Save the Hero

Episode 1: Some Assembly Required

Cody Parker

Cameron Parker

Andrew MatuSheski

Harrison Conklin

Laramie Wright

Melanie Ashby

Cora Duncan

Andrew Matusheski climbed out of his Dad's Range Rover and stood with his arms folded, scowling. This was not a move that he was thrilled about making and he had no qualms letting that be known that he did not want to be here.

"Andrew, son you are Sixteen years old," Mr. Matusheski said to his son as he pulled his luggage out of the trunk of the Car. "Don't you think you are a little to old to be pouting like a little baby, son?"

"Well, if I was old enough to not be pouting then shouldn't I be able to stay back in Philly by myself instead of moving here to San Fran to live with you?" Andrew asked, raising his eyebrows and awaiting a response from his father.

Mr. Matusheski looked at Andrew with an amused look. "Son, look, I know you had a lot going for you in Philly. But with your mom traveling so much with her work we agreed that maybe you should finish out you're schooling here," He said handing a bag of luggage to his son. "I thought I told you to bring only you're electronics...I would buy you brand new wardrobe."

"I find it funny that you and mom agree on this situation to screw you're only son up but you couldn't agree and keep an agreement on not screwing who aren't your wife," Andrew said off-handedly. Not even realizing he said it until he saw his dad stop walking. "Dad...I...I didn't mean..."

"Here is my credit card," Mr. Matusheski said handing a discover card to Andrew. "Camile, will be out to take you to school. After school, you can catch the bus and go do some shopping. Spend as much as you like."

"Dad..." Andrew said but Mr. Matusheski kept walking along towards the house.

Andrew sighed heavily as he watched a young lady, who he assumed was Camille kiss his father on the lips and then wave to him. "Great, my dad is screwing somebody who looks like she just graduated high school," He said waving back to her. "Just great."

Camille walked over to him and gave him a big hug. He could feel her breast were far from real.

"OW!" He muttered to himself.

"Let's hurry and get you to school," She said to him as she walked towards the driver's side. "Wouldn't want you late for your first day of school."

Andrew looked up at the sky. "Nope, we wouldn't that, now would we?"

"CODY!"

"HEY CODY!"

"C-MAN! WHAT'S UP?"

I waved at people who I realized I honestly didn't know. This was a regular to me. Random people I didn't know were always talking to me on a daily basis and I had to always wave and pretend like I knew them and their names. Truth was, I didn't and I really didn't care to.

"Hey, guys, what's up," I said with a small smile as I made my way down the halls of the school.

My name is Cody Parker. I'm 15 years old, soon to turn 16 pretty soon and I guess you are wondering why so many people know me. Well, for starters I did a lot of modeling and I did commercials in my freshman and sophomore years and people here in the bay area are used to seeing me on television or at shows. I think honestly the guy people see on stage is who they expect me to be in real life, the guy with this sexual confidence oozing off of him and that everyone seems to want a taste of. Truth be told, I portrayed so much as a model that I almost forget who I am. Hell, all the sexuality I oozed was a façade because I knew nothing about sex. I'm a virgin and honestly I am afraid of having sex.

Not really so much as having sex, but having sex with girls. I realized that I was gay at the beginning of freshman year when I got a boner at the most awkward of times. It was in the middle of one of my fashion shows and I had saw one of my fellow models naked as we were trying to get ready for the next outfit. I didn't mean to but it just happened and I was so embarrased, I hid in the bathroom for a good twenty minutes before I would come out and face people. Nobody assumed it was a guy that caused it, but I knew it. I wasn't really ashamed of being gay but I decided not to act on for awhile because the only gay guys I knew were the overly feminine ones. I mean seriously, if I wanted something feminine then I think I would get with girls.

"Cody, any commercials we going to see on television anytime soon?" A guy asked me as I passed by him.

I shrugged and kept walking looking around for my group of friends.

That's just it. I didn't want to be seen as the model or the commercial guy anymore. I wanted to try something different. This year in junior year I decided I would try something different, outside of my norm that people would expect from me.

"Here is my loveable older brother," Cameron said grabbing me in a chokehold. "You disappeared this morning. Mom was going to give us a ride this morning for the first day of school...You know how sentimental she gets at things like this. What happened to you?"

Cameron was my younger brother, he was pretty smart and though he was supposed to be a sophomore, we were in the same grade now since 8^th grade. He was a pretty good brother, we rarely argued and when we did it was just usually about what team was better in sports.

"I rode the bus," I said to him and laughed as he flashed me a faux shocked look. "Yes, I rode the bus."

"You? Rode the bus," Laramie Wright said walking up with our best friend Melanie Ashby.

Laramie, Melanie, Cam, and I had been friends for the past six years and these were my only true friends, no matter what other people would say. I only 3 true best friends.

"Yes, shocker, I know," I said to them. "I guess after that bad experience of the bus being hit and that boy flying into the front window scared me."

"Cody, that was because the boy was standing up while the bus was moving," Melanie said with a laugh. "God, you are such a loser."

"I know, I know," I said with a laugh. "Have you guys got you're schedules yet?"

Laramie and Melanie nodded and flashed me theirs while Cameron dug in his bag and handed me an index card.

"Gee, bro, you already got it ruined only after having it for a few minutes," I said sarcastically. "Thanks."

"No prob," He said glancing down at his schedudle. "Oh shit. I got Earth Enviromental Science 2 with Mrs. Anderson."

"Anderson? Isn't that the lady with the breath that smells like decaying fish?" Melanie asked him.

"No, that's Miss Keller," Laramie corrected her. "Miss anderson is the one who spits."

"No, that's Miss Keller too," I said with a laugh. "Had her for Geometry last year. Mrs. Anderson is the one who smells like Scooby Doo's dog poop."

We all laughed for a moment at that one. "Is it bad we are talking about those women like that?" Melanie asked, after she contained herself. "Despite their hygiene, they really aren't that bad."

"True but I think what's really bad is the low quality of teachers this school is hiring," I said with a laugh. "I swear, if this wasn't a private school I would assume that we were living in the ghetto."

The warning bell signaling us to head to homeroom. I heard the unanimous sigh go throughout the hall from all the students.

"School has officially begun," Laramie said with a sigh. "Also known as a jail sentence."

"Come on, walk me to class," Melanie said wrapping her arm into his. "Bye guys."

"Bye," I said before turning to face a frowning Cameron. "What?"

"Sometimes I can't stand Laramie," He said folding his arms.

I looked back at Laramie and Melanie then back at my brother. "You still like Mel? I mean, you liked her since last year and refused to ask her out. What was it? You didn't want to mess up the delicate balance of your friendship with a girl who you looked at as a sister till you kissed her playing spin the bottle."

"Well, I can't help that like her," Cameron said with a scowl. "I just do."

"Cam, you hooked up way to much last year and I thought you were over that little crush thing on Melanie when you started dating that Bridget girl," I said as we walked down the stairs of the school to the lower level where our homeroom was. "Why does it matter if Laramie is talking to her?"

"I wasn't going to ask her out till I saw that he was spending a little too much time with her," Cameron said. "Did you see how they walked up together and left together? Sickening."

I started to say something but I bumped into somebody who spilled his coffee all over me.

"I...I am so sorry," The guy said to me as I realized the binder and the paper inside the binder I was holding was ruined.

"Knock me down why don't you," I said not even looking at the guy. "Just watch where you are going."

I bent down to gather my books and he bent down in front of me. I finally looked up at him and I felt my breath catch. This guy was hot. He had a beautiful face and beautiful eyes. Dark hair and tan olive skin.

"I'm really sorry, man," He said to me. He looked nervous like he expected me to kick his as and normally I would seeing how I was a big fashion person and I hated when people messed my clothes up. "I'm...I'm just new here..."

"And blind apparently," Cameron muttered, I shot him a dark look.

"I was reading the school map and I didn't see you," He said to me. "I got coffee all over you're shirt. It looks expensive."

"Because it is," Cameron added. I hit him in the shoulder.

"I can...Um...I..." I was speechless. I don't know why I was but I was speechless for some reason.

"I got a spare shirt in my locker," The guy said to me with a sheepish grin. "I feel so bad. I hope you will take that as my apology."

"Sure," I said nervously. "I would love to wear you're shirt. I mean...You know, because I have nothing else to wear."

Cameron flashed me a weird look before sighing and rolling his eyes.

"I will leave you and new dude here to continue flirting while I go figure out what to do about Melanie," Cameron said walking off down the hall.

I wasn't flirting was I?

The tardy bell rung and the guy sighed frustrated.

"Late on my first day," He said to me. "I made you late too. God, I'm such a fuck up."

"It's okay don't worry about it," I said sticking my hand out. "Cody Parker."

"Um...Andrew Matusheski," He said shaking my hand.

"It's nice to meet you, Andrew," I said with a smile.

"What do we have here?" Cameron asked jumping out from around the Corner and scaring Laramie who stood outside Melanie's homeroom.

"Dude, what the fuck," Laramie said clutching his chest. "What the hell are you doing lurking and jumping around Corner's for? Better yet, what are you doing out of your homeroom? You got Tate for a teacher, he is a pusher for making sure people who skip get in the most trouble as possible."

"Tryna to see what you are up to my friend," Cameron said circling around Laramie like a lion looking at it's prey. "Why are you here? Outside Mel's class BEFORE homeroom is over."

Laramie blushed slightly. "Well...I...Um...I"

He didn't know exactly what to say but before he could figure it out, the bell rung signaling the end of homeroom. They stepped back to allow the people to leave.

Cameron flashed Laramie a fake smile which Laramie nervously returned. Cam knew it was wrong to be trying to get in between something that was so obviously about to blossom into something strong.

"Hey...Guys," Melanie said walking out, shocked to see Cameron standing there.

Didn't mean he couldn't try to stop it though.

"Hey Mel, I figured I would walk you to class," Cameron said with a cheerful grin. "If that's cool with you my friend, I'd like to walk her alone."

Cameron flashed his best friend a friendly but equally stern look while Melanie didn't know what to do.

"Well, Laramie has to..."

"It's cool," Laramie said before he turned and left the two standing there.

Melanie looked after him before turning back to face Cameron who stood there with an expectant look on his face.

"Ready?" She asked, wrapping her arm into his as they walked down the hall towards first period.

"Thanks for the shirt man," I said to Andrew as we parted ways to head to our respective classes. My other best friend, Harrison Conklin stoood further down the hall. "Oh, hey man. I was wondering where you were hiding at. Hey, text me. I got to hurry up and get to gym. I hear Mr. Cassidy makes you run laps for every second you're tardy."

I left Harrison standing there, scowling. He didn't know why he was mad but he just was and whenever Harrison was mad...He usually had to make sure he found a release. With an evil smirk on his face, he headed inside his first period Us History class.

"Harrison, take a seat," Mr. Moore said as he shushed the class. "I'm sure you all are thrilled to learn about US History as I am to teach it to you...Yeah, right."

Harrison saw Andrew sitting in the back, looking rather nervous. He smiled and slipped into the seat beside Andrew.

"Who the hell are you?" Harrison asked him with a pointed look on his face.

"Um...I'm Andrew, but friends call me Drew," He said extending his hand to Harrison.

Harrison looked down at his hand before shaking his head. "Nah, I'm not a hand shaker type of guy," He said with a tight grin. "You're new here...Who would want to be your friend? I mean, sorry that came out bad. I mean, what friends would you have here?"

Andrew thought about it. "Well...Nobody exactly," He said, a little caught off-guard by Harrison's point-blank approach. "Although, I met this guy Cody..."

"Parker," Harrison finished for him.

"Oh, I take it you know him then?" Andrew asked curiously.

"Yeah, you can tell you are new here to the bay area," Harrison said to him. "Cody is kind of a big thing around here. Commercials and Fashion shows. Although, from the looks of that shirt he was wearing I was shocked. Looked cheap."

Andrew cleared his throat uncomfortably. "It's Hollister, man."

"Oh really?" Harrison said with a fake grin. "Clearance?"

"Dude, what the hell is your deal?" Andrew asked, annoyed.

"My problem is you," Harrison said to him. "I don't like you."

Andrew was about to say something but he noticed Mr. Moore walking back towards the classroom.

Harrison perked up and looked at Mr. Moore with a fake smile. "I know what you are going to say, teacher man," He said with a cheerful voice. "No talking while you are talking. It's just that Andrew here is a newbie and was telling me all about his stories from back home. Perhaps, you should take a break for a second and let Andrew tell us all about it."

"Wha..."

"Well, I do want to get to the first chapter on the Native Americans," Mr. Moore said thinking about it.

Andrew shook his head. He had always hated talking in front of crowds of people he didn't know. "Well, it's okay. I'm more than interested to here all about Indians."

Harrison leaned over to Andrew. "As a fourth Cherokee, we find Indian offensive and like to be called Native Americans. Come on, Mr. Moore. We have a whole semester for you to teach. Take a few more moments and enjoy the last of your vacation and let Andrew tell us all about himself."

"Alright then," Mr. Moore said in agreement. "Andrew, the floor is all yours."

Andrew sighed and headed towards the front of the Class. "Um...Well...I'm Andrew Matusheski from chicago..."

Harrison and Andrew locked eyes with each other. Andrew could tell that he had officially made his first enemy and through the conversation through their eyes, he made sure to let Harrison know that he was no pushover.

I was the first at the picnic table that my friends and I usually ate at for lunch. I sat picking at Andrew's shirt that he had given me to wear. I don't know why but I felt nervous around a boy I just met.

"Cute shirt," Melanie said sitting beside me on the bench. "But you were wearing a cute brown polo this morning."

"Yeah, well that polo is ruined," I said with a laugh. "But I got to talk to you about something crazy. Boy crazy."

Melanie had figured out I was gay last year when she was on my computer and saw some porn sites in my history. Ever since then, I feel like our friendship had become even stronger...if that were possible.

"I got some boy crazy problems of my own," She said to me. "I'll go first so we can save the best for laugh. Well, Laramie and I are kind of talking but I think Cameron might like me as well."

"No need to think and it's no might...He does," I said, realizing my brother was about to get heartbroken. "And how come I didn't know you guys were dating."

"We aren't dating," She said with a blush. "We just started talking over the summer after we all had went to disney world and you had went to take care of a sick Cam. That night we just talked and it wasn't like any talk before. It was different. So for the past few weeks we just been more than friends, less than a couple. I just want him to hurry and ask me out."

"Aw, you really like him, don't you?" I asked her. She nodded shyly and I wrapped my arm around her and hugged her. "Well, just wait till Laramie asks you out before you tell Cameron and just let him know that you want things to be the same as before even though you are going out with Laramie and that you want your friendship to become even stronger."

Melanie sighed. "Well, I hope he takes it well. Cam isn't exactly the type of guy to get to let down by girls too often, if ever. I don't know how he will take it."

"He's going to have to take it and deal with it," I said hoping that he would be okay. "Anyway, Melanie...I think I like somebody."

Melanie's face perked up in excitement. "Oh, this is so much better than my love triangle," she said to him. "Details, Parker, Details. What's his name?"

"Andrew..." I said surprised to see him walking towards me.

He smiled at me, kinda nerrvous. "I was going to sit by myself but I saw you over here, so I was hoping that I could...um..."

I stared at him not able to put a sentence together to say yes.

"It's okay, I can just find somewhere else to sit," He said to me with a disappointed look.

"No, have a seat, hon," Melanie said before leaning into me and whispering, "U got it, U Got it bad."

I rolled my eyes and realized I usually wasn't this nervous. "Well, Andrew, this is my best girl friend, Melanie Ashby."

"And by girl friend he means friend that is a girl," She said sticking her hand out and shaking his hand. "Nice to meet you."

"Thanks, and it's nice to meet you," He said flashing her a smile before looking at me. "How's..Uh...How's that shirt working for you?"

"Uh, it's great, thank you again for loaning it to me," I said with a smile. "I might have to keep it. It's really nice."

"You can keep it, I got plenty of them at home because I am a big hollister wearer," He said with a laugh. "It looks good on you."

Andrew blushed after he said that and looked down at his tray of fries.

"Flirting," Melanie said, trying to cover it up with a cough. "Sorry. Windpipe."

I elbowed her and looked up to see my brother and friends walking towards the table. "Well, here is the rest of our group of people."

Cameron took a seat beside me and frowned when he saw Laramie take a seat beside Melanie. "Switch with me..."

Before I had a chance to move, Cameron got up and squeezed between Melanie and I.

"You..." Andrew said looking at Harrison with annoyed look.

Harrison flashed him and equally annoyed look. "Please tell me, he isn't sitting with us."

Cameron looked up from Melanie and Laramie and at Harrison. "He's cool, dude. He may be a little clumsy and unaware but he is cool people. Cameron Parker."

"Drew Matusheski," He said looking at Harrison, still annoyed by this morning.

"Whatever, I got things to do anyway," Harrison said before he left us sitting there at the table.

"Wow...Um, okay then," Laramie said clearing his throat. "Mel, can I talk to you for a second?"

"Sure," She said getting up and about to follow him.

Cameron looked at me helpless before he clutched his chest and fell on the ground and starting to twitch,

"Oh my god," Melanie said rushing to his aid.

Laramie growled in frustration and I tried to hide my laughter at the show my brother was putting on.

"Is he okay?" Andrew asked, not sure what was going on.

"I'm having a seizure and a heart attack," Cameron said fake twitching.

"Bullshit," Laramie said heatedly. "Nobody has a heart attack and seizure simultaneously. He's faking."

"Laramie..." Melanie said not sure if Cameron was faking or not although she was starting to believe he was.

"Look, go talk and I will take care of him," I said to Melanie and flashed Laramie a thumbs up and he smiled at me before the two took off to talk. "Cam...Stop it."

He shot up and looked at me annoyed. "Why'd you do that for? She actually believed I was prepiletic."

"It's epileptic and no she didn't," I said to him. "Look, stop trying to force your way into their way because Melanie likes Laramie and he likes her back. End of story."

"But..."

"But nothing Cam," I said to him sternly. "This is not a good look here, desperation, and there are plenty of new freshman and new kids here for you to corrupt with your bad boy charms. Let Melanie go and value the friendhsip that you guys have together."

Cameron sighed and shook his head. "Damn, I can't believe I lost a girl to Laramie," He said sadly. "Who would've thought it? I think I am going to head to class early."

"Going to go cry?" I joked.

"Probably," He said with a smile. "Thanks bro. You helped me see how dumb I was being."

"No problem," I said and bumped fists with him.

Cam said bye to Andrew and left the two of us standing there looking awkwardly. I looked to see Laramie and Melanie holding hands and she flashed me an excited smile and mouthed, He's so gay. Go for it. Melanie's gaydar usually wasn't wrong.

"Um...Drew," I said to him nervously. "Would you like to..."

"ANDREW MATUSHESKI!" A voice said excitedly.

I turned behind me to see Cora Duncan standing behind me.

"Hey Cam," She said hugging and kissing me on the cheek. She hugged Andrew tightly. "Gosh, you look even hotter in person."

"You two know each other?" I asked curiously.

She had her arm around Andrew with a tight grip and smiled at me. "Yea, we met on myspace over the summer and we were like cyberdating but he got so busy with stuff back in Chicago that we decided that we would just pick it back up when he came here. And guess what...He's here!"

"He's here," I said with a fake smile.

I looked at Andrew who wouldn't look me in the eye for some reason.

And apparently, so not queer.

Thanks Melanie..

Okay guys. Coy here. This is my new story that I am working on with my boyfriend Taylor. I hope you guys enjoyed the first chapter/episode and that you will join me as the story progresses to learn more about Cody and his group of friends.

This story is a bit more comedic than my Halo series however, it will have it's moments of drama although not as Severe and Extreme as Halo haha.

FEEDBACK PLEASE!!!!!

LOVE YOU GUYS!