Thank you NerdyAthlete, Avrice the Demigod, Grimdark Chick, CommentsGalore7777, etharahlover3, jujuatom, TeamEthanMorgan, MyBabysittersAVampireaholic, LessThanThreexoxo, and LadyRedd101 for reviewing! This girl appreciates it!

And also, I'm aware that Erica's last name is Jones and Sarah's is Fox? I see it a lot in stories, and I heard that Kate Todd clarified that Erica's last name was Jones.

Just making sure :)

Hope you guys enjoy this chappie!

Chapter Three: Chemicals Reacting

Benny wordlessly made his way over to his two best friends, squeezing in between them, his eyes focusing on the TV.

"Dude, do you-?" Ethan began before Benny looked at him. "What happened?"

Benny's hair was soaking wet, along with his shirt. He didn't answer.

"What did you do?" Sarah asked knowingly.

"I got a little too excited and made Erica spill her soda," Benny grumbled. "So she got mad and took my soda and poured it on me."

"Was it an accident?"

Benny nodded. "I told her that it was, and that I was sorry!"

"Did she forgive you?" said Ethan.

Benny gave Ethan a look. "You see me sitting here, don't you?"

"Easy, easy, calm down," said Sarah, patting his wet shoulder. "Give her some time, and she'll come around."

"Riiiight," said Benny sarcastically.

But that didn't stop him from showing up at her door after watching an episode and a half of Power Rangers Mystic Force. When he left the couch, Ethan and Sarah went back to their cuddling position.

Knock knock knock

Erica, who had changed into her pajamas-a Single Tear tank top and black cotton shorts that stopped midthigh-knew who it was. She could smell him.

"I'm not going away until you open the door, Erica," came Benny's voice from the other side of the door.

Damn.

Erica sighed and got up. She walked over to her door, wrenching it open. Benny's eyes glazed over her, and he smiled shyly at her when their eyes met; he brought out a red rose from behind his back.

Erica gasped almost silently.

"For you," he told her, blushing. "Forgive me?"

Erica took the rose, their fingers grazing during the process, and she brought it up to her nose so she could smell it. The rose was real, and smelled wonderful. The flowers she would get on dates were cheap and plastic.

"I guess..." She said with a small smile. "Sorry I poured your soda all over you."

"It's okay." Benny looked down at himself. "Most of it dried anyway."

Erica's grin widened, and she looked at him up and down.

"Why don't you take a shower?" She suggested. "Then when you're done...maybe you can come back and hang out with me?"

Benny grinned. "Okay."

Erica smiled back before closing her door.

"Yes!" Benny whispered, pumping his fist in the air before walking off to get his bag.

Erica, who had heard him through the door, burst out in a fit of silent giggles.

Both Ethan and Benny took showers (Benny in the hallway bathroom and Ethan in Sarah's bathroom). Much to Sarah's (and Erica's though she'll never admit it outloud) disappointment, she would've hoped to see Ethan (or in Erica's case, Benny) wet and shirtless. But, unfortunately, they had brought their bags with them when they went to the bathroom.

Ethan emerged from the bathroom, wearing a white muscle tee (one that his father had gotten him for Christmas previously-he never got around to wearing it because he didn't think he had any muscle at all) and green lantern boxers.

Sarah looked like she was trying not to-

"I know. Don't laugh," Ethan said, resuming his seat next to her.

Sarah giggled. "I'm sorry!" She put her hands over her mouth. "It's just that you look so..."

"Dorky?"

Sarah shook her head. "No. You look kinda cute..." Her eyes traveled over him. "With your wet hair and-" She tugged at his shirt-"muscle shirt on."

Ethan smiled sheepishly, his cheeks pink. "Thanks." His eyes gave her a once over. She had changed while he was in the shower, now wearing a green cami and, as he looked closer, she was wearing black boxers with..."So that's how it is, huh?" He teased.

"What?" Sarah looked down at herself.

"You're wearing Hulk boxers," Ethan said. "Since when do you wear boxers in the first place?"

"Boxers are actually pretty comfortable, thank you very much," said Sarah. "There's nothing wrong with girls wearing boxers. Don't tell Erica I told you but," she lowered her voice, "she has Spider-Man ones."

Ethan smiled wider. "Who am I to judge then?"

Benny knocked on Erica's door before opening it. Erica looked up from where she sat on her bed.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey," she replied.

"Can I come in?"

"Yes."

Benny grinned, coming in further, closing the door behind himself. He was wearing a royal blue tee and matching boxers with white stripes.

"Killing me still isn't on your agenda, is it?" Benny asked, staying put where he was.

"You're just lucky you didn't make Erica's list," Erica answered, her eyes narrowing at him.

Benny's eyes narrowed back in return. "Oh just for that, you just made Benny's list..."

"Which one, the list of rejections or the list of failures in life?"

"Watch it, Jones," Benny warned playfully, holding up his spell book. But the meaning behind it was real. "I know how to give one mean vampire aneurysm. Grandma just taught it to me a few days back. Could've come in handy if she had taught me it way earlier."

"Okay, I don't speak dork," Erica said, hugging her pillow, sitting up a little straighter on your knees.

Benny rolled his eyes. "In other words, I can make your brain explode and you die."

Erica's eyes widened at the thought. The dork can seriously kill me with a wave of his hand? "You wouldn't." He wouldn't do that to me, right? I mean, I guess we're friends, and he can be a sweetheart, but...

I guess I'm mean to him. If he gave me one of those things, I would deserve it...

Benny would never, especially to Erica, but if it had to be necessary...

"Maybe I will...maybe I won't," Benny said, coming closer. "But it keeps vampires in check."

"Have you ever done it on a vampire before?"

Benny shook his head. "Not yet." He smiled mischieviously at her.

Dammit, those eyes! Erica thought. How does he do it like he's not even trying?

"You can stay," Erica said finally. "On two conditions."

"Which are?"

"No aneurysms. I promise I'll be nice," Erica vowed. Maybe if I be nice, then it might be better for us. And he was right...I still am a dork. I still get nervous around boys...still get that tingly feeling in my stomach...like right now.

"And what's the other condition?" Benny asked. She's actually trying to play the nice card for once? Sweet!

"I'll let you sit in bed with me if you don't try to pull anything over me," Erica warned. "And stop doing that eye thing that you do." (Hence, Delena reference from The Vampire Diaries. Everyone loves the 'eye thing' Damon does xDD)

"What eye thing?" Benny smiled, and somehow he did the 'eye thing' again as he spoke. Erica gave him a dark look. "Sorry, sorry. I'll be good."

I'll just...sit here and read, Benny thought in a grumble as he climbed in her bed, sitting next to her. He opened his spell book, thankful for the lamp light on the bedside table. No...flirting...at...all...His lips pressed together, his nostrils flaring a little. I can't help it! Curse my mother, bless her soul, for being the flirtacious one!

The two were both quiet as the minutes flew by. And the urge to start flirting with Erica was burning Benny's insides.

Must. Resist. Flirting. With. Erica. And. Doing. Eye thing.

Not. Resisting. Well...

"Wanna watch a scary movie or something?" Erica asked him.

"What? So you can jump in my arms when you get scared?" Benny said suggestively, wagging his eyebrows and puckering his lips at her.

"Actually, I'm the type of girl who laughs when someone gets their head cut off," Erica retorted, getting up to go search for a movie to watch.

She actually laughs at what makes weaker men vomit? Benny thought with a grin. My kind of woman.

"What's it gonna be, Weir?" Erica asked, now standing at the foot of the bed, her eyes on him with her hands on her hips. "Zombie apocalypse or slasher?"

"Let's go with a slasher," said Benny, sitting up straighter. "We've already encountered zombies and evil vampires and werewolves."

"Good point," said Erica, flipping through the stack of DVDs. "Freddie or Jason?" She looked at him.

Benny blinked. "Is that a trick question?"

Erica smiled, amused.

"Freddie goes after you in your sleep and Jason goes after your ass when you're awake at night," Benny continued. "There's no option! You can't just choose between them like that!"

"Freddie vs Jason it is," said Erica, taking the DVD out of the case before putting it in the DVD player. She resumed her spot on the bed next to Benny, a little closer than intended, but she didn't notice. "Turn off the light."

Benny obeyed, reaching over and turned the lamp off. The room was dark now, the TV giving the only light-which was very little.

Erica pressed play after the screen showed the main menu.

"I used to be really scared of them when I was little," Erica said, playing with her fingers. Her body was faced in the direction of his; her legs were tucked up, one leg resting on top of the other on the side. "Freddie more than anything."

"Really?" said Benny. His hands were folded across his abdomen. The upper half of his body was turned in her direction. From where they were sitting, Erica looked shorter, but that was because she was slouched down a little.

"When I was little, I used to always do stuff with my mom, and one of the many things we loved to do together was watch movies. Around this time, I was about four, maybe five-it was before I went to kindergarten. And in elementary school, I had THE biggest glasses ever.

"Anyway, I think we were watching a...Freddie movie. Yeah. There were some parts that she had to skip. You know." Erica rolled her eyes.

"That awkward moment when you're watching a movie with your parents and a sex scene comes on," said Benny.

"Yeah," Erica scoffed.

"This is why I stopped watching movies with my dad," Benny murmured. "So embarrassing."

Erica smiled.

"So, whenever Freddie would...you know...kill people, I'd get so scared and hide under my blanket," Erica continued. "The sound effects make it worse, you know?" Benny nodded in silent agreement. "Man..." She shook her head. "I was afraid to go to bed, so I'd sleep with my mom."

"I remember when I experianced the same thing except with zombie movies," said Benny, and Erica's eyes widened.

"Those used to be the worst!"

"I know! I remember when the movie would be over, and I had to have someone to walk me to the bathroom-and stay there with me while I handle my business." Benny shuddered at the memory. "I used to hyperventilate because when I would look out my window, I'd see zombies crawling out of the ground and coming towards the house." Benny chuckled. "And then there was Ethan. If you thought you were scared..."

"What did Ethan do?"

"During our sleepovers when we were younger, when we watch scary movies, he'd scream like a girl and start crying as if he was actually in the movie being killed."

Erica started giggling. "Oh my God!"

"What's funnier is that when I start laughing, the way he looks when he tells me to 'STOP LAUGHING AT HIM!'," he made a whiny voice and scrunched up look with pretend tears, and Erica's giggles went silent, "makes me laugh harder. And I'm just like, 'Really, dude? Really?' Erica, he'd scream through the entire film. I'm surprised he wouldn't be hoarse after all that screaming." He started laughing too.

"Sarah was like that too, you know," Erica said between giggles.

"Really?"

"Yes. Except for when she got scared," she made a circle motion with her index finger, "she'd run around the house, screaming at the top of her lungs, turning on all the damn lights," she started back giggling when she saw him laughing again.

It took a while for Benny and Erica to stop laughing. Erica would get tickled by the look on Benny's face when he laughed, and Benny's laughs kept going by the sound of hers.

"Okay, I'm gonna keep a straight face," said Benny when he could speak, looking at the TV. He slowly looked over at Erica, who's lips were pressed tightly as she tried to keep her laughter in.

And then he lost it, bursting out with laughter the same time she did.

And the movie lay forgotten.

Surprisingly, Benny and Erica had laughed themselves to sleep. Last night, Benny was positive he had a six pack from laughing so hard, and Erica thought she gave herself an aneurysm because of the headache she had gotten.

But it was worth it.

Benny woke up by the sun, and he suddenly got in a panic attack. He was slightly distracted to find that Erica's body was draped over his, her head in his lap, her fingers inclosed on his shirt. His eyes trailed down the sun's rays, just as it started to hit Erica's skin...

"Shit!" Benny hissed almost silently, and he threw his body over hers so the sunlight could hit his backside instead.

This is when Erica woke up.

"What the hell are you doing?" She grumbled sleepily.

"The sun was about to burn you alive," Benny explained. "You didn't feel that?"

Erica turned her head to look at him, bringing her face closer to his. And honestly, she didn't mind his closeness. He was everywhere; warm. His scent intoxicating, making her head spin, but she controlled her sudden bloodlust.

"No..." Erica's eyebrows scrunched down as she looked at him. His arms were touching hers, on either side of them to balance himself. His chin grazed her shoulder.

Benny's eyebrows scrunched down too. "Weird..."

His breath washed over her face. There was the slightest hint of morning breath, however easy to ignore.

"Normally, I sleep all the way under the covers and close my curtains," Erica mused, retracing her steps. "Guess I forgot to do that last night."

"Hmm. Probably."

"Looks like someone cares." Erica smiled at him with a little giggle.

Benny smiled back, and Erica's heart fluttered. She felt his heartbeat quicken, and the space between their faces seem to close...

The door swang open, making them jump and look up.

"Good moooorning!" Sarah sang as she entered, but then she froze midstep at the sight she was seeing. Her eyes widened, and she couldn't help the smirk spreading across her face. "Oh. Have I interrupted something?"

As she spoke, Ethan walked by, brushing his teeth. He suddenly retreated back, looking harder into the room with wide eyes. His best friend was on top of Sarah's best friend, and no one's getting bit or killed.

Ethan nearly dropped his toothbrush.

"Uh..." said Benny and Erica, looking at each other again, twice, before Benny hopped off of Erica, who was gone in a flash, now standing in the dim corner next to the window.

"He was just, um, protecting me from the sun," Erica said without looking at anyone as she closed her curtains, slightly harsher than intended. "I, uh..."

"She was asleep and she didn't notice," Benny said, now feeling more awkward than he ever had in his life. "Better safe than sorry, right? Heh."

"O-kay," said Sarah. "I was just coming in to let you guys know that I made breakfast and-"

"Say no more, Sare, you are the bestest friend ever!" Benny said quickly, jumping out of bed and running towards the door. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" He kissed Sarah's cheek before rushing out.

"Um, you're welcome?" said Sarah, slightly confused as she headed down the hallway, with Ethan at her side.

Erica sighed, crossing her arms as she stood alone.

Gee, Ethan and Sarah. Cockblock much?

Lol xDD

Looks like Benny and Erica are getting close, and really close for a second there. But Sarah the Songbird had to come in and ruin the moment. AND Ethan surely has questions in store for Benny later on, haha xD

This chapter was a little shorter than intended, but it was for an important cause. The action begins in the next chapter.

And guess who'll make his appearance? Yep. You guessed it. The one person who thinks he's the coolest guy ever, and one of the only vampires I know of who aren't as murderous.

Rory: Did someone say my name?

xD