Story Title: The Best Years
Synopsis: He had a passion for basketball, she had all the right connections to make his dreams possible. How far would you be willing to go to make your dreams happen?

Chapter Rating: PG
Author's Note: This story is AU. All character's histories are tweaked somewhat-very much so to match my idea of this story. Please, keep an open mind.

Chapter One: Pilot

"Dad!" a petite blonde girl cried out from the kitchen, a glass filled with orange juice in her hand as she read the newspaper in front of her. She was always one to keep up with the current events.

"Was there really a need to scream?" a man asked, entering the large kitchen before giving his daughter a quick kiss on the side of the head as he passed her. Grabbing himself some coffee, the man joined his daughter at the breakfast island counter in the middle of the kitchen eyeing her as if to tell her that he needed to read the paper.

With a groan, she handed it to him, finishing off her orange juice. "You know, it's not like you read all of it anyway. I think we should tell the paper boy to separate the sports section and the real news." she informed her father before grabbing her book bag and her car keys.

"Haley-Bop," he interrupted, spinning around on his bar stool with a text book in his hand.

"Thanks, Dad." she gave her own father a kiss on the forehead as she skipped out of the kitchen and towards the front entrance. "I'll see you at school Dad, or should I say Coach James!" she called out loudly, hearing her voice echo throughout the house and then headed out the door. This was the residence of the James family, a large - very classic - mansion located in Charlotte. Her father was none other than the Charlotte Bobcats' Coach; which she can confidently let you all know that we're talking about basketball. The white house was much like a home you saw in movies where the rich and famous lived, only Haley was famous - not yet anyway. She had her dreams, but being famous wasn't one of them, it would just help her dream of being a musician.

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Haley James drove down the street, heading towards her best friend's house, exactly ten blocks away from her own. Yes, she counted. It got boring with nothing to talk to in the passenger's seat of her gray BMW convertible. Rolling up the driveway, she put the car in park making sure that she didn't scare herself by going backwards in her car like the first time she had after getting her license. Peyton Sawyer, the curly petite blonde was her best friend, and anyone who was anyone knew that the girls were inseperable. Wherever one would be, you'd find the other. It also helped that they were both looking at careers in music. But Peyton was looking more towards the management side, rather than the singing and playing side.

Honking the horn, she smiled softly as she saw Mrs. Sawyer come out of the house. "Good morning Haley!" she called out, waving towards the girl that was practically like her second daughter.

"Morning, Mrs. S!" the blonde responded with a wave, "I wouldn't be so bold as to call it a good one - after all, it's seven in the morning." she informed the woman as the mother laughed and shook her head, picking up the newspaper and then almost bumping into her daughter.

"Hi Mom. Bye Mom." Peyton said quickly, obviously in a rush as she quickly threw on a sweater and let her bag fly behind her as she hopped into the car. "I might be a little late to our dinner plans, we've got cheerleading tryouts!" she called out to her mother, blowing a fake movie star kiss towards her as the three women laughed.

"Lets hope they have some better ones than last year. Drive safely now Hales. I want my daughter home without a scratch." Mrs. Sawyer joked, knowing Haley wasn't exactly the best driver. Clutching the newspaper, she watched the two girls that seemed to have grown up in just a blink of an eye drive down the hill of a driveway and disappeared out of sight.

"You should have brought your iPod, Sawyer." Haley told her friend as she surfed through the radio stations, making sure to look up and take notice as to who was in front of her and where exactly everything was. She couldn't afford another accident, or another ticket for that matter. This was why her boyfriend usually drove her to school, or even Peyton did. But somehow, as for some strange turn of events, Peyton's car had managed to end up in the auto body shop, rather than her own.

"Well sorry. I didn't have time. I slept in. Unlike you who can't wait to get to school every morning." Peyton retorted, nudging her friend before rolling her eyes. "And keep your eyes on the road! I don't want to die in a car accident." she decided simply.

Haley ran her fingers through her hair, making sure to move her bangs out of her eyes as she held a text book for her English class to her chest before walking into the large gym that belonged to her college; Duke University. She had always dreamed about going to Stanford, that was her dream school - and always would be, but somehow she had managed to give into her father and let him force her into going a school she had no interest in until the last year of high school. The only fortunate part was having her best friend of eighteen years there with her.

Walking into the gym, she scanned through the crowd of basketball players, searching for a certain blonde. The blonde that she called her boyfriend. A guy that everyone was convinced that she'd end up marrying and the two would rule the world. They were a part of two of the most wealthiest families around and their parents just assumed that they might as well combine to become even more powerful than they already were. Haley? Well, Haley didn't feel like it was true love, but she'd do whatever to make her father happy.

She noticed her father in the bleachers and she waved after seeing him wave, adding a small smile as she let her arm join her other arm quickly afterwards back to clutching her books. Her dad was out scouting for some new players for their next season, and since it was almost graduation time, that was usually what he was always doing. Going school to school, but there was always Duke University to rely on if you couldn't find any players good enough. Sitting down at the bottom of the empty bleachers with a few exceptions in a few places around the gym, she finally noticed her boyfriend and shot a smile towards him as he nodded in her direction.

Letting her text book fall to her lap, she sat silently, watching the different scrimmages and the mini game that the team played until the practice was over. Throughout the full half an hour she had been sitting there, she had managed to notice a new guy on the team. A brunette. Someone that must have been new seeing as he was pretty good and she hadn't seen him play before. And that said a lot seeing as how she was the daughter of a basketball coach and went to pretty much every game - also being a cheerleader.

"Hey." she had a familiar voice say. Haley had managed to walk over near the changing rooms and lean against the wall to wait for the blonde boy. The blonde basketball star that was known across the country as the captain of the Duke University's team, and the guy that was guaranteed a spot on the Charlotte Bobcats for dating the daughter of the coach, and having the talent that he possessed. It was pure talent, he was born with it, and Haley knew it from growing up with him.

"Hey hotshot." Haley responded with a small smile as she leaned up and gave him a quick kiss. "You took a shower right?" she questioned, knowing that she didn't like the smell of sweaty guys. It was just... wrong.

"Yes, Hales. I took a shower." Lucas said with a small laugh as one arm immediately found its place around his girlfriend's shoulders before heading towards the doors of the stadium.

"Who's the new kid?" she questioned, the curiously getting the best of her; as it usually did. Haley noticed the kid outside of the stadium immediately as he looked as though he was struggling with some of his stuff. But, she didn't dare go and help it - that would be 'uncool' in Lucas' eyes, and not only that but Lucas was the jealous type. It just wouldn't end well, and with them being teammates... well lets just say it wouldn't be a good outcome as said above.

"Oh, some Nathan kid. Last name's Lee or something, I don't remember. He just transferred from some community college. As long as he gives me the ball things'll be great between him and I." Lucas answered as the two made their way past 'Nathan'. "How about lunch, pretty lady?" Lucas pulled Haley close to him and kissed the top of her head, always taking notice in his head about how much taller he was than her.

"Sounds good." she nodded her head, shooting a side glance quickly at Nathan before looking up at Lucas as he kissed her head.