What to expect with the M rating: some bad language here and there, sexual content, and explicit themes.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries, because if I did, Elijah would have appeared in every episode.
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"12 Insider Tips On How To Make A Guy Like You," read Caroline, making Madison spin around in her roller chair and face the blonde female vampire. Caroline sat up on Madison's bed and held the magazine in the air as she continued, "Step 12: Get His Attention. In order to get a guy to like you, he has to first notice you. You need to try to get his attention first. If he looks past you each time, then just speak to him. Say hi and send him a smile. Maybe even a little wink before you walk away. When you walk away, he will be standing there wondering if that was a wink. He may think of it and try to figure out what that wink meant."
"Or he'll think you're creepy for winking at someone you don't even know," Madison remarked.
Caroline ignored her, "Step 11: Get Closer. A good way to get him to notice you would be to join clubs that you know he attends, but make sure you enjoy those clubs as well. That way, he will see that the both of you have something in common. Don't sign up for something that you do not like though, cause this should be something both of you enjoy, so that you could show how fun and smart you are all in one..."
"That's stalking."
"Quiet, you," Caroline hushed Madison, then tried to continue, "Step 10-"
"I honestly don't know why you're reading this garbage to me," Madison said, turning around in her chair so that she was back at her desk, writing the outline of her college paper.
"This is not garbage. This is your future. Don't you want a boyfriend?"
"Well, yeah but... you know I'm old-fashioned. I think that if a guy likes you, he should be the one to make the first move."
"But you still have to put yourself out there!" Caroline flicked through some more pages of her magazine, "Ah. Here's some fashion tips on how to attract men-"
"Caroline, please. I am putting myself out there," sighed Madison, "It just takes time, okay?"
Caroline dropped her magazine, concern crinkling her face, "But how much time?"
Madison shrugged. Caroline sighed and pulled herself off the bed, crossing the room and wrapping her arms around Madison's shoulders from behind. Madison dropped her ballpoint pen, starting to regret ever having let Caroline come over; she wasn't getting any work done this way. "I just want you to be happy," Caroline murmured into Madison's thick and curly black hair, "I never see you anymore."
As if Madison needed a reminder of how much she didn't go out, except to go to school or the grocery store, even a walk on occasion but never actually socializing. "I'm in college now, Care. I have other responsibilities."
Caroline broke the hug, now pacing about Madison's bedroom, "But do you even go to any college parties?"
"I don't like dancing," said Madison, turning once again in her chair to watch Caroline. The only dances Madison had confidence in doing were the ones her mom had taught her, the traditional Mystic Falls dancing.
"You know what your problem is," Caroline suddenly became livid, making Madison's mouth fall open, "You're too scared of change, of doing something different. You'd rather stay in your little bubble, all by yourself because you're scared people are going to reject you."
Very true. But Madison had her reasons for being reluctant to 'put herself out there'. She was not outgoing or bubbly like Caroline, not charismatic or warm like Elena, and definitely not beautiful or mysterious like Bonnie. In high school, although Madison was older than her friends, she was typically the loner and didn't participate in any extracurriculars. Caroline, Elena, and Bonnie had been the popular trio. Elena knew Madison because their parents were close, and soon Elena and Madison started talking at frequent family get-togethers, which caused Madison to somehow merge into their group. Her bond was tighter with Caroline perhaps because they were opposites in every way, light and dark.
It never stopped Madison from feeling like the fourth-wheel, though. Not to mention the other girls were something special; Elena, a doppleganger; Bonnie, a witch; and Caroline was now a vampire. Madison remained purely human.
"So is this like an intervention?" asked Madison.
"Yeah, it is," nodded a serious Caroline, crossing her arms, "I want you to come out more. I know you've been through a lot, we all have, but I'm not letting you drift away in this freaking town. And we're going to get you a guy, okay?"
Madison didn't really like the sound of that. "It's not like I don't want a boyfriend," Her cheeks flushed as she admitted this desire, "But it's hard to find a guy that I like, that likes me back. Every guy that I've been into never even paid me attention. Isn't it better to just wait? The best relationships are the ones that happen when you least expect them to, right?"
She started thinking back to her previous string of failures. Stefan Salvatore had shook up the town when he came to Mystic Falls her senior year of high school. The hot new guy had everyone talking, but Madison dismissed any attraction she'd felt for him the moment she learned he only had eyes for Elena. Elena eventually began a serious relationship with Stefan, and Madison found herself happy for them.
Damon Salvatore, Stefan's older brother, showed up soon after Stefan did. He emitted confidence and oozed sex appeal, but then had a short thing with Caroline, and several other nameless girls. He fell for Elena, too, and Madison just lost hope. But what made her burn with a passionate hate for him was his unforgivable murder of Madison's father, who was a member of the Founder's Council and a devoted vampire hunter. He crossed paths with Damon one too many times, pissed Damon off one too many times, and so Damon killed him. Since then, Madison steered clear of Damon and treated him with the utmost disdain. Her father's death made her wary of all vampires, including Caroline for a while.
Madison had experienced other crushes, too, but the Salvatore brothers were the only ones she distinctly remembered. Any other guy, she probably blocked from memory. Maybe she was being too picky, but she expected a lot. Love, trust, honesty and physical attraction; these things were a hard find, and Madison wasn't too sure if she could give all of those things herself. She did know that she wanted an epic love, though; one that healed her from everything else. Was she just expecting too much out of life? Should she have just settled a long time ago? She never let a guy get close enough to her unless she felt that extra something.
"Now look who's talking garbage," Caroline's disapproved, "This is what I get for letting you borrow my romance novel collection. Life is not a fairytale, the perfect guy is not just going to fall out of the sky right in front of you, you need to be open to every option and every chance. You stay in your apartment all day and think Prince Charming is just going to miraculously find you?"
Madison looked down, her beige cheeks tinted with an embarrassed rosy blush. Caroline was right.
"You know what? I have a plan," Caroline whisked her phone from out of her purse lying on the bed, starting to text at a blinding speed, "I know exactly what you need, Madi."
"Hey, Care? I thought you were busy helping Tyler prepare for the full moon," Madison's eyes softened immensely, "So why are you here doing this?"
Caroline looked at her, "You're my friend and I love you, that's why."
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"I'm prepared to offer you a deal."
Elena looked up from her phone, having gotten a surprising text from Caroline, and pinned the intimidating Original vampire in her room with uncertain brown eyes. Her mind was already taken for a spin when Elijah appeared in her house, unwelcomed by Elena, but gladly invited by her Aunt Jenna. And now she'd received a shocking text message, because it was about Madison and Madison had disappeared for a while now. Elena didn't blame Madison, or anyone that wanted out of her dramatic life, but now the doppleganger had too much to think about and process.
She did know that making deals with vampries wasn't smart, though.
"What kind of a deal?" Elena asked hesitantly.
Elijah rose elegantly from the window sill he was sitting on and sauntered across the room. He stopped in front of her dresser and idly turned a few pages in her opened diary, "Do nothing. Do nothing, live your life, stop fighting. And then, when the time is right, you and I shall draw Klaus out together and I shall make sure that your friends remain unharmed."
"And then what?"
Elijah ran his tongue over his half-smiling lips, turning until he towered over Elena, "Then I kill him." He didn't even blink as he spoke so calmly and self-assured.
"Just like that?"
"Just like that. I'm a man of my word, Elena. I make a deal, I keep a deal."
Elena suspiciously questioned, "How are you going to be able to keep everybody safe?"
"You know I've noticed you have a witch friend. Bonnie, is it? She seems to possess the gift of magic. I have friends with similar gifts," said Elijah in a relaxed tone.
"You know witches," Elena confirmed, unimpressed.
"And together we can protect everybody that matters to you," he stepped closer, his eyes considerably gentle, "So do we have a deal?"
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Elijah left to fufill one of Elena's deeds, part of the deal they'd negotiated; to go and release Stefan from the tomb he was trapped in with Katherine. Elena plopped down on her bed with a sigh and retrieved her phone to call Caroline. Caroline was just leaving Madison's and was on her way to Tyler's.
"Elena," Caroline brightly answered the phone.
"Hey," said Elena, "You talked to Madison?"
"Well someone had to check up on her."
"How is she?"
"She's okay. So are you coming to the party?"
"I can't," Elena's tone dripped with guilt, "Bonnie's got me on lockdown at the house. I wish I could, but I can't."
"It's not your fault Original vampires are out to sacrifice you. Besides, if you come, there's probably going to be more drama and this is Madison's night."
"Gee, thanks," sighed Elena.
"You know what I mean. I'm not trying to sound like a bitch, even though I do."
"It's okay, I just... feel so bad. Madison must hate me."
"She could never hate you, Elena," Caroline soothed, "It's just... she's scared. Whenever she's actually happy, something bad happens after that and it hurts her."