"Mommy!" Ethan cried running into her room.

Kaitlin jumped up from her bed and asked, "What's wrong?"

"I was chased by a guy!" he yelled, "He was holding something to my head!"

Kaitlin quickly took him into her arms and held him tightly. "It's okay," she said softly, "It's okay. Mommy's here. Shush." Ethan continued to cry into her shoulder. She came to the conclusion that she would have Ethan stay with her that night. She lied them both down on the bed and placed the covers over them. She held him closely until he fell asleep. Something came to Kaitlin's mind. Ethan just had the same dream that she's had a few nights. Tears fell from her eyes as the thought of losing Ethan entered her mind. She would die if she lost him.

Kaitlin woke up the next morning and felt dry tears on her face. She rubbed her face. She heard someone run into the room and jump on the bed. She looked to find Ethan grinning.

"Morning, mommy," he said.

"Good morning," she said smiling at him. She looked over at the clock on her night stand and saw that it read 10:30. Her mother walked into the room carrying tray of food.

"It was Ethan's idea," her mother told her.

Kaitlin looked at her son and hugged him. "I love you, mommy," he said.

"I love you, too."

Bradin stood at the board walk a little before noon. He was trying to think of things to talk about with Kaitlin. He was nervous and had no idea why. He leaned on the edge of the board walk as he waited and looked into a crowd of people. He saw her and smiled.

"Hey," he said as he approached her.

"Hi," she said with a small smile.

"Hey," he repeated himself. Kaitlin laughed and shook her head. "Um," he began, "I was thinking we could go to lunch and maybe afterwards we could go to the carnival or something."

"Sounds good," she said.

Bradin led her to a small restaurant near the board walk. They were seated, given menus, and ordered their drinks. Bradin looked across the table at Kaitlin who was looking at the menu. She peered up and smiled at him. He smiled back and watched her look at the menu. The waitress came back with their drinks and took there orders. She took their menus and went to give their order to the chef.

"So," Bradin began, "what is there to know about you?"

"Well," she said leaning on the table, "What do you want to know?"

"Everything."

"Start asking questions," she told him.

"How old are you?"

"I'm going to be seventeen in about a month. You?" she asked.

"I'll be eighteen in a few months. What are you into? Like, what do you do?"

"I work at the music store. I play sports by myself to keep in shape since I can't play them for anyone. I can surf but I haven't surfed in a long time. Um, and, I like listening to music."

"Interesting," he said. "I surf for Playa Linda High School. I'm a backup on the team."

"Cool. Maybe I'll come by and check you guys out sometime," she said. "What's your favorite thing to do when you're bored out of your mind?"

"I don't have just one," he told her, "I have tons."

"Am I allowed to know?"

He smiled. "I like to buy and listen to music, go surfing, or walk on the beach are my top favorite things. They make me relaxed." He looked up at her and looked into her eyes. "What do you do when something is on your mind and you need to get it out but no one will listen to you?" he asked.

"I don't do anything. I leave it in my mind."

"Doesn't it hurt to keep it to yourself, though?" he asked.

"Yes. But, no one really cares about what goes on in my life. I don't have friends. Everyone makes fun of me. I only have family who I care about. They're the only ones there for me."

"Then, why don't you talk to them about your problems?"

"They don't understand the pain that goes on in my mind. It does hurt to keep it from them. But, if I explain it to them, I'll confuse them and they won't understand."

"What kind of girl are you?"

"My family thinks of me as a nice girl who deserves to be loved. I think I'm a bitch."

"Why do you think you're a bitch?"

"There are things in my life that people don't know about. When they ask what's wrong with me, I act like a total bitch to them instead of telling them. I'm not the person you think I am, Bradin."

"So far, I'm finding you interesting," he told her leaning on the table the same way she was.

"Now if only others could see what you see in me," she said sitting back in her chair, "I'd be happy."

"Describe your life in one word," he said.

"Shitty."

He laughed at how quickly she answered the question. "Is there anything you like about your life?" he asked.

She bit he bottom lip as she thought of what to tell him. "There's one person that makes me happy," she said, "He makes me smile every time he walks into the room. He always makes me smile when I'm sad."

In Bradin's mind, he thought she was describing someone that she was dating.

"The only problem is that he's three," she said.

"You're dating a three year old?" he asked.

Kaitlin looked at him and laughed. "Oh yes, Bradin. I'm dating someone who is fourteen years younger than me," she said sarcastically as she laughed. Bradin felt like an idiot and began to blush. "You are so cute," she said as she continued laughing.