Warm

Four

"Hey Dean" he greeted, smiling.

God that smile. I rarely got to see him smile when we were kids, but when he did it was beautiful, it still was.

"You two...know each other?" Caity asked, surprised yet intrigued.

I just stood there staring at him, and he stared back at me, though he didn't look surprised to see me, in fact he was smiling.

"When... when did you" I tried to speak, "when did you get back?"

"Saturday actually" he replied.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I questioned.

"I actually came by your house, didn't know if you'd want to see me though" he replied, scratching the back of his neck nervously.

"Sorry am I missing something?" Caity asked, confused.

"Uh... Ben and I were best friends when we were younger" I explained, "Ben this is Caity, Caity Wells"

He finally took his eyes off me, "nice to meet you"

"Likewise" Caity said, flirtatiously.

He took a drag from his ciggarette, "This has been nice but I gotta go, I'll see you later, Dean"

He smiled, dropping the cigarette and stepping on it before walking away.

"Benny huh?" Caity asked.

"He doesn't like being called Benny" I replied.

"He didn't seem to mind it just now" she said, "lets go my parents are having a dinner party later"

I walked into my house and saw my mom's coat on the coat rack.

"Mom?" I called out.

I stepped into the kitchen to see my mother icing cupcakes, still in her nurses uniform.

"Hello sweetheart" she greeted warmly.

"Hey" I greeted back, "what're you doing home I thought you were working late?"

"I am, Im going back later for night shift" she answered, "do you want to help me"

"Sure" I replied, "Ben Pierce is back"

"The boy you lived across the street?" She asked.

I nodded in response.

"You two were really close from what I remember" she stated.

"I guess" I replied, "he's very different though"

"How so?"

"Well for starters he's not so small and scrawny anymore and he smokes" I said.

She hummed in response.

We finished icing the rest of the cupcakes in silence.

"Keep esos dedos sucios away!"  she scolded as I ate left over frosting out of the mixing bowl.