Disclaimer: I do not own Summerland (is that still on?)

Oh my gosh, I just reread the 3rd chapter and I totally broke into tears.

Anyway, I'm sorry it took like two months to get this done, I feel horrible.

S

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L

Not too long after

Jay stood by the open door, watching the raindrops fall down. He gazed through the sheet of water trying to see how far the nearest house was. The pouring rain seemed to make a heavy mist, surrounding Summerland. Puddles began to overflow in the streets while the force of the water dug deep holes in the sand. The sidewalks glistened with all the puddles and far off Jay could see a misfortunate kitty struggling to find its way through the maze of the downpour.

Jay shook his head in pity for the wandering cat. "What are we gonna do?" he asked miserably as Bradin and Chris came up behind him.

"We could try to call Aunt Ava." Bradin suggested with a gleam of a hope in his sorrowed eyes. Looking over at him, Jay saw no way that he could deny Bradin's idea.

Forcing a small smile, Jay said. "We can only try." Bradin's face lit up, (as much as it could in a situation as such) his smile growing bigger.

Then losing his sudden happiness, Bradin questioned his aunt's friend. "What about... Derr-"

"I think... he'll be okay... without us." Jay said cutting him off.

S

The three guys stood at the doorway, ready to begin in a race for the payphones. Watching the rain and the shimmering ground Chris questioned if it would be okay.

Jay sighed. "It should be fine, IF you watch the ground and where you going." Chris and Bradin nodded. "Okay, let's go!"

They set off through the rain, the big drops smashing against their heads. Jay pointed his arm straight out to where the payphone was; assuming the others hadn't seen it. "Chris! This way!" Jay yelled as he stopped it the middle of the road. The city seemed empty every house was dark and the streets were empty of all cars and pedestrians that usually filled them. "Chris!" Jay yelled. "Over here!"

Chris was sitting on the edge of the boardwalk looking out over the water as he heard Jay yelling. Ignoring the man, he stared blankly at the dark ocean. 'It's all my fault.' He said to himself as he watched the wind pick the water up and crash it down making waves bigger the Chris had ever seen. "I'm sorry Derrick..." Chris sobbed, as rain and teardrops soaked his young skin.

Although young and childlike on the outside, Chris had aged years inside. After seeing what no child deserved to see, Chris could no longer look at anyone as carelessly as he had before. He had always been taught that God made things happen for a reason and that night, looking out over the waving ocean, Chris felt his friend take his hand and whisper into his ears. It was then that he knew he needed to help Bradin and Jay contact Ava.

"Jay!" he yelled as he jumped up and ran into the street where Bradin was joining them. Jay bent down and took Chris in his arms.

"Let's go call Ava." He said to Bradin before they hurried to the phone.

(A/N: Jay is just holding Chris because somehow it worked out like that.)

When the phone was in sight, Jay set Chris down and searched his damp pockets for one of the quarters he had put there before. "Ah, here Bradin call Ava! Chris go in the booth!"

Jay stood outside, leaning his head on the plastic walls. He felt his socks dampen as water seeped through the sides of his shoes. 'I feel like I'm standing in a puddle.' He said to himself. The rain thundered on the phone booth distracting the young man as he tried to think.

"Come on!" he heard Bradin yell to the stubborn machine.

Suddenly, the noise of a pounding drum echoed through Jay's ears and began pounding in his head. The raindrops sounded like explosions each louder and more painful than the last. Jay gripped his head and fell to his knees struggling not to cry out in agony.

"Jay! It's ringing!" Chris yelled joyously.

The yells of the young boy stung through his ears and pounded against his fragile brain. Jay felt his mind begin to explode as he forced himself to stand. Relief from all the pain came slowly as he leaned against the booth and heard Bradin talking with his aunt.

"So you're coming?" Bradin asked the black receiver.

"Of course, we'll be there as soon as we can!" Ava answered. "Can I speak to Jay?"

Bradin nodded his head, forgetting his aunt couldn't see him. "Jay! Aunt Ava wants you!"

Jay squeezed his eyes tightly, relieving himself of some of the pain. Squishing into the booth, Bradin handed him the phone. "Ava?"

All he could hear on the other line was his friend sobbing profusely. "Ava, it'll be okay, we just need you to get here as soon as possible." He could hear the faint outline of an agreement. "So how long do you think it will take you to get here?"

"I don't know." Jay could feel her forcing her sobs down her throat. "Why did this happen?"

"Because..." Jay stopped. Pictures of Derrick and Chris and Bradin loomed around him. Haunting his mind of what had just happened. "Because Derrick needed to be with his parents tonight. It's... what he wanted." He heard Ava break up into tears again then the phone's click of her hanging up.

Jay turned to see Bradin and Chris battling armies of tears. "Is this really what he wanted?" Bradin asked.

Silence loomed over the three guys in the wet phone booth. Looking from the ground to each other, they each waited for someone else to be the first to talk. They stood in the phone booth for over one hour, crying outside and dying within. "We should go." Jay said in a loud whisper.

Chris was the first to open the doors with Bradin then Jay following him. "Where do we go?" Bradin asked confusedly.

Jay shook his head and shrugged his shoulder. No one wanted to go back to the house, nor did they want to stay in the rain. But being wet seemed to be easier. The three walked around silently in the street for several minutes until big lights lit up the dark streets. Bradin stared straight into the light of the oncoming truck.

Jay raced towards him. "Bradin move!"

S

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L

Well, that's all folks (for now anyway)

I hope it was worth the wait, please, please, please REVIEW!

S

Music... it's like the international language that everyone understands.

-Mike (skills Aug 04 Camp Big Canoe CAN.)