Kaitlin woke up not knowing where she was. She looked around and saw that she was in her bedroom. Her head was making her vision blurry. She moved to get up. She sat on the edge of her bed and stood up. She began to walk but fell to the floor. Everything was spinning. She tried to grab something to help her keep her balance when she tried to stand up. It was no use.

It's all your fault, a voice in her head said.

"Stop!" she yelled covering her ears tightly wither hands.

You know it's true, they told her, Luke would be alive if it wasn't for you.

"Stop it!" she screeched.

Her parents ran into the room and began asking what was wrong. The only thing she could do was scream for the voices to stop it and to leave her alone.

Bradin walked up to Kaitlin's house the following day and rang the doorbell. He stood there for a few minutes until the door finally opened.

"Bradin?" her father asked, "What are you doing here?"

"I came to check on Kaitlin. I was worried about her," Bradin told her father.

Her father let him in and made him wait by the door. Bradin looked around at the house.

"Why is this happening to her?" he heard Kaitlin's mother ask.

"I don't know, dear," her father said, "I don't know."

Another noise within the house drew Bradin's attention. He looked up the stairs and moved to hear someone puking. Kaitlin's parents ran up the stairs and yelled Kaitlin's name. They were out of his vision for one minute. And then, Kaitlin came running down with her parents behind her. Bradin followed them to the kitchen.

"NO!" her parents yelled.

Bradin looked through the space between her parents and saw Kaitlin with a knife. He gasped at how much this accident changed her and hurt her. She wanted to die.

"She has to see a doctor," her mother said, "I can't stand seeing her act this way after the accident. I don't her staying like this without getting help."

"I'll call the doctor," her father said. He turned around and noticed Bradin standing there. "I forgot you were here. Can you watch Kaitlin for a few minutes?"

"No problem," Bradin said. He walked up to Kaitlin and sat next to her. She was sobbing with the back of her head touching the cupboard door behind her. As he sat there with her, he heard someone walk into the kitchen. He peered up to see guys from the surf team there.

"How is she holding up?" Mark asked.

"She's terrible," Bradin said, "She's so upset over the accident."

"It… was… no… accident," she said through her sobs.

She got up and walked off. "Kaitlin!" Bradin called after her as he got up, "Kaitlin!" He saw her freeze in front of the front door. He walked up to her to find her dance teacher there.

"Hey, Kait," her teacher said, "I'm sorry." Kaitlin just stood there staring at her teacher. "I was wondering if you were still going to dance. You've missed four days and I was getting worried. You would seem like a dancer that Britney would want."

"I quit" Kaitlin said before taking a deep breath, "I quit when I woke up in the hospital."

"You never turned anything down that dealt with kids that have cancer or any other type of disease," her teacher said, "Why now?"

"Things happen," she said before walking away.

LATER

Bradin was working in the surf shop when Erika walked in with tears down her face.

"Is Jay here?" she asked him.

"Yeah. He's in the back."

Bradin watched as Erika walked to the back by Jay. He heard her begin to sob like Kaitlin was earlier. He began to eavesdrop on them.

"I feel like a bitch," Erika cried, "Kaitlin wouldn't be this way if I didn't dump Luke for Tanner."

"You dumped Luke because you hated him, right?" Jay asked.

"No," Erika said, "I dumped him for a stupid reason. I wish I took it back."

Bradin walked into the back room staring at Erika. "You're the reason why he brought Kaitlin to the party and not you. You're why Kaitlin wants to kill herself."

"Get out," Jay told Bradin.

"No. I can't believe I liked you when I first moved here," Bradin said before leaving the room.

"Bradin!" Jay yelled, "Why are you sticking up for Kaitlin? She's a suicidal freak that blames herself for everything bad that happens in this town. She might as well just leave Playa Linda and everyone will forget about her."

Jay saw Bradin running out of the store. He ran out the door and saw Bradin chasing Kaitlin. He knew that Kaitlin heard what he said.

Bradin walked out to the front of the store and saw Kaitlin standing there with tears down her face. She quickly turned and ran out of the store. He followed her until he caught up to her. He stopped her from running and held her in his arms knowing how upset she was and that she needed someone to hold and calm her down. He could feel his shirt become wet from all of the tears that escaped her eyes.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked him.

"You need someone," he said looking at her and moving her hair out of her face. "What were you doing back there?"

"I wanted to apologize to Erika for acting like a bitch," she said walking away, "I guess she has everyone in Playa Linda pissed at me for how I acted towards her."

"You were upset," he said walking beside her, "anyone would have done what you've done."

"Why are you talking to me?" she asked.

"Someone has to be there for you when you try to do what you did earlier," he said, "Also, you need someone who will listen to you and be there for you if the doctor or a grown up isn't. I want to be a friend." She looked up at him to find his eyes staring into hers. "Will you let me be that person?" he asked wiping the tears off of her face.

She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. "Only if you promise me that you won't force me to tell you anything that I don't want to tell you."

He stuck his hand out and said, "Deal." She smiled and shook his hand. "Come here," he said softly with open arms. She walked up to him and hugged him as he hugged her. "I should get going. I have surfing practice," he said handing her his number, "Call me later, after five."

She nodded and watched him jog off to the beach.