Notes from the Mooooooooooooooooon,

This chapter was a hard one. At first it meandered quite a bit and felt wasteful on word count. I ended up cutting quite a bit to really find the focus of this chapter, which is expanding on Cody's relationship with his friends, which has been a bit neglected since chapter 2. I've gotten far enough that I think I can start planning out character arcs rather then just writing on a whim, now that I feel comfortable writing these characters.

Reminder I have a second story called Total Drama: The Fifth Generation going right now. It updates less frequently but nonetheless it's a story I've been hard at work on! If you enjoy this one please read it! Also another sidenot updates might slow down as I approach the finals for the quarter.

Also, I love interacting with my readers! I love reading reviews and PMs from you guys, so please don't be shy!

Without further ado,

A Loser, Nerds, and Steaming Takoyaki!

When you get excited about something, it's infectious. Those words rang in Cody's mind the entire night. From the gym, to his bed. He staired at the ceiling, his hands resting on the back of his head. The glossiness of her lips, and the softness of her eyes made his ears burn and his hair stand up on end. Cody simply let himself drift through the vivid memories of the night, almost all of them containing Sammy. They way she moved stood out, at least to him. Cody couldn't help it; she was simply looked so amazing when she tried something. Her arms outstretched, grabbing at the ball. Her graceful movement when dodging throws. How she tapped her fingers rhythmically against the desk during lectures. No matter what he thought about, it always circled back to that damn smile in the gym lobby. His room became uncomfortably stuffy. Cody couldn't remember a time a girl smiled at him like that. Not Gwen, not any of his previous crushes. When her smile crept into his head, he could feel his blood in his ears. It didn't matter what she was doing; Cody could only describe her as drop dead gorgeous. He could easily imagine her as a model or something similar. It took all he had to keep his eyes on her face.

He'd fallen for her. Akin to an anvil crashing through a concrete floor: loud, and likely noticed by everyone. In the past few days since meeting her, he'd thought less and less about Gwen. He wondered if that made his feelings shallow, or if the fading of feelings was just a natural occurrence. Cody couldn't tell, but the guilt would quickly be replaced by another thought about Sammy. it was becoming an issue. I need to keep a healthy balance, Cody reminded himself, recalling Noah and Harold's sage wisdom. Keep a cool head and she'll fall for you eventually!

Cody couldn't find a single sign of Sammy when history class began. He remembered just how she'd looked in their trig class; her sunken, heavy eyelids betraying her half smile that didn't quite reach the rest of her face. After class she quickly excused herself, likely to the comforts of her mattress. Totally not just away from him. Certainly not. He brushed this off as her being tired, and took notes. Then an hour passed. Sammy hadn't showed up to class, and his chest felt heavy. He pulled out his phone. You all good? He texted, before placing his phone face down against his desk. Cody instantly regretted sending the text. He looked back and forth from the professor, to his phone. A few long minutes later, his phone buzzed, and Cody snatched it from the desk. Oh, it's Harold. He opened up the text. He was asking about doing dinner at their usual spot. Cody texted a quick, "I'm in", and returned his focus to the lecture. His phone would buzz continuously through the class as Noah and Harold talked back and forth about the dinner plans.

Returning his attention to the professor, Cody begrudgingly accepted the fact that he wouldn't get a chance to talk to Sammy for a few days. Cody's phone vibrated again. This time he chose to ignore it while he focused on his notes. For once, his head was completely clear of Sammy. The rest of the lecture went by, and he felt pretty good about his notes as he packed up to go. He wasn't a top tier student and history or language arts, but he felt competent at the very least. Cody picked up his phone, and flinched. The message he'd chosen to ignore earlier was from Sammy.

Yea, I'm just feeling a bit under the weather. Can you send me your notes? Missing a text from a girl he wanted to impress stung. Luckily enough though, his notes were more or less better because he'd been ignoring his phone the latter half of class.

Yeah! I'll send them over right now! Cody pulled out his laptop and took a few photos, quickly sending them over to Sammy. He added a Feel better soon!

You're so sweet ty! Sammy texted back instantly. This certainly made the geek glow as he walked out of the lecture hall, and to dinner. By the time he'd arrived, Harold and Noah were already talking at their usual table by the window. They always got that table.

"Sup dudes!" Cody slid next to Noah, letting himself press into the leather of the booth. "Sorry about being late. I just got out of class."

Noah smirked. "No apologies. You made me sit alone with him for ten minutes." He cocked his head towards Harold, who rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "Anyways, Harold told me you invited a girl to dodgeball, and that she also wasn't imaginary?"

"Oh yeah! That was the girl I told you about." Cody said with a nod. "She's the one who's in my Monday and Wednesday classes."

"And the reason you smell like cheesy cologne." Noah pinched his nose. "I'm gonna show you what I use when we get back to the apartment." Cody sulked a little bit. He'd decided to wake up early that morning and try a little bit harder with his appearance, slapping some cologne on, and running a dash of gel through his hair. He wondered what Sammy thought.

"Is it really that bad?"

Noah locked eyes with the table. For just a moment, his face uncharacteristically softened. "Lighten up it's not that bad." Cody knew for a fact Noah rarely regretted his words. This was one of those few times. "Just you need something a bit more mature."

Cody looked back up, his smile returning. Harold leaned forward. "By the way, I heard Tyler is planning something big for the dodgeball club."

"I haven't heard anything about that." Cody tapped his chin with his index finger. "What do you know?"

Harold shrugged and shook his head slowly. "I don't know, but he's talking to some important people in the athletics department. I'm sure he'll tell us eventually." Cody nodded along.

"Maybe once it's revealed we can finally get to join us." They both grinned mischievously at the bookworm, who backed into the booth.

"Hey I said 'sports aren't my forte'. Not that I was too good for them." Noah defended himself. "I'd spend the entire time out of the game anyways."

Cody decided he wouldn't let Noah back out so easily. He placed a hand on the bookworm's shoulder. "C'mon dude. Harold and I both sucked when we started too! Now look at us. Harold can dodge almost any throw and I got my patented curve ball!"

"Still no idea how that's physically possible."

"Point is you should give it a try!" Cody pleaded. "C'mon please!"

"Maybe." Noah said noncommittally.

"Hell, Harold and I could probably teach you the basics of the game this weekend." Cody suggested. "I mean it's not like there's anything going on!"

"I'm going to be busy all weekend actually." Harold interjected. "We all are. It's parent's weekend." Cody frowned at this information. "Ow!" Harold grunted, probably kicked by Noah under the table, Cody guessed, based off the violent glare Noah was giving Harold. It screamed 'Shut the fuck up or I'll make you'.

"Yeah, sorry Cody, I'm gonna be stuck babysitting my folks this weekend when they visit." Noah shot an apologetic glance towards the little brother of the group. "I can see if you can join us for a meal or two." He offered in an uncharacteristically sensitive way. Cody felt grateful, but all the energy had suddenly left his body, like he'd been attached to an anchor in the middle of the sea.

"Oh, yeah totally!" Harold jumped in, nodding frantically.

Cody lowered his head, his stare directed at the floor below the table. "Nah, I don't want to be a bother. I have homework to catch up on anyways." It was a lie, but it was certainly a convenient one. After all Noah nor Harold could fact check him on it.

Noah and Harold looked at each other, concern and understanding flickering between them. "You know we haven't been to the arcade in a while…" Noah suddenly mentioned. During their freshmen year they spent a lot of time in an arcade bar full of the classics. It was a cheap way of having a fun night out, and Cody usually took joy in beating both his friends in virtually every game. Some light returned to Cody's face.

"Yeah, it has been a while."

"That sounds like a sick idea." Harold smiled, narrowing his eyes. "I need to avenge the dishonor of my numerous defeats against you Cody." He raised a lone fist, his voice exaggerated. The trio shared a laugh. Cody picked up his menu despite knowing everything on it.

"We wanna do the Takoyaki and edamame to start? Ohhhh wait the fried Gyoza also looks good." Cody's mouth became watery. "How hungry are you guys?" His eyes shone as he looked up from the familiar menu. His third love: food. Coming just after games, and women.

Harold patted his stomach. "I could eat an entire cow!" He declared, his dramaticism not fading. On the contrary the nerd was becoming more dramatic.

"I guess." Noah shrugged as the same old man as the last time walked up to them. The same old man that took their order every time actually, when Cody thought about it.

"Ah, it's you young men again!" He looked at them with a humorous grin. "You all seem very excitable today. What would you like to order?" They recited their order, giving the waiter time to finish writing down everything. Harold tried to order in fluent Japanese, but flubbed a word over and over before giving up and ordering in English, his face wracked by defeat. They continued to talk about random things, pointless things. Nothing of meaning, nothing of importance. It was also the most important thing in the world. Random jabs at each other, which professors sucked the most, what the current campus drama was, and bickering over who was leaving a mess in the kitchen. Harold insisted his chili experiments were innocent, while Noah looked like a mini lawyer the way he was grilling him. Probably Emma's doing. Cody smelled the Takoyaki before it arrived at the table. He picked at a piece, and watch a puff of steam rise out. He bit into the takoyaki, and a delicious pain exploded in his mouth as the lava like batter seared his tongue. Cody covered his mouth as he frantically chewed.

"You always do that." Noah snickered, watching Cody's face twist and contort due to the heat. "Just let it cool off."

Harold shook his head, looking down at Noah with a wrinkled nose. "The pain and pleasure of takoyaki is core to the experience!"

"You're a white dude mansplaining takoyaki." Noah countered, arching a lone eyebrow.

"I'm a Japanese literature major, gosh!" Harold spat, pressing his elbows against the table while leaning forward, grabbing a piece of gyoza and taking a slow bite. The two devolved back into an intense yet humorous bickering, both taking breaks between retorts and rebuttals to stuff their faces with takoyaki and gyoza. Cody found it akin to a comedy bit.

"You two sound like brothers sometimes." Cody pressed his lips together trying to hold back a toothy grin.

"Oh, please I already have enough annoying brothers!" Noah complained, throwing his arms up, but the softness of his eyes betrayed him. After that the conversation calmed down as they received their dinners, the conversation returning back to the pointlessly important ramblings of their daily lives. They finished eating and got the bill.

This isn't right, Cody instantly noticed, the human calculator drawing an error message. "Hey did you forget to add the gyoza?" He asked the old man, who simply smiled.

"Think of it as a gift," The old man said with a soft smile. "You boys are always here having a good time."

Cody grinned from ear to ear. "Thanks!" He fished out some cash from his wallet, making sure to add a nice tip. The group paid the bill, and left onto the cold streets, dampened by a short rain storm while they were busy eating. The arcade was a block away, which was how they found it when they got lost during their first week on campus. Their phones had died and Harold's memory turned out less than stellar in spite of his boasting about having mad skills. They entered through the opened doors, and were bombarded by bright neon. Cody blinked repeatedly, adjusting his eyes to the harsh, unnatural lighting. He turned to his companions. "First round of sodas on whoever loses skeeball?" Noah and Harold agreed. It was the one game where Cody didn't dominate. That and the basketball game. The trio loaded up on quarters, and claimed one of the machines in the corner.

"I suppose I'll do the honors." Noah cracked his knuckles, getting uncharacteristically serious. "I'm getting sick of you guys making me out as a frail twig." Cody and Harold exchanged glances, pretending to stifle their giggles. The bookworm ignored this and inserted the quarters. The balls fell into the slot with a satisfying clack! Noah picked up a single skeeball, and locked eyes with the one-hundred-point hole. He brought his arm back carefully, and took a step forward with his left leg, his arm swinging with it. The ball rolled along the track, and popped up. It hung in the air, falling towards one hundred points. It grazed the rim, and fell down to the twenty-point rim where it settled into the hole. Noah frowned, and cursed his luck. "Robbed." He muttered, shaking his head. Noah's remaining throws were much like himself: ambitious, but realistic. Every ball hit at least 20 points, and he hit a couple of one hundreds and multiple fifties, leaving him with a total score of 470. Cody knew he could hit higher, but could also throw a lower score if he had an off day.

"When did you get so good ?" Cody jeered.

"Do you think Emma and I only do study dates."

"Kinda."

"Fuck you too man."

Harold stepped up to the machine and inserted a token. "I've been honing my skeeball skills for years!' He declared, pushing up his glasses. "All for a moment like this!"

Noah scoffed and rolled his eyes. "What, did you go to Steve's Skeeball camp in 2016?"

"No!" Harold shook his head. "It was Steve's Arcade Camp in 2015." Noah didn't feel the need to respond. Harold wound up erratically, and flung his arm forward while stomping his left leg. The ball launched down the track, aimed for the coveted five-hundred-point hole. Noah and Cody smirked. Understandably so, as the hole was often a trap. Harold would attempt to hit it every time. They both anticipated the easy win. At least, until the first shot dunked itself right into the legendary pit. The machine lit up with fanfare, and Harold pumped his fist. "Yes!" He cheered quietly to the dismay of his friends, who's smirks had been flipped agape. He aimed every other shot for the same spot, trying to repeat his erratic throw from earlier. All but one went into the pit below, except for one that went off and managed to bounce its way to thirty points, leaving the uber nerd with a new high of 530 points, the final score to beat for Cody. "Booyah!"

"Wow I had my score eviscerated in a single ball only for the rest to be completely awful." Noah deadpanned. "We have a one hit wonder over here!"

"Yeah? I still beat you dude." Harold reminded Noah. Cody stepped forward before the bickering could start, token in hand. While putting his money into the machine, he did the math in his head. With a score of 470, Cody had to hit a single one hundred, followed by eight fifty-point shots minimum to not lose. A higher bar then he'd usually play against.

"Time for the champ to show what he's got," Cody picked up the ball. It felt cool and smooth against the palm of his hand. He rolled it around a few times, getting a feel for the ball. He swung his arm forward, letting the ball roll out of his palm and onto the track. It popped up, falling just shy of the one-hundred-point mark, but landing squarely in the forty-point hole. An acceptable start, but it could be better. He emulated his previous shot, but added more power. Too much power apparently, as the ball hit the backboard and fell for only ten points. From there, Cody's game completely fell apart. He hit a few important shots, but they were too far and in-between. Cody took the loss with a startling 330 points.

"The 'King' just got beheaded." Noah joked, eliciting a slow nod from Cody.

"I guess Ill go grab us some sodas." Cody said, his voice sour with defeat. He walked over to the vending machine in the corner, and pulled out his wallet. He walked back with two cokes and a fanta for Harold that he'd taken the liberty to shake once or twice. Funny? Maybe. Petty? Absolutely.

"You're such a good sport." Harold said dryly as he received his soda. Cody pressed his lips together to stop himself from giggling at the irony; at least until Harold opened it. A spray of orange soda greeted the ginger when he cracked open the can, covering his face and glasses. Cody held his sides as Harold simply stood still, coated in the sticky orange liquid. "Rude." He muttered while Noah handed him a tissue to wipe of his face. "You'd better watch your back!"

"Nah he got you good Harold." Noah said, high fiving Cody. He held his soda at a distance before cracking it open. Unlike Harold's it simply fizzed a tad before settling into a slight vibration of bubbles. "Now if you'd shaken my soda you would need to watch your back."

They sipped at their drinks while moving from game to game. Predictably, Cody would absolutely rinse each of his friends at each game. Street fighter, racing, pacman. As the night wound down, Cody ended up around the pinball table. He hit the buttons on the side, sending the ball bouncing around the machine, pinging against the walls of the machine. The archaic score board let out a ring with each score increase.

"You've beaten us pretty handily." Noah pointed out. He'd lost all three of his balls in quick succession, not knowing where to aim his shots and falling for the classic traps. Harold put up a respectable score, but Cody quickly demolished it.

"I'm trying to beat the record!" Cody explained, his eyes never leaving the ball.

"That record is up in the two hundred millions." Noah pointed out. "We've got class tomorrow too." Cody sighed and let the ball fall, and stepped away from the machine.

"One day I'll beat you!" Cody pointed at the pinball machine. "Mark my words!" He declared, stepping away from the table and leaving the arcade with his roommates.

Their walk back to the apartment was quiet, listening to ambience of honking cars. An ambience that had become normal over the last year. He remembered how annoyingly noisy if was hearing the constant screeching of tires, or the splashing of water against the roadside as someone sped through a puddle. Pollution that became normal to him. Suddenly, the dead silence of his room back at home felt eerie and discomforting. The smallest noises would stick out so much more. Cody wondered what else about him had changed. He looked towards Noah and Harold. They'd begun to look less like teenagers, and more like adults. They'd grown out of that awkward in between phase of being a teenager.

When he returned to the apartment, he looked in the mirror while Harold and Noah went to do as much homework as possible before parent's night. He stared intently at his reflection. Cody's face was still a little round. His chin wasn't chiseled like Noah, and his facial hair didn't grow in like Harold. His chin, his eyes, his nose. His entire face had a juvenile glow. His reflection morphed, a scowl facing back at him. It's no shock Sammy wanted to get away from you earlier. His eyes moved down to the gap between his teeth. A cute feature for a little kid, endearing even; but an eyesore on an adult, if he could call himself that. Cody looked away from the mirror and grabbed his tooth brush and quickly cleaned his mouth, keeping his dead pointed down towards the granite counter. Cody figured he had extra time, and flopped onto his bed at the ripe early hour of ten o'clock.

His face sunk into his pillow. Like the previous night, his mind was full and flowing. Unlike yesterday though, these thoughts were more somber, though no less intense. Cody wondered if the life he lived with Noah and Harold was like having brothers. Their small, three-bedroom apartment felt more alive than the massive estate he lived on. He wanted to show his parents how well he was doing. Not just how good his grades are, but the life he'd made for himself at university. But hey it means I have a free weekend at least, Cody thought bitterly, stiffening up his face. He could feel his lips shaking. I'm fine. He repeated. I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm fine. His vision became blurry and his eyes became heavy. He gave into that heaviness as he drifted away.

Chapter 6 done! This marks the start of the Parental Visit arc! A bit less intense of a chapter then the last but writing those meandering moments in life is a simple joy I have. Just guys being dudes, and dudes being guys. Having time to just do pointless things is so important, and I think highlighting that contradicting aspect of life is really fun as a writer. Also I finally get to explore Cody a bit more beyond his relationships at college with these next few chapters which I'm hella looking forward too.

Till next time,

An Anonymous Winton