I Can Be Your Dream, I Can Be Your Nightmare

Summary: Esme's thoughts on when she and Spencer first talked, her fall out with her friend, Andrea, and how it all fell apart. Twoshot

Part One

Andrea Jane Carter had intrigued Esme from the moment she'd seen her. Esme had been new to the boarding school at the age of fifteen and had been taken to her dorm room. Her roommate who she later found out was Andrea wasn't in the room yet. The headmaster informed her that the girl should be there soon and when dinner was before he'd promptly left. She'd just been unpacking when the door had swung open and Andrea practically bounced in.

Her hair was an ash blonde color and pulled back into a high ponytail, some strands escaping and framing her face. Some dirt caked her cheek and she wore a cropped t-shirt and a pair magenta track pants. "Oh, hey!" She said breathlessly, her dark blue eyes wide with surprise. "Sorry, I probably look a mess." She grinned apologetically and held out her hand. "I'm Andrea. Andrea Carter. I meant to get here before you arrived, but I was busy with some friends of mine. Softball."

Esme took her hand, shaking it lightly. "Esme Prince. I didn't know that there was a softball team here."

The blonde laughed. "Oh, there isn't. At least not officially and I can't say the headmaster really approves. He can't really say anything though, it's not as if we're doing anything wrong. Some other students and I created it. We just play against each other." She shrugged a shoulder good naturedly. "Anyway, let me go take a shower and then I'll show you around and introduce you to some people." She went to her closet and pulled out some clothes then headed into the bathroom just across the hall.

The brunette walked over to Andrea's desk once the other girl was out of the room, picking up a picture that looked rather recent. A boy stood next to Andrea. He was about a head taller than her with swoopy hair, a brighter blond than Andrea's and dark blue eyes that matched hers. He was tanned with full lips and gleaming white teeth. At once, Esme was intrigued. It was obvious that he was somehow related to Andrea and she couldn't help but wonder if he was a cousin or brother, if he attended this school. The door to their room opened and Esme glanced up, seeing Andrea standing there, face clean of dirt and hair washed, pulled into to twin braids. She was wearing the school uniform, almost looking like a porcelain doll.

"Oh, so I see you found the picture of me and Benji." Andrea said with a smile, moving forward to stand by her new roommate, the two of them looking down at the picture. At the questioning look she received, she answered, "My older brother. He's seventeen. You'll meet him soon."

"Do you have any other siblings or is it just you and Benji?" Esme asked curiously as she pulled on the uniform she'd been provided, not taking her eyes off of the other girl.

Andrea grinned. "We have five year old twin sisters named Cassie and Jamie." She answered. "They were kind of a surprise." She reached for a photograph on her desk and showed it to Esme. It was a picture of she and her brother with their sisters and parents on the beach. "This was taken this past summer while on vacation."

If Andrea noticed how Esme's gaze immediately went to Benji in the picture, she didn't say anything, something she was a little grateful for. "You know, you're really lucky." She told her. "I'm an only child. I'd do anything to have a brother or a sister."

The other girl hmmed at that and put the photograph back where it had previously been. "They can be kind of annoying, but I love the, Anyway, do you want to go look around?"

Esme nodded and the two girls left the room, locking the door behind them. The two of them had traveled along most of the campus, Andrea having introduced her to her teachers when it was time to head to the dining hall for dinner. At that point, Andrea tugged her along and promptly over to one of the round tables where a group of four were seated.

Andrea immediately fell into the lap of a tall, pretty girl with strawberry blonde hair and the darkest eyes Esme had ever seen. "Esme, meet my girlfriend, Raya Michaels and my friends, Katrina Clark, Ryder Williams, and Gabriel Taylor. Guys, this is my roommate, Esme Prince."

Raya gave Esme a wide grin, brushing back some of her curls. "It's nice to meet you Esme." She said, putting down the fork she'd been twirling her pasta with to take the brunette's hand. "Hopefully all of us can be friends."

"I'm sure we will." Esme replied, giving the group her most charming smile. The group had been talking for awhile when suddenly, a voice spoke from behind them.

"Drea?"

The voice was like music to Esme's ears, as smooth as silk. She looked behind her to see Benji standing there, looking even more handsome than he had in the pictures she'd seen, the uniform he wore fitting him like a glove.

"Yeah?" Andrea asked her brother curiously.

He shifted and reached into the inside of his blazer to pull out an envelope. "Mom and dad sent you this. It just arrived." His sister took it from his hand and his gaze fell on Esme. He quirked a brow and gave her a friendly smile. "Oh, you must be the roommate that Andrea was mentioning this morning. I'm her brother, Benjamin."

Esme returned his smile. "I know. I saw your picture on Andrea's desk earlier. It's nice to meet you."

"You too." He replied, smiling wider at her before he turned his attention back to his sister. "Anyway, I better get back to my table. It was nice to meet you Esme." With that, he turned around and left.

Esme watched him go until she heard a groan from across from her. Brow furrowing, she looked over to see Andrea with a faux look of annoyance on her face.

"God, please tell me you don't have the hots for my brother!" She whined.

The others at the table laughed at that.

"Come on, Andie." Raya said playfully. "Even I can admit your brother is attractive and I'm a lesbian."

Gabriel, Katrina, and Ryder nodded in agreement.

Esme blushed at that. "He seems nice." She commented.

"He is." Ryder spoke up, stuffing a meatball into his mouth. "Kind of a goody two shoes, but a really great guy none the less. Everyone likes him."

The group went back to the conversation they'd been having before Benjamin had shown up, but Esme's mind didn't leave him.


Esme grew closer to the group, yet she remained closest to Andrea. There'd be times when the two would lay in Andrea's bed, giggling as they watched romantic comedies and dumb horror movies. And with this friendship, she got invited to spend holidays with Andrea and Benji. She was first invited before Christmas break, when Andrea realized that she'd be spending the holiday in the dorms otherwise. The first time she met their mother, Sara, she was in awe. The woman had honey blonde hair pulled back in a bun and wore overalls, streaked with paint, the twins she'd only previously seen in pictures were on either side of the woman.

Sara beamed down at Esme as soon as she'd met her, welcoming her into the home with open arms. Her husband and Benji and Andrea's father, William was as charming as Benji and was a professor at a local university. Esme grew attached. She'd never met her biological father, though she knew who he was. Her mother was distant and she and her adoptive father had sent Esme away as soon as they could.

Being with the Carters felt as if she had a family and she supposed she grew attached. She'd really do anything to keep them around.

The very first, real time she talked to Benji was during that Christmas holiday. She'd only wanted a glass of water. She'd tiptoed out of bed and down the hall. She was just about to go past the large family room when she heard the keys of a piano, the sound pretty and light. Curiosity stopped her in her tracks and she peaked inside, spotting the boy in question sitting at the bench, long, slender fingers dancing over the keys. His eyes were closed as he really got into it and he wore his red plaid pajamas. The moon that filtered in through the window cast a shine over his hair. He almost appeared to be this otherworldly being, absolutely keeping Esme's attention captured on him.

"Wow!" She breathed out, stepping into the room, her long robe fanning out behind her.

He jumped slightly and his eyes flutter open. His cheeks flushed high at his cheek bones in embarrassment. "Esme!" He squeaked out, taking his hands off the keys. "I hope that I didn't wake you."

Esme shook her head negatively. "I was actually headed to the kitchen to get something to drink when I heard your music. I didn't even know that you could play."

Benjamin gave a shrug. "Yeah. Before my grandma died, she taught me. She tried to teach Andrea too, but she could never sit still long enough." He answered, glancing over at her when she took a seat next to him on the bench. "How about you? Can you play any musical instruments?"

She gave a laugh at that. "God, no! I have really clumsy fingers. You have a real talent for it."

He awarded her with a small, shy smile at the compliment. "It's something I really love and is just for me. It really calms me a lot and makes me feel closer to my grandma now that she's gone."

"If you want me to leave, I can." Esme offered, moving as if to stand up from the bench.

His hand reached out to wrap gently around her wrist, stopping her in her tracks. "No. No. It's...actually nice to have someone here to listen."

She sat back down, offering him a soft look as he reached out to take her hand back in his, placing her fingers over the keys.

He taught her to play the piano that night, their shoulders brushing as they sat closely as their fingers danced over the keys, hers stumbling a bit when he'd let go of them so she could try and play on her own.

The next morning, the two of them shared secret smiles over breakfast that drew curious glances from the rest of the family. It was only natural that the two grew closer and closer, becoming almost inseparable. Things were perfect for awhile, before they really began to fall apart. Sometimes the memories still haunted her as much as she tried to push them down.

To be continued

Next Part: Esme fears losing Benji and takes drastic measures to keep him, Esme and Andrea have their falling out. Esme meets Spencer officially.