3. Conciliation talk
Try reading this with a British accent, works better.
It was one of those boring nights here in Mystic Falls... One of many. Where can you go, accept the Grill? I went there to meet my brother Kol. Never understood that boy, though, his teenage brain and ability to consider the world as a fun stage where he can satisfy his childish dreams, but he was still one of us. The original family was getting smaller, usually by my choice, but I still couldn`t deny the emotional bound that connected us. There weren`t many souls left that understood us well. Usually, they feared us.
Kol and I sat at the bar, the bourbon came quickly and I noticed his wandering eyes scattering the room for some young, fresh meat. He never really mind if it ended up in his bed or between his teeth, silly boy... and he didn`t have such a great taste either. I felt sorry for him. The music was too loud, and the place was too crowded with school girls who couldn`t wait for a Saturday evening to take some stress of them. A few recognizable faces were there, too. Alaric, of course, nervously reaching for the phone every two minutes, with a glass of whiskey in front of him which he touched from time to time just to make sure it was still there. Poor, pathetic guy. Matt Donovan worked around like a bussy bee, trying to be the employee of the month, I guess. Bonnie passed by us pretending she didn`t noticed Kol and I. Small town faces. Desperate for some action that would make them seem more important to themselves... Captured in their own pathetic universe, being the constant victims of somebody else`s desires and wishes... How can they not get tired of that? I wonder...how many strikes they can handle before it turns them apart? Before every one of them hides away in some hole far from here and never returns to this unfortunate town? How long can they stick together, like a group of bloody survivors?
I thought about that while my dear brother babled on and on... – I didn`t invite you here, brother, so you could hunt yourself a dinner. – I said. - Well don`t get all mad on me, Nicky! You certainly know how interesting this town is, what did you exactly expected from me? It`s not like I have something nteresting to do. I hope you`re gonna tell me what is all this about because I don`t wanna hang around here for the rest of the night. You should know, that...
He could talk forever. – You are my brother, Kol, but if you don`t stop talking I`m gonna kill you. Again. – I said in a low voice. He was dangerously getting on my nerves. Everything tonight was getting on my nerves. But obviously it worked, `cause he shut his mouth and looked towards the entrance. – I remember her from last night. She does look...tasty. I traced his hand, showing me the blonde girl at the door. – Say that again and I`ll ripp your heart out right now, little brother.
Caroline walked in like she was in a hurry, taking off her jacket. I sensed the smell of the skin and stiffened. She came right to us. – Well good evening, beautiful. Care for a drink? – I gave her my best smile. Or so I thought. – Not even if I`m dying of thirst, but thanks! – she said, eyeing down on us like a superiour, turning around on her heal and walking in the opposite direction like a cheetah. Oooh, that sneaky little... – That was interesting... – said Kol, watching me suspiciously. – What did you do to her, that poor girl? She sounded like your´e not her favorite person – he had a blast, witnessing his brother`s humiliation. He tried to hide his smile, but it was to late. – I`ll take that as a challange. Go home, Kol. I`ll talk to you tomorrow. – Wait, but you said it was important! – I heard him whining as I put on my jacket and ran out of the Grill.
- Hey, Caroline! Stop... – I felt like a fool running on a street for her. Some idiot almost ran me over with his Italian crap of a car. – Seriously! What do you want, Klaus? – I heard her say with a deep, irritated sigh. Like she was getting enough of this. I must have been a real bore, haven`t I? – Don`t be angry, love. We had a little...misunderstanding. I`m over it. – I said, as politely as possible. Hoping she`s not gonna be difficult this time. Of course, I was wrong. It was Caroline, after all. – How can I redeem myself, love?
– Oh, come on, Klaus. You and your fancy jewelry, expensive travels and romantic promises can all go to hell. Can`t you take a hint? God, how many times do I have to repeat the same thing!? I stared at her, not knowing what would be of a greater failiure in that moment – I was on a verge of a smile, tears, and fury at the same time. She was beautiful in her anger, but not in and old, cliche sense of the word. There was something about her being mad that took my breath away every time. It was the combination of her scent that became more... heavy, saturated, and her hair that bounced around her shoulders like crazy, and her eyes. Her eyes were special.
- Take a chance, Caroline – I said quietly, and it sounded almost like a question to me. She noticed it, too. I knew I had to act fast, before she changes her mind for good. – Talk to me. C`mon... Get to know me – I smiled and sat on a bench near us, inviting her to sit next to me. She did. There was a long moment of awkward silence and I felt like I`m on my first date. Get it together, Klaus. – So...What do you wanna talk about? – she asked, amused by idiotic look on my face. – You. I wanna talk about you, sweetheart. Your hopes and dreams, everything you want in life... She laughed. – Just to be clear...You should know I`m too smart to be seduced by you. – she said, smiling and rolling her eyes. – That`s why I like you - I told her the simple truth. She was adorable. I knew she would start talking eventually. She couldn`t helped it. I found out all the small but meaningfull things about her...well, not all, but enough.
But I had to be carefull. Since the last time we engaged in a conversation and that didn`t end well, I wanted to, for some reason, make it right this time. We sat close to each other, close enough so I could feel her hair on my face when the breeze came. To smell her skin, mixed with the fragrance of a perfume I didn`t know. I enjoyed in her much more that I should. I caught myself a few times trying to touch her hand and make it look like it was involuntary, or stroke her cheek when there was a lash or something... I loose my sanity with her. And I`m affraid of showing that, or even admitting it.
What a strange thing... I find myself wanting to know more about the life of a school girl, Miss Mystic Falls, a fresh vampire with absolutely no idea of how life can be, a fragile, young blonde, in every way different than me. We sat there for a short time and I offered to take her home, just to prolong the moment. She stood on a doorstep, the same one I left the dress on, looking like she had nothing else to say. It was my turn. – Well... Good night, Caroline. Have a...sweet dreams. I hope this wasn`t a waste of time for you and if it was, I apologise. – No, no...I had...It was nice, actually. You kinda...saved me from Bonnie and Elena, they wanted to come over and discuss something, and I...Well, thanks. Good night, Klaus. – she said, all blushed. I couldn`t read her. Does she want to be friends? Or there`s something more? Is she just being nice and polite to this monster nobody else likes? I was affraid of the answer. I took a step closer, meeting her eyes, our faces just a few inches apart... she shivered for a second. I heard her breath heavily. Was she affraid of me? Does she wanna kiss me as much as I want to kiss her? I froze. I didn`t risk it. I fell in love with that girl. She should`ve like me first, not spend time with me out of pitty. – So... Good night. – I said in a hurry and raced back on the street. She stood there for another moment, then turned around and closed the door behind her. I walked home. I thought about that night when I offered her my blood. What happend? It seemed like I wanted to help her as much as she wanted to help me. I didn`t feel like this for a long time. Never, actually. Well, Caroline, we`ll just have to wait and see what happens next, aren´t we, sweetheart?