I Can Be Your Dream

Part Two

Being with Benji was enthralling and so much like the fairytales that Esme used to read. They became closer and closer as the Christmas vacation continued. She'd learnt even more about him than she'd already known. For instance, he was a horseback rider, he had dreams of being a veternarian, he wanted to run an animal rescue with dogs, cats, and horses. He was completely unable to whistle or snap his fingers. He loved superhero movies, and was an avid reader of just about anything. There was the way he'd sit with the twins, cuddled in close to him as he read them one of their favorite stories, using different voices for each character. And then there was insecurity and his fear that he wouldn't make his parents proud, the way he so wanted to. It was utterly devastating that he felt that way and that he'd never tell his family that for the fear of making them feel guilty.

They began dating shortly after they went back to school after the break and had been dating for a little over a year when it happened. Benji was at university while Esme was still at boarding school. Somehow, they still managed to keep their relationship strong, Benji visiting as often as he could. It was in March that she met Cassidy French, a friend of Benji's. She'd seen pictures of the other girl, of course. She was all honey blonde hair and wide, icy blue eyes. She was as cute as a button and seemed like Benji's type in every way imaginable. Esme had always been a jealous person. It was one of her biggest flaws. And Cassidy and Benji just seemed so close. She supposed that was where it began. She started using all of Benji's fears and insecurities against him, all in an effort to keep him by her side. The bubbly, outgoing side of him disipated gradually until he was really nothing more than a shell of himself. She couldn't feel guilty about it though, the fear of losing him overwhelming. She'd lost too much in her teenage life to lose him as well. It was that summer that she realized how bad off he actually was. She, Benji, and Andrea were spending time at the beach with Benji and Andrea's family. Benji was eating a lot less than he usually did, dark circles rimmed his dark blue eyes, he didn't laugh as much as he used to. His family noticed as well, particularly Andrea who seemed to trust Esme less and less.

It was at the party of a boy they met in town that Esme forced him to go to that he first took Ecstasy. Finally, there seemed to be more to him that the depressing side that had become so commonplace. Discreetly, she pulled the boy with the drugs, Nick Heathridge to the side and asked for some pills, able to charm the boy easily with flattering words. And getting Benji to continue taking the pills was rather easy, far easier than you'd ever assume. Maybe she should've felt guilty, but she just didn't. It was right before Andrea's birthday that it happened. Benji took too much and by the time he was rushed to the hospital, it was too late.

Esme had just walked into the hospital when Andrea stood up abruptly, walking over to her with purpose, eyes full of fire. Before anyone could stop her, Andrea had punched Esme right in the lip, splitting it open.

"You bitch!" Andrea snarled viciously, fighting against the arms that had wrapped around her, trying to calm her down. "What the hell did you do to my brother?"

The brunette shook her head. "I honestly don't know what you mean." She said with faux innocence, widening her stormy eyes for emphasis.

The blonde scoffed. "That's such bullshit. I noticed how he was around you, but I never said anything." Her voice broke then. "I never said anything and now he's...he's...in that hospital bed." A sob escaped her mouth and she collapsed in her mother's arms, clinging to them desperately.

It was mere hours after the confrontation that they got the news that Benji was brain dead and Andrea and her parents discussed quietly amongst themselves what he'd want. While that was going on, Esme snuck into his room and took a seat in the chair beside his bed, taking his slender, long fingered hand in her own, marveling at how warm it still was. "You know, your sister is blaming me for what you did." She scoffed and rolled her eyes. "She doesn't want to believe that you could ever do anything questionable on your own. It would ruin the perfect image she has of you. But I know differently, Benji. I know a side of you that your family and friends don't want to recognize."

Just then, the door swung open and Benji's family stepped inside, their eyes red and swollen from crying. As soon as Andrea saw Esme, she fixed her with a glare that could freeze fire. He nails dug into the palms of her hands drawing blood as she sniffled. Deciding to ignore the other girl, she walked over to her brother's bed side and leaned down to rest her forehead against his. "I'm so sorry." She whispered softly. "I'm so sorry that I never said anything. Maybe then you wouldn't be..." She swallowed hard, unable to say the words. Shakily, she steeled herself and continued. "You wouldn't be gone. We wouldn't be losing you."

It was after his parents had said their goodbyes as well that Benji was pulled off of life support, after the friends he'd made in boarding school, the ones he'd quickly lost touch with came to say goodbye to him.

His family tried to prove the part Esme had played in his death, but had been able to. By the time they got back to school that next year, the friend group she'd made her first year there had turned against her, believing what Andrea had told them.

It was that November that she took note of Spencer Cassadine. He was handsome as can be in a different way than Benji had been. Of course, she knew all about the boy. Exactly who his father was and why he was in this boarding school so far away from his hometown in the first place. They didn't speak until the his father, the one who was supposed to be dead showed up to surprise him, a new wife by his side. He'd been so angry and hurt, acting up in ways he usually wouldn't. Of course she'd been intrigued. In a lot of ways, Spencer was easier to manipulate than Benji had been as full of rage as he was, all he needed was someone to fuel that anger. Something she'd been all too happy to do by letting him know he was right to be angry. From there, she'd suggested ways they could get back at Ava and NIk, ways they could break them up. Spencer had quickly obliged. A lot of the things they did were rather mild in comparison to what she wanted to do. Unfortunately, the anger that had fueled him before seemed to have disappeared a little bit. All he wanted to do was hang out with his friends and with Trina Robinson, a girl that he clearly had feelings for. It was pathetic. He'd been so horrified by the fact that she'd set Ava's car on fire and planted Kiki Jerome's ID, something Esme just didn't understand. After all, he'd had next to no problem gifting a six year old child with a stuffed bear that had a voice recording inside of it.

In many ways, Esme was reminded of Andrea when she saw Josslyn Jacks. Of course, she knew of the things that Spencer told her. That Josslyn was apparently this amazing soccer player, that she was stubborn and fierce, that they'd been thicker than thieves as children, and of course, that the pretty blonde had apparently had this kidney transplant when she was a small child. But the way she distrusted Esme reminded her of Andrea so much. Of course, she and Andrea had been friends first, but she'd quickly put together that Esme was bad news when Benji had begun acting so differently. Andrea had never been afraid to let her dislike of Esme be known after that, a quality Josslyn shared. It was annoying, really. As was seeing Josslyn and Trina, thicker then thieves and in such agreement about Esme. On a positive note, Cameron Webber was easily manipulated. He so badly wanted to believe her lies and that she was this good person, he was all too easy to fool, much to the chagrin of his girlfriend and best friend. Destroying Josslyn Jacks was proving to be quite the feat, the blonde seeming so fearless and unconcerned by Esme's behavior around her. It was a challenge that she couldn't help but look forward to. Josslyn and Trina would surely come to regret trying to turn Spencer against her.

The End