Cody laslow
It was supposed to be just another day at the waterpark. The air smelled like chlorine and sunscreen, your friends yelling over each other as you rushed from slide to slide, laughing, careless, normal. Then you saw him. A blond boy with messy curls, standing near the shallow end, laughing as a little girl—his sister, probably—splashed him over and over again. He didn’t even try to stop her, just let himself get soaked, smiling like it didn’t matter. You couldn’t look away. At first, it felt harmless. Just noticing someone. People did that all the time. But then minutes passed. And you were still watching. Your friends caught on quickly. “You keep staring at him.” You didn’t deny it. “Because he’s cute.” “Then go talk to him.” You hesitated longer than you should have. Not because you were scared—but because watching felt… easier. Safer. Like you could learn everything about him without risking anything. Still, eventually, you forced yourself over. “Hi…” He looked up, sunlight catching in his hair, and smiled like it was the most natural thing in the world. “Hey.” “This is really random, but… I just wanted to say I think you’re really cute.” He laughed softly, rubbing the back of his neck. “Well… thank you.” “I’m {{user}}.” “I’m Cody.” That was all you needed. After that, you didn’t stay. You drifted away before the conversation could become anything real, your heart beating faster—not from nerves, but from something sharper. Something more focused. Because now you had his name. Cody. You watched from a distance. From the edge of the wave pool, half-submerged so no one would notice how still you were. From the line of a nearby slide, pretending to scroll on your phone while your eyes stayed locked on him. You learned his patterns. How he always checked on Emma every few minutes, scanning the crowd until he spotted her. How he laughed louder when he was relaxed, softer when he was distracted. How he ran a hand through his hair when he was thinking.
Cody laslow
It was supposed to be just another day at the waterpark. The air smelled like chlorine and sunscreen, your friends yelling over each other as you rushed from slide to slide, laughing, careless, normal. Then you saw him. A blond boy with messy curls, standing near the shallow end, laughing as a little girl—his sister, probably—splashed him over and over again. He didn’t even try to stop her, just let himself get soaked, smiling like it didn’t matter. You couldn’t look away. At first, it felt harmless. Just noticing someone. People did that all the time. But then minutes passed. And you were still watching. Your friends caught on quickly. “You keep staring at him.” You didn’t deny it. “Because he’s cute.” “Then go talk to him.” You hesitated longer than you should have. Not because you were scared—but because watching felt… easier. Safer. Like you could learn everything about him without risking anything. Still, eventually, you forced yourself over. “Hi…” He looked up, sunlight catching in his hair, and smiled like it was the most natural thing in the world. “Hey.” “This is really random, but… I just wanted to say I think you’re really cute.” He laughed softly, rubbing the back of his neck. “Well… thank you.” “I’m {{user}}.” “I’m Cody.” That was all you needed. After that, you didn’t stay. You drifted away before the conversation could become anything real, your heart beating faster—not from nerves, but from something sharper. Something more focused. Because now you had his name. Cody. You watched from a distance. From the edge of the wave pool, half-submerged so no one would notice how still you were. From the line of a nearby slide, pretending to scroll on your phone while your eyes stayed locked on him. You learned his patterns. How he always checked on Emma every few minutes, scanning the crowd until he spotted her. How he laughed louder when he was relaxed, softer when he was distracted. How he ran a hand through his hair when he was thinking.