The Amazing Spy School Oneshots

Sadness

DO NOT READ IF YOU CAN NOT HANDLE SADNESS

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??? POV

Ben Ripley rushed around his room, throwing clothing into his suitcase, fighting tears that he wasn't sure he could hold off. His phone lay across the room, screen cracked from the impact of hitting the wall after being thrown by an emotionally overwhelmed teenage boy. Ben didn't know what exactly he could do, but he knew he needed to be there for them, needed to go... He was so distracted that he didn't notice his dorm room door slowly opening, revealing a familiar person. 

"What the actual hell Ripley?" Erica Hale snapped, storming into the room and slamming the door behind her. Ben started, wiping his damp eyes and turning to face the girl. 

"What's wrong?" he asked, trying to sound as normal as he could, trying not to break down in tears. Erica stormed over to the open suitcase on his bed and picked up one of the shirts he had thrown into it. 

"So- you thought you could just up and leave? What, life as a spy got to hard for you?" Ben's eyes went wide and it took every ounce of control in his body to not start crying. 

"No- Erica. Its not what it looks like!" 

"Really? Because it looks like your packing your bags and leaving. Heading to Florida to go live with your parents. Why Ripley? You can't just leave the CIA. They need you."

"They have you." Ben turned away. He didn't want to tell her, he couldn't... 

"What about Mike and Zoe and Chip and Jawa and... you have friends here. They need you! You can't just up and abandon your life so you can go live with mommy and daddy when you get a little homesick. The CIA needs you! Your friends need you!" she paused, wavering, but her emotions won over. Years of pain and hurt and anger spilled out of Erica Hale, and though her eyes remained dry you could see the devastation in them. "Ben, I need you." o any other day, under any other circumstances, Ben Ripley would have been overjoyed that Erica had said something like this, but now he whirled on her, unable to fight the tears any longer.

"YOU THINK THIS IS EASY FOR ME?!" he screamed, catching Erica of guard. "ITS NOT! IM NOT ABANDONING MY LIFE, THE CIA, MY FRIENDS, YOU- BY CHOICE, I HAVE TO GO TO MY PARENTS!!!"

"What's going on?!" Erica yelled. 

"MY DAD IS SICK!" Ben broke down, clutching the girl and sobbing into her shoulder. "he's dying. I need to be there for him, for my mom. I wouldn't be leaving if it weren't important- I thought you would have known that." Erica wrapped her arms around him, letting herself drop her guard. 

"Ben- I'm so sorry. I had no idea. When I heard you were resigning and joining witness protection with your family, my brain shorted I guess. I- I thought you were going to pull a Joshua; abandon me because you decided you didn't care enough." she could feel her eyes growing wet now too, as much as she hated it. "But Ben, I- I understand that you have to go. I mean, family above all right?" Ben nodded slightly, his brown eyed gaze meeting Ericas blue one. 

"I need you to promise me something Ripley." she said, wiping a tear from her eye. 

"Anything." he choked. 

"I want you to never talk to me again. I want you to never try to find me, or reach out to me. I want you out of my life. But- but please, don't ever forget about me?" Ben nodded. 

"Thanks for getting me through Spy School." he sniffed. "I owe you one." Erica laughed sadly. 

"You do."

"Is there anything I can do for you before I leave?"

"Actually, there is one thing." Erica took a step back. "I want you to take your bag, get up, and leave now. Don't look back, don't say goodbye. I can't handle it." Ben nodded, standing up and throwing his duffle over his shoulder. 

"Erica- if this is the last time I see you I need to say one thing." she nodded.

"Make it quick. I don't think that I can handle much more."

"I might meet other girls, I might fall in love and end up married with kids in the future. But I will never love anyone more than I love you." Erica couldn't stop the tears from streaming down her face. 

"Ben, I- I think I love you too." she sobbed. Then, she leaned in... and paused... then pulled back. "wait- no. I can't." she rubbed her eyes dry. "Ben, I may look like a rock solid person, but I'm a broken, sad little girl hiding beneath a perfect icy exterior. I can't handle another heartbreak- it would destroy me. So do what I told you too. Leave. Now." Ben nodded. The girl closed her ice blue eyes, listening as the footsteps faded away. When she opened them again, he was gone.  Benjamin Ripley was gone.