Notes from the Moooooooooon,
Yeah I upload inconsistently. Unfortunately this is just something I do on the side. Fortunately I do enjoy writing sometimes so mayhaps I'll update this more often.
"So, what are your thoughts?" Noah asked, tapping his finger rhythmically against the counter. Cody's face scrunched up as he read, his eyes drifting from left to right before flicking back as he started the next line.
"I mean, I guess it's fine?" He said with a shrug. "I don't read that much, so it's really hard for me to tell. The word choice is good and all, but I don't know."
Noah leaned back, looking up to the ceiling. "Yeah I guess most the reading you do is when you play games." His words came out drier than he intended to. Words, written or otherwise, were akin to a knife; they could be wielded in so many ways. An unintended slip up could cause you or another person to get cut. Of course, those cuts could often be intentional. They could strike deep and draw blood, or graze the surface. In conversations, Noah was a master of the knife known as language, at least on most days. Today was not one of those days.
"Alright Noah." Cody shook his head with a good-natured smile, and continued reading. Sometimes Noah got lucky and someone could parry his words, either by habit or by having the same mastery of the blade. It made things more interesting. Perhaps I've been spending too much time around Harold, he wondered. Though a blade of words seemed apt. It's not like a blade was only used to harm. It could be used to carve, adjust, chop, or pry. Just as a knife was infinitely versatile, so were words. "This seems fine. Probably not what I'd read normally though."
Noah nodded along. Cody's words were a cop out. He probably wasn't the right person to ask for this anyway. Not only was Cody not the most literate individual, but they were good friends too. Most people probably wouldn't have been able to say much with their friend sitting right there. Noah knew he could, but he chalked that to himself being the exception in that regard. There was no reason to mince words, even with a friend. If they were annoying, just tell them. If their work sucked, just say it. Noah also knew most people cared about what others thought. Speaking your mind was among the easiest ways to destroy a relationship. Yet any relationship where neither party could speak freely was built on pillars of sand anyways. Perhaps that is why despite everything, he got along so well with Harold. The two bickered on everything, always speaking exactly what they thought. Yet neither took it to heart; it's just who they were at the end of the day. Highly opinionated nerds. Birds of a feather and whatnot.
"Sorry man. I wish I could give better feedback." Cody looked down at the table.
"Don't worry about it. Seriously it's fine." Noah shook his head. Cody got too worried about little stuff like this. If words were knives, Cody's were just for dull and blunted, and his grip was loose and shaky. Noah worried that Cody could have fallen into some less savory groups had they not met. Noah blinked. worrying about what had already passed was foolish. At the very least, Cody's mood had brightened since the week before. "I'll try to find a writing group or something." They would probably appreciate his writing more, he presumed. After all Cody of all people would probably struggle with the subtext of the work, unrefined as his reading often was. Noah opened up his laptop, and searched for a writers group.
Cody fiddled with his hands, trying not to look too antsy. His eyes darted towards the doors of the lecture hall. He wasn't sure why he was so anxious. He'd patched things up with Sammy. They were good. Chill even. There was no reason to panic. Which is probably why he was so on edge. He was used to there being a reason to be on edge around girls. After all, he never had such good luck with them. All he could do was keep smiling. Either ambiguity, or perhaps hostility. A flash of blonde hair passed by the corner of his vision. He turned as Sammy slid into the seat next to him. She flashed him a grin, bags under her eyes.
"Hey." She yawned, stretching her arms. Her hair was ratty and loose, and she was wearing plan sweatpants and a tee shirt. "I spent all night catching up on all the homework I ignored last week. God, I feel like such mess."
"You look fine!"
Sammy raised an eyebrow. Perhaps she didn't look fine, but Cody wasn't about to be rude. They chatted a bit before class started, and Cody readily shared his notes from the previous week with her. His notes mainly being what he remembered. He'd like to think he had a good memory. Of course it's not like Cody would know if he'd forgotten. The class went by uneventfully. Even when her eyes were shadowed by a lack of sleep and her hair sticking out in different directions, he found himself glancing over towards her. He didn't linger though. Cody found himself absently reaching into his bag and grabbing a jolly rancher. He picked out a grape one and popped it into his mouth before returning his attention the lecture. Grape was his favorite; it wasn't overpoweringly sweet, offering extra depth to it's flavor.
It was only a moment later before he felt a light punch against his arm. He turned his head to a smirking Sammy. "Gimme one of those." She opened her palm and waggled her fingers. Cody nodded and reached back into his bag. This time he pulled out a cherry one. As he handed the candy to Sammy, he couldn't help but compare her to it. Cherry and strawberry were such universal flavors. Almost any red flavor of candy was guaranteed to be a hit. Sammy in many ways embodied that kind of red; both physically and in personality. He'd noted how she'd often wear some form of red on her. Even something as simple as her hair tie would be red on any given day. But she also had a certain sweetness that reminded him of those red flavors he'd often have in his candy. Perhaps that was the reason she constantly stuck in his head.
"So do you always carry candy around with you?"
Cody shrugged. "Never hurts to be prepared."
"Prepared for what?"
"You never know when you need a burst of sugar."
"Fair enough." Sammy giggled. "I definitely needed one today."
"I always have something with me so feel free to ask." Cody placed his hand over his heart. "I'm always here for a lady in need." Sammy rolled her eyes, but her smile remained nonetheless.
"Any lady in need? Or just a specific few?"
"No need to sweat the details!" Cody suddenly became interesting in his notebook despite already knowing the entirety of the classes' content. "Anyways, are you free to stop by Chef's after class?"
Sammy sighed and shook her head. "Sorry but the only thing I'm doing after this is sleeping until our next class."
Cody nodded at her answer. He considered asking if she would be up for something after history class then, but decided against it. The last thing he wanted to do was push her boundaries. Let's work on not being a creep, Cody told himself, pushing down his disappointment. We still get to talk to her a lot!
"If you want, we can raincheck to after class Wednesday?" Sammy offered. Cody stared blankly at her. He couldn't be completely sure, but he couldn't feel any pity from her. She was offering to hang out. "Oh, and I'll try to make it to dodgeball this week."
"Really?" Cody couldn't stop himself from grinning like an idiot.
"I had a lot of fun last time. I want to play again."
"Oh." Cody's brain short circuited. Sammy turned her focus back to the lecture, and he could sense a few glares from the rows around him, so he left the conversation there. However, there was a boundless excitement building up in his chest. One that he could barely keep contained until the lecture reached its end and he bid Sammy farewell.
Life was looking dandy for Cody.
Sammy had finally started to feel like herself again, albeit very tired. Like she'd returned after existing in someone else's body for a week. Of course, it didn't change that her life was a veritable mess. She'd neglected her assignments and cheer the last week, calling out sick.
Attending morning practices was a good start towards picking up the pieces. It meant waking up before 6am, and being out of her apartment by 6:30. The mornings were getting darker and chillier as well. Some coffee helped with both. During warm ups, she kept closer to the center of the group than normal, but stayed quiet for the most part except to exchange pleasantries. She wasn't the star of the show. At least, that was what she expected to happen.
"Um, Sammy right?" She turned to meet face to face with girl with light brown hair. Sammy recalled her name being Angelica. She noted that the girl was slightly heavier than most cheerleaders. It wasn't an issue of course; they were all strong enough to do the required carries and agile enough in case someone wasn't.
"Yeah, what's up?"
"I was wondering if we could swap spots on the pyramid today?" Angelica asked, playing with a strand of loose hair. "It would probably make it easier on everyone else if I wasn't the one being lifted." She said, pursing her lips.
"Are you sure?" Sammy could sense some uneasiness coming from Angelica. "I haven't had any complaints."
"Definitely." She said, her shaky voice and her downward gaze betraying her. Sammy chose not to press her on it. She could ask her about it after practice.
"If you are sure, then let's do it!" Sammy shot her a cheerful smile.
Angelica nodded, a smile of her own forming. "I'll let Jessica know!" She said before walking off to find their squad leader, a tall, raven haired girl. The break ended a few moments later, and the squad cheerleaders broke up into their squads. Sammy found herself tapping her fingertips against her thighs while Jessica rattled off everyone's positions. She got into position in the middle of the other girls. She felt their hands below her, hoisting her up into the air.
Sammy looked down, and her stomach rolled. All it would take was a single girl to let go, and she might take a terrible plunge. For a moment, she considered jumping away before they could drop her, humiliate her. Cold sweat dripped down her forehead. Even if they didn't drop her now, it could be someone waiting for the right moment; one where they could maximize her humility.
"Earth to Sammy?" Jessica called from below, jolting Sammy from her thoughts.
"Oh, my bad." Sammy apologized, her cheeks aflame. She was supposed to jump. It was such a simple task too, compared to having to catch her on the way down. "Just been a while since I did this."
"Really? You are like, perfect for it!" Tammy chirped.
Sammy looked to the ground, dejected. "Sorry for screwing it up. Someone else can jump if they want."
"Huh? The hell are you talking about?" Jessica wrinkled her nose at Sammy, as if she was offended by such a proposition. "It was one try. What sort of cheer squads were you on in high school?"
I don't think you'd believe me if I told you. Sammy nodded quietly, and got back into position.
"Alright, lets run it again!" Jessica waved her hand in the air. The girls scrambled back to their spots. They lifted Sammy. This time, her head was clear, and her legs moved without thought. Time slowed as she leapt up into the air. She didn't have time to look down as she outstretched her hands towards the ceiling, her legs kicking backwards. The world always looked so different when she was in the air. She'd forgotten such a simple fact, but being thrown just this one time brought all those feelings back, like meeting a good friend she hadn't seen in years. She flashed a confident, cliché smile to the nonexistent audience. For just a moment, she hung suspended in midair. Free of the ground, free of gravity.
Free of her.
But that peaceful moment ended all too soon as Sammy began her descent back to the earth. She brought her hands and legs together, like a pencil, and fell. Amy's cruel smile flashed in her head. She braced, ready to be left to the hard gym floor. Instead, it was 8 hands that greeted her, gently breaking her fall, guiding her feet softly to the ground.
Jessica clapped. "That was a good first run through! Sammy, keep smiling all the way down!" She rattled off a few notes while the squad got back into position for another run through.
Sammy couldn't hear as blood pumped in her ears. She pressed her hand to her heart. It beat frantically. Sammy wanted to jump again, and again. She looked up at Jessica. Her eyes were a bright teal. She hadn't noticed that before. "I'm ready." Sammy said with a nod. "Let's do it again." Practice went by quickly. Too quickly in fact. When the call to finish up was made, Sammy still wanted to be thrown at least one more time.
For the first time in so long, Sammy walked away from cheer practice with a smile.
This was a shorter chapter, but for a good reason; there isn't much happening yet. This is mostly an interlude to setup the key plot points. A calm before feelings get all jumbled up and people start failing.
Anyways, see you next time.