Day 1 - Season 3
"Tyler, you can't keep doing this," Caroline sighed, scrubbing the blood off his shirt as best she could. "Blood bags work just fine."
The bathroom's harsh lights cast creepy shadows on her boyfriend's face. "Rebekah is doing a great job in teaching me," he promised. "I can just compel the people, no harm done."
Doing her best to ignore the foreboding that spiked through her, Caroline dabbed his shirt harder with the paper towel.
Elena, still blocking the door to keep other students out, grimaced at the bloodstain Caroline was just making worse. "You'll just have to keep your jacket on," the brunette said, anxious to get to class. "Care, we have to go. I need you to take the seat next to me so Stefan doesn't."
Groaning in frustration, Caroline threw the paper towel in the trash. "Whatever," she said to Tyler. "If you're so cool with Rebekah teaching you to take advantage of our friends, then fine. But don't expect me to clean up your messes anymore."
"What does that mean," Tyler asked before she could storm out after Elena. "Are you breaking up with me?"
"I don't know," Caroline answered, rolling her eyes to the ceiling. "I do know that I can't stand to stay here with you another minute. And I that I definitely do not like you spending so much time with Rebekah. Bloodlust can be a dangerous state around pretty girls," she warned angrily.
Tyler just scoffed in annoyance. "That's what this is, you're jealous," he crowed. "I promise, she's just helping me adjust. Klaus told her to, so it's not even about me."
Shaking her head, Caroline wasn't sure she could believe that. Instead, she pushed her way out the door and into the busy hallway. If Tyler couldn't take her concerns seriously, then what was she even fighting for?
Feeling a bit guilty for how she treated Tyler earlier, Caroline promised herself to catch up with him after their respective practices. They clearly needed a date night, if only to give them time to enjoy each other without all the supernatural drama. She walked out to the track where her squad was supposed to be warming up, but she noticed the cheerleaders surrounding Rebekah as she did a complicated tumble. Their impressed praises rang in Caroline's ears, and she was ready to tear that stupid feather out of the other girl's hair.
Instead, Caroline took a deep breath like Stefan had once taught her. She could hear the Ripper pestering Elena around the track, but his voice still helped to soothe her in the midst of overwhelming anger. Swallowing down the rant she wanted to spit at Rebekah, Caroline calmly approached the group. "Back in formation, ladies, this routine needs to be perfect by the end of practice," she commanded.
"Actually," Annie interrupted, "Rebekah has some ideas we should use. She's incredible!"
Rebekah's smug smile was almost enough for Caroline to follow through on her petty catfight, but she forced herself to fake a smile. "No, Annie," she chided. "We're doing this routine until your feet bleed because of how hard we worked at getting it perfect. We can discuss a new routine next week."
Flashing her eyes to Rebekah, it was clear to Caroline that the Original knew how tenuous her self-control was. It would just be a matter of time for the girl to get completely under her skin and force her to snap.
Though she wasn't able to find Tyler after football practice, Caroline figured he would be at home alone. Aiming to surprise him, she walked into the Lockwood Mansion. "Tyler," she called. "How do you feel about ordering takeout and getting naked? Not necessarily in that order."
"I don't think he's very hungry right now," Rebekah's feminine lilt answered. "For food, anyway."
Mortification at being heard was quickly overpowered by a burning rage as Caroline flashed to the den. Rebekah was reclined next to Tyler, who was feeding off a strange girl. As angry as Caroline was about Rebekah's unwanted presence in her boyfriend's house, she was angrier about the redhead straddling said boyfriend.
"Seriously?!"
Caroline's shriek finally drew Tyler's attention from the girl's neck, his bloodstained lips dropping open when he realized his position. "Care-"
"Don't," Caroline snapped. "I told you this would be an issue for me, yet here you are. With Rebekah and some girl in your lap. Go ahead, tell me there's nothing to worry about."
Rebekah just smiled, watching the couple with rapt attention.
Tyler, however, looked panicked. "I'm sorry, Caroline, I was just feeding," he pleaded. "I can't stand the blood bags, I'm not as good as you."
"Forget it, Tyler," Caroline huffed. "You clearly didn't want my help anyway, so maybe it's best to call it quits. I can't handle this anymore."
As she stomped away, a part of Caroline hoped that Tyler would call after her, try to fight to keep her. When he didn't, she shook off the disappointment as best she could and drove to the Salvatore Boarding House where she knew Elena would be.
"Come on, Caroline," Bonnie said, pulling her into the Grill. "I'm starving, and you know curly fries always make you feel better."
It had been a few days since her breakup with Tyler, and Bonnie finally dragged her out of bed and away from the ice cream to get actual human interaction. Curly fries and booze did sound good, so Caroline reluctantly agree. Once inside, though, all she wanted was to leave.
Rebekah and Tyler were playing pool, and they were far too comfortable in each other's personal space for Caroline to stomach. She was ready to turn around and head right back outside, but a whoosh just barely alerted her to the body suddenly standing in front of her. "You're not leaving already, surely?"
The soft, British accent was probably supposed to be seductive, if the dangerous smirk was any indication. However, Caroline had no intentions of being seduced by anyone that night. Considering it was Klaus himself just worsened his odds anyway.
"Excuse you," Caroline bit out, ignoring Bonnie's tight grip on her wrist. "You're in my way."
"I'd apologize, love," he replied, "but I think I rather like being in your way. Aren't you the spitfire that broke my hybrid's tender heart for daring to embrace his nature?"
Narrowing her eyes, Caroline straightened up to her full height. No doubt the Original couldn't be intimidated by little old her, but she would give it her best effort. "That's none of your business," she said coldly. She finally turned to leave, but Klaus just sped to block her again.
"On the contrary, it seems my business is what came between you," he pointed out. "Though, maybe I should thank you. Now, Rebekah can be happily occupied and I don't have to worry about my underling growing a conscience."
"Because that would be the worst thing to happen for nearly immortal beings with the ability to kill everyone in sight," Caroline scoffed.
Bonnie pulled the blonde's arm again, not liking the gleam in Klaus's eyes. "Come on, Caroline," she coaxed like she had earlier. "Let's just go somewhere else."
Having already lost so much ground this week, Caroline hated to back down, even to the sadistic bastard trying to ruin all their lives. "Fine," she sneered, turning back to Bonnie. "I'd rather not waste my time around them anyway." Flicking her eyes to Klaus for a moment, she bit out, "They're not worth it."
Finally walking out, the girls missed the intrigue hidden in Klaus's angry expression.
Not a week later, Stefan's revenge plot gave him the opportunity to orchestrate another meeting with the pretty, blonde vampire; he ordered Tyler to bite her.