Chapter 1: Into the Lions' Den
Ding! Dong! Bradin walked to the door the next morning, dodging Johnny who was trying to tie Derrick's shoe laces as the little boy wandered around the house looking for his crayon box. As he approached the door he looked at Nikki, who was checking her hair in the mirror by the stairs every ten seconds while she waited for Cameron so they could walk to the middle school together. Aunt Ava was hovering over her telling her she looked great. Susannah was in the kitchen making herself some coffee, and Jay was probably still asleep.
"I got it," he said as he jogged to the door. "Hey," she greeted as he opened it fully. "Hey," he said back breathlessly, taking in her appearance. Her blonde hair was elegantly curled and wavy, framing her face, and a stylish pair of glasses sat on top perfectly. Her face had light make-up and lip gloss on it, as apposed to when they went surfing, she wore none. His eyes traveled quickly down her body, to her tight red tank with the logo Billabong across it in white and black lettering, to her flowy black mini skirt, and down to her tiny feet which were adorned by a pair of red Roxy flip flops. "Good lord," Bradin thought, then inwardly gaged himself for thinking such a thing about her.
Ellie shifted her weight to her other side and bit her lip as she let Bradin look her up and down. She was a little unnerved but had to admit that in his khaki Dikies and buttoned white shirt he looked not so bad himself. Her shifting broke his gaze and he immediately started babbling. "Um, okay so...you're here, then we can go, so let me just get my backpack," he jabbered, looking around for his bag, "okay, it's just, right, were the hell did I put it?" Ellie giggled slightly and bent over a little, Bradin's eyes nearly bugged out of his head ash she came close. "Um, Bradin," she smiled, tugging on the strap on his shoulder. He looked down and all his tension washed away. "O-oh," he stuttered smiling, "well that ones solved." He turned to his aunt and sister. "Well we're gunna head out." "Okay sweetie, have fun and be good," she smiled back at him. "I will," he obliged, starting out the door, "bye guys," "Bye," they chorused back. "Bye El," Ava called as Bradin was shutting the door. "Bye," her sweet voice called back before the door closed. "Well that was interesting," Susannah said when the door had clicked shut. Ava and Nikki simply nodded, their eyes getting wider, as they looked in the mirror.
Bradin took in one deep breath as the two started up the steps of the high school. Ellie noticed this. "Hey," she gave him a small smile and put her arm around his shoulder, "you'll do awesome." He relaxed a bit and smiled. "Plus, you've got me, how can you go wrong?" "Right," he rolled his eyes, "lets go." They made their way into the school, and to their lockers, which were coincidently together.
Bradin leaned on his locker, books and binder in hand, waiting for Ellie to be done in her locker so they could walk to class together, when something caught his eye. His breath caught in his throat as he saw the other blonde making her way down the hall, cheerleading uniform swaying perfectly around her. "Sara," he managed to choke out when she was close enough to hear. He had forgotten that she went to this school, he hadn't seen or talked to her in a while. "Bradin," she seductively winked at him and continued walking, the rest of her little squad following her in perfect step.
Bradin looked at her as she walked away. "Urgh," Ellie growled once she was out of ear shot. Bradin looked at her confused, "What?" "Oh nothing," she spat back sarcastically. "What's wrong with her," he asked? "Nothing, if you like drug taking cheer sluts," she slammed her locker and started off. "Oh come on, she's not that bad," he tried defensively. "No," she spat again mockingly. Then something caught HER eye, and she immediately smiled and stood up straighter. Bradin turned around and frowned at what he saw. "No way," he mumbled.
"Hey Tanner," she waved. "Hey Ellie," he said smoothly, coming up to her, two of his thug friends shrugging up next to him as Ellie stood against the wall, Bradin did too, but watched the his friend and the guy intently. "How was your summer," she asked? Bradin thought he was going to puke. "Alright, how was yours?" He came a little closer and Bradin swore he was gunna punch him. "It was cool, made a new friend," she gestured to Bradin. Tanner looked over and smirked when he saw him. "You," he commented. "Yah me," Bradin rolled his eyes and looked away. "Well its been sweet baby doll, I gotta get to class, I'll see you around," Tanner said, brushing her cheek with his thumb and giving a look to Bradin before stalking off down the hall, his two henchmen at his sides. Bradin scoffed at Ellie.
Ellie gave him a look. "Tanner," he questioned? "I didn't know you knew him," she shrugged. "Yah, we've met," a he scowled. "Erika," she asked? "Erika," he confirmed. "Well Bradin, Tanner isn't all that bad, once you get to know him," Ellie tried. "Right, and how long have you known him," he asked? "Our families have been friends since before we were born," she shrugged again and started walking down the hall once more. "I don't like you talking to him," Bradin said once he caught up with her. "Oh, okay daddy, I wont talk to the mean old boy if you don't want me too," she snorted sarcastically. "Ellie," Bradin groaned. "Look Bradin, I don't tell you not to hang out with that Sara bimbo and we all know what happened with you two," she stressed the 'you two' part, "but Tanner has never done anything to me." "Yet," Bradin added. "Bradin," Ellie whined. "Ellie," he whined back mockingly. "Ugh, you are impossible," she cried, her eyes to the ceiling, as she stepped in front of the door to her first class. "Well, this is my stop, you know where yours is from here right," she asked. He nodded. "Alright, then I'll see you in second and third, then we can walk to lunch together," she told him. "Okay, see you later El." "Bye B," she returned, as she dipped into her first classroom, and Bradin turned and hurried to his own.
Ding! Dong! Bradin walked to the door the next morning, dodging Johnny who was trying to tie Derrick's shoe laces as the little boy wandered around the house looking for his crayon box. As he approached the door he looked at Nikki, who was checking her hair in the mirror by the stairs every ten seconds while she waited for Cameron so they could walk to the middle school together. Aunt Ava was hovering over her telling her she looked great. Susannah was in the kitchen making herself some coffee, and Jay was probably still asleep.
"I got it," he said as he jogged to the door. "Hey," she greeted as he opened it fully. "Hey," he said back breathlessly, taking in her appearance. Her blonde hair was elegantly curled and wavy, framing her face, and a stylish pair of glasses sat on top perfectly. Her face had light make-up and lip gloss on it, as apposed to when they went surfing, she wore none. His eyes traveled quickly down her body, to her tight red tank with the logo Billabong across it in white and black lettering, to her flowy black mini skirt, and down to her tiny feet which were adorned by a pair of red Roxy flip flops. "Good lord," Bradin thought, then inwardly gaged himself for thinking such a thing about her.
Ellie shifted her weight to her other side and bit her lip as she let Bradin look her up and down. She was a little unnerved but had to admit that in his khaki Dikies and buttoned white shirt he looked not so bad himself. Her shifting broke his gaze and he immediately started babbling. "Um, okay so...you're here, then we can go, so let me just get my backpack," he jabbered, looking around for his bag, "okay, it's just, right, were the hell did I put it?" Ellie giggled slightly and bent over a little, Bradin's eyes nearly bugged out of his head ash she came close. "Um, Bradin," she smiled, tugging on the strap on his shoulder. He looked down and all his tension washed away. "O-oh," he stuttered smiling, "well that ones solved." He turned to his aunt and sister. "Well we're gunna head out." "Okay sweetie, have fun and be good," she smiled back at him. "I will," he obliged, starting out the door, "bye guys," "Bye," they chorused back. "Bye El," Ava called as Bradin was shutting the door. "Bye," her sweet voice called back before the door closed. "Well that was interesting," Susannah said when the door had clicked shut. Ava and Nikki simply nodded, their eyes getting wider, as they looked in the mirror.
Bradin took in one deep breath as the two started up the steps of the high school. Ellie noticed this. "Hey," she gave him a small smile and put her arm around his shoulder, "you'll do awesome." He relaxed a bit and smiled. "Plus, you've got me, how can you go wrong?" "Right," he rolled his eyes, "lets go." They made their way into the school, and to their lockers, which were coincidently together.
Bradin leaned on his locker, books and binder in hand, waiting for Ellie to be done in her locker so they could walk to class together, when something caught his eye. His breath caught in his throat as he saw the other blonde making her way down the hall, cheerleading uniform swaying perfectly around her. "Sara," he managed to choke out when she was close enough to hear. He had forgotten that she went to this school, he hadn't seen or talked to her in a while. "Bradin," she seductively winked at him and continued walking, the rest of her little squad following her in perfect step.
Bradin looked at her as she walked away. "Urgh," Ellie growled once she was out of ear shot. Bradin looked at her confused, "What?" "Oh nothing," she spat back sarcastically. "What's wrong with her," he asked? "Nothing, if you like drug taking cheer sluts," she slammed her locker and started off. "Oh come on, she's not that bad," he tried defensively. "No," she spat again mockingly. Then something caught HER eye, and she immediately smiled and stood up straighter. Bradin turned around and frowned at what he saw. "No way," he mumbled.
"Hey Tanner," she waved. "Hey Ellie," he said smoothly, coming up to her, two of his thug friends shrugging up next to him as Ellie stood against the wall, Bradin did too, but watched the his friend and the guy intently. "How was your summer," she asked? Bradin thought he was going to puke. "Alright, how was yours?" He came a little closer and Bradin swore he was gunna punch him. "It was cool, made a new friend," she gestured to Bradin. Tanner looked over and smirked when he saw him. "You," he commented. "Yah me," Bradin rolled his eyes and looked away. "Well its been sweet baby doll, I gotta get to class, I'll see you around," Tanner said, brushing her cheek with his thumb and giving a look to Bradin before stalking off down the hall, his two henchmen at his sides. Bradin scoffed at Ellie.
Ellie gave him a look. "Tanner," he questioned? "I didn't know you knew him," she shrugged. "Yah, we've met," a he scowled. "Erika," she asked? "Erika," he confirmed. "Well Bradin, Tanner isn't all that bad, once you get to know him," Ellie tried. "Right, and how long have you known him," he asked? "Our families have been friends since before we were born," she shrugged again and started walking down the hall once more. "I don't like you talking to him," Bradin said once he caught up with her. "Oh, okay daddy, I wont talk to the mean old boy if you don't want me too," she snorted sarcastically. "Ellie," Bradin groaned. "Look Bradin, I don't tell you not to hang out with that Sara bimbo and we all know what happened with you two," she stressed the 'you two' part, "but Tanner has never done anything to me." "Yet," Bradin added. "Bradin," Ellie whined. "Ellie," he whined back mockingly. "Ugh, you are impossible," she cried, her eyes to the ceiling, as she stepped in front of the door to her first class. "Well, this is my stop, you know where yours is from here right," she asked. He nodded. "Alright, then I'll see you in second and third, then we can walk to lunch together," she told him. "Okay, see you later El." "Bye B," she returned, as she dipped into her first classroom, and Bradin turned and hurried to his own.