Haley drove aimlessly around town, she had nowhere to go, but she knew she didn't want to 'bond' with her new family. She pulled her car slowly into a parking spot, and glanced around the old time looking town. She loved the historic feel that she felt on this street.

"Excuse me miss," A man walking a dog said passing her by, when she heard his voice she moved over slightly and nodded appreciatively to him, at least this town had a little hospitality.

She continued down main street and window shopped, she was thankful that her mother made her set up that bank account when she was twelve and had began her own lemonade stand business. Ever since she had been working odd jobs for neighbors or when her mom would give her allowances, she would deposit everything into her account. She smiled thinking back on that day.

FLASH BACK:

"Mom!" Haley whined loudly, "I really don't want to open an account, I know what I want to spend my money on."

Her mother tightened the grip she had on her hand and bent down so she was eye level, "Stop whining. How old are you?" Her mother demanded sternly with her eyes widened.

"I'm twelve, you know that," Haley said mouthing off.

"Then act like it." She told her only daughter, "When I was your age, I wish my parents had begun teaching me the values of keeping your money out of reach. Then we probably wouldn't have struggled have as much as we did." Haley continued to stare at her mother strangely, "Do you remember our old house?" Haley nodded imagining the small house on the bad side of town; her mother never let her play outside by herself when they lived there. "Well if it hadn't been for me realizing the value of a dollar and getting our lives together, we would have never been able to survive." She explained to her daughter, "Haley, how much did you make from that little lemonade stand?"

Haley grinned happily, "I earned a hundred dollars, and only spent twenty on supplies."

Karla laughed at the sight of her daughter's pleasure; she could see her daughter's future, "Well think about it like this…" She paused thinking how she could get a twelve year old to understand, "If you spend that money today, or even if you keep it in your piggy bank, then tomorrow how much money do you have?"

"Duh mom, a hundred dollars," Haley let one side of her lip raise and her eyes looked at her mother like she was an idiot.

"Ok, and if we walk into this bank and deposit that same hundred dollars into a savings account, that will gain interest, how much money will you have tomorrow?"

"Mom I'll have a hundred dollars. You taught me that money doesn't grow on trees." Haley put her hands on her hips and stared at her mom.

"Your right it doesn't, but if you let the bank keep your money in a savings account for you, then it will grow and in a year that hundred dollars could be up to one hundred and fifty." She knew that she was exaggerating the numbers, but what other way would a twelve year old understand the point she was trying to make.

"How?" Hearing this intrigued the girl's business sense.

"Because it will gain interest. And if you don't touch it then it will just keep growing."

Haley grinned wide, "So if I put all the money I earn in this account then eventually I could be a millionaire?"

"Who taught you that?" Karla had never mentioned anything of the such to her.

"A kid at school told me that his aunt and uncle were millionaires, and told us what it meant."

"The idea behind savings is to make more money, but it would take a long time for that to happen." Karla stood up and then looked back at her, "I'll make a deal with you." Haley didn't say anything she just looked up at her mom, "As long as you do not touch this account, I will match whatever you put in here."

"Deal." Haley said letting her mom lead her into the bank.

END FLASH BACK:

She felt a tear fall down her cheek and she angrily wiped it away, she looked around Main street and saw a quaint little diner, "Karen's Café," She said under her breath. She opened the door and heard the ding of the bell over her head; the brunette behind the counter looked up and smiled at her.

She pulled out a stool and sat down, patiently waiting for the sweet looking lady to come over and help her. She glanced around and noticed that she was the only one working, but it didn't seem to be a problem because there were only about five customers in the whole place. "Hi, what can I get for you?" This woman's smile was warm and welcoming, and Haley couldn't help but smile in return.

"Just a cup of coffee," Haley told the older woman.

She placed a cup on the counter and poured it to the brim with steaming black coffee, "I'm Karen."

She stuck her hand out to shake it and Haley took it, "Hi, I'm Haley James." The woman knitted her eyebrows and looked at the young girl as if she were familiar.

"Do I know you?"

"I don't think so…" Haley paused, now that she looked around the place did give her a sense of recognition, "I just moved here." She pushed the thought from her mind.

"Your not related to the James' of Tree Hill are you?" Karen would not let this go.

Haley laughed good naturedly, "I didn't know there were James' of Tree Hill." Karen smiled as well and raised her eyebrows waiting for an answer, "My grandparents lived here and my mom graduated from high school here."

"Karla James!" Karen exclaimed putting everything together, "I knew you looked familiar. You are the spitting image of your mother."

"Thank you," Haley said quietly, sipping her coffee.

"Where is your mom?" Obviously her mother's death had not hit the Tree Hill newspapers yet.

"She passed away…" She paused thinking back, "A few days ago now I guess."

"Oh I'm so sorry," Her hand flew to her mouth, and a similar sadness that Haley had seen in her own eyes passed through Karen's, "I hadn't talked to her since your grandparents' funeral…when was that? Hmmm, I suppose it was when Lucas was ten, so that was about five years ago." Karen said more to herself.

"Your son is fifteen?"

"About to be sixteen now," Karen smiled, "The two of you loved to hang out when you were younger."

"You know me?" Haley asked shocked.

"Sure I did…err do."

"How did you know my mom?" Haley asked, she knew very little about her mother except for what she could remember herself.

"Your mother and I were great friends in High School. We were both on the cheerleading squad together, and she was the only friend who stuck by me when I found out I was pregnant." Karen fondly recalled.

"My mom never talks about when she was pregnant."

"I can't help you much there," Karen said trying to remember anything, "When your grandparents found out she was pregnant they gave her money and found her a job in Charleston."

"Why Charleston?"

"It was where your grandmother had grown up and her sister still lived there. I don't really know much else," Karen paused taking a drink of her own coffee, "Come to think of it, when I did see your mother after she had moved she was always the picture of perfection. Never said a negative word about anything."

"That's how she was with me," Haley remembered.

"Your mom was a one of a kind, and I really wish I could have kept in touch better. But when your grandparent's house was set on fire, your mom vowed to leave Tree Hill behind." Karen looked passed Haley remembering that day, "But between you and I, I think your mother vowed to leave Tree Hill behind the day she was sent away, because the only time she would be in town was to drive through and drop you off or pick you up."

Haley tried to recall her summer visits with her grandparents and every memory lacked her mother, "I didn't ever notice."

"Oh dear you were so young, you wouldn't have." Karen gushed, "So tell me what's brought you back here?"

"My father now has guardianship of me."

Her eyes widened with some sign of horror, "Is this the first time you've met him?"

"You know?"

"Of course, that's a horrible story," She shook her head.

"Can you tell me?"

She shook her head no, "That's a story better left in the past." The bell over the door rang out, and Karen grinned widely, "Lucas, come over here and meet an old friend of yours."

Haley glanced back to see Lucas, and gasped. She hardly remembered the boy, but he certainly had grown up. He was at least six-foot and had blonde shaggy hair, he was dressed down, but she could tell he worked out. Probably a basketball player she determined, the orange ball he was holding defiantly helped her come to that conclusion. "Hi mom," He said kissing her on the cheek and then let his eyes rest on Haley's, "Hi, I'm Lucas Scott."

"I remember that name, in my photo album there are pictures of us as children," She said recalling him and then regretting her words, "Sorry, I'm Haley James." She felt the flush rise in her cheeks.

"Do you remember her Lucas?"

He looked her up and down and smirked, "Nope, defiantly would have remembered her."

"Stop being a horn dog!" Haley said laughing, "The last time we saw each other we were ten and I kicked your ass at Mario brothers," it was all coming back to her now.

"Obviously I made an impression on you," He flirted, but she narrowed her eyes and punched his arm playfully, "Alright I confess I remember, I tried to block it from my mind. You really scarred me," He playfully whined as he rubbed the arm she punched. The two laughed, as Karen walked to the back.

"Lucas, do me a favor and help those customers…I have to get this pie out," Karen called from the back.

Lucas began to grab the coffee pot, "Oh let me!" Haley said, "Please." She asked sweeter, he shrugged and handed her the coffee pot. She bounced over to the table and offered them coffee and struck up a conversation. Lucas watched intrigued, "Sweet they tipped me five bucks!" Haley said showing him the money and laughing. When Karen came out from the back Haley handed her the money, "That table tipped me, but it's really yours."

"I don't want that." Karen said, "But what I do want is a part time waitress, and you seem to be a natural."

"I'll take it." Haley said quickly, she couldn't help but smile, this was the first time she felt with family in a long time.