I don't own TDWT, but man, wouldn't that be flippin' sweet?
Cody yawned as he awoke from his light sleep. It was the third time that night he had woken up. Trying to get a good night's sleep on an airplane wasn't the easiest thing to do. Just when Cody thought that Chris had exhausted all of his ideas for a new way to torture the group of teens, he came up with the idea of a third season, Total Drama World Tour. Cody figured that he could probably handle just one more season. He had made a lot of friends through the show, and with rumors that there was a new girl joining the group that had a huge crush on him, he was sure that it wouldn't be too bad. But then Chris announced that they would, along with compete in challenges, break out into song numbers at spontaneous moments during the show. While Cody wasn't that bad of a singer, he didn't feel comfortable singing on television where millions of people could see every episode. And on top of that, Sierra was an obsessive stalker who knew way too much about his personal life.
So things weren't starting off too well. Big deal, thought Cody. He was always one to be optimistic in sticky situations. But with Sierra hugging his waist even as they were sleeping didn't brighten the situation. Cody carefully pried Sierra off of him so he could stand and stretch. He didn't think he was going to get anymore sleep that night. He walked to the back of the low class section of the plane to use the bathroom. After he went in and was just about to pull down his zipper, he remembered that the bathroom was the new location of the confessional. Suddenly, he didn't need to go as much anymore, and exited the bathroom as quickly as possible.
As he was walking back to his seat to try and fall back into an uneasy sleep, his ears picked up something coming from the back of the plane. He stopped and tried to keep his breath as quiet as possible to make sure that he wasn't just imagining it. He definitely heard it: notes on the piano. He lowered his eyebrows in concentration as he turned back towards the back of the plane and walked towards where the music was coming from.
He remembered that when Chris was showing them where his quarters were, there was a baby grand piano sitting against one wall. But Cody doubted that Chris was the kind of guy with the patience to learn an instrument. Neither did Chef. So if no one else was allowed back there, where was the music coming from?
The curtain to Chris's quarters was closed. Cody quietly moved it an inch aside. He saw a familiar brunette seated at the piano bench, his back towards Cody, allowing him to enter completely unnoticed. Something about him playing a musical instrument seemed unusual. But Noah was labeled a child prodigy, so why wouldn't he be able to play the piano? But something else seemed strange to Cody. Noah, to everyone else, at least, was very reserved, sarcastic, and didn't let anyone see any vulnerability that he might have had. But now, Cody knew that Noah thought he was alone. And since he was alone, it seemed like Noah was pouring every ounce of feeling into the piece, and every single note came from his soul, as clichéd as it sounded.
Cody walked a few steps closer to Noah, wanting to be closer to… to the music. Yes, closer to the music, Cody told himself, because it was so beautiful. Noah stopped. Cody was almost afraid that he had actually said that out loud, he couldn't remember. He took a step backwards in case Noah would turn around and see him. He could make a quick dash back to his seat and allow Sierra to return to hugging him, pretending he had never seen anything.
But Noah soon returned to the keys, playing a particularly high pitched and soft part of the piece. (A/N: The song is Not While I'm Around from Sweeny Todd. Please listen to it when you get a chance. ^-^) Cody took a step closer, and then another step, until he was inches behind Noah, staring down at his idly moving fingers. He was so immersed in the piece that he still hadn't noticed Cody behind him. Then the notes got softer until they could no longer be heard. Noah noticed Cody in the corner of his eye.
"Ngh!" Noah jumped. "What are you doing in here?" he hissed.
"I should be asking you the same question," Cody replied. "You're going to get in huge trouble if Chris finds you back here."
Noah shrugged a shoulder. "He and Chef are both in the cockpit. There's no way they can hear at the other end of the plane."
"So why did you come in here?" Cody asked.
"Well, I couldn't sleep," Noah turned back to the piano and trailed his fingers lazily over the ivory keys. "And I remembered the piano." He sat staring at the keys for a moment longer. He looked at Cody again before returning to the keys. Noah slid over on the bench and patted the spot beside him before playing again. Cody figured that was the best invitation he was going to get out of Noah, so he sat down silently.
"It's already tuned and everything," Noah said, still playing. "Funny, I wouldn't imagine Chris to be classy enough to know how to play." Cody smiled at the common thought they shared.
"You're really good," Cody said. Noah didn't say anything in return, but Cody saw a proud smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth.
Despite being almost complete opposites, Noah and Cody shared the same thoughts a lot of the time; he noticed both seasons before. We're best friends, why wouldn't we? A voice said in Cody's head. But that didn't quite hit the nail on the head. He looked at Noah, trying to figure out how to better explain things. His head was tilted down in concentration, his brunette hair falling to the side of his face. It looked really –no, he was not about to think this.
"So that new girl Sierra has taken quite the liking to you, hm?" Noah said.
Cody smiled pathetically. "So you noticed too?"
"Well, now, it isn't exactly inconspicuous," Noah replied. "It isn't brain surgery, honey." Noah stumbled over a sharp note, but then continued playing in perfect pitch. "Are you enjoying all the attention?"
"Not at all," Cody looked up at the ceiling. Noah played another sharp unintentionally. Cody pretended not to notice. "It's sorta strange, all the stuff she knows about me. I don't want to hurt her feelings or anything, but I already like someone else, so I –"
"Gwen?" Noah asked, looking at the keys.
Cody was stuck between keeping up the public charade that he had built over two seasons and revealing the private truth to his closest friend. Noah was his closest friend, he realized. He looked at Noah. Cody wanted to be more than Noah's friend. He wanted to hold the hands that had just played a beautiful song, he wanted to touch the hair that had fallen in Noah's face, and he wanted to kiss the lips that had spoken to him the most in the last few minutes. And how was any of that going to happen if he kept lying? It wasn't going to do anything drastic just yet, but hey, it was a start.
"No," Cody finally answered. "No, not Gwen." Noah played a few more flat notes.
"Are you okay? You keep, um, messing up," Cody pointed out.
"I'm just tired, that's all," Noah said in a tone that was strangely not annoyed. He stood up from the piano bench and walked towards the curtain that lead to the lower class section of the plane. "Night." And he was gone before Cody could say the same.
As soon as I saw the baby grand piano in Chris's space, I knew it was going to turn into a story. Heck to the yes.
You might have noticed a pattern to Noah's mistakes...
Not sure if I like the ending yet. I also tried a different point of veiw (3rd person limited, Cody). Let me know if it worked or not. Also, tell me anything I can work on: getting into character, language, direct and indrect-ness, even humor. I love feedback, and I read every single comment, even if I don't reply.