December 10, 2014

"Yeah, that sounds great, Cody. I'd love to do that, and you know my mum would too," I said. Cody and I had been friends since we were kids, but then he got famous for singing on YouTube and his family moved to Los Angeles so he could have a better shot at his singing career. 

Cody tried to visit as often as he could, whether it was because he was touring here or visiting family he still had here. He and I were always close, and we always updated each other on what was going on in our lives. He's had girlfriends, and I had boyfriends. But I couldn't help these underlying feelings I always had for him. Feelings I had to shove down and swallow now that he was famous and I was just...me. 

Cody had asked me to call him when I got up since he was up late and the time difference was immense. We had talked for a bit about his family coming to visit some of their family here over the Christmas holidays, and Cody was wanting to hang out a bit while they were here, seeing as they would be here the whole summer. 

I wanted to hang out with him, of course, and he talked about going surfing and down to the beach a bit, which I was definitely all for. I wanted to tell him how I felt, and I had kind of an idea planned on how to tell him that while he was here. 

This brings us to now, this phone conversation. I sat at my desk, with my phone propped up against the wall so Cody could see me. 

"Yeah, I'll be in on the 12th. We could hang out on the 13th? I just mostly need to see my family on Christmas and New Year's," he said. 

"Sweet as. You going to pick me up from here?" I asked.

"Well, seeing as we're staying right down the road from your mum's, I figured I could just walk over and we could take your bus down to the beach?" My "bus" was an old 1967 Volkswagen hippie van.

"Works for me. You'll have to help me load the surfboards though, and I do still of course have the one you've been keeping here. It's just the bus is taller than I am," I said, laughing. 

"Ah so you haven't grown in the last year," Cody said, jokingly. 

"Cody, we are 17. I think we've reached peak height. You just got blessed in that department."

"Well alright, I'll let you start your day then," he said, "I'll let you know when we land."

"Sounds good. See you soon," I said, before hanging up the phone. 

I walked downstairs, where my mum was cooking breakfast. 

"Good morning, love," mum said. 

"Good morning, mum. I was just on the phone with Cody. They're going to be landing on the 12th, and he wants to hang out the day after," I explained. 

"Oh, it would be great to see him! How long will he be here for?" She asked, bringing two plates to the dinner table. 

"Just about the whole summer," I said, sitting down at the table. "I'm guessing dad is already at work?" 

"Yeah, he had to get there early today," she explained. I was used to it being just mum and me most of the time. My dad worked a lot and my brother had a lot of friends, which were generally up to no good, that he hung out with a lot. 

"What all do you and Cody plan on doing?" Mum asked. 

"Lots of surfing and beach days and just hanging out," I said in between bites of food. 

"Well, that'll be good. I'm sure he'll enjoy having the time off from his singing career." 

"Yeah, I'm sure he'll be writing songs while he's visiting though," I said laughing. My mum smiled at me. 

"So, is this visit gonna finally be the one where you tell him?"

"Tell him what?" I asked.

"Oh, come on Ash, it's so obvious. You're head over heels for him. You've always been since you two were kids."

"Wow, it be your own mum who calls you out," I joked. 

"Well, I wouldn't have to call you out if you just told him," she retorted. 

"That's a fair statement," I said, finishing my food. 

"Just tell him. You never know, it might turn out to be the best thing. That's how your dad and I met," she said, taking a drink of her water. I gave her a fake smile.

"What are your plans for the day?" She asked. 

"Well, seeing as it's my first day of summer break, I am going to chill out and draw outside and enjoy the pool," I said, finishing up my food. 

"That sounds like a wonderful Idea. I have to go to the clinic in an hour, and I'll be working late. But I'll leave money for pizza for when your brother gets home," she said. 

"Sweet as, thanks, mum!" I replied.

I spent the next few days outside, by our pool. I drew and listened to music, enjoying the freedom of summer, seeing as I start university next year. I'll be going for graphic design, and I was so excited. I drew butterflies, sea creatures, and succulents. I also did a cute drawing of my van with surfboards, and I wanted to make a copy of it, and give the original to Cody. I wrote on the back a message for him, telling him about my feelings and just how deep they are. 

I wasn't going to tell him the note was there, but rather let him find it, and if he hadn't found it in a certain amount of time, I was going to tell him to look on the back of it. 

Soon enough, it was the morning of the 13th, and I was up and getting ready for my beach day with Cody. I heard a knock on the door and my mum talking to someone. I figured Cody was here, so I threw my sketchbook and pencils in my backpack, along with a towel and walked downstairs. I was wearing a plain black bikini, with a pair of jean shorts over it. I didn't bother putting on a shirt, and my brown hair was thrown into a messy ponytail. 

"Oh, it's so lovely to see you!" I could hear my mum say as I walked downstairs. "And congratulations on valedictorian!" I could hear her beaming with pride. 

"Thank you! It's nice to see you too," he said as I reached the bottom of the stairs. "And you!" He turned toward me. 

"I missed you!" We said at the same time. He engulfed me in a hug, almost knocking me over. 

"Are you ready to go?" He asked. 

"Don't forget, I made you two lunch, it's in the fridge. I have to head to work," my mum said. 

"Thank you, Laura," Cody said. 

"Thanks, mum!" I said, going into the kitchen to get it. 

I set the lunchbox and my backpack into my van, Cody also brought a small backpack, which I knew probably had his wetsuit and towel in it at least, so I tossed that in there too while he loaded the two surfboards onto the top and strapped them down. 

I drove us to the beach, where we picked out a nice spot away from everyone and spread out a big blanket. We surfed for a few hours, before sitting down to eat lunch. 

Mum had made sandwiches, with ham, tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, and mayonnaise. She also packed some mixed fruit, cookies, and water bottles. 

"Remind me to thank your mum when we get back, in case I forget," Cody said as I handed him his share of the food. 

"I will definitely remind you," I said, laughing. 

"Oh, I have something to give you," I said, reaching into my bag. I handed him the drawing of my van and our surfboards, remembering not to say anything about the note on the back. 

"Oh, this is good!" He said, looking down at it in amazement. 

"Thanks," I said, feeling the blush spread across my face. 

"You've always been so creative," he said. 

I thought it was funny how some people were so amazed by my art and the things I drew or made, as it was mediocre at best to me. I guess it's true what they say- we are our own worst critics. 

The days with Cody went by quickly, and soon enough it was already early January. I thought things were going great. Well, I thought they were. Until he started talking about a girl he was into. 

"Yeah, she's from here. And with me living in LA it's been kind of hard to think about even asking her out, let alone having a relationship with her," he was saying. I rolled my eyes, this was day two of him just rambling about this girl. I guess I couldn't be too mad though, seeing as I haven't tried to tell him how I feel. 

"Why'd you roll your eyes?" He asked, looking confused. 

"Nothing, Cody," I said, annoyed. 

"Tell me," he said, turning slightly so he was facing me better. We were at the beach, of course, and sitting on a large picnic blanket on the sand, watching the waves.

"It's nothing, really," I said, looking in the opposite direction. 

"Well, she's so great. I just need help telling her that I like her. But I wrote her a song," he continued. I had enough. Sure, I lied and said nothing was wrong, but I also wasn't hiding my annoyance about the subject. 

"You know what Cody? Just ask her out. I mean look at you, you're perfect, and if you like her that badly you should just get it over with and ask her. I mean, she'd be crazy not to say yes to you," I said, raising my voice at him. "And I am so tired of hearing about it! About how perfect she is and everything. And you know what else? I like you. I've always liked you. I even wrote a stupid freaking note to you, that actually took a lot of thought, and I practically gave it to you, it's on the back of that painting. You just didn't even notice it."

I stood up, seething with anger. I was so tired of hearing about this perfect girl, this girl of his dreams that he knew, and feeling like I could never live up to that, or ever be good enough to be that girl. 

"(Y/N)," he said calmly, licking his lips awkwardly, "it's you. This whole time I've been talking about you. I was hoping you'd pick up on it and I could tell you that I read your note but I also wrote this song about you so I was going to ask to play it for you and tell you how I felt. But I didn't know if you'd like that, so I wanted your opinion on what I should do since you thought I was talking about someone else." 

I stood there, staring at him in disbelief. 

"You were talking about me?" I asked.

"Yes. This whole time. I've liked you since you were kids, and I was so dumb to never act on it back then, we could've just saved each other so much heartbreak over the last few years," he said, reaching towards his guitar case. "And I saw your note the day you gave me that painting, I just was waiting for the right time to say something. And in the meantime, I was writing this song about you. Could I sing it to you now?" 

Tears welled in my eyes, and I nodded eagerly. 

She said she don't like the news
It's all bad, it's all sad, it turns her brown eyes blue
She said she don't watch the tube
She dreams big, she sleeps in whenever she's got something else to do, she takes off her shoes

And she takes a walk through the city, look at all the pretty things she sees
She's a happy lil hippie, nothing gonna get her down
She's got a diary full of memories that she'll never read
Cause she's a happy lil hippie, nothing gonna get her down, oh
Na na na na na na na na na
Na na na na na na na na na

And if you're quiet you can hear her
Singing all alone or dancing in the mirror
Cause she said she don't like to party, oh
With people she don't know, cause she likes to let go and take her clothes off, she takes her clothes off

Walking through the city, look at all the pretty things she sees
Cause she's a happy lil hippie, nothing gonna get her down
She got a diary full of memories that she'll never read
Cause she's a happy lil hippie, nothing gonna get her down
Na na na na na na na na na, na na na na na na na na na
Na na na na na na na na na, na na na na na na na na na

And if you get the chance to meet her, woah
I just hope you never leave her with a frown, woah

She says she don't like the news
It's all bad, it's all sad, it turns her brown eyes blue

I smiled as he finished. 

"That is exactly me," I said, giggling. 

"It is 100% you!" He said, laughing. 

"(Y/N), will you be my girlfriend?" 

"Yes, Cody, yes!" I said, excitedly. 

He set his guitar down and stood up. He wrapped me in a hug, before grabbing me by the waist and throwing me over his shoulder, and running down towards the water with me.