Brown haired and browned eyed, Haley James walked through the courtyard of Tree Hill High School at lunch break, looking for her friends and a place to sit. When she couldn't find her friend Lucas and all of his basketball buddies from the Rivercourt, she sat at an empty table and pulled out a novel she had borrowed out of the library and began to eat and read, until Peyton Sawyer and Brooke Davis, 2 of Tree Hill's most popular cheerleaders and new friends of Haley's, came up to her and asked if they could sit with her.
"Yeah, sure guys," answered Haley and she went back to reading her book.
Peyton was, well, Peyton. She is Lucas' brother Nathan's ex-girlfriend. She had blonde, curly hair and was tall. She loved to party and have a good time and loved to make out with guys in generalt in an attempt to make Nathan mad. They broke up on bad terms because he cheated on her and she still refused to talk to him and it was 4 months ago. She and Brooke had been best friends since 3rd grade.
Brooke was Lucas' girlfriend and was like Peyton in the party and good time section. She loved it. She had dark brown hair and light brown eyes and dimples everytime she smiled. Brooke was a tease and even she knew it. When she had found out what Nathan had done to her bestie, she slapped that jackass 3 ways from her next party and in front of everybody. She had her friends back and since he had been slapped, Nathan had been scared of her.
"What are you reading, Hales?" asked Peyton.
Haley looked up when she heard her name and answered after a minute of hesitation. She had been so caught up in her book she missed the question.
"What? Sorry, caught up in reading," replied Haley.
"I said 'what are you reading?'" said Peyton, smiling at her friend.
"Oh, umm. The Body by Stephen King," answered Haley, going back to her book.
"Nice. Isn't that a movie, Tutor-girl?" asked Brooke, getting in on the conversation.
"Yeah. It's called Stand By Me," answered Haley, looking at Brooke for a few seconds longer than needed before blushing slightly and moving back to page 36.
Brooke and Peyton were whispering about something that they obviously didn't want Haley to hear, otherwise they would have been their loud selves. A few minutes later, Brooke spoke up again.
"Hey, Tutor-girl, can I ask you a favor?" asked Brooke, looking at Haley as if she was her last for something.
"Depends on the favor."
"Well,meandBrooke,werewonderingifyoucouldbeacheerleaderforthebigcompetitioninCharlottein3weeks,"said Peyton, all to fast.
"Say it again and slower," said Haley, looking back and forth between the two girls.
"You see the thing is, we are one cheerleader short for the competition that's in 3 weeks and in Charlotte. Catch my drift?" asked Brooke.
"You want me to be a cheerleader for the next 3 weeks?"
Brooke and Peyton both nodded and bit their bottom lips.
"Only if you do something for me," reasoned Haley.
"What is it?" asked both girls simultaneously.
"For one entire week, you both help me out after school at Karen's Café, or I'm not a cheerleader," said Tutor-girl.
The shoulders of the two popular girls dropped and they hung their heads. Peyton and Brooke looked at each other for a few seconds before turning back to Haley.
"We get paid for it?" asked Brooke.
Haley nodded.
"Just for the week?" added Peyton.
Again, Haley nodded.
"Fine!" sighed the two girls.
Haley smiled at winning and said just as the bell went, "See you on Monday afternoon at the café. Enjoy being waitresses."
"Enjoy being a cheerleader," huffed Brooke, and she and Peyton went off to their English class.
The afternoon classes passed with time dragging on. There was a party tonight at Peyton's beach house and everyone was invited, so Lucas was taking Haley so he could talk to Peyton and usually when there was a party at a beach house, Haley sat further down the beach with her thoughts and tried to let the waves drown out the loud thumping music coming from the house.
