Under the Radar
Pairing: Teenage!Andrew "Pope" Cody x Black!Reader
Warnings: Language, voyeurism/peeping tom themes, toxic family dynamics, typical gritty 90s flashback Cody atmosphere.
Word Count: ~2,570 words
✨️Masterlist✨️
The late-afternoon California sun hit the concrete of the Cody backyard pool deck, baking the scent of chlorine, sunscreen, and cheap weed into the air. In the mid-90s, the Cody house was already a revolving door of chaotic energy, entirely anchored by Janine "Smurf" Cody’s suffocating, calculated grip. Most kids in Oceanside knew better than to cross Smurf, intuitively understanding that her sweet, motherly smiles masked a terrifyingly cold predator.
But you weren't most kids. As Julia’s closest friend, you spent half your life occupying their space, and Smurf didn't scare you in the slightest.
You kicked your skateboard up with a sharp *clack*, catching the tail smoothly in your palm as you walked out of the house. Your outfit perfectly captured your bold, alternative edge. You wore high-waisted, dark gray denim shorts with frayed edges, paired with a black lace corset top layered under a cropped, short-sleeved white graphic tee that read *'my lower back hurts'* in bold black lettering. Heavy black utility boots and crew socks anchored your feet, a thick black canvas messenger bag slung across your shoulder, and a chunky silver chain necklace glinting around your throat. Your hair was styled beautifully, your natural curls dyed a vibrant, head-turning split of bright sunset orange and fiery red.
Smurf was sitting at the patio table, sunglasses resting on the bridge of her nose as she counted a stack of cash from one of Baz’s recent runs.
"Heading out so soon, baby?" Smurf asked, her voice dripping with that signature, overly sweet syrup that usually made people bend to her will.
"Yeah, Julia and I are hitting the boardwalk," you replied easily, tossing your skateboard onto the concrete and stepping onto it. You balanced effortlessly on one foot, looking completely unbothered by her presence.
Just then, the sliding glass door creaked open, and Andrew stepped out onto the patio. As a teenager, Andrew was already a massive, looming presence, his broad shoulders hunched forward as if he were trying to shrink himself away from the world. His pale blue eyes were wide, intense, and constantly darting around the yard, carrying that volatile, anxious energy he couldn't ever seem to shake.
The moment his eyes landed on you specifically taking in the tight black lace corset and the frayed shorts; he froze completely. His chest rose and fell in a sharp, shallow breath, a sudden, bright flush of crimson creeping up his neck and flooding his cheeks. He had a massive, completely consuming crush on you, an obsession that actively kept him awake at night, though he would rather die than admit it out loud.
You noticed his reaction instantly, a slow, deeply amused smirk spreading across your face. You loved flirting with him. Part of it was because you found his wide-eyed, flustered reactions absolutely adorable, but a major part of it was because you knew exactly how much it enraged Smurf to lose control over her golden boy.
"Hi there, Andrew," you purred, deliberately dropping your voice into a slow, playful register. You rolled your skateboard a few inches closer to the table, leaning your forearms on your knees as you looked up at him through your eyelashes. "Love the shirt. Looks really good on you♥︎"
Andrew’s breath hitched audibly. He pulled the collar of his oversized grey t-shirt up, his unblinking blue eyes widening to the size of saucers as he stared down at you, completely paralyzed by your attention. "U-Uh. Thanks. It's... it's just a shirt."
From the patio table, the rhythmic rustle of Smurf counting bills stopped entirely.
Smurf’s sunglasses slowly slid down her nose, her sharp, calculating eyes narrowing to dangerous slits as she glared at the side of your head. She hated you. She hated that she couldn't scare you, she hated that you gave Julia a sense of independence, but most of all, she absolutely loathed the way her quiet, fiercely loyal son completely lost his mind whenever you walked into a room. You were a threat to her control over him.
"Andrew has chores to finish inside, baby," Smurf interrupted, her voice losing a bit of its warmth, turning sharp and cold. "He doesn't have time to stand around talking."
You didn't even look back at Smurf, entirely ignoring her command. Instead, you kept your eyes locked on Andrew, your smirk widening as you saw the veins in his neck pulse with his racing heartbeat. You raised your hand to your lips, blowing him a slow, dramatic kiss.
"Don't work too hard, handsome," you teased, pivoting on your back wheels.
Right on cue, the sliding door clicked again, and Julia finally stepped out onto the patio, sling bag over her shoulder and an annoyed expression on her face from dealing with her mother all morning. "Alright, let's go before she finds something else for me to do," Julia muttered, bypassing the table completely.
With a powerful push of your boot against the concrete, you and Julia sped down the side driveway together, your sunset-colored curls catching the wind as you both skateboarded out of the yard and headed down the street.
Andrew stood rooted to the spot on the patio, his wide eyes tracking the exact line of your departure until you both disappeared around the corner of the house. His heart was hammering against his ribs like a trapped animal.
"Andrew," Smurf’s voice snapped, sharp as a whip, breaking his trance. He turned back toward his mother, his face still burning red. Smurf was staring at him, her jaw tight and her eyes burning with a possessive, toxic jealousy. "Go inside. Now."
Andrew didn't say a word, keeping his head down as he quickly retreated into the house, his mind completely consumed by the girl with the red-and-orange hair.
Later that night, the Cody house had finally quieted down. Julia was asleep at a friend's house across town, and Smurf was out at a local lounge with one of her fences.
You were staying in Julia’s bedroom, which was located on the ground floor of the house, its large window looking directly out into the dense, shadowed foliage of the side yard. The night air was warm, and you had left the window open a few inches to let in the ocean breeze, the thin white curtains fluttering gently.
You walked into the bedroom, completely exhausted from a long day of skating. You tossed your messenger bag onto Julia's desk and reached up, unbuttoning the cropped white graphic tee and pulling it over your head, leaving you standing in just the black lace corset and your dark gray denim shorts.
Outside, hidden deep within the pitch-black shadows of the hibiscus bushes, a figure stood entirely motionless.
It was Andrew.
He knew it was wrong. He knew it was dangerous. But the absolute, torturous gravity of his crush on you pulled him toward that window like a magnet every single time you stayed over. He stood in the dark, his large hands resting against the stucco wall of the house, his unblinking, pale blue eyes wide and blown out as he watched you through the gap in the curtains.
His breath left his body in a shaky, silent gasp. In the soft, amber light of the bedroom lamp, your rich brown skin looked flawless. He watched the elegant line of your spine as you turned, his gaze tracking the exact contour of your waist and the tight lace of the corset accentuating your frame. He was completely under your spell, his chest rising and falling in shallow, ragged pants. To Andrew, you weren't just a girl he liked; you were an absolute, terrifying force of nature that made the constant, chaotic noise in his head completely freeze. He watched you move with a reverence that bordered on religious, his knuckles turning white against the wall.
Inside the room, you stepped over to the desk to grab an oversized pajama shirt. But as you reached for it, you caught a subtle, sudden movement through the dark glass of the window the slight rustle of a leaf that didn't match the rhythm of the wind.
You paused, your fingers hovering over the fabric. You didn't scare easily, and you knew the Cody house inside out. You knew Baz was out, Julia was gone, and Smurf’s car wasn't in the driveway.
A slow, knowing smile crept onto your face. *Andrew.*
Instead of pulling the oversized shirt on immediately, you deliberately took your time. You stood right in the center of the lamplight’s glow, slowly reaching back to unhook the top portion of the black lace corset, letting the fabric loosen just enough to expose a bit more skin. You casually shook out your sunset-colored curls, letting them tumble around your shoulders, entirely aware of the intense, burning pair of eyes watching your every single move from the darkness. You loved knowing the power you held over him; you loved knowing that with just a single movement, you could completely unhinge the most dangerous boy in Oceanside.
After a few agonizingly slow minutes, you finally slid the oversized pajama shirt over your head, completely covering yourself. You walked over to the window, sliding the glass open all the way and leaning your forearms on the sill, looking directly into the dark bushes.
"You know, Andrew," you whispered into the quiet night air, your voice dripping with a lazy, teasing amusement. "If you wanted a private show, all you had to do was ask nicely."
A violent, frantic rustle of leaves instantly erupted from the bushes.
Andrew stumbled backward out of the foliage, his face completely pale before turning a dangerous, explosive shade of dark purple. He looked like a deer caught in high-beam headlights, his wide blue eyes terrified, embarrassed, and completely exposed. He gripped the hem of his shirt, his chest heaving as he stared at you, completely frozen.
You didn't yell at him. You didn't threaten to tell Smurf. Instead, you just let out a soft, melodic laugh, resting your chin in your palm. "Goodnight, handsome. Try to get some sleep."
You slid the window shut and pulled the blinds down, leaving Andrew standing alone in the dark yard, his heart beating so hard he could feel it in his teeth, completely and utterly trapped in your web.
The following afternoon, the tension inside the Cody house was thick enough to cut with a knife. You were sitting on the living room couch, lazily spinning one of the wheels on your skateboard with your thumb.
Smurf was standing by the kitchen counter, fixing a pitcher of sweet tea. Her sharp eyes kept flicking over to you, her jaw tight with a cold, calculated fury. She had noticed the subtle change in Andrew all morning he was even more distracted than usual, his eyes constantly darting toward the front door as if he were waiting for something. She knew it was because of you.
The front door groaned open, and Andrew walked in, carrying a heavy box of tools from the garage. He looked exhausted, the dark circles under his eyes deeper than usual from a night spent completely awake.
The moment he saw you sitting on the couch, he physically stumbled, nearly dropping the heavy box. The dark red flush immediately took over his face, his eyes shifting frantically between you and his mother.
"Hi, Andrew," you greeted smoothly, stopping the spinning wheel of your skateboard. You slid off the couch, walking over toward the kitchen counter with a loose, confident stride. You stopped just a foot away from him, deliberately leaning your hip against the counter, right in Smurf’s direct line of sight. "You look tired. Didn't sleep well last night?"
Andrew’s breath hitched. He set the tool box down with a loud, clattering crash, his hands trembling slightly as he avoided your gaze. "I... I had stuff to do. In the yard."
"Oh, really?" you teased, a wicked, brilliant spark in your dark eyes as you reached out, your fingers gently brushing against his forearm. You felt the muscles beneath his denim jacket instantly lock up, turning hard as stone at your touch. "Must have been some really interesting yard work. You should invite me to help next time."
Andrew looked like he was about to faint. His mouth opened and closed, his wide blue eyes staring down at you with a mix of absolute devotion and sheer panic.
Beside you, the sound of Smurf stirring the pitcher of sweet tea became dangerously loud, the spoon clinking violently against the glass. Smurf stepped around the counter, her face a mask of terrifying, icy hostility. She set the pitcher down with a hard, echoing thud.
"That's enough," Smurf hissed, her voice dropping into a venomous, quiet register that usually made her boys instantly drop to their knees. She stepped directly between you and Andrew, forcing her way into his line of sight, her eyes glaring into yours with a pure, possessive hatred. "I told you yesterday, baby. Andrew doesn't have time for your little games. He belongs to this family, and he has work to do. You need to take that plastic toy of yours and get out of my house."
The room went dead silent. Andrew stood behind his mother, his eyes wide with a sudden, volatile flash of anxiety, his gaze moving between the two women who held entire control over his mind.
You didn't flinch. You didn't take a single step back from Smurf's imposing, icy glare. Instead, you just let out a soft, dry chuckle, looking Smurf dead in the eyes with absolute, unbothered confidence.
"It's a skateboard, Janine. Not a toy," you corrected smoothly, your voice perfectly calm. You deliberately leaned around Smurf's shoulder, locking your eyes back onto Andrew’s panicked ones. You gave him a slow, incredibly sweet wink, completely undermining his mother's authority right in front of her face. "See you around, Andrew. Don't forget about that yard work."
You walked back over to the couch, picking up your skateboard and sliding the strap of your messenger bag over your shoulder. You walked toward the front door with a slow, confident saunter, entirely unfazed by the toxic energy vibrating through the room.
As the front door clicked shut behind you, Smurf turned slowly to face her son, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. "Andrew. Look at me."
But Andrew didn't look at her. For the first time in his life, he kept his eyes fixed on the front door, his mind entirely occupied by the girl with the fiery red-and-orange hair, completely leaving his mother alone in the dark.