I never expected anything to come it, such a simple gesture, but then I guess that's kind of how these things always tend to start, a timid wave, a curious laugh, a kind nod… for me it was a smile, a shy lopsided smile that made me blush and smile back.

"Look at that, already someone I need to beat up." I laughed and kicked the cocky blonde in shin with my pink ballerina shoe.

I picked up a box with my name messily scribbled on the side "yeah, and we'll have to move before we've even unpacked or you'll just get locked up for assault on a minor."

"Hey, that's what big brothers are for…and you know you love me for it." he then nuzzled a kiss into my cheek before racing off and I growled, rubbing my cheek onto the arm of my sweater.

"Nikolai, you little freak!" I called after him while he dodged through the movers and laughed "Say's the girl in the batman skirt."

With a shake of my head I scurried after him while smirking "Douche-lord!"

"Freak-queen!" he smiled back, and my eyes didn't wonder to the blue eyed boy watching us from down the street with a sad little smile on his face… except I did and I smiled back.

If only then I'd known what damage a smile could do.

It wasn't until almost a week later that I actually spoke to him, we'd shared sweet smiles as Nik and I set up the house, ending up in a game of tag and some minor bruises that he'd watched from where he was mowing the lawn.

I guess in a way it was my fault… ok it was totally my fault.

Because our first meeting wasn't by design, it was by me hitting him with my car "FUCK!"

I raced out of my dark pink beetle and raced to the back of my car, yeah, I was backing out my driveway and hit the cute neighbor boy "please don't be dead, please don't be dead… shit, I am so sorry. Are you ok? Please be ok."

The mild chuckle made me meet those baby blues attached to the guy sprawled out on in my yard "not dead…"

I smiled awkwardly before reaching down to help him up, I noticed the small whimper of pain and almost jump "I hurt you, fuck, I'm so sorry… let me see…"

"No!" the moment my hand touched his shirt he all but screamed at me.

At the look of my wide green eyes I'm guessing he realized that he was holding my wrist in a vice and had all but screamed at me, the lopsided smile on his face was awkward as he drops my wrist and rubs at the back of his neck "sorry… I just mean, come on you were going, what, two miles per hour in a pretty pink little car and I managed to get hit. The only thing hurt is my ego."

I couldn't help but laugh a little and smiled as the cute guy picked up his bike "right, next to being beat up by a girl I guess being run over by one isn't the best thing for a guy's rep. hey why don't I give you a ride to make up for the almost-killing-you."

"Nah it's cool, really I'm just going to work." he said with that perfect little smile that almost made me want to punch him.

"Dude, I just knocked you over with my car… a ride is the least I could do, so grab the bike and get in." he seemed almost taken back by my smirking demand but quickly moved to fit his bike into the back seat using the seatbelts to secure it and I was thankful I had the top down because I'm not sure it's fit.

He climbed into the passenger seat and laughed "so I take it you like pink."

"Me? No way!" I laughed because yeah, my car is a dark pink, my inter is white with powder pink lining and a pink pearl rosary hanging from my mirror "Where do you work again?"

"The Cemetery on 5th, not that I actually told you." he laughed and it was then I realized I didn't even know his name as he stared out the window and fingers drummed along to the radio.

I tried to focus on the roads and look for the turn off to 5th street "Right, I don't know your name either, I mean your letter box say's Lahey, but I'm assuming you have a first name to match."

"No, just Lahey, like Madonna…" his face is serious for all of five seconds before he breaks out those pearly whites "Isaac, um, it's Isaac."

He kept switching from cocky to unsure and it pulled me in as I pulled up beside the black paint-chipped gates of the graveyard "Isaac, it's cute, suites you."

He sits staring at me for a long moment with those big baby blues before asking "do I get your name or…?"

"Right, I'm Brae, Brae Cavanaugh; this chick that runs over the neighbors and puppy's." I smiled as he moved to get his bike out of the car.

I watched him and wondered; could we be friends?

"Are you calling me a puppy?" he has on that serious face again, the one that isn't real as I laugh "please you wish you were that cute."

"So you think I'm cute?" he said it with that serious tone again, but the playfulness in his eyes gave him away.

I rolled my eyes back, flipping away the long golden locks from my face as I smiled "not as cute as me and definitely not as cute as a puppy."

"That's not an answer." He did this head tilt that actually did remind me of a puppy.

I didn't bother to even acknowledge the small blush on my cheeks as I shrugged "sure it is. Got to run, or my brother is going to flay me… have a nice night Puppy."

Driving off I hear him call "I thought I wasn't cute enough to be a puppy!"

But I didn't look back, I didn't…ok so I looked in the mirror but hey, Isaac Lahey is seriously hot and not a total jackass, in this day and age that's not an easy combo to find.

By the time I actually got to the dinner Nik had already ordered for me, sat nursing his beer with a frown "Brae, you're late."

I kiss his cheek before taking the seat facing him in the booth "Sorry, I gave Isaac a ride to work."

"Who the hell is Isaac?" he looked pretty puzzled and pulled at the tie around his neck like it was a noose.

I shrugged and took a sip of my waiting soda "the boy from up the street, the one with the bike. I kind of hit him as I was backing out, no damage, but I offered him a ride to make it up. No big."

He stared at me for a long minute before smiling with a shake of his head "trust you to hit someone before leaving the house."

"Screw you, if I remember correctly you totaled both the first and second car you had so…" I pulled a tongue at him childishly just as the waitress come over with our food, bacon cheese burger and curly fries.

We tucked into our meal, forgetting all about my tardiness as my brother says "oh and I talked to the school today, got all the transfer stuff done so you'll be starting Monday."

"Cool, I just hope this one's better than the last, and the one before that." I hadn't meant it to sound mean but I knew it had.

Nik's hand was suddenly holding mine as he smiled whole-heartedly "hey, this time will be different ok? Thing's will be better now… hey look at me."

I do, I look him in the eye, the eyes he shares with me and I feel like a little girl again, looking to him like he's my own personal superhero. His hand squeezed my tiny one as he leaned in "this is our fresh start, a real job and house, no more cons, no more running… I promise Annabrae, we're free now."

I couldn't help but smile at the use of my full name and return the small squeeze of his hand, it was a big promise to make, a scarier one to face. Nikolai and I have been playing this game for so long I thought we'd die before reaching the end of the board, but here we are, we're out.

But could we ever really be free?

Be normal?

Yeah, I don't think so either.