The alarm went off at 6am and again at 6:15am, 6:20am and so on until 6:45am. Bonnie Bennett barely had time to shower and dress before heading to class. Breakfast was out of the question. Cold pop tarts were not appealing but they were better than nothing asshe dashed out of the house.
"Morning, Sunshine." a silky smooth voice drawled.
Bonnie smiled at the sight in front of her. As mouth watering as Damon was, the grande Starbucks cup he held out had her positively drooling.
"How did you know?" Bonnie asked taking the cup.
"It doesn't take psychic abilities to guess that you'd over sleep this morning. I know what time you got to bed" He thrust a white paper bag into her empty hand. "Here, you eat, I'll drive." Damon opened the passenger door for the girl.
"I won't have my car. How will I get home?" Bonnie settled herself inside and peeked into the bag licking her lips.
"So I'll pick you up after class. No biggie."
"Umm, I have cheerleading practice after class. Would it be a problem?"
Damon shrugged. "No problem at all. Besides that gives me an excuse to check out a bunch of hot girls wearing not much more than spandex." He wiggled his eyebrows.
Bonnie slapped his arm. "So how come you're all bright eyed? Since you took me home, you got even less sleep than me."
"Vampire, remember. Don't really need much sleep" The car pulled to the curb in front of the high school. "What time is practice over?"
"About 5pm." Bonnie climbed out of the car. "Thanks for breakfast. You're a life saver."
"All part of the job. Study hard, little witch." With that, Damon drove off.
Bonnie watched the camaro drive away and then turned toward the school building. She observed Elena and Stefan walking together. Elena needed to be warned to be careful around Stefan. Damon thought his brother was currently harmless but who knew when that would change. Bonnie couldn't shake her vision from last night.
The day passed uneventfully. Bonnie had tried to talk to Elena about her concerns regarding Stefan but Elena just attributed it to Bonnie not really knowing her new boyfriend yet.
During history, Tanner was on yet another ego trip trying to prove how stupid the students were. Bonnie sat in her usual seat in the back row pretending to take notes. In reality, she was doodling the same numbers over and over. When Tanner and Stefan got into a battle of historic dates, she raised her head with a sudden realization. Damon and Stefan were more alike than either would probably admit. Both were whip smart and both seemed to take pleasure in putting people in their place. It was really too bad that Katherine's actions had pushed them so far apart.
Elena ended up sitting out most of cheer practice. She had missed camp over the summer and didn't know the new routines yet. She was suppose to observe the routines but Bonnie was fairly certain that Elena observed Stefan on the football field instead.
When practice ended, Elena approached Bonnie to come have dinner with her and Stefan at Elena's house.
"I don't know Elena" Bonnie looked for an excuse not to go.
"Come on, please. I know you will hit it off with Stef once you get to know him." Elena implored.
"Don't look now ladies but hottie at twelve o'clock." Caroline interrupted. "I wonder which of these skanks hooked him."
Bonnie looked over her shoulder. Damon had put the top down on his car since morning and now smiled at all the girls walking past.
"That would me." Bonnie turned back to her friends and raised her hand in a guilty gesture.
"Oh my God." Caroline squealed. "That's the reason he's been staring at your ass since he pulled up."
Bonnie turned once again to look at Damon. He had obviously heard Caroline and let his sunglasses drop down his nose so that he could wink at Bonnie.
She held up a finger to let him know she needed another minute.
Elena took a good look at the guy in the car. "That's Stefan's brother. He's the one you've been texting with so much? " Her brow furrowed. "Is that why you don't like Stefan? Because you're dating Damon and they don't get along?"
"I'm not dating Damon." Bonnie argued. "But we are good friends and I know he and Stefanhad a falling out though I'm not sure either of them can be blamed for it."
"But you won't give Stefan a chance to prove what a great guy he is." Elena moaned.
Bonnie suddenly got an idea. "Tell you what, I'll come over tonight on one condition."
"What's that?" Elena smiled now that it looked like she was going to get her way.
"You let me bring Damon along." The tone of Bonnie's voice offered no room for negotiation. "You have to give Damon the same chance I'm giving Stefan."
"Agreed." Elena held out her hand and the two girls shook. Elena then looked at Caroline. "Did you want to come over too, Care?"
Caroline grinned. "Actually, I have plans already, she gushed as she gingerly touched the scarf tied at her neck. "I nabbed a hottie of mine own."
With that, Bonnie gathered her things and climbed into Damon's car.
"So we have dinner plans, I take it." Damon did not sound thrilled. "How domestic."
"We do." the witch confirmed. "And just try to tell me that you don't want to find out more about Elena."
"And you're not trying to get my brother and I to bury the hatchet."
"You'd only bury it in each other's backs."
Damon laughed. "Okay, I'll play nice tonight." They had reached Bonnie's house. "You go shower and I'll swing by the bakery to pick up dessert."
Bonnie kissed Damon's cheek before hopping out. "Thank you, Darling, " she teased.
"Yes, Dear."
An hour later the pair arrived at Elena's house. Bonnie became nervous as they approached the door.
"Elena and Jeremy legally own the house since their parents' deaths. One of them has to formally invite you in, don't they?"
"Relax Bon-Bon," the vampire soothed. "I'm an old hand at this." He then shoved the cake box into her hand and rung the bell.
eHe then shoved the
When Elena opened the door bell, Stefan was right behind her. "Hi guys." She chirped. "Why didn't you just come in?"
"That would be because of me." Damon quickly jumped in. "I've had a klutzy day and didn't want to carry the cake for fear of dropping it so Bonnie had her hands full and I've got this thing about entering others people's homes unannounced if we're not friends...yet." He gave a nervous smile.
"Hello Brother." Stefan said while still standing behind Elena. He was making it clear to Damon that he already had an invitation into Elena's home thus he had the advantage.
"Listen," Damon put on a kicked puppy face. "I don't want to make things uncomfortable. Maybe I should go and let the three of you enjoy the evening." He turned to his brother. "Would you make sure Bonnie gets home safely?"
Bonnie widened her eyes at the other girl silently asking her to do something.
"Oh this is ridiculous," Elena sighed in exasperation. "Bonnie and Damon, would you two just get in here so we can eat?"
Damon stepped over the threshold and Bonnie let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. "Con artist" she mouthed to Damon for fear that Stefan would over hear anything she whispered.
The four of them sat at the table and began to dish up the takeout food. "So, " Elena began. "You didn't tell me how you and Damon met, Bon."
"Through Grams" Bonnie toyed with the food on her plate.
"Sheila's always been my favorite professor and when I became her teaching assistant, she started treating me like part of her family." Damon added.
"What are you getting your degree in?"
"Anthropology."
"Oh"
The remainder of the meal was stilted. Stefan glared at Damon throughout and contributed little to the conversation.
Dessert was had in the family room. While Elena and Stefan shared the couch, Bonnie sat cross legged in the arm chair with Damon on the floor below her.
"So Stefan, what do you think of the football team?" Bonnie tried to draw the boy into a conversation.
"Tanner coaches about like he teaches," was the curt reply.
At that moment Damon reached up and snagged Bonnie's coffee mug out of her hand and took a drink.
"Hey, you have your own mug." She exclaimed while snatching back hers and hugged it to her chest.
"But yours tastes better."
"Would you like me to make you a cup like how I made mine?"
"Please." Damon batted his eyes at her.
"Well you did bring me coffee this morning so I guess I can return the favor." Bonnie uncurled from her chair and stood. "Want help cleaning up the kitchen, Elena?"
"Sure," Elena popped up quickly. The tension must have been getting to her too.
When the girls left the room, Stefan snarled. "What are you doing with Bonnie?"
"Isn't it obvious," Damon returned the glare. "We're friends. I look out for her and she for me. In this case she's a little misguided thinking that you and I can put the past behind us."
"Why don't I believe you?"
"Suit yourself. Ask Bonnie if you don't believe me." Damon stood and headed for the kitchen, picking up a stray glass on his way.
Bonnie looked questioningly at her friend as he cocked his head and motioned for her to rejoin Stefan. "It kinda defeats the purpose of the evening if you're in here with Elena and I'm out there with my brother. Go talk to him, he won't bite."
Bonnie gave a snort as she went back to the family room. Damon held out the glass to Elena. "You missed one."
Stefan offered a gentle smile as Bonnie reseated herself. "So how long has Damon known your grandmother?"
"Forever, if you listen to her." Bonnie answered truthfully.
"And she's cool with the two of you date...er hanging out despite the age difference?"
Bonnie giggled, "I think Grams would have insisted on it if we didn't hit it off so quickly."
"You don't say."
Throughout the conversation, Bonnie noticed that Stefan's eyes kept scanning her neck. In defiance, she casually drug her hand through her hair and pulled it all to lay down her back instead of over her shoulders, giving a clear view of her unblemished neck.
Soon Damon returned to the family room and offered Bonnie a hand up from the chair. "It's getting late. We should head out." Turning to Elena and Stefan, "Thank you for a pleasant evening Elena. Stef, I'll see you back at the boarding house."
The girls exchanged hugs before Damon and Bonnie departed.
"So, what did you think of little brother now that you've spent some time with him?"
"He thinks you're manipulating me."
"And probably Sheila." Damon drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. "He has a low opinion of me and the feeling's mutual."
Bonnie could only nod. "Well, it should mean something to him that I don't have any bite marks."
"Just because your neck is clear doesn't prove that I couldn't have bitten you." Damon cocked an eyebrow so that Bonnie was sure to understand where else he could bite.
Bonnie felt her temperature rise. "And your talk with Elena?"
"She's far too innocent and open hearted. Nothing like Katherine." Damon conceded, "She's probably going to quit cheerleading. Don't be too hard on her. It doesn't make her happy anymore."
Bonnie knew that a lot had changed for Elena since the accident but cheering had been something she, Elena and Caroline had done together since junior high. It saddened her that this too was changing. "So now what?"
"Let Stefan think what he wants. Let him play at being human with Elena, so long as he doesn't get in the way."