Caden

    As Caden walked by the reflective glass of the storefronts he glanced at his reflection to quickly check out his hair. Today was an important day - he was going to make a change for the better today. He was always in a bad mood, and he never felt happy anymore. He was on his way to pick up Liz and Dan. Since Dan was the only one with his license, and Liz was the only one with a car, they decided that today, the three of them were going to break free. They were all going to take Liz's giant 70's van and drive to New York City. Caden continues walking, when he remembered how they even became friends:
   
    It started in the seventh grade when Caden moved to Boston. He didn't tell people where he came from, or why he was here. It didn't seem like anyone wanted to be his friend, and people didn't seem to like him. After a few months of Caden feeling alone and empty, he noticed a boy who reminded him a lot of himself. He too, sat alone at lunch, didn't talk amongst friends, and didn't seem to have friends at all. Caden eventually found out that this boy's name was Dan. Caden spent a few days thinking about how he was going to approach Dan, until Dan did the job for him. After accidentally knocking Caden's papers over, Dan realized that it was the guitar sheet music to his favorite song. After asking Caden about it, they immediately hit it off. After about a year of both boys having one friendship each and that being each others, a new girl moved into town.  A lot like Dan and Caden, she didn't make friends as easily either. She had a different approach as the both of them, and was very direct. She tried to make conversation with each of them one day at lunch, and after a while of being annoyed, Dan and Caden asked what she wanted from them. She replied
    "A friend" with a smile. Caden admired her fearless personality, and Dan knew how it felt to be alone, and didn't want to let her go through it. From that point on they were inseparable. They did everything together, and they were the best of friends. Their parents saw the mutual friendships they all had, and knew that they couldn't tear them apart. Now, about one year since the three of them were friends, and almost two since Dan and Caden, they were closer than ever.

    The horn of a bus snapped Caden back to reality, and he realized that he was almost to the small apartment duplex. A few minutes later he was riding in the urine smelling elevator that was too familiar. He was glad he was going to have some positive changes in his life, instead of the constant negative change, that was unwanted, and uncontrollable. The elevator came to a halt, and he sauntered over to the room with the booming bass coming from it. He rand the festive doorbell that sounded like the song 'La Cucaracha'.
    Caden could never get over the beauty of Liz's apartment, and how lucky she was that her parents let her do whatever she wanted to the apartment, and with her life in general. Compared to the rest of the run-down apartments, Liz was living in paradise. The entire East side of her apartment was window, facing the Boston Harbor, and looking down at the city. The colors in the apartment were warm and welcoming (Thanks to Liz's designing and decorating). The living room was a dark, but somehow cheerful red, with white furnishings. The dining room was an old green, with beige curtains, table runner, and carpet.
    The best room in the house in most opinion's, was Liz's room. As dark as it was, it was always a happy place filled with music, laughs, and memories. Her room was black, with writing in white, light purple, and light pink all over the walls. There was a wall with the title accross the top that said: BEST FRIENDS FOR LIFE; A PROMISE, NOT A LABEL; And underneath it was a ton of pictures of the three of them, not one missing from any picture, and their hand prints in between the different photographs. That wall was Caden's favorite thing in the entire world, it always reminded him that he had two great people who were always there for him.
    Liz's mother, Trish, opened the door and gave Caden a big hug when he stepped in.
    "Are you ready for your guys' big trip?" She asked with a smile
    "Uh, yeah, we're going to try to get a gig. Did Liz tell you that part?" Caden tried not to sound anxious.
    "No, actually, she said nothing of it," Trish said with a crooked smile and looked over her shoulder at Liz jumping up and down on the couch singing, and Dan sitting by Liz's feet reading a magazine.
    "Come right in" Liz shouted from the living room as she plopped down and ran over to greet Caden with a bear hug. "Once I get my equipment, and get the van packed we can head out" Liz had to should over the music with a grin.
    "Hey Dan! Come help me lug this stuff into the elevator!" Liz yelled to Dan. She then ran into the living room and turned of her music, placing her iPod into the pocket of her tight skinny jeans.
    "So Caden, do you think you could grab mine and Dan's suitcase while we're getting the amps loaded?" Liz said while rushing around gathering various items and throwing them into a carry-on bag.
    "Woah woah woah missy. You're a toothpick, don't you think you should get the suitcases and I'll help get the amps?" Caden said folding his arms across his chest. Liz Scoffed and explained,
    "You haven't even seen my suitcase... once you do, you'll see why I get the amps" as she smirked and walked off to gather more treasures. Caden didn't know what she meant so he walked to opposite way into Liz's bedroom when he say the mountainous pile of suitcases laying on her bed.
    "My god... how much stuff did you guys pack?!" He half said to himself.
    "Just the essentials" Liz called as she pranced past her bedroom door. Caden turned around and rolled his eyes. 'This is going to be a long trip' he thought to himself. He half smiled at how hyper Liz always was, and peeked out the window to see if Dan was having trouble loading the amps into the Hippie Van. He still couldn't believe how much packing Liz did since last night when he came over to drop off his luggage. He took the biggest one first and almost fell over when he lifted if. When he regained his balance he headed off for the foul smelling death trap they called and elevator.
    After they got everything packed that they needed to, they all rushed t get int the van at once. Whenever they took the 'Weird Mobile' Caden always sat in the back. But he didn't mind, he always shut the curtain separating the back seats-slash-bedroom-slash-trunk and took the advantage of the quiet to practice his guitar. Today was much different, though, and it wasn't quiet at all in the back seats-slash-bedroom-slash-trunk, because Liz had her iPod connected to a portable dock that Caden forgot she brought along with them. For the next hours, Caden would be trapped in a sweltering, Paramore song-filled, hyper Liz-filled, wannabe joy ride. He was prepared for the torture that he was so excited for, and he loved every second of it. Even the pit stops they made every hour for someone who had to go to the bathroom, caused by excess chugging of energy drinks.

 Today, Caden was actually happy.