Kayden Wass: The Bus Ride

The story of Kayden Wass, a trombone player from Waynesville High. It happened years

ago, on a late-night band trip. The bus was quiet.

Kayden was the tall kid, always with his dented trombone case. Someone wouldn’t leave

him alone. Teasing grew sharper. Laughter filled the dark bus. Inside,

something was burning. His fist slammed into the window. It exploded. The bus went

dead silent. Laughter gone. Only the cold night wind screamed through the broken

frame. Kayden never played trombone the same. Some whisper he still rides those

buses. Every so often, you hear it—a sharp pop, a rush of