Hey guys! So here is my new story. I'm super excited about it. The title was inspired by the song Crash by You Me At Six. I suggest you listen to it, it really is such a beautiful song. This is the first full story I've written where Nathan and Haley are in high school so this is new for me! They are juniors in high school in this story and personally when I read stories I definitely like having the images of people in my head. I've been picturing my character Travis as Channing Tatum sooo you guys can run with that if you'd like haha. So read, enjoy and review!

Full Summary: Nathan Scott was intrigued by Haley James. She was a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma. Before her he didn't get attached. He didn't get invested. He didn't care as much. Luckily for him she seemed to agree with his sentiments. So that was the plan. Just have fun. What he didn't plan on was falling in love along the way. NH.

Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill

Chapter 1

Haley moved about the unpacked kitchen turning the stove off and placing the eggs that she had just cooked on a plate. She walked over to the toaster and pulled out the piece of toast she had placed in moments earlier and walked over to sit on a barstool. She was about to dig in when the sound of her cell phone ringing distracted her. She leaned over to pick it up without bothering to look at the screen already having a feeling of who it was.

"Hello?" She answered while taking a bite of her toast.

"Hales James, it has only been two days since you left and I'm about ready to die!"

Haley laughed at her best friend's overdramatic statement. "I highly doubt you're gonna die Brookie, but if you do does that mean I get to have that gorgeous pair of heels you bought before I left?"

Brooke scoffed into the phone. "Get real , not even death can separate me from those beauties."

"Brooke how are you up?" Haley laughed. "It's 7am in North Carolina which means its like 4 in the morning LA time."

"Well, technically, I never went to sleep." Haley listened to Brooke talk as she took a bite of her eggs.

"What do you mean?" Haley laughed.

"Felix just left." Brooke answered carelessly.

Haley chuckled. "So are you two together now or?"

"God no, just fuck buddies."

Haley groaned. "Must you be so vulgar?"

"Must you be so moral?" Brooke retorted.

"Whatever." Haley rolled her eyes.

"I swear Hales it'll do you good…there has to be some good boy stock there in Tree Mountain."

"It's Tree Hill asshole."

"Same difference." Brooke waved off. "Besides, you and Julian broke up months ago…you have absolutely no attachments."

"Believe it or not Brooke, I didn't need an excuse to sleep around before Julian and I sure as hell don't need one after him."

"Ugh, how are we friends?"

"I don't know." Haley laughed while finishing up her toast. "How is Julian by the way?"

"Good." Brooke commented. "Apparently, he has a thing for Bevin now so whatever."

"Can you be nice to her?" Haley replied defending her friend.

"No." Brooke answered simply. When she was met with silence she spoke up again. "Haley, she stole my boyfriend! And how can you like her she's moving in on yours."

"Brooke! Like you just established when you were trying to convince me to be a ho, Julian and I have been broken up for months! Besides we were horrible with each other and only together out of convenience and I would hardly call what you and Chase had a relationship."

"Still, it's the principal of that matter Haley!"

Haley sighed knowing that once someone was on Brooke's bad side they were never leaving. "Okay, okay."

"Look, I have to go, Lucas is going to be here soon to pick me up."

"Oh, yes, this Lucas character and why is it I have never seen a picture of him?"

"Because I actually value our friendship."

"Oh, Hales, look at you protecting me from boys! But I'm a big girl I can-"

"I meant Lucas." Haley laughed.

"Not funny." Brooke replied dryly. "Speaking of cute boys how's Travis?"

"Ugh, can you try not to be such a pervert?" Haley questioned. "And I wouldn't know, he's been MIA since we first got here."

Haley looked up when she heard a car beep and saw Lucas parked out in her driveway. "Look, I really have to go now Brooke but I'll call you later." She hastily put her dishes in the sink and picked up her bag by the island moving towards the front door.

"Fine, I'll talk to you later, have fun in Suck Hill!"

"It's Tree Hill!" Haley yelled into her phone before laughing and joining Lucas in his car.

"So you're gonna wanna make a right and your English class should be the first classroom on your left."

"Thanks Lucas." Haley looked over at her friend appreciatively.

"So is this weird or what?" Lucas looked at her as she organized her locker.

"A little." Haley laughed. "I mean the last time we saw each other you were so scrawny."

"I resent that." Lucas replied jokingly.

"You know I state the truth Luke." Haley grinned at him before shutting her locker and leaning up against him to face it.

"I seriously appreciate it though Lucas, it's kind of been a hard transition and you've made it a lot easier."

"It's nothing." Lucas waved off. "You're family."

"And I am so grateful for that." Haley smiled while moving with him down the crowded hallway. "Because Karen feeds me her delicious food for free."

"I knew you were only friends with me all these years because of my mom."

"You caught me." Haley laughed. "Uh, Luke." Haley said stopping and pulling him aside. "Why is everyone staring?"

Lucas looked around and had indeed noticed a few people staring at the pair. "Well Hales, Tree Hill is a lot smaller than LA, people notice when there is fresh meat, people here are nosy, and you'll get used to it." Lucas laughed. "Well that and…"

"Yeah?" Haley questioned interested.

"You are talking to one of the star players of the basketball team."

Haley rolled her eyes. "Be careful now, you wouldn't want to suffocate me with your ego."

"You clearly have not met my cousin." Lucas laughed.

"You have a cousin? I don't remember another Scott hanging around when we were kids, is he a lot younger?" Haley questioned.

"Nope," Lucas answered. "He's the same age as us. My Uncle Dan moved here with Aunt Deb and Nathan a couple of years after you left. He and my Dad are brothers." Lucas said referring to his father Keith.

"Huh." Haley shrugged. The bell rang signaling the beginning of first period.

"That's our cue!" Lucas said moving away from Haley.

"I'll meet you at your locker before lunch!" He called out before running down his hallway and towards his first class.

Haley sighed to herself taking her time moving to her destination figuring she could be a little late and blame it on being new.

All of the sudden Haley felt herself colliding with another body and she landed roughly on the floor beneath her. Looking up to see the cause for the collision she was met with two pools of blue eyes.

"Are you okay?" He mumbled while helping her up.

"Yeah, but you should really-"

Haley didn't even finish her sentence as he moved to walk right past her and towards his destination once he had helped her up.

"Excuse me?" Haley flabbergasted moving to follow him.

He looked over when he noticed the blonde in step with him. He stopped short and faced her. "Is something wrong?" He questioned.

"Yes, something is wrong!" She all but yelled. "You have no manners that's what's wrong."

"Okay." He rolled his eyes. "I have to go." He motioned with his hand.

"Unbelievable." Haley muttered.

"Are you lost cause if you just tell me where you need to be I could-"

"I am not lost." Haley replied coolly and walking away from him.

He shrugged before walking away. It had been a really shitty morning and the last thing he needed was some girl yelling at him. No matter how pretty she was. He shook his head at the last thought. He did not think girls were pretty.

Hot, yes. Pretty, not so much.

He sighed and made his way to class knowing he was in for a reprimand for being late. Just another thing he did not need right now.

Haley sighed heavily as she waited by her locker for Lucas. She pulled out her phone when she felt it vibrate in the pocket of her jeans.

Don't forget to call me tonight, we need a plan of attack for Bevin.

Haley chuckled and her mood heightened for a few moments. It had been a really shitty morning. Besides the run in the with arrogant jerk from this morning she had gotten lost several times and there was this one girl on a couple of her classes who would not stop giving her the evil eye.

Haley had no idea what her problem was.

"Hey." Lucas said walking up to her and jarring her out of her thoughts.

"Hey friend." Haley smiled at him. She was glad that she and Lucas had fallen easily into the friendship that they had stricken up when they were just six. Sure they had kept up over the years through email and texts but the last time they saw each other was two years ago. If she had ever questioned her friendship with Lucas she had gotten her answer when the incident occurred. She knew Lucas was someone she'd have in her life forever.

"How were classes?" He questioned motioning for her to follow him towards the quad.

"Okay." Haley sighed.

"That's it?" Lucas laughed. "Okay?"

"It's been a long day, some jerk ran into me in the hallway this morning and didn't even apologize." Haley explained.

"Well, it's about to get longer, ready to meet some people?" He questioned.

"Sure." Haley smiled. "Meeting people are always good, besides I can ask what compelled them to be friends with your sorry ass."

"You have a sarcasm problem." Lucas commented.

"And you're just now noticing this Lukey?" Lucas rolled his eyes good-naturally at his friend before realizing that they had made it to their usual lunch table and now had a few pairs of eyes staring at him.

"Jeez what is it with this town and staring." Haley mumbled under her breath causing Lucas to chuckle.

He looked over at his friends and motioned to Haley. "Guys this is my friend Haley she's new in town from California, Haley this is Peyton, Skills, Jake and Rachel."

"Hi." Haley greeted with a smile and a small wave.

"Damn, shorty you-"

"Don't even think about it Skills."

Haley laughed at the look of mock surrender the boy had given Lucas.

"Where's Nate?" Lucas asked while sitting down at the table, Haley following suit.

"Who knows." The girl Haley recalled named Peyton answered. "But he is in a pissy mood, I had first period with him, not fun."

Lucas nodded knowing how his cousin could get sometimes.

"So Haley." Rachel started. "Why'd you move from beautiful California to shitty Tree Hill."

Haley laughed at her bluntness. She reminded her of Brooke. "Just some family stuff." She replied vaguely. Lucas had given her hand a comforting squeeze under the table and she smiled at him appreciatively.

The six teenagers had fallen into causal conversation as lunch went on. Haley had really liked Lucas' friends. They had all been really welcoming to her. The bell rang suddenly signaling the end of lunch just as the group of teens moved to get up Haley noticed the same girl glaring at her from her classes earlier in the morning stock up to the table.

"Rachel." She called out. "We have a serious cheer problem."

It looked like Rachel had to hold in the need to roll her eyes at the girl. Haley knew she liked the red head for a reason.

"What is it Teresa?"

"Stacy has the chicken pox and she won't be able to make it to the sparkle classic this weekend!"

"Okay, we'll just rework the routine for nine girls instead of ten." Walking off. "Nice meeting you Haley!" She called out at the blonde.

At the mention of her name Teresa whipped around and saw glared at her for what seemed like the millionth time. "Rachel!"

"You know her?" Haley questioned Lucas.

"Yeah, Peyton and Rachel are on the cheer team with her…I see her at parties and stuff."

"I'm sorry." Haley replied like it was some tragedy that Lucas was associated with someone so vile.

"Yeah," Lucas agreed. "She doesn't really handle new people well, something about people knowing their place." Lucas rolled his eyes. "She can be a bitch."

"Yeah, well your other friends are cool, I may have to ditch you for them." Haley joked walking back into the school.

"Please, you don't know what you'd do without me James!" Lucas called out. "Travis is picking you up after school right?"

"Yup!" Haley nodded. "I'll call you later Luke!"

Haley looked at her watch for the fifth time. "Typical Travis." She mumbled.

"Hey." Haley looked over to her right at the sound of a new voice and saw the jerk that she met in the hallway from earlier in the day. She let out what was sure to be an unattractive scoff and returned to her previous activity of staring off into space.

"Look, I'm sorry about before…you just caught me at a bad time and-"

"You really don't owe me an explanation." Haley started cutting him off. "I'm from LA I've dealt with my fair share of egotistic know-it-all's"

"Ouch." He replied feigning hurt. He looked at her impressed by her resolve. He had never met a girl who told it to him like it was. He was being a jerk earlier and most girls would've just batted their eyelashes and waved it away. But not this girl. Nope she seemed to be getting more annoyed by his presence as each minute passed.

"I'm not used to pretty girls laying it on me like that."

Haley didn't hide her laugh. "You're really going to flirt with me right now?" She looked over at him with a cocked brow.

The boy shrugged "Is it working?"

"Nathan! Haley!" The two teenagers turned to see Lucas jogging towards them.

It wasn't until he was closer that the shock wore off.

"You know him?"

"You know her?"

They asked the question at the same time but one was laced with disgust while the other was laced with interest.

"Uh, yeah?" Lucas looked at the two weirdly.

"Hales, this is my cousin Nathan." Lucas gestured toward the raven-haired boy.

"And Nathan, this is my friend Haley I was telling you about."

Nathan let out an internal groan. How had he not connected the dots? It's all Lucas had been talking about the last couple of days.

Nathan be nice to her when you meet her. She's new in town and she's not like other girls Nathan. She's been through a lot Nathan.

And more importantly. She's off limits Nathan.

Nathan looked between the two and tried to ease some of the tension that was in the air. "See, Lucas likes me!" He retorted while swinging an arm over his cousin. "I can't be that bad." He let out a cheeky grin at the petite blonde in front of him. Even he had to admit she had not caught him at the best time this morning. However he was sure the behavior he displayed was what everyone thought of as typical from him. But if he had known that the girl he bumped into was Lucas' friend he would've been nicer.

Probably.

"Lucas is related to you, he has to like you." She replied her arms crossed against her chest.

"Wellll." Lucas drew out after a few moments of awkward silence and moving out from under Nathan's arm. "This has been fun, you need a ride Hales?" He directed towards her. "I have a shift at the café soon but I can stop by your house and drop you off, or you could come with me…I'm sure my mom would love to see you maybe you can have dinner with us."

For some reason Nathan was jealous at just how well his cousin seemed to know this girl. He knew that she and Lucas had known each other as kids but he didn't really know how close they were, just that they had kept in contact when she moved away. And Lucas apparently disappeared for a weekend to see her in California two years ago. Something Nathan found particularly odd. His jealousy only grew when he saw her drop the sarcastic demeanor she had with him moments earlier and sent Lucas a warm smile.

"No, it's okay Lucas, thanks for offering but I have plans I'm just waiting for-"

Her sentence was cut short when the sound of a motorcycle overpowered her voice. The three teenagers looked to the curb and saw a guy on the motorcycle come to a stop a few feet away from them.

Haley turned back to Nathan and Lucas but her focus was mostly on the blonde. "I gotta go."

Nathan's eyebrows rose at her statement. She knew this punk?

"I'll take a raincheck on the dinner though!"

"HALEY I DON'T HAVE ALL DAY." The guy on the motorcycle yelled over to the trio and Nathan rolled his eyes. And she thought he was a jerk?

Apparently Haley didn't like his tone either as he rolled her eyes quite dramatically at his statement.

"I'll see you later."

To Nathan's surprise it wasn't just directed towards Lucas.

As she walked away Lucas patted Nathan on the back and turned to leave. "I gotta go to work, see you later dude."

Nathan nodded but he couldn't keep his eyes off of Haley as she walked towards the motorcycle and took the helmet the guy held out to her. She slipped it on and got on the back, barely having a chance to hold onto the driver's torso before he sped away.

Nathan forehead creased in confusion. He definitely didn't peg her as a bad boy type.

And for some reason this information annoyed Nathan to no end.

"God, Travis do you have to me such a jackass?" Haley questioned while getting off her brothers bike and removing her helmet.

"A jackass?" Travis questioned incredulously. "What the fuck did I do?" He followed suit and got off his bike while removing his helmet. He placed it on the counter while moving around the old garage. Haley noticed there was a car in the middle with a sheet over it and boxes were placed about all over the place.

"HALEY I DON'T HAVE ALL DAY." Haley mocked her brothers deep, demanding voice. "See, jackass." She smiled at him and moved to sit on the hood of the car that was in the middle of the garage.

"Whatever." Travis chuckled. That had always been his relationship with his younger sister. Playful banter with the occasional jab.

"So is this where you've been spending all your time? This place looks…nice." Haley commented.

"You don't have to lie." Travis laughed. "It looks like a shithole. But no one has took care of it since mom and dad left so what do you expect?" He busied himself by moving around the garage lifting a box that was sitting in the corner and bringing it up on top of the counter where his helmet lay.

"I don't remember this place that much." Haley remarked. "Do you?"

"Yeah." Travis nodded. "Dad would bring me here every Friday night, teach me a few things about cars, we were actually gonna fix up this car." He said motioning to the vehicle that Haley was situation on top of. "He said he was gonna give it to me for my 16th birthday, but Dad got the new job and we all had to move to California."

"Why didn't he sell it before we moved? It's just been sitting here all these years." Haley questioned. She never really got to ask her Dad these questions. She was only six when the James clan had made the move to California. To be honest she hadn't really remembered Tree Hill all that much. Just distant memories of playing with Lucas in the café.

"Dad really loved this place Hales." Travis shrugged. "Guess he didn't have it in him to let go of it." He turned to the box that he carried rummaging through it seeing if anything useful was inside.

"So why did he take the job in California?"

Travis looked back over at his little sister. "Money." He said simply. "We weren't struggling here in Tree Hill but the money he was getting offered was just too good to pass up for mom and dad. It's why we had such a privileged life growing up Hales, it's why they were able to send me to Stanford for college and it's why you had that big ass closet full of nice clothes."

Haley rolled her eyes at the last part of the comment. "In my defense half those clothes were Brooke's."

He walked over to Haley and took a seat next to her on the hood of the covered car. "What's with the 20 questions Hales?"

"Nothing." She shrugged with a small smile. "I guess I'm just jealous that you knew more about them than me, I mean I was so self absorbed…always hanging out with Brooke, too interested in a boy or a party to even stop and ask how their day was going."

Travis shook his head. "You're a teenage girl, don't be so hard on yourself…besides it's not like I had the most stellar record as a golden child."

Haley looked over at her older brother and nodded sadly. "Do you still blame yourself for that Travis?"

"No." He shook his head.

"Travis."

He looked at her for a minute before replying. "Sometimes."

"Well, it wasn't your fault." She replied sternly.

Travis nodded weakly.

"I mean it Travis, I don't need you going back there…I got past it, you need to too."

"Honestly, Hales I'll probably never get past it." He said moving to get up from his spot on the car.

"You know I'll never let anything happen like that again right?" He looked at her for confirmation.

"I will never let anyone hurt you."

Haley looked at her brother and saw a look in her eye that she saw the night he found her, in one of the most broken states he had ever seen her in.

"I know." She nodded softly. "I don't blame you, so you should stop blaming yourself." Haley hopped off the car and made her way towards her brother.

"Mom and Dad wouldn't have wanted you to carry that burden." She popped a kiss on his barely shaven cheek and walked out of the garage door.

"I'm going to walk over to the café and see Karen…you should stop by Trav, they're family."