fic: Cody's Essay
Title: Cody's Essay
Author: rendrag45
Fic: Cody is 19, getting ready for college
Rating: PG13
Mood: Grateful
Disclaimer: I own no part of Shelter or Shelter charactes.
"Cody's Essay" Cody, nineteen years old and ready to fly the nest: Shit! I guess I can’t put it off any longer. This damned essay’s due in with my whole college app by the eighth, as Shaun has reminded me every fucking day since I picked up the forms in the counselor’s office. It’s not like I haven’t been thinking about it. I just don’t know where to begin, or how to end, or what to put in the middle……Well, here goes nothing…..Maybe some loose muse will be hit with a pang of sympathy when she sees me struggling with this autobiographical essay, and…..There I go again!... I just can NOT concentrate long enough to write one sentence…. I’m going NUTZ!.....OK, now! This is it. Here I go!
Cody Zachary Andrews-Martin
I, Cody Zachary Andrews-Martin was born on June 17, 2002, in San Pedro, California. There was nothing exceptional about the birth, nor the child, so I grew up day-by-day, being formed by the forces surrounding me, including a part-time mother, a semi-conscious grandfather, and an uncle who inspired my middle name - Zachary. Money was in short supply and long demand, but everyone made do with what they had.
My mother worked seven full shifts per week at the local grocery chain, partied hardy whenever she got the chance, brought home the current man from time to time, and, with the five minutes or so she had left over each day, she teased and played with her son. Thank God Zach was around to do the heavy-lifting where I was concerned, often baby-sitting through the night, or taking me with him to the diner where he slung hash, or with him when he hung out with his friends at the beach. Zach bought my clothes, bought my food, took my mother to work, played with me whenever he could, and generally loved me to pieces.
So life went on with no major events until mother met Alan, who quickly became the newest man in her life, grew restless and decided to leave San Pedro with him and head to Oregon where everybody knew the good jobs were.
There was one catch, however. Alan couldn’t stand kids. This, of course, included me. What to do? Well, that wasn’t too hard a decision for my mom, considering there was someone so close to hand who always bailed her out of her messes and who loved her son more than anybody else in the world. So, knowing this was her last chance to get out of San Pedro and maybe find a life more to her liking, she asked Zach to do what she herself was not willing to do - raise her son.
Unbeknownst to my mom, Zach had some plans of his own that didn’t include her or me. He had just gone through a period of finding out who he really was - what made him happy, who he loved, and what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. As often happens, this awakening came on the heels of true love in the form of his best friend Gabe’s brother, Shaun.
Amid the euphoria of finding “the one for him”, he was also discovering that San Pedro was too small for his huge talent - art. More than anything, he wanted to attend CalArts, and, finally, all the wheels were in motion to get him there on scholarship. Between thinking about Shaun and CalArts, his mind was not on his sister’s problems. So, her announcement came as quite a surprise. Being the man he was, though, and having the full support of his new partner, Zach stepped up to the plate and moved me with him and Shaun to LA two days after his sister waved good-bye.
And THAT, I like to think, was the real beginning of my life.
For no boy had more loving, caring, supportive parents than I. Every step of the way, Zach and Shaun were there for me, guiding me, letting me make my own mistakes when I insisted, and picking me up afterwards. They smacked my hands when I went too close to the fire, actually washed out my mouth with soap when I tried out the new words I had heard the big kids use on the playground, and insisted I help with age-appropriate chores as I grew up, and accepted no excuses for slipshod work, rewarded me for every good grade I made in school and double-rewarded me every time they saw me being kind and loving towards someone. They reprimanded me when I laughed meanly at the kids who rode the short bus, and let me know that it was only God’s love that made me so smart and talented.
Every Saturday saw my family surfing, playing beach ball, building elaborate sand castles, checking out a baseball game, picnicking in the park, sleeping in late and lazing around the fireplace playing board games in the cooler months, or working together on a family art project to display on the foyer wall or in the living room. As I grew up, the games became more sophisticated, but the whole family shared a high level of competitiveness and looked forward to their weekly skirmishes, no matter what the game. What they really enjoyed the most was each other.
They went to every program and every game I was in, were active in the PTA, supported the Athletic Organization, attended every parent-teacher conference, and provided everything I could ever possibly need to meet my potential. In short, they were real men - real good men.
So today I want to go to Stanford University and major in writing. I have won many awards while in elementary and high school pertaining to writing essays, poems, debate positions, news articles, and speeches. My dad, Shaun Andrews, is a well-known writer who swears I am a master author in the making. My other dad, Zach Martin, a huge name in environmental art, is waiting impatiently to illustrate my first novel. I admit they might both just be a little bit prejudiced where I’m concerned.
Yes, I am Cody, the luckiest boy in the world. Everyday I thank God for all He’s given me, but, particularly, for my fathers who have surrounded me with love for so many years, and who will always be my lodestone and my anchor.
Zach and Shaun, I love you both.