Disclaimer: how sad! I still own nothing of Summerland, but I do own Kendra and Kylie.
Flames are welcome because I still have horrible pictures of music stars with no talent or those that are posers.
Lets get it started...
Dear Aunt Ava,
Hey. You're going to hate me for this, but I had to do something. I was going crazy. I'm on my way back to Kansas right now. Please don't come after me. I need to be alone for a while. I will keep in touch, and I promise to be safe. I love you, Aunt Ava.
Bradin
Dear Johnny,
Please don't let Aunt Ava kill me. You know you have needed to just be free before, and now that I have the means to do it, I am. I just need to take some time to myself, and I would really appreciate it if you would allow me to do that. You have been there for me since I got there, and I thank you for that. You're like a surrogate father for me. I love you.
Bradin
Dear Jay and Erica,
Jay, Thanks for just letting me be me man. Kansas isn't that bad. I promise man I'll be safe if I see some sexy farm girl, even though they all have more muscle than me.
Erica, Thanks for the lessons. You may need to refresh my farmer boy butt when I get back, because you know Kansas has great surf, right?
You guys are great thanks so much for being the friend you are. I love you.
Bradin
Dear Susannah,
Keep on being you, and good luck with that job. Oh yeah, and um, that sweater you lost, I kind of, sort of, might have given it to Cali as a present last Valentine's day... Sorry. You are the fourth one of these that I have written, and I feel like I am signing yearbooks. Anyways, thanks being a great secret keeper. I love you.
B!
Dear Derrick,
Keep out of my stuff while I'm gone, but check under your pillow. My first ever comic book is under there just for you. While I'm not there, you have to look out for Nikki, okay? Maybe I can convince Aunt Ava to send you and Nikki out here for a week, but I doubt it. I will talk to you later, Mini-Me. I love you.
Bradin
Little Dog, Nik, Baby Sister,
I love you so much, and I am so proud of you. I took your advice about running away. Well, I decided to try my luck at facing my demons. What a better place to start than at the beginning. Anyways, Nik. Keep an eye out for Derrick, and you can have that hoodie of mine that you kept stealing. Nikki, I hope you forgive. I will call when I get to Kansas. I love you, and I really want you to know that. Once I get settled in somewhere, I'll talk to Aunt Ava about you and Derrick coming to visit. I love you, Little Dog.
Bradin
P.S.: Send me cookies when I give you my address.
Bradin drove for 3 days. Every night he'd stay in a hotel, and everyday he would drive. It was lonely. He would call the house during dinner every night. He knew they never answered during meals. He always left a message, and there was always something extra in them for Nikki.
When he saw the sign "Welcome to Kansas" he honked his horn, and smiled for the first time in almost two months.
He drove by his old house, and someone had moved in. He stopped the car in the driveway and saw two little boys playing out front, three adolescent girls swinging, and two more teen girls talking on the front porch.
He got out of the car, and walked up to the teenagers.
"Um..." was all he could say.
"Um to you too." Said a beautiful blonde girl with big green eyes.
"Are the adults of the house home?" Bradin smiled.
"Yeah. Kylie, go get mom and dad." The beautiful girl said to another girl with dark brown hair and the same green eyes.
The brunette, Kylie, looked up from her book, The Thin Red Line, and glared at the blonde. "Do it yourself, lard ass." She went back to her book.
"Excuse me a moment." The blonde said and went into the house.
Bradin sat on the railing and waited for the parents of all these children.
"Young man, I wouldn't sit on that railing if I were you." A man with graying hair and a round face came out of the house.
"It's okay. It's that railing that's loose." Bradin said, and pointed to the other side of the porch.
"Yes. It is, isn't it?" the man grew apprehensive of Bradin.
"Oh. I'm Bradin Westerly, sir." Bradin extended his hand for a shake.
"We bought this house off a fellow named Westerly." The man replied. "Arthur Drake."
"That's my uncle, sir. I grew up here. May I?" Bradin motioned into the house.
"Of course." Arthur opened the door for him.
Bradin ran his hand up and down the frame of the kitchen entrance. "This is where mom measured us." He explained. He then found the dent it the bathroom wall. "And this is where Nikki saw a huge spider, ran out of the shower, and fell into the wall." He went to his old room, and everything was different the walls were bright pink, the carpet was white, and there was stuffed animals, and cheerleading trophies all over the place. He opened the closet door, and pulled up the hidden trap door. "This is my old hideaway where I kept all the stuff mom would have killed me for having." Derrick's room was a study now. Bookshelves lined the walls, and there was a desk in a corner. Nikki's room was black walled with glow in the dark stars all over, and there were posters plastering the walls. All of them were rock bands.
Arthur invited Bradin for dinner, and he accepted.
As they sat at the table he realized that only the two teenagers were here. "Where are all of your other children?" he asked.
"Those aren't ours." Mrs. Drake replied. "Kendra and Kylie run a day care program after school and after church."
"Oh." Bradin stuffed a forkful of rice into his mouth.
"Bradin, Deanna and I were talking." Arthur said. "We would like you to come and stay with us while you are here in Kansas. It used to be your home, and we can easily convert the study back to a bedroom. It would be our pleasure."
Author's Note: Will he say yes? Will he say no? Will you review? Find out next time in Show Me The Way To Life...