Author's Notes: HELLO EVERYONE! YES…THIS STORY'S STILL ALIVE!

I know the last few chapters have opened with something to the effect of, 'Sorry for the long wait and we can't thank you enough for your support!' However, I must echo those same sentiments once again. Anyone who is still reading this story after all this time is a true scholar and a gentleman…or gentlewoman! Lol

But all joking aside, I do feel terrible for the long wait. But as this chapter hopefully shows, the passion for this story has not faded. Not bad a long shot!

And ironically, why not use the forced quarantine of this whole Coronavirus business to return to some old friends and their stable but far from perfect lives! Lol

Having said that, let's move on to the twenty-sixth chapter of "Unbreakable Red Silken Thread": Chance: Big Brother


Monday, November 3rd, 2014 (5:00PM)

Moss green sneakers echoed across the hallway as their owner trekked towards his destination. Although Cody had no way of knowing, his steps were following the very same path both Gwen and Heather had traversed the previous day. A crisscross of echoes found unknown unity, harmonizing across the void between then and now through footfalls neither wrathful nor pensive, occupying an awkward middle ground of emotion too thorny to hash out.

With classes over for the day, the Tech Geek was making his way to an engagement that had been scheduled before Life itself seemed turned upside down. He was actually looking forward to this minor distraction, the previous week had been trying enough in more ways than he cared to count, and this morning had added a new one to the ever-growing pile.

Before heading their separate ways for class, Heather told him she would be out this Wednesday evening, and every Wednesday and Friday evening for the next few months.

That was…unexpected news to say the least, but two evenings out of seven without his girlfriend wasn't completely unbearable, even if it wasn't exactly enviable. What bothered him more was what happened when he asked why she was going to be out those nights. Her answer had been evasive, little more than a veiled reference to a beneficial business arrangement with an acquaintance.

He wasn't sure if he appreciated or disliked the fact she hadn't just flat out lied to him instead.

Yes, he liked knowing she respected him enough not to lie to his face, but at the same time he also knew that such a vague answer didn't prompt a good enough excuse to dig deeper into Heather's true purpose and press her for more information.

Now, despite what some people thought, Cody wasn't naïve, neither was he blind to Heather's flaws and issues, especially the ones that her bad habits brought into his life. As such, one of the conditions he'd made for them to get back together was Heather promising that if compelled she would answer any question he asked both honestly and straightforwardly.

She had acted on this promise in a most unexpected way one day shortly after they got back together by actually handing him a signed contract declaring as much, witnessed and notarized by his parents, literally making it legally binding. It had been a reaction, Cody realized, to things like her cheating on him and 'Baklava Incident.' He appreciated the gesture, though he thought it was a little bit over the top. But he couldn't deny it had been an effective first step on the road to Heather getting in his parent's good graces. Given that she had nearly killed their son and then cheated on him, it was a long road.

But choosing not to dwell on such things, the Tech Geek found his mind slipping down another rabbit-hole altogether, one that treaded ground not only familiar, but very pleasing to boot.

Thanks to their…less than amazing history with Heather keeping secrets and lying to him, she had developed the habit of not openly deceiving him, most of the time at least, even if it wouldn't have done her much good at this point. There was one area however she still found a piece of her old scheming life hard to drop, that being all matters involving the bedroom. For as much as Heather loved shopping, fashion and cooking, she loved sex much, much more. It was the key reason their relationship survived the rocky start Heather's demands had put on it. Cody's ever growing annoyance balanced out by the sheer, eager gusto with which Heather was dedicated to making him cum many times a day, buying time until something deeper and stronger could take root between them.

Though she was great at hiding it, Heather was still human, and like all humans she had her little tells when she was up to something or trying to be sneaky. Most people would never pick up on the more subtle clues, like how she would drape her arm around Cody whenever she wanted to leave wherever they were, or the way she would tuck her hair behind her ear when she felt unsure of what she was doing or saying. But thanks to their years together, Cody knew them all and could spot them from orbit.

He knew something was up before his girlfriend had spoken to him this morning. It had started with her little 'show' getting dressed yesterday morning, like watching a striptease in reverse. He knew she had something in mind. When she had slid her 'fuck me thong' up her long curvy legs, she may as well have been covering her face with tribal war paint for some ritualistic hunt. Lastly, but most telling, was the fact that she had chosen her 'tall' shoes, the ones she wore so she could look people in the eye when talking to them.

Most guys would have just thought (not quite incorrectly) that she was horny and looking for some affection, but to Cody those tiny tells had told him that she was planning something for the bedroom, and with something very specific playing out in her mind, she was now prowling for a suitable match.

Not to mention, given the way she had jumped and clung to him before kissing him, he was reasonably sure she was doing this for him.

He liked that idea, he liked that idea a lot, so much so that he was willing to trust Heather, as much as he disliked her deceiving him in any way. After all, this sort of thing had happened before…and if anyone else were going to be involved she would always run who she had in mind by him and include him when actually propositioning them. Plus, he had always enjoyed the end results of her preplanning and preparation.

Lightly toned cheeks fought and failed against turning pink in hue as he recalled the time she and Nikki had put on a little 'twin act' for him, although Heather never told either of them just how she'd managed to get the other girl's measurements…then at the thought of their gothic Asian friend, like a lighthouse's beam cutting through a fog, he remembered something that he'd been able to forget, at least briefly, for the first time in over a week.

Gwen.

His thoughts drifting from Heather and Nikki lying on his bed in matching purple bedlah outfits to Gwen, he sighed, still not knowing what he should do.

The recent talk with Noah and Izzy was still fresh in his mind, with bits and pieces of it flashing into his conscious thoughts seemingly at random. It had been a lot to process, In fact, if he were being honest with himself, the Tech Geek was still processing it. As much as his friends had helped lift some of the burden he had been carrying since his teenage years, actual understanding remained elusive as a squirming hagfish.

Despite the ample evidence provided of Gwen not being as amazing as previously believed, and him accepting that the Goth had never been a friend…he still felt something pulling at him, tugging something within beyond mere physical attraction. The pain this paradox caused wasn't as acute as it had been before, but it was still there.

Cody knew there was no justifiable reason for this. He had Heather Wilson, the love of his life, as the first and last sight waking up and falling asleep each day and every night. They had been together for years now. She had given him everything he could ever want and then some, including things he never could have imagined. True, the first year or so had been a decidedly thorny affair, but looking back on it the Tech Geek was convinced that he had still come out in the green.

But he couldn't even begin to resolve this tension within his being until he got a better grasp of Gwen in the present, and that could only really be done through interacting with the Goth herself. Unfortunately, the likelihood of that seemed as implausible as obtaining understanding independently given that Cody was convinced Gwen had deliberately been avoiding him since moving in. Hell, she had been living in their dorm for an entire a week and he had only even seen her once.

Though the one time had made quite the lasting impression.

He recalled that morning, replaying the event within his mind's eye with perfect clarity. He remembered Heather and himself waking at Gwen's raspy voice as she screamed her lungs out. Panic spiked in the pair, and though no words had been spoken Cody was sure Heather had the same fear as him; that somehow Duncan had broken into their dorm and was after her. They rushed into the room, Cody wielding a baseball bat while his girlfriend brandished a raised golf club with eyes set ready to kill. They had been ready to protect their home, each other and the Goth, not knowing how they were going to beat the Punk Juggernaut but ready nonetheless. Their sighs of relief at not seeing Duncan were trapped in their throats at just what greeted them within their guest's bedroom, however.

It had been Gwen standing, holding her shirt up, with Chikktika and Boo dangling from her bra…her very much overflowing bra.

Yet again for the something-teenth time this week despite not meaning to, Cody fixated on the image of that ready to burst at the seam's bra. The barely constrained sweater puppies having grown not only larger, but also far more…jiggly than he remembered.

Still dwelling on the large trembling snow globes, he couldn't help but imagine how the bra she had given him for helping set her up with Trent on Total Drama Island wouldn't have cut it by a long shot now…

Mentally, he easily conjured up the image of Gwen, wearing the black bra that had seemed so large back then, her heaving bosom squeezed painfully into the cups now far too small to contain their bountiful treasures, creating a mouthwateringly deep chasm of cleavage that rose and fell with each strained breath, swaying and jiggling with every motion…. The image was appealing, very appealing, almost enough to make him wish he'd kept the only prize he'd taken from that god forsaken reality show.

But only almost, as he had been more than compensated for getting rid of it. No empty bra could ever hope to compete with the allure of unrestricted access to Heather Wilson's heavenly tight backdoor.

The Tech Geek shook his head to dispel the pleasant images and sensations the memory of Gwen's breasts and Heather's ass summoned. He needed to focus, remembering that he had a goal today, which was very good. A solid goal would ensure his mind didn't tread into dark places better off not wandered.


Cody knocked on the door to dorm 1337, leaving him waiting a few moments with no response from the occupants. He raised his fist to knock again when the door abruptly opened and he took a step back out of reflex. The lack of the whole password ritual had though him for a loop, and the same applied to what greeted from within that door.

Staring him pointblank in the face with no regard for personal boundaries to greet him was Shawn. During his time on campus, Cody had gotten used to all manner of manic expressions the Zombie Nut's face had taken, ranging from paranoid terror to disquieting euphoria. Though the current countenance before Cody was of the latter category, showing a particular sparkle in his coal black eyes that wasn't often seen.

The smile alone was more like the Joker's trademark slasher grin than any normal look of joy, but he'd grown used to it.

Mostly.

When a second or two had passed without him speaking a single word, merely staring at him, Cody expected Shawn to start off with some crazy gesture far divorced from social protocol. The shaggy brown-haired young man didn't disappoint as without warning he grabbed his friend and pulled him inside the dorm, slamming the door behind him. His preparedness allowed Cody to mask the reaction such an impulsive action had on him; another boon Heather had gifted him over the years. Instead he patiently waited for Shawn to explain what had him so ecstatic.

Knowing his friend, it was most likely either some tangible preparation for the zombie apocalypse or something involving online gaming. 'My moneys on the latter,' Cody pondered inwardly, given the reason he was here today in the first place.

"Dude!" Shawn began eagerly, "Cam's got proof that the WSA Clan exists!"

'Bingo!' Cody thought, keeping the resulting smile hidden. "Of course they exist," said the Tech Geek, "They won last year's world tournament. Remember?"

"Well…sure…" Shawn said as he rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. "But—but what I mean is they exist on the live servers! They don't just play in tournaments. That means they must have a base somewhere!"

Cody caught onto the implication of what Shawn was saying. Fueled by that, raising an eyebrow, he asked, "Are you seriously suggesting what I think you are suggesting?"

Shawn's grin, already ear-to-ear, somehow managed to surpass that natural boundary. "Of course I am!" he exclaimed, easily forgetting to use his indoor voice, the same way he often did when getting fired up by talking about zombies, video games, zombie video games, or video game zombies. "A clan on the live servers for years and nobody knowing about it can only mean that it has to be well-hidden, which is perfect! We just need to find their base and kick the WSA out! We'll have the perfect setup for the zombie horde mode running till the Christmas update! And even after!"

Silence filled the air for a moment or two as he continued to stare at his friend. It was almost uncanny how he saw something of himself in his manic friend's zeal, zeal he thankfully never completely matched. That being said he did understand where his friend was coming from.

Put bluntly, the WSA Clan, whose members were completely anonymous, was a legendary team who won every tournament they entered. In more accurate and descriptive terms, they thoroughly dominated and utterly humiliated every single team unlucky enough to end up in their bracket, making even the most capable of rivals look utterly pathetic. Intentional or not, the WSA had provoked the natural reaction from online gamers whenever a faction became the top dog and a cash prize was up for grabs.

Work like hell to beat them and take their place for bragging rights.

Ignoring the more…obvious problem with the situation, it wasn't that Cody didn't sympathize with Shawn, but he certainly lacked the fanaticism. He chalked it up to his relationship with Heather broadening his horizons and interests. On the plus side, this obsession easily trumped his friend's other one, as it didn't require Cody talking his friend out of purchasing freshly slaughtered pig carcasses to test which melee weapons worked best against the closet proxy possible to human beings for a future zombie apocalypse.

It had taken him a week to clean the Sword of Kahless prop Heather had given him as an early graduation present. [1]

Before Cody could continue after Shawn's bombast, a third voice finally spoke up. "Shawn, you stole my thunder," Cameron complained, obviously deeply annoyed with his roommate. Thin arms crossed over his bony chest and his wide eyes narrowed into angry slits, it was an impressive display given his usual meekness. For once, it was Shawn who was the more submissive of the two as he looked down at the floor in shame. "I wanted to be the one to tell Cody. I'm the one who found the proof! And it wasn't easy to get."

Finding himself in a rare position of lacking zeal, Shawn continued to look at the floor. "It—It doesn't matter who told him, Cam…ju—just that one of us did so—"

"A distinction without a difference!" The Bubble Boy retorted harshly, cutting Shawn off before he could finish. Both of his Caucasian friends were puzzled by the outburst, as minor as it was. Given Cameron's usually passive demeanor, it was easy to forget that he could get a fire in his belly like anyone else. But unlike everyone else, Cameron was a near unrivaled genius who hadn't lived the majority of his life grasping basic social etiquette in a real-world context. The end result was someone who if promptly pissed off could out-argue and outwit you that refused to relent until he wanted to.

While nowhere nearly as scary as the prospect of pissing off Jasmine, Heather, or God forbid, Jo, Cody was equally eager to avoid angering his meek friend, and he knew Shawn shared the same opinion. The two were thankful when they saw the anger fleeing Cameron as quickly as it arrived, leaving in its wake an expression of remorse for losing his tempter. While powerful within him, even at his lividest, anger in Cameron was short-lived, the last thing he ever wanted to do was upset his friends.

"Uh…sorry," Cameron said quietly, feeling the need to address his brief lashing out. Showing the kind of emotional intelligence Shawn was rarely capable of, Cody simply nodded his head, not wishing to embarrass his friend any more than he already was. Though not fully grasping why Cody did so, Shawn mimicked the gesture.

The Zombie Nut then turned back to Cody, and asked, "So, are you in? Will you help us find the WSA and kick them out of their base?"

Internally, the Tech Geek couldn't help but chuckle at the irony.

"As tempting as that is, I'm gonna have to pass," Cody said politely as he shook his head. "I've seen plenty of their replays, and I have no desire to see a video of my character getting tea-bagged posted all over across the Internet." The Tech Geek noticed Shawn sag at the refusal of his request. "That doesn't mean I won't help you guys level grind or get better gear though." He added, as Shawn's posture straightened and he smiled. "But, that's gonna have to wait. I'll help you after we've taken care of everything else…" Cody finished cryptically with a gap-toothed grin, punctuating the remark by holding up a pair of dangling car keys in front of Cameron.

Though he had known it was coming, the former Bubble Boy stared at the keys as though they were a drawn blade. His naturally wide eyes became further enlarged by doubts and fears. Somewhat bashfully, Cameron asked, "Are you sure you want me driving your car? It—it's a classic, after all."

Cody chuckled, thinking that sometimes Cameron was too nice and considerate of others for his own good. "It's built like a tank, buddy. Nearly indestructible. You don't need to worry about that." he assured his naturally nervous friend.

"He's right, I think you should be more worried about damaging other people's cars, Cam," Shawn spoke up calmly. "I've studied DeLoreans, and he's not wrong. His car will make a great starting vehicle for our inevitable trek across the zombie infested wastelands!" He added with eagerness, excited by the idea of mowing down scores of the recently reanimated.

Cameron nodded in agreement, with the first part, anyway, while ignoring the rest.

Seeing Cameron's doubts and fears greatly lessen, the Tech Geek figured that he could indulge in a little light teasing, if only to steer the conversation away from zombies for a little longer. "Besides, I'm not the one who said they wanted to surprise their mother by getting their license…or who asked me if I would help out in the first place, now am I?"

When his friend looked away and cleared his throat, Cody decided it was time to get them back on track. He knew that despite seeming more at ease and in a better mood, Cameron was probably still sweating bullets over this. So, the most physically fit of the three nerds started with the strategy he'd come up with earlier to put Cameron's mind at ease.

"Just remember, even if something does go wrong," Cody began, "you won't be the first person to mess up behind the wheel." He paused a moment to ensure he had Cameron's attention. "I accidently drove my dad's BMW through our living room my first time in the driver's seat, and you've already driven around some. So, you've really got nothing to worry about, Cam."

Both Cameron and Shaun's jaws dropped at hearing Cody's admission.

Cody took some pleasure in seeing that his plan had worked. Cameron looked even more at ease, in a way that would stick since he'd just lowered the bar to the ground so to speak. Long ago, way back before even Total Drama Island, Cody had figured out that one of the best ways to take someone's mind off something stressful was to distract them with something funny, and extreme examples of your own past failings were particularly effective.

He was more than happy to show a skeleton or two from his closet for his friend's benefit, but there was another reason he used such an example from his own past. Cody knew that while Cameron did think of him as a true friend, the former Bubble Boy also somewhat hero-worshiped him. Even if he never outright said it, the evidence was easy to see, and really the Tech Geek couldn't say he was surprised.

After all, he was an intelligent, confident gamer in decent shape, who had overcome a rocky start with his hot bisexual Asian girlfriend who all but bragged about their sex life, which just so happened to occasionally involve threesomes with other hot girls.

There was a lot for his friends, or really anybody, to envy in his life story. And while Cody did kind of enjoy that stroking of his previously malnourished ego, he really didn't like it when it was his friends who were envying him. So, he took every chance offered show his own flaws and failings to hopefully get Cameron to feel better about himself, and to inspire him to improve his own current situation.

It was Cameron who broke the created silence by asking, "Did you seriously do that?"

"Yup," Cody affirmed. "I think it was part of the reason my parents got me the car I wanted."

"To make sure you didn't destroy another car?" asked Shawn.

"No, to make sure anyone I hit wouldn't live long enough to sue,'" Cody answered in a half-joking tone. He then turned his attention back to the other person in the room. "You didn't have a problem with this before, Cam."

"Well…yeah," Cameron started, rubbing the back of his neck in a new wave of nervousness. "But before it was just driving around in an empty parking lot without anyone else around. Driving on a busy road with other moving vehicles increases the likelihood of a catastrophic motor vehicle traffic collision to at least eighty-six-point ninety three percent."

Cody knew better than to ask how the former Bubble Boy reached such a precise number, but his curiosity was spurred by something else. "Why call it a traffic collision, and not a traffic accident?"

"Because 'motor vehicle traffic collision' is the official term recognized by Transport Canada," Cameron explained. "And because the term 'traffic accident' implies there's nobody to blame. But if such a thing did occur, there would most assuredly be someone to blame." Without elaborating, he put a hand on his chest, indicating him.

"Dude," Shawn said as he placed a hand on the young black man's bony shoulder with an arm wrapped around his back, "You're gonna be fine. All ya really need is more practice. Just like everyone else. It took me three tries before I got my license, buddy." He paused with purpose. "Besides, no one's gonna land a headshot on the undead the first time, right?" The Zombie Nut asked, as though he had just said something deeply profound.

"I failed the first time too, Cam," Cody chimed in. "There's no shame in it, and there's nothing to be worried about. If you get yourself all psyched out, then you'll just cause more problems for yourself in the end."

Cameron considered their comments before interjecting his own. "But what would happen if I did wreck your car, Cody?"

Pausing to think for a moment, Cody snorted and rolled his eyes. "Heather would probably buy you a Swedish mail-order bride and throw a party in your honor," the Tech Geek answered, convinced her real reaction wouldn't be that different. At most, she would have a parade organized instead of a party. But either way it was close enough.

The former Bubble Boy was trapped in a confused, flustered state by that answer. It only came to an end when Shawn spoke up. "Again, dude, don't worry about it." With his arm still around his friend, the particular brand of post-apocalyptic survivalist pushed Cameron towards Cody while adding, "Now you two get going already! I'm ordering the pizza in two hours, so if you aren't back here by two and a half hours you won't be getting any. I'm as hungry as a zombie horse!"


Monday, November 3rd, 2014 (5:23PM)

Cameron sat behind the wheel of Cody's DeLorean, hands clutching the two and ten o'clock positions, his ebony knuckles near white from the tight grip he'd taken. He swallowed nervously, his breathing ever escalating towards hyperventilation.

"Relax, Cam." Cody coached. "Take as many breathes and as much time as you need. We've got all night and we're in no rush. I've already finished everything that's due tomorrow." He waited a few moments to give his friend time to follow his advice, which he did, calming down just a little. "Don't forget to check the mirrors and seatbelt, make sure they're set right for you." Again, he waited for Cameron to adjust everything he needed, including the seat. "Everything's going to be fine, Cam." Cody repeated, smiling supportively. With that, the DeLorean started up, and left the parking lot.

The driving session had been a thankfully smooth affair, despite a slight delay in reaction time. Not enough to mutate into a lethal occurrence or bring up till they got back, but it was still enough that Cody silently made note to mention it later. That one issue aside, Cameron did surprisingly well, his skills had grown quickly and he seemingly absorbed anything Cody pointed out like a sponge. That being said, he still needed to learn to step on the gas a little more, especially when going uphill. Otherwise the pattern that played itself out was more or less the repetition seen in their previous outings. Cody would give Cam directions, telling him when and where to turn but otherwise remained quiet, letting the former Bubble Boy focus on the road and what he was doing.

They'd spent a week covering most of the basic questions before starting hands-on lessons, and that was followed by an entire day of spur of the moment questions Cody had to answer before Cameron was willing to do more than practice parking. Those lessons were learned, but some still needed repeating to become second nature. Today, after driving around a few of the roads near their campus, they ventured to a fixed point, the grocery store Jasmine pointed out the day Cody and Heather first arrived with Cody letting Cameron find his way without instructions. After successfully parking with no trouble (something the former Bubble Boy mastered faster than the Tech Geek), Cody instructed Cameron to take them back to the dorms.

As they sat in the car with Cameron making the return trip through a successful series of 'tests' as he was instructed to take a few extra turns to practice signaling, Cody turned his focus directly onto his friend once again, not his driving skills but him, and noticed something was off. The former Bubble Boy wasn't usually this quiet; at least after someone helped him dispel whatever particular hang-up he was experiencing that day. Normally after a few minutes of an earnest heart-to-heart about the issue at hand, Cam would be as talkative and at ease as anyone else. Right now, he seemed withdrawn, distant, despite his obvious happiness at not causing a motor vehicle traffic collision.

That, was the exact opposite of the Cameron that Cody had come to know, as like Cody he tended to talk more while under stress as a coping mechanism, often talking about various academic topics to keep himself grounded or not trapped in his own head. But outside a few questions he'd been silent as a church mouse.

Fishing through his memories of everything that had happened since they'd last hung out Cody quickly uncovered the source of Cameron's disquiet, at least what he suspected to be the cause. He decided to wait until they got to the dorms though to voice it, partially to ensure Cameron got them back without crashing into anything, but also because he needed to figure out the best way to approach the matter.

The Tech Geek had the decency to wait until Cameron had put his car in park and turn off the engine before speaking. "I gotta say, Cam, you did a good job. You just need to go a little faster. There's nothing wrong with puttin' the pedal to the metal every now and then. That aside you were good."

Cameron offered his thanks and opened the door to leave the car, but before he was even halfway out Cody reached over and pulled him back down. The former Bubble Boy's gaunt body easily submitted to the minor force Cody used. Not even his friend's shock had allowed him to resist the small display of physical strength. Before Cameron could ask what was going on, Cody spoke up yet again. "But there's something else you need to work on, something important. You can't be distracted when driving. That's bad, and dangerous."

The Tech Geek offered Cameron the chance to start on his own, but his friend remained silent. Seeing that, Cody pushed, "Is there anything you'd like to ask me about? Something other than driving?" Cameron looked at him with a raised eyebrow, mostly confused, though a tinge of worry was visible if one knew what to look for at the edge of his eyes. Thanks to Heather's coaching in reading people, Cody knew, and it confirmed his suspicions. He flashed a small, knowing smile to his slightly younger pal. "Need I remind you that I was at Jasmine and Sammy's 'dorm warming party' too, and that I'm not blind?" he asked.

The wide-eyed look on Cameron's face was absolutely hysterical and Cody had to restrain himself from laughing. For over a minute, the smartest guy in the car said nothing, then, "Cody, be honest with me…" he began, his voice taking on a preemptive morose timbre, "do you think I could ever ask a girl out and she say yes? Could I get a girlfriend?"

Cody knew the question had been coming, but despite its predictability it was still a fairly loaded one. Neither of the obvious answers, a direct yes or no, would be accurate or helpful. If he said no, he would probably kill whatever small amount of self-confidence his friend had built up. But if he simply said yes, assuming Cameron actually believed him, he would feel better but not much else would change. He wouldn't be any closer to obtaining that goal, and the boost to his self-worth would be so fleeting that it wouldn't linger long enough to be the catalyst for any relevant development.

The Tech Geek knew this all too well because that was how he had been before his relationship with Heather.

"Being completely honest with you," Cody finally answered, "Your odds are pretty good, Cam…provided you work with yourself and build yourself up to it." The Tech Geek noticed how Cameron's expression changed to one of surprise, not having excepted an answer like that. Rather than explain himself directly, Cody chose to pursue a different line of thinking, one he had long since picked up on but never chose to straightforwardly address.

"No two people are alike, Cam." The Tech Geek began, "and what works for one person might not work for another. I know it's hard given your unique background, but please don't use me as a model. My situation is hopelessly complicated." Cameron wilted slightly in his seat, his upper torso beginning to lean against the steering wheel. "But I'd be happy to give you a few pointers," he flashed a gap-toothed smile. Cameron returned the gesture even as Cody's face turned serious. "The first thing you've gotta do is get over your fear of girls, and constantly worrying that you'll screw something up."

The expression etched onto Cameron's ebony face morphed from surprise to reluctant understanding. "Logically, I had assumed that would be the first issue to be tackled." He swallowed a few times. Cody allowed him to collect his thoughts and speak his mind. "I—I've always known that…b—but knowing it hasn't helped me actually do it, Cody."

Again, Cody easily grasped what his friend meant. "Yup, that sounds about right, buddy," he nodded his head knowingly. "But I find talking about it helps. Tell me, Cam, why is it hard for you to talk to girls? Why are you always so worried about messing up?"

When Cameron spoke again, it was as if he were making up his point, forming ideas on the spot. "I guess I just feel—so…I don't know—weird? And lonely… You have been an amazing friend to me, the best I could have asked for. B—but even with that…if—if I'm being honest…I'm jealous…of you and Brick, I mean," he explained, his voice trailing off to the point where it could barely be heard by the end. Cameron winced in preparation for some kind of vocal outrage, turning away from his friend, but no such backlash came. Cameron turned back to see Cody looking at him no different than before, still waiting patiently for him to talk.

Encouraged by this, he continued. "I—I've never been around girls, aside from my mom before now. It doesn't make any sense but before now—look, I knew what girls were, and I had no reason to not think I'd desire them…but to actually interact with them in the flesh, hear their voices…it's overwhelming. I want to be with them so badly…but I know how ill prepared I am for the reality of them. After my first conversation with Zoey alone, I knew the majority of the acquired knowledge relating directly to courting girls wouldn't be worth the paper it was printed on. I don't know what to do. I have nothing to draw on, nothing that actually works in the real world. So when I see Brick and you have such wonderful girlfriends…I get really jealous."

The Tech Geek nodded, understanding better than most the unique dilemma his friend was going through. It wasn't that far off from thinking no girl would ever give him a chance, so much so that despite attempting constantly he never thought it would really happen. But the Bubble Boy had his own unique version of Cody's struggle.

"You never had friends, or even got to hang around anyone your own age before now either, Cam," Cody said with fictitious authority on the topic. "You can't miss something if you don't know what it is you are missing. But now that you are outside and seeing what other people have, it's perfectly reasonable for you to be a bit jealous. It's part of being human."

The Tech Geek's response had been an amalgam of concrete observations of his friend and educated guesswork, but judging from Cameron's brief stare of wide-eyed amazement Cody assumed he had touched on something that the former Bubble Boy's subconscious had deduced but his usually stronger conscious mind had somehow missed. Once the wide-eyed look had faded away, Cameron's expression was more at peace…at least superficially. Sure, it was due to the particular challenges of having Heather as a girlfriend, but learning how to read a person was a universally viable skill. Which is why Cody picked up on something he was sure most would have been blind to, how at the corner of Cameron's large eyes there was still a flicker of lingering, ever-persistent doubt.

Cody fought hard to not show the irritation he felt, knowing Cameron would misunderstand and believe he was the cause. In truth the Tech Geek's anger was directed inward, at himself for leading Cameron to the same hollow destination as if he had simply said yes to his earlier question, feeling better but unable to develop further. It was moments like this that made Cody feel as if he were merely an overzealous novice trying to master a complicated game that Heather made look as effortless as breathing. Still, even if she was better at this sort of thing, he was no slouch, all those sleepless nights he'd spent holding Heather close and exorcising the demons of her past taught him plenty.

Plus, he seriously doubted (and seriously hoped) that Cameron's self-doubt could ever be anywhere nearly as deep rooted as Heather's self-loathing.

After mentally debating with himself for a few moments, Cody wondered if his mistake had been being too unspecific, keeping the conversation limited to vaguely defined abstractions and generalities. After all, until recently, Cameron had lived in a world that was made of little else, little else save words and concepts with nothing truly tangible behind them. Cody decided what he needed right now was something concrete, not a hypothetical situation related to jealousy. It had to be something that actually happened. Some starting point from which the broader lesson of being able to overcome such a thing could be attached to, and able to withstand constant knee-jerk attempts at deconstructing it.

The chestnut-haired young man bit back a laugh at having no shortage of such examples. He knew Cameron might not believe him considering how things were now, but Cody was quite familiar with jealousy. His feelings towards the jocks from his high school and other popular kids showed that enough. Even a few of his old friends had caused similar negative reactions without meaning to. And that wasn't even getting into all the hookups he'd seen during his time on Total Drama! The Tech Geek considered telling Cameron about those experiences, before settling on another, an experience that was of a matching but way more impactful nature. Though Cody dreaded bringing up that memory, he could think of none better to prove his point, and help Cameron demystify him. He needed to see the real Cody, warts and all.

"Cameron, I'm going to tell you a little story from my not so distant past that should help put this into perspective, alright?" Cody waited until his friend nodded his large head before starting the sordid tale.

"During my freshman year of high school, my dad's side of the family had a reunion at this nightclub, and before your imagination starts running wild it was at a family friendly place that mostly catered to the elderly," Making sure that particular point was clear, he continued. "Anyways, officially it was a family reunion, but really we were there to celebrate my aunt's birthday. Although I really didn't want to be there, I agreed to go because I didn't get to see my parents all that much. And I wasn't that close to any of my cousins or anyone else in the family since we live all over the place, but I thought this might be able change that, and make some friends." A chuckle without mirth escaped Cody's lips, slipping through the gap in his teeth. "Steinbeck hit the nail on the head with the idea that 'the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.'"

"Actually," Cameron spoke up, "John Steinbeck didn't create that quote, Cody. Its origins are from the poem, To a Mouse, by Robert Burns a hundred and fifty one years before he was born."

"Uh," Cody grunted with an accepting nod of his head and a gentle grin. He had long since learned that his friend's academic tangents were always right. "Anyway, regardless of who said it, that statement applied perfectly to that evening." He paused a brief moment, sighing and shaking his head. "If I hadn't been on Total Drama, I would still imagine that to be what Hell must be like. I was underage, so I couldn't drink, and I didn't want to go onto the dance floor since most of the dancers were at least my grandparent's age. I can only handle seeing so much jiggling, sagging bits at one time, thank you very much." He cringed at remembering such a fleshy horror show. "S—so I was bored out of my mind within two minutes. But given what I felt later in the evening, I would have gladly—happily—accepted that."

He paused for another moment, letting Cameron process what he had said, and build up what he would say next. "My cousins, all six of them, brought their boyfriends and girlfriends, Cam," Cody continued. "There were only a few years of age difference between us either way, some older, some younger, but they all had someone. I was the lone single person in the entire family…the outcast, the black sheep; the proverbial third wheel. Don't get me wrong, they treated me fine and tried to include me and talk to me, but… I'm pretty sure I put up a convincing façade to not ruin my aunt's celebration or everyone else's fun. I danced a little with them—poorly, I might add. I talked to them over the loud polka music, laughed when I thought someone had said a joke. But on the inside, I frantically just wanted to leave."

Taking a deep breath, he continued.

"I just felt…so pathetic there. I fought against it the entire time, but I felt this almost burning parasite of jealousy wriggle and writhe inside me seeing how happy they were. Seeing their girlfriend's smiles, their dancing; how they grinded against each other. Their happiness made me bitter, and angry…so very angry. I didn't want to feel that way and I tried not to give into it, but in the end, it didn't matter. I was miserable and pissed off. These weren't bullies or douchebags; they were my family, people I cared about, or was supposed to care about. People who had been doing everything in their power to help me feel included. They didn't deserve any of my repressed negativity towards them. But for the four hours I suffered in that hellhole it didn't mean a goddamn thing. Even at the time, I felt so guilty, like the biggest piece of shit ever…but it didn't matter."

Now came the hard part, the shame he still carried with him even now.

"The worst part was, on top of my loneliness, anger and despair…I was horny. So very, very horny, to the point I looked at my cousins' girlfriends and thought…" He swallowed, digging up that painful memory from his subconscious. "I—I know lot of people think I'm a pervert, but honest to God, that was one of the few times I felt like one."

Cody hadn't noticed but right now he had Cameron's complete and undivided attention. The Tech Geek allowed the silence to linger for a moment or two before he continued. "It's not about ever feeling jealousy, Cameron. It's about overcoming your jealousy. Lord knows it's not easy but it can be done. Whenever in doubt, just remember what I told you. If I can conquer it, why can't you? You're way smarter than me, and you have friends that want to help you."

Cameron had a grateful smile on his face, and Cody allowed that happiness to remain unspoiled for a few moments before he spoke again. "There are a lot of things you need to do, Cam, but there are plenty of things you can do to help yourself and work yourself up to it first. The biggest thing is going to be trying to branch out a little bit more, try to spend more time around people, talking to them."

"I talk to you and Shawn all the time," Cameron pointed out.

"I meant other people," Cody clarified, "People who have different backgrounds, who are into different things. If you limit yourself just to people with the same interests as you, you'll be shutting yourself in and denying yourself a lot of things you might enjoy."

"Oh sure, I just walk up to some random person and say, 'Hey, I'm a bubble boy. I've never talked to anyone before, would you be my friend?'" Cameron said sarcastically.

The mentor of the pair was mildly shocked by his student of equal age. Sarcasm wasn't something Cameron did often. Regardless, he effortlessly rolled his eyes. "You know, you being so literally minded can make talking to you something of a chore," he stated, making sure his voice conveyed an at least somewhat sarcastic tone, to not risk hurting his friend's fragile feelings. The lack of fresh hurt or sorrow in Cameron's massive windows to the soul showed that he had been successful.

"Back to my point though, you should try to spend more time with people besides me and Shawn. Hell, you can start off with other people in our little group, or people you just met recently, like Sky…" Cody allowed his words to trail off, giving Cameron the chance to speak up. After the former Bubble Boy chose not to for longer than Cody thought was acceptable, he continued, though now more directly on the underlying problem. "If you like Sky, Cam, there's nothing wrong with trying to befriend her first and learn more about her. Because, being truthful here, outside of that dorm warming party, what time have you actually spent with her?"

The ebony youth considered it for a moment, before finding a flaw in Cody's thinking. "Isn't that what dating is for? To see if you and someone else are compatible?" he asked.

"You are right…to a point, anyway," Cody conceded, knowing that the kind of dialogue that resulted in the sort of change he wanted for his friend had to be a legit give and take. "But I need to ask, would you actually be willing to just walk up to Sky and ask her out?"

Cameron said nothing, with that being answer enough. Not wishing to belabor the point, Cody shifted the conversation to where it would have gone if that answer were spoken. "Just speaking from my own experience, I think you would be better off getting to know her first, Cam. Try talking to her. Remember, it's not the year sixteen hundred anymore. If a girl likes a guy, she'll ask him out, like Heather did with me. Sky asking you out is just as likely a possibility as her not asking you out then."

"You mean like Schrödinger's cat?" Cameron asked thoughtfully.

"Exactly!" Cody said with a grin, knowing that his academic friend had given him the perfect means of conveying this part of the lesson. "You asking Sky out is currently, simultaneously, a success and a failure. Either is just as plausible a reality yet to be manifested by your choices and actions. All it takes is you getting to the point where you open the box and see exactly which possibility is reality. When you're either in a relationship with Sky or still single."

For the second time this entire conversation, the subtle presence of doubt wasn't in Cameron's eyes and Cody chalked it up as a win in its own right. "To reiterate, Cam, I do sincerely believe that you can ask Sky out and have her say yes. But, even if you don't, or if she says no, you'll still have a chance of making a good friend. And trust me, that isn't exactly a bad thing, since it means a chance to meet more people through her."

Cameron wilted a little. "It sounds like you are expecting me to fail," he complained.

Cody quickly realized his mistake, that being in the 'friend zone' was no state anyone wanted to be in, and instantly went to correct it. "No, no…it's not that, Cam," he said with a gentle tone. "It's not that I think you'll fail, it's more that right now, as you are at this moment, you wouldn't work up the nerve to ask her out. And if you did, assuming it failed, you'd blame yourself, mope around, and never want to try again. Ever."

The downward curve of Cameron's frown increased, knowing that Cody's appraisal was spot-on. The Tech Geek was sad he had to address the elephant in the room ignored earlier. But after seeing Cameron's reaction to an unintentional implication of it, he knew he had to verbalize it. Yet another difference between him and Heather that put him in the red, he thought. The former Queen Bee would have had little to no qualms about destroying a small piece of her target's self-worth if it meant making them better for it, in the same way an application of fire to a copiously bleeding wound, though painful, cauterizes it. Sometimes to truly help someone, you had to be to be cruel to be kind. Though Cody knew from experience how effective such a tactic could be, he hated still it. It clashed with his deepest held beliefs, but looking at Cameron he had a minor epiphany. This wasn't about him or his morals. It was about Cameron, about helping him succeed. His friend's many social problems couldn't be swept under the rug or handled with kid gloves, at least not if he was serious about courting Sky.

And Cody knew he was.

But to his shame, Cody wasn't sure what to say to his friend that might help him out. Given the upheavals that Gwen's return in his life had caused, the Tech Geek hadn't devoted as much time and thought to Cameron's dilemma as he would have preferred. He already decided that the platitudes and general advice wouldn't be useful at this point. At best, he'd just be repeating himself from their talk exactly one week ago to the day, literally the last thing he had done before learning of Gwen living in his dorm. To think, everything with Gwen, all of his chaos and emotional turmoil that resulted from it, had been confined within a mere seven days. It was at once staggering and depressing.

Not dwelling on that, the more emotionally developed of the duo in the DeLorean struggled for longer than he wanted, before inspiration struck like a lightning bolt. Cody had an idea, a wonderful idea. He had a wonderful, concretely specific idea.

"Quick question, Cam," Cody commented out of the blue, catching his conversional quarry off-guard, "you read just about everything while still in that bubble, right?"

Not sure of the purpose for the non sequitur but being smart enough to grasp there had to be one, the dark-skinned young man answered, "Pretty much, yeah. It got to the point I was reading the repair manual for our VCR by the time I got my diploma. Why?"

"Would part of that everything include poetry?"

"Uh…yeah. Plenty. Sonnets, limericks, haikus…epic poems, couplets, free verse…you name it, and I've probably read some examples of it. I actually got a little sick of it after a while, especially when my mom started showing me all the stuff she wrote." Cameron said, still utterly lost as to its relevancy, his tone implied questioning the point of this.

Cody saw this and grinned ear-to-ear. "Zoey mentioned she and Sky had a class together last year. Advanced Creative Writing, I think? According to her, it seems Sky wrote quite a bit of poetry then…and what she wrote was really good."

Cameron instantly saw what Cody was implying, but his lingering doubts refused to die. "Are you seriously suggesting that I try and get closer to Sky using poetry of all things?"

Cody grinned, knowing he had a way to make Cameron see his point of view. Though the Afro-Canadian was the smartest guy the Tech Geek knew, he had one fatal flaw in his approach to argument, one that Cody had been sitting on to maximize its effect when most needed.

He would relent to classic wisdom from proven sources.

"Thomas Edison once said, 'Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.'" Cody quoted, his face silently saying 'checkmate.'

With a reaction time bordering superhuman, Cameron nodded his head, as he understood the intended message of the possibly random quotation. "So, you are saying that chances to form an emotional bond between Sky and myself that could blossom into a romantic partnership might begin out of something seemingly unconnected to my desired goal? And that I shouldn't scoff at the idea just because it isn't linearly linked to it?"

"Pretty much," Cody agreed. "I probably would have phrased more along the lines of using what you have and doing what you can with it, but you got the point." He chuckled to himself. "For Heather and me, that connection point was ballet, believe it or not. Before I never would have even thought of going to one, but now I enjoy them," he stated, recalling the many, many, many ways he'd benefitted from the art. Aside from the flexibility and balance Heather possessed thanks to her years of practice, watching a live performance never failed to give both plenty of ideas for their next bedroom escapade.

Not to mention the exercise tips and tricks Heather shared with him when he'd been getting into shape were probably the only reason he hadn't seriously injured himself.

His friend looked quite pleased with the concept, before those lingered doubts returned. "Okay…but how do I actually use this idea, Cody?" Cameron asked somewhat annoyed. He saw a possible way to advance his interactions with Sky, but not how to implement it. He felt as if he had a manual to fix his VCR but it had been written in Xhosa, a purely vocal South African language that was uniquely characterized by clicks where each word could have several different translations based on the tonal variations of each click alone. "Am I just to walk up to Sky and say, 'Hey I heard you write poetry? Want to hang out?'"

"There's that literal mindedness again." Cody commented, biting back his minor irritation at just how much this genius needed explained to him. "How about this…what if the next time we're eating lunch with Sky, I can bring up poetry, asking for her opinion or for help with something, name dropping Zoey as why I'm asking her. That gives you the chance to ask her something depending on what she says, or you can just say you're curious about something related to whatever we're talking about. And if you want to go one step further, you can say you've read a lot of it but don't get it, and ask her to explain it to you, making her more invested in the conversation. Trust me, you want the girl you're crushing on to be as invested as possible."

Cameron was silent as he puzzled over the ideas presented. His head bobbled a few times as he connected possibilities and likelihoods linked to the tangibility of the presented idea. It wasn't abstract, not the equal of a 'hang in there, kitty' poster. It was concrete. It was both an end goal and roadmap for said goal that he knew would be but one small trek within a much longer and more complicated journey. It was an actual, specific beginning.

Cody saw that he finally had Cameron completely, that he was ready for the next step. But the Tech Geek decided to throw his friend another bone, a satisfying end to their talk, a dessert after the full course meal of grounded advice to conclude it on a happy note. "A long time ago, Heather told me something that's always stuck in the back of my mind," he began. "She said that, 'Uncertainty is the first step towards self-determination, towards making yourself a better version of yourself. Courage comes next.' And looking back, she was totally right." Cody looked at his friend with a smile. "And you've shown more courage than anyone I've ever known, Cam. I know I wouldn't have been able to take the leap of faith that you did. You chose to leave your bubble when you knew of nothing else beyond words printed on pages. You chose to face the perils of a new world based solely on your determination. That is true courage; that is true strength. If you can do that, asking a girl out is nothing."

Cameron had the biggest look of awe and gratitude that Cody had ever seen before. Like many geniuses, for someone so smart, he had an odd habit of missing the most obvious. He let Cameron basked in the warmth of that for a few moments before he spoke again. "Now, let's get going. I'm starving, and you know Shawn was serious about eating all the pizza."

The friends shared a laugh, and once it was over Cameron spoke up. "Thanks Cody…for everything. And sorry for being kinda snappish."

"Think nothing of it, Cam," Cody replied, waving away his friend's apology. "I'm just glad I can help out a friend. I've been there, so I know what it's like." He paused and smiled, and was delighted to see a similar expression on Cameron's face. The Tech Geek then had another idea, a way to possibly help his friend in a way that might be successful. His smile grew, in direct relation to Cameron's confusion of this new development. "You know…I've got an idea. Not to rush you but we need to get back to your place," Saying nothing more, Cody left his car while his friend, colored curious, followed.


Monday, November 3rd, 2014 (7:55PM)

The curiosity that had been cultivated in Cameron and later Shawn started to wither about ten minutes after they'd finished eating and moved to their couch. The two would occasionally look at each other, hoping the other had some idea of what Cody was planning.

Both were disappointed by the other silently shrugging their shoulders.

The game system was fired up and ready to go. Soda, snacks and other junk food surrounded them, and the two empty pizza boxes had been thrown to the furthest possible corner of the room. The stage was set for a fun night of gaming, but Cody had instructed them to not touch their controllers before firing off a flurry of text messages. The constant pinging of his phone indicating messages sent and received had been the only sound within the dwelling other than the gentle hum of the waiting gaming console.

Finally, one of them had enough of this and decided to bite the bullet for the both of them. "Can't you send your girlfriend texts another time, when we aren't hanging out?" Shawn asked; his usually civil if uniquely manic tone hardened by lingering annoyance. "We've gotta hurry up! The Zombie Horde Event starts in a few minutes!"

As Cody sent off another text message, Shawn's black eyes darted to the television screen directly in front of the couch. Almost as if it were taunting him, the timer on the main menu projected that they had mere minutes to sign on before not being allowed to play. He would have looked away, but the same image was projected on the many other television screens that littered their living room. None of them were too massive, but none of them were exactly small either. As a result, the taunting timer was inescapable.

Not looking up from his phone while uttering a dry, sarcastic laugh, Cody commented, "I'm not texting Heather. I'm texting another friend, or rather some friends of a friend."

The curiosity that had been all but killed regained some of its previous life in the hosting pair. This time it was Cameron who spoke when he asked, "Who exactly?"

"It's a surprise, but I think…no, I know you'll like it." the Tech Geek said, adding nothing more.

Before Cameron or Shawn could protest, Cody's phone pinged again, and Cody grinned before whispering something to himself. Without saying another word, he grabbed one of the controllers and exited the event menu before quickly selecting the private lobby. When prompted for a passcode he glanced back at his phone then back to the screen, entering the combination of letters, symbols and digits he'd been given three times. Only after seeing the 'synchronizing region matchup' text appear on screen did he turn to the others. "Alright, log in your profiles and get your gear ready, guys. My friends of a friend will be ready and waiting after you do." He said vaguely.

The dazed duo complied and as soon as they finished with their loadouts the screen changed. The picture in picture function kicked in and minimized the loading screen, revealing two faces staring in real time.

Both Shawn and Cameron did spit takes, with the former literally blowing soda out of his nose. Cody was more amazed that the spray hadn't damaged any of their electronics given the range his accidently reaction had. After showing a small grin at that little novelty, he turned his gaze back to the screen just in time to hear two voices, "Hey Cody!" the first shouted, the second gave a more subdued though still friendly greeting. He returned the gesture and waved at the TV mounted webcam while keeping his attention on his two friends, who seemed to have been rendered quite mute by the ladies.

Of the faces before them, two features were the first to be processed by their brains. The first being that although they were quite strikingly different in appearance, there was more than enough similarity to hint at a strong connection between them. At the very least they were blood relatives, probably siblings…sisters. From what could be seen, the two shared quite a few features, at least from the waist up; silky raven black hair and equally dark charcoal colored eyes, tan olive skin tones, and minuscule facial details that suggested Asian ancestry. Both were slender and quite curvy, very attractive with a subtle hinting of the exotic despite neither having much of a bust. If he had to guess, Cody would have put the eldest at a mid B-cup and the younger at low C cup range.

This of course led to the second feature the stunned boys had noticed, that being just how drop dead gorgeous they were! The way their similarities clashed with their differences seemed to enhance their respective strong points, drawing attention to both at the same time.

The one sitting to the right was the older of the pair, but only by a few years at the very most. Her raven-black hair was smooth and fell straight down past her shoulders to her back, framing a pair of warm calculating eyes and high cheekbones. Sporting a salmon pink t-shirt and brown-red short-sleeved jacket, she projected a very specific and very strong image. Even if the clothing itself was nothing special, it was immaculately clean and free of any creases; everything was perfectly in place and uniform. The sole exception to this was a thin streak of pink running through her hair on the left side.

By contrast, the one on the left arranged her hair into a pair of thick pigtails held in place by wide red and blue streamers that almost managed to hide the 'cat ears' headset she wore from view. Her cheeks still showed subtle signs of baby fat, though one could easily see the markings of maturity emerging from her childlike countenance. She wore an oversized red sweater vest with a white undershirt that were wrinkly and would have benefited greatly from a good ironing even if it was (more or less) clean. Like her sister, she sported a streak of pink, though hers was wider and ran through the right side.

However, the greatest difference between them by far was in their expressions.

The sister on the right had an almost bored look painted across her features. The way her naturally slightly slanted eyes narrowed gave off the impression of someone who was willing to engage with you and could be quite pleasant, but wouldn't tolerate any BS and would crush you if you stood in the way of whatever she wanted. She showed a reserved and close-lipped yet good-natured smile.

The younger sibling to the left exuded an animated radiance that diametrically opposed the more calculating calm of her sister, with bright cheerful eyes that almost sparkled with a lust for life and yearning for adventure, her mouth a shamelessly wide display of shiny white teeth and glittery pink lip balm. She was so warm, so inviting, with a face that could make anyone feel like they were the luckiest person ever to be witnessing it.

Cody couldn't say he was shocked by his friends' reaction to their surprise allies for the evening. Emma and Kitty tended to have this sort of effect on people, more so when it came to fellow gamers.

To say his friends were surprised would have been a colossal understatement. As much as they were gamers, they were also fans of gaming YouTubers, so of course they knew how over the past few years, the smash hit channel Kit'Em had soared in popularity, even if it had only more recently become gaming centered.

Of course, everyone knew their story, how their father was the captain of a cruise liner, their mother an itinerary director aboard the same ship, and that they were 'homeschooled' on the open sea. That one day the world was introduced to 'Kitty's Journey,' a Vlog detailing the life and times of a teenage girl who lived in a 'forever summer aboard the world's most super awesome boat mansion,' met almost every celebrity alive, and who loved to prank her older sister.

At some point Kitty became interested in video games, and quickly discovered she was very good at playing them.

With this came a shift in her Vlog to a focus on her playing games in the arcade, playing (and beating) other passengers to show off her high scores. Nobody could have predicted what happened from there. How due to the flood of gamers booking trips just for the chance to appear in one of her Vlogs, the parent company owning the liner made her a part time employee, paycheck and uniform included.

Then her older sister found out how much she was making, and wanted in.

Apparently, it must be something in the blood, because it didn't take long for Emma to become a very skilled player herself after some coaching and tutoring from her younger sibling. When the next vacation season was about to begin, the channel was renamed 'Kit'Em' and the two became a tag team act. Their 'rivalry' and sisterly bickering routine more than doubled her viewership and secured a very appreciative sponsor once they entered the professional circle in one fell swoop.

Seeing that his friends were too stunned to breath, much less speak; Cody took the initiative after slipping his own headset on. "Hey Emma, hey Kitty. Good to see you two again." He then gestured towards his currently comatose compatriots. "These are the guys I was telling you about, Shawn and Cameron. I'm sure they would introduce themselves eventually but they're a bit tongue-tied right now. Would you mind giving us a hand making a plan to raid the WSA?"

Emma raised an eyebrow while Kitty snorted and giggled into the back of her hand before nodding, answering for both herself and her older sister. Their reactions, more so Kitty's, snapped Shawn out of his stupor. Not blinking, he swiftly turned his attention back to Cody.

"What the hell, man!?" he shouted, continuing before Cody even had a chance to retort. "Dude, they're streamers. Like, serious, popular streamers! You just told our plans to everyone!"

"Relax Shawn," Cody commented soothingly, "They haven't started streaming yet. Besides, these two are good friends of mine. They're completely trustworthy."

Cameron, who had taken longer to recover, finally found his voice as he abruptly asked. "How exactly are you friends with Kit'Em!?"

"It's a secret," Cody said with a wink, agreeing to one of Emma's conditions for this happening, not mentioning the relationship between her and Noah.

"He's best friends with Emma's boyfriend!" Kitty blurted out, either not knowing of or caring about the deal her sister had made.

The final words had just left her lips when a meaty sounding *whack* filled their speakers and headsets. The shock of the sudden sound had taken the trio by surprise. Using context clues—Kitty rubbing her head, Emma having one hand raised near said rubbed head, and the stern, pissed off look on the elder sister's face—they quickly figured out that Emma had just swatted Kitty for reasons that were a mystery to them.

"How many times do I need to tell you, Kit?" Emma scolded with practiced ease, "Never mention I have a boyfriend on the livestream. We'd lose a lot of your viewership if you did. Single guys thinking they have a shot with either of us make up most of our viewers and supporters!"

"Hey, Em! I'm STILL single! And the moderators aren't even on yet! I would have thought you wanting to be a lawyer would make you more specific!" Kitty said. It was an attempt at strong verbal defense that came across as more like a submissive whine as she absentmindedly rubbed the spot her sister had swatted seconds earlier. Her previously alarmed face changed to a bemused, near coy one. "Do you know of any single guys in particular asking about me, just me, Sis?" she asked, flashing a relaxed, flirtatious grin while batting her eyebrows coquettishly.

One of Emma's eyebrows twitched briefly, she knew her sister was trying to annoy her by changing the subject, just as she knew that she was going to fall for the bait. The eldest of the pair groaned, briefly looking away from the trio in the dorm. "I still can't believe I asked to be a part of this after graduation," she grumbled under her breath.

"'Girl-who-is-using-this-to-help-pay-for-law-school' says what?" Kitty asked quickly as she cupped a hand to her ear. Emma crossed her arms and sighed bitterly at the rebuke.

"Do—does your boyfriend mind you doing this?" asked Cameron.

"He doesn't mind sleeping with her on the giant bed she bought with all the money she makes!" Kitty fired off as if on reflex. Her mirthful grin morphed into a pained frown when Emma gave her another swatting, which elicited a sharp outburst from the younger sister. "Hoy! Hindi tulad ng sinabi ko sa kanila ang tungkol sa oras na lumakad ako sa iyo at si Noah ay 'abala' sa tumpok na pera na iyong binili ng kama na iyon!"* [2]

Of the trio, only Cameron understood what Kitty had just shouted at her sister in Filipino. His reaction to that was to have his mouth hanging opened and a bright purple blush. Judging from that, Cody and Shawn guessed at the nature of the comment. Those opinions were reinforced by Emma's response, a swift and even harsher swat. Kitty spent the next few moments rubbing her head.

"We are willing to help you out, Cody," Emma said calmly, her tone clinical yet humane as if she hadn't just struck her sister for the third time in less than a minute. The Tech Geek assumed it was some kind of cadence she was working for her desired job as a lawyer. "But I'm confused about one thing. Why do you want our help for just this evening?"

"Well…it's not just for this, I mean sure, I'd love your help with getting gear and leveling, but that isn't the only reason I asked for your help. And if we are being truthful—"

"That is highly recommended," commented Emma before Cody could continue, her logic-heavy mind already considering any other possible motives for his wanting to do this.

"—it's also to help Cam here."

Emma's expression was guarded but unable to fully hide her interest at the unexpected answer. Kitty didn't even attempt to disguise her curiosity, instead leaning forward towards the camera as though she were there in-person, excitedly awaiting more details. With very little imagination, one could almost see whispers on her cheeks and a cattail swishing behind her.

"You see ladies," Cody continued, "There's this girl Cam has a crush on, and he's really nervous about asking her out. He doesn't have a lot of experience with people his own age since he was homeschooled and his mother was a bit…overly protective. I thought if he could talk with you two while doing something he feels comfortable doing, it could help with his anxiety. You know, exposure therapy."

The Sisters looked at each other for a moment as though they were having a silent conversation, making sure the other was on the same page and how they felt about this. With a small nod of agreement passing between them they returned their attention to Cody and his friends.

"A surprising answer, Cody," Emma began, "But a commendable one. I don't think I would be opposed to helping out. From what Noah has said of you, Cameron being your friend says a lot." She showed a soft smile that gently erased the passive hardness usually present on her face. As with Heather, the small upturn of her lips was immediately noticeable, bestowing almost angelic warmth to her already heaven-sent beauty. There was a quiet and respectful dignity to her reserved expression, yet it was unquestionably supportive. "But please don't make us regret this act of charity by slowing us down." She finished; still keeping the same sincere look even as her words conveyed a more selfish sentiment.

"Aw! That's so sweet!" Kitty gushed loudly as she squealed and batted her eyelashes. Emma groaned to herself as she stuck a finger in her ear, in a futile attempt to dig out the ringing her sister had forcibly implanted. Not noticing that, Kitty then looked at Cameron more closely, going so far as to actually inch closer towards her webcam. "But why, like, does he need help?" she asked, her face and tone shifting from confusion to flirtatious, "He's such a cutie he's probably got girls crawling all over him!"

Cameron's face turned to a shade so purple from blushing that Cody feared he might pass out. Other than Sky, Cameron thought Kitty was the hottest girl he had ever seen, and she had just called him cute! No girl aside his mother or Zoey had called him cute before, and with the former being his mother and the latter being more like a big sister in his eyes they didn't really count.

Emma rolled her eyes yet again. "Just because he's your type of guy doesn't mean you should assume he's every girl's, Kit," she quipped without thinking, it being automatic.

The youngest sister suddenly sat up in her seat, as if a jolt of lightning had passed through her. Her previously unflappable face showed the beginnings of a blush of its own. "Wh—what are you talking about, Em!?" she asked, trying and failing spectacularly to keep her voice even.

The stoic expression etched across Emma's face slowly shifted to an ever-growing smirk, her dark eyes now lit by glowing embers of ill portent. She had stumbled across something very, very rare: a chance to strike back at her sister who so loved to tease her.

How could she pass that up?

"Oh, you think I haven't noticed the kinds of guys you are into? You aren't exactly subtle about anything really, but especially boys and your feelings." Emma began, savoring the uncomfortable look spreading across Kitty's face as she realized how screwed she was. "You've got a classic case of the Florence Nightingale Effect. You go gaga over any guy in need of help, the more they need the harder you fall, the more pathetic and helpless they are the more you throw yourself at them. Remember those sickly twins, who passed out when you flirted with them? Or how about when Cody was trying to find that oh so perfect anniversary present for Heather during summer break?" Emma crossed her arms over her chest; her smug expression reveling in the stuttering mess Kitty had turned into. It was a look the older sister hoped to see often when in the courtroom. [3]

Indeed, Kitty was doing something that should have been impossible, drowning on dry land. The currents of awkwardness had more pull than any ocean tide could ever dream of, made all the stronger because she wasn't a frequent swimmer in such turbulent waters. She sputtered and floundered helplessly before her audience of four. Then, her mind had an idea; one formed out of the omnipresent need to simply end this most pitiful display.

"I know just what to do to help!" she exclaimed with forced zeal as she jumped out of her chair and ran off, before returning and holding up one hand and removing her headset, "I'll be right back!" with that, she dashed off again in a flash. An eagle-eyed watcher would have noticed she was also wearing a black skirt that ended at the upper thigh and almost knee-high white socks when she stumbled, tripping over a nearby pair of shin-high black boots.

It happened so quickly that Emma hadn't even had the time to formulate a fitting response, same as with the three male spectators who had gotten such an odd show. All of them remained in a state of vexation until what had quickly become a familiar thundering of footsteps was heard approaching.

A moment later a blur manifested onscreen revealing itself to be Kitty, who had decided to change her clothes, or at least her top. In place of the oversized sweater vest and white t-shirt was a low-cut dark blue top showing off a decent amount of perky cleavage. Standing proudly, she leaned forward and tugged it upwards to reveal the glittery gold print across the front. 'World Cla$$ Money Maker$.'

Releasing her hold on the top, she then arched her back slightly, emphasizing how the lettering contoured the curve of her bust before bouncing on the balls of her feet just enough to give a subtle bounce to her modest breasts. "So, do you like it?" Kitty asked, again batting her eyelashes and flashing her most playful smile.

Cameron stared at the screen with an expression only truly understandable to those who had been wondering through a desert for a year only to find an oasis that they were sure was a mirage but looked so damn real they didn't care. Not only had the second hottest woman he'd ever seen think he was cute and all but admit to be into the kind of guy he was…but now she was wearing the kind of revealing attire he had only ever seen accidently on the Internet. The former Bubble Boy had the greatest mind of anyone on campus, but even a mind such as his had its limits. Cameron's brain threw up its nonexistent hands and decided to re-boot.

Despite being grateful for the view in the same detached but invested way an art critic apprises the Mona Lisa, Cody facepalmed and tried to avert his eyes the moment he noticed a pair of telltale nubs on the younger sister's chest, making clear that swapping her top had not been the only change she'd made in attire. Shawn, apparently having noticed the same detail and having come to the realization Cody had was rendered mute and blushing.

Emma merely sighed, long since immune to this kind of thing.

"And just why do you feel the need to wear that exactly, Kit?" asked Emma, her tone somewhat icy, but more so from the ever-lingering annoyance only a sibling can so easily induce than anything else. "You know we don't wear those aside from big milestones!"

"To help that little cutie pie over there, duh!" Kitty exclaimed happily with a jump as she pointed to Cam, who nearly fainted, not even noticing the faint fingerprint smudge that had been left on the web camera's lens thanks to the visible bounce of the younger sister's chest. "If he wants to learn how to talk to girls, then gabbing with me in this little number will make talking to the girl he wants when she's fully clothed a snap! Besides, today's a special event, right? We could make something work easy peezy! Just leave it to me!" she declared with a V sign and a smile.

Slipping her cat ear headphones back on, Kitty turned to her laptop and unleashed a flurry of typing that put Heather's most fervent texting to shame.

The older sibling marveled at her. Sometimes her sister's brazenness and carelessly easy-going nature could be funneled towards something truly worthy of the fundamental debasement they entailed. Emma knew that she was the smarter one between them, but her little sister had funny ways of showing that despite her somewhat airheaded demeanor she could be shockingly insightful, in particular when it came to matters of people and romance. After all, Kitty had been a big part of the reason why she was able to give Noah a shot, and pushed her outside her comfort zone for the better more often than not.

Though she would never give Hawaiian Pizza another try that was for damn sure.

But rather than give her sibling credit, mostly due to the smug grin Kitty already wore knowing she had earned it, Emma chose to turn towards the still waiting trio. "Let me explain the ground rules before we start," she began, being all business once again. "We only refer to each other by screen-names, so no real names, at any point. Ever. We don't talk about anyone or anything in real life. Ever. People are expecting us to play the game, and since their contentment is what gives us more revue, that is what we are going to do. If you start to mess things up, you'll be booted and blocked, even with Cody's connection to Noah. Everyone pulls their weight. But if you can do so, we might do this again later."

The trio absorbed all of Emma's rules, and found them to be quite acceptable. As they nodded their understanding, Kitty could be heard talking in the background, loudly.

"Yeah, I know, it's a last-minute thing but favors for friends, and besides, it's worth it! Cody's here and he brought another cutie pie! The other one? Uhh," pausing she looked back to the camera then back, "Yeah sure. He's kinda hot, long hair, hippy type….uggh, come on, just TRUST ME! This is going to be great! Just do your job and we'll make a ton off this, I promise!"

Having finished she turned back to the camera and addressed the others. "Alright, so the moderators are onboard, Sis. You'll need to play along buuuuut everything should…" Kitty's confused countenance filled the screen as she leaned forward and squinted before frowning on reflex, realizing something was off. "Uh, Cody, aren't you higher level than these guys already? And why do you even need gear, I'm still using the stuff you gave me from—?" Any further questions were silenced when Emma elbowed her in the side. About to complain she shut up the moment she caught sight of her sister's expression.

Shawn and Cameron didn't catch the questions, still recovering from the excitement and shock engendered by talking to a pair of extremely popular and even more extremely attractive gamer girls.

Cody smiled, realizing this, and tossed the paralyzed pair their headsets.

"Okay, countdown to livestream starting in…five," Emma began, "Four…three…two…one…"

"Kon'nichiwa all, Kit'Em is here to plaaaaaaaaay!" Kitty all but shouted into her mic, grinning ear to ear and flashing dual peace signs for her camera, becoming her online persona. But to be fair it was only a slight exaggeration of her natural demeanor.

Emma remained silent, both to play her part in their little duo act and to figure out just what her sister had in mind as shooting from the hip was not something she enjoyed doing. That being said, after years of working together the two had a number of cues between them for emergencies like this.

"Now, I'm sure some of you have noticed that I'm wearing my very special super favorite shirt…but, *gasp* Em's not!" Pouting like a sad kitten at her sister, she then smirked at the camera. "We'll just have to do something about that, wont we?" With a flourish towards the screen she continued, "Behold my loyal viewers! I give you the Special Zombie Horde Challenge!"

The screen shifted to in-game, showing Cody, Cameron and Shawn's avatars, along with Kitty and Emma's.

"My evil sourpuss of a sister handpicked these three to go head-to-head with us! The unbeatable dynamic sister duo, versus the teeeeeerriaaaaable trio in a double tap team contest!" Pausing she reached over and pressed something that caused a chorus of cheers to cry out across the speakers.

"The only way to break the spell of gloom, and force her inner Kit to the surface is for us to kill more zombies than them, and freeee her inner sunshine for all you wonderful viewers! Nye nye nye! I know what you're thinking, 'Ohhh this is going to be easy, Kit'Em never loose!' Well, let's put a little blood in the water, and see just what they got!" Reaching over she again typed something on her laptop, and again the screen shifted, this time to show something that nearly caused Cameron and Shawn to pass out.

There, filling the screen, was an image of Kitty and Emma standing almost perfectly back to back though slightly turned to face the viewer wearing matching red and black bikinis.

The only out of sync element was the fact that Emma was slightly taller than Kitty. Each had the arm of the shoulder that was touching the other reaching towards the center, as though they were both pointing at the person looking at the picture, with Kitty grinning ear to ear as Emma offered a shy smiled of her own. Across the bottom in large fluffy pink letters read, 'Dreams Really Do Come True!' [4]

"If we win, Em will don her 'World Class Money Makers' shirt and join me for a victory dance!" Reaching off screen, she again used her laptop to cause a thundering cry of cheers, whistles and catcalls. "Buuuut if they win, each will receive a personalized, autographed copy of our limited edition 'Dreams Really Do Come True' poster!"

Cody noticed the look to briefly pass across Emma's face, and realized that Kitty had just put Emma in a Kobayashi Maru situation. He knew about those posters; everyone knew about those posters and how much it cost just to get your name put in the raffle for one. [5]

He also knew through Noah just how much Emma hated them.

If he and the others won, it would mean their avatars and screen names would get put on the bounty board for the next decade at the very least. But more importantly, if they won and thus got those posters, he would likely be on Emma's shit list again and would need to work his way out all over again. You accidentally set off a chain of events that leads to Kitty walking in on her riding Noah's bologna pony one time!

On the other hand, if they lost, Emma would blame them for having to dance, on screen, which would be seen and recorded by their legion of fans, something she also hated.

There was no question that Kitty knew how to work up a crowd, and that she could be as devious as Heather, but for the life of him he couldn't figure out why she would pull a stunt like this.

"—And never forget, everything I do, it's all for you~!" Kitty finished her little speech with a wink, a wink that seemed less directed at the camera, and more at her screen...at Cameron specifically, if Cody had to guess.

Just like that, the last piece fell into place. Kitty had planned this out so no matter what happened Cameron got something from her, either a signed sexy photograph or a live sexy dance. And each had the added bonus of getting back at Emma for embarrassing her. To think, she had thought of and arranged all this within just a few minutes' time. A certain line from The Older Books clicked in the back of his mind. [6]

"For what could be more destructive and unpredictable than the kitten?"


So, that was the latest chapter! I am SO SORRY about the long wait! Anyone who has read (and hopefully reviewed) this is a bona fide hero who I'm grateful to have!

Now then, lets go through this one. The bulk of this chapter was devoted to Cody's interactions with Cameron. Some of you might be complaining that this is basically a rehash of the bulk of the content from chapter 14. And in some ways it is! Lol.

But please hear me out. The idea of this chapter when compared to the previous one is that unlike the talk with Cameron there, here Cody is actually giving Cam good advice and more importantly the inspiration for a way to start achieving his desired goal. You'll note how in the first talk Cody doesn't give Cam that much legit advice. He basically just pumps up his ego a bit and nothing more than saying Cam can get Sky if he works on it. Here, he's suggesting how. This was done to show that while Cody is the mentor and better at this game called life than Cameron is, he's no Uncle Iroh by a LONG shot! Lol. In his own way Cody is learning just as much as his student, but the big difference he's been at this for longer and thanks to Heather's influence he can think outside of himself in ways previously foreign.

For me personally, the highlight of the Cody/Cameron scene was Cody's story from his freshman year about the nightclub outing with his family. This was some parts very unpleasant episode that I experienced and other parts creative license, like most if not all of fiction. Lol. Among other things, it was meant to be a nice encapsulation of what Cody's life was like before he hooked up with Heather. Remember, Cody didn't start hanging out with Heather until shortly after their sophomore year began and he wasn't her boyfriend in secret until the last month of that same school year.

And if you don't like all the focus Cody is getting, don't worry. The next chapter, which is already well underway, will focus purely on Gwen and Heather! Lol

Now, let's move onto the biggest surprise of the chapter…Emma and Kitty! To be honest, I was shocked when the original chapter outline had these two in it! My co-author has a great ability to surprise me, and by extension you. I know this is probably a popular opinion but these two were easily one of the best parts of Ridonculous Race. THEY SHOULD HAVE WON! Lol. But we can make up for that injustice by having be the first (and so far only planned) characters from RR to be featured in this story. They will definitely be having more appearances because their interactions with each other and the nerdy trio were really fun to write! Please let us know what you think of how these two were portrayed, the backstory we've given them, and your hopes (or fears) for them in the future of this story. Okay?

There are a few minor details about Kitty and Emma that will differ from the Sisters in canon and their portrayal in this story. Firstly, unlike in Ridonculous Race, it is Emma who is the taller of the two siblings. Secondly, their father is Japanese and her mother is Filipino.

Now, though they haven't appeared in this chapter, for future reference, here's a brief description of what Kitty and Emma's in-game characters look like, and their names. Kitty's character is a slender blue haired female with long pigtails, a duster jacket and dual shotguns. Her character's name is 'Shotgun Princess KittyCat'. Emma's character looks like a traditional S.W.A.T officer and is armed to the teeth with an AR, sling mounted anti-material rifle, handguns, a katana and grenade bandoleer. Her character name is 'Got'Em'.

[1] The Sword of Kahless is\was the very first original bat'leth, and that is what Cody has, not just some run of the mill petaq's bat'leth. Heather got him a replica of THE bat'leth.

[2] As the chapter said, this statement is in Filipino. Roughly translated into English, it reads: "Hey! It's not like I told them about the time I walked in on you and Noah getting 'busy' on that pile of money you bought your bed with!"

[3] You get one guess as to which characters from RR are referenced in this! Lol

[4] Yes, this is a direct reference to my Cody/Lindsay story "Dreams Really Do Come True." And before you ask, that was an addition by my co-author. I had no idea he would make. But I'm not exactly complaining. Lol

[5] This probably doesn't need to be explained but the Kobayashi Maru is from Star Trek, most famously "The Wraith of Khan." Basically it's a no-win scenario.

[6] 'The Older Books' line is an allusion to 'The Elder Scrolls' while the line 'For what could be more destructive than a kitten' is referring to how the Khajiit refer to Mehrunes Dagon (The Daedric Prince of Destruction) as 'a kitten' due to his natural tendency to destroy the world around him. Given that they are cat-people this is rather fitting.

As always, we hope you enjoyed this chapter and can wait until the next one. Until then, please: read, review, alert, favor, and spread the word!