Chapter One: I Had A Shitty Day
Getting fired was the worst way to stop someone's income in such in an abrupt and senseless way. In Elena's job's defense, they had a building case against her for months. Her constant write-ups for being late caught up to her. She'd worked at the huge Macy's store downtown Chicago. Being the extroverted individual she was, the young woman loved the fast-paced environment of retail. Though she didn't love the management or the schedule they gave her. The brunette didn't care about her job anymore especially since she found something better.
After sending her cover letter to a renowned journalist company, they finally got back in touch with her for their half-year internship that would start in the dead of summer. The interview was one step away from working for the company. She'd just graduated with a degree in Journalism and Media studies from Columbia back in May, so this was perfect timing. Right now the determined brunette was out shopping on Michigan Avenue with her best friend. Looking at clothes that she couldn't even afford - especially with all her student debt.
Caroline pulls out another pantsuit and insisted, "Ooh, la la. This is so your color, try it on."
"Ugh, Caroline I don't know," Elena sits down on a tan colored bench near the full-length mirror. "Coming here was a bad idea fueled by impulse."
"Yeah, but you need a bad-ass outfit to match the fire and passion you have for this job," Caroline squatted down to meet her friend at eye level and bore her blue, concerned eyes into her. "You know I could pull Stacey out for you." Elena's faced flushed in worry. Her 21st birthday had virtually cost her nothing thanks to her persistent child hood best friend funding the celebration.
"Caroline, you already bought me a graduation present on top of reserving that VIP room for my birthday last weekend at Lite."
"But I'm the one with the rich gay dad who has years worth of guilt of throwing me and my mom to the wayside," the blonde held up the black pantsuit. "This is so your color - for your first day because you're getting the job. You need to look hot when you're employed."
The brown-eyed woman sighed in hopeless defeat, her friend was so not letting her back down from buying her this.
Stefan Salvatore was a current graduate from a prestigious city school and also second and final heir to the family company. He did the on-campus thing for about one semester, hated it and came to live back home. With a modern mansion-esque house right looking over the lake, who'd want a cramped apartment to share with some random stranger. He always studious and very attentive to his classes for the majority of his university career until someone scurried out of his life like a mouse on Christmas Eve.
It wrecked his heart and then ultimately his senior year, one that he recklessly partied like no tomorrow and came to class with a red bull in his supposed coffee cup. Graduating with a 3.0 on his final transcript was a minor loss he had to take. His mother and father just shook their head in judgment but never sought to fix his slump. Now that he was out of school, it was time to crack down. Especially with the rager, he threw last weekend to celebrate his four years of college.
"So," Lily began, "This semester has been hard for you, we see and we've been generous with your very," Pause. "Interesting occurrences."
Stefan yawned and looked at his gold Rolex for the time. This intervention had to happen on a Saturday evening. He was dressed in a black sweater with his sleeves pushed up slightly and light-washed jeans as his bottoms. He sat with his toes pointed outwards, preventing his new Air Force Ones from creasing. From the looks of it, the young man was uninterested and places to be and red cups to chug.
"Can we get to the point, please? I gotta pick Tyler up at 9 and-"
"We're kicking you out," his father said all at once, tired of his son's flippant attitude. "We've given you way too many chances and my patience ended with that ridiculous party you threw last week."
"What? You can't be serious, where the hell am I going to go?" They were being unbelievable.
"You have until Tuesday to get all of your belongings out of here. I gave you an extra day because you have an interview on Monday."
"I said that I wasn't going," Stefan said with grimace dripping from his voice. "You guys are making me get a job this summer when I wanted to take a year off."
"Stefan," his mother stressed, "I cannot take another year of you doing what you're doing," she sighed and said carefully, "That girl made you go down a bad spiral but we need you to wake up now and deal with the real world."
The man being intervened held the bridge of his nose in frustration. His ex beaking up with him didn't directly make him pompous and careless, her leaving did. He was hurt and wanted to lash out, now it was coming back to bite him in the arse.
He applied for that internship and several others last August. Positions as limited as though took months to hear back from and had to be meticulously planned. Sending his grand resume took a total of 36 hours. On the other hand, his past happy self was excited to be possibly working at the city's most famous publications.
"Fine, whatever, can I go?" He had 72 hours to leave his home and he didn't even want to reflect on it - sober at least.
"Wait, boy," Giuseppe said, handing him some keys with a tag that read an address. "First month's rent and utilities are paid for, rest is on you."
Stefan eyes it and looks at his father who has his hands in his pockets. "Thanks."
His black Range Rover honks loud as hell as his jock friend Tyler Lockwood runs from his apartment duplex. He's wearing a plaid shirt and jeans with thick glasses and converses are on his feet. He's used to wearing athletic clothes that tug on his buff features but can clean up nicely. Not to say this was a nice party but there were going to be women there with some sort of class. Showing up with basketball shorts and a tank wasn't going to always cut it.
"Fucking Pointdexter," Stefan joked as Tyler shut his car door.
"C' mon, the glasses and a basic shirt, this screams smart and attentive," he nudged his friend in the driving seat. "Something that'll get me some intellectual pussy tonight."
"Right, 'cause the STEM girls are totally going to slum it with you at Mckittrick's party tonight."
"Hey, I told one of them not to be a stranger and her kind of flirted back, so you never know," Tyler pointed out, earning a light laugh from his buddy.
"I'm only going to this thing because Amber will chew me out if I don't."
"So, what's the deal with you and her, you smash yet or what?" Tyler asked as they stopped for a group of girls. They were all blonde and skinny giggling the night away, some wore Roosevelt hoodies he recognized them from school. The walking group stopped to see the two males and waved. Tyler smiled widely and let his window asked to see if they were headed to the party.
"Do not offer anyone any free rides, I barely wanted to pick your ass up," Stefan gritted under his teeth.
"Alright, ladies see you there, walk safely!" Tyler called out and sunk back in his seat to give Stefan an annoyed look.
"What?"
"You saw me running game man and you just had to ruin it. You'd be all over that with me, Amber must have some bomb-"
"We haven't had sex, okay?" Stefan's voice came out more high-pitched than usual, possible proof that his dry spell had him reverting back to the eighth grade.
Tyler laughed out loud and then was left alone in disbelief. "Oh, so you're not joking?"
"She says that'll happen eventually and would like for me not to see anyone else. We've done other stuff though."
"I don't even know what to say this is the closest you've been to monogamy since...well y' know and you're wasting it on someone as dimwitted as Amber!"
"Hey!" Stefan came to her defense. "She's insanely gorgeous, funny, and she has a fun personality! Did I also say that she's a blonde who's like really pretty?"
Tyler just shook his head not pleased at all with his friend's selection in women. He looks up at the house they're approaching and is ready to make the most of his night. Parking is hell and they settle on something that's 2 blocks away. When they walk in they meet a very lively party. Girls are walking up to the top floor in their bikinis, others are by the keggar, and the rest are sitting modestly by the kitchen counter or on the couch. Tyler tries not to salivate like a bear at his choices. It isn't long before he patted his longtime friend on the back when leaving him to chase skirts.
Stefan grabbed a cup and began gulping it down while leaning on the brown marble counter. He was there not even 30 minutes and bored out of his mind. All he could think about is his impromptu eviction given by his parents. He debated on getting wasted, having Tyler drive him home and get his car back in the morning. Then he decided it would be too much work and would slow his moving process down. Hell, even being there could have been time put towards boxing his items up. Amber couldn't be in his face fast enough with her boisterous breasts that always tightly gripped her shirts.
God had been right on time because just before he was about to send Tyler an 'I'll be in the car text' the curvy blonde and him met ways.
"Hi," She greeted sultry-like, throwing some hair behind her ear.
He places his hands on her hips, squeezing them gently and then leaning down to kiss her. He still knew how to romance a woman, he just didn't feel like it most days considering the last time he did, she took off. Amber is pleasantly surprised by the action and squealed, "I thought we weren't going public." They still hadn't defined what was going on with them.
"Well, considering I have been waiting on you all night, I say screw it."
Amber kissed him this time with so much force and passion that the partygoers started chugging her name out. When they released, Stefan came out on the other side dizzy and breathless while Amber was putting on a show. Flipping her hair at the crowd and smiling coyly. Her man's spontaneity in claiming her like that sparked the girl's libido. "Take me out of here, big boy," she whispered dangerously in his ear. Those were the type of words he loved to hear and after all that time he invested into the blonde, a quickie was past overdue.
They walk out together causing everyone in the way to make a walkway for them. Stefan can't hold his smile back, he was so getting laid and no one could tell him otherwise. The walk from the house to his car wasn't long as they practically ran to it. It was a crazy idea Amber swore but after some thorough convincing, the blonde was now half naked in his truck. It was very much a public street which made Stefan's adrenaline pump, along with other things, twice as hard. Her off-shoulder Michael Kors top was now lying in his backseat after a simple pull-over.
Amber puts a finger to his lips, his eyes flicker in confusion. "Woah, there I need to see some skin from you. Fair is fair, Stefan," she points at her lovely bosom and he nods in wonder before taking off his sweater. He grinned as the female above him ran her hands over his abs. What could he say, he kept up with a strict workout regimen especially with a stellar fitness room in the basement of his house. God, he was going to miss his house. Once again his hands' grip on Amber's ass but with more force and she giggles before they start their tongue Olympics.
Right when Stefan's hands find the hook of her bra, she looks up at a running figure coming towards them. "Tyler?" She asked in complete bewilderment.
Stefan's mouth finds a soft spot on her neck and murmured, "No, Tyler baby just me."
Tyler banged on the window when he couldn't get in the car helplessly and his face morphed into overwhelm when he saw the sight before him.
"Oh shit, man I didn't mean to interrupt-"
Amber looked annoyed and grabbed her shirt from the back seat, still on top of the driver.
Stefan stifled a groan at the friction of her jeans against his. "What do you want, Tyler?"
"I need a ride home ASAP," He opens the door after he hears the click of it being unlocked.
The blonde just looks at the passenger seat that is taken and glared at the person in it. Stefan looks at the backseat and says in placating voice. "If you don't mind." She scoffed and jumped into the second row. The Salvatore cringed at his leather seats being smashed so much. She wasn't focused on sitting back there the non-rude way because she was pissed and how could he blame her?
Amber was dropped off first because she lived nearby but it allowed Stefan to ream his friend for a good minute. Tyler knew it wasn't the best idea to follow where his friend went when he asked a person in the living room where he might have gone but he could not stay stuck being enemy number one at the party. Clearly, his friend was furious about his never-ending dry spell.
"Look, man, no one told me that Anna and Ben were still together, how the hell am I supposed to know these things?"
"They're always going to be together! It's like fucking night and day with them but they love each other, you're supposed to know these things after 4 years with these people," He takes a look at Tyler's face; "Your glasses are gone, he knocked 'em off your face, huh?"
Tyler laughed. "Nah, Anna took off while we were - you know what I mean. They're gone forever. Poof."
"Ah."
He looked over at Stefan, the street light captured his facial structure perfectly.
"Why do you get to wake up looking like that?"
"Like what?"
"Nevermind."
Stefan starts the car up again and heads towards Tyler's apartment building. It's a high rise and he wonders how far it will be from his own place. Shit, his place and he hadn't even told his best friend about it. To be fair, the male hadn't told anyone about his new living arrangments.
"I'll stop being pissed at you if you help me move tomorrow afternoon."
Tyler's eyes widen in shock. "Dude, when are you moving and where?" He slaps Stefan's shoulder. "Welcome to adulthood."
"Tuesday, my Pops is kicking me out, said he's tired of my shit."
"Well, congrats. That house was sick though." Stefan nodded in agreement, it hurt even thinking about leaving his home for more than a day.
"Also, I have an interview at the Chicago Tribune. This internship is super tight I guess I got called back," He tells his friend who looks overjoyed at the recent news.
"Man, that's good. See look at you being forced to be productive post graduation!" Tyler grabbed Stefan's hand and they bumped shoulders.
"Tomorrow I got you, alright?" The black-haired man says while retreating out of the truck.
"Can't wait," Stefan responded with little to no enthusiasm with moving out.
They interview on the same day and at different times. Mondays were always the ideal day to interview potential hires. The building itself was formidable in its beige color and tall height. Elena almost regretted in wearing her tall pumps because she kept stumbling in them. Everyone had on suits - black and blue and seemed to be doing very important. As she stood in the center of the floor, she felt small but yet exuberant. The young girl had something to offer and she would make herself known.
Stefan had a later appointment and still came in tardy. He and Tyler spent an hour in traffic after putting some of his valuable items in storage. His A/C went out as well so now the young man was sweating out a $500 suit. He didn't expect to move to be so hard and time-consuming but he was practically done and was ready to move into his new place. Speaking of it, making first month's rent would be a real challenge if he didn't score this position. They were working up the wrong kind of sweat for the new graduate.
Elena smiled and shook hands with the superior who would be conducting the interview. It was a respectful exchange and she sat down in her seat and crossed her legs. Damn this Kate Spade, she thought as she patted her skirt.
"So, Elena, tell me about you, we see you went to Columbia. Our department's editor is an alumnus there."
That information would be a seamless transition for her.
"It's a great school, there's so much opportunity and room for growth there. I feel like in my four years I was able to build so much there. I lived in a single parent home on the North side, just accepting I was going to end up going to some junior college to help my mom and brother out. Senior year rolled around and I just had a great English teacher who pushed for me to apply there and I can't say that it was magic because there was hard work in getting there too. My spark for writing and what was going on in pop culture never faltered."
"That's good," he wrote something down on his note pad. "So, how did you like the ONA?"
She hated it and hoped this question wouldn't come up. If she was a journalism major, of course, she'd like a club associated with it.
"Very intriguing and the experience from it I something I will always keep with me."
"As a young person, do you think everything will be digital?"
"Of course it will be. I applied for this position because I think it is the most progressive department here and a fresh mind will definitely shape it. Millennials aren't picking up newspapers and neither are the generations below them."
"I agree, which is why I've been demanding for the glass cases to be lessened throughout the city," The man said. "What is your favorite story by us?"
Elena answers with a political debate; it didn't fall under their department but the topic transcended politics because of how it was talked about for its unprofessionalism. The interviewer nicely agreed and writing something in his notebook. The rest of their time went well, she was surprised on the way she carried herself so confidently. He tells her that a background check will be run and he expects to tell her of her fate there within the next two business days. Instead, she opted to text her friend about her new job. A text does no good for Caroline so she isn't surprised when the blonde facetimed her.
"See, I told you to put your suit to use and look what your little ass accomplished in 30 minutes," She looks at Elena who seems to be walking towards the bus stop. "Are you going home?"
"I can't thank you enough, Caroline, but I am so not in the mood to not hang out who isn't my bed," Elena explained while stepping onto the bus and slid her card. Her feet were killing her; 6 inches of height would send her 6 feet under the dirt.
A figure pops in the blonde's camera, who is visibly shorter. "Not even for me?" The voice says innocently and Caroline is laughing away in the background.
"Bonnie?" Elena asks shockingly, feeling tears of joy come to her eyes. "When did you get back here, I mean you were just here for my graduation not even two weeks ago!" The small woman was coming from back a 2-hour flight from New York.
"Well, I got here last night but it's hard to do that quietly with a loudmouth fiance like Damon and my rambunctious little Angelica."
Elena smiled at the small four-year-old now just complaining about the airport working up her mother's last nerve. "I have no choice, I have to come to see you."
"No, you look tired, we'll have time to hang out the whole week and next Sunday I wanted to invite you to our engagement party at Damon's parent's house." Elena sighed in relief, she was given a break. It would have taken her a large iced coffee with extra caffeine to match Caroline's energy. She loved her childhood friend but her optimism was way too much to handle on a 24-hour basis.
"Doesn't his family own that big ass house right by the lake?" The blonde questions, mildly impressed. "That landscaping is amazing, that house made it on Top Houses." Bonnie and Elena stare at her with confusion. "What? It was 3 am and I couldn't find the remote, and I couldn't wake him up to help me find it." Yes, hook-ups were completely normal for the mostly single blonde. Being tied down to one man was limiting and insulting for her, she deserved all the flavor her young life had to offer.
"Look, I'm inviting all of my closest friends which are you two and of course my family is going, so you down or what?"
"Bonnie Bennett, of course, I will go to your pre-marriage dinner."
"Good and don't cook anything either, his folks are going all out anyway. Angelica is old enough to express her distaste in dishes."
Before Elena can defend her culinary skills, they have already ended the call leaving her to scoff alone.
It's Monday evening and Stefan is preparing for bed, his final night in his home. he leaves the bathroom and returns to see his brother and niece watching cartoons. At first, Stefan chuckled at the thought of Damon being a father before but can't see him without the title now. Almost 5 years the raven-haired Salvatore wasn't walking on a straight road, to say the least about his outrageous behavior.
"Hey, world's best dad, hi Angelica," Stefan greeted them.
"Hi, uncle Stefan, me and daddy are watching toons if you don't mind."
Damon nudged her. "Of course he doesn't mind, Bambina, he doesn't live here, anymore." he turned towards Stefan with a bright smile. "Right, Steffy?"
The younger brother folded his arms. "So, the old man told you, huh?"
"Of course, he did it was either that or him debriefing me on prenups and awkwardly offering marriage advice."
"Well, my interview started out bad but generally got better. Maybe I won't be living in a cardboard box by the end of the month."
"I think we should pop open that bottle and celebrate you coming into well, adulthood and me and Bonnie moving back here permanently."
"Yeah, for sure. I can't believe she was able to move out of New York, you were doing good there helping out the company there."
"Ah, that's where you're wrong little brother," He looks over his shoulder to see his sleeping daughter and picked her up to walk her to her room, Stefan followed and they walked and talked about him wanting to move back home. It was a room Lily decorated colorfully for when Angelica came to visit. Damon explained to him how bad Bonnie yelled and screamed at his decision and they walked around their apartment avoiding each other the entirety of last week before she finally agreed. All her family and friends still lived in the Midwest, that was a good enough reason for her to side with her partner.
The two brothers are in the kitchen and that bottle of bourbon is already opened and they have a glass in their hand.
Stefan asked, "Why do you wanna come back, in the smack middle of summer?"
"I can't control homesickness and the only way to cure it is to come back, right?" Damon gulped down the rest of his drink numb to the strong potency. "I'm back, baby!"
