I do NOT own any of the rights to Summerland. I DO own the rights to Teresa Coleman.

Thnanks a million for the reviews y'all!! (ChrissyD, justthegirl07, Sweet-Romantic and chelsea)

Sweet-Romantic: No, no, no!! It's you (and all the reviewers) who keep me going!!! But thanks for saying that:-) And don't worry 'bout getting all ghetto on me! ;-)

To all those who said Jerry should get his ass kicked... Well, maybe he's not all that evil... NOT!!!!! (Will he get his ass kicked? Read to find out! He may never be heard from again for all you know!)

Here's the next chap. (I hope it's believable enough... let me know if it's not and I'll change it!) Thanks!

Now read, Baby!!!! ahem... sorry

Chapter XIV

Forever Friends

"After that, Jerry would come to "visit" me about once a month and each time, he would beat me as well. I got used to it... though every time it happened it was hell." Bradin took a deep breath, "It happened 9 times in 11 months, and would have continued, I'm sure, if- if my parents hadn't died causing me, Nikki and Derrick to have to 'relocate.'" Bradin finished his horrific tale and sat in silence for a minute, his head hung low.

When he finished Teresa couldn't speak. His story was horrible. It was like a horror movie, like a nightmare, it was terrible. It was... unnerving, unreal. But she believed it, she believed every word he had choked out. "Oh my God, Bradin... I- I... I don't know what to say I... I'm so, so sorry... I had no idea that you'd been through anything like that! I..." Teresa choked and tears filled her eyes...

"I wanted so bad to tell somebody, but every time I almost would, I- I... I just couldn't bring myself to, I was so scared that he really would hurt Nikki... And I couldn't have taken knowing that I had caused her to get hurt like that by telling somebody what he was doing to me... Besides I guess I felt really... um... I- I don't know..." Bradin hung his head even further, if that was possible, and tears fell from his eyes, he put his head in his hands and cried.

Teresa went to touch his shoulder but thought better of it, "'dirty?'"

"Huh?"

"Dirty? You felt 'dirty,' right?" Teresa said gently, "Like you had let him do it..."

Bradin silently nodded his head then dropped it back into his hands and cried.

Teresa knew he was ashamed of the whole thing, but she wasn't about to judge him! He hadn't done anything, anybody would react the same way he had, she knew she would have. It was so easy to judge someone and say "Oh, but you should have told someone, you dirty little blah, blah, blah..." But Teresa knew better, she knew it didn't make you big to judge someone and put them below you, it made you big to not judge someone and accept them for who they were. Putting a person below you for something they did or didn't do, or something that happened to them was just wrong. "It's okay, Bradin, it's okay... I'd hold you but-" Teresa hadn't even finished speaking when Bradin threw his arms around her neck and held onto her, crying softly.

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Teresa hadn't judged him, in fact she'd done just the opposite, she'd gotten closer to him after he told her everything than she'd been before he told her. He wanted to kiss the girl just for that, but hugging her worked for now, he held onto her neck and cried, he really didn't care what she thought of him crying and he really couldn't help it anyway... He was finally getting all the horrors of his past off his shoulders and it felt so good, though he'd been scared that anyone he told would shun him. But Teresa proved him wrong, there were still good people in the world, he was sure of it. Bradin Westerly, you had better get AWAY from this girl, you're actually touching her body with yours! Are you insane, have you lost your mind? Bradin's head screamed warnings sparked by his year of fear of people, but this time he answered the voice without saying shut up, well almost, "Actually, I think I've just gained my sanity and found my mind, so why don't you just shut up!" Bradin smiled, he still felt a little uneasy being so close to another person's body, but he was finally overcoming his fears... wasn't he?

After 5 more hours of talking and getting to know each other better, Teresa said he ought to go back home to let his family know he was okay since he'd just run off. He agreed and they got up and started towards his house.

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Jay sat alone and watched them go, Bradin had really been upset, he couldn't hear what they were saying but he saw both of them crying and then him holding onto Teresa for the longest time. Something was definitely wrong with Bradin, but what was it? Maybe he'd told Nikki and she'd told Ava. He'd have to go back to the house to find that out. He got up and set off towards the beach house.

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"Oh my God, the poor boy misses his parents so much it's killing him," Ava looked directly at her friend, "What should I do?" Ava had just told Susannah everything that Nikki had told her that Bradin had told Nikki earlier, which was only the part about missing his parents and the nightmares about them, not about Jerry, Bradin had made Nikki swear she wouldn't tell a soul, so she didn't.

"What should you do? Love him of course! And, Ava," Susannah looked serious, "be gentle with him, I still think Johnny's right about there being something more... something else that he didn't tell Nikki."

"I know, I think so too, I just wish I could figure out what," Ava let out a frustrated sigh, "what could it be?"

"I don't know, but I think we'll figure it out soon... I think if there's something else going on with him he'll "break-down" and tell someone... you know?" Susannah looked up to find her friend's eyes filling with tears. "What is it?"

"I think you're right, um.. it's nothing..." Ava wiped the tears away and smiled, "I'm fine."

"Right..." Susannah gave her a look that said "Yeah, right. Spill!"

"Not now," Ava said quickly as the front door opened and Bradin stepped in. He looked happier, like the events of the morning hadn't even happened. Ava realized the reason for his mood change as she noticed Teresa step in behind him. She smiled, "Bradin, sweetie... um..."

"Well, let the girl in and shut the door!' Susannah laughed cutting off Ava's awkwardly unfinished sentence.

Bradin smiled, "Oh yeah, sorry, he moved out of the way and Teresa came in.

"Hello, Teresa," Ava smiled, "Bradin are, um..."

Teresa sensed tension in the air, she tried to be polite and smile but her mind was elsewhere, "Hey Susannah, hey, Ava!" she said distantly.

"Hey Aunt Ava... yeah, I- I'm fine." Bradin looked away from his aunt as he answered her unsaid question.

The tension eased when Jay walked in the door and pretended he knew nothing about anything, "Hey, what's for lunch? Hope it's a lot cause I'm famished."

Everyone smiled, "Why don't we all go out?" Teresa suggested, "I know the greatest little place, you'll all love it! Of course, maybe you've been there, you have lived here longer than me!" she added with a laugh.

"Okay, the room chorused. "And I'm sure we'll love it," Ava added.

An hour and a half later everyone had gone their separate ways for the rest of the day. Ava and Susannah went back home to work on their designs, Johnny took Derrick, Nikki and Cameron to the park to help Derrick work on his swing and Jay was at his shop then he was taking Erica out to dinner. It was noon and the sun beat down hotly upon the backs of the beach dwellers. Bradin and Teresa walked side-by-side along the beach.

Bradin felt Teresa slide her hand into his as she said, "Bradin, I want you to know something."

"What's that?" Bradin asked curling his fingers around hers.

"I think we're gonna be friends for a long time!" Teresa smiled gleefully, she felt like a kid on Christmas morning, she was happier than she'd been since before her brother died, "I'm glad I met you, Bradin."

Bradin smiled, "I'm glad I met you too, and I think you're right," he said genuinely, "we will be friends... forever."

Now that you've read it you know what you think, but I don't! So let me know by pressing the shiny little review button and tellin' me what you thought!

Anna Christie AKA SecondStarToTheRight15