Chapter 3:
A/N: Well I've loved all the feedback so far, and I'm glad you all like it. Like I said, this is looking to be a rather involved plot so please be patient with me. Plus, I'm trying to write a novel so there are times I'll be on a roll with that.
Disclaimer: I only own the ones I make up.
"Come on, we have to get going or we'll be late! Bradin!! Nikki!! I don't want you to be late your first day!" Ava shouted from her position in the kitchen, where she was still scraping the breakfast dishes into the disposal.
Susanna glanced away from the paper she'd been reading. "Nikki you look great! I helped you pick out a great outfit yesterday. Stop worrying about it!" She smiled over at her best friend. Ava mouthed a silent thank you.
Nikki pounded down the steps, hair streaming behind her. "Back pack?" Ava asked without turning around. Nikki spun on her heel and darted back up the steps. Susanna chuckled. The door to Bradin's room opened and all levity in the room stopped.
Bradin wheeled himself out of the room, his backpack settled across his knees. The blonde youth barely looked at his aunt or Susanna. He wore gloves on his hands with the fingers exposed. He pushed himself wordlessly to the sliding back door and onto the special concrete path Johnny had laid before his return from the hospital. It wound around the side of the house to the front, since stairs blocked his way to the front door. A separate path led out to the beach, though Bradin had yet to use it.
Ava sighed and tried to swallow the hard lump in her throat. "I hope this is the right thing. His therapist said he should try to go back to normal behaviors, school, activities but I just don't know. He won't talk to me."
"Ava none of us know how to deal right now. And if we're confused, I can't even imagine how hard this must be for Bradin. We just need to trust the doctors and give it some more time. He's a strong kid, he'll adjust."
"You're right. Okay, well, why don't you go ahead and get those flyers out to the boutiques. Johnny said he'd take Derrick to school when it's time. I'm going to drop them off and then go check in on Jay. I haven't talked to him in over a week."
Susanna nodded encouragingly. "Sounds like a plan. And Ava, I know this isn't gonna do much but, try not to worry."
Ava smiled tightly. "Sure." Nikki came flying down the stairs once more, this time with her bag. She had however, changed shirts in the few minutes she'd been up in her room. "Nikki......" Ava sighed.
The teen grinned. "It's my first day of high school Aunt Ava. And you know what they say, you never get a second chance to make first impressions."
"Uh huh. And I'm sure this has nothing to do not having seen Cameron all week." Nikki flushed but didn't answer. "I just hope you try as hard to make a good first impression with your teachers as well as the rest of the student population." Ava pointed for the front door. "No let's go."
Ava grabbed her keys and followed her niece out the front. Bradin sat slouched over next to the special van Ava had purchased 8 months prior. The ugly brown van's rear door slid open and a special mechanical lift slid out of the floor so Bradin could wheel himself on. The dark cloud over his head seemed to darken as the machine carried him into the van. Ava slid the door shut, biting down on her lip and then hopped inside.
Ten minutes later the van pulled up to the curb at the local high school. Kids swarmed outside, offloading from buses and streaming in from the student parking lot. Bradin slouched lower in his seat. "Do you think you could drop us off out back Aunt Ava?" he asked, speaking for the first time all morning.
"Sorry, it's blocked off. Besides, the uh front entrance," he eyes flickered quickly over his chair, "has ramps." Nikki pulled open the side door and California sunlight streamed inside, reflecting off the metal chair. The elevator whirred loudly as it began its descent. Bradin could feel the eyes turning on him, boring holes into his back. The lift settled and Nikki reached out to squeeze his hand. "Do you want me to come in with you?" Ava asked front the driver's seat.
"No," Bradin answered quickly. He definitely didn't want his aunt pushing him through the halls, telling him everything was going to be fine. "You'd better go Aunt Ava. You're blocking traffic." He wheeled himself onto the sidewalk. Then he lifted his head, set his chin out stubbornly and began to roll himself inside, pretending not to notice the attention he was getting.
Nikki stood waiting for the ramp. "Keep an eye on him Nik, huh?"
She shrugged. "I will, much as I can. I just don't know how much I'll see him. I think Bradin is gonna have to figure this one out on his own."
"I'll be back to pick you up at 3:30."
"K." Nikki waved before sliding the van door shut. Then she turned and began to scan the crowd for Cameron or Amber.
Inside was no better for Bradin than outside had been. The halls were crammed with students, freshmen looking anxious and intimidated and upper classmen reuniting with friends. Then the bell rang and the once still river began to flow, rippling with student bodies in barely organized chaos. And everywhere he went, people stopped, scooting to the very edge of the hallway to watch him roll by. They gathered in two's and three's, head huddled together while they whispered and stared.
Bradin's heart was hammering by the time he made it to his first class. By this time most of the students had emptied the hall, but for those that were lost or late. He was the latter. "Bradin?" A familiar voice floated down to him. He stopped and peered upward. Callie stood at the top of the staircase, jaw slack. He clenched his teeth and opened the door. "Bradin wait!" She flew down the stairs two at a time. He turned away, and the door closed behind him just as she reached it.
--
Ava pocketed the van keys and wound her way through the small collection of shops at the beaches edge. Wood flooring, covered in sand wound between each building and then morphed into a boardwalk, that led down the beach in either direction and out to the pier. She knew the way to Jay's shop by heart.
It was early still, not even 8, but Ava knew that the Australian was probably up. By this time he'd be halfway into a pot of coffee, his remedy for his lack of sleep, and be shaping a board. Ava reached the store and peered in through the glass, expecting to see Jay puttering around, but she didn't. Her brow knit when she noticed that the surf shop door hung ajar, though the closed sign still hung. She pulled the door open a little farther. "Jay?"
She looked past a display of post cards. Ava sucked in a breath. There, half concealed by the counter, Jay lay sprawled on his back, not moving. Ava ripped the door open and hurried to his side, kneeling when she reached him. "Jay?" her voice held a note of panic. She brushed the hair from his forehead, revealing a large bump on the side of his head. "Oh my God, Jay?"
The young man groaned, reflexively turning over onto his side. His eyes opened in slits and he brought a slow hand to his temple. "Ava?" He drew his legs underneath him and sat up, leaning his head back against the display case.
"What happened? Are you okay? Should I call the cops?"
"Not sure, maybe and no, in that order." he winced. "Ava do me a favor?"
"Of course."
"Next time I decide to play good Samaritan......... hit me, preferably not with anything harder than an open palm."
"What?" Jay relayed the story to his friend. He left nothing out, from surfing the night before to being attacked when he called the hospital that morning. "You were surfing, at night, drunk?"
Jay groaned and shook his head. "Ugh, everything that happened and that's what you focus on. It was a bad night Ava, just let it go."
"Seems to me like you've had a lot of bad nights lately."
"Ava!" he snapped.
"Sorry." She backed off the subject, sensing this was not time to press the issue. "So what do you want to do?" She grasped his arm, helping lever him off the floor. Jay grit his teeth, as the world settled back into a level plain.
"I don't know. Maybe she just freaked."
"Sure, freaked and then robbed you." Jay spun, sighting in on the open cash register. he hurried around to the back of the case, muttering curses beneath his breath. "How much did she take?"
Jay went over the tally in his head twice. "Two hundred give or take a little."
"Time for the police now?" Ava reached for the phone, which had been placed back on the receiver.
"Wait. Ava you didn't see her. She didn't remember anything, but I mentioned the cops and you could see the panic in her eyes. That fear.........there was something to it. What if there's a reason for it and I go set the cops on her?"
"So you're just gonna let her get away with two hundred dollars?"
"Didn't say that now did I?" Jay shut the register and grabbed his keys off a hook on the wall behind him. "I'm gonna find her." he headed for the front door, Ava trailing at his heels.
"She could be anywhere Jay. Be reasonable."
Jay locked the door to his shop behind them. "Ava she's got no ID, no friends, no vehicle and she's too scared to go to anyone who might be able to help her. She won't be able to go too far on two hundred dollars either. I might not know where she is, but I've got a good idea where to start looking." Jay started for the parking lot. "I'll call you later." he vanished around a corner, leaving Ava to stare after him.
Chapter 3
I know this is rather short but I'm trying to keep getting chapters out. Please read and review. Insight is always welcome.
A/N: Well I've loved all the feedback so far, and I'm glad you all like it. Like I said, this is looking to be a rather involved plot so please be patient with me. Plus, I'm trying to write a novel so there are times I'll be on a roll with that.
Disclaimer: I only own the ones I make up.
"Come on, we have to get going or we'll be late! Bradin!! Nikki!! I don't want you to be late your first day!" Ava shouted from her position in the kitchen, where she was still scraping the breakfast dishes into the disposal.
Susanna glanced away from the paper she'd been reading. "Nikki you look great! I helped you pick out a great outfit yesterday. Stop worrying about it!" She smiled over at her best friend. Ava mouthed a silent thank you.
Nikki pounded down the steps, hair streaming behind her. "Back pack?" Ava asked without turning around. Nikki spun on her heel and darted back up the steps. Susanna chuckled. The door to Bradin's room opened and all levity in the room stopped.
Bradin wheeled himself out of the room, his backpack settled across his knees. The blonde youth barely looked at his aunt or Susanna. He wore gloves on his hands with the fingers exposed. He pushed himself wordlessly to the sliding back door and onto the special concrete path Johnny had laid before his return from the hospital. It wound around the side of the house to the front, since stairs blocked his way to the front door. A separate path led out to the beach, though Bradin had yet to use it.
Ava sighed and tried to swallow the hard lump in her throat. "I hope this is the right thing. His therapist said he should try to go back to normal behaviors, school, activities but I just don't know. He won't talk to me."
"Ava none of us know how to deal right now. And if we're confused, I can't even imagine how hard this must be for Bradin. We just need to trust the doctors and give it some more time. He's a strong kid, he'll adjust."
"You're right. Okay, well, why don't you go ahead and get those flyers out to the boutiques. Johnny said he'd take Derrick to school when it's time. I'm going to drop them off and then go check in on Jay. I haven't talked to him in over a week."
Susanna nodded encouragingly. "Sounds like a plan. And Ava, I know this isn't gonna do much but, try not to worry."
Ava smiled tightly. "Sure." Nikki came flying down the stairs once more, this time with her bag. She had however, changed shirts in the few minutes she'd been up in her room. "Nikki......" Ava sighed.
The teen grinned. "It's my first day of high school Aunt Ava. And you know what they say, you never get a second chance to make first impressions."
"Uh huh. And I'm sure this has nothing to do not having seen Cameron all week." Nikki flushed but didn't answer. "I just hope you try as hard to make a good first impression with your teachers as well as the rest of the student population." Ava pointed for the front door. "No let's go."
Ava grabbed her keys and followed her niece out the front. Bradin sat slouched over next to the special van Ava had purchased 8 months prior. The ugly brown van's rear door slid open and a special mechanical lift slid out of the floor so Bradin could wheel himself on. The dark cloud over his head seemed to darken as the machine carried him into the van. Ava slid the door shut, biting down on her lip and then hopped inside.
Ten minutes later the van pulled up to the curb at the local high school. Kids swarmed outside, offloading from buses and streaming in from the student parking lot. Bradin slouched lower in his seat. "Do you think you could drop us off out back Aunt Ava?" he asked, speaking for the first time all morning.
"Sorry, it's blocked off. Besides, the uh front entrance," he eyes flickered quickly over his chair, "has ramps." Nikki pulled open the side door and California sunlight streamed inside, reflecting off the metal chair. The elevator whirred loudly as it began its descent. Bradin could feel the eyes turning on him, boring holes into his back. The lift settled and Nikki reached out to squeeze his hand. "Do you want me to come in with you?" Ava asked front the driver's seat.
"No," Bradin answered quickly. He definitely didn't want his aunt pushing him through the halls, telling him everything was going to be fine. "You'd better go Aunt Ava. You're blocking traffic." He wheeled himself onto the sidewalk. Then he lifted his head, set his chin out stubbornly and began to roll himself inside, pretending not to notice the attention he was getting.
Nikki stood waiting for the ramp. "Keep an eye on him Nik, huh?"
She shrugged. "I will, much as I can. I just don't know how much I'll see him. I think Bradin is gonna have to figure this one out on his own."
"I'll be back to pick you up at 3:30."
"K." Nikki waved before sliding the van door shut. Then she turned and began to scan the crowd for Cameron or Amber.
Inside was no better for Bradin than outside had been. The halls were crammed with students, freshmen looking anxious and intimidated and upper classmen reuniting with friends. Then the bell rang and the once still river began to flow, rippling with student bodies in barely organized chaos. And everywhere he went, people stopped, scooting to the very edge of the hallway to watch him roll by. They gathered in two's and three's, head huddled together while they whispered and stared.
Bradin's heart was hammering by the time he made it to his first class. By this time most of the students had emptied the hall, but for those that were lost or late. He was the latter. "Bradin?" A familiar voice floated down to him. He stopped and peered upward. Callie stood at the top of the staircase, jaw slack. He clenched his teeth and opened the door. "Bradin wait!" She flew down the stairs two at a time. He turned away, and the door closed behind him just as she reached it.
--
Ava pocketed the van keys and wound her way through the small collection of shops at the beaches edge. Wood flooring, covered in sand wound between each building and then morphed into a boardwalk, that led down the beach in either direction and out to the pier. She knew the way to Jay's shop by heart.
It was early still, not even 8, but Ava knew that the Australian was probably up. By this time he'd be halfway into a pot of coffee, his remedy for his lack of sleep, and be shaping a board. Ava reached the store and peered in through the glass, expecting to see Jay puttering around, but she didn't. Her brow knit when she noticed that the surf shop door hung ajar, though the closed sign still hung. She pulled the door open a little farther. "Jay?"
She looked past a display of post cards. Ava sucked in a breath. There, half concealed by the counter, Jay lay sprawled on his back, not moving. Ava ripped the door open and hurried to his side, kneeling when she reached him. "Jay?" her voice held a note of panic. She brushed the hair from his forehead, revealing a large bump on the side of his head. "Oh my God, Jay?"
The young man groaned, reflexively turning over onto his side. His eyes opened in slits and he brought a slow hand to his temple. "Ava?" He drew his legs underneath him and sat up, leaning his head back against the display case.
"What happened? Are you okay? Should I call the cops?"
"Not sure, maybe and no, in that order." he winced. "Ava do me a favor?"
"Of course."
"Next time I decide to play good Samaritan......... hit me, preferably not with anything harder than an open palm."
"What?" Jay relayed the story to his friend. He left nothing out, from surfing the night before to being attacked when he called the hospital that morning. "You were surfing, at night, drunk?"
Jay groaned and shook his head. "Ugh, everything that happened and that's what you focus on. It was a bad night Ava, just let it go."
"Seems to me like you've had a lot of bad nights lately."
"Ava!" he snapped.
"Sorry." She backed off the subject, sensing this was not time to press the issue. "So what do you want to do?" She grasped his arm, helping lever him off the floor. Jay grit his teeth, as the world settled back into a level plain.
"I don't know. Maybe she just freaked."
"Sure, freaked and then robbed you." Jay spun, sighting in on the open cash register. he hurried around to the back of the case, muttering curses beneath his breath. "How much did she take?"
Jay went over the tally in his head twice. "Two hundred give or take a little."
"Time for the police now?" Ava reached for the phone, which had been placed back on the receiver.
"Wait. Ava you didn't see her. She didn't remember anything, but I mentioned the cops and you could see the panic in her eyes. That fear.........there was something to it. What if there's a reason for it and I go set the cops on her?"
"So you're just gonna let her get away with two hundred dollars?"
"Didn't say that now did I?" Jay shut the register and grabbed his keys off a hook on the wall behind him. "I'm gonna find her." he headed for the front door, Ava trailing at his heels.
"She could be anywhere Jay. Be reasonable."
Jay locked the door to his shop behind them. "Ava she's got no ID, no friends, no vehicle and she's too scared to go to anyone who might be able to help her. She won't be able to go too far on two hundred dollars either. I might not know where she is, but I've got a good idea where to start looking." Jay started for the parking lot. "I'll call you later." he vanished around a corner, leaving Ava to stare after him.
Chapter 3
I know this is rather short but I'm trying to keep getting chapters out. Please read and review. Insight is always welcome.