This chapter is dedicated to my friend Shiran because she makes me feel loved with all her comments and gave me great feedback on the first chapter.

The ‘O’ in O-week and O-party stands for orientation as in the first week before uni (or college) starts.

And it is people aged 18 and over are legally allowed to drink and stuff in Australia – just thought you should know.

Brooke Davis was in heaven. The music was loud, the boys were hot and there was an open bar for kids over 18. She was having a blast at the Uni’s O-party and getting to know quite a few new people, if you know what I mean. At this point she was dancing seductively with a guy who said his name was Rick, or Ick or Greek. But Brooke didn’t care, it wasn’t as if she would remember his name the next day anyway.

--

Hayley James still wasn’t in the partying mood. She had a couple of drinks, the ones Brooke forced down her throat but once Brooke had found an in with a group of “educated hotties”, Hayley felt she was ready to leave. She stepped outside the hot, foggy Unibar and sat on the Duck Pond lawn. She watched the young adults inside the Unibar, having the time of their life, well for tonight anyway, and she felt even more of an outsider.

--

Nathan Scott arrived with his mates Tim and Skills late because they didn’t want to be the first ones there, and also because Skill’s dodgy old car firstly wouldn’t start and secondly couldn’t go faster than 60km/h. Tim, however, didn’t mind one little bit that they arrived a lot later than expected.

“They’d be so drunk already… the Tim would be so In!” He said with a goofy, excited grin on his face.

“Yeah dude, you’d have no chance if they were all sober, unlike me of course. I’d have girls falling for me left, right and centre!” Skills replied, laughing.

Nathan shook his head with a grin. The boys trouped over to the pulsating beat coming from the Unibar.

--

Lucas Scott wasn’t too happy about attending this party either. He had come to escort Peyton, who wanted to meet up with the few friends she had made in her orientation business lecture. Lucas was introduced to the excentric group of Business majors as the group of them sat outside at the Unibar tables accompanied by plastic cups of alcohol. He had half hoped he had stayed over with Mouth and Jake playing play station at home. Lucas was definitely not the party boy!

--

Brooke was definitely the party girl, obviously. However she still was an awesome friend, thus why she was curious as to where Hayley had disappeared to. Brooke leaned closer to Rick, Ick or Greek, and shouted in his ear, “I have to go to the bathroom!” Rick, Ick or Greek nodded, not really knowing what she had said anyway. Brooke pushed her way through the crowds of people, searching for that sweet familiar face of her friend Hayley, knowing full well that her shouts would not be heard over the loud music.

--

Nathan noticed her out of the corner of his eye. If he had blinked at that moment he would have missed her. But he saw her sitting there alone in the dark, with the glint of moonlight highlighting her blonde hair (my words, not his). Nathan was building up the courage to go over and talk to her but his thoughts were interrupted by a rude shouting in his left ear.

“Nate! Stop dawdling, come.” Skills shouted. Nathan rolled his eyes and followed his friend inside, straight to the unibar for a few rounds of drinks before checking out the talent.

--

Haley saw him, she thought he was looking right at her. But that lasted almost 2 seconds. He was really hot too, too bad the girls he liked were probably the ones getting drunk and dancing like sluts! She turned her attention back to the table of laughing girls nearby. She could only hear snippets of their conversation, but was more interested in the boy who sat there. To Hayley, an expert on the matter he appeared to be pretending to fit in with them and wished for more than anything to be somewhere, anywhere else at that moment. Hayley started to wonder about where he would probably fit in: the surf club maybe? Playing the trombone in an orchestra? Alone at home, playing on the internet? Hayley giggled at that thought and it was then that he caught her eye.

--

Lucas was starting to get over the high-pitched squeals and laughter at jokes that he didn’t find amusing at all. He noticed the girl sitting by herself over on the grass, so he decided to go over and make some new friends of his own. Peyton probably wouldn’t notice he’d gone anyway.

Each step he took, she became prettier and prettier. “Hey.” He said, a great introduction, when he was standing right in front of her.

“Hi.” She replied.

“Would you care for some company?”

“Ok.”

Lucas nodded and sat down beside her. “So the party scene’s not really your thing?”

Hayley shook her head, “Not really, my friend kind of forced me to come, so I’m just waiting until she’s ready to go home. It didn’t look like you were having much fun over there though.”

“You would think that I would have an incredible time with a group of drunken girls, but it was really just giving me a headache.”

“I can imagine! The high-pitched giggles were annoying me here, 10 metres away!”

The two sat in silence for a moment, then Hayley spoke up, “What’s your name by the way?”

“Lucas, and you are?”

“Hayley.”

--

Brooke had searched everywhere for Hayley. She figured Hayley had just gone home to bed, so Brooke decided to call her tomorrow and bitch at her for leaving the party early. She was going to head back to find Rick, Ick or Greek but figured he would probably be with some other girl now. Feeling as though this party wasn’t as successful as it should be, she vowed to hook up with the next boy she touched.

--

Nathan, Tim and Skills were on what seemed their 3rd cup of beer, but most likely was their 5th or 6th.

“Alright, I’m heading out there to bust-a-move!” Tim shouted unnecessarily loudly. He turned and almost knocked over a girl who was walking past. Tim laughed before apologising.

“No need to apologise.” She replied, pulled him closer and kissed him.

Tim was aw-stuck, he turned back to Nathan and Skills who gave him encouraging smiles and the girl led him off. It was Brooke!

“I need to get me some of that action.” Skills announced, and he headed off to the dance floor to find a lucky lady to hook up with.

Nathan who was not much of a dancer and still had one intriguing girl on his mind, decided to go outside and get some fresh air.

--

Hayley was starting to believe that this night was going to turn out not so bad after all. She was just debating with her new friend Lucas about how useful the study of Shakespeare in High school English is in what you may want to accomplish in later life.

She laughed at Lucas’ insane explanation, “Ok, ok, you win.”

“Damn right I do, your argument kind of sucked.”

“Well I’m sorry I couldn’t come up with anything better. My brain does not function as efficiently after 9 o’clock, nor with even the slightest consumption of alcohol.”

“Hmm, well you’re managing to pronounce all those words correctly.” Hayley narrowed her eyes jokingly at him, but then laughed again. ”So Lucas, do you think we’d actually see each other again?”

“That sounded so much like a movie line, but yes I think we will. You never know Hayls, this could be the start of a beautiful friendship.”

Hayley laughed again, “If you say so.”

“I do.”

--

Nathan had finally made his way to the entrance to the unibar. He looked around for a moment before spotting the girl who was now officially NOT a figment of his imagination. She was sitting there on the grass, looking just as beautiful as before, yet something was ruining the picture.

It took Nathan a second to realise that it was not the alcohol he had drank that was rising up his throat but jealousy, hatred and anger. The boy who, according to a birth certificate was his brother, and who Nathan had gladly not seen or spoken to in over three years was there laughing and chatting with the girl he had so wanted to speak to.

--

Peyton was having so much fun with her new friends that she only just noticed Lucas had gone. She wasn’t too fussed, but turned her head to see if he had just wandered off for a moment. She then spotted him sitting on the grass laughing and chatting with another girl. She was glad he was making a new friend, however as the scene in front of her began to unfold, she started to doubt the trust she had with her boyfriend.

--

Lucas and Hayley were laughing, oblivious to the others watching them.

“Oh wait, you managed to get…” Lucas started, he leaned closer to Hayley and reached his hand up to the top her head. Hayley stared right into his eyes, and kissed him.

Time seemed to stop around them, especially for Nathan and Peyton who were watching them.

Hayley and Lucas broke apart, Nathan and Peyton ran towards them.

“Lucas! What the hell are you doing?” Peyton shouted.

Nathan hearts was so full of anger and jealousy that it was a miracle that he was even able to think straight. But in that moment he made a quick second decision. He realised Peyton was obviously Lucas’ girlfriend, and she was standing right next to him. Nathan stepped in front of Peyton and kissed her.

Lucas was still trying to get his head around what just happened, but his ex-brother kissing his girlfriend made everything clearer. He jumped up from the spot next to Hayley, pulled Nathan off his girlfriend and punched him right in the face.

The two boys began wrestling and throwing punches, while Peyton stood screaming at the both of them and Hayley backed away in shock of what had happened and what was happening.

Brooke had taken that precise moment to take a breathe from kissing Tim had seen the whole thing.

“Oh my god, Hayley!” She shouted, ran over to her friend and put her arm over Hayley’s shoulder. “Um, ok let’s… let’s go home.” Hayley nodded still staring at the boys fighting, Brooke glanced back, noticing that some other people were taking care of it, and led her friend back to the car.

--

“What happened?” Brooke asked when they were both sitting in the car.

“I… I don’t know. I kissed Lucas and then this other boy came out of nowhere and they started fighting.” Hayley replied so confused.

Brooke thought for a moment, “Well, I think you just got caught in the middle of some huge love drama, you little party slut!”

“What?”

“Well you like Lucas, and that goldilocks girl like’s Lucas, the punching guy like goldilocks and Lucas probably likes goldilocks too. That’s gotta be some love… rectangle, thing.”

“But…”

Brooke smiled, “Looks like uni just got way more interesting!”