Teenaged Laura begins dating Scott Baldwin (Kin Shriner) (known as "Scotty" at this point of the storyline). Then Laura is seduced by the much older David Hamilton, in a plot to get revenge on her mother Lesley Webber (Denise Alexander). Scotty breaks up with Laura and begins an affair with former prostitute, now nurse, Bobbie Spencer (Jackie Zeman). When Laura discovers the truth about David, she accidentally kills him. She is put on probation for David's death, eventually rekindles her relationship with Scotty, and they get engaged. Bobbie, in love with Scotty, gets her brother, Luke Spencer, to help her break up the couple. Bobbie makes it look like she and Scotty have slept together when Scotty gets drunk. Laura discovers this and ends up injured in a car accident. Luke, who has developed feelings for Laura, convinces Bobbie to drop her vendetta. Bobbie eventually moves on to a romance with Luke's best friend, Roy DiLucca (then Asher Brauner).