A/N: I just couldn't wait to start the next story in the series, so here's another chapter :)


Chapter One:

"Havana-Rose Scott."

Ava turned in the direction of who was calling her and and shook her head in amusement. "Quentin Christopher Fields. What do you want?"

"I came to see if you wanted to play some one-on-one?" The boy smiled cheekily, dribbling his basketball, clearly showing off.

"No way." Ava smirked, letting the light breeze whip through her hair while she sat on the bleachers of the Rivercourt. As she got older, she began to take after her grandmother a little bit more. Her hair grew a little bit lighter. It was still a bit brown, but it now had more natural blonde tresses that were emphasized during the summer due to the sun's shine. "You know I don't play."

It was true. Ever since that night on the Rivercourt four years ago, Ava hadn't really made an effort to play basketball.

At least, not for anyone but herself.

That's how long it's been. Four years, six months, and two days.

Ava was now fourteen years old and in high school. Her grades were excellent and not from a lack of trying. She loved school and she loved to apply herself. She wanted to make her mother proud.

Her mother had left Tree Hill a while back, taking Lily with her. She had given Ava the option of coming along, or staying behind.

Karen didn't want to rip her away from the only way of life she had ever known. She needed to choose her own path, but that didn't mean she needed to drag Ava along for the ride.

As hard as it was to be separated from her mother and her little sister, Ava chose to stay in Tree Hill. Her life was here. She couldn't imagine being anywhere else.

But she understood Karen's need to move on. Everything here reminded her of Keith and it was too much to handle.

But that didn't mean they didn't see each other often and kept in touch constantly.

Ava wasn't about to miss out on her sister's life.

"I know, I was just hoping one day you'd change your mind." He smiled.

That was Quentin Fields. Everyone who knew him called him, 'Q'. He was the star of the basketball team (though the team was a losing team, so that didn't really say much), he was also a sophomore at Tree Hill High, and most importantly, he was a good friend.

The first time he and Ava met, towards the end of their freshman year, they had immediately hit it off. He could always bring a smile to her face, and when he got a little out of hand, she brought him down to earth.

He managed to make his way past that brick wall that Ava had built years ago. It took a lot of effort, along with trial and error, but Q managed to break through.

"But for now, you'll just have to watch me do my thing." He smirked, slam dunking the ball with a yell.

Ava just rolled her eyes and dug through her bag, pulling out the book she planned on reading.

She loved just walking down to the Rivercourt, pulling out a good book, and reading it under the caress of the hot summer sun. She loved the way the light hit the pages and kissed her skin, with the river's breeze cooling her off.

"Come on now, you know you like that." He cackled, making her chuckle. "What's that you're reading?"

"Oh, you know, the book we were supposed to read over the summer for English?" Ava scoffed.

Q didn't exactly take his work as seriously as Ava did. Though she did try and push him to do better. He didn't see the need for reading all those books the way she did. And he didn't enjoy them the way she did. He would much rather be on the court playing ball, than be stuck in a classroom behind a desk.

"We had to read a book?" Classic Q.

"Uh, yeah." Ava deadpanned. "Sense and Sensibility'…..Jane Austen?"

Still nothing.

"You know, Q, if you put down that ball once and a while, and spent as much time reading as you did on this court, you'd know what I'm talking about."

"Yeah, but then I wouldn't be able to get on your nerves as often." He smirked, making a lay-up.

"Hilarious."


"Where did he get the hoop?" Nathan asked bitterly as he watched his son playing with a little PreSkool basketball kit.

He was the cutest little thing, too. He never gave up. Every single time he missed a shot, he'd pick the ball back up and try again.

"His Uncle Lucas gave it to him." Haley answered, taking out the trash.

"I don't want him playing."

"Nathan, he's four years old." Haley couldn't believe this. "All he wants to do is be like his dad. Why don't you go over there and show him—"

"—I said, I don't want him playing!"

Haley clamped her mouth shut and decided not to argue with him.

Ever since the accident, Nathan had turned into a completely different person.

Four months before, he had become a lottery pick for the NBA, but a single rash decision, a single mistake, cost him his career before it had even began.

Now, he was in a wheelchair.

And everyday that passed, he was growing more and more angry and bitter, poisoning everyone else around him.

Ava spent her time living with both her brothers, but since the accident, she had begun to steer clear of Nathan. She still stayed at the house, splitting time between him and Lucas, she just made sure to stay out of his way.

He was like a stranger.

And the only reason why she was putting up with his nonsense, was out of respect for Haley. The woman wanted to give her husband time to recuperate and grieve the loss of his career, so Ava didn't push the envelope.

"Haley? Did you take the trash out?" Ava asked as she walked out to the backyard. "I know I was supposed to do it, but I got really caught up in reading this book for school and…"

The teen trailed when she noticed Nathan glaring at her and Haley's defeated face.

She was seeing a lot of that these days.

"I was taking it out for you….." Haley held it up. "I didn't know when you'd be home and it was on the way anyway."

"I'm sorry." Ava apologized. This was definitely her week to take the trash out and she had totally forgotten because she had been reading and spending her time with Q. "I'll take it out now."

"It's okay." Haley often wondered how a fourteen year old could be more mature and accountable than a twenty-two year old. "I'm on my way to work, but can you drop Jamie off at Skills'?"

"Sure." Ava held a hand out for her nephew to take, to which he immediately rushed over to her.

"I'll see you guys later…..uh, Havana, bring him around say, three-ish?"

"I will." Ava nodded as she watched her sister-in-law leave. "Nathan, I'm—"

"—Don't be sorry." He cut her off. "Just do what you're supposed to do next time or you're grounded."

"Okay." Was all Ava could really say while Jamie subtly pulled on her arm. "I'm gonna take Jamie to Skills'….call me…..if you need anything."

She really wanted to say something, anything, to get him on his feet again. She hated seeing him this way. It just wasn't him.


"Havana-Banana!" Jamie grinned and rushed at his aunt as soon as he saw her.

"Jimmy-Jam!" Ava caught him and set him on her hip. "Did you have fun with Skills today?"

"We had the best time!" He nodded. "We played 'Guitar Hero' and I won!"

"You won?!" Ava mock gasped. "You're getting pretty good, Little Man." She gave him an eskimo kiss and put him down before turning to Skills. "Hi, Skills."

"Hey, Shorty." Skills pulled her in for a hug the way he always did when he greeted her. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

"Yeah, sure." Ava nodded. "Hey, Jamie, why don't you go and watch Sesame Street? I think Elmo is on."

"Elmo stinks." Jamie scrunched his nose. "Grover's so much better."

"Shows what you know." Ava shook her head and pushed him towards the couch.

That was an ongoing argument between the two. Ava absolutely loved Elmo and had since toddlerhood. But Jamie preferred Grover.

They always argued about who was better and they always ended up laughing and watching the show as a compromise.

"What's up?" Ava smiled at Skills.

"I was actually gonna ask you that." He said seriously.

"Oh, everything's cool, man." Ava shrugged. "We're all doing our part to help him out and, you know…..sometimes he has his bad days, but we'll get there."

"Alright." Skills gave her a look. "You know you can always call or crash here if you need anything?"

"I know, Skills."

"I mean that." He insisted. "I'm not just Luke and Nathan's friend. I'm yours, too. I just want you to know that."

"I do know that, Skills." Ava kissed his cheek. "And I love you for it. I promise, if I ever need anything, I'll call you. And if you ever need anything, you can call me."

"Aight." Skills smiled, feeling a little better. "J-Luke, come give me a hug."

"Bye, Uncle Skills." Jamie raced over to him and gave him a tight squeeze. "Ready to go, Havana?"

"Ready when you are, Junior." Ava smiled. "Thanks for watching him."

"I'm happy to do it."


"Man, they do grow up fast." Lucas entered Haley's classroom, watching as Jamie sat at a desk, drawing a picture.

"Uncle Lucas!" The toddler smiled, seeing his namesake, rushing over to greet him.

"J-Luke!" Lucas lifted the child up to eye level. "You in high school already?"

"No, I'm only four." Jamie deadpanned as Lucas put him down.

"Four going on forty." Lucas said. "What're you drawing?"

"You can't see it. It's not done."

"Yeah, trust me." The blonde sighed. "I understand that one."

"I take it the writing's not going so well?" Haley asked.

"The writing is not going at all."

Lucas had left basketball behind in high school. Well, playing, that is. In college he coached his brother's team and then went on to become a writer.

He published one book, An Unkindness of Ravens, which had been a New York Times' Best seller, but was really struggling to write another.

Ava wasn't particularly worried about him, though. If he could write one book, he could definitely shell out another. He just needed to stop coming down so hard on himself and let the inspiration flow.

"How about you?" He asked. "How was your last day of student teaching?"

And Haley had studied to become a teacher. Ava thought that she had always been a teacher. And a good one at that.

Haley loved to tutor other kids during her high school years and decided to pursue it as a career.

She was going to do great, Ava just knew it.

"Great." She smiled. "Just trying not to freak out about next week when it's just me."

"You're gonna be great, Hales…..Did you get a nanny yet?"

"No, not yet. I know that Ava was happy to watch him over the summer, but I need to find someone soon…..I just…..."

"Well, you know, you can't babysit him forever, Hales. And by him, I mean Nathan, not Jamie."

"Well, it's only been four months, so…..." Haley sighed, not really wanting to start that discussion. "You've been texting away on that phone of yours for a while now, Ava."

"Huh?" Ava looked up at her.

"Texting anyone important?" Lucas teased.

"Oh….uh, no…..I mean, yeah…kinda….." Ava flubbed, having been caught off guard. "Just Maddie."

"Oh yeah? How's she been?"

"Good." Ava smiled. "She'll be back in time for school next week, so that'll be fun."

Maddie had spent the entire summer with her grandparents and from Ava heard, she had an amazing time.

She had to stop Maddie from telling her too much, because she wanted to hear all about it when they were face to face.

And she couldn't wait.

The two girls were still the very best of friends even after all this time. Nothing was going to sever their friendship. They had been through way too much together to let something petty or insignificant tear them apart now.

"Yeah? I'll bet." Haley grinned. "Are you excited for school next week, Girly?"

"Yes." Ava nodded emphatically, making Lucas and Haley chuckle.

"Good. I'm glad."

It seemed as if the years that passed only increased Ava's love for knowledge and learning. She had piles and piles of books in her room and she studied harder than anyone else in her grade. There was literally no pressure on her to do well, she just loved school.

And she couldn't wait for the new year to begin.


"Ava!" Jamie hugged his aunt, seeing her walk through the door. "I hung out with Uncle Lucas and Uncle Skills and we beat Junk and Fergie!"

"I'd pay to see that." Ava smiled. "Maybe next time I'll come on by and we can play together, huh?"

"Awesome!"

"Definitely awesome." Haley nodded. "Why don't you go upstairs? I'll be up in a minute, okay?"

Jamie smiled and rushed up the stairs to his room, leaving the two Scott women behind.

"I guess you meant me, too?" Ava asked, taking notice of her brother who was passed out on the couch.

Probably from drinking all day.

It's all he ever did nowadays. It was either that, or he was grouching at everybody that dared to speak to him.

"Mmhmm." Haley ruffled her hair. "Can you get Jamie ready for bed, please? I just need to clean up some stuff and I'll be there."

"Okay." Ava nodded and followed her nephew's path.

She usually tried her best to stay positive about these things, but at the moment, she didn't feel like Nathan was going to get better. It felt like this was the new normal. He was going to be like this from now on, and there was nothing anyone could do about it. They would just have to learn to live with it.

But Ava didn't want to learn to live with it. She knew her brother. He was a fighter. He could beat this if he wanted to.

But did he want to?

"Are they gonna fight?' Jamie asked solemnly, all of his excitement gone from the day's activities.

"Yeah." Ava didn't make it a habit to lie to him. "Probably."

"I don't like it when Daddy's mad."

"Me neither." Ava went through his drawer and pulled out a pair of blue pajamas. "But sometimes people have to fight."

"Did you and Uncle Lucas ever fight?" Jamie asked as Ava helped him take his day clothes off, replacing them with his jammies.

"Sure." Ava smiled. "Not often….but we did."

"What did you fight about?" Jamie asked.

"Silly things…..things that don't really matter…..like eating the last pop tart or jumping on the bed."

Ava had such a bad habit of jumping on the bed with her shoes on when she was a kid. It drove Lucas nuts. She'd always wait until they had the house to themselves before she climbed up onto his bed and hopped up and down just to spite him.

If anyone asked her about it now, she wouldn't have an answer for why she did it. It must've been one of those things little siblings did just to grate on their older siblings' last nerve.

Though, now that she thought about it, it may have been a ploy to get his attention whenever she felt like she wasn't getting enough of it.

She was such a troublemaker back then.

"That is silly." Jamie giggled.

"But we always made up afterwards, you know?"

"Like you and me?"

"Yeah." Ava nodded, dumping his clothes in his hamper.

"I can't!" She heard Haley yelling from downstairs. "We can't be like this Nathan! Your son needs you…...please, don't become like your father."

"My father is in prison." Nathan spoke dully. "So am I."

"Well, you can walk out."

"Did you brush your teeth?" Ava asked, trying to ignore whatever was going on downstairs for Jamie's sake.

"Uh huh." Jamie opened his mouth wide to show her that he had. "See?"

"Lookin' good." She smiled and pulled back his covers so that he could climb in bed. "Hop in."

"Ava?" Jamie's voice was just above a whisper as she tucked him in. "Will you stay with me tonight?"

"Sure, Buddy." Ava nodded without hesitation. "Let me get ready for bed and I'll be back, okay?"

"Don't be long."

"I won't."

More often than not, Jamie would ask his aunt to stay with him. It made him feel safe, so Ava never denied his request.

After all, when she was his age, she was always with her brother or her mother. She knew how it felt to need someone beside her while she slept.

To this day, she would climb into bed with her brother when she was having a particularly hard day, or just needed to be held.

"Alright, Baby." Haley came in not too long after Ava left and sat down on his bed. "Did you have a good day?"

"Yeah, Uncle Skills and Uncle Lucas let me play a game with them on the Rivercourt."

"That sounds like a whole lot of fun." Haley smiled, though it didn't reach her eyes. "I'm glad."

"Mama? Why is Daddy so sad?"

"It's just a really tough time for Daddy right now. But he loves you. You know that, right?"

"Ava and Uncle Lucas love me."

Ava knocked on the doorframe, clad in fresh pajamas bottoms and a tank top. "Uh, sorry….Jamie asked if I could stay with him and I said yes, but—"

"—Come here." Haley waved her in. "We would never have a problem with you being here for Jamie. It's okay. Climb in."

"Yeah, climb in." Jamie pulled back his covers and patted the empty space next to him.

Ava grinned and accepted the invitation.

"Can we read a story?" Jamie asked.

"It's a little late for a story, Jamie."

"Please?" Ava backed him up.

"Ava, you're just as bad as he is." Haley laughed. "Go to bed. I'll read you both a story tomorrow, I promise."

"What do you think?"

"I think we have to take the deal, Jamie."

"Okay." Jamie nodded. "Goodnight, Mama."

"Goodnight." Haley kissed his forehead, before doing the same to Ava.

"Goodnight."


"Maddie!"

"Ava!"

The two teen girls rushed towards each other and embraced one another as if it had been longer than a summer that they had been apart.

"I missed you!"

"I missed you more!" Ava smiled once they separated. "How was your summer? How are your grandparents?"

"My summer was great and my grandparents are fine." Maddie answered. "How was your summer?"

"It was good. I spent some of it babysitting for Nathan and Haley, but I love the kid so it was fun."

"Cool. He hasn't gotten any bigger while I was gone, has he?"

"Eh." Ava shrugged. "Just a smidge."

"And to think he promised he'd stop growing on me." Maddie shook her head. "How'd you spend the rest of your summer?"

"Hey, girls." Q greeted from behind Ava.

"I see." Maddie smirked. "Hi, Q."

"Yeah, hi." Ava acted indifferent. "What do you want?"

"I didn't see you before school this morning, I wanted to see if we had any of the same classes."

"Oh, let me see your schedules." Ava gave her own to Maddie so she could share with Q, and looked at both of theirs.

"We have third period English together...…and world history during sixth." Maddie said.

"And lunch." Q added with a smirk. "With study hall during fourth."

"Pretty much everything except the first two and seventh." Ava concluded. "Cool. It's gonna be a pretty fun year." She smiled as the warning bell rang.

"We should get going." Maddie took back her schedule. "I'm all for making an entrance, but honestly, I hate being late on the first day."

"Let's go." Ava linked their arms and began to walk to their next class. English.

"It's funny how they didn't tell us who our English teacher is going to be." Maddie made quick conversation as they strolled through the hall, dodging freshman who were afraid of being late.

"Yeah, well. Whoever it is, it's not gonna ruin the fact that English is my favorite—"

Ava cut herself off when they entered the classroom and saw exactly who their teacher was.

"Wow." Maddie had to use all her strength to hold her laughter in.

"I'll say." Q quipped, moving to the back of the room to grab a seat.

"You're kidding." Ava deadpanned, allowing Maddie to lead her to the last two remaining seats in the second row.

Go figure.

"Alright, good morning." Haley smiled once the bell rang. "This is actually my first official day as a teacher, and you're my first official class. So…..congratulations."

Ava could already tell that this wasn't going to work out very well.

She should've never said this was her first go around.

These kids could be brutal.

"My name." Her sister-in-law began to write on the blackboard. "Is Haley James—'

"That is some fine behind." Q commented, making everyone, minus Maddie and Ava chuckle.

Ava had seen this side of him and she hated it. It was rude and crude and even more so when directed at her sister.

"Alright, first of all." Haley whirled around. "That's no way to talk to a girl, any girl, and second of all, that is absolutely no way to speak to a teacher."

"I'm sorry." Q smiled and stood next to his desk. "It was me. Just trying to give you a compliment."

"What's your name?"

"Quentin Fields."

"Okay." Haley accepted the apology. "Sit down, Quentin."

"Yes ma'am." Q did as he was told. "Won't happen again, Miss James."

"Actually, it's Mrs. Scott." Haley turned back around and wrote her last name on the board.

"Whew. Baby. Got. Back!" Q commented.

"Cut it out!" Ava hissed.

"That's not funny." Maddie added.

"Okay, alright." Haley began to look really flustered and Ava felt sorry for her. "Get out. You need to go to the office."

"Oh, to the office?" Q challenged. "Maybe we could go together. Maybe you could just spank me right here."

"Yeah, Mrs. Scott!" One of Q's delinquent friends egged him on in the back as Q stood up.

"Ooh! Harder, Mrs. James Scott!" Q teased.

Maddie and Ava shared an incredulous look.

Q was bolder than Ava ever could be.

She would never make a request like to Haley, because she knew that Haley would give her exactly what she asked for.

This was crazy.

"Alright, settle down." Haley glared.

"Spank me, Mrs. James Scott!" Q looked her directly in the eye.

Ava covered her face in her hands, feeling a strong wave of second hand embarrassment for the both of them.

Q was going to regret this later, she was sure of it. He wouldn't openly admit to it, but this was going to be one of those really embarrassing moments he'd think of years from now and cringe.

"I said, settle down!" Haley yelled, but the class was just too far gone. "Class!"

"Class!" Now Q's buddies were mocking her to the fullest.

"I have just….."

"I have just!"

"Oh, Haley." Ava whispered to herself as the noise got louder. "Just go. Please? Don't let them see you cry."

Ava's request, though unheard, was granted.

Haley took a deep breath and left, the door to the classroom closing with a bang.

"Baby, come back!"

Ava growled and shot up out of her seat, glaring at everyone who had dared to disrespect Haley the way they did. "Have you lost your minds?!"

"Come on, Ava, we were just having a little fun." Josh tried to make it okay.

"That was fun to you?" Ava narrowed her eyes at him. "Seriously, Josh. Answer me."

"Well, yeah." He shrugged.

"Nice to know to know that blatant disrespect and bullying is fun for you."

"What's the big deal?" Natalia asked. "You do this kind of thing to subs all the time."

"I definitely do not." And it was true. Ava would mess with the subs and tease them a little bit, just enough to get a detention, but she never ever disrespected them like this.

And she'd never even think to make them cry. That just wasn't her idea of a good time.

She had two brothers at home that would kill her if she ever became a disciplinary case.

"That's a lie and you know it." Maddie stood up for her friend. "What ya'll did was disgusting and even I can admit that."

Maddie could be just as bad as Ava when it came to substitute teachers. When the two got together, they became a tag-team. The tag-team usually ended up with a couple days of detention for their troubles, but never anything major.

"Ava, look—"

"—I'll talk to you later." Ava seethed in Q's direction, making the class 'ooh'. "You and I will talk alone."

"Miss Scott, please sit down." Principal Turner spoke as he entered the room.

Ava nodded and took her seat once again, allowing him to stand in front of the class.

"It has come to my attention that you cannot behave as young adults in this classroom. You've acted like children. I am ashamed of the behavior you've displayed here today and you should be as well. So now, I'm teaching your class. And for today's class, you're writing an essay on why it is important to respect those in authority or an apology letter, your pick, but it will be handed in to Mrs. Scott tomorrow morning. Am I clear?"

"Yessir." The class chorused.

"Get to work."


"Ava, come on, girl." Q chased after Ava once school came to an end. "Talk to me."

"I can't talk right now, I'm on my way to the gym."

"So am I." Q grabbed her arm and stopped her, just outside the gym doors. "Stop."

"Okay, let's talk." Ava glared. "Let's talk about how you acted like a complete idiot today in English."

"Ava….."

"I mean, is that how you talk to girls, Q? It's becoming a pattern. A disgusting, ridiculous, cowardly pattern. And I don't like that you took advantage and disrespected a teacher because they're new! Do you know how hard it must've been for her to get up there and speak to all of us? It was her first day, Quentin."

She was clearly a lot more ticked off than Q had anticipated. Maybe he should've just kept his mouth shut that morning.

"I know, I'm sorry." Q apologized sincerely. "I was wrong. What I did was out of line and it was wrong. Not just because she's a teacher, but also because she's your sister."

"And that's what floors me, Q! You know that's my sister! What do you think happens to me when she gets hurt? I mean, don't you even care at all?"

"You're right." Q let her lecture him, after all, he completely deserved it.

"You're right, I'm right!" She snapped. "Why do you act like such a jerk when you're so much more?"

"Ava…." Q tried to grab her arm again when she moved towards the doors.

"Do not test me right now, Quentin Fields." She ripped her arm away. "You are going to watch me walk into this gym and wait a few minutes, because I do not want to be seen walking in there with you. Not after what you did."

Ava didn't even give him a chance to respond, she just opened the doors and stalked in, ignoring the ogling looks the team was giving her as they warned up.

It was like they'd never seen a girl before.

If they spent more time focusing on their shots and less time on her, maybe they wouldn't suck.

"Hey, Ava." Skills greeted her with a warm hug. "Here to cheer them on?"

Ever since she started Tree Hill High, Ava had joined the cheer squad. She throughly enjoyed it, too.

It was something she and Maddie could do together while also getting in some extra-curricular activities to put on their college applications.

"No, not today." She put her stuff down on the bleachers. "Lucas called and asked if I could help with these guys."

"So does that mean you're playing again?"

"I guess it does." She smiled at his enthusiasm.

"That's my girl!" Skills fist-bumped her as Lucas entered the gym.

"Hi, Jimmy-Jam." Ava kissed his cheek. "How was your day?"

"I'm gonna race in the soap-opera derby." He smiled proudly.

"No, I think you mean, 'soap-box derby'." Ava laughed.

"Hey, how was school?" Lucas asked her, kissing her forehead, high-fiving Jamie.

"It was alright." Ava shrugged. "You know, you never really do anything exciting on the first day of school."

She didn't feel like telling him about what happened in English class. He'd hear about it soon enough from Haley. She wasn't in the mood to recant that train wreck of a class period just yet.

"It'll get better tomorrow." He smiled. "Thanks for helping us out. I appreciate it."

"Well, it looks like you need all the help you can get." Ava grimaced as one of the players missed.

He missed a slam dunk.

A. Slam. Dunk.

"Alright, everybody! Bring it in!" Lucas blew his whistle, tired of watching them miss simple shots.

The team gathered around to face the two men.

"My name is Lucas Scott. I'm the new head basketball coach of the Tree Hill Ravens." Lucas spoke. "This is Antwon Taylor, he's the assistant head coach. You want our credentials? They're hanging right there." He pointed at the banner hanging above from when they won the State Championship. "I must congratulate you. For some of you, it only took four years to destroy the legacy Coach Durham took thirty-five years to build. Nice work." He glared. "So, as of today, all twelve roster spots are available. It doesn't matter if you played last year. In three days, we'll have our final roster. If you want to be on it, then I would advise you to go hard. Skills?"

"I would definitely go hard." Skills nodded.

"One-on-two drill." Lucas called.

"Everybody line up at half-court."

"Mama, I'm gonna race in a soap-opera derby." Jamie stood up and grabbed Haley's hand when she walked in.

"What?" Haley laughed.

"How was your first day?" Lucas asked as he hugged her.

Ava glanced up at her nervously, wondering if she was going to tell the complete story. Thinking about it now, she probably should've given her brother a head's up.

Though, she didn't know why she felt so nervous about it. It wasn't like she participated in any of that foolishness.

"Um, horrible. My first class, like, attacked me, and I ran out in tears, and Principal Turner had to finish the rest of my classes."

"I'm sorry, Hales." Lucas gave Ava a look.

"They were awful, so mean..…especially this one kid, who was like, sexually harassing me."

"What?" Lucas' nostrils flared. "Who?"

"Him." Haley looked in Q's direction as he strutted on by.

"Hello there, Mrs. James Scott."

"We'll see you later, okay?" Haley smiled tightly and left the gym with Jamie in tow.

"You're late."

"Yeah?" Q cocked an eyebrow. "I'm also your leading scorer."

"No." Lucas shook his head. "You might have been a leading scorer on a team that won three conference games all last season, but you are not my leading scorer. Not yet."

Q nodded and took a ball, driving past the defender and making a slam dunk while the boys cheered.

Ava just rolled her eyes and walked away, swinging her bag over her shoulder. She had better things to do than to watch Q make enemies with her entire family.

He was being ridiculously arrogant and it was working her nerves. She was going home.

Lucas and Skills noticed the exchange, but didn't say anything.


"Ava, I thought you were gonna stay behind and help Skills and Lucas?" Haley asked as the teen entered the house.

"I was. I changed my mind." Ava rolled her eyes at the very thought of Q as she dropped her bag in the foyer. "They're too far gone anyway."

"Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Uh, yeah. Sure." Ava walked over to her in the kitchen and sat down on a bar stool. "Look." She inhaled deeply. "I'm really sorry about what happened today. That was totally not cool and it shouldn't have happened, and I should've said something while it was happening. I just…..didn't. I don't have an excuse for why. I'm just sorry you had to go through that…..at all."

"Hey." Haley spoke softly. "It's not your fault. I saw you, you were just as mortified as I was. I don't blame you for any of this. I wanted to thank you actually."

"For what?"

"Principal Turner found me after school and told me about how you chewed everyone out for my benefit."

"He heard that?"

"He did. He said he was proud of you…..and so am I. So, thank you."

"I'd do it again if I had to."

"I know."

"And you're a great teacher. Don't let them take that from you." Ava smiled.

"Thanks." Haley squeezed her hand before picking up the trash. "I believe this is your job?"

"Yup." Ava nodded, hopping out of her seat. "And I'll get to it now."

"And if you find Jamie's ball, can you bring it in?"

"Sure thing!" Ava nodded as she exited through the patio door.

It was a nice day outside, so she didn't need to wear a jacket or anything.

"Nathan, have you seen Jamie's ball? He's been asking for it and—" She stopped herself when she saw who was in her brother's company. "Hi!"

"Ava?" Brooke gasped. "No way is that you!"

"It's me!" Ava grinned, allowing both Brooke and Peyton to hug her. "It's so good to see you!"

"Are you kidding?" Peyton scoffed. "Look at you! You're all grown up! You're gorgeous!"

"You have boobs!" Brooke blurted, making Ava laugh. "You're a young woman!"

Well, Ava definitely wasn't as developed as she thought she should be. She hardly had any cleavage, but she supposed she had more than she did when Brooke last saw her.

"Yup…..a young woman who really needs to throw out the trash." Ava joked. "Haley! There are two strange women in the yard? Should I send them inside?!"

"Oh, go throw out the trash." Brooke mock glared.

Ava just laughed and did as she was told.

"Ava, what're you talking about, I….." Haley's jaw dropped when she saw her two old friends.

"Hey." Peyton smiled.

"Hi."

"Hi…..what are you guys doing here?"

"We came to see you and.…" Brooke trailed when Jamie came down the steps.

"Oh, Jamie, sweetie, come here." Haley waved him over. "There's people here I want you to meet. Come on, it's okay. This is Brooke and Peyton.…and this is our son, Jamie."

"Hey, Jamie." Peyton smiled. "How are you?"

"He's beautiful."

Jamie was looking a bit bashful from the attention, so Haley hiked him up onto her hip, before getting pulled into a group hug.

"We missed you."

And even though Haley's day started out a little wonky, it was getting much better.


"Yo!" Ava walked into Skills' apartment without so much as a knock.

"Yo!" Lucas, Skills, and Jamie greeted in return.

"Getting ready for the race?" Ava asked, noticing the very unfinished soapbox car.

"Yup." Jamie nodded.

"Nice."

"Man, I've always wanted one of these things." Lucas mused as he and Skills lifted the car, setting it down on their workspace.

"Yeah, me, too." Skills agreed.

"Me, too." Jamie parroted, making Ava ruffle his hair.

"I think we should paint it red. You know, 'The Red Racer'?" Skills suggested. "Yo, kid, talk to me about the cape. What's the real?"

"I'm a superhero."

"Is that right? Why don't you fly into the kitchen and get me a beer?"

Jamie beamed and ran right to the fridge.

"So, what's your take on the team's former leading scorer?"

"Quentin? The kid's pretty good."

"The kid's really good." Lucas didn't miss the look of annoyance on his sister's face. "Now we just have to figure out if we can get him to play a team game, you know?"

"Good luck with that." Ava rolled her eyes, obviously still upset with her friend.

"Can I have pudding?" Jamie asked Skills.

"You can read, right?"

"Uh huh."

"If the pudding says, 'Junk' or 'Fergie'? You can have it."

"Thank you."

"Hey, and just one! Okay?" Lucas called out to him. "No, I mean, it's like, I don't know if they lost all those games because they didn't have enough guys on the team like him."

"Or maybe they just lost because of him."

"You know who he reminds me of."

"Yeah."

"Here, Uncle Skills." Jamie handed him a beer.

"Where's my bottle opener?" Skills looked around for it, but couldn't find it.

"Here. Give it to me." Ava took the bottle from him and popped the cap off with her own bottle opener that had been with her keys before handing it back.

"Thanks."

"What?" Ava caught the looks they were giving her. "It's not that different from a root beer bottle."

"It better not be." Lucas didn't believe her, but he wasn't going to argue over something he couldn't prove. "I thought I told you, just one?"

"I got one for Havana, too." Jamie handed a pudding cup and a spoon to his aunt.

"Thank you." Ava smiled. "Mmmm. Chocolate."


"Wanna go swimming?" Jamie asked Ava, who was sitting in a lounge chair at the poolside.

"No." Ava flipped through the book she had been reading.

Ever since the limo accident, Ava had been severely afraid of water. She wouldn't get in a pool or go to the beach. She wouldn't even sit at the edge of the pool and dip her feet in.

Water was a no go for her.

"Sorry, Buddy." Ava smiled sadly.

"It's okay." Jamie shrugged adorably, picking up his ball to play with it.

"You okay?" Haley asked her husband, who didn't bother answering her. "I'm fine, wife. How was your day? You know, husband? My day really sucked, but thanks for asking."

"And mine didn't?" Nathan grumped.

"That's just a little selfish, don't you think?"

"No. No, I don't think. And I didn't see you lose your dream."

"Maybe you need to open up your eyes." Haley growled. "Where's Jamie?"

That seemed to temporarily snap Nathan out of his little funk.

Ava stopped reading her book and looked around for the four year old, too.

"Jamie!" Haley called, her eyes widening when she heard the sound of screeching tires.

"This belong to you?" A woman entered the yard with a sheepish looking Jamie in tow, calming everybody's nerves.

Ava had no idea what they were gonna do with that kid. He knew he wasn't supposed to leave the yard alone and he definitely wasn't supposed to dart out into the street.

Her ringtone completely distracted her.

She didn't need to look at her caller I.D. to see who it was, but she picked up anyway.

"What do you want?" She grouched, pointing to her phone and waving goodbye to Haley, so she understood that she would be out for a while.

"If you're not back by seven, call, please?"

Ava nodded and stepped out onto the street, walking aimlessly.

"Look, Ava, I wanted to apologize again." Q spoke on the other line. "I was totally out of line and I never should've done any of that. Haley's your sister and a teacher, and I never should've disrespected her. I was wrong and you were right. I'm sorry..…can you forgive me?"

Ava had always been a bit of a sucker for a good, heartfelt apology.

"Hey, we're friends, aren't we?" Ava eased the tension. "I'm sorry, I called you a jerk. That wasn't right."

"No, I was acting like a pretty big one." Q amended. "Are you busy?"

"No, I was gonna walk home, but if you wanted to see me, I could totally ditch."

"Alright, meet me on the Riverwalk..…by that guy with the hotdog stand?"

"You got it."


"So, you have something special going on?" Ava teased Q as the two walked side by side.

"No, why?"

"I don't know, a walk by sunset, buying me a chili dog.…" She joked.

"I just wanted to make things right in person, you know?"

"Yeah, I know." Ava nodded. "How's basketball going so far? Lucas givin' you dirty looks yet?"

"Oh yeah…..but I think that's my own fault." Q laughed, taking a bite of the hot dog she was offering. "I mean, we didn't exactly get off on the right foot."

"Well, when he gets to know you the way I do, he'll change his mind…..but, uh, you may wanna start by getting back in Haley's good graces."

"Yeah, we'll see."

"You have to do everything the hard way, don't you?" Ava laughed.

"I like a challenge." Q quipped, making her playfully punch his arm.

"No wonder you and my brother don't get along." She scoffed. "You're both stubborn."

"Tell me about him."

"Luke?" Ava questioned as they stood near the railing, looking at the water. "You already know about him. I told you over the summer."

"I like listening to you talk about the people you love…..tell me about him."

"Okay." Ava smiled. "Well, he's a writer now. He's got a book out and I've read it like, ten times." She chuckled. "He writes the way he speaks.…calmly, clearly, and there's always something comforting about his words. They make me feel safe, you know? But maybe I'm just biased."

"What about Jamie?" Q asked. "You haven't really told me much about him besides the fact that he's your nephew."

"Oh Jamie?" Q noticed the way her eyes lit up when he mentioned her nephew's name. "He's wonderful. One of the best kids I know. He's just the cutest little ball of energy. He loves hugs and basketball like his father. And he's just a joy to be around. You'll like him."

"He sounds amazing."

"What about you? Tell me about some of the people you love." Ava turned to look at him.

"Well, I've got a little brother. His name's Brandon, but we call him Dre." Q began. "He's around your nephew's age and he likes basketball, too. He tries to do everything I do. He looks up to me, you know? I try to watch what I do around him so I can be a good example. I'm sure you two would get along."

"Well, if he's anything like you." Ava smirked, sobering up. "Thanks for bringing me out here…..I needed some time away from the house…..it isn't bad or anything, but Nathan…he's hurting and there's nothing any of us can do for him…so sometimes it's just easier to leave for a while and forget."

"He's gonna be okay, Ava. One day, he'll wake up and he'll be the same old Nathan you know and love."

"I hope so."


"Haley, we're here!" Brooke called as she and Peyton entered the house.

Today was the day that Jamie would race in the soapbox derby he was so excited for.

Practically everyone was going to show their support for the little guy. He had quite the fan club for a four year old kid.

"Hey, guys." Ava smiled and greeted them at the door. "She isn't home yet."

"Ava, you look great today." Brooke wiggled her eyebrows, eyeing her outfit. "Is there a boy in the equation perhaps?"

"No." Ava scoffed and laughed awkwardly. "Who said there was a boy? Why would there be a boy? Can't a girl dress for herself?"

"She can." Brooke smirked. "But this girl in particular seems awfully flustered to just be dressing for herself."

"Leave her alone, Brooke." Peyton smiled. "You look nice, Ava."

"Thank you."

The fourteen year old had decided to wear a pair of shorts and a tank top that was cut out in the back.

Not at all something she wore on a daily basis, but there was something about today that was special.

"You're all grown up." Brooke pretended to tear up. "It feels like yesterday where you were wearing two different colored shoes while everyone carried you around."

The mis-matched shoes had been done and over with for a while now. Ava had just…..grown out of it.

"I brought something for Jamie…..can you take me to him?"

"Sure, come on." Ava led the two up the stairs to the four year old's room before knocking on his door. "Jamie?"

"Who is it?"

"What do you mean, who is it?" Ava played along. "It's obviously the big bad wolf. I'm here to blow your house down…but you might make it easier on me if you just opened the door."

"No way! You'll never catch me! I'm not afraid of you!" Jamie responded, making Brooke and Peyton laugh.

"Alright, then I'm coming in." Ava warned, opening the door. "You have visitors."

"Aunt Brooke!" Jamie rushed over to hug her. "Are you here to see me race?"

"I sure am! Peyton's gonna come, too."

"Sweet!"

"But first, I have something for you." Brooke knelt down in front of him. "But we want it to be a surprise, right?"

"Right!"

"That's our cue." Ava smirked at Peyton, leading her back down the stairs and into the kitchen. "Want anything to eat….or drink?"

"Uh, nothing to eat, but something to drink would be great." Peyton sat down at a bar stool.

"We have orange juice, lemonade, soda, and water."

"Soda."

Ava took out two glass bottle of coca cola from the fridge, using her bottle opener to pop the caps off of both, before handing one two Peyton.

"Thanks. You do that pretty well."

"I had a lot of practice." Ava took a sip. "With soda."

"Sure." Peyton shot her a knowing look. "Soda."

The two kind of stood in silence, not really knowing what to say next. It had been so long, they didn't quite know how to interact with each other.

"So…..uh…" Peyton decided she'd give it another shot. "I met Lindsay."

"Lucas' Lindsay?" Ava raised an eyebrow. "When?"

"I guess everyone does call her that…but, yeah. We met yesterday."

"And…..?" Ava pressed.

"She's nice."

"You don't have to pretend to like her for my benefit, Peyton." Ava laughed. "I'm not gonna go crying to Lucas about how you're not too fond of his girlfriend."

That comment was so blunt, it made Peyton guffaw.

She had honestly forgotten how Ava lacked tact sometimes. It was refreshing.

"It's not that I don't like her…..it's just that I don't really know her, you know?"

"Yeah…..I gave her a pretty hard time when they first started dating." Ava took another sip. "Trust me. I know."

"What'd you do?"

"I refused to acknowledge her presence and whenever she'd talk to me I'd pretend like I couldn't hear her."

"What?" Peyton laughed. "Ava, that's so rotten!"

"I was twelve!" Ava defended herself. "What do you want from me? She needed to work for my trust. Lucas sucks when it comes to protecting his own heart. That's why he has me."

"You're a good sister."

"Thanks." Ava winked. "While you're figuring Lindsay out, try not to give her that much of a hard time? I think she's a little traumatized."

"Noted." Peyton nodded. "Thanks."

"I know you still love him, Peyton." The blonde-brunette cut straight to the point.

"What?"

"But you can keep your secret."

"I'm not in love with Lucas."

"How did you know I wasn't talking about Jake?" Ava wiggled her eyebrows.

"You're awful!" Peyton scoffed.

"Alright, he's all ready." Brooke strutted over with a bounce.

"You want anything?"

"Do you have another coke?"

"In the fridge." Ava told her.

"Thank you." Brooke got a beverage for herself and twisted the cap off.

"You mean to tell me that you could've just screwed the cap off?" Peyton gave Ava a look.

"Well, yeah. It's soda, not beer." Ava deadpanned. "I just like to do it my way. It's more fun."

"Anyone home!" Haley called, entering the house.

"We're here!" Brooke called back.

"Hey." Haley greeted them.

"Hey."

"Hi….So, I have a surprise." Brooke grinned. "You're gonna like it. I made Jamie a little something for his race."

Jamie must've been listening in and waiting at the top of the stairs, because as soon as she finished her sentence, he ran into the room, wearing the cutest little racing suit ever.

"Look, Mama!"

"Oh my goodness, look at this!" Haley gasped. "This is a real racing suit!"

"And I even made you a sponsor, P. Sawyer."

"Oh yeah?" Peyton looked over at the patch on Jamie's sleeve. "Peyton Sawyer, unemployed'. Thank you very much."

"You're welcome."

"I can't wait for Daddy to see me!"

"Oh, Baby, listen." Haley sighed. "Daddy's just not feeling very well today. I'm sorry."

"He's not coming?"

The look of devastation on Jamie's face didn't sit right with Ava at all. It wasn't like Nathan to miss out on his son's milestones.

"No, I'm sorry. But everybody else is gonna be there."

"Oh yeah." Peyton caught on to what Haley was doing. "I hear your Uncle Lucas is coming, and Skills and Mouth, and all the guys. I'm pretty sure he's gonna have the biggest crowd there."

"Absolutely." Brooke followed their lead.

"Oh, and you know what else?" Ava chimed in. "I was texting Maddie earlier. She said she was already on her way over there."

"Maddie's coming?!"

"That's what she told me."

"What did she say?"

"She said she's really excited to see you." Ava read the text off her sidekick's screen.

"Sweet!"

"Better?" Haley asked her son. "Okay, Come on."


"Hey." Haley smiled at Skills and Mouth as they arrived. "Here he is!"

"There he is." Skills smiled. "Lightening Jamie Scott!"

"He, cool outfit, man." Mouth complimented.

"So, what's good, man? You ready to win this thing or what?"

"Yeah!" Jamie nodded confidently.

"Hey, thanks for coming." Ava hugged her best friend while the guys were occupied.

"Are you kidding? I love this kind of stuff."

"Mads, you don't have to lay it on that thick." Ava laughed. "He's four."

"Good." Maddie breathed a sigh of relief. "Because I've never been to one of these things in my life."

"That makes two of us."

"Nice outfit, by the way. Your brother let you walk outside like that?"

"Uh, no." Ava smirked. "He hasn't even seen me. Neither of them have. Haley was way too preoccupied to even notice."

"She must've been pretty busy." Maddie eyed the outfit. "What? Do you have a date or something after this?"

"Shush!"

"Hi, Maddie." Jamie tugged on the teen's top to get her attention.

"Jamie Scott!" Maddie gasped and lifted him up in her arms for a hug. "I told you to stop growing!"

"I can't help it. I just grow." Jamie shrugged.

"Well…..I guess I can get used to you this way." Maddie sighed. "That's a very nice racing suit you have on. Are you excited?"

"I'm gonna win!"

"Absolutely!" Maddie caught Haley's attention. "Hi, Haley."

"Hi, Maddie." Haley smiled. "Thanks for coming. I appreciate it."

"I'm happy to be here."

"Hey, Maddie!" Lucas walked over with Lindsay. "Long time, no see!"

"Hey, Luke." Maddie smiled as he pulled her in for a hug. "Hi, Lindsay."

"Hi, Maddie."

"Hi, Lindsay." Ava waved, trying not to draw her brother's attention to herself.

But of course, she failed.

"Hi, Ava. You look nice. That's a cute top." Lindsay tried to soften the blow, knowing how protective Lucas could be.

"Thank you."

"Yeah." Lucas took her arm and turned her around. "Where did you get this? I've never seen it."

"This oughta be good." Maddie smirked.

"Shut up." Ava hissed. "Mom sent this a while back. I've worn it before. You've just never seen me."

"Mom sent it, huh?"

"That's correct." Ava smirked, knowing that if Karen thought it was okay, then Lucas really had nothing left to say.

"She's not a baby anymore, Luke." Lindsay kissed his cheek.

"I know." Lucas pouted. "But she's my baby."

Ava just rolled her eyes and turned away from his Oscar winning performance. "Jamie, Luke's here."

"Uncle Lucas!"

"Hey, Buddy." Lucas stopped pouting and took in the child's attire. "So you're racing for Clothes over Bro's now?"

"Peyton Sawyer, unemployed." Jamie recited proudly.

"Racer's to your cars!" The referee shouted.

"Let's go get 'em, Flash!" Skills smiled.

"Good luck, Jamie." Ava gave him a thumbs up. "Have fun."

"Ready? Here we go." Lucas asked, lifting him up into the car. 'Good?"

"Uh huh." Jamie smiled as Ava took a picture of him.

"Okay, racers, when you're ready, place both hands on the steering wheel."

A look of concern flashed across Jamie's face before he lifted both his arms up.

"Hold up, hold up." The referee walked over to him. "Car 23, are you okay?"

"I don't want to." Jamie spoke in the cutest little voice ever.

"Okay, Mom." The man looked at Haley, who was there in seconds.

"Hey, baby. What's going on?"

"I don't wanna race, Mama."

"You don't have to, but are you sure? I think it's gonna be really fun."

"I wanna talk to Brooke."

Brooke and Peyton gushed before the former stepped beside Jamie.

"What's up, handsome?"

"I don't wanna do it….but I like my racing suit."

"The suit's yours, Buddy." Brooke smiled. "But are you sure you don't want to race?"

"It's my life. I'm taking a stand." Jamie spoke with finality. "Is that okay?"

"Yes, that's okay, honey. Come here." She lifted him up onto her hip.

"Sorry, Uncle Skills."

"It's okay, Buddy."

"He's so cute." Maddie gushed.

"You hear that?" Skills spoke to the little girl that Jamie was supposed to race. "My man is taking a stand, blazing his own trail….Follower."

"I am so sorry about him." Ava smiled at the girl, who looked like she would burst into tears at any second. "He's a lunatic. You keep on being awesome, okay?"

The little girl smiled and nodded, giving her a thumb's up.


"Hi, Mama." Ava spoke to her mother's voicemail as she lied under her bed after the day's long events. "I was just calling to uh, say hello. The first day of school was alright…..but I'm really looking forward to next week though. That's when we'll start doing actual work. Jamie says hello, by the way. He's getting bigger everyday…uh, I'm sure you heard, but Peyton and Brooke are back in town, so that's gonna be fun. It feels like home again. The only thing missing is you and…" Ava stopped herself before she could even start. "Well, anyway. I love you and Lily. Tell Andy I said, hello. I'll call when I have more to say. Bye, Mama."

"Are you gonna say anything?!" She heard Haley shout downstairs after what sounded like her shoving glass bottles onto the ground. "Or are you just gonna sit there like you have for the last four months? You gonna get drunk? Maybe pout a little? Cry?"

And that was exactly why Ava was under the bed.

She knew that tonight would end in a fight and she hated fights. She always had.

It was pretty childish, but being under her bed made her feel a little better.

"You don't get it, do you?!" Nathan snapped back. "I used to be somebody, Haley! Do you understand that?! Do you understand what that means?! I used to be Nathan Scott! And I was great! And I should've walked away, okay? I know that, and I didn't do it! And now I'm nothing and I have nothing."

"You have nothing?!" Haley was shocked and fed up. "You have a beautiful son who is here! Ava is here! I am here!" She emphasized. "You have got to figure out who you're gonna be in this, Nathan, because this version of you does not work for us. I cannot keep living like this, okay? Do you understand what I'm saying?! One more night like this, Nathan, and I promise you, you will have nothing!"


"It was pretty bad last night, huh?" Maddie spoke from her place behind Ava in their English class. "She doesn't look too hot."

"It was worse than that." Ava answered just as the bell rung.

"Good morning." Haley didn't really feel like getting into it with anyone today. "Sit down, Mr. Fields."

"I think we need a little break, hmm?" Q smirked, making Ava roll her tired eyes. She hadn't gotten much sleep between all the yelling and the slamming of doors, and Jamie running to her room because he was too scared to be alone again. "Like, for the rest of the hour? What do you say, class? Huh? Who's with me?"

"Any student who walks out that door, fails this quarter." Haley spoke as a bunch of students stood up. "I'm not gonna stop you. I'm just gonna fail you. Say goodbye to extracurricular activities. Say goodbye to sports, like cheerleading, basketball."

Those not so bold students immediately sat down.

"Do you understand that the rest of your life is being shaped right now? It's up to you. You can walk out that door and fail this class and just take your chances. Or you can sit down, listen, and learn from someone who's been there. The choice is yours."

Unfortunately the little speech wasn't enough for Q to stay.

But before he left, he locked eyes with Ava who shook her head.

She wasn't angry this time around. Just disappointed. But there was nothing she could do to stop him, so she's just let him be.

It's not like she was going to go after him. She wasn't stupid.

"The rest of your life is a long time." Haley continued after he left. "And whether you know it or not, it's being shaped right now. You can choose to blame you circumstances on fate or bad luck, or bad choices. Or you can fight back. Things aren't always gonna be fair in the real world. That's just the way it is. But for the most part, you get what you give. Let me ask you all a question, what's worse? Not getting everything you wish for or getting it, but finding it's not enough? The rest of your life is being shaped right now. With the dreams you chase…..the choices you make…..and the person you decide to be. The rest of your life is a long time. And the rest of your life starts right now."


A/N: Welcome to Part II! Our Ava grew up a little :( Things aren't looking too great in Tree Hill as of now. And what's up with Ava and the bottle opener, I wonder?

More to come soon! XOXOXOXO