like real people do | c.g [#wattys2019]

H E R E

ENID'S VOICE is the first thing that floods my ears as I start to put away the children's discarded knives. Exasperation floods me as I notice the smirk already forming on her lips, my eyes instinctively rolling into the back of my head. Here we go. "Hey, Casey..." She drawls out the last syllable of my name, the pointed edge of a giggle tangling itself at the end of her sentence.

"Don't," I mutter, failing to bite down my bottom lip as it begins to quirk up. I don't truly mind the teasing, even if I do seem annoyed, but I know I'm already tense and their taunting won't help.

"I didn't say anything," She starts, a smile dancing on her lips. When I reply that her tone said enough, she sighs. "Can't even greet my own sister," Enid murmurs, making me grin.

The first time I called Maggie 'mom' was because of little Hershel. It was his first word, so as I carried him and he called out for mommy, I let 'let's go to our mom' slip instead of just 'your'. It made the adult laugh and myself blush, not finding the words to correct my mistake. Instead, though, mom just hugged me and kissed the top of my head. Enid followed suit a couple hours later by very quietly addressing me 'as a sister to her'. Her shyness made my heart twist but it also swelled at the meaning behind her words. I held her very tight that day, smiling brightly as I told her she was my sister too. Forever.

So, I allow myself happiness at the word before replying. "Not when you're acting like a child-" She cuts me off as we approach the dark wooden dining area by the Barrington House. We've expanded the walls a great deal in the past couple years, and Maggie insisted on doing community activities, so once a week (or a couple times a month, depending on how crops are doing), the whole community gets together to have a big joint dinner. It's pretty fun and allows everyone to get together and enjoy the night. Hence the long, long tables, where right now, our friends are.

On those nights, the tables are filled completely, people sitting down and getting up as they rotate to speak or dance or eat some more. But now they lie mainly deserted, their only occupants being the teenagers huddled at the edge of the first one.

"Shorties!", A familiar voice calls out as we make their way closer to them. Rowlyn's tone makes me roll my eyes again and Jo's quick to point out, as she always does, that 'They'll get stuck like that'.

"I'll deal with that when it happens," I mutter under my breath as I plop myself down on the bench beside her, letting my head fall over her shoulder as Enid makes her way to the other side toward Lyla, who's sitting on the table. Someone's probably already yelled at her for that, but she seems not to care as Enid sits down as leans on her legs affably as a greeting. "And, for the record, you're two inches taller than me, asshole. You're short too."

"I know. We're the Shorty Club, remember? You're the shortest, then me, then Enid. There's a hierarchy, respect it, Case." He commands. I almost sigh at his antics as I feel Jo laugh from beside me, whispering something to Andrew about our bickering getting old fast. Rowlyn interrupts her as well. "Stop complaining, I'm a damn delight,"