Season 1 Pilot (part 3)
I had gone through six outfits before settling on the one I was wearing. Six combinations of clothing that were not hot as my mother put it. I had put on some jeans, clean ones with no holes, and I pulled on a black shirt that I forgot I owned. It was a little low cut, not too revealing, but something that I wasn't used to. It wasn't too tight to my figure either, seeing as I wasn't confident enough to show it off. I fought with my mother on shoes. I made her agree to let me go in my converse opposed to strappy sandals that she wore for special occasions. I had to have something that I was comfortable in.
I weaved around bodies of all shapes and sizes before I made it to the bonfire. It was starting to get a little chilly and I wished I had brought a jacket. I stared at the flames, whoever started it did a good job. It was a large fire and very pleasing considering the slight nip in the air. I never understood why kids would stand around a bonfire and drink all night. That wasn't what appealed to me. If it were my decision I would be sitting at home, drawing something that I would probably throw out because I'm way too hard on myself.
Suddenly, I felt a chill go up my spine. I got the eerie feeling that someone was watching me. I looked to the left and to my right but found no one's gaze upon me. I swallowed, gripping my arms to fight the chill. I then looked straight on, through the flames and straight at someone.
This someone, was the one whose eyes had been violating me. I felt my eyes grow wide and my lips part at the sight of him. This person was the definition of mysterious. He had dark hair, some of the locks blocking his eyes. His skin was a pale white, much paler than my own. He was dressed in all black, but all of these features were not what captured my attention.
Those eyes… I could never forget those eyes.
They were blue, but not like a regular blue. These were as cold as ice and bright like a glacier. They had a spark of mischief, combined with a twinge of danger. There was something else there, but I couldn't find a proper word to describe it at the time. His eyes held my gaze, and I thought I would never be free; I didn't know if I wanted to be.
"Alex?"
I looked up to the source of the voice, tearing my gaze away from the mysterious stranger. Elena, accompanied by Bonnie, was headed toward me with the utmost glee. I spared a quick glance back to where the man with ice blue eyes was, but he was gone.
"You came!" Elena said when she was close enough. I forced a smile, letting my eyes flicker around for those mesmerizing orbs. I couldn't find them. "I didn't think you would."
"I wasn't going to." I admitted. Elena's face fell a little but she was still smiling that gorgeous grin. "Mom is punishing me."
"By sending you to a party?" Bonnie asked. I hadn't really spoken to her before, but something about Bonnie made me very at ease and borderline comfortable. I was secretly glad she was there, otherwise I would have been completely out of my element with Elena.
"Yeah… she has this whole punishment thing wrong." I joked. Both girls laughed, and the more they did the less hostile I felt. I still felt so nervous that I might give myself an ulcer, but it took a bit of the edge off.
"You didn't get into too much trouble did you?" Elena asked, suddenly concerned. "I wouldn't want you to get in trouble for helping me out."
"I didn't do it for you." I said quickly. Although that was partially a lie, I still felt the need to say it. Elena and I were not friends; I didn't think we would ever be. "I just wanted the chance to call Tanner a dick."
"Well, it sure knocked him down a couple pegs." Bonnie jumped in. "You should have seen the way he acted the rest of the class. It was like someone shot his dog."
"I think he eats puppies for dinner." Elena added. All three of us laughed for a few seconds before we fell into awkward silence. I could feel the tension and I racked my brain for some way to relieve it, but apparently I didn't have to.
"Oh yeah, and Stefan knocked him all the way down after you left." Bonnie said. I could tell that she was trying her best to make this whole situation not weird. I never thought that it wouldn't be weird, but I had to admit both girls were trying and that was more than I ever expected.
"What happened?" I asked, feeling bold. I never would have tried to continue a conversation with them a few weeks ago. I probably would have just walked away. But it had occurred to me that if they were trying, what should stop me from trying. Maybe this would be good for me.
"Let's just say Mr. Salvatore knows his history." Bonnie replied and looked over at Elena. "Handsome and smart."
Elena rolled her eyes and even in the dark light I could see she was blushing. Bonnie seemed very amused at the way Elena was acting when the subject of Stefan Salvatore came up. I found myself intrigued and also amused at the fact that Elena was acting like a little girl with a big crush.
"C'mon Elena. He has the romance novel stare." Bonnie encouraged. I had to admit that Stefan was very handsome and I myself could see myself crushing on him. But he was nowhere near as mysterious as the man I saw through the fire. I looked around once more for him but he was long gone. If anyone should be the subject of a romance novel it would be that guy. Too bad I didn't get a better look at him. He would be a perfect specimen to draw.
"Where is he anyway?" Bonnie asked looking around. I tried to hide the fact that I had been looking for a total stranger by pretending that I was looking for Stefan. Neither girl seemed to notice my creeping so that was good.
"I don't know you tell me. You're the psychic one." Elena teased. I looked back at Bonnie confused. "Bonnie is a witch."
"I am not a witch." Bonnie rolled her eyes before looking back to me. "My Grams is a little crazy, she thinks my family are witches."
I nodded, not knowing what to say or how to react. Obviously, her grandmother was not well if she believed that her family was a group of witches. Witches and other monsters that go bump in the night didn't exist. It wasn't possible. I will admit that I wasn't a believer. Elena then bent down and picked up a bottle before holding it out in front of her.
"You need a crystal ball." Elena said again. Bonnie chuckled before she reached for the bottle. In a second Bonnie's whole demeanor changed. Her smile turned into a frown, her hazel eyes widened, and she had this distant look for about a second. She went back to normal when she released the bottle.
"That was weird." Bonnie was the first to speak. "When I touched you I saw a crow."
"A crow?" Elena asked. What was it with crows and Mystic Falls? I wondered what that could mean. Did she physically see a crow flying overhead? I looked up but saw nothing in the sky. Was it like a vision? Maybe she was a psychic.
"A crow." Bonnie repeated. "There was fog. And a man…"
I let my gaze flicker to Elena whose eyes got wide, like she had seen this before. I wanted so bad to know what was happening, but I couldn't bring myself to say anything. This was too weird, and yet I wanted to know more.
"I'm drunk. It's the drinking. There's nothing psychic about it." Bonnie said, like she was trying to believe it herself. "Yeah? Ok, I'm going to get a refill."
Bonnie turned and rushed away, barely giving a look back to us. Elena called after her, but Bonnie was gone. I didn't know if I should follow her or if I should try and talk to Elena. Obviously, she was just as confused as I was. Bonnie couldn't be psychic. That kind of thing just didn't happen. Maybe she was just too drunk and she was seeing things. But if that was the case I didn't want her to be drinking more. Who knows what she might see then?
"Hi."
Both Elena and I turned back to where we were facing. Both of us seemed to jump out of our skin, not expecting someone to be standing so close. I was relieved to find that it was Stefan, and not some creepy stranger; like the man I saw earlier.
"I did it again, didn't I?" He asked Elena. She nodded with a shaky breath. This must not have been the first time this happened to them.
"Hi Alex." Stefan said turning his attention to me. I forced a grin and gave him a little wave. He nodded to me, understanding that I wasn't much for greetings. He turned back to Elena.
"You're here." She said with such adoration in her voice, I thought that this was a romance novel. I could see that look in her eye, that look that people in movies get when they see the person that they like. I wondered if Stefan gave her butterflies or made her feel alive. She deserved that now, considering recent events.
"I'm here." He replied with the same amount of excitement that Elena had. In that second I felt like I was intruding on a private moment and I immediately felt uncomfortable. I had heard of the horrors of being the third wheel, but I never knew how weird it could make someone feel.
"Hey." I said suddenly, catching both of their attention. "I'm going to go check on Bonnie."
"You sure?" Elena asked. I nodded and she smiled at me. I gave a curt nod to Stefan and headed off. I didn't know if I would actually find Bonnie or what I would say to make her feel better, but I guess if I was going to make friends this was a first step.
I searched for Bonnie for a little while before I finally gave up. She may not be a witch or psychic but she sure had a knack for disappearing. I sighed to myself realizing that I was all alone. This seemed too familiar to me. Party, drinking, me all alone; it was the night of the accident all over again. I didn't want a repeat of that last party. I might not make this one out alive.
I found a seat and plopped down. I wasn't too far from all the chaos but I was far enough away where I could catch my breath. This was definitely not my scene. I didn't belong here. This wasn't me, but then again maybe that me wasn't who I was meant to be. That me didn't have friends, she didn't try hard when it came to socialization; That me wasn't good under pressure or when she was nervous; That me definitely didn't talk to Elena or Bonnie.
Was I really happy all alone? I had always told myself that I was better off by myself but was that really true? I had no one to talk to, no one to confide in. My mom was my closest friend, and although that sounded very lame, it was the truth nonetheless. Maybe there should be a new me. One who goes to parties feeling confident, one who has friends who can console her when she needs it. Maybe it wasn't Elena who had changed, maybe I was the one who needed to.
"Hey there." I heard behind me. I looked over my right shoulder and there stood Bonnie. She looked much more relaxed then the last time I had seen her. I was half tempted to ask where she had been hiding but I didn't want to sound like a creeper who was following her. She sat down next to me and both of us looked out into the crowd of the party. For some reason I got the feeling that this wasn't really Bonnie's cup of tea either. Maybe the party scene was just kept up for appearances.
"Sorry I ran off earlier." She apologized, breaking the silence. "I was just… really drunk…"
I just nodded, not wanting to pry. I didn't get the air that she wanted to talk anymore about it, although I was curious. Being nosey was not a good way to begin a friendship, if that's where this was headed.
"I'm really glad you came." Bonnie continued. "I know Elena is too."
I gave her a grin and she smiled back at me. I didn't know what to say. I had only come because mom made me. If she hadn't I probably wouldn't have come at all. I didn't know if that was a bad or good thing.
"You don't talk much." Bonnie commented. I nodded and she laughed. I found myself laughing with her, that laugh she had was contagious. We fell into silence again, nothing uncomfortable. I felt at ease with Bonnie, like I didn't have to try too hard. I felt utterly weird with Elena, but Bonnie made sure that I didn't feel like that.
"You know, Elena is really trying." Bonnie said to me. I swallowed, looking down at my chipped finger nails. "She really wants to get to know you."
"She had seventeen years." I said bitterly. I hadn't meant to say it out loud, but once it was out there was no going back. "What's different now?"
"I was wondering the same thing." Bonnie admitted. "I mean, what would make a difference now right? High school is almost over and you don't seem interested at all at making amends."
I nodded once, letting my eyebrows furrow. She let out a breath before she continued.
"But I think the accident really messed with her." She said. "I think she realized that life is too short to waste it by letting reputations and what everyone else thinks dictate her life."
I didn't say anything as I processed her words. Elena was popular, probably one of the most popular girls in the high school. Although I had never heard any ill word against her, I still always felt that talking to her illegitimate cousin would mess with her rep. According to Bonnie that was something Elena was concerned about. But now, Elena was openly talking to me and although I didn't think of it as a blessing, maybe she was honestly feeling guilty about ignoring me all of that time. I will admit that I never really tried either. I was just as guilty for not trying to speak to her either.
"I really hope that we can all be civil. I'm tired of acting like you have the plague every time you come around." Bonnie said. "Just because your parents made mistakes shouldn't mean that you two can't get along."
"Yeah." I agreed. "Yeah, you're right."
Bonnie and I continued to talk for a while, dropping the subject of Elena and my past. She had really got to me, with that little speech of hers. Elena and Jeremy weren't the ones who left my mother alone to raise me. That was John, and because of family loyalty, Miranda and Grayson didn't help either. I was still bitter, and rightfully angry but that wasn't Elena and Jeremy's fault. They listened to their parents, I couldn't be mad at them for that.
"So what is all this witch stuff you were talking about?" I asked her. I could see her demeanor change. She wasn't upset at my question, she honestly looked just as confused as I was.
"Well, apparently my family came by way of Salem." She told me. I felt a grin pop up on my face.
"Like the Salem witch trials?" I asked her. She nodded, trying to gauge my reaction. "That's so cool."
She smiled herself, looking very glad that I didn't find her lineage weird at all. Although I didn't believe in the super natural and I thought the Salem witch trials were just people looking for reasons to kill one another, I still thought it was interesting that her family had come from there. I could just imagine the stories those ancestors could tell.
"I thought so too." Bonnie admitted. "But them Grams started going on and on about witches and how our family has special powers."
"I mean that's still cool." I told her, trying to make her feel less weird about the situation. It sounded to me like her Grams was taking too much medication or she was just loopy. But something about Bonnie's demeanor made me think that she honestly believed it.
"I guess so. But I'm not kidding when I said that I saw something when I touched Elena." She said.
"I believe you Bonnie." I told her. I saw her smile gratefully. Anyone else would say that she was crazy but if Bonnie said she saw something then she must have. I didn't see Bonnie as being one to make up crazy stories, even though I didn't know her all that well. I didn't know what exactly it was she saw but it must have been important.
"It was like a warning…" She said, looking off into the distance. I furrowed my brow. What kind of warning would be needed in regards to Elena? And what was the warning? "I don't know what's going on with me."
In that second Bonnie's hand came down and touched mine. She then got the same look on her face when she touched Elena. I felt my stomach lurch and felt oddly worried for Bonnie. Something was happening to her and I wished that I could explain to her what it was. She yanked her hand back a second later and looked at me with a pure look of terror.
"Did it happen again?" I asked her. She nodded, eyes still wide. "What was it?"
"A crow." She said, just like before. "A crow and… eerie blue eyes. I've never seen such eyes."
Blue eyes? I immediately thought back to the man I had looked at across the fire. His eyes would be burned onto my soul for years. It was like they could look into my soul they were so clear and deep. But why would Bonnie see them in her vision?
"I've got to go." She said and stood up as quickly as possible. She started to rush off but I stood up myself and caught her. I wanted answers, more information than a crow and blue eyes. I wanted to know why she was seeing these things and what they meant. If I was supposed to be warned then I needed to know what was happening.
"Bonnie wait." I said once grabbing her arm. She jerked away from me, looking so scared like she had seen a ghost. I knew that this whole thing must frighten her as much as it frightened me, but I wanted to try and help. I couldn't do that if she was running away.
"Somebody help!"
Both Bonnie and I looked up in that second. A crowd was gathering and thoughts of what just happened with Bonnie were put to the back of my mind. I followed her over to the chaos, letting her elbow our way through while I followed close behind. What I saw was both terrifying and sickening.
Vicki Donovan was lying on the picnic table, her neck bleeding profusely. She was unconscious and turning a ghastly shade of white. I could see that it was Jeremy who carried her, having her blood all over his hands. Elena was cradling her head.
"Something bit her." Elena explained. "She's losing a lot of blood."
I could see the distress on Matt Donovan's face. Vicki was his sister after all. Even if they fought or didn't get along, I could see why he would be worried. I heard someone calling for an ambulance and everyone else shouting and rising in a panic. I was never one to be squeamish, in fact I had invested in a first aid class just in case something happened at the Grill. I looked back to Matt's face and made a split second decision. I pushed my way to the front and checked her pulse.
"Her pulse is weak." I said out loud. "Someone toss me a rag!"
I could see everyone staring at me, some probably not even knowing I could speak. I was never one to call attention to myself, but if we did not stop this bleeding Vicki could die. I was not about to let that happen if I could stop it.
"Now!" I shouted. I was then handed a clean rag and at the time I didn't even ask where it came from. I then pressed the cloth to Vicki's wound, not really caring if it hurt her or not. I had to put pressure on it. So I pressed as hard as possible so as to stop the flow. A few minutes later I could hear the noise of an ambulance and then an EMT took my place. I watched Vicki go into the ambulance on a stretcher and breathed out a shaky breath. I was then approached by Bonnie and Caroline.
"Hey we are going to the Grill and wait for news." Bonnie told me. "Want to come?"
I looked down at my phone, having got a text from my mom.
Ready to come home?
I let out a small breath before I replied.
Not just yet.
"I'd love to."
Stefan ran to his house. Someone had been attacked. Someone was dying.
And he didn't do it.
So who did?
"What's going on?" Zach asked when Stefan entered the Salvatore boarding house. Stefan looked his distant nephew with a rueful disposition.
"Someone else was attacked tonight, Zach, and it wasn't me." Stefan said as he ran up the stairs to his bedroom. He slammed the door and began pacing, something he did when he was thinking. Who could have done that? There had to be someone else in town along with him. Someone who had no regard for human life. Someone like-
Suddenly a crow appeared out of nowhere and flew to land on a panel in Stefan's room. Stefan watched the black bird with confused eyes. Birds didn't just fly into rooms like that. Not on their own free will. It wasn't until he heard the faintest of noises, something a human would not be able to detect, did he turn around. Surprised was not the word Stefan would use to describe how he felt when he saw who had returned to town with him.
"Damon." Stefan said. The raven haired vampire smirked as he stared at Stefan.
"Hello, brother." He greeted with a slight eye brow twitch. Damon took a few steps into the bedroom, looking around at all of Stefan's junk. What a hoarder he thought to himself.
"Crow's a bit much, don't you think?" Stefan asked after the initial shock was over. Damon looked to his little brother pointing to the crow that Damon had compelled to do his bidding. The poor bird never stood a chance. It really was just a spy for him, or just to creep people out. The bird was a good distraction for his meals.
"Wait 'til you see what I can do with the fog." Damon told his brother.
"When'd you get here?" Stefan asked, not beating around the bush. Damon looked at some trinkets sitting on a shelf.
"Well, I couldn't miss your first day at school." He said with a grin. "Your hair's different. I like it."
"It's been 15 years, Damon." Stefan pointed out. 15 years is not long enough Damon thought to himself.
"Thank God. I couldn't take another day of the nineties. That horrible grunge look? Did not suit you. Remember, Stefan, it's important to stay away from fads." Damon teased.
Stefan stared at his brother. He hadn't seen Damon in 15 years. Why would he show up now? To cause trouble that's what. But why now?
"Why are you here?" Stefan asked. Damon shrugged.
"I miss my little brother." Damon lied. He hadn't wanted anything to do with Stefan for years, but he had a mission in Mystic Falls, and he could use Stefan to his advantage. Besides pissing off the younger vampire was something that Damon reveled in. It didn't matter that they were brothers, Damon was not here to be a companion to Stefan. Damon was here for his own purposes.
"You hate small towns. It's boring. There's nothing for you to do." Stefan said. Damon chuckled to himself. He looked up to the crow and nodded for the bird to leave. It knew where to go. It had been sitting outside her window for months now.
"I've managed to keep myself busy." Damon said very vaguely. A beat of silence passed.
"You know, you left that girl alive tonight. That's very clumsy of you." Stefan told him. Damon rolled his ice blue eyes. Damon didn't leave people alive, unless he wanted to.
"Ah. That could be a problem." Damon said looking up at his brother. "For you."
Stefan swallowed. It would be a problem. Because if Vicki remembered the attack she could tell someone and Stefan's secret and chances with Elena would be shot. He couldn't let that happen.
"Why are you here now?" Stefan asked. Damon smirked. Stefan knew that Damon would never give him a straight forward answer. That wasn't Damon's style. He liked to play with his prey. He liked to taunt everyone around him.
"I could ask you the same question. However, I'm fairly certain your answer can be summed up all into one little word." Damon said. "Elena."
Stefan tensed. He should have known keeping Elena's existence away from Damon was impossible. He would have found her eventually. But now, Stefan was here. And he could protect her.
"She took my breath away. Elena. She's a dead ringer for Katherine." Damon said as he tried to get a reaction out of Stefan. "Is it working, Stefan? Being around her, being in her world? Does it make you feel alive?"
"She's not Katherine." Stefan said. Damon chuckled.
"Well, let's hope not. We both know how that ended." Damon said with a grin. "Tell me something, when's the last time you had something stronger than a squirrel?"
Stefan set his jaw. He wouldn't let Damon get to him. He couldn't. That's just what Damon wanted.
"I know what you're doing, Damon. It's not going to work." Stefan said. Damon smirked. He loved a challenge.
"Yeah? Come on. Don't you crave a little?" Damon asked as he smacked Stefan on the side of the head. Not enough to hurt, but it did get the younger Salvatore's attention.
"Stop it." Stefan ordered.
"Let's do it. Together. I saw a couple girls out there." Damon urged, hitting Stefan again. This time harder. "What about the other Gilbert girl? She's pretty."
"Leave Alex out of this." Stefan commanded. Damon smirked. "She has nothing to do with this."
"Everyone has something to do with this little brother." Damon said with another shove to Stefan. "Or, let's just cut to the chase, let's just go straight for Elena."
"Stop it!" Stefan shouted.
"Imagine what her blood tastes like!" Damon said. And with that Stefan's face transformed. "I know I can."
That's when Stefan lost it. The idea of Damon feeding off of Elena pushed him over the edge. He lunged at Damon pushing the two out the window, shattering it into a million pieces. Stefan fell to the ground, Damon not under him to take any of the blow. Slowly Stefan got up. Where did he go?
"I was impressed." Damon said standing to the side, unscathed. "I give it a six. Missing style, but I was pleasantly surprised. Very good with the whole face-thing. It was good"
"You know, it's all fun and games, Damon, huh? But wherever you go, people die." Stefan said to his brother. Damon gave him a look.
"That's a given." Damon said.
"Not here. I won't allow it." Stefan said firmly. Damon smirked once again.
"I take that as an invitation." Damon said coyly. Any way to get under Stefan's skin was a good way for Damon to end his day. Slaughtering the whole town? Messy. But it would be worth it. Just to see Stefan suffer.
"Damon, please. After all these years, can't we just give it a rest?" Stefan pleaded. Damon rolled his eyes.
"I promised you an eternity of misery, so I'm just keeping my word." He shrugged. Stefan sighed.
"Just stay away from Elena." Stefan ordered. The two brothers stared at one another before Damon looked to Stefan's naked middle finger.
"Where's your ring? Oh, yeah, sun's coming up in a couple of hours, and, poof, ashes to ashes." Damon taunted. Stefan looked nervous as hell, something Damon relished in. "Relax. It's right here."
He handed the daylight ring to Stefan who took it slowly. Then once it was on his finger Damon grabbed Stefan by the neck and tossed him into a nearby shed. Stefan hit with a satisfying crunch and fell to the ground with a thud. Damon loomed over him with a glare on his face.
"You should know better than to think you're stronger than me. You lost that fight when you stopped feeding on people. I wouldn't try it again." Damon warned. "I think we woke Zach up. Sorry, Zach."
Stefan lay on the ground eyes closed. What had he done?
"Are you sober yet?"
Bonnie, Caroline, and I had been at the Grill for about an hour. We hadn't heard anything about Vicki and I filled in to our boss. He told me I would have to pick up the slack until Vicki was back, not that I minded. I could use the extra cash. I was still worried about Vicki though. I wondered if what I had done was enough or if it didn't matter what I did. I wondered if she was dead.
"No." Caroline answered Bonnie's question. I had to admit that drunk Caroline was much more pleasant than sober Caroline. I had not heard one bastard Gilbert joke once. She only made fun of my shoes one time and her joke was actually funny so I let it go.
"Keep drinking." Bonnie pushed the mug of coffee to Caroline. "I gotta get you home. I gotta get me home."
"Why didn't he go for me? You know, how come the guys that I want never want me?" Caroline had been going on and on about how Stefan had dissed her at the party. He had said that they were never going to happen. I could tell that the her she was referring to was Elena.
"I'm not touching that." Bonnie said. She had barely looked at me since she had seen that vision once touching me. I knew she was trying to avoid it as best she could, but I wasn't going to let it go so quickly.
"I'm inappropriate. I always say the wrong thing. And… Elena always says the right thing. She doesn't even try! And he just picks her. And she's always the one that everyone picks, for everything. And I try so hard, and…I'm never the one."
I stared at the drunk blonde sitting across from me. There was some sense of familiarity. I had always looked at Elena and thought how perfect her life was. I was envious of that life. I thought that was the life I should have had. So I could relate to how Caroline felt about Elena. She was always the one who got what she wanted. We weren't so lucky.
"It's not a competition, Caroline." Bonnie consoled. I guess it wasn't really a competition, but to Caroline this was more than anything she could handle. Elena was now competition because Elena had something Caroline wanted: Stefan. He was the prize and Caroline and Elena were the competitors.
"Yeah it is." Caroline replied. Bonnie sighed, looking utterly defeated. It wasn't long before Bonnie got up and went to the bathroom, leaving me alone with Caroline. Caroline Forbes used to intimidate me, but now seeing how vulnerable and insecure she really was, she wasn't as scary as I first thought.
"You know I've always envied Elena." I admitted to her honestly. She looked up at me, surprised that I was actually speaking. She must not have anticipated me to take the first step.
"I don't envy her." Caroline spat. I didn't take it to heart. She was drunk and angry.
"I'm not saying you do." I told her. "But the way I see it, you are just as beautiful and smart as Elena is."
Caroline seemed taken aback by my statement. I always thought Caroline was this confident, blonde cheerleader that you read about in books and see on TV shows. But Caroline was much more, just like I was more than the girl who's dad left her and family abandoned. There was a person behind each reputation.
"Any guy who doesn't see that doesn't deserve you." I said with a shrug.
"Thank you Alex." She said honesty. "You know you're not too bad."
"Neither are you." I replied. Just then, Bonnie came back to us. The two girls said their goodbyes to me after I insisted that my mom would come and get me. Truthfully, I wanted to stick around for a little while, see if I got any kind of news. Vicki and Matt didn't have my number, but maybe Matt would call Robert and explain what happened.
I sat there for what seemed like forever before I finally decided that I should go. I turned in my seat and that's when I saw him. The man from the party, the one who I had looked at through the flames. I felt myself gasp when I saw him. He was just as handsome as I remembered, if not better looking. He was easier to see in this lighting.
He was staring at me, those blue eyes trapping me in just as they did before. He smiled at me once he realized he had my attention. I had to force myself to think so I could remember how to smile back. His smile was almost as stunning as his eyes, two rows of straight, pearly teeth were shown to me when he smirked. His hair was dark, like a raven or maybe a crow. Some of the locks fell onto his forehead and were a stark contrast to his snow white skin.
He was the epitome of perfection.
I forced myself to move after a couple seconds of staring, turning to leave, but I stopped when I felt a whoosh of air. I turned back to where I was originally facing and there he stood, about a foot away from me. His eyes burned down into mine and I felt myself stop breathing.
"Hello." He said, his voice like a smooth satin. He had this look in his eyes, something mischievous. It made warning bells go off in my head, but my pulse was beating so loud I could barely hear them.
"H-hi." I stuttered lamely. He chucked, he must have been amused by my nervousness. I could tell by the little twinkle in his eye that he was very playful. I still couldn't shake the dangerous feeling he gave off though. It was very foreboding and weighed heavily on me, but I couldn't bring myself to back away.
"I'm Damon." He said coolly.
Damon.
It suited him. He looked like a Damon. It felt like he belonged to the name instead of the name belonging to him.
"I'm Alex." I said, surprised that I managed not to stutter. I was beyond nervous, my heart beating like a hummingbirds wings. I was just glad that he couldn't hear it.
"It's nice to meet you." He told me with a smirk. I nodded. I felt like I should say something or excuse myself, but I couldn't find the words or the will to move my feet. I was stuck there, like my feet were glued to the floor. I was trapped, but looking at him I didn't think that was a bad thing.
"Were you going somewhere?" He asked me, but I knew that he already knew the answer. He had seen me going and somehow got right behind me without me noticing. How did he get behind me to quick? It hadn't occurred to me when it happened that he had just been sitting a second ago and then in a flash he was right behind me. It didn't click that that wasn't possible until later but that's another story.
"I was headed home actually." I told him. I hadn't texted my mom yet but I was planning to go to the store and meet her anyway. She still had a half an hour before closing and it was closer to the store than the house.
"Do you have a ride?" He asked me politely. I knew that I had just met him so I shouldn't be taking a ride from him. That was just too weird, besides I had never seen him around so he must be new. He could have been a serial killer for all I knew.
"Yeah. My mom is coming." I told him, even though it was a lie. As handsome as he was I couldn't just let him know that I was alone tonight. As much as I wanted to trust him I couldn't do that yet, I barely knew him.
"Well then, at least let me walk you to your car." He told me. I opened my mouth to protest but he stopped me. "Let me walk you to your car."
In that second my whole mind changed. I was perfectly ok with him walking me outside to the car that wasn't out there. I was perfectly ok with this complete stranger following me out into the dark when there were no other people around. I was perfectly ok with the fact that I didn't know who this was and he was insisting on walking me outside.
He opened the door for me like a gentleman and I lead him outside. I didn't know what to do from there. My mom's car wasn't here and I knew I would look like an idiot if he found out that I lied about my mom coming. I wasn't interested in making a fool of myself right then.
"She must not be here yet." I said after quick thinking. "You don't have to wait with me. I'll be fine."
"I don't mind." He replied. "Wouldn't want something to happen to such a pretty girl."
I felt myself blush and I turned around to face him. He was still handsome in this dark lighting. How could someone be that attractive even in this terrible light? He was like an angel, but more of a dark angel.
"You must be new." I pointed out. He chuckled to himself before meeting my eyes again.
"Is it that obvious?" He asked. I felt myself relax a little, but not fully. I was still on edge because I didn't know anything about Damon. He was still a stranger regardless.
"I think I would remember you." I told him honestly. He smirked. "Listen, I can wait myself. It's really not a big deal."
"She's not coming." He told me. I swallowed. How did he know that? Had I given it away somehow? The way he said it made a shiver go up my spine.
"Wh-what do you mean?" I asked him, cursing myself for stuttering. He took two steps toward me, cutting off any space between us. I felt very uncomfortable with the lack of personal space.
"Relax." He whispered. I felt myself relax without my permission. Something was wrong, very wrong. "Don't scream."
I tried to scream after that, but I couldn't. I didn't know what was happening. I didn't even know that I had started moving until my back hit the brick wall of the alley beside the Grill. He was right in front of me, mere inches from my face. I could feel his cool breath on my face and all I could do was cry.
"It's ok pretty girl." He cooed in my ear. "It's only going to hurt for a second."
I let out a small cry and felt tears pooling on my cheeks. His hands secured themselves on my upper arms, holding me where I was. I felt his nose move across my cheek and then down my jaw. It stopped at my neck and I heard him sniff.
"Please." I begged, not knowing what he was doing. I didn't know if he was going to kill me or do something and then kill me. I didn't know if I would ever see my mom again. I didn't know if I would ever graduate. I didn't know if I would ever meet my father. I didn't want to die. I had so much to live for. He looked me in the eye and I could still see that blue even through the tears. They were no longer beautiful to me, they were full of hatred from me.
"Shhh." He hushed me. "You won't remember a thing."
I then felt this blinding pain from my neck. I tried to let out a scream but whatever he did stopped me from doing it. I could feel the blood leaving my neck, like he was sucking the life out of me. I was going to die.
Goodbye
