Fragments of His Being | ✓

CHAPTER SEVEN

Cody didn't go to school often, but today he had come in during the third period. He spent the rest of it and the fourth period waiting for lunch, and when it came, he made a beeline to his special spot.

This break was a bit more eventful than most, and Cody soon found himself sitting on the stairs of the back door with a small bird in his hands. He was in the school's backyard that was riddled with weeds, broken furniture, and rocks. He looked up from it from time to time to gaze up to the tree with the nest the bird had fallen from. The mother bird was panicking as she jumped from branch to branch crying from the depth of her belly. Cody wasn't too sure what to do. If he left the bird by the tree it would die because its mother couldn't pick it up, and on the other hand, Cody couldn't climb the tree and return the displaced chick either.

Noise from the school courtyard rang through the entire compound. It was expected during the short thirty-minute break period. Students were playing quick games of soccer or they were catching up with friends from other classes and grades.

Cody looked down at the bird in his hands, farrowing his boys as it watched it gasp for air. It was fifty-percent beak and fifty-percent small pink body covered in soft brown feathers. "What am I supposed to do with you?" he asked in a whisper, leaning forward as he watched its body heave with each breath.

Cody sighed, poking the bird's small body. It quivered, kicking its legs before staying still again.

After a bit, Cody looked over at the tree again. "If only I wasn't just a bag of bones, I would have climbed up to return you." The boy bit his bottom lip in thought, wondering what to do. His eyes went wide as a sudden idea came to him, but he worried that it wouldn't go as planned.

"I should ask Quinn, shouldn't I?" he said out loud, feeling himself shiver at the mere thought of it. Cody knew where Quinn and his friends usually stayed during lunch break, but he was a bit hesitant to walk up to the boy with a small bird in his hand. He worried that Quinn would think his concern for the bird was stupid—or worse, Quinn's friends might pick on him if Quinn pretended not to know him in public. That could happen, even though Quinn had said they were friends. Cody panicked a bit, deciding to abandon the thought.

"Maybe I should try climbing up the tree by myself," Cody said, looking over at the tree again. "No, we'd both die if I tried that. I'd just tumble to the ground with you," he said, shaking his head after giving it another thought. He looked down at the bird in his pal, before rubbing the bird's tiny head with thr tip of a finger.

"I'm going to ask Quinn," he announced to the bird with a small smile.

The skinny boy got up from the concrete stairs before heading out to the main courtyard where most of the school students stayed during the long break.

He looked around the courtyard, his eyes flickering from social group to social group until his eyes landed on the one with Quinn at the center of it. He smiled, taking a deep breath before walking over to Quinn and his group of friends.

When Cody reached them, he hesitated. The taller boys crowded Quinn, and he wasn't sure how to reach out to him. Swallowing his fear, the boy nudged closer.

"Hey." his voice was low, but high enough for the boys' right in front of him to turn and stare. The conversation halted, and soon everyone in the group had their eyes on him.

"I want to talk to Quinn," he managed to get out before his legs could take on a life of their own to run.

"Hey!" Quinn said, moving through the crowd to reach him. Quinn's excited voice made the facial expressions of his friends to relax. They continued talking to each other, while Quinn pulled Cody aside by the arm to talk to him.

"What's up? I think this is the first time I'm seeing you in school," Quinn said. There was a wide smile on his face. He was excited that Cody had come up to him first for one.

Cody remained quiet, making Quinn raise a brown at him.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, reaching out to hold the boy's shoulder.

"Well..." Cody trailed, opening his cupped hands to reveal the bird he had rescued.

"Did it fall from its nest?" Quinn asked, staring down at the baby bird. Cody nodded. He was surprised that Quinn wasn't asking him weird questions, like why he cared so much about a stupid bird. Most people would have told him it was just a bird, the way his brother had told him it was just a cat when Cody cried over the feline his brother had killed by crushing its skull with a baseball bat.

"Can you show me the nest. I'll put it back," Quinn offered, and Cody smiled before nodding. He hadn't even had to ask. Quinn had just taken the initiative. Cody led the way to the nest, and Quinn followed behind him. They were soon at the school backyard. When Cody showed Quinn the nest, Quinn took the bird from him before making his way to the three. He started to climb it, and Cody watched in awe at how easy it was for Quinn to get up and then down.

"There. Its mum pecked my arm, but I'm fine," Quinn said when he got down. He dusting his jeans as a laugh left his lips. His dark hair had a twig in it, but Cody felt it would be rude to reach out to grab it.

Cody smiled. "Thank you."

"Nah, the bird should be thanking you. You kind of saved its life," Quinn insisted. He stared at Cody, mirroring the boy's soft smile before looking away when his face started to warm up. "See you later," he muttered before turning and making his way out of the backyard.

Cody watched as Quinn returned to his friends. He didn't look away until his eyes lost the boy in the crowds. Cody felt a little dazed, and he also felt flustered in an odd way.

It was odd to him—odd to meet a strong charismatic person that didn't look down at him—that didn't use misuse his influence to hurt others.

Cody was frozen in place for a bit. He blinked after staring into space for what seemed like forever. A sigh left his lips as he tucked his hands in his pockets. A little embarrassment came from the little ache that had made a home in his chest. He had briefly—just briefly, thought about Quinn in a way he wasn't supposed to.

He wouldn't want me. Cody thought to himself. Of course, Quinn wouldn't want him. Him with the sickly skin and messy hair. Him that didn't look or act like any of the attractive confident girls that were a much better match for Quinn, so Cody scolded himself and repressed his thoughts, pushing them to the back of his mind where they wouldn't upset the friendship he was building with Quinn.

Quinn would remain a friend.

Because that was the only way Quinn would have him.