I hesitated for just a second before I knocked on Cody's door. It'd been three hours since anyone had seen him, and Cody isn't really the kind of guy to go MIA. But I also didn't want to get on his bad side by interrupting his sulking time.

But I knocked anyway, and was answered with an unenthusiastic 'come in'.

"Cody, dude are you okay?"

I cautiously stepped into his room, trying to avoid the several mountain dew cans scattered across the room.

"I'm fine" I heard him say monotonously from the bedroom. All the lights were out in his room, which made it almost eerie. When I entered his bedroom, I saw Cody sitting on the edge of the bed, looking out the window at the pool deck below.

"Cody?" I whispered, drawing nearer to the boy. He didn't move or turn his head, and the only light was provided from the pool lights on the deck below.

"I'm glad she's happy" he said after a slightly awkward silence.

"Cody, Gwen is careless and cruel, and she doesn't deserve you"

I sat on the bed next to Cody. I sat really close. Close enough for me to put my scrawny-ass arm around him.

"If she's so undeserving, why does she get to live out happily ever after with Trent while I'm constantly fighting for her happiness without a lick of recognition or gratitude?"

I was shocked to hear that come out of little Cody's mouth. But it did.

After he left the words ringing in the air, he turned his head towards me, obviously expecting an answer.

"Remember when we were talking about Karma? Someday, you'll realize that you have something that made your efforts worth it. And Gwen? Perhaps one day she'll slave over someone else's happiness and receive nothing in return"

Cody turned away again.

"I'm too nice. If that happens, I'll only feel sorry for her" he mumbled. Each time he spoke, his back slouched a little more, making his head come closer and closer to my chest.

"She doesn't deserve your sympathy" I said. And then I took a chance. I drew his head into my chest and wrapped my arms around his boney shoulders. To my surprise, he leaned into the embrace, and twisted his head so his face was hidden into my sweatshirt.

From the gentle movements he was making, I could tell he was crying. I'm not too great at dealing with crying people, me not being exactly empathetic. So not knowing what to do, I just gave him a few pats on the shoulder and continued holding him.

I don't know how long we stayed like that, but we did until his sobs started mellowing out and his breathing became calmer.

Once he had completely stopped crying, and wiped his tears on my hoodie for good measure, he sat back up and smoothed out his hair. He let out a breath of air, but didn't say anything. We both just sat there, looking into nothing.

"Feeling okay?" I asked after a while.

He nodded.

"Yeah," he croaked "thanks Noah. I didn't know you could be so, uh, comforting"

I shrugged.

"Once you have moments like this and realize no one cares, you become a bit more sensitive"

"My parents never comfort me. I don't have friends back home that have enough brains to understand emotions. I go through this by myself every time. But it's better when someone's holding you"

For the first time I can remember, I wanted to cry. Not because I was upset or it struck some sort of chord. But because that was the saddest thing I have ever heard.

"Cody?"

"Yeah?" He hummed, his voice cracking.

"After we leave the Playa, I'm going to give you my cell number. Then you will always have someone to listen to"

After I said this, I saw the childish gleam in his blue eyes flicker for just a moment.

"That is the nicest thing anyone's done for me"

He turns me into such a softie...

"You'll never suffer alone" I said, a smirk rising from the corner of my mouth. I don't know what I was expecting after that, but what I got was a big hug, that would've been a tackle if he wasn't so small.

"You're so kind to me Noah" he said, his voice muffled by my shoulder.

"That's what love does to someone like me" I said without thinking, but then I realized what I just said.

"Wait, what?" He asked, sitting up. He cocked his eyebrow questioningly, but not in a snide way.

"I, er, didn't mean to say that out loud" I stammered, reaching a hand to my head. God I'm an idiot.

"I.. I didn't know you felt that way" he said quietly.

"I'm sorry..." was all I could force out of my fat mouth. Cody looked at me with his giant eyes, but they weren't full of accusation or of mockery. If anything, he looked concerned.

"No, don't apologise," he said, forcing a friendly smile on his face "I guess it explains a lot"

I could feel myself blushing, but I was hoping the darkness of the room hid that for me.

"That obvious huh?" I asked

Cody shrugged.

"Not that obvious, unless I'm just really oblivious"

"Probably the latter" I chuckled awkwardly, tension still floating around the air.

"So," he said, filling the uncomfortable silence, "I guess it would be rude of me not to acknowledge your feelings" he stammered, his voice cracking.

"Don't worry about it Cody. I know you don't swing that way"

Then his eyes met my wandering ones, and for the first time, I saw a mischievous gleam in his eyes.

"Just because I've never gone that way doesn't mean I won't" he smirked. Although, his smirk was more like a crooked smile.

"Are you saying you're gay for me?" I asked accusingly, trying to sound sarcastic, but we all know I want the answer.

"I'm not sure, honestly. I've thought about it before. I even had a dream about it once..."

He started going on about how in his dream we were in some crappy airplane going to Germany, and then in Germany we competed to stuff a giant sausage faster, and it started with me saying he has a tiny sausage and then we ended up making out after sledding on Owen down a mountain.

"Ooookay then" I chuckled.

"Oh yeah, I was answering your question. Well, uh, I don't know yet I guess. I'm not ruling it out for sure" he shrugged.

Honestly, that was way more than I was expecting. But to be fair, I wasn't planning on telling him in the first place so I'm not sure what I was expecting. But it wasn't this, and I can say I am pleasantly surprised.

"Thanks Cody, it.. it means a lot" I said, smiling, trying to lighten up.

"Well I don't want to be a Gwen" he said smiling.

"You know, for such a childish guy, you are really mature"

I looked into his eyes after I said this, and after I did I could see the thrill enter his irises.

"Really? That is the nicest thing I've heard anyone say to me" he beamed, his eyes widening like a puppy's might. I held in my feminine urge to giggle at his genuine adorableness.

But I didn't do anything. And he didn't do anything. We just kinda sat there in another increasingly awkward silence.

"So where do you want to go from here?" He cut in eventually.

As much as that question needed to be asked, I was hoping he wouldn't be the one to do so first. To be fair, I could've prevented it by asking it myself, but I'm a total wuss so it wasn't gonna happen.

"You should be asking yourself that question, Cody" I said, doing my best to not sound sarcastic. But I'm Noah Sterecra, so of course it was hard not to.

"Why me?" he defended, sounding almost nervous. He probably was nervous, and I can't blame him.

Yo dude, your best friend just admitted to being gay for you, but no pressure or anything.

"You don't have to make a choice Cody, but I know what I want, so as soon as you do too, you let me know"

I did my best not to sound harsh, but apparently I have no control over my tone, do who knows what the little dude heard.

"That's fair" he said softly, laying down across the bed, his legs swinging off the side.

"I know you didn't mean to tell me, but thank out anyway" he muttered, sounding sincere. At least he had control over what came it of his mouth. Impressively enough, I have heard some deep shit come it of his mouth tonight. Shit I wouldn't expect to come out of the guy.

A few months ago, this guy meant less to me than a hair on Owen's butt, and a few weeks ago, he was nothing more than minor company. And all the way until now, he's just been a shallow, childish wannabe. But now that I'm seeing him at his most venerable, I can see that the things that float through his head aren't that much different than what goes through mine. I mean, add dicks to mine and Gwen to his, that's where one of the many differences lie.

"You're welcome dude"