Thanks for great reviews! I didn't expect so many for the first chapter.

Flashback sequence written in italics.

"Why did I let you guys rope me into this?" Haley James let out an exasperated sigh as she and her best friends, Peyton and Brooke, sped to get in line for the crowded check-in desk of the Raleigh International Airport.

"Sweetie, you'll be thanking us for this later," Brooke Davis reassured her.

"Don't be so sure about that," Haley warned.

Not once did Haley James ever think that she would be getting on a plane to go to Hawaii and fall in love. Not once had she fallen in love. Not once had she gone to Hawaii. Hell, she had never even been on an airplane. This was not normal to her, but leave it to her best friends to get her wrapped up into the situation. Why couldn't Brooke go on it? Haley could see her doing something crazy like that. She could just as well been The Bachelorette based on her beauty and way with men. Haley wasn't that kind of girl. She was the shy one who sat in the corners of parties and was not ready to open her heart up to love. What in the hell did the casting crew see in her of all people?

"Oh I'm sure," Brooke responded. "You're going to have so, so, so, so, so much fun! And you get to go to Maui. I've always wanted to go to Maui."

"Well how about you go in my place?" Haley suggested.

"How about not," Brooke spoke.

Haley James was exhausted. After a long day of teaching first grade students, she felt like curling up on the couch in a nice warm blanket with her golden retriever puppy, Maddie, and taking a nice long nap. She threw her coat and purse onto the island style countertop in the middle of her kitchen and sorted through the mail she had received that day. Most of it was junk and bills along with a short letter from her parents to see how she was doing.

She then came across an oversized envelope with a return address of ABC Studios. Bewildered by what might be in the envelope. Using her finger to detach the sticky flap of the envelope from the majority of the envelope, she opened it up and pulled out a packet of papers.

"Congratulations Haley James! You are one of the lucky twenty-five beautiful women who have been chosen to compete on The Bachelor. Judging from your fabulous video entry and written interview, we think you just might be the perfect woman for The Bachelor." Haley read aloud. "What the hell?"

She flipped through the other pages that had been included the letter. They gave an abundance of information that she would need to know.

"I didn't submit any video," Haley muttered. "And I sure as hell didn't answer any questions."

'Brooke…' Haley immediately said to herself. If anybody had done this it would be Brooke.

Haley picked up the cordless phone and dialed her friend's cell phone number. She plunked down on her couch while it was ringing, letter still in hand. She knew Brooke would still be at work but she usually answered.

"He-Ello," a bubbly voice answered the phone.

"Hey Brooke," Haley sighed.

"Oh, hey Hales. Look, can I call you back in like ten minutes? I've got a client right now."

"Did you submit a video and interview of me for The Bachelor?" Haley bellowed.

Brooke didn't answer.

"Brooke? Hello?"

"Um, about that," Brooke started.

"What the hell Brooke?"

"Haley I've really got to go," Brooke changed the subject. "I would much rather talk to you right now but work comes first. I'll call you later." And with that she hung up.

"Brooke!" Haley shouted but it was too late. The brunette had already disconnected the phone. "Dammit."

Haley was forced to wait three more hours before she finally received the highly anticipated phone call from her friend. Finally, at 7:30, the phone rang.

Haley jumped up from her seat on the couch and grasped the telephone in her hand.

"Brooke," she answered the phone.

"Hi," the voice came from the other end of the line.

"What the hell did you do?" Haley screeched although she knew full well what the woman had done.

"Sorry?" Brooke suggested quietly.

"Brooke!" Haley shouted.

"Look Haley I know you probably hate my guts right now but you shouldn't because this will be good for you."

"Good for me? Brooke…I don't need to go on some stupid game show to find love."

"Ok first of all, it's not a game show. It's a reality show." Brooke defended.

"Oh whatever," Haley snapped. "God I can't believe you did this."

Brooke ignored the girl.

"And second of all, you do need a reality show to find love. Sorry Hales but you're love life is shit right now and you know it."

"Well maybe so," Haley's voice softened, but she took on her angry tone once again within a matter of seconds. "But don't you think you could have at least asked me before you signed me up for a freaking TV show?"

"No," Brooke stated. "You know why? Because you would have said no immediately. You wouldn't have even thought about the opportunities of it."

"Yeah I guess you're right about that one. But still…"

"Haley I know this is weird and you don't want to do it. But will you just try it? I mean what's the worst that could happen?"

"Haley, you're going to do great!" Peyton Sawyer reassured her friend. "I'll bet you this guy will fall head over heals in love with you and you live happily ever after."

Haley let out a loud laugh.

"Ha ha, yeah right."

"But what if this guy is a total babe?" Brooke asked.

"Well then that's a different story," Haley replied causing a flutter of giggles among the three women.

"You can't tell me you're not just a little excited," Peyton said.

"Well a little I guess," Haley blushed. "It's just weird you know?"

"How is it weird?" Brooke didn't quite understand how her friend wasn't totally excited about the beginning of the experience.

"How is it not weird?" Haley chuckled. "I mean competing with 25 girls for a guy? Not exactly the normal fairytale romance."

"Well I think it would be a blast," Brooke said enthusiastically. "And you really should too."

"So why didn't you send in a tape of yourself or even Peyton instead of me?" Haley laughed.

Brooke wrapped an arm around Haley and patted her on the arm.

"Because Honey, I have no problem finding a guy, and you're having a lot more trouble boosting your love life than P. Sawyer here."

Haley sighed.

"Okay Tigger I'll take your word for it."

Brooke clapped her hands together and squealed.

"That's my girl!" she said.

"So did you get any information on The Bachelor," Peyton inquired.

"Ummm, all I know is his name is Nathan," Haley replied. "They didn't really reveal too much information. Probably so we can be surprised or whatever."

"Nathan…" Brooke lingered on the name. "I knew a Nathan once. Lets just say he wasn't the prettiest thing to look at."

"Brooke!" Peyton scolded slapping the spunky brunette across the forearm.

"Well thanks Brooke," Haley stated sarcastically. "That makes me feel really great."

The threesome continued fluent chatter about the whirlwind experience that Haley was soon going to be thrown into. After all of the talk, Haley could actually feel herself becoming a little more thrilled about the entire ordeal than she had felt when she had walked into the airport. Maybe this was actually not as bad of an idea as she had thought it was going to be. Maybe she would actually meet a great guy and a lot of fun. But she didn't want to anticipate falling in love. How could people actually fall in love under the kinds of circumstances they were going to be under?

The line slowly inched forward until finally Haley was able to check in and get her luggage carried away. Sadly, this was the last she would see her two best buds for the next month. But on the plus side, Haley James of all people was about to embark on a journey that would be full of unexpected twists and turns.