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I walked out of the school, my hands in my pockets. Looking over my shoulder, I watched as Cody came out a little while afterwards. I walked over to his bike. He got on, looking at me, "I know I'm the best looking guy around, but you don't have to fuckin' stare at me like that."
"Shut the fuck up, Cody. I was just gonna ask if I could come over to your place tonight."
His eyes danced to my chest and met mine again. He smiled a little.
"Get your head out of the gutter, Culp. I just have a shit ton of homework and so do you. I figured we could get more done together."
"Hmm. Yeah. Hop on."
I did so comfortably, and he backed us out of the (illegal) parking spot before speeding off. We got to his house shortly after, first stopping by Curt and Dawn's to grab a case of beer. We pulled up into his driveway, and walked in. I saw Angel on the couch with his feet propped up and the pieces of a gun around him as he cleaned them individually. He smiled and greeted me. I went to the kitchen to put the beer in the fridge. I got a tired greeting from Sonny, who was laying on the kitchen table on his stomach like a starfish. I chuckled at him and tousled his hair before going back in the living room. Angel looked to Cody, then me, "If you two are gonna fuck, keep it down. Mom's asleep."
Cody muttered under his breath, "You mean she fuckin' drank herself blind." He looked to me and spoke gently, "Let's go to my room."
We did so, and I wasn't surprised by it's appearance. It was like any other bedroom around these parts. His bed was a mattress on the floor, and he had a locked safe the corner. He had a mirror leaned against his wall, and his closet was shut, with a rope to keep it that way. Next to the head of his sleeping place were three empty beer bottles. He threw a loose black bag down and plopped onto his bed. I sat down next to him and he ruffled through wrinkled papers in his bag. I got out mine as well, and handed him a pen. He put the cap between his teeth, "Which teacher do you have homework for?"
"Hardin. The fuckin' psychopath that practically beat the shit out of Curt yesterday."
He blinked and nodded, "Yeah. Right."
I suddenly heard shouting coming from his living room. It sounded like Angel was having an argument with his mom. I looked to Cody, who was staring angrily at the door. His eye twitched and he stood up, holding out a hand and helping me to my feet as well. We walked to his living room to see his run-down mom and Angel fighting over what I assumed to be either Edge, or Skin. Sonny had moved, and was now splayed out on the floor like a starfish. Angel accidentally stepped on his back and apologized before bickering again. Sonny didn't notice. Cody watched and I was afraid he'd lash out.
His fingers twitched a little, and he finally shouted, "Gee, you're all the fucking greatest, you know?! Am I the only one here that can survive without that fuckin' dust?!"
Angel and his mom stopped fighting and looked at him. Even Sonny poked his head up. After a second, they were back at it. Cody shook his head and brushed past me, kicking open his screen door and stepping outside. I stepped over Sonny's legs and slipped out behind him. I watched as he kicked a wooden post before putting his hands on his hips and looking down. The back of his house faced the lake, and at the moment, so did he.
I walked behind him quietly and stood next to him, not speaking. After a second, I looked to him, "... Cody? You okay?"
His jaw clenched and I met his eyes. My heart wrenched when I saw the tears gathered there. Cody was the toughest guy I knew, and seeing him broken by his own family... I knew that if he spoke another word, he'd start bawling. I led him behind a tall barrier the other Blackhearts had put together, and, once out of the public eye, pulled him into a hug. I immediately felt his shoulders wrack with sobs as he muffled his cries with the jacket on my shoulder. After a while, he hushed, but kept himself in my arms. He spoke quietly, not pulling away, "I fuckin' hate that stuff."
"What? Edge?"
"Yeah. It's awful... Makes family turn on each other. You saw Angel and my mom... Hell, Sonny hasn't spoken a full understandable sentence in a month! It's fuckin' ridiculous!"
I sighed, "Yeah, I know Cody."
He chuckled sadly, "I bet you think I'm the biggest pussy in the world right now."
I pulled away from him and smiled, "Hey, we all gotta have a soft spot. I won't judge you for it. And... it can stay between us."
He sniffed, "Thanks." He gently took my hand and pulled my to him, securing his arm around my waist, "Now, I believe we have a forty page essay to write in thirteen hours."
