Chapter 1

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He was back. Back in Tree Hill. Back home.

Nathan Scott had left home only two years ago to live with his father. Unwillingly, he left his mother, brother: Lucas, and his best friend- Jake Jagielski…and his beloved girlfriend- Haley James.

When he left that July, two summers ago, he was going to go into his sophomore year of high school. Jake's father and Haley's mother were going to be married in October. And his parent's divorce was finalized. It had been rough.

Fifteen year old Haley James nestled her nose into her boyfriend's chest. Just telling her the he was being forced to move to the other side of the country, she was absolutely devastated. There were no other words to describe it. Her eyes began to water, though quickly blinked the salty liquid back. Haley smiled up at him as she pulled way from his comforting hug..

"Well it was fun right? Um, maybe we should just call this off now," She said, motioning that 'this' was them…the one relationship in his life he cherished. "Ya know so we don't put off the inevitable." She didn't look at him, she couldn't.

"Who said we had to call it off? We could talk on the phone everyday, send e-mails…come on Hales." He pleaded with her. Haley James had been a constant in his life since he was nine years old.

First as the best of friends, playing kickball in the street. Then in fifth grade Nathan asked her to be his girlfriend so they could peck on the cheek and meet at the water fountain. In sixth grade Nathan would take her to the local movie theater for an afternoon show and hold her hand. Seventh grade was their first real kiss. Over the years things had progressed some, until last year, ninth grade, they had made love one night for the first time during a thunderstorm, it was like something out of a movie. They were a pair, they were perfect, and they were in love.

"Nathan we're fifteen. A long distance relationship just won't work. I'm not trying to be harsh or anything, I just want a clean break." She spoke softly as she looked down at her feet.

"I want to give you this then." Nathan said pulling a small velvet box out of his pocket. He opened it with care and took out the ring it held. Slowly he slipped it on her finger as he spoke to her. "It's a promise ring. Promise me that if I come back before graduation that you'll take me back. Please Haley." He looked at her face as she studied the vintage piece of jewelry that now adorned her finger. The ivory pearlescent oval center shimmered in the sun, it was hugged by a set of a flower and two leaves on each side, the silver carvings then flowed into the silver band that fit snugly around her thin digit.

"Promise" The young girl vowed hesitantly.

But now- now he was back. And things would fall into place. He and Haley would be the couple again, and everything would be great. Every thing would be perfect. Every thing would be normal

Jake woke up that sticky, humid august morning to his girl friend, Peyton Sawyer, placing tantalizing kissed on his bare chest, the fragrance of her shampoo wafting through his senses, her wickedly curly golden locks tickled the sensitive skin of his Adams apple.

"How did you get in here?" He whispered, his vocal cords not yet warmed up after so many hours of rest, he didn't bother to pull back his eyelids. Though if he had the golden flecks in his brilliant emerald eyes would shimmer like Christmas lights in the snow.

"I used the key under the mat." she said as if is was the most natural thing in the world, knowing full and well that the spare key was only to be used by an actual occupant of the home in the case of an emergency. Peyton moved away from him towards his wardrobe, examining the pictures scattered about. None of which captured any moments of his mother's.

Amy Jagielski stumbled in through the back door after fumbling with the key a couple of times over. The green lights on the microwave indicated that it was well past one in the morning. In the one floor home, Amy made her way from the kitchen to the master bedroom in which she shared with her husband. The door creaked slightly upon entrance, and she winced- hoping the vile sound didn't wake her husband. Sliding on the wood paneled floor on the balls of her feet, Amy was able to get from one end of the vast room to the other without a sound. However when she went to open the draws of the wooded dresser, the light from the lamp on a side table flickered on. The soft yellow light illuminated the furious face of her-

"Where the hell were you?" His voice was strong and defiant, much like his facial features.

"Marc please, I'm your wife not your teenage daughter." she scoffed.

"That's the thing Amy, I don't think that going to be the case any more." He laughed sarcastically. Marc Jagielski had somehow gotten out of bed and ten inches away from her face in a heartbeat.

"What? Another divorce threat? Get some new material sweetie." She turned around and pulled the sequence top off her voluptuous form.

"I'm not going to stand for this any more! I didn't give a flying shit before! But now we have Jacob! I have Jacob! I won't have him grow up with a whore as a mother!" Marc went to his own bedside table to pull out a hefty manila envelope. He turned to face Amy; she was watching him with stiff curiosity. "I already signed them. I want you out of my house when I wake up." He didn't bother to even look at his wife of five years. He just turned and strode quietly into the next room over.

Even in the dark of the night the mural of circus tents and animal could be seen on the soft walls. Resting his strong hand on the edge of the crib, Marc peered over to spot the sleeping form of his son. He reached down to grasp the fragile hand in his own. It was almost a miracle the small baby had not woken up during the heated argument.

"We'll figure something out Jake. We'll be okay."

"Ya wanna do something? See a movie? Go to breakfast?" His girlfriend asked. She was particularly bubbly this morning.

"What the hell is with you, it's like your happy or something." Jake teased as he pulled a white cotton tee over his shaggy brown locks.

"Well my dad docks tonight. So I was hoping we could do something fun today and then later you could help me cook dinner….please?" Her hands mirrored those of an elderly woman praying to the good lord on a Tuesday.

"Sounds like a plan foxy." Jake told her suavely. She only laughed at the tackiness as she waited for him to get dressed for the eventful day.

Once he was done, Jake told Peyton that he wanted to let Haley know where he was going to be. As he walked through the quiet halls of the home Jake came upon the last door at the end of the hall. On it was a large parental advisory poster, above it Haley was written in signature graffiti style, Led Zeppelin blaring from inside. He opted for walking in instead of knocking knowing she wouldn't hear it anyway. Between the small slit of the open door Jake could see Haley in front of her large mirror, running a brush through her straight black locks.

"I get you want to be happy, but what about me. I don't want anything to change. I've kept quiet, but I won't anymore! I don't want a new dad!"

"Haley you and I both know that your dad isn't gong to come back. He's dead Haley" The consoling mother told her daughter.

"Thanks for that clarification! But at least dad was a good guy. Now your marrying some gold digging bastard. He screwed you for your money and now he's going to screw you over!" Haley screamed. Nathan Had left only ten days ago, and now it seemed as if everything else in her life was spiraling out of control.

A loud crack was heard throughout the room. Haley didn't realize what it was until a stinging pain erupted on one side of her face. Haley looked at her mother and pulled the emotion back from her eyes, assembling the soldiers to build up the walls once again. The mother daughter pair stayed like that for a few moments- Lydia looked as if she was fighting not to pull her daughter into her awaiting arms. She didn't. Haley turned around and walked out the door. Not saying a word.

She hopped on her bike and rode furiously for about ten minutes until she came upon the main street of the small town. Walking into the local drug store Haley immediately went over to the hair care section and went to pick up a bottle of jet black hair dye.

Though another hand went for the same one as she. When she looked up a boy about her age was looking back at her. His own hair was the same color as the girl in the photo on the bottle, under his eyes was a thick black smudge of eyeliner. He wore a grey Guns and Roses tee shirt under a red and black stripped short sleeve button down. His tight worn black jeans flowed into his equally worn Chuck Taylor's. Haley knew in that moment that she wanted to be able to fit in with his crowd.

"Here." He said as he gave one bottle to her and kept one for himself. "Jimmy Heart."

"Um, Haley. And thank you." She told him, indicating to the bottle of dye he had handed her.

"You do realize that your hair is blonde. Right?"

"Ya I noticed." She scoffed trying to hide her nervousness.

"I'm just saying you must want one hell of a change."

"My mother's getting remarried." Haley walked passed him to the register though she noticed he didn't follow, she turned to face him.

"I guess that means new friends too?" He smirked. He knew her, he has seen so many of her before." Listen when you get it together, a bunch of us hang out down by the 7/11. Stop by some time." Jimmy Heart put the bottle of hair dye under his arm in between his tee and button down, and simply walked out of the small shop. When the store alarm went off, Haley saw him break into a sprint though the front window.

Haley saw her step brother in the mirror, though she didn't look back at him.

"Peyton and me are going out, I'll have my cell just in case. What are you planning on doing today?" Jake inquired.

"There's a party that me and Jimmy are going to tonight."

"I still don't get why you date that asshat." Jake came into her room and sat on her bed.

"It's not for you to get. He's my boyfriend. I love him." Haley said as she slid a tube of fire engine red lipstick over her lips.

"Two years ago we were best friends and you loved someone else." Neither saw the irony in his words. For things would soon be out of balance because of the old lover.

"A lot of things changed- I'm not a stupid little girl and we're not friends." Haley went to the open door letting Jake know that he had over stayed his welcome.

"You still ware it though. So maybe things aren't as different as you want them to be." Jake pointed to the ring on her finger. Nathan's promise ring. A promise that was shot to hell in her mind.