"Here. Try this on." Bonnie said, pulling a dress out of my closet and handing it to me.
"Are you sure? This seems a bit... um..."
"It'll be fine." She cut in, not letting me think of the word to describe the article of clothing she'd selected. "Put it on. I'm going to find you some heels."
The dress was black on the bottom, turning into a black lace overlay with turquoise under it for contrast. It ended just above my knees. I was just adding a pair of sterling silver, double hooped, turquoise dangling earrings to my outfit when a pair of classic black pumps was thrust into my hands.
"Out of curiosity, and slight jealousy, did you buy a purse for every outfit?!"
"Yes. Yes, I did." I laughed, slipping the shoes on. I stepped into my walk-in closet and grabbed a black clutch before going back to Bonnie. "Okay, give it to me straight. Do I look okay?"
"You look amazing! Jeremy will be kicking himself for not going." She answered with a smile.
"Bon, Jeremy and I are just friends. And he's not even going to see me in it."
'How many times do I have to say this before everyone understands?!'
"Well, either way, you look hot."
"All right, all right. Go get ready. I'll see you in a few minutes."
After Bonnie left, I changed back into my regular clothes, hanging the dress on the closet door.
Since it was so nice outside, I grabbed a bottle of turquoise nail polish and sat on one of my porch chairs. I was finishing my right hand as a black Buick parked in between my Tahoe and Elena's Ford Escape.
Tyler Lockwood climbed out of it and walked up the porch next door. I could hear him talking to Jeremy and Elena, but I couldn't make out what they were saying. When the door slammed in his face, Tyler stood there for a minute before walking back to his car. He was carrying an old box.
"You know, if you learn to control your anger, I bet you'd have more friends." I called out to him, running the nail polish brush along my left thumbnail.
"What's it to you?" He glared at me.
I held my hand up as if in surrender.
"Hey, I'm not trying to start anything. I'm merely stating an observation."
"Yeah, well... keep your observations to yourself." He started going for the driver's side.
"Look, I may be the new girl, but even I know that you have an anger problem. You can be a real dick sometimes. But I don't like making enemies, so I'm trying to at least be an acquaintance."
He stared at me, as if trying to read my face for any insincerity, before nodding.
"What's in the box?" I asked while continuing to paint my nails. After a moment of hesitation, he joined me on my porch, sitting in the other chair.
"Some of the Gilbert's stuff."
"For the heritage display, right?"
"Yeah. You going?"
I nodded. "I'm Bonnie's date. Although, now that I think back on it, I'm kind of confused. Bennett wasn't a name that Jeremy told me about. Are outsiders allowed to go to these things?"
He gave a slight chuckle and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his legs and playing with the outside of the box.
"The Bennetts aren't a founding family, but they came here not long after our families founded Mystic Falls in 1860. Most of the town shows up at events like these, and not everyone who lives here belongs to a founding family, so most of the people who attend are 'outsiders'."
I started blowing on my nails to speed up the drying process and glanced at the car he pulled up in.
"Nice car."
"'71 Buick GS. She's my baby."
This was one of those moments where if I could whistle, I would.
"She fast?"
"Oh, yeah. You know cars?"
"Not much. I just have a 'thing' for older models. How long have you had 'her'?"
"Since February."
We both fell silent for a moment, just looking at the car.
"Well, I should get going. I've gotta get this to my mom." He said, holding up the box.
"Okay. I'll see you soon, Tyler."
"Yeah. Okay. See you."
He stood up and started going down the steps, pausing with his left foot on the bottom step and half-turning towards me.
"Save me a dance?"
I couldn't help but smile. It was the first time since first meeting the Lockwood boy that he was being himself, and not letting his anger get the best of him.
"You got it."
Two hours later
I was touching up my eye make-up when the door bell rang.
"Come in!"
"Dani?"
"Upstairs."
I heard the door shut and footsteps coming up the stairs.
"Uh, where upstairs?"
"Bathroom adjoined with my bedroom."
I moved on to applying a little lip gloss. Bonnie's reflection appeared behind mine. Her white v-neck dress had a pattern of soft shaded flowers.
"Oh, Jeremy has got to see you." She said, snapping a picture with her phone.
"Hey! Delete that!"
"Nope. And... send. Okay. Don't roll your eyes at me!" She added when she caught me doing said action. "You're hot and he's missing out."
"You sure this dress isn't too... flashy?" I asked, taking one last look in the mirror.
"Don't worry about your outfit. You look great. That's what matters. Now let's get this show on the road!"
Fifteen minutes later, we were pulling up to the Lockwood Mansion.
"Holy. Crap."
Bonnie laughed at my shock.
"What? I've never been to an actual mansion. Have you been here before?"
"Once or twice, for events like this."
"Okay. Then I'm sticking with you all night. I might get lost."
She laughed again before leading the way up the cement walkway. There was a line with about a hundred people or so waiting to shake the hands of the Lockwoods by the door. Groups of people were scattered around the front lawn, and more could be heard coming from the back yard.
"So, tell me about the Lockwoods before we get up there."
"Well, you obviously know Tyler. He's an only child. His parents are on the council. His father's also the town's mayor."
"Whoa. Tyler's dad is the mayor? Poor Tyler."
Bonnie gave me a look of confusion.
"It's gotta be rough, growing up in that environment, with the high expectations that his parents probably have for him."
We'd made it to the back of the line at this point. I looked around, trying to spot any familiar faces but unable to do so. Instead, my eyes fell on the water spewing out of a stone fountain.
"That's odd."
"What?" I brought my attention back to Bonnie.
"Tyler's waving us forward."
"Do friends not normally get to cut the line?" My eyes moved to the front doors. Sure enough, Tyler, wearing a powder-blue suit, was signaling us to the front of the line.
She shook her head, but started to walk around the people in front of us. I did my best to ignore the stares as I followed her.
"Hi, Mrs. Lockwood. Mayor Lockwood." Bonnie shook the hand of a woman with short, light brown hair and blue eyes, before moving on to a man with black hair and brown eyes. Tyler was the spitting image of his father.
It was my turn to be greeted by the family. After a gentle handshake from Mrs. Lockwood, and a firm handshake from the Mayor, I stepped to the right to face Tyler.
"Come on in, Danica." His smile was warm and genuine, and I felt my lips curve upwards. "Remember: save a dance for me."
The place seemed even bigger on the inside. A large table, placed a few feet in front of the open doors, was covered in champagne bottles and empty upside-down glasses. Wall-sized portraits and paintings, small statues, and large, potted plants and bouquets of flowers decorated the room, along with many candles. To my right was a giant staircase leading to the second story.
In the room to my left, I could see red curtains pulled back from the windows on either side of a fireplace. The mantle was decorated with more plants and knickknacks. A gigantic mirror hung above it. A very expensive-looking chandelier came down from the ceiling over a huge dining table that was covered with even more candles.
"Come on, let me show you some of the things on display!" Bonnie said as she pulled me through the many people who were already standing around the house. We stepped into the room in front of us. It seemed to be double the size of the entryway.
The walls were decorated with pictures and framed documents. More portraits and plants filled the spaces between, along with wall-lights and windows with gold curtains. The table tops were cluttered with various antique items, all having labels from the different families.
"I'm way out of my element here, Bon."
"You've only lived in Mystic Falls a few short weeks. It takes time to get used to new surroundings."
"Doesn't really help that this is a big town event."
"You went to the gathering for the comet!"
"That didn't count. We were outside. And I didn't feel pressured to impress anyone." I laughed.
"Come on. We'll look through this stuff, sneak a few drinks, and dance. It'll be fun!"
"Okay, fine. What should we start with?"
An hour later, we'd finally gone through all the showcasings. Antique clocks, guns, china, and tea sets were among all kinds of trinkets.
"Here we go." Bonnie snatched two glasses of champagne from a nearby serving tray and handed one to me. I brought the glass up to my lips and paused.
Elena and Damon were across the room. I couldn't see Stefan or Caroline.
It was the first time that I'd seen Damon since the night he bit me. That was one awkward situation that I fully intended on avoiding.
"Why don't we check out the back yard?"
"Sure. I could use a breath of fresh air."
Someone stepped in my way as I started for the back door. A male voice came from whoever it was.
"Where do you two think you're going?"
It was Matt. Bonnie spoke up first.
"Matt! Hey! We're going outside. Wanna join us?"
"Actually, I was hoping I could steal Danica for a dance. I'll give her back after. I promise." He flashed her a smile that showed his laugh lines and dimples.
"I guess. If it's okay with you, Dani?"
"Uh, yeah. Sure. I don't mind." I handed my drink to Bonnie and took Matt's extended hand.
"One dance, and then she's all yours again, Bennett." He winked at her.
We made our way outside. It'd gotten dark since Bonnie and I had arrived, but there was a tented area that was lit up. I spotted Caroline and Stefan among the dancing couples. A slow song was playing.
Matt raised our joined hands and placed his other hand on my waist. I let my free hand rest on his shoulder as we started to sway to the music.
"So, how are you liking Mystic Falls so far?"
"Not going to lie, nights like this make it slightly harder to adjust."
"Don't be too intimidated." He spun me in a circle. "These things don't happen every day, and it's not as big a deal as our parents try to make it out to be."
"It is nice, though, getting to know the history of the town. And it's a good excuse to dance with one of the cutest guys here."
"Oh, uh, thanks. I, uh –" The blush that spread across his face made me chuckle.
"Relax, Matt. One thing you'll all learn about me pretty quickly: I like to flirt."
"Good to know." He laughed, spinning me again.
We chatted a little more, mostly about his sister and Elena, until the song ended. I started to step away from him, but he pulled me back as the song changed. I couldn't help but be amused.
"You promised Bonnie you'd return me."
"Yeah, well... I lied. I'm sure she's fine. Besides, you're actually doing me a huge favor by dancing with me again."
"Oh, yeah? How's that?"
"You're saving me from my date."
"Why would you need saving from her?" I let out a small laugh. "Who is she?"
"Tina Fell. I only agreed to come with her so that I could keep an eye on Vicki."
When he put it that way, how could I resist? Those pleading blue eyes didn't help either. My response caused a laugh of his own.
"Okay. You've got one more dance, Donovan. Then I need to get back to my date."
"I'll make it up to her."
Once the song ended, we found Bonnie sitting at one of the outside tables. She was staring at an unlit candle. She didn't look up from the block of still-smoking wax as I sat down. Matt walked around the table to stand by her side.
"All right, Bennett. Your turn."
As the two took off to dance to a slightly faster song, I saw Tyler going back inside the Lockwood mansion. I stole a glance at Matt and Bonnie, deep in conversation, before standing up to follow after him. I found him in the dining room, gulping down a glass of champagne and reaching for a second.
"Careful. You might get too drunk to dance with me."
He downed the second glass and wiped his mouth with his arm. I frowned slightly at the torn expression on his face.
"Not now, Danica. I'm not in the mood."
"Okay. Do me a favor, though? Follow me."
I grabbed his hand and started dragging him through the house before he could respond. Most of the people who'd attended the party had already left or flocked to the back yard, so we had no problem getting to the front door. I didn't stop walking until we were at the fountain. I kicked off my pumps and sat down on the cool marble, making sure it was dry first, and slipped my feet into the cold water.
"What are you doing?"
"Relaxing. What's it look like?"
"This isn't really here for people to mess around in."
"Who's messing around in it? I'm just soaking my feet after the long hours of dancing and walking around in heels."
Tyler continued to stand a few feet away, running his hand through his hair while glancing between the house and the fountain. Finally, he let out a long sigh and bent over to untie his shoes. He placed them, along with his socks, next to mine before rolling up the legs of his pants and sitting next to me. He winced as his feet hit the water.
"So, how's your night been?"
"No offense, but I have better things to do than waste my time with someone who's just pretending to care."
"Whoa! Hold on. Who's pretending?"
He turned to face me with a glare.
"Look, we may have started off on the wrong foot, but I meant what I said earlier. I'd like to at least try to be your friend, but you've gotta put in some effort too."
His shoulders sagged and he looked down at the water, defeated.
"I asked Vicki to come as my date, and then she just left. We got into an argument because she thinks I'm hiding her from my parents."
"Are you?"
"No. I mean, I might be. It's just... my mother thinks she's trash."
"What about your father?"
"If anyone found out that Mayor Lockwood's son was dating the town slut, he'd be furious with me."
"Have you ever stopped to think that maybe you should do what makes you happy? Be with who makes you happy?"
"You don't get it. No one gets it. There are standards that I have to live up to."
"I may not be able to relate personally, but I understand what you mean. At the end of the day, though, we only have one life to live. Parents just need to realize that their kids are going to make mistakes, make their own choices. That's how we learn and grow. Just do what makes you happy, Tyler."
A long moment later, Tyler looked up at me.
"You know what? I think I'm ready for that dance now."
After our dance, I caught up with Bonnie again. A distraught Elena came up to us, mumbling something to Bonnie about Stefan, and the two excused themselves to go inside for some time alone. I walked over to the bar and filled a glass to the rim with champagne.
"Well, hello. I didn't expect to find you here tonight."
I kept my eyes on the couples dancing.
"Go away, Damon."
"Now, now. That's no way to talk to someone who could snap your neck without anyone noticing, now is it?" He countered.
"No. That's the way I talk to a vampire who pulled a dine-and-dash move on me."
"Nearly two weeks later, and you're still upset about that?"
"Hardly." I took a sip of the sparkling wine. He snatched the glass from my hand and set it on the bar.
"Come on. We're dancing."
I didn't move.
"I remember you telling me when we first met that if I agreed to go on a date with you, you'd leave me alone after it."
"I lied. Now follow me to the dance floor, or I'll drag you out there."
Not wanting to cause a scene, I huffed and started walking with him. As soon as his hand fell on my waist, he pulled me to him, causing my irritation with Damon to grow. There wasn't even an inch of space between our bodies. The song started, and he led me in an almost waltz-like dance.
This years love had better last
Heaven knows it's high time
I've been waiting on my own too long
When you hold me like you do
It feels so right, I start to forget
How my heart gets torn when that hurt gets thrown
Feeling like you can't go on
"So you're here with the quarterback?"
Was that jealousy I heard?
"I'm here with Bonnie." I shot him a glare as I tried, unsuccessfully, to put some distance between us. "So you're here with the cheer captain?"
"Hardly." He laughed.
Turning circles time again
It cuts like a knife
If you love me, got to know for sure
'Cause it takes something more this time
Than sweet, sweet lies
Before I open up my arms and fall, losing all control
Every dream inside my soul
"What are you doing, Damon?"
"Currently getting my toes stepped on. You are not a good dancer."
"Sorry. But I meant with Caroline. Don't think I haven't noticed the scarves she's suddenly wearing."
"Why, whatever do you mean?" His attempt to play innocent made me roll my eyes.
"I wasn't born yesterday. You're feeding from her." I whispered the last part.
When you kiss me on that midnight street
Sweep me off my feet
Singing ain't this life so sweet?
His eyes, which had been scanning the crowd, snapped to mine.
"Remember our last encounter? Was I unclear in my warning? Back. Off."
"Or what? You'll kill me?"
"My patience with you is wearing thin, Danica. Choose your next words carefully."
This years love had better last
This years love had better last
"Okay. Warning heeded. Can you answer me one thing?"
"Depends on the question, but go ahead and ask."
"Are you going to kill her?" My tone fell soft again. His eyes became searching.
'Cause whose to worry
If our hearts get torn when that hurt gets thrown?
Don't you know this life goes on?
A smirk wound its way on to his face.
"Eventually, when my need for her runs out. Why? You going to try to stop me?"
"Do you really have nothing better to do than use, manipulate, and kill a teenage girl?"
"I'm a vampire. It's what I do."
Won't you kiss me on that midnight street?
Sweep me off my feet
Singing ain't this life so sweet?
"I don't believe you. You don't have to kill her. You can choose to leave her alone, let her live. There is absolutely no way that there isn't some shred of humanity left in you. I've seen it. You have a softer side, Damon."
"The last time someone told me I still have humanity in me, your teacher ended up dead." He smirked, but the threat was clear in his voice.
This years love had better last
This years love had better last
This years love had better last
This years love had better last
"You don't have to kill her." I repeated as the music faded out.
He stepped away from me, a calculating expression on his face.
"Guess we'll find out soon what I'll choose to do with her."
And with that, his arms dropped from my body and he pushed past me. I watched as he entered the Lockwood's, before looking around for Bonnie.
My eyes fell on the familiar looking face of a blue-eyed brunette. His name came out in a whisper.
"Adam?"