"Hey Bradin!" Lucas yelled as he turned the corner making Bradin pull and walk away from Kali. "Ouch. It looks better than before."
"Thank your sister," Bradin said looking at Kali who was just shutting the water off. She turned around to walk away and looked at Bradin who looked back at her.
"Um, I'm not going out," she told Lucas, "She can't make it."
"Okay," he said, "Are you okay?" She nodded. Lucas noticed that she was trying to hold back her tears as she walked away. "Kali," he said softly. She ignored him and continued until she got up to her room. Lucas looked over at Bradin.
"I don't know, man," Bradin lied with a soft voice, "I'll see you later."
Bradin walked away and out of the house leaving Lucas extremely confused. He decided to go up to Kali's room and find out what was going on. He heard music coming from behind her closed door. He opened the door and his jaw dropped.
Bradin walked into his house with his head down.
"Hi, sweetie," his aunt said, "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," he said softly and walking straight to his room. Right before he entered his room, Nikki grabbed his arm.
"Do you know this Kali girl?" she asked.
"Don't try to ruin this one," he threatened.
"Bradin, she-"
"I know Nikki!" he shouted, "She was raped and molested as a child by her own father! And, I know he's on the prowl! He wants to kill her! YES NIKKI I KNOW!"
"Bradin!" his aunt shouted.
He walked into his room and slammed the door shut. He wouldn't let Nikki and Derrick ruin this relationship. Kali was the last thing he wanted to lose. He loves her so much. He just hoped that there would be a way to prove it to her.
Kali sat on a rock near Two Brothers at sunset looking out at the ocean with the soft wind blowing her hair back. She started singing again. Why? she asked herself. As she sat there Bradin entered her mind. No, she thought, Not him.
Bradin walked up to Two Brothers because he knew Kali would be there. He needed to talk to her about earlier that day. As he approached, he saw her arguing with what looked like Landon.
"I love you!" he shouted.
"And I hate you!" she shouted back, "You don't go punching around my friends because of something they said! You hurt Bradin! You also hurt me! Why am I sticking up for him like this? I want to be with him! Why am I not? I can't!"
"What?" Bradin asked walking up to her.
She turned with a surprised expression on her face not expecting him to be there. Her heart rate sped up. She shook her head and ran off.
"Kali! Stop running off!" he shouted as he chased her. He never knew that she could run fast for a long time until she got so far ahead of him but he could still see her. He saw her go into her house. He ran up to the front door and pounded on it. "Kali, open up!" he shouted as he pounded the door, "Kali!"
The door open revealing Lucas. "What's going on?"
"Where is she? You have to talk to her. Please Lucas. I beg of you. I love and I need her. Please."
Lucas let Bradin inside and headed up to his sister's room where he heard her mom talking to her.
"I can't ma!" she shouted, "I just can't."
"Baby, you're singing again," the guys heard. Bradin looked at Lucas who nodded. "I haven't heard that voice of yours since what happened."
"I don't know why."
"You're in love. That's why you're singing again," her mother cried, "Look at all that you've done with Mrs. Langstings. She made you sing some songs. Why? Because I asked her to. She told me that there was joy in your eyes each second you sang. It made you forget of everything that happened prior to the times you sang. Do you know who you love?" Kali looked up at her mother. "Bradin."
Bradin smiled when he heard Kali break down and not fight against her mother on what she said. The following day, Bradin walked into school and met up with Lucas. a/n:As you've noticed Lucas and Bradin are friends. they've talked things out and are now good
"How is she?" Bradin asked.
"Quiet. She barely spoke to anyone this morning. SHe didn't even bitch at Tanner when he made fun of her this morning at breakfast."
"Is she here?"
"Not yet," Lucas told his friend, "She was still eating when I left half an hour ago."
"Is she coming in?"
Lucas nodded in the direction opposite of what Bradin was facing. Bradin turned around and saw Kali at her locker. She looked sadder than she did the previous day.
"Her mother set up an act at the town show for her to sing," Lucas said.
