Learning To Love You (Noah X Cody)

Slip of the Tounge

I hesitated for just a second before I knocked on Cody's door. It'd been three hours since anyone had seen him, and Cody isn't really the kind of guy to go MIA. But I also didn't want to get on his bad side by interrupting his sulking time.

But I knocked anyway, and was answered with an unenthusiastic 'come in'.

"Cody, dude are you okay?"

I cautiously stepped into his room, trying to avoid the several mountain dew cans scattered across the room.

"I'm fine" I heard him say monotonously from the bedroom. All the lights were out in his room, which made it almost eerie. When I entered his bedroom, I saw Cody sitting on the edge of the bed, looking out the window at the pool deck below.

"Cody?" I whispered, drawing nearer to the boy. He didn't move or turn his head, and the only light was provided from the pool lights on the deck below.

"I'm glad she's happy" he said after a slightly awkward silence.

"Cody, Gwen is careless and cruel, and she doesn't deserve you"

I sat on the bed next to Cody. I sat really close. Close enough for me to put my scrawny-ass arm around him.

"If she's so undeserving, why does she get to live out happily ever after with Trent while I'm constantly fighting for her happiness without a lick of recognition or gratitude?"

I was shocked to hear that come out of little Cody's mouth. But it did.

After he left the words ringing in the air, he turned his head towards me, obviously expecting an answer.

"Remember when we were talking about Karma? Someday, you'll realize that you have something that made your efforts worth it. And Gwen? Perhaps one day she'll slave over someone else's happiness and receive nothing in return"

Cody turned away again.

"I'm too nice. If that happens, I'll only feel sorry for her" he mumbled. Each time he spoke, his back slouched a little more, making his head come closer and closer to my chest.

"She doesn't deserve your sympathy" I said. And then I took a chance. I drew his head into my chest and wrapped my arms around his boney shoulders. To my surprise, he leaned into the embrace, and twisted his head so his face was hidden into my sweatshirt.

From the gentle movements he was making, I could tell he was crying. I'm not too great at dealing with crying people, me not being exactly empathetic. So not knowing what to do, I just gave him a few pats on the shoulder and continued holding him.

I don't know how long we stayed like that, but we did until his sobs started mellowing out and his breathing became calmer.

Once he had completely stopped crying, and wiped his tears on my hoodie for good measure, he sat back up and smoothed out his hair. He let out a breath of air, but didn't say anything. We both just sat there, looking into nothing.

"Feeling okay?" I asked after a while.

He nodded.

"Yeah," he croaked "thanks Noah. I didn't know you could be so, uh, comforting"

I shrugged.

"Once you have moments like this and realize no one cares, you become a bit more sensitive"

"My parents never comfort me. I don't have friends back home that have enough brains to understand emotions. I go through this by myself every time. But it's better when someone's holding you"

For the first time I can remember, I wanted to cry. Not because I was upset or it struck some sort of chord. But because that was the saddest thing I have ever heard.