She's No You

Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Hey guys! I do not own Summerland or the cast, I just own the fictional characters, the story line and the title of the story, She's No You. I do not own the song, She's No You by Jesse McCartney. So...no stealing! Thanks guys!

I smiled and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. "I really am sor--"

"Hey, don't worry about it. I know how it feels to be alone...and scared," Bradin smiled a small smile. "I was a jerk when I first came here. I still can be."

"You've got that right," Lucas laughed. "So...have you been down the beach this way yet?" He asked me. I shook my head 'no'.

"Nope. I've only gone the other way down to Spanish Cove. It's so awesome down there," I smiled back at him. We were interrupted by a blonde girl. She was talking with some friends.

"Bradin?" She asked him with a frown. Bradin stopped in his tracks and looked at her. "W-What are you doing here?" She laughed lightly. She had a bottle of beer in one hand and a cigarrette in her other. I looked at Bradin. He had tensed up when he saw her. The girl looked like one of those 'Barbie Dolls' as I called them. I looked at Lucas and he was staring at Bradin.

"I live here, Sara. The question is, what are you doing here. Your parents have to be worried sick! They've been looking for you ever since you disappeared! How could you do that to them? I thought you said that our conversation meant nothing to you," Bradin spat at her with a frustrated look on his face.

"I see Mr. Westerly is back at it again," she laughed looking at me, obviously drunk. "Whatever happened to Callie? She was a dork, but she was better than this thing." She laughed and pointed her beer bottle in my direction. "Has he gotten in bed with you yet?" She laughed at me and looked over at Bradin. I looked over at him with a frown.

"Sara...cut the crap," Bradin sighed. "I've gotta go find her dad." He muttered and looked around. As hard as I tried to push what this 'Sara' girl had said to the back of my mind, it kept coming back. "Has he gotten in bed with you yet?"

"What's with her?" I frowned and Bradin walked away and Lucas and I trailed behind.

"She was with Bradin at the beginning of summer, I guess. I really didn't know Bradin then, so I don't know what happened, exactly. I do know that she made his summer terrible and pushed him into a lot of things. She was a mental case...still is, I guess. She lied to Bradin a lot. He told her parents and they shipped her off to some private school in Connecticut. She came back to visit last weekend and went to see Bradin. He was with Callie and he told Sara and she said she was okay with it. But then she disappeared and ran away from home that night," Lucas explained as we followed a frazzled Bradin down the beach. He looked furious.

"Wow," I frowned and muttered. "What about what Sara said--" he cut me off.

"Don't worry about what Sara said. Sara says a lot of things," Lucas sighed. "Listen, Avery." He started. "Bradin has been through a lot...especially lately. He really is a nice guy. And he's not a bad guy, either."

"Lucas, I just met him today. I'm not judging him...yet," I shrugged and continued walking. We came up across the bond fire and Bradin walked up to Ava. He told her something and she sighed. She went inside and I walked up to the fire.

"It was nice talking to you, again. Tell Bradin I had to head home, okay? See you at school," Lucas waved and walked away. I nodded and sat down in a beach chair by the fire. Nikki walked over and smiled.

"So...how'd it go?" She asked me and took a seat next to me.

"It was okay, I guess," I sighed. "I'm still nervous, but it was nice. Until we ran into some girl named Sara. Bradin got all tense and walked off." I shrugged and tossed a stick into the fire.

"Sara? Blonde-haired Sara?" She asked and I nodded. She sighed and closed her eyes. "She completely ruined the beginning of Bradin's summer. She got him into so much trouble and then she disappeared. She has been driving him crazy. I swear, she isn't sane." She sighed.

"So I've heard," I laughed lightly.

"Yeah, well, it just got tough on Bradin, that's all," she shrugged.

"Nikki! Come play baseball with me and Johnny!" Derrick exclaimed and pulled Nikki up. She smiled at me and I smiled back. I sighed and looked back at the fire. Through the flames I saw Bradin staring at me. I blushed and looked down at the sand below the chair. I hated it when people just...stared. It made me feel like there was something on my face or something was wrong with me.

"Can I sit here?" He asked me and pointed at the seat next to me. I nodded as he sat down.

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