JP - Grown Ups Make Things More Complicated on Purpose

Ami went outside with Cody. “I hope Frisk and Leimomi can help her.” She hiccuped.

“I do too,” Cody said, pushing his hair out of his face with a frown. “I’m sorry you have to see and deal with all of this, Ami…”

“I still want to poison him for hurting her.” Ami told Cody.

“So do I,” Cody replied as he plucked some grass out of the ground and fiddled with it. “Tzeitel would lose it if we tried, though.”

“If she found out before we did it… if we killed him she would probably be happy that he was gone.” Ami said.

“We’d still get yelled at…” Cody said, though he was smirking.

“Yeah, but it would be a different kind of yelled at.” Ami said. “She would be feeling safer.”

“Good point,” Cody chuckled. “I just want to see her smiling again, you know. I also think she should, you know…give Colt a chance. They don’t have to do any of that adult sex stuff, but he really does love Tzeitel. It’s why he sticks around so much. I see the way he stares at her sometimes…”

“I wish she would.” Ami loved Piritta, but she missed when Colt lived with them. She did not understand why Tzeitel and Colt weren’t together like River and Riley. “He likes her, and their powers work together.”

“It’s complicated,” Cody explained. “Your sister has no interest or drive for…I think it’s called being asexual if I remember correctly. Either way, she has little to no sex drive and I think she worries all Colt wants is sex, but it’s obvious he loves her for…her.” He shrugged. There was no reason to lie.

“Oh.” Ami frowned. “So does that mean Colt doesn’t stand a chance?”

“I don’t know…” Cody sighed heavily. “All I know is he loves her in a romantic way while she…she loves him as a sibling or a best friend.”

“Do grown-ups make things more complicated than they have to be on purpose?” Ami asked. Cody was an adult now, but she remembered when he was her age.

"Honestly, I think so." Cody laughed bitterly. "I try not to, but I'm no longer a kid, so I have to be responsible for myself a lot. I can't just run on instinct or constantly follow my emotions anymore. There are good parts, though…like understanding things I didn't when I was younger."

“But does this make any sense?” Ami asked, spotting her sister hugging Colt.

“I honestly don’t know,” Cody said. “Friends hug all the time, but…I just don’t know, Ami. I’ve never been in a relationship like that before so it’s difficult for me to explain and understand.”

“Oh.” Ami sighed and kicked a dandelion clock.

“I do wish she would be with Colt…they’ve become so close and, well, he’d do everything to make her happy.” Cody sighed as well.

“They could help each other.” Ami said, wishing she could do something.

“All we can do is…keep them around each other, I guess….” Cody shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“Tzeitel’s pheromones don’t work on herself.” Ami sighed.

“Yeah, I noticed.” Cody sighed. “Like my power doesn’t work on me…or it used to not work on me. It’s weird…it feels like I stopped aging, Ami. That scares me.”

Ami blinked at Cody. He was a grown up now, how much more could he need to age? “How does it feel?”

“How does what feel?” He asked, looking at Ami now.

“How does not aging feel?” Ami asked.

“Weird…wrong…like I’m not really a part of the world, honestly.” Cody admitted, tugging at a loose thread in his jeans. “I feel detached at times, like I know I’m gonna still be around when everyone else is…well…yeah…”

“Oh.” Ami had never thought about it before. Now that she was thinking about it, she felt incredibly sad for her brother. She hugged him.

Cody blinked in shock and hugged Ami back. “I’ll always be here for you, though, Ami. That’s a promise. You and Tzeitel mean more to me than anything and anyone else.”

“You’re part of our family.” Ami said.

“I’m very thankful and proud to be part of this family.” Cody said with a grin and ruffled up her hair.