Caden McCaughtery, District 8

Despite his name, Caden does not look Irish in the least. The name comes from his grandfather, and the looks come from his grandmother and father. He has dark brown, almost black hair that is straight and ends above his ears. He frequently re-styles it, though some of those stylings don't look the best on him. is nose is slightly larger than average. His skin is of a tan pigment. Caden has thick eyebrows, beow which sit golden brown eyes, which he gets from his mother. He makes a point of keeping his fingernails short and clean, and washing his hair regularly. He takes pride in his appearance.

When Caden was seven, he fell off the swingset at the playground. He fractured his left wrist and broke his growth plate. Though the fracture healed, his arm never grew quite right after that. As a result, his left arm is two inches shorter than his right, though it's hardly noticeable. The only time people really notice it is when he's standing up straight, arms at his sides.

For the most part, Caden is fun-loving. He likes to laugh, and loves making other people laugh. He likes being creative and expressing himself. He paints or draws sometimes, but his passion is clothes. He loves designing clothes and making them, and can't wait to finish school and start working so he can do it for a living. He isn't very good at school, but he's good enough. His parents are happy with his grades, and so is he.

Caden doesn't often get angry, but when he does, it's bad. He yells and shouts and makes it quite clear that he's upset. It is also reflected physically, in stomping feet and slamming doors. He can't, however, hold a grudge, no matter how hard he tries. It's impossible for him to stay mad at someone for longer than a day.

He likes hanging out with friends and making new ones, too. He isn't one to initiate a conversation in most circumstances. He will usually only do so if he's nervous about something, or excited. In these cases, he starts babbling and has a hard time stopping. When he's excited, it's easy to tell. There's an added spring in his step, a new glint in his eye. And he'll talk to just about anyone. He's not nervous often, but when he is, his hands start sweating and his heart beats faster. He'll pour out his whole story to someone if they're not careful.

Another thing about Caden is that he's very open. He doesn't keep anything to himself, which can be a good and a bad thing. More than once, bullies in school have beat him up because he couldn't keep his mouth shut. On the other hand, when he has something nice to say, he doesn't hold back. While other people might not say anything because they were embarrassed, Caden will just come right out and say it.

Overall, Caden is fairly well-liked within his circle of friends. Most people at his school at least know his name, even if they can't put a face to it. He has a few enemies, but he doesn't mind. They make life interesting.

Caden was born to Jim and Alee McCaughtery. They already had one child, a girl named Memory Lane, that was two years old. Memory had a different last name because she had a different father than Caden. It never made Caden love her any less. It doesn't matter to him that they're only half-siblings.

Caden was always very close to his parents. He played catch in the backyard with his father frequently as a child. He didn't particularly enjoy the activity, but he liked spending time with his father. He always felt that he could tell his father anything, and has always been comfortable talking to him. He wasn't as close to his mother, but they still talked a lot. He liked to help her cook dinner, and she liked having his help. Though he always loved his sister more than either of his parents, he knew that she didn't feel the same. She was always so studious, and didn't seem to have time for him. Memory is the one person Caden can't be open with. He can't just say whatever he feels with her, because he's afraid of destroying their fragile relationship.

Caden was never as good as his sister was in school, but he pulled by. He had friends, and they made it worthwhile. There were people at his school, however, that did not like him at all. They thought he was strange because he liked fashion and clothes. They taunted him, and he would often say things back to them that made them angry. And so Caden was often bullied in school, and came home with scratches and bruises. His parents wanted to take him to the prinicpal and make him put a stop to it, but Caden refused, saying he didn't want to be any trouble. His parents finally let it drop.

Their family never had much, but it was always enough. Caden grew up in a warm, loving family that always accepted him and valued what he had to say. He never felt unwanted, and he never felt that he wasn't enough. He was always happy just to be who he was. His parents had taught him not to care what others thought about it, and for the most part, he didn't.

His parents always supported his creativeness, and never did anything to try to stop him. They encouraged him endlessly. Perhaps they wouldn't have, if they knew the truth. They supported him, thinking he needed self-confidence. Hoping that, in time, they would tell him. His family thought he was gay. It never once crossed Caden's mind that they thought this. He wasn't interested in girls, but he wasn't interested in boys, either. He didn't have time for love. He was too busy chasing his dreams.