Chapter 3

I hear the name Brooke Davis and laugh. I didn't mean to laugh. I could see Haley's startled face when I laughed. I mean my mother is Brooke Davis. The Brooke Davis who owns a fashion company that everyone in California loves. Man my life is seriously messed up. "S-sorry I didn't mean that."

"It's okay, probably a shock right?" Haley looks at me again which makes me nervous, so I start to fiddle with the hem of my vest again. "She does that you know."

I stop moving my hands and look at Haley who has a smile on her face again. Does this woman ever stop smiling? "Does what?"

"Fiddle with things when she gets nervous."

"Oh," I say taking off my jacket and drinking some more of my water, "So she said in the letter that you would tell me everything, so…" Haley chuckled as she sat closer to me and started to tell me the whole story.

Brooke and Haley went to High School together. Brooke was the head cheerleader for the Ravens, and Haley was the nerd who helped out at the tutor centre. Haley had a best friend, who is now her brother-in-law called Lucas Scott, and Brooke had a best friend called Peyton Sawyer. It was in junior year that they would all meet, along with Lucas' half-brother and now husband to Haley, Nathan Scott.

Haley decided that this was going to be a long story so told me to sit comfortably which I did as she carried on; Lucas and Haley weren't popular, but Brooke, Peyton and Nathan were. Lucas had always had a thing for Peyton. Haley encouraged Lucas to join the basketball team, and after some long winded drama, (which Haley told me was too complicated to discuss now), Lucas was on the team.

Peyton was a bitch to Lucas, but they both had feelings for one another until Brooke, my mother, came into the mix. Brooke and Lucas dated for a while, but Haley saw things that she didn't like. Lucas and Peyton were having an affair behind Brooke's back, and Haley found out. She confronted Lucas, and he and Peyton decided to tell Brooke, only for Lucas to get in a car crash to delay their moment.

Anyways, Brooke found out, not by Lucas or Peyton, and was so heartbroken. Eventually she forgave both of them and after a while Brooke and Lucas dated again.

"What the hell?" I say as soon as Haley said that. Haley just nodded in agreement but carried on with the story anyway.

Brooke and Lucas had been dating for ages but during a school shooting Lucas kissed Peyton and kept it secret, until Brooke found out, again, and broke up with him, and that's where I came along.

Brooke had called Haley in the middle of the night and told her that she thought she was pregnant. Haley rushed over to Brooke's straight away and made Brooke take a pregnancy test. It came back positive. Brooke and Haley were both seventeen, and were both scared. Brooke decided to give it, me, up for adoption and because it was summer break, continued the pregnancy in L.A. with her parents, keeping Haley posted though constantly. Brooke made Haley swear she would never tell anyone, and Haley kept that promise.

"Wow," is all I say. I feel sorry for my mother, how her heart was broken and I was just another thing to add to the pain. I was the reminder of a painful relationship, and I feel so guilty.

"Yeah, just so you know, Lucas and Peyton are now married and they have a daughter named Sawyer, who I think, is now… about twelve, they don't really keep in contact."

"Oh my gosh, how does Brooke, I mean my mother feel?"

"She's okay. You know, she is married now too, to a great guy called Julian Baker. They have two sons, twins, Davis and Jude. They're the same age as Lydia"

I have brothers, real brothers. Not to mention a half-sister… This is insane. "Do you have any pictures?" I want to see what they look like, if they look like me. Haley nods again and leaves the room, coming back a minute later with a picture of my brothers and Lydia standing together in a park laughing. They look nothing like me, except for my dimples, which I gather are from Brooke.

Tears start to roll down my cheeks as I realise that they do not even know about me, hell even Brooke's husband doesn't know about me. My own father doesn't even have a clue that I exist. The only people that know who I am are Haley and Brooke. Haley wraps her arms around me and hugs me tightly. "Listen babe, you can stay here, we have plenty of spare rooms, I'll enrol you in school, and I'll do everything."

"Will you let Brooke know I'm here?" I ask as I wipe the tears away from my eyes.

"Why don't you do that yourself on Saturday, she still lives here." I smile knowing that my mother is so close. Haley brushes my arm again as she leads me outside to introduce me to her husband and children. I'm starting to panic. They can't know that I'm Brooke and Lucas' daughter. "Hey everyone, this is Megan and she's going to be staying with us for a while."

"Hey I'm James Lucas Scott, but just call me Jamie," Jamie says as he held out his hand and I shook it. "Just don't eat my cookie dough, and we'll get along fine." I laugh at this boy. I mean he's like what sixteen and just said that as long as I don't eat his ice-cream, I will be friends with him.

Wait… does that mean that me and Jamie are cousins? Okay, now this is seriously fucked up…

"Okay, just so you know though, I'm more of a fudge-brownie girl!" I say and look at Haley who laughs and gives me a look that suggests that that is Brooke's favourite ice-cream flavour too. Who knew that I had so much in common with her?

"Hey Megan, I'm Lydia Bob Scott!" Lydia comes running towards me and hugs me tightly, she reminds me so much of Amy. "Hey Lydia, it's very nice to meet you." She just nods and runs off to Jamie who called her into the living room, sensing the look that his father was giving me and Haley.

"Nathan, I need to tell you something," Haley said earning a nod from Nathan, signalling her to carry on. "This is Megan, well, Megan Scott!" Haley looks at me gleefully but I shake my head.

"Nathan Scott sir, my name is Megan Noakes. Well, my adoptive last name is Noakes. My real name, or what I'd like it to be is Megan Davis, no offense Hales," I say as Haley pouts but then smiles again as she says, "Nathan! Did you hear that? She called me Hales, just like Lucas!"

"Haley, what the hell is going on? Who is she?" Nathan said as he pointed to me and a hot flush of embarrassment washes over me, until Nathan apologises once Haley told him to whole story, figuring that Brooke wouldn't mind if she just told Nathan, Nathan could keep a secret.

-x-

They've let me stay in one of the many guestrooms. Haley said that we could go out in a bit and buy some paint and stuff to decorate it so it can be my own room. She is really nice, and even though I've only known her for a couple of hours, she is the best aunt ever! Well, she is my aunt now, but I just prefer calling her Hales. Every time I do, she squeals as it reminds her of my father.

I wonder what he's like, my father. He seems okay from the stories that I've heard off Jamie. But to me, I can't help but get a feeling that he can be a bit of a bastard. I mean, he broke my mother's heart when he wanted a bit of action with her best friend, Peyton. Ah, now her, well, Jamie said that he doesn't like her that much. He says she's a plastic bimbo that has to rely on everyone else for money and shit. I laughed at that because she seems like a waste of space, which makes me wonder why Brooke was ever friends with her, and why Lucas is married and has a child with her.

I bet you are wondering, how come I'm so close to Jamie right? He helped me unpack my things in this room, even though I don't have a lot. Then he started to talk to me about random things. I mentioned that Haley was going to get me enrolled in Tree Hill High and Jamie said that he'd help show me around and tell me who to hang out with and who not to mess around with.

"Why, you afraid I'm going to embarrass you?" I said kinking my eyebrow at him. I was definitely flirting. I flirt with lots of people, that's just who I am. Jamie turned and chuckled, not affected by my flirty tone, "Nah, I'm just looking out for you."

"Okay, big brother whatever you say."

Jamie is a couple of months older than me. Haley must have been pregnant when Brooke found out she was. Thinking about this whole situation makes me realise that Tree Hill is even more messed up than California, but I like it. It's crazy, but it's my home.

I hear a knock on the door and call for them to come in. It's Haley. She sits down next me and asks if I want to get that paint and stuff now. I nod my head, wanting it to be different that my old room in California. I want spaces for pictures, for the new friends and memories I make.

An hour later, we are back in my room and Nathan is painting the once cream coloured walls a deep shade of red. I don't know why I picked red, I just liked the colour. Red is my favourite colour, so I thought why I don't have a red bedroom. As I picked the paint can, Haley laughed. I asked her why she was laughing and she told me that Peyton had a red bedroom and that's what she called her music label. I just shrugged, I didn't really like Peyton from what I heard about her, but if I wanted red, I was having red.

"Woah, someone is going for the dark and depressing room," Jamie said as he walked in with a sandwich in his right hand, and a can of Sunkist in the other. "Here," he said, giving me the can of Sunkist. I wink at him as thanks and see Haley shaking her head, obviously realising that I am just as big of a flirt as Brooke was.

"James Lucas Scott, if you're done eyeing Megan, I'm sure your father could use some help painting the walls." I laugh as Haley mutters something under her breath, clearly disgusted at the fact that Jamie was showing interest in me. Of course, Jamie doesn't know that we are like half cousins, so he can't really be blamed for doing anything.

After a few breaks for drinks and snacks, my room is finally complete. The walls look amazing. There are pictures there that I put up of my old friends and family that Lauren ripped off my old bedroom walls and shoved in my suitcase. There is a floor length mirror and twinkling lights all around the room. Nathan set up some shelves for me to put my books in for school, and there is a desk next to my bed with spaces for my literature books and my laptop.

I sit on my bed and sigh. This feels absolutely right, it feels just like home.

"Hey, can I come in?" Jamie asks and I nod my head, patting my hand on the space next to me on my bed, which Jamie sits. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay. It's just that mom has put you into school, and I didn't know if you felt nervous."

I giggle a little at the concern that Jamie is showing me. It's clear that Jamie is one of the most popular guys in school. He's probably on the basketball team and has all the girls over him, he's cute enough. "I'm fine, just as long as you show me around."

"Yeah, you can count on that," Jamie says and smiles as he leaves my bedroom, leaving me thinking about if Tree Hill High is going to be completely different than Cali. Guess I'll have to wait till tomorrow to find out.