Okay Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill or the characters in OTH….Mark Schwann does… And I am so glad. I know how the fans love everything he and his writers have come up with, because I am one of those obsessed fans. And I just love reading all the things that other fans come up with.

I also wanted to give a shout-out to a fellow writer on . She-who-shall-not-be-sane… She came up with this story idea and didn't really know enough about OTH to want to write it so I wrote it, and she edited it or betad it or whatever it is called. So the story idea is hers. And I just wanted to say thank you to her for letting me write it for her. Anyways, enjoy… Reviews are most welcome and read she-who-shall-not-be-sane's work as well. It's all great!

Rowanna was in her room getting ready for her first day at her new school. She absolutely did not want to go to school and today of all days was not gonna work for her.

She looked in the mirror trying to get her unruly red hair up into a ponytail. She had on a blue and white striped tank top with dark blue skinny jeans. She thought the outfit looked good with her hair. Her feet were in a pair of black ballet flats. As she finished up her make-up she thought back on the move.

When her parents told her that they were moving away from New York, she had been heart-broken. She loved it there; the city that never sleeps. Then to find out that she was moving to North Carolina. And to a town she had never even heard of? Where was this Tree Hill, anyways? Why there, of all places, and in the middle of her senior year, too? That was what really got her. Why couldn't she have just stayed with Laura and her family?

"Rowan, your ride is leaving. Your dad is going to take you to school today along with your sister. I don't have any cash for the bus for you two." Her mom said behind the closed door. "And he can't be late."

"Okay, mom. Got it. I'll be out in just a second." She answered back, annoyed. Her younger sister, Isabelle was ten and always wanted to talk about little girl stuff. It drove her insane.

"Oh, and Happy Birthday."

There it was: the exact reason why she didn't want to do anything today. Today was her seventeenth birthday. She should be able to get a free pass. But no, her parents were hard asses when it came to school. In New York, she was a solid B student and in Drama club. She hoped to be an actress someday, maybe be on Broadway. Boy would that be fun.

'Well. Here goes nothing. Maybe something will happen at school today.' She thought as she opened up the door to her room, just to be surprised by her dad.

"Happy Birthday, Row!" he said, holding a candled cupcake out for her to blow out. "Make a wish."

"Thanks." She said as she blew it out. She hadn't really made a wish. That was for kids.

"Now don't be late and don't get in trouble at school today. Better hop to it. Oh, and your mom and I have a surprise for you after school today."

As she walked around the school, she looked down at the schedule just given to her. She saw she had American Lit first period. She walked to the appropriate room and walked inside.

"Hi there…?"

"Hi. I'm Rowanna. Rowanna Roxeanne. But everyone calls me Rowan."

"It's nice to meet you Rowan. Take any empty seat. I was just starting the lecture on Ernest Hemingway."

"Aw. There were many words that you could not stand to hear and finally only the names of places had dignity."

"A farewell to arms, I believe. You may take your seat."

"Though early in his career, Hemingway was, was frustrated. He was a good writer who wanted to be great. And eventually he discovered that less was more… Peyton, describe Lucas using just one word."

Rowan saw a blonde haired boy a few seats in front of her turn around and look at a blonde curly haired girl. Peyton, she assumed, looked right back at him then down at her doodle. "Choke."

The classroom was littered with laughs. "Okay quiet please…Thank you. Lucas care to respond and describe Peyton?" They both looked at each other again. "Lonely," said the boy with the blonde hair.

She then saw a boy sitting in the front row right in front of the blonde haired boy raise his hand. "Yes? Nathan." The teacher said as he saw the raised hand.

"I can describe Lucas in one word; Bastard." At the last word there were a few chuckles but mostly a series of 'ohs' around the room.

"Alright, alright, alright…"

All of a sudden there was a fight in front of her. The blonde haired boy jumped the other one and then hit him. There was definitely something going on at this school.

Sooner then she thought it was lunch time. She had heard in the rumor mill that Lucas and Nathan, the two boys who were fighting this morning in her American literature class are half-brothers. And their father had left Lucas' mom after learning she was pregnant right after high school to go off to college to play basketball. Then a few months in he met his future wife, and she also got pregnant.

What she thought was weird though was that Nathan and Lucas hated each other when they should both just focus on hating their father for putting them in this position in the first place. They could team up against him, that's what she would do. But they weren't her after all.

She had also heard about the game last Friday night. Lucas had just joined the team and he had played horribly, it was a total disaster. The conversations she had listened in on were all the same. Nathan Scott, the star basketball player pulls another win out of his ass while his not so fortunate half-brother sat on the sidelines after making a complete fool out of himself.

Rowan took her sack lunch outside and went and sat down at one of the many tables in the courtyard. She began taking out her lunch. Her mom made her favorite, peanut butter and jelly. She then overturned her sack so everything else fell out. On the table were all the snacks that were in the bag. There was a fruit roll-up and a chocolate pudding cup. There was also a bag of strawberries and a bag of orange, yellow, and green bell peppers that were cut up. 'Why does she give me these?' She hates bell peppers. Didn't her mom know that?

"Hi there. Can we sit with you?" a voice asked from behind her. She looked over her shoulder to see a petite girl with medium length honey brown hair and the blonde haired boy from earlier in the day.

"Sure. There's plenty of room. I'm Rowan, by the way." She said as she pushed her red hair off her shoulder. It had already fallen out of the rubber band holding it up. She looked down at the rest of her schedule while the two newcomers sat down.

"I'm Haley James and this is Lucas." The girl said to her trying to start a conversation.

"I wondered who was who." She said under her breath. But she didn't say it quietly enough.

"What?" Lucas says, hearing her say something under her breath.

"Oh, it's nothing." She stopped. Should she tell him? "I was in the American literature class this morning when you guys fought."

"What!?" Haley exclaimed. "How come I didn't hear about this?"

"I was going to tell you." Lucas mumbled.

'Oh yeah. That is why you look like you just got caught doing something that would land you in trouble. '

"I guess I shouldn't have said anything. Sorry." Rowan said, regretting that she mentioned anything, not wanting to cause another fight on school grounds.

"Oh, no worries. He should tell me because I'm his best friend. Right Luke?"

"Of course," he mumbles again.

"What? I couldn't hear you." Haley sing songs.

"So how long have you guys been 'best friends'?" Rowan asks, noticing that Lucas looks uncomfortable.

"Back in grade school, I think. It's been such a long time. I don't really remember." Haley answers then looks at Lucas. "Anything to add Broody?"

"Nope you pretty much said it all." Lucas nods.

"Your new right?" Haley asks.

"Yep. What gave me away?" Rowan returns.

"Oh well, the fact that you were sitting alone and also because I've never seen you before this moment. That might have something to do with it."

"Okay you got me. I just moved here from New York. And today is actually my birthday; I turned seventeen today."

"That's pretty cool. So do you need someone to show you around? Cuz, I'd be happy to help."

Lucas just sat there that whole time watching as his best friend and the new girl talked about anything and everything under the sun. He heard the red head say something about drama and if they had a club or theater department here, or something like that. But he tuned out the rest because at that exact moment the school loud speaker blared "Lucas Scott, Coach Durham would like to see you."

"Sure. Actually, does this school have a drama club? Or theater group?"

"Yeah. You into acting?" Haley asked.

"Like you wouldn't believe," Rowan started. "I grew up around acting. My mom was a small time actress and when she met my dad she gave it up to be with him. And then they had me and I just always wanted to be an actress."

"Well, we have all kinds of extra-curricular activities here at Tree Hill High School. We do have drama club, whatever floats your boat. I can introduce you to the president. Her name is Kalah Finley." She stands up and starts looking around the courtyard. "Actually I can do that right now. Hey Kalah!"

Rowan looked around to where Haley was looking. She saw a tall blonde girl making her way over to them. "Hi Haley. I know I never said thank you for tutoring me."

"Oh, it's no problem. That's just what I do. I am a tutor after all." She finishes, "This is Rowan, by the way. Rowan this is Kalah."

"It's nice to meet you." Kalah says holding out her hand. Rowan puts her hand in the other girls and shakes it. "You too."

"Rowan is new and she is really into drama. So I thought I would introduce her to you. And now I am going to go so you two can get acquainted. Bye."

Rowan thanked Haley and turned to the girl still at the table. "So when does the drama club meet?"

A few hours later she opened the door to her dad's beat up SUV. She looked in the backseat and she saw her sister already there. Her first day at Tree Hill High school was over. She then remembered that she had a surprise waiting for her at home. Now she couldn't wait to see what it was.

As they made their way home, she told her dad about school. "They have a drama club and I met with the president today. She told me to meet with them tomorrow after school." She was so excited now. She could hardly wait till tomorrow. But she would also have something else to show off at school in the morning.

"Since today is your birthday, your seventeenth birthday, your mom and I thought we should get you something that you might need."

"What is it?"

"Oh, sweetie you know I can't tell you that. It's a surprise. Your mom is waiting at home to unveil it to you."

"Can you tell me?" Isabelle asks from the backseat. Rowan had forgotten her little sis was even there.

"No he cannot tell you. You will just have to wait just like me."

Soon enough they were pulling up into the driveway. Her mom was waiting on the front porch for them, sitting on the porch swing.

Rowan got out of the front seat and swung her backpack up onto her left shoulder. She pulled out her cellphone and texted her best friend from back home.

Hey! 1 day done. WYWH! TMB BIOTCH!

Her mom got up from her place and walked towards them. "Okay, are you ready to see your present?"

"Hel... Heck yes… Sorry."

Her dad gave her a stern look for her language but looked at his wife and ordered, "Open the garage door, Carol."

"Wait, it's in the garage? It's not a car is it?" Rowan looked incredulously at her parents and she just knew that it had to be a car. She waited for the garage door to open all the way. Then when she heard it stop and she looked into the open garage. She saw it then, a silvery gray mini cooper convertible. She then squealed in delight and started jumping up and down, hugging her parents over and over again.

"Now you can go to school in style. Now we will pay for your gas if you will take your sister to school and pick her up after school, and take her to any and all practices for whatever. Got it?" Her parents were looking at her waiting for her answer.

"Yes. Thank you, thank you, thank you." She tackled them again in a hug. She took her cell phone out of her pocket where she had put it and started texting again as she walked into the house.

Ten days ago…

"Dan, have you noticed someone bought the house across the street?" Deb asked her husband. The 'For sale' sign was gone off the yard.

"No, I hadn't. But I hope they are better than the last couple who lived there."

"They weren't that bad. You just didn't like them because their dog would pee on your car tires."

The two looked up as they noticed their son, Nathan, come into the kitchen. "Oh hi, honey. You almost ready for school." Deb asked her son.

"Yeah mom. Just got to eat breakfast." He intoned.

"Don't be cheeky with your mother." His father disciplined. Nathan rolled his eyes and looked out the window. "Did any of you notice the moving van in front of our house?"

"Oh, we have some new neighbors moving in across the street. That must be their van coming with some of their stuff." Deb stated, looked at her watch then went on to say, "oh, I best be off. I will be gone for about ten days. Hope you guys can live without me for that amount of time."

Nathan rolled his eyes again as his parents kissed and said their goodbyes. He hated it when his mom made it seem like they wouldn't be able to fend for themselves. She was gone for half of his life anyways, why start worrying now.

Second Chapter is coming up soon…. Hope you all liked it…