This chapter is for BETHAN FOREVER for one of the greatest reviews I think I have possibly ever read, and for MISSPRINCESSE, who wanted to see what happened to them.

I hope ya'll like it.

Updated: 12/13/2013

…

"Luc…" Ethan began, hands clasped in his lap. "We kissed."

"Yeah…" Lucas said, sitting next to Ethan. "We did…"

"Do you and Rory really think I like Benny?"

"Not so much as 'like' as … it's hard to describe E."

"I don't… anything with him."

"Do you… 'anything' with me?"

"I'm not sure…" Ethan said, looking at him now, "When you kissed me…"

"You kissed me back!"

"I know. I wanted to see… it sparked something in me. I just… I don't know what."

"Oh."

"It wasn't bad."

"That's good."

"I just…"

"You like Benny."

"No I don't!" Ethan cried, getting up and beginning to pace.

"You don't?"

"No!"

"Do you like me?"

"I don't know!"

"Maybe you should leave Ethan."

"No! I'm not losing you the way I lost him!" Ethan exclaimed, sitting next to him again. "I just… I'm confused."

"Obviously. I shouldn't have kissed you." The two were silent for a moment, the only noise that of Ethan shifting his hand slightly to hold Lucas's. "E… tell me what happened. You've always kept the details from me."

"I don't wanna talk about it."

"Please? It's been, what, two and half years? And you have never given me anything besides 'he became a jock'. As your best friend I deserve a reason I think to why you hate your old one." Ethan was silent as he thought about this.

"Fine."

~Flashback~

It had been two weeks since Sophomore year began, and Benny was a natural at basketball, and an immediate hit with everyone. He had become one of the star players overnight! But, along with the fame and popularity of being a jock came the practices, meetings, games, and 'jock-things' that left Ethan in the dust. Their friendship was now hanging by a thread, but Benny had made a promise to Ethan to finally spend some time, just them.

Ethan was at his locker one day, waiting for Benny so they could walk home together for once.

"Hey nerd!" Ethan turned, knowing he was the one they were talking to; standing there were two jocks Ethan recognized as some of Benny's teammates.

"Yes?" he asked, feeling a hand grip his shoulder, pinning him to the row of lockers.

"Listen, we gotta talk to you," one said, trying to sound nice. "You mind if we talk?"

"That's what we're doing now isn't it?"

"Cut the attitude nerd," the one holding him snarled, making Ethan roll his eyes.

"Hey," the first guy said, cutting off his friend and giving Ethan an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that. Now, what I need to talk to you about is Benny."

"Is he okay?"

"He's fine. It's just… me and the rest of the team, Benny excluded of course, think that you and him… shouldn't hang out much anymore."

"Oh. And why is that?"

"Listen kid," the second one started again, only to stop with a glare from the first.

"Listen, Ethan, right? Benny is our main guy, and we've grown to care about him as a teammate and a friend. We need him on his A-game. And you, with your little nerdy-ness, are getting in the way of him focusing 100 percent; ya get what I'm saying?"

"You…want me to stop being friends with Benny?"

"I know it's a lot to ask, you and him have been friends for what, forever right? But we really need him to focus, and you're a big distraction. It's time he put the telescopes and video games behind him and move on with his life." Ethan was silent as the words sunk in.

"And if I don't do as you've so nicely asked?"

"Well then… we'll have to take extreme measures Ethan. And you wouldn't want us to do that, would you? It would be just awful if something happened to Benny that put him out of his basketball career for good, wouldn't it?"

"Don't," Ethan said quietly; he had heard about these guys' tempers; he didn't want it on him or, as the guy said, Benny.

"Good. So, you'll think about what I've said?"

"Yeah."

"Good, and being close to a genius, you gotta come up with the right decision, right?"

"Yeah."

"Great! Hope to see you at the next game. We need all the support we can get." Ethan watched as they left him then; once they were out of sight, he slid to the ground in front of their lockers.

He knew what he had to do.

~End~

"So that's why you and him aren't friends anymore?"

"It didn't take much prodding from his friends to become the ass that he is today. I just had to light the fire." Lucas rested his head on Ethan's shoulder as he squeezed Ethan's hand.

"Well I'm not going anywhere. Even if you don't return my feelings, or if we decide to try dating and break up, we will always be best friend's first." Ethan grinned and lifted Lucas's head, kissing him lightly.

"Thank you."

…

Benny sat at his desk, doing his homework, when he saw Ethan walk into his bedroom. He had been writing something, but his hand stilled as he watched Ethan; he wasn't doing anything special, just laying down on his bed, reading, but it brought back memories of the last time Benny had been in that room, and what had happened.

~Another Flashback~

"Hey E, I thought you were gonna wait for me," Benny said, coming into the shorter guy's room. Ethan was on his bed, a comic book in his hands; he didn't look at Benny as he began to speak, his voice shaking a bit.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be out doing jock things?"

"Jock things? E come on I told you today was just me and you hanging out buddy. Making up for lost times."

"No," Ethan had said, sitting up and tossing his comic book to the side. "You need to leave."

"What? Why?" Ethan looked down as Benny noticed his hands clench in his lap before he stood up.

"Because I hate you!"

"What? You don't hate me E."

"Don't call me that! And I do! I hate you so fucking much! You're nothing but a stupid airhead jock now and I hate it! Now get the fuck out of my room," Ethan had exclaimed, even pushing Benny away some.

When that had happened, Benny had snapped.

"Well you're just a stupid little nerd. Can't believe I actually wanted to try to stay your friend. If anyone hates anyone, it's me hating you!" He had said, pushing Ethan back as well. "All of my real friends were right; you're nothing but a stupid little nerd who just wanted a ride on my popularity."

"Yeah right." Ethan had scoffed. "No one hates anyone more than how I hate you! Get the fuck out of my room!"

"Gladly. Later loser." Benny stormed out, not looking back at Ethan as he ran to his house and locked himself in his room, hatred for his old best friend burning inside him.

~End~

Benny shook his head as Ethan got up and pulled his curtain closed, blocking his view of his old friend. Ignoring the twinge of pain that shot through him, he turned back to his homework, trying to block out any memories of him and Ethan that he ever held close.

…

Ethan rolled over onto his stomach, hands scrunched under his pillow; he had seen Benny staring into his room and had immediately closed the curtains, trying to not let him see how much he still affected him.

He hated Benny so much; he had so swiftly changed to a jock that it was almost scary.

But he also knew that if Benny so much as asked for them to become friends again, Ethan would probably cave.

He didn't want to be that weak with him.

Closing his eyes, he thought about when Lucas first came into his life.

~Flashback, again~

Ethan had been sitting on his front porch with Rory, trying to ignore Benny and his jock friends playing basketball in the yard next door.

"Hey dude," Rory said, nudging him. "Look over there." Ethan turned his head and looked down the street, seeing a large moving truck a few houses away from him.

"Oh, new neighbors," he said, watching as a car pulled up behind the truck. Ethan and Rory watched as a family of three got out; a mom, a dad, and then, a boy.

"He looks about our age," Rory said, cocking his head to the side before he stood up. "HEY KID!" The boy looked up at the yell, and Ethan felt his breath hitch a bit as he saw the confused brown-green eyes of the boy. "YEAH, YOU! WANNA COME OVER HERE AND HANG OUT WITH ME AND MY FRIEND?" Rory called, indicating himself and Ethan. Ethan watched as the boy spoke to his parents before the shooed him off towards them. Ethan surveyed him as he walked closer; about his height, maybe a little taller, he had tousled-looking hair that could either be brown or blonde, depending on the light; he had dimples when he smiled and looked extremely nervous; his brown-green eyes held a tiny bit of fear as they sparkled at the two.

"Hi," he said, hands deep in his pockets.

"Hey," Rory said, pulling Ethan so he was standing as well. "I'm Rory. This is Ethan, and this is Ethan's house."

"Cool. I'm Lucas," he said, giving them a little nod.

"What grade are you in?" Ethan asked, making the guy smile a bit more.

"Tenth. I start at the local high school in a couple days."

"Great! We're in tenth also," Rory said, nudging Ethan.

"Yeah, so you already know a couple of people."

"We should warn you though-"

"We're two of the biggest nerds in the school." Lucas opened his mouth to reply when a basketball came zooming at him; he turned quickly and caught the orange bomb heading his way before hurling it back at Benny, who barely caught it and tumbled into one of his friends. Lucas glared at him before turning back to Ethan and Rory.

"That's fine. Friends are friends to me. I'm kinda nerdy myself."

The three had stood there talking, only Ethan noticing the death glare Benny was sending both him and Lucas as well as the white-knuckle grip he had on the basketball in his hands.

~End~

Ethan grinned as he remembered the instant distaste Lucas had taken to Benny, and how he had fit so easily into his life, like he was meant to always be there.

Rolling over, still thinking of the day he lost Benny and found Lucas, he ended up falling asleep.

…

So, is anything gonna happen between Lucas and Ethan?
I don't know.

Is Benny gonna continue to be a jerk?
Probably.

Will everything get better in the end?
I guess we'll see.

Thanks for reading.

-JustMe133