Cade starts the school day off normally, with his head down, not saying a word. He's fourteen with short dark hair and green eyes. He doesn’t stand out because he's average looking, but also doesn’t try to. He has always been excessively shy. His parents are worried for him. He's four months into his first year of high school, and he hasn’t made any friends. During classes, he only speaks when called on, then gives short answers. He's very smart, and gets nearly every question right. At lunch, he sits alone and either eats slowly or doesn’t eat at all and just reads. He's got a similar routine at home. He quickly does his homework, eats dinner, and reads in bed. Because of his rare interest in anything, his parents get him anything he shows any general interest in.

As Cade enters his third period, science, he smells something weird. The smell threatened to make him cough. It smelled like old sand that lost the scent of the sea. He looks up to investigate and realizes that there is a gas, turning the room misty green. Some popular girls walk in and shriek, worrying about their clothing. Cade knows his science teacher. Mr. Finn would do something like this purposely, to introduce a lesson. Cade shuffles to his seat and starts paying attention to a freckle on his hand while hearing everyone's reactions. At the end of class, Cade's backpack was kicked by the school bully, Malcolm, across the room.

"Watch where you put your stuff, Cade!"

Cade mumbled an apology, and quietly went to retrieve his things. Mr. Finn waited until the rest of the class to leave before he spoke.

"Why do you put up with that?" Mr. Finn asked, with a worried look. Cade shrugged. "I'd like to help you with these kinds of things." Cade shook his head, and started towards the door. "I'm not going to give you a lecture about talking about your feelings." Cade stopped and turned around. "Interested, huh?" Cade gave an enthusiastic nod. Mr. Finn moved closer and his volume decreased. "I've got a little something that might help." He pulled out a bottle of mouth wash.

"I don't think it's my breath. I'd know if that was the problem," said Cade. Mr. Finn chuckled.

"It's not mouth wash. I just had to hide it, promise." Mr. Finn paused, and coughed for a minute. "It gives your brain the best words to use in any conversation. It uses the right language, timing, and topics. You'll be able to friend anyone with this." He coughed again, for longer this time. It was a gross, wet, and sad sounding cough. "I don’t need this anymore. You can have it for free." Cade nodded and put it in his backpack. "Please don’t do anything stupid with it."

"I won't. Promise," Cade then walked out, and headed to his next class. Throughout all his classes that day, he wondered what he would do with the elixir he was given. He heard someone talking about a football game that night. Before his last class, he went to the bathroom and tried some of it. It tasted like chocolate pudding in a liquid form, which sounds quite unpleasant, but it was delectable. Instantly, he stood taller, smiled, and looked straight ahead of him. He looked confident. He walked out of the bathroom and passed some girls, who were giggling and whispering. He then looked one right in the eye and asked her if she had a ride to the football game that night. She smiled and asked if he would be her ride.

When Cade got home, after chatting with a group of tenth grade guys on the dingy school bus, he told his mother he and "his girl" (as he had forgotten to ask for her name) would need a ride to the game. She laughed and agreed to drive them. That night was the most fun he had in a while. The potion gave him some knowledge about the people they were there with and about football. He had a immensely wonderful time and fit in with ease. Cade even enjoyed spending time with people. The girl he was with left early with her friends. The guys invited him back to one of their houses, but he declined. He could feel the potion wearing off already. The next week consisted of him experimenting with the potion, and wondering where his science teacher was. No one at school knew, but he suspected Mr. Finn was sick. During his science classes with easily distracted substitute teachers, he could hear Mr. Finn coughing. Cade was worried.

After about three weeks of Cade's new confidence, the bottle hit the half way point. Cade got Mr. Finn's phone number and left lots of messages asking for advice on how to make it, or if he had any more. After three days of calling, the school received and spread the news about Mr. Finn. He was in the hospital with an unknown disease. Cade went to visit him with a card signed by most of his students.

"Cade! How are you?" said Mr. Finn, hoarsely.

"I think I should be asking you. But I'm great! It works, you know, the potion." Mr. Finn chuckled.

"Well, I'm just tired." Cade gave him the card, then sat down. "You need more, don’t you?"

"Yes. I've got about a quarter of it left. I need this for the rest of my life."

"I can't do that, Cade. You don’t need it." Cade got a look of pure anger on his face. "Let me see your hands." Cade shakes his head. "Cade?"

"No!"

"I knew it. They're yellow, right?" Cade nodded. He showed his hands. They were yellow, but Mr. Finn knew it wasn’t finished. "They'll only get worse. But this is a good sign. It means you don’t need the potion anymore!" Mr. Finn coughed, and Cade waited for an explanation. "Have you noticed you don’t need as much anymore?" Cade shook his head. "The potion gives a permanent effect. The more you use, the worse your hands will get. But it will also give you more of what you want. It will permanently give you the ability to relate anyone and anything into a conversation in the right way."

"So if I finish the bottle, I can be friends with everyone. No one will ever hurt me again!" Cade went into his own world of possibilities.

"You can't do that, Cade. I won't let you."

"You can't stop me." With that, Cade stormed out.

"Cade! Wait!" shouted Mr. Finn roughly. Cade was already too far away to hear. Two weeks later, Cade's hands were worse. He found ways of hiding it. Cade had finally admitted to himself that he didn’t need the potion. He knew the second he left the hospital that he should go back to apologize. Cade knew that wasn’t the potion, that was his instinct. After the school day ended, he went to the hospital. He asked the receptionist where Mr. Finn was.

"Oh dear, I'm so sorry. He's gone, darling." She answered sympathetically. At first, Cade didn’t quite understand.

"Then where is he? Did he get better? Is he at home?" he asked, unaware of the situation.

"Sweetie, he's gone." She gave him a look and said it with such force that he got it. "I'm sorry. He said you might come. He said it with such certainty." Cade looked down. He mumbled a quick thank you and goodbye ma'am. He ran out of the hospital and passed his mother's car.

"Cade! Cade! Where are you going?!" she started to follow him, but lost him quickly. He ran off towards the abandoned playground near his house. His mother knew he'd go there, as he used to after rough school days as a child. Those days stopped when he stopped caring. Around the time he got there, he had calmed down. He sat on the same swing, the first on the left, as he always did, and he thought about what he should have done instead of storming out. As he sat there thinking, he became aware that he wasn’t alone. A girl close to his height was walking over. He didn’t know what to do, so he didn’t move. She sat on the swing next to him. He sat there shyly and still didn’t move. She took his hand and said,

"I know this isn't my place to ask, but do you want to tell me what wrong?" Cade sat there for a few minutes and didn’t say anything. She held his hand and waited for him. He told her everything, starting with his anxiety, going to getting the potion, talked about the fight, and finished with that moment. Cade forgot to tell her about his hands. He sighed,

"And I've just admitted that all to you, a stranger."


So she told him her story. She has had bipolar disorder with rapid cycling. This means she has an average of about two episodes of bipolar disorder per year. She has suffered with it since she was eight and a quarter. She has since learned when they are coming, as her body has warning signs. She still relives her first one that happened at school. She started to describe it, but starting crying and saying,
"I can't."

"I won't make you."

Cade did something he'd never done. He got up, pulled her up, and hugged her. It was a normal, yet long hug. Neither knew how long they stayed there, comforting each other. After they had forgotten their problems and became aware of only each other, they kissed. It was a proper first kiss, quick and quiet with no other description needed. They had a small conversation after, wherein they agreed to meet there, same time the next day. Cade started to walk about, but turned around and quickly stated,

"I'm Cade."

"And I'm Electra." She waved goodbye, and ran off with her long, curly, neon yellow hair bouncing as she went. But she turned back and said,

"I heard social anxiety to be described as yellow with orange static once. Just a thought." She turned and left that time.

Cade was unable to hide his emotions for the next few minutes. He was completely upset by Mr. Finn's death, but felt wonderful that he could relate to this new girl, Electra. He loved her name, as it was more unique then his. His mother arrived there twenty minutes later, when she knew he'd have calmed down. By now, she'd gotten a phone call and understood why he was upset.

"He's dead, mom. Mr. Finn…" he didn’t start crying again. He stayed calm.

"I know sweetie." They drove home.

Two weeks after the funeral, Cade was called up to the principal's office during lunch. He gave a pretend terrified face. As he walked in, he saw a fancy looking man which he assumed was a lawyer.

"Cade, you've been included in Mr. Maverick Finn's will. He left you this" The lawyer handed Cade a bottle of Sunny D, but the liquid was blue. "said to fix your hands." Cade took off his gloves before he took the bottle. His hands were yellow, with orange static.