Glitch

Clouds are chasing one another in the depths of Cody's eyes, killing the lively sparks that lived in them when I met him in the town square this afternoon, and I can feel him slip away from me further and further into a dark place where I can't follow.

My throat is closing up, seeing painful thoughts reflected on his face, dragging him away from me. I saw it earlier too, when the ceremony ended, but it's worse now. Cody is sitting here beside me, close enough to feel the heat radiating from his body, but I know he's leaving me.

I don't want him to leave me. The thought paralyzes me with fear. He drags darkness around with him like an oppressive shroud, and yet, when he's with me, he ignites the colours around me, making them shine vibrantly. I want to dig into his heart, tear out all the pain and fill him with life.

Without stopping to think about what I'm doing, simply following my heart – something I am often in trouble for - I lean over and touch my lips to his, wanting to breathe the pieces of his soul he'd cried into mine back into him. I want to bring the sparkling life rushing into his eyes again. I want to make him whole.

The contact of our lips sends bolts of electricity shivering through my entire body, and for a moment, I believe I was struck by lightning.

I don't think I've ever kissed a boy before. If I had, it got locked away in that chained-shut chest in the dark corners of my mind. I don't remember it. Many of my good and happy memories got shoved in there with the dark ones. 

This is undoubtedly a kiss. It wasn't meant to be one; it was only going to be a breath of life, but now my lips are happy, feeling Cody's lips against them, and I cannot tear them away. They have found their gentle home.

The evening breeze cools his lips, their surfaces bathed in the sweetness of the grape juice he drank; it is forming an intoxicating combination with the taste of his skin.

I want to stay like this forever! 

The sounds of the festival are fading further and further away, becoming a gentle lullaby, floating me away on a cloud of bliss. My heart is filling with so much warmth; it's melting away the fear that always hides in its corners, ready to pounce when I least expect it. 

I awake from my peaceful slumber when Cody tentatively moves his lips over mine, and my heart leaps almost painfully in my chest. Goosebumps spread over my skin as each nerve ending sparks to life, causing me to shiver, and a soft sound of protest escapes from my throat when Cody pulls away from me. He moves closer to the furthest edge of the bale we're sitting on, creating a tiny space between us.

I can still feel his quickened breath whisper against my face, and his eyes, looking at me very intently, are a vague gleam in the poor light. I cannot tell whether the pieces of his soul have returned to him or not.

Time ticks by slowly while we sit in the dark, just staring at each other, neither of us willing to break the silence and speak about what just happened. I breathe him in; the fresh aroma of lemons, the grape juice he drank and something a little darker and secretive fill my nose. It is a heady mixture, and I can imagine Cody as a dangerous mythical creature camouflaged in moonlight and shadows, and yet I am not afraid.

"You're shivering," he suddenly says, and before I can protest, he takes off his jacket and puts it around my shoulders, wrapping me in his exquisite fragrance and his warmth. I wasn't shivering from the cold; it is a balmy evening, but I close my eyes and slip my arms into the overly large jacket sleeves, relishing the heat, the smell and the coarse textures. 

"I'm hungry," Cody mutters hoarsely, and I open my eyes to see him working his injured leg off the haybale he was using as a rest. "How about you?"

Is he happy about the kiss? Is he upset about it? I cannot tell; he is avoiding looking at me, and I don't think it is just because his leg is paining him, and he is struggling to get it to cooperate.

"Yes," I say, getting to my feet and holding my hands out to him. "You bought me sparkling grape juice; I'll buy you something great to eat. What would you like? Aunt Lea's popcorn chicken?" I think about it while Cody looks at my hands, probably calculating the odds of me successfully pulling him to his feet. "Oh! I know! Those syrupy, crunchy doughnut nuggets my aunt makes... or do you want your Grandmother's crispy sweet potato fritters?"

All of those are my favourites, but there are too many other options to list. We could just browse around and find something he will enjoy.

"How about all of them?" Cody grins, amused by my enthusiasm. "I'll give you one of the pies Aunt Suzie gave me if you'd like one."

"Awesome!" I smile, wrapping my fingers around his wrists when he grabs my forearms.

The idea was to pull him up and steady him while he rises, but he is rather heavy and much stronger than I am. It does not go well at all. Instead of me pulling him up, he is pulling me down, struggling to gain traction. I let out a yelp of surprise when he's almost on his feet, and I lose my balance. We both tumble to the ground, landing half on and half off the bale and then I see Cody rolling over and crashing onto the steel roof.

"Cody! Are you okay?!" I exclaim in a panic, scrambling onto my knees to crawl to him, afraid I've caused new injuries to his leg.

"Yeah," he grunts, and at first, I think he's trying to get to his feet, but he is leopard crawling deeper into the shadows. Is he embarrassed about falling? Is he planning on hiding there?

"Cody, I'm sorry," I say, crawling after him, stopping when we're both stretched out on our bellies, side by side. "Are you in a lot of pain?"

"Look what we found," he chuckles, stopping the flood of compassion I was about to unleash on him, washing him off the roof. Instead, I turn my attention away from his face, squinting into the gloom where he is pointing. I cannot quite make out what he is seeing since my position is not as favourable. He squirms and grunts, and then he pulls his phone from a pocket of his jeans and directs its light to an obscure corner.

There, half hidden by a couple of bales, something catches the light in a metallic sheen. It's the Silver Egg! The secret of its hiding place was partially revealed when we moved some of the bales to make our seat, but Cody could only see parts of it when he fell and rolled closer. I see him reach out to pull the egg from its shelter, and my mind rushes through a hundred festival-related scenarios I know he will not like.

"Wait!" I warn, but he has already pulled the egg from its hidden nest and is sitting up with it in his hands. It is a large egg-shaped steel container that screws together in two halves. Nothing exciting to look at, and Cody seems underwhelmed by his prize.

"So," he chuckles, giving me a look filled with amusement in the glow of his cell phone screen. "What did we win?"

"Nothing," I assure him, sitting up too, and his expression turns to confusion. "Trust me. We didn't see it. We were never here. Put it back, hurry, before someone finds out."

"Why?" he smirks, surprised by my passion.

"There is a reason nobody ever finds it, Wally," I explain. "It's not just because Humphrey chooses impossible places to hide it. Nobody wants to find it."

"Why not? There are coupons in here, right? Could be worth the trouble."

"Yes, there are, and they're great, but there are also tasks and responsibilities that come with finding the egg."

I see Cody pull a face, hearing my words. He is starting to see my point, and turning off the screen, he pulls me closer and slips his phone into his jacket pocket, enveloping us in shadows. 

"The winners are crowned as the rulers of the festival. They have to give speeches and take part in ceremonies. It's horrific."

"Oh, hell, no!" he snorts, moving to put the egg back where he found it, but then I'm hit by inspiration, and leaning over, I lay a hand on his forearm.

"Wait!" I say for the second time in the space of a few minutes, and this time, Cody stops and looks at me expectantly. "I have an idea."

I crawl towards the awning's edge, and Cody joins me until we're lying side by side in the dark, watching the scene below. I'm once again struck by how warm and beautiful the town square is from here, with lights like fireflies in the trees and cheerful lanterns crisscrossed over the area's expanse. It is like looking down on a fairy tale. I can imagine the stalls as tiny mushroom caravans filled with magical creatures.

Some of the townsfolk are wearing strange costumes, enhancing the illusion, but none of them seem to be able to fly. Joan is still sitting on Danny's cow while he perches on the back of a bench, holding a basket in his lap, handing her things from it to eat. Technically, they could both sit on the bench together; the seat is quite empty, but sitting on a cow must give one such a good perspective on life and everything else. It is indeed working for Joan because she seems vaguely happy, a condition I've never seen her in before.

Sindy and Noah are one of the handful of couples currently dancing to a lively foot-tapper. They are mostly just standing still, cuddling to the tune. Seeing them together always makes me happy; they are such a lovely match. At the centre of the square, I can see my uncle talking to Allie. They are not fighting for a change; he is even placing a hand on her shoulder, smiling at her. I miss his smile. He always tries to smile at me, but it breaks halfway through.

I wish I could unbreak his heart.

As always, my soul lurches with regret while I look at my uncle, his short brown hair neatly cropped and his shirt sleeves rolled up, exposing his tanned forearms. I remember being a child, held by those strong arms lifting me while I saved my kite from the tree it blew into, giggling because I could suddenly reach up so high, asking him if he could make me fly with my kite. He did by holding me up and running around while I spread my arms wide, holding on to the kite's string, laughing as it flapped and floated beside me.

I wonder if we'll ever be able to laugh together again.

Memories tend to call to more memories, and I hastily turn my eyes away, breaking the spell to continue my search. It takes me a couple of minutes to spot the red-haired twins sitting under a huge tree not far from the inn where we're lying, spying on our community. I turn to Cody, liking my idea more and more. They are going to be so surprised!

"Let them find it," I grin, pointing at Raggedy Ann and Andy, sitting under the well-lit tree, eating bowls of something that looks like it could be spaghetti and meatballs. They are arguing, as usual. "Do you think you could throw it there without doing any damage?"

Cody looks at where I'm pointing and laughs, turning his head to give me a surprised look. "You are so evil!" he chuckles. "I love it."

I honestly don't know what he means. Davy and Aggy will love being the king and queen of the festival, performing ceremonies and being all official and important. It's what they live for. 

"Why am I evil?" I ask, frowning at him. "They want this."

"Deep, deep down, they sure want something," he snorts, and grimacing, he pushes himself onto his knees, groaning softly, clearly not enjoying all the abuse he is piling on his injured leg. I scramble to my feet, and this time, I successfully support him to get up. 

 I have no idea what he meant by that statement; the twins made a very loud pact to find the egg and be crowned this year; surely, he heard it.

"Yeah, it seems like an easy throw," he nods, testing the egg's weight and the angle he'll need to launch it. "Should work," he smiles, limping into position near the edge. I watch, mesmerized by his grace, as he pulls his arm back, twisting his upper body and expertly tosses the egg the few meters to where the twins are sitting.

Maybe not that expertly. 

The egg flies way too high, disappearing among the leaves of the tree, and I'm surprised because I thought Aunt Maria's grandson was some kind of rugby star; at least, that's what I heard. I thought he would be more accurate in reaching his target with a throw from this distance.

I quickly glance at him to see if he is upset about the failure, but he still grins while I hear exclamations of shock coming from below. The twins are gazing up into the branches above them, where the egg has disappeared.

"Bullseye!" Cody laughs, looking really pleased with himself when I flash another glance at him. I return my attention to the scene under the tree in time to see Jasper tumbling from the leafy canopy above the twins, landing with a grunt on the blanket, half on top of Davy. He clutches half of the egg to his chest, and the other half has joined the food in Davy's bowl.

Did Cody use the egg to shoot Jasper out of the tree? I didn't even see him in there! Perhaps it was an accident, and he simply wanted it to appear like the egg fell from the tree, which would've been brilliant.

"I found the Silver Egg!" Davy yells excitedly, plucking the piece of metal egg from his bowl, sending bits of spaghetti and many pieces of paper flying. Aggy hurries to gather them, and they both jump to their feet, joyfully shouting their victory.

Jasper is still lying on the blanket, looking confused, but then he sits up and scans the tree and the area around it for the cause of his fall. He still has the other half of the egg firmly held in his arms. I don't think he is aware that he is holding it.

"Jasper found it first!" someone shouts from the crowd, and I gasp in amused surprise to see a whirl of white embroidery anglaise, pink satin ribbon and cloudy netting, and suddenly, there is Allie rushing through the gathering crowds, charging her groom.

"Nooooo!" she screams, seeing Jasper get to his feet, a piece of the dreaded Silver Egg cradled in his arm. "What the hell did you do, Townsend?!"

"I didn't do anything; I was just hiding from you, and it came out of nowhere," he tries to defend himself, scowling at the sky as if he thinks it dropped from a star.

"Who did this?!" Allie demands to know, and Cody and I duck instinctively.

I can see that in the general chaos down below, many heads are swivelling around, looking for the place the egg might've come from and beside me, Cody is merrily laughing, enjoying the chaos he has caused. He might be the evil one! Seeing Allie and Jasper searching the shadows in our direction, he grabs my arm and pulls me away from the edge, deeper into the dark.

"Get the candles," he whispers, though nobody could possibly hear us. I know our hiding place will soon be discovered, so I quickly grab our empty soda cans and extinguish the candles while Cody drags the bales into more or less their original positions.

Getting down from our hang-out spot is much easier than it was to get up here because Cody lowers himself down far enough to have an easy landing, then helps me down too. We are soon on the ground, rushing away from the inn and mingling with the general crowd, pretending that we didn't just cause mayhem to erupt under the large tree a few feet away from us.

"Were you aiming at Jasper?" I whisper, opening the recycle bin for Cody to toss our cans inside. We leave our candles on a table in the food court, where many other participants left theirs to collect later, and casually join the crowd gathering near the stage. I still don't quite understand what just happened.

"Yeah," he admits, his grin fading into an uncertain frown when he sees the confusion on my face. "Why? Wasn't that what you wanted?"

"No, I wanted you to make it land near the twins!" I grin, the befuddled look on Cody's face warming my heart.

"Oh!" Cody exclaims, sucking in a sharp breath, and then chuckles again. "I thought you wanted to mess with Jasper and Allie. I didn't notice the twins."

I blink at him, standing in the light of many lanterns, and am happy to see that the sparkle is back in his eyes, and it brought a streak of mischief I'd never seen there before along with it. He seems even more alive now than he did this afternoon. 

"Well," Cody swallows, giving me a pained look. "They could just pass their titles as king and queen of Weirdville to the twins if they really don't want it."

"Have you met Humphrey?" I grimace, shaking my head.

"Yes," Cody sighs, looking crestfallen. "I have."

Laughter is starting to bubble up inside me, thinking about Allie and Jasper bickering throughout the march and the ceremony. In all their chaos, one fact shone brightly through all the threats and physical abuse (coming from my cousin): Allie was enjoying herself. 

She would never admit it, though, and there's a huge possibility that Jasper was enjoying himself too. If they were forced to cut ribbons and hand out prizes and whatever strange things Mrs Dunkirk and Humphrey have in store for them, they might have loads of fun fighting about it.

Allie could do with some fun.

Giggling, I turn to look at the stage, where Humphrey is once again assaulting the microphone, tapping it to see if it is on, sending obnoxious sounds out into the atmosphere to annoy the aliens in our galaxy and beyond.

"Folks, my fellow citizens of Granary Downs, I have a wonderful announcement to make!" he all but shouts when he's satisfied that people three districts away will be able to hear him clearly. "This is the first time in the history of Phantom's Rest that the beloved Silver Egg hunt has ended in a tie!"

Yesterday, my aunt mentioned that the festival originated from the mass weddings that took place hundreds of years ago in the town when farming families came from miles away with horse-drawn wagons to attend church once every couple of months. I am still not sure when the Silver Egg came into the mix. I wholeheartedly believe that it was Humphrey and Mrs Dunkirk's invention.

"This year, the festival will be ruled over by two brides and two grooms!" The man is on the verge of ecstasy. "Isn't that wonderful?!"

"No, it's not!" Allie yells from where festival assistants are wrangling her onto the stage with Jasper and the twins. Her groom looks just as horrified as she is, but the twins are both beaming, basking in their moment of glory, barely able to contain themselves, even if they grudgingly have to share the spotlight.

"Yeah! The twins can have it!" Jasper agrees, but Humphrey is too excited about this outcome to listen to the reluctant royal pair. He has always been fond of creating historical moments; he will not allow anything to stand between him and this opportunity to officially be part of something that may never happen again. He will tie them up and cart them around like mannequins for the remainder of the festival if he has to.

"This year, the coupons stuffed inside the egg will be sorted and divided equally!" He takes a handful of papers from each of the egg halves held for him by a couple of stagehands and holds them up in the air for all to see. Some of them are stained with spaghetti sauce... or it could be Jasper's blood; Allie looks murderous right now. "That's right, Folks! The bounty of the egg and the honour of being the rulers of the festival will be shared equally between our two winning couples."

"I want a divorce!" Allie shouts, but the assistants and Mrs Dunkirk drown out her protests, slapping crowns on the four winners' heads and draping them in gold embroidered cloaks. The crowd cheers mainly because they're relieved and happy that the honour didn't land on any of them.

"Wow," I smile, enjoying the play of light on the glistening fake jewels and the vibrantly colourful velvet cloaks. "They look so beautiful." Allie's veil was pulled through the crown, cascading prettily over its top. I've never seen anything quite like it.

"How did they get enough of those things for four people so fast?" Cody asks, and looking at him, I can see admiration warring with amusement on his face. He seems to be enjoying this outcome. "Don't tell me Humphrey had extras on standby just waiting for a moment like this?"

"Oh, no; there's an entire chest filled with crowns and cloaks at the back of the stage," I inform him, wondering if the answer disappoints him. "Many people get crowned for lots of things at any given time during this festival."

"Oh, right," Cody winces. "I forgot how bad this festival gets. I haven't been to one for many years."

"Are you upset?" I ask, moving closer to him, my arm brushing against his, reminding me I am still wearing his jacket. I love wearing it; I feel safe in the thick denim material, wrapped in a cloud of fragrance that makes my legs feel weak. "I made you toss the egg. Would you rather have claimed it instead?" 

Perhaps he looks so enthralled because he, too, would like to wear a crown and a beautiful cloak, after all. I sure would love to wear them, but I do not want to be the centre of attention for the festival's duration. Cody smirks at the stage where Allie is being separated from her groom by two roadies, cocooning her inside her cloak to stop her from attacking him. 

Jasper is wearing his crown askew, covering the side of his head, and I admire his skills to keep it there, dangling precariously without falling off completely. He has his cloak flung open, like a beautiful red and gold cape falling down his back and is standing with his feet planted apart, his fists on his hips, looking like a garish version of Superman... if Superman wore a crown.

He is clearly not happy about this development, scowling at Humphrey, who is trying to hand him half the egg with papers sticking out of it. The twins, in contrast, are hopping up and down with excitement, eagerly picking up and claiming any papers falling from the half of the egg Jasper finally takes and carelessly shoves under his arm. I laugh, seeing the children hide some of the papers in their costumes. Little cheats!

"No, Glitch," Cody finally answers my question, turning to face me. His teeth are white and even in his lovely smile, and his fingers warm when they find mine and he takes my hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I think we managed to get a solution that is the best of both worlds."

Laughing, I weave my fingers with his, gazing into his eyes, once again filled with lively sparks; there is no sign of any shadows in there now.

"You know, Wally, I think we might both be a little evil."

~~~