Chase You

12; déjà vu

Shrugging to myself at my own question, I tightened my arms around Casey as we walked through Ben's neighbourhood. It wasn't the safest, and I wouldn't want anything happening to my only sister.

Karen would probably kill me, too. There's always that.

"That's Harry's room- let's throw snowballs." Casey said mischievously and wiggled out of my grip.

"As much as I'd to, I don't think their mum and dad would like it." I commented, refraining from doing as she says. It sounded like fun but the last thing I wanted was to get screamed at and then asked to clean the windows. I did that for Zach once, and then spent the afternoon wiping snow and water marks from the windows I threw it at.

"You don't know?" Casey asked and cocked her brow at me.

"Know what?"

"They have two mums, not a mum and a dad." She said in a quiet voice.

"Wait really? Damn, I once accused Ben of being homophobic. Oh well." I shrugged, feeling heat rise to my cheeks. In fact, I've said it on multiple occasions.

The door opened and I figured somebody probably heard us talking outside. How long had we been stood here exactly?

Ben was stood there, shovel in hand and looking a little surprised more than anything. He was dressed in a thick winter coat with a checkered scarf and a black beanie with a bobble on top. He looked kind of adorable.

"Uh, hi?"

"Is Harry there?" Casey blurted out, Ben just nodded slowly, still looking completely puzzled.

"He's sleep-" before he could finish, Casey rushed past him and ran up the stairs, shouting a 'great!". I chuckled, feeling a little sorry for Harry who will soon have a rude awakening.

"You do realise there's a wolfdog behind you." Ben raised his brow and pointed his shovel slightly in Ember's direction.

"Yes, she's mine. I still need to get dog clothes and a proper collar. The current one isn't pimp enough. Stop nagging me, God."

Speechless, he froze before shoving me out the way and shovelling near his car. "You know, just because we had that talk about feelings and shit in Starbucks doesn't mean we should act any differently than we used to."

"What happened to our clean slate?"

"You were the one to say, and I quote, 'fuck clean slates'." He gave me a pointed look and threw some snow in the corner of the driveway.

"Yeah... It's just not who we are, you know?" I mused. I can't do the clean slate thing because what happened in the past is unforgettable, and it just seems so fake when we try to talk nice to each other. Where's all the cuss words? What about the threats and the torment? I liked that stuff.. Wait, does that make me some kind if sadist?

"Are you going to shovel or cry about your feelings?"

I rolled my eyes and grabbed the shovel he passed me before shovelling snow from the same area he was occupying while he went to get another one.

"This is definitely déjà vu." I said to myself.

"What's that hon?"