The unrelenting banging wouldn't stop, a rhythmic pounding pulling Kai out of Bonnie's embrace in his dream propelling him forward and sitting up straight. Seeing he was alone in Bon's bed the knocking continued and dragged his feet down the hallway. Sadly he opened the door and stepped halfway through before his eyes adjusted to the early morning and was yanked by the wife beater feeling his back forcefully connect with the house.
"So I was sitting at home enjoying my glass of bourbon and eavesdropping in on blondie and my brother's conversation when phrases like 'doomed for all eternity' and 'Salvatore's can't be with supernatural beings' started being thrown around. Imagine my lack of surprise when I heard that your Coven is the cause of everything bad that has ever happened to me."
"Get in line," Kai snickered losing oxygen by his vocal cords being cut off staring back at a pair of mopey eyes.
"Then fix it, magic boy."
"I'm trying to," he wheezed throwing up an arm breaking the grip around his throat.
"Try harder."
"Have your pity party someone else, leech. I decline the invite. How much do you know, anyway?"
"Everything Vampire Barbie knows. That your breed put a curse against my bloodline and Bonnie's forbidding us from being able to start a family and be happy with another supernatural being. And if we try to get around it then the Universe will step in and take care of it by killing someone off or something else overly dramatic."
"Sounds about right. Funny isn't it, our families were butting head since the very beginning."
"Stefan and I weren't the only lineage you cursed for all Eternity. Speaking of, where is that little Bon-Bon witch?"
"With the girls?"
"I just told you Caroline is with my brother at the house."
"Okay then with just the one girl, the less bubbly one. Kind of hot, loving the single life, sounds familiar?"
Another hard shove and Kai's brain felt like it was rattling from whiplash. "I would think real hard how you choose to talk to me about this. I am very on edge."
"Imagine how your brother feels. It was his and Elena's doppelgangers and their everlasting love that set all of this in motion, after all. Must be pretty confusing questioning 'the powers that be'."
"You're pushing me."
"So push back," he shrugged letting out a harsh sound when his adversary did exactly that. "It's just a figure of speech."
"I don't have time for your repartee. Call up your little witch and make with the magical juju to get rid of this hex."
"Why are you invested?" Kai asked and started cracked up when he answered his own question in his head. "Is this really over Elena? Jeez, what is it about that girl that makes everyone crazy."
"Who is everyone?"
"You, your brother before that," Kai summed up leaving a specific Gemini out of the mix. "Me, but in a very different way. You should just let that dream go. If you love something set it free and then hunt it down if it doesn't come back. Or however that saying goes."
"Not even close."
"Eh, you get the jist."
"Would you set Bonnie free if she asked for it?"
"Sure, and then I'd hunt her down and make her mine again. Easy peasy."
"Nice to see you're still picking the homicidal stalker approach," Damon jeered and he gave an easy going smile in response.
"An oldie but a goodie."
"Make all the little snide comments you want. The joke will be on you when Bon-Bon leaves your ass," the cocky smile dipped even deeper making his eyes do that obnoxious squint thing like he's so proud of himself. "Blondie may have let something slip about her trying to leave you in the dust but you just won't go away. Like gum on a shoe."
"I prefer something a little more passionate, like-"
"A wild animal poaching its prey?"
"Sure, that works," the left corner of his mouth curved, "but at least my girl still wants me. She's just afraid of how intensely it stems from. We're like the role-playing version of your scenario."
"Or she's using her brain and knows you'll stop at nothing for your Coven and doesn't want to be your second choice."
"She isn't."
"Mhm very convincing leader of the Gemini cult."
"Now that you mention it, that reminds me," leaning off the side of the house Kai stood tall gaining a few inches over Damon and stared him down. "I need you to keep this information to yourself. You knowing about this is dangerous, not just for me but for Bonnie. My father is not a man to deceive and I can't have him catching wind of anything seeming off."
"Right."
"I'm not telling you to do this for me. I will protect Bon no matter what the cost, including snapping your neck before you go blabbing and the wrong person hears it. Do we have an understanding on this?"
"Talking about Bonster dumping your ass equals magical neck snap, not a hard code to crack. But you fixing what your ancestors are putting the rest of us through now, that one seems a little tougher."
"I'm handling it."
"I can see that, tell Bon-Bon I say hello," Damon jested looking positively tickled at him struggling with her.
"Will do, and I'll be sure to send that message Elena's way in Chemistry too." The deeper his adversary's scowl became the brighter Kai's smile grew flashing his pearly whites. "Was there anything else you needed?"
"Just get your witchy-woo in sync and take care of this mess. Do whatever it takes."
"Oh, anything to get the happy undead couple together again," he feigned sincerity, chuckling to himself watching Damon storm down the steps and speed off in the Camaro.
It was now the third day since Kai had seen Bonnie and he had to give credit where it was due, she was doing an exceptional job at avoiding him. She refused to be at Sheila's, assuming it was from fear of being cornered in a house alone with him. For all intents and purposes she was untraceable on campus and her friend's even went as far as barricading their dorm room to block him from entering. The lack of Bonnie in his life has been affecting Kai in the weirdest of ways that he used to make fun of all of his love-struck friends over.
'Can't eat, can't sleep, can't think about anything else', he ran down the mental checklist with a roll of his eyes. A chiming in his pocket drew in his attention and pulled the phone out of his pocket seeing Anna's name on the screen requesting to use Face Time, swiping accept.
"Kai!"
"Yo, Boss Man!" Cooper hollered over her shoulder, panning around her to see she was with the rest of the group.
"We're looking to get ourselves into some trouble today. I'm talking permanent damage. You in?"
"I'm interested. What did you have in mind?"
"That wasn't enough to draw you in? Wow," Hayes scoffed walking into the camera, "you think you know a guy."
"Can you get out of my face? Thanks," Anna reprimanded putting her palm to his face and pushing him out of the frame. "Anyways, we've been wanting to do something for years and years but really wanted one person from each of the families to do it for the symbolism –"
"And you seem down in the dumps lately," Hayes yelled from the other side of the room.
"Yeah, you've kind of – you seem like you've had a lot on your mind so we were thinking it would be cool if we all did something together."
"As a fra-mily," Emma beamed popping into view, raising a brow at her in inquiry, "friends who are like family. AKA, the Gemini Clan!"
"So what do you say, are you game? You think you got what it takes?"
"For what?" Kai questioned once more seeing each of their eager faces clearly not wanting to tell him until one of them couldn't take it anymore.
"Tattoos, bro!"
"Yo, it was supposed to be a surprise!"
'Well – surprise! It's tattoo day and we're all going to get something – anything we want – but it has to have the Gemini symbol or something that ties into being a Gemini with it."
"And we finally have a Parker we want to share this with! Not to knock your sibling's but-"Turner cleared his throat lifting a shoulder, "you know. We didn't run with the same crowd."
"You're serious?" Kai marveled looking at everyone's bright and animated expressions.
"Hell yeah!"
"Dude we're doing it, you have to too!"
"Come on please," Anna implored batting her eyelashes and tilting her head a fraction popping out her bottom lip, the exact face Ash used to make at him when she wanted something. "We want to share this with you."
"Yeah man you're our leader! Lead the way to the tattoo parlor," Cooper chortled tilting his head back glugging a nip of liquor. "And we have something else to tell you! We're-"
"Stop ruining the surprises! Stupid boys!"
"Ever think that maybe the Kingpin doesn't like being blindsided?"
An ominous silence fell over the group, Hayes' loud snort breaking the awkwardness. "Oh shit Coop I think you just nailed it."
"Okay so no showing up at Parker's unannounced or leading him into an unknown location without worrying for our safety, got it."
"Well that's an obvious. But still, fair point," Anna concurred getting inside a car. "Soooo…"
"Come on Kai, live a little!"
"We need the whole gang and you're a part of it."
Kai smiled at the genuine sentiment, taken back by the outward kindness and inclusion in something that is very personal and important to the group of friends. Tattoos were always something that intrigued him but living in a house with his father left limited room to do any extracurricular activities outside of the basics. Now he was being given an opportunity not only to check a major task off the bucket list but to be able to with other Gemini's, of his Coven.
"Sure, why not."
"Really?!"
"Did he say yes?"
"Woo! Yeah man!"
"Oh my God this is going to be so much fun," Anna beamed wiggling around in her seat. "Where are you, do you want to meet us at the Parlor? It's called Pleasure & Pain."
"How ingenious," he remarked going back inside to grab his wallet and keys. "Yeah I can meet you there."
"Okay it's only a twenty minute drive from Whitmore so we'll see you in about a half an hour?"
"You got it."
The entire ride over Kai's mind raced through the possibilities of what he would want as a tattoo and where he should get it. The Gemini symbol or something revolved around the term needed to be incorporated in it but they weren't suggesting that be the entire tattoo which was a good thing because he wasn't interested having a giant permanent image of something on his body that wasn't even his Zodiac sign. But what was his sign is Aries, the Ram, and that image has fascinated him since he was a child; the two terms coinciding with it being leadership and authority with an aggressive backbone from the horns.
The characteristics that followed were also qualities Kai took great pride in; like courageous, spontaneous, determined, innovative, physically active, and competitive checked off a few major traits off his list. His 'negative' traits also brought on a feeling of accomplishment and very fitting to his lifestyle, like being ruthless, impulsive, selfish, rash, impatient, a big ego, and possessive. Overall it appeared that Kai was born to be a fighter, even when the odds were stacked against him, and that backing down was not in his nature. The older he's gotten the more prominent his Zodiac has integrated into his life molding him into the personality they have written on paper, and he takes pride in that.
"You made it!" Anna cheered running at him full sprint and colliding into his chest squeezing him tightly. "I'm so excited! We've wanted to get these for years!"
"Yo, we are about to get Gemini tattoos with our Coven leader. This is so sick," Cooper commented coming up beside him and slapping him on the shoulder.
"This has to be the first time something like this has ever happened," Turner chimed in.
"For real man, we're breaking the mold! Setting the bar, getting shit done."
"Kicking ass and taking names," Emma teased back at her boyfriend which only egged him on more and scooped her up in a bear hug.
"That's how we do it, baby!"
"Do you know what you're going to get?"
"I have an idea of what I want it based on. What about you guys, I'm sure you've had it all mapped out since you were thirteen."
"You're damn right, Commander. They are all ill in their own ways. Besides the girls since they wanted to be 'super cute' and get matching ones."
"Yes! We're going to get the Gemini twins; one as an Angel and the other a Devil and we're going to use some of our features like our hair and eyes to make them look like us."
"Who is the Devil?" Kai wondered and the group collectively guffawed.
"It isn't obvious?" Turner wrapped his arm around Anna's shoulders, "this girl is the Princess of Darkness, for sure."
"Yeah my girl's an Angel," Hayes stood tall kissing Emma on the cheek, turning back to the guy's with a smirk that said that wasn't entirely truthful.
"And we're getting them on the outside of each thigh on opposite sides."
"Oh and the symbol is going to be on our Gemini's wings! And they'll be flying back-to-back, Charlie's Angel's style."
"Isn't there three of them?"
"Yeah but we don't need the middle person they just get in the way," Emma shooed the idea away. "So who wants to go first? I vote me and AnnaLynne!"
"Me too!"
"Ooh sorry boys you were just a bit too slow on that round. Better luck next time."
"You're the only one that's never been tatted up babe. You lost the race years ago."
"You all have tattoos? How'd you get that by my pops?"
"With high levels of stealth," Hayes boasted puffing out his chest, "because we we're all dipshits and got them in obvious places."
"Yeah I got this one after my mom passed away," Anna informed Kai examining her right inner bicep where there was a Latin quote, followed by the English translation 'if you want peace, prepare for war' underneath it. "It's something she always used to say to me and my sister. Ashley got the same thing."
"Smart woman."
"I did something for my parents too," Coop grinned stretching out his fingers on his left hand revealing two small tattoo's on the inside of his index and middle fingers. A single stemmed rose ran down his index and the head and half a body of a serpent with its mouth open and fangs at the ready was on the other.
"Now show him the other one," Emma suggested and he pulled up his sleeve revealing a decent sized skull below his wrist facing him with a King's crown on its head.
"That's pretty cool."
"Yeah?" Cooper beamed; face lighting up at the compliment. "Dude I thought you were going to hate it or think I was trying to play off I was the 'the man' or something I was freaking out when I figured you'd see it today."
"It's true he talked about it the whole ride over," Anna chimed in lowering her voice to mimic his. "Do you think Parker's going to be offended by this? Do you think he'll be pissed? Should I cover it up?' It was too cute."
"Don't worry you're safe from my wrath. I'm more curious on why you got it."
"It was right after you became our new leader. I figured rather than let my past or future define my actions or who I am, I want to strive to be in a constant 'in the moment' state. The crown symbolizes the time in which I realized my life is my own, and it's in my control. Simple and pretty blatant, but also something we tend to forget at times, especially with the lifestyle we were born into."
"Well I was not expecting that for an answer. More along the lines of 'I like skulls and I'm the King of my world,' but you went a step farther. Nice."
Coop was smiling so hard Kai thought his teeth might crack from the pressure as he rolled back down his sleeve. Turner had the most impressive tattoo that he would have had to have been blind to miss since the tribal designs went all the way up his arm but he had explained he's become so accustomed to magically covering it up that he does it now just out of habit. Hayes' tattoo on the other hand left Kai with a rumble in his stomach as the laughter barreled over.
"What? It's not that bad," Hayes defended his tattoo looking down to a small hand giving the thumbs up near where his thumb and wrist connect.
"Why would you get that?"
"Cause every little 'ting, is gonna be alright," he sang in a Jamaican accent swaying side to side.
"Yep, that's what he drunkenly sang the entire time he was getting it," Emma explained with a roll of her eyes. "What does Bob Marley have to do with a thumbs up sign anyway?"
"Cause…"
"Don't do it."
"Every little 'ting, is gonna be alright!"
"I hate you so much," Emma giggled letting her chortles spill over. "Don't stop now. Show him the other one."
With a shrug Hayes lifted the left sleeve up to the shoulder showcasing the word 'MOM' in big blocky bubble letters, looking far from professionally done.
"Mom?"
"Yeah, I love my mom," he grinned rubbing his fingers over the letters, "she didn't love me too much after seeing it though. Grounded me for a week all for showing my love and support."
"And idiocy," his girlfriend added kissing him on the cheek. "If I were your mom I would have burned it off."
"The tattoo?"
"No the whole arm," she toyed with him lightheartedly, "but fortunately for you you've got some pretty creative and talented friends who made sure the next tattoo is an actual work of art."
"Yeah man, check it out."
Whipping out his phone and scrolling through pictures Hayes tilted the phone to show him what he was going to get. The image was one that Kai knew well not only from it co-mingling with the Gemini lifestyle but from the theater teacher chasing him around High School all four years. The Comedy and Tragedy masks were facing away from each other, one with a sinister smile and the other's mouth agape in pure agony but they weren't like any common Theater masks – they were clowns. Angular, sharp edges with prominent features like dark thin eyebrows, no eyes in the sockets, a dark black slash straight down from each eyebrow to cheek and it wouldn't be a clown without a big red nose. Except this tattoo was entirely black-and-white with no clown makeup besides the nose which made it all the more menacing. The Gemini symbol was carved into both of the masks temples.
"Now there's a tattoo," Kai praised swiping the phone out of his hand for a closer look. "Where are you getting it?"
Hayes lifted his right arm, "the inside of my forearm."
"I'm getting the tree of life on my chest with six roots underneath the trunk intermingling and six birds flying out of the bushes going across my shoulder," Turner joined in pointing to the same side his sleeve was on, nodding in appreciation.
"What about you, King Coop?"
Lighting up like a Christmas tree cooper Cooper pulled a folded up piece of paper from his back pocket handing it off. The sketch was of a guy's entire upper arm looking like it had been mauled by an animal. Shredded bits of skin were torn apart revealing all of the muscles and tendons inside. In the center of all of it buried deep inside was the Gemini symbol branded into a muscle.
"Damn. Did you draw this?"
"Nah AnnaLynne's sister actually drew this up for me. Sick, right? We've been telling her to dabble as a tattoo artist for years."
Kai grinned thinking back to all of the doodles that filled his room, locker, and eventually the entire school the older they got and the more talented Ash became. Scanning the page for her signature he spotted a little drawing of a daisy at the bottom of the page with her initials next to it.
"Yup, certified by her and everything."
"With her weird ass daisy that makes no sense to anything," Anna criticized shaking her head pulling out a piece of paper from her pocket too. "She did the same thing on mine."
"It's her signature, it symbolizes good luck and happiness," Kai explained like it was common knowledge, scanning the group's perplexed faces. "I grew up with Ash, remember?"
"Yeah that's some bizarre shit. I keep forgetting, the more you chill with us the more I think you're just one of the gang," Hayes disclosed bumping the side of his arm with his, eyes widening as he began to backpedal. "Not to say you're not the leader and that we don't see you that way because we totally do, man. For real. You're a kick ass leader. I just meant-"
"I know what you meant," he chuckled bumping his arm back to ease him back down from his spiral. "I appreciate that."
"Any time, bro."
"Yeah you sure as hell don't act like you're my parents age, that's for sure."
"And you definitely don't look it," Emma smiled off to the side, turning to her and Anna both on the verge of blushing and were all smiles.
"Thanks babe, I'm right here."
"Awh don't worry hun, you don't act your age either," she said sugary sweet with a wink bringing forth a genuine jaw-dropping response from her boyfriend.
"So what are you going to get, Kai?" Anna's voice brought him back in focusing on the task at hand.
"Well since we're talking about Gemini's which happens to be a Zodiac symbol I figured I'd kill two birds with one stone and incorporate the two together."
"What are you?"
"Aries."
"When's your birthday?"
"April 14th," he recited, a cold chill spiking up his neck vocalizing the date for the first time in almost twenty years and being able to acknowledge it as a significant day again.
"Oh what that's only a few weeks away. Guy we are going to have a rager! Leave it all up to us, we got'chu."
"A party for the Ruler of the Gemini world and we get to plan the event. I've already got some ideas brewing. You drink, right? I mean you must, Joshua Parker is your father. Are you afraid of heights? Or animals? Water? What about confined spaces?"
"I don't scare easily," rolled off Kai's tongue with a smirk, "but what would have all of those things?"
"I don't know I'm just trying to get a feel of where we should go with this."
"You really don't have to."
"It would be an honor, Commander."
"We insist."
"It's monumental, homie. This is the first year you'll actually be aging, right? 23?"
"Yeah."
"Then we're going all out, Cuz. Prepare yourself, it's gonna be lit."
"Super lit, like fireworks."
"So you and Jo are a couple of Ram's putting heads? That's funny."
"Oh no doubt, you got to keep them in separate pens," one of the guys teetered.
"You make a good point though it's going to be Jo's birthday too. Do you think she'll come if we invite her and maybe do a twin-festival thing?"
"My sister was never really the biggest party person. I pretty much took that the lead on that and dragged her along."
"Then you've already got a fool-proof game plan, homeboy."
"Except we don't really look like twins on the outside anymore which could be confusing to strangers," Kai chuckled opening the front door for the girls.
"Then we'll just say she's your older sister or your aunt or something. Come on, it'll be cool."
"Fine, I'll see if she's up for it. But do me a favor don't invite the entire Coven, would you? I don't want to see too many familiar faces; most of them aren't too favorable of mine."
"No old folks, got it. Maybe a few young ones who are dying to get a chance to interact with the Big Guy though?"
"No joke some of our friends from back home are pissed they aren't in our shoes."
"Wait 'til they hear about the tats!"
"Oh we're never gonna live it down."
"Come on AnnaLynne let's let steal the first spot in the chairs."
The group broke off into pairs conversing while they all went down the line getting called into a separate room. First the girls, then Hayes, Turner, and finally Coop while Kai hung back with an artist going over every little detail of what he wanted done. He was going to get a giant Rams skull on his upper back ending right below his neck. The horns stretched out across his shoulders and the image could only be described as emanating darkness; decayed and smoky with wisps of black streaks dripping upwards. The design was all black and white but the black appeared more like charcoal than ink and a Gemini symbol was carved into the center of its skull. Overall, Kai loved it.
The process of getting a tattoo wasn't nearly as excruciating as some of them made it out to be, either. Then again he's fairly certain he's been up against much worse hardships and physical trauma than his fellow Gemini's. Like the scar slashed across Kai's back, for example, that he made sure didn't touch the tattoo making them two separate permanent reminders of the type of man that he is and what he can endure. The ink was so time consuming that he was still getting his done long after the rest were finished aside from Cooper who had a lot of fine detailing that needed extra attention. By the time they were all finished it was after dinner and they were starving so they stopped at a fast food place for something quick.
"I would like to propose a toast," Hayes announced clearing his throat thrusting his cup of soda into the air, "to us – for being bad ass motherfuckers."
"Here! Here!"
"And to Kai, for being a kick ass Gemini leader and making this mandatory piece of our life something we want to be a part of again."
"You have made a positive impact in all of our lives. We're all really happy you made it out of that prison world, now of all times," Anna chimed in.
"Yeah we get to be the same age and party with the leader, there's nothing better."
Kai looked from one person to the next feeling his heart pound harder with each unexpected and overwhelming comment. Growing up he didn't consider himself 'unpopular' by any means, people loved him and Josette, but they were all kids who didn't know who he really was. What he was capable of or the terror he's caused in the past but this group did. They knew even more than he gave them credit for having to hear the horror stories from the generation that despised him most, painting him a heartless evil monster and still giving him a chance after all of that. These kids were willing to think for themselves and stand by what they believed in and those were attributes that Kai saw in himself and undoubtedly respected in others. He raised his glass along with them.
"Thank you, all of you, for giving me a chance and not immediately trying to banish me to another prison world. That would have really sucked."
"You're a lot different than we expected, that's for sure," Turner nodded clinking his cup against his.
"Not that much," Anna spoke softly, turning in his seat to the girl beside him with an unbiased sincerity reflecting back at him, "Ashley didn't bash you that badly."
"Same goes for my parents," Cooper disclosed dunking a fry in the frosty and tossing it in his mouth, "my dad used to tell me about Mr. Parker, 'don't listen to that son of a bitch. Kai was awesome.' I can't believe you're making me agree with him and my mom on something."
"Thanks, man."
"Oh! Can we tell him about the thing now?"
"We probably should otherwise he's going to be pretty mystified when we kidnap him tomorrow."
"True chains."
"So this weekend is supposed to be in the 70s and there's this sweet looking campground an hour away that's got all kinds of fun shit. You and Bonnie want to come?"
"I already asked Elena if she wanted to she said she's working late Friday but will come up Saturday."
"Ooooh our little Coop is hooked on that babe."
"Seriously Cody I've never seen you like this before."
"Yeah and we've seen you with a lot of chicks," Turner jabbed.
"What? Bro that's you."
"It's the both of you," Emma rolled her eyes turning her attention on her boyfriend, "thank you for not being a man-whore like your friends."
"Hey!"
"Any time, sweet tits."
The entire table convulsed with laughter until tears rolled down Kai's cheeks, gut busting out his side watching Emma slap Hayes around.
"Tell Caroline she can come too if she wants. She can even bring her man."
"Well her 'man' is a Salvatore and if one's going I can almost guarantee the other won't be far behind."
"So? Is the other one a serial killer or something?"
"That's one way of putting it," Kai snorted locking eyes on Cooper, "but no, his brother is Damon Salvatore."
"As in…"
"Elena's ex-boyfriend."
"The one that she thought died that you and Bonnie were in the Prison World with?"
"That would be the one."
"Oh, well, then fuck that," Coop snubbed with a disgusted face finishing his drink, "But Caroline can still come. She's cool."
"I'll let her know."
Finishing up their meal they parted ways making a direct path to the dorm rooms, but not for the guys building.
"Oh, hey Kai, Bonnie's-"
"Right behind you. Let me in."
"I uh, I don't know what you're talking about. But if you want to say what you need to say right here I can assure you I will get her the message."
"Because she'll be able to hear me from right here?" he summed up, sighing and resting a hand against the door frame. "Come on, Caroline. This is getting old."
"Then just give up on it," trilled from inside the room, clenching the wooden frame in response.
"Bon I don't want to use force to get into this room but I will."
"Leave me alone, please."
"We both know I can't," Kai let out truthfully observing the blonde's bottom lip pop out and put her hand over her heart like she was touched by the statement. "Besides, I need to ask you something."
"You can guess what my answer will be."
"Do you want to go camping this weekend with me and the Gemini's?"
"No."
"Are you sure about that? Elena's going."
"What?" the two girls echoed, Caroline spinning to face the room.
"What… Cody asked and I said yes. But I'm not going until Saturday so I'll only be there for half of it."
"What the hell! I want to go," their friend pouted crossing her arms.
"They invited you too, and offered to bring your boyfriend but I informed them of his last name and where one Salvatore goes the other isn't far behind."
"Yeah that's a bad way to ruin a good time. Okay! No boyfriend, but I am so there."
"Great, so now that I have both of your friends coming with me to hang out for the weekend," Kai continued staring at the door knowing she was directly on the other side. "Will you come too?"
"I don't think so."
"She'll be there."
"Elena," Bonnie hissed inside the room catching her friends' wide-eyed expressions, all collectively seeming awe-struck that the words came out of her mouth.
"Well what else are you going to do, hang with Damon all weekend? Pass. Come on, let's get out of here and have some fun!"
"I can't just-"making a sound of vexation the door swung open fully to a wrathful beauty on the other side. "I can't go with you."
"Yeah huh."
"Nu uh," Bon fumed back standing her ground, "this isn't up for discussion."
"But I miss you and you haven't seen me for days so I know you miss me too. Besides the gang invited you and if you don't show it's going to look pretty suspicious."
"Then maybe we should just tell them," she shrugged and Kai's insides turned, limbs turning to stone.
"Why tell them something that soon enough isn't going to be true anymore?"
"This isn't a joke."
"I'm not laughing."
The sternness in his tone stood out to everyone in the room, including himself. He could feel the tension rolling off his body in waves of heat discussing a conversation that he couldn't hate and disagree with any more if he tried.
"Okay so what time should Bonnie and I be ready tomorrow?"
"They didn't tell me when they were leaving. Probably after their classes, I'll call and let you know."
"Okay, tell them thanks for the invite! And we can't wait!"
Flicking his gaze back to Bon it felt like there was a tiny needle piercing through Kai's chest, over and over again, like some sick form of torture in an attempt to remove his heart from his body through acupuncture. And he wasn't sure how much more of it he could take.
"I'll see you both tomorrow."
Retreating down the hallway he couldn't bring himself to go to Sheila's house and sleep in Bonnie's bed without her so tonight, like every night's passed since she moved into the girls' room he made his way to the guy's dorm. Sprawling out sideways on the small mattress he made himself as comfortable as he could get for another restless night of tossing and turning.
