This chapter was originally named 'Life After Dad', but was changed into the current name of the chapter you see now. I hope Cody the Maverick finds this impressive.

Chapter 5: Downhill

It had been two months since Bob Maverick has died and everything turned out even more different than ever. Glen and Cody returned to school, but this time, they had a new teacher who was being a lot more strict and knows everything about fish. The most difficult part was Cody answered a few questions that were not related to fish, which irriates the crap out of the teacher.

He ordered Cody to sit in the back of the class, where some kids were giving him an extremely hard time with him, teasing and taunting him for some reason. But he managed to sneak out of the class to take a quick look at Shiverpool, just to explore a little bit without anyone noticing.

One day, Cody slowly snuck out of class to take a quick-see to have some alone time. As he was walking, he walked towards a river, looking at it, then all of a sudden, he sees himself in there. As he looked at himself in the river, he starts thinking about his father and has that saying still stuck in his head.

'Cody's me, let me be me.'

Even though it was a way of saying that he's just himself, it still gets stuck on his head and realized that what his father said kinda made sense to him. He sighed softly and whispered, "I miss you, papa."

It was beginning to feel like Cody's life could be downhill after his father's death and also, how would his difference would affect him for the rest of his life? He was beginning to feel a little sad about how his life will be if he is different from everyone else.

He remembers every waking moment he spent with his father until the day he got eaten by the whale and witnessing it for the first time. He didn't know what his life would be without his father around to comfort and guide him and to encourage him to be himself. It was so difficult for him to believe that his father isn't here to guide him for the rest of his life, but he keeps hearing his father's words;

'You're a special person to me and your mother. Even if I don't see you grow up, I can still remind you as the little penguin I've grown to love, even if you are....different.'

Those words were stuck on his head and will always remember the words that his father told him.

As soon as Cody headed back, he sees a shadow figure standing in front of him and it was the new teacher, looking extremely ticked.

"MAVERICK!!!!" he shouted, which gave the class more attention as he looked at the teacher shouting at Cody.

It startled Cody a bit and the teacher looked furious and said loudly, "Get back in this class right now!"

"B-But teacher...."

"No buts! I do not want to hear anything out of you, understand?!"

"But I was...."

"March right up to that classroom now!"

"I was just...."

"That's it! You are not permitted to talk in this class at all! And to prevent 'future sneak-outs', you will have guards watching you every second! Now, GO!!!!"

"Yes, teacher." he said, sadly.

He walked over with his head down and some students were looking at him and laughing at him, including his brother, Glen. Cody hung his head down and went to the back of the class, where a few students were picking at him.

He turned himself around the others as the teacher came back to the class to teach more about fish. Cody sat there alone, curling himself up in a little ball and lowered his head down. Then, he rose up and turned back to the class, where no student noticed him.

A single icy-teardrop fell from his eye and nobody noticed it. It was a plea saying, 'I want you back, papa.'

He didn't know what was the cause or what the outcome of what he is that would turn Shiverpool upside down after his birth, but one way or another, one thing is for certain: He really is different.

GASP! How cruel is that? I feel sorry for Cody. More of this fic coming soon! Trust me, it'll be totally awesome!