A baby Claudia was walking down the hallway, wearing her plain old Stevie Nicks top and bell bottoms jeans, in her sophomore year. She saw Nathan at the other side of the hallway with Peyton attached to his hip and Brooke standing beside Peyton. She looked the other way to see Haley and Lucas. She walked over and leaned on the locker beside them.

"Have you guys ever imagined what it would be like to be popular?" Claudia asked them deeply as she looked over at Nathan and his friends. 

"Sometimes." Haley replied truthfully, she admired how the girls could do whatever they wanted when they wanted. Lucas laughed as he shook his head.

"We aren't ever going to be like them. It's not how it works." Lucas shrugged and Claudia nodded her head.

"I mean come on, it's not like we are actually going to date them and be popular." Claudia laughed as she opened her locker. "I had a little moment." Claudia admitted as she took her stuff out of her locker and into her crochet bag, the famous crochet bag. She was wearing her Stevie Knicks top and blue bellbottom jeans with flip flops. 

"Here they come." Lucas whispered as Nathan, Peyton, Brooke and Tim all walked past them. Nathan turned and smirked at Lucas.

"Bastard Spawn." He teased before he swung his arm over Peyton's shoulder and continued to walk. Claudia slammed her locker shut.

"Okay, I no longer like him now." Claudia hissed angrily, if looks could kill Nathan would be six foot under- at least. "Are you okay?" Claudia asked Lucas as she patted his back. Haley looked at him with sympathetic eyes.

"Yeah, he does it all the time, why should this be any different." Lucas replied brushing it off like it was nothing.

"If it makes you feel better Claudia is on stand by if you want someone to kick his ass." Haley joked as they began to walk to the quad. Claudia laughed alongside Lucas.

"That is true." Claudia added before she did some basic karate moves. "I can kill a bitch." Claudia added and Lucas laughed with Haley.

"I will let you know." Lucas joked as they sat down at the nerd table. Claudia looked over at the jock table to see Peyton and Nathan sucking each others faces off. "This will be a long lunch." Claudia groaned and her friends laughed.

___

Claudia and Haley were sitting beside each other in the library, because they both had a free period, when a jock walked up to them.

"So been working on any new songs?" Haley asked and Claudia gave her the look. "You need to let people hear you voice, I mean you could be a rock star!" Haley exclaimed and Claudia laughed.

"Come on Haley, I am going to marry a rockstar but I am not going to be one." Claudia replied as a Jock stood at the front of their tables. Claudia raised an eyebrow at him. "Party tonight for sophomore year nearly being over, you guys should come." The jock explained as he looked straight at their boobs.

"Hey, eyes up here." Claudia stated sternly and the Jock smirked at them before he licked his lips.

"Where is it?" Haley asked getting a little bit intrigued. Claudia looked over at her shocked.

"In the school gym. Someone stole the key from Whitey so it will be after hours." He explained as Claudia and Haley looked at each other.

"Can we bring friends?" Claudia asked with a raised brow. The jock leaned closer towards her.

"Sure but most likely you will be spending the whole of the night with me behind the bleachers." He smirked and Claudia rolled her eyes.

"We might be there." Claudia said cryptically before her and Haley went back to work. The guy drum rolled on the table before he walked off. Haley turned to Claudia.

"Will the guys from the River Court actually want to come?" Haley asked and Claudia shrugged her shoulders.

"We are going to be juniors soon, next week year books come out. I mean come on we need to have at least one high school party." Claudia exclaimed as the school bell rang. Haley nodded her head in agreement.

"I mean watching TV is more fun but you're right." Haley admitted as they packed up their things.

___

"No way." Lucas stated sternly after Claudia and Haley had told them about the party in the gym. Claudia groaned out loud.

"Why not?" She asked sitting in between Junk's legs on the bleachers. Mouth looked over at her.

"Because this party sounds like a trap, we will get the blame." Mouth added and Claudia shook her head.

"No one will believe it was us, come on. We are all honour students." Claudia replied which was true. Claudia looked over at Junk, Fergie and Skills. "You guys are in right?" Claudia asked them pleadingly. They all looked at each other and then back to Claudia.

"Claude, you know we love you but come on girl. It's a trap." Skills replied and Claudia stood up and turned to all of them.

"Who is in favour of going to this party?" Claudia asked as she raised her hand. Lucas, Mouth, Skills and Jimmy did not raise their hands. Claudia turned to Lucas. "I guess Haley, Fergie, Junk and I are going." Claudia said angrily. She wanted everyone to be there.

"Come on. We won't get this chance again." Fergie stated and Haley pointed to Fergie.

"For once, I don't want to be an outsider. I want to fit in." Haley said with puppy dog eyes, she knew how to play them. Lucas sighed.

"We will go." Lucas replied as Claudia and Haley smirked at each other before they high-fived each other.

___

"Told you it wasn't a trap." Claudia smirked as the sophomore party had begun. The gym was covered in balloons and the music was playing really loud. Claudia held onto Haley's hand.

"Let's dance!" Haley exclaimed as they ran into the middle of the dance floor and danced. Junk and Fergie walked over and danced with them. Lucas, Mouth and Jimmy sat on the bleachers and chatted as Skills went to go chat up the girls. Claudia turned to the group.

"Hold on I will be back." Claudia smiled as she walked over to the bleachers to see the three boys, however, as she did that she walked right into a drunk jock.

"Watch where you're going." He spat and Claudia gaped at him, she couldn't see who he was.

"I could say the same about you-Nathan Scott!" Claudia hissed as he turned around to face her, she was in close proximity with Nathan Scott.

"You know me huh?" He slurred smirking and Claudia rolled her eyes. She knew he was not going to remember this.

"Gross." Claudia stated before she walked past him and sat beside Lucas. Nathan looked up at her before he went to chat to a cheerleader- not Peyton. "Okay you guys have to dance." Claudia groaned holding out her hand. Jimmy and Mouth both shook their heads so Claudia turned to face Lucas.

"Fine." He sighed as he held her hand and they walked over to the dance floor, back with Haley, Junk and Fergie. Skills had also made his way over, turned out the girls weren't the biggest fan of the 'Skills Machine.' All six of them danced and had a great time. Claudia turned around as she danced to see Nathan Scott close to her again. 

"You have to stop following me." Nathan joked slurring his words as he stumbled a little. Claudia glared at him.

"Broken up with your girlfriend?" Claudia asked teasing and Nathan scoffed at her.

"Whats it to you?" Nathan asked angrily and Claudia turned back around to dance with her friends. She was just so happy that Nathan will have forgotten all about it, considering that he was really drunk. Nathan looked at her before he stumbled off. Haley leaned close to Claudia.

"What was that about?" Haley asked shouting over the music. Claudia shrugged her shoulders.

"Nothing much." Claudia replied brushing it off as she continued to dance. The night shortly came to an end and everyone was beginning to leave. Claudia saw the Jock that made the rude comment to her in the library passed out on the floor. She grabbed a marker from her bag and walked over to her. She bent down and wrote 'ass' on his forehead before skipping over to the rest of her friends.

"Why did you do that?" Junk asked as he slung his arm over Claudia's shoulder.

"He made a comment to me." Claudia replied as they all walked out happy.

"That wasn't that bad, huh?" Haley asked teasingly to all the boys. Skills shrugged his shoulders.

"Nah, dawg. That was pretty cool." Skills laughed and everyone joined in.

"Well, we will see you guys on the River Court tomorrow morning." Mouth smiled before him, Junk, Fergie, Skills and Jimmy walked off. Claudia, Haley and Lucas waved at them. 

"Day dreaming about Peyton?" Claudia smirked as she saw Lucas looking over at Peyton sitting in her car, Nathan was beside her passed out.

"Do you think I could ever date her?" Lucas asked as they began to walk off. Haley patted him sympathetically on the back.

"It's human nature, the populars stick with the populars and the un-populars stick with the un-populars." Haley explained and Claudia nodded her head.

"I mean when I am older I won't be married to the likes of Nathan Scott. I will be married to someone with a personality and who isn't shallow." Claudia replied and they all nodded their heads in agreement.

"Claudia will be married to a big time rock star with her five hundred children." Lucas joked and Haley laughed.

"Lauryn Hill, who?" Haley joked and they all laughed as they walked off.

___

"Today, we witness another game at the famous river court." Mouth commentated as he sat on the bleachers beside Haley, Claudia and Jimmy. It was Lucas and Skills versus Fergie and Junk. Claudia was still thinking about how she spoke to the Nathan Scott at the party the night before. "Skills swiftly moves past Junk, throws the ball to Lucas who drives it into the hoop." Mouth commentated excitably. "Skills moved so quickly it was like Claudia finding a new Carole King record." Mouth joked and Claudia looked up at him.

"Speaking of that, I gotta go." Claudia stated grabbing her bag. "Got to check if there is a new record. I will be back." Claudia smirked walking backwards before she turned around and walked off. She soon arrived at the record store and walked in to see Peyton flicking through records and Max at the counter. 

"Claudia, what can I do for you?" Max asked as Claudia walked up to him. Peyton looked at them through the corner of her eye.

"Please tell me you got the original copy of Tapestry?" Claudia begged and Max smirked at her.

"Came this morning, I was saving it for you." Max smiled and Claudia grinned at him. She was so excited, she had lots of modernised versions of the record, but not the actual record in 1971.

"Max you are the best!" Claudia squealed as she held the record in her hand, it was quite frankly the best thing she has ever held. "How much do I owe you?" Claudia asked getting her money out but Max shook his head.

"No no no. It's free. You are my most loyal customer." Max replied and Claudia shook her head.

"Max, I can't do that. I have to give you something." Claudia smiled at him.

"Just keep on coming back and go buy another record. I have to go to the back." Max explained as he got out of the counter and walked to the back. Claudia walked over to Peyton and saw she was looking at The Cure.

"Cure, huh?" Claudia asked as she looked through the records. Peyton looked over at her.

"What would you know about The Cure?" Peyton asked still looking through the records. Claudia picked out 'The Cures Greatest Hits' vinyl.

"You are not the only one who likes this music." Claudia replied before she picked out Motown Vinyls. Max came out of the back and saw Claudia had about five vinyls in her hands.

"Claudia you make me a happy man." Max teased as Claudia placed the Vinyls on the counter and paid for them. 

"See you later Max." Claudia smiled before she walked out of the vinyl store a happy girl.

___

They were back at school and everyone was signing each others yearbooks. Lucas was desperate for Peyton to sign his yearbook.

"Lucas just go up to her and hand her your yearbook." Claudia laughed as she signed Haley's. She wrote a little special message her. Claudia handed Haley her yearbook, so Haley could do the same thing.

"I can't do this." Lucas stated nervously and Haley gave him a sympathetic smile.

"You have got this." Haley said encouragingly as Claudia gently pushed Lucas in the direction of Peyton. 

"Stay Cool, really?" Claudia joked as she read over the message that Haley wrote for her. Haley rolled her eyes laughing.

"So are you going to get Nathan to sign your yearbook?" Haley asked smirking with her eyebrow raised. Claudia gave her a look.

"Why would I do that?" Claudia asked in her thick english accent. Haley gave her a 'have you not watched any high school movie?' expression.

"You have to sign his yearbook and he has to sign yours. That is what you do with your crush." Haley teased and Claudia rolled her eyes.

"I don't fancy him anymore." Claudia stated and Haley shook her head.

"Claudia Elizabeth Stone, get over there so Nathan can sign your yearbook." Haley ordered and Claudia sighed. She could feel herself being drawn in Nathan's direction- she has never felt it before. She handed him her yearbook.

"Want my autograph for when I become famous in the NBA?" Nathan asked, it was clear that he did not remember Claudia, or so Claudia thought. Nathan remembered her slightly, just as a vision. Claudia took his yearbook and drew a smiley face on it. She handed it back as Nathan did the same thing. She read what Nathan wrote, 'Nathan Scott, soon to be professional basketball player.' She looked up at him.

"I am surprised you could spell professional." Claudia stated before she turned on her heels to walk away from him.

"I will be seeing more off you." Nathan shouted after her and Claudia shook her head as she walked up to her friends. 

"I just got an autograph of soon to be NBA player. My life is complete." Claudia joked sarcastically as Lucas slung his shoulder over Claudia and Haley.

"Let's go home." Lucas smiled at his two friends before they walked out of the school- three amigos.

Truth was Nathan did not see Claudia after that. Sophomore year had ended, summer flew past and before they knew it junior year happened. Lucas joined the Ravens and got close with his brother. Claudia found the man of her dreams and her dream- music. 

+++

That was just a little back ground to Claudia and her friends. I tried to include everyone as best I could. Tomorrow I might re-edited it but please tell me what you guys think. I love you all so much and thank you for immense support. Please comment about you thought of this chapter, tomorrow I should have the next episode up. 

- Mrs N O'Brien Xx