Chapter 27
Sam rushed down the stairs, skipping every other step. She got to the bottom of the stair case and frantically looked both ways, trying to find Bradin. She finally saw him about 4 houses down from Daniels and immediately started to run after him.
"Bradin!" She yelled, catching up to him. "Bradin stop!" She screamed, Bradin ignored her and kept walking. "Bradin, stop!" She said again, reaching his side.
Bradin shook his head several times, not looking at Sam. "No Sam, he's right." He said, a mixture of both anger and hurt in his voice.
"What?" Sam asked, trying to make Bradin stop walking.
"I mean Avery, Avery's right Sam. You're better off with him." He said, still looking forward.
Sam stopped, pulling Bradin's arm, making him stop. "What did you just say?" She asked sternly. "Did you just say I should be with Avery?"
Bradin sighed. "Sam," He said, finally looking at her. "He's right okay. I'm just a loser, like he said."
Sam stared at Bradin, not believing anything he was saying. "Bradin, no you're not."
Bradin shook his head. "Yes I am Sam. Look, Avery's right about everything. My grades, the only reason why I'm doing good is because you've been helping me. I did have that drug problem, I ended up in the hospital. And I already slept with…all those girls already." He said, Sam shaking her head profusely. "You deserve better." He turned away and began walking away from Sam.
"Bradin, I can't believe you think Avery is better than you." She said, rushing after him. "Because he's not!" She said loudly so he could hear her.
"Sam, just go back to the party." Bradin said over her shoulder, still walking away.
"No, no, Bradin. Bradin! Will you just listen to me!" She yelled, grabbing his hand, making him stop walking. He turned to look at her and he could see that she was just as hurt as he was.
"Bradin, I don't want to go out with Avery. I never will." She told him. "I don't want to be with anyone else Bradin." She said, trying to calm herself down.
"Well you should, because you deserve better than me." He told her, looking away.
Sam shook her head. "What are you talking about?" She asked.
Bradin let out a deep breath and turned to Sam. "You are smart, you get along with everyone, you're athletic, and you're beautiful." He told her, looking deeply into her eyes. "You deserve someone just as good as you are. And I'm not that person." He said, tears coming to his eyes.
"Bradin, how could you say that about yourself?" Sam replied.
"Because Sam, it's true!" He shouted, feeling the tears run down his face. "You're perfect, okay. You're the best thing that's happened to me, and couldn't ask for anyone better. But me, I'm…" He wiped his cheeks. "I've done so many stupid things, I can't take those things back. I've screwed up." He looked out to the ocean. "That's why you deserve someone else."
"I don't want anyone else!" Sam yelled. "I want you." She said, taking both of Bradin's hands, tears falling from her eyes. "Bradin, I could care less about Avery, or any other guy. I couldn't care if they were the most popular guy in school, if they were getting straight A's. Or if they were on every sports team in school, or they were the richest person in the world. I don't care about that stuff."
Sam touched Bradin's cheek, making him turn his face. "Right now, all I care about is you. I don't want to be with anyone but you. No one else can steal my heart except you." She said, making them both smile. "I love you, and that's all that matters."
Bradin smiled, looking at Sam. "I love you too Sam." He said. Sam wrapper her arms around his neck, and Bradin put his arms around her waist, and they stood there hugging each other, tears still flowing down their faces.
"I just don't want to lose you." Bradin said.
Sam smiled. "Don't worry, you never will."
Bradin put his chin on the top of her head. "Good." He closed his eyes, realizing how close he came to losing Sam.
By lunch on Monday, the word got around about what happened at Daniel's party, with a few mixed up minor details. Whenever Sam or Bradin saw Avery, they couldn't help but shoot glares at him. When Sam passed him after first period, she stared at him, not saying anything. And he didn't dare say anything back. At lunch, Sam saw red marks on Avery's arm and neck where she grabbed him.
At practice, Coach Bedolla noticed the boys going up to Bradin and talking to him, it seemed as though they were giving him their condolences about something.
"Bradin." Coach Bedolla called to him.
"Yeah Coach?" Bradin asked, walking over to his tent.
Coach Bedolla took off his sunglasses and looked at Bradin. "Somethin' happen this weekend, it seems everyone's talkin' to you about somethin?"
Bradin sighed. "Yeah, somethin' did happen."
Coach Bedolla narrowed his eyes. "Between you and some boy? Or you and Sam?"
"Both actually." He said, Coach Bedolla's eyes grew. "But it's okay. Everything's fine." He told him. "I promise."
Coach Bedolla grunted. "Well it better be. I don't want you messin' up, not now. Remember, we still got that meet next week, so I wanna see you hustle twice as hard, you got that?" He asked, but made it sound more like an order.
