Part 9
About 3 hours later, Bradin was still laying on the hotel bed thinking. There had to be a reason that Britney was being so distant. Something had to have happend in Florida that she wasn't telling him. What could it be? He was so deep in thought that he didn't hear Jay enter.
Jay finally just started yelling. "Earth to Bradin. Bradin? Hello?"
Bradin the snapped out of his trance.
"Yeah, what?" He asked. It seemed like Jay was always coming around when he was deep in thought.
"The sponsership people want to talk to you." answered Jay. "They said to meet them in the lobby at 10 tomorrow morning."
Bradin didn't really care about the sponsership right now. "Yeah, sure."
"You are gonna have to let this girl problem go," Jay said. He was getting more and more irrated by the moment.
Bradin once again tried to play dumb. "Huh?"
Jay did want to argue so he explained. "Don't let it get in the way of your surfing. This is your future we're talking about. Not just some game."
"Don't worry, Jay. I'll be fine," Bradin said. He quickly thought of an excuse to be alone. "I just need sleep. That's all."
The night went by with Bradin waking up and tossing and turning in bed. About 5 o'clock, he decided that he just had to call Britney. It had to be at least 9 or 10 in Playa Linda.
Britney anwered the phone as soon as she saw it was Bradin. "Hello?"
Bradin quickly got to the point. "We need to talk."
"Okay," Britney said, really confused. "What about?"
Bradin thought for a moment about how he was going to say this. He didn't want to seem to demanding for details, but he wanted her to know that he wanted at least some kind of a logical answer.
"What happened?" he questioned.
Britney was once again confused. "What do you mean?"
Bradin was getting more and more frustrated at the way she was acting. When he continued talking, it was almost as if he were screaming. "I'm gone for not even a day and you act like we never knew each other. There has got to be a reason that you are pushing me away."
Britney was speechless. She didn't know if she could tell him.
"There are reason's," Britney started, "but I don't think this is the way they should be explained."
"So, are you gonna make me wait a month?" Bradin yelled.
Britney was almost in tears by this point. "That wouldn't be fair to you."
Bradin waited. He figured that she would eventually tell him. Hopefully, she would let him know now.
Britney finally spoke. "It was on a spring break trip to Mexico. My boyfriend just broke up with me as soon as we got there. He abandened me and the next time I saw him he was introducing me to his new girlfriend."
Bradin felt bad that he made her explain. "I had no idea."
Britney could sense that he was mad at himself. "I just don't want to go through that again. I don't want to see you on the beach and be shaking hands with your new girl."
Bradin was starting to now get mad at her instead of him. "Whatever. If you think all guys are the same, then maybe you don't need to be in a relationship."
"Bradin, no..." Britney started to say.
Bradin interrupted her before she could finish what she was saying. "Until I get back, we are over. If you want to call me or I call you, it's as friends, nothing more. We'll talk about it when I get back."
Britney hung up the phone in tears. She couldn't believe she was so foolish to compair Bradin to him. He was mean and cruel and didn't care about anyones feelings. Bradin was different. She could tell. And know, because she just couldn't let go of the image that all boys are evil, she had lost something very good in her life.Bradin decided not to go back to sleep after the phone call. He was to mad. He knew that this would affect how he felt when he met with the sponsers, but he didn't care. He needed to be alone to sort through his thoughts. He wandered off toward the lobby of the hotel. He didn't realize it, but before long Jay was standing there talking to him.
"When did you come down here?" Jay questioned.
"At about 5:15," Bradin simply answered. "Why?"
Jay was stunned. "You've been sitting down here for hours!" he yelled. "Do you even know what time it is?"
"What's your problem?" Bradin said. Once again almost yelling.
Jay was getting more and more angry over the way that Bradin was acting. "We've all ready been through this! Forget about the girl! Let's go back to the room, you need to get ready for the meeting."
As Bradin turned around to walk toward his room, he bumped into a beautiful girl.
Bradin was quick to apologize. "Sorry. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."
"No. It's my fault," the girl said.
Bradin then introduced himself. "Well, i'm Bradin. It's nice to meet you."
"You too," was all the girl said.
Bradin then turned to walk off. As he did the girl called out at him.
"Oh, Bradin," she yelled, "by the way, my names Rachel. Rachel Jones."
A huge smile then formed on Bradin's face. Maybe this wasn't going to be a depressing trip afterall.
--End Of Part 9--