It was a day at the beach, almost like any other. Women were in bikini's whether the view was pleasing to the male or lesbian eye or not. Men, single and cheaters, were scoping out the women who did look good in those tiny bikini's. However, Cody Rhodes was building a small sand castle, his supplies were a simple yellow plastic shovel and a plastic scarlet pale with a handle to match his shovel. It was Sunday and the sky was absolutely cloudless. Cody did love a cloudless day. He always loved to look up at the sky and imagine himself doing a trillion different careers. Sometimes he actually brought a toy airplane and guided it with his hand, making sound effects. His current dream was to be a pilot of an awesome jet. Kids, of course, changed their minds constantly about everything. Who knows what he would end up being?

Tired of the stupid dirt not mushing together like he wanted it to, he gave up on his sand castle and stuck his tyke carpender supplies in the dirt, lying down so he can dream some more. He looked up at the sky, again thinking that he was going to be a famous pilot that could travel the world. But, he would go after that dream when he was 18, not the age of 6. Nevertheless, it was such a jovial event to just stare at the sky, without the sun screaming its attention in your face. A few birds went by, making squawking noises and landing on a nearby pier. Cody also saw a little boy, not far from his age, looking down from the pier. His body language looked quite peculiar, but Cody really didn't notice.

It was family day. That's what his father, Dusty, called it anyways. Dusty wasn't a very attractive person, and he was a plump man, but he was a good dad nonetheless, always spending time with his two boys. Dusty wrestled, which Cody loved that sport. He never really pictured himself in a square box thing in panties wrestling another guy. That is just too weird. Apparently, it wasn't weird to his dad, who absolutely adored wrestling. If he wasn't on the road doing it, he was constantly watching it through an old tv they had sitting on a small table in the living room while Cody played with his toys in his bedroom, which was upstairs in their two-story house.

Cody's house was two stories and made of dark blue brick. There was an oak tree in the front, and was decorated with roses that his late mother planted when Cody and his older brother were around the toddler age. Dustin was his older brother, looking more like his father than Cody ever had a nightmare about. Cody was a Daddy's boy, but Dusty was a bit too fat for Cody to want to look like him. Cody was glad he inherited his mother's genes, which were a bit softer but masculine nonetheless. Cody often had an ego, smiling in the mirror whenever he saw his reflection. He must have inherited that quality from his father, who also was egocentric. Must have been a Rhodes quality.

"Cody!" Dustin called out, his eyes scanning the beach area, looking for his long lost younger sibling. Cody sat up, brushing off the sticky sand that had caked in between hsi toes and attacked his back. Cody waved his brother down, and Dustin sat by him. Dustin was about 2 years older than he, but he always acted like he was way older than that, to young Cody's annoyance. Dustin looked puzzled at the mess of sand that was supposed to be Cody's castle, but it was an epic fail.
"Failed." Cody said simply, glaring down his utencils used for creating such a architectural disaster. Dustin just laughed and noogied Cody, again to Cody's full-blown annoyance. Cody finally squirmed out of the python grip his brother had learned to gain and sadly use on poor little Cody. Cody often wondered if there was a sibling code that older kids got that said, 'Torture your little sibling to death or you're going to Hell.' Cody wondered if older brothers and sisters had a global cult and were planning to take over the world by bothering their younger siblings, even though he had no idea how that would end in world domination.

Clouds were starting to form, which made Cody pout. Dustin followed his little brother's sad gaze and scoffed, "It's just some damn clouds. Get used to it."
Dustin cursed because it thought it made him cool, and Cody was too chicken to tell on him, for fear of those consequences. The nanny only stays awake for so long. Then the torturing begins. Cody wanted to be able to fight his brother back one day. He pretty much just thought that one day he would be bigger than Dustin and bug the crap out of him then, when they were men. "But I like clouds," Cody said simply, still pouting. Dustin scoffed again, but this time it was a bit more bratty. Cody secretly glared at his older sibling, but changing it whenever he was dead sure Dustin would catch him. After a few moments of boring silence, then again, when was silence ever not boring?, and Dustin rose to his feet, "You are boring as hell. I'm bailing."

Cody simply rolled his baby blue eyes at the rude comment, now fixating his attention on the dark blue ocean that was stretched out in front of him. He buried his toes in the sand, loving how the heat baked them. He laid back once again and relaxed, letting the sounds of the ocean and slight chatter of the people around him calm him down. Then he felt that relaxing sand burst in his mouth, making him roll over and hack. Then he heard the nasal laughs of three bullies from school. All of them were fat and Cody knew none of their names. He wiped the sand out of his eyes, which were stinging, and he looked at the chubba bubbas who were laughing, their faces contorted in an ugly manner.

This assholes would bother Cody every day, stealing his money, stuffing him into lockers like he was a sardine, puttting him in trashcans, and giving him swirleys in the boys bathroom. In other words, Cody's school life was a personal hell at school. Cody was never a rude boy, just a very quiet boy who kept to himself and looked at picture books of planes. He was picked on though, nevertheless, and he just turned the other cheek, enduring the pain 'till they were satisfied with themselves. One day he would get back at them. He knew he would.

But not today. The bullies started pounding on him and shoving him into the sand countless times, and Cody could see his brother being entertained from a distance. That hurt Cody's feelings, the fact that his own flesh and blood wouldn't go and help him. Cody wasn't surprised, but it hurt still. Cody, even though he was frequently annoyed by his older brother, would aid him as much as he could if this were him, but it wasn't him and Dustin didn't have that kind of compassion. So Cody would have to suffer.

Finally, the bullies were done, snickering and howling their way onto another part of the beach. Cody's eyes were clouded with his own tears, but he simply sniffed it away. He then made his eyes wander back to the pier, and the boy he saw earlier was still there. That's odd, Cody thought to himself. The boy looked sad actually. His face was red. From the looks of it, he had been crying. Cody saddened at that, wondering what had happened. But alarms rose in his head as he saw that boy climb to the top of the top bar that held the pier together and look down. He was going to jump off!

Cody had no clue what to do. Wait, maybe it wasn't as dramatic as Cody was making it out to be. Maybe that boy was just a daredevil and he loved the height. Maybe his friends had dared him to do it. Maybe, just maybe those options were the reality. But the boy wouldn't be sad if those options were reality would he? No, Cody decided against that thought. He started walking briskly against the boy's position, which turned to a run.
"Wait!" Cody cried out before his eyes widened at the boy plunging into the water. Cody waited a few moments before diving into the water himself, being a good swimmer.

The water was warm as Cody submerged into the abyss of water deeper and deeper. His eyes searched the water, finally finding a still body. Cody wiggled his body deeper and deeper till he grabbed the boy's hand and brought him back to the surface. Cody was hoping he would breathe as the surface beat them up, but no that didn't happen. Cody quickly dragged him to the shore, laying him on his back. He looked so pale. Cody saw this in a movie, so he pumped his chest with his hands. Harder. Harder. Harder. Bam!

The boy coughed up the water and rolled over on his stomach, moaning and groaning with pains that were unknown to Cody. Cody just waited patiently and his eyes widened when the boy looked up at him. So beautiful, Cody thought. Even at 5, Cody's tummy felt weird as he looked at the sad boy with the puffy eyes. Cody liked that feeling.
Nothing was really being said until Cody broke the silence. "I'm Cody."
"Ted." the boy replied in a light tone. Cody smiled, making Ted smile right back. Ted got up to his feet, Cody following, and brushed himself off. The two then shook hands, a sign of showing friendship.

Out of no where, the three bullies came back, probably out of boredom, and made a remark, "Aw, look. Cody has a boyfriend."
Cody scowled. Ted just rolled his eyes. Ted was being pretty laid back until one of those jerks put a hand on his new friend, making Ted's temper roar. Ted shoved him and kicked all three of their asses, making them run away like a scolded dog with its tail between its legs. Ted, being 6 years old, didn't like the fact that his small friend was being picked on.

From then on out, they had each others backs.

The boys were best friends throughout childhood, practically inseperable. The same goes through the middle school years and the awkward high school years that everyone dreads. It wasn't until graduation when the guys knew they had to part and, crying privately, they promised they would see each other one day.

That promise would be fufilled.

Hey Guys! *waves* Thanks so much for reading this! Feedback is definitely welcomed...and wanted :)

So this is basically the prologue, telling how the pair became such good friends. Dustin is such an asshole don't you think? I definitely do...being mean to his baby brother like that :(

Well, I sure do hope this will be an exciting ride for you because I'm enjoying it already. Comment! :3

~Ria