A big thank you goes to lyla, kittykat154, Danielle Salvatore, hardygirl21, jasperloverxoxo, jayma, babyshan211 and MighnightBlack07 for reviewing and keeping me going!!! Lyla thanks for the advice about having a friendship going between Bonnie and Stefan, it was definitely a good idea! Enjoy...
Still in her pyjamas on a Saturday afternoon, Bonnie knelt down beside her bed and reached underneath to pull out a large antique box. It contained a lot of her Grams ritual instruments. She hadn't even looked at it since she had packed them up the day after the funeral. Sheila had left Bonnie almost everything that she had owned, including her house. Her father had told her that she could live there for a while if she wanted to, but she hadn't been able to step inside it since she had cleared it of anything having to do with witchcraft. She knew that seeing those things would make her father uncomfortable, so she hid them in her trunk. Everything else however, lay untouched in the house gathering dust.
Bonnie sat there staring at the box for awhile while she gathered the courage to open it. She took a few deep breaths, pushed the latch open quickly and lifted the lid. As she looked over the contents she sighed deeply letting the nervous tension out. What had she expected? That her Grams' spirit would jump out at her?
She gently took out 3 white candles and a small bottle of lavender oil. She then closed the lid and pushed the trunk back under the bed. She crossed the room and took a metal cigarette lighter out of her purse. It had belonged to her mother. She placed the candles on the floor in the shape of a triangle and sat cross legged in front of it. She then dabbed a few small drops of the lavender oil to her temples and rubbed gently. She lit the candles with the lighter and then forced herself to breath evenly and calmly.
"Grams?" she called out. "Are you there?"
Silence.
"Grams please, you told me that I would see you in the afterlife, y-you promised. But there's been nothing. I haven't seen your spirit. You haven't even come to me in my dreams."
Silence.
"Are you angry with me?" Bonnie whispered. She sniffled as a single tear rolled down her cheek.
"Please Grams, please give me a sign that you're here."
Bonnie jumped when she heard a loud tapping at her window. Wide eyed she got up slowly and crossed to the other side of her room, she could hear the blood pumping loudly in her ears. She drew back the curtains with a quick sweep and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her best friend's boyfriend crouching outside on the roof smiling kindly at her.
She turned the latch on her window and pushed it open.
"You're not exactly the kind of sign I was hoping for," she said to him.
He frowned in confusion and looked at her questioningly.
"Never mind," she giggled. "Since when do you not use the door Stefan?"
"Well I tried knocking yesterday afternoon after school but you never answered, so I figured I might have better luck with the window today." He smiled at her. "So can I come in?"
"I thought you didn't have to be invited in again after the first time?"
"I don't. I can cross the threshold, but I'd rather you want me to come in."
"Why?" asked the black haired beauty. "Elena just barges in all the time."
Stefan chuckled. "She loves you," he stated simply as he shrugged his shoulders.
"Is that why your here?" Bonnie asked. "Is she sending you to check up on me now? 'Cause you know sending Jeremy the other day was enough, poor thing was so awkward, he didn't have a clue what to say."
Stefan looked down frowning slightly. When he looked up, all she saw was genuine concern in his eyes.
"Can I come in Bonnie?"
Bonnie raised her eyebrows and moved to the side gesturing with her left hand that he may do so.
"You know Bonnie, I know we haven't really had the time to become friends, especially with everything that has been going on. I mean, I know that you trust me and that you're happy that I make Elena happy. But I would really like us to be friends for the simple reason that we like each other's company. Elena says that you have such a big heart and it's clear to me that you do. And I was just wondering if there was enough room for me there also?"
Bonnie blinked in surprise. Wow this guy can talk for a long time.
"Geez, no wonder you and Lane got together. You're such a sap!" She teased.
Stefan chuckled and mock glared at her.
"Of course we can be friends Stefan it's just that..." she looked down and twined her fingers together, she didn't know how to word what she was trying to say.
"You blame me for what happened with Sheila, I know."
Bonnie's head snapped up at this. "What? No! Of course not!"
"But I went in to get Elena even though I knew I wouldn't be able to come out and that's why Sheila
had to use her energy to open the seal."
"No! Lane screamed and you did what came naturally, you saved her from Anna! She said that Anna's mother would have drained her completely if you hadn't have saved her! If anything I'm grateful to you for protecting her!"
Stefan looked into her eyes and saw that she was telling the truth. He smiled and looked around the room. When he spotted the candles and the lighter next to them, he looked up at her, his eyebrows knitted together in confusion.
"I thought you could create fire? Why would you need a lighter?"
Bonnie swallowed, "I-uh, I'm having a little trouble with ,m-my uh..." She couldn't bring herself to say gift. "Ahem, I mean, my powers are a little off lately." She shrugged. "I'm sure it's no big deal."
"It's understandable," he replied. He sensed that she didn't want to talk about it so he changed the subject. "So, for my first act as being your friend, I'm going to ask you if you want to come to dinner with me and Elena tonight at 'The Grill'?"
Bonnie smiled, put her hands in the back pockets of her pyjama pants and shrugged her shoulders.
"I don't think so Stefan, I'm really not up for it you know?"
"You gotta get back out there sometime Bonnie."
"Tonight is not that time though. Besides I've been back at school for three weeks now haven't I?" She then blurted out the first excuse that came to her head about why she couldn't join them.
"Actually I had planned on going to my Grams house tonight, maybe sorting through some of her things. I haven't been able to step into her house in a month, but I think it's about time you know?"
Stefan gave her a gentle smile.
"I think that's a good idea," he said softly. "Would it be easier on you if you had some company?"
"No," Bonnie answered a little too quickly. "I mean, it would be easier if I were – "
"Alone," he finished for her.
"Yeah," she whispered.
Silence.
"I should probably go," Stefan said after awhile and they both looked at each other a little awkwardly.
"Oh God," Bonnie began sarcastically. "We're not going to have to hug or anything are we?"
Stefan smiled and rolled his eyes. He reached through the window and gracefully grabbed the roof to pull himself through. He popped his head back into her room and smirked.
"No but I was thinking that later on we could brush each other's hair."
She laughed aloud and they shared a friendly smile and then he was gone.
Bonnie looked around the room and felt a sudden emptiness fill her soul. She knew instantly that it was because she felt guilty about lying. And as most people do to ease their guilt when they lie, she decided to make her lie the truth.
She marched herself into the bathroom to shower and get ready for whatever was left of the day before she changed her mind and hopped into bed to cry. As she got ready she even put make up on, an action which she had not done in the last month.
Once she was ready she grabbed her handbag and headed downstairs to leave her dad a note about where she was going. As usual he was working this weekend, but she didn't mind the lack of company.
Dad, I've gone to Grams place,
might stay the night,
Love you, Bonnie. Xox.
Bonnie grabbed her red jacket off the coat stand near the front door and put it on after she locked the door.
As she walked by all the trees and flowers on her way, she felt a sense of peace wash over her that she hadn't felt in a long time. I suppose I've ignored my natural surroundings for too long.
As she arrived at the driveway of Sheila Bennet's house - well hers now, she closed her eyes and stopped to take in a deep breath. As she opened them she noticed a black crow perched on a tree branch above. She looked into its eyes, which made her shudder involuntarily. Creepy, it was as if it was staring at her. She ignored it and then willed herself to step towards the house.
As she arrived at the front door and reached into her bag to find her keys she felt a sharp rush of wind brush passed her shoulders.
"Well, well, if it isn't Little Red come to visit grandma's house," taunted an arrogant voice behind her.
Bonnie spun around and froze when she saw who it was.
Hmm, well I wonder who that might be. I'd love to know what you thought of this chapter. Please review. Any kind of comments are great. I'd love to know what you would like from this story also or how I could improve. Please, please review!!! XOX.
