Hey! So I know it's been forever since I posted anything but believe me I didn't forget about fanfiction. I've had this fanfiction planned out for over a year. So it's well-planned out.

To any of you who are interested to know since I did bring the subject up in my last story's final chapter's A/N, I did end up picking the fanfiction I felt most comfortable writing. BUT, and this is a big but, the story has undergone so many changes that I'm not completely confident about writing it anymore… and I just want to say that maybe this story doesn't sound that original… but it has so many more layers to it then appears in this chapter, or even the next. These first chapters lay the basic foundation for the story and if you're not sure about reading it… stick till a few chapters in. It will get so much better! Take my word for it. Just remember that the story is going to continue in a completely different direction. I don't think I could stress that enough so I'll just shut up :P.

Okay… I've said this one million times on my other fanfiction to the point of driving people up the wall so I've decided to discuss this subject once in the first A/N and that's it. The subject: reviews. I'm only going to say that reviews are seriously what inspire writers to write the next chapters. Even if it seems many people are reviewing… a little "I like the way this is going" or "good job" is enough if you don't think you have anything to say. And I'm actually pretty open to constructive criticism. Like I was told that my pacing was too slow at parts (in my other fic) and that I should write chapter titles… so I took that to heart and incorporated it in this fanfiction. That's all I'm going to say about the subject :)

So… I'm going to finally end this long author's note by saying I hope you enjoy! and stick around, at least till the "major layer" appears. It won't be long so don't worry.

I want to thank Christy for letting me toss some ideas with her a few months ago and Ashley for me annoying her with one billion questions while I was writing most of the first chapter… so ENJOY!


Entering Shades of Gray

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Sometimes I feel incredibly disconnected… really uncomfortable in my own skin or kind of like I don't fit in to this world. Like I was born at the wrong time and I don't belong.

--

Chapter One

First Day on a Brand New Planet

Haley looked down at her recently-bought binder and notebooks. She smiled. The first day of school was always the best. It was right after the long and lazy summer break and right before classes began to get on her nerves. Yes, the first day of school was the place to be.

She turned and entered her homeroom, sitting down in the first row eager to get her new schedule. Of course she had checked with her counselor the year before to make sure all the classes were exactly as she had wanted them to be, but she wanted to see the order of the classes, her teachers, and which students would she share a period of the day with.

The classroom began to fill up with the other students in her homeroom as shrieks between friends that haven't seen each other all summer were heard.

If two friends didn't care about each other enough to find time to meet over the summer, they shouldn't be shrieking when they saw one another. That should be a rule.

The homeroom teacher got up from his desk just as the bell rang. It was a teacher she did not recognize. It amazed her that even after two years spent in Tree Hill High; she still didn't know all the students and all the teachers.

He gave a short speech about how great the year was going to go although it was going to be their hardest. Yes, because we buy that crap, Haley thought to herself.

"Okay, so how about we start distributing your schedules?" he offered as he took a bunch of them out of a large school envelope as he began to read off names, with some horrible pronunciations. It was a good thing her name wasn't foreign.

Her name was among the last as she got up to get her schedule. She looked over it: her classes, her teachers, and her second semester schedule as well. It all seemed right. Maybe this year wouldn't be too bad after all?

"Hey James!" Haley turned around now facing the back of the class. "You feel like not ignoring me?"

"I'm not ignoring you, Brooke," Haley laughed.

"Yeah sure," the brunette rolled her eyes with a smile. "Give me your schedule," she demanded.

Haley passed her schedule to her friend as she compared the classes.

"Oh! I knew taking that class might not have been a complete waste. Fourth period- AP English with N. Scott."

Haley smiled. At least she had one class with her friend, "That's great."

The bell rang as the students got up and began walking to their first period classes. Brooke left her other friends and went to Haley, returning her schedule.

"Can I see yours?" Haley asked.

"But I told you that's our only class."

"I know. I just want to see what else you're taking," she said as Brooke gave her the schedule.

"I see how it is. You want to mock me with all your high and mighty classes," Brooke feigned insult.

"No, I just want to know what you're taking," Haley skimmed the schedule and then handed it back to Brooke.

"So I'll see you fourth?"

"Yeah, see you then," Haley smiled giving her friend a hug.


Nathan looked up as students began entering his classroom. He straightened his tie and pushed his hands into his pockets. No way was he going to get nervous over teaching a high school class.

"And if this class sucks, it's all your fault," Brooke whispered to Haley. "I don't take APs!"

"Colleges see that," Haley giggled. "I didn't force you into taking it."

"I know, I took it because otherwise we for sure wouldn't have any classes together, and that's just like… unfair," Brooke put her bag down on the seat in the dead center of the class, Haley on the other hand put hers in the first row. "What do you think you're doing? Come here nerd."

"Nah, I'm fine with the front," Haley sat down.

"No, you're fine next to me."

"I really like sitting in the front. It's okay, I don't mind if you sit there."

"Haley!" Brooke whined as she put her hands on her hips.

"Brooke!" Haley imitated.

"I'm not moving from here," she warned.

"Fine, I'm not either. Moving from here I mean," Haley shot back.

Meanwhile another student took the seat next to Brooke. "No, no… that seat's for Haley."

"No, it's fine. You can sit there," Haley said apologetically to the student.

"No, you really can't," Brooke turned to the kid while Haley opened up her notebook and wrote the title of the course on the first page.

A second later a frustrated Brooke dropped her bags in the chair behind Haley.

"The things I do for you," Brooke complained. "Now you owe me a shopping trip."

Haley rolled her eyes as she smiled.

The bell rang as the class began to settle down and turn their eyes to the front.

Nathan smiled, "Okay. Welcome to 11th grade AP English. I'm Nathan Scott. This is my first year teaching at Tree Hill or anywhere really. I went to Tree Hill for high school and I graduated from Duke University where I went to on a basketball scholarship.

"I took interest in English and decided to major in Literature and Education only after my brother helped me give books a chance and reminded me that basketball can be gone in an instant and to try to make a career out of it wasn't always possible. So, yeah… I guess that's it. Anyone have any questions?"

"Yes, I have one," Brooke raised her hand completely defying the purpose of doing so.

"And you are?"

"Brooke Davis," she smiled. "Do you have a girlfriend?"

The students in the class laughed as Nathan chuckled, "No. I do not. Any other questions more appropriate for class?"

"You coaching the Ravens this year?" a kid in the back-right corner of the class questioned.

"Yeah," Nathan nodded. "Anyone else?" The class remained silent. "Okay… so moving on, I guess. I'm going to hand you the course syllabus," Nathan picked a stack of syllabi up as he began handing them out to the classroom. "I know this is going to be stashed somewhere in your bag and you'll never look at it again because you've gotten one in every class since middle school but it's just going to be too bad because your first homework assignment is on it."

Haley looked at the syllabus as she started reading through the novels they were going to read. Of course, she had already read them all.

"For this Thursday I want you to pick any statement in the syllabus and write an argument essay opposing, defending or qualifying it. Does anyone know what qualifying means?" No one raised their hand. "Qualifying a statement is basically giving an exception. 'Yes, but…'… for example if someone argues that burgers are great with ketchup, what would qualifying it be? Yes?" he pointed to a kid sitting in the middle of the class, "And say your name before you answer."

"Michael… and umm 'burgers are great with ketchup only if there is mustard as well'?"

The class laughed.

"Exactly," Nathan smiled.


"This year I'm going to be dating seniors," Brooke declared as she took a chicken salad from their newly-revamped cafeteria.

"Haven't you dated seniors in the past?" Haley took one for herself as well.

"No, this year I'm dating only seniors," she took two water bottles; one for herself and handing the second to Haley.

"Are you sure you want to close your options up like that?"

"Well, of course I'm going to date college guys if some come my way but of course I'm not going to date underclassman."

"How about Juniors? I know, you will just shudder at the thought of dating someone your own age," Haley joked.

"There's no point! They won't be Seniors. The best parties are Senior parties and Senior guys are… well, Senior guys," Brooke smirked as she punched in her cafeteria pin number waiting for Haley to put in hers.

"I'm just never going to understand your logic," Haley concluded. "So who are we sitting with?"

"You mean who's sitting with us," Brooke corrected as she walked over to an empty table. "Only losers go sit with other people. We are going to have people come to us." She sat down as Haley sat across from her.

Within a matter of seconds there were people sitting down next to the two. By people she met Brooke's friends. She didn't feel an attachment to anyone at the school really.

A straight long brown-haired girl sat down next to Brooke and looked at Haley with a tight-lipped fake smile, "I hate school."

"Emma!" Brooke shrieked hugging the girl. "How was England?"

"Better than here. Remind me again why my dad decided to move me to this horrible country?" she rolled her eyes.

"Because he hates your mom's guts and wants to be as far away from her as he can," Brooke said casually taking the first bite of her salad.

"Then I'm going to live with her," Emma decided.

"You can't. You hate her to," Brooke smirked. "Plus, you love us."

"I like her more than I like this stupid country."

"But you love me more than you hate this stupid country," Brooke repeated. "Now shove it."


Nathan entered the faculty room where everyone was already acquainted with one another from previous years.

"Scott," Principal Turner signaled for Nathan to come to him. "This is Sawyer and Jagelski."

"Hey," Jake got up to shake Nathan's hand as Peyton did as well.

"Nathan's our new 11th grade AP English teacher," Principal Turner said.

"First year here and he's already an AP teacher?" Jake looked impressed. "Is that allowed?"

"It is when we just lost the previous teacher and he's qualified to do so," he informed. "Well I'll see you three later."

"So, what do you two teach?" Nathan tried making conversation as he sat down.

"I teach the advanced art classes and music theory," Peyton replied.

"Tenth grade Honors English and the school band," Jake said. "You teach only AP English?"

"Two courses of AP English and two of regular ninth grade. I'll coach the basketball team too."

"Good luck with that," Peyton looked up from a sketchpad she was drawing on.

"What, they suck?"

"No, you just have really high expectations. They've been State Champs three times. The last three years they got to the playoffs but they never seemed to make it past their second game."

"They will this year," Nathan said confidently.

"I'm Jake by the way. You don't have to call me Jagelski or anything."

"Peyton," Peyton added as well.

Nathan nodded. They looked young. Maybe a year or two older than him but they couldn't have been at Tree Hill High for more than a few years. "Why did you two go into teaching?"

"Because being an artist doesn't pay the rent. So I figured why the hell not?" Peyton replied. "If I don't have success maybe a student of mine will."

"I like teaching. But I'm going with Peyton on this one: it does pay the rent. I have a three year old daughter who I'm raising alone so while my parents were taking care of her nights and during school hours I was at the University promising I'd pay them back. And I can do that now," Jake smiled.

A blonde girl sat across from them as a brown-haired guy next to her.

"Erica Marsh and Mouth McFadden," Peyton told him. "She teaches our AP Government courses and US History. She's involved with the Student Council… and he's the computer teacher who is in charge of the TV morning announcements."

"Everyone here involved in extra curriculars?" he asked as he looked at the two chatting away.

"Those who want to," Jake replied.


Nathan unlocked his door as he entered the two-bedroom apartment walking straight into the kitchen to his right.

"Hey roommate!" he heard from the living room. "How was your first day of school?"

"Fine… okay… great," Nathan opened the fridge to take a bottle of water, looked out the glass door to the balcony at the sunset, and then walked to the living room. "How about your day?"

"Kicked ass," she replied happily. "Working at the hospital and knowing I finally got there is so much better than being a student nurse."

"That's good to know, Bevin," Nathan chuckled.

"Ha! That shows all my high school classmates who thought I was dumb."

"Never dumb," Nathan pointed to her, "only extremely ditzy."

"Shut up," Bevin smacked him though she knew it was true.

Ever since they were first assigned to the Duke dorms as roommates, he had her figured out. Only he didn't see the stupid girl everyone saw in high school. College was her beginning; her opportunity to start over. He was the first person she acted herself around; and she was the first really good girl friend he had.


A/N: Haha… a story that starts on the first day of school when school just ended… I hope you liked it! Reviews always appreciated ;) .