A/N: Thanks for reviewing! Yes, this is very different in tone than my other Summerland stories, as you'll probably see after this chapter. It's a bit short, so I apologize but I can promise that the next chapter will be up very soon. Please r n r and all suggestions are welcome, plot ideas? character background thoughts? Feel free!
"What's with you, Kansas?" Erika smiled with that killer smile of hers as she caught up to Bradin as he strode along the sidewalk by the beach walking home that day. "I've been calling for you for and you didn't even glance at me!"
"Sorry, I just started school." He apologized.
"Oh, how was it?" she asked.
"Weird." Bradin shook his head. His thoughts were still swimming and his senses still bouncing after that girl (Kris, did she say?) had crushed her lips against his. He could still taste the vanilla lipstick she had been wearing.
"I see that I'm not going to get much out of you today," she laughed, noticing his bemused expression. "I've got to go, but say hi to her for me."
"Who?" Bradin blinked.
"The girl who put that look on your face." Erika smirked. "See ya."
Bradin chuckled as the brunette jogged off and he tried to rearrange his face so that he wasn't as transparent. He reached the house and waved to Ava who was on the phone. She gestured madly at a plate of banana bread and grinned at him. He grabbed a piece and he gave her a thumb up in answer to the question that was dancing in her eyes.
"I see you've found your shoe." Bradin laughed as he walked by Derek. "How was it?"
"The teacher hates me already." He grumbled.
"Pssst. They all hate everyone." Bradin told him with a conspiratorial wink.
"Bradin, don't tell him that!" Nikki reprimanded with a laugh as she strode down the stairs from her room. "I, on the other hand, had a great day."
"Cameron liked your outfit, I trust?" he grinned.
"Shut up, you took twice as long as I did when you were starting high school two years ago." Nikki threw a cushion at him.
"Excuse me if starting grade six meant taking, what, five minutes to prepare?" Bradin snorted. "Just kidding. I'm glad you had fun."
That evening, the family was treated to a delicious dinner, courtesy of Ava's fiancée and surrogate father to the kids, Johnny Durant. It was a large group, with four adults who were sometimes more irrational and reckless than the actual kids, but they had all become very close in their time together and they had, more or less, been able to overcome the shock and grief that the two deaths had brought upon them.
Bradin hadn't made plans that evening, as it was tradition for the family to reflect a bit together on the years that passed after the kids had their first day. It was a bit hokey, but Bradin honestly liked playing a few cheesy board games with his family, and watching some G, or at the most PG, rated movies with his younger siblings. It was sort of the time they put aside to be a family again, and remember their parents and all that they had done for them.
"You are going to come straight back here after your first day at college next year, right?" Derek asked Bradin.
"Sure, D." he smiled, ruffling his brother's hair.
"This is going to be the last year before you leave." Nikki stated in awe. "How weird is that?"
"Before you even go there, no you can't have my room," Bradin smirked. "I'll be around. Maybe not close, but around."
"You'd better hope you do well this year, if you don't score a scholarship you're pretty much screwed." Jay teased.
"Ha ha," Susanna rolled her eyes.
"I was kidding," Jar held up his hands.
"Shut up and go, already," Bradin shook his head and threw the dice at his head.
"Aright, all right." The man caught the dice and rolled, subsequently winning the game twice in a row.
"You're cheating." Nikki, Derek, Johnny, Ava, and Bradin stated simultaneously as the Aussie whooped.
"Man, sore losers…" Jay laughed, taking cover from the storm of cushions that were suddenly flying at him.
The next day at school, Bradin had just gone out of class to get a drink when he ran into the girl again. This time she had on no noticeable lipstick, and she was wearing a Happy Bunny shirt. Her hair was down, and it looked a lot tamer without the accompanying makeup. Her boots were a lime green tint and she had simple blue jeans on. Today she looked almost normal.
"Hi…" Bradin greeted cautiously, silently considering what her mood was this hour.
"Ah, surfer boy." She smirked. "How are we doing today?"
"What are you doing out here?" he frowned.
She held out a note and waved it in his face. "I have to leave earlier. Dentist appointment. What about you? Playing hooky now?"
"It's called I was getting a drink." He said in irritation, brandishing his hall pass.
"Touché." She raised her eyebrows. "Had a bad day?"
"No, I guess you just have that effect on me." He answered edgily.
"Hey, I said I was sorry for being rude to you earlier." She said, perturbed.
"What did you say your name was?" he questioned.
"Kris." She said, taking two steps closer to him.
"Kris?" he repeated, raising his eyebrows.
"No, I didn't have a sex change operation, you dick, it's short for Kristina." She rolled her eyes.
"You can't go five minutes without insulting me, can you?" Bradin chuckled in amazement.
Cocking an eyebrow up, Kris closed the small gap between them and somewhat forcefully brought his face down to hers. Her lips slammed into his vigorously, one of her hands on his cheek and the other against his chest, just above his heart. All too soon she pulled back with a grin.
The words spilt out of his mouth before he could stop them. "That was only three." He gasped, and after inhaling another gulp of air he kissed her back with all the intensity she had done for him. When he needed to stop for air again, he caught the glint in her eye as she locked gazes with him and after her eyes gave him a quick once over, she pushed him into the closest room. Their lips furiously working, he could hear the slam of the door as she kicked it shut and before he knew what was happening, he was up against the wall and her hand had slipped under his shirt and she was softly running her fingers up his bare skin.
He felt her smile as her hands felt his defined stomach. "It's always nice to see that a guy cares enough to work out." She breathed, the smirk ever constant on her face.
Bradin smiled back but silenced her as he kissed her again. His hands caressed her back and he involuntarily shivered as he could feel her hand touch his own bare back. Her tongue searched, explored, tangled with his mouth and as her free hand combed through his hair, he couldn't help but let out a small groan. The rational part of his brain was wondering what the hell was going on, and he knew he should probably stop, but everything else, including a part of his anatomy that had suddenly become very, very alert, screamed at him to stop thinking and just do. It didn't feel like it was really his choice anyways, she was one assertive girl, and he was more than happy to go along.
She pulled back, a question in her eyes, and a moment later his shirt was laying on the floor and he had reversed positions with her, he was now leaning over her and she was pushed against the wall. He kissed her neck, her jaw, her collar bone… his hands gently resting on her waist. A beat passed and then she had shoved him back and after another heavy make out session, she smiled at him and turned around, walking out of the room, though not before she raked her eyes over his bare upper body once more. He was breathing hard and frowned in confusion as she left, dropping to the floor as the door clicked shut. What went through that girl's mind was a mystery.
Bradin was puzzled, okay he was completely lost. But the thing on his mind the most at the moment was why the hell did she have to leave at that moment? Releasing a sigh, he tried to ignore how the girl had made his body feel. Kris's kisses had pretty much made him feel like he hadn't ever had a proper kiss before. The teenager eventually managed to breathe evenly again and accepting that she actually did simply walk out on him, he struggled to his feet and put his shirt back on. A tiny part of his male ego was damaged by the thought that she could just walk out without a word when he had lost all thoughts of doing anything but touching her. Yeah, it was tough trying to see which of the two were more affected.