Slowly burning

Chapter 2: The definition of fun

Caroline

One week later

Caroline plugged her earphones into her ipod and listened to her latest music selection. Normally Caroline would have loved to listen to upbeat pop songs because it put her into a dancing mood, but ever since her mother and brother had died her nice upbeat pop music had been switched to hardcore metal that she would have never listened to a month ago, but a lot of things had changed. She had lost everything in the span of a few hours including her boyfriend and friends, but the pain of losing them was nothing compared to losing her mother and Graham. Caroline could get over losing her friends, but her family was an entirely different situation.

The bedroom door swung open as her stepsister Chelsea flipped onto her bed reminding her of what Graham used to do just to annoy her. She paused her music and brought her knees up to her chest.

"What's up?"

"I have officially decided that I am taking you out tonight and you can't say no. I want you to enjoy yourself for at least one night and not be all doom and gloom."

Caroline frowned slightly at the observation, but she allowed Chelsea to go to their adjoined closet where she grabbed a pair of black skinnies and a black t-shirt with skulls on it.

"Jeez Care, don't you have anything in your closet to wear besides the color black?"

Caroline shrugged making Chelsea sigh and go over to her side of the closet. She shoved a plain red tube top towards her so that she could burrow it and Caroline changed out of her pajamas into the tube top and her black skinny jeans with her combat boots. Chelsea frowned slightly at Caroline's fashion choices, but Caroline assumed she was ecstatic about finally getting her out of the house for once.

"So where are we exactly going?" She said as she buckled herself into the passengers' side of Chelsea's car.

"I want a few of my awesome friends to meet my equally awesome stepsister."

"Chelsea-"

"Don't you Chelsea me Caroline. You're starting school on Monday and I want you to at least know a few people there."

Before Caroline could protest further, they passed a dance studio where she noticed a man with dirty blondish hair dancing. He was absolutely beautiful, but had a sense of deadliness to him that Caroline just couldn't put her finger on.

Before she could get a better look at the guy, the car lunged forward and the boy was left in the dust.

"What dance studio was back there?" She asked

Chelsea crinkled her nose in what appeared to be disgust.

"I wouldn't bother taking classes there Caroline. That place is owned by the Mikaelson's and from what dad has told me they're not very good people."

"Have you ever met them?"

"No, but I've heard enough about them to know that I should stay away from them at all cost and you should too Caroline. If you want to get into dance so badly, I'll convince dad to sign you up for the one we have in uptown Chicago."

"I didn't want to join. I just saw a boy in there and I was curious to know who he was."

Chelsea's eyes suddenly narrowed as the look of disgust on her face deepened.

"Let me say this as a warning to you Caroline. Never go near Klaus Mikaelson. He's trouble with a capital T."

"I'll take your word for it."

"Good. Now let's not talk about the Mikaelson's. It's time to have some fun."

Chelsea parked her car in the driveway of an abandoned house and Caroline followed her boys and three girls sat inside laughing and drinking beer as if there was no tomorrow.

"Hey guys sorry I' late, but I brought my stepsister Caroline so now we can have a real party."

A boy smiled and stood up. His black hair was perfectly sculpted and his piercing blue eyes looked like two precious diamonds. He had lean muscles and a really nice build.

"Hello Caroline it's nice to meet you. I'm Damon. Here let me introduce you to the others. This is Jeremy, my brother Stefan, Jesse, Bonnie, Sarah, and Providence." He said pointing a finger to each person so she would know who they were.

They mumbled their greetings and turned back to their Beer and more interesting topics of conversation. No wonder Chelsea had dressed her up. She would have looked more out of place if she hadn't. Chelsea made her way over to where Providence and Bonnie were sitting as Sarah made her way over to where Caroline was sitting. Great. What the hell did she want?

"I heard about your mom and brother. I'm sorry that you had to go through that."

"Why are you sorry? It's not like you were the one holding that gun."

"Did they ever catch the people who did it?"

She nodded not trusting her voice. Caroline never talked about what had happened to them. Not even with her dad or Chelsea. She glanced around for an escape option and left Sarah sitting there alone. She wanted to forget that night not remember. She still had nightmares that kept her up at night and remembering those were bad enough. She swayed her hips from side to side as she walked over to the beer keg bumping into Stefan on her way there.

"Sorry." She muttered.

"It's fine."

"So are you enjoying yourself?"

"Yep. What about you?"

"Not really. I think Chelsea is more into hanging out than I am."

"That's a shame. You look like a really fun girl"

"Well you shouldn't put a label on a person. Especially if you've just barely met them."

Caroline took a swig of beer and left him to think as she sat in the corner only getting up when she needed a refill. This was not her definition of fun unless she was totally trashed.

Five hours later, They made their way to Chelsea's car after she finally sobered up and she noticed it was only nine at night, but sleep tugged at her when they arrived home as the warm buzz won over her and she fell in the sweet bliss of her bed.