Kodys index finger grazed his drink, turning his head to watch it drip onto his palm. "Evaporation."

Demetri looked at him oddly. "You mean condensation?"

His head nodded. "That's what I said."

Demetri went to argue before Aisha was nearly shoving her phone into the nachos. "So, you might be wondering what a team does after they win the championship. The answer? Victory nachos!"

The four in the booth cheered, taking their own chip to hold into the air. "It was suppose to be a round of drinks, but the waitress was not feeling Hawks fake ID."

The blue haired boy looked over in a small panic. "Hey, don't take about that. My parents follow me."

"It's okay, she can just block em." Kody whispered over at him, their eyes locked. "They'd never know."

"They would know." he whispered back with wide eyes.

"Sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Moskowitz." Aisha said, facing the camera again. "Anyways, until next time, no mercy, bitches."

Kody scooted over some for Aisha to join, Demetri speaking up. "I gotta say, it's nice to be at a victory party."

"Yeah, except you had nothing to do with the victory." Hawk leaned over, taking the nacho from his hand.

"What? Miguel would have not won if it weren't for our cheer." Kody shook his head. "Even though, technically, it was all me and not him."

"See." Hawk cracked a grin, nodding his way after looking to Demetri.

"Well, then I consider it a belated party for the coding competition we won at computer camp." Demetri shook his head with a shrug, Hawks face fell. "Demetri and Eli, Binary Brothers."

The clueless trio laughed at him, ignoring the boy next to Moon as he leaned forward. "Hey. Cool it with the nerd shit, okay?"

"Hey, where's Miguel? His wings are getting cold." Moon spoke up when they realized they'd been missing one.

"That poor chicken. Died just to get cold." Kody sighed loudly with a shake of his head, leaning his head back on the seat. "If I was a chicken, i'd want to be smothered in sauce when I die, too."

"Kody." Hawk looked at him oddly. "Do you really think about this stuff?"

"You should see what goes on up here." Kody pointed to his forehead.

"Whole lotta nothing." Aisha joked, clinking their glasses together before getting up. "Cmon, Hawk. Let's go get our All Valley champ back."

Moon stood up, Hawks hand on her waist to move out, sitting back down. Kody touched his drink again, pulling his hand but with a laugh. "Look, Demetri. Evaporation."

The dark haired boy slapped his forehead. "Jesus christ."

"Bye, Moon." Kody waved from his car, finally getting accompanied by Hawk once he backed off Moon. "See you."

"See you, Kody!" she waved back, Hawk getting into the passengers seat.

"Are you still staying the night or want to go home?" Kody looked over at him, putting the car in drive again.

"Please, the second my parents see that video Aisha posted, they're gonna flip." he laughed slightly, leaning forward some to avoid his hair smooshing on the seat. "Give them a few days to forgot about it."

"Okay, good. You get to help me make up a lie when my dad ask where i've been." Kody gave a minor grin his way, pulling out of the restaurant parking lot. "Are you feeling video games or movies?"

"Are you kidding me? Video games." he said back, connected to Kodys car and hitting his playlist. "What'd you think about the competition?"

"I thought it was totally cool." he hummed in response, taking a turn as his neighborhood wasn't too far away. "I wish my dad would let me join."

"Kinda bullshit how he doesn't." he spoke from the heart but didn't push it too far. "You could build up those noddle arms for a change."

"Noodle ar-" he began in disbelief. "I pulled a muscle last time I tried to lift weights."

Hawk laughed suddenly. "Can't imagine why."

"Noodle arms." Kody scoffed at the name, pulling into the drive way of the smaller house. "You're a crazy."

"You're a crazy." Hawk argued, unbuckling his seat belt as the two turned to each other. "So, what's the plan?"

"Plan?" Kody frowned his eyebrows. "To walk into the house? Just do what we always do. Say hello to mom, don't track mud, make sure you talk to Mant-"

"No, where we have been all day." Hawk cut him off with a shake of his head. "Arcade?"

"And at Cody's." Kody nodded his way. "They know I like it there."

"Do you just like it there because it's named after you?" Hawk got out of the car when he asked, the two circling it.

"They spell it with a C, it's offensive." the slightest taller boy rolled his eyes, walking toward the porch light. "But, yes, mainly. And they have good onion rings."

"Onion rings?" he cringed, leaning on the brick as Kody unlocked the door. "Gross!"

"Are you kidding? Don't you 'gross' me." Kody looked in disbelief, pushing the door open. "Onion rings top victory nachos every single day of the week."

"What victory were the two of you celebrating?" Jimmy asked from the couch, looking away from his laptop to look over the cushions.

"We won at Pac Man." Hawk nodded his way with a small smile, taking his shoes off.

"I was wondering where you've been." Jimmy hummed, high-fiving Kody over the couch as he passed. "Moms in the garage."

"What's she doin in there?" Kody looked in confusion, hanging his keys up on the rack by the kitchen.

"Something about a spray tan machine?" Jimmy looked in confusion. "You know how she is."

"About as weird as you." Kody hummed, waving Hawk over to follow him toward the garage.

"Must be where you get it from." he said im return, following. Jimmy laughed from the couch at his words. Hawk followed Kody, looking over his shoulder as he opened the garage door.

"Mom?" Kody looked in oddly. She was in the middle, pulling at a small machine. "What are you doing?"

Dotti looked up with a smile, there was sweat on her face. "Hey, boys. How was your day together?"

"Great." Kody looked back at Hawk as the shared a little grin at the lie. "What've you got there?"

"Did you know most salons do spray tans?" she panted, the garage hot and was putting a lot of work into the machine. "Then it hit me that I know how!"

"Can you spray tan abs on like they do for the movies?" Hawk leaned in the doorway to look at her.

"Maybe. Wanna try?" Dotti suggested.

Kody grabbed his arm before he could answer. "We're gonna play some video games. We'll try tomorrow."

"Okay, there's left overs in the fridge." she nodded, going back to her machine in hopes of it working corrected.

Hawk laughed as Kody shut the door. "You're mom is so cool."

"She is not." he argued, leading them down the hallway. "You should see her at school board meetings. So embarrassing."

"Yeah, my moms embarrassing. She doesn't listen to anything I say." Hawk hummed, walking into Kodys room first. "Mantis."

Mantis mowed from her plush tree, sticking her head out. Kody rubbed her head as he headed to his dressed. "Hey, Mants."

"Jesus dude, what is all this?" Eli looked at the hundred of papers on the floor.

"I was trying to print ten copies of the soccer team flyer but accidentally put an extra zero." Kody looked back with an innocent, panicked look. "It was not a stress-free time period."

"I can imagine." Hawk spoke through a small laugh, picking up one of the flyers. "Soccer season is already here?"

"Yeah, and we need more players." he sighed, pulling out a black tee and some basketball shorts. "You wanna join?"

"No, i'm in karate." he looked over, slightly offended. Kody threw him the clothes. "I didn't know you even did soccer."

"My mom put me in it when I was little, got hit in the face with the ball, and it was suddenly my new favorite thing." he hummed, sitting on the bed as it gave a small squeak. "Go take a shower, I don't wanna sleep next to a sweaty person."

It just occurred to him that Kody was totally cool with sleeping in the same bed, unlike how he use to sleep on an air mattress next to Demetris bed. "Yeah. Be right back."

Kody looked over at Mantis when he left to room, seeing her staring at him. "What are you lookin at?"

She only gave a meow in response.

•

kylie speaks

eli's love interest🤝their pets sensing tension.