Her Best Man

Chapter 10: Cody the Killer

Dedicating this chapter to anyone who's having a bad day. Don't worry, things will turn out alright. :)

"Happiness can be found in the darkest of corners, if one remembers to turn on the light." -Albus Dumbledore
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I followed him inside the rink, everything moving at a hundred miles an hour. The effect Cody had on me was astounding. I tried figuring out the craziness that existed inside of me.

I liked him...but he was an arrogant player.

I liked him...but I still wasn't over Ryan.

I liked him...but I was sure he didn't feel the same way.

Some things just don't add up, no matter how much you want them to. I decided that this is what the situation had become. A confusing web of love and hate. They were both there, I was just caught right in the middle.
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I wasn't sure what he was up to. He still wouldn't give me my keys back.

"Cody. I need those keys." I cried, as I ran to catch up with him. He was walking at a rapid pace. He turned to me, his expression unreadable. We reached the end of the hallway, and entered a large concrete room. What the hell were we doing there?

My eyes averted their attention to a duffel bag on the floor that sat next to a furnace. I could see the flames through the iron bars, roaring in a violent blaze. Was he a serial killer who wanted to burn me and then put my ashes in a duffel bag for safe keeping? I seriously doubted that...but you never know these days.

Being a journalist in the media, I was exposed to some pretty crazy stories. Stuff like that was out there, and not as far out of reach as you'd expect. Combine that with weekend marathons of Criminal Minds, and hardly anything in the world seemed to be sane anymore.

I stood at the doorway, now hesitant. Cody walked over to the bag, crouching to grab something.

"This isn't the part where you tell me you're a part of some satanic cult where you have to be hazed in by killing an innocent bystander, is it?" I gave a nervous laugh. Cody the killer...had a ring to to it.

He looked at me and glared.

"Hey, you may not like me, but I'm not a fucking crazy person." He smirked.

But I do like you.

I also hate you.

Maybe like a little more.

He took out a white jersey. I recognized it as the team jersey. Okay? I was still confused. His expression turned rigid. It was so intense again, like it had been two nights ago. He reminded me of a majestic wolf, or something of that sorts. I needed to stop having such corny thoughts.

He handed it to me, watching me with intent. I just looked up at him during the entire process.

"What is this?" I asked so quietly that I wasn't sure if it even escaped my mouth.

"Look at the back." He responded.

I obeyed his order, and now I understood. It all made sense now, and he opened the top of the furnace.

"I thought it was only fitting that you would be the one to officially dismember him from the team. I figured you had to get rid of your anger in someway."

It was Mike's hockey jersey. Cody wanted me to burn it? That might have been the sweetest gesture anyone had ever done for me, all joking aside. I grabbed the jersey from his hands, wadding it into a ball. I made my way to the fire, and dropped it in, watching it get devoured by the flames. I stared into the fire until my eyes stung from the outburst of smoke. I started coughing, wafting the smoke away from me, unwilling to leave until I saw that it was completely gone. When it was finally ashes, I turned to Cody with an ever grateful smile.