Been feeling kind of sad lately...VERY sad actually. So I decided to write something since I feel like I haven't written in forever. This sappy and petty one-shot is what I came up with. A GwenxCody fic to get rid of some of the blues.
Hope you all,
Enjoy!
Eleven Eleven
Softly her voice meets his ears as she gently speaks,
"You know…they say that eleven, eleven is the wishing hour…"
There is a sharp sound of ripping paper after that simple statement.
Cody tenses in the dark, her words catching him in surprise.
It isn't what she has said that has shocked him, cause her words are slow to register anyway, it's the fact that she had seemingly spoken in terms of conversation. As though she had spoken purposely to him.
But that just can't be, because as far as the goth knew she was completely alone.
At least that's what he had wanted her to believe.
That's what he'd had in mind for her to believe when he saw her storm out of the girl's cabin and purposely into the woods and, seeing his fascination speeding alone into the wilderness, had been quick to secretly follow.
It wasn't stalking…as many believed…it was just an urge to always be near her…a curiosity to always know what she was doing, what she was thinking, what made her Gwen.
What made her the girl of his dreams.
She was always so wrapped up in an enigma…and he only wanted to know her.
There is another sharp sound of ripping paper that cuts through the night's silent atmosphere.
She's sitting on the trunk of a fallen tree, her back to him. And he's standing just a few steps away hidden in the thick foliage of a nearby bush.
He had thought he had done very well in his act of stealth…but in the silence following her statement there is still an opening for something to be said.
Is she waiting for his response?
Cody quietly lowers his gaze to the watch on his wrist which reads 10:57pm he looks back to the Goths back.
Silently he answers, "So…so are you gonna make a wish then…?"
Another rip of paper.
She doesn't start at the sound of his voice. She doesn't turn in surprise. She remains still and poised, she had known of his presence.
Cody stands tall from his crouching position from behind the bush. With slightly heated cheeks at having long since been found out and an uncertain nervousness churning in his gut he steps from the bushes.
He awaits her response…or her inevitable yelling for following her and intruding in on her privacy.
But it never comes.
She never answers.
Another sound of paper ripping.
Cody hesitates before slowly side stepping in hopes of looking around her.
"What are you doing…?" He asks curiously.
Again she doesn't answer.
But she doesn't need to, because it's then that Cody can see around the goth.
The fallen tree she sits on is at the base of a deep slope that steeps so low you can't see the bottom especially in the darkeness of the night.
It is nothing but an endless bottom of pitch black.
Gwen's desolate gaze is lowered to her lap, in which sits a small purple book.
Blue curtains of hair fall to hide her onyx eyes from view as she rips another page from the book.
Cody watches with high confusion as she then allows the torn page to slip gently from slender fingers to fall idly down floating and twirling in the slight breeze down, down, down, into the nothingness to the bottom of the slope never to be seen again.
He watches her in silence for a moment longer as she continues this action a few more times, and it is then that realization hits.
"Gwen…isn't that your diary?"
This time he notices her jaw clench as she forces another rip from the books pages.
"Correction. It was my diary." She mutters a low reply.
Cody's brow's furrow slightly as strong compassion rises within him for the lovely girl before him, she speaks again.
"A diary is private record of one's deepest thoughts. It's not meant for other people to hear. That's what makes it special. That's what makes it yours."
Another rip of paper.
"Once that privacy is evaded…It's no longer yours."
They watch together as the paper falls flightless to disappear in the dark.
Cody remembered today's earlier challenge, the talent contest.
And Heather's 'talent'.
He knew it had weighed heavily on the goth girl…but he didn't know it had hurt her to this extent.
He hated Heather more than ever now.
He moved closer toward her, stepping over the tree trunk and being wary of the slopes edge, because they were very close to it!
He tentatively took a seat next to her well aware of the space he had left between them.
He looked to her from the corner of his eyes, saddened and riddled with worry.
"I'm sorry…about Heather."
Another rip of paper and another page falls down into the darkness.
"Sorry doesn't do anything." And there is just the faintest hint of bite behind her words.
Cody's gaze lowers to the ground and a look of hopelessness passes across his expression.
But as another page rips he slowly raises his head up to cast another side glance.
And slowly ever so slowly, with sweaty hands and a racing heart, he raises a wavering unsure hand up to touch gently to her knee.
It's like an unspoken rule is broken and Gwen's head snaps to look to him in surprise.
Cody looks to her fully.
And for a moment they simply stare.
It is then that the smaller boy can make out the wetness in her onyx eyes. The tears that she keeps from falling.
He swallows his suddenly bone dry throat and speaks,
"What can I do then?"
Her surprised expression magnifies just slightly and for the faintest of moments he swears he sees the faint hint of a blush against her cheeks…but it's too dark to really tell.
They are once more caught up in the silence as he nervously awaits her answer.
Her onyx gaze becomes searching…almost as though she's looking for a sign of a joke, or another form of playfulness.
But there is none.
His expression is firm and serious as he looks to her waiting.
Gwen lets out a sudden breath, then the corners of her lips pull back into a smile as she looks away from him with a shake of her head and a soft chuckle.
"Oh man…" She mutters quietly through her chuckles before returning her gaze back to Cody's.
Her eyes soften and her smile grows kindly.
Cody feels his face heat up another ten degrees as his heart pounds mercilessly.
He hopes she can't hear it.
She lowers her hand then to place over Cody's own that still sits shaking on her knee.
"Dude I…I'm sorry Cody. I'm just…speaking out of…anger I guess. I wasn't really saying that anything can be done I was just…saying stuff…" She trails off into silence her gaze lowers to the side seemingly in thought.
Cody's gaze lowers down to her hand placed so perfectly over his own.
He hopes she can't feel it shaking underneath hers.
But looking to their hands Cody also realizes something else.
The watch on his wrist.
His gaze quickly snaps back up as he quickly speaks, "It's eleven, eleven!"
Gwen looks back to him with a surprised start, "What?"
"Right now!" He smiles excited at the thought of giving her some form of hope, "It's eleven, eleven! You can totally make a wish Gwen!"
But her reaction isn't what he aspires for.
She simply stares at him, her expression unreadable.
"That's nothing but a load of crap Cody."
Then she stands taking away the warmth of her hand from his.
He is suddenly left with a rush of lost.
Gwen looks out into the dark nothingness of the bottomless slope.
She examines it a little before then tossing her whole diary into the darkness.
They faintly hear it hit against something before continuing its tumble down.
Cody keeps his gaze trained on her; slowly he speaks, "But then…why'd you bring it up in the first place?"
Gwen gave a soft shrug of her shoulders before turning around to step over the fallen tree and make her way back to the camp.
"I don't know," are her parting words, "I was just saying stuff…" she speaks lowly as she continues on her way that he can just barely make out her words.
Cody watched her retreating figure with a mixture of shock and anxiety.
He looked down to the watch at his hand.
Still eleven, eleven.
He closes his eyes tight, he wishes hard.
Whether one chooses to believe or not…there is nothing more disheartening than a wasted wish.
…
The next day in the mess hall the campers sit with their appointed teams for breakfast.
Sitting at the end of one of the long tables Cody secretly watches the goth girl as she talks about one thing or another with Leshawna.
A laughing smile bloomed upon her features as Leshawna began to wave her arms about animatedly for emphasis as she spoke loudly.
Gwen seemed in much better spirits compared to how she had been last night.
Trent soon came into the scene his tray of food in hand as he slipped into his appropriate spot at Gwen's side.
He brought a hand up to rub gently against her shoulder giving a perfect smile in greeting.
Gwen looked up to him her smile growing and a noticeable blush on her cheeks as she happily greeted him good morning.
Cody's own smile grew at the sight as he lowered his gaze down to the questionable scrambled eggs Chef had served them.
His aqua green eyes were listless, his smile was small and only half real, and there was an all too familiar pain in his chest.
But the smaller boy would readily admit that he was indeed happy.
His wish had come true.
He looked back up as he heard Trent and Gwen laugh at something Leshawna said.
Gwen's happiness.
He looked back down to his eggs and began to stir them disinterestedly with his spork.
Maybe tonight…he would make a wish for himself.
Almost as though he can't help himself his gaze raises back up to the goth girl.
He takes in her beautiful smile, her shining eyes and her engaging laughter.
Before long his own smile grows to become more real.
But most likely his wish will remain the same.
~Fin~
Eh, I'm not to happy with it, but it was just some quick writting.
And to all my regualr readers more so the particular few who are vigilantly awaiting the final chapter of 'The Hostile Hookup' (the ones who have it on alert and everything^^;) I apologize for the long wait and assure that it IS indeed coming along...just very slowly. I can't give a set date right now but soon I promise and apologize for the wait. You guys are awesome and don't deserve it.=/