So, I'm just going to warn you, dear readers, that some [actually, I'm pretty sure all of you] are going to be MAJORLY, EXTREMELY pissed with this chapter.

But it had to be done.

Sorry.

Enjoy. [Updated: 2-7-2012]

…

Benny sat in his living room, textbooks strewn across his coffee table.

"I'm going to bomb this midterm," he said, frowning. Sarah shook her head, grabbing his textbook.

"Not with me tutoring you."

"I'm distracted."

"By what?"

"Ethan."

"Ah. Why am I not surprised."

"You know I love him."

"I know. You've told me multiple times. Why do you mention it now?"

"I think I'm going to tell him."

"What?" Sarah asked, dropping the textbook in surprise.

"I said, I think I'm going to tell him."

"What brought this on?"

"When I saw him for Thanksgiving… he told me he was in love with someone, but didn't know if they loved him back. Then when Lily mentioned it, she hesitated, like she knew! Why would he tell her, but not me, his best friend? I can only conclude that it must be me. Plus, you know we've been kissing every time we see each other. I asked him if the person he loved would care, and he said he didn't they would mind."

"Benny… are you sure you're not grasping at loose ends here?"

"You don't think I should tell him?"

"I'm not saying that. I just don't want you to be disappointed if he doesn't like you back."

"I'm willing to take that chance."

"Well then, when are you going to tell him?"

"When he comes to visit for Christmas."

…

Ethan sat in Lily's room, watching her run around, energetic as ever.

"What's Whitechapel like during the winter? What kind of clothes should I pack? What do I need to bring? What's Benny's house like? I can't wait to meet Sarah and Rory!" she said excitedly, throwing stuff into a suitcase as she talked.

"Sheesh Lils, calm down. Just pack warm winter clothes, its winter, its cold. Bring whatever you'd normally bring on a "vacation" as you call it, and Benny's house is a house."

"What's wrong?" she asked, sitting on the floor gracefully, watching him curiously

"Thinking."

"About?"

"Benny. I think … I think he likes me."

"Well duh," Lily said, rolling her eyes. "It's pretty obvious. I mean, when I saw you two together, I could feel the love between you both."

"You think so? I think … I think I'm going to tell him when we go for Christmas. I mean, we kiss every time we see each other, and even held hands at Thanksgiving."

"You should tell him! You'll feel much better if you do."

"What if he doesn't like me back?"

"Ethan, I'm 99 percent sure he loves you just as much as you love him. I can tell."

"I sure hope you're right."

*TIME SKIP* *TIME SKIP* *TIME SKIP* *TIME SKIP* *TIME SKIP* *TIME SKIP*

Ethan sighed happily as he turned in his last midterm and left the classroom. Done with classes for the semester, and now 2 weeks until I get to see Benny and be in his arms again. Life is good.

"Hi Ethan," a voice whispered in his ear as someone grabbed him by the waist and pulled his body against his, electricity running through his body.

"Hello Luke," Ethan said in a monotone voice.

"How are you? We haven't talked since my outburst at Thanksgiving."

"And I was hoping we could keep it that way," Ethan said, turning around so he was facing him. "You can try all you want, I won't give in to you."

"Oh I think that can easily be changed," he said confidently, pushing Ethan up against the lockers and bringing his mouth to Ethan's ear to whisper in it. "Give in to me. Date me. Love me."

"N-never. I love someone else," Ethan said, gasping as the electricity flowed through him, stronger than ever.

"Whoever you love is nothing compared to me. Date me. Love me. Be mine."

"N-no," Ethan gasped, trying to keep his thoughts on Benny. "I'm in love with someone else. Someone that is not you."

"You want me. You need me. You're mine."

"Nnnngh," Ethan mumbled, closing his eyes, trying to keep Benny in his thoughts. Benny… I love Benny. Not Luke. I love his fly-away hair, his goofy smile, his brown-gold eyes… GREEN EYES. Benny has green eyes!

"Ethan," Luke said in a demandingly gentle tone. "Give in. You want me. You need me. Be my boyfriend. Love me." Ethan felt tears stinging his eyes as his thoughts began to drift. Benny, Lily, I'm sorry you guys. I gave in.

"Yes," Ethan whispered, Luke's power flowing through him, engulfing him. His chest got extremely tight before the grip was gone, leaving him empty until he felt his heart fill with love for the boy in front of him.

"Do you love me?"

"Yes Luke. I love you."

…

[I totally almost ended it here. But I thought that would be way to mean. You're welcome.]

…

Ethan was sitting in his room, smiling as Luke texted him goofy love messages, not noticing how Lily had walked into his room.

"WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU? ! ?" she screamed at him, ripping his phone from his hands and reading his and Luke's conversation. She gasped before he took his phone away, looking at her.

"Nothing happened to me. I just realized Luke's the one for me. He's perfect. I love him," Ethan sighed happily, sitting on his bed and texting Luke again, smiling.

"No he's not!" she said, taking his phone and sticking it down her shirt so he wouldn't go after it. "Listen to me Ethan. You don't love Luke. You just think you do."

"No, I do. I was so blind before. Luke is perfect."

"No he's not! He's a controlling jackass who's controlling how you feel about him! What about Benny?"

"What about him? He loves someone else," Ethan said bitterly, frowning at Lily. "Luke loves me. I love him. Benny … Benny doesn't care."

"Ethan, you wouldn't sound so heartbroken if you didn't still love Benny."

"I don't love Benny."

"Liar."

"I'm not lying."

"Yes you are! What about seeing Benny for Christmas? I thought you were going to tell him you loved him."

"And now I'm just going to tell him I love Luke and am dating him."

"Benny loves you." Lily saw Ethan still a little bit before looking at her.

"Luke loves me… Not Benny."

…

Benny sat in his room, tears streaming down his face. He had started crying earlier that day, and he didn't know why.

"Ready to study for that final midterm Benny? Why are you crying?" Sarah asked, walking into his room.

"I don't know," he whispered, wiping his eyes and looking at her. "I was walking home earlier when suddenly I felt my chest begin to hurt, like there was a tight grip on my heart, squeezing it. Then it was gone. I felt so empty, and I began crying. Right there in the middle of the street."

"What do you think it was?"

"I don't know. Something's not right though. Something's wrong."

*TIME SKIP* *TIME SKIP* *TIME SKIP* *TIME SKIP* *TIME SKIP* *TIME SKIP*

Ethan smiled happily as he and Lily walked off the plane. He hadn't been to Whitechapel in months.

"Feels good to be back," he said, smiling at Lily, who smiled back tiredly.

"I can't wait to meet all your friends. Wish I slept better on the plane though," she said, yawning.

"You can sleep later."

"ETHAN!" a voice called out before someone jumped into his arms, hugging him tightly, causing Ethan to laugh out.

"Hi Sarah, I missed you too," he said, peeling the young vampire off of him. "Where's Benny? I thought he was going to pick us up." Sarah frowned before sharing a look with Lily.

"Benny's… sick I guess is the nicest way to put it."

"Sick? Benny doesn't get sick. If he does, it lasts for a day then he's better."

"Well, he's been this way for almost two weeks now."

"Two weeks…" Ethan mumbled, thinking. Benny's sick. He got sick about the same time that I began dating Luke… could it be because of that?

"You love me. Remember that." Luke's voice was like a whisper in his thoughts, just there, constantly reminding him.

"Yeah. Something happened to him…" she said, walking with them to get their luggage.

"What happened?" Lily asked worriedly, waiting for her bag.

"Well, from what he told me, a couple of weeks ago he was walking home when he felt like this grip on his chest. He said it got really tight, then was just … empty. He started crying in the middle of the street, and kept crying until I got to his house. Then he just stayed in bed for a few days, not talking or doing anything. Only recently has he begun to get up and move around, and speak. But he's so … empty when he does it. It's like … he's just a shell of himself. Like he's lost his reason to live," Sarah said, frowning.

"Poor Benny," Lily said, grabbing her and Ethan's bags, slamming his into him with a glare. "I hope he's okay."

"I don't know. Me and his grandma are worried about him."

"I am too. I mean, I don't know him well, but I feel like I do. Aren't you worried about him Ethan?" Ethan looked up, and she saw the conflicting emotions in his eyes.

"Of course I'm worried. He's my best friend. I … I care about him." Sarah and Lily exchanged another look before each shaking their heads sadly.

…

"Benny!" Sarah called into the house, opening the door quietly. "I'm back with Ethan and Lily. You guys can leave you stuff in here for now. Let's go check on him."

"When'd you two get so close?" Ethan asked suspiciously, watching Sarah as they walked to Benny's room.

"You left. Me and Rory were all he had." Ethan frowned at that. He continued frowning as they entered Benny's room, until he saw the taller boy on his bed, staring blankly at the wall. "Benny…" Sarah said quietly, walking towards him. Ethan gasped when he saw Benny look at them. His beautiful green eyes were dead, a dull dark green, almost black as he looked at them, skin pale.

"Hi guys. I'm glad to see you got here safely. Ethan, you'll be sleeping in here. I've got an inflatable mattress for you. Sarah, show Lily to the guest room?" Sarah nodded and left the room with the blonde girl, leaving the two boys alone.

"Benny… what happened to you?"

"I don't know. Something … changed I guess," he said, watching Ethan with dead eyes.

"Benny…" Ethan said, coming to sit next to his best friend. You're mine Ethan. Don't do it. "Is this my fault?" he whispered more to himself than Benny.

"How could it be your fault?" Benny asked, still staring blankly at Ethan.

"This started a couple weeks ago right?" Benny just nodded. "A couple weeks ago… I began dating Luke."

"You… you're dating Luke? He got to you."

"He did… And made me think I don't love the person I loved anymore. But," Ethan said, pausing for breath. You're mine Ethan. Remember that. "But… I still love them. I've just been fooling myself this past couple of weeks."

"Good for you. I still don't see how this has to do with me being sick."

"Sarah said you described it as a tight pain then emptiness right?"

"Correct."

"That was my fault. That was when he was … seducing me I guess is the word. I… I felt that same pain, then the emptiness was filled with love for him. The emptiness you felt was… was my love for you being taken away."

"Love for me…?"

"Yes… Benny… I love you."

…

Well… that was interesting huh? Wow this chapter was longer than I thought it would be. Might be longest one yet. But I had a lot to put in here, that's why.

I'm assuming ya'll can figure out what was wrong with Benny right? Ethan did! Smart kid… idiotic, but smart.

I hope you all liked this chapter. I really do.

-JustMe133