The Clock

Aiden

Aiden tackled Cassidy to the ground, laughing as she struggled to shove him off of her. She was laughing too, moving her hands all over as she tried to keep them free of Aiden's grasp. "Oh stay still!" Aiden ordered, finally grabbing her arms and pinning them above her. "I just want a little kiss."

"No way Aid," Cassidy said, still laughing as she moved her head side to side in attempt to keep him from landing his kiss, now kicking her legs as if that'd make him get off.

Aiden wasn't giving up. Just as relentless as Cassidy was, he grabbed her wrists in mid-air and kept them pinned above her head with one hand, using his other to firmly grasp her shaking head. "Damn it Cass, you look like you're having a freaking seizure." Managing to keep her head still, he bent down, kissing her deeply. "Mmm, much better," he murmured softly in her ear. "Like strawberries."

He continued to kiss her and eventually she stopped resisting, relaxing in his embrace. He let go of her arms, running both hands through her hair as Cassidy wrapped her arms around his neck. These were the moments of absolute bliss. The ones where they were alone, just the two of them. Their kissing session ended shortly—Aiden and Cassidy really didn't care to keep them going for that long—and the two sat up.

Smiling, Aiden began to brush the autumn leaves from Cassidy's hair. Suddenly his eyes grew wide and his soothing touch recoiled. "Sp-sp-spider!" Aiden shouted in a scared voice.

That was enough to send Cassidy into a fit of shaking her head wildly, screaming "Get it out! Get it out! Get it out, get it out, get it out!" Aiden fell back, laughing harder than before. Too late, Cassidy realized as she watched him roll with laughter. Just another one of his stupid jokes.

Finally he sat up. "Oh god, that was too easy," he said between gasps for breath, holding the side of his torso from laughing.

"You butt head," Cassidy accused, her face turning red with anger.

In a huff she got up, stomping across her backyard towards the house. Before Aiden had gotten up she was already inside, locking the door behind her. Aiden walked over, still chuckling slightly. He knocked on the glass of the sliding door. "Come on Cass, it was just a joke."

Cassidy wouldn't budge.

"Caaasssss" he began to sing. Instead of opening the door, Cassidy stuck her tongue out at him.

"You can't be mad at me forever."

With a defiant "humph", Cassidy pressed a button on the control panel in the wall. Immediately the sprinkles came on, drenching Aiden.

"Cass, this is going to ruin my hair!" Aiden said, no longer singing and playfully teasing. Cassidy made a mockful pouty face before turning up the sprinkles even higher.

"Cass, you better turn this sprinkler off...Cass!"

But Cassidy didn't pay much attention to his shouting. She continued to dance behind the safe barrier provided by the screen door. "What's going on here?" Cassidy's brother asked as he entered the kitchen.

"Quinlan," Aiden said, happy to see his best friend standing there. "Open the door for me?"

While most best friends would have happily let Aiden stand behind that screen, Quinlan was also Cassidy's brother. And nothing brought Quinlan greater joy than messing with his sister. "Sure thing." And despite Cassidy's protest, Quinlan slid open the door. Before she could even react, Cassidy found herself being pulled outside into the shower of the sprinklers as Quinlan closed the door behind her.

"Quinlan!" she shouted but he was already gone. Rather than continue screaming she turned around and shoved Aiden. "Jerk face!" she accused.

Aiden merely shoved her right back. "Fat rat."

"Pig Nose."

"Sewer stench."  Back and forth they traded insults and shoves.  And then Aiden slipped, falling straight onto his back. Cassidy began to giggle until Aiden grabbed her foot and pulled, sending her down to the ground as well. "That's more like it," he said, grabbing her waist and pulling her into his arms.

"You really are a butt head," Cassidy said as she snuggled into his arms.

Aiden smiled contently. "I know."

They sat outside, under the pour of the sprinklers, Cassidy running her thumb absently along Aiden's wrist. Along his Clock, which, like hers, read 00:00:00. Where it had been since Aiden was three and first laid eyes on his best friend's new baby sister.