A/N- Close no response again but that is my fault because I couldn't help but update sooner rather than later. Here are the beginnings of Haley and Lucas joining the story as more involved characters.

Disclaimer- Don't own anything associated with One Tree Hill or any other references made.

Chasing Dreams

Chapter Six

Facing Challenges

The past couple weeks passed slowly and painfully, with the news that Eric was crushing on Brooke being constantly brought back to attention and Brooke couldn't stand to be around him and if she was it was extremely awkward. Jokes were always being told at expense the pair. Brooke had no intentions of dating anyone at the moment. It was the fourth game of the season and everyone was there watching. Brooke and Peyton sat with Alexis, Kady, and Kendra as they did at all the games.

"You know what?" Alexis said randomly.

"What?" Kendra replied eagerly, Kendra was as wannabe as they come, she hung on every word that Alexis spoke and would never go against her word.

"Lucas," she began, "I think he is hot."

"As in my boyfriend's brother?" said Kady as she raised her eyebrows.

"Yup, like look at him, he is just as hot as Nate," Alexis said as she examined Lucas play.

"Have you forgot about, Carter?" asked Peyton.

"Well, Carter is the hottest guy in the class, no doubt," Alexis said, "but we need some other hot guys and Lucas Scott is definitely hot."

"We are all friends with Nate," Brooke said, "He would kill any of us we ever even considered dating his brother or even said he was hot."

"True," Alexis said thoughtfully.

"Did you hear that?" Kylie Harper asked her sister as she jabbed her in the ribs.

"Lucas Scott is officially considered hot," Kaitlyn said nodding her head.

"Lucas, hot?" questioned Megan Moore as she joined the group with a poutine.

"Yup, Alexis Mackenzie, say so," Tara Pike said adding herself into the conversation. Ever since the sixth grade when it was made obvious that Alexis, Kendra, and Kady were the popular girls in class, Kylie, Kaitlyn, Tara, and Megan copied them. If Kady got her hair cut, they all had similar knock off versions within a month, a new outfit worn by Kendra, copied, and so forth. They group of girls had now taken to copying Brooke and Peyton as they were just as much in the popular group since the fall of their great friendship with Serena.

"The best thing about it," Kylie whispered motioning for the group to get closer, "they all won't date him because of Nathan."

"Oh, that's awesome," Tara said quietly.

"Yeah," the girls said in unison while nodded their heads.

The Jaguars won their game; they were undefeated so far this season. After the game everyone went home and did their homework the day in Social Studies their teacher would be drawing names a major assignment and everyone was excited.

"Please take your seats," Mrs. Anderson called out, it was the first class after lunch and her class was excited for the announcement of who their partner would be. "I have a hat and everyone's name is in it," she said as soon as the students quieted down, "I'll pick a name and they will pick their partner, and since we have an uneven class this year the last three names left in the hat will work together." Mrs. Anderson reached her hand into the hat and pulled out a folded piece of paper, "Serena Hart."

Serena walked to the front of the room and reached in and pulled a piece of paper and quickly unfolded and read it, "Oh my god," she said shaking her head, "my best buddy, Peyton Sawyer."

"Serena," Mrs. A said as reached into the hat, "no need for the rude comments." "Kady O'Grady."

Kady reached in picking Tara Pike. The next name called was Zach Holt who picked Alexis, and the names kept going until there were five names left. "So far we have," Mrs. Anderson said reading her piece of paper, "Serena and Peyton, Kady and Tara, Zach and Alexis, Andrea and Dustin, Kylie and Carter, Shawn and Chris, Kendra and Danielle, Randi and Megan, Kaitlyn and Tia, and Mike and Dylan." "So we have who left?" she asked. Brooke, Nathan, Eric, Haley, and Lucas raised their hands. "Okay," she said looking around the room as she pulled the next name, "Nathan Scott."

Nathan approached the front of the room and placed his hand in the hat hoping and praying to get Brooke's name. Once he retrieved a name and opened and read it and groaned, "Haley James." He looked at Brooke and mouthed sorry. Brooke was stuck with Lucas and Mister I'm obsessed with you, Eric.

"So," Mrs. Anderson said as she wrote down the names of the last two groups, "Brooke, your with Eric and Lucas."

"Believe me I know," Brooke said in a bitter tone.

"No need for the rude remarks, Ms. Davis," Mrs. Anderson said giving a Brooke a look. Brooke just rolled her eyes in response and looked at Peyton for comfort.

"Peyt," Brooke said, "how much does this suck?"

"A lot," Peyton replied, "in the whole entire class there is like five people who we don't want to get partnered with and we all get someone we hate or should hate."

"Five?"

"Tia, Serena, Haley, Eric, and Lucas," Peyton said naming off the names of the people they hate.

"Girls," Mrs. Anderson said as she approached the whispering friends, "stop being negative and join your groups."

"Sure," they replied in unison. Peyton walked to the back of the room where Serena was sitting talking to Tia.

"Serena, we have to get this done," Peyton said with authority, "I don't care how much we may hate each other right now but I need good marks."

"Yes, Peyton, I already know you are an uptight bitch," Serena snarled.

"Mrs. A," Peyton called, "I can't work with her."

"Why not," Mrs. Anderson said confused, Serena was always apart of Peyton's same group.

"We hate each other," Peyton said slowly, it was amazing how teachers had no idea was going on.

"Well, you will have to get over it."

Meanwhile Brooke was demanding her group around, "Eric, whatever is going on between us, the awkwardness is going to end." "Lucas, I can't like you because of Nathan and we are going to get over that too, our goal is a good mark and we are going to achieve that."

"Wow, you are little crazy when you are mad," Eric said as he touched her arm flirty manner.

Brooke quickly pulled her arm away from him, "And you aren't going to touch me, only way this going to work is that we go back to old times when you weren't being stupid and we were friends."

"Okay," Eric said, "calm down."

"Brooke," Lucas spoke up finally, "calm down."

"You guys calm down," Brooke screamed at them.

"Brooke quit screaming," Mrs. Anderson said as she approached the back of the room, "what is wrong?"

"Well, my group sucks, my best friend's worst enemy and a stupid guy that had to ruin our friendship and he is dating my former best friend," Brooke broke down.

"Brooke, you are thirteen years old, you don't have this much drama and you need to calm down," Mrs. Anderson said.

"Okay," Brooke said exhaling slowly.

"Good," they all said in response.

"So Nathan, I know that we aren't friends but this will be fun," Haley said quietly.

"Yeah, but we will be fine," Nathan said looking at Haley; he had never noticed how pretty she was. Haley had mid-back length auburn hair that a natural wave to it and deep brown eyes.

"Good, so what should we do our project on?" she asked sweetly, but didn't sound artificial.

For the next week the groups all work on their projects at school and after school causing some tension throughout the class. The little system of cliques was failing as the groups became friends and hung with each other, the only case this wasn't true was with Peyton and Serena. Their emotional wounds were deep from their friendship ending fight. Kady O'Grady and Lucas Scott were becoming jealous of Haley and Nathan's blossoming friendship. Kady was sitting in her room alone wondering what she should do it was Friday night and she decided to have a get together, they all hadn't hung out ever since this project had started. She picked up the phone and called Alexis first. "Hey Lexie, want to come over," she asked as soon as her friend answered.

"Sure," Alexis replied, "when?"

"Right now, invite the guys," Kady instructed, "I'll call Nate though."

"Done, we will be over in a half an hour."

Next she called Nathan, "Natie," she whined into the phone.

"Kady?" he asked.

"Yeah, want to come over, everyone is," Kady continued to whine.

"Sure, but Haley is here right now," Nathan said, "Can she come?"

"Whatever, as long as you come," Kady said hanging up the phone.

Kady sat there in silence, why was her boyfriend practically living with Haley. She grabbed the phone again and called Peyton.

"Hello?" answered Peyton.

"Peyt, Brooke around?"

"Nope, she is with Eric and Lucas," Peyton said.

"Oh, anyways, want to come to my house tonight for a get together?"

"Sure," Peyton replied, "be there in a bit."

"Good," Kady said as she hung up the phone and quickly hit Alexis' number into the key pad. "Sexy Lexie," she chirped as Alexis picked up her cell.

"Yeah Kady?" she replied.

"Did you call Eric?"

"Sure did, Brooke and Lucas are coming too," Alexis replied.

"Okay, where are you?" Kady asked.

"Almost there, see ya," Alexis said as she flipped her phone shut.

Everyone showed up with in an half an hour and everyone was hanging out and talking. Peyton, Brooke, Shawn, Eric, and Lucas sat around the kitchen table playing cards and Lucas and Brooke were giggling and behaving suspiciously flirty. Alexis and Carter sat in their typical chair making out as usual. Nathan and Haley sitting on the window seat laughing. Kady sat on the coach with Kendra watching Dawson's Creek.

"Kady," Kendra said waving her hand in front of her face, "nothing is going on between with them."

"Yeah right," Kady said, unconvinced by her friends attempts to make her happy with her relationship.

"Why would Nathan pass you up for is worst enemy's best friend?" Kendra explained.

"Because how do not know that Haley is some whore or some sort?" Kady said.

"Kady, do you realize how dumb you sound?"

"Ugh, shut up, Kenny," Kady said, "I want to rant and you're not helping."

"Why don't you tell him you want to spend more time together," Kendra said logically.

"Kenny," Kady smiled, her eyes suddenly sparkling, "I will give him a choice, Haley or me." Kady got up off the couch and walked towards the window to where they were sitting.

"Kady!" called Kendra, "I didn't mean that."

"Nathan," Kady said, "can we talk?"

"Sure," Nathan said standing and quickly saying later to Haley who went and joined Kendra on the couch. Kady and Nathan made their way up to Kady's room and sat down on her bed.

"Nathan, I don't like how much time you are spending with Haley," Kady said as calmly as she could.

"Kate," Nathan began to explain, "It's the project, and you are spending time with Tara."

"Not enjoying it like you are with Haley," Kady said quietly, "I just don't get it, you're supposed to hate it, like she is Lucas' best friend, you should hate her."

"Haley and I just get along," Nathan said touching Kady's arm, "we connect."

"Don't we connect?" Kady said as she began to cry.

"We do, but Haley is more like Peyton and Brooke," Nathan explained, "you don't get all jealous over them."

"You became friends with them through me," Kady said, "I introduced you."

"How does that make a difference?"

"It just does," Kady said stubbornly, "you like her don't you?"

"Me and Haley are just friends," Nathan argued.

"It's me or her?" Kady challenged, "It's your choice."

"Kady!" exclaimed Nathan, "honestly, you don't trust me what so ever do you?"

"Actually, I don't really," Kady replied truthfully.

"Why not?" asked Nathan.

"Just don't," Kady said.

"Whatever, Kady," Nathan said, "if you don't trust me, we shouldn't be going out, and it's not like this is the first time we broke up."

"You're breaking up with me?"

"You gave me the ultimatum," Nathan said as he got up and left the room as Kady cried. Nathan went down the stairs and went and told Alexis that Kady and he had just broken up and she probably needed to talk to someone. Nathan went to the table where they all were still playing cards and Haley and Kendra had joined.

"Can I play?" Nathan asked Brooke who he was standing behind.

"Me too," asked Carter who now joined the group since Alexis was upstairs.

"Sure, where is Kady and Lexie?" asked Peyton.

"Lexie is with Kady," Carter said, "Natie just broke Kady's little heart, again."

"Thanks, Carter," Nathan said giving his friend a pat on the back, "real helpful."

"Nate!" exclaimed Brooke, "why?"

"She doesn't trust me," Nathan explained.

"Why?" Brooke pressed further.

"Haley," Nathan replied simply.

"This was my fault?" Haley spoke up from the other end of the table.

"No, I broke up with her because she said didn't trust me, and trust has nothing to do with you Hales," Nathan explained, "Can we move on?"

"Kind of hard considering we are in her house and half of us wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you," Peyton said looking around, Brooke, Haley, Lucas, and herself wouldn't ever had been in this house if Kady and Nathan hadn't been dating.

"Peyt, you know just as well as I do, that you and Kady as sick as it sounds are friends," Nathan smiled.

"Shut up," she said standing up giving her friend a big hug.

Kady and Alexis eventually joined them all downstairs, Nathan and Kady gave each other the evil eye all night, especially Kady since Nathan was sitting beside Haley and they were joking around. Around one in the morning, Kady's parents came home to a house-full of children and half of them being guys, and imagine their surprise.

"Kady?" yelled Mr. O'Grady as he entered the kitchen of teenagers, "what are Nathan, Carter, Shawn, Eric, and this other young man doing here in the middle of the night?"

"Um, leaving?" Kady said quietly as she motioned the guys to get up and leave.

"Good answer," he replied, "what am I supposed to say to their parents when they ask why their sons were at my house until one in the morning with a house-full of girls."

"That they were supervised," Kady improvised.

"Okay, so maybe we shouldn't leave you alone but," he continued.

"I should be more responsible," Kady interrupted, "I have heard it before."

"Okay," Mr. O'Grady said, "go say good-bye to your friends."

"Can we walk them home, please," Kady whined.

"Okay, take your cell though," instructed Mr. O'Grady

"Hey guys, wait up," yelled Kady as the group of girls got up from the table, "we are walking you all home."

The group coat their coats and mitts and such on and went outside, it was snowing.

"The first Christmas snow!" shrieked Brooke as she bent down and grabbed a hand full and stuffed it down Lucas' shirt.

"Brooke!" he yelled chasing after her with a hand full of snow.

"Snow fight!" yelled Carter as he shoved Eric down and covered him in snow.

The group of kids ran and ran throwing snow at each other and causing a great deal of noise. They made their way to the park which Shawn lived next door to and to their surprise there was Serena, Tia, Danielle, Dylan, Chris, and Dustin.

"Look," Tia said pointing to the group as they approached them, "isn't that nice, a perfect little group of friends."

"When is this going to end?" Peyton screamed as loudly as she could, "it's stupid, so what if we aren't friends anymore, Serena, who cares it's over with, Brooke and I cried over it and all you ever do is insult us and be cruel."

"So, I don't give a fuck," Serena yelled, "you guys go and cry some more, I'm glad I'm hurting you, you guys never let me into your little group, you are a bunch snobby popular fucking bitches, and boyfriend stealers." "Hi Eric, I thought you had to work on your project dear old Brookie?"

"Serena, I don't like Eric, we are just friends and that's all we have ever been and ever will be, I don't like Eric other than a friend so you can have, but I hope he won't take you!" screamed Brooke.

"This is a never ending argument and there is no need to have it again," Peyton said sensibly and began to walk towards Shawn's house, Everyone followed giving a Serena once last evil glance Brooke caught up with everyone else.

"Shawn?"

"What," he said turning his head to the doorway of his house, both of his parents's stood there in the housecoats.

"You do realize it's the middle of the night and we could hear you yelling in the back and I'm sure others could too," Mrs. Harris said angrily.

"Yes, the O'Grady's kicked us out, just us guys, and the girls are walking us home and it's snowing so it's get and yeah, I know it's like two in the morning now so I'm coming in and going to be," Shawn rambled.

"Good choice," Mr. Harris said, quickly waving to the other teenagers on the street and closing the door.

"So that was great," Peyton said, "whose next?"

"Carter," Alexis said, pointing down the street a bit where Carter's house was.

"Okay," Peyton said, "lead the way!"

The group began marching down the street, stopping every once and awhile to throw some snow at one another. Still making a lot of noise causing for people to wake up and go to their windows, but once they saw the sight of the cheerful teenagers, they just watched remembering their days as a teen in Tree Hill. After they dropped off Carter they dropped off Eric and the next house was Nathan, but everyone was wondering, why Lucas and Nathan weren't fighting. All the ingredients were there for a great fight, Brooke was obviously flirting with Lucas, Haley indirectly caused Kady and Nathan's breakup because Kady thought there was something going on between them, and Lucas just spent the entire evening with Nathan's friends. "So why haven't you two been fighting all night?" Kendra asked, figuring this would be the last time to ask.

"I don't really know," answered Nathan, he looked at Lucas who was walked beside Kady and Brooke; Nathan felt nothing, no anger, nothing. There Lucas was with his just recent ex-girlfriend and one of his best friends, he didn't care.

"Well, it's never me who starts the fights," Lucas stated, "Nathan apparently didn't feel like fighting tonight so I'm glad." "Seriously Nate, I don't know why you hate me because I could careless."

"I know my dad watches you play, I hate that, I hate that you actually like basketball because you never got trapped with him, I hate…" Nathan said.

"What else to hate about me, Nathan Scott," interrupted Dan Scott who was now standing in the middle of his front yard.

"Dad!" exclaimed Nathan.

"Why are you out so late with him," Dan accused pointing towards Lucas who was now standing close to Nathan.

"Because we were," Nathan said, "Luke and I are buds now."

"Oh, we will see how that will last," Dan said convinced.

"We'll see," Nathan said.

"Come in," Dan demanded, "now!"

"Nate, hold up," Kady yelled as she ran up to Nathan. "Natie, I hope we are good, because I love hanging out in this group and won't be the same without you."

"Kady, we are fine, it's grade eight, dating is really serious, it's basically a really good friend, and we'll stay that way," Nathan said, "call me when you have another one of infamous gathers."

"Well do," Kady replied giving Nathan a hug.

"Night everyone," Nathan yelled for one last time, "Haley, see you tomorrow to work on the project, meet me here at like twelve."

"Okay," Haley yelled back in response, "tomorrow."

"Night," rest of the group yelled.

"So Lucas, where do you live?" asked Kady.

"On the other side of town," Lucas said.

"He's lying," Haley spoke up, "he lives on the same street as you Kady,"

"Thanks," Lucas said tackling his friend.

"No problem."

Once they reached Lucas' house they could see that the lights were on in the kitchen, you could see a woman standing in the window waiting for her son to come home. "So you guys, I'm going to be in a lot of shit so I'll see you later," Lucas said glancing up at the window, "Brooke you guys will probably have to come over here, but I will call you."

"Okay," Brooke said, "night Lucas."

"Night, Lucas," everyone chanted.

"Yeah, night," Lucas replied as he made is way on the front porch and opened the door.

"Lucas?" asked a worried voice from the kitchen.

"Yeah," Lucas said quietly as he made his way into the kitchen.

"Where have you been?"

"Kady O'Grady's," Lucas said.

"With?" asked Karen.

"A lot of people," Lucas said.

"Who?" repeated Karen. Lucas was a good boy, he never got in trouble and never once stayed out late, especially at Kady O'Grady's, everyone knew the O'Grady's and Kady was obviously popular and Lucas was definitely not.

"Um," Lucas said racking his brain for names, "Carter McCrae, Eric Down, Shawn Harris, Peyton Sawyer, Brooke Davis, Lexie Mackenzie, Kendra Falcon, our Haley, and Nathan."

"Nathan as in," Karen began.

"Scott," Lucas finished, "that's the one."

"Lucas sorry of this sounds bad, but those are the popular kids, why were you with them," Karen said hoping he wouldn't take it the wrong way.

"I was with Brooke and Eric, because of the project and Kady invited everyone over," Lucas explained.

"How did Haley get invited?"

"She is Nate's partner."

"Oh," Karen said, "Luke as you probably assumed you are grounded and if you need to work on your project they have to come over here."

"Okay," Lucas said getting up from the table and going to his room.

At the O'Grady residence the girl were all having a sleep-over, even Haley. They all had gotten blankets and sleeping bags and were in the pajamas completely asleep as the Lion King played.

A/N- Without a doubt the longest chapter I have ever written, I started last night and finished this morning. I don't know what the weather is like in North Carolina but I don't care, I love snow and there is snow and it's almost Christmas, I love Christmas it's my favorite holiday and the snow and the fights, I love it. That's the last chapter that I have planned so it might be a little while before I figure out whats happening with the story. Lucas and Haley official added to the opening credits, please review, it makes a difference.

-Lauren

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