Fucking Cody. Why did he need to slash my bike tires? He's lucky I didn't slash his car tires, or better yet, he's lucky I didn't key his Porsche! If I did I'd probably engrave 'fuck you' straight across it. I don't think I'm going too far, because of him I have to take the stupid bus to and from school! I miss spending my mornings going to school by myself and taking in the fresh air, not sitting on stuffy, public transportation with a bunch of people that I don't even like, when I just want to get some sleep.
I leaned my head against the window, exhausted from a long day of school. Naturally, I sat at the front of the bus to get as far away as possible from the loud group of kids who wouldn't shut up in the back of the bus. It's exam season, what do they have to be happy for anyway? This entire day had me fed up and I was definitely done with everyone once last period was over, Cody included.
I wouldn't be spending a good chunk of my morning waiting at a bus stop every week if it wasn't for him, and I desperately needed an outlet to express my anger. Just as I was contemplating whether or not I should treat myself to some ice cream, my savior sent me a text asking if I needed something from Target, and his name was Theo.
"I need you." I impulsively sent, not realizing how he'd interpret that, to which I got a spam of question marks in response. But he didn't get it, he was the only person I wasn't annoyed at, and I felt like paying him a visit.
"lmk what ur fav ice cream flavor is." Sent.
—
"Hello! Your gingerbread is in my way." Theo moved his yellow gingerbread figure past my blue one on the game board in front of us. "Man, I haven't played Candyland with you in years! I remember always beating you, Theo." I joked. A huge grin stretched across my face as I glanced down at my card with two purple squares on it. "Looks like I beat you once again!" I victoriously used my figure to knock his gingerbread over before moving my place to the end of the path.
Theo groaned in defeat and ate another spoonful of his vanilla ice cream. "Alright," he gulped, "Now that we played one round, tell me what's going on at school." He sounded like a dad having a sit-down talk with his son. I was messing around with the gingerbread men and sighed. "Where do I even begin.."
I immediately told Theo about how Cody was complicating my life more than it already was by leaving me no choice but to ride the bus and pestering me in and out of school. Theo was the only person who I could say this to, despite his boyfriend being best friends with the jock I was literally complaining about. It's not like me disliking him was a secret though. Oh, and of course I told him about the day we went to the cafe, or more like how I was forced there.
"Eric, do you hate him, or do you not, because it sounds like both and it's hurting my head. " Theo gave me a look of both concern and confusion at the same time. I know what I was saying didn't really make sense, but I also knew that hanging out with Cody once didn't mean that I liked him. "I don't! Like I said, he wouldn't bring me home the first time I asked and I ended up at a cafe." Theo's eyes grew wide at this new information.
"He what?! You can't just say that and not tell me more!" He leaned forward, eagerly awaiting further details from me with listening ears. "Well, we—"
"THEO!"
"What the fuck?" I flinched at the muffled banging coming from outside. "Is someone trying to break in? Quick, call the cops!" I grabbed my phone and looked at Theo's calm expression. How could he be so relaxed when it sounded like there was a violent person out there?! "Put down your phone, Eric," He lowered my hands and walked towards the loud ruckus. What's wrong with him? Is he developing Stockholm Syndrome for the guy trying to rob his house?
I grabbed his tennis racket and started swinging it around as I inched my way towards the window. "Move back, I got this." I tightly held the racket in front of me as I pushed open the glass. "Will you just let me—" I shook my finger in his face and slowly peered over the windowsill. The tree outside of his room started shaking, and I had my makeshift weapon to protect Theo and I, ready to lunge at any sudden movement. Something popped out of the leaves, which was my cue to hit aimlessly at the culprit.
"Ow, stop!" I got him now! I kept slamming the racket against his head repeatedly. "No! Fuck you!" Theo came from behind and grabbed my wrists. "Can you stop and listen?!" I get it now. He wants to be manhandled and he doesn't want my help. It's fine, I won't kink shame my best friend.
A lock of blonde hair peeked out from all the leaves and twigs blocking the man outside from my view. "Who are you?!" I demanded an answer. "That's enough, don't hit him anymore he's—" Theo couldn't finish his sentence before the blonde guy jumped through the window and collapsed on top of the both of us. I squirmed under his weight, but stopped when I opened my eyes.
"Blake?"
"Yes, it's me you fucking idiot!" He got up and dusted some dirt off his jacket, though it didn't do much to help his appearance. Blake's hair was a mess and he grimaced as he plucked out a few things that got stuck in his hair and threw them out the window. A clean cut was dripping blood from his cheek that he tried wiping with his sleeve, causing him to wince. I felt bad.. REALLY bad...
"I told you to stop!" Theo snapped, helping Blake wipe his face. I flushed red with embarrassment and put down the tennis racket. "I'm sorry, okay?! I thought you were some rando trying to break in!" Blake reluctantly accepted my apology and laid down on Theo's bed as Theo left to get a medkit and a damp towel to wipe his boyfriend's face.
"What're you doing here?" I asked, crossing my arms. "I could ask you the same thing." Should I tell him? I hesitated to reply. "Well..." I fixed my posture and chuckled lightly, "How's.. Cody.. Doing these days?" I said, fighting back the urge to grimace. I can't believe I was asking him about Cody. "Why? Someone gotta' crush?" I looked back at him in disgust, "Ew! No!" I said defensively.
Why would he even say something like that? "I'm just asking because.. Because.. I wanna make sure he's doing bad these days.. Really, really bad! Because, well, I hate him, you know, so of course I'm gonna.. Uh.. Wish the worst for him." I turned my head to face his wall, scratching my neck in anticipation of the next words that'll come out of his mouth.
"Pretty good besides from the fact that he misses someone who's very special to him," He mocked, with a teasing grin on his face. I grabbed a pillow from Theo's bed and threw it right at him before responding, "I'm serious! It's just.. The other day, he couldn't even pay for our drinks, then that same night, he sent me two hundred dollars.. It just.. Doesn't make sense to me." Suddenly, Blake's playful demeanor dropped, and he tilted his head back to divert his attention to the ceiling.
I was afraid he was going to be all silent like this, which must mean that I was right about something. "Look, I'm not gonna run my mouth about his business. That's not my place, man." He looked back over to me, and our eyes met. I could tell that he wasn't joking around, I just didn't know about what in particular. "But.. If you have any other questions.. Like, uh, what music he listens to, the type of people he's dated.. Or if he's really into you.. I'd be happy to answer."
God, could this guy ever stay serious for more than a minute? "You're not funny, Blake." I thought about it for a few seconds.. I mean, it's kind of tempting. Cody isn't really an openbook, but Blake was my inning into Cody's personal life. As fucked up as it sounded, I knew I wasn't going to use it for anything bad.. Whatever, fuck it. "Wait, you said you could answer any other questions I had, right?" Blake nodded nonchalantly in response, "So.. What's his type?"
"Glad you asked. Knew you liked him, it's so obvious, man. You act like you hate 'em and shit, but I can see your face turn red everytime you say his name, and–" I quickly interrupted, "Shut up!" Blake chuckled in response, and turned to face me, "Okay, okay.. Well.." He looked back up at the ceiling, as if he was pondering. If he had to stop for a moment to think, does that mean that Cody's a manwhore? Not a surprise.
"There was.. Haley.. Paige.. Oh, and Maddie.. Well, most of them were blonde. Oh! And blue-eyed too." Gee, that helped a ton, thanks. Wait– "Then that makes no sense!" I crawled over to Blake, and shook his shoulders, "Why does he even like me?! I'm a guy! I have a dick! And short ginger hair, with–" Blake pushed me off and laughed loudly, "At least you have blue eyes. Damn, you're annoying."
"Me?! Annoying?! I'm just asking a simple question.. Or two.." Blake gave me a look of disbelief, almost as if he thought I was joking. He shrugged it off and rested his arms behind his head. "You're the one who keeps asking about Cody Andrews. If you wanna know all this stuff about him why can't you ask him yourself?" If it wasn't obvious enough, Blake, I hate him, so why would I willingly go up to him and start asking about his life? Jocks like Blake are all the same, I don't get what Theo sees in Blake.
"Use your head, Blake, or whatever part of it still works since I basically smashed it til you bled.. He's not my friend, and I don't even like him!" I looked in his direction and saw that he was dozing off in the comfort of Theo's bed. "Whatever you wanna believe..."