Chapter 1

Seventeen year old Cassandra, otherwise known as Cassie Scott raised around her mother's small cafe. It was lunch time and there was a sudden big rush of customers that came through. Most were the cafes loyal customers that came nearly everyday, others were truck drivers that were just passing through the small town of Tree Hill, North Carolina.

Tree Hill was the kind of town where everyone knew everyone, and in most circumstances that was considered a good thing, but at times it wasn't such a great thing. It meant that everyone knew everybody elses business as well as past. But there was no one that had a reputation like the Scott family which consisted of Keith Scott and his brother Dan as well as Dan's son Nathan, captain of the Tree Hill Ravens basketball team, and Lucas and Cassie Scott, Dan's illegitamite children with Karen Roe. The Scotts were always in the spotlight for one reason or other.

Cassie was used to her family name always being in the newspaper or on a news report...she was used to it by now. It didn't even bother her that neither her or her twin brother Lucas were included, unless it was about how Dan had abandoned their mother when she was pregnant with them. Karen had been forced to raise twins on her own, but she had done it and managed to raise two of the brightest kids at Tree Hill High. What did bother Cassie was the fact that Dan Scott always managed to drag her mother's name in the mud and tried to tarnish Karen's reputation. Cassie was always determined to live up to her moms expectations, and that meant ignoring Dan's antics. Lucas on the otherhand, always seemed to get caught up in the middle of it, and was determined to beat Dan at his game. He wanted to make his mother proud, but sometimes Dan just got to him and it became hard.

Cassie and Lucas were alike in a lot of ways. They both had the same blue eyes and light complexion, the same smile and facial structure, but Lucas had blonde hair and Cassie was a brunette. They were both very different personality wise as well. Lucas was very quiet and reserved, he hardly got into any trouble, except when it came to dealing with Dan Scott at times. Cassie on the other hand was outgoing, talkative and outspoken. Sometimes her outspokeness got her into trouble, but for the most part she was pretty well rounded.

Cassie had been walking around the restaurant taking customers orders for nearly an hour now. Most of the customers knew her by name and were very chatty which sometimes got on her nerves when it was a busy time like now. Cassie was helping out her mom during her lunch break at school, as well as her free period in the afternoon. She did this only once in awhile when her mom found herself short staffed because one of the other waitresses had called in sick.

"Cas, order's up." She heard Sam, the chef call her.

Cassie smiled, nodded and then took the order to the rightful customer. The customer thanked her and handed her a small tip for her kindness. Cassie laughed and kissed the small bill in her hand.

"This is why I love lunch hour." Cassie said and rolled her eyes at her and Lucas best friend Haley. She and Haley had been friends since the first grade.

Haley shook her head at her friend, with a smile on her face. She had the same study hall as Cassie and had joined her in helping out Karen. "Well a tip is always nice, I guess." Haley said and made a face.

"Your just jealous Hales, because I got a tip and you didn't." Cassie laughed and handed her the money. "Here, it's just a dollar."

"Ha ha, thanks but I'm not that pathetic. I can make money on my own. Look I'm going to go wash dishes, your mom should be back from her break in a few. If you find you can't handle things on your own, just yell." Haley said, threw the wash cloth over her should, turned and walked into the small kitchen area.

Cassie laughed and shook her head. Truth be told, she could handle the cafe as well as anybody. She had been working there since she was 13 and helped her mom out before then since she could walk. She had been the one to get Haley a job there.

"Hey, some help over here." Cassie heard a voice and immediately recognized it. Her bright expression quickly changed, and annoyance took over. She wanted to ignore the customer all together, but knew that wasn't a good idea.

She walked over and as she did she heard the guy whisper "took her long enough" to his friend. Cassie knew these guys from her school, heck one of them was her brother Nathan, the one who never even noticed her. Cassie had always wanted to gain something of a relationship with Nathan, but nothing had ever happened to do just that.

"What can I get you?" She asked.

"Why don't you pull up a chair or you know a lap dance couldn't hurt." The guy with the baseball cap said and then laughed with his friends. Cassie knew his name was Tim Smith, and she had known he was a pig.

"Why don't I just get you another waitress." Cassie said her tone angry.

"Whoa, baby calm down. I just wanted to see if you wanted to get some with the Tim." He said as he pointed to himself. "You know, you look as if you could use a little Tim-time."

"Shut up Tim." Nathan spat, then shot Cassie a look that said he was sorry. Cassie ignored him, knowing fully well he would just forget all about this incident.

"First of all you perve, I'd rather stick needles through my eyes then get any Tim-time, and second I do have the authority to kick you and your jerk friends out." Cassie spat.

"Whoa feisty. Just the way I like them." Tim said.

Cassie wanted to punch the smug grin from his face, but restrained herself. "Look, can I get you anything or can't I?" She asked.

"I'll have a plate of fries." Nathan said. "And a diet coke."

"Wow, I always thought you basketball players needed to stay in shape." Cassie said sarcastically.

"Hey, I ordered the diet coke, didn't I." Nathan smirked.

Cassie nodded and took the rest of the groups orders before giving it back to Sam in the kitchen. She then walked out and ran a few more orders through the till before looking over to a customer reading the newspaper on one of the bar-stools against the counter. Cassie laughed, knowing who it was she pulled the paper down the reveal the persons face.

"Well well well, anything about how I can get rid of annoying customers in there?" Cassie asked as the man laughed.

"Sorry kiddo, no can do." He shook his head then leaned over the counter and kissed her cheek. "How you doing baby-girl?"

Cassie smiled in response to her nickname. "I've been better, Uncle Keith." Keith had been calling her that since the day she was born. He was Cassie's father in everyway that counted. It was Cassie's wish to someday be able to call Keith her real father. She had always wanted to gain the courage to ask him to adopt her, and Lucas for that matter.

"Something about annoying customers?" Keith asked staring at his niece. He still couldn't get over how much Cassie resembled her mom. It never ceased to amaze him that just as he thought she couldn't look or act anymore like Karen, she went and did something that surprised him even more. He had loved this girl as his own since the day she was born, heck when she was younger he used to go around telling people she was his daughter, because in his heart she was, in every way that mattered.

"Oh, you know just your typical teenage guy with only one thing on his mind." Cassie said as she looked over and noticed Tim had walked up to the counter.

"So, listen me and my buddies over there...you know were always looking for a good time and you girl could really use a way to loosen up if you know why I mean." Tim whispered to her.

Cassie reached over and grabbed him by the ear, causing him to screech in pain. "Listen you little..." She bit her tongue before she said something she regretted. "You and your buddies can kiss my..."

"Cassie." Keith warned her. "Is this guy the one giving you a hard time."

"Yeah, this is him. He's been hassling me since he got in here." Cassie said, knowing how overprotective her Uncle was of her.

Keith grabbed Tim by the shoulder. "You leave this girl alone you here, or you'll answer to me." Keith warned. He then released Tim.

Tim stumbled back a few steps. "Dude, is this young dad?" He asked.

"Don't call me dude as if I'm one of your creepy friends." Cassie hissed. "But for your information, no. He's my Uncle."

"I'm her Uncle who's about to kick your smart ass butt right out of this town, if you don't leave her alone." Keith said giving Tim further warning.

Tim threw his hands up in the air in defeat and then walked away.

Just as he left, Karen entered the cafe having returned from what looked like the grocery store. "Hey, whats going on here?" She asked looking at her daughter and long time friend.

Cassie and Keith both just shook their heads and walked back to their respective places. Haley then walked out and took off her apron and tied back her hair.

"Cas, time to go." She said tugging her friends arm. Cassie looked at her watch and then nodded, taking off her apron. She then walked over to her mom.

"Sorry ma, but I gotta go." Cassie said. "All the customers have been looked after, so don't worry."

"Ok honey." Karen smiled. "Thanks for all your help today, I really appreciate it." Karen smiled and kissed her daughter's cheek.

"Your welcome, so does this mean that Luke can do the dishes after supper tonight instead of me?" Cassie asked.

Karen laughed. "We'll see. Talk to you tonight, and we will be discussing what I saw when I walked in here." She said gesturing to Cassie and Keith.

Keith looked at her as if he meant to say "who me."

Cassie laughed at her Uncle. "Well Uncle Keith, looks like I'll be seeing you tonight for supper then." Cassie laughed.

"See you then." Keith kissed her forehead as she walked out chatting with Haley.