Feeling Something New

By AnotherSideTheOtherStory

Chapter 1: The Incantation

"I'm so bored," whined Benny as he twirled around in his chair. He stopped when he came face to face with Ethan, and sighed. "Remind me again why we're doing our biology homework instead of playing that new fighting game?"

"Because you're getting a D- in class," said Ethan from his seat on the ground. "And unless you get it up your going to be stuck in summer school. Did you take notes during class today?"

"Not exactly…" said Benny as he held up his own notebook and motioned the small doodle in the corner. "I was designing a superhero costume for myself. I was thinking something like–"

"B, you need to focus, our summer is at stake here!"

Benny flinched when he noticed the disappointed look in his friend's eyes. The pit of his stomach churched as guilt washed over him. It wasn't just his own summer he risked ruining it was Ethan's as well. He closed his eyes and thought about what the teacher had said.

"Pheromones are a chemical substance released by an animal that serves to influence the physiology or behavior of other members of the same species. They can be used in a variety of ways, such as trailing after food, marking territory, and creating a bond with another living creature."

"We were studying how certain animals and bugs use chemical reactions to affect the environment they live in."

"Do you remember what they were called?"

"Telephones or phosphorus or something."

"Pheromones."

"Close enough," said Benny as he stood up. "This calls for victory tacos."

"I can't," said Ethan as he clicked away at his phone. "I actually have to leave soon."

"What? Why? We always have tacos on Tuesday, it's tradition!"

"I know, but I have a date with Sarah tonight," whispered Ethan without looking up. "She asked me if I knew about computers and-"

Benny sat down feeling oddly depressed. As happy was he was for Ethan to be chasing after Sarah, he hated the fact she seemed to be slowly taking him away. Sure it was just a Taco Tuesday here and there, but what if E than actually got into a relationship with her? He shuddered at the thought of losing his best friend.

"-so we made plans to go to the movies and then dinner. This is one of the first times she's wanted to hang out with me without some supernatural monster being the reason. I couldn't say no."

"If a hot girl comes knocking then you've got to let her in," said Benny with a sad smile as he lightly spun his chair. "Go do your thing dude, I'll practice my magic or study or something."

"You're not mad at me?" asked Ethan awkwardly as he put his things into his backpack.

"Why would I be mad? You'd do the same thing for me if it… was… Eri...ca…" A sudden thought occurred to him. If Ethan was getting a girlfriend why couldn't he just get one… right? "Can I borrow your notes from class?"

"I don't like that look."

"What look?"

"The one that says you've got an idea," said Ethan as he handed over a purple notebook. "Make sure you study, we have a test coming up next week."

"Uh-huh," said Benny already lost in thought. He followed Ethan to the door, promised him he's study, and then gave him his signature smile before ushering him out. Once the door was securely locked he allowed himself a mischievous grin, there was work to be done.

Benny sighed contently as he swirled around the contents of the vial. He never thought he'd see the day that not only science, but good old fashion notes would help him create the perfect potion. In his hands he held what he referred to as LPS 2.0, the Love Pheromone Spell, a much stronger and more focused one than the one he created several months ago. He held the container up to the light and smiled, this was definitely one of the perks to being a Spellmaster. He was so consumed in his moment of triumph he almost dropped it when the door burst open.

"Benny if we don't leave now we're going to be late," said Ethan as he walked in. "And there's no way I'm going to be late I've had an almost perfect attendance-" He saw the vial in his friend's hand. "What is that?"

"Behold," said Benny dramatically, as he stood tall and proud. "After combining several spells and potions I present you with LPS 2.0!"

"LPS?"

"Love Pheromone Spell, LPS, just sounds cooler."

"Really?" asked Ethan as he rubbed his face. "Last time you made one of those we almost died. I thought we agreed never to so something like that again."

"We did but with you getting so close with Sarah I figured I needed some help getting close with Erica," said Benny matter of factly. "And all that talk in class about pheromones and stuff got me thinking, why did the potion backfire, why did all those girls try and kill us? And guess what I found out, it was a love potion!"

Ethan's bewildered and confused expression said it all.

"Don't you get it E? Love potions deal with emotions, like jealousy! This time I mixed in a pheromone spell, so it's all science! Jealousy and all those other crazy emotions won't matter! It'll just be instinct!"

"Let me get this straight, you spent all of last night studying what we learned in class and then applying it to this spell?"

"Yup."

"I'm impressed," said Ethan as he crossed his arms. "But there's no way I'm going to be a part of this, I don't need my powers to tell me this has bad idea written all over it. Besides I don't want to ruin my chances with Sarah if it goes wrong."

Benny patted him on the head. "I thought you might say something like that. So I only made one dose, no reason to expose you to the dangers of the female population, especially if this thing bombs. Plus I figured if anything went wrong you could bail me out."

"That's what best friends do for each other."

Benny drained the vial in one go and stood up. He looked at Ethan and raised his hands high. "Well? Did anything happen to me?"

"You look the same to me," said Ethan his eyebrows raised. "Did it work?"

"I'm not sure," said Benny as he picked up his spell book and flipped through the pages. "I think I have to talk with Erica or something…. Oh and before I forget!" He pulled a purple notebook from his satchel and handed it to him. "Thanks for letting me borrow your science notes last night, I never would've been able to create LPS 2.0 without them."

"I never would've let you borrow them if I had known they'd be used for evil," said Ethan sarcastically as he took the purple spiral book from his friend. He stuffed it into his own backpack. He motioned towards the clock. "Let's go I don't want to be late."

"If this works, then I could have a girlfriend by the end of the day!" yelled Benny as he brushed past Ethan. "Come on, I don't want to miss a single moment of Erica lovin!"

Ethan rolled his eyes and followed. What was the worst thing that could happen? Well a lot, but he preferred not to dwell on that possibility.

"What's up babe?" asked Benny as he leaned against the locker next to Erica's.

Ethan hung back a few steps trying not to watch the train wreak before him. No matter how hard his friend would try, and magic or no magic, Erica would always find one way or another to be annoyed.

"What do you want?" asked Erica without looking at him. "Can't you see I'm busy?"

"You don't find anything about me attractive? Like maybe my perfect bouncy brown hair, or my easy to get lost in emerald green eyes?"

"Uh no," responded Erica as she closed the locker and stared at him. "The only thing about you that interests me in the slightest would be your blood, and it's not even that great.

"Darn," said Benny as he produced his spell book from his satchel. He leafed through the pages without looking up. "I thought it would work for sure."

"What was?" Then it dawned on her. She glared at him. "Where you trying to use one of your spells on me? You were weren't you?"

"N-no why would I do that?"

Ethan sensing things were about to get very bad, took a step forward to interfere. "We had a bet, he was going to flirt with you and see if he could get you to admit that some part of him was attractive. Obviously it didn't work."

Ethan reached out for his friend's arm, and at the same time Erica grabbed the other one.

"What were you trying to do?" asked Erica as she gave Benny a tug in her direction. "Tell me."

"I already told you," said Ethan as he pulled on his best friend's arm. "It was a bet."

Both Ethan and Erica began to tug harder, oblivious to the pain Benny was in.

"Tell me!"

"I already did!"

"Let him go!"

"No you let him go!"

"Spellmaster in pain here!"

"Whoa guys knock it off!" said Sarah as she ran towards them with Rory in tow. Both Ethan and Erica let go of Benny's arms. "What are you doing? Are you trying to get detention?"

"Whatever it was it looked fun," said Rory as he jumped up and down enthusiastically. "I want to try, I'm next I called it!"

"Benny was trying to use one of his spells on me," said Erica with her arms crossed. "I thought we agreed never to do that again."

"Was not," said Benny from his hiding spot behind Ethan. "It was a bet to see if she could admit she liked me."

Sarah looked at Erica and then at Ethan and Benny. "Erica apologize for almost ripping Benny in two. And Benny apologize for whatever the heck you were doing."

There was a moment of intense awkwardly silence before either of them said anything.

"Sorry for trying to use magic on you," mumbled Benny as he rubbed his wrist.

"Sorry for almost ripping off your arm," said Erica before turning away and disappearing down the hall. Sarah darted after her, and Ethan followed after Sarah.

"Well," said Rory as he put his arm around Benny's shoulder. "Looks like it's just the two of us."

"Great," sighed Benny watching his best friend disappear around the corner.

"I can't believe LPS 2.0 didn't work," pouted Benny from his bed as he stared up at the ceiling. "I mean I put more research into that than anything else I've ever done before."

"I still can't believe Erica didn't try to kill you," responded Ethan as he sat at his friend's desk. "Of all the people you could have a crush on you have to have one on the girl with the personality and dental work of a shark."

"I know isn't she awesome?"

Ethan rolled his eyes and noticed a small sketch pad resting in the corner. "I didn't know you like to draw."

"It's not really drawing I just sketch some of the things I see. It helps me when I can't figure out a spell or just have something on my mind I can't stop thinking about."

Ethan opened the small book, the first picture was of Erica bearing her fangs, the next one of Mr. G at the board, and the one after that was Rory chasing after a cat.

"These are really good," said Ethan as he continued to flip through the book. "Maybe you should be an artist."

"Thanks," said Benny without really listening. "Why didn't the spell work? I planned everything out perfectly!"

Then Ethan came across the last picture, which unlike the others had been finished. It was a silhouette of the Seer as he stood before the full moon staring at it. He felt himself go red, this sketch was from just a few days ago when he and Benny had hiked to the top of Whitechapel to watch the full moon rise.

"Which means," thought Ethan. "That when I was watching the moonrise, Benny had been watching me..." 'It helps me when I can't figure out a spell or just have something on my mind that I can't stop thinking about.' He felt himself go even redder.

"Was there something wrong with the amount of ingredients I put into it or am I just that bad of a Spell Master?"

Before Ethan could respond his phone went off. "I have to get going, I forgot Sarah's supposed to be coming over for dinner tonight."

"Have fun," said Benny as he continued to think about the spell. "Oh and before I forget you spelled pheromone wrong in your notebook."

Ethan rolled his eyes and waved goodbye to his friend. On the way out opened his notebook, in the corner of the page was a small note from Benny.

Pretty sure ferimone is spelled with an 'f'- B

Ethan looked over his shoulder at the Weir household, if Benny thought pheromone was spelt with an F, then what spell had he been using? Maybe it was labeled in a different language or as an incantation, after all half the words seemed gibberish to him. He shook the thoughts away and prepared himself for his date with Sarah.

Benny let out a sigh as he flipped to the bookmarked page. After a quick glance over the instructions he let out a laugh. How could he have forgotten to mutter then incantation?

"Accipio graviditas." A tingling sensation rushed through Benny's body. He let out a yawn and laid back on the bed feeling strangely exhausted. A few moments later Benny Weir was sound asleep and unaware of the strange sensation that had come to rest in his stomach.