Chapter Text
It was only a day since Ethan became stuck between the living and the dead, however for everyone else it felt like an eternity.
Sarah tried giving Ethan the blood supplements that Benny's grandma had made. However, Ethan threw them back up before they even hit his stomach. The only company he had been allowed to have were Sarah, Erica, and Rory. As much as he cared for Rory, he could only handle him in small doses. He never seemed to understand when times were serious and when Ethan just wasn't in the mood to stuff marshmallows into his mouth or have a Star Wars marathon. Whenever Erica would visit, she would encourage him to "rip off the band-aid" and to just "get it over with".
"Being a werewolf is only a monthly problem, like a period," Erica would remind him.
Ethan wondered when he would be able to see his family again. He called his parents and told him that he was staying at Benny's but he didn't specify how long. Not that his parents cared, they have their date nights to worry about. He had realized he forgot to tell his sister what had happened, it will get back to her eventually.
Ethan was missing Benny more than he ever had before. It had only been a day, but it was the worry that he would never be able to see Benny again that would eat his mind away.
~
Benny was on the other side of the closed door. Ethan desperately tried to pry his way out of Sarah's grip, his inhuman eyes gazing past Sarah. Benny slowly backed away from the door, and as he did Ethan's humanity slowly made its way back. Eventually, Ethan was back to his (new) normal self.
"We can still talk to each other from this distance!" Benny yelled from the other side of the house.
"This isn't going to work Benny!" Ethan yelled back.
"We'll just text then!" Benny yelled once more. Benny went to the couch and sat down, letting his body sink in defeat.
"You wouldn't be in this situation if you would just let him turn!" Erica told Benny as she sat on the other side of the couch.
"For someone who claims she has a heart you sure do enjoy scaring people," Benny whined. "How long have you been here anyway?"
"Doesn't matter," Erica answered.
"Are you still mad about what I said?" Benny asked.
"You think I want Ethan to go through with it because you think I don't care for him," Erica rambled, "I want him to go through with it because I do care."
"We don't know what will happen to him Erica!"
"But don't you think it will be better than what he's going through now?"
Benny looked away from Erica and pondered.
"That's it," Erica began, "to prove to you that I'm not this cold and heartless monster you think I am, I'm taking you out for lunch and bill is on me."
"Thanks for the offer but I'm not hungry," Benny said dryly.
"I'm not giving you a choice." Erica took Benny's arm and sped off.
~
However, the one person that Ethan seemed to never get tired of was Sarah. They had already spent quite a bit of time together before this mess started, but not as intimate as this. Before, what he had for her was simple puppy love. A cliche crush on the babysitter. Sarah had to stay with him during the night, in case he would attack the humans in the house as they slept. During his first of many sleepless nights, he and Sarah lied next to each other on the bed and talked.
~
"I used to want to be a reporter," Sarah told Ethan, "the ones that you see on TV."
"What happened?" Ethan asked.
"I don't show up on camera anymore, remember?"
"Sorry, I must've forgot." Ethan sat up, "I wish you never met Jesse."
"You know, I tell myself that quite a bit," Sarah began, "but then I have to remind myself something else."
"What is that?"
"If I had never met Jesse, I probably would've never met you."
~
The next day Sarah and Benny had to leave to go to school. Benny's grandma worked tirelessly to find some sort of solution, even something to stall the effects, for Ethan. He never really knew what she was doing just a floor down from him, but he hoped she would miraculously find something soon. However, deep down, he knew that eventually he would have to rip off the band-aid.
That night, Ethan sat by himself, mindlessly flipping through his phone. Sarah had been babysitting that night, which reminded him again that he still needs to confess to his sister what had happened. However, that familiar scent filled his nostrils. He felt his eyes burn. He could sense it was coming from outside. He made his way to the window. Part of him knew he needed to fight it, to not give in to curiosity to see what it was. However, a bigger part of him needed the fulfillment, the part that has been clawing desperately to get out. He peered out the window and his eyes met with Jesse, who had Jane Morgan gripped into his hand.