My Hoodsey/Carl story, though it's hardly even that at all. It's more of a 'best friend' sort of pairing. At least, in my eyes it is. And, darn it. It's STILL longer than my Blake/Carl, which I need to re-write because I was half asleep... :,D

Slash. Here's your warning. Don't like, don't read. Etc. :D

Hoodsey was and always would be Carl's best friend.

When he first met Hoodsey, even as young as he was, he thought Hoodsey would never really live up to whatever expectation he needed in a friend. He needed someone who wouldn't mind something a little filthy and gross. He needed someone who wouldn't leave him for anyone else. When he was younger, he did not see those things in Hoodsey Bishop. 'Robert Joseph Bishop', his mother would correct. Carl would only roll his eyes and try to find anything redeeming in this nerdy boy.

Hoodsey always seemed to give into his mother. 'Go bathe, Robert Joesph!'. He would excuse himself and take a bath. 'Put that thing down! It stinks like skunk!'. He would drop it immediately. 'Take out the trash and do not let Carl Foutley rummage in it!'. He would eye Carl, making sure the boy didn't dare mess in the unwanted treasures.

Carl was so close to moving on. He needed a man in crime; a rule breaker. Not someone who listened to his parents. But, that's when it hit him:

Hoodsey only did what his mom said because he was afraid of her. To be honest, Carl wasn't exactly scared of Joann, but he definitely preferred steering clear of her when he could.

So, he started teaching Hoodsey how to be a man. Or, at least, how to pretend like you're doing what you're told, but you're really doing the opposite. For example, when they're trying to break world records or grow a bodily 'imperfection', all Hoodsey had to do was turn on the bath water and use his hands to splash around the water, like he was playing around. Instead of putting the disgusting, probably rotting or molding, thing down, just stick it in his pocket and get as far away from his mom as he could. If she demanded he put it down, put it down, but wait until she turns away to stick it back into your pocket. The trash scenario was the easiest to get around, however. All Hoodsey had to do was make sure his mom wasn't watching and take the trash bag out of the can and give it to Carl. Carl could dispose of it himself.

It was simple, Carl reassured him, and suddenly, Hoodsey had quickly become his best friend. Hoodsey's mom hated their friendship, but neither of the boys really cared too much anymore.

After a while, Hoodsey started standing up to Carl, not only his mom. If he didn't want to play along with one of Carl's schemes, he stood his ground and refused. It was only on special occasions when he refused, and sometimes he gave in, but at least he was trying to make his own decisions. Carl admired him for that reason. Not to mention, regardless of being gross, Hoodsey had a sense of cleanliness to him. He also had manners, something Carl only used when he needed to. The last thing about Hoodsey was his was of persuasion. Even if Carl knew Hoodsey was wrong from the bottom of his heart...Hoodsey always ended up being right anyways. Though, to be perfectly clear, Carl still wasn't sure about Santa. It was Santa that made his Christmas wish come true, but it's not the same if your dad, who happens to be the main person concerning your Christmas wish, is the Santa you tell the the said Christmas wish to. That didn't count, right?

Carl would be lying if he said that he didn't have the teeniest, tiniest crush on Hoodsey. It came with the job of being friends. The way Carl saw it, the closer you get to a person, the more likely you are to have a crush on them. In his perspective, everyone had a crush on their friends. Even if it was as microscopic as the one he held on Hoodsey.

But Hoodsey had a different approach on it. He though Carl had a crush on Blake. Carl didn't understand his best friend's logic concerning that matter, and he tried to brush Hoodsey off as often as he could, but the boy in purple didn't give up. Like Carl said, Hoodsey was a master at persuasion.

And it was just a little persuasion that made Carl realize Hoodsey was onto something.