Handsome and the Hideous

Chapter 6

Although Cody had helped me temporarily forget about Owen crying at the party, I couldn't help but think about it now. My heart felt heavy at the thought because it hurt to know that I was so ugly that I scared children. There was something so humiliating about the fact and getting up from my bed because reading wasn't helping, I went to my closet. Pulling out my violin case, I froze because it had been a year since I last touched it

I only played the violin when I was genuinely upset. It was a way to let out all my feelings and it was something I genuinely enjoyed doing. But, because it was my late mom who taught me to play the violin, I tended to avoid the instrument. Because it brought back memories that hurt, I only reserved the violin for situations where I needed to express my feelings. The Owen situation was one of those situations, so I opened the case and pulled out the violin.

Standing up, I walked over to my bed and stood in front of it. Closing my eyes and putting my violin in the correct position - beneath my chin and resting on my collarbone - I got ready to play. My favourite song, Libertango by Bond, came to mind and immediately, I began to play it.

When I played the violin, nothing mattered. Nothing but the music mattered, which was why I felt like a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders as I played. I felt like I was emptying my heart out and listening to the sound I created, I felt at peace. It had been a while since I felt that way and thinking of my mom, I thanked her for teaching me to play the stunning instrument.

After finishing the song, I exhaled heavily. I felt empty now, but in a way that was refreshing. My heart no longer felt heavy and the Owen situation was forgotten. It was of the past now.

Feeling thirsty, I put my violin back into its case and stretched out my tired body. Walking to my door, I opened it and stepped out. But the moment I stepped out, I jumped when I saw a body sitting next to the the door. My eyes flew to who was sitting there and I became surprised when I saw Cody sitting there.

He was staring at me, his eyes full of awe. I stared back, wondering what he was doing. Cody had never done that before and I frowned.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"You play beautifully," Cody said. "Like holy shit, I'm stunned."

I blushed. No one except my family had ever heard me play the violin. It was personal, which left me feeling self-conscious.

"I really felt your music," Cody said, his eyes soft. "Who taught you to play?"

"My mom," I said.

"Is she a music teacher?"

"No, she wasn't."

Cody paused when he noticed I talked about my mom in past tense. My cheeks felt warm again and I looked away, not knowing what to say. A silence surrounded us for a moment.

"I'm sorry for your lost," Cody eventually said, his voice soft. "I understand how that's like. My dad passed away when I was young, too."

Looking at Cody, something in my heart broke for the boy. Because I had lost one of my parents, I understood how it felt completely. It was lonely and crushing, and I walked over to Cody's side. Sliding to the floor, I sat next to him and pulled my knees to my chest. Hugging my legs, I rested my chin on my knees, feeling small.

"I'm sorry for you lost, too," I said softly. "It's hard, isn't it?"

"Yeah, and lonely. I'm the only child," Cody said, looking at his legs that were stretched out in front of him. "Well, Jason is like family to me, so I'm thankful he exists... most of the time."

"How old were you when you two met?"

"Five." Cody smiled nostalgically and my heart felt warm at the sight. "We met in elementary school and we've been inseparable since."

"Is that why you took the blame for Jason?"

Cody didn't reply immediately and I stared at him. As he thought of an answer, I took in his features. His jawline was sharp and his nose was long and pointed in a handsome way. His lips were full and pink. Staring at him, I wondered how someone could be so flawless.

"Yeah, but I think I would have done it for him even if we weren't close. Well, if I knew his financial struggles," Cody said. "What he did was an accident. A stupid one, but he doesn't deserve to suffer for one small bad choice."

"You don't either," I admitted. "If there was any way my dad would have let you off without paying, I would have been okay with it."

"No, that's not fair. No matter what, I would have owed you guys somehow."

Cody was a kind guy, I confirmed. The type of guy that people didn't think existed because they were the genuine kind. The kind where they didn't expect anything in return and only did it out of the goodness in their hearts. My eyes softened at the thought.

Thinking back to what we talked about before, I said, "You know, I wish I had a best friend."

"You don't have one?" Cody asked, surprised.

"No, I... I don't have any friends."

Embarrassed, I blushed. When I was alone, I never had to worry about people thinking I was a loser, but now Cody knew I was one. I wondered why I ever admitted to having no friends.

"Well, I... I can be you friend," Cody said, surprising me.

I looked at Cody and saw that he was looking away from me. A smile soon appeared on my face when I saw that he was blushing. It was adorable and my eyes softened at how sweet he was.

"Thank you," I said softly. "That would nice."

Cody looked at me and smiled. I smiled back, forgetting about my insecurities. There was something gentle about Cody. Something that made me not scared of him. It was refreshing.

"I guess I should get back to work," Cody said, getting up. "I'll see you later."

"Okay," I said softly. "See you later."

Cody shot me one last smile, and then he walked back to his room. I stared after him, unable to help myself. It had been three weeks since we met and I had grown fond of him. I had to admit it, I liked Cody and I wanted to be his friend, too.

Getting up from where I sat, I smile and shook my head as I thought about how things had changed. Going to the staircase, I looked once more towards Cody's room and smiled. Something about Cody gave me hope and I wasn't sure what that hope was. But, it was a good feeling, so I let it remain in my heart.