Chapter 4! NOTE: For anyone who does not know, "Natty Light" is short for Natural Light, a popular beer in college parties because it's cheap but tastes horrible.
Also, I'd like to take this moment to point out that Rebecca is 19.
Enjoy!
Chapter 4
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Caroline finally appeared in the doorway, holding the liquor and the tumbler. She panicked; he had surely caught her lie by now. Caroline caught her expression and frowned, knowing something was off.
"What's wrong?"
She only turned around, praying that the new message in her phone was from anyone but him. Caroline tossed the rest of the whiskey into the grass and came up behind her, reading the text over her shoulder.
It seems we missed each other.
The message was so simple and curt, but she knew he was annoyed. She breathed deeply, attempting to smother her panic. Yes, she had lied, and he would probably be mad, but she could handle it. She wasn't going to rat Caroline out. The girls looked at each other and she held Caroline's gaze for a moment before turning away, the tension mounting slowly. The heel of Caroline's shoe scraped idly at the ground, the only noise in the silent afternoon. When her phone began ringing with a call, she looked up at Caroline who merely shook her head. She pressed the ignore button.
"I guess that's our cue!" Caroline yelled before racing to the car.
Though she would probably have to devise a complex lie on the way home to cover her bases, she chased after Caroline, a wide smile across her face. Anyone watching would probably think they were crazy, but she might as well enjoy being a clown with her best friend before facing the wrath of a god at home. Caroline turned on the radio in her car to the highest volume, leaving her door open and dancing ridiculously at the music in the open field.
She could not help but laugh at her friend's terrible dancing. In the back of her mind she knew she should be worried, but she couldn't bring herself to care. Besides, Caroline was only doing this on purpose. Any time either of them was going to be in trouble, they would do something outrageous and funny to soften anything that awaited them. Caroline grabbed her hands and began a tango, making silly faces and blowing her a kiss. Even though the music playing was an upbeat pop, the two continued their comical tango, tripping over their own feet as they laughed. Their dancing was the only thing that mattered in the open field, mirth and carelessness floating breezily in the wind.
. . . .
As the music died away and a slew of commercials replaced it, she and Caroline stopped to take their breaths. Small beads of perspiration glistened on their temples, the fine hairs along their foreheads slicked in the humid dusk. She clicked the power button on the radio and the sudden silence encased them, the rhythmic sounds of crickets now audible. Their bubbling laughter had settled into short bursts of giggling, clicking their seatbelts slowly in their tiredness. She looked out the passenger window, her happiness retreating into a calm content. She absentmindedly texted her mother that she was stopping by Caroline's after class.
"And now…" Caroline said softly, her eyes drooping slightly, her body relaxing into the seat.
"We prepare to meet our doom." she finished, a short laugh accompanying her statement.
Her phone rang at the same time as Caroline's and they each glanced at each other before ignoring the calls, small grins playing at their lips. They were both in hot water, but they were in it together, and that was enough to bear the heat.
The drive home was filled with amicable chit chat and corny jokes she read off a website via her phone. They were doing a fine job of distracting each other, their smiles faltering slightly each time their phones rang or buzzed with text. She knew she was only prolonging the inevitable, but she wanted to take her mind as far away from facing Elijah as she could. She detested the conversation they would surely have, the outpour of lies she would have to tell. But she couldn't let on that they were sneaking around or Klaus and Elijah would be more careful and they would never get to the bottom of the mystery.
As much as she hated lying, she wished she had been more blessed in deceit like Caroline. Caroline could pile lie after lie on top of each other into an intricate and believable story, without even flinching or second-guessing herself. But she wasn't like Caroline, who lied to Klaus all the time. Her stomach twisted inside her, and she loathed the line she was going to cross in her conscience.
She showered and changed at Caroline's, undyingly grateful that Klaus was nowhere to be found. Walking down the stairs, tying her wet hair into a sloppy bun, Caroline motioned frantically from the kitchen. She looked around but saw nothing. Caroline pointed to the door, whose doorbell began ringing incessantly, and winked.
"So yea, I think that I'm gonna have Matt and Tyler handle the drinks for the party," Caroline began as she walked towards the door, waving her hands, urging Becky to continue the pretend dialogue.
"That's perfect; we'll actually have something better than Natty Light." she added nonchalantly, picking up her bag from the floor.
Caroline opened the door and smiled brightly, plain innocence decorating her features. Klaus's tight, close-lipped smile unnerved Becky and she reached quickly for her car keys from the bowl on the small table by the door.
"Hello Rebecca." Klaus deadpanned, his face devoid of any courtesy. His stale greeting assured her that he was aware of her part in the day's deviousness.
She managed to mumble a quick hello before hugging Caroline and placing a reassuring kiss on her cheek, squeezing past Klaus and jogging to her car. She released a breath she had not realized she was holding as she drove away from Caroline's house, hoping that her friend could handle Klaus's temper on her own. She knew Klaus would never physically harm Caroline, but his fury was boundless and she did not want Caroline to spend a whole day crying like the times before. Moreover, she had her own boyfriend to deal with. As she pulled into her driveway, she was suddenly thankful Elijah was fond of the silent treatment.
She could see the light of her dining room on through the main window, Elijah and her mother seated at the table. Swallowing thickly, she opened the door, forcing her nerves down her throat.
"I'm home!" she called into the house, locking the door behind her. She walked towards the dining room, plastering a smile on her face. She had to make this believable.
"Becky! You missed dinner! It was fantastic," her mother drawled, greeting her daughter with a wine glass in her hand. "Elijah cooked."
She eyed the wine bottle and mentally grimaced when she saw it was practically empty.
"I know I'm sorry, I completely forgot." she said, coming around the table to greet Elijah.
His eyes did not leave hers and she looked at anything but his, afraid that they would give her away.
"I made your favorite." he said calmly as she bent down to kiss his cheek, lingering only a moment before pulling away. She cast a fleeting look at his glass and raised a quick brow. It was barely filled and had no trace of lip marks on the rim.
Elijah was fairly cunning when he wanted to be.
Though she knew she was doing perfectly fine so far, she could not stand the tension that seemed to permeate the air. Her mother remained blissfully unaware but she averted her eyes from him completely, walking towards the stairs.
"I'm really really tired, so I'm just gonna crash. Night." she rushed out, internally crossing her fingers. She knew escaping to the sanctuary of her room would never fly with her mom when there was a guest, especially Elijah, but she hoped that her mother was drunk enough not to notice.
"Rebecca!" her mother said sternly, surprised at her daughter's incivility, the previous drunkenness suppressed.
She closed her eyes tightly and walked back down the few stairs she had taken, grinning sheepishly.
"Sorry…" she murmured, "I didn't want to put a damper on your fun."
"Nonsense, we were waiting for you." Elijah said smoothly, smiling calculatingly at her from across the table. His cold smile instantly melted, however, as he turned to her mother. "More wine, Mrs. Dawson?"
"Yes, thank you Elijah. So what did you do with Caroline after school, honey?" her mom asked pleasantly, returning Elijah's smile.
This was the moment of truth. She had lied behind her texts, informal and distant, but here she was face to face with her mother and Elijah. She knew, if she tried, she could pull it off. Elijah's eyes turned on her and she glanced at him, a kind smile on her face. He merely smirked, his brows slightly raised.
"I just went over and hung out for awhile. She's gonna throw a party so we basically spent a lot of the time planning it." she lied effortlessly, checking the time of her phone casually. So far so good.
"Nothing too crazy please," her mother said, drinking the last bit of wine in her glass, "what'd you two eat? You really did miss out on Elijah's lasagna."
Though her mother asked coherent questions, her attention was on the reflection of light on the rim of the wine glass. She figured she could keep it short; her mother was too drunk to even know her right from her left.
"Just pizza. We really didn't do much except for talk." she replied, turning the wine bottle around and reading the small biography on the winery. She wished they had eaten pizza. She was starving, but she couldn't blow her composure for food.
"Is that all?" Elijah asked, finally taking a small sip of his wine. His brow remained motionless, his face indecipherable.
She couldn't believe he would try this in front of her mother.
"That's all. Clearly you two had a more fun time." she said cheekily, sliding the wine bottle away from her view of Elijah.
"Well we waited for you to get home for dessert." he said, smiling once again sweetly to her mother who waved her hand nonchalantly, standing up and disappearing into the kitchen.
The moment her mother rounded the corner, it was as if the lights went on, the curtains drawn.
"The game's up." Elijah said, placing his glass delicately back on the table.
"That was the short and the long of it." she returned, refusing to crack beneath his forceful stare. She was going to defend her story, for Caroline's sake.
"I am not so green in judgment, Rebecca." he replied harshly, his face serious, the muscle in his jaw ticking. "If something had happened, I wouldn't even know where to look for you."
"I'm not telling you where I was!" she snapped, angered by his tone.
She wasn't some child he had to keep watch on; she was an adult and fully aware of her decisions and their potential consequences.
"What's going on in here?" asked her mother who stepped out from the kitchen, holding what appeared to be a cheesecake in ceramic ware.
She stared furiously at Elijah, his unwavering gaze angering her even further. Her mother placed the cake on the table, looking back and forth between them. Her skin prickled and she tried to collect herself, biting at the inside of her cheek.
"Excuse me." she said sharply, sliding her chair outwards rudely and leaving the table.
She could hear Elijah compel her mother as she ascended the stairs, her simmering anger burning even hotter. She hated his nerve; first getting her mother drunk and then compelling her. She knew it was probably for the best, but she hated that he had to take her mother's will away. Her immaturity waged a fierce war and she was tempted to slam her room door behind her, but she resigned to closing it quietly. She listened intently as her mother said a few parting words to Elijah, who was surely being seen out.
She only had a few minutes.
She stumbled over a few abandoned shoes as she ran to her night table, ripping open the drawer and shoving the contents around hastily. Cringing as she bent some of the corners of his notes, she removed the little pouch of dried herbs. Removing a little stalk she looked around her room nervously, biting her lip as she tried to decide how to use it. She had never had to worry about how to effectively use it; she had always worn her vervain-laced charm bracelet up until it came loose somewhere in Caroline's backyard. Feeling slightly ridiculous, she tore a piece and swallowed it quickly, attempting to think of it as a rather large pill. Her front door closed. She looked up and sighed, happy that she would not have to face him until tomorrow. As she put the bag back into the drawer, she was distracted by the flutter of her curtains.
Her window was open.
Slamming the drawer close, she ran around her bed, reaching the window and unlatching the lock quickly, pushing down on the frame. His hand, however, caught the window and she stepped backwards, tripping once again over her stray shoes, as he pushed the window upwards. She sat on the edge of her bed, watching as he entered gracefully through her window, stepping easily over the ledge seat and smoothing his jacket as he straightened himself. The vervain left a sweet taste on her tongue.
They watched each other in silence, examining every aspect before choosing a point to strike. Her heart burned inside her chest, his divine beauty enchanting. Unable to bear his gaze any longer, she turned away, sighing as she ran a hand through her ponytail. He sat down on the window seat, their defenses lowered.
"Is there anything you want to tell me, Rebecca?" he asked quietly, laying his cards before her.
Closing her eyes, she rested her head in her palms. If she told him what she and Caroline had skipped class for, he might possibly tell Klaus that Caroline was on to him and foil their plans. Or he might reveal pertinent information. She weighed the possibility that Elijah's disappearances might coincide with Klaus's coincidentally. His presumed involvement could truly just be a presumption.
"Where'd you go today?" she asked, unsure of what to really say to him.
"I went to visit Mrs. Lockwood to borrow some books. She invited me to lunch and so the visit was prolonged more than I had expected and then I went to the university to work on my thesis." he admitted.
She stared at him, questioning for the first time if he spoke the truth. It was a pivotal moment but it passed quickly, her desire to know more powerful than emotional milestones.
"Is that all?" she asked him, mimicking his earlier question. She folded her arms, crossing her legs at the same time. Elijah would take it as a defensive position, though she truly felt neutral, and hoped that it would make him put more effort in convincing her of his honesty.
"Yes, Rebecca, that is all," he said, an inflection of tiredness in his voice, "my thesis is due in two months. I have had to put in a bit more effort in finishing it and I'm currently in the process of reworking some details. I've been too distracted these past few months."
Elijah's Ph.D. took up a large portion of his time, she knew, but she could not help and feel a stab at his words. She knew he was speaking of her when he said he had been distracted. It was if reality had come to pop the balloon of her happiness, her fairytale gone awry before reaching its happy end. She was not sure how they had reached this point, how things seemed to spiral downwards so quickly. They had their fair share of troubles, as any relationship, but why did they all have to appear at once? Was she too distracted herself her freshmen year of college with new classes, new friends, and new experiences to place enough attention on her relationship with Elijah?
She sighed again, feeling defeated. The cracks on the sidewalk of their peaceful city had deepened. Elijah had been, and still was, the surest thing in her life since she spilled her hot chocolate over him. But even the hardiest plant dies without water. She hadn't always been the best girlfriend last year, passing him over for cheap thrills and stiff drinks, sweeping their issues under the rug. The summer before class began had not done anything to improve their situation either. She was no longer busied by classes or collegiate activities, except for the occasional party, and forced to confront their problems. Elijah was around her all day, ceaseless in his attempts to please her, and she felt stifled, not only by his presence but by their dramas. Perhaps this was just the weight that tipped the scale.
"Have you nothing else to say?" he asked, buttoning his jacket as he stood.
"No," she whispered in response, tears pooling in her eyes. She hated this.
She had not yet blinked when he was suddenly before her, his eminence overwhelming. A lone tear spilled over without her permission. He placed a delicate kiss on her cheek, his lips warm on her cool skin. She exhaled softly, closing her eyes as he pulled away. He lingered and she opened her eyes, enraptured by his beauty so close to her.
"You took vervain?" his voice barely a whisper in the bitter space. "... You thought I would compel you to tell me the truth?"
She opened her mouth but the words remained trapped inside, guilt and selfishness strangling them in her throat. The only sound was a quiet sob as she pushed him away with her hand, his body moving only a centimeter. Her cheeks flushed and she just wanted to be alone. He did not move from his place for a few minutes as she cried, and she wished he would leave. This was all her fault, and his presence only ground the blame in further.
"Go away," she said between sobs, his unmoving figure humiliating. She wanted desperately for this wretched day to be over, for tomorrow and a better start.
He was a blur of color and the window opened and shut faster than her eyes could see, the curtains swaying at the movement. She wiped her face with her sleeve, trying to catch the straggling tears. She turned her head and looked at the mirror of her vanity, staring blankly at the reflection staring back at her. She wondered who it was that returned her piercing gaze, to whom the cruel face belonged. Surely it was not her.
He would be back tomorrow, depositing some unmerited token of affection for her. Her spirit twisted around itself, the aching pain inside her ambiguous in origin. As she slid into her bed, the cold sheets nipping at her skin, she clicked the pen on her night table and scrawled a note for him, however pitiful it would be in comparison to his own.
I'm sorry.