The Deal With Byrd and O'Neill

Chapter 10

Mason

I paced around the room, not knowing what to do with myself.

I didn't want my brother to ruin the regional meet for Cody (which I low-key felt was exactly what he planned), but I couldn't stop him without a car. The friendship between me and Cody may or may not be over, but he was still Codykins, and I still loved him and wanted good things for him. I wanted him to win today. I wanted him to go to college on a scholarship, and even the Olympics. Even if I'd be watching from a television screen from now on. Alone. With a cup of biological herbal tea, and a soundtrack of rain in the background for added dramatic effect.

Not that I wanted to watch Cody from a television screen right now, though. I was terrified of seeing or hearing anything from anyone in this train wreck of a situation. So terrified I'd switched off my phone like a coward.

Zoey and Yue were undoubtedly pissed that I made them get up at the crack of dawn, only to ditch them and go home. Noel was a loose cannon like always. And Cody... I needed to talk to him after his competition. I hadn't talked with him directly yet, face to face. Maybe I'd been too rash in my reaction. And Noel rashly reacted to my rashness, and God, I was going get a rash from the stress.

I didn't know what Noel was doing, but it would not be good.

As if Noel heard me think about him, the familiar crackle of an explosive (and probably somewhat defective) exhaustion pipe suddenly sounded outside. I moved to the window, and Noel's car rolled onto the driveway a few seconds later.

He was back far earlier than I'd expected. I don't know if it was a good or bad sign. The key turned in our front door lock, and I ran downstairs.

Noel stepped inside, and casually smiled as if nothing was going on when he saw me. "Oh, hello brother smurfest."

"Don't 'hello brother smurfest' me," I growled at him. "Where did you go? You better not have done anything to Cody because I swear to God I will kill you if you did!"

Noel threw his hands up in a defensive gesture, that same obnoxious casual grin still on his smug face. "Relax smurf boy, he's still in one piece, mentally and physically, and on his way to his big regional meet. Along with Zoey and Yue."

"Zoey and Yue are in the van too?"

"Sure," Noel shrugged, "there was space in the van and they insisted on it. Ditching your support group wasn't very nice you know. Anyway, we should get going too if we want to make it in time."

Noel tried to grab my arm but I stepped out of his reach.

"I'm not going anywhere! Where did you go? Did you see Cody?"

"Sure," Noel grinned as if he'd expected me to refuse. What was he playing at?

"What did you do to him?"