Cody Carries On

Cody Carries On

Chapter 3: Yolei Considers

6: 00 AM.

Cody's alarm clock buzzed. The boy's green eyes snapped open, and he reached to shut the alarm off. He blinked hard three times. He did not remember getting back into bed, but he must have done it. Somehow he didn't remember much of anything except behaving like a baby in front of Upamon late last night. All because of that bad dream, he thought, ashamed of himself. He resolved to learn even more self-control. Cody got moving. He could smell the breakfast his mother was cooking, and it would upset her if he did not emerge soon from his room. He got up, still tired and a little achy, but a quick shower would fix that. He made his bed up to his own high standard, went to his closet, chose an outfit for the day and his bathrobe. The boy meticulously laid out the clothes over the freshly made bed and carefully draped his bathrobe over his arm. He looked back toward the closet. Upamon hadn't stirred at all. Cody thought that his Digimon friend must be too tired after putting up with a Digidestined's fit last night. It would not be right to expect his company this morning. Cody promised himself an apology to Upamon, that afternoon, and hoped the Digimon would not deem him unworthy. Cody scooted out of his room, headed for the shower just a moment before his mother would have called to him from the kitchen.

Upamon, in fact, was not sleeping -- he was waiting. Cody looked a little rushed this morning, and as the Digimon guessed, the boy left the door to the room open as he went. Upamon quickly bounced down from the closet and to the door. When Cody was safely out of sight Upamon bounced out of the room on his own. He hugged the shadow of the hallway until it met the kitchen. Cody's mom was tending to the last of the pancakes on the stove. Gosh, they smelled good, but the Digimon could not stop now. He hopped quickly on a diagonal under the kitchen table, and got into position just as Cody's grandfather brought in the morning newspaper, giving Upamon just enough of an opening to bounce right past the preoccupied older man -- out of the apartment all together.

Upamon bounced steadily toward the apartment where Yolei lived, thankful that Cody had showed him how to sneak there in case of emergencies and grateful that so few people were awake right now. Finally he was at Yolei's apartment door. It took a few tries, but he managed to bounce forward high enough and hard enough to ring the apartment doorbell. He landed with one thought on his mind -- look like a stuffed toy.

Yolei's mother answered the door. She looked one way and then another, confused. Then she looked down. "Yolei," she called, "There's a stuffed toy in front of our door that kind of look's like your little pink one."

"Huh," replied Yolei. The girl came to the door as she put on the glasses which made her look like, well like Yolei. Seeing the fluffy, yellow Digimon on the ground she immediately scooped him up "Upa -- I .. uh .. mean Oops, this is Cody's stuffed toy. He got his the same place I got mine, they're kind of a matched set."

"It's not like Cody to leave things out, much less lose them," Yolei's mom commented, "and who rang our bell, maybe I should call the Hidas?"

"Oh that's OK mom, it was probably just someone who saw it lying outside the door and rang to get our attention, that's all. No need to call. I'll see that Cody gets this right back." Yolei said this while awkwardly retreating with Upamon into her room.

Yolei sighed with momentary relief as she closed her bedroom door. She set Upamon on her study table as her own Digimon, Poromon, fluttered up to meet him. "Upamon, What are you doing here? Where's Cody?"

"Cody's still at home Yolei, getting ready for school. He doesn't know I'm here. He thinks I'm still sleeping, But --" blurted Upamon.

"Slow down, don't forget to breathe Upamon," Yolei cautioned, "Now why would you leave Cody's without telling him?"

Upamon dutifully related the events of the last night. He watched Yolei's pained reaction to her best friend's ordeal. "Oh poor Cody! I had no idea he was suffering like this. I know that he always seems a little sad because his father died, but nothing like this. What kind of friend am I anyway?"

"A best friend," answered Upamon, "and Cody needs one. He won't willingly admit the hurt the nightmare causes him, so he's holding it all inside, all by himself. Cody's brave, but he can't seem to do it alone anymore, and he doesn't know how to do it any other way. I'm afraid for him Yolei, you have to help him."

"Of course I will Upamon," Yolei insisted, "I'll just sit the little guy down and tell him you told me all about it. Then --"

"Oh no, Yolei." interrupted Upamon, "You just can't tell Cody I told you, please. If he thought that any of us were treating him like a sad little boy, or like he needs help, then he'd lose confidence in himself. He might not even want to be Digidestined anymore."

"You're right Upamon," Yolei conceded, "and that means we have to find a way to get Cody to open up about this nightmare without him knowing that's what we want him to do, and preferably without him even realizing that he's actually doing it either?"

"Right, that would be perfect!" Upamon beamed.

"Oh boy, now I know how Davis must feel in school, because this will not be easy," Yolei admitted. "Maybe I should ask Izzy or Joe ..." She thought as she gathered her books and gear, "No wait , I'll ask the other newer Digidestined for help ... oh but if something goes wrong and Cody finds out he'll just think we're babying him or we're embarrassed by him. That won't help at all. Urgh! What we really need is someone Cody will respect and trust -- an adult -- who actually knows about you Digimon, but who Cody wouldn't probably connect to the Digidestined at all."

"Yolei," chirped Poromon, "Now you're really not making any sense."

"That's it!" offered Upamon. "Not sense, Poromon -- Sensei -- the one from the school. You remember, Yolei, she's the one who accidentally took us home with her, and she teaches you Digidestined about myps."

"You mean myths ... and how could I forget?" The girl chided with memory. She looked sternly at Poromon and Upamon. "You two and Veemon had all of us worried sick, and you were with Sensei the whole time. You stuffed your faces and blabbed to her about everything. We're just very lucky she can keep a secret better than you three did then."

[AN: Yes, this the teacher from the popular "A Teacher's POV" series, gratefully acknowledged as "on loan" from her creator Time Lady. Yolei is referring to the events of "A Teacher's POV: Return of the Teacher's Pet." -- BM]

Upamon pleaded, "But it means she might be able to help Cody."

Yolei stopped short. "You're right again, Upamon." She added, under her breath, "now let me think a minute."

Yolei's mother called for her to get breakfast before she had to head to Cody's and walk to school. "That reminds me, Yolei ..." said Upamon.

"What is it?" Yolei asked.

" ... Can I share some breakfast, please? I'm really hungry." and Yolei sighed.

She brought her breakfast into her room, yielding much of it to two famished Digimon. Yolei made extra room in her backpack for Upamon. Poromon was glad for the company. Yolei told them, "Normally, I'd just sneak you back over to Cody's, Upamon, but I have this idea, and I'm going to need you to help me convince the sensei to help us with Cody."

"That's what I'm here for." said Upamon, snugged in with Poromon. Yolei quickly cleared her breakfastware and returned to strap on the backpack, adjusting for Upamon's extra weight. With a quick goodbye to her mother, the girl headed to meet Cody.

7:15 AM.

Cody answered when Yolei knocked. If she hadn't known what he'd went through last night, she might never had guessed. He looked as neat and carefully dressed as always. But Yolei did know, and she saw her friend a little clearer today. There was the slightest hint of the brittleness within him showing through the surface today. Today, Cody looked a little liked a well-kept porcelain doll -- still beloved but fragile, in risk of shattering. Yolei's heart ached for him. She so wanted just to hold him, and make him be alright again.

"Hello Yolei." He bowed to her, "Are you ready to go? I'd like to get going now -- If that's OK, please." He did seem anxious to leave. Yolei wondered how hard he was working to keep his family from seeing what she saw now. She knew Mrs. Hida must be aching to help Cody too, only worse. Cody simply wouldn't let his mom find a moment to reach out to him. Yet, telling Mrs.Hida everything now would compromise too many trusts, and possibly hurt Cody even more deeply. No! Yolei had to stick to her idea of getting the sensei's help, and tricking Cody into saving himself. If it was going to work at all she would have to fool Cody, for his own good, starting right now. Never an easy task with someone so smart. Happy face forward.

"Hi Cody," She began cheerfully, "Yes, I'm ready to go." She leaned over Cody and stuck her head energetically into the Hida apartment. "Hello Mrs. Hida, Cody and I are leaving now, so I guess I'll say goodbye at the same time, OK?" Cody stepped out next to Yolei as Mrs. Hida came to the door.

"Alright, Yolei. I was just telling Cody that if he wanted to --"

"I'm fine Mom, really, " Cody broke in, "I was just a little slow this morning, that's all, I'm very sorry."

"Oh Cody," his mom implored. "You don't have to be sorry about something like that, honestly. Everybody has hard mornings sometimes, and if you're not feeling --"

"I'm fine." Cody said firmly. Even Yolei could feel the grip on his words." His mother sighed, bent down and kissed his cheek. The boy blushed and turned for the elevator quickly without saying any more than goodbye.

Mrs. Hida added, "Take care, Cody"

Instinctively, Yolei reached out and took Mrs. Hida's hand. The girl said, "Trust me. Today I'll take care of Cody." Then she turned and raced after him, as he was holding the elevator, before the woman could ask what the girl had meant.

Yolei flew into the elevator car, and Cody let the door close. As they descended to the lobby the boy asked, "Is Poromon with you?"

"Oh sure." She replied, pointing back to her backpack.

"What have you been feeding him? He looks bigger than usual."

"Oh, nothing special. Say, where's Upamon today?"

"At home." Cody answered pensively. "He's still sleeping. I'll have to feed him extra well this afternoon because he didn't get breakfast." Fortunately, Cody was looking down and did not see the wriggle his answer caused through Yolei's backpack.

As the two of them exited the elevator, left the lobby, and started along the sidewalk in silence Yolei knew that she had succeeded so far. Still, her plan hinged on the participation of an outside authority figure. She hoped that one particular sensei was in a very understanding mood today. .