Quinn James Evans

"*It doesn't matter how you plan it. It doesn't matter how you envision it. Without even knowing it, sometimes life has a way of finding you with exactly what you need. Or exactly who you need.*"
―Quinn James.

**Quinn Alexandra Evans** (*née* **James**; formerly **Fletcher**) was one of the seven siblings of Haley James Scott, the sister-in-law of Nathan Scott, the wife of Clay Evans, and the adoptive mother of Logan Evans. Free spirited and artistic, she found herself at a crossroads in her life after leaving her husband David Fletcher after discovering that he had become like a stranger to her. In need of direction, she returned to her hometown of Tree Hill to spend time with Haley and her family desperate for an indication as to what she should do with her life. After David arrived in Tree Hill to try and reconcile with her, she asked him for a divorce and started to rely on Nathan's agent, Clay Evans, for support. They have since entered a relationship after Clay overcame his worry that he would forget his late wife Sara. Quinn and Clay later had to deal with his stalker and her attempt on both of their lives but they became a stronger couple and people through it. Eventually, Quinn married Clay and adopted his son Logan from his first marriage. She then had a daughter named Ariana Evans.

## Background

Quinn Alexandra James was born on October 6th, 1985 and was raised as part of a large family alongside her sisters Vivian, Haley, Taylor and several other siblings in a very busy and chaotic household. Quinn's family was notably over sized and those new to the family were often confused by which sister was which, such as Haley's husband Nathan, who initially confused Taylor for Quinn when she paid them a visit. Quinn was particularly close to Haley and Taylor, as she and Taylor often ridiculed Haley for her straight-laced attitude. Being the more free spirited sisters, Quinn and Taylor would often help Haley mellow out by feeding her 'special brownies' and, unbeknownst to Haley, getting her high. ("The Heart Brings You Back") ("I Just Died In Your Arms Tonight")

Quinn assisted to her young sister's graduation with her parents and Taylor, in Tree Hill. During the ceremony Haley gave birth to a son, Quinn's nephew James Lucas Scott ("The Last Day Of Our Acquaintance")

She left the family and began dating a documentary maker, David. Quinn loved David's free spirit and they connected over their shared desire to follow their dreams. Their free spirited relationship led to a wedding which was run by one of their friends who ordained themselves online for the couple. Deciding to be happy no matter what, they lived together happily for some time. But David started to change his views when he was offered a job that paid well but wasn't what he wanted to do. He promised Quinn that he would follow his dreams after earning some money to give her stability. ("I And Love And You")

After David bought Quinn a larger house and he started to settle down with his job, he gave up his dreams of making his documentary, which deeply affected Quinn. She started to feel that David wasn't the same person he used to be and he wasn't the same man she fell in love with. While at an open-mic night Quinn realized she was envious of the terrible performers who felt some need to go up on stage, and did it anyway regardless of what people thought of them. She then realized that she didn't want to be with David anymore because her heart wasn't in it, even though there was no reason for them growing distant. In need of direction and having decided that she didn't want to spend the rest of her life with a stranger, Quinn decided to return to Tree Hill to see her sister Haley while on an assignment in New York. ("What Are You Willing To Lose?") ("I And Love And You")

## Character arc

### Season 7

While Haley and Nathan were preparing for Jamie's seventh birthday, Quinn dropped in to see them and seemed to maintain her fun and outgoing personality. She attended Jamie's party, where she caught the attention of Nathan's sports agent Clay Evans, who thought she was hot, to which Quinn responded "I am hot." She continued to play the part of Jamie's fun aunt, playing a game of football with him and his friends, hiding the pain and lack of direction she was really feeling. After the party she revealed to Haley that she only intended to stay in Tree Hill for a few days, but both Nathan and Haley expressed their happiness over her presence, with Nathan glad that Haley had someone to have fun with. While talking that night, Haley asked Quinn if she missed their chaotic childhood home but Quinn then assured Haley that she shouldn't miss it, because she has a perfect life with her family, something that Quinn longed for. She at first avoided telling Haley the truth about the breakdown of her marriage saying that David was simply off making a documentary but she later revealed the truth, that she left David because he wasn't the same person she fell in love with and she refused to spend her life with a complete stranger. David then started to try and contact Quinn, ringing her nonstop, forcing Haley to question why she actually left him. That night, Quinn told Haley about the day she decided she didn't want to be with David anymore and Haley told her, despite Quinn worries that her marriage broke her, that she is not broken. ("4:30 A.M (Apparently They Were Travelling Abroad)") ("What Are You Willing To Lose?")

Quinn started to settle into life in Tree Hill with Priya Shah and returned to working when Brooke Davis recruited her to photograph Alex Dupre in a Clothes Over Bro's photo shoot. During the shoot, Quinn showed her creative talent and befriended both Brooke and Millicent Huxtable but they were disrupted when Haley arrived having learn of the accusations against Nathan. After the shoot and trying to console Haley while at Tric, Brooke asked Quinn if she wanted to talk about her marital problems, but Quinn resolved to just "drink about them." While at the bar, Quinn ran into Clay and they talked until Clay left with Alex, prompting Quinn to ask if he is 'that guy'. Quinn continued to avoid her husband's call but was stunned when David arrived at Tric, saying she had to talk to him eventually. ("Hold My Hand As I'm Lowered")

David then asked Quinn to come home, but she said she needed more time to think about it, because she was with Priya. While Brooke was preparing for the fashion show Quinn chose to credit herself as Quinn James for the photography, wanting a fresh start and, in light of advice received from Haley, she decided to talk to David and tell him the truth about how she felt. Quinn met David later that day and asked him for a divorce, saying that they couldn't save their marriage. At the fashion show, David arrived drunk and tried to persuade Quinn to talk to her, but Clay intervened and punched him. Quinn then talked to David again, and asked him to leave Tree Hill and to let go of her. Leaving David, she saw Clay and got into his car asking to go back to his place despite the fact he reminded her that David would never forgive her for this. ("Believe Me, I'm Lying")

After going back to Clay's house, the two didn't sleep together and instead spent the night talking. The morning after, Clay and Quinn had breakfast together and continued to bond. However, as Quinn and Clay bonded, Haley was arrested for punching Renee Richardson after the fashion show and Nathan and Clay left for the police station, leaving Quinn with Jamie. David then showed up at the Scott house, wanting to know if Quinn went home with Clay the night before. When Quinn said that she did David told her that she had found a way to make him give up hope on them. He then said goodbye to her and left Tree Hill. With his scandal growing, Nathan told Clay not to see Quinn but, going against his friend's wishes, Clay agreed when Quinn asked to stay at his place for a while as she needed to get away from the drama at Nathan and Haley's. Priya also came to stay. ("Your Cheatin' Heart")

In need of emotional support, Quinn turned to Clay but he decided to respect Nathan's request to leave Quinn alone and focus on saving his career. He told her about his emotional breakdown prior to arriving in Tree Hill and said that he needed to prove himself to the agency and he has to respect Nathan's wishes. Annoyed, Quinn returned to Haley's house and confronted Nathan who told her that she needed to stop running from her problems regarding David. Quinn retaliated that Nathan is also running - calling him a coward for running away from his problems with Renee. Nathan and Quinn later apologized and Quinn said that she wasn't running, she was walking away from her broken marriage, but that didn't mean life alone didn't scare her. Encouraged to face her fears, Quinn decided to tackle her crippling fear of the ocean walking into the water for the first time. ("Deep Ocean Vast Sea")

David then returned all of Quinn's belongings but, in his rage, he threw them all over Clay's driveway forcing Quinn to go to his house to gather all her things. While going through her belongings, Quinn reminisced about her time with David. Ultimately deciding she wanted to move on, she went to see Clay, who she was unaware was dealing with the death of his late wife Sara. However, when Clay answered the door, he told her to go home to David because he didn't want to lose what he had with Sara. ("I And Love And You")

Trying to move past Clay, Quinn had a girls' night in with Haley and Brooke and, while the other two were under the influence of Quinn's special brownies, they called over Quinn's psychic Zelda to do readings for them. During her reading, Zelda told Quinn that a man in her life suffered a great loss and was struggling. After being told that it wasn't David, Quinn realized that Clay needed her and Zelda was referring to him. She went to his house, but he turned her away once again. However, realizing that he needed to let Quinn into his life, he ran to her car in the rain and stopped her - telling her about Sara. They then spent the night together on the beach talking about Sara and Quinn realized that Clay was finally letting her in. Quinn and Clay's relationship went from strong to stronger on the same day that Haley took to the stage once again, with Quinn saying that she had found magic in an unexpected place. On the night of the concert, Quinn and Clay returned to the beach and after both admitting that they were scared and were tired of being afraid, they kissed. ("I Just Died In Your Arms Tonight") ("Now You Lift Your Eyes To The Sun")

Quinn and Clay's union was sidelined when the Charlotte Bobcats signed another player instead of Nathan and, furious at Clay for both not getting him a new contract and for seeing Quinn, Nathan fired him. Quinn tried to support Clay but found there was nothing she could do. Returning to Nathan and Haley's house, Quinn didn't face a warm reception from Haley who told Quinn not to talk to her given that she played a huge part in Nathan losing his job. Quinn made only one request from Nathan, not to tell the agency that he fired Clay but Nathan didn't agree and revealed the truth to the agency, infuriating Quinn. She then started to pack her bags and leave their house causing another argument between her and Haley, who said that Clay got careless by spending time with Quinn. Stating that Clay worked extremely hard for Nathan and that he received nothing in return, she was glad Clay wasn't in Nathan's life anymore. Before she left, Haley told Quinn that she doesn't look up to her anymore because she seems lost and selfish and, not offering Haley a response, Quinn left. ("You Are A Runner And I Am My Father's Son")

However, when Haley and Nathan's future in Tree Hill was questioned by the advancement of both of their careers, Quinn and Haley put their differences on hold because Haley needed her sister's help. However, Quinn would face heartache when Clay decided to leave Tree Hill after his career as an agent seemed in jeopardy. Needing to help Clay, Quinn went to his office and found his assistant - asking her to help her. ("You Know I Love You, Don't You")

Clay's assistant told Quinn that Joe Turner's mother was sick and, while the meaningfulness of this was lost on Quinn, when she told Clay, he took Quinn to Joe's house to talk to him, in a bid to persuade Joe to let Clay negotiate a deal with the Bobcats to allow Joe to play for them - a plan which could also get Nathan back on the team. With Joe on board after Clay visited him, he then had to persuade the Bobcats to sign a deal in which Joe and Nathan could be signed to the team and Derek McDaniel traded off the team to another. However, Quinn and Clay struggled to gain access to the Bobcats stadium, until Clay came up with a plan for Quinn to pose as a cheerleader. His plan faced an unexpected twist when Quinn's turn to perform came before Clay finished his discussions. Quinn initially copied another cheerleader but when she left the stage, Quinn was forced to improvise and decided to have fun with the routine while Clay watched from the sidelines. Clay got the deal and they broke the good news to an ecstatic Nathan and Haley, but Clay told Nathan that if he was to sign with him again he would have to know that he planned on falling completely in love with Quinn. Quinn and Clay then met at the beach and their relationship was made permanent when Quinn walked into the sea, facing her fear, to be with him. ("Some Roads Lead Nowhere")

Shortly after this, Quinn and Clay's stalker Katie shoots both of them and leaves them to die. However, they both survive the shooting. ("Almost Everything I Wish I'd Said the Last Time I Saw You").

### Season 8

Having been shot by Katie Ryan, Haley finds Clay and Quinn in their apartment. She then rushes the two to a hospital. Whilst under a coma, Clay and Quinn meet in a dream and discover whats happened to them after spending the day on the beach. Once they discover they've been shot they watch their body 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 is later on a respirator until in his dream he met Will Bennett, who later dies and donated his organs to helping others and gives Clay his kidney, Clay's best friend Nathan had previously decided to donate his but wasn't a match. Clay then recovers, and leaves the hospital with Quinn.

Once they return to their home together Quinn has trouble sleeping and has nightmares. In one of them she sees Katie as as zombie as well as Nathan, Haley and Jamie. Clay eventually realizes something is wrong when he finds a gun in her drawer on Halloween night, right after she tells him she thinks she saw Katie on the monitor. Therefore Clay asks her to go to South Africa for her work.

After not appearing in two episodes Quinn returns on Thanksgiving Day and seems quite happy but tired. When she opens her envelope containing her pictures she reveals some pictures she had taken of Katie after tracking her down at the end of her trip. After this Quinn goes to visits Dan for information on how to murder someone. Dan tries to convince her not to kill Katie and to open her eyes. After going back to her home she throws her gun in the ocean.

Eventually Katie attacks Quinn at her home and Quinn struggles to stay alive. First she hides under her bed but Katie finds her and pulls her out. The two of them start a hide and seek game and when Quinn has the chance to escape, Katie tells her that she will find her. Quinn upon hearing this attacks Katie and throws her into the pool. Quinn pretends to have drowned so when Katie gets out and goes into the house Quinn grabs the gun that Katie had thrown down and in the end she manages to shoot Katie but does not kill her. After the ordeal Quinn goes to a party along with Alex, Brooke, Haley and Millie and wakes up drunk the next day.

### Season 9

Quinn becomes concerned for Clay's well-being when he begins to sleepwalk around Tree Hill, ending up in different locations with no memory of how he got there. Quinn begins to follow him and takes pictures, photographing Clay buying drugs from a stranger, but he pleads that they are for his gunshot wound and nothing illegal. Quinn later finds out that Clay's blackouts and sleepwalking are due to the repressed memory of his son Logan, which his brain has been trying to re-surface. In the series finale, while Clay officially adopts Logan as his son, Logan calls her "mom" and her and Clay promptly get married right there at the social service office.

## Relationships

* *Relationships*: Quinn Evans/Relationships
* *Family*: Quinn Evans/Family

### Family

Quinn comes from a very busy family and is one of seven siblings. Alongside Haley, Taylor, Vivian and three brothers, she was raised in the James household by her parents Jimmy and Lydia James. Of her family, Quinn is closest to Taylor and Haley - Taylor for fun and Haley as someone to lean on. Being the more free spirited sisters, Taylor and Quinn would often pull pranks on Haley such as, for years in their childhood, getting an oblivious Haley high on Taylor's "special brownies". She is shown to have good relationships with all her family, including her brother-in-law Nathan, her nephew Jamie and her niece and goddaughter Lydia Scott. Quinn is currently at odds with her family, most notably Haley and Nathan, after Clayton Evans failed to get Nathan a new contract and Haley attributed some of the blame to Quinn distracting him. Quinn believed that Nathan and Haley cutting all ties with Clay was wrong and moved out of their house. When Haley told Quinn that she no longer looked up to her, Quinn accepted this and left. Their disagreement was, however, soon resolved and the sisters returned to the way they once were. Later Quinn became engaged to Clay and became close to his son Logan Evans. Finally she married Clay and adopted Logan who called her *Mom*, even if she didn't replace Sara. (Also see: Quinn James/Family)

### Romantic Life

Quinn met and fell in love with her future husband David, becoming attracted to him because their similarities - they were both free spirited, looking for inspiration and were perfectly happy living in poor conditions as long as they were both happy and both following their dreams. When David's ideology changed and he started to want to build a proper life for Quinn she questioned why she was still with him because he wasn't the person she fell in love with. After leaving him, she returned to Tree Hill and David followed her but her budding friendship with Nathan's agent, Clay Evans.

After asking for a divorce from David, Quinn started to grow closer to Clay only for him to back away to his own issues regarding the death of his wife, Sara Evans. However, after he was encouraged to tell someone about Sara's death and move past it he told Quinn and the two continued to grow closer, eventually kissing and entering a relationship - despite Nathan's request for Clay to leave Quinn alone due to her problems with David. Clay and Quinn's bond proved strong after a dispute between Clay and Nathan after Clay failed to get Nathan a contract with the Bobcats saw Quinn taking Clay's side.After Quinn helped Clay get Nathan back as a client, Clay proclaimed to Nathan and Haley that he planned on falling completely in love with Quinn and the two shared a kiss as their relationship became official.

## Career

Being very artistic, Quinn quickly took up photography after discovering that she believed she could find magic by looking through the lens. Quinn longed to find inspiration to take perfect pictures, something she had in common with David who was also looking for inspiration for his documentaries. Quinn would often hide out in her dark room and she stated that she loved waiting for the smallest moment to develop on her pictures because she often photographed the things she loved. Quinn's photography influenced her artistic and free-spirited nature, which led her to return to Tree Hill after David seemingly grew up and gave up his ideology. After returning to Tree Hill, Quinn helped Brooke Davis launch Clothes Over Bro's latest line by acting as the photographer for Alex Dupre's modeling shoot. It has been stated on many occasions that Quinn is a talented photographer.

She studied fine arts photography at Brookes Institute in California, graduating with honors. After graduation, she received a Charles P. Howland grant to travel to China to document the social and environmental consequences of the Three Gorges Dam. Quinn has traveled widely on assignment, photographing the devastating effects of Asian Tsunami, AIDS costly toll in Zimbabwe and the plight of disenfranchised refugees in Darfur. She has toured Iraq twice, spending nearly half a year on embeds. She spent several months embedding in the remote American outposts of Eastern Afghanistan and working un-embedded in the north and Kabul.

When not overseas, James has photographed strife at home, covering the effects of violence on children in urban American cities. A number of pieces from theses series of photographs appear in this exhibition, many of which have earned James critical acclaim.

#### Education

* Brookes Institute, Masters of Fine Arts – Photography
* Tree Hill High School

#### Awards

* Critical Mass Book Award
* World Press Photo Joop Swart Masterclass
* Luminous Landscape Grant
* World Press Photo, 2nd Place General News Stories
* Charles P. Howland Fellowship
* Loses Things Often Award

## Trivia

* The casting call for the character of Quinn read: *QUINN. Mid to late 20s, very pretty. One of Haley’s older sisters, Quinn is a free spirit but can also be dependable and kind. Strong-willed, self-assured but also self-effacing, Quinn is facing a transitional time in her life, one that will bring her to Tree Hill with a wounded heart and in search of something more.*
* Quinn grew up as a tomboy and almost good as a basketball player like Nathan and Lucas Scott.
* She is similar to Peyton Sawyer.
* Quinn was first mentioned in Season Two episode The Heart Brings You Back, when Nathan confused Taylor for her and their other sister, Vivian.
* Quinn has a fear of the ocean, which she eventually overcomes.
* After their marriage, Quinn took David's name and kept her own as she was legally known as Quinn James Fletcher. She reverted to her original name after leaving David, crediting herself as just Quinn James for her work on the Clothes Over Bro's fashion shoot. ("Weeks Go By Like Days")
* Of the three James sisters to appear in the series, Haley is the youngest, Quinn is the second and Taylor is the oldest. Taylor is three years older than Haley and Quinn was born a year after as she wasn't at Tree Hill High when Haley was in her junior year.
	+ Of the actresses to play the James sisters, Shantel VanSanten (Quinn) is the youngest by three years. Bethany Joy Lenz (Haley) is one year older than Lindsey McKeon (Taylor).
* Quinn is the self-proclaimed 'master' of Uno, something Clay is extremely jealous of.
* It was rumored that she and Nathan had an affair. That never happened since Nathan only lost his virginity to Taylor.
* If she would have a daughter, she would name her Lydia, after her late mother. Her sister, Haley, ended up doing this with Quinn's consent.