Author's Notes: I haven't posted a fic for One Tree Hill in a very long time! In fact, I haven't posted much for anything lately, bummer. Anyway, I wrote this quite a while ago and was always planning to flesh it out but I never did. I haven't watched the show in an incredibly long time, and I came upon this story on my computer last night. I do really like it as it is so I decided to leave it so that I can actually share it with you, considering my writing habits of the last few years. When I originally wrote it, it was meant to be just a bit of a glimpse into the different childhoods that Lucas and Nathan had, and that is really exactly what this is. I hope you enjoy it!!

Parallel

Five-year old Lucas Scott loved to play catch with his Uncle Keith. They could spend hours in the yard throwing a ball back and forth, until the kid could barely lift his arm. No one in the world had more patience than Uncle Keith--if Lucas missed the ball or threw it badly, his uncle would just laugh and say, "That's okay, we all miss sometimes," or, "Next time you'll get it."

For five-year old Nathan Scott, playing catch with his dad had become a chore. He was never allowed to play inside when Dad was home--they would spend hours in the backyard perfecting Nathan's aim, until the kid could barely lift his arm. His biggest incentive to catch the ball was to avoid a scolding. "What kind of boy can't catch?" was the one he hated the most. No laughter ever passed his father's lips, just tips on how to do it better, how to stand properly, to always keep your eye on the ball. When they would finally stop, his dad would assure Nathan they'd play tomorrow and pick up right where they left off.

At nine years old, Lucas Scott played basketball at the River Court every chance he got, making sure to be home before dark and get his homework done so that he'd be allowed to keep going. His friends there always played against him because everyone knew he could beat them all, but it was never about winning--just having fun.

Nine-year old Nathan Scott barely had time to get homework done--he had basketball, baseball and soccer to worry about, and his dad would always be disappointed if he wasn't the stand-out player at every game. At recess his friends always played against him because he had to be the best, and not because he felt he had to be better than them but because if he wasn't, he would end up with more painful bruises on his arms.

When ten-year old Lucas realized that Dan Scott was his father and Nathan his half-brother, he quit the summer basketball league to make things easier on his mom. That same summer, Nathan wished every day for his mom to come home and make things easier on him.

Right before his eleventh birthday Lucas stopped playing organized sports altogether and focused on having fun at the River Court and doing well in school. He wanted his mom to be happy, for she loved him and he loved her, and he wanted to stay away from Dan and Nathan, who obviously didn't care about him at all. So he was determined not to care about them, either.

Nathan had just turned eleven when he overheard his parents fighting about Lucas Scott. Sure, Nathan had known that they had the same last name, but it wasn't until that night that he discovered why. The next day at his dad's dealership he found pictures of Lucas in the desk in the office. From then on, being the best at sports and doing everything his dad wanted were the only important things, because Nathan understood that if he disappointed his dad, then Dan had another son to look to. With his mom gone all the time, Nathan only had his dad left, and he was determined not to lose that either.

Fin

Another Author's Note: Thanks for reading, and as always, drop me a line and let me know what you think! :)