Fangs & Fins:

Chapter 14: "Ben's New Teddy Bear"

Moments after Rose considered the truth behind Lily's words, Lewis entered the Collin's house to find Lily spawed out on the couch, a pillow hiding her face. Her legs were tangled and her arms were stuck tightly at her side. The TV was on and a re-run of a sitcom was airing. Lily seemed not to notice the loud noises coming from the television as two of the sitcom's characters argued.

"Lily?" Lewis questioned timidly, stepping into the house and closing the door behind him. He walked towards the couch and hovered over Lily's tangled form. His eyes glanced momentarily towards the TV screen as an attractive female came into the shot. He blinked twice at her appearance then returned to Lily.

Lily pushed the pillow away from her face – she looked disastrous. Makeup smudged; hair mussed. She glared at Lewis, most likely not remembering the text message she had sent him at an ungodly hour instructing him to arrive at her house bright and early. She hadn't explained much - and Lewis could pick up her drab mood just from reading her frantic message.

"Rose is gone!" She cried, forcing the top half of her body out of its uncomfortable position on the sofa and looked Lewis straight in the eye. Her expression was filled with sorrow and regret. It was very similar to the face she had shown up with the day she broke up with Lewis. He twitched uncomfortably at the thought.

"Have you seen her?" She said quietly, her blue eyes not leaving his own.

Lewis sighed and spat it all at. "She came by my house, hoping to stay for a few days I suppose. I told her she couldn't stay because my brothers are visiting. I was hoping she'd come back here but—"

Lily cut him off and starting uttering a mix of swear words and complete nonsense. She trashed her arms at a near by throw pillow and entered a fit of outrage.

"Where could she be?!" Lily shrieked at Lewis, her voice faltering with ever word. "What if –"

Lily froze. "Good God – what if she's with James!"

Lewis had a feeling that he was missing something and decided not to aggravate Lily by asking her to explain. Lily sunk down to the couch and began sobbing. "It's my fault!" She screamed. "It's all my fault!"

Lewis approached her cautiously and sat beside her. He slid his arms around her and let her cry, scream, and curse all over him.

After Lewis had said enough positive encouragement to calm Lily down, she explained her rash actions in a clam manner.

"I feel…like I failed her." Lily whispered her voice still weak. She looked up at Lewis her eyes red from crying.

Lewis knew that Lily was secretly afraid of failing – it was probably what she was afraid of most. She worked so hard at everything she did and the little acknowledgment she received in feedback only kept her striving for more.

After a few silent moments where Lily didn't make a sound of any kind – she turned to face Lewis.
"I'm sorry," she said quietly, the words rolling out of her mouth in one swift motion.

Lewis thought she was referring to his soaked T-Shirt or how he was now scarred for life after hearing all of the creative variations of a limited amount of swear words Lily had strung together and thrown at him.

"It's okay," He assured her, squeezing her a little bit tighter to get his point across.

"No," Lily sniffled. "It's not. I shouldn't have just broken up with you like that."

Lewis realized this was not about harshly said curses or the water his shirt had soaked up.

"I'm sorry and I regret doing it – but I had to do what was best for Rose." Lily clarified.

The two sat in utter silence for a second.

"You're my best friend, you know?" Lily said, smiling at him.

"Yeah," Lewis grinned. "Best friends."

Sometimes you want something so much that you convince yourself that you have something. But then reality hits you – and you don't.

--

Rose took several deep breaths and went over the situation she was currently in.

He was a vampire.

She thought carefully about this. She knew James. He just couldn't be…she (and Lily) must be jumping to conclusion. Vampires had killed her mother and Elliot. Vampires had made her become a bleak and unapproachable person. Vampires had made her feel like she was drowning in a world of darkness. James had pulled her out of that world. He couldn't be a vampie.

Rose decided she didn't have enough facts to make the conclusion that James was in fact a vampire.

Or maybe she was just in denial.

Rose left the bathroom and hurried downstairs in a rush, her curly blonde hair flying around her shoulders. Her hand brushed the banister of the stairs and she noticed someone had taped a message to one of the stair rails. It had her name at the top.

Constance has scribbled (in her boyish hand writing that resembled the font used on Constance's favorite television show Friends) that she and James had gone to get donuts and would return shortly. Ben was upstairs – with a girl – if she needed anything.

Rose instantly decided that she would most unquestionably not be needed anything.

Rose smiled at the smiley face Constance had put beside her name and set the letter on the glass coffee table. Remains of the fun night the three had shared last night remained – Aquamarine's DVD case and pieces of popcorn were scattered across the shiny top. Hugsy and Rainy Day Bear (with his head sewn back on, of course) were lying in a basket that the Woods put the magazines they received in the mail in.

Rose noticed that Aquamarine was not in its case. She remembered how much it annoyed Lily when Rose – and even Lewis – forgot to put a DVD back in its case after they were finished watching it. Rose decided to be a helpful house guest and put the DVD back in its case and then back on the shelf where Constance had produced the DVD from in the first place.

After successfully opening the fancy DVD player the Woods owned, Rose stuck Aquamarine back in its case and proceeded to put it back on its shelf.

Rose was actually quite proud of herself for being helpful and chose to continue completely good deeds till Constance and James returned.

She looked in the kitchen to see if there were dirty dishes in the sink. The popcorn bowl from last night was still on the coffee table but Rose was expecting more dishes.

None. The sink was empty and was so spotless that Rose could see her own reflection in it. Rose spun around to see if the dishwasher was running.

It wasn't.

Rose was getting a bad feeling. Her stomach tingled and she felt slightly light headed – she started to feel sick—

Rose sprinted upstairs towards the bathroom, but her head and stomach began to feel normal again and she stopped at the top of the stairs in relief.

Ben then emerged from his bedroom.

"Hey, Rosie." He said happily. He had a rather bad case of bed-head and his shirt was hanging on him awkwardly.

Rose rolled her eyes. "Ben, I have a question," she asked awkwardly. Her eyes drifted towards a small red stain on his pure white shirt…

"Ask away," Ben said, leaning against the wall in the hallway. He smirked at her. "You checking me out?"

"Sure," Rose muttered. "Anyway, I'm doing this, um, survey for a class I'm taking. I'm supposed to ask you what your favorite food is."

Ben looked like he was deep in thought. "I'd have to say…hamburgers. James makes really good ones, maybe you should have him cook you one sometimes."

Damn, Rose thought. It sounded believable.

"Thanks," Rose said. "Carry on now,"

Ben didn't head to his room or downstairs. Instead he took a step closer to Rose.

"Ben, what the hell do you think you're doing?!" Rose demanded.

Ben put his face very close to hers and forced her back towards the wall. "I saw you checking me out."

"Yes, you said so—"

Ben's was smiling cockily at her. "You might be James's friend, but soon you'll be mine…after all. I really did lose my teddy bear. And I'm looking for a replacement."

"BEN," Rose screamed, her eyes pleading with him. "Please, don't!"

Ben opened his mouth to laugh – and Rose caught a glimpse of some razor sharp teeth.

Vampire.

James.

Ben.

Constance.

She didn't know what was worse – the fact that Ben was seconds away from making her his next teddy bear or that James was a—

"ROSE?!"

I am still really upset with the format - but I'll live..I guess. Sigh. Anyway, if you care, that quote at the end of the Lily and Lewis bit was said by my friend's boyfriend, Roy. I called him up and asked him to say something "deep" and he did. So thanks to him!

-Maddie