Disclaimer: I do not own anyone on Summerland. I wish I did though, because I would want Jesse!
Chapter 2: Strength
Summary:
Bradin is faced with so many decisions in his life right now. Callie left and Bradin was facing a tough time with that until Claire walked into his life. As more girls come, Lucas makes Bradin realize that he has more options than he once thought. Claire and Bradin finally get on the right track but something disastrous (terrible) happens that just doesn't quite equal out to what everyone thinks it is. When Bradin finds that out he becomes the detective in his own little case. Can the clever boy figure out what happened and what is now taking place before time runs out? Or will he fail and everything will crumble into a complete disaster. (More than meets the eye in this story! Other things are thrown in as well that aren't/have nothing to do with the summary. This plot takes a while to form.)
Bradin's POV
I felt weak in the knees. The only thing keeping me up was the burning kiss. There was only one thing wrong. I didn't know anything about her, other than the fact that she had a killer arm. And also that she was very beautiful. Just as I felt I was going to past out the kiss broke. When I opened my eyes I saw her searching the beach. I knew right then that she was searching for that jerk of a guy she tried to hit.She took a few steps back and collapsed top the ground. Rolling over on her stomach I heard a light whimper escape her. Then I realized she was crying. Sitting down beside her I tucked her hair behind her ear. "Are you OK?" I asked politely.
"Oh, I am so sorry… again. I was just trying… well to tell you the truth, I don't know what I was trying to do," the girl said.
"Well, I'll tell you what. You tell me your name and I'll forget about it," I bargained.
She laughed. God did she have the most beautiful laugh. "Ok, Deal. My name… is Claire Sanados," she said rolling over so stick out her hand. After I shook it, she wiped sand off her hands. I helped her get it off her hair and then spoke.
"Your last name, that sounds Spanish. But wait, your first name sounds French. Is it?"
"Um… to tell you the truth, I don't know. Um…" hesitating to answer I cut in.
"My name is Bradin. Bradin Westerly. Do you know you have an arm built for a football team? The poor guy you were with could've been seriously injured," I said sarcastically.
"Ha! You're funny," she said shifting her weight.
Claire's POV
And cute, I said to myself. No, this Bradin guy is gorgeous, I corrected. His long, dirty blonde hair came down past his gorgeous pale green eyes. I just wanted brush it out of the way so I could see them. He was wearing a shirt that matched his eye color and cacki shorts with a brown belt. His light freckles on his face made him look like a child, which I loved. But even though he was gorgeous, the only thing I was thinking about was Chad at that moment.
"And that jerks' name is Chad. I hate him," I said.
"Well with the tone you took to him it sounded like he tried to throw you of a building. He didn't, did he?"
I giggled lightly and bit my lip. "No, but that's how it felt," I rolled my eyes. "He kissed this girl in Connie's Café. I either had really good timing or he had really bad timing because I walked in just as did. How about that for father time."
"Wow, I don't see… wait a minute. If he did kiss her and you saw why were you having a picnic with him?" Bradin asked confused.
"Oh. Well you have to understand. I went out with him for so long, that I wanted to give him another chance. How stupid, right? So then he told me that to make it up to me he would take me on a picnic. Then when we got here, Teresa, the girl that kissed him the day before, came up to him and said 'so we're still on for tomorrow, right Chad?' and I blew a gasket. I told Teresa to go get her boyfriend and then when she left I threw questions left and right. I asked him 'Why did you ask her out?' and 'Why didn't you cancel it?' When he didn't answer, I threw the picnic basket. Obviously the food scattered all over the place and hit you."
"Obviously," Bradin chimed.
"Yeah… but did any hit him? No! He ducked and it had to hit you," I said touching his forehead where the apple hit him. "It was an apple wasn't it?"
"Hmm… it sure felt like an apple. But that's ok because if it didn't hit me, I wouldn't have met you. So if this lump is the price I have to pay to meet you, then so be it," Bradin said.
Author's POV
Oh! That was a good one! Bradin thought. Claire smiled; blushing overcame her.
That was so sweet! Shit! Why does he have to be so adorable and nice too? It would make rejection so much easier, Claire thought.
"Um, Bradin?" Claire asked.
"Yes Claire? Bradin replied.
"I have to go," Claire said. She got up after wiping a tear from her eye. She ran as hard as she could with so much deliberation. Bradin tried to follow but figured it was useless. When he lost Claire, he thought to himself.
It's amazing that all that time and I didn't think once about Callie. What is this girl doing to me? Well what ever it is I can live with it. Bradin shrugged. Here I am thinking about Claire when I should be thinking about Callie. Wait a minute though. Didn't Callie say to move on and forget about what we had? Yes she did and I have the note to prove it. She asked me to as a favor. And I would do anything for her.
Bradin shrugged."So that is what I'm going to do!" Bradin said aloud. A couple people on the beach stared at him awkwardly for a moment. Bradin lowered his head and walked home.
"Well, I thought for a minute you would never return home," Johnny said walking over to the dinner table. He waited for a response but only got a smile. Johnny shrugged and sat down at the table. "Weren't you mourning this morning?"
"Yeah but I thought about what Callie said in her letter and…"
"Wait, what letter?" Nikki interrupted.
"The…letter that Callie gave me. Now continuing my interrupted conversation. I think it might be a good idea to do that favor that she asked me to do," Bradin looked at all the bemused people around the table and huffed. "Um…she asked me to move on and pretend like what we had never existed."
"That's a pretty big favor to ask, isn't Bradin?" Ava asked mused.
"Yeah but the more I think about it, the more it makes sense. I need to have strength. Callie is obviously never going to come back and I don't want to mope about like I have nothing I could be doing," Bradin explained.
He heard a few huffs and saw a few heads shake. Bradin got up and put his plate in the sink. He couldn't stand being questioned any longer so he left.
Bradin was searching for Claire for a while and no sign of her was to be found. He was tired and frustrated so he sat down to think about some things. Just when he was relaxed he was knocked over by a lightweight body. When he opened his eyes he saw two beautiful blue eyes watching him. After she got off of him he realized red hair blazing in the sun.
"Wow! Now I can add tackling to my list of amazing thing done by Claire," Bradin smirked.
"Shut-up! I wasn't going to even talk to you at first but I decided to be courteous so you should be lucky," Claire said self-conceitedly.
"Oh I know I'm lucky. I'm very lucky to be able to speak to a girl as beautiful as you," Bradin said sweetly. Well shit! There is another good one!
"Awww! Do you really think so?" Claire said mordantly.
"Yeah and on top of it all, you're smart too. There aren't to many girls in California that can say courteous. So you really must be special," Bradin mocked.
"Hey I can spell it too! Want to see?" she said humorously.
"No thanks. But are you ok, seriously and truly? Because, Claire, to be honest to you. I like you. I really do. So when you're ready…" Bradin said uneasy.
"I just need time. But I like you too. I do and I promise you that," Claire said reassuringly. He nodded and took her hand in his.
"Then I'll give you time," he kissed her hand. "And when you're ready… just come to me. I'll be here. Oh and Claire…Hurry," Bradin said smiling. Claire giggled and got off the sand. Bradin followed her up and looked at her, into her eyes. He kissed her forehead and brushed his hand against her cheek. She closed her eyes and then opened them realizing how fast she had started to like Bradin. Claire quickly kissed him on the cheek and walked off towards her house.
Bradin came in the house to see Nikki and Cameron on the couch, having a long, passionate kiss. Bradin shook his head and walked to the refrigerator. "You know Nik, they have a thing called a bedroom so people like Aunt Ava and me won't see you making out. Because to tell you the truth, that could seriously scar my eyes," Bradin said scornfully.
"You know, the only reason I would go up to my room is to get away from you!" Nikki said bitterly. She took Cameron by the hand and pulled him up-stairs to her bedroom.
"Well, she sure can take a joke," Bradin said to himself. He puffed and took a sip of Pepsi from the can. "I wonder where everyone else is?" No sooner Bradin said that, he saw Jay and some hoe come in the door. They were in a serious lip lock and Bradin knew what to do. "Jay I'm in the kitchen I need to talk to you. I need your help with something!" Bradin yelled. He smiled and tried not to laugh. Though it was tempting, he kept it under control. Jay gave the girl one final kiss and turned to Bradin. He ran up the steps and began to pretend to strangle him. Bradin just laughed even harder and broke away from the pretend hold.
"You know I'm joshing you right? I'm sorry; it's just so weird. You and Erica should be the ones in here not you and… who was that I lost track of who you're going out with this time? That was… Melanie? No, Trisha? Wait… I think that was Ronda. No…" Bradin ran to get away from Jay but he didn't run after him. Instead he just looked depressed. "What is it? Erica?"
"Yeah and me. I mean I started a new game with Erica and now I popped in the old one again and started playing," Jay choked out.
"Well I think you should put the new game back in the machine and get used to the game. Playing the old game won't get Erica back," Bradin explained. "Plus you have to talk to Erica about what you're feeling. If you do, you'll be much better off."
"Aren't I the one giving you the advice? I must be in a different universe. What did you want help with?" Jay asked curiously.
"Um… I don't know really it's more like what I wanted to tell you. It just sounded better as a question," Bradin said.
"More like you just wanted to break up me and Ashley's lip lock?" Jay asked.
"Oh so that's her name. Silly Bradin," Bradin said in the third person.
"You are in an extremely good mood today. It's annoying, but good," Jay said excessively suspicious.
"Ha, well I met this girl…"
"Oh well I need no more info. Is she pretty?" Jay asked.
"She's gorgeous. She's not another blonde. And she's not another brunette."
"What does she have purple hair or something?"
"Do I look desperate to you? Don't answer that. But no she's a red head. More like a fire eternally burning. If you could only see her."
Just as he said that there was a knock at the door. Bradin waved to Jay that he would get it and headed to the front door. When he opened it he saw Martha and her mom standing in the doorway. "Is Derrick here?" the little girl asked.
"Um… I don't know Martha. Let me check," Bradin said politely. "Hey D, you up there?" Bradin yelled up the stairs. He heard footsteps followed by a little boy coming down the stairs. "Martha's here D."
"Ok, thanks." Derrick said. "Whenever Aunt Ava gets back tell her I went to the zoo with Martha."
"Hey where is Aunt Ava?"
"She's over Simon's house she said she'd be back after lunch," Derrick said grabbing his backpack.
"Who was watching you then?"
"Susanna and Johnny but they went to the store and Nikki was watching me. Tell them where I'm going to!" Derrick yelled in the door. He left and Bradin headed back to the kitchen. No sooner he sat down and went to speak to Jay again, someone knocked on the door again. Bradin sighed and went to get the door. When he opened it he saw a blonde standing there staring at him.
Here it is and I'm so glad I got it done. Please review. I'd really appreciate it. I thank everyone who even considered reading my story at all, so thank you again. So until next time!
