A/N Hey guys! This is my first complete AU Nathan and Haley Story. I'm not so good with summaries, but I hope you give it a chance and enjoy it. My goal is to update 1-2 times a week, but it could be less sometimes if I'm busy. Anyway here's the first chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of the characters.

Summary: They may appear like they're completely different, but they carry a similar pain that consumes them. Will two broken people finally be able to heal each other? Naley AU

This story is going to be with them in high school, and it takes place in junior year.

Chapter 1

...

"My backpack has to be in one of these boxes," Haley muttered to herself in frustration while rummaging through the sixth box in her room. Great. It's the night before my first day of school and I can't even find my backpack. Leave it to my parents to move here right before school starts.

After tripping over multiple boxes, Haley finally made her way downstairs in hopes of asking her parents where her backpack was. Instead, the screaming started again.

"God, Jimmy. Just let it go! We've been through this!" Lydia yelled while smashing the plate forcefully on the kitchen table.

Haley winced at the sound of the plate breaking and hoped her mom didn't get hurt.

"Well, I'm not done talking about this! You said it wouldn't happen again!" Jimmy shot back.

Both Lydia and Jimmy were completely unaware that their daughter was standing just a few feet away from them. Even if they were, it's not like it would've made a difference.

Sighing, Haley went back upstairs. It was hopeless trying to talk to her parents when they were fighting. Throughout the whole car ride from Oak Lake, they've just been screaming at each other, minus a few moments where they would suddenly forget about their fight.

After going back into her room, she closed the door and plugged her earplugs in, hoping to block out the loud voices that echoed throughout the house. However, the attempt was futile. Her rapid heart rate confirmed that the fight was getting worse. Just calm down Haley. They do this all the time. Still, her heart rate was soaring.

About an hour later, Haley finally found her backpack. Before coming to Tree Hill, she already bought notebooks, folders, and pencils. The first day of school was always her favorite after all. She was relieved that she at least got everything sorted for tomorrow. What made her happier, however, was that there was no more shouting. Maybe they made up again?

As Haley came into the kitchen, the little hope she had was shattered with the appearance of multiple beer cans on the dining table along with broken pieces of glass from the plate her mom broke earlier. The sinking feeling in her stomach returned, yet again. He promised he wouldn't drink for six months. It's only been two weeks.

"Hey, honey. Your mom went out for a little while," Jimmy said while taking a large gulp of the Heineken.

"Uh, Dad...what is all this?" Haley asked, clearly referring to the beers.

"Oh...well I just needed something you know. Your mom drives me insane sometimes."

"But you said you weren't going to drink for six months."

"Well maybe tell your mom to stop picking fights with me!" Jimmy snapped as he roughly slammed the beer can on the dining table, causing a large thump, which made Haley slightly jump.

"I just...I don't like seeing you like this." Haley felt her heart pound.

Jimmy regretted snapping at his little girl. "I'm sorry honey. I know this version of me sucks. I promise after I finish these cans tonight, I'll stop again for six months. I promise."

Like I didn't hear that before. "Ok, Dad. I'm going to head out for a little while and explore Tree Hill."

"Be careful sweetie."

"I always am."

As Haley got out of the house, her body relaxed a little more. God, she hated masking her constant anxiousness around everyone else. Every time things got bad, Haley would always take a walk outside to calm her down. She didn't really have too many people to talk to about this. Sure, she had friends at Oak Lake, but they weren't exactly close. Haley's brothers and sisters were also older than her and had their own lives. Either way, it didn't make a difference. Even if she had people to talk to, she didn't want to. Ever since she was little, Haley always took care of herself and her own emotions. At this point in her life, it was hard letting her guard down. On the other hand, her emotions being bottled up slowly drained her each passing day.

"Dammit," Nathan murmured as he stumbled over his pile of clothes. Looking around his room, he couldn't even remember the last time he made his bed. Not to mention, there were still stacks of plates with dried up pieces of food from weeks ago that he hadn't bothered to carry downstairs yet. Every now and then, there would be a popping noise that came when Nathan stepped on his empty plastic water bottles, which were hidden under articles of clothing. Fuck, he really needed to start cleaning his room more.

After finally finding his notebooks and a few pencils, he started placing them in his backpack. Normally, he would just wake up the day of and toss stuff into it, but he needed to try harder this year. His grades already sucked from last year, and he needed to bring them up if he wanted to stay on the basketball team. Basketball was his only chance of getting into a good college and getting away from Dan. Basketball is the only thing that can save his life.

Nathan groaned as he heard his dad's voice creeping upon him. "Dad, I'm busy! The first day of school is tomorrow, and I actually want to be prepared for once!" Nathan yelled from his bedroom.

"Oh look, you actually want to be responsible for once. I'm so proud of you son," Dan sarcastically spoke as he made his way in the room and looked around."I must say you're doing a wonderful job. In a few weeks, this place will attract all sorts of different creatures."

"Be quiet, Dad. I'm not in the mood." Although he wouldn't admit it, some of Dan's words stung. Nathan dedicated his life to basketball, thinking that at least his dad would be proud of him in some sort of way. However, not once in his life did he hear how proud Dan was of him.

"Get your ass up and do some free throws outside. Then go on a run around the neighborhood. Your ass needs to be in shape for this season."

"But Dad-"

"I don't give a fuck if you are missing a notebook or if you don't have pens for tomorrow. Go outside and practice!"

Nathan knew it was no use to argue. He didn't want or need another bruise again. It was already getting harder to cover them up. Sighing in defeat, he made his way to the driveway. God, where did you go Mom?

After what seemed like hours, Nathan finally finished training.

"Where do you think you're going?" Dan barked as he saw Nathan getting into the car.

"To the cafe. I forgot my phone."

"So that bastard is most likely going to be there."

"For your information, that bastard is my brother."

Oh, how Dan hated that Nathan and Lucas started getting closer. To any other dad, it would've been a dream come true. To Dan, it was his worst nightmare.

Nathan drove off before Dan could say another word. To hell with Dan. He needed to get away.

As the sun started to set, the lights illuminated the small town. Tree Hill was very different compared to Oak Lake. It had the small-town charm that Haley always longed for. Looking around, Haley couldn't help but think she was in Stars Hollow from Gilmore Girls. If there was a gazebo, it would've just been perfect. Nonetheless, the town was charming in its own way. Maybe moving down here wasn't going to be too bad.

After walking for a while she came across a place called Karen's Cafe, which reminded her of Luke's diner. Yup, I'm officially in a Gilmore Girls alternate universe. Realizing she hasn't eaten since morning, she made her way inside. I can totally go for some mac & cheese right now.

"Hi! Welcome to Karen's Cafe!" A brunette woman in her mid-thirties said as soon as Haley entered.

"Hi!"

"Are you new around here? I haven't seen you before."

"Yeah. My name is Haley," Haley said while shaking the brunette woman's hand.

"It's nice to meet you, Haley. I'm Karen, the owner of the cafe. Here's the menu. How are you liking it here in-" Karen was interrupted by a customer demanding some onion rings. "Oh, sorry I have to go. We're really busy today. My son, Lucas, is right there, so he can keep you company in the meantime. It was nice to see you, Haley."

"Thank you. It was good to meet you, Karen." Karen might've been one of the sweetest people Haley's ever encountered. There was such a warm and motherly nature that radiated off her.

Haley made her way to the counter where Karen's son was. "You're Lucas, right? Your mom was just telling me about you."

"Yeah, I am. Are you new around here?" Lucas replied while putting his book down on the counter.

"Yeah. I just moved here from Oak Lake actually. It's been a long day."

"Oh, that's cool. Is there any reason you moved here?"

"My dad actually got a job here." It was the truth...kind of. It's not like she could tell Lucas that her dad got fired from his old job since he would drink instead of work. After months of searching, her dad finally got a job in Tree Hill. "So your mom owns the place huh? That's probably gotta be pretty cool," Haley added in hopes of shifting the focus of the conversation.

"Yeah, it is. My mom opened this cafe around when I was born. A few years ago, she married my uncle, Keith, and now they own it together. I help around here in my free time."

"Your mom married your uncle?"

"Yeah. It sounds more twisted than it actually is, but they're happy. They have another child too, so she's my half-sister. Her name is Lily."

For the next half an hour, Haley and Lucas talked with one another while eating some mac and cheese. They bonded especially through their love of literature. Lucas reminded Haley a lot of her older brother, Bryan. She was glad she made at least one friend so far.

Suddenly, the cafe doors opened harshly, causing Haley to turn her attention to the new guest. A tall, dark-haired boy walked in. Even through the dim lighting, his eyes stood out. He had the most beautiful blue eyes she'd ever seen.

"Hey, Nate. I want you to meet someone," Lucas said while gesturing to Haley.

"Whatever. I just forgot my phone here." Nathan muttered, without even glancing at Haley.

Jerk, Haley thought.

"Well, I think I saw it by the window over there," Lucas softly spoke. He figured that Nathan was probably pissed off at something and didn't want to push him right now.

Without acknowledging Lucas or Haley, Nathan got his phone and took off.

What a complete ass. "So who was that?"

"Uh...he's actually my brother."

"You guys are brothers?" Haley questioned in disbelief while choking on her food.

"Yeah. My mom was pregnant with me in high school and my "dad" left her. A few months later, he got Nathan's mom pregnant and married her."

"Wow. That's um a lot. I'm sorry. I can't believe you guys are related. He's a total ass. No offense."

Lucas chuckled, "He's not all bad. I mean yeah we hated each other at first. Now, we're cool. Things were bad when I joined the basketball team, but we worked through it. We also bonded through our mutual hatred for our dad. Our dad, Dan, is horrible. He takes all his frustrations out on Nathan, so Nathan just has to suffer through it." Lucas refrained from talking about Nathan's mom as it didn't feel like his place to tell.

"Oh, that sucks. Is Nathan normally a nice person?"

"I mean he really only gets along with me, my mom, Keith, and Lily. There are a few friends at school he acts acceptable towards, but to everyone else, he acts more indifferent. But you know, sometimes I feel like the lucky one. I mean I have my mom and Keith, but Nathan has no one who cares for him."

Haley turned her body sideways and fixated her eyes on Nathan driving off in his car outside the cafe. Sure, she disliked him, but for strange reasons, she had a burning curiosity to learn more about his backstory.

After arriving at the doorstep of her house, Haley took a minute to get her thoughts in order. The past few hours were a nice distraction, but even during then, her worry was still present. She didn't know what version of her dad she would be seeing or the severity of her parent's fight when she entered the house. Maybe they are fighting even more now and throwing stuff? Or maybe Dad is drinking more?

Bracing herself for the worst-case scenario, she opened the door. To her surprise, there was only silence and darkness. As she looked around, she saw her dad passed out on the couch with multiple cans of beer surrounding him.

Haley grabbed a blanket from one of the boxes and wrapped it around her dad. It was already pretty chilly in the house.

"I'm sorry I keep drinking, baby. Thank you for taking care of me," Jimmy mumbled in his sleep.

Just hearing those words, Haley felt a sense of sympathy. She hated when he would drink. It destroyed her. It destroyed him. It destroyed her family. No matter how angry her dad's alcoholism made her, it still made her feel bad for him, especially in times like this. It seems like that's all she's been doing these days, alternating between feelings of anger and sympathy. In the end, she was just left with numbness that she felt like she couldn't escape.

"Good night, Dad. I love you."

After returning from his drive, Nathan went to his room. After he got a few moments to clear his head, the scene at the cafe replayed in his head. Damn, he felt bad for snapping at Lucas. Over the past year, he and Lucas have actually been focusing on rebuilding their relationship. He didn't mean to be rude at him in the cafe, but Dan rattled him, once again. One of these days, he had to find a way to stop Dan from controlling his emotions.

Once Nathan noticed Dan wasn't home, he immediately made his way to the liquor cabinet and chugged down some vodka to numb his pain. Well, I can always start being responsible from tomorrow.

As he made his way upstairs, he focused on the photo on the side of the staircase, which caused various emotions to channel through him.

"Nathan, let's go! We're going on a run!" Dan yelled.

"Dad I just got home from school, and Mom said she was taking me out to dinner when she got home."

"I hate to tell you this son, but your mother is gone. Good riddance if you ask me."

"What. What do you mean gone?!" What the hell was his dad talking about. His mom wouldn't leave. Would she?

"You can check if you want. All her stuff is gone."

Nathan rushed to his parent's room and opened all the closets. All the luggage and his mom's clothes disappeared. No. She wouldn't leave me. She wouldn't leave me with him.

"I told you, Nathan. It's not like it makes a difference. For the past two months, she's barely been home anyway."

"No-no-no. She wouldn't leave me. She can't leave me. What did you do?!"

"Despite what you believe, I didn't do anything. Your mother is the one who's hasn't been home at all. It's time to accept that your mother isn't the perfect woman you thought she was. I wouldn't abandon you like that."

"You mean like how you didn't abandon Lucas," Nathan shot back furiously.

"Watch your mouth son. Without your mother here, I can make your life a living hell."

"It already is," Nathan mumbled while opening the door and leaving the house.

Nathan stared hard at the picture of him and his mom, Deb. It was from six years ago when they were visiting Disney World. Did that time in Disney World mean as much to her as it did to him? Was she pretending to love him all these years? Guess she didn't love him as much as he thought she did. Guess no one actually loved him. How could you leave me, Mom?

Nathan's running thoughts were interrupted as Dan made his way near him.

Dan saw Nathan staring at those photos. He would be lying if he said Deb's lack of presence didn't bother him at all. Despite a failed marriage, there used to be some love there in the earlier stages. However, those few moments of nostalgia and buried love quickly passed as his anger took over when he remembered instances from the past.

"What do you want Dad?" Nathan asked in frustration.

"Just taking a trip down memory lane like you."

"Oh save it, Dad. You never cared about Mom, and she never cared for you."

"Well, I guess she didn't care for you either. I mean she left you with me, right? At least I'm the parent that stayed."

Just like that, the numbing effect from the alcohol wore off, causing the searing pain to return.

After changing into her pajamas, Haley turned off the lights and laid down on her bed. She held on tightly to her stuffed animal, Mr. Waffles in hopes of falling asleep faster. Some may say she was too old for stuffed animals, but Mr. Waffles was what helped throughout the years. Ever since she was a child, Haley clung to him as her parents fought. He gave her a sense of comfort that she wasn't ready to let go of yet.

Two hours later, she was still wide awake and unable to steady her breathing. Dammit. Calm down, Haley.

Another hour later, she still felt her body on high alert. Well, this is great, I'm going to go to school with dark circles tomorrow.

Staring at her spinning ceiling fan, Haley started reflecting like she often did when she couldn't sleep. She wondered what her first day of school would be like tomorrow. Was this school year going to be the start of something better? God, she hoped it would be.

After escaping Dan, Nathan managed to sneak a little vodka into his room. A while later, exhaustion consumed Nathan as he threw himself on the bed. He couldn't help but squirm when his bruise started throbbing due to the harsh contact. What a perfect day, he sarcastically thought in his drunken state.

For the next couple of hours, Nathan couldn't help but toss and turn every couple of moments. Great, even the vodka wasn't helping him sleep any better. Was this school year going to be the start of something better? God, he hoped it would be.

Let me know what you think! If there are specific things you want to see, I can maybe add them:) I'm still in the process of planning the story out, so my next update probably won't be until the end of the week.