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It was late, probably around three A.M. Cody's vision blurred as he blinked furiously to drive the drowsiness away. He wanted to fall asleep, but each time he closed his eyes, disgusting, putrid memories would resurface from the darkest pits of his mind. It was hard trying to fight back the tiredness; he saw dancing patterns in the wood over his head, which disappeared everytime he blinked and returned just as quickly. He felt strangely comforted by Leshawna's soft snores and the rest of the group's breathing, sleeping, every once in a while twitching or murmuring. Katie's soft sobs broke the silence every now and then, and each time his heart sank. After a while, Cody couldn't bear it anymore. It was a stupid decision, but he got up and walked outside anyway. He felt someone call after him softly, but paid no attention.
"Hoping is the only thing we can do right now...why not make the most out of it?
Right, Noah?"
Noah clicked his tongue. He rolled his eyes. Cody stifled a small laugh.
"Whatever. Come inside, Cody"
He obliged. The sun twinkled calmly behind them, bathing the two boys in faint, copper brush strokes. Cody sat beside Noah, hard wood pressing onto his thighs, shoes sinking into the mud. It had rained recently, and with the rain, the blood had washed away. It had been a few days since the last body had been found; everyone had mourned Tyler, fondly remembered his dumb big grins, his uplifting spirit. He stared at the waves rippling at the shore; Noah's fingers twitched slightly, and Cody pretended not to notice.
He had been the one to find his body, after all.
Cody propped his head against his arms, staring at the boy beside him sideways. His dark hair was messy, and it sprung out in all directions. His eyes had black circles deep like scourges, darker against his pale skin.
"Have you been getting enough sleep lately?"
Noah snorted. His hands trembled a bit. "What do you think?"
"Aw, what? You need me to cuddle you so you can sleep better?" Cody teased, hand covered over his mouth to hide his giggles when Noah stared at him with a deadpan expression.
"Yes, I'd love that" Noah's tone dripped with irony, but his expression broke into a warm smile after a few seconds.
"I wouldn't mind that one bit" he murmured, softer.
The sun drowned in the sea, leaving two tired boys behind.
It was the last time Noah even saw the sun.
His fist crashed into Duncan's jaw. A nasty crack filled the room as everyone broke into screams. Cody didn't care; he didn't give a single fuck. He saw red, this sort of desperation clawing at his heart, begging for revenge, for contentment, for retribution. He cursed at the boy under him, who meekly tried to cover his face with his arms.
"YOU MOTHERFUCKER!" Cody roared at him, straddling him as his hands pounded Duncan's head, tugging at his stupidly bright green hair; he felt hands over him, trying to drag him away, but ultimately failing. His anger had taken over his body and his mind, and the flashing images of Noah appeared before him. Noah, smiling. Noah, rolling his eyes. Noah, laughing at everyone as he sat in a corner. Noah, dead, eyes gone blank, skin gone purple. Noah, underwater, knife lodged into his shoulder. His hair was no longer messy, the water had licked away the small curls. It had washed away every feature Cody had grown to love.
"It's all your fault!" He screamed out again. A band of birds flew out from a tree near him, startled by the noise, and the whole group started to shake with fear. It was dark, darker than it should've been for a summer afternoon.
He punched Duncan once again, relishing in the way his knuckles became tainted with red. But what angered him the most was Duncan's attempts at hiding. The idiot wasn't even trying to fight back; he just lay there, like he thought he deserved it.
"Cody, stop!" Gwen screamed from behind him, and this time, his whole body was pulled away. Strong arms wrapped around him, hard breathing on his neck. Blue clothes came into view, and he cursed out at everyone. But suddenly, as he saw Duncan's shy stare and the pain in his knuckles started to hit, his rage broke. He broke down, bawling, and sobbing like never before. He bent over himself, body jerking with sadness as if it was trying to claw out of him. His throat felt raw, eyes burning. Everyone fell silent. Even Eva loosened her grip on him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. His pants were starting to become wet with mud, but he didn't care.
He cried until he fell asleep; he didn't feel or hear anything, not even when Eva carried him back to the cabins. Not even when Bridgette's body was found a few hours later.
It was sunny outside. The birds chirped softly, announcing a new morning and a new beginning. The sun shone over the waves rippling, licking away at the shore. Cody could see Gwen kicking sand in Duncan's direction, his distant cursing as she ran across the beach, laughing like a little kid. It had been a long time since he'd seen her laugh like that. He smiled fondly.
"I didn't know which one you liked so I brought both flavors" he heard a voice behind him. Katie sat at his side, handing over a can of orange soda and another mango flavored. He thanked her softly, cracking the mango can open and sighing as the liquid slid down his throat. He stared at the girl next to him. Her hair was loose, gently brushing the tip of her shoulders. She was wearing a long, red t-shirt way too big for her size, and black shorts. Ever since Sadie's death, her wardrobe had become very dark and dull.
They sat in comfortable silence as they stared at the others. Gwen almost knocked down Leshawna as she ran, sprinting away, apologies forgotten in the wind behind her. A little later, Duncan absolutely demolished the girl's drink, and Gwen giggled from afar as Leshawna started to cuss him out.
Cody smiled weakly. The sun burned his toes, so he retreated into the shade. The group's usual dynamic had started to creep back; their friendship had started to mend in a beautiful, slow way. It had been a little bit over a year since they had been rescued from the island. Of course, it hadn't been easy at first. Nobody saw Izzy ever again. Eva had calmly but firmly said goodbye to all of them, and left. Katie hadn't left her house in a whole year. Gwen and Duncan had become attached to each other, united by their love for Courtney, and ultimately found peace again. The others had simply left or cut contact with them.
Cody understood. It had been hard for him at first, too. He had avoided ponds, lakes, rivers, and oceans like his life depended on it; his hands always trembled slightly every time he had to use the kitchen knife. In his sleep, Noah's memory still haunted him. The fact he was even there at the beach with the rest of the group had been a big step for him.
"Do you think we'll ever be okay again?" Katie's weak voice broke his train of thought. Cody shrugged, taking another sip of the orange fountain of sugar.
"I think so. It's gonna be hard. But we'll be okay" she smiled, drinking out of her own can.
"Let's not forget them, okay? Even if it hurts. Forgetting them would be worse than having to live with the memory of them"
"Don't worry" Cody's hand wrapped around his can, relishing in the way the cold seeped into his hot skin "I won't forget. Not now, not ever"
I'll always remember you, Noah.