The night went quickly for Bradin, unconscious in his underwear. As the light of the sun began creeping into the teenage boy's room, he screwed up his eyes and moaned. He felt like his head was being used as a drum, and the possibility that he was about to throw up became higher every second.

"Ugh." he groaned. What the hell had happened last night?

Meanwhile, Nikki and Callie were discussing the previous night on the couches when Ava walked down the stairs rubbing her eyes. She jumped in shock a little when her eyes buzzed into focus and she realised that the two teenage girls were sat on the couch, cradling cups of coffee.

"Callie, what are you doing here?" she asked, completely confused.

"Uh," she said.

"Uh," Nikki repeated "Callie crashed here last night," she finished, going for the non-Bradin-was-smashed route. She needn't have bothered.

"Why?" she asked. Nikki and Callie glanced at each other.

"Well, I and Bradin went to a party last night at Lucy Carlson's house. And well, he, um, wasn't in the best of states when we left. I took him to my house, but he kind of threw up on our carpet so I thought I should maybe crash here. I hope you don't mind"

She muttered. Ava's eyes filled with anger.

"He was drunk, wasn't he?" she said, no real need to ask.

"Wasted, more like," Nikki muttered under her breath.

"I'll kill him," she said, striding over to his door. Luckily for Bradin, Jay came down the stairs and stopped her. The last she had seen him that angry was when he spilled red wine on her new white carpet.

"What's got you looking like an angry rhino?" He asked, smiling cheekily.

"According to the girls, Bradin got drunk at a party last night, and was in such a bad state that Callie had to deliver him to the door." Jay grimaced.

"So you're going to go yell at him. Because it's not going to do much. You don't remember things when you're hung-over, trust me." He said. Ava relaxed.

"You know what, I'm fine, completely fine," she said. She decided just to leave it until later on. Jay, however, had a different idea.

Five minutes later, Jay walked into Bradin's room. He was spread eagled on the mattress face deep in the pillow.

"Bradin?" He said, waving a hand in front of Bradin's face, "Bradin? WAKE UP!" he said. It had absolutely no effect whatsoever. So, Jay resorted to his back up plan which he secretly was quite looking forward to carrying out. He shook up the air horn in his hand and blew in so hard it rattled the patio windows. Bradin woke up with a scream.

"What the hell was that for?" he croaked, rubbing his forehead and squeezing his eyes closed.

"I don't know. Maybe for coming home drunk last night and letting your girlfriend sleep on the couch?" he said, mock-thoughtfully.

"Carrie crashed here last night?" he groaned, lying back on his pillows. "Why?"

"She is your girlfriend. You ask her." He answered, placing they mug of coffee he had brought in with him.
"O.k.," Bradin said, pushing himself half way out of his bed with his arms. Then he flopped back onto the bed and groaned.

"I'll ask later," he said, before beginning snoring again.

Two and a half hours later, he had gathered the energy to haul his hung-over ass out of bed and go get some toast, dry. Callie was upstairs showering, Nikki was in her room, and Derrick was at the skate park. Ava and Jay were upstairs and Susannah was out on business. So he was on his own. This was good because right now, he felt like shit. As he caught sight of himself in the stainless steel kettle, he wondered why Callie hadn't just left him. He may not be used to drinking, but he never expected to feel like this.

"MENTAL NOTE: DO NOT DRINK, ESPECIALLY IN YOUR GIRLFRIENDS COMPANY." He thought to himself. In exactly that moment, Callie came down the stairs in a fluffy blue towel.

"Good morning Alchy!" She said, way too happy for Bradin.

"Don't be so happy. It's annoying," he answered, eating his toast.

"Awww, does somebody have a hangover?" she said, drying her hair and pulling on her clothes underneath her towel.

"Yes." He answered seriously.

"It's your own fault, so stop whining and get dressed." she said, swinging her bag over her shoulder. Then she remembered what happened last night.

"Umm, Bradin, I have something I need to tell you." She mumbled.

"You don't remember much about last night do you?"

"No, not much," he said rubbing his fore head.

"Listen, I'm just going to come straight out with it. My mom doesn't think we should date anymore." She whispered, tears coming to her eyes.

"What? Why? Did I do something or...?" he said, scared.

"Kind of, yeah. I tool you back to my house last night to save you getting grounded by your aunt and well… you threw up all over our white rug. She doesn't think you're good for me." She said.

"What. I did? Oh no," he said, burying his face in his hands. How could he screw things up this bad with Callie? Getting drunk was the worst thing he thought he'd ever done.

"Listen, I'm sure we can get round her," she comforted, taking his hand. "We've, we've just got to stick together."

"O.k., do you want to talk to her now, or do you want to wait a while?" he asked, sitting on the couch next to her, in his boxers and a t-shirt.

"Actually, there's something I want to talk to you about. Last night, when we were out on the beach, you… you said that you l...loved me," she said timidly. She was right to be. Bradin just stared at her. No way could he have said that. He liked her, sure, he really liked her, but love? He wasn't ready for that yet.

"So?" Callie encouraged, becoming more worried with the second that past where he didn't say anything.

"Listen Callie. I like you. A lot. But I'm not ready for that." He said, deliberately avoiding her gaze. Boy, she really knew how to pick her timing. Who would bring something like this up when he really would rather be in bed?

"But I thought you really meant it. I have feelings for you," she said, her heart not nearly doing as many beats as it should have been.

"Me too. But I'm just not ready for this kind of, you know, commitment." He said.

"Why not? If you have serious feelings then why not commit, Bradin?" she asked, nearly in tears.

"Because I'm JUST NOT READY! O.k. know girls are all sentimental and shit about it but I can't say it if I don't feel it," he yelled, jumping up from the stool.

"Fine Bradin," she wept "That's fine. But just so you know, I have feeling for you, and if you don't share them, then I guess I don't won't to be with you," she cried, tossing her bag over her shoulder and running out of the house. Bradin just stood there, totally gob-smacked. What the hell had just happened?

Callie ran into her house, dumped her bags and ran to her room, crying her eyes out. Missy, who had seen Callie speed across the kitchen where she was eating breakfast, came up and hugged her.

"Its o.k. girl, I told you he was a total ass-hole. So come on, tell Aunty Missy what the jerk has done this time," she soothed, finding some tissues in Callie's bedside drawer.

"I thought he loved me. He said he did. But he doesn't. He was just drunk of his ass, and wanting some one to look after him." She cried. Missy silently smiled. He was bad for her, and she doesn't let people mess with her and her family.

Back at the Westerly's, Bradin was having the worst ear- bashing this side of the new-year.

"Bradin. I told you that you were never to drink alcohol again. Not whilst you're living in this house! How many times. It's addictive and it's dangerous and... Are you even listening to me?" Ava yelled so hard Nikki could hear it, out on the patio. She was smiling. This is just what he deserves, Nikki smiled.

"Do I have to have all thing alcoholic drinks in Playa Linda removed or something? Can you not just listen to what im trying to tell you? It ruins lives! Just ask Jay." she said, as lay walked in. "Jay! Can you please give me a hand? He just doesn't seem to get it!" she moaned, throwing her arms up in despair.

"She's got a point, B," he agreed, holding a glass of white whine.

'Oh, the irony!' Bradin thought.

"I went through a patch in high school. I didn't know what the hell I was doing, because was drinking with my friends all the time. It's the main reason that my parents didn't mind letting me drop out of school. This is why I am stuck owning a shop that gets 1 customer a month, instead of becoming something I could have really made something out of. Just, don't get wasted again any time soon, huh?" he said.

"You're drinking wine!" Bradin cried out,

"He's 25, Bradin. You're 17!" Ava said "You're not gonna do it again. Got it?" she said.

"Got it," He repeated, lying back on the couch and picking up the remote.

"Uh, not likely," Ava said, grabbing the remote of him. "You've got a hang-over! The best thing for you is rest, water and dry toast." She said, ushering him into his room.

"Good night," she said, turning out the light, leaving him stood in the darkness.

"What the hell just happened?" he said out loud.

"Bradin, language," Ava yelled from the family room. He collapsed backwards onto his bed, thinking about Callie. How had he managed to screw things up that bad with Callie? He really, really, really wanted to be with her, but if the psycho bitch was gonna go crazy with him for not being able to say, I love you, this early in a relation ship, maybe she wasn't the right girl for him. He leaned over to his drawer and pulled his 'little black book' flicking through it until he found the number he was looking for. Sasha. Sexy Sasha, as she was known as by the boys at Playa Linda high. Captain of the cheerleading squad, and a reputation for being easy, she was the perfect girl. Bradin fell asleep with the book balanced on his chest and a resolution to ring her first thing tomorrow morning.