Off The Ice

Chapter 35

~~~Harry's POV~~~

"I'm back!! And I brought stuff for dinner and stuff to spend the night. That is if you want me to," Sutton says, coming in through the front door of the house at 4:45 and setting her bags of food on the kitcehn counter. She has on black leggings and an oversized sweater that's so big that the sleeves would fall over her arms if she put them down by her side. Her hair is up in a messy ponytail with the curly ends bouncing everywhere. She has on makeup, which she didn't when she was here earlier, and my glasses are on her face.

"Has there ever been a time I turned you away?" I stand up and walk over to her, wrapping her arms around her back to pull her in for a tight hug. Her body is freezing and there are little flurries in her hair. "Is it snowing outside?"

"Just a little bit. They said it'll only add an inch or two to what's already on the ground," she explains. "It's oddly quiet. Where's Gemma?"

"She went out five minutes after you did. She's not back yet."

"Did you go to class today?"

"Do I ever go to class?"

"You are a moron. It's only your money you're wasting." She puts her hands over mine as they rest on her stomach and then looks down. "Really? You didn't clean your hands?"

"I feel like these should be rhetorical questions at this point."

"You going to get an infection one day and then I'm going to laugh and watch as it spreads to your entire body, saving your heart cavity for last and then you die a slow, painful death."

"I questions what goes on in your mind sometimes," I say.

"More people should. Come on," she replies, unwrapping herself from me and tugging me in the direction of the hallway.

"Where are we going?"

"To clean the blood off of your hands, duh."

"Okay, mum."

"Hey, you asked for it." I watch as she wets a cloth with warm water and then uses it to gently scrub away the dried blood on my knuckles. The water in the sink is dark red as she does this and it's a familiar sight. It seems I'm always having her clean my bloody hands. "Are you worried about Gemma?"

"No, why would I be?" I reply. 

"She's gone out into a city she doesn't know, the only person the knows being Hastings, and she hasn't come back yet."

"She wouldn't go near Hastings. Even Gem isn't that thick."

"Well then where would she go?"

"Probably whatever shopping center is nearest. Gem loves buying things, that's why she's so broke. I don't know how she even afforded to come here."

"Maybe she goes to clearance racks. That's what Addie does and she has a lot of clothes."

"Eh whatever. It's not a big deal," I shrug as Sutton dries off my hands with a red towel, probably so it wouldn't show too bad of a stain.

"Do you think she'll be back for dinner?"

"I have no idea. What did you bring to make anyway?"

"Uhm, it's kind of different and some people don't like it but I'm forcing you to try it."

"What is it?"

"Tuna Casserole." 

"Sounds interesting. I'll give it a go."

"I was gonna make it regardless of what you said."

"I wouldn't expect anything less."

"Now go watch a movie so I can have my workspace in the kitchen."