Chapter 4: Challenging Brandon

The founder in this legacy story, Adam Slade, has passed away, leaving his wife River and only son, Brandon to to continue the dynasty and build the Slade Legacy.

In this chapter Brandon Slade grows into a young adult and starts building those significant relationships that will shape his life in Sunset Valley.


Although he had lost him quite early in his life, Brandon knew that he had been entrusted with continuing his father’s vision of a Slade legacy.  Brandon was happy with this and swore to stay true to Adam’s values and establish himself, and his family, at the heart of Sunset Valley.

The first step on this road was to gather around himself a circle of good friends.  Up to this time, Brandon hadn’t paid much attention to girls but he was now, probably because of his father’s passing, spending a lot of time with several girls at school.

He felt comfortable with them, able to talk about his fears to girls like Talia Han and hopes in quite a different way to his conversations with Jesse, his best friend.

When at home on his own (after completing his homework of course!) Brandon would spend some time practicing his guitar skills.

Often, during these quieter, more contemplative moments he could sense that his father was watching over him.

In town one week-end, Brandon noticed some unusual rocks reflecting in the town lights.  Remembering his father’s stories of collecting and making money from rocks and gemstones Brandon went collecting.

Unfortunately, his zeal for hunting out these gems he completely lost track of time … until a local policeman saw him.  Sunset Valley is not a dangerous place but for everyone’s safety the curfew for children and teenagers is strictly enforced!

She knew he wasn’t a bad kid, but when the policeman delivered her son home, River did wonder if this was a one-off, a simple oversight, or an indicator of something more significant …

Just to help her be sure that Brandon’s little run-in with the police was just a one-off incident, River did her best to encourage him to spend time with the best of his friends – and perhaps spend a little less time chasing girls!

Brandon had known Jesse Green since they were small children and even though they were very different, they loved each other’s company and River would often come home to find them deep in conversation, arguing over music, or, best of all, doing their homework!

Brandon was growing up quickly, it wouldn’t be long before he had a job, starting dating, seriously, and before you knew it, there would be a new family of Slades calling this house a home.

With her growing reputation as one of the best stylists in the valley, River had managed to save up enough to add a major extension to their home … upwards.

By creating a second floor River and Brandon were able to leave their cozy (but small) bedrooms and create their own private spaces upstairs and make more room downstairs for working and socialising.  River knew that her husband would be really proud that they had achieved so much in just the few years after he had first arrived in Sunset Valley.

His last big birthday had been a pretty quiet affair so River was going to make sure Brandon’s coming of age would be a date to remember!

Surrounded by friends and neighbours from all across the town, Brandon’s last day as a teenager certainly was a great day.  Possibly also the day he would meet his future wife …

Possibly to spite his mother, almost the first thing Brandon’s did as a young adult was to grow his hair and dress in the most unflattering clothes he could!

Even so, his ability to charm was undiminished and he would often found chatting and flirting with some of the most beautiful girls in town.

Unfortunately he soon realised that many, like the amazing Joann Knight, had already found partners … he was going to have to move quickly if he was going to find right woman to be the next Mrs Slade!

Brandon would soon have to consider his career options.  He had inherited the handy practical skills of his mother and father and was remarkably bright and insightful, some even called him ‘eccentric’!  Careers in medicine and science were obvious options but, like his beloved dad, he really wanted to be his own boss.

For the first weeks after his birthday, though, he spent doing what his father had – relieving the earth of it’s natural bounty!  He had years ahead to make a career but, just for now, the simple pleasure of unearthing left-behind treasure in old mine workings or drilling a simple mine himself.

After some time mulling over his options there were only of couple of genuine choices that Brandon could make, only a couple of career options that would really make the best use of all his skills. 

He had the same practical bent that made his father so successful and, much like his mother, he had the artist’s eye for style and function.  To this mix he added his own unique perspective on the world.

In the end it was his desire to create things of practical value that won the day, that decided him that he could become the valley’s greatest inventor!

Having decided that he could make his fortune by creating some of the most exciting (and useful) inventions anyone had ever seen, Brandon had to register at City Hall so that he would get proper recognition for his work.

On the way out, though, he met Qiana Ragland.  Simply the most beautiful woman he had ever seen!  In just that first meeting he knew she was one feisty woman, but had the perception and artistic sensibilities to understand and appreciate what Brandon was hoping to achieve.  Could she be the one? …

Not wasting any time, Brandon was quick to invite Qiana for a day out in town.  After meeting up in the Central Park, Brandon knew he was on a winner when he suggested seeing a movie only to discover they were showing the latest from Pedro Simodóvar – Qiana’s favourite director- instant ‘brownie’ points!

Feeling peckish after the movie, an alfresco meal at the Little Corsican, with its views of the park and the bay rounded off a perfect day.

Feeling pretty good after his date with Qiana, Brandon invited his best pal Jesse round for a catch-up, play some games, watch some TV, just hang and do "boy stuff".

It had been a few days, and initially Jesse seemed really pleased to see him but Brandon could tell something wasn’t quite right.  It wasn’t long before Jesse just exploded.  Saying that Brandon was acting like a fool, he didn’t know when he was well off, always wanting something new.  Jesse was clearly very upset about something but before Brandon could try to get some sense out of him and understand what was going on Jesse had stormed off.

This was upsetting, just when he was trying to get a new relationship off the ground, the one he thought he could always rely on was getting stormy …

After his bust up with Jesse, Brandon asked Qiana to meet him in town.  She was perceptive and understanding, perhaps she could explain Jesse’s behaviour.

For what seemed like ages, they just sat and chatted through the evening and Brandon was feeling a lot calmer … and a lot more in love with this gorgeous girl.  He moved to put his arm around her, just to express his appreciation and affection for her. 

Oops!  He remembered his Dad telling him that some girls – the good girls – like to take it real slow and will not be happy if he makes a move too early in the relationship.  Well, looks like impatience was something else he had inherited from Adam!


You can’t leave a bad feeling to fester, so the next day Brandon went over to the house she shared with her brother, Federico, just as he had finished burning something he was calling breakfast!

Qiana was more than happy when Brandon suggested they go back to his place.

It was great, just hanging out and chatting and getting more comfortable with each other and before they realised it, they were cuddling and kissing and it felt great!


Spending an evening on the sofa, cuddling and kissing was great, but they both really enjoyed being outdoors as well, and one of Brandon and Qiana’s favourite places was the local pool. Just playing around in the water was a great to relax and have fun.

Today, for Brandon, though was something special when Qiana took his hand and kissed him right there, in front of all these people.  Letting the world know that this fabulous woman loved him … yes, him!

That night, Brandon was just too excited to go straight to bed.  Instead, he turned the TV to the Classic Film channel and indulged his romantic side with some of the best old-fashioned love stories.

As he projected himself into the movie scenes on the screen he felt the presence of his father alongside him, offering words of wisdom and encouragement and, most importantly of all, trust that he was on the right track.

A couple of days later, Qiana came over to Summer Hill to spend some time with Brandon, unaware that he wanted to make their relationship ‘official’ … to become a proper boyfriend and girlfriend.

Hot-headed as she often was, Qiana, nonetheless wasn’t going to rush into anything with Brandon.  But ... he had been kind and considerate, and was great fun to be around – yes, maybe this really was the “real thing”!  

When Brandon eventually got round to suggesting they should ‘go steady’ he wasn’t quite prepared for Qiana’s enthusiastic response.  Especially when she suggested that, as they felt so right as a couple perhaps, if he was OK with, if it wasn’t too soon, that, you know, they should … go upstairs …

There must have been magic in the air that day, Brandon had never experienced such feelings before and he knew that Qiana felt the same way.

The day after Brandon had spent the night with Qiana, Jesse turned up unexpectedly.  Brandon was delighted to see him, but he was quiet, he clearly had something on his mind …

Jesse was struggling and Brandon tried to reassure him that they would always be friends, whatever was troubling him they would deal with it together.  Hesitatingly, Jesse started to open up, he admitted that he had deep feelings for Brandon, their friendship was very special to him and, over the last few months, he had actually fallen in love with him!

Brandon was genuinely touched, he loved Jesse too, but the thought of a physical attraction had never crossed his mind.  He reassured Jesse that this was nothing to be ashamed of or embarrassed about, that he would always love him, as a friend.

They continuing talking and Jesse described how deep his feelings ran, and how upset he had been when he realised Brandon was falling in love with Qiana, which is why he was so angry the last time they met.

As he listened to Jesse laying his heart bare, Brandon couldn’t help but be moved by the depth of his friend’s affection and comforted him as best he could.  Their physical closeness, however, became overwhelming and Jesse could not stop himself kissing Brandon.  He was surprised, though, when he met no resistance, in fact it seemed as if Brandon was enjoying this intimacy just as much.

Perhaps it was because his body was still pumped from the emotions he felt from his time with Qiana, but when Jesse admitted his love, gently caressed him, kissed him, Brandon felt powerless to resist.  He loved Jesse too so how could it be wrong to express it fully?

 

Only, this time, afterwards, he felt the horrifying guilt of betrayal.  He had given in to basic physical desires and in doing so given his truest friend hope that they could be lovers, a couple.  He had cheated on Qiana, after agreeing to be couple with a long-term future.

He told Jesse to go, but he couldn’t tell him that he regretted what they had done, that would have broken Jesse’s heart and he could not do that to his friend.

Brandon didn’t know what to do, how what had just happened might wreck everything.  His first instinct was to call Qiana.  He could hardly  say anything to her but he hoped that just hearing her voice would reassure him, that it was her he really loved.  He hoped that she wouldn’t be able to tell how bad he felt at that moment, so he mostly just listened as she told him about her day and her hopes for the future.

When he put the phone down, Brandon was once again overcome with guilt about what he had done to two people he loved dearly.  In the forlorn hope that it might cleanse his mind as well as his body, he stepped into the shower.  As he stood under the powerful jets of steaming hot water sobs racked his body.

Chapter 5: Fallout