I want to make a public apology for the last chapter. No matter how many people reviewed and said they liked it (thank you to Ash Riley, JmacKarla, and angel-prncess-18 for doing so), the truth is that it sucked. And I know that does not cover the public's opinion, but it is mine.
So, tonight I am determined to write a better, longer, and more juicer chapter seven! I've got my Summerland mix playing on my ipod, fresh ideas floating around in my head, and a new sorta-love for the new Jesse McCartney song (Leavin') I just heard. This should be out by tomorrow (Monday, March 17), but may not if I get tired or run out of ideas tonight. But definitely look for it sometime this week.
Enjoy! Oh, and future apologies if the sex scene seems a little weird – I haven't written one in a while.
Chapter Seven: All I Need
"I can't believe I'm finally out of that hospital," Bradin said. "I was only there for a few days, but it definitely felt longer. I can't wait for things to get back to normal."
"Tell me about it," Callie agreed with a giggle. "I've been away from Playa Linda for so long, I think I have to re-tan." Bradin and Callie laughed as she pulled into his house's driving way. Callie turned off the engine, turned to Bradin, and said, "I'm really glad you're feeling better. That was just a phase, right?"
"Don't worry," Bradin reassured her, placing a hand to her cheek, "I will never do anything like that again. I don't ever want to put you through that again."
"Well, I don't wanna be put through that again," Callie smiled. She leaned in and gave Bradin a little kiss. "Now, let's get you inside and see what the big 'surprise' is!"
She was about to open her car door, when Bradin said, "Wait a second!" He got out of the passenger-side, ran over to her door, and opened it for her. "I always wanted to do that for you," he smiled.
Callie smiled back and got out of the car. "And who said chivalry's dead?"
"I didn't," Bradin quipped back.
The two of them walked up the porch pathway and steps before stopping at the door. "Do you think we should ring the doorbell?" Callie asked.
"Nah. It's my house anyway. I think they'll expect me to just go in." Bradin opened the non-locked door and peered inside the familiar house. Seeing no one in sight, he asked, "Anyone home?" Quiet greeted him.
Perplexed, he opened the door all the way and walked inside, with Callie following behind. Everything was as it seemed before for Bradin; there was still the living room and kitchen as you walked down the welcoming stair case. Usually, there would be a big mess in this area, but Bradin just assumed the family wanted it to look nice for him when he came home. To the left was a door that Bradin knew led to his room, and a small hallway off to the right that led to the TV room. The patio glass doors were still intact on the edge of the living room. Bradin didn't check, but he also expected Ava and Susannah's clothing company's space to be in the upstairs hallway, along with their rooms and Derrick's. And he knew that Nikki still had her own little space in the attic.
"If I know all these things, and everyone expected me to come home today … where is everyone?" he asked himself. He walked to the glass doors and looked through to the patio, but only found their backyard and Jay's living space, the shed. "What the fuck is going on?"
"Where is everyone?" he asked out loud, more to himself than Callie.
"I don't know … They all said they would be here to greet you when we arrived," Callie said. "And I told them it would be around 10 a.m., which it is now. Check upstairs?"
"Yeah, okay," Bradin said. He ran up the mini stair case and the master stair case to the second floor. He saw Ava and Susannah's abandoned clothing studio; even Colby wasn't at his desk. And he practically lived at the house ever since Ava had hired him a few months ago. Bradin looked inside every bedroom, and even walked up to Nikki's floor where he was yet again greeted by silence.
"Hey, Bradin!" he heard Callie yell from the kitchen. "I found a note for us!"
Bradin ran back down all the stairs and met Callie on the couch. "You might want to sit down," she said, looking worried as she read the note.
"What is it?" Bradin eagerly grabbed the note from her hands. It was pretty long, written in Nikki's handwriting. He read the note aloud:
"Bradin and Callie,
I have to hurry and write this note for you before Aunt Ava or Johnny catch me, so I apologize ahead of time for my messy handwriting. As you can obviously tell by now, no one is home. And there is a reason for that. Don't be offended, but Aunt Ava and Johnny set this whole thing up – or, rather Johnny did and Ava just went along with it. The plan was to freak you out and get you worried why no one was home when they all said they would be to kind of get back at you for scarring us all a few days ago. Sick and twisted if you ask me – that's why I'm writing you this so you won't completely freak out. We're really at Mona's Bar and then we're gunna go see a movie, so we might be a long time. I overheard Johnny say that he wants us home by five the latest.
Oh, and to let you know in advance - - I also overheard them talking about how your totally grounded when we call come home. I'm talking no surfing, no partying, and no girls allowed at home while no one else is (sorry, Callie!). And they plan on keeping this rule until you get better grades in school and prove to them that you will never do drugs again (which in my opinion will take a while! haha sorry – had to put my 2 cents in here somewhere!).
So, you know what's going on now. Bottom line – you fucked up (please don't tell Aunt Ava or Johnny I said that word!) and now you have to pay the consequences. I would use these last few hours of freedom to your advantage …
Nikki"
"That … sucks," Callie said after a few moments of silence.
"Yeah, it does. What the fuck were they thinking? Playing this twisted game just to mess with me? I'm gunna kill Johnny when they all get home!"
"Bradin, relax," Callie got up from the couch and walked over to him, placing her hands on his chest and kissing him, trying to get him to not get heated at the moment. "It's not worth it, okay? I mean, at least Nikki had the decency to leave you that note."
"Yeah, but I still can't believe them," he said. He pushed Callie away a little, but she kept trying to get closer. "I mean, no surfing until I get better grades and 'prove to them that I will never do drugs again,'" he quoted from Nikki's note. "What the fuck is up with that?"
Callie pulled back. "And no more me," she pointed out.
"What?" he looked down at her for a second. "Oh, yeah. That definitely sucks too. God, this whole situation sucks!" He pulled her in closer.
"I know, sweetie," Callie soothed. "But maybe if you try really hard in school and get those grades up, and just cool off for a little while on the surfing talk and stuff like that you can prove your loyalty to them and get off this soon?"
"I guess."
"I'm sorry to say this, but you had to know something like this was coming," she said.
"I guess you're right. This all seemed way too chill now that I think about it," Bradin reluctantly agreed. "It's just gunna suck without surfing and you for a while."
"Well, we still have the whole afternoon," Callie looked up at him. "I mean, in Nikki's note she said that they'd be home by five, right?"
"Yeah …" Bradin said slowly, starting to catch on.
"We could … hang out until then," she smiled. "I haven't seen you in so long, Bradin. I've … missed you." She looked from his chest back to his eyes.
Bradin smiled. "I've missed you too." He put his arms around her waist and brought her even closer to him. "A lot. But, I think I know someone who's missed you even more."
"And who's that?" she laughed as Bradin backed her up to his door.
When her back hit the door, he reached around her to grab the door handle and pulled it open. He smiled when he looked inside and saw his same queen mattress, TV, closet, computer desk, and secret patio exit.
"My bed," he answered as he pushed her on it and came down on top of her. Callie laughed as Bradin began kissing down her neck, collarbone, and continued as he unbuttoned her blouse.
"Hey," Callie stopped him just as he was about to take off her skirt. "Up here first." She pulled off Bradin's t-shirt and began kissing his lips.
Bradin smirked and put his arms around her waist. They stayed like that for a few moments. Bradin loved the feeling of Callie's kisses; he had missed them so much when she was away. He loved how she could get his mind off the saddest things just by being close to him. He loved how she dressed, how she did her hair so it smelled like roses every day, and he loved how when he woke up in the hospital, the first thing he thought about was her. "Oh my, God," he thought. "I love her. I don't think I've ever loved a girl like Callie."
He pulled away from her for a moment and said, "Callie, I need to tell you something."
"What is it, Bradin?"
When Bradin looked into her eyes, shock ran through him. "Wait, Callie doesn't have green eyes!" He was looking at Ashley. He pulled away more and stared at Ashley, now the girl on the bottom.
"What's the matter, sweetie?" Ashley's voice asked him as she caressed his check.
Bradin pulled away a little and stumbled, "Um … nothing. I – I have to go." Without another word, he scrambled off the bed and put his t-shirt back on. He was about to open his secret back door, when he turned to look back at Ashley to find a very confused Callie still laying on the bed.
"Bradin?" she asked. "What?"
Bradin shook his head and walked out the door, closing it shut behind him. "What the fuck was that about?" he asked himself. He knew that he should go back inside and not leave Callie stranded there with no clue as to what just happened with him, but he couldn't look at her. He ended up walking along the beach, hands in his pockets, with every intention to stay out until five o'clock. He knew that Callie would not be there when his family came back.
Bradin's mind raced as he walked and thought. One minute he had been making out with Callie – his girlfriend of almost a year and a half – and the next minute he was looking into Ashley's eyes. What could have caused that? And why was a part of him cursing him for not kissing Ashley in the first place? He had been ready to tell Callie that he loved her … Maybe that meant something – Ashley's face showing in front of him at the last minute. Maybe he really wasn't ready to confess his feelings for Callie yet, and that was just his subconscious telling him so?
"Whatever that was, it was definitely weird," he thought.
Looking up in front of him, he found himself at the steps of the boardwalk. Deciding there was nothing better to do, he climbed them and began walking past the huge crowd that normally inhabited it. He was just looking into the crowd when his mind discovered an insanely pretty girl with long blonde hair, a tall and athletic frame, in an aqua t-shirt and matching brown skirt. She was walking a little ahead of him, but stopped to look into a shop. Looking at her profile, Bradin gasped a little recognizing those green eyes and perfect little mouth.
"Ashley," he breathed.
