Cody's Choice/Goodbye Doesn't Seem Like Forever
by: Terrell James
Summary: A new penguin from Antarctica comes to visit Cody Maverick and is thinking about sending him back home to Shiverpool and leave Pen Gu. This would be the most dramatic fanfic for the spring of 2008. Hope you like it!
Chapter 1: The Vistor and the Jaw-Dropping News
It's been 3 months since Cody Maverick lived in Pen Gu Island and on a sunny, afternoon of surfing the waves, Cody sets himself down to relax and enjoy watching the waves. Looking at the sky, Cody thinks about his new life in Pen Gu when he heard Chicken Joe calling out his name.
"Hey, Cody!" Joe said.
Cody looked up and saw Joe and said 'Hi' back, then stands up and gives him a greeting handshake and knuckle touch.
"So, what brings you here?" asked Cody.
"You know, not much. Me and the Pen Guans are checking on you and see how you were." Joe answered.
"Doing just fine, man." Cody said. "How 'bout you?"
"I'm cool." Joe answered.
"It's been about 3 months since I've came to Pen Gu and it feels like home to me, you know?" said Cody.
"Yeah, I know. We've been family for so long." said Joe.
"What would it be like if I wasn't there?" asked Cody.
Joe said, "That would be devasting, dude. Things won't be the same. We would miss you too much. Even me, man."
"I would miss you, too." said Cody.
10 minutes later, a whale comes around the ocean and a penguin sees Cody and Joe below. The young penguin got off the whale and sees the two.
"Hello." said the young penguin.
Cody and Joe turned and saw the penguin who looks like Cody, but different. Spiked hair, green eyes and a little taller. Cody got a closer look at him and asked, "Who are you?"
"My name is Remy." the young penguin said.
"I'm Cody Maverick and this is my friend, Chicken Joe." greeted Cody.
"What's the haps, man?" asked Joe.
"Doing okay." answered Remy.
"So where you from?" asked Cody.
"I arrived to Shiverpool about 9 1/2 months to a year now and moved there." said Remy.
"I'm from Shiverpool, too." Cody said.
Remy gasped and said, "Dude, I'm your cousin."
Cody dropped his beak and said, "Seriously? I mean, we don't look anything alike."
"I don't know. I think you do." Joe said.
Cody and Remy looked at each other and lean towards each other and both said, "Maybe."
"Anyway, I'm about to check on the Pen Guans for a while. Be seeing you, Cody." said Joe.
"Okay, see ya." said Cody.
"Nice meeting you, Remy." Joe said.
"You, too, man." Remy said.
Joe went to the forest, leaving Cody and Remy time to socialize and giving out big news.
"I've heard about your mom's death. I'm really sorry, man." Remy said.
"It's cool. I've been over it for 3 months now." said Cody.
"Yeah. Well, I was sent here to tell you that you might be moving back home to Shiverpool." Remy said.
Cody looked at Remy shocked and said, "Excuse me? Are you saying I should move out of Pen Gu Island?"
"If you want to. If not, it's okay." Remy said.
"I don't know, man. I mean, are you serious about this?" asked Cody, shockingly.
"Well, kinda. Just think about it and let me know. Do you have a place to spend 2 nights? I kinda like this place." Remy said.
"Someone in Pen Gu might help you. Just follow all the way to the forest and head to North Beach and you'll find some locals here." Cody said.
"Cool. Thanks." Remy said, as he runs off. Looking shocked, Cody was very unsure about leaving Pen Gu Island and how's he going to tell his friends. Hours later, Cody went to North Beach and gives his friends the news and everyone was in a total state of shock and emotions.
"You're leaving Pen Gu?" asked Lani.
"I don't know." said Cody.
"Why would you do this, mate. We've been family for a long time." Rory said.
"It's only been 3 months, man. Get a grip." Gizmo said. "What the heck would possess you into thinking about moving back to Antarctica? I've found you for at least, I don't know, 3 1/2 months."
"My long-lost cousin showed up and said he wanted me to move back to Shiverpool. I don't want to move, either, but on the other hand, I have been missing it for months, but it was, like, massive isolation when I was a kid. My life in Pen Gu has been great. I got to live out my dream and I can't just throw it all away." said Cody, worried. "What should I do?"
"Tell your cousin we need you." said Joe.
"I just need some time to think and see what happens. If I stay, I would feel right at home, but If I go, there will be a possibility of never coming back." said Cody.
"We're gonna give you time to think, but please, think about staying here." said Lani.
"I'll try." said Cody.
As Cody walks away, his friends are starting to get worried.
"I don't we can handle Cody leaving. You know how long I've been waiting for a friend?" asked Joe.
"10 years?" asked Rory.
"No, man. 14 years." answered Joe.
"Maybe we should think about what's best for him." said Tatushi. "What kind of friends would we be if we didn't respect his honor and his decision?"
"You've been reading the fortune cookies when we weren't looking, were you?" asked Gizmo.
"Sorta." Tatushi said, softly.
As sun sets down on the horizon, Big Z sees Cody and knows about him leaving Pen Gu for good. Z went to Cody and said, "So I heard you're moving out of Pen Gu."
Cody looks at him and said, "Maybe. I can't leave here. I love this place. It's like family."
"I know. I wanted you around since I saw you. I don't think you'll be leaving us." said Z.
"I know, man. I just want to think for a while, okay?" asked Cody.
"All right. Since you're almost 18, I guess you're old enough to make your decisions. I gotta be somewhere. See ya." said Z.
"See ya." said Cody, as he looked out on the sunset and becomes a little upset.
The next morning, Rory, Z, Lani, Tatushi, Gizmo and others were around the beach, thinking about which topics are good.
"What if the kangaroo calls it a Riley insted of a Joey?" asked Rory.
"Because we wouldn't tell the difference. Besides, it's Chicken Joe's name. Why does it always stay like that in Austraila?" asked Gizmo.
"Everyone's name is Joe, right?" asked Rory.
"Good point." said Gizmo.
Joe looked very bewildered and gloomy about Cody leaving Pen Gu and Lani asked him, "You thinking about Cody?"
Joe looked at her and said, "Pretty much. I don't want him to go."
"I know. Us, neither. Whatever decision he made, we can understand, right?" asked Lani.
"Yeah, I guess we can handle it." said Joe.
Cody came up to them, looking moody and emotional and sits next to Lani. Lani asked, "What's wrong, Cody?"
Cody sighs heavily and said, "I'm leaving."
Joe, Rory, Big Z, Lani and others were shocked, upset and had their beaks dropped as Cody became very sad.
"You're leaving Pen Gu Island?" asked Gizmo.
Cody nodded his head with his eyes closed with tears in his eyes while the others looked upset.