Clay Evans

"*Sometimes, I think we waste our words and we waste our moments, and we don’t take the time to say the things that are in our hearts when we have the chance.*"
―Clay Evans

**Clayton "Clay" Evans** was the sports agent of former NBA player Nathan Scott who has grown close to his family and friends. He enjoys the privileged lifestyle he leads but has come to find that something was missing. He has explicitly stated that he doesn't believe in love after the death of his wife Sara, choosing instead to have a constant string of meaningless flings with various girls. He moved to Tree Hill after Sara's death causing him to go off the rails and almost ruined his career. He sees Nathan as his top priority as he is trying to prove to the agency that he was capable. He has formed a close friendship with Quinn James since arriving, which blossomed into a relationship after he told her about Sara.

## Background

Clay first met his future wife Sara during his time at college when, trying to experience all of college life, they both followed their classmates into a jump from a bridge. Both increasingly scared, they decided to jump together and after they hit the water, they shared a kiss. Their whirlwind romance developed from there and they eventually moved in together. When Clay started having doubts about him getting a job as an agent, Sara asked Clay to marry her and he said yes. Sometime after he got the job, Clay told her his plans to sign an athlete who he thought was a bad person, but she says not to settle for a bad guy with talent and told him to aim for a great athlete with good character. Her words would eventually lead Clay to find Nathan Scott as a client, although Sara wouldn't be around to see this due to her abrupt death soon later. While at home with Clay one day listening to her favorite song, Sara went to get a glass of grape-flavored Kool-Aid but collapsed and died suddenly from an aneurysm. Her death severely affected Clay who took his wedding ring from his finger, placed it on hers, and promised never to love again. ("I And Love And You"). After Sara died he was unaware they had a son Logan when he had Dissociative fugue disorder.

## Character arc

### Season 7

At the beginning of season 7, there was a time jump. A little over a year has passed since the end of season 6. Clay has become Nathan's agent and close friend during this time jump. He was also close to Nathan's family, his wife Haley James Scott and son James Lucas Scott. At first Clay was shown as a flirt who was fond of one-night stands. Upon meeting Quinn James, Haley's sister, he's immediately drawn to her but backs off once he learns that she's going through a separation with her husband. In his past, Clay was married to a woman named Sara who died suddenly, leaving Clay emotionally scarred and unable to let go of her. Clay was a loyal friend and helps the Scotts' through the Renee scandal but was fired once he fails to re-sign Nathan with the Bobcats. Quinn helps him get his job back and make peace with the loss of his wife so he can move on, and the two fall in love. In the season finale, when Quinn was entering her bedroom, Katie lurks in the shadows and shoots her. Clay, hearing the Gun shot, comes in and was also shot.

### Season 8

Haley finds Clay and Quinn in their house, where they have been shot by Katie Ryan. She phones for help, and the two are rushed to the hospital. Whilst under a coma, Clay and Quinn meet in a dream and discover what's happened to them after spending the day on the beach. Once they discover they've been shot, they watch their bodies and loved ones in the hospital until Quinn gets well enough to come out of her coma after at first refusing to leave Clay. Clay was later on a respirator until in his dream he meets Will Bennett, who later dies and donates his organs, including a kidney for Clay. Clay's best friend Nathan had previously wanted to donate his but wasn't a match. Clay then recovers and leaves the hospital with Quinn.

### Season 9

"*It's not that I don't need you here, it's that I don't want you here! Get out!*"
―Clayton Evans to Quinn James
After sleepwalking throughout the whole town and not remembering where and why he went there, Clay checks into a rehab where he meets Logan. Clay's doctor tells him that he is blocking out a memory which is causing him to sleep walk. After hanging out with Logan, Clay has a breakthrough and remembers that Logan is his son. Clay learns that he has blocked out Logan for 6 years. After Clay asks Logan to be in his life, Logan says no and walks out of the room. Clay continues to have a relationship with Quinn - she supports him as he continues to develop his relationship with Logan. He asks Logan to sleep over with him and Quinn, and Quinn teaches Logan not to be afraid of the ocean. Later that night, Quinn, Logan, and Clay are sleeping together in a tent, when Clay proposes to Quinn who accepts, wearing Logan's green lantern ring.

Clay and Quinn adopt Logan. Logan calls Quinn "mom" leading to Quinn and Clay marrying before adopting their "son." They presumably remain together, as the series closes with them watching Jamie run out on to the basketball court some time later.

## Relationships

* *Relationships*: Clay Evans/Relationships
* *Family*: Clay Evans/Family

### Family

Clay first met his wife, Sara, during college whilst recreationally bridge jumping. After a short period of time as a couple the two moved in together, and consequently married. Clay and Sara have one child, Logan, the existence of whom Clay hid in his subconscious as Logan was a constant reminder of the pain and depression caused by Sara's untimely death. Upon settling in Tree Hill, Clay, a sports agent, signed Nathan Scott, who he became an extremely close friend of. In addition to befriending his client Nathan, Clay became extremely close the Scott family, Haley James Scott and their children Jamie and Lydia. He later began dating Haley's sister, Quinn James, therefore being further incorporated into the Scott family. During season 9, Clay began suffering from sleepwalking, accompanied by bursts of amnesia, where he would wake up in public places without any recollection of how he got there. These conditions led to Clay returning to the psychiatrist he saw after Sara's death, meeting at the centre his son Logan, though unaware of his identity. Clay forms a strong bond with Logan, still unaware he is his son, as the two fly toy planes together and talk openly, during which Clay tells Logan that he used to fly planes with his own father, until he passed away. As Clay gradually recovers, after his relationship grows with Logan and his psychiatrist pushes him, Clay begins to remember about his son Logan and why he oppressed his memory for so long. The last few episodes of season 9 see Clay trying to reconnect with his son, through Logan's paternal grandparents who are his legal guardians.

### Romantic Life

Clay first met his Sara during college when, trying to experience all of college life, they both followed their classmates into a jump from a bridge. Both increasingly scared, they decided to jump together and after they hit the water, they shared a kiss. Their whirlwind romance developed from there and they eventually moved in together. When Clay started having doubts about him getting a job as an agent, Sara asked Clay to marry her and he said yes. Sometime after he got the job, Clay told her his plans to sign an athlete who he thought was a bad person, but she says not to settle for a bad guy with talent and told him to aim for a great athlete with good character. Her words would eventually lead Clay to find Nathan Scott as a client, although Sara wouldn't be around to see this due to her abrupt death soon later. While at home with Clay one day listening to her favorite song, Sara went to get a glass of grape-flavored Kool-Aid but collapsed and died suddenly from an aneurysm. Her death severely affected Clay who took his wedding ring from his finger, placed it on hers, and promised never to love again. ("I And Love And You") Clayton stayed true to his promise to Sara for some time until he met Quinn James and developed an attraction to her, making him worry that he would lose what he and Sara had if he let Quinn in. Afterwards Clay is pretty reckless when it comes to love and sleeps around but in the 7th season, Clay has been in a healthy relationship with Haley's sister, Quinn after overcoming the his grieve. And they moved in together and both survived being shot by Clay's stalker Katie Ryan who looked just like his late wife Sara. But because of this they grew closer and have gone on to have a even more loving relationship.

## Career

Previous to Sara's death, Clay was a high rating Sports Agent for an international representation company. He held an extensive client list and was extremely successful and popular agent. Though the company hesitated in firing Clay, and instead removed several clients, sending him to Tree Hill, Clay later left the company to form his own representation agency 'Fortitude'. Though the company had an unable start, Clay was able to sign multiple contracts, due to his honest nature and ability to connect with the sportsman, including Nathan Scott and Katie Ryan. Due to the determination of Nathan's back, he retired during season 8, leading to his new career as an agent for Fortitude. After Nathan's transfer from basketball player to agent, Fortitude are able to sign big stars such as NFL player Troy Jameson, and Baseball player Ian Kellerman.

## Trivia

* Clay's favourite super heroes are Wolverine and Batman.
	+ He even named his son Logan, after Wolverine's alias.
* Clay is originally from Raleigh, North Carolina.
* Clay was diagnosed with Dissociative Fugue Disorder.
	+ The Doctor explained that it could have something to do with Sara's death, however, it is impossible to be diagnosed with fugue disorder after the age of 16.