That afternoon in the custodian's closet had put a grin on Bradin's face that lasted all day. He was tired after it and thoroughly satisfied like he had never been before. Say what you will about Kris but she knew exactly what she was doing. Which did slightly unsettle him a bit, but not for long. Sarah was nothing in comparison, and Callie couldn't hold a candle.
The two days afterwards had been much the same, yet somehow she had managed to up the notch each time. Bradin was highly anticipating his next meeting with her and practically skipped into the hallway when third period ended. He leaned against the wall in the hallway and waited.
After ten minutes, a frown was beginning to form on the blonde's features. Kris wasn't there and it was getting clearer that she wasn't going to come. He knew she had study hall and so he jogged over to the room to see what was keeping her.
To his astonishment he saw her poring over a textbook. She couldn't have forgotten… Bradin gaped through the window on the door and tried to get her attention by knocking on the door. She didn't look up. Another ten minutes later and the teacher was giving him the death glare to go away so he sighed and turned from the door.
The next day passed and she again didn't show up. Bradin was sincerely confused now. She wouldn't even acknowledge him.
After school, he stalked over to her locker and demanded, "Where have you been?" She looked up and blinked quizzically. "Where have you been in last period?"
"…Study hall?" she answered, raising her eyebrows as if he was being stupid.
Bradin frowned. "Why haven't you been coming to meet me?"
"What are you talking about?" she finished stuffing her things in her locker and adjusted her backpack before finally meeting him in the eyes.
"Kris-" he started.
"Look, surfer boy, what do you want? I slept with you already, didn't I?" she impatiently tapped her foot against the floor.
"I just, you-" he spluttered. "I didn't know anything was over."
"Well, it's over." She deadpanned, trying to sidestep him.
"Wait." He blocked her path and his face was contorting angrily, "You can't just say it's over just like that!"
"Why not?" she exhaled loudly. "It's not like I led you on in any way shape or form. We slept together a few times, and now we don't. It's not very complicated."
"Why don't we anymore?" he said.
"It was fun, but that's all it was," Kris frowned at him.
"It's only been a week-" he exclaimed.
"A week is average." She shrugged.
Bradin was having a hard time grasping the fact that he had just been dropped. "What if I don't want this to end?"
"Surfer boy, I made it very clear what this was, didn't I?" she sighed. "I didn't lead you to believe I wanted to date you. I'm sorry if you're hurt."
"Kris, I want to be with you." He stated.
"You can find a lot of other girls-" she rolled her eyes.
"There isn't anyone like you." Bradin shook his head.
"I have to go, Surfer boy." She shifted uncomfortably and moved past him.
"You don't even know my name, do you?" he asked incredulously as he realized the truth in his words.
"You never cared to tell me." She said defensively, though she did look a bit guilty.
"I'm Bradin Westerly, in case you were wondering." He was bitter now and in disgusted amazement that anyone would sleep with someone when they didn't even know their name.
"I'm sorry," she looked down. He closed the gap between them and kissed her fiercely.
"I don't want this to end." He stated again.
The next day, Bradin pulled her aside as she walked in the halls between third and fourth period and pressed his lips to hers. She grinned through the kiss.
"You're very persistent, aren't you?" she laughed and kissed him back. Their routine was back.
As a fortnight passed, the school opening dance was soon upon them and Bradin didn't hesitate to accept when the girl from his third period History class, Ellen, shyly asked him to go with her. He had been talking with her everyday and she was really sweet, and quite pretty. Bradin didn't think twice about it. He had a great time and sincerely liked Ellen, and he was even thinking about asking her out again.
That was until the day after the dance. Bradin pulled Kris aside again as per usual but this time she violently shook off his arm and elbowed him in the stomach before walking in the opposite direction.
"What's your problem?" he gasped, catching up with her.
"What's my problem?" she clenched her jaw. "I heard you and Ellen Eversman had a wicked time at the dance last night."
"Yeah, what's that to you?" Bradin frowned in confusion, "I didn't think you cared."
"I knew it." She shook her head.
"Knew what? I don't see why you'd be upset, we're not dating or anything." He pointed out.
"I'm just your fuck buddy." She stated angrily.
"You said it yourself that you didn't want to be anything else, this is just physical! You were the one who told me that." Bradin exclaimed.
"Yeah and I also tried to break it off but you told me you wanted to be with me." She spat out. "You told me that you didn't want it to end."
"Kris, I didn't want it to end." He said, taking her hand. She punched him hard in the face and backed away.
"What you wanted was to be able to have a girl sleeping with you everyday while you were free to date any other girl at the same time." She said lowly. "I'm not like that and I won't let you do disrespect women like that. That's low."
"Excuse me, this is like the pot calling the kettle black. How many guys were you sleeping with while you were with me? One for first period, one in second, one at lunch, and one in third?" he crossed his arms.
"None. NONE." Kris answered icily, though a little hurt. "I would never do that. That's sick. I can't believe you thought that of me. Tell me, what other conceptions do you have?"
"Don't act all hurt now, it's not like you haven't slept with who knows how many guys. You probably lost your virginity at thirteen." Bradin snapped.
"You are such a bastard." Her jaw was tight and her hands balled into fists but she didn't hit him or make any contact with him at all. Instead, she simply shook her head and began to walk away. "I'm not the prostitute you seem to think I am. You know nothing about me, Westerly. Not a freaking thing. So don't make fucking assumptions. I hope you go to hell."
"I never led you to believe we were exclusive or dating or anything at all." Bradin called after her.
"No, no you didn't." she quietly muttered. "It was my mistake."
Kristina was pissed as hell. The nerve of that jackass Westerly! No one had done that to her since… The point was, it didn't happen. She never let it happen. She always broke things off quickly to prevent these things from occurring. Her philosophy was to use them before they can use her. She should have ignored Westerly and broke it off. She shouldn't have been upset about him being with Ellen. He thought they were on the same page. And maybe they were. But Kris suddenly realized that after all this time, she had been fooling herself. She was still being used. Except she was now readily speeding up the process. She dropped him angrily that day after realizing that he was viewing and using her like she was an object. Something without feelings, something that could be easily discarded. But the fact was, she was always seen as an object. She was just too damn stubborn to see it.
No one knew about her past. No one asked. Not one of the countless boys she had been with in the last five months had ever wanted to know anything about her. She let them think that she had always been like this. That she was some slut who gave it out to everyone.
Bradin Westerly should not have been any different. It wasn't that she particularly cared for him, the only thing the two did was banter and sleep together, and it wasn't like she even really knew him. But he was the only one of the guys she had been with who had protested to the fact that she didn't know their name. Oh, most of them protested when they got wind of the fact that she didn't want to sleep with them anymore, but none had said in that hurt, accusing way, 'You don't even know my name, do you?' It was a significant thing in her eyes. It showed that he wanted something emotional, that he wasn't going to let her just stop. He didn't want her to use him like that. At least, that was what she had thought.
She had somehow interpreted that information into the fact that oh, maybe this one wants something else. Or at least, this one is nicer than the others. Than he had to do the guy thing and go out with someone else. Again, she didn't think what he did was that horrible, it was the natural thing to do given their situation, but it made her realize so many things. She couldn't do this anymore. This pretending, this acting. This wasn't who she once was; this wasn't who she wanted to be. She was so scared of getting hurt again that she turned herself into this person she hated to see in the mirror. Stupid fucking Westerly… Stupid horrible evil bastardly fucking Naden. It was all his blasted fault.
The next day, Bradin tried to talk to Kris. Who promptly turned around and stomped off. Bradin had been feeling just a bit on the guilty side and had broken it off with Erin. He figured this would patch things up quickly…
"Don't you get it? It's the PRINCIPLE of the freaking matter!" she yelled at him as he tentatively tried to tell her that he had ended things.
"Look, I have no idea what you want from me-" he sighed.
"I know you don't." she looked down. "But whatever. I don't know you and you don't know me, let's just forgot all this and just act like we're strangers."
"That's not right, not after the fact that I've kind of-" Bradin started.
"Oh shut up, you saw me unclothed, that doesn't mean shit. You know nothing about me, and I'm fine keeping it that way. Go away." she grumbled.
"You change your mind so quickly! I thought you wanted to be in a relationship with me-" he moaned.
"No, I didn't want you dating some girl while simultaneously sleeping with me, that's just immoral. You're not that good-looking, and really just average in the sack, not to mention a prick, and apparently not that bright either. So do me a favour and go find another twit to mess with." Kris grit her teeth and pushed past him.
Male ego dented, Bradin watched her go in exasperation. He couldn't do anything right these days and he was really over the whole pissed girl needs apologizing to and comforting of. He thought she wasn't one of those girls, but she was teetering on the edge of that line. Damn crazy, that's what Kris was. Bradin sighed and began thinking of ways to get her to forgive him. He was in now and he couldn't just walk out as if nothing happened. She had given him his first physical-only one night stand type relationship and he'd leave it at that if she hadn't freaked out at him earlier. There was more to this, and he was determined to figure out what it was.
A/N: Thanks for reviewing, sorry about the lengthy time frame between updates, sorry if this seems rushed, I love you guys and I hope this was all right.