Haley Bob James Scott ( née James ) is a fictional character from the CW television series One Tree Hill , portrayed by Bethany Joy Lenz . Haley is initially introduced as Lucas Scott 's best friend and eventual sister-in-law after her marriage to Nathan Scott in her junior year of high school. She is one of the two main female characters remaining from the show's debut, along with Brooke Davis ( Sophia Bush ). The third original female lead, Peyton Sawyer ( Hilarie Burton ), departed after season six. Haley and Nathan have two children, James Lucas Scott and Lydia Bob Scott