blackbird singing in the dead of night
take these broken wings and learn to fly
all your life
you were only waiting for this moment to arrive
Blackbird by The Beatles
Alice sat on the floor in Amelia's oversized bedroom. Her hair was a mess, the hairspray from her Halloween costume was falling out, making her hair a crunchy disaster. She had changed into a pair of her own sweats and sweatshirt she found in the back of the closet. Alice felt strange at first. Taking the clothes from a dead girl's closest, but they were hers to begin with, which settled her stomach a bit. Somewhat.
But that didn't last long, Amelia's diary was spread out in front of her. It was huge, lime green, and complete with sketches and dozens papers falling out of the sides. In the two hours Alice had been reading, everything had changed.
With a sign, Alice flipped past a few sketches to the next entry.
Dear Diary,
I've done it. I didn't think it was possible, but I've done it. Summoned it. I feel so alive. More than I've ever felt, even with him. It's like I'm whole different person. Someone stronger. Not feeble, insecure Amelia, but a new Amelia. An Amelia who will stop at nothing to get what she wants. And I won't. I never will. I've seen the way he looks at her, the way his eyes stay a bit too long on her. She's filthy. I don't understand it. She looks like an overgrown preschooler, with those baby doll dresses and sweaters. Why doesn't he look at me like that? I'm everything he should want: beautiful, sexy, powerful. I could give him more than she ever could. Look at me. Look at her. The choice is obvious. But now his choice doesn't matter. He will choose me. No matter what.
The Queen of Mystic Falls
It was dated three weeks before her murder. Alice wanted to chuckle, the first time she read that Amelia addressed herself as Queen. But she quickly looked past it. There was something more unsettling. Her stomach dropped. The girl she was referring to was obvious, the description fit her like a glove (and she did not look like an overgrown preschooler).
Reluctantly, Alice read on. Through every painful piece of information, there was one common theme in every entry, The blatant hatred, specifically of Alice. It was making her sick to her stomach and her head felt light. She was dizzy, she was confused, yet She had her answers, but she still didn't feel any better.
Alice turned to the last page dated to the day of Amelia's death.
Dear Diary,
I've set my plan into motion. Beautiful things are about to happen tonight. Things that I've waited so long for. I've waited years for this night. After this, I'll no longer have to pretend. I will reveal to the world who she really is, what she really is. A horrendous skank. She'll have nothing, because she'll be nothing. I'll be free of her and her torture. I don't know why I hadn't thought of this sooner. Tricking him into following her was easy. Just a simple spell to catch his attention. All I had to do was intensify the scent of her blood. How it was so pure to begin with, I'll never know. He was almost too easy to play. He thought he was playing me. But no, I was playing him all along. He thought he compelled me into his bed, but he didn't. I compelled him. I'm too alluring for any man to handle when she isn't around. She's always stealing everyone. But I won't have to worry about that anymore. She and her scent will be gone. And I'll finally have Tyler all to myself.
The Queen of Mystic Falls
Alice wanted to scream. It took all of her strength to shut the journal and a few moments to gather herself.
Eventually, she grabbed all of Amelia's things and shoved them into an oversized purse hanging on the coat rack. Reaching underneath the bed, Alice yanked out the second box full of books and candles.
She couldn't go home, she was too worked up. So she set out for the only other place she could think of.
It must have been four in the morning when she finally got over there. It took fifteen minutes to get past Amelia's mom, who was in tears as usual. Alice spit out something about taking pictures to make a collage and finally was able to escape. It took twenty minutes to drive over the Salvatore boarding house from Amelia's place on the other side of town.
It took another ten minutes for her to gather her thoughts before scooping up the box and swinging the bag over her arm. It took her only thirty seconds to ring the doorbell.
It took Damon a second to answer.
He didn't say anything, only opened the door for her to step in. Alice looked at him, then down at her feet before walking over the threshold.
As he closed the door behind her, Alice turned around slowly to look at him. She was surprised he looked like hell. He obviously hadn't showered since they buried Vicki earlier that night. His hair was messy, his leather jacket was coated with dirt, and he looked visibly upset about something.
Damon took the box from her and set it down on the table next to the couch. Alice followed silently before sitting down. "You look like hell," Damon observed, nodding to her. "Nice sweats."
Alice frowned, "I was going to say the same thing to you."
"Brave," he said coolly, walking over the liquor cabinet and pulling out a bottle of whiskey.
"I suppose I can be now. Knowing what I know." Alice replied, a little bit louder.
"Oh? And what would that be?" Damon swirled the glass around in his hand and wiggled his eyebrows characteristically.
"You know," Alice said confidently, not taking her eyes off of him. "Don't play dumb."
"See that's where you're wrong Alice," Damon retorted. Whenever he spoke her name, Alice would shiver. This time was an exception. "I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about."
"Stop playing games with me Damon, I know she was a witch. I've got three spell books and frogs legs in my purse to prove it."
"No eye of newt?"
"God dammit Damon, stop playing with me!" Alice pushed herself off the couch and glared daggers at him. "I know now. She was a fucking witch. Stop trying to trick me. Stop trying to control me. Stop trying to make me think that I can never stand up to you. Because I can and I will."
Damon set down his glass, nothing bother to take his eyes off of her. Slowly, he took two steps in her direction, until there was only a couple of feet between them. His grey eyes bore into hers unlike before. Almost sincerely, he placed one single finger under her chin, lifting her face to look up toward his. Before Alice could flinch away, he spoke. "I'm not trying to trick you. Amelia wasn't a witch. She was just a mundane human dabbling in Wicca." The words seemed kind, but Damon's voice was bordering on dangerous.
"Then explain why all of those spells worked." Alice asked, turning her face to escape his touch.
Damon dropped his hand and tipped his head to the side. "Because when a human puts enough thought and energy into believing something, it comes true. She believed she was a witch, so things started to happen. Wicca works in the way that if you try to hurt someone, it comes back to you ten fold. I suppose she got that."
"Are you saying-"
"What I'm saying is," Damon started to get annoyed, reaching behind him to grab his glass again. "That fine, I'll admit it. When I first met Amelia I thought she was just some hot piece of ass I could use and toss aside later. But she kept showing up. Every time I'd compel her to get away from me, she'd be there again later. Eventually I just tried to kill her. She didn't die, though, she ended up walking away without a scratch."
"She was obsessed with you." Alice repeated quietly, taking a step backwards. "She would do that. In seventh grade she followed Matt Donovan around for weeks until Vicki threatened to beat her up."
"She was fucking crazy," Damon agreed. He looked like he wanted to say more, but settled into the large comfy chair instead.
"That's all?" Alice's mouth dropped. "That's all you're going to tell me? You drop all of that on me and then stop?"
Damon looked up at her, "It appears to be so."
"God, you're are such an asshole." Alice scowled, throwing her arms into the air. "You suck, you know that? You suck. You suck. You suck!"
She expected him to toss her against the wall for that statement. But Damon merely shrugged and swirled his finger in the glass. Why are you asking me all these questions when you have the answers right in front of you. Read the damn journals."
"You think I haven't? I've been reading for hours. Of course I still have questions. I'm not helpless, Damon, as you seem to think. I just want the truth. I'm sick and tired of the lies. You know that they bring? Death. Ever since I met you, all I've been doing is lying. To my parents. To my friends. To myself. Death is all around me. And now I have a chance to get some answers. Some real answers. And god dammit, I will get them. There isn't much you can hide from me anymore Damon. I'll find them out. So it's either you tell me yourself or you have to erase my memory. Because I'm not going to stop. I'm going to get the answers, even if it kills me in the process."
Damon didn't say anything again. Alice watched, for a hint of agitation, anything. But Damon just stared at her. She couldn't read his face.
"This is useless." Alice shook her head. She reached forward and scooped the box up in her hands. She couldn't believe he was just sitting there. Alice, who had some feelings of, she couldn't even believe it, gratefulness to Damon. Things she read in the journal. She had thought that just maybe Damon didn't kill her because she was in the wrong place in the wrong time. But if he couldn't even own up to it, to Alice of all people, maybe he wasn't worth it in the first place.
She was about to open the front door when a flash appeared before her eyes. Damon was standing against the door, blocking her way. "Move it, Damon."
Slowly, he reached out and moved the box from her hands. Alice stared at him, confused. He set the box down beside the door, and then his face broke out into a grin. "It's about time you grew a pair of balls like that Blondie."
"What?" Alice gasped, incredulously.
"Here's the deal." He titled his head to the side, wiggling his eyebrows slightly. "If you help me with a few errands I need to do tomorrow, I'll tell you what you want to know."
"Everything?" Alice pushed, still disbelieving him.
"Everything. Dammit Vreer, you drive quite the hard bargain." He said sarcastically.
"Fine."
He stepped to the side, opening the door for her. "Now, run along home. I'll stop by your house in the morning. We have a busy day ahead of us."
Alice gave him a wary look, but slowly moved past him out the door. Without her stupid box.
Damon shut the door behind him.
He let out a loud sigh and leaned against it. Alice Vreer. She was becoming quite the little pest in his life. Or his death. Whatever.
Damon didn't mind all that much. Alice was decent company. Now that he stopped drinking her blood, for purposes he wasn't really quite sure himself, he was seeing her open up a bit in front of him. And now that she probably didn't hate him so much, Damon would definitely seeing more of her.
He liked to mess with her head. He liked to see her get angry at him and shout things. That's how he liked Alice. Not when she was cowering underneath him, terrified of the things he could do to her. He liked it when she was headstrong and threw everything back in his face. It reminded him of Elena.
Elena. Stupid Elena. She proved there was a point when being headstrong was too much. Trying to slap him like that again. Damon would never allow her to even try to lay a hand on him again.
That's why he liked Alice. She was reserved in the right times and then, when everything got much, she burst out and attacked like a vicious animal. Like him.
She would make a fantastic vampire.
Damon pondered the thought. Alice, as a vampire. She had the right temperament. She was beautiful, and vampirism would certainly heighten that. Plus, she was smart. She could hide it well, just like he did.
"I kind of, really, want to punch you right now." Alice mumbled, knowing full well that Damon could hear her. They were in Mystic Grill. Alice, sitting alone at a booth, sipping on her soda absentmindedly. Damon was at the bar, pretending the drown his sorrows in liquor. It was mid-afternoon, Damon had already paraded her around town, picking up random things that Alice didn't understand and spying on random people that Alice didn't know. They had ended up at Mystic Grill. Damon had said he wanted to get something to eat.
Alice only fully understood what he meant when a group of sorority girls from the university a few towns away walked in. Damon and the girls were at the bar, and she could hear them giggling and slamming their drinks down on the bar top one after another.
She couldn't leave. Because Damon had said he'd tell her everything after lunch. Well, they'd been in the bar for over an hour already. And Damon still hadn't ordered any real food. He seemed to be ordering women, however.
Then she saw her mission enter the front door.
Bonnie Bennett, accompanied by an exhausted looking Matt Donovan and haughty looking Caroline Forbes. They settled into the booth across from hers.
Alice pulled from her purse her trig homework and pretended to be working on it. But really, she had her ears on that table.
"I think I'm going to order the club sandwich," Bonnie said.
"You get that every time. Why not try something different?" Caroline asked.
Alice quickly became annoyed with their conversation. Couldn't they discuss something worth her spying? Something like that stupid necklace that Damon was so interested in. The one that was hanging from Bonnie's neck.
Damon had instructed her to someone, anyhow, get the necklace. Sort of like when he threatened her for his ring back, except this time he was a lot softer about it. He had only said, "Get the necklace from Bonnie. It's mine." And he left it at that.
Alice glanced up from her paper to their table.
Where they were all staring at her.
Alice blushed and turned away. She heard Matt whisper, "Why don't we ask her to sit with us?"
"Why? It's just Alice, she usually sits alone." That was clearly Caroline.
"Don't be so bitchy Care," Bonnie hissed. "Hey, um Alice! Why don't you come sit with us?"
Alice looked up and over at them, hoping to look a little less pathetic. "Oh, um, well I'm studying so, that's okay. But thanks for the offer."
"No, seriously. Come sit with us! We can help." Matt smiled at her sweetly. Alice furrowed her eyebrows. Why were they being so nice to her? They were never nice to her, except in school. They'd talk to her once in a while, but then they'd just go off with their other friends.
Actually, it would help her get closer to Bonnie. Maybe she'd let her look at the necklace and then Alice would be able to slip away with it. "Alight, sure." she sighed, flashing them a small smile.
Caroline, who looked pissed, scooted over in the booth. Alice slid in, and ended up across from Bonnie, who was smiling at her. "So, Alice, how have you been? I feel like we haven't talked in years!"
"Yeah, it has been a long time." Alice replied awkwardly, eyeing the necklace. God, why was she being so obvious? Alice wasn't this socially awkward. She was usually fine. She was being so stupid. Alice took a deep breath and looked up. "I'm good, things have been getting better, slowly."
They all nodded, understanding. "It's hard." Bonnie nodded, looking down at the table.
"Um, well. How are you all?" Alice asked looking at Caroline and Matt. "I heard you were nominated for Winter Court?"
Winter Court, a stupid tradition if you asked Alice, was a council of students who planned school activities like dances and fundraisers. It was pretty much the exact same thing as Student Council, except they used it as a class.
Caroline nodded, "Yeah, although they let just about anyone in. I mean, nominating Divya? Seriously?"
"Caroline! That was rude!" Bonnie interjected.
Alice felt herself get heated, but looked away. Caroline Forbes was just a catty little brat, who had to cut people down to feel better about herself. But Alice couldn't give her anything back. She had a task at hand.
"Oh my gosh Bonnie I love your necklace!" Alice gasped. "Where is it from?"
"It was gift." Bonnie placed her hand over it. "From Caroline."
"Yeah, and I want it back." Caroline snapped.
"You gave it to me. Besides, Gran says it's-" she paused, looked away and cleared her throat. "Never mind. It's just mine now."
"Whatever." Caroline huffed.
Matt raised his eyebrows, "Well, now that this conversation has completely gone girly, I'm going to go find Ty. He said he'd be here by now. See you later."
He moved away from the table. Alice peaked over shoulder to see Tyler walk through the door. Lovely. She hadn't felt so overwhelmed by people since Amelia's funeral.
"I'm going to run to the bathroom." Bonnie said slowly, looking from Caroline to Alice. "Excuse me."
As the black girl slipped away, Alice and Caroline sat uncomfortable next to each other.
"You know, I'm just gonna go." Alice said, not handling the tension. She too, moved away from the booth. Alice paused as she walked away, spotting Damon at the bar.
He turned over his shoulder to look at her. She narrowed her eyes at him. "Let's go." she mumbled. "You promised you tell me everything."
Damon just titled his head toward the bathroom, as if to say, go there first. Alice didn't know why he couldn't just do it himself. "Fine," she muttered and brushed past him toward the ladies room.
She slowly entered the restroom, peaking her head in first. Thankfully, there wasn't anyone else in there. Except for Bonnie. Who was staring into the mirror, holding the necklace.
"Are you okay?" Alice asked, moving forward cautiously. "You sort of bolted out of there."
"I'm okay." Bonnie said confidently, sounding like she was trying to convince herself more than anyone else. "Thanks for checking on me, but I'm fine."
"Oh, okay. Good. Listen, sorry if bringing up that necklace caused tension between you and Caroline, I didn't mean to."
Bonnie laughed, "Don't worry about. There is always tension with Caroline. That's just who she is. She doesn't understand that policy that you don't ask for gifts back. I'm just teaching her a lesson."
Alice then realized that Damon must have compelled Caroline to get the necklace too.
"Alice, if I tell you something, will you promise not to tell anyone?"
Alice, who figured she was close to getting that necklace into her hands, nodded.
"Okay, well, um, Caroline was dating this guy, Damon Salvatore. I don't know if you know him-"
"-I do. Trust me." Alice rolled her eyes, knowing full well that Damon was listening.
"Okay, well, he sort of abused her. And then he gave her this necklace. And I figure he only wants it back because Caroline gave it to me. So he's trying to get her to get it back, because she's scared he'll hurt her again. But I can't just give it to her. It's-" she paused, holding back. "It rightfully belongs to my family."
Alice wasn't really sure how to respond to that. "Oh, that's weird."
"I know." Bonnie agreed. "Listen, I'm sorry I dumped that out on you. I just needed to tell someone, and Elena is MIA, so…"
"It's fine, don't worry Bonnie. I won't tell anyone." Except Damon, of course.
"Great, thank you Alice!" Suddenly Bonnie threw her arms around Alice. Awkwardly, Alice patted her back. So she wasn't getting the necklace yet.
But Damon still owed her answers. So she was going to demand them.
So there were a few answers here. Not that many. This took forever. I have a busy life, and I have no muse for this whatsoever at the moment. I'll try my best. But I can't promise anything. Reviews rock my world and long reviews usually inspire me to write. Love you all!