A/N: Wow! Thanks so much for all your reviews. I've never gotten so many for a first chapter before (or actually, any chapter in itself I don't think). I'm so happy so many people like it too! Now, onto the story…

Chapter Two

Haley James unlocked the door to her apartment as she tried to balance the groceries in her other hand. She managed to get inside and close the door behind her, but some of the bags were starting to slip from her hands.

"Pey?" she called her roommate for help.

"Coming!" Peyton put her book down on the bed, and came out of her bedroom to help Haley carry the bags.

"Thanks."

"No problem," Peyton said as they put the bags down on the island in the kitchen. "Did you get everything we need?"

"Yeah."

The girls began to unpack and Peyton pulled out a tub of ice cream. "Cookie-dough-fudge-mint-chip?"

"I know. I was trying to decide which one to get, and this guy took that out of the freezer and I thought I'd get that since we haven't had it in ages."

"Hmm…" Peyton mused as she put the ice cream in the freezer. "I wonder if you'd have noticed it if it was a girl who was buying it."

"Pey! Think of who you're talking to. I notice my food, especially my candies, more than guys."

"Unfortunately, that is the sad truth. So…was he cute?"

"Who?"

"The guy buying the ice cream!" Peyton exclaimed. "Haley! You need to be aware of these things. You never know when true love could strike."

"I have a boyfriend," Haley reminded her friend.

"Did I say boyfriend? No, I said 'true love'. And don't try to tell me that your pathetic excuse of a boyfriend is your true love. You're a lit teacher, Haley. With all those epic romances you've read and taught, there's no way you could believe that Chris," here Peyton made a choking sound, "Keller is your soulmate."

"Chris is my boyfriend. We have fun. And, no, I don't think he's my soulmate," Haley said slowly for emphasis. "But, I don't get why you hate Chris so much?"

"Well, firstly, you're my best friend and roommate so I've got to look out for you Haley-bop."

Haley made a face. "I wish my parents never told you about that."

"Come on, it's cute. Oh, and, secondly, Chris is just not good enough for you. Thirdly, he asked you to come with him to California for the summer and when you couldn't go because like the angel that you are you signed up to teach summer school he went any way, with his many friends, half of whom are plastic blond bimbos who hang on his every word. Fourthly-"

"That's okay, Peyton. You can stop there."

Peyton shrugged. "Probably a good thing since the list is endless."

"Maybe we should talk about your love life? Since you don't actually have one?"

"Gee! Rub it in my face, why don't you, Hales."

Haley laughed. "That's not what I meant. You just spend so much time trying to find someone for me who you think is better than Chris Keller that you don't find anyone for yourself."

"But isn't the moral of all your classic romance novels that when you look for love you never find it? Like in Emma."

"Maybe so. But, Emma also taught us that when we try to match-make our friends things can go horribly wrong."

Peyton rolled her eyes. "Do not try to insinuate that Chris Keller is Robert Martin to your Harriet Smith. He's not even Mr. Elton! Besides, you're really more of an Elizabeth Bennet so we need to find you a Mr. Darcy."

This time it was Haley who rolled her eyes. "Why did I ever make you read all of Jane Austen's novels?"

"Because I lost a bet with you our first year of college."

Haley smiled as she put the plastic bags away, now they had finished unpacking everything. "I wonder what we would be doing if we hadn't met at NYU 5 years ago and been roommates."

"Well, I for one would not have left the big city to be an art teacher at Tree Hill High," Peyton chipped in.

"Peyton," Haley whined. "Don't say things like that. It reminds me how you're going to leave."

"Thinking about leaving," Peyton corrected.

"So that means you could leave. And you haven't even decided whether you'll wait this whole school year, or leave at the end of this semester if you do go."

Peyton hugged Haley. "Even if I leave, we'll still be best friends."

"But who's gonna be my roommate? Who am I gonna share all the teacher stuff with?"

Peyton frowned. "I hate to say this, but…Chris? I mean, he's already the music teacher at school."

Haley laughed. "It's not the same."

"I know. But, we'll deal with it. And, for now, let's just look forward to school tomorrow?"

Haley raised her eyebrows. "Look forward to school tomorrow?"

Peyton giggled. "Yeah, that definitely wasn't what I meant to say. I mean, after one year of teaching I'm definitely used to it and I can't say I don't enjoy it, but…I still have the same feeling I used to have when I was a student."

"What's that?"

"The end of summer holidays sucks."

Haley smiled. "Yeah, I know what you mean. But, I always tried to see the good side to it."

"There's a good side to writing essays? Or marking them, as you're doing now?"

"With a new year comes new things…new experiences…new people…"

"New romances?" Peyton wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

Both girls giggled before starting to make dinner, not knowing how true Peyton's words would soon turn out to be.

A/N: Most of the details of Peyton and Haley's history are in this chapter, but because it's in their conversation it sort of comes out in bits. Haley lived in Tree Hill before going to NYU, while Peyton had lived in New York. If you're confused about anything else, just ask and I'll clear it up. And for those of you wanting Jake, he'll be here in the next update.