Episode 127---Selfless
Sadie sniffled, wiping a tear from her eye, hugging her legs to her chest. In the distance he heard the loudspeaker make the dinner call; in the back of her mind she knew she should be heading back to camp soon, it was getting dark and Chef's meal, disgusting as it was, was still the only food she would get to eat tonight. Still, she made no move to leave; she remained seated on her tree-stump seat, staring up at the sunset through the dark trees, wondering if Katie was watching it too, wherever she was now.
She was so lost in thought she didn't hear the crackling of twigs behind her, and jumped in surprise when she heard a voice say, "Katie?"
"What?! Where?!" She spun around, catching a glimpse of the skinny Gopher boy who had just entered the clearing, then looked around wildly, half-expecting to see her best friend somewhere nearby.
Cody frowned. "Um…aren't you Katie?"
"What? Oh…" The answer slowly dawned on her. "No. I'm Sadie."
"Oh." The boy scratched the back of his neck, looking embarrassed. "Sorry."
"Oh, don't be. Half the Bass are still getting our names mixed up too, even now after she's g---gone…"
The smile which had passed briefly over her face vanished; Cody watched in horror as the happy face froze, then quickly melted into a bawling mess. "Um---stop, please?" he said weakly, walking across the clearing to pat her awkwardly on the back. She continued to sob, now into his shoulder. "Oh, come on. It can't be all that bad," he said, trying to sound upbeat. "I mean, I know…um, which one did you say you were again?"
Sniffled. "Sadie."
"Okay, sorry. I know Katie is your friend, but it's no big deal. You'll see her again soon. I mean, I know how you feel---it was hard for me to say goodbye to all my friends too, you know, knowing I wouldn't be with them all summer and that I'd miss all the cool stuff we were gonna do---but friends can be apart for a little while, right?"
"No!" Sadie cried, wiping her nose. "Katie and I can't be apart. We do everything together! I mean, it's like…oh, you wouldn't understand."
"No, tell me."
"Well, it's like---I don't even know what I'm supposed to do without Katie. Like---every morning back home, Katie and I will go over to each other's houses for breakfast. And I, like---don't even know what to eat for breakfast anymore! Normally I ask Katie!"
"You let her pick her breakfasts for you?" Cody asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, I mean---sometimes. Sometimes I pick what we have."
"Well, why can't you just do that now, without Katie?"
"Because---I don't know. She always does it first." Cody gave her a blank look. "Like, I'll ask Katie what she wants for breakfast, and if I don't like her choice, then I'll come up with another idea."
"But you can't…just figure out what you want on your own?"
"No!" It was clear she didn't realize how insane this all sounded.
Cody scratched the back of his neck again, unsure of how to respond to such logic. He briefly considered suggesting she fast, especially since Chef was cooking all their breakfasts anyway, but decided against it; he didn't want her to think it was a fat joke or something. "But don't you think…that's a little…weird?"
She sighed. "I knew you wouldn't understand," she said miserably, slouching with her chin in her hand. "Nobody ever does."
"Well, no, it's just…I mean, you don't need Sadie---wait, er, Katie---around to help you decide everything, Katie. Er, Sadie. I mean…" He made some motions with his hands, trying to find words to describe what he was trying to say. "You have to be…you, ya know?"
"I am me!"
"Well, yeah, but---" He paused, then he snapped his fingers in revelation. "Okay, think of it this way---who's the smartest person you know?"
"Katie," Sadie said instantly.
"Okay. And who's the smartest person she knows?"
"Well…she would always say I was smarter than she is. That's not true, though," she added quickly.
"Oh, what, you're going to doubt Katie's judgement?" Cody said, crossing and grinning slyly at her. "And I bet she thinks you're really cool and creative too, right?"
"Well, yeah, she always says that. But she's a lot---"
"And if Katie thinks that you're that cool, then you must be a pretty impressive girl, don't you think?"
"Well...I guess."
"So ya see? You don't need to worry. You'll be fine. All you have to do is be yourself. Someone as cool as you is bound to get by."
She wiped the moisture left under her eye away. "...Really? You think so?"
"Absolutely."
Sadie looked into Cody's smiling face. She really didn't know him very well---this was practically the first time they had ever even spoken, in fact---but there was something very trustworthy about his sly little grin and bright blue eyes. She smiled back at him.
"Thanks."
She leaned forward and gave him a little kiss on the cheek; she could feel his face grow warm as she did. Then, without another word she jumped up and, giggling, left the stunned boy in the clearing as she ran back to the camp for supper.
Cody rubbed the spot where Katie---er, Sadie---had kissed him. A slow smile spread over his face. "Glad I told her to be herself," he muttered. "I get the feeling whoever she is is gonna be someone I'm gonna like."
Whoo...this was a long one. Okay, ninth story done...this fic's almost over, which'll kind of be good, since I have so much else on my plate now. (And, of course, I'll be adding more soon.) Thanks for reading and please review!