A/N- So this is my new story! It is a sort of, kind of, not really sequel to Chasing Dreams. You don't need to read Chasing Dreams to understand this, Chasing Dreams is basically how they became friends, and this is just their friendship three years later. Reading Chasing Dreams won't hurt but it doesn't matter. So people know, I have a love of author's notes; I just basically write random stuff down that has nothing to do with the story so if you don't want to hear about basically me, or my thoughts towards One Tree Hill at the moment skip them. For the people who read Chasing Dreams, my author's note will be shorter because none of this has happened to me. So here I go! Oh yeah, as most people, I'm obsessed with reviews. Another quick note, sometimes my stories can become a little Brooke centered not on purpose but she is my favorite character so it just happens.

Quick Background- Peyton, Haley, Brooke, Nathan, Lucas are a close group of friends. There are two high schools in Tree Hill. Their friends from junior high went to school at the other school, which is called St. Joseph's. At the end of the eighth grade, Nathan and Haley, and Brooke and Lucas were dating. Nathan and Haley broke up early into grade nine. I think the rest will be explained but if you're confused don't stop reading, ask! Message me; I'll always answer fairly quickly.

Summary- Love, Hate, Betrayal, and Happiness challenge the strength of their friendship, as often as it can. How will Peyton, Brooke, Nathan, Haley, and Lucas survive the drama of junior year?

Disclaimer- I know I'll forget to put this on most of the chapters so this officially means for the whole story. I don't own One Tree Hill or anything associated with. I don't own any references I make or anything associated with any of those references. So please don't sue! I do own the many characters I have made up.

As It Comes

Chapter One

And It's Begun

It was the first day of school, Brooke had woken up at her usual five thirty am, and to begin to make herself into the beautiful cheerleader she was required. The moment she woke up, she turned on her computer so she could instant message as she did everything. Peyton was always ready to talk, and today being the first day of school, Peyton would be worried about how the year was going to go, as always. Brooke made her way to her personal bathroom, grabbed her flat iron and returned to her room to straighten in front of her vanity. When she returned, her computer screen was flashing with seven conversations. Brooke was one of the most popular girls in her grade and dealt regularly with people believing they were her best friend. She quickly decided to ignore most of them, but answering to Peyton's, her boyfriend, Lucas, and an old friend from her old school, Eric. Peyton was as always panicking about, how her classes would be, would some guy finally noticed her, and all that good stuff. Lucas was confirming the plans to meet at her house then meet rest of their friends at Karen's Café, the small café owned by Lucas' mother. Eric was another one of those people wishing her good luck with her day; Eric was the first guy that had ever really chased her, never getting her- Lucas came into the picture shortly after, but to this day they stayed close friends. Brooke finished up her make-up that was perfectly done, lightly done, but still noticeable, her perfectly straightened, and her clothes were up to her high standards, today she was wearing tight, low rise jeans, a light green tank top, with a brown blazer completing the look. Lucas arrived on time, as always, being the gentleman he was, he got out of his car and opened the door, giving her a quick kiss before she sat down. The car ride to Karen's Café was fairly silently, light conversation mostly about school. Once they arrived at the café, through the window they could see they were the last to arrive. Peyton, Nathan, and Haley sat at their usual table which was right next the front window. Lucas and Brooke walked into the café, holding hands.

"Hey, you guys," Brooke said sweetly, taking the seat next to Peyton. Lucas casually waved, taking the seat next to Haley. This was their usual routine on the first day of school. They had been friends since the eighth grade. Nathan had moved to Tree Hill in the fall of the seventh grade, his father Dan Scott was originally from Tree Hill and he had decided that his son, Nathan had to carry on the tradition of being a great basketball player in his hometown. A month before they moved, Dan informed Nathan that he had another son, Lucas. Lucas' mom was Dan high school girlfriend who he had gotten pregnant and then left, then soon meeting Deborah Lee, Nathan's mother, who got pregnant within two months of their dating, causing Dan to have two sons, mere months apart. Dan stayed in contact with Karen, but through his brother, Keith, he knew little about Lucas. Nathan immediately hated Lucas before meeting him. In the spring of the seventh grade, Nathan began dating Kady O'Grady, who happened to be a family friend of Peyton's. After Nathan and Kady broke up, Nathan became close friends with Brooke, Peyton, and their other member of the group, Serena Hart. At the beginning of the eighth grade, Serena began to wander away from the tight knit friends, at the same time Nathan began dating Kady again. By Halloween, Serena had completely left the group, causing major fights in the class. They had gone to a small school, everyone had known each other practically since birth, and after that fight they had all drifted apart. Since Kady and Nathan were dating they all had become friends with all of her friends, the most popular people in the class, Alexis Mackenzie, Kendra Falcon, Eric Down, Carter McCrae, and Shawn Harris. The group of different people became fast friends and spent nearly every Friday at Kady's house. They lived in the repetitive existence for a few months, until one fateful day, paired Haley and Nathan together, and Lucas, Brooke, and Eric together. Haley and Lucas had been friends since forever, so becoming Haley's friend was also not good. Both Brooke and Nathan reluctant to become friends with their partners, knowing the hatred felt between Nathan and Lucas, they both couldn't help themselves, not only becoming friends with them, falling into eighth grade love. Lucas and Haley joined into the group. Everyone had the choice at the end of the eighth grade, go to THHS or stay another year at their middle school and go to St. Josephs. Lucas, Haley, Brooke, Peyton, and Nathan all made the difficult decision and decided to leave their other friends behind and going to THHS. They hadn't stayed close with Kady, Alexis, Carter, Shawn, Kendra, and Eric; they all had the odd conversation; if they ran into each somewhere, both online, or maybe a random phone call. Eric and Brooke stayed close though; Eric had a huge crush on Brooke in grade eight, and somehow still thought he had a crush on her in the ninth. Eventually overcoming the drama of juvenile obsession, they managed to become great friends. The ninth grade passed quickly, meeting new people, playing basketball, cheerleading, academics, and everything that went along with a new school. Nathan and Haley did not survive that first year at THHS, Haley extremely focused on academics and Nathan became somewhat of an ass playing basketball. Lucas and Brooke remained a couple that whole year and most of sophomore year, until May when Lucas broke up with because it was getting boring. He broke Brooke's heart, but instead of dealing with pain she hid it, going to every party, hooking up with random guys, and basically experimenting. The pair recently got back together after Lucas rescued her from a party where she was way too drunk and some guy was trying to take advantage of her and Brooke called Lucas for him to bail her out. The couple had inseparable since. Peyton had become somewhat of a loner, still great friends with everyone but spent a fair deal of time in her room, drawing and listening to music. Peyton joined the cheerleading squad with Brooke and spent some time at some parties with her, but wasn't really into the high school scene. Nathan had become the stereotypical jock, different girlfriend every month, all in it if he got something out of it. The five all so different just meshed together. Their friendship as strong as it was; was always on the verge of ending forever.

"Hey," the group replied in unison.

"Let's get something to eat," exclaimed Haley, "I'm starving."

"And she speaks," joked Peyton, while they had been waiting for Brooke and Lucas to show up, Haley had been silent. She and Nathan had never really been friends since they had broken up however many years ago. Haley normally sat in silence, waiting for Lucas.

"Shut it, Peyt," Haley demanded, punching Peyton in the shoulder.

"Touchy," Peyton said raising her eyebrows.

"You can't just make fun of me because I'm the quiet one," complained Haley, "we all have our own thing."

"And what are our labels, Haley dear," questioned Peyton.

"Well, I'm the quiet academic, Brooke is the typical cheerleader, you're the moody, artist type, Nathan is the asshole jock, and Lucas is the broody basketball star, who doesn't quite fit in," Haley explained. Haley was always assessing everything, she was a nerd and wasn't afraid to admit it.

"If we are all that, why are we friends?" argued Peyton. Peyton knew that Haley hated when someone never accepted an answer and kept pushing for more, and Peyton loved to push people's buttons.

"Ugh, Peyt, you know that pissed me off," Haley said huffily.

"I know," laughed Peyton.

"So now that we have officially put Haley in a bad mood," Nathan said, "when are we ordering?"

"Now," Karen said, walking up the table. She had known Haley since she was a small child and had watched her grow. Karen had met Brooke, Peyton, and Nathan as soon as Lucas became friends with, causing a small bit of trouble for son. Even though they were slight trouble makers, she loved them too. She had watched them grow over the past few years, and the changes she had seen in them all was amazing. They all went from somewhat quiet academics, to popular jocks and cheerleaders, except Haley who was slightly an outcast.

"I want a bagel, please," Brooke said, without looking at the menu that she had long memorized, "a chocolate milk too."

"Bagel, orange juice," Peyton said simply.

"Chocolate chip muffin and orange juice," Haley said lightly.

"Breakfast burrito," said Nathan, "orange juice too."

"I already ate," Lucas said, his mom already knew that though, "but I'll have an orange juice too."

"Coming right up," Karen said cheerfully. The food arrived shortly after and the group ate quickly, knowing they were soon going to be late for school. They had light conversation about who they had for teachers and such but nothing much.

"I have to meet Shay at the front of the school in ten minutes, so let's hurry," demanded Nathan. Shay, short for Shaylene Morrison, was Nathan's current girlfriend, the flavor of the month as some might say.

"I hate Shay," Peyton said bluntly. Shay Morrison, somewhat pretty, wannabe cheerleader, but most of all she was a slut. Peyton had no time of day for sluts, there was no reason someone should degrade themselves to being someone's piece of property. That was how Nathan Scott treated his girlfriends, he was that guy. He was nice Brooke, Haley, and Peyton as long as none of his basketball buddies were around, with the exception of Lucas. Nathan was an ass, but they all knew the other side of him, the irresistible sweetheart that they had known in the eighth grade. They guy who wasn't embarrassed to say his best friends were girls, and guy who only wanted a normal relationship with his father. That was the Nathan they knew, not the manufactured Nathan.

"Well, I like her," Nathan shrugged.

"That's good for you, we'll see how much you like until another girl comes along," Peyton said.

"Yes we will," Nathan said. Nathan knew that Peyton hated his behavior towards girls, but that is what is reputation was, and he was going to uphold it.

"Peyt," Brooke said, "quit trying to piss people off."

"Okay," smiled Peyton.

"Good," Brooke said, "so how are we going to catch that boy you have been dreaming about for the last year?"

"Who," Peyton questioned, knowing exactly who Brooke was talking about.

"We have to go," Nathan demanded, interrupting their conversation.

"Okay," Brooke said, throwing her hands in the air, "calm down, you came in your own car right?"

"Yeah," Nathan looked at her.

"Then leave."

"We all go together," whined Haley.

"I guess, we can go now," Brooke said giving up, "Let's get up of here." The group all went to their individual cars, except for Lucas and Brooke who had come together, and went to school. Once at school, Nathan left with Shay, Brooke and Lucas went off together, and Peyton and Haley were left standing there by themselves.

"I guess it just us," Haley said.

"I guess it is."

A/N 2- So there it is the first chapter of my new story, there will be a chapter up on Thursday for sure, I don't have school. Please review, if your confused about how they all became friends, check out Chasing Dreams or just message me. Please review, I really appreciate it.

-Lauren