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"Nope," Rebekah told me, shaking her head. "That's definitely not your style." As I looked at myself in the store mirror, I realized she was right. The prom dress I was trying on flared at the bottom like a mermaid's tail and was tight elsewhere.
"Yeah, I agree," I replied, reaching behind my back to grab the zipper. Rebekah stood up and did it for me. "You fell in love with the first dress you tried on and yet, here we are, two hours later and I still haven't found one."
She laughed. "I've been planning my prom experience for a long time. I knew exactly what I wanted." I retreated back into my dressing room and slipped out of the dark pink mess that was that dress. "Try the pale blue one! I think I like that one!"
The pale blue dress was floor-length, sleek, and intricately beaded with strands that would swing about my lower half. It reminded me of a longer version of a flapper dress. I am a sucker for anything remotely 1920s-esque. Even before putting it on, I was pretty sure I was in love. I slid into it easily and immediately decided it was the one. It gave the appearance of being sheer in some places and for once in my life, I thought I might be almost sexy.
"That's it! That is it!" Rebekah exclaimed when she saw me. "I love it, Vivian. You know, the flapper look is spectacular on you."
"I'm beginning to think I was born in the wrong decade," I responded, attempting to get a look at the tag. When I saw it, I winced. "Bad news. This dress is the most expensive one either of us has tried on."
"Good news. You have Damon Salvatore's credit card."
"I knew there was an upside." And just like that, Rebekah and I were ready for prom.
It's been a little over a week since we went to Pennsylvania. It was my first trip to a northern state and I didn't even buy a souvenir. Damon informed me that Elena killed a waitress before they left town because she didn't want him and Stefan to try to obtain the cure for her. His exact words were, "I would have sawed off my own foot to be riding with you and Elijah than witnessing that ordeal." My exact response was, "You've really got a way with words."
To be honest, I haven't given too much thought to Elena lately. With her emotions off, she's unbearable. She's been staying with Rebekah because she's the only one who can stand her. I'd like to know why Rebekah found this Elena preferable to her former self but I never brought it up in conversation. I especially wasn't going to broach that topic today, when Rebekah was under strict orders to live a day as a human.
When I woke up this morning in my new room (Kol's, just as I suspected), I heard Rebekah, Elijah, and Klaus already going at it. Rebekah was imploring Elijah to give her the cure while Klaus wanted it to subdue Silas (and in the process, bring down the Other Side). I had to admit, giving the cure to Elijah was the best choice I'd made in a long time. Even then, I was close to yelling down the stairs for them to flip a coin. Eventually, Elijah decided on Rebekah but only if she could prove to him that wanting to be human wasn't a whim, so she had to live an entire day as one.
I wasn't even dressed yet when she knocked on the door, asking to go prom dress shopping with me. She said she'd been meaning to ask me anyway but it would help her to follow my lead. Frankly, I wasn't sure how to help her. I was just going to live like I did every day.
I guess I was a help to her. We both got prom dresses and no one was compelled or eaten.
Rebekah dropped me off back at Klaus's and only told me "good luck with those two." I grabbed my dress out of the backseat and pulled out my phone. I called Damon.
"What are you doing?" I asked, slowly walking through the yard.
"Playing football with Stefan! What are you doing?"
"I just got my prom dress and I'm about to start rummaging through the stuff I brought over from my old house. I'm sincerely hoping I had the forethought to carry some prom-worthy shoes with me." The odds were slim on that one.
"Well, you've still got time to get some before tonight. I take it you're a little more enthused about prom than you were." I folded my dress over my arm.
"Maybe I am. Prom is actually why I'm calling. I know I'm not supposed to ask you something so important over the phone but here's the thing." I was trying so hard to be serious and not laugh. "Since Caroline is being so strict on this whole 'friend prom' idea, I was wondering if you would do me the honor of being my date to senior prom."
Damon laughed. "Aren't I a little old for you?"
"You know no respectable senior is showing up without their hot slightly-too-old-for-high-school date. Besides, I've already ordered your boutonniere."
"I'm going to have to pay attention to Elena though. You know how you hate that. Stefan and I are thinking we'll break through to her."
"Come on, Damon! Let's just pretend it's like it used to be, where you came as my date to all the dances to make sure someone didn't die!" I can't believe it but I was already beginning to miss Mystic Falls and particularly, Damon. It won't be long at all until I leave. The day after graduation was when they wanted me.
"Technically, that hasn't changed. I'm still trying to make sure someone doesn't die. It's just that now instead of worrying about Elena, I'll have to worry about everyone else. I don't even want to go." I groaned.
"Wait, weren't you the one that said, 'Viv, pretty dresses and dancing are your thing, embrace it'?" I said in a phony voice. "'Prom is a normal high school experience and you can't leave Mystic Falls without it!'"
"I don't actually sound like that."
"Yes, you do and the theme is Memories. What better way to end my high school career than by reliving every dance where someone tried to kill us? Come on, Damon. You can ask me to dance and stare at Elena the whole time, like you used to. Is it a crime to want to go to prom with my best friend?"
"Vivian Gilbert, are you reminiscing? Are you actually gonna miss this place?"
"Maybe," I replied.
"Damn it, you've guilt-tripped me over the phone. I don't know how you do it. Stop doing that voice thing."
"What voice thing?" I questioned.
"Oh, you know the one. 'I'm Vivian and I'm so nice and sweet and I'll get you to do whatever I want.'"
"One, I do not sound like that. Two, I have never said anything like that."
"Yeah, well, that's what that your voice thing does." I laughed. "I'll pick you up at 8, not before. I'll get you a white corsage and I'm bringing a flask."
"My dress is pale blue, if you're into matching."
"I'm not." I laughed again.
"I'm serious, Damon, thank you. If you have to pay attention to Elena to make sure she doesn't hurt anybody, that's okay. I just want to have a fun night with you and a good send off."
"You'll get one. Should we get dinner? What about Olive Garden?"
We hung up and I meekly entered the house. I don't know why I bothered to always be so quiet when I was living with vampires. They could literally hear if I took a breath. But as I wasn't paying rent and really wasn't doing anything to earn my keep besides cleaning up after myself, I thought it was best to make sure I wasn't a nuisance. In the past week, it's been pretty easy to fly under the radar. Rebekah had been over a lot and all three of the Originals had been talking about the cure and what to do with it. That was the all-consuming conversation topic and those conversations never stayed civil for long. So I took my sweet time coming and going.
I had been keeping mostly to myself, trying to catch up on schoolwork I'd missed. Now, I was staying in Kol's room, just in case Rebekah decided to move back in but that didn't seem likely to me. I didn't have many complaints other than the bed, which was much too hard for me. Elijah had protested me moving rooms at all, saying I'd lived there longer than he had. But I told him the room was meant to be his and he was going to stay in it. I wasn't going to be a permanent resident anyway.
The door creaked when I opened it and I sucked in a breath. Isn't this house a new construction? Why are the damn doors creaking? I held tight to my dress and went inside.
You know, I'm not sure why it didn't cross my mind that this arrangement might end up making me feel weird. Damon would call it denial. Stefan would call it trying-to-make-the-best-out-of-the-situation. I just call it stupidity.
The fact of the matter is that I have obvious feelings for Elijah and unaddressed feelings for Klaus. Living with them, sharing everything with them, seeing them once in my nightgown (Wednesday night was absolutely humiliating) are all things that have complicated my already complicated mindset.
Klaus has been in a mood ever since we got back. In fact, he was standing on the porch when Elijah and I drove up. He claimed that Silas was the impetus for it and I could definitely see that. I felt horrible when I arrived back home and Klaus revealed that he'd been under the impression he was dying. Silas had apparently appeared as me and stabbed Klaus with the white oak stake (and I have so many questions about that. Did Silas appear as me because it was easy to get to Klaus that way or because I am so unassuming?). So Klaus's fear of Silas was real and something that I genuinely worried about. I understood why he wanted to possess the cure so badly, which is why I couldn't be happier that I wasn't in Elijah's position.
While Klaus has been openly angry and annoyed about everything, putting it all under the moniker of Silas, Elijah hasn't given any reaction at all. I've long thought Elijah to be brilliant and calculating and this home situation has only confirmed that. He's totally different around me when I'm alone than when we're around Klaus. This told me that Stefan had been spot on. Elijah was sparing Klaus's feelings. When I run into him alone, it's like the air is charged. When it's the three of us, it's almost awkward because I think we're all aware of what everyone else is doing. Klaus is uncomfortable and probably feels like Elijah returning home without a word is overstepping his boundaries. Elijah is clearly in tune to everyone's feelings and doesn't want to hurt any of them (family above all, right?). Meanwhile, I just chant to myself, "Doppelganger blood doesn't make you one. You are not Katherine. Not Elena."
It hasn't been bad, just awkward. I think we've all been waiting for something to happen to push us to the point where we all admit something's going on here. I wondered if we're all acting this way because we're aware that it can't be permanent. New Orleans is looming on the horizon and everyone knows it.
I shut the door behind me. For a second, I thought I was just going to be able to go upstairs, hang my dress up, and take a shower. Prom has me on a very tight schedule.
"So what's the dress look like? What on earth did Rebekah end up with?" Klaus asked me. I laughed and turned.
"My dress is blue and pretty Gatsby. Rebekah got a yellow number that makes her look even more stunning than usual," I responded.
"Any vampire activities?"
"Well, when we got there, she slit open the clerk's neck and served me a drink." He looked like he might be taking me seriously for a second. He desperately wanted Rebekah to mess up. "I'm just kidding. She's passing the test with flying colors."
"Ah," he responded, clearly disappointed. "Well, I couldn't help overhearing that you asked Damon to be your date."
"You couldn't help it, huh?" Klaus almost laughed, acting self-conscious.
"I was just curious why you would pick him." And not you?
"Well, it is 'friend prom' this year and otherwise, Elena would be having two dates. I just don't think that's fair, do you?"
"Oh, the Petrova doppelgangers always have men lining up wishing to do whatever they want."
"I imagine that's a burden, having such exquisite beauty and magical blood that everyone you come into contact with wants you for something." Having the blood was more than enough for me, especially after seeing all that Elena and Katherine have gone through.
"Are you returning to your former good feelings about Elena?"
"Not at all. In fact, I hope I don't run into her tonight. I'm not sure what I'd do."
"She won't be emotionless forever. Your falling out isn't a permanent thing." Shamefully, I wanted it to be. I didn't want to feel guilty when I left for New Orleans in a couple of weeks. I wanted to know that I had said everything that needed to be said to her so I could move on. If I was still attached to her and if I honestly wanted to make up, it would make moving that much harder. Leaving Damon behind was going to be difficult enough and I hadn't even begun to consider how to approach leaving people like Klaus. Knowing that Elijah supposedly had something to do down in the French Quarter was the main thing keeping me going. "Damon and Stefan's plan might work and tonight, she may be back to normal."
"I think Silas showing up and DJ-ing is more likely to happen than that." He cracked an absolutely winning smile at me. "Klaus, I really appreciate the fact that you and Elijah have been rooting for me and Elena to get our relationship on the mend. It's been so kind and thoughtful of you both. I'm not proud of it but I just don't feel I can honestly do anything with her right now."
"That's nothing to be ashamed of. I've gone centuries without speaking to a sibling before so I completely understand your dilemma."
"Then Elijah put you up to this," I said, phrasing it as a statement rather than a question.
"He just likes to meddle and try to fix things he perceives as broken."
"Well, it is broken. I just don't think I want it fixed. As long as Jeremy is dead, there is nothing between Elena and I but blood." Even as I spoke the words, I realized they were true. Where once I would never have considered speaking against her, I now understood that I'd spent years being her doormat. That was over.
"Don't think too badly of him. He just remembers that when he first met you, you would have died for her." It was hard to believe that so much had changed in only a year. When I first met and connected with Elijah, saving Elena was my only thought and my only concern. When Klaus and I got closer, I had begun resenting her, feeling second-tier, and thinking of completely changing my allegiances.
"That was a long time ago." I tightened my grip on the bag containing my dress. "I'm sure that one day, we'll both get over it but I don't know how to approach somebody who feels nothing whatsoever. I know that I keep my emotions in check for the most part but that's not even halfway to whatever Elena is doing."
"The switch fries after a while. In fact, at times, I even doubt its existence. Elena will not be this way forever and if I get my wish for the cure, Jeremy will be back with you."
"Do you really want every one of your enemies to return to the land of the living? If Silas dies and brings down the Other Side, you have to contend with a multitude of supernatural creatures that wish you dead."
"So you're the one who put the idea of giving Rebekah the cure in Elijah's head. I would have thought seeing Jeremy again and repairing your family would be more important to you than giving my petulant baby sister her chance at a whim." There was Klaus showing his true colors.
"The cure isn't mine to do with and even if it was, seeing Jeremy again at the expense of everyone's safety, including yours, just isn't worth it to me. You're not gonna convince me to change my mind. Even if you did, it wouldn't matter."
The front door opened behind me and I turned to see Elijah. Immediately, I felt the atmosphere change. Klaus is a lot of talk and incredibly reckless but it's very clear that Elijah holds most of the power. It's just that sometimes, he doesn't show it.
"Are you trying to persuade the jury, Klaus?" he asked, looking between the two of us.
"Oh, not at all. Vivian and I were just discussing prom," Klaus responded.
"Which I desperately need to get ready for," I said and excused myself. Call me a coward, say what you like. I just was not in the mood to witness another argument about the cure… or stand there with a million things going through my mind.
Rebekah had told me to take a bath and relax before even thinking about putting on the dress. "Bubbles, heat, listen to music," she'd said. She was under the impression that the thought of New Orleans was really stressing me out. She was right so I took her advice. I sank into the tub and closed my eyes.
Frankly, I don't think I was taking the thought of Tulane or New Orleans seriously. I knew it was coming and I was even preparing for it but I'm not sure I really believed I'd go through with it. The idea of leaving Mystic Falls was so intoxicating though and for some reason, I knew New Orleans was where I needed to be. It's as though I was fated to go there. So my fear of leaving Mystic Falls and its people behind was equally balanced with excitement for the same thing.
My main problem with everything was that I had finally been confronted with the romantic feelings I felt about Klaus and Elijah. I had to address them and soon. Otherwise, I would leave with nothing resolved and no clue of what could have happened one way or the other. Elijah would come to New Orleans but I doubted it would be a permanent arrangement and I'm not at all sure what Klaus's plans would be. Stay here with people that routinely try to kill him? Follow Rebekah on her trip around the world after graduation? Come to New Orleans with Elijah in order to subordinate whatever threat needs to be taken care of? Or do something else entirely?
I sank under the water for a second.
What exactly am I supposed to do? Organize a dinner and say, "I like you both and I'm really sorry about it?" What about, "I've never been in this position before and you two have so how did it end last time?" Here's a good one, "Are either of you actually serious about this or am I making it up in my head?" Maybe I should make a PowerPoint presentation detailing my many issues and utter confusion with the last slide being, "I cannot make a choice so both of you should just drop me."
Okay, that's not what the point of this bubble bath was supposed to be. Happy thoughts. Prom thoughts.
My phone started ringing on the edge of the tub and I grabbed it before it slid into the water. Damon, of course.
"Viv, what are you doing?" he asked.
"I was trying to have a relaxing bubble bath but I guess that's over," I responded.
"Oh please! You don't even know how to relax. You are so uptight and controlled that one day you're gonna lose it on everybody and kill us all."
"That's not true. I am not uptight."
"Okay then, tell me. Are you falling asleep in the bathtub like a normal person or are you stressing out over something?"
I groaned. "Fine. You're right. Is there a real reason you're calling?"
"I just wanted to go on and warn you that Silas will probably make an appearance tonight since Bonnie will be there."
"Well, I'm not sure how we're supposed to guard against someone who can look like anyone he wishes. He doesn't have an interest in me anyway. I'll just stick to you like glue."
"I just want you to be careful. Apparently, he's been appearing to Bonnie as Jeremy." I almost dropped my phone into the water. "Viv, are you okay?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'll be fine. If he's Jeremy, I'll know it's an illusion."
"But an illusion that you desperately want to see. He wants the cure pretty bad, Vivian, and he knows how close you are to it."
"Did I tell you he came to Klaus as me? I don't know what exactly happened but Klaus let him get close enough that he was stabbed with the white oak stake."
"I think he knows how to get to people. He knows everyone's weakness and he knows the person everyone is most likely to listen to." I knew what Damon was implying with that statement and it did not help me.
"Then I'll look out for Jeremy." I knew that appearing as Jeremy would loosen me up. It might even make me grovel. "Can I ask you for some advice?" I whispered.
"Things have got to be bad for you to be asking me for advice. What is it and why are you being quiet?"
"Could you keep your voice down?" I hissed. "I live in a house with vampires."
"Okay, okay," he whispered in response.
"Look, I know this may be strange for you to talk about, given the current state of things, but were you angry with Elena for… how she went about it with you and Stefan? Did you hate Katherine for it?"
"I hate Katherine for many, many reasons but her dual relationship with me and Stefan isn't one of them. At the time, we really didn't even know she was playing us. Now Elena, that's a different story. It was bad but I wouldn't say I got mad at her. Neither did Stefan. She hated the position she was in and she didn't hide it. She fought against her feelings for a long time… unless you believe it was all the sire bond."
"No, it wasn't all the sire bond. Don't think that for a second."
"Vivian, is this about what I think this is about?"
"Yeah," I responded. "Damon, tell me what I should do because I am at a loss. I don't want to be Katherine or Elena. I do not."
"Hey, Viv, let me tell you something. If they've made you feel like you need to make a firm, hard, permanent decision then they don't deserve you as an acquaintance, let alone their girlfriend."
"That's the thing about it. They haven't pressured me at all. In fact, there's been no conversation about anything but the cure for days. But it's there. I know it's there because it's just about all I can think about. I've got to do something before I leave or this will haunt me forever."
"Vivian, your responsibility in this is practically nil. They are grown men who are over a thousand years old. They've travelled the world together, dating and bedding women, probably some of them at the same time. You are almost nineteen and you've never been with anybody. I don't care that you're mature for your age and technically an adult. You're still a human and an inexperienced one at that. They're the ones who have been in this position before and they're the ones who decided to get into it again, same as me and Stefan. It's not Elena's fault and it's certainly not yours."
"How is it not my fault when I want them both?" I said, almost raising my voice. "And haven't you considered that the only reason you've come across Katherine and Elena is because they are the result of a curse Esther put on Klaus? They are exact replicas of the girl she sacrificed to bind his werewolf side; the girl that purportedly tore Klaus and Elijah's relationship apart. She was killed for loving them both."
"That happened centuries ago and we killed that bitch, Esther. Besides, I'm pretty sure that Tatia wasn't as clever as you are. She may have been a Katherine and she wanted them both no matter the cost but that's not you, Vivian. I know that when it came down to it, you would step back and take yourself out of it."
"Is that what I should do?"
"That's what I think you should do but you haven't listened to me thus far." I sighed. "Hear me out, Viv. You're going down to the French Quarter. There are plenty of guys there that would bend over backwards for your attention and I bet some of them are even human."
"Damon, you know that's not true. You know I've never had the options Caroline or Elena have had. Besides, I like Klaus. I like Elijah. I don't know that I can turn that off now."
"Well, let them know you're unsure of yourself and that whatever you decide may not be permanent. They'll understand because that's why they're attracted to you. That's why they haven't pressured you. You're nice, demure, and beautiful. They know you don't have a mean bone in your body. They will never think you're leading them on." I sank deeper into the water.
"I don't know. I just feel guilty."
"I'm just confused about how you could possibly even care about Klaus. The dude is crazy."
"He's not all that different from you," I responded. "At first, I didn't like him either. I was scared of him. But the more we talked and the more I saw him, the more he made me think of you."
"I don't see how that's even remotely a redeeming quality."
"Well, it means there's hope and it means that underneath it all, he's not as tough as he pretends to be."
"I just think if you're going to get with any of them, Elijah is the way to go. Sure, he's never around but if you ask me, that's a plus. He's pissed me off the least and he does actually like you. I still think Klaus is playing a huge joke on everybody to make us mad."
"I don't think so," I said. "I think they're both genuine. I just don't get it. You can have anybody in the world and you choose a girl who wears knee-length skirts and cardigans buttoned to the top."
"Or you choose a girl who's different than most nowadays. Beating yourself up doesn't help the situation. Now here's what you need to do. Write a pros and cons list about them. I'll start you off. Con: Elijah is never around."
"Yeah, that's true. He's missed all of these things that drew me to Klaus."
"Con: Klaus is more likely to kill you for making him angry." Also a possibility.
"Pro: Klaus and I really are friends at this point, I think."
"Are you sure that's not a con? Sometimes friends is all you're gonna be when you say it like that."
"No, it's more than friends. I can't describe it to you but we're not friends the way you and I are. It's a more subtle thing than how I've always felt for Elijah but it's there."
"I know this'll make me throw up but… how do you feel about Elijah? Put it in such simple terms that I don't even know what you're talking about." I laughed.
"He makes me feel like I'm being set on fire." I had never really thought about it in those terms before but it was true. Especially this week, where I've been forced to see him multiple times a day. It's been one of the factors in convincing me that my feelings about everything are totally real.
"Damn, that's a good sign. And your heartbeat skips around him occasionally, have you noticed that?"
"Apparently every vampire ever has noticed that." I groaned. "I don't know why I thought having this conversation would make me feel better."
"Okay, what about this? You obviously don't want to make a choice and that's understandable. They haven't put the heat on you to make one. That's another good sign. They're just as worried your decision as you are. I say, you go about it the same way you have been and never make a legitimate choice. If you feel like you need to do it before you leave, that's one thing. But it sounds like they'll both be down there with you."
"What do you mean 'both'? As far as I know, Elijah is only going temporarily to take out some witch that's threatening Klaus. On our way back from Pennsylvania, he said he didn't even want to tell Klaus about it because he knew he would overreact."
"Well, word on the street is that Katherine is the one who volunteered that information up to Elijah, just in case their deal fell through… and guess what happened? It fell through. She wants Klaus to follow that lead so whether Elijah tells him or not isn't gonna be an issue. She's going to let him know."
"And how do you know all this? I didn't know you and Katherine were on such good terms."
"We're not. She's just been chatty since coming back into town."
"Coming back into town? Are you kidding me?"
"Hey, you're about to leave all of this behind. Soon none of this will matter a lick to you. You'll be too busy getting drunk and eating bananas Foster." I laughed again.
"God, I hope so."
I got out of my bath not long after that, convinced that I didn't need to keep on beating myself up over this. If what Damon said was true, Mystic Falls would be losing more than just me. Klaus would officially be leaving town and I doubt he would ever be coming back. That took an immense amount of pressure off of me. If I didn't have to make the decision within a week, it's more likely that I'd make the right one at another time.
I folded my hair under to make it appear short, like I did for the decade dance then I slid into the dress and took a long look in the mirror. It was gorgeous and for once, I was inclined to believe that I genuinely was beautiful. Honestly, I didn't look like I was going to prom. I looked like I was going to some extravagant ball or party. I stood on my tiptoes to see how I would look once I found my heels and it was even better. The dress was flattering, elegant, and even a tiny bit sexy. I'm pretty sure it was the best I've ever looked in my whole life.
Once I finished gawking at myself in the mirror, I walked down the hallway into Elijah's room. Most of my stuff was still in there because there had been no point in moving it twice. Over the past few days, I've been trying to pack it all up for the trip to New Orleans.
I gathered my beaded skirt in hand and bent down, rummaging through a bag to find my shoes. There was a fairly high chance I hadn't brought them and that they'd burned with the rest of mine and Elena's things. Then I saw a flash of silver and I thanked my lucky stars. These were genuine "prom" shoes, silver and shimmery with little crystals down a t-strap, and they were exactly what I needed. I put them on and breathed a sigh of relief. I was ready for prom.
"Vivian, you look stunning." I turned towards the door suddenly, my hand pressed against my waist. It was Elijah.
"Oh, thank you," I replied, my hand still resting against my stomach.
"Klaus told me your dress was 'Gatsby' so I thought you might need something else." I realized then he was holding a box. It was old, worn by years of going untouched. "It's part of Klaus's collection, which I'm sure he's dipped into for you a time or two." I thought of the necklace laying in a velvet box at the bottom of my suitcase and gulped. Elijah slowly opened the box and pulled out what was inside. I saw a cream ribbon curl around his hand and the shimmer of something like diamonds. "It's a headband," he told me and at once, I saw that it was. A band of glittering clear stones and pearls was broken up by a small sparkling brooch, exactly like the ones you always see flappers wearing but more demure.
"You can't possibly be serious," I replied. "What if I lose it?"
"He has others." That was all it took. I agreed to wear it and he deftly tied it into my hair. I had to clasp my hands together to keep them from shaking. When he finished, he still kept close to me.
When I saw myself, I gaped. "This is absolutely beautiful and I don't deserve it but I am not going to question your generosity." Elijah broke into a smile.
"It suits you. You'll render Damon speechless." The thought of anything making Damon lose his voice was laughable.
"I don't believe that has ever happened and it definitely won't happen tonight."
"Well, Rebekah will do you that courtesy, I'm sure." Rebekah would be the only one likely to be 'rendered speechless'. I looked in the mirror one last time and admitted to myself that I may have achieved prom perfection. "You look beautiful, Vivian. I'll let you finish getting ready."
When he turned to leave, I said, "Elijah." He looked at me and there it was, exactly like I told Damon. I flushed, my palms started to sweat, and my heart pounded. "Thank you… for everything." I had been halfway to asking him to dance with me, even asking him to kiss me. I needed to sit down.
He smiled again. "You're welcome."
When he left, I had to wonder whether he was aware of what he did to me. I assume that there are a lot of girls who probably just see him on the street and sigh so he must be used to it. At any rate, mooning over Elijah has been my norm for almost the entire week. Our ride home from Pennsylvania had verged on awkward. I can't say it had been awkward back before the Originals ball but maybe it was a good sign, like Damon said. It probably meant more intense feelings on both sides. But is that really a good thing when I'm trying to sort out what I should do?
It's weird that my feelings for both Klaus and Elijah seemed to be on overdrive. I knew that being in close quarters with people had the possibility to do that but I honestly assumed that living with them would force me to come to a conclusion faster. All it has done has confuse me more.
Damon was true to his word and was there at 8pm. When he came into the house, I thought for a second Elijah might have been right; Damon may not say anything at all. But that is quickly remedied.
"You know, when I saw that huge charge on my bank account, I thought to myself, 'Would Vivian really spend that much of my money?'" he said. I winced. "But apparently you did and it happens to be the best money I've ever spent. Oh, my God, you look great." I laughed.
"Thank you! Rebekah and I spent hours trying to find this diamond in the rough," I replied, gesturing at the beaded gown.
"Look at this headband! Is that real? Are those diamonds?!" Damon went from looking at me as though I was gorgeous to looking behind me at Klaus, Elijah, and Rebekah. Rebekah was putting her finishing touches on and was dropping in to make sure Elijah believed she was keeping to her day as a human. "I hate you people."
"Damon!" I said, holding back a laugh.
"Come on, Vivian. I bet they're gonna crown you prom queen."
"You mean Caroline would let someone other than herself win that honor?"
I let Damon put on my corsage (probably filled with vervain) and then I got in a limo with him. I was about to say I didn't know everyone was going for a limo this year when I spotted Elena… wearing the dress I'd helped Caroline pick out days ago.
"Damon," I said thru gritted teeth.
"You said this wouldn't be a problem," he replied thru gritted teeth of his own.
"I said looking at her wouldn't be a problem. Not riding in the back of a limo with her and her ex-boyfriends."
"Um, I am not an ex-boyfriend and the sooner you make up, the better."
Elena was a bitch, to put it simply, but other than that, I was allowed to really enjoy my final high school dance. I danced with Damon and Matt and even went to the after-party (while Damon and Stefan vervained Elena and took her home after she tried to kill Bonnie).
When I got home, Klaus was still up. He asked me, "So how was it?"
"It went well," I replied. "The most eventful moment of the night is when Bonnie practically killed Elena with her expression magic and I almost said, 'Keep going!'" Klaus laughed at that, which made me feel ten times more relaxed about the whole thing. Strangely enough, Klaus was probably my closest friend other than Damon.
"Elena is truly insufferable like this but she'll change her tune soon enough." I nodded. Stefan and Damon were hoping to break through to her with pain. I couldn't say whether it would work. "Well, Vivian, I'm glad I caught you. I just got a letter from Katerina of all people. She passed along some information since I refused your and Elijah's pleas for her freedom. Seems some witches in New Orleans are plotting against me." That's exactly what Elijah had told me and it appears that Damon's prediction was correct; Klaus found out one way or another.
"Well, they're obviously foolish," I replied.
"Indeed, they are. In the next few days, Elijah and I are going to go on down. When will you be there?"
"In a little over a week. I have to leave immediately after graduation so it won't be long at all." The way I said it must have shown nerves.
"Are you excited or are you worried?"
"Maybe a little of both. I'll get over it." He smiled and I gave him one in return.
"Well, it'll be up to you to close up here. Rebekah may want the place once I've gone."
"Yeah, of course. Are you going to New Orleans for good?" I asked. I'm not sure what answer I wanted to hear.
"It's possible," he said with a smirk.
"Well, that's good news. You can show me around, just like you said you would."
"You can count on it."
I've always been glad we had that conversation. I clung to it for so long after that. It would be an unfortunate amount of time before I was back on good footing with Klaus so this was all I had.
The days leading up to New Orleans were action-packed. Elijah and Klaus left without much fanfare. Elena's emotions turned back on and I was so grateful that I nearly cried. The veil dropped for really only a matter of hours. Kol went after Elena, and by extension me, only to be thwarted by Jeremy. Jeremy, Jeremy, Jeremy. I have never experienced the relief I felt in that moment, seeing him. He was still handsome, still strong. I cried as though I was the one who had had my flip switched. And the day of graduation, it became permanent, thanks to Bonnie. Alaric disappeared in front of Damon and I's eyes but Jeremy stayed. Silas was stopped but Jeremy was okay. I cried again.
But I still had made a commitment. I was able to leave Mystic Falls on good terms with both of my siblings, the three of us back to the way it used to be. The morning after graduation, I closed the doors to the Originals mansion and threw my suitcases into Damon's car. It was time.
Hey guys! So this chapter is sort of a bridge between TVD and The Originals. I'm sorry not too much happened! But next chapter will be jam-packed with the baby revelation (which you guys still don't know everything about). Are you ready for the Originals? Sad about leaving Mystic Falls? I'm going to be super sad to sort of let Damon go (he'll be keeping in touch over the phone) but I'm excited about people like Marcel! Are you excited? Because I am!
