Social Experiment

32 | The Talk

Comment your thoughts!! Photo above is of Lauren :)
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Nathan and I had a routine. Every day, we met at my locker and walked to the parking lot together. We got in our respective cars and met back at Nathan's house, where we would walk in and relieve my mom of her duties. Usually, she and Bennett were doing something that couldn't be interrupted, and Nate and I joined until they were finished. 

Like yesterday, for example. They were in the middle of a thousand piece puzzle and my mom informed me that it was critical they finish before the day was over. So Nathan and I sat on the floor, surrounded by the remaining hundred or so puzzle pieces, and helped put together the larger image. It took an hour and a half to complete, but none of us moved until it was completely finished. 

Today was no exception. We crept inside Nathan's house to hear childish laughter coming from the kitchen and we followed the noise. I found my mom shaking with laughter as Bennett sat on the counter beside her with flour coating his right cheek and his head thrown back in laughter. There were ingredients spread across the counter and I knew we stumbled in on them making cookies. 

My own smile threatened to spill on my lips at the sight as the sounds of their laughter mingled together to create an innocent yet lovely symphony. I snuck a glance at Nathan and, instead of seeing his usual amused expression when he get to his house and see a scene like this, his eyes held a somber sheen I wasn't used to. His smile wasn't happy or amused, but longing. 

"Than!" Bennett cries, and I quickly divert my gaze from Nathan to the little grinning boy. "You're home!" 

Nathan blinks and in an instant manages to cover up the sadness with his usual brotherly smile. He ran a hand through his hair casually, but I knew Nathan well enough to know it was a sign of distress. "I see you're feeling better, huh?"

Bennett grins toothily. "I feel normal and Marie took my temperature."

"He doesn't have a fever," My mom chirps with a motherly smile as she looks fondly from Bennett to Nathan. "He's been feeling much better since he woke up."

Selfishly, I would miss our routine, but I was happy that Bennett wasn't sick anymore. "That's great."

"Yeah," Nathan agrees and looks at Bennett tauntingly. "Now you're going to have to go back to school."

The toothy, childish grin that Bennett was sporting before completely wiped off his face and was replaced by a look of utter horror. "Really?"

Nathan smirks and I find myself chuckling lightly to myself. These Rhodes boys were too amusing, and that was without Ty here, too. My mom seems to be following my train of thought because she grins at Bennett and Nathan. 

"Really," Nate exaggerates, and then softens his tone. "I bet your buddies at school miss you."

Apparently, this softens the blow for Bennett, because his frown fades and he ends up getting distracted by the bowl of cookie dough in my moms hands. "Marie, are we going to bake these? I'm hungry."

She nods and shoots me and Nathan a look. "Go, you're crowding the kitchen. I have to get this batch in the oven. Bennett's orders."

Nathan's smirk is replaced with an amused smile. "The baking sheets are-"

"In the cabinet next to the oven, I know." My mom supplements with a wave of her hand that was meant to dismiss us.