For what seemed like an eternity, Caden had to stop and take a rest. He sat on bench, knees and feet aching. A slip of paper caught his eye. He bent down and picked up an envelope. Inside was the answer to one of his problems. Two Ben Franklins stared up at him. He only needed one hundred more dollars. He slipped the bills into his pocket and put the envelope back. Then he stood up and continued with his task. After he stood up, another person sat on the bench. This man had long, greasy, blonde dreadlocks and cold gray eyes. His tall, thin frame was dressed entirely in black. He bent down and picked up the envelope and tucked it inside his jacket before leaving.
Mr. and Mrs. Davis were frantic. It was nearly five o'clock, and still the kids never picked up the phone. They had intented to leave Lagoon over an hour ago.
"I told you we should have done something when we ran into Alyson and Caden." Said Mr. Davis after their umptinth time dialing the cell.
"What are we going to do?" Said Mrs. Davis, close to tears. Mr. Davis stopped walking.
"Is that Kevin? Kevin, come here!" Shouted Mr. Davis. A glumy Kevin dragged his feet toward his parents.
"Kevin, are you alright? Where are the others?" Asked Mrs. Davis.
"Dunno." He mumbled. Stress poured over Mrs. Davis. She needed a cigarette.
"Becca!" Screamed Alyson shrilly. Perfect, she'd lost her. All Alyson did was turn her head for a moment, and the little blonde was gone, stuffed elephant and all. Then, she saw her. She was crying and a tall man with dreadlocks was talking to her.
"Becca!" Screamed Alyson with realife. She ran to the little girl.
"Is this your sister?" Asked the guy.
"Um, yeah." Said Alyson, "Becca, are you okay?"
"I j-just went to get a drink, and th-then y-you left me!" Sobbed Becca.
"Oh, I'm so sorry." Said Alyson, hugging her. The guy walked off scowling. If he had another minute, he could have gotten that little girl to follow him. There were people who'd pay lots for a little blonde girl.
"C'mon, we better find Caden or somebody." Said Alyson.
"I scraped my knee." Sniffled Becca.
"We'll go to the car and get you a bandaid, okay?"
"Okay." Said Becca.
"Alyson?" Called Mrs. Davis. Alyson turned and faced her mother.
"Alyson, where were you? Why didn't you answer the cell phone?" Asked Mrs. Davis. The cell phone! It was in her purse, so why didn't she hear it ring? Alyson looked down where her purse should have been, hanging from her shoulder. Alyson gasped. She must've left it on the ferris wheel!
Caden was walking past the lost and found when a purse caught his eye. It was Alyson's!
"Excuse me, that purse belongs to," He stopped. What could he call Alyson?
"To my girlfriend." Finished Caden.
"Oh, really? Do you know what's in it?" Asked the lady. Caden thought for a moment.
"Well, there should be a cell phone, a tube of lipgloss, and at least ten dollars." Said Caden.
"Anything else?"
"Well, I don't know about anything else. I don't go through her purse." Said Caden.
"Won't even hold it for her? Ha, my husband's the same way. Sorry, but your girlfriend will have to come get it." Said the lady. Caden turned, disappointed. Who knew how long it'd take for him to find her?
"Caden!" Called Alyson. She, her mother, and Becca raced toward him.
"Your purse is here." Caden told Alyson. Alyson turned to the lady at the counter.
"So, you're the girlfriend? Can you describe what you had in your purse?" Said the lady. Girlfriend? Alyson shyly smiled. Maybe he meant it.
Girlfriend? It's a good thing Allen isn't here, thought Mrs. Davis, or he'd strangle Caden. Alyson decribed the contents and soon they joined Mr. Davis and Kevin in the car.
"It's nine o'clock already." Said Mr. Davis impatiently as he started up the car. It'd be a long, tiresome drive.
The drive back home was very different. Nobody spoke. They stopped for burgers and fries since no one except Becca had eaten since breakfast. They got home late, just before midnight.
"Caden, call your mother and let her know you're spending the night." Said Mrs. Davis as Mr. Davis pulled the car into the driveway.
"I need to be home early tomorrow, so I can't." Said Caden, only too aware of Kevin's mood.
"It's too dark and dangerous for you to walk home." Said Mrs. Davis.
"We don't live far. It's only two blocks." Lied Caden.
"I should drive you home."
"No, it's fine, really." Said Caden, picking up his sleeping sister. Mrs. Davis stared at him doubtfully.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. See you later, Mrs. Davis. Bye everyone." Said Caden. He walked down the street. He had another twenty blocks to go.
SOAP OPERA
Alyson turned her head toward Kimberly. She wouldn't meet Alyson's eyes. She was still angry, but why was she out to make Caden a bad guy? True, she hadn't seen him since last weekend, and everything seemed to be falling apart.
"So, the yearbook theme will be a beach theme." Said Hadley Harris. Alyson sharply jerked her head.
"That is so overdone! Almost every year they do a beach theme just because the mascot is the seagull!" Said Alyson.
"Does anyone have anything better?" Asked Hadley Harris. Nobody raised their hand or spoke.
"Okay then. The theme stays. On to other matters...."
"Kevin, I'm sorry." Said Caden sincerly. They were in math class. Mr. Burton had his back to class, busily scribbling on the chalkboard.
"Just tell me one thing, did you become my friend just to get closer to her?" Asked Kevin.
"No." Said Caden truthfully.
"Then, I guess I can forgive you. Besides, it'd be cool if you married Alyson, then we'd be brother-in-laws." Said Kevin.
"Yeah, that'd be cool to marry my best friend's sister." Said Caden.
"Ya mean it?" Asked Kevin, referring to the best friend part.
"Yeah." Said Caden.
In the kitchen, Mrs. Davis sat chopping onions, tears rolling down her eyes. After what she had found out, she had smoked an entire box of cigarettes, but it didn't help. Tears rolled down her face as she smoked cigarettes, one by one. Soon the kids would be home and wonder why she was crying. An onion was all that could cover it up.
"Mom?" Called Alyson.
"Your home!" Said Mrs. Davis, forcing a smile.
"Yeah, and Caden came with us." Said Kevin, removing the lid to the cookie jar.
"Save some room for supper, I'm making stew." Said Mrs. Davis.
"Caden, let's go play videogames." Said Kevin, "Alyson, d'you wanna come?"
"Nah, that's okay. I'm going to help mom." Said Alyson. The boys left the kitchen.
"Mom, did anyone come visit you today?" Asked Alyson.
"No, dear." Said Mrs. Davis.
"Mom, were you smoking?" Asked Alyson, her voice cracking. Cigarette butts littered the porch, clumsily cleaned up. Her mother always told them about the dangers of smoking and Alyson was shocked to find her mother a hypocrite.
"W-what?" Aksed Mrs. Davis, petrified.