This is a totally AU story. Nathan and Haley are not married. They have been dating for two years. They both are attending Duke University. None of the players I name are actually players at Duke and the coach I will be using is not the realy coach at Duke. I honestly don't know anything about Duke. So here goes nothing. I hope you like it! Please review.

Chapter One
Nathan Scott turned around and watched his parent's separate cars drive away. The words of his mother play over in his head, "We're just a phone call. Call if you need anything." He smiled to himself and looked around at this brand new place. This was it. This was the real deal. This was college.

He stuffed his hands deep into the pockets of his khaki cargo shorts and walked toward the athletic dorm. From the outside, the dorm looked mediocre, but Nathan knew better. He knew the Duke University wouldn't have their precious athletes living an anything up the Taj Mahal.

His phone rang from his pocket, T.I.'s "What You Know" played for less than two seconds before he answered. "What up?" He said quickly, before even reading the caller id.

"Well if I didn't know better, I would have thought you had forgotten all about me," joked his serious girlfriend of over two years, Haley James. She was on an academic scholarship at Duke while Nathan was on an athletic scholarship.

Nathan turned away from the athlete's dorm and glanced out over the quad. He watched Haley walk across the grass toward him. "How could I forget about you?" She was getting close enough to hear him without the phone, so he closed it and put it back into his pocket.

"So this is it?" She asked him, "You are giving up living with me, you're beautiful and oh so sexy girlfriend to live in…" She paused for a moment and pointed to the dorm, "this?"

He shrugged his shoulders, "Come on Hales." He put his hands on her shoulders and continued, "Absence makes the heart grow fonder." He removed his hands from her shoulders and turned back to his dorm, slowly glancing over his shoulder to say, "So you stay on your side of the campus and I," He turned back around, "will stay on mine." Nathan winked at her as he picked up two duffle bags and threw them over his shoulders.

Haley whipped her head around, "Fine," she said, "when it is three in the morning and someone and I quote,'needs me', I won't be coming over here. No sir. I'll just stay on my side of the campus."

He rolled his eyes and laughed at her, "Okay, Haley, I believe you. I guess I will just see you around." Nathan said jokingly and headed up the steps to his dorm.

She laughed and kept walking. After she had walked about halfway across the quad, she turned around to yell at him, "Dinner at 8?"

Without turning around, he replied, "Yep. See ya at eight fifteen." Nathan knew better than to go over to Haley's dorm at eight. He knew there was no way she would be ready. She was always running late and there was no chance that today was going to be any different.

Before Nathan reached the top of the steps, he turned around to look out over the courtyard. He noticed at girl across the yard playing tackle football with a group of fraternity guys. He watched her talk with her hand and reenact single handedly the last play of the game. He watched her throw her hands into the air and motion to the quarterback of the other team. Nathan continued watching the mystery girl until he caught himself smiling. She glanced up toward the dorm and noticed him watching her.

The girl gave him a coy smile and casually waved to him. He let his lips curl up at her in an attempt at a smile and then turned away.

"Stay away from that chick, dude." A voice said from behind Nathan. He quickly turned around to see Terrance Romany, the starting center for the Blue Devils, standing directly behind him.

Nathan shook his head at Terrance, "No, man," he said, "I have a girlfriend. I was just watching…"

"Yeah," Terrance said, interrupting Nathan, "That's what ever new recruit says when they get here." He say on the step right below Nathan, "But then something goes wrong in their relationships… and it is usually… her." He said as he pointed to the football playing girl.

"Maybe so, but not me. I'm different. My girl and I are going to make it, I'm sure of that." Nathan said, firmly to Terrance as he started to head inside of the dorm.

Terrance called out to him, "Yeah, good luck with that man. Temptation is pretty serious around here. This isn't your little town back home. This is the big time. This is the real deal."

Nathan nodded at his experienced teammate and walked into the dorm without glancing back at the girl in the quad. He took the elevator up three flights of stairs to his room and slowly opened the door. His roommate, Will Tucker from Phoenix, Arizona, lay on his bed with his eyes closed listening to his iPod. Nathan looked out the window, "Perfect," he said quickly when he realized his room overlooked none other than the quad.

Will sat up at stared at Nathan. "What ya lookin' at dude?" He asked, rubbing his eyes and pulling his earbuds from deep inside his ears.

"Oh," Nathan turned around quickly, "Nothing really. Just checking things out."

"Checking out the selection?" Will asked as he nodded at Nathan.

Nathan shook his head and sat on his bed, "No, man, I have a girlfriend."

"Oh." Will said under his breath, almost sounding disappointed at Nathan's answer. "That's cool, I guess." He said trying to save himself from his previous comment.

Nathan looked around the room and then at his watch. It was seven thirty and he wanted to walk around a little before he had to go get Haley. "Well, Will I am gonna go out for a while. I'll be back later." He said as he grabbed his keys and walked toward the door.

"Tell the ball and chain I said, 'hello'." Will said as Nathan closed the door.

Nathan rolled his eyes and took the stairs down to the main floor. He looked out the glass doors to see the girl and her frat boys wrapping up their game. He decided to walk in her direction and introduce himself. He was always up for meeting new people. Especially females, good looking females at that. As he got closer, she noticed him.

He watched her ever move as he got closer and closer. He noticed that she had piercing blue eyes and a birthmark on the back of her left knee. Her long blonde hair had been recently cut because of the blunt length of her ponytail. As she turned around again, he saw that she had on dimple on her right cheek and that she had her cartilage pierced.

Once he finally reached her, he put out his hand to introduce himself. She smiled at him and returned the favor. "Hey. I've been watching you play football and honestly, you're not half bad."

She laughed at him as she shook his hand, "Wow, thanks. That's really sweet of you." She said, sarcasm oozing from her words.

He was mentally hitting himself as he said, "Yeah, so I'm not the best with introductions."

"Well, a name would be nice." She said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Nathan." He said quickly.

"Nathan," She repeated, "Nathan." She nodded at his name and bent over to pick up the football. She placed it under her arm and said, "So Nathan, what brings you to the lovely Duke University, might I ask?"

"I'm going to be the new starting small forward." He said without even thinking.

The girl looked behind her and then back at Nathan, "Well, that's really something Nathan, I didn't know we were in need of a new small forward."

He nodded at her, "Learn something new everyday."

She smirked at him, "I guess so." She smiled at him and held the football in her hands. "Well Nathan, it was a pleasure to meet you."

"Pleasure's all mine." Nathan said as he smiled at her.

She smiled back and started to walk away.

"Wait." Nathan said, calling out to her. The girl slowly stopped. "Whats your name?"

She shrugged her shoulders and turned around, "Is it going to make any difference if I tell you?"

"You never know." Nathan yelled to her.

She shook her head and said, "Wrong answer."

"Of course it will make a difference." He said, correcting himself.

She smiled at him. "Carter."

"Carter." He said repeating her, just as she had done to him.

She turned around and walked away.

"Maybe I'll see you around Carter." Nathan yelled.

"Maybe so Nathan." Carter replied.