Crazy

I promise.

"No Cody, for the millionth time, I was NOT serious about the dating thing!" I protest to Cody in pure agony as he interrogates me on the words I said to Helga 3 days ago. 3 days. 3 days we'd been here and he'd never dropped the subject.

"You sure?" He says with an impish grin, chomping away on some gum as he leans against the opposite wall, arms folded.

"Yes!Yes, I am sure!"

"Positive?" He continues, pushing off the wall and taking a few slow steps toward me, smiling at the floor.

"Yes, positive, and why are you so chipper as you ask me these things?"

Cody only raises his eyes slowly to meet mine, grin dying down to just a simple thoughtful line as he then raises his head to where he's able to look at me straight on. He seems to decide something, just like that night when we played go fish, which seemed so long ago now, when he asked me to go skating with him. He had convinced me to do something forbidden in my mind.

He walks over to where I'm seated on his couch in the living room where you can see every other room in the apartment and he sits down beside me, facing me, our knees touching. We both look down at our knees quickly and back at each other, both unsure.

".....Are you certain Lily?" He asks, looking me in the eye as he seems very serious.

"... I-I um... I mean... We're not dating... I'm certain about that, but.." Oh no... I did not just say but!

His eyes widen a bit at my statement, quickly going back to normal. He looks at the floor and his knee begins to twitch, rubbing up against mine.

"....But what?" He hesitates, still looking at the floor and biting his cheek.

But nothing... But nothing!

" ...D--uh... I uh... I mean... What I meant was... uh,-"

"But what Lily?" He asks, looking back to me. I don't know what I should say, because his eyes aren't telling me anything. Nothing's telling me anything. He's got a stinkin' poker face on!

".... I mean I had to tell her something, Cody..." I say, glad I could think of such a natural explanation.

He looks back to the side and to the floor again.

"Right." He says.... Wait, did I say the wrong thing? "I better go see what plan Rede has next..." He says, getting up and walking to the door.

"Rede?"

"Josh. It's his last name."

"Cody..."

He stops in the doorway, hand on the wall.

" If I upset you..." I start. He pauses for a moment, then he laughs under his breath, turning his head to the side.

"Now how would you have been able to do a thing like that?" He asks jokingly.

"I don't know. But I did. You're not as tough as you think, Thomson. Not to me." I say getting up and walking to about five feet away from him, folding my own arms. The corners of his mouth turn up into a sweet smile.

"More like around you..." He whispers to where I barely catch it. I suck in a breath, which he hears, causing him to look towards me more before turning around completely.

"Cody.... I ... What I said to Helga... It was the first thing that came to mind.." I say, causing his eyes to cast downward. "But..."

He smirks slowly.

"What's with you and all the buts today, Lils?" He asks and I grin.

"Just uncertain, that's all...." But my grin dies as I start to thinking. "But I'm pretty certain about a few things..."

Cody's attention perks up, folding his arms again.

"Oh?"

"Yes..."

"And one of which would be?"

"That... I, uh....", and here I clear my throat,"can't tell you the thing I'm most certain on, but I can tell you that I.... Eh he.... I wouldn't mind dating you, Cody..." I finally get the treacherous words out, laughing nervously at the last bit. He unfolds his arms and widens his eyes in surprise. Then slowly, he begins to smile as he takes slow steps toward me to close the empty space.

He leans down carefully and I think he's about to kiss me when his face slips pass mine to where its right beside my ear and above my shoulder.

He looks down and smiles, then turns his head to whisper to me.

"It's a good thing." He says and I make a confused look. "Cuz Ive got a lot of things in store for you." He finishes, pulling away. He looks in my eyes and his little smile widens into a playful grin, so I smirk back at him.

"Is that so, Mr. Pines?" I flirt, using his fake name, my arms still folded and tipping my head up. Wait, I was flirting??

"Yeah... That is so..." He says, his last words dropping off on his breath.

When I tipped my head up, his eyes flickered to my lips, his smile fading, and I realize this would be the perfect time for him to kiss me. I once again suck in my breathe and turn away from him quickly, taking deep breaths. Suddenly I feel his own breaths on my neck and I know he's leaning down next to me again.

"Why,may I ask....",He starts, his voice low and hoarse.,"...is it that you can't tell me the main thing your absolutely certain about... when you've always been able to tell me everything in our whole time of knowing each other. We're best friends, Lils." He says, and I can hear a bit of rejection in his tone. I turn my head slowly and he backs up a bit so that we can be face to face.

"The problem has to do with that, Cody..." I whisper and he furrows his eyebrows in confusion."Because if I were to tell you... our being best friends would never be the same."I finish, turning completely around to face him.

Cody keeps a steady eye on me as his face changes into one of no emotion. Then he half laughs, his eyes crinkling up in a side smile.

"We'll always be best friends, Lily.I can promise you that....I'll never leave you. " He says, and he dwindles down to a soft smile.

I make a hopeful look, causing him to his smile to widen a bit more, and I wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him into a hug as I stand on my tiptoes.

"Promise?" I whisper, holding onto him tight, like he's my lifeline.

"I promise." He says, burying his face into my hair around my neck and holding me just as tight, if not tighter. I sigh in relief. I'll always have Cody with me, despite whatever may come in the future.... He promised.