Strangers In The Night

"OK, I won't make a single pass at you. Do you believe me?"

"Yes. Yes, I do. You're nice. I like you."

"I could be lying."

"That's true. Are you?"

"I don't know. I've never run up against anybody like you before."

"How nice!"

"But I won't take an oath that I am not going to kiss you."

"Oh, that's alright. Kissing is fine. I have no objection to that."

The Moon Is Blue (1953)

. . .

January 1, 1957

"Car, I've got that aspirin you wanted," I say, standing next to my bed. Caroline is laying flat on her back with her eyes closed. She looks and feels awful from drinking too much last night at the Lockwood masquerade.

After Tyler left, Damon and I lounged and talked in his bed for awhile. He wasn't lying when he said he got me good... I still feel sore from last night. Anyway, I asked Damon to drive me home, sometime around four. When I got home, I rushed to the phone to call Caroline to come over. On the phone, she sounded groggy and out of it, but she assured me that she was swell to drive still in her state.

Caroline slowly sits up in bed to take the two white pills in the palm of my hand.

"Thanks," she mutters before taking a sip of water.

"Uh huh." I inspect her with a raised brow. "I think it's time for you to fess up now. What exactly initiated this trip to alcohol avenue?"

She groans in response with her eyes squeezed shut. "Matt was at the masquerade."

"He was? Did you guys talk?" I ask shocked. Along with the winter formal, they were supposed to go to the masquerade together, before they broke up less than two weeks ago.

"No. We didn't talk." She cringes and lays back down. "I saw him."

"Yeah and?"

"I saw him... you know, necking."

"Oh." My heart drops knowing where this is going. "Who?"

Caroline scrunches her nose in annoyance. "A skinny girl with short brown hair and olive skin. She was wearing a mask, obviously, so I couldn't recognize her."

"Right."

"So I was having a good time, walking around in my gorgeous red dress and I was trying to find Amber or Tina. I go around the grand staircase and then I see them necking."

I frown and sit down on the bed, grabbing her hand in an attempt to comfort her.

"It wasn't just necking. No, I had to see..." She chokes slightly. "He had his hand up the black tulle skirt of her dress."

"Oh, Car! I'm so sorry!"

"They were just on the plush bench, going at it like that... didn't even care that they were in public. I mean, is it too much to ask to use a coat closet?"

I stifle my laugh at her comments. "I bet she doesn't even go to our school," I say hopefully.

Caroline sighs at the thought. "If I have to see that at the lockers, I'm gonna have trouble keeping my lunch down," she says distastefully.

"I'm sure they're not serious. It was probably in the moment."

"Whatever. Matt can neck with anyone he wants. Really, I don't want him back. It's more that I felt humiliated by the scene. I just think it was so wrong of him to show everyone that he "moved on" like that quick, you know?"

"Totally," I agree instantly.

Caroline sits up to drink more water.

"So, after you saw them together, that's when you started drinking? What exactly did you drink, anyway?"

"No, no, I was feeling good before I saw them necking. They kinda killed my mood and I started drinking too much champagne too fast - out of anxiety or something, I guess.

I nod in understanding. "Next time you get an attack, you should try going outside for the some air, instead. Then you won't have anything to worry about the next morning," I say half-teasingly.

Caroline glares at me. "The rest of the night went by fast after all those glasses," she says disbelieving. "I think the whole town was at the masquerade, young and old. I could barely move through the thick crowds of people. It was pretty bad. And I didn't want to cut through the dance floor either."

"So, did you ever find Amber or Tina?" I ask curiously. "Ugh," she says, rolling her eyes. "Ben said Tina was upstairs in a room sleeping." "What?" I exclaim confused.

"Yeah, she wasn't the best date seeing as she kinda passed out on him."

"I hope she's okay?" I say troubled.

"I'm sure she's fine." Caroline dismisses with a hand wave. "Ben locked the door, so no creeps could come in and feel her up."

I let out a sigh of relief. "Wait. What time did this happen?" "A quarter to eleven," she says guessing

"She missed the countdown... wow," I say amazed.

"Yeah." Caroline shrugs. "Amber never showed up. I forgot she wasn't going to be there. She celebrated with her sister's Georgetown friends near D.C. - I wonder if she met any dreamy college guys," she says in a conspiratorial voice.

I'm grateful Caroline brought up the topic of guys, that's just the "in'" I need to get the dish on Tyler.

"What about you, Car, did you meet anyone new?"

"No," she replies instantly with a lip smack.

"And what about Tyler? I mean, given, the guy did get us out of the snow because he wanted you to be his date," I say with an amused expression.

Caroline rolls her eyes and groans. "Well. About that. He kissed me..." she admits in a whispered voice.

I'm desperately trying to refrain from squealing. I've been dying to hear the full story. "Kissed you? He kissed you? You let him kiss you?" I ask with narrowed eyes.

"Hardly," she scoffs. "Tyler kissed me before everything. Before the Matt sighting too."

"Oh?" I say perking up.

She sighs, putting her hand to her temple. "He found me shortly after I arrived. Neither of us had our masks on..."

"Go on, go on." I say way too excited. So she did know it was him! She wasn't even bombed yet.

Caroline shoots me a disapproving look, no doubt about my questionable enthusiasm on the matter. "I was looking for the downstairs bathroom... I forgot where it was. It's been awhile since I've been to the Lockwoods and I sorta bumped into him. He tried to start a flirty conversation with me, but I wouldn't have it and asked him for directions to the bathroom. So, of course, Tyler being Tyler, he decides to 'escort' me to the bathroom. I go in to freshen up and I wasn't expecting to find him waiting for me." She grimaces. "Looking back, I should have expected it."

I laugh slightly at the expression on her face.

"Anyway, I was like, 'what do you want?' and it all happened so quick... he grabbed my face in his hands and kissed me! Really, I was too shocked to react. When he pulled back, I came to my senses and slapped him. I slapped him hard and stepped on his foot."

I can't stop the laughter coming out of me while I imagine the scene in my head. "And then what?"

"Nothing. I ran back into the bathroom and locked the door," she says with a mischievous smile.

"Huh." I'm confused. What happened to sitting in his lap? Did Tyler lie to Damon?

"Did you get a midnight after the countdown?" I ask, digging for more details.

"Midnight?" she repeats with a puzzled expression. I slowly nod with a raised brow.

"Right, right, midnight..." she says. "Yeah, I kissed someone." A crimson blush spreads across her pale face.

"Who?" I ask, practically desperate.

She starts to laugh. "Lord. This is so embarrassing. Be nice, okay? I kissed a junior."

"What?" I exclaim in a loud, shocked shout.

Caroline looks sheepish. "This cute guy, Slater, he's in my calculus class."

"What the hell?"

"I think he likes me." She shrugs. "Uh huh."

"He doesn't play any sports though so you probably don't know him."

"He's a junior," I say rolling my eyes. "Alright, then. You cut the kid a break and then what happened?"

"When?"

I'm starting to get frustrated; I'm so close to blurting out what I overheard Tyler say to Damon.

"What else happened last night at the masquerade?"

She shrugs. "I danced with a few guys from school. No one of too much interest. I had more champagne. I... oh, hmm, I kissed someone else," she says disbelieving her own voice.

"Who?" I ask eagerly.
"He had a mask on," Caroline replies puzzled.

"Caroline!" I shriek in mock horror. "That's not like you to kiss strangers."

She pouts in protest. "He smelled really good."

"I'm sure," I say rolling my eyes. "Do you remember anything else? Think! Does he know it was you?"

"I was wearing my mask, but he knew my name. I figure that means we can't call him a 'stranger'," she replies. "I was at the bar... just hanging out, away from the crowd in the main room." She giggles in a sheepish way. "And I don't know why we started kissing, but I couldn't stop. He was really into it, sweet talking, you know?"

"How long did you guys kiss for?"

"Gee, I don't know, it must have been for some time. It felt like some time," she answers amazed. "We started kissing at the bar and somehow we fumbled next door into the empty study."

"Car!"

"I know, I know," she says blushing. "He was nice to me, the entire time. I kinda attacked him."

I laugh in disbelief.

"Lord, I don't know what's wrong with me. Seriously, what did I do?" she says, nearly throwing a hissy fit. "I pushed... I pushed him down on the couch and well, I basically jumped on top of him!"

No words can escape my mouth. I can't believe Caroline was the aggressive one in the encounter.

"I just attacked his mouth. Sitting on his lap," she says, running her hands through her hair. She looks rather distraught. "Wow, I remember running my hands over his chest. He had a really nice chest... I bet he must work out a lot."

"I bet he was happy about the turn of events." I mutter. I don't know if I should tell her it was Tyler.

"So what happened? How did your night end? Did you guys even talk?" I'm confused how she didn't realize it was Tyler.

"We were kissing, but then we stopped," she says troubled. "Eww, it was because there was a fight!"

"A fight? What?" I shake my head. Greasers, seriously, can you take them anywhere?

"Yeah! There was a big fight in the bar. So he started apologizing and cursing. I was confused, but basically, he left me to join the fight or something. It was pretty ridiculous. I was pissed off. I think by then, being alone in the study, I came to my senses."

"Finally!"

Caroline rolls her eyes. "I got up and ran to the ballroom to find a ride home," she says with a crooked smile. "Slater gave me a ride home. Apparently, he didn't drink at all."

"The junior taking calculus doesn't like to drink, surprise- surprise," I say sarcastically. "You're not serious about him, are you?"

"Look who's talking, you're dating a dirty greaser!" "Not this again," I huff in annoyance.

"Don't be mad at me, come on, I was just joking," she starts laughing. "But no, Slater is definitely not steady material."

"What about your study buddy?" I ask with a raised brow. "Study buddy?" she rolls her eyes. "Ha-Ha. You think

you're so clever. What about him?"

"He knows who you are. You don't know who he is," I say matter-of-factly. "You don't see a problem with this situation?"

"What's the worse that could happen?" Caroline shrugs casually. "I don't think he goes to our school. He did not have the body of a freshman or sophomore. I mean, and he can't be a junior or senior either, I would know. I know boys."

"Yes, yes you do," I say with a teasing smile. Seriously, Caroline has full sports team rosters memorized in her head. She's that good when it comes to boys.

"My damn head!" She frowns, clearly the aspirin still hasn't kicked in.

"At least you had a good time?"

"Mmm Hmm. Speaking of good times, how was your night?" she asks suspiciously.

I blush a million shades of red. "It was... perfect." Caroline raises a brow at my answer.

"We, uh-" I choke.

"Oh my all-mighty Lord! No!" she exclaims with wide eyes. "He asked, didn't he?"

I bite my lip knowing it would only be a matter of time for me to tell her the truth.

"We were waiting for this! He finally asked you to go all the way!"

"Actually, not exactly, I asked. Not him."

"Elena Gilbert!" She exclaims in a scandalized voice. Her body is stiff as a board.