The thing about Bonnie Bennett, is that she's the kind of person everyone sort of just falls in love with. Another thing about miss Bennett, is that everyone knows they don't really have a chance with her, so they go for Caroline or Elena. Bonnie is always nice and sweet and genuine and smart, but she doesn't have time for teenage melodrama. The third thing about Bonnie, is that when asked who her best friend is she normally just replies, "Pick between Caroline and Elena… That's not something that I'd even know how to begin to do, so we will just say both are my besties."
While this answer is convincing and acceptable for most people, Bonnie knows that the true answer would not be either of those girls. Because while she loves them both, they don't really know her… not the way her best friend does. This is fine, and they will never know, so what is the harm in stroking their egos a little?
At least, she had assumed up until this moment that they'd never find out.
While standing just outside the front office of the high school whispering, "please be hot," she say the new kid turn around and just that quickly saw her carefully crafted lies to her friends fall apart.
Because she knows better than most, that where Stefan Salvatore is, her best friend isn't far behind. 'Oy vey, this was going to be an interesting school year,' She thought to herself as he walked by with no recognition. Watching the obnoxiously cute 'meet cute' take place between her doe eyed friend (who Bonnie knew for a fact looked exactly like one miss Katerina Petrova) and her best friend's brooding brother take place, just outside the boys restroom take place. 'Yep,' she thought as she rolled her eyes, 'Interesting indeed.'
As she walked into the Mystic Grille, later that afternoon, she was bombarded with her blonde friend hooking their arms together and walking her towards a table. "His name is Stefan Salvatore. He lives with his uncle up at the old Salvatore Boarding House. He hasn't lived here since he was a kid. Military family, so they moved around a lot. He's a Gemini and his favorite color is blue."
Bonnie couldn't help but be charmed and a bit frightened at her friend's level on intel on Stefan after only a few hours. "You got all that in one day, Care?"
Caroline laughed, "please. I got all that between third and fourth period. We are planning a June wedding."
The short caramel skinned girl just tilted her head slightly to the side and grimaced. "I wouldn't be too sure about that. I saw Elena and him have a 'meet cute' when she crashed into him as she was walking out of the boys restroom."
"Ugh, only Elena could have a 'meet cute' with someone after being a weirdo. Okay, fine. So maybe no June wedding… at least for me. You think Elena would let me plan hers?"
"I'd fear for her life if she didn't."
"Then that's fine." Caroline and Bonnie both saw Matt, who waved to them from across the room where he was playing pool with Tyler. "But who will be the one to break it to poor Marty?"
"Not it!" Bonnie snickered as she ducked out from underneath her taller friend's arm and speed walked over to Vicki to place an order of fries and a milkshake.
Caroline was about to follow when she saw both Elena and Stefan one in, chatting it up. Walking over to them, she also noticed Matt and Tyler seemed to have ended their game early, and head towards where Bonnie was sitting texting someone. The blonde grinned knowingly, because everyone at school knew that Tyler had a not so small crush on Bonnie. Had since they were kids. Sure he'd date, but he never was serious with them and they were infrequent occurrences. Nobody quite know how Bonnie felt, and if she knew about how Tyler felt. Not even Elena or Caroline, herself. She shook her head looking back to the striking brunette duo in front of her who had started talking.
"Elena, hey!"
The brunette turned and smiled, "Hey, Care. Have you met Stefan."
"Nope, but I probably know everything there is to know about him. Hi!"
Elena chuckled, "There is one person who knows what everybody at school knows and more, and that is of course miss Caroline Forbes."
Caroline did a quick little curtsy, the thumbs and middle fingers of each hand holding out her invisible skirt. The two girls laughed, and turned to see Stefan smiling.
"Well, very nice to meet you Miss Forbes."
"Same. Okay, we all know each other. Let's go sit down and see just how much of an idiot Tyler can go make himself look like while flirting with Bonnie."
The girls laughed, hooking their arms together, and Stefan shrugged and followed a tad slower behind, listening as the two girls kept talking about their other best friend, and one of the football players. This Tyler guy. Stefan just couldn't help how shocked he was that Elena was so different from Katherine.
They all sat down, introducing themselves to Stefan an vice versa. Matt more grudgingly than the other two. Tyler seemed a bit standoffish (probably since Matt seemed to be his best friend), but appeared to just be happy that Bonnie didn't seem to be into Stefan. After talking for a while, Caroline brought up the subject of the party fly the falls, inviting him along.
Stefan turned to Elena, leaning closer slightly, "Are you going?"
Elena blushed, smiled an opened her mouth to reply, only to be cut off by a voice he had hoped to never hear.
"Brother, brother, brother." Stefan and the rest of the table turned to look at the tall, blue-eyed, pale guy with jet black hair shaking his head in disappointment. "I'd like to say that I am shocked that you'd go for the look alike, instead of this goddess here," waving a hand up and down in Bonnie's direction, wiggling his eyebrows. He smirked when he heard her giggle, relishing the sound, before returning his attention back to his dull forehead of a brother. "Or at the very least, the pretty blonde sitting to your left." He winked at her, and Caroline just kind of smiled back in confusion at this older guy.
"Now, Damon, let's not-"
"No." He pulled a chair from a nearby table, and shoved it between the dog boy and Bonnie. Getting comfortable as he sat throwing an arm over the back of Bonnie's chair he said, "Let's. It's been so long since we last talked, brother. You don't call. You don't write. You don't fax."
Bonnie laughed as she joined in, "You don't email."
Nodding his head in agreement, "That's right, Bon Bon. He has never emailed me. Truly, I am hurt. It's like he doesn't love me anymore. His first day at a new school starts and I had to figure that out by myself. Steffy, baby bro, I love you. I would have made your lunch, picked you up and dropped you off. But again, I had to miss another milestone, and it hurts." He pressed his lips together, shaking his head, while he wiped away fake tears.
Bonnie had slightly turned towards him and was running a hand up and down the arm that wasn't on the back of her chair. She dramatically saying, "Shush, it's okay. It's all going to be okay, Damon. We will get through this together."
At least she was until their eyes caught, and they both started laughing. When they finally calmed down they turned back to the table and saw everyone looking at them in confusion, with Stefan looking worried as well.
"Okay, first," Caroline said, "Who are you? And Bonnie why have you been keeping this eye candy a secret?"
"Hear that, Bon Bon? I'm eye candy," he did his weird eye thing and leaned closer to the girl in question. She laughed and pushed his face away with a 'you wish' thrown back. Straightening back up he returned to the question at hand, "I'm Damon Salvatore, Stefan's older, more fun, and more attractive brother. And I'm obviously Bonnie's one and only best friend."
"Um…" Elena just looks from Damon to Bonnie to Stefan, and back.
"Excuse me, but I'd beg to differ. Elena and I are Bonnie's best friends. And we have never heard of you. Tell him Bonnie." Caroline looks imploringly at her shorter friend.
"Look lady, I don't care what you beg for or what you have or have not heard. You and Bambi over here might be close friends with Bon Bon, but best friends you are not. That is my role and only my role. See, I don't share titles. But just be happy that I'm kind enough to forgive your misguided judgment. Right, Judgey?" He uses one of his hands to make Bonnie look like she was nodding. "See. She agrees."
Smacking his hand away, she sakes her head. "Sorry, Care. But the alcoholic is correct. He has been to number one bestie for what seems like since forever."
"But-" The blonde starts before being interrupted.
"You guys have been friends for forever? I find that hard to believe." Turning and giving Bonnie a worried look he asks, "Are you okay? My brother isn't the best guy to get involved with."
The green eyed girl laughs uncaringly. "Please, Stefan, spare me your bullshit concern."
"Bonnie!" The two other girls say shocked that their pint sized friend, who loves everyone, would be so blunt and dismissive. The other two guys at the table look at each other as if to say, 'you heard that too, right?'
"I know exactly who your brother is. My entire family knows who he is, and it has not ever been a cause for concern. You on the other hand, they seemed concerned about you. My grams has always said, 'watch out for that younger Salvatore bother, child, he seems docile and tamed but he will turn on you in an instant.' In fact, I've even heard it been said that some people call you a 'ripper' with the way you rip through people…'s hearts" She gave a crooked smirk as she noticed his shock and guilt play over his face.
The rest of the table suddenly looked very uneasy at Stefan, and between Stefan and Bonnie. Because everyone knows that if Bonnie doesn't like you, there really must be something wrong with you. Her instincts have always been spot on.
Clearing his throat for an extra moment to collect himself. "I'm not sure what you've been told, by your grams or anyone else. But I haven't been back to Mystic Falls since 1994. I don't see how they could know anything about my brother or I."
"Well that's obvious, brother. The women in Judgey's family have always had that extra something about them." Damon does his weird wide eyed eyebrow wiggle, while Stefan squints in confusion.
"Is it just me, or does it feel like a Dr. Phil episode suddenly," Tyler asks, trying to ease the tension.
"Who is your grandmother, if you don't mind my asking?"
"I don't mind at all. To me she is and his always been grams. But you may know her better as Sheila Bennett, great great great granddaughter of Emily Bennett. Who, correct me if I'm wrong, was the "handmaid" (which just sounds like a fancy name for slave, I don't know about you) to one Katherine Pierce."
Looking shocked, "Bennet? You are Sheila's granddaughter?"
"Surprise!" Damon says cheerfully waving his hands like a cheerleader.