It was a bitterly cold November day when it happened. Most of winter in North Carolina was mild with less than three inches of annual snow fall. The temperature tended to be even more moderate. But on that day it was cold. The type of cold that sunk into people's veins and bones until the very core of a person was freezing.

Truly, it had been a long time coming. There is only so much a person can take before there comes a reckoning, until there comes a strange calm in the middle of a jumbled, chaotic storm in their very essence. Since back in second grade when the kids had teased him because his mother sent him to school in sneakers that cost more than four of other kids' shoes put together. Since seventh grade when Peyton Sawyer, the most popular girl and already a massive slut, had spit on him because she thought that he assumed himself to be better then her. Since ninth grade when the boys on the basketball team had stolen his clothes and dipped them in car oil. It had been a long time coming.

Nathan Scott walked down the halls of Tree Hill High anticipating someone, anyone, approaching him with the intent to inflict humiliation. It was a common occurrence. His father owned a car dealership and his mother was a hard working woman who came from old Southern money. He was one of the richest kids in the school and was hated deeply because of it. Everyone believed that he thought he was better than them because of that fact. In all honestly he did think he was better than them but only because he suffered greatly and still managed to hold it all together. He didn't have one person he truly called friend and his home life was probably worse than everyone else!

"Hey, Scott," the voice was antagonistic and bitter.

Here we go, he thought. It was barely obvious but his muscles flexed and he prepared himself for the blow that may come with comment.

"You deaf, Nathan," that voice made him angry; it belonged to his bastard older brother Lucas. Before Dan had meant Nathan's mother he had been high school sweethearts with Lucas' mom and ditched her. Lucas ruled the school beside his queen, Peyton, and made Nathan's life, especially since he'd joined the basketball team, miserable. Some people wondered why Nathan persisted in joining the Varsity basketball team every season when Lucas made his life so hard but that was an easy answer. Basketball was his lifeline, nothing else mattered. He was a junior now and hopefully the scouts would start to take notice so he could get the hell away from his brother, his father and Tree Hill.

"I think he's ignoring you, Luke," Peyton's voice still made a nasty taste enter his mouth. She had been pissed when he had denied her and had taken every opportunity since to make him remember how powerful she was.

"I asked," Nathan expertly balanced on his feet when he felt the shove from behind, "are you deaf?"

He turned and looked into the identical eyes of his brother, their father's eyes, "no, are you stupid?"

"He's getting mighty bold," Peyton mentioned from behind Luke.

Nathan felt everyone's stares, felt their hate and jealousy, "who the hell asked you, Peyton? Your pussy is like the 7/11, open for business 24/7."

Luke didn't hesitate as he pulled back his arm and threw a punch that never landed because Nathan anticipated him and blocked his fist. The bell rang and the brothers stared each other down as the principal's voice sounded from beside them, "homeroom and first period boys, get going!"

"You'll regret that," Luke promised, his voice low and barely contained.

Nathan nodded but replied, "not likely."

XOXOXO

"Okay," their homeroom instructor was also their first period English teacher, Mrs. Johnson. A nice older woman with a quick wit and an instant dislike for anyone she deemed socially ignorant. It was just Nathan's luck that he had his first period with everyone on the basketball team and cheerleading squad who was in his grade. The agony of small town life!

Nathan sat in the very back center, where Mrs. Johnson's eye sight tended to fail. No one sat beside him and no one sat in the chair directly in front of him. To be near him was close to social suicide, but it allowed him space throughout the day to take a breath. However, it didn't stop the other kids from voicing their hatred.

"I hear you were making pussy references this morning, Nathan," Haley, a cheerleader and the adopted daughter of Lucas' mom, began. Her parents had given her up for adoption as an infant and she had found some sense of comfort with Karen Roe, who had formally adopted her during ninth grade, "I find that funny because you've probably never even seen one."

Everyone laughed and he just raised an eyebrow. Haley had thrown herself at him two months ago while he was showering after practice in the locker rooms. When he had resisted her persist begging she had risen from her knees in anger and stormed out. Now, she obviously shared the same thought and blushed wickedly before turning around.

"We have a new transfer student," Mrs. Johnson smiled nicely at the brunette who had just walked in. Nathan took her in because he couldn't seem to take his eyes off of her. She was short, barely meeting the 5'5" mark, but she was also petite with long dark, straight hair and bangs that met deep hazel eyes with sweeping, thick eye lashes. But it was her mouth that entranced him. She had beautiful lips and when they parted to reveal her perfect smile his heart jumped, but when two deep dimples set in all of his thoughts stopped for a second and he was in love.

"Hi, I'm Brooke Davis," she introduced herself before moving toward the back of the classroom.

"I wouldn't sit by him if I were you," Peyton mentioned casually and Nathan had never felt more inclined to hit her.

"He's a leper," Lucas explained, his eyes traveling up and down her body, Peyton slapped his shoulder in disgust.

Brooke looked at Nathan and winked, "I'll take my chances."

XOXOXO

Nathan spent his entire lunch thinking about the new girl, Brooke. She had sat beside him and spent the entire class sporadically writing notes and texting via a cell phone that Nathan personally knew to be high tech and very expensive.

He was still thinking about her when he felt himself being pulled up and then promptly down onto the ground of the cafeteria. He cursed himself for thinking about the new girl when he should have been thinking about the next attack.

"Did you think shit was over from this morning," Lucas was suddenly in his face.

Nathan rose silently, "let's go."

"Did you think I didn't see how you looked at the new girl? Do you think you could ever have a chance with any girl at this school," Luke asked.

"You wanna fight or do you wanna have a therapy session," Nathan asked.

Luke sneered and then laughed out loud when Tim came up from behind Nathan and smacked him over the head with his back pack sending Nathan forward just to meet Luke's punch to his stomach.

"You shouldn't rush me, little brother," Luke taunted him.

Nathan could hear everyone laughing, the cheerleaders, the basketball players, the other jocks and the geeks. He was immune to no one, everyone hated him. There was a sick calm that settled as he realized that he was hated by every person his age in his home town.

He stood up and punched Luke in the face, feeling the crunch of bone beneath his fist and relishing it. But as soon as he landed the punch he was being held back by Luke's group of friends, his own teammates on the basketball team. Luke was screaming as blood poured from his nose, "you broke my nose!"

Nathan knew it was going to be a good old fashioned beat up on Nathan day and was strangely okay with it. He felt himself giving up, there just wasn't any point in fighting it anymore.

"Hey," the voice was raspy, angry and then suddenly beside Nathan. He looked over and was surprised to see the new girl. She looked pissed and in her anger seemed to grow seven inches and turning into a superhero, "back off, you fucking bullies!"

"Hey, baby, this has nothing to do with you," Skillz, a basketball player, holding back Nathan's right arm told her.

"Do not," her voice was ice cold, "call me baby. I'm not your baby you nasty, stupid, motherfucker. Let him go! What is wrong with you people?"

"Get out of here bitch," Luke bit out, still in pain although the bleeding was dying down.

Brooke went to him and pushed him with surprising strength, "tell your goons to let him go!"

"Fine," Lucas waved his hand signaling them to release Nathan, "let's go!"

Nathan watched Brooke as she watched the rest of the basketball team's retreating backs. She finally turned to him and looked him over, "how's your stomach?"

"Fine," he told her.

She looked up into his blue eyes and held his gaze, "people here certainly don't like you."

"Yeah," he agreed.

"Wanna get out of here," she asked.

His eyes widened, "I'm social suicide."

She shrugged, "I don't care."

"You don't understand," he tried.

Brooke nodded slightly, "I might understand more than you know, Nathan Scott, richest boy at THHS."

Nathan nodded, "they detest me."

"Let's go," she urged him.

Finally Nathan nodded and followed her out of the school and to her car. He sat down in the passenger's side of the VW Bug and was surprised by the quality of her stereo system as she blared Snoop Dogg on their drive through town.

"You're rich," he finally asked.

Brooke pulled her Bug into her parking spot and nodded, "rich, alone, abandoned."

"You live here alone," he looked around the nice apartment complex.

"Yeah, my parents pay bills but never manage to see me in person," she looked down at her lap, "I don't know why I'm telling you this."

Nathan didn't question her further but acted on impulse and squeezed her hand gently, "I could really use a sandwich and a soda before I have to go back for basketball practice."

She smiled and her dimples paralyzed him once again, "come on up, Nathan Scott."

He followed her up into her apartment and ate lunch with her while they watched bad judge shows. He had never laughed so much, he had never felt so alive. Brooke Davis, he determined, could be his saving grace.

XOXOXO

Despite the high quality of his lunch hour with Brooke there still came a time when he had to return to the high school and get ready for basketball practice. The season would be starting in a week and everyone on the team knew it would be a matter of time before hell week would begin. Hell week was an idea devised by Whitey, their coach, to get all of the players in tip-top condition by their first game against their arch rivals, Bear Creek. Bear Creek was on the other side of a set of train tracks that divided South Tree Hill from North Bear Creek. Bear Creek was where all of the rich kids lived. Nathan tried to refrain from thinking about what his life would have been like if his father had decided to base his car dealerships out of Bear Creek instead of his hometown.

Nathan walked into the locker room and went to his locker anticipating something being tampered with. Today his lock was covered in honey. Tomorrow it would something else, and then something else the next day, until the season was over. That was just the way it worked.

"We saw you leaving with the new girl," Luke's voice made Nathan tense.

"Do you need a girl to defend you now," Skillz asked.

Nathan finally opened his locker and was surprised to see that his clothes were still there. For all of the guys talk about how he thought he was better because he was rich they were always stealing his clothes so they'd have name brand stuff.

"No, but since Luke apparently needs four guys to help if he's going to fight I figured I'd better have somebody on my side," he knew he sounded condescending and rude.

"You've known this girl for almost five hours," Luke's voice was mocking, "soon enough she'll figure out that being anywhere near you is no good for her."

Nathan forced himself to shrug, Brooke seemed like the type who could handle anything they threw at her in the hallways, "what do you care, Lucas? I don't give a damn so I don't understand why you do."

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything important," their coach's voice was angry, as it tended to be.

"Nope, coach, just the normal," Nathan replied.

"Practice now, anyone takes more than two minutes and that's two more reps of suicides," Whitey promised.

Luke looked into Nathan's eyes, "you'll pay for my nose."

Nathan smiled congenially, "we'll see."

XOXOXO

Nathan walked to and from school. He tried to drive a few times but had ended up with popped tires each and every time. His car wasn't really spectacular, just a normal Chevy Impala although it did have its little perks but he tried to keep those attributes on the low. As he walked, his limbs aching from the harshness of the first day of hell week, he heard a car slowing as it approached him. Lucas had never tried to run him over before but he could never be too sure about the new torture devices his brother could come up with.

"Hey, Nate, need a ride," he smiled at Brooke, surprised to see her.

"That would be great," he agreed.

As she drove Brooke chanced a quick glance at him, "I was told, very subtly too, that I had a one week grace period to decide if I want to be on team Nathan or team I-want-to-not-be-socially-ostracized-for-the-rest-of-high-school."

Nathan swallowed hard, "and?"

"I laughed and walked away and I think that pissed the fake blond off," Brooke confided.

"Peyton," Nathan nearly had a heart attack. Peyton never personally spoke to anyone who wasn't in her social group. To even approach Brooke would mean that she was afraid that her power was waning.

"Yeah, sure. And a little one with equally fake blond hair and the ugliest poncho I have ever laid eyes on," Brooke shuddered.

"Haley," Nathan's eyes popped out of his head again.

"I don't know their names! Is this it right here," Brooke pointed toward a large brown stone house.

Nathan nodded, still incapable of speaking. He noticed that his father's car was all ready home, which meant that he and Nathan's mother were arguing. Dan tried not to come home before Deb's night cap unless there was something he specifically wanted to argue about.

"Shit," he muttered.

Brooke didn't question the obscenity, "you know where I live if you need to get away."

"You don't even know me," Nathan reminded her.

"Sometimes when two people meet its like they've known each other for years," she told him.

Nathan nodded and thanked her for the ride. After she pulled away he walked into his house. As anticipated his mother was taking a frustrated gulp of her scotch and Dan was yelling at her and berating her.

Both of them looked at him when he entered. Deb's gaze, although slightly glassy, brightened instantly, "Nate, how was school?"

"Fine mom," he kissed her cheek and strategically placed himself in between her and his father.

"Do you want some dinner," she asked and then decided, "I'll make you some dinner!"

"Don't touch anything you fucking boozy! You'll burn down my house," Dan yelled at her.

"Dad," Nathan stopped him from approaching Deb.

Dan studied his son, "what's your problem? What was your time for suicides?"

Nathan barely stopped himself from rolling his eyes, the only thing that mattered for Dan, beside money, was his son playing basketball well, "two minutes and twelve seconds."

Dan smacked his head forcefully, "where did the twelve seconds come from?"

"Dan," Deb yelled at him.

"What," Dan barked back at her.

"Don't touch him! You're a monster and I'm sorry I ever married you," she told him.

"Well you're a selfish whore and I wish I'd never gone near you," he replied.

Nathan began to walk away, this occurred too often, but Dan suddenly pulled him back and he felt his lower back bang against the countertop. He winced and Dan seemed to understand that injuring Nathan would not help him win any state titles, so he released him.

"I'm leaving," Nathan told them.

"Where are you going," Deb asked.

"To my room," he told her.

As he walked up the stairs he heard their argument begin anew and felt the now normal feeling of frustration fall over him.

XOXOXO

Nathan knocked on her door and was surprised when she opened the door. She was wearing a pair of boxers and a black tang top that left a scant amount to the imagination.

"Hey, Nate, come on in," she stood back so he could enter.

He walked into the now familiar living room and noticed that the couch was made up with a pillow, sheets and a comforter. He looked at her, "you were expecting me?"

"No," she shrugged, "but I believe in being prepared."

"I just needed to get away," he told her.

"I figured. The only thing I have more experience with then abandonment is feuding parents."

He sat and unlaced his Jordans but didn't chance a look at her, "this is weird."

"Why is it weird," she wondered. He could hear that she was now in the kitchen and eating something.

"I just met you this morning," he reminded her.

"Like I said," she dropped a bowl of grapes onto the coffee table, "sometimes you have to trust your instincts and I happen to believe 100% in mine."

"What are your instincts telling you about me, about this place," Nathan wondered.

"They're telling me that Tree Hill High needs a revamping and that Nathan Scott needs a friend," she turned on the television and gasped in delight, "ANTM!"

"What," he asked with a laugh.

"America's Next Top Model," she squealed and turned it up, "I have a feeling you're going to love this show!"