Lil Miss Pink Chick: Hey there!! I'm so glad to see you're reading!!:) Gripped, 'eh? Perfect! Right where I want you! ;P Anyway, oh... you'll find out soon enough... but... it may not be what you think. (Well, at first it probably wil be but then the twist should throw you all off! MHAHAHAHA!!!! ahem Sorry... Anywho, thanks SO much for reading and reviewing! I hope you like this ch!

froggy2045: Hey, girl! You know what I just realized, I need to catch up on your stories:O I'll go do that now. Now, about your review, yeah, I guess I made Jay get just a tad too angry about that but... Telling the 'world' is the last thing Brae wants to do right now.. but we'll see:) Hope you like this ch and thank you so much for the review:D

futuremodel: At least you loved it! Lol! I'm glad you did though, and it means so much to me to hear y'all say things like that:) He, he... I think I did make him get a little too crazy there for a second but I hope I redeamed the incident... Anyway, I really hope you like this ch and thanks so much for the review:)

Read it, gals!! (No offense to any guys reading this but I happen to know (I think I know anyway lol) these three are gals!)

Chapter Ten

Late Night Search

Trudging along in pain Bradin checked everywhere he could possibly imagine Candice being... Finally, almost ready to call it quits for this time, he turned to Jay, "Alright... look, I admit I was being very stubborn back there... It's just that I care so much about her... I love her." Bradin looked at the ground, suddenly wishing he hadn't said that.

Jay stepped closer to him and put a hand on his shoulder, "I figured you did... That's why I want to help you find her, man! And look, I'm really, really sorry about earlier too... I shouldn't have hit you. Well, not about what you said about Erica anyway... It was wrong and I'm sorry."

Bradin looked up and met the older man's gaze. He nodded his acceptance of the apology then looked back down.

"Say, have you been looking for her other nights or is this the first?"

"I would have, but this is really the first I've felt like it..."

"You don't really feel like it do you?" Jay asked, knowingly.

Bradin didn't answer.

"Well?"

"No! I mean, I did until..." Bradin didn't want to bring up their fight again.

"Sorry." Jay mumbled.

There was silence for a minute then he spoke again, "We should try some of the clubs!"

"You think... no... Candice was never a club-girl..."Bradin reasoned.

"You never know... maybe she's staying with a friend or something and they all went... people do things that they normally wouldn't do when under the influence of peer pressure..." Jay countered.

"I guess you're right..." Bradin agreed after a second. "I would know about that..." he mumbled under his breath.

"What's that, mate?" Jay asked.

"Uh... nothing, come on let's hurry!" Bradin turned and started walking leaving Jay to wonder what he had said.

"Come on, Brae, I guess I had a bad idea..." Jay said, heading out of the final dance club on the street.

Bradin followed, a blonde girl, who had "attached herself to him while in the club, still hanging by his side.

"Come on, I'm good, I really am!" The girl pleaded, her short skirt and low cut top bothered Bradin. He didn't want this girl!

"I'm sorry, I'm not looking for that, okay?" Bradin turned his back to her, "Nah, Jay, it wasn't a bad idea... it just came up short..."

"I guess..."

"But... You would enjoy it if you tried! Come on!" this girl wasn't giving up.

"No! Now, go away!" Bradin shouted at her making her jump.

She recovered quickly though, "Oh, come on..." she cooed, running a hand up Bradin's arm.

"How much money do you want?" he asked her, avoiding eye contact.

What the hell are you doing!? Jay almost said aloud but caught himself as the girl and Bradin continued to talk.

"Only 20 dollars!" she ran her hand behind his neck.

"20, huh?" Bradin dug in his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. Removing two crisp $20 bills from it he started to hand them to the girl but held back while he said, "Look, if I give you this will you promise to go home and think about what you're really doing to yourself!?" Bradin knew she couldn't be more than 17 years old, if that.

Mutely nodding, tears beginning to swell in her eyes the girl looked away.

"I'm sorry..." Bradin apologized, "I'm not trying to judge you... I just want you to think about it. There's gotta be a better way to survive! And if there isn't, than why survive just to do that?"

"I never thought of it that way... but I can't get a job as anything else... I always mess up and the boss fires me... This is the only 'job' where don't get fired!" the girl cried, tears running down her cheeks. She had dropped both hands from Bradin's body by now.

"Um, could I get your name?" Jay spoke for the first time.

"Christy..." the girl looked skeptical.

"I'm not gonna turn you in or something, I just wanted to know..." Jay looked at Bradin, a twinkle in his eye. Bradin caught on to the and nodded. "Christy," Jay began, "how would like to work for me? I own a little surf shop not far from here, on the beach, and I'd be glad to give you a chance!"

"Oh.. I..."

"Don't worry, Jay would never hurt you! His girlfriend works there sometimes and so do I... You'd be perfectly safe! Besides, could it be worse than what you're doing now?"

"No, I guess it couldn't," Christy agreed. "Alright!"

"Good!" Jay and Bradin both exclaimed, than laughed.

"You know where Spanish Cove is?"

"Yes."

"Alright, come there tomorrow morning around 10:00am and I'll have Bradin meet you there and show you to my shop! How's that sound?" Jay asked, smiling.

"Great!"

"Here," Bradin handed her the money he'd offered her earlier.

"No, I-"

"I don't want anything in return, just take it... please?"

"Okay..." Christy meekly took the money from the boy's hand and smiled, "Thank you."

"Don't mention it. Bradin Westerly, by the way," Bradin smiled back, extending his hand for her to shake.

She took it, smiling, and said, "Christy Raines."

"Nice to meet you, and this is Jay Robertson," Bradin said, turning to Jay.

He and Christy shook hands just as a man, in his early 20s, came out of the club, highly drunk, and stumbled up to Christy mumbling, in slurring patterns, "Come here, baby!" He took hold of Christy's arm.

"Let me go!" she cried, trying to jerk free of his hold.

Jay, realizing how drunk the guy was, took a swing at his jaw. Instantly he hit the ground and the threesome took off before he had a chance to get back up.

"Thank you so much!" Christy cried out, hugging Jay. She let go and blushed, "Sorry... Anyway, guess I should go home..."

"We should walk you!" Bradin suggested.

"Thank you, it's just down the road but if you wouldn't mind, I'd really appreciate it."

"Of course we wouldn't mind, lead the way!" Bradin smiled.

After walking a few minutes they reached a row of town houses, all beat down and shabby, and Christy stopped. "Home, sweet, home!" Christy smirked. She started up one of the sets of stairs and called over her shoulder, I'll see you guys tomorrow! And thanks so much, again, for everything!"

"No problem, see you tomorrow!" Jay and Bradin called back. Just as they were walking off Bradin turned around, "Um, you wouldn't happen to know a Candice Martin would you?"

Christy, who was opening the front door, stopped and turned around, "Candice? Oh, sure! She's staying with Freddy!"

"Freddy?" Bradin furrowed his brow in puzzlement.

"He lives two houses down, though I imagine they're out clubbing right now... come back tomorrow afternoon and they'll probably be home! Would you like me to tell her you were looking for her?" Christy smiled.

"No thanks... in fact, I'd rather you didn't mention me at all..." Bradin said, "And, where would they be clubbing at? Any particular place?"

"Shanks! Freddy's always hanging out there, especially since his girl is in town..."

"His girl?"

"Yeah, her name's Tia," Christy smiled, "she's sweet." Suddenly realizing what Bradin must be thinking she added, "Oh, Freddy and Candice are only friend and barely that! Freddy's sister, Trina, invited Candice to stay with them. Freddy and Trina live together with Billy, Trina's boyfriend, and, when she's in town, Tia."

"I get it... I think!" Bradin laughed.

"It is a little confusing but once you talk to them you'll get it!" Christy laughed as well.

"Thanks!"

"Anytime!" Christy went inside as Bradin and Jay continued down the street, the three 'o' clock hour approaching fast.

There it 'tis! Hope you liked it and um... reviewing would be very greatly apprectiated:) Thank you so much!!!

Anna Christie AKA SecondStarToTheRight15