Chapter 11: Why Can't We Be Friends?

God, my sister is so nosey. I believe Owen. I know that he wouldn't lie about being sick. I mean, he's my best friend. As I sat in Zoey's car I watched as we drove to Owen's house. My sister was always meddling in my life. I'm glad I have her and all, but sometimes I just wanna…

"So what did Owen say he had?" Zoey asked interrupting my thoughts.

"I think he said he had the stomach flu. Why?" I said.

"Just checking." She said with a smirk. "We're here!"

"Great." I mumbled. I got out of the car and went to the door. Zoey knocked and we waited. I saw Tristan come to the door with a smile.

"Hey guys!" he said cheerfully.

"Hi little guy, is your brother home?" Zoey asked sweetly. Tristan was just getting ready to answer when Trevor came to the door.

"Hey Tristan, your brother needs you. I got the soup ready in the kitchen." He said. Tristan gave him a weird look, said bye to us, and left. That was way too weird. "Hey kids."

"Oh is Owen still sick?" Zoey asked. "I heard pneumonia can be lethal." Wait she must have heard me wrong. I said stomach flu.

"Yeah it is the doctors say that luckily we got to it in time. So he should be fine in a few days." Trevor said. Did he just outright lie to us?

"Wow, I'm glad he's okay then." I said. I noticed that Zoey had her eyes on something else while I was talking.

"Well I better get back to him. I'll make sure to let him know you wish him well." Trevor said.

"Okay, mom says hello and to wish Owen well too. Come on Zane." Zoey said and grabbed my arm as Trevor shut the door.

"What the hell Zoey?" I asked as we got in the car. "See I told he was sick." I didn't even wanna believe that something was up. So I just played dumb.

"Oh sure. You and I both know that Owen said he has the stomach flu, not pneumonia. Well you do anyway." Zoey said whiling turning onto the street.

"Okay, so what?"

"So, that means he lied. Keep up Zane. I know you don't want to believe it, but it's true. Something's up."

"You have no proof." I said.

"Oh really? For a sick guy Owen sure looked healthy coming out of his bedroom window and going into the woods behind his house." Zoey said. What?

"I don't understand." I said.

"Bro he lied to you. The only person that probably doesn't know what's going on is Tristan. But I doubt it. He's hiding something. And for him to like you like I know he does, he wouldn't keep it from you." Zoey sighed. I sat back in my seat and thought about what she said. So Owen lied to me? It has to be something big, if he has to go to such extreme lengths.

"I'll find out when he goes back to school." I said sternly.

"That's what I like to hear. It was your determination that found out what Riley…" She stopped and looked at me. I shrunk down further into the seat. "I'm sorry. I meant to say that, it was your determination that led to you knowing about vampires. Maybe there's something else going on here."

"I don't know. But we have to find out." I said. I looked over at her and she was smiling.

"We?" she asked.

"Well, you are just as much a part of this as I am. So I might need your help from time to time." I said. Her smile got even bigger.

"I'd be honored little brother." She said as she grabbed my hand.

The next day in the cafeteria I sat with my friends. Everyone was there except Owen. Connor came up to me and smiled.

"What's with the smile?" I asked.

"Well, a certain someone has bought an extremely cool present for his girlfriend." He whispered. As he got into the details of the present I noticed Owen come in with Luke, Campbell, Dallas, Drew, and Adam? What the hell is going on here? I saw Graclynn with a sad expression as she looked over at her brothers.

"What's wrong Grace?" I asked.

"Oh nothing. It's just that my brothers have completely tuned me and Tristan out. It's like they're keeping something from me. And I don't like it."

"Well, I'll go talk to them. Besides Owen and I have some things to discuss." I said as I got up and walked over to their table.

"Hey Owen can we, uh, talk?" I asked. He looked up at me like he was seeing me for the first time.

"And why would I need to talk to you?" he said coldly.

"Because we have things to discuss." I said as I grabbed my bag and walked out of the cafeteria. Gosh this felt just like finding out R-Riley's secret all over again. I walked into the bathroom. I made sure it was empty before setting my bag down. Owen entered a few minutes afterwards.

"What?" his voice was like ice.

"First of all, I know you've been lying to me. I want to know why?" I asked.

"You don't know a damn thing. I suggest you drop it." He said. I winced at his cold words. I noticed that he made the same gesture. It was as if he was being forced to say these hurtful things.

"Did they have something to do with this?" I asked immediately coming to a conclusion. "Owen, you're my best friend. If something is going on you can tell me." His face lit up with confusion then turn to rage.

"Don't you dare try to blame them! They're my new friends. But I can tell you who to blame though. Those vicious bloodthirsty venom drippers, you call the Stavros'" he spat. I felt my hurt clench in my chest. I couldn't believe he knew what they were.

"W-what?" I stuttered out.

"Oh come on man, you honestly think that I wouldn't find out? They weren't that good at hiding their secrets. But you? Oh, you were good. You even had me fooled." He scoffed. "But not anymore." He took out his phone and looked at it. "This friendship has to end." I couldn't believe he just said that. He couldn't leave me too.

"No, no I get that I'm still hung up on Riley. I understand that and I'm sorry. I wish things weren't so messed up with me. But maybe after a period of time…"

"No Zane." I looked up at him. This couldn't be happening. Not again.

"No?" I asked.

"This doesn't have anything to do with you. It's all me." He said.

"Oh, I get it. The whole 'it's not you, it's me' thing. What a cliché." I said.

"Zane don't do this. It's all about me. I'm not right for you." He said. Oh god, why was he sounding so much like Riley right now?

"I don't get it."

"Then I'll make it simple for you. I'm changing. I'm not gonna be the old me anymore. He's gone and the sooner you can except that the better." He said.

"Please don't break… I mean, don't do this. What about what you said at the carnival, huh? You made a promise to me." I said.

"Yeah I know. The promise was that I wouldn't make the same mistakes Riley made. And I'm not." He said. Before he turned to leave, he gave me one last glance. It was a mixture of hurt and seriousness. "And stay away from Kyle and Blake." And then he was gone. What the hell was that supposed to mean. I held my hand to my chest. I gripped my slowly beating heart. I couldn't breakdown. Not here. So I grabbed my bag and got through the rest of the day.

A/N: Wow that was emotional. But you'll see more of what's gonna happen soon. We all know what happens after the end of Zane/Owen friendship. The big reveal. Coming soon. Leave some reviews and I'll have another chapter up soon. XOXO ShadowBeauty.