Brad

Chapter 2: You love some, you grief some

"So Brad, what you're telling me is when you were this young you ran from hicks while you were 14, driving an Oldsmobile?"

"Doc if you don't want to believe my life story I could cut it off right there and you'd never get to why I ended up here."

"Well son can you speed things up to something where maybe your first run in with law enforcement, anything?"

"Why sure doc, I remember my first run in with the law, 1992."

Brad was now 16 with a license and owned that Oldsmobile while his dad left for Vegas. Tommy was always in the seat next to him no matter where they went. Until Brad met the person who made his heart melt, Bethany. She was nothing but a girl he ran into down the street, she was new to the town.

"Brad buddy. We're like two peas in a pod. You can't let the flame die over a girl down the street man."

"Look Tommy, you had Jessica last year. I had to do things on my own."

"Well why make the same mistake Brady boy?"

"She might be bad unlike Jessica, hell Tom she almost told on us when you two broke up."

"Whatever Brad." Tommy was clearly irritated. Brad claimed he didn't have a care in the world.

Brad had picked up a new habit, smoking cigarettes, he inhaled the smoke as he looked at Tommy, they were just hanging out in Brad's driveway.

"What do you see in the woman Brady boy?"

"I don't really know Tom. I'm just a fool with a rough inside, and she's a woman with a beautiful outside."

Tommy had switched chew for Skoal, grinded up tobacco in a can. Tommy put that in between his cheek and gum while they stood outside with the Oldsmobile hood opened. Brad said they were 'bullshitting' for a good minute with the late summer, early fall heat, until Tommy saw something.

"Don't look now Brad, there's the girl you love" Tommy laughed.

"I'm going to go talk to her."

Bethany was walking down the street with a portable CD player and chewing bubble gum. Brad, nervous, approached her while she began walking past his house.

She looked at Brad with a weird expression on her face.

"Hey Brad, car problems?" Bethany said.

"Eh not really. Just bullshitting with Tom." Brad replied.

"Well if you got a car, and care enough. There is a party happening down at the river tonight, it's bring your own beer. Let's hope you're man enough to take me and my friend, see you later loser." Bethany put back in her other headphones before Brad could speak.

"A real keeper eh?" Tommy laughed.

"She sure is."

Brad and Tommy kept working on the Oldsmobile for the next three hours until sundown came, Brad made the choice to go and pick up Bethany and her friend.

Brad pulled up. He parked on the street and blew the horn. Bethany and another girl named Hailey came outside and hopped into Brad's car.

The ride there was just Bethany giving directions to the spot while Tommy drank one of the beers from the 6 pack. They all pulled up to the party while the sun was already under the horizon. The cars were parked around a fire with headlights on and music going.

The party was full of the best 90s hits and plenty of beer for the college and high school students to enjoy. Bethany and Hailey disappeared as soon as they left the car.