Authors Note: Wow, you guys. Thanks for reviewing. It keeps me writing, and I love hearing your opinions. Thanks again, and enjoy. Please review :)

Chapter Three

Starry Skies and Starry Eyes

Bradin walked out the doors, and saw Allison standing there gazing up at the stars. She was alone out there, and the smile had yet to come back to her face. What Nikki had said seemed to hurt her, even though none of it had been true. "Hey." Bradin spoke softly, as if he were to speak above a whisper she would run away. He met her blue eyes, that seemed to be of a whole different world than the ones he had gazed in earlier.

"Hi Bradin." She gave her best attempt at a smile. She pushed the strand of her hair that had been dangling in front of her face behind her ear. "Sorry about that whole mess. Do you think your sister's alright?" She asked. Bradin laughed to himself. Nikki blows up for no reason, and Allison feels bad?

"Don't worry about her, I'm just sorry she spazzed on you." Bradin said, coming and standing next to her. He looked up at the dark night's sky and smiled. He knew his parents were up there smiling down on him, and he wondered if Allison had someone watching her too. She was so enwrapped with the sky.

"It's beautiful isn't it?" Allison spoke, looking up and then over to Bradin. His silence was a 'yes' to her question. "Well, I should be going. It was nice meeting you again." She tried again to smile at him, said goodbye, and started to walk off.

"Hey. You, uh, you want some company on your walk?" Bradin smiled, walking over to her. "Cause I hear I'm not that bad." He got to her side and smiled, his eyes were twinkling and she could see them in the moonlight's shine.

Allison smiled, Bradin's heart fluttered, it was the first real smile she had given since Nikki's accusation. "Sure, that would be nice." She said, as they walked off the back deck and onto the sandy beach.

"I can't believe her!" Susannah cried out, "I really thought we were getting somewhere with her." Susannah sighed heavily, shaking her head. The first few days with Nikki had been rough, but they had smoothed over, and she couldn't help but feel the old Nikki was coming back.

"She didn't even do anything. Al had been so kind the entire time, and that's what she gets?" Jay asked, still as infuriated as earlier with Nikki. "And how dare she think, she think that I would, I would do something like that with Allison." Jay thought back to the hurt look Allison had in her eyes when she looked at Jay right after Nikki's outburst. His hand tightened around the fork, as he slammed it into the paper plate for the millionth time. He looked at his plate while running his hand through his hair, there were fork marks all over it. "Nikki needs to be taught a lesson." Allison was like a little sister to Jay, and he was just as protective of her as he would be if she really was related.

Johnny remained silent, as he looked off into space. He had been listening to everything he said, and couldn't figure what he himself should be saying. Ava looked extremely upset as she took a seat next to Susannah at the table. "She disappointed me." Her tone was heartbreaking.

"Aunt Ava!" Nikki cried, she had snuck out of her room to get some food, a girl has to eat. She hoped everything would be over by now, but the only good thing was that it seemed Allison had gone. "Jay and Bradin were all over her. She walks in like she's something special, and, and you all love her." Nikki said, anger forming in her voice. "Even Cameron."

It was all clear now. She was just looking for things to say to Allison because she was jealous, especially about Cameron. "Well, if you have to be jealous of someone, might as well be her." Jay muttered, avoiding eye contact with Nikki because he knew it would only result in trouble.

Nikki was fuming now, "I'm not jealous of her. Why would I be jealous of a slut like that?"

"Nikki!" Ava scolded, "Stop calling her that. Bradin needs a friend, why can't you just be happy for him? Jay works with her and is like her older brother, and Cameron has known her since he was a baby. She's not trying to take your place Nikki. You know she could never do that."

Nikki stormed up the stairs, smashing her foot on every one until she got to her room. "Good! Stay up there, you're grounded until further notice." Ava shouted up the stairwell. The anger that dared to come out was now present to all.

Bradin and Allison walked side by side on the darkened beach. Allison lived a few minutes down the beach, and the two started to talk on the way home. He didn't know much about her, and she intrigued him. He talked about his parents for a little while, as tears started to form in his eyes. He forced them not to fall. "I'm so sorry." She started, "I can't even imagine what that must be like."

A wave of relief came over Bradin, as his tears faded away. He was happy she hadn't said 'I understand how you feel', because it maddened him whenever they did. No one knew how he felt. No one except those who lost their parents, as well. He looked at her, as she watched the waves crash against the sand. The sound soothed them both. "How are your parents?" Bradin asked, he had wanted to know about her after all.

"Oh, mine? They're great." She said, faking a smile, but Bradin hadn't noticed in the dark.

Before Bradin could ask something else, there was a noise interrupting the sound of the waves breaking against the shore. It was getting louder and louder as they couldn't see anything lying on the beach. Allison slipped her hand into Bradin's in fright. It was creeping her out. Bradin felt her warm hand interlock with his as they hurried past the next few houses, and avoided the noise that they had heard. All they could hear now was the waves crashing. After another five minutes of talking to one another, they arrived outside of Allison's home. It looked beautiful on the outside, and Bradin could only imagine the inside. "Thank you for walking me home." She said, slightly blushing, as Bradin noticed the glimmer in her eyes.

"I really liked hanging out with you." Bradin shuffled his feet in the sand, as some of it began to build up in his flip flops. He looked up and smiled at her, "Can I see you again? Maybe, maybe we can go to that carnival that's in town. I'm sure that'll be a lot of fun." Bradin said, hoping she would say yes.

"Yeah. Of course, I had a great time with you too." She said, sincerely.

"So, can I stop by the store tomorrow, and we'll head out when you're done?" Bradin suggested. He was excited, and looking forward to spending more time with her.

"Sounds great." She smiled, as they said their goodbyes. She walked into her house as Bradin made sure she was alright to get in. She silently watched him walk off from one of the windows.

She stepped back, and heard his flip flop echo in the empty house. Allison walked to the fridge where her parents usually left they're normal note. They had left earlier today for God knows where. They were always going off to a new place, always traveling for work. If they didn't work together, their marriage would fall apart. She took the note of the fridge.

'Allison, We'll be gone for the next few days, so have fun! There's money in the right hand drawer on Daddy's desk for dinner, and I got food in the fridge for you while we're away. Have a great time. Love, Us.'

"Yeah." Allison sighed heavily. "You're just great. So great you're off in another country without your daughter." She sighed heavily, crumpling up the note and throwing it in the trash.

Jay, who had managed to calm down from earlier, saw Bradin walk in. "Hey." He greeted, knowing that even if Bradin was mad at him, he would end up talking about her, because Bradin needed a guy to talk to, and that guy was Jay. "So, what do you think?" Jay smiled, noticing Bradin's smile creeping across his face.

"What do you mean?" He asked, looking up at Jay and trying to hide his happiness.

"Nice try, kid." Jay laughed at him.

Bradin ran his hand thru his messy blonde hair. He openly smiled now, and sat down on the couch across from Jay. "She's so cool. I really like her. I mean, even as a friend. She's amazing." Bradin sighed, and then realized he had just told this to the person she works with everyday. "Oh God, Jay. Please don't tell her."

"Are you two hanging out again?" Jay asked, hoping Bradin would have remembered to ask her to hang out again, even if it wasn't out on a date. Jay wasn't blind, and he knew Bradin was interested in her.

He turned bright red, and ran his fingers thru his hair once more. "Yeah, tomorrow night. We're going to go to the carnival together." Bradin looked over at Jay who was smiling widely.

"Good, really good. You both could use a friend right now. I'm glad you two hit it off so well." Jay smiled at him, thinking of something wise to say, but he figured it was no use for Bradin. If he gave him any advice, it would be like poison, since he got it from being with Erika. Erika. She hadn't crossed Bradin's mind the whole night, and he couldn't have felt better.

Bradin got up and headed for the steps. It had been a long day, and he was exhausted. He didn't want the night to end, but his eyelids were closing fast and he knew that eventually, the night would end on it's own. "Jay..." Bradin started, looking up to see Jay also appearing exhausted. "Thanks." Bradin smiled warmly, referring to Allison.

"Not a problem, kid. Not a problem." Jay muttered to himself, happy that he could do something to get back on Bradin's good side, as he too drifted off to sleep.