This Shan't be Here Forever

'Ben!' she called out loudly. As was usual, Ben didn't answer on her first call. It was almost half past two, which meant, Ben had to be home almost forty-five minutes ago. Baseball practice ended at one.

She gathered that he might be upstairs in his room, with his ears blocked by the wretched pair of headphones that were already impairing his hearing while he wasn't plugging them to his ears.

'How many times have I-' Lisa had already started on her customary lecture of how injurious the repeated usage of such devices was to one's health, both explicitly and otherwise, without even bothering to care for his presence in the room, as she shoved the door open.

-'told you not to'- she stopped short when she realised that the only audience she had were the rock band posters Ben had decorated the walls with.

Slight panic seized her, while she hurriedly tried his cellphone.

The call went unanswered.

She debated calling Dean to search for him. Somehow, Dean would worry himself sick, and he had a terrible lot on his plate to be bothered with right then. So, she chose to oppose her persistent instinct of involving Dean into this.

She tried Ben's cell again, hoping against hope that this time, her call would have the privilege of catching her son's attention. The customary ring resumed while her hypersensitive ears began scanning the immediate surroundings to detect the tiniest evidence of Ben's arrival.

CLACK!

Lisa thought she'd heard the sound of the doorknob being turned. She tried to strain herself a tad bit more to reconfirm when-

-CLACK!- 

came the noise for a second time and this time a cacophony of two male voices succeeded the sound of the doorknob.

'Didn't I tell you, Ben?-' she heard from upstairs, -'Always watch the sides. Always.'

'Yeah, yeah I see what you mean.' Ben was saying while the two high-fived.

'Dean?' Lisa called out while she began descending the stairs, evident relief written all over her face.

'Hey mom!' - Ben exclaimed chirpily as he saw her, -'Dean came by to pick me up from baseball practice!' he said happily, while Dean patted him on his back.

Lisa somehow, couldn't help noticing the happiness that reflected itself on their faces. Clearly, Dean had taken him for a slight ice-cream treat, or, maybe the two had been busying themselves with a detailed discussion of "Shark Week" or baseball and had hence lost track of time. So she didn't bother to ask for an explanation.

'So champ'- Dean said, -why don't you freshen up and help mom with the dishes for lunch?'

Ben nodded and left.

'Man, I'm starving!' Dean blurted as he flumped himself on the sofa, while Lisa watched him do so.

' Dean?' she said, while he made himself comfortable.

'Yeah!' came the obvious nonchalant reply while he fidgeted around for the remote.

'Thank you.' he thought he'd heard her say.

That made him assume a gait of seriousness in his demeanour.

'What for?' he asked puzzled, completely forgetting the quest for the remote.