Nobody wants to admit this, but bad things will keep on happening. Maybe that's because it's all a chain, and a long time ago someone did the first bad thing, and that led someone else to do another bad thing, and so on. You know, like that game where you whisper a sentence into someone's ear, and that person whispers it to someone else, and it all comes out wrong in the end. But then again, maybe bad things happen because it's the only way we can keep remembering what good is supposed to look like. -Jodi Picoult, Nineteen Minutes.

xxx

Haley looked out of the window of the car, where she was faced to the ocean. She watched as the happy teenagers played beach volleyball, as they hopped on each others shoulders. She watched as the little kids made sand castles with their families, wishing she had something like that. Instead, she was "blessed" with a mother who never wanted her and never would, and who had her expectations set a little too high. Haley didn't know her father well anymore, he left them when she was seven years old and never returned. That was after her promised that things would be better for them all, that they would be a happy family. Then he left them for the bartender he saw when he spent every night at the bar instead of coming home to his family, and they started a new family. He tried to contact Haley, years later, and announced that she had a new sister (a few days after she was born; he didn't even bother to tell her that he even had a girlfriend, and that she was pregnant.) and that Haley should come meet her. Haley did, she was only nine years old so she still wasn't clear on everything that had happened. Haley started becoming close to her other side of the family, but once again she was ditched.

Haley's mom Lydia, was in no way sympathetic at all. "I told you this would happen," she used to bark. "But no, you didn't listen. You had to go meet your precious little sister and spend more time with your stupid immature father." Even though Lydia was right, Haley expected her mother to be a little more sympathetic towards the situation, but of course she was Lydia.

Haley examined the happy families and the completely in love couples, feeling like she had completely failed at life. Maybe if she was a better person, then Lydia would love her. She tried to bring her grades up, she tried to do well in school, but she didn't succeed. Even her teachers recognized the fact that she was putting effort into her work, but because of everything that was happening at home, she found it hard to focus on school. She was always worrying about what her mom would think, and always thinking about what her friends would say if she focused more on school then hanging out with them. Haley was fairly popular, she was even a cheerleader. Most people didn't think it suited her, considering she was a "badass" girl, but she really did have a girly side. She was one of those people who could be all moody and bitchy and go cause trouble, but then turn into a really kind and caring girl.

All around her school, she was loved. She was in her senior year, and couldn't be more excited. Even though she knew that she had a slim chance of getting into university as her grades weren't exactly the best, she couldn't wait to get moving with her life. One day she wanted a family over her own, who she'd love and care for. But she was extremely afraid; she didn't want to turn into her mother, bitter about her choices and alone. Because of what Haley had seen from her parents relationship, she had always been afraid of opening herself up to people, especially boys, therefore she hadn't had many real relationships. Most of her "relationships" lasted one night, and they were one night stands. They didn't happen for her very often since she didn't like exploiting herself, but if she was feeling down (or if she was too drunk to care,) then she'd go to boys to make herself feel better, something she found out she inherited from her mother.

Haley watched as her mother was speaking to thin air; Lydia didn't know, but Haley had her iPod on and couldn't hear a word she was saying. Probably something like, "You better behave yourself, you little brat. Don't embarrass me." Haley was being sent to live with her aunt, uncle, and five cousins. Yes, they had five children already. Lydia wasn't even close to her sister, but one night they were randomly talking on the phone and her sister Tessa offered to let Haley stay with them for the rest of the year. Tessa and her husband, Daniel, were a young family yet they had kids over the age of fourteen. They were thirty three and thirty four years old, and their oldest child was eighteen years old. Tessa was fifteen when she had twins with Daniel, and a year later she had another set of twins. Then, two years later she had a baby girl. Even though they were young, Tessa and Daniel were two of the greatest parents you'd ever meet, always welcoming and always there for you. Tessa was a stay at home mom who loved to design houses (they often flipped houses,) and Daniel was one of the best doctors in the country. Haley didn't know them well, but she had to admit she was a little excited since they sounded like a nice family. Plus, the teenagers were all around the same age.

Taking her iPod headphones out of her ears, she listened to her mother for a moment. "Haley James, I swear to God if you make a fool out of yourself and me, then you'll be off to boarding school for the rest of your life." Lydia threatened with a serious look on her face.

"Uh mom," Haley held back a laugh. "I'm pretty sure that's impossible; anyway, I'm turning eighteen soon so legally you won't have control over me. Then I can do whatever the hell I want, and it won't be involving you. And FYI, I'd much rather go to boarding school then live with you." Haley placed her ear-buds back into her ear and watching as her mother scoffed, and threw back some insult. Haley shook her head and rolled her eyes, and prayed that life in New York would be better than in Tree Hill.

A/N: Thoughts? This is my first story, and I'm thirteen so I admit that I know I'm not a great writer, especially compared to others on here. I'm going to make the chapters longer if I continue, but I want to know that there are some people interested first. I'll try and update as frequently as I can, but I do have school and I often get overloaded with homework, and obviously that comes first. I have to admit I kind of based Tessa and Daniel off of Esme and Carlisle Cullen and the five kids... but there's no vampire involved in my story! I personally dislike Twilight but I wanted to base the family off of something, I already based Lydia and Jimmy off of my own.

And as I mentioned, the quote from the top there is from Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult, which is an amazing book. I highly recommend it! She's a great author.

-Riley