The One That Got Away || Benny Weir

02

"Have fun wherever you're going!" Reagan yells.

"Thanks!"

Jane drags the two girls towards Sarah and Reagan in the kitchen, digging through the freezer for popsicles.

"Found the bandages," Ethan says as he walks down the last step on the stairs.

"And we found our secret stash of fudgsicles!" Jane yells as she runs towards her brother, accidentally getting some of her fudgsicle on his pants.

"Ah, Jane!" Ethan scolds.

Sarah and Reagan walk in slightly laughing.

"Nice," Sarah smirks. "I guess now we're even."

Ethan scoffs. "Here." He throws her the pack of bandages.

The front door knocks which alarm Sarah. She grabs the nearest thing which was a wooden umbrella and runs in front of the three.

"I got pop, chips, and the first season of 'The Bloodsucker Diaries'. Who--" The voice that belongs to Benny stops talking as he noticed Ethan, Sarah, and Reagan by the front door. He pops his fake vampire teeth in awkwardness as he stares at Reagan.

"Where's your bathroom?" Sarah asks Ethan.

"Down that hall to the left," Ethan says, pointing towards the kitchen.

Sarah nods before heading towards the bathroom, Jane following behind her. Reagan continued to stay where she was.

"Dude is that your Robo babe from school?" Benny questions.

"Yes, and I guess Erica couldn't come, so she sent her and Reagan instead," Ethan explains, the two boys looking over at Reagan who wasn't listening in to their conversation.

Feeling eyes on her, she looks up to meet with hazel eyes. "Oh, um, sorry. I'll go check on Sarah."

As she turns around, she scolds herself for being just as awkward as she was when she realized her feelings for Benny. But then she thought, could it be possible that those feelings were still there?

After entering the kitchen, she checked on Sarah, who said she was doing fine, so she just relaxed in the kitchen, looking around as memories flooded her head. She remembered all the times she, Ethan, and Benny would hold cooking contests to see who was the better baker. But it resulted in one huge mess that the three of them had to clean up. Times were much simpler when she had them and her mother. But she remembered her aunt's words about trying to change the future, fix the relationship with the two boys.

Her thoughts were cut off when she heard the two entering the kitchen, talking about how Benny was being a geek.

"Coming from the guy who looks like he pooped his pants from the front," Regan says as she laughs.

Her laugh sounded like heaven to Benny. He definitely missed her over the two years of not talking. With a shake of his head, he turns to Ethan. "Nice job, by the way."

"It's fudgsicle." Ethan tries to defend himself, causing Reagan to laugh more. Despite Ethan being embarrassed, he was glad to see an improvement from Reagan. Just two years ago, she wanted nothing to do with them, but now, she's standing in his kitchen, laughing at him, but like he said, improvement.

"Anyway, let's order some 'zza. I'm starving." Benny says. "I'll call Italiano Deluxe." He pulls out his phone and places it on his ear. "Hey, it's me. Get me the usual and supersize that puppy. I'm next door and it's exactly seven-nineteen. You have thirty minutes or it's free. Engage!"

When he hung up, Ethan went to check on Sarah who was still in the bathroom, leaving Reagan and Benny alone.

It was immediately awkward.

What were they supposed to say? The two haven't talked in two years and they both don't know if the other wanted to talk.

"So--" The two began.

"Sorry." They spoke again.

"You first." Once again.

Reagan winces at how bad the tension was in the room. She sighs. "Benny, I want you to know that I'm really sorry about what happened two years ago. I don't know why I did that."

Benny scoffs. "I don't know either, Reg. One day, we were best friends, then the next, you wanted nothing to do with us. Do you know how awful that felt? To feel abandoned again? You knew how bad it was about my mom leaving, then years later, you do the same."

"That wasn't my intention, Benny. I would never want you to feel that way." Tears start to form in Reagan's eyes.

"Then why?"

"I--"

She was cut off as Ethan made his way back over to them. "Guys, guys! I just saw Sarah in front of the mirror. She was standing in front of it, but she wasn't in it!" He whisper-yells.

Reagan chuckles. "Tell me, Ethan. How much aftershave do you drink? Because hallucinations might be one of the side effects."

"I'm serious," Ethan says. "Her reflection was all wonky. She's not normal; she's like a--"

"You guys don't really need a babysitter, do you?" Sarah interrupts.

"No, my mom just likes to humiliate me to make a point," Ethan tells her.

"Okay, good. I need to find mine and Reagan's friend, Erica. I think she's in trouble." Sarah explains.

"You know, maybe I should come with you. For you know, protection." Ethan says. Reagan and Benny glance at each other, trying to hold in their laughter. When Ethan walks over to her, he stops and gasps, looking into the distance. Reagan and Benny glance at each other again but in confusion.

"Trust me. You don't wanna go out tonight." Sarah says. "Besides, save those 'muscles' for protecting yourself." She chuckles.

"Did you see that?" Ethan asks her.

"Uh, later," Sarah says before walking out the back door.

"Wow." Reagan chuckles as she slowly claps. "I forgot how smooth you were with your words."

"Very impressive," Benny adds.

"I'm telling you, I saw something," Ethan explains. "She's not normal, and I'm going to find out what's going on."

"Ooh, can I come?" Reagan asks. "I haven't done anything this exciting in a long time."

"Yes." Benny quickly says. "Undercover brothers and girl on a mission. I like it."

As the two boys walk away, Reagan spoke. "Aren't you forgetting someone?" Behind her was Jane with crossed arms.

*

"Thanks, Grandma. You're a lifesaver." Benny says to his grandma, leading her into Ethan's house.

"Anytime, dear." She smiles before turning to Reagan. "And you are still beautiful as always, dear. How have you been? Especially after everything with your mother?"

Reagan flinches. It was a hard subject for her to talk about her mother, but she knew she had to talk about it at some point. "I've been good, Ms. Weir. I'm hanging in there."

"Oh, please, don't tell me you forgot to call me by my name." Benny's grandma chuckles.

Reagan nods.

On the other hand, Benny was so blindsided at the fact Reagan left him, he forgot that a few days before, her mother died from cancer. He remembered the day she heard the news. It was as if life exited her body. He tried his best to be there for her, but she just shut everybody out. He wanted to be there for the girl he loved since kindergarten, but he couldn't.

He steps in Reagan's and his grandma's conversation. "If the pizza isn't here in twenty-six minutes, you do not pay a dime." He tells her.

"Don't worry, Evelyn. We'll be back." Reagan promises her.

"I hate being eight..." Jane mutters.