Gaijin No More

Cody's POV

It was lunch time and I was heading out, like usually, to my little walk. My everyday routine was rudely interrupted when I heard a familiar voice shouting my name.

“Cody! Hey man, wait up!” I stopped dead in my tracks and slowly turned around, hoping it wasn't me they were calling. But once again, my hopes didn't come true and there I was again, facing Aiden Miller who (again) had that trademark grin on his handsome face.

“Hiya!” he said and brushed some of his dark brown hair behind his ear. “I was wondering if you'd like to sit with me since it's lunchtime and all?”

I probably looked like a goldfish, with my mouth open and all, trying to think something to say. Why couldn't I talk like a normal person in situations like this?

“I...uhm...” Great, now I was stuttering like an idiot. What was I going to say anyway?

Seems like Aiden understood something of my incoherent speech as he grabbed my arm and started to drag me towards the picnic tables outside.

“Great! I knew you would agree,” Aiden said with enthusiasm.

Well, technically speaking I didn't agree or disagree, but I think it wouldn't have mattered to Aiden what I had said. His grip on my arm told me that he didn't accept no for an answer. No, he wasn't hurting me, per se, his grip was just very firm. Somehow I knew he wouldn't have let go even if I struggled. And for a strong guy like him (just look at his body, to me it's quite obvious he doesn't knit on his free time) keeping a twig like me in place probably wasn't too hard.

For the first time I took a good look of Aiden and his body. He was quite tall. Not like a flagpole, but tall nonetheless. And he had board shoulders. Nicely shaped chin, cute nose, enchanting dark eyes and his hair was ruffled in an adorable mess.

The tight shirt he was wearing showed his six pack and muscled arms. He didn't look like one of those ugly body builders, no, his body was in fact just right. Perfect even.

Wait a fucking sec. Did I just check out Aiden's body? Holy crap, that's exactly what I did! Oh shit, I hope he didn't notice.

I took a quick glance of Aiden's face and to my relief he didn't show any signs of noticing me staring at his body.

I let out a small sigh and tensed when Aiden placed his hand on my shoulder and guided me to sit on one of the benches. I hadn't realized we had already reached the tables. Aiden sat down on the other side of the table, opening a can of diet coke.

“So what's up?” he asked, acting like we were best buddies or something.

That's when I decided to find out what the heck was going on. This was getting ridiculous and I needed to know what exactly Aiden wanted from me.

“What are you doing?” I suddenly blurted out, startling Aiden a bit. He looked at me with a confused expression.

“Doing what?” he asked innocently. I frowned and rubbed my forehead. Oh boy, this wasn't going to be pretty.

“I mean, why are you talking to me? Do you want something from me?” I shot the questions to him quickly, wanting to get over with this. “If so, then cut the crap and tell me and don't beat around the bush.” That came out harsher than I intended, but I was getting seriously frustrated.

For a moment Aiden just looked at me and I was ready to leave right there and then, but I stopped when he started talking.

“I don't want anything from you,” he said with a serious tone and I shot him a disbelieving look.

“So you are telling me you're willingly talking to me, without your friends betting you into it?” I asked with slight sarcasm in my voice. A small part of me had began to hope that Aiden was serious, but I quickly brushed that feeling away.

Aiden looked at me funnily.

“No, there isn't any bet behind this. Why would you think that?” I shrugged.

“I don't know. That was the only realistic explanation I could think of. Why else would you suddenly start talking to me?”

Now it was Aiden's turn to shrug.

“I've wanted to get to know to you for a while now.” My eyebrows shot up.

“Why on Earth would you want to do that?”

“I don't know, okay? You just... intrigue me.” It seemed like Aiden was getting frustrated now.

“This is so weird...” I muttered quietly to myself.

“Why is it so hard for you to accept that someone wants to be your friend?” Aiden surprised me by asking that.

“Oh so now you want to be my friend?” I shot back, avoiding his question.

“Yes and don't try to change the subject.” Damn, he realized.

“Well, it is kinda strange that you, one of the most popular guys in this whole fucking school suddenly start showing interest in me, the boy whose presence no one acknowledges,” I stated matter-of-factly.

“Well, no matter how strange you find it, I'm going to stick with you like a glue until you accept me as your friend.” Now he had a goofy grin plastered over his face.

“So you are saying that once I call you my friend you'll leave me alone?” I asked, just to annoy Aiden a bit more. This way I tried to hide the fact that Aiden's words and determination of getting to know me made my heart flutter. Maybe, just maybe, we could be friends.

“No!” Aiden exclaimed “After we get past that stage, then the real fun begins,” he said the last part with a devilish smirk, which instantly made my cheeks heat up.

“Umm... yeah right.” I really didn't know what to say to that “I...uhh... I have to go now.” I hastily stood up, not wanting to embarrass myself any more. “See you later... or something.” With that I quickly fled from Aiden, desperately trying to force down the blush on my face and calm my heart.

I hated it how good it felt to actually have a friend. Although I wouldn't admit that to Aiden. Not yet anyway.

Aiden's POV

I laughed quietly as I watched Cody scurry away. It seemed like I had won this round of our little game. Now he knew I would hang around him until he gave in and accepted me as a friend. It might take days, weeks, months even, but honestly I didn't care. We would see which one of us was more stubborn. And according to Cody's previous reaction we would end up as friends.

I was about to get up when someone jumped on my back, squeezing my neck tightly, making it hard to breathe for a moment.

“Todd!” I wheezed “Get the fuck off me you fucker," I commanded, throwing my friend off me on the ground.

“Hello to you too Aiden!” he said cheerfully and picked himself up as the other gathered around us.

“So Aiden, we saw you sitting with Mr. Loner. Care to tell us why?” Daniel inquired in suspicious tone, shooting a dark look to the direction Cody had walked only moments ago.

“I'm trying to get to know him,” I answered with a shrug. What did it matter to Daniel anyway?

Dan shot me a you-got-to-be-kidding-me-look.

“Why would you wanna do that?” Sheila asked and leaned against her boyfriend, questioning look upon her pretty face.

Now why did this conversation feel familiar? Oh right, I had just had it with Cody himself. It was getting bothersome to repeat myself.

“He seems interesting. That's why," I replied curtly and picked my bag from the ground. Daniel snorted at my response and the others gave me a funny look. What was so strange about me wanting to befriend Cody?

“Whatever you say Miller, whatever you say.” I decided not to pay attention to Fred's remark and started walking towards the school doors.

Cody's POV

The rest of the day was a blur to me as I kept repeating my conversation with Aiden in my head. I was still a little doubtful, but I was still going to give our budding friendship a chance.

Before I even noticed it, the bell rang, signaling the school day to be over. I quickly threw my books into my messenger bag and almost ran out of the class, wanting to get out of the building as soon as possible.

When I got out, I suddenly heard a familiar, high-pitched whistle. I looked around and locked my eyes with three persons I least expected to see.

There leaning against a silver Honda Civic Sedan were my three cousins Tom, Dean and Olivia. I'm pretty sure the look on my face was priceless.

“Cody!” Olivia screamed happily and started to run towards me as fast as her short legs would allow. And for a five-year-old it was quite fast.

“Guys? What are you doing here?” I shouted at them and opened my arms, picking up Olivia. She giggled in delight and wrapped her little arms around my neck.

“What? We can't come to visit our favorite cousin for once in a while?” Dean asked with mock hurt. I playfully punched his arm, grinning like an idiot.

“You know what I mean! Don't you still have a school to go to?”

“We have the rest of the week off,” Tom said smiling and ruffled my already quite messy hair.

“You lucky bastards,” I muttered under my breath, grin still on my face. “So this was what you and my Dad had planned?”

“Yep. We wanted to surprise you”

“That you surely did.” Never in million years did I expect to see them here in the middle of the week.

Dean, Tom and Olivia were my aunt's kids, aka the sister of my Dad. Tom was the oldest, he just turned eighteen. Dean was the same age as me and most of the time he was my partner in crime. Olivia was only five and I loved her like my own sister.

The arrival of my cousins almost completely made me forget about Aiden and his intentions of being my friend. But only almost. The fluttery feeling was still there.