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It would be nice to get a birthday party, with people who weren’t just yourself and occasionally your step-sister who came out of pity.
Too bad that’s never happened yet to Cody Anderson.
April 1st, the day of pranks, and (unfortunately) Cody’s birthday. He was turning 18 today, but didn’t bother telling his friends. It’s not like it would make a difference anyways.
The poor boy was woken up at 6am, much earlier than he usually does, by the beeping of his phone.
Happy Birthday Cody! were a majority of the notifications from most of his social media. This became normal for him ever since he became a minor celebrity, he supposed. Though he knew these people meant it, it wasn’t like they were gonna make a cake for him, take a day off for him or even value his birthday above the sinister April fool’s day. But a few messages caught his eye.
Guitar Boy: Happy Birthday!! You’re finally an adult
Gwenny: Hbd cody! Youre 18 now!!
Ginger nerd: Happy 18th Birthday Cody!
Noah it All: Happy Birthday Cody, are you free at 6pm?
It was the last one that caught Cody’s attention. The brunette always lied to his friends that he went out on his birthday, meaning he won’t be able to talk to anyone, so the fact it seemed like he was being invited out was…interesting to say the least.
Before he could answer it however, his bedroom door swung open.
”Cody, I swear if you’re still sleeping- Oh good you’re awake. Happy 18th Birthday.” Heather said, standing near his door dressed up as if going somewhere. “So? Get up and get ready idiot. We’re going shopping and then maybe breakfast-“ “Wait, we’re going out?” The younger boy questioned “You’re taking me somewhere?” This was incredibly out of character for the older girl, especially since the world (and Cody particularly) pictured her as Heather Kasuga, the Mean Girl, The Uncaring Schemer, who used people for her strategies without any regard on if they felt hurt or not. Heather Kasuga, the girl who would ruin strangers’ lives if it meant she’d come out on top, the girl who played with people’s heart like a game. That same Heather Kasuga, decided to ‘treat’ her step-brother (which she barely acknowledged as a brother at all, up until then) by taking him out somewhere for his birthday.
”Did you not hear me or something? Yes, I’m taking you somewhere. You’re turning 18 and besides our parents aren’t home, it’s not like they’re gonna stop us or something.” That reminded Cody about how awful his parents were, okay, maybe awful is a strong word. Maybe, absent or uncaring is more like it. They were barely home for his birthdays, heck, they were barely home at all. The only time he had some semblance of a party, was Cody’s 4th birthday, possibly one of the most cherished memories he had. Sure, now that he thinks about it, it was more of a ‘I have cake while my parents record the thing and still barely interact with me’ sort of party, but it was more than he ever got nowadays. Heather rolled her eyes before stepping out of the room, “If you’re not out of this room in an hour, I’m gonna lock you in here.” Heather says before she closes the door, leaving Cody to trudge out of bed to the bathroom.
• ───────────────── •
”Cody, I’m driving off without you, if you don’t come out here-“ Cody came running out of house and getting into the car “I’m here, I’m here! God, wait up, it’s my birthday, Heather.” To which the former scoffed before driving out of their driveway.
Eventually, the brunette groaned ”Heather, it’s been half an hour, where are we going? It’s 7:30 and I’m starved.” To which the older girl replied “Stop whining dork, we’re here” She pulls up to an all-you-can-eat buffet, much to the surprise of the former. “So? Stop staring and get out.” “Uh- Oh, yeah, ok.”
To be fair, the early wake up and long ride were definitely worth it in Cody’s opinion. After being hungry for an hour and a half, the pancakes and maple syrup eggs tasted way better.
Around 9, the step-siblings reached their second destination, the mall. The shorter one looked confused, questioning Heather “Hold up, what’re we doing here?” She rolled her eyes, before turning Cody around “Your friend wanted to meet up, look.” And wouldn’t you know it, the brunette boy saw two familiar figures running towards them.
”Cody! I wasn’t sure you were gonna make it man. Happy Birthday by the way, hope you don’t mind I brought Linds.” Tyler exclaimed, before Lindsay opened her bag and reached in for something. “Happy Birthday Cory- Cody! I hope you like this… I wasn’t really sure what you’d like, so I got you-“ She pulled out a small, green alien plush, with a birthday hat on top. Cody grinned “Lindsay…This is so awesome! Thanks a lot.” To which the blonde smiled and said “Well, you both have fun, me and Heather are gonna go girl’s shopping! C’mon Heather” before taking the other girl’s hand and dragging her off.
“So…I have some money, wanna go to arcade?” “Dude, at 9 in the morning?” “Yeah,” “Obviously, come on!”
• ───────────────── •
“Dude, we should totally go try the lottery machine.”
“We have like 20 points left in this card, we have like, one shot at this.”
”I believe in luck, that’s why my dad says I win games sometimes.”
”The go for it, dude.”
“It’s your birthday, use some of that birthday luck.”
”Fine.”
Cody swiped the arcade, and pulled the lever down. The spinning of the machine, and flashing lights, and the light tapping of Cody’s foot were the only noises the two boys could focus on at that moment. But when the machine landed on ‘1000’…
The sound of the tickets pouring out of the slot was the sweetest sound Tyler and Cody ever heard.
• ───────────────── •
”And then I told Paula that lavender and Lilac aren’t similar at al- Hey Heather, look it’s Tys- Tyler and Cody!” Lindsay waved them over to the table she and Heather were sitting at. After the boys sat down, Lindsay asked them what they wanted to eat, before Tyler went and ordered for them both, Lindsay going with him.
Heather drank her smoothie, before eyeing the big bag Cody was holding. “What’s that?” “Well, me and Tyler win the lottery at the arcade and I thought, this would be the best way to spend 1000 tickets.” “Oh yeah? What’d you win? 500 glowsticks?” The younger boy smiled “Nah, only 20, the other 980 tickets, went for-“ he paused, struggling for a bit before finally pulling a huge dog plush “-this dude. I’m naming him Cody Jr.” Heather smiled a bit, before replying “Of course, you’d name him that. Also, did you just buy a birthday gift for yourself?” “Eh, I’d prefer to think of it as, Tyler’s present, I mean it was his money that paid for the game.” And much to the latter’s surprise, that got a small laugh out of the older girl.
”Okay guys, I forgot what I like to eat, so I just got everything that says extreme on it.”
”Dude, we’re at Extreme Chicken- how much did you spend?”
”Ohh, oh. Uh, ignore that and pretend I paid for it.”
Tyler in-fact, did not, Lindsay did.
• ───────────────── •
“Heather, we’ve been driving the whole day, it’s almost 7-“
”I know idiot, now shut up and wait, we’re almost there anyways.”
The car became awfully quiet for a minute.
“Thanks, Heather.” The girl glanced at him in confusion.
”Why?”
”For, well, y’know letting me a good birthday.”
Heather laughed a bit, while Cody looked at her in confusion.
”Cody- Cody, you thought, going to mall and eating out, was a good birthday? Well, now that I think of it, it might actually be the only good birthday you’ve had, but what you’ve done today, that’s literally the bare minimum.” Before the boy could respond, Heather added “Oh look, we’re here. Get inside, I have to park.”
Cody stepped out, walking up to the unknown house. He rang the doorbell and waited. In that time he took out his phone.
Noah it all: Happy Birthday Cody, are you free at 6pm?
Noah it all: Cody, you there?
The_Codemeister: Sorry couldnt respond me,heather,tyler and lindsay went to the mall. im free now if that helps
Before he could get a response, Geoff opened the door “Hey, the Codester’s finally here! Happy Birthday dude, welcome.” The shorter boy looked bewildered “You…were waiting, for me?” “Totally dude, Trent, Harold and Justin planned like this, really cool surprise for you dude, you gotta see it, come in.”
Cody stepped in and followed Geoff through the house. “Heather told them how you never got like, a huge party for your 16th birthday, totally unfair by the way dude, so they decided to like, let you have a really cool, mega-awesome, day yeah? And I think it went well?” The latter asked, for which the shorter boy started to narrate the events of the day.
”Then, me and Tyler won- Holy crap, is- is this for me?” Cody asked in astonishment.
The scene in front of him consisted of so much sugar and food, he could already feel the sugar high (and crash) in his body. Cody also saw most of his friends, (He had no idea how Lightning came, but it was good to see him again.) holding presents or food. Speaking of food, there was also a cake, which probably weighed a fraction of Cody’s weight.(An actual cake, probably from an actual bakery and not packaged cupcakes from the grocery store, covered with cream cheese.)
Soon, Cody was overwhelmed with hugs, birthday wishes, presents and pats on the back. The boy then cut his cake, played some party games, before finally sitting in a sofa, providing some privacy and distance from the festivities.
The problem with being alone however, is that you’re left alone with your thoughts, and for Cody Anderson, those thoughts were not pleasant.
• ───────────────── •
It was Cody’s first birthday in big kid school, he’d been counting down the days to celebrate his birthday in school, even if it’s just with Lightning. He’d seen how all the other kids spend their birthdays: new clothes, chocolates, gifts and special treatment, the english teacher would give them a special badge, the gym teacher let the class have parachute day and the lunch lady would give brownies and chocolate milk.
But, when Cody came to school, he didn’t have the luxury of any of that. First, his best (and only) friend was absent. Then, he got greeted by his locker, desk and chair completely covered in whipped cream. And when he tried to tell the teachers about his birthday, he thought he was playing a prank on them to get special treatment. It didn’t help that he was also one of the smallest in his grade, and during gym, he got hit by dodgeballs so many times, his parents had to pick him up from school.
Too bad they didn’t.
Too bad Cody spent his 6th birthday in the nurses office.
• ───────────────── •
It was 12am on April 1st and Cody spent the night playing video with Noah.
”Dude- we’ve been playing for hours. What time is it?”
”Huh- Hold on. Cody, it’s 12:03, we’ve been playing Minecraft for 6 hours straight.”
”Wow, time flies when you’re having fun, heh?”
”I guess so. Well, I better get to bed before my mom finds out I’ve been awake this long.”
”Oh yeah totally dude, see you tomorrow?”
”Definitely, oh- and today’s technically your 16th birthday right? Happy Birthday.”
”Oh yeah, uh, thanks dude. Y’know, I’m getting real tired- I’m gonna go to bed.”
”Okay, hope have a good birthday today. ‘Night Codes.”
”Yeah, good night.”
Cody slept till 10 am, before waking up and having cereal for breakfast. He noticed his step-sister in the living room watching TV.
”Hey Heather, can I use your car to go to grocery store?”
”Hm? Oh uh sure- wait actually I’ll go, I’ve been up since 8 and I’m supposed to be going to Lindsay’s house anyways.”
”Oh, thanks-“
”You want cake right? Chocolate’s fine?”
”Mhm, uh see ya.”
” ‘Kay, be right back.”
Cody spent the rest of the day watching TV, playing video games, and scrolling in his phone. In the evening, he and Heather shared 2 mini-cakes while watching some tv shows their friends were on, occasionally yelling at the screen.
Their parents didn’t come back home till 11pm.
• ───────────────── •
Cody snapped out of his thoughts when he felt someone sit next to him.
“What’s the birthday boy doing sitting all alone huh?” Noah asked, taking a sip of whatever drink he was holding. Cody shrugged before looking a bit into the center of room, his mind somewhere else and his eyes staring blankly, although he seemed a bit bitter about something. He sloshed his soda around in his cup before responding, “Oh you know, wanted to think about my 16th birthday for a bit, and by the way, thanks, for everything.” Noah smiled a bit “Your welcome, but I didn’t really do anything, I just invited you here.” “No, I mean, thanks for not leaving me alone, thanks for spending my 16th birthday with me when I forgot about it, hell, thanks for sitting here and listening to me. I really mean it Noah, I can’t thank you guys enough for everything you’ve have done.”
Cody got a lot of surprises that day, but the biggest surprise was getting hugged by Noah. Sure, it was brief, but it still was really comforting.
”Welcome, Codes. And, I…I hope you at least have this birthday to remember.
“I’ll remember now heh- wait no, what am I thinking- ugh never mind” Cody thought.
Just then, the younger boy heard Geoff’s voice from somewhere across the room.
“Gwen, Gwen! Could’ya call Cody over here? Courtney says that 9 to 10 was photo time and- and that we have to get him in 10 minutes, hah.” “Uh sure Geoff, but let me call Bridgette over, you should probably drink something else.” “Wha- Oh yeah sure dudette, Bridge! Bridge?-“
Noah stood up, and offered his hand “Well, looks like the audience is requesting you, come on Cody.” The latter took it and got up, still not letting go of the other boy’s hand, before they both walked to the center of the room again.
Maybe Noah was right.
Maybe Cody would remember his birthday from now on.