Thanks for all the reviews guys, I'm glad you like it so far.

melodie568-glad you like it, thanks for reviewing

grullo-cowgirl-thank you for the suggestion, I don't know why I haven't been doing it that way, thanks to you too for reviewing

TruLuvNvrFrgotN- Kay, thanks for reviewing, but I know that you like my story and I'd expect you to say so anyway, remember I know where you live, lol.

beautyqueen321-thanks for the review, here's the next chapter for you

dolphinchick2568- don't worry about your sister. I'm glad you like it, thank you for reviewing.

So anyways, that's it for the reviewing, keep it coming, here's more fanfic
Chapter 6: Happy Freakin Birthday to Me
Monday mornings had always been a drag for Bradin, be it the rainy days in Kansas, or the forever sunny ones of California, there was something in the air about Monday's that made Bradin uneasy. This one particularly was on his list of the worst because he knew that he would be seeing all three girls again today. He resolved in his head that he would try to keep them separated for as long as he possibly could, and by lunch it was going pretty well. He had walked to school with Ellie and told her to meet him in certain places so that if he ran into the other girls he would keep them clear of her perch. He had seen Sara before his second class and talked to her for a brief time before she was dragged away by her little posse of whining girls. Before that he had chatted with Piper in their first period and made a quick exit after. Now he and Ellie were at lunch outside by the grass where they always sat alone except for Larissa, her boyfriend Sean, and some of his friends, that meant, no Sara or Piper, and right about now, that was a good thing. He listened to Ellie talk as the teenagers sat Indian style on the grass.

"So anyway, my mom told me her and dad are going out of town AGAIN this week, to Hong Kong, for a conference, I mean who do you know that has parents who go to places like Hong Kong and the United Kingdom for their job, and they wont even be here for my birthday, how sick is that," Ellie went on as they sat on the grass.

"Total bummer El," Larissa said as she pulled the crusts off of her sandwich.

"Well it doesn't matter, because we're gunna have the biggest bash ever for her at my house, everything is all ready to go, Aunt Ava is treating this thing like it's the Apocalypse or something, your parents are gunna wish that they could have come" Bradin joked as he patted Ellie's thigh.

Ellie smiled at him for a second and spoke again, "Bye the way, thanks again Bradin, for doing this for my birthday, its so nice of you."

"And so out of character," Larissa joked, the group laughed.

"Hey, I resent that, I am always thoughtful and considerate," Bradin said in mock astonishment. " Right, no really, B, we totally believe you."

"Ellie, your sarcasm is not appreciated here," he mocked again and turned his head.

"Oh, did I make wittle bitty Brady mad," she joked in a baby voice. Bradin responded by sticking his tongue out at her and giving her a look. "Oh real mature Bradin," she rolled her eyes and continued.

"So ANYWAY, Ava is aware that half our class will be at this thing right," Larissa asked?

"Yah she's on it, but she is barricading the upstairs and locking the downstairs bedrooms."

"Well that's kind of good, I don't need no hanky-panky going on at my party anyway," Ellie said looking point blank at Larissa and Sean.

"Well Ellie, I am so disappointed that you think of us in such a way," Sean joked, holding onto his chest.

"Surprisingly Sean, you're not the one I'm worried about," everyone shot looks at Larissa who looked around like there must me someone behind her.

"What," she gasped and continued in a southern accent, "Oh now you're not saying that little old me would do anything now are you?"

"Actually that's exactly what I'm saying," Ellie smirked earning a smack on her shoulder from Larissa. They continued on talking about the birthday party for the rest of the week.

Friday...
The party was in full swing at the beach house. Teenagers were everywhere, most of them were dancing on the patio by the mix table Jay put up for all of their parties. Before Bradin had been in charge of the table but tonight it was all on Jay, he had to give total attention to the birthday girl, who was right now dancing along with the rest of the party to some new rap tune, her straight blonde hair under a tiara that Ava and Susannah had picked up shopping, they had seen it in a window and couldn't possibly pass it up. Bradin made his way over to her and as he swayed to the music and shouted above the crowd and beat.

"So how's the birthday girl," he shouted to her.

"Great, this is totally awesome B, this has definitely landed you on top of my best birthdays ever list," she shouted back.

"Glad to be of service," he smiled down at her and she smiled back before going back to putting her all into dancing, which Bradin noted she was VERY good at.

"Hey," he spoke again after a minute more of moving with the crowd, "I'm gunna go get some punch, want anything?"

"That would be great, getting my freak on his a lot more tiring then it looks," she joked and he laughed before turning to the house were the punch and appetizers were. He was pouring his second glass when he felt someone put their hands around his neck.

"God El, you couldn't have waited five se...," he smiled as he turned with punch in hands to the figure who had latched onto him, his smile suddenly vanished when he saw who it was.

"Hey there," she purred.

"Um...hey Sara," he looked at the other blonde apprehensively.

"So, bangin party," she said, unclasping her hands from his neck and as she did so he wondered why he hadn't asked her to himself before, "you did a good job."

"Thanks, but mostly it was all my Aunt Ava, you should tell her," he was getting nervous, and she was inching closer.

"Maybe later," her voice was low and she was now about two inches, he guessed, from him and he could smell her minty mouth and cherry lip gloss.

"Yah later is good," he started to babble, "whenever is fine, and I'm sure she would appreciate it, practically everyone has told her already but she loves compliments so, the more the merrier."

"Bradin, I'd appreciate it if you'd just be quiet," she said and leaned in to kiss him, arms wrapping around him once again, he by now had lost all of his nerve functions and couldn't move his body any way his mind was telling him to. She lent in and was about to kiss him when the two heard a voice come in to the house.

"Alright B, the bracelets and the wax and the board shorts and the top were nice but I know your Aunt helped you pick them out and I was thinking that I could let you slide on that and we could go around front and you could give me a better present, I was thinking something a little bit more bodily involved," Ellie's voice giggled as she made her way to the punch bowl, but when she and her friend made eye contact and she saw the placing he was in, she frowned.

"She can't come," she pointed at Sara and with that she turned and started out the back door again.

"Ellie," Bradin sighed and ran after her out the door. He finally caught up with her a few feet away from the house down the beach.

"Ellie wait," he said and grabbed her wrist. She turned to look at him and he saw that her face was a little tear blotched and her eyes were turning red and puffy, "It wasn't what it looked like."

"And what if it was Bradin, it shouldn't matter anyway right, we're not together remember, so why should I care if your going around kissing other girls."

"I didn't kiss her Ellie, she came on to me, I was trying to get away, you just came in at a bad moment."

"That doesn't change the fact that it shouldn't matter to me, so why does it, oh wait I know why, because every night for the past week since I kissed you its all I can think about, you're all I can think about, and I don't know why?"

Bradin's eyes widened, "Wow, if I wasn't in terribly hot water right now I'd tell you how flattered I am, I am in hot water right?"

"Burning," Ellie said but Bradin could hear the sound of surrender and slight laughter in her voice, but then she looked at him again and more thoughts came into her head and she scowled, "What the hell was that anyway?"

"I told you, it wasn't as bad as it looked."

"Oh really cuz from where I was standing it looked like it couldn't be worse."

"Ellie...," Bradin tried, his voice sounding as though she was acting like a child, but she stopped him.

"Don't you Ellie me Bradin Westerly, don't make me the bad guy here, because that's totally got your name written all over it, with a substantial amount left over for the words Sara to be etched in there."

"Ellie, I was just trying to give you a great birthday, so sorry for trying to help."

"Oh yah, happy freakin birthday to me," she spat out and turned back, "she wasn't even invited, but it IS my birthday, and your AUNT went through a lot of trouble for it, so I should be getting back to it." She turned on her heel but Bradin stopped her again.

"I'm sorry El, I didn't mean for that to happen, you have to know that, Sara isn't anything to me right now, and I would never do something like that to you, especially on your day, and you should probably know..." he trailed off for a second making sure she had his full attention, "that for the past week, all I've been thinking of is you too." She looked him in the eyes and for a second she processed what she had heard, then she smiled, let out a high pitched squeal, and jumped on him, wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck.

"Woah," he caught her and put his hands under her to steady them and hold her so she wouldn't slip.

"That is the sweetest thing I have ever heard," she smiled at him looking him dead on because they were eye level.

"Well what can I say, I'm a hopeless romantic," he rolled his eyes and smiled a cheesy smile before looking at her again and he did something no man would ever do on his own. He nuzzled his nose to hers, and gave her an Eskimo kiss. 'That sounds so unmanly,' he thought to himself but let it go when he heard her giggle.

"So, what was this I heard about some front porch presents," he looked at her suspiciously as he set her down on the beach again.

"I don't know, lets go to the front porch and find out," she hinted and turned to the house, putting her hand behind her for him to grab. He took it and hurried after her. The two stepped out of the door onto the deserted porch and Bradin leaned Ellie up against the wall of the house, putting his hands on either side of her to block her, he eyed her and whispered huskily.

"So, your seventeen now, that means a kiss for each year, one..." he kissed her on her right temple as she closed her eyes.

"Two...," on her left temple.

"Three, four, five, six...," along her jaw.

"Seven, eight, nine, ten...," along her neck.

"Eleven, twelve, thirteen...," along her collar bone, and he stopped to look her in the eye. She was breathless and her head was arched upward, but as he stopped she urged him, "don't stop... thirteen...unlucky number..." He smiled and started again.

"Fourteen...," in the space right below her ear where it connected to her jaw and neck on the right side.

"Fifteen...," the same on her left.

"Sixteen...," on her chin.

"Seventeen," and then he kissed her square on the lips, hard and intensely. He broke apart from her and smirked at her one more time before going to delve into her mouth again but a voice stopped them.

"I do believe I heard that she was to get seventeen," Ellie looked straight forward and Bradin turned his head to see Johnny looking at them, he removed his hands from the wall and turned all the way to Johnny, "now, don't you think you should stop there, I mean I know she's the princess today, but you wouldn't want to spoil her would you now?"

Bradin gave Johnny a glare and looked over at Ellie who was looking at her shoes, her cheeks red with embarrassment, and her hands behind her back.

"Well would you," Johnny asked, pleasure written all over his face?

"No," Bradin grumbled, "I wouldn't." He gave Johnny one more glare before turning to Ellie.

"Come on El, lets go inside," she grabbed her hand and was ready to leave but Ellie wouldn't budge behind him, "Ellie, come on."

"I-I cant," she stuttered looking down, her neck and below were covered in shadow.

"What do you mean you cant, come on, we've still got cake to do," he tried pulling her again but she still wouldn't go.

"No, I cant go in there," she was still looking down.

"Why not," he asked?

"Because," she said, and moved into the light, "I don't really feel like explaining this monster to everyone inside." She pointed to her collar bone and Bradin's eyes widened at what he saw. There, plane as day, pinkish and kind of swollen, was a large hicky. He laughed at his handy work, and he thought he heard Johnny laugh slightly too, but Ellie scowled.

"You think this is funny, well I bet your all proud of yourself aren't you, now I have to deal with this THING for who knows how long," she looked down at it horrified.

"Okay El chill, a) it wont last that long, b) I have to say that I am totally proud of myself," she snorted and remained looking down and he continued, "and c) you're acting like that's your first hicky."

She finally looked up and looked him in the eyes guiltily.

"Oh, my god, are you serious, now I'm totally proud of myself," he gloated and she smacked him on his arm, sucking in her breath but smiled slightly. By this time Johnny had joined them on the porch from his previous spot on the sidewalk in front of the house, carrying two bags of ice with him which were slowly begging to drip.

"Oh that's a nice one two Bradin, there's nothing like the first time you give a girl her first hicky, I remember mine, ninth grade, her name was Becky Parker and she was so embarrassed, I was already mighty experienced at the time of course but she thought it was totally nasty...," the man trailed on, but after two frustrated looks from the two he stopped, "Right, probably didn't need or want to hear that, so then I'm just gunna go into the house now, I'll be expecting you in there within the next thirty seconds or less, don't make me send Ava with the camera out here after you, your parents wont want that footage Ellie, believe me." Then he was gone.

Bradin looked back at Ellie, and grinned. "Here, take my sweatshirt," he said and removed the black No Fear shirt he had put on when he ran after her. It was September and the weather was starting to get breezy a little bit so he grabbed it in case, all he needed was the flu.

"Oh, no, that's okay Bradin...," she started as she looked down at the black material.

"Hey," she looked him in the eyes as he spoke, "take it, it's the least I can do." He cracked a smile and she did too as she took the thing from his hands.

"Alright, but only because I don't want to have to deal with a round of 20 questions from Larissa," she said, pulling the big sweatshirt on over her small frame. She looked up at him again for confirmation.

"Damn girl, you look hott in my clothes," he joked and she pushed him hard as she walked past him and into the house, he followed smiling, and rubbing the spit from the side of his mouth off before he got inside. No one would want to see that either.
So that's the end of chapter 6. I tell you I have no idea what I'm thinking when I write most of this stuff, I just sit in front of the computer and the words just poor out. Well anyways, hoping for reviews, thanks for reading, and expect more soon.