THE SECRET LIFE OF THE AMERICAN TEENAGER is a product of Brenda Hampton and the producers of ABFAMILY CHANNEL. The characers are theirs, but the plot of this story and actions there of are mine.

"SET FIRE TO THE RAIN"

July 21, 2012
8:41 PM
Home of Alice Valko 2 days before Henry leaves for basic training:

Alice, and Henry sat side by side on her bed as they held the envelope containing the letter Ben had written them. It felt odd, and strange to Henry once again being here with Alice after everything they had been through in the past year. It felt worse to know that after all he had done to hurt both her and Ben both had forgiven them, and they were once again back together. But it felt even worse to know that after everything that had happened in the last four years their entire lives in high school it was their best friend that had helped them come back together, and now was gone from their lives possibly forever.

Henry: So are you ready to read this, or what?

Alice: No, are you?

Henry: I slept with my best friends wife, after she kicked him out of their condo, and I knew he still had feelings for her after the death of their child. He still forgives me. Then instead of being happy about that, I get mad that he sleeps with you after a crazy girl who I pointed out to him starts a fire then try to steal her from him for revenge. Both of you beat the crap out of me, and I still didn't learn.
But, he still forgives me, and I am rewarded by his dad after all of that with the car of my dreams. All the while my best friend is slowly dying with a tumor inside his head that he never told me about because he didn't believe he could trust me to be there for him. Of which I have proven that I cannot be trusted. So, no I am not ready to open this letter and read how he never forgave me, and that he hates me, and this will be the last time I ever hear from him.

Alice: Hank, you know Ben would never do that.

Henry: Wouldn't he Alice. I thought I would have never hurt you or him the way I did, and look what happened. I hurt him worse than Ricky Underwood did him. I thought Adrian loved him, and that Amy loved him, and look what they did to him. I thought you would never see Ben as anything more than a friend and look what happened between the two of you. I thought all of us would be friends forever and look what happened. I don't think any of us are beyond the possibility of doing anything anymore.

Alice: (looked at Hank with sad eyes realizing what he said was true) Either way, we still have to open this. I can't go on not knowing if he hated us or not. And I know that you are scared too, but you can't go to basic training, and God knows where else and not know what are possibly his last words to us are.

Hank: I know... you're right Alice. You're always right, but I'm still scared. Some soldier, and hero I'll be. Sitting here afraid to open a letter.

Alice: (kisses him tenderly) It's okay to be scared Hank, I'm scared of reading this too. But, I am also scared that you will get killed over somewhere, and that I'll never see you or Ben ever again. But, I'm even more scared to not know, what were his real feelings toward us. So we both just have to be strong, and accept what ever it is that he wrote to us, and learn to live with it.

Henry: Maybe you should be the one going to the military.

Alice: Nah, I look horrible in camoflouge colours you know that...(smiling and laughing)

Hank: I'll do the honors'...(opens the letter)

To Henry and Alice.

I HATE BOTH OF YOU!

PSYCHE!

You guys should both know I could never hate either of you, no matter what happened, between all of us, or what we did to one another I love you guys. You were the closest things I had to a brother and sister until Chloe came into my life. I honestly don't think I could have survived what happened to my mom, or Mercy without you two being there. I don't think I would have survived high school either.

Alice you were like the older sister I never had, you were smart, funny, wise, and beautiful beyond words. I am so so so so sorry that I had sex with you. Granted the sex was great, and Henry is definitely a very lucky man, but honestly no matter how good it felt (and Henry it felt great) I was disgusted with myself after. Because it was wrong, and totally taboo. Alice you are my friend and no matter how much I was hurting I should have learned from my past mistake with Adrian not to let myself be ruled by my anger. Alice I know that you were being controlled by yours as well. I can never, ever, say I'm sorry enough for that Alice, but I want you to know that it was my fault not yours. Because honestly I did it not because of the fire. I did it because of what Henry did. You are a great girl, and I hated how he broke up with you, and then slept with Adrian. I wanted him to see that, he was a fool for what he did. I guess I wanted to take from him what he took from me.

Henry you are my friend and like a brother to me, but you are the biggest idiot jerk I know, even more than me. You have a great and wonderful woman in Alice, and you are nowhere near worthy of her. She loves you, and I mean really loves you. I have envied you for years with how you had everything with her, and you go and throw it away simply to get laid by a number of women. Henry I know from my own experience that sex, is just sex sometimes, and no matter how good it feels it will never feel as good as when you have it with someone you love and care about, and best yet when that person feels the same way about you.

I don't know why you slept with Adrian, but I also know Adrian can be quite persuasive, so I could forgive you for that. But your need to break up with Alice was the stupidest thing ANYONE HAS EVER DONE, and that includes every stupid thing I have done, and I have done a lot. You two love each other you should appreciate that, and let it be enough. I would give anything for what you two have. I guess that was why I wanted to have a relationship so badly when we started highschool. I was tired of being the third wheel to you guys. I wanted to go into school holding hands with someone. I wanted to have someone who understood me the way you two understand each other. But I guess I'm just one of those people who are destined to be alone. Sad, but true.

Don't blame yourselves for me leaving. But, I have to leave. I need to find normal again...but I have never really been normal have I.

So here is a list of my Do's and Don'ts for both of you.

Henry do take care as a soldier, and keep your head down, don't be a hero, and get back to Alice. Don't get shot. Don't get blown up. Don't catch some disease. Don't get mangled. Don't get caught, and tortured. Don't hook up with some random skank, no matter how lonely you are. Don't get shell shocked. Don't get captured I have seen POW movies. Don't forget that she and I both love you and pray for your safety.

Alice don't meet some guy and get pregnant. Don't fall in love with someone just because he is handsome. Don't sleep with someone just because it seems okay. Don't experiment with drugs or alcohol you have seen my life it's not pretty. Don't drink anything at a party other than a soda. Don't get roofied, or date raped. You can experiment with girls. As long as it is experimenting I think Hank and I would both be okay with that. Dont' give up on your dreams of being a therapist.

Both of DO STAY TOGETHER. DO STAY IN LOVE. DO HAVE FAITH IN EACH OTHER. DO GET MARRIED. DO HAVE LOTS, AND LOTS OF CHILDREN. DO SPEND THE REST OF YOUR LIVES KNOWING YOU ARE TRULY BLESSED TO HAVE FOUND YOUR SOUL MATE...

Your friend forever and ALWAYS!

Benjamen Franklin Boykewich.

Alice: (folds the letter and wipes away tears) I can't believe he forgave us.

Henry: I can't believe it either.

Alice: (hugs Henry and cries into his arms) I'm going to miss him, and you.

Henry: (Holds her close in his arms) I'm going to miss you too, but I'll be back, and someday hopefully so will he.

Alice: You really think so..(loks at him wiping away tears)

Henry: Yeah, a friendship like ours is meant to last.

Alice: I love you Henry

Henry: I love you too Alice. (Kisses her)

Henry: (Parting from the kiss) I am okay with you experimenting with women, as long as you give me all the details.

Alice: (Punches Henry continously onto the bad laughing

Both felt happy that Ben had forgiven them, but guilty that their friend was gone. But they also felt hopeful that they would see him agian.

July 4, 2012
7:30 PM
Boykewich Estates.

Chloe was in her room, after having come up stairs from the barbecue her family was throwing. In attendance were Amy and Ricky, Omar and Adrian, Henry and Alice, as well as many of the Boykewich family relatives, and employees. Ethan whom Chloe had befriended during summer school was in Texas with Kathy and her family for the holiday, and she was all alone.

She hated being without both her friends, but hated that these parasites were here instead of her brother. Parasites was what she thought of all of them. Amy, Adrian, Ricky, Henry, Alice, all of them. To her all they did was drain Ben of everything, and now that he was gone they were here in his home living it up off of his father.

She couldn't tolerate that. Ben had been gone for almost two months and she was scared for him. The world was a cruel place when you are alone, and it was full of people who were eager to take advantage of you. Chloe knew that better than anyone, and she prayed for Ben's safety every night. She didn't think that any of them cared Ben was gone, or even cared about what he had gone through because of all of them, or cared about his life at all.

Leo even though he had a big heart was a fool to believe that any of these people were ever his son's friends. They only did what they did for his money, and now that Ben was gone they needed to get close to him. She thought that of all of them, especially Ricky. Ricky already had a great family, but he never for a second stopped trying to be around Leo.

To her Ricky acted like a bottom bitch she knew that worked for her pimp. Always doing what ever it took to make herself stand out to their pimp to make him happy. Ricky also reminded her of her former pimp. Looking so cute, and using his looks to fool people into believing whatever he had to say. Leo was no more different than herself, Amy, Adrian, or any girl who gets used for believing someone like that. She sat down opened the drawer on her nightstand and took out the letter Ben had written her, and finally opened it.

To Chloe

Hello little sister, or I should be saying goodbye. I know its weird having me call you little sister all the time especially since we have only known each other for a very short time. Your adoption isn't even permanent yet, and it feels like you have been part of my life since I was born. I only wish you had been. If you had been I might not have messed up half of much as I did, but I can't say that. I do stupid things a lot, and it doesn't matter what anyone tell's me.

I wish we had more time to get to know each other, but I feel as if we know too much about each other already. When we first met, I was shocked I had saw your story in the paper, and like a fool I didn't realize I didn't know your story at all, and then you were there in front of me saying, Hi I'm Chloe your new ex-prostitute, sister. You were surprised when I took your hand and said. Hi, I'm Ben your stupid twice married, once divorced, almost a father, ex-boyfriend of an arsonist brother.

We both laughed so loud when we were able to talk, so easily after that. I neve met anyone who had the same sadistic sense of humor. I think we both freaked Camille and dad out when we did that. But it was the first time I was able to laugh, really laugh in a very long time. I missed that. I missed being able to just laugh and enjoy myself. But it was easy with you. You had such a hard life that was given to you. But, you dealt with it the best way you could, and I was truly marvelled at your courage.

I on the other hand, made my life tough on myself by trying to be so many things that I was not. You made me feel as if I wasn't a total screw up with how you would talk to me, and laugh with me, and joke with me. It was nice being able to just live my life even though I had a large growth in my head.

I can never thank you enough for what you did on Christmas, and in January with me. I didn't know if I could go through with going to Mercy's grave on my own those days. I walwyas imagined that I woul be cleaning my daughter's mess after she tore through presents on Christmas. Not placing flowers on her grave. I thank you for coming with me that day.

I also thank you for coming with me when I went there for her birthday. I wanted to hear her say her first word that day, not stand there not being able to sing her happy birthday. I don't like people to see me cry, but you let me know it was okay. You always made things okay for me. You even make it okay for me to leave.

You made me so proud of you when you caught your pimp, and made me ashamed at the same time. You were so brave, and I wished I could be half that brave when it came to a lot of things. That is why I am leaving. I am still a coward I guess and need to leave because I don't think I am brave enough to live my own life.

But, it doesn't feel like it's my life. I am so sorry for doing this to you. But I want you to know that the best thing about being Ben Boykewich was being your brother. I am sorry I don't feel worthy of that. I want you to be happy Chloe, and know that I am leaving because I know that you can help Camille and Dad be okay when I leave.

I don't want you to blame yourself. You are a beautiful strong, and brave young woman, and you are destined to do great things. Just like you were destined to be my dad's child. I love you little sister, and I will always be happy to be your brother.

I am also asking you for a favor. I need you to continue to visit my mom and Mercy on three days. My mom's anniversary, Christmas, and Mercy's birthday of course. I have already made arrangments with the local floral shop to deliver the flowers you just have to show up. I know I am being a jerk for asking this, but it would mean a lot.

Goodbye Chloe and thank you for being my sister and reminding me of being a Boykewich. You were literally the only thing good about my life in high school.

Chloe put the letter down and started to cry.

Camille: Chloe, are you in here.

Chloe: Yes.

Camille: (opened the door to her room) Chloe, what's wrong?

Chloe: Nothing, I was just thinking about Ben. (hiding her letter)

Camille: I miss him too, we all do. But, he is okay.

Chloe: How do you know? We don't know where he is, or what he's doing? Anything could be happening to him for all we know.

Camille: Chloe, Ben is not weak like many would think.

Chloe: I know that mom. A weak person would never do any of the things that Ben has done. Or have suffered like anyone else for those parasites.

Camille: Chloe they are not parasites. They all miss Ben and feel bad for him leaving, but they are trying to live their lives. It's what Ben wanted.

Chloe: No! Its' what they want. They wanted to use him, and then go away. Neither of them half way appreciated the things he did for them.

Camille: Chloe hating them for making mistakes won't make Ben come back, or make you feel better. So come down stairs and enjoy the fire works.

Chloe: I know, and you're right. I'll be down in a minute.

Camille: Okay.

Chloe: I know hating them won't do any good, but making the one who started all of this pay for it will. (She went to the window and stared down at Ricky who was holding John on his shoulders as the he looked at the fireworks blow up in the sky. Amy stood by him holding John's hands. Ricky stood by Leo smiling.)

Chloe: You stole my brother's life from him, and I'm going to steal it right back.

Leo: Chloe, are you okay sweetheart.

Chloe: I'm fine, Dad. I was just looking for these. (shows three large sparklers)

Leo: Ben and his mom loved these. (leaves Ricky and John to take the big sparklers and light them)

Ricky: Can I have one? (looks at Chloe)

Chloe: No, I only had these for Dad, Mom, and me, but here John you can share mine with me. (Ricky lets John Climb down to get a sparkler) Here John, let me show you how to write. (takes his hands, and helps him write with the sparkler.) B - E - N. You remember Ben don't you John.

John: YES! (nodding his head at Chloe) (Ricky looks on and seems annoyed and guilty.) (Chloe watches him and gives an evil smirk.)

JULY 4, 2012
LAKE ONTARIO
40 Knots from Shore
THE HAWKEYE TRADING MERCHANT SHIP

Captain Voralsky: Newman, tie off those ropes, and clean up that crap from the barrels! (Yells at the small crew men whom he hired only two months before. He was small as a skeleton, and seemed to not know anything about ships, but he was a hard worker, and he appeared to have a lot on his mind.)

Newman: Sorry, Captain. I'll get right on it.

Captain Voralsky: What's the problem you feeling home sick?

Newman: No, sir just looking at the stars.

Captain Voralsky: (Walks up to him, gives him a sparkler) Happy Fourth Newman.

Newman: (Takes the sparkler) Thank you Captain. (walks outside and begins to trace the names of his family and loved ones, he really loved sparklers.)

Please have the song "Set Fire to the Rain" By Adele playing in the Background

I let it fall, my heart,
And as it fell, you rose to claim it,
It was dark and I was over,
Until you kissed my lips and you saved me,
My hands, they're strong, but my knees were far too weak,
To stand in your arms without falling to your feet,

But there's a side to you that I never knew, never knew,
All the things you'd say, they were never true, never true,
And the games you'd play, you would always win, always win,

But I set fire to the rain,
Watched it pour as I touched your face,
Well, it burned while I cried,
'Cause I heard it screaming out your name, your name,

When laying with you I could stay there,
Close my eyes, feel you here forever,
You and me together, nothing gets better,

Cause there's a side to you that I never knew, never knew,
All the things you'd say, they were never true, never true,
And the games you'd play, you would always win, always win,

But I set fire to the rain,
Watched it pour as I touched your face,
Well, it burned while I cried,
'Cause I heard it screaming out your name, your name
I set fire to the rain,
And I threw us into the flames,
Well, It felt something died,
'Cause I knew that that was the last time, the last time.

Sometimes I wake up by the door,
That heart you caught must be waiting for ya,
Even now when we're already over,
I can't help myself from looking for ya.

I set fire to the rain,
Watched it pour as I touch your face,
Well, it burned while I cried,
'Cause I heard it screaming out your name, your name
I set fire to the rain,
And I threw us into the flames,
Well, it felt something died,
'Cause I knew that that was the last time, the last time, oh,
Oh, no,
Let it burn, oh,
Let it burn,
Let it burn