June 21st, 2010
Dear Diary.
How am I supposed to explain to my family that I'm glad Stefan Salvatore has disappeared off the map? Everybody is so focused on finding him that they have never once spared a single thought in my direction. Not to my thoughts, my actions... not even to my presence.
As long as I am back in the house no later than sundown, my sister does not find it in her need to worry... and yet sometimes I still wonder if maybe she should...
I leant back against the chair, tapping the pen nib absentmindedly against the desk as I mused. My head tilted ever so subtly to the right. Amber eyes shone as my thoughtful gaze looked out of the clear window, over the street and fixated on the orange and red smudges of a vibrant setting sun.
My lips parted in awe and I let out a gentle exhale. When my breath fogged up the glass pane, I smiled and turned away, my attention turning back to the desk. The book lay wide open, the pages only half filled with ink.
I chewed on my lip before placing the nib back down, letting the scribbles of my deepest most desperate thoughts leak out in black ink onto the page. And once I let them, there they would set permanently until the passage of time degraded those written feelings away.
Because if she even cared to notice, then maybe she would have realised by now that my routine never once changed. I would get up, I would eat, I would stretch my legs... and like every day for the past month when I wasn't working my way through endless shifts at the Grill, I would find myself taking a jaunt out to the Mystic Cemetery.
There I would spill out any feelings, which couldn't be written down, to the echoes of my family etched into a small slab of stone. It wasn't as if my parents or aunt could complain. The dead could only listen after all.
Familiar tears burned behind glistening orbs and I angrily blinked them back, refusing to let them fall, refusing to go back to that wounded feeling of stabbing grief which had very slowly begun to close over. It would become just another scar on my chest. A reminder of what I had lost and a promise that I would carry them with me for as long as my heart continued to beat.
My muscles cramped and my fingers flexed as the sound of rapid scratching filled the room once more.
Like I said, this whole thing was almost routine. It's a constant cycle; unending and unchanging… and then the night would overshadow that sunset horizon.
My hand automatically began to relax until the pain in my muscles faded to a dull, throbbing ache. A small smile made its way over my face.
Truth is, everything I do during the day is a way to distract myself. To make time run that little bit faster. Because once that sun disappears, the light will fade and the darkness will finally rise… and I will no longer feel so alone.
Because what my subconscious mind had created within those hours of unconsciousness, on that dark and fateful night during last year's spring, had turned these few weeks into the summer of a lifetime…
My fingers loosened and the pen clattered lightly onto the wood. All my recent internal struggles were finally gone. Dealt with, spilled out and locked away onto the fragile paper.
With actions which were almost automatic at this point, I reached out and gently closed the book, my mind now clear. I hid it away on my bookshelf, within a worn copy of Freud's The Interpretation of Dreams. There, it would conceal my secrets within until the next time my brain clouded itself with loud thoughts which needed to be expressed into the written word.
My eyes closed and I let go, willingly embracing darkness as black as the night sky, before entering my familiar world of faded colour.
I always seemed to wind up in the same place these days; the place we had first met on that one fateful evening, the night where I had narrowly escaped death's icy clutches.
That's where the two of us now stood. Inside the courtyard of the large stone compound which rose up around us. To our left, the familiar metal crested M lay upon the brick pillar beside the open iron gates.
A year ago, I may have felt trapped and afraid in spending my darkest nights with him but now… being here, he made me feel fearless, safe. And maybe in his case, the illusion of safety rang true for him too. He had told me once that this house in New Orleans was one of the only few places that he had ever regarded as home.
His hands were curved over my hips, the inner strength behind his hold keeping my body pressed firmly against his. I could feel the warmth from his every touch radiating into my flesh, igniting every particle with sizzling hot energy.
To an outsider, his actions foretold a silent claim upon me and in a way it was. It was his way of reassuring himself that in this moment, I was as real to him as he was to me. I could not move away even if I wanted to.
A sly smile covered my face as my fingers teased a path through his hair. When the light rumble sounded from his throat I pushed back my grin, knowing exactly what strings to pull.
Ares was many things. He was charm, he was assured arrogance. His stance had the dark sensation of a predator, backed up by this notion that he was apparently a vampire, but when it came to appearance, his vanity took hold.
No one ever dared to make a mockery of that…
"I'm telling you, I prefer my men blonde," I teased and his head tilted to the side.
By now I could read his actions so easily, to the point in which I knew that if I could see his facial features, they would be constructed into something akin to amused disbelief.
"Blonde hair," I breathed. My thumb trailed a soft line down his face as I gazed up, avidly trying to see into the orbs which I knew would be staring darkly back into mine. "Blue eyes."
I allowed my eyes to shut as I began to envisage it all in my mind. Like if I tried hard enough I could bend his featureless appearance to my will. His deep chuckle grated my insides.
"That's quite an explicit assumption, little dreamer and as much as I would love to indulge those very specific fantasies of yours, we've already been through this-"
I swiftly cut him off with a finger to his lips, refusing to let him deter me from my concentration but in one swift movement, his hand enclosed over mine. He brought it around his shoulder, inadvertently pulling me closer so his lips could brush a light path along my jaw.
"-You're stuck with the dashing debonair chap you see before you and not to worry, when we come face to face you'll be anything but disappointed." His warm breath wafted over my ear and I shuddered, my cheeks flushing red with a new heat. "So let's not be such a tease."
Sighing, I allowed my eyes to open. "Why can't my imagination just agree with me for once?" I muttered and let out a low huff of breath which was void of any true irritation as I allowed my fingers to idly interlock at the nape of his neck.
"Well once you start believing that I am a tad bit more than your subconscious, our relationship will get a lot more interesting."
"Well we both know that's never gonna happen," I replied. "I mean, if you truly are real and not just some result of my typical teenage fantasy…" My hands lowered until my palms were resting flat on his chest, feeling the taut muscles rippling underneath. "-then what the hell is all this Abercrombie crap going on under here?"
"Now now darling," he gently cajoled. "As much as I am all for this newfound confidence of yours, I will not allow a lecherous girl like you to steal my virtue."
"Oh Ares, you're truly a paragon of goodness and purity for all mankind," I drawled back, my amber eyes glittering with humour. My hand slipped under his shirt. He drew in a sharp intake of breath and my lips parted as the muscle flexed beneath my fingertips.
"Nah, I'm so not buying this," I denied, only just managing to keep my voice steady. "And even if I'm wrong and you are real, then you don't really leave much to the imagination do you?" I shook my head mockingly. "Bit disappointing."
His hand wound itself in my hair without warning, his fingers threading through the locks and entrapping them in a clenched grasp. He tugged back once and for a long moment he held me there, my head arched, my body tense as he stared intently into my wide eyes.
Throat growing rapidly dry, I hoarsely whispered, "What are you do-?"
"Shh," he crooned.
He leaned down and lightly brushed his lips over mine, swallowing my surprised gasp. My hand dropped from his shoulder to grasp a tight fistful of his shirt whilst the other trembled against his chest; my palm heating up against his warm flesh.
He pulled back for the briefest of seconds, his eyes scanning over my body for any sign of resistance and before I had time to think, to speak, he swept my mouth up in a desperate more demanding kiss.
My body jerked and a strong arm banded tight around my waist, pressing my body vehemently close.
Lost in the sensation, I relinquished myself fully to his hold as he swept his tongue between my parted lips. A dazed moan broke through my throat at the sheer taste of his fervent desire and with a low groan of satisfaction; he drew my lower lip between his teeth, claiming the pink flesh with one playful nip.
Then he pulled back. It was an action which ensured that he was far enough away so our lips could almost touch but close enough that I could still feel his breath on my skin. I bit back a wanton protest. He had ensured that I would be locked in a never-ending state of anticipation until he decided otherwise.
I reeled from the sudden shock of his actions and the unexpected thrill, the craving to once again drown in the barest of touches which sent my nerves aflame.
"Now if you're quite finished de-masculinising my ego, little dreamer I believe we are quite overdue on our little chat. So..." he deliberately trailed off, absorbing the sound of my shocked pants of breath. Listening avidly to the rapid drum of my heart. "What enthralling tales do you have to spill from that pretty mouth of yours tonight?"
"Pretty?" I purred and he instantly stilled. "Is that really the best you can come up with?" The familiar spark of triumph lit inside me once again at catching him off guard. "Got to be honest, I'm a little insulted. I told you, I'm a rare witch of exotic beauty hailing from the Hogwartsian realm of Rivendell. Nice place," I released a wishful sigh. "You should really come visit sometime."
Ares let out a low delighted laugh as he reluctantly leaned back. His hold on my hair relaxed, allowing the strands to fall loose between his fingers.
"Now who's lost their honesty," he exclaimed and I chewed on my cheek to hold back a smile. "Although come to think of it, I've met a few witches in my time. Perhaps one day you'll meet one." His thumb idly traced my collarbone as he mused, "Perhaps one day I'll take you."
It was like a switch had been suddenly turned off in my mind. I didn't answer. No longer could I form the words to speak. My brain and all its many thoughts had finally fallen silent as a cold, numbing chill froze my veins.
One day... the words were a vague promise which could never be fulfilled. I knew that and I'm sure he did too but we always tried to avoid that path at all cost. And yet he would talk of a future anyway and I would just simply smile... because in the end… the only thing that we could ever do was hope.
My hands fell away from his chest.
A small but forceful pressure on my chin had my face turning back in his direction. I raised a brow but Ares's grip remained tight on my jaw. So that I couldn't look away.
"I always know when you're deflecting, Thea," he murmured, all previous amusement gone to be replaced by a sound so soft and so strangely gentle for somebody who revelled in chaos and bloodshed. "What is it darling?" He brushed his thumb over my cheek. "What happened?"
"Nothing," I whispered back, swallowing hard and blinking back tears for a future which in reality, would never come to pass. "Nothing at all." A hoarse laugh left my lips. "Surprisingly enough, no one I care about has managed to push up the daisies in the last twenty four hours," I recalled.
"And yet you still feel alone out there, don't you?" Ares uttered and I blinked hard. I tried desperately to turn my head away in a futile attempt to stop the tears from falling but his hold on my chin remained firm as he lightly swept away the stray droplets. "I suppose that's agony enough for the both of us."
Except that Ares was part of a family who didn't care if he lived or died, my mind murmured to itself. And that alone was agony enough for me.
I rapidly forced that thought away. "And yet every night I get stuck here with your insufferable personality," I deflected, finally regaining my composure and only then did he reluctantly release his hold.
"Harsh words but quite frankly, I know your little secret," he pointed out. "You once said you liked our talks… you don't want to get rid of me."
"Deep down we both know that there is some idiotic part of me that agrees with you..." I replied with a sad smile. "But you're just fiction, Ares." His arm slowly loosened around my waist and I sighed. "An a thousand year old vampire bound to a family you despise. What the hell does this say about me?"
I backed away from the heat of his hold and began to pace as he watched on, absorbing my confliction through a curious smile which I would never see.
"I'm not one of those Twilight girls," I muttered, adamantly shaking my head. "I don't have a fang fetish... if my sister ever knew..." My stomach flipped and I trailed off in hesitant thought.
"I see you've still not told her that you're sleeping with me," Ares hummed lightly and I nodded distractedly, not really taking in his words as I mused.
"There are plenty of other ways to rile her." Grab her attention, my mind corrected but I forced that thought back. "Especially tonight. I might as well make her eighteenth birthday one that she'll remember for a long time." I looked at him before I queried, "Go big or go home, right?"
I could almost feel his underlying approval. "Care to share your devious little plan?"
"Well, her friend Caroline will already cover part of it if she hasn't already," I replied. "She's not the type to let this event slide past the town unaware." I deliberately trailed off and sucked in a nervous breath at the risk I was about to take but it was necessary.
After Ares' most recent feat, his boldest attempt so far to cross our friendship line in order to test my reaction to him, I had to do this. I needed to know that it wasn't one sided. That I had the same effect on him which he had on me. That it had not just been some distraction for him, a new way to counter his boredom in his distinct state of entrapment.
"Then all I need is a single set of straying eyes," I muttered to myself and his body stiffened. "All he needs to do is like me." I stared at him for a long second before I casually recalled, "It's like what Caroline always said. Boy likes girl. Girl likes boy. Sex."
There was a long, silent pause.
And then Ares moved forward. Approaching me… cornering me. "You would truly flaunt yourself at some spineless commoner who gives you one second of his attention?" His tone flared with subtle rage, every inch of his body was taut. "When my bastard brother no longer keeps me so easily subdued, I swear to you, I'll-"
"What Ares?" I demanded. I lifted my chin in defiance but my pulse hammered hard. Step by step, he lithely closed the distance between us. The expectant adrenaline surged through my body once more, fuelling my blood with liquid fire. "What exactly are you going to do?" My voice had turned to a taunt. A taunt for him to retaliate.
And he didn't disappoint.
His hands closed on my arms, his fingers spreading out over my skin like a vice. He gradually reeled me in; taking his time to gauge my body's every subtle reaction.
"Well for starters darling," he quietly said in my ear. "If he goes anywhere near your mouth, I'll compel him to chew out his own tongue."
His hold around me tightened and in a whoosh of air, he had my back pinned against the wall. I struggled for a brief second but he trapped my legs between his thighs before pressing his hips firmly against mine, holding my lower body in place.
My head lolled back as I pushed hard against the solid surface behind me, attempting to free myself from the mounting electrifying friction between us but he braced his palms flat on either side of my head and leaned in.
"Or maybe," he contemplated with a low growl and I drew in a sharp inhale as our upper bodies touched. "I'll cut to the chase and rip off his bloody head."
I couldn't hold it in any longer. My breath rushed past my lips but the sound which left had nothing to do with fear or revolution. After all this time, I no longer saw his words as a threat. Not to me. Never to me.
My own light laughter rang through my ears. "Yeah, maybe last year I would have found that disgusting but you're not real so I'm not concerned in the slight-" I abruptly broke off, my mine alert when I noticed it.
My body tensed with apprehension and picking up on my sudden stillness, Ares rotated his torso. Searching for the cause of my distress.
It didn't take him long to find it. The gas lamps which were littered around the compound's stone walls were gradually extinguishing, leaving behind faint tendrils of fading grey smoke.
Ares' hands fell to my wrists and he slowly retreated back into the centre of the compound, gently pulling me along with him. Knowing what was coming next, the two of us looked up.
The stars had faded from a night sky which was steadily brightening; the empty black merging into a warm bright blue.
"You're waking," Ares uttered and my head shot towards him. A slither of concern drifted over my face at the strange despondent lilt to his tone. "Looks like our time is up."
"For now," I softly agreed. I lifted my hand to his face, my palm resting gently on his cheek. "But I'll be back," I whispered with a smile. "I always am."
As the brightness descended down, encompassing our forms, Ares covered his hand in mine, bringing it to his lips. He brushed my knuckles with the ghost of a kiss.
My breath stopped.
"Well in that case, I can wait," he murmured as my body began to fade.
The departing echo of his voice was the only thing I clung to as I was rushed into a bright blur of hurtling colour.
The sudden onslaught of bright white burned my vision behind closed eyelids, blinding my senses and jerking me awake in under a second. My body lurched up, eyes squeezed tightly shut as I scrambled blindly for the covers which had been ripped from my grasp.
"Are you serious?" I snarled, blinking sluggishly at the open curtains as the blurry form of my sister slowly came into focus. She stood at the foot of my bed, hands firmly on her hips. Chocolate eyes glaring.
"Up Kiah, now," she commanded and growling, my hand shot out but she took one step back, keeping the covers away from my desperate grasp. My teeth gritted together as I pulled back, defeated.
"I swear, I will kill you in your sleep," I muttered darkly but Elena just rolled her eyes and spun on her heel, flouncing away without a second glance.
Once she was out of sight, I flipped back against the bed and ran a hand agitatedly through my hair as I recalled the images which played themselves on repeat in my most recent memory.
I didn't know what it was that was causing this strange confliction. Ares had always been a man of seduction. That had always been no secret. He was an egomaniac. My confidant. My comforter and above all, my friend.
But tonight he had stepped it up a notch. And so had I. To prove a point. And we had both succeeded. In so many ways.
Before I even knew what I was doing, my fingers were running softly over my lips. I could still feel the faint tingle of electricity on my skin, the memory of his mouth on mine.
My heart stammered and I exhaled a long breath.
"I'm so fucked," I whispered to myself before slowly getting to my feet and plodding out of my room, making my way across the hall.
The ajar door to my left caught my attention and a wide smirk crossed my face as I situated myself against the frame. Then leaning back with my arms crossed, I patiently waited.
Elena stalked around to the right of Jeremy's prone and sleeping form. She ripped back the curtains. The brightness seeped through like a dagger of light slicing through the dark room.
It hit Jeremy's face and his hands instantly shot to cover his squinting eyes. "Aaahh! Early. Bad!"
His head instantly disappeared beneath the bedspread and Elena released a low growl of irritation before striding forwards.
"It's not early." She extended an arm, latched onto the covers and flung them off the bed where they landed in a heap on the floor.
Jeremy screwed up his face, his body curled up into a foetal position and Elena rolled her eyes.
"You're late, for work," she announced. "Matt just called." Then she rounded on me and my hands shot up in mock surrender. "You too. Work now," she demanded and I pressed my lips together, looking away from her disapproving glare.
Instead, I turned to Jeremy. The two of us shared our exasperation before we simultaneously glanced up at the clock. Five minutes past the hour. Five minutes late.
"Well maybe he'll fire us," my twin muttered. He wearily pushed himself into a sitting position and Elena nodded once in approval before striding past me. "Both of you aim high," she cheerfully shouted back.
I slowly twisted my body around to watch her retreat and through narrowed eyes I mused, "Do you honestly think she believes the shit she's saying?"
"Not in the slightest," Jeremy uttered back and my blank gaze never moved away as I listened to the sounds of her high chatter drifting up from the kitchen.
"The abandonment of Boy Wonder really did a number on her didn't he?" I whispered incredulously to myself. "She really believes that he'll actually come back to her and now she's trying to spread her nauseating optimism onto us."
"Well she should know better by now," Jeremy drawled. "We're the life of the party these days…" He trailed off before giving his appearance a nervous scan. Less than a second later he jolted to his feet before sending me a pointed glance and I sighed before swinging his door shut.
As the few minutes passed, I grew more and more impatient, tapping my foot agitatedly to an imaginary clock tick. One more minute and an eye twitch later, the door opened and Jeremy stumbled out, fully changed, his top rumpled and dark hair askew.
He then scanned me over, taking note of my current state of dress. "Aren't you coming?" he questioned, hastily pulling on his coat and I just yawned.
"I'll catch up with you…" My eyes drifted back to peer up at the clock, mentally forming the calculations. "In two minutes and fifteen seconds." He sent me a blank look of confusion and I clarified, "I'm adding on an extra five seconds after the start of every shift." My shoulders rose up and fell with the shrug. "I'm taking internal bets on how late I have to be for them to finally end this soul draining, drink serving relationship with me."
"You just don't have the patience when it comes to other people," Jeremy pointed out disapprovingly but his lips subtly twitched and I grinned. "We should both take a leaf out of Matt's book," he mused. "That guy's a busboy saint if I ever saw one."
"And I'm glad that he's found his true calling by satisfying the people of the Grill instead of Caroline and Elena, I truly am," I responded and the corners of my brother's lips curved further. "But I'll be honest with you Jer," I announced. "When they finally fire me, I will throw a fucking party."
"Aim high." His voice rose to mimic Elena's dulcet tones and the corners of my lips twitched once before I instantly retorted.
"Get high."
With one snort of laughter he flipped me off before turning around and descending the stairs. When the soft slam of the front door sounded in my ears I retreated back to my room and pulled on the first few items of clothing I could find before throwing my hair up into a messy bun.
I was going casual today. If I truly wanted to lose this job sooner rather than later then there was nothing better than sending signals to your boss that you just didn't give a shit... and appearance worked fucking wonders.
I descended the stairs two at a time but when reached the front door, I paused at the voices wandering through from the kitchen. I chewed on my lip before coming to a decision. My movements were silent as I crept forwards, listening in to the conversation.
"Are you sure you're still okay on the couch?" Elena was saying, the concern in her voice profoundly evident but Alaric's quick retort made me pause.
"Yeah, Yeah, I'm good."
"Because you spent half the summer on it." There was a small silence. "If you need your own bedroom?" Elena hesitantly pressed.
"Eh, sleeping in your dead parent's room or my dead...girlfriend's room… Nah."
"Alright Got it."
Another hush descended the room which was only broken by the faint sound of clattering mugs being set onto the table top.
"Hey Elena," Alaric finally said. "Happy Birthday."
"Thanks," came the soft reply.
I chose that moment to make my appearance known. I stepped into the kitchen. At the sound of my footsteps, Alaric and Elena both whirled around to face me before looking back to each other. Worried at the mere thought of me overhearing.
They said no words to me and I kept my focus off them, all the while, mentally exhaling a low sigh. It was like a balloon had been popped with my presence but I kept on the false smile before deliberately shifting from one foot to the other, enjoying their awkward stances.
"Don't mind me," I finally proclaimed and Elena shook her head, snapping back into action.
"Kiah!" she cleared her throat quickly before mouth turned into a frown as she berated, "I thought you'd already left."
"As invigorating as your irritated concern is for me Elena, I'm just passing through for a pit stop snack," I tonelessly drawled. "I'm on my way to work now with some exhilarating excuse which I'm sure will eventually come to mind."
My irises glinted as I ticked off the ideas with my fingers. "Dog ate my homework, imaginary boyfriend troubles, sister having a crisis on which Salvatore filling is currently the tastiest." Her body stilled and I grinned. "One at least will work I'm sure."
I passed by her side and my hand abruptly shot out. In her blank state of shock she was too late to respond. I swiped the apple out from under her loose grasp and quickly snagged a bite before she could snatch it back.
"So," I stated between chews. "Another year older," Elena rocked back on her heels as I scanned her over. "Well done for making it, sister."
"Yeah," Elena managed a gritted whisper. "Thanks."
I nodded then spun around on my heel. With a brief nod to Alaric I stated, "Until tonight, teach," before slipping out the door.
After the echo of the slam subsided, Elena waited for a few moments longer. As the seconds continued to drag by, she couldn't hold it back. Her troubled cascade of thoughts immediately began to spew.
"I swear she is deliberately going out of her way to make my life hell," she burst out.
When she rounded on him, Alaric patiently waited but his forehead lined with concern.
"What was she like in school last term?" she demanded. "With both the Curse and Stefan drama on my mind, I haven't really had the chance to fully talk to her. I… I just completely flaked."
Alaric paused to think it over. "There's really not much to say," he finally admitted. "She keeps her head down. Her grades are stellar." He looked to her and gently reassured her worries. "It's not like when you had to deal with Jeremy's phases. Kiah's doing okay, Elena," he stated firmly. "She isn't spiralling."
"I know I just…" Elena trailed off before reluctantly confessing, "I never saw her grieve Jenna or John."
Although she knew in the back of her mind that her younger sister had hated John with a passion, she had expected at least some sort of reaction when it came to Jenna...
"I just keep expecting her to do something, say something," Elena admitted.
"She probably did, she probably found somewhere safe and secure to break down but like you said, our attentions have been more than elsewhere." Alaric let her take that all in before stating the obvious elephant in the room which had been on his mind ever since he started working as a teacher at the school.
"I know it's not my place, Elena," he began. "but she needs to know."
Elena inhaled a sharp breath before her shoulders finally loosened. "I know," she exhaled. "Damon, Stefan and I have talked about it so many times. We were gonna tell her after Jenna but then we had that whole thing with Jeremy getting shot… then Damon got bitten... and after Stefan left with Klaus…" She shook her head sadly. "I don't know, I just decided it's safer for her like this."
Alaric sighed and stepped forwards. "You can't compel her forever," he gently reminded her. "Every time she unknowingly comes face to face with the supernatural world, she's in danger."
"I know that Ric but you also know what Kiah is like," Elena retorted. She started to pace as she listed off her younger sister's more impulsive traits. "She's irrational, irresponsible… she's reckless. She wouldn't survive five minutes if we told her and even if we did tell her, if we told her everything… if she found out that Klaus was the one who killed Jenna instead of some drunk driver... she'll be rampaging up to his front door."
She let out a hysterical laugh, her stomach winding itself up into sickening and tightening knots at the mere thought. "Klaus would kill her just to get back at me."
"He would do that either way if he ever found out you were alive," Alaric gently interjected and Elena stilled. A cold sweat coated her skin.
"I know," she released a breath. "But it's just… not a good time right now."
"And it's never going to be," Alaric murmured.
Elena ran an agitated hand down her face.
"Is it so wrong for me to want her to live a normal life?" she implored but before Alaric could answer, her phone buzzed.
She quickly pulled it from her pocket, grateful for the interruption.
"It's Caroline," she announced. "I need to take this." She made a move to the door but her steps faltered. "We'll talk about this later okay," she whispered.
Alaric didn't respond.
"This is your final warning, Gilbert."
I sent the manager my most charismatic smile which immediately faded as soon as he turned away. I stalked towards an empty table, swiped up the two empty glasses before careening around the bar and slamming them down into the dishwasher.
"So close," I moaned before swiping up a dishcloth and returning back to the table, proceeding to rid the surface of muck and grime.
As I gritted my teeth, reaching a particularly nasty spot, someone cleared their throat in front of me. My eye twitched. My monotonous scrubbing task stopped. Tightening my grip over the dishcloth, my head snapped up.
"What?" I demanded, glaring at the source of my interruption and Matt Donovan shifted from one foot to the other, his dark gaze cast down to the wooden floor as he muttered, "Caroline and Tyler are here."
"Ahh, the ex and the best friend." I straightened up and released a low whistle, all previous irritation replaced with a wry smile. "I can see how that would be awkward."
"Switch sections with me?" Matt begged and I arched my brow, before glancing up to the clock, checking the status of my shift. Five minutes left of this hell. He took a desperate step forwards, "Please Kiah, I was never here."
Sighing, I finally looked up and faltered. His cheeks were flushed red, his hands were trembling as they gripped the drinks tray hard. The guy was angry on the surface but all it took was one glimpse into those sad puppy dog eyes and I was toast.
I groaned. "Fine…" I extended a hand. "Gimme."
With a relieved smile, Matt quickly passed over the tray drinks which I balanced with one hand before chucking him the dishtowel which he deftly caught.
They seemed to sense my presence as I weaved through the tables, approaching the few customers in the far left section of the grill.
When both their heads shot up I plastered on a welcoming smile which Caroline briefly returned as she continued to press her phone to her ear, jabbering avidly to the caller on the other line.
Instead I turned to an expectant Tyler and dramatically announced, "And here's your order prepared by Mystic Grill's most finest and delivered to you through the sheer curtesy of the sweet little busgirl standing before you. And let me tell you, she deserves one hell of a tip for bringing this out since you couldn't be bothered to move your fucking legs to grab your drinks from the bar."
"Erm nah, in fact you should actually be tipping us, your service skills are terrible," Tyler retorted with a small grin and my eyes gleamed humorously in response. "Matt make you switch sections?" he guessed as he craned his neck to peer over to the storage door which his blue eyed friend had slipped into.
With a small shrug, I swiftly set down the drinks on their table as I responded, "I don't have a clue what you're talking about."
That was when my focus turned to Caroline who was gleefully trilling, "Wear something pretty," before she hung up the phone without waiting for a response.
Her expression immediately fell as she slammed the device hard onto the table before peering up at me.
"She's not serious is she?" she fretted, her voice sharp and demanding an answer but I just sent her blank look in return.
"You're talking to me as if I'm supposed to know what the hell you're talking about."
"Elena, your sister," Caroline emphasised slowly and I rolled my eyes. "She just told me that she wants to keep things small tonight and that negates my duties as Mystic Falls' greatest host." She grabbed her drink in-between her rant to take a swift sip before setting it back down and continuing incredulously, "I mean, who doesn't love a party?"
"Nah, she's lying," I was quick to assure her, all the while hiding back a vindictive smile. "She loves big parties, can't get enough of them. The bigger the better Caroline," I encouraged. "The bigger the better."
Caroline beamed. "Good 'cause I've already found you a dress." The blonde immediately reached down beneath her chair and lifted up one her multiple shopping bags. She placed it on the table and I stared.
"Oh Caroline, you shouldn't have," I drawled tonelessly before pulling the material out of the bag. I held it up to my frame, perplexed, not bothering to hide away my disgust at the high neckline and fuchsia lace sleeves. It covered my body from the throat before elongating down to the frilly hem which enveloped my feet. "And what in dear God's name is this?" I spluttered.
"This is me helping my best friend's younger sister out," Caroline idly replied. She reached for her drink but I quickly pulled it away. Huffing, she crossed her arms and leaned back, arching an eyebrow at my glare.
"This is a high school party," I stated. "Not some high society, get together meal." Nevertheless I stuffed the dress back into the bag and grasped the handles before turning away.
"Wait, where are you going?" Caroline called out and I didn't falter in my steps as I retorted, "Back to being the recluse."
"You know one day you're going to have to socialise again."
"Oh I'm aware, Care," I muttered. "The people who I socialise with however remain to be seen."
As the clock hit the hour, signalling the end of my shift, I wasted no time in exiting the Grill and stepping out into the street.
"Now what am I going to do with you?" I uttered, pondering the shopping bag in my hand.
It came to me almost immediately and my head shot up. My steps began to hasten as I rounded the corner before coming to a swift halt in front of a large glass window. I peered inside briefly before looking to the door.
An elegant sign hung above the handle and I swiftly scanned the script etched into the wood.
Mystic Fashion and Alterations.
My lips slowly curved. "Bingo."
The party was already in full swing by the time I stepped through the grand doors of the Salvatore boarding house in the late hours of the evening. Music blasted through loudspeakers and red cups rolled over the floor as people cheered at the stunts by the keg stand. Friends and couples danced around to the beat, bringing the packed atmosphere to vibrant life.
I smiled just a little as I took it all in before my features widened to a full on beam as a distressed Caroline barrelled into view.
"What the hell did you do to my dress?" she exclaimed and I brazenly glanced down. The smooth frill-less hem barely reached mid-thigh and the lacy sleeves had been shortened into thin straps which gave way to a deep v neck.
"Erm, you bought it for me, ergo it's my dress so ergo, I had it all shortened. Gotta say that seamstress is a genius, I honestly thought this was a lost cause." I twirled on the spot before placing a hand on my hip, cocking it to one side. "You like?" I questioned and Caroline gaped.
"No," she spluttered. "No I don't like. Are you ser-"
My hand instantly shot up to cut her off. "Ah hold your catchphrase, the alcohol is calling and that lovely bottle over there has my name on it."
Then ignoring her splutters, I started off into the crowd, looking around for some kind of familiar face. It didn't take me long to run into one. I quickly came to regret my decision.
Damon Salvatore had barged himself in front of two giggling girls and was studying them with blatant disdain. "You don't want that. You want the cheap young stuff over by the cheap young people."
He removed the bottle from her limp hands then as if sensing my presence, he rotated around and jabbed a finger forwards.
"And you," he intoned and I placed a hand dramatically to my chest. "Don't get any ideas."
"You say that as if you expect me to be bad," I said incredulously. "Gotta say friend zone, that really hit me, right here." I gasped. "I'm so hurt."
I swiped the bottle from his hands and danced back into the crowd. I was barely able to hear his call to me over the thud of the base. "And where are you off to Baby Gilbert?"
"Away from you," I shouted back. "Shocking, I know."
And with that I let myself be engulfed by the crowd of dancing teenagers and weaved in between the bodies, swaying idly to the electric thrum of the music. After I accepted a third plastic cup from the punch table, I glanced off to one side and paused.
Elena and Caroline stood together away from the majority of the party goers, the two of them huddled close in the far corner as they whispered. I quickly downed my drink before approaching.
When I was close enough to hear their urgent tones, my steps came to a halt and I rested idly back against the wall, listening in. The two friends were too busy to notice.
"This is keeping it small?" Elena was chastising Caroline as her stiff gaze swept over the crowd. They zeroed in on one particular individual. "Wait," she whispered and her jaw dropped. "Is that my brother?"
I smirked at her aghast expression before vaguely following her line of focus towards whatever had grabbed her attention.
Matt and Jeremy were reclining back on matching leather armchairs with large grins on their faces. My twin rolled up a joint and passed it to Matt who accepted it gratefully.
Refusing to wait on the side-lines for any longer, I swiftly strode past my sister and approached my brother's side.
Both boys glanced up at my presence but I just perched myself onto the chair arm beside my brother and muttered, "Don't look now but the Parental Patrol are watching."
To my immediate left, Matt groaned and slowly withdrew the cigarette from his mouth.
"Who cares, just let her come," Jeremy just muttered as he rolled up another joint. Then grabbing the lighter from Matt, he burned one end before placing the other between his lips. "What do you want, Kiah?" he questioned on his exhale and my eyes stung as the smoke invaded my nostrils.
"Well I'm not here to judge your descent towards our sister's disapproving lectures for one thing, just making a small pit stop." I nodded to the bottle of alcohol on the end table in front of him. "Is that the strong stuff?"
"Of course," my twin responded.
"Then hit me."
He smirked but nonetheless passed it over. I took it from him and out of the corner of my eye, I flashed a glance towards Elena who spun around on her heel and stalked off into the crowd. I could still feel Caroline's gaze burning holes into the back of our necks as I focused back on my brother and downed a swig, triumphant.
"It's a pleasure talking to you brother, as always," I declared as I leapt to my feet, bottle in hand but I didn't get far. Five more steps and my route was suddenly blocked.
I sighed before craning my head up to meet glittering ice blue eyes.
"Should you really be drinking that?"
"Should you really be hanging around minors?" I automatically retorted. "Don't even pretend to care." At his silent reply of shocked façade, I scoffed. "Please, the only reason you're even talking to me right now is to earn brownie points with my sister." I passed him back the half empty bottle which he reluctantly took. "And trust me," I stated. "You haven't even earned yourself enough to buy yourself a Girl Scout cookie."
I then stepped forwards into the living room, slowly approaching the majority of party guests. While I mildly twirled a loose maple curl around my forefinger, I steadily examined the throngs of dancing bodies.
"Actually I take that back," I mused, causing Damon to tilt his head towards me. "You wanna earn my approval…. you're a sleaze, so tell me… which one of these guys looks easy to you?"
"You sure wanna piss your sister off don't you?" But his brief focus to the right had already given him away. He had already found me my target.
"You know what? I see what you mean," I praised as my darkening orbs raked critically over his form. "Blonde surf-boy hair, tanned skin, blue eyes, killer jaw..."
I trailed off as my thoughts took hold; a wandering gaze which lusted after every passing curve, athletic body… plenty of stamina … perfect distraction.
"Enough said," I approved. "Thanks. I'll tell my sister you're a gem."
With one small pat on his frozen shoulder, I darted off before he could sum up a reply.
I'm as shocked as you are that this chapter is finally out :D
I finally got round to updating and I am stunned by the response to this story! Thank you so much for all the reviews, follows and fav's - you're all so amazing :D
I don't think I will be following all the episodes of season three, so we'll hopefully get to Kol soon enough!
Next part is finished and will be updated soon - let me know what you thought!
Reviews:
Addie552: Yay! I'm so glad you liked it, hope you liked the chapter, next one hopefully out this week.
BloodRedWriter: Thank you! Hope you liked the long overdue update.
Serelena: I'm so glad you liked it! Hope you liked the update.
Guest: I finally got round to continuing it, hope you like the journey :D
Dark-Supernatural-Angel: Haha, yeah in my initial write up of the first chapter I wanted her to have some sort of connection to Matt but Kiah as Jer's twin works well with what I have planned for her. You finally got Elena's reasoning for keeping her in the dark as well, let's hope there are no consequences to it... hope you enjoyed the update, I have so much planned... ;)
Adhara Snow: So cold and not much usually comes from protecting them... the truth always comes out in the end... ;)
Midnight Alley: Thank you! Hope you enjoy what I have planned for Kiah's story :D
InfinityMars: Thank you! Writing a Kol story was long overdue for me since I have stories with the other brothers. I decided he needed the spotlight too :D I hope you like what I have planned :)
Lowkeyofassguard: It's finally here, took a long time but next update is out this week!
Dezzi95: I definitely intend to merge some episodes so we get closer to Kol, least he's appearing in her dreams for now. There's just some stuff with Kiah that needs to be out in the open first - you start to see some of those occurrences begin next chapter! Let's hope that Kiah isn't kept in the dark for long but thanks to Elena, it seems she will be for a while yet...
Shadowing: Thank you! Hope you liked the overdue update!
Isabelnecessaryonabicycle: Thank you so much! It means everything and it's finally here, took a long time but the next chapter will be out by next week at the latest!
LPWormer: It isn't a one-shot! I'm just so bad at multitasking with five stories on the go! Hope you liked it!
Frenchie: I wrote more! Took a while but it's finally here! Hope you enjoyed :D
KateKat1992: Thank you! Hope you like what I have planned :D