Flaky allowed her smooth hands to drift over the dried work of pottery molded to resemble a larger pot. She dipped them in its basin temporarily and withdrew after finding it wasn't deep enough.

"That w-wouldn't work," said Flaky as she touched her hair contemptuously, asking herself whether she should have still gotten it, or searched more. "Maybe if I—no, not that either."

She monitored Lifty's actions, the thief jabbing his hand on a cactus and grunting. He made the noise more out of the want to be heard and given attention, miming the sound of real pain. Flaky giggled breezily and said, "L-Lifty?"

Lifty rubbed the pricked finger and swiped his tongue over the drop of blood he squeezed out, much to Flaky's disgust. "Eh yeah?"

"Can you help m-me pick out a flower pot for outside?" asked Flaky tentatively. "I-I can't pick by myself, so can you help me? You could pick one you like, I'm sure it'll be p-pretty!"

"Help you pick a pot?" Lifty said. His words were mumbled, but the meaning of the tone he took was there. And if his voice didn't say no, the uprising of his brow did the trick. "Why do you even want one?"

"I-I think I want a fern . . or another medium-sized plant . . something to brighten up the porch," Flaky whispered quietly and added in the following seconds, "but you don't h-have to, that is, if y-you don't want to . . ."

The pots surrounding them were all painted in gaudy colors that were turned dull in the sunlight; it was as though a group of Easter egg painters had come and been unleashed on the pottery. Designs simplistic, they didn't give an impact that would have her porch be counted as unique. There were plants that ranged from the color of an autumn gold to the reds of pomegranate seeds, but they would not be given a passing glance if the vase was not right.

These were the thoughts that Flaky was having, the female noticing every last detail and how they would clash with one another if she bought this plant and that vase.

But Lifty was more concentrated on the cash register, it being opened with every new purchase of a customer buying seeds and fertilizer. The muscle behind his eye was triggered when he heard the ring of the money holder each time it was opened, spewing quieted curses to whoever the genius who made a ringing register in the beginning. Not to say it was only made it worse that Lumpy was taking his shift just then, the dunce wouldn't notice if he took some bills.

Lumpy was giving the wrong amount of change out anyways, what would be the harm if he just—

"Lifty?"

And like that, he was broken from his money induced trance and snapped back to Flaky's question. She was staring at the register also, but her intentions couldn't have been anywhere close to his.

"D-do you want to help me? I could really u-use it, and it'd be fun for you to choose too!"

He was urged to snap that she had two arms and two legs, she didn't need his assistance, but he bit his tongue. "Hmm, and what do I get in return~?" It didn't matter if his living conditions had changed, he ways and rules of being paid back stood strong.

Flaky anticipated this question, handing him a gift card to, "Russel's Fish Eatery," Lifty voiced unenthusiastic about his payment. "Thanks, you must've gone all out on this, I'm so glad I'm in your thoughts~"

"I'm happy you like it," she blushed sheepishly. That wasn't a very thoughtful gift, payment, but she had scraped it up on the spot. "Russel g-gave it to everyone who helped with his restaurant, and I don't like fish so I thought you could use it?"

"I didn't get one and I helped too, that cheapass pirate." He didn't have a taste for fish either, but he wanted free things too. That was his time that he wouldn't get back, about five minutes of gawking at Splendid was enough to earn him a card.

Lifty, after another time of Flaky telling, insisting, him to help her, dragged himself to the shelves. They held the pots that were specialized for small trees and such; the orange-brown rust color wasn't the only option. There was an ashen holder on the lowest shelf, it was better than the rest, but he wasn't up for bending down.

He soon gave up trying to get it to move by glaring and knelt down. The pot, he found out, was cracked on the side and would leak water if poured in. But farther back was another identical to it, and Lifty was stretching for that perfect one. Cobwebs and dust didn't cause a disturbance, but why he was going this far just for a pot was beyond him. He could have picked an equally nice one on a higher shelf and saved him the trouble, but . . .

Lifty had barely grasped its handles when he felt a kick that held back nothing sent to his bottom. His head cracked against the underside of the shelf above him and caused him to let go of the pot.

With a sharp hiss and pained spots in his vision, he was going to kill the bratty kid who had decided to kick him. Some brats thought they could get away with anything; a good boxing in the ear would show them better.

"You freaking kid," Lifty said and shimmed out from the confined space. "Your stupid mother hasn't told you that you can't be kicking strangers in the ass has sh—" He was out, able to look up and choke on his last words.

"Hey, little brother~"

Lifty scrambled away, much to his later shame, from the sadistic fang toothed grin. Shifty's eyes were alight when he saw how his presence was bothering his younger twin. Ah, he hadn't expected acknowledging who he was, let alone think of him as his family anymore.

His fedora was pulled low over the left side of his face and hiding the vivid bruise; bandage wrapped hand behind him as well; he didn't want to show any weakness to the lower sibling and make himself look inferior to pain. If he was going to get his original helper back, he'd have to seem in charge. Lifty was a wuss, hardly disobeying his brother's most outrageous plans and listening to any and all things he said. This would be a piece of cake.

Lifty sat staring wide eyed at his lookalike, emotions flickering through his face in indecision and giving Shifty a window into his thoughts. There was first anger and resentment, which faded to hurting, that soon vanished into worry fused with defensiveness. His little bro was so easy to read, just like an open book.

"Shifty," Lifty started off stiffly, "what are you doing here."

"I'm hurt," said Shifty in a voice full of melodrama. "Don't I even get a hello~?"

Lifty was back to glaring. He rose up hesitantly and kept a tense hand on the dirt covered table. "Cut the crap, I want to know why you're here," he hissed.

"You really are hurting me, I thought that we could have a happy family reunion~ but I guess not." His twin smirked, indulging in the offense the younger thief took from it. Shifty was pinning it on him and implying it was he who didn't want to get along, the asshole. "Boo, what happened to my loving little brother? The one who looked up to and depended on me for everything?~"

"Shifty, why the fuck are you here . . ?! Just shut up with the fake stuff, you're as happy to see me as I am to you."

Shifty's smile disappeared. "Huh, so you've actually grown a pair in the last, what? Week and a half? Two? And here I thought you'd still be a pussy, but you aren't now, are you?"

Lifty was silent, as was the aisle they were in. Even the flies and bees had stopped their buzzing.

"Course you still are, and you always will be. So, lil bro," he pulled a petal from a flower, "what have you been up to?"

"Why do you care, I know you don't give a fuck about how I'm doing."

"You're smart, and I really don't. I've just been asking myself who your little friend is, the one who took ya in? Ring a bell? Because really, you wouldn't be alive if you were on your own~"

"You're such a dick," accused Lifty through bared teeth. "You think I can't take care of myself, well I can."

Shifty laughed a short, sarcastic chuckle, rolling eyes at the other. "In what world? Come on, fess up, who is it? I never thought that you'd finally have the guts to make friends, and this must be some hell of a friend. Who would take you into their house . ." Rubbing his chin, his smile was enlarged. "Who would let you come into their house, Lifty?"

"Get out of here."

"Oh, someone's on their period~ I might consider leaving you alone if you told me who you're staying with?" Shifty searched the expanse of plants, only finding Lumpy—still trying to give Handy the right change—and a child who was drifting from their parent.

Lifty pushed past him, saying in a guttural voice, "Drop. It."

"Ah ah, we're not done catching up, why are you already leaving?" He barricaded his path with an outstretched arm. "Is there a reason why you're in a rush? Why can't you stay and talk to me, we haven't seen each other for a while, I was starting to miss my brother~"

"Quit it with your bullshit, and move your damn arm."

"Hm, do they have a problem with your cursing? If they do, then I know I've taught you well."

The longer they communicated, the more Lifty was getting fed up with the lies and sugary tone his twin was using. Years of hearing his manipulative tongue paid off, because now he knew Shifty had a hidden purpose for interacting with his brother at all.

"No, they don't."

"And you're still not going to tell me who they are? Keeping me in the dark, Lifty?"

"Because I know that if I tell you," he spat, "you'll find some way to fuck it all up."

Shifty smiled impishly, now knowing how the younger felt towards this person. If he didn't want him to ruin it, it must have been special enough to protect. And that was all the more fun for him. "You think I'd do that? To you? My only brother?" He chuckled again, murmuring sinisterly, "Then you know me better than I thought you did."

Before Lifty could retort, he heard the voice that had become familiar to him, the voice he turned to if he needed to. And it couldn't have sounded more horrible than at that moment.

"L-Lifty, where are you?" Flaky asked, sounding like she was in the next aisle over. "I think I found a good pot, it's pretty and it doesn't cost that much. But . . it's k-kind of heavy and . . ."

The impossible happened, Shifty's smile grew enough to split his face in half. They were quiet until her voice faded to another part of the outside store.

"You little fucker," cackled Shifty. "Flaky's your little friend?! You're smarter than I thought you were, gaining her trust and everything. But I know what you're trying to do, and I just have to say, you're getting to be like me every passing day~"

What was he getting at . . .

"You really are clever, if I had the idea myself I would've done it a long time ago."

"What are you talking about?" questioned Lifty.

"I'm saying that I love the idea of you getting her trust, then," he licked his lips with an expertly darting tongue. "Having her ride you." Lifty choked on his air. "Isn't that is the game you're playing at? It's fucking smart, I might steal it one day."

"What!? T-that's not what I'm doing you dumbass!" This was crossing the line. Wanting nothing but to punch the smirking twin, he glowered at the idea of his hostess with someone as greedy . . stingy . . and animalistic as his brother.

"But let me guess, she hasn't even rode on your dick yet? Pity, she needs some deflowering. Would you ever consider trading spots, just so I can show that redhead something you'd never wanna show her~?"

No, this was far enough. He wasn't going to stand around and listen to his ass of a brother ask if he'd let him take his friend's purity—likely in the most brutal way. Sick.

"Shut up, I'm done talking to you, screw off." He was walking away, keen on finding Flaky, when he stopped dead.

Shifty's tone had changed, now serious from joking. His deep voice was worming into his mind and past his defenses as he said, "You'll never be one of her real friends, if that's what you want. You know why."

"You don't know that. You don't know anything."

"Listen to me, I'm your brother, and would I ever lie to you~?" Interrupting his yes, he spun him around and sneered, Lifty blinking at the dark bruise that the hat no longer hid. That's when he realized just how rundown his twin looked; the bruise, he saw his busted hand, and the how bloodshot his eyes were.

He cringed as the inch taller male moved in closer, hissing out bitterly, "You did this to me, you fucker. You did this."

Lifty, clearing his dry throat, said, "I-I didn't do anything."

"Oh yes you did~" Shifty sighed. "I even had to crush M.A.C, thanks to you, poor guy. Sniffles wouldn't even fix him up, so I came here to take you back."

"The van's parked on the street," he didn't see Lifty's confusion turn to anger. "If we go right now, then Flaky won't even know you're go—"

"No."

Caught off guard, Shifty was stunned at the abrupt answer, but he quickly recovered. "What?"

Lifty shook his hand from his shoulder. "You heard me, brother. I said no." This was either the biggest mistake of his life . . . or the best thing he could do, and if it was going to turn out in devastation, then why did it feel good saying no for once? "You kicked me out of our house, you said you didn't need me anymore . . and you don't even give a fuck about how I've been until your 'assistant' flips out and almost kills you. No, I'm not coming back."

To emphasize that he was serious, he held up both middle fingers and mouthed a long fuck you.

His brother walking away for real now, Shifty called out, "Oh yeah? Well fuck you too! Fuck you! Fuck. You! You're going to regret this, Lifty, mark my words. Her friends aren't going to accept you, you're an outcast. We're in this together, you can't walk away from me Lifty, you fucking pussy!"

The last part barely made it to his ears, but Lifty heard the furious betrayal in it. "They're just waiting to spit on you, stupid. They'll make your life hell, watch, then you'll come crawling back to me. You're gonna regret it. Keep a sharp ear for what Flaky's talking about, and I'll see you later, bro~"

Leaving the angered male behind, he felt lighter, as though a burdening weight had been lifted from his shoulders. But that airy feeling was overshadowed by Shifty's last words; he had said them without a hint of humor or as a taunt. That was enough to worry him, he was aware of how deceptive and how far Shifty would go if he wanted something badly, or if he needed revenge.

He had been in on the plan to call Giggles and tell her Cuddles was cheating, the bubbly girl panicking and confronting him. It had all been planned, down to the moment where she ran from his house in tears, the blonde chasing after her shouting it wasn't the truth, and the truck rumbling by just then. Not seeing it, Giggles was hit with a scream and run over, her boyfriend watching her body being turned into a speed bump and yelling hysterically.

All because Shifty had been pissed off that the skater had cut him in line for ice cream the afternoon before.

That was over nothing, and he had still reacted viciously, cleverly thinking up a plan that would mentally and emotionally hurt him rather than physically. But now, Lifty had rejected his offer and turned away. . . . He knew that it wasn't going to turn out well.

He needed to hide his frazzled look though, for Flaky had spotted him and was pointing to the pot she wanted. He would think about it later that night, try and figure out what Shifty had meant when saying to listen to her conversations.

"C-can you help me pick up that one?" Flaky asked, smiling when he complied without a whine or protest. She tagged along as he hefted the weighing down pot, surprise meeting her in the line that an annoyed Handy was waiting in, his face red and angry.

The twin hadn't seemed exasperated that the construction worker was still holding up the line, Lumpy having brought Toothy to help him count the change right, like he had showed he would be in other times like this. He, instead, looked lost in thought, fingertips hitting the pot without a beat. Flaky had had to call him three times to move up when Handy had lost his patience, stomped out, and left his purchases behind.

"Wha—?" he focused on the redhead and her questioning expression. "Yeah?"

"M-move up, it's our turn Lifty." It wasn't just a hunch, she knew he was thinking and fretting over something, and that was the cause of his recent zone outs. She put the back of her cool hand to his forehead, forgetting they were in public, and said, "You don't feel hot, are you sick?"

The thoughts of what Shifty could do to get his revenge were getting him to feel ill, but he wasn't about to inform her of the details of his and his brothers' confrontation. "Don't worry about it, Flaky, I'm feeling fine. Calm down before your hair turns white~"

Squeaking and grabbing her hair, she paid—Toothy swiping her item in a flash compared to Lumpy, who was sitting on a bucket staring cross eyed at a fly on his nose—and put a dollar in the tip jar.

"Thanks Flaky," Toothy smiled thankfully. "Hope that you have a good day, dude."

"H-heh, thank you, you too. Bye Toothy," Flaky smiled back and followed Lifty while he carried it out, catching herself staring in fascination at his flexing muscles. Ears turning pink when he smirked down at her, she hurried on to the car and opened the trunk for him.

As he placed the pot down, Lifty's gaze landed on the green van across the street. He shuddered as, from the shadowed driver's seat, he saw the grin before it was gone.

Flaky was oblivious to anything, her happy and sweet mood intact as he slid into the car. "Thanks for helping me."

"Yeah, no problem." Lifty looked suspiciously into his reflection from the review mirror, finding no differences in his appearance from the morning to then. What had stricken something inside him was her sentence of thanks, arousing a feeling of peculiarity.

Thanks for helping me.

Helping me.

Helping.

"What the fuck."

xXx

I don't know, something bigger was going to happen in this chapter, but I guess it's moved to the next chap, heh. So yeah, clarification time, Shifty did NOT die last chapter, hence the bruise and lack of hand being fixed.

*enlists aid of Boony to help kill Crystal* Cousin Power! Let's get her! *gets the pitchforks and torches*