(10/3/10/

(Aiden's POV)

Arcadia Bay, Oregon, is where I grew up, and it's a small town that has been my home since my mom passed away when I was really young. I live with my cousin, Chloe Price, at her mom Joyce's house. Chloe is pretty much the only person I can talk to in this boring place.

We used to have a friend named Max Caulfield, but she moved away in 2008 after my uncle William died in a car crash. He was like a father to me, and Chloe was really upset about it. After that, Max stopped replying to our texts, which I really wish she wouldn't have done.

I'm sixteen, just like Chloe was, but I'm a bit taller than her, which I love to give her shit about. Tonight, we're heading out to see Firewalk, Chloe's favorite band.

"Hey, Aiden! Are you coming or just daydreaming?" Chloe shouted, pulling me out of my thoughts. I quickly realized we were almost at the abandoned mill where the concert was happening.

"Let's go! We're almost there!" she urged, tugging on my arm. I laughed and jogged to catch up with her.

"Mom's going to be so pissed when she finds out we snuck out," Chloe said. I replied, "Yeah, but what she doesn't know won't hurt her," as I relaxed with my hands behind my head.

Aunt Joyce usually doesn't approve of us sneaking out, but she should remember what it was like to be young and want to have fun.

We made our way down a dark path and climbed over a fence. The music grew louder, and I could feel my heart racing with excitement as we got closer to seeing Firewalk perform.

An RV was parked out front, and two guys were having a heated argument. I told Chloe we should steer clear of them because I recognized the RV as Frank Bower's, our weed dealer. While Chloe was busy talking back to the bouncer to get us inside, I kept an eye on what was happening around us.

"Aiden! We made it! Let's thrash this place!" Chloe shouted, signaling that she had convinced the bouncer to let us in. "Oh, fuck yes," I replied, rushing in right behind her.

Once inside, the music blasted loudly, and I saw a bunch of drunk people slumped in chairs, barely able to stay upright. I spotted a path leading to the concert area. "Chloe! I found a way through!" I called out.

"Fuck yes! There are so many people here," Chloe said, taking in the crowd. "I'm heading in! You coming?" I asked, pumped up and ready to dance. "Hold on, I want to grab some merch," Chloe replied, noticing a vendor selling Firewalk shirts from the trunk of his car.

"Get one for me!" I yelled over the loud music. I then pushed my way into the crowd to catch a better view of Firewalk. As I started to enjoy the music, I unexpectedly bumped into someone. "Rachel Amber!?" I exclaimed, surprised to see her at a party like this.

"Aiden!" Rachel beamed at me. "I never thought I'd see you here!" I shouted back over the music. "Their music is the shit, Aiden!" Rachel said, dancing energetically. I noticed her 80's rock hairstyle and leather jacket, which made her stand out even more.

"Looking sick, Rachel!" I laughed, still dancing. "Thanks, Aiden!" Rachel shouted as she started to dance with me. After a few more minutes of dancing, I decided to look for Chloe. I thought she would be right behind me, but she isn't.

I couldn't see her but I did see Frank lounging on a couch by a rickety staircase. "Frankie! Have you seen Chloe anywhere? She came with me," I asked him. "Keep your pants on, Price. She went upstairs," Frank said as he took a drag of his cigarette.

I gave him a nod and jogged up the stairs. When I made it up there, I see Chloe getting confronted by two scrawny guys getting in her face. If there were times when Chloe was unable to defend herself, I usually step in to protect her.

"Hey! Dickhead! Get the fuck away from her!" I shouted, getting their attention. While they were distracted, Chloe managed to get away from them. "C'mon, Rachel is waiting for us!" I shouted as I dragged her back down to where Rachel was.

Needless to say, the rest of that night was such a blast. I didn't want it to ever end.