Summary: Haley James is the new girl in town and trying to find her footing.

Author's Note: I haven't written a new story in over twelve years (since the end of season 5). During the pandemic, watching my beloved OTH and reading Naley fanfiction has been one of the main things keeping me going. I've been itching for a while to write again, so here is my rusty attempt. Let me know what you think.

Prologue

It's Sunday night and Haley James sits quietly in her bedroom thinking about starting school the next day.

She and her family had only been in Tree Hill a few days. They had arrived late Friday after spending the last few weeks driving across the country, leaving behind the only home Haley had ever known in Palo Alto, California. Six months after the death of her father, her mother decided they needed a fresh start and began the process of moving the family to her hometown of Tree Hill, North Carolina.

Haley had been none too thrilled about this move. She was leaving behind her best friends Julian & Millie to live in a place she'd only ever heard stories about. To be closer to an aunt she couldn't stand and a cousin she barely tolerated.

Though, to be honest, her mother was feeling more nostalgic for her best friend Karen Roe than her sister Victoria Davis. Haley had never met the "famous" Karen but had heard all of the stories. Despite their three year age difference, the two had been inseparable until Lydia left town after graduation with her musician boyfriend and never returned.

Haley's older twin sisters Quinn and Taylor hadn't been thrilled about the move either. Quinn, having been undecided about college, made the decision to attend UNC to keep close to her mom and younger sister. Taylor, while having joined them on the cross-country trek, Haley doesn't expect her to actually stick around long.

Across town, Nathan Scott was also thinking about starting his junior year at Tree Hill High. It was his time to shine. He was going to be co-captain of the basketball team with his brother Lucas, and in this town, that automatically made him a big man on campus. He needed to put aside everything else and enjoy this new rank. He'd always been popular, but now that he no longer had a girlfriend, he intended to use that to his advantage this year.

Lucas Scott looked out his bedroom and noticed that next door, his brother's light was still on. From their conversation earlier in the day, Lucas knew Nathan was looking forward to taking full advantage of their big man on campus status tomorrow when school started.

Despite being raised together from the young age of 4 by their single mothers, the brothers were different in so many ways. Nathan was definitely the more outgoing one. Lucas liked to stay in the shadows...well except when playing basketball. Although, you'd never know that as he was currently dating the new head cheerleader, Brooke Davis.

Brooke Davis stood staring into her closet trying to pick out what she was going to wear on the first day of school tomorrow. She needed to dress to impress. Afterall, as the new head cheerleader she had a reputation to create. Sure, everyone already knew who she was, but this was still a first for her. And she wanted to make sure that NO ONE associated her with her cousin who was new to the school this year. A hippie nerd was NOT someone she needed negatively impacting her status.

Peyton Sawyer hung up the phone with her boyfriend Jake Jagelski and smiled. Tomorrow was the start of a new school year. The first time in many years that she wasn't starting the year as Nathan Scott's on-again/off-again girlfriend. They'd been "together" since the dance at the end of 7th grade. They always broke up at least twice during the school year, but always managed to gravitate back towards each other. The last break-up had been the final one. She swore she was done, as usual, but this time, Jake stepped in, risking the wrath of Nathan, and asked her out. She'd never realized being in a relationship could be so great.