Disclaimer: I don't own Squid...or the school bus..or Camp green lake or the Green Lake boys or the radio he listened to. I don't own this song. It is called "Every rose has it's thorn" and it belongs to Poison. But I do own Cadence and Squid's apartment. And to warn you...don't sue me...because the old beat down car I mentioned I owned before is broke right now..the breaks are gone...so I know you don't want that.

Every Rose Has It's Thorn

by Brooke Lyn

Squid lay silently on his cot as the night went on around him. He listend to the breathing coming from the cot right next to his. It was ragged, almost as if she was afraid to breathe. Afraid to let him know that she too was awake. The silence that lay between them awkward, an unusual thing between them.

We both lie silently still in the dead of the night
Although we both lie close together
We feel miles apart inside
Was it somethin' I said or somethin' I did
Did my words not come out right
Tho I tried not to hurt you
Tho I tried
But I guess that's why they say
Every rose has its thorns

A deep sigh rips itself from Squid's chest as he tilted his head to stare out of the tent. He knew that soon the alarm will sound, forcing them to get up, the dawn being soon to follow. And with the dawn will be the time for Cadence to leave. It will be time for Cadence to return to her home. Back to what she knew before she came. Back to her old friends. Back to everything that existed before it became Squid and Cadence. Back to the time of when they didn't love each other, when they didn't know what it was to love someone.

He cast one more glance towards her shadowy figure as he felt tears spring to his eyes. He slowly sat up and pulled his jumpsuit on and quietly crept out of the tent feeling the gaze of Cadence's eyes burning into his back.

Just like every night has it's dawn
Just like every cowboy sings his sad, sad song
Every rose has its thorn
Yeah it does

Squid paused and rested against his shovel and watched as the yellow school bus drove away from camp a cloud of dust swirling behind. Being the only reminder of Cadence's existence, besides the overwhelming pain left in Squid's chest as he watched the only person he ever could love drive out of his life. He finished digging and made the long trek back to camp. Alone.

He sat on the couch next to ZigZag and stared blankly at the screen as a familiar song came playing out of the old radio. It was their song. His friends glanced over at him as he sighed deeply and stood up off the old worn out couch. They all tried to comfort him, telling him everything was going to be just fine, the tried to tell him he would find someone else. Squid couldn't believe them though, because they never felt the way he does before.

I listen to our favorite song
Playin' on the radio
Hear the DJ say love's a game of
Easy come and easy go
But I wonder does he know
Has he ever felt like this
And I know that you'd be here right now
If I could have let you know somehow I guess

Every rose has its thorn
Just like every night has it's down
Just like every cowboy sings his sad, sad, song
Every rose has its thorn

Squid packed his bags and looked around at his friends. Sure he was going to miss them. But not as much as he still missed her. Even though a long time has passed he still missed her so much, the pain of losing her was so intense, it hurt to breathe. He knew that the pain may lessen, but never go away because scars last forever. And her leaving placed a scar on his heart forever.

He bid goodbye and climbed onto the bus not feeling the excitement he should have felt at the prospect of going home. He knew this was because he had no one to go home to.

Though it's been a while now
I still feel so much pain
Like the knife that cuts you
The wound heals, but the scar, that scar remains.

He tried to readjust to life as Alan again, and move on. He tucked away all his memories and reminders of his life at Camp Green Lake into a box, the picture of Cadence on top. A reminder that he might have been able to do something to prevent this from happening. They could have still been together if he had only said the right things to let her know it was ok that she was leaving. If only he somehow told her that he wouldn't forget her and he would always love her. If he would have let her know then they would be together right now.

I know I could have saved our love that night
If I'd known what to say
Instead of making love
We both made our separate ways

Squid locked himself into his dark apartment, as violent sobs shook his body tears streaming profusely down his cheeks. The kind of sobs that felt like you were ripping out your insides. The kind of sobs that left you coughing up everything inside of you even your soul out onto the bathroom floor. Leaving you drained, lifeless. Unable to talk for days from the torture you placed on your throat.

He ran into Cadence and her sister at the store earlier that day. A big ring adorned her finger, and he had instantly known that she had moved on and found someone new. No longer was he important in her life. She found someone else who wouldn't let her go, who meant more, who she could love for the rest of her life. Giving her a sad smile Squid turned to leave, hopefully having her finally out of his thoughts, dreams, and life forever. "Squid." she called him back.

He silently turned to look at her. "It's Alan now." he mumbled back to her.

A look of pain quickly flashed across her eyes as she realized she was erasing him from her memory knowing that Squid no longer existed. He was Alan now. And Alan never was part of her life. "Have a nice life, Alan."

He nodded and sped home to the comfort of his apartment where he could be alone, the radio playing a song about a cowboy's lonely life.

Now I hear you've found somebody new
And that I never meant that much to you
To hear that tears me up inside
And to see you cuts me like a knife

Every rose has it's thorn
Just like every night has it's dawn
Just like every cowboy sings his sad, sad, song
Every rose has its thorn

I wrote this hoping that it would break my from my terrible case of writer's block and lead me to writing more on "Reach for the Stars." I promise you will get a new chapter on that soon even if I have to tape my notebook and pen to my hands so I can't do anything else but write. Feedback is always nice. Thanks for at least reading my story though. Lots of love.