Disclaimer: NOPE!
GUYS. I JUST HAVE TO SAY THIS REAL QUICK.
1) My computer is broken! I'll probably get it fixed mid-December.
I WASN'T GONNA WRITE 'TIL I HAD MY COMPUTER BACK.
2) I'm writing this using touch screen. It's EXTREMELY difficult, it autocorrects like an asshole and takes a lot of time. THIS CHAPTER WILL NOT BE UP TO PAR TO MY USUAL SHIT and I'm REALLY SORRY.
3) I'm on vacation! I have zero time to write, and I won't be back til December.
I NEED TO KNOW IF YOU GUYS WOULD PREFER TO WAIT 'TIL I GET THE COMPUTER BACK, or if you can suffer through this shit. I'm serious. Let me know. Because if it's too god awful I won't try to write anymore. I'm serious. It's taken forever to write this much and I can't really edit it like I normally do and I'm usually in the car when writing so if things don't flow, ughhh. Fuuuu.
But here you guys go! Happy birthday Stefan!
The official story, according to anyone asked, as mostly everyone was compelled to remember it that way, was that James had set the fireworks off in a fit of drunken rage for being kicked off the football team. What really happened was Damon egging Bonnie on to set them all off with her mind. She could do that just fine. We just hadn't realized they weren't the little shit sparklers but rockets.
So now we had a week off of school while they did repairs on the building.
"Bye, see you later!" I called to Jenna and Elena, who were both in the kitchen amongst a sea of different kinds of wrapping paper, as I pranced out the door.
Apparently Stefan wasn't big on telling his own girlfriend important things like Friday being his birthday, which was weird because I started a count down the day after mine ended and sent hourly reminders once in my birthday month. Elena had found out through Jeremy when he wanted to split the birthday present cost, and he only knew because I told him about Stefan's present. So now Elena was in a frantic rush to make his birthday perfect. Which, honestly, I already had that covered. Nobody would be able to top my shit.
I brightened upon seeing Damon leaning against his car like the badass he pretend to be, arms crossed over his chest, his bad boy leather jacket on. The sun glinted off the hood of the car making him look like he belonged on the cover of Supernatural Weekly, with his raven hair mussed and blue eyes glowing, looking impossibly beautiful and dangerous. His head turned in my direction as I shut the door behind me, skipping toward him. His lips curved upward into a heart stopping smirk, his gaze sliding over me observantly, and it just threw me further into a giddy glee. I missed him, despite having seen him last night. I missed everything about him.
I threw my arms around his neck, sinking into him, as his familiar warmth and musk washed over me, warming me to the bone. Damon's arms quickly came around me, drawing me close like he missed me just as much. I laughed happily as he picked me up off the ground in a spinning hug, and as I snuggled into him, I couldn't help but wonder if this feeling of sheer delight upon seeing him would lessen, or vanish in time. I kind of hoped it wouldn't.
"Getting all cute for my brother?" Damon teased playfully as he set me down, picking at my skirt. I swatted his hand away and he intertwined our fingers, bringing our joined hands up to his mouth. His gaze caught mine as he kissed my hand charmingly and my grin spread.
"Getting cute for cake," I corrected happily. "Don't want to anger the sugar gods." I lifted the bag I was carrying and an impish grin flew across Damon's beautiful face. He snatched it from me, opening it up and peeking inside. His gaze gleamed wickedly, returning to meet mine which made my heart bounce in my chest.
"Stef is going to love this." Damon grinned, stuffing the bag into my arms and pulling open the door to the car for me. Hell yeah he was. I'd been impatiently waiting to give Stefan this present since first seeing it in the store at the city.
This was going to be his most favorite gift, ever.
"Did the bakery do the cake the way we wanted?" I asked as Damon started the car.
"Mmhm. I even found candles to match." Damon's grin was positively wicked, but I knew mine matched.
Oh my God. Best birthday ever. My phone buzzed in my purse and I excitedly pulled it out. Jenna had caved and gotten us smartphones and I had come to find it was everything I never wanted. Sure the internet was great, but I couldn't stand the touch screen keyboard, I typed like a drunk.
Tyler: why the hell would I want to come I hate that dick
Awww. I texted back slowly, pecking at the on screen keyboard with my index finger: cuz steffy got no friends be a bro. I just barely managed to send it when Damon swiped the phone from my hands.
"I said," Damon drawled with a huff, throwing the phone over his shoulder to the backseat. Rude. "That I'm going to have to drop you off. School is having a faculty meeting, got the call before I picked you up."
I frowned unhappily. "Whaaa? You can't leave me with him, I'll be dead by the time you get back!" Alone time with Stefan was always horribly boring! It usually consisted in silences where I played with my phone and he just sat there! "How long is this meeting? Will you be back before the party?" The plan had been that Damon and I would distract Stefan for a few hours while Elena, Bonnie and Caroline set up the surprise party.
Now everything was on fire and in ruins.
"I'm not sure, I doubt very long though." Damon murmured lazily as he pulled up to the front of the boarding house. I opened my mouth, ready to protest, but I realized he was gone just as my door was opening. "If you die of boredom, at least you'll come back to life and it'll keep Stefan entertained." Damon helped me out of the car, winding an arm around my waist as he drew me close to him, tapping me on the nose affectionately.
"This sucks," I pouted as he retrieved my purse and bag from the car, handing them to me. "Can't you quit being a gym teacher? You're in already with the evil secret council."
"And give up seeing teenaged girls in skimpy shorts every day?" He scoffed, sliding my phone into my shirt and under my bra before gently grasping my chin. I gazed up at him, slightly surprised as I realized that he liked being Mystic Falls High School gym teacher and football coach. A tiny grin slid across my face, warmth spreading through me. He was happy about going to this meeting, so I guess I could suck it up. Damon squinted his blue eyes at me. "Stop reading me, hummingbird, it's rude."
"Are you at least going to stay long enough to see Steffy's reaction?" I wondered instead, playing with his leather jacket.
"I can picture his tearful joy just fine." Damon smirked, spinning me around so I was facing the boarding house, kissing me briefly on the temple. "Have fuuuun," he drawled and I turned, grinning, as he flitted to the driver side.
"Say hi to Ricky for me!" I teased, wiggling my fingers, before skipping toward the boarding house. I had no doubt that Damon would grudgingly end up doing just that, that vampire was whipped and it was his destiny to be buddies with Alaric.
I burst into Stefan's room without knocking as I knew he had been counting the seconds until seeing me again, the door hitting the wall with a loud THAWK as I shrieked, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, STEFFY!" hurtling the Edward Cullen dildo at him. Stefan sprang off the bed, sputtering, narrowly dodging his precious gift, just as I noticed an amused blonde haired girl sitting cross-legged on his bed. How curious. I knew Stefan was too much of a good guy to ever cheat, but I hadn't realized he had the ability to make friends with people that I'd make friends with.
She looked cool.
"Why?" Stefan frowned at me, gesturing to the dildo as the girl leaned forward, picking it up with interest. Stefan shot it a look. "What even is that?"
Pfft. As if he didn't know.
"Edward Cullen dildo, duh." I grinned evilly, delighting in his horrified confusion. It was my life energy. "You can put it in the freezer so you can feel how it is to be plowed by a real vampire." What Stefan always wanted. I had given him the greatest gift. I knew tonight he'd be writing in his journal: "I have finally received the gifts of all gifts. God bless King Clare." It would be how Clarism starts up as a vampire religion.
"Does it sparkle in sunlight?" The girl asked, tilting her curious, cat like, eyes towards me. I beamed back at her. I couldn't explain it, but there was something about her that I really liked. She gave off this chill vibe, like everything was just cool with her.
"Yup!" I gushed and she eyed it appraisingly.
"Why would I ever take that outside?" Stefan demanded, eyebrows furrowing, as he pointed to it. I held my hands up.
"Listen, I don't question your terrible life decisions, okay?" I grimaced, shaking my head. "What you do in a drug haze is your own business." Stefan stared at me flatly, clearly already done with me, while his friend laughed a rich kind of laugh. Gracefully slinking off the bed, she tossed the dildo at Stefan, who swatted it away unhappily, and approached me with a friendly smile.
"Please tell me you're Elena." She said warmly. Stefan and I snorted. Jesus, maybe one day I'd convert Elena to Clarism.
"I would've started binge drinking," Stefan said sarcastically, leaning against his desk and I nodded, certain I would eventually be the force behind him flipping his humanity and going Ripper. "This is Elena's sister, Clare, the other bane of my existence." So dramatic.
"Pleaaaase, without me all you would be doing is brooding and angsting over your terrible past and convince yourself you're unworthy of love." I told him dismissively, tilting toward his friend with a secretive grin. She smelled like bubblegum. "Made him strip. Wanna see the video?"
Her hazel eyes brightened and she grinned impishly, turning to look at Stefan over her shoulder. "She got you to strip?"
"I didn't have a choice." Stefan groaned, running his hands down his face. Good, realize I'm stealing your friend away from you.
She turned to grin at me approvingly. "I'm Lexi," she began and I started, surprise washing over me. Oh my God, it was Roof Girl!
"Oh my God, Lexi, as in Steffy's BFF?" I asked excitedly, bouncing a little on the balls of my feet, causing the both of them to look at me with surprise, Lexi's more pleased. "Damon won't say this, but he's sorry he's a giant dickwad that left you on the roof."
"Damon told you about her?" Stefan wondered the same time Lexi raised her eyebrows and said unhappily, "He's here?"
"Yep," I answered both, my grin growing. "Let me show you embarrassing pictures of him." It was the least that I could do. I knew Damon held guilt for everything that had occurred when his humanity was flipped, and I knew he would never try to make amends with Lexi, as deep down, above all, Damon feared rejection, and sort of tended to see all his actions as unforgivable.
So if Lexi greeted him without anger and some forgiveness (who could stay pissed when Damon and Stefan were dressed like idiots?) I think it'd make him feel better. Lexi and I hooked arms, her grin erasing all my previous thoughts about dying of boredom.
"Here I am!" Nate gushed, suddenly appearing, throwing sparkly multi-colored bits of paper up in the air while blowing a noise marker. I smiled proudly, as I had been the one to tell him he couldn't just silently pop in whenever he wanted. Lexi tilted her head, looking at him curiously, while Stefan's face told me going Ripper was being considered. At least then things would get fun, though instead of pin the tail on the donkey we'd be playing glue the heads back onto the town's people.
"This is Nate," I happily introduced. "Nate, this is Lexi, probably the only reason Stefan is likable."
"It's true," Lexi agreed, nodding sagely, while Stefan tilted his green eyes upward. Clearly thankful he had friends like us. "Without me, Stef would be nipples deep in bodies."
Christ, I had such a friend crush on her.
"Has the festivities begun?" Nate chirped brightly and I jerked my head in his direction. Goddamn it, Nate! "I know all about how mortals celebrate their limited lives," he continued, like he was the bee's knees for knowing about birthdays. Nate brushed imaginary dirt from his shoulder arrogantly. "I love presents and cake. You may bestow me with—"
Stefan flitted to the dildo and whipped it at Nate who easily caught it with a curious look. "Get out of my house," Stefan said with a dark grin. "No Fae allowed."
"Rippy!" Nate cried, hurt, as I stared at Stefan in confusion.
"Fae?" Lexi wondered curiously as I untangled my arm from hers, stepping closer to Stefan, who clearly didn't remember I was Fae as well.
"Dude, did you forget that—" I began unhappily when suddenly Nate and I were tugged backwards so hard we crashed into the ground. "STEFAN!" I shrieked, clawing at the wood floor as the invisible force dragged us backwards. Lexi raised her eyebrows while Stefan smiled. "YOU BITCH!" I howled, my fingers grabbing the edge of the wall, clinging with all my strength as Nate scrambled, catching my leg and holding on for dear life.
"What the hell is happening?" Lexi asked, amused, glancing to Stefan who slowly walked toward me.
"DON'T LET GO, FLEDGLING!" Nate cried, hugging my leg.
"Hang in there, father!" I looked up at Lexi and Stefan desperately. "Help us!"
"Like vampires, these horrible little trolls need to be invited inside," Stefan explained, crouching down in front of me. I could see the spirit of the Ripper inside him.
"WE ARE NOTHING LIKE THOSE TROLLS!" Nate was clearly offended. "NOTHING!"
"But unlike vampires," Stefan began flicking my fingers. He was clearly soulless. "Retract the invite and they are forced to leave." He leaned close, so our faces were nearly touching.
"Stefan, please," I whispered, staring up at him with wide eyes.
"Long. Live. The. King." He whispered, plucking my fingers from the corner.
"Nooooooooo!" I shrieked as Nate and I were dragged down the hall, upsetting various objects as we were forcefully ejected from the Salvatore boarding house.
I moaned in pain, sprawled out on the pavement, my knees and hands scraped up as I dizzily stared up at the spinning sky. Tits. Stefan was such a little douchebag. Nate sat up next to me, twirling the dildo in his hands.
"It sparkles!" Nate announced delightfully and I tilted my head, staring at the glittering white dildo. Oh my God, it really did! I beamed.
Damon was not happy, but then neither was Teacher, so he counted this as a win for himself. Being forced to sit next to the dick was really putting a damper on his mood. So when Clarissa texted him (he was fluent in drunk text speech) informing him that not only was she thrown out of the house (hilarious), but also that Lexi was there, all the good feelings sort of… vanished. He didn't ever want to see the walking, talking, reminder of the seventies. With a sarcastic grin in place, Damon turned to Teacher who was leaning back in his seat, arms folded across his chest. Like hell he was going to sit here like a good vampire, listening to the staff bitch about whatever. Not when he could drag Teacher down in this mood with him.
"Clarissa says hello," Damon murmured quietly with a lecherous smirk and Teacher snapped his eyes to him, glaring.
"Tell Stefan I said happy birthday," Teacher shot back with a mocking smirk, sitting up a little, and Damon shoved down the scowl. How the hell did he know? It was possible Jenna told him…
Or had Teacher spoken to Clarissa this week without him knowing?
"Thank you, I will," Damon said with faux cheerfulness. "You're welcomed to come to the party."
Teacher clamped a hand on his shoulder, glaring, as he smiled. "I don't think that would be appropriate, given he's my student. But thank you."
This dick.
"I'm sorry, are we interrupting your conversation?" The English teacher, who had been speaking, demanded, causing Damon to tilt his gaze toward her. She had her hands on her hips and he offered a charming smile. "Since you two are so close, why don't you come on up. You can be the first volunteers for the trust exercises."
Damon squinted at her. The what? His gaze shifted to Teacher who looked pained by the very idea of it. This couldn't be good. Damon was a little annoyed when he and Teacher slid out of their chairs at the same, mockingly offering the other to walk to the front of the room first.
"Mr. Salvatore, Mr. Saltzman, we don't have all day," the English teacher said impatiently and Damon threw his hands up. Fuck it.
"Firsts the worst, second is the best." Teacher whispered to him snidely when Damon gave in and began walking to the front of the room.
He definitely didn't just snort in amusement.
"Thank you," the English teacher said, as if they had willingly walked up here. Damon wondered what the reaction would be if he just snapped Teacher's neck. "For the first exercise we're going to do trust falls," she stated matter-of-factly, launching into an explanation of how they were beneficial and crucial to building trust with one another. It sounded like a bunch of bullshit to Damon who wasn't really sure what the hell a trust fall was, he just knew he sure as hell didn't want to do one with Teacher.
"I'll block the entrance," Teacher muttered under his breath. "While you compel everyone to believe we stayed for the entire meeting doing everything they asked us to do."
Damon couldn't fight the smirk.
"Alright," the English teacher smiled excitedly, turning to face them, clapping her hands together. "Alaric, you'll start us off. Let yourself fall back into Damon's arms, trust him to catch you."
A beat passed, in which Damon wasn't entirely sure he had her correctly. He squinted as Teacher choked. Was she asking Damon to catch Teacher? To have Teacher put his trust in Damon's hands? Amusement hit, bubbling hotly in the pit of his stomach, a terrible smirk flying across his lips as Teacher furrowed his eyebrows, staring at the English teacher incredulously. They wanted Teacher to trust him to catch him! Him! The one who turned his wife and was an evil vampire! Damon lost it, breaking out into laughter.
"I don't see how this is funny," the English teacher as Teacher crossed his arms.
"I can't do that," Teacher said as Damon continue to laugh, trying to get a grip on himself.
"Well I'm sorry, you have to." The English teacher said, hands on her hips. "The longer it takes to do these simple exercises the longer we have to stay here! I'm sure nobody wants that, especially you, Damon, with it being your little brother's birthday today and all."
That caused Damon's laughter to cut short. He frowned, staring at the English teacher in befuddlement. How the hell did everyone know that? Did Clarissa have the information strung up somewhere? Had she been standing in the center of town with megaphone? Small towns were creepy. His stomach turned, remembering Lexi. He didn't want Clarissa to spend too much time with her, because his birdhouse would have obviously come up with a way to get Lexi to forgive him, despite him never mentioning his feelings about the matter. There were just some things that should be shoved away and forgotten about. With that thought urging him on, Damon turned to Teacher.
"In a show of good faith, you can catch me," Damon said with a shrug, just needing this to be over with. He really didn't care if Teacher dropped him, he could always fake an injury and leave.
"Oh! How gentlemanly, thank you, Damon," English teacher said happily while Teacher stared at him oddly, as if looking for some evil plan mixed up in there somewhere. Idiot. He let the English teacher guide him, putting him a few feet in front of Teacher. "Now let yourself fall back, trust Alaric to catch you," she continued in a soothing voice, like this was some mediation class they were in.
Damon resisted rolling his eyes as he let himself fall backwards, only to be gently caught by Teacher, sending a jolt of surprise through him, bleeding through his expression. Teacher looked physically pained, an awkward, sheepish, expression on his face. He lifted a shoulder, as though to say 'what can you do', clearly unhappy (and equally surprised) that he had caught Damon. When the witch of a woman demanded they trade positions, snapping Teacher's neck came to mind just as Damon caught him.
This has to be the most awkward and uncomfortable thing Damon had ever done, his stomach squirming as he and Teacher shared an uncertain look. It was strange trusting someone he couldn't stand, and he wasn't sure what to do now. He just knew he wanted to punch Teacher in the mouth, and it eased him to know Teacher felt the same.
"See? That wasn't so bad, now was it?" The English teacher said warmly and Damon turned to look at her.
"I banged his wife." He announced, needing to swing control back to him, and the look of utter surprise that fell across her face was enough to make all this awkwardness worth it. Teacher rubbed his brow with his hand, chuckling at the sheer stupidity of it all.
"Annnnd this," Clare sang happily, nearly cheek to cheek with Lexi who was rolling her eyes, the grin stretching on her lips, as Clare swiped the screen on her Iphone. "Is Steffy with Caroline." Clare pointed to the beaming blonde with her hands on her hips with Stefan bowing to her. "He and D showed up after a bad break up to make her feel like queen."
After watching the video of Stefan awkwardly stepping out of his clothes and dancing, Lexi had swamped numbers with the smaller girl. Stefan looking miserable in his boxers was now her phone's wallpaper. This was something Lexi was never going to stop teasing Stefan about. Ever. While Lexi had originally hoped Clare was Elena, she was now very glad she wasn't. Girlfriends were one thing, but Stefan needed more people in his life that pushed through his stupid lone wolf crap, who teased him and reminded him not to be shackled to his past, who accepted him without a bat of an eye. Clare did that well. There was a comfortable chemistry between the two in the disguise of bearable tolerance. Clare was the bratty little sister Stefan never had, and Lexi was growing excited by it. It was about damn time Stefan had people in his life. She was growing curious about his human friends, too.
At first Lexi had assumed that Elena's friends, Bonnie and Caroline, who Lexi had seen pictures of with Stefan, were friends with him just because he was Elena's boyfriend. But now Lexi was starting to suspect (and hoped) that Stefan had his own relationship with both girls. She hadn't even met Elena yet and she already really liked the girl. Any girlfriend who was comfortable with their boyfriend being friends with other girls (and stripping for them) showed a lot of character. Lexi was betting that Elena was going to cause Stefan to grow in a way that Lexi always wanted. Elena was the start of a new chapter for Stefan. His golden age after a lifetime of the dark ages.
"Jeremy sent these," Clare said with a tiny devious grin after flipping through other pictures. "Somehow he got D and Steffy to dress like ponies."
Lexi grabbed a pillow off the couch, smacking Stefan who was mid-lunge for them. The pillow exploded in feathers as Stefan slammed into the ground and Lexi scooped Clare up, flitting across the room. The tiny girl was either very used to this kind of treatment or didn't notice. She flipped the phone around, happily presenting it to Lexi who gently took it from her, hardly believing what she was seeing. Stefan groaned miserably from the floor as Lexi stared down at the picture. It was of Stefan and Damon, obviously unaware of the picture being taken, looking at something. Damon was wearing some kind of girly hoodie with wings and a rainbow tutu on his waist over his jeans. And Stefan… Lexi busted out laughing.
"What is he wearing?" Tears of mirth filled her eyes as she bent over, so overwhelmed with amusement that she couldn't stand up. She was sure she had never seen Stefan looking so ridiculous before and even though she didn't know who Jeremy was, but she was going to kiss him when she saw him. "How'd they get you to wear this?"
Stefan snatched the phone from her hands angrily. "Forget you saw this," he muttered threateningly.
"Aw, Steffy, don't delete it!" Clare chimed with wide innocent eyes, lower lip puffed out into a pout as Lexi's laughter began to calm down.
"I'm breaking your brother's phone, he vowed that day would be taken to our graves," Stefan told the pouting Clare flatly, Lexi wiping the tears from her cheeks, her stomach burning with laughter.
"That's cheating," Clare gasped, easily catching the phone when Stefan tossed it to her. "You and D will never die."
"Neither is Jeremy according to Damon. Vampireism for everyone." Stefan said drily, sarcastically punching the air above his head, killing the remaining amusement.
Damon.
Lexi had seen the desperate hopefulness in Stefan's soulful green eyes each time he thought he and Damon were going to patch things up, only for it be ripped away. Stefan always crashed pretty bad afterwards. Damon had no idea how much Stefan suffered, didn't care about anyone but himself. She has tried to like him, tried to see the good, but the last time she had seen him, Damon had proved to be the biggest asshole she'd ever meet. And she had been alive for a hell of a long time. Damon was self-destructive, cruel, arrogant, self-absorbed and dragged a mess of broken destructive everywhere he went. Even worse, he was dedicated to tearing others apart. She was pretty sure he was a sociopath with no concept of anyone else's feelings or that anyone lived outside of his stupid, drama queen, bullshit.
So what the hell did she miss? Suddenly they were buddy-buddy? She knew Stefan could be a little blind when it came to his brother, knew he was willing to forgive him even if Damon was staking him. Damon had dedicated six months to tricking Lexi and leaving her for dead and emotionally devastated, so how long would he spend to break Stefan? And poor little Clare who was obviously very taken with him? She was a bundle of sunshine and sugar, how would she be once Damon was through with her? Lexi was starting to feel a little protective of the small girl. Damon could make it all so believable. Clearly. He was playing nice, letting them dress him up stupidly, which was mindboggling. Though she guessed Damon didn't care what kind of attention he got as long as he was the center of it all.
"…Jeremy, D and Steffy decided to dress like Halo guys," Clare was cheerfully saying, drawing Lexi's attention back to her and the phone. Jeremy, Elena and Clare's brother from what Lexi gathered, seemed to be a constant repeat. She wondered how close they were, she—Lexi jolted as her gaze landed over the darker haired girl standing beside Clare. Katherine… No. No, Katherine was dead. Right? But there she was! "Elena," Clare said, tapping the phone over Katherine's image.
Elena?
Lexi stared blankly at Clare. Elena?
Elena looked exactly like Katherine?
Were they kidding her?
Lexi's gaze snapped toward Stefan with incredulous disbelief and he ducked his head, inching away from her burning gaze, while Clare hummed oblivious, switching over to a picture of a crow. Was Stefan serious? He was dating a girl who looked exactly like his psychotic bitch of an ex? This was beyond weird! What the hell was he doing? Stefan cleared his throat awkwardly.
"She's nothing like Katherine." He assured her quickly, green eyes begging for her to understand, and Lexi snorted. Really?
"They just look alike and it's super creepy." Clare piped, surprising Lexi yet again how much she seemed to know. "Stefan is a weeeeirdo!"
"It is weird," Lexi agreed, a little angrily. It was only the last few years that she had been able to get Stefan over Katherine's death. Why would he put himself in this kind of position where he forced himself to be constantly reminded of her? This was just too weird!
Stefan opened his mouth when chiming rang through the house and tilted his gaze toward the door. Lexi could hear two girls chatting outside, perking her interest. "What are you up to?" He demanded, turning his accusing gaze back to Clare.
Clare peered up at Stefan with wide, innocent, confused gray-blue eyes, a pouty frown on her round face. "It's your birthday!" The tiny Fae girl sang, her sweet voice ringing. "Of course people would be visiting you!"
"I want to meet your friends!" Lexi grinned impishly with excitement just as the door swung open, in walking the two girls Lexi recognized from the pictures. Bonnie and Caroline, with a giant box wrapped in shiny purple wrapping paper, bows and ribbons perfectly placed on top. Oh jeez.
"Friends!" Clare gushed, fluttering to the two girls, eyes curiously drifting over the shiny wrapping paper and bow, a look of longing on her face. Lexi might've felt a little bad for her, but her friends seemed immune to her childlike cuteness, Bonnie smacking her outstretched hand down.
"This is for Stefan," Bonnie said firmly, unaffected as Clare's eyes filled with tears. Lexi had no idea how they could, if it wasn't for the sun Lexi was fairly sure she'd be out the door to get Clare a present.
"Who are you?" Caroline demanded with raised eyebrows, looking Lexi up and down critically which amused her greatly. "I'll kick your butt if you make a move on Elena's man."
Lexi's mouth sprang upward into a smirk as Bonnie jerked her head around to the blonde, sending her a look. This was so typical and petty. Just what Stefan had been craving.
"Caroline!" Bonnie hissed, looking mortified, eyes flying back to the extremely amused Lexi. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry! Her mouth opens and stupid just comes rushing out!"
"Great first impression, Caroline." Stefan was playing up looking annoyed by tenfold and Caroline flashed him a bright smile. The jerk was loving this. "This is my best friend Lexi, I've known her for a hundred and forty-five years." They knew he was a vampire too…? "Lexi, this is Bonnie and Caroline."
Either Stefan had lost his mind, or he really found something special here in Mystic Falls.
"Hi," Lexi warmly greeted, offering a friendly wave, shoving down the mind reeling shock.
"It's really nice to meet you," Bonnie said earnestly.
"Ooooh, like her being a vampire would keep us from kicking her butt," Caroline said with a roll of her eyes. "We've got a witch!"
This town needed to just stop, it was a cesspool of strange supernatural happenings.
"Care, stop." Bonnie looked thoroughly embarrassed. "This is Stef's friend, be nice."
"You see what I have to put up with?" Stefan sighed, looking at Lexi like he was exasperated, but she knew better. Lexi doubted anyone but she (and Damon) would be able to pick up the screaming difference between this Stefan and the one that usually lingered. They had no idea how touched he really was that they even showed up for his birthday, had no idea his green eyes were lighter, warmer, or the smile that threatened to spill through was real. "Did Clare put you two up to this?"
"You mean, did Clare spill the friggin' beans?" Caroline raised her eyebrows, thrusting the gift into his arms. This girl had spunk, and Lexi really liked it. "Way to not tell anyone! Of course we're coming here to say hello, it's your birthday! And if you were a good friend you would have given me at least a week's notice to set up a party!"
She could imagine the house filled with intoxicated human teens and Stefan being miserable.
"You missed out Steffy, there could have been a bouncy house and ball pit." Clare said mournfully, looking so heartbroken that Lexi swung an arm around her shoulders, giving her a comforting squeeze.
"You guys didn't have to do this," Stefan said after a moment, eyes tilted to the wrapped present.
"Of course we did," Bonnie said softly with a smile. "It's your birthday. We want to be a part of what makes it special."
Caroline snorted. "Well, I wanted to strip."
Lexi liked Caroline. "We could still strip," Lexi tossed out and Caroline grinned at her deviously.
Stefan groaned, looking up at the ceiling. "I don't know why I associate with any of you."
"Without us you'd probably be spending your days in the dark brooding," Lexi scoffed causing Clare to giggle whimsically. "Now hurry up and open your present!"
"Yes!" Bonnie agreed with a grin. "Open your gift!"
"Yeah, Stef!" Caroline added gleefully.
These two were clearly up to something.
"It's just so pretty," Stefan murmured sarcastically, picking up on their mischievous behavior. "Why don't you guys open it for me?"
Clare and Caroline were happy to oblige, tearing apart the wrapping paper while Lexi plucked the giant purple bow up, sticking it on Stefan's head. He sent her an amused grin and made no move to remove it. She thought the bow added to his look. With the unmarked box unwrapped, Caroline slipped back with a smirk while Lexi and Clare leaned closer curiously. Stefan, giving the two giggling humans a mistrustful glance, slowly opened the box. He, Lexi and Clare stared down at the contents in a stare of mutual surprise.
Oh. Lexi was not expecting this. Her mouth fell open in pure shock. Stefan stood frozen, not moving a single muscle, gaping in utter horror, while Bonnie and Caroline grinned in their amusement. Lexi didn't even think it was possible to buy this in such a small town.
"What is this stuff?" Clare broke the silence, her chiming sweet voice both curious and confused. It was enough to throw Lexi into a fit of amusement and Stefan looked horrified at the prospect of having to explain. The tiny Fae girl flushed. "What?"
Bonnie wrapped her arms around Clare's shoulders. "We'll tell you when you're older," she promised in a motherly voice causing Clare to stare at her in bewilderment.
"My God," Lexi exclaimed. "You're so innocent!" Was that even possible in these days?
"More like uneducated." Bonnie said teasingly as Clare scowled back at them, folding her arms.
"Now you have no excuse to get down and dirty with Elena," Caroline said with a filthy smirk and Stefan let the box drop from his hands, reeling away, and throwing Lexi deeper into her amusement.
She loved Stefan's new friends.
"How is any of that sex stuff?" Clare demanded unhappily, stomping her foot childishly.
"Can we not talk about this?" Stefan muttered awkwardly as Lexi laughed even harder.
"Are you serious, Clare?" Caroline scoffed with her hands on her hips. "There's no way that you don't know, Bonnie showed me some of those MA fanfics!"
"That doesn't mean I understood what I was reading! I'm not dumb, okay! I only recently became curious about that stuff!" Clare defended with a huff and the two girls grinned at her. MA fanfics? Stefan shook his head, willing her to not ask.
"I'm sure Damon can give you a… in-depth 101 about it all." Bonnie said suggestively as Caroline wiggled her eyebrows. Clare went a pretty shade of scarlet and Lexi couldn't imagine how frustrated Damon must've been with pretending to be interested in someone so sweet and innocent. Even if Clare, or even Stefan, hated her for it, she had to drive Damon away.
There was no way Lexi was leaving these wonderful people to his destructive ways.
"I really don't want to hear about this." Stefan cut in with a frown.
"Sorry, Stefan," Bonnie apologized with a grin. "We've got to leave anyway, late for cheer practice and all that. It was nice meeting you, Lexi."
"Likewise," Lexi grinned after her laughing bought calmed down.
"Remember, don't use that stuff with anyone but Elena!" Caroline said with a wicked grin as Bonnie shoved her out the door, waving.
Lexi hoped to meet them again, she really would like to know them. Especially Carolina. Between the two of them, they'd really get Stefan to party.
"I'm sorry about that," Stefan said after a moment and Lexi waved him off. "They're very, uh, nice if you—Clare!" Stefan smacked the KY gel from her hands and kicked the box away. "Don't play with that stuff!"
Clare merely looked offended and Lexi smirked. "I think you should explain to her what all that is."
Stefan was saved from responding by the knock on the door and Lexi grew curious. Stefan had more friends? He'd really made a home here, hadn't he? Clare was founding to the door, throwing it open, revealing two really cute boys standing on the other side. Stefan was clearly surprised, even confused.
"Uh, hey, Clare," the blonde said warmly, holding up a card. "Heard it was Stefan's birthday, so…"
"Haha, knew you'd show," Clare sang happily to the dark haired boy who sneered back at her before turning his dark eyes to Stefan with obvious disdain. "Stefan, it's for yooou!"
Stefan didn't even shoot back a sarcastic reply, instead meeting the two at the door awkwardly, and Clare bounced over to Lexi who decided to not greet the two really cute boys.
"The blonde is Matt, and the other one is Tyler. They played football together before Damon kicked Stefan off the football team." Wait. What? "Matt is Elena's ex-boyfriend and he's still in love with her," Clare had a way of talking, as if Lexi had been starving for the information and Clare was doing her a personal favor by allowing Lexi to be in the know. For whatever reason, what Clare had to say seemed insanely important. "But he's a pretty cool guy willing to give Stefan an honest chance. Tyler is just a douchebag."
Lexi snorted but didn't say anything. This was just so human, filled with silly drama only teenagers were able to produce. But she knew Stefan craved it, so she guessed she was happy for him. Stefan awkwardly made small talk with Matt, who Lexi figured only showed up because he was asked. Probably by Elena. Though by the sound of Matt's voice, Lexi had a feeling he wouldn't mind being friends with Stefan.
"So Stefan was on the football team?" Lexi asked after a moment. It seemed so… out of character. "And why does Damon have any say whether or not he plays?"
"'Cause D's the coach." Clare said distractedly, her fingertips a flurry of movement as they glided across the on screen keyboard of her phone.
Lexi wasn't sure which was more bizarre, the fact that Stefan had been on a high school football team, or that Damon was the coach. There had to be some terrible ulterior motive for that one.
"Why was he kicked off the team?" Lexi wondered, narrowing her eyes, and Clare paused, a dark grin blooming across her pretty face, gray-blue eyes lit with mischievous glee. Clare had this way about her, and it was definitely dangerous.
"Am I going to have any more unexpected visitors?" Stefan demanded, shutting the door, and Clare's attention flickered toward him, smiling happily. Lexi couldn't help but feel as though there was something else going on behind the scenes, and a knot formed in her stomach.
"A wizard and thirteen dwarves." Clare declared happily. "You're going to go on an unexpected journey." As if on cue, there was another knock at the door causing Stefan to groan while Clare excitedly pranced over to it.
Stefan wasn't fooling anyone, he was happy.
"Jeremy!" Clare gushed happily and Lexi immediately forgot about the sense of dread that had rolled through her. The small girl threw open the door. "Come on in!"
Two boys entered the boarding house, both equally tall. The first was carrying an unwrapped box and the other was a twitchy, nervous, looking kid with a face full of freckles looking a little frightened of Clare who didn't seem to have noticed him as her adoring gaze was pinned on the other boy. Who must've been her younger brother Jeremy.
"Hey," Stefan actually looked relieved to see him, a grin crossing his face. And it wasn't one wore when greeting the younger brother to someone they were dating.
Stefan saw Jeremy as a friend.
This day was just getting more interesting.
"Hey, sorry that it's not wrapped," Jeremy said, handing the box over. Lexi glimpsed the letters on it—an XBOX 360? And judging by the thrilled look on Stefan's face, she figured it was safe to say Stefan now gamed as well. Jeremy nodded over to Lexi. "Is she… family?" He said in a way that made Lexi realize it must've been code for vampire.
That was clever.
"Uh, yeah." Stefan murmured distractedly. "I'll be back, I just want to put this in my room real quick."
"I'm Lexi." She introduced with a friendly smile.
"Cool. I'm Jeremy." The kid said, looking completely laid back about the entire thing. Were they all so relaxed about vampires? He gestured to his friend. "This is Andrew."
"H-hi." Andrew squeaked, staring at Lexi like she was the second coming of Jesus. Good lord. She smiled politely and the poor boy's heart rate spiked.
Jeremy turned to Clare. "Where's Damon?" This kid respected, maybe even idolized, Damon, it was obvious in the way he spoke. Hadn't Stefan told them about the real Damon? Hadn't he explained that his brother was the furthest thing from a good guy? Clare grinned, pulling out a cellphone in a flutter, holding the screen up to Jeremy who snorted. "A faculty meeting? Seriously? I hope he hasn't killed anyone, I really need an A in gym."
Lexi tilted her head curiously. Jeremy said it like a joke, but was it possible that they knew about him…? And if so, why talk about such things so lightly?
"Hey," Lexi called, gaining Jeremy's attention. "How'd you get Stefan into those footie pajamas?"
Jeremy smirked. "Damon and Stef bet on it." He said vaguely.
"Shut up, Jer," Stefan strolled back into the foyer with a dark smile. "You're forbidden to speak of that. It was stupid and don't give her any more reason to make my life more difficult."
"I'd like to know what went down." Clare said wistfully and Jeremy shook his head.
"Maybe next time, we have to bet back before Andrew's mom flips out. It was nice meeting you," Jeremy nodded toward Lexi. "Text me when you figure out what you want for a gamertag."
"Rainbowdash Ripper." Stefan deadpanned causing Jeremy to snigger as he exited the boarding house. Lexi glanced to Clare, confused, but Clare looked bewildered, almost as though she had no idea what they were talking about either.
They moved back into Stefan's room who wanted to set up his game system. Lexi made herself comfortable on his bed, bloodbag in hand, a small smile on her lips as she watched the two before her. Clare was hovering over Stefan, who was sitting on the floor, trying to direct him in what to do next only for Stefan to swat her away. There was a certain kind of happiness that warmed every part of Lexi, the kind that could only be felt when seeing the happiness of a best friend. Stefan had always suffered, he was never meant to be a vampire. She'd seen him hit rock bottom and then fall harder, deeper. She had helped him fight to get back onto his feet only for the guilt to destroy him slowly. She had seen the sliver of hope gleam only for it all to be torn from him. But Lexi had never, ever, in all the many years she had known this vampire and loved him like family, seen him like this. Stefan was happy. He was in control. She could even drink in front of him! He'd made himself a home here with people who loved and accepted him.
"Sorry it took so long." The sound of Damon's voice sent a crackle of icy fury through Lexi, her eyes narrowing as they snapped toward the doorway which he was casually leaning against, arms folded, blue eyes pinned on her irritably. Elena was fidgety next to him, looking a little nervous. "Judgey had to change seventeen times."
"It wasn't seventeen times," Elena glanced at Damon irritably before her dark eyes slid to Lexi. Was this why both brothers were in Mystic Falls? Was Elena why Damon was playing nice…? If Stefan was smitten, there was no question in Lexi's mind that Damon wanted her for himself. And she was glad Elena appeared annoyed by Damon. "Hi, I'm Elena." She tucked a lock of dark hair behind her ear, nervously, and Lexi realized that Elena was seeking her approval. Which was surprising and sweet.
"I'm Lexi," Lexi greeted as warmly as she could. She needed to give Elena an honest chance and not judge her based on her appearance especially when before seeing her, Lexi had liked her. "I'm glad to meet you, finally. Stefan has been talking about you nonstop, I feel like I sort of know you already."
Elena's cheeks warmed and her dark eyes tangled with Stefan's and she drew a breath, like being in his presence left her breathless, and Stefan smiled at her like she was the single greatest thing to ever happen to him. The pair gravitated toward each other slowly, as though there was a magical force pulling them to each other. There was a calmness that settled over them, small, private, smiles on their faces as they relished in one another's company. Lexi couldn't help but feel like they had this old love thing going for them, like they were always meant to be and merely kept finding each other again, falling back into their familiar, calm, happiness of simply being in the other's company.
"I wish I could say the same, but Stefan plays up the mysterious vampire card," Elena turned back to Lexi with an apologetic smile and Lexi appreciated the honesty. "He didn't even tell me he was a vampire or that I looked like his ex or that today was his birthday." Elena grinned in teasing amusement, dark eyes sparkling playfully and Lexi released a snorting laugh, turning to give Stefan a look who had the decency to look slightly frightened of a Lexi-Elena team up (as he should), and guilty for all the secrets.
"As much as I love watching the Elena and Stefan show of the truest love that was ever loved," Damon's sarcastic voice cut in irritably, drawing Lexi's attention back to him. She had happily forgotten about him. Damon glowered at them, eyes narrowed. "I want to know where the hell my Clary is."
For whatever reason, Lexi had expected to turn toward where Clare had been to find her missing. But she was still there, head tilted, eyes wide with confusion. She glanced at Stefan who seemed just as confused.
"You can't see her?" Elena looked alarmed and the tension shifted drastically. What in the world…?
Damon scoffed. "You really believe that little bastard puffball is Clarissa?"
"Nate?" Stefan and Elena whipped their heads toward Clare who released a whimsically laugh which sounded more and more like bells.
"Awww, Damie," Clare pouted and just like that that sandy haired teen from before was casually leaning against the desk as though he had been standing there this entire time, as though Lexi had imagined Clare being there. He smirked devilishly, hazel eyes burning with glee. "Foooooled you."
These Fae were frightening.
"How long have you been here?" Stefan demanded incredulously, looking just as baffled as Lexi felt.
"Since before time." Nate whispered gravely, staring at Stefan grimly.
"You idiots couldn't tell?" Damon snapped. "He acts nothing like her!"
"Oh my God, where is my sister?" Elena rubbed her brow, looking stressed. "What horrible crap are you two up to?" She opened her bag, shifting through.
"I thought Fae couldn't lie?" Stefan continued as Elena pulled out her phone. "You answered as if you were Clare, but you're not."
"I never said I was Clary." Nate picked his nails, looking bored, and a snarl erupted from Damon's lips. "I do the same thing when I pretend to be a human named Nate."
Nate tilted curiously, bringing the phone to his ear. "Hello?" Elena released a frustrated groan and hung up. Nate frowned. "How rude."
"Rude? You were the one who was pretending to be Clare!" Elena threw her hands upward. "Tell her to get her butt back here! It's Stefan's birthday!"
Lexi was unfortunately so hyperaware of every move Damon made, and she liked to think it was because she sure as hell didn't trust him. So it didn't escape her notice when his entire demeanor drastically flipped in a very subtle way. His gaze flickered thoughtfully toward Nate, as if Nate had spoken out loud, before he subtly shifted closer to Elena. Protectively. What was that about? With a wicked grin, Nate vanished in thin air and Elena released a sigh, running her fingers through her dark hair.
"Is this a normal thing?" Lexi asked after a moment, trying to quell the unease growing in her stomach.
"My sister… she's a bit of a hand full." Elena murmured awkwardly, wringing her hands, worry brimming in her dark eyes.
"She's half Fae," Damon pinned Elena with a look. Lexi knew Damon was good at making it so believable, but his protectiveness just felt so real.
"I didn't say it was a bad thing, Damon," Elena soothed, looking more like an exhausted parent than a sister. "Even if she wasn't, this is who she is. It's just sometimes it's difficult."
"She was probably bored," Stefan's fingertips slid over Elena's arm, as though to calm her.
"Why don't we focus on Stefan?" Lexi swiftly cut cheerfully. "It's his birthday. Your sister is fine." She was starting to get a very clear picture of how everything was. Clare, like Damon, was the star of the universe, creating drama that continued to circulate around her. She had no doubt that Damon encouraged all her bad behavior. Somehow she and Damon had turned Stefan's day into something about herself.
"Lexi is right," Elena said, turning her doe like dark eyes to Stefan, shifting through her bag again before pulling out a gift wrapped in simple silver paper. From the way it was wrapped it was obviously a book. Stefan unwrapped it, revealing a brown leather bound book.
"It's beautiful," Stefan murmured, deeply warmed by his gift, his green eyes bright. "Thank you, Elena."
She blushed, tucking a piece if hair behind her ear. "I, um, written down some of my family's recipes as well as Bonnie's and Caroline's. This way you'll always have a piece of us forever, and always know that you're loved. And I want you to keep adding other people's recipes, I want your family to grow."
If Stefan wasn't in love with Elena before, he certainly was now. Lexi swallowed a lump in her throat, blinking back the tears, so touched by how beautiful that was. She knew she was going to come to love Elena. Stefan wordlessly pulled Elena into a tight hug and surprise struck Lexi when she realized Damon's gaze was locked onto her suspiciously. Why was he staring at her like that?
"Birthday sex," Clare's voice cut in knowingly, appearing right beside Lexi, with a playful grin.
Just like that, all of Lexi's negative feelings about her fled, as Stefan and Elena broke a part. But Clare didn't wait for either of them to say anything, flouncing toward Damon who tilted off kilter, as though the sight of her knocked him off balance. It was all so sudden, Damon was almost unrecognizable. Had Lexi been mistaken? She didn't think Damon could have changed so much, didn't want to lower her walls to give him the chance to come in again. Damon was darkly captivating. He was like fire, alluring with promises of something wonderful, only blaze through her until there was nothing else, and then leaving her burnt and damaged. She didn't want to believe he'd changed, couldn't make that mistake again. But it was obvious that he wasn't pretending with Clare, not with the way he was looking at her. While Stefan and Elena were calm and peaceful with their old soul love, Damon and Clare were wild, like they had meant to be together and desperately searched for one another lifetime after lifetime. Everything about the two of them clung to the other. So that left Lexi with a different chilling thought. Clare being half Fae meant what? Her idea of amusement might've been dark, more on par with Damon's cruelty. If Damon was planning to tear Stefan down, Clare was in on it.
"…be back, okay?" Clare was saying to Elena cheerfully, twirling her fingers with Damon's, tugging him from the room. "Don't have too much fun without us!"
Lexi waited for the two to be down the hall before turning to a slightly vexed Elena and a partly amused Stefan. "Should we warn the town's folk to stay indoors?" Lexi was half serious, causing all the tension to roll right off Elena. "Come sit with me, I've got tons of embarrassing stories of Stefan." Elena brightened as Stefan groaned.
I,ughmgchnfkkhgxrd GUYS REALLY. If it's bad I'll rewrite it when my computer is up, okay? There's so much more to this chapter that hasn't been written yet. I think that's the most frustrating, knowing exactly what I want to write and having it take forever to be written ugh this is literally the worst. Like it's taken me two days just to get this up, especially since I'm so busy, often without internet since we're busy and FUCKING DIFFICULT.
But here you go. The lack of details and editing and everything I normally do is killing me.
Lexi and Damon are probably never going to be friends.
Ugh
I don't even know how to copy and paste on this thing, BUT A MEGA BIG THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS REVIEWED. I LOVE YOU GUYS.
I will reply to pm's as soon as I can. And questions will have to be next time.
I hope everyone had a great Halloween, any good stories for me? ALSO HOPE YOU HAD A GOOD BIRTHDAY.
You guys ask for things and I try to deliver, I hope Damon and Alaric faculty meeting and trust fall was everything you hoped it would be.
I LOVE YOU GUYS HANG IN THERE WITH ME OKAY?