Grey Testament ✓

Fourteen | Forever

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SOTC: 2002 by Ana Marie

After fourth period ended and Lunch commenced, a buzz in my hand led my phone screen to flash a text.

Cody: Meet me at our Ivy spot.

Oh. My. God.

So this was what he spoke about earlier!

My heart skyrocketed out of my chest. I grew oblivious to every hungry mouth around me, for nothing plagued my mind besides that very text, as it only meant one thing.

Without fathoming going to the lunch line, I rushed outside and into the world of Ivy's courtyard. Turquoise skies complemented its image constructed of willow trees and lush greenery enhanced by the Sun on this blissful afternoon, most of its spaces populated by students.

I ran across the walkway leading to a fountain modeled off the favorite Greek god of Ivy's founders and then arrived at a tree near it– a special tree. One I knew not the scientific name of, but what it was to me and one person.

That person was under it.

"Why hello," Cody greeted me as he sat crossed-legged under the concealing nature of its shade, smiling.

"Hello," I said, trying not to squeal in pure ecstasy.

Here's that 'only one thing' I was talking about.

Since Cody and I met as children, we were dedicated to our 'togetherness'. Our secret nicknames for each other, code names for many things, and even our own playlists we'd make were the evidence of this vow to be one soul together until the Sun died. We put extra special attention into our spots.

Spots were the places we could talk about anything with just the two of us. We had a spot under the willow tree outside the Baron mansion, another willow tree at our elementary school, and yet another tree of the same kind at our middle school.

Our current Willow tree was on the beautiful green grounds of Ivy's courtyard.

"I got your favorite," Cody said, gesturing to two lunch trays next to him. One had the caprese salad on it, my favorite food served at Ivy. A rule regarding the school spots: whoever organized the meeting at the spot had to grab food for two.

"Thank you, sir," I said and immediately began eating the green goodness.

"I hope it wasn't much trouble to bring you out here."

Cody, I would've swam across the Pacific to be here.

"Of course not," I said while covering my mouth to swallow my bite of caprese swiftly like a proper lady.

"Good." Dimples stood on both ends of his pearly white smile as he added, "We haven't done this in a while, have we?"

Tinges of sadness swept through me as I answered, "No, not at all."

"We've gotten hit with loads of things these last months." Cody leaned his back against the tree, those chocolate eyes now being casted on by the sun shining through.

"So many," I sighed. My gaze went to a fountain in the distance for a moment. "Sabrina's baby's due in two months."

Cody slowly nodded.

I recalled the night I found out Sabrina was pregnant. My mind could reenact the scene of it so perfectly, me sprinting across the sidewalk to the Baron house a ways away, each patter of my bare feet echoing through the globe. Especially when I barreled into his arms crying, spilling the news skinning the foundation of my life alive incoherently to him. Shock had infested his face like a deadly virus as he had visibly contemplated what I said before we then grasped each other tighter in silence.

I could never erase that day from behind my eyes.

"It's been five since I broke up with Madeline," Cody said, his index and thumb picking at the grass. "Five months today."

Oh. Right.

"Yes," I just stated. "It is."

After a pause, Cody said, "I should've never dated her."

I slowly descended my bowl of salad to the ground as he continued:

"I haven't admitted to anyone that I lost myself with Madeline. She–" Cody briefly paused. "After just weeks, it was like she was the heart and I was the blood vessels. I had to keep flowing the blood to her by getting wasted every Friday night, making sure she took her medication, enduring her lectures on how she hated her father, and all this shit. I had realized I was her life support one day when she slapped me for missing her call. Because if I didn't do what she wanted– not listening to those lectures, not giving her attention all the time, not doing the craziest things at the parties, it was like she'd die."

I suppose I now knew what he meant by the 'craziest things'.

He sighed, continuing. "Then I realized I was the only one dying– and I was dying in front of you."

My lips parted.

"Daphne, you stood by me from when I'd rant about how she threw her life at me to every Saturday I slumped over a toilet. Even when you'd shriek and run away at the first sight of puke, you always came back to assure me I'd be alright. You were my life support, Daphne."

Cody blurred before me.

"I'm sorry it's taken a whi–"

Before he finished his sentence, I lunged toward him, pulling him into an embrace tighter than the one after that day.

"Oh, Daphne," he whispered.

"You have no idea how long I've wished for these words," I choked out. Tears spilled down a sure waterfall of mascara upon letting my eyes squeeze tighter than my arms around his body.

"I know," Cody whispered. "Forgive me for not telling you sooner."

"I'd forgive you for anything, Cody," I whispered. "Now and forever."

A/N: I'm terribly sorry for anyone who had to endure the past version of this chapter where Cody and Daphne did a cult chant after finding their favorite childhood rock. Hopefully, this has also provided insight on Cody's mental state and a situation Daphne had to endure involving him.

With Любовь,

sodapopxtreme

NCT: Sabrina's friend has a dark secret