Chapter 14: Girl Talk

Summary: Cody and Stephanie have a little chat.

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Stephanie walked out into the bright sunshine. The sound of birds chit-chatting in the trees filled the air and the cold wind whipped the blond hair that stuck out of the hat she wore. Winter seemed to have decided to come early, especially for Texas.

She reached her car and slid down into her front seat. As she rubbed her hands together for warmth, she turned her cell phone on. A knock on the window made her turn.


"Hey Steph." Cody's muffled voice said.


Stephanie rolled down the window. "Cody, hey, what's up?"


"I need some help with my math homework," she said hopping on one leg to keep warm.

"Could you come explain it to me?"


"Sure," Stephanie replied. "Meet you at my house in a few minutes?"


"Yeah, see ya there. Thanks."


Stephanie rolled the window back up and drove to the line that had formed to get out of the school's parking lot. "Oh boy," she mumbled. "Traffic."


Fifteen minuets later she finally completed the grueling journey home. She hopped out of her car and ran through the garage, warming her hands in her pockets, as she slammed the door to her house behind her. Just as she entered the house, Cody's knock echoed in the hall. Stephanie threw her backpack on the counter and ran to the door. The stinging air greeted her as she flung open it open.


"Hey Steph. Thanks so much for your help, my gosh it's freezing." Cody flitted in.


Stephanie agreed.


Stephanie lit up the gas fire as Cody dropped her books on the sofa. "This house always smells so great," she commented. "Is it candles?"


Stephanie dragged her backpack into the living room. "Yeah, vanilla, my favorite scent."

They sank onto the floor, their stiff limbs slowly relaxing in the glow of the fire. "Cody, can I ask you a question before we start?"


Cody looked up from her math book, her cheeks still flushed from the wind. "Ask away."


"Do you like Alex?"


Cody's eyes squinted and her eyebrows arched up. "Yes, but the question is how do you mean?"


The tip of Stephanie's tongue pressed against her teeth. "Like, more than friends."


Cody grinned. "Sweetheart, I haven't seen him since we were ten. I don't know him enough to like him that way."


"But you did talk to him on the internet, didn't you?" Stephanie pressed.


"Well, see, I did, but..." she paused and tapped her lips with her fingers. "OK, we were good friends at first, then somewhere along the line, he...grew distant."


"How so?" Stephanie asked.


"Well, he would write me, but the letters were pretty superficial, ya know? I don't know how to explain it. That lasted a while, I guess, then, maybe a year or so ago he wrote me again. A real letter, a deep one, but at the same time, not deep. You know what I mean? I don't even know what I mean. Anyway, he apologized for the way he'd been acting and asked my forgiveness. He wouldn't tell me why he'd changed, or why he'd stopped writing. He just said he was sorry. So I feel like I don't know him, like...he's still hiding something from me. That's why it wasn't deep, because he wouldn't tell me why he had acted the way he did." Cody explained. "Why do you ask?"


"I don't know," Stephanie said. "Just thinking about boys and stuff."


Cody shook her head with a smile. "You think Dakota's a hottie, don't you?"


"What? No, I-I mean, yes, but he's..." she licked her lips. "He's- I feel like I know him. He's so kind, but he seems...so..."


"Hurt? Distraught? Preoccupied?" Cody suggested.


"Yeah, all of the above, and lonely. He looked like he was having fun at Alex's house the other night, but half-hearted. I guess...he didn't look like he...no, he didn't feel like he should be allowed to have fun, ya know?"


Cody nodded. "I understand what you mean," she said. "I suppose it's his parents and...well, I'd better not tell you, you can ask him."


Stephanie stared into the golden flames of the fire. Her vision filled with the bright, glowing light and heat warmed her eyes. The warmth finally turned her away and she looked back at Cody. "Let's get to work on that homework."


Cody laughed. "OK."