Disclaimer- Gossip Girl and One Tree Hill are both television shows played on the CW network. Unfortunately I own neither of them.

Chapter One

Gossip Girl here, your number one source into the lives of Manhattans élite...

Another night, another pointless party.

All Haley Scotts life seemed to be was a succession of meaningless parties and pointless social events more for her parents benefit then for her and her brothers.

Still she attended, put on a smile and wore the role of the perfect daughter like a queen wears her crown, showing the Upper Eastside exactly what they wanted to see.

She was the beautiful debutante, the sparkling princess. Daniel and Deborah Scotts intelligent blonde daughter with the big brown wisdom filled eyes.

Her boyfriend who was standing beside her, his arm wrapped around her shoulder like a dead weight seemed to be locked in conversation with an elderly couple neither of the young ones knew all that much about, but both were trying their utmost to impress, after all Mr and Mrs Gillingham were UES royalty and if the young couple managed to charm them, the doors opened to their parents would be boundless.

Nate's father and hers had made it very known that they expected the two of them to show the Gillinghams what a fine and upstanding couple the two of them were and if Haley was anything, she was loyal when it came to her family, at least she was most of the time.

Growing more bored of her current conversation by the second and positive that Nate could handle things fine without her, the petite blonde politely excused herself from the conversation and after a quick chaste kiss to Nate's cheek, she quickly slipped out onto the terrace for a breath of fresh air.

"You look about as bored as I feel."

"Jesus Brooke!" Haley's eyes darted over to the outdoor chaise lounge situated near the railing of the terrace. Brooke Davis - Bass, one of her best friends and her brother Nathans current main girl lay sprawled across the wooden seat, her shiny brown hair dishevelled, the black cocktail dress she wore like a second skin bunched around her upper thighs and a bottle of Dom Perignon clutched in her well manicured hands "You scared the hell out of me. What are you doing out here?"

"Escaping," the brunette's speech was slightly slurred obviously from too much alcohol "My mother has decided this week she's going to start being family proud." she sneered "I swear to god one more minute of smiling pleasantly for the cameras and acting like a happy mixed family and I was going to scream!"

Haley lifted Brookes legs and sat down next to the girl placing the brunettes legs in her lap "At least you haven't spent the past half hour stuck making small talk with the Gillinghams."

"True." Brooke nodded taking a large swig of the champagne bottle and then passing it to her friend "Seen Blair around anywhere?"

"Not since her and Luke snuck up to his room after Dads speech" Haley answered taking a large drink from the bottle "What about Nathan and Chuck?"

Brooke shook her head "My darling step brother and your brother haven't made an appearance since the last set of photographs Victoria insisted we pose for...Bastards!" she grumbled "I should have taken off with them."

"Taken off with whom?"

Both girls glanced up "Speak of the devil and he shall appear." Haley mumbled as Chuck made his way over toward them, having snuck out another set of glass doors that led to the terrace.

"I'd swear you ladies were talking about me." The brown-haired boy sat himself down next to Haley and swung an arm casually around her shoulders grabbing the bottle of champagne out of her hands "Back to it then, don't let me stop you."

"You know," Haley turned slightly to look at him "It's really quite amazing how conceited you are."

The boy next to her shrugged "It's a gift."

"Not a very good one!"

"You know you love it!" Chuck smirked at her before taking a drink from the bottle "You think it's sexy."

"Oh my god!" Haley chuckled "One I have a boyfriend as you well know and two are you forgetting I've known you since we were in diapers Charles; in fact I think I've seen you in your diapers."

The brown-haired boy looked at her and smirked raising an eyebrow "And you've wanted me ever since."

"Um excuse me," Brooke spoke "Hate to interrupt this flirt fest the two of you have going on but Haley Joy you're boyfriend is heading this way."

Haley looked up sure enough to see Nate making his way toward them. She tried to slip out from underneath Chuck's arm knowing her boyfriend's dislike of the closeness between them but the boy next to her wouldn't budge; instead he seemed to hold her a little firmer.

"Haley there you are." Nate slipped through the doors and came towards her "Brooke you look comfortable."

"I feel it too." Brooke grinned wiggling her toes a little, her feet still planted on her best friends lap.

Nate's greeting to Chuck was pointedly frosty "Bass."

"Archibald."

The glare her tall sandy-haired boyfriend sent in the direction of the boy beside her had Haley feeling a little annoyed, she loved Nate, couldn't remember a time when she hadn't, but she hated the possessiveness in which he treated her, like she was his and his alone.

She'd never given him any reason to doubt her faithfulness; she'd never strayed or so much as looked in another guy's direction in interest, not only was it not in her nature but also she'd always known and always been told that he was the guy for her.

"Honey your parents want us inside." Nate offered her his hand and once she took it he helped her to her feet and addressed the two still sitting "Bart and Victoria are looking for the two of you too."

His arm slipped around her as the four made their way back inside to join their respective parents, and Haley wondered idly why she again felt so weighed down by the feel of her boyfriends arms on her shoulders.

CBXCB

"What took you so long Curly? We were about to call out a search party."

Peyton Roe rolled her eyes at her two best friends as she continued to trudge up the steps of their Brooklyn brownstone arms full of filled brown paper bags "I had to help mom close up the cafe before I came." she answered "Are either one of you to going to help me carry this stuff?"

Serena Van Der Woodsen and Dan Humphrey both reached for a bag leaving Peyton with one to carry.

Seventeen year old Dan had been best friends with Peyton almost their entire lives, Serena was his step sister of five years but she and Peyton had only been friends for three of those.

Serena used to be a very popular member of the UES Elite; a group both Peyton and Dan could not stand until Blair Waldorf in a fit of blind jealousy destroyed the tall, blonde haired Serena's social standing and got her black listed from the group.

"So where is the rest of the Van Der Humphrey clan tonight?" Peyton asked as the group of three made their way inside and into the kitchen.

"Art Gallery," Dan answered rifling through the bags and pulling out a pack of chips "Some new artist Lily discovered."

Peyton snatched the chips out of his hand and smacked him across the back of his short brown-haired head "Not until the movie starts!"

"They're taking Jenny and Eric out for a late dinner once it finishes," Serena elaborated "Dan and I weren't invited."

"That's because you don't know how to behave yourself." The boy grinned at his step sister

"No I think it's because their scared you'll do something embarrassing like lecture all the buyers about the evils of spending too much money on ostentatious things."

"I have to agree with Serena on that one Danny Boy," Peyton grinned at the step sibling's banter "You can get kind of preachy."

Dan stood up from the stool "Well I can tell when I'm not wanted!" he joked as he walked out of the kitchen into the lounge room, tugging on one of Peyton's blonde curls as he walked past her "Bring the snacks in when you're ready."

"Yes master." Serena folded her arms together in front of her and nodded her head.

The two girls giggled as they gathered the things together and followed Dan into the lounge.

"So what will it be tonight ladies?" The boy asked holding up two movies "Your choices are La Belle et la Bete..."

"Dan just call it Beauty and the Beast. You're such a geek" Serena interrupted

"Quiet!" he shushed Serena with a glare "As I was saying we have La Belle et la Bete or Amelie. Which will it be?"

Peyton chuckled quietly "French cinema tonight," she remarked "Who are you trying to impress?"

"He's trying to appear artsy and cultured."

"So that's what all the waistcoats and fedoras are about."

Dan pouted as his best friend and step sister laughed at his expense "Could you two stop making fun of me for two seconds and pick a movie!"

The curly blonde haired girl was about to answer when her phone started to ring "Hold that thought D." she said as she pulled the phone out of her pocket and answered.

Her friends watched as she started speaking, Peyton's face went from smiling to shattered in a matter of seconds.

"I'll be right there," her voice and hands shook as she hung up the phone and turned to her friends "Guys...I can't watch movies with you tonight."

"Honey what's wrong?" Serena asked noticing the way her friend seemed to be holding back tears, her and Dan shared a concerned look.

"It's...It's my mom," Peyton answered a tear slipping down her cheek "She's dead."