My Life in Song Chapter 1: Why is Love So Hard to Find?, a summerland fanfic

((The idea for this came to me while I was listening to my CD with every Jesse Mccartney song ever made crammed onto it. The premise is that the songs by Jesse Mccartney reflect Bradin Westerly's life. Kinda strange, I know, but I hope you all like it.))

"And we're back at the sixth annual Dr. Pepper Pro Surf Championship. I'm Chip Walters and with me, as always, is Kenny Romano."

"Glad to be here, Chip. It's been a tough day. We've seen alot of triumph and alot of heartache, but with just one more competitor left, it's almost over."

"That's right, Kenny. I've got to talk about our last surfer. Eighteen years old, came out of nowhere, Bradin Westerly is the fan favorite to win this championship. He's really got an amazing story. He lived in, let me see if I can get this name right, Hogarth County Kansas until he was sixteen. His parents were tragically killed in a flood, so he and his brother and sister moved to Playa Linda Beach California, south of here with their aunt, famous fashion designer, Ava Gregory. Almost as soon as he arrived, he began to learn surfing and less than a year later, he was better than most of the pros living there."

"From what I read, Chip, he's been doing quite a few small-time championships in California and Hawaii for about a year now, but this is the real deal. He's up against the best surfers from around the globe."

"Let's hope he's up to the challenge, Kenny. And here he goes..."

Bradin swam to shore with the most euphoric feeling he had ever experienced. True, the results weren't in, but he knew that he had smoked the competition. Everyone dashed down the beach to congratulate him, Aunt Ava, Derrick, Nikki, Susanna, Jay, and Johnny.

Put simply, life was good.

But the deep pain he felt could not be ignored.

Everyday, I look around
Seems that no ones's ever satisfied, uh oh
Could it be, that underneath
We've all got something to hide, oh

From the moment we arrive
We want to fill the space inside
We all need to feel alive

If it's love that keeps us breathin'
Gives us something to believe in
Is it fear that makes us blind
Tell me, why is love so hard to find
If we hear so much about it
And we can't go on without it
Let the mystery unwind
Tell me, why is love so hard to find

His girlfriend of over a year now, Natalie, had broken up with him. The fight still echoed in his ears.

"I can't do this any more, Bradin! Your surfing is everything to you now!"

"Natalie, how can you say that? I love you. I've loved you since the day we met!"

"You sure tell me that alot. I'd love to believe it, but I can't. You forgot our anniversary! How is that supposed to make me feel? You remember perfectly the day you first stayed on your board, but you can't even be bothered to remember the day you first lied to me a year ago!"

"Natalie, wait! Please don't go!"

"Goodbye, Bradin."

Not long ago, this kind of trauma would have destroyed his chances at winning a competition, but now, he had learned to channel all of his emotions into his surfing.

Feeling like he did today, he could do a 360 with his eyes closed.

All I know is when you find it
Even Earth can feel like you're in Heaven, uh oh
Tell me know, unlock the secret
Help us all to find that hidden treasure, uh oh

From the moment we arrive
We want to fill the space inside
We all need to feel alive

"Bradin, that was amazing!"

Bradin smiled. "Thanks, Aunt Ava."

Susanna shushed them loudly. "They're announcing the scores!"

"For his perfect execution of the routine, we award Bradin Westerly twenty out of twenty points."

The stands erupted into pandemonium. Bradin had won.

He had fame, he had fortune.

Now, if only he could find another girl.

Six months later, Bradin pulled up to his favorite Starbucks (though how he picked one out of the millions in Los Angeles is beyond comprehension) in his brand new BMW Convertible.

"Listen, Marjorie, I'm already shooting the Coke ad on Tuesday. How am I supposed to then...No, I can't reschedule. They're my biggest name sponsor...But I'm supposed to go home to see my family on Friday...Alright. I'll work it out. I gotta go."

Bradin slammed his cell-phone shut. He had no idea how he was going to tell Ava that he couldn't make it again.

"That sounded rough." Bradin turned to find his friends, Christie, Lucas and Andrew walking up.

Bradin sighed. "Hey guys. It's just the Wicked Witch of the West Coast again. I'm glad Marjorie has gotten me all of these sponsorships, but everything I have to do to keep them is killing me. She wants me to guest-star on some show for the WB now."

Christie laughed. "Wow. Bradin Westerly on the WB. There's an interesting thought."

Christie was one of Bradin's best friends in the world. She had always been there for him, no matter what. She was like his sister away from home.

But as they entered the Starbucks, all thoughts of his friends fell away from Bradin.

Don't you know I'm never gonna give up
Till I find the love
I'll be searchin' the whole world over
To find my love, mmm yeah

Why is love so hard to find
Why, yeah

She was tall. She was thin, but not anorexic. She had shortish blonde hair in a style that reminded him of Keira Knightly. She was wearing a pink blouse and low-ride jeans which allowed her belly-button ring to show. And her face...Her face was...perfect.

She was walking away from the counter with an iced coffee. She sat down on one of the arm-chairs and pulled out the Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, one of his favorite books.

Was he going to go talk to her?

Need you ask? This IS Bradin we're talking about.