Chapter 2 : Made in England
"You reek of desperation" Bonnie said untying her hair in the mirror. Klaus was standing by the door way giggling. He had been stalking her for 3 days, trying to convince her to come to London and meet his label.
"Why me?"
" Why not you? You can be a changer. You don't even know what you can do with that voice. You're wasting time here. I know you're curious about what it is like across the pond" he smirked.
Bonnie packed her bag and got up "Bad haircuts and funny accents. What do you even eat over there?"
He followed her as she walked out the empty bar.
" All sorts. The label assistant Thalia her family is from Jamaica and she makes the most amazing dishes. You would love Hayley she is the creative genius behind the band. She styles everything. We are like a family, I know everyone will love you. You don't have to be afraid"
Bonnie turned back and looked at him, she exhaled "You would still have to pass my mother."
He offered to take her home and Bonnie gave in, they sat in the backseat and Bonnie noticed the driver glancing at her as they drove down the street. Bonnie squeezed her hands together and looked out the window pretending it was nothing. She knew that look white folks around here gave. It was stare of disgust.
" Is there a problem,sir?" Klaus asked looking at the driver. He looked between the two "Not a problem here"
Bonnie and Klaus could smell the aroma of Creole food as they stepped out of the car and onto the Bennetts property. He followed her to the back door, Abby was taking out Grams butter biscuits out of the oven " It's about time you got home" she said placing the biscuits on the counter.
"Smells great in here" Klaus said. Abby turned quickly to the unfamiliar voice. Her shoulders were tense as she looked between Bonnie and the guy.
"WHO'S THIS? WHAT DID YOU DO?" Abby yelled.
"Just listen to him, mom" Bonnie exhaled folding her arms. Klaus extended his hand to Abby who frowned at him and his hand.
"What does he want?"
Klaus explained he thought Bonnie was an amazing singer and he wants to take her to London to work with her.
Abby placed her hands on her hips "Ma get in here now!" She yelled out for Grams. Sheila feet quickened into the kitchen, she was sewing buttons onto one of Bonnie's blouse "What now!" Her eyes made its way to Klaus " Oh my lord is that who I think it is? Niklaus Mikaelson...CruelWaters. I got all yall records and the album."
"Ma I don't care okay. This man wants to take Bonnie to London to work on her music stuff"
" What? That's amazing. Our little Bonnie loves singing she can sing anything. Oh baby you're so skinny. I should fix you a plate" Grams said.
" It's fine. I just think this would be a great opportunity for Bonnie. She can do so much more with her voice. She would be much more successful in England than here" Klaus turned his attention to Abby who he was trying to convince. He sensed her resentment. It was the early 60s in the South; a funny talking white man walking into her kitchen talking about taking her daughter a way was alarming. He understood the dark times in America.
"I don't know you nor trust you. Bonnie doesn't know you. Besides Bonnie know this music stuff needs to stop, she's becoming a nurse" Abby said rolling her eyes clenching her jaw.
Klaus glanced at Bonnie and smiled "Well the offer is still on the table. Take care" he said walking out of the backdoor. There was an awkward silence between the three creole women. Bonnie walked out the kitchen and up to her room. She threw herself on the bed and didn't realise she had fallen asleep until she woke up at 12am to her mother and grandmother arguing about her wellbeing in the other room.
"We both love her and want the best for her. It was hard in my time..it was hard for you to raise her as single black mother in the South but Bonnie she got such a light she can change so many things for us and for herself. She loves music she isn't going to be happy being a nurse"
"So Bonnie should run away with the white man just so he can break his promises" Abby said slamming clean clothes into the drawers "Sounds familiar, ma"
Sheila froze and stared at her daughter, there are some things she didn't talk about, some things Bonnie didn't know about Sheila's life.
"You know ..child...some days you push it and I'm tired of your bitter attitude " Grams gritted her teeth and left the room.
Bonnie was laying down staring up at the ceiling, recapping her life. She was tired of her mother's nagging, being the only black her at the bar barely making tips and white folks acting like she was dirt. She needed to take care of herself.
The next morning Sheila and Abby were making breakfast in silence, Abby felt the tension she didn't want with her mother "I'm sorry. I...I just worry about Bonnie ...I don't want to lose my child like Miss Fiona. I think about that everyday. I worry about her safety out there"
Miss Fiona's daughter was lynched in Baton Rouge last month. The little girl was only 14, riding her bike and picked fruits on land she wasn't supposed be on. A few white boys saw her and told the owner. Poor girl met her faith over berries.
Grams hugged her daughter as they sat and at breakfast, midway through they realised Bonnie didn't come down yet " Lord I know she's mad but atleast she can come and eat something " Abby said looking at the clock. Suddenly Bonnie walked into the kitchen well dressed clutching a suitcase, Abby slammed her fork down on the wooden table "What is Bonnie Bennett up to now?"
Bonnie cleared her throat "I'm 18 and I'm old enough to make my own decisions. I'm going to London with Klaus he's outside waiting. Let's face it Louisiana suck. This entire country probably suck too. Maybe I want to try a new place. You may not agree with my dreams but they are mine and I want this more than anything in the world. So I'm leaving. You can hate me I don't care" It was the first time Bonnie stood up to her mother. Sheila smiled and sipped her tea.
"Well atleast he can come inside..." Abby said. Bonnie invited him in, he smiled shyly and waved "She will be fine. She will be well taken care of. London is exciting"
"Mmmh. Well Bonnie better call us everyday and no funny business" Abby said looking at him from head to toe. Sheila got up and squeezed her grandbaby tightly "We'll miss you. "
" Try anything and I personally will find you" Abby said staring at Klaus who nodded.
Bonnie's emerald eyes gleamed as she stared out the backseat window at the City of London. The Victorian and Georgian buildings were intimidating, it was unlike anything she had ever seen before and definitely a lot more vast than New Orleans.
It wasn't until the car turn onto the road leading to Klaus property did she gasp alittle. The building was hidden by tall trees and seated on acres and acres of land. What a exquisite mansion Bonnie thought. The driver stop at the door's entrance, Klaus helped her with the bags as she walked inside looking up at the ceiling and the staircase facing them. She didn't realise Klaus was describing the history and how he acquire the house as he walked up stairs.
In the living room a brunette and redhead who were painting their nails heard the sound of Klaus voice talking to someone and looked at each other immediately. The two women scrabbled themselves out from their seats and ran to take a look. They saw Klaus and Bonnie walking up the stairs " Who's that?" The brunette asked. They decided to run up the stairs to catch up with them.
Klaus opened the door to show Bonnie her room "The view is great. You can see the private park from here. You can take a stroll there if you like sometime. Your own bathroom. Phone. Uh Cecilia is the cook you'll meet her, we are meeting Elijah and the rest of the band this afternoon" he said excitingly.
"Heyyyyy" the brunette appeared in the room intertwining her fingers with Klaus and squeezing them "Oh Hello darling. This is a Bonnie Bennett she is a singer and I'm taking her to meet Elijah "
She smiled and extended her hand to her "Elena Gilbert"
The redhead leaned against the door folding her arms and smirking "That's Aurora"
The woman gave a little wave and Bonnie smiled.
After they left Bonnie threw herself on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. She sat up to call her mother she knew she would want to know if she's alive.
Later in the afternoon Klaus was bustling around between different rooms looking for his car keys. He found himself in the living room looking between the furniture "so you had fun in Louisiana?" Aurora said with a Martini in one hand and the other on her hip.
"Don't start with me. Bonnie is strictly business she is going to be the first woman on the label as long as Elijah approves"
She rolled her eyes and sipped her martini.
"For fuck sake where are my keys?"
"You know, while you were out having an adventure Elena has been stepping out of her good girl persona. Late nights home and going out after work. She even borrowed the cadillac" Aurora bit the bottom of her lip and removed the keys from her pocket and dangling it infront of his face "I had to take it away from her. I can't imagine your wrath if she wrecked it"
Klaus narrowed his eyes and snatched it from her
"I'm ready" Bonnie announced standing at the bottom of the staircase. The two walked to Klaus convertible cadillac and got in "So Elena and Aurora?" Bonnie said raising her eyebrows and putting on her seat belt.
"Don't judge me" he said speeding off. Bonnie smiled.
Bonnie's fingers gently glazed the instruments in the studio, she was a tiny teen in a big space that was the resemblance of a ballroom. In a glass room facing Bonnie sat the band and Elijah carefully observing her " The South does have some of the best singers" Elijah said
"I can't stop staring at her" Kol said.
"Well try harder" Klaus muttered.
Elijah pressed the microphone on "Uh Miss Bonnie Bennett..have you ever listen to rock n' roll?"
Bonnie was startled she turned back immediately smiling and waving at the guy "Um my grandma would play her Chuck Berry and Rosetta record. Ya know the real ...pioneers" Bonnie smirked touching the guitars.
"Sassy girl. My brother thinks you got a voice for rock n' roll but you aren't using it" Elijah said. Bonnie shrugged.
"I heard you write songs which is impressive. We would love to hear something ". Bonnie smiled and stepped up to microphone as she watched Elijah's signals -
"I love you
You broke my heart
Loving you torn me apart
I can't sleep
You broke my heart
2am I can't I can't breathe
Losing your heart
Tearing me apart
You broke my heart
In the Moonlight
I let my heart go
I said goodbye
It's the end of love
Its the end of love"
Bonnie stared at them from a distance, they were whispering with blank emotions amongst each other.
"Yall real quiet back there. I don't want to waste anyone's time. I'm sorry if it was bad"
"No No No...have you ever been in love?" He asked.
Bonnie laughed lightly " No I never . But I could imagine what it's like and the heartbreak. My mama and grandma went through heartbreaks"
Elijah smiled at her " You're the whole package. You are beautiful, Sassy and you have a great voice. I'm sure you can sing anything with that voice. But this is a rock n' roll label, if you want to do that Shirley Bassey Dusty Springfield stuff I can refer you to some people. If you don't want to be compared to the rest we can work on your new sound and you can make history. I think England would love you"
Bonnie felt her chest tightened and she exhaled.
" We are a family here. You would have the best support. Klaus and Enzo they could help you write songs...it's all up to you"
"All my life all I wanted to do was sing. I get bored sometimes singing about heartbreak and love. I see what's happening in the South and I want to sing about how angry it makes me. I want to be here." Bonnie said