A/N: If you guys want to see Charlotte's hairstyle and outfit for this chapter then go to my profile and click on the links. Enjoy!
Chapter 9
Charlotte's POV
2 and ½ Months Later
After three months of living in Mystic Falls again, I was starting to get attached. Not a very good idea. But anyway for the past two and a half months I been mainly hanging out with Alaric (my new BFF), practicing for the Founders Party, and meeting with Carol and the band that she hired to play with me during the party. I am currently in my room making my final corrections on my songs. My phone rang loudly interrupting me.
"Hello, whoever you are." I answered without looking at the caller id.
"That's the weirdest greeting I've ever heard." Alaric's voice said laughing through my phone.
"Now your life is complete." I said sarcastically.
"Whoa, okay. You feeling okay today?" he asked worried.
"Yeah, sorry. It's this stupid Founders Party today. I'm worried that I will totally suck." I said groaning.
"You worry too much, Char." He said to me.
"I know. So, what were you going to ask me?" I asked him remembering that he called me.
"Oh, yeah. Will you be my date to the Founders Party? The Council is required to have dates and I can only turn down Creepy Hanna so many times." He asked desperately.
"Sure, Alaric. Pick me up at seven. But I'm going to be away from you for half the night." I told him.
"I'll take you gone for half the night over Creepy Hanna any day." He said in relief.
"Alright, Ric. No need to sound so desperate." I teased.
"I will have you know-" he started but I cut him off.
"Sorry, Ric. Gotta go! Caroline's here. See you later." I told him quickly before he could start ranting and hung up. I laughed to myself as I got up to get ready for the party.
I was ready a few minutes before seven. I had on a strapless goldish-cream dress that landed just above my knee, gold peep-toe pumps that showed my light pink toes. My hair was straightened and half up in a clip. I put on my locket followed by mascara, light pink lipstick, and my Wonderstruck perfume. I grabbed my cell phone and my keys and put them in my gold clutch. I picked up my guitar case and walked downstairs.
"So, how do I look?" I asked Damon and Stefan as I descended the stairs. Stefan smiled and grabbed my guitar case from me so I could walk down easier.
"You look amazing, Charlotte." Stefan complimented.
"Thank you, Stefan. You look quite spiffy yourself." I teased him. I looked over at Damon and saw that he had a half dreamy like look and a half angry look on his face.
"You alright there Damon?" I asked him. He seemed to snap out of his phase and cleared all the emotion from his face.
"I'm fine and you look very nice, Charlotte." He told me quickly.
"Thanks, Damon." I said softly. Then the bell rang loudly breaking the tension in the room. The three of us walked to the door. I smiled brightly as I saw Alaric and Elena on the other side.
"Ohmygosh, Char, you look amazing!" she gushed as soon as she saw me.
"Thanks, Lena. You look stunning." I told her. She blushed and nodded in thanks as her eyes flickered to Stefan. I walked outside with Alaric as Elena came inside with Stefan.
"You look beautiful, Char." He said smiling at me. I almost blushed like Elena, but I just smiled.
"Thank you, Alaric. You look pretty dashing in that suit. Way better than that teacher get up you usually wear." I teased him. He chuckled.
"I suppose that was a compliment." He teased.
I shook my head amused. "Ready to go?" I asked him.
"Yeah." He said as he offered me his arm. I smiled and was about to take it when I remembered my guitar. "Oh, wait. Stefan-" I started but was handed my guitar by Stefan in a matter of seconds.
"Stupid vampire speed." I muttered as Alaric took my guitar for me. Stefan smiled teasingly and sped back to Elena.
Alaric and I rode to the Lockwood Mansion with Damon, Stefan, and Elena. It was very awkward to say the least. Once we got to the Lockwoods' house we all went our separate ways. Damon went to the bar (no surprise there), Elena and Stefan caught up with Bonnie and Caroline (who gushed immensely over my dress and hair), and Alaric and I went to find Carol.
"Charlotte! You look wonderful! And Alaric you look dashing." Carol commented to us. We muttered our thanks before she continued on. "Alaric, you and Charlotte will be last to come down the stairs when the Council Members are called. And then Charlotte you will play your songs. You'll switch of with the other band, so you can have a break. Okay?" she asked the both of us.
"Okay." We said together.
"Great, see you guys later." She said excited. As soon as she left I turned to Alaric.
"Since when did I have to be announced with you and walk down the stairs?" I asked him.
"Since you agreed to be my date and you can't back out now. That would be breaking the rules of our friendship." Alaric said teasing.
"Damn those stupid rules." I said jokingly. "Fine, Alaric. I'll be a nice person and an even better friend and walk down the stairs with you." I agreed with him.
"Thank you." He said as he hugged me tightly. We broke apart once we heard the loudspeaker start to announce the Council Members.
"Ready?" he asked as we walked up the back stairs.
"As I'll ever be." I said smiling brightly as we came into view. I put my hand in the crook of his elbow and held on tight so I didn't fall.
"Councilmen of the Gilbert family, Alaric Saltzman with his date, Charlotte Buchanan." Carol said through the microphone as we descended the endless amount of stairs. Once we got to the bottom, we walked outside onto the long deck that was built especially for this event.
"See that wasn't so bad, now was it?" Alaric taunted.
"Make me angry, Ric, and you'll find yourself with Creepy Hanna for the remainder of the night, best friend code or not." I teased him with a very serious face. A horrified look passed through his face. Once I saw it I burst out laughing.
"I'm sorry. I just couldn't keep a straight face on that one." I said still giggling.
"That was just plain mean." He pouted.
"Oh, Alaric. You're almost thirty years old. That pouty face doesn't work anymore." I told him while still laughing and walked over to the stage to get set up.
Halfway through night I had already played all four of my songs. I played The Call, If I Die Young, There's a Place for Us, and Lovely. All that I wrote about my cancer and my mother. I ended up dancing with Alaric, Tyler, Stefan, and Jeremy. The only guy I haven't danced with was Damon. Now I am currently standing to the side watching Alaric and Elena dance.
"Care to dance?" Damon's voice asked from behind me. I turned and saw him holding his hand out for my approval. I nodded and stuck my hand into his. And for some odd reason it felt like it belonged there.
We walked out onto the dance floor and the waltz started. We danced perfectly in sync with each, it was almost scary. I tried to take my eyes away from his, but I couldn't bring myself to actually do it. I saw his eyes look down at my lips and then back up to my eyes quickly. I saw him slowly start to lean in. Was he about to kiss me? I think so. Did I want him to kiss me? Yes, I did. But, why?
Unconsciously, I started to lean in too. This seems to make Damon lean in even more, until our lips were millimeters apart from each other.
"Damon, we have a big problem." Alaric said from behind Damon. I heard Damon growl very lowly in his chest. He pulled back quickly and walked away taking Alaric with him, without a look back at me. OH…MY…GOD! I was about to kiss Damon Salvatore. On my own free will! Why the hell am I disappointed that he didn't kiss me? Ohmygod, I'm so freakin' confused. I need some fresh air and I'm already outside.
I walked fast towards the house. I almost got to the study when I felt someone's hand on my throat. I gasped for air as I looked at the person's face. It was a vampire! Crap, what the hell is it with me and near death experiences? I whimpered as he squeezed my throat harder. He bared his fangs and was about to bite my neck when I heard Alaric.
"Let her go." He commanded coldly as he had a cross bow in his hand. The vampire hissed and squeezed tighter. Alaric saw this and shot the wooden stake into the vampire's heart. I fell to the ground, gasping for air. My throat felt like it was on fire as the air rushed into my lungs. I heard a whoosh go by me and I felt someone kneel by me.
"Charlotte, are you alright?" Alaric asked me. I nodded unable to speak. I looked over and saw Damon hauling the vampire's body over his shoulder and then running out of the house. Alaric helped me up and into the study.
"Here sit down here. I'll be right back, alright?" he told me. I nodded my throat still hurting.
After five minutes, Alaric still wasn't back, but my throat was feeling a lot better. I shakily stood up and grabbed the mirror on the desk. I gasped as I saw a large purple bruise that wrapped around my neck. I heard the door open and close quickly and a whoosh came by me. I saw Damon looking down at me through the mirror. I sighed sadly and put the mirror back on the desk.
"Drink my blood, it will heal you." Damon offered softly.
"No it won't." I countered. I asked Elena everything about vampire blood. It only heals things with cures. Cancer has no cure; therefore it will not heal me or any of my injuries.
"Of course it will. Don't be stupid and just take the blood." Damon said annoyed.
"It won't work." I told him again and walked towards the door. Damon appeared in front off me.
"Why won't it work then?" he asked me softly.
"It's none of your business, Damon." I told him coldly.
"The hell it's not." He said frustrated as he ran back to the desk. "You know all of my deepest secrets, so why won't you tell me yours?" he asked pained.
"Because it's insignificant to you." I said stonily.
"Of course it's significant to me, Charlotte. In case you haven't noticed I care about you. I care about you, okay?" he exclaimed. "And since I care about you, you owe me an explanation." He said angrily.
"Fine!" I shouted. "You want to know so badly, then you will know everything, Damon. I have cancer. I have chronic myelogenous leukemia. It's a blood cancer. And guess what I have three months before I die because my body stopped responding to treatments." I nearly shouted to him with tears running down my face. He had a look of shock, sadness, and hurt on his face. "That's my deep dark secret." I said coldly and turned to walk out of the study.
But before I could take one step, I cried out on pain and sank to my knees. My hands flew to the center of my pain. My left side just below my ribs.
Cliffhanger! I know I'm evil, but I've always wanted to do a very dramatic cliffhanger at the end of a chapter. Hehe. Two chapters in one day! Part two will be up either later tonight or sometime tomorrow because today I had a crazy spark of creativity and my brain is on overdrive. Hope you guys liked the chapter!
Songs Used In This Chapter:
The Call by Regina Spektor (Chronicles of Narnia!)
If I Die Young by The Band Perry (Fits the story line almost perfectly)
There's A Place for Us by Carrie Underwood (Chronicles of Narnia! Again!)
Lovely by Sara Haze (Fits Charlotte and her mother)
