of you, all sweaty and intense," she thought aloud, seldom able to hide her flirtatious nature, and nathan smirked.