Chapter 1

"Okay, we are not going to do this. We are not going to get sad. Nothing is going to change now. We'll all be friends forever. I know it." said Brooke.

"Look in four years we'll meet right back here. You know, done with college or wherever we go. Right?" Lucas responded.

New York City, 4 years later….

Brooke Davis stared out of the window of the limo at the skyscrapers wondering how she got where she is today. She sometimes finds it unbelievable that she actually lives in New York, that most of her dreams have come true. She has celebrities fighting to wear her designs. She is constantly in the news, sometimes when she wishes she wasn't. She begins to think back on how far she—

"Hey, are you okay?"

She turns from the window and replies, "Yes, I was just thinking."

"Yeah, I've been trying to get your attention for a while now."

"I'm sorry. I just have some things on my mind right now."

"Well I hope I am one of those things."

She closes her eyes to prepare herself for the same conversation she has with him every few weeks. She thought he understood the type of relationship they have. The only type of relationship she can have right now.

She sighs and then calmly says. "Justin, you know that this relationship is really just for the press. You are a great guy and I love spending time with you."

"Brooke, I know we said that we would just hang out some for publicity. You would be my arm candy and I would be yours. But I didn't plan to get these feelings for you. I really think if we give this relationship a try it could be something great."

"I told you I can't do that. I know there are many women out there that would want to smack me upside the head and call me crazy for turning you down time and time again. You are People's Most Beautiful Person, NFL Player of Year, and one of the sweetest men I know." She reaches out and grabs his hand. "To me you are perfect, which is one of the reasons I can not open up and let you all the way in." She hated seeing the look of disappointment on his face so she turned her head away and looked down in her lap.

He placed his finger under her chin and slowly lifts her head up so she would look him in the eye. "I don't understand why you are so against this. I know you said something happened in your past but I can tell you right now I am not like that person who hurt you. I can—"

"Persons!" she stated. "There were two people who hurt me." He then rubbed her hand as an act of encouragement so she would continue on with the story.

"I've only opened up myself to love someone twice in my life and both times it was with the same guy." She stops and tries to compose herself because even though it has been four years, the hurt is still there and at times brings her to tears. "Both times this guy broke my heart by cheating on me with my best friend."

"Brooke that is awful. I wouldn't wish that pain on anyone but I am not like—"

He was interrupted by her cell phone ringing. She grabbed her favorite monogram Gucci handbag, the one she just can't seem to let go of because it was her first $3000 bag that she purchased with her own hard earned money, and she pulled out her cell phone. When she glanced at the display she saw that it was "Tutor-mom" calling.

She smiled and answered "Hi tutor-mom! How are you and Nathan and my wonderful godson—"

She paused when she heard what she thought was a sniffle and then all of a sudden it turned into a heart wrenching sob. "Haley you are scaring me, what's wrong?"

Tree Hill High School Gym, Tree Hill NC

He paused the game film playing on the TV when he heard the knock on the door. "Come in."

In walks the troubled star player of the Tree Hill Ravens.

"Hi Coach Scott. You wanted to see me?"

"Hi Josh." He points to the chair in front of his desk and says "have a seat." As Josh goes to sit down Lucas asks "do you know why I wanted you to come see me?"

"Maybe because of my recent attitude."

"That is correct. I assume that there must be something going on for you to act this way. I've never had any problems from you before." He looks a way from me shamefully. "Is there something you want to discuss?"

"Nothing that talking is going to help."

"You never know Josh. It may just help you to talk it out with an impartial person." Josh then looks at Lucas as if he is trying to decide if he wants to open up. "I promise you whatever we discuss will stay here between us."

He looks up and then says, "I just have so much going on right now. My Dad is on my back, my Mom argues with my dad about pressuring me, and now I am having girl problems with two different girls." He sighs before he continues, "there is just so much pressure on me now and I just take it out on the wrong people."

Lucas shakes his head and thinks 'If he wasn't sitting right in front of me I probably would have laughed. He is me four years ago.' Instead of laughing he looks up at him and says, "I have been through everything you just mentioned so I totally understand where you are coming from." Josh responds by looking up as if he wants Coach Scott to continue. Lucas does just that and says, "my dad got my mother pregnant in high school, left her and went to college and then got another woman pregnant." Josh just looks at Lucas stunned. "He married the other woman and had nothing to do with me growing up. We didn't start talking until I joined the basketball team my Junior year in High School. He was an evil man and treated me terribly. He would always make sure I knew that I was a mistake and that he didn't want my mom to keep me."

"Wow, that does sound bad."

"That isn't even the worst thing he did. Since he wasn't around his brother, my wonderful Uncle Keith, practically raised me. Then during my senior year Uncle Keith and my mother were engaged and he wanted to adopt me. Before the marriage or adoption could happen, my father murdered my Uncle."

Josh is now looking at his coach with pity. "I hate to say this Coach but I am glad my situation isn't as bad as yours."

"Yes it was a bad time for me and my mom. She struggled with raising me without my father and then having to deal with him when he came back in my life."

Lucas paused to recall one of the worst times in his life. "We had to come together to survive my uncles death. Then after the death my mom found out she was pregnant so we had another thing to deal with right after the death. But somehow we made it through. When it was happening I didn't think I would be able to get over it, but with time I did. Right now, I know you feel like what you're going through will never end but I am a witness that if you stay strong and just hold on it will get better. Plus you have me here to talk to, to vent, anytime you need to."

Josh slowly smiles and says, "Thanks Coach Scott, I probably will take you up on the offer to talk sometimes. But I did notice that you didn't give me any advice about the girls."

Lucas laughed and responded "That's because I am probably not the person to give you advice about that. My situation was bad, and the only advice I could give you was to not do what I did. If I could go back in time there are so many things I would have done differently. I could have avoided so much hurt and probably would have had a better personal life right now."

Josh giggled before saying "Coach Scott are you single now because of some girl from your past? Are you that sprung that years later you are still longing for her?"

Lucas smiles saying "If you met her you too—"

Just then Lucas is stopped because his cell phone starts ringing. He answers, "Hi Nate, what's going on?

Nathan replies "It's bad Lucas, real bad."

Backstage RBC Center, Raleigh NC

Peyton looked on at the monitors making sure the stage change was moving smoothly. In the last city there was a mistake made and she had to hear Adam complaining. This was one of the things about her job that she hated, being at the artist beck and call. One thing that she does love about her job is touring, and it doesn't hurt that she is touring with Maroon 5, one of her favorite bands. She loved going city to city around the country and she especially loved travelling overseas. Sometimes she does miss living like a normal person with a family and kids to come home to. Sometimes she longs for the life of her old friends Nathan and Haley. Just then her cell phone rang and it was just who she was thinking about.

"Hi Nate, what did I do to deserve this call?"

"Peyton something has happened."