Come As You Are

by FireFlower17

Ava Fitzroy returns to Mystic Falls in the wake of her grandmother's death. A town her family had fled when she was young to escape demons hiding in the dark. With her return, more strange disappearances and deaths spring up. Slowly her nightmares turn to reality as she descends into the deep darkness of Mystic Falls, led by the dangerous and mysterious Salvatore Brothers.

20. Chapter 19: Beauty Pageant Dropout

Chapter 19: Beauty Pageant Dropout

---

"I'm going!" I called out to my uncle as I slung my backpack over my shoulder and walked into the foyer towards the doors leading outside. There weren't that many staff working on the ground floor so it was pretty empty. I didn't mind. It was fairly early too, there was an hour or so to kill before the school day actually started.

My uncle didn't say anything for a while until I reached for the moment. As if on cue, he yelled out. "Be home by 6 and have fun in school or whatever." He sounded slightly stressed and a little impatient. A side effect of John Gilbert being in town again. John was hovering around him like a vulture and uncle Nate wasn't the only victim of John. Damon had spent the last few days complaining about John Gilbert to me and Mr Saltzman which was very weird. It's not everyday that a vampire barges in on your one on one meeting with your history teacher to rant about a vampire hunter to two other vampire hunters. The irony. I'm sure Damon knew how ironic it was, maybe that's why he kept Mr Saltzman and me around.

Shaking my thoughts of that mess, I pulled the door open. The sky was a pale blue mixed with hues of pale yellow of the sun. Birds were chirping and I felt good. I flinched back as I came face to face with an unexpected visitor. In front of me stood none other than the mayor's wife, Carol Lockwood. Her shoulder length hair was styled the same as always with not a strand out of place. Her makeup was minimal but well done despite it being fairly early in the morning. She was busy smoothing out her navy blue dress and pulling at the sleeves of her cream blazer to notice my shocked face. Noticing my presence, her mouth turned into an even brighter smile. "Ava, nice to see you." She greeted me.

"Good morning Mrs Lockwood." I greeted back with an awkward smile. I turned slightly away from her and opened the door wider to let her in. "What brings you here so early?" I asked, raising my voice a little to get my uncle's attention.

"Ah well. You see…" Mrs Lockwood started. She moved her head around while her eyes wandered around for a minute as if she was looking for someone. Probably my uncle. "Are you alone?" She questioned, her ever present smile was still on her face.

As if on cue, my uncle walked into the foyer and stood behind me. "Morning Carol. What brings you here?" He greeted and leaned against the door frame.

"Nathaniel." She beamed. "Is Diana or Evelyn back?"

Uncle Nathaniel shook his head. "I'm sorry Carol but Evelyn had to fly to London for an exhibit while Diana is in Washington." He answered.

"Oh." Mrs Lockwood's smile faltered for a moment before she brightened up again. She stared at me and pulled her smile even wider. "That's a shame but you wouldn't mind letting me borrow Ava." She said, talking a step forward. There was that familiar patronizing tone in her voice that we all knew and hated so much. It was as if nothing had happened at the Founders' Kick-off party. Nothing like your son almost sleeping with the mother of his best friend.

I glanced at my uncle with a confused look. He simply shrugged off. His thoughts didn't give me any clue as to why Mrs Lockwood wanted to do with me. The last thing I wanted was to read Mrs Lockwood's mind either. Who knows what's in there. "What do you need Ava for?" Uncle Nate asked after a moment.

Mrs Lockwood gasped. She then let out a laugh of disbelief. My uncle and I awkwardly smiled. We had no idea what was going on. I guess it showed on our usually blank faces that caused Mrs Lockwood to react that way. "Don't tell me you both forgot?" She asked. It seemed that she was malfunctioning, I thought. I swear I saw a vein pop. "Oh dear!" She exclaimed, seeing our faces. "The pageant." She said. "Miss Mystic Falls Pageant?" She tried again.

"Oh!" My uncle and I remembered at the same time. "Oh." Uncle Nate and I shared a look and then turned back to Mrs Lockwood. "Right. The pageant." Uncle Nate said. "Of course we remember. I was just testing you." He lied.

"Ha ha. How amusing." She said, trying to joke without sounding threatening. She wasn't happy at all. "Hmm. I mean the Fitzroy family is sponsoring this event. How could you both forget?" She joked. "The Fitzroy family is sponsoring the event, right?" She asked again, this time a little more serious.

"Yes." My uncle said without hesitation. "Definitely, we are. Gabe should've already...y'know." He added. Mrs Lockwood nodded and sighed in relief. "So is that all you need?"

Mrs Lockwood shook her head. "I actually, it was about your mother." She started, staring at my uncle. Her voice was quieter as if she was trying to sympathize with us. I almost scoffed at her acting. If I was being honest, she along with her husband did not care about Grandma Janine. Even though they were one of the few reasons why my grandma had exhausted herself. At least Zach showed some remorse for what the council decided back then. "You remember last year the pageant got cancelled." Uncle Nate and I nodded. "So there wasn't a winner and usually the previous year's Miss Mystic Falls helps to organize or host so Janine promised to help me." She paused to take a deep breath. "...Sadly Janine's not here anymore so I was thinking someone from your family could take over for her—and—Ava and you are the only ones from your family in town."

She looked at us both expectedly. I breathed out and shared a look with my uncle. There wasn't a choice it seemed. She already brought up Grandma Janine. "...Sure." I agreed with an awkward smile. "I'll help out."

"Great. Since it's you—" She suddenly took out a clipboard from behind her back and took out the pen attached to it. "—You can stand in as last year's winner instead of just volunteering."

My eyes widened for a second as I realized what a stupid move I just did. My uncle held back a snicker and turned away from the door while Mrs Lockwood looked over the clipboard. Looking away from her, I glared at my uncle for laughing at my stupidity. I was trying to be nice. How was I supposed to know that? Well, I could have just read her mind. Now, I felt even more stupid. I sighed and turned back to see Mrs Lockwood look up. She didn't say anything but instead smiled and walked away. She got into her car and drove away. Just like that. "I hate pageants." I stated the moment she left.

"Then you shouldn't have volunteered." Uncle Nate finally burst out into a fit of laughter. "I'm sorry but anyone could have seen it from a mile away. Thought you were meant to be smart."

I rolled my eyes and pushed my uncle aside. Stomping to my car now, I waved him goodbye. "Wait." Uncle Nate called out. I paused just as I was about to unlock the car and turned to look at him. I gave him a questioning look and stared at him. "Dagger and bow, check." I groaned and narrowed my eyes. I think I was careful enough. "Don't give me that look, you either take precautions or we both go back to stay with your parents." I huffed, blowing a stray piece of my hair away from my face and marched over to the trunk of my car. At first glance, it looked normal. Like nothing was there. Then I leaned over the trunk and fumbled around the side to find something. I pulled the small lever and the floor of the trunk moved, revealing a folded crossbow with a quiver of arrows on the side. Uncle Nate hovered over my shoulders and leaned in. He nodded and I could faintly hear him mumble under his breath as he counted the arrows. "Dagger?" He asked, after he was done counting. I rolled my eyes again and pulled out the dagger from my sleeveless jacket. He nodded again. "Lemma just..." He leaned over the trunk and pulled the lever, reverting the trunk back to the way it was. I didn't say anything. I snatched the keys away from him and waved at him again before starting the car and leaving.

---

The hallway was quiet as I hummed under my breath while stapling some posters for the upcoming parade. The pageant itself was still an invite only event but the Miss Mystic parade was another story. I had time to kill before class started so here I was. At least I wasn't alone. On my left Erica carried a pile of posters while she followed after me. She wasn't really part of the student council but Will was running late. I smiled unconsciously thinking about the two. They had only begun dating after the whole decade's dance and they were already giving Elena and Stefan a run for their money for the most devoted couple. On my right, Dana leaned against a set of lockers with her back turned. She clutched a clipboard against her chest as she lightly complained about the pageant.

"...For the last time, we get it Amber shouldn't be in the pageant." Erica said. She sounded annoyed at Dana's constant complaints. Even the happy-go-lucky Erica had enough of Dana and the pageant. "Look if anyone should be complaining it should be people like me, Tiki and Bonnie. We don't even get considered for this stupid thing." She added.

I made a face and nodded as I took another poster from the pile and walked over to another display board. "Erica has a point." I quietly commented. "Amber is the whole pretty blonde girl-next-door type and she fits the image of a pageant—which is total bill, if you ask me." Dana walked over to me and handed me the staple gun. I took it from her and stapled the four corners of the poster before turning to look at her. "Besides, you're making this a big deal when it's not."

"Says the girl who has everything." Dana muttered.

Erica let out a laugh and almost dropped the pile of posters before she quickly stopped herself. I turned to give her a look but she just shrugged. "...She has a point. This pageant means nothing to you cause you're a founder's kid. Doesn't matter if you take part or not." She sighed and shuffled the posters.

"Well maybe…I can put in a word to Carol 'bout you Erica. I don't know." I said just quiet enough so the three of us could hear.

The two girls snapped their heads towards me with widened eyes. They shared a look before they pounced on me. "You're one of the judges aren't you." Dana said while Erica nodded along.

"I guess."

"You guess?" Dana questioned.

I let out an exasperated sound and leaned against the display board I was standing in front of. "...I'm kinda standing in for the non-existent Miss Mystic from last year."

"Called it." Erica said as she clicked her fingers. "Also congrats. Mystic Falls is becoming more diverse."

I rolled my eyes and shook my head. "You guys, I'm a stand-in not the actual—"

Dana cut me off. "Knowing Carol Lockwood and the Mayor you'll probably be added in as the real one. They love the whole legacy of the founders' thing this town has going on."

I opened my mouth to say something, only to be interrupted again. This time Erica clutched my wrist and turned my attention towards her. Dana noticing this raised an eyebrow at her. "Incoming Stefan Salvatore." She hissed, quiet enough for us to hear but I knew Stefan heard it too.

The two girls shut up immediately when they saw him. I was already quiet. Instead, I tried to take a look at him without being obvious. From the corner of my eye, I could see coming towards us from my right. Erica groaned under her breath and I could tell she didn't want him to come over at all. For some reason, she had always been awkward around Stefan. Then again for a human Erica was more perceptive than people gave her credit for. Dana made the first move and tried to tug at me and Erica to go elsewhere. But her plans didn't go anywhere.

Stefan appeared in front of me with a strangely bright smile that looked so different from his usual look. "Hey." He waved at me in greeting while nodding at the two girls in front of me.

The two girls smiled politely before they gave me a look, telling me they were going. "We'll get the rest of the posters up and hand them out for you." Erica said before she turned to Stefan and nodded her head. Dana pulled her away to another hallway as they scurried out from my view.

The moment the girls were gone, I turned back to Stefan. "You're back." I said.

"I'm back." He repeated. The ever present smile on his face was troubling for me. I was used to it. "Surprise." He added after a moment. "You were complaining about bringing my work over so here I am." I frowned at his words and took a step back. There was something wrong with Stefan. It was like nothing had happened. The talk about his ripper side and his lack of control. Nothing had happened. "You...don't look happy."

"No. No. No." I shook my head and sidestepped over to my locker nearby. History was next and I didn't like being late to class but I was reluctant to turn my back to Stefan. Like I said there was something 'off' about him. "It's just…" I trailed off, looking around. Students had started pouring in from the different doors. The hallway slowly started filling up. The voices became louder and louder. The sounds of their thoughts and chatter mixed in like vivid shades of paint. It didn't help that there was that bubbling anxious feeling deep in my chest that put me on edge around this version of Stefan.

"Ava." I vaguely heard Stefan call out to me. "Are you okay?"

"You're not fine." I blurted out instead.

Stefan let out a sarcastic laugh and covered his face. His eyes were dark as they narrowed in on me. They reminded me of a predator watching its prey. Right. He was a vampire. I swallowed and sidestepped more to the side. Stefan followed my movements until it was him who had his back towards the lockers. "I asked you if you were okay and you said, I'm the one whose not fine."

"Ha. Hah." I nervously laughed while keeping up appearances. "Well, are you?" I asked. This time I was being serious. "Are you better now?" I chose my words carefully considering the place we were in. In the middle of a crowded hallway at school. There were too many eyes and ears here.

He smiled stiffly and nodded. "If I wasn't I wouldn't be here." He answered. "Thank you for your concern."

I nodded. He was lying. He wasn't fine at all. He could fool Elena all he wanted but it was obvious he wasn't fine. There were blood banks in hospitals nearby that were broken into. If I took a guess, it wasn't Damon or the tomb vampires. Damon was more careful lately especially since he had befriended the sheriff. My fists were clenched behind my back and I stared at the floor. I could feel Stefan's curious gaze on me. I didn't look up. Instead I counted down to the sound of the bell.

I looked up, only to find him still staring at me. His forest green eyes boring holes into my head. I tried to look for a sign of my other friends or Elena to get him to leave but in the sea of people there were no familiar faces. And it felt like he wouldn't leave if I just lied to him. Stefan opened his mouth to speak but the only sound I heard was the shrill noise of the school bell. Saved by the bell, I thought.

"Well, I'll see you around." I said and turned around to walk towards the history classroom. I didn't get far as I heard a low chuckle from behind me. I stopped to find the source of the sound as the sea thinned out with more passing seconds. Stefan covered his mouth with one hand as his eyes shone with amusement. "Huh. I guess our classes are in the same direction." I said awkwardly, letting him catch up.

He chuckled again. I stared at him, confused as we walked side by side. Noticing my look, he gave me a very un-Stefan look that made me pause and take a step back. For a moment, I could see Damon's face in his. Then it was gone. I guess they were brothers after all. "Did you forget?" Stefan asked out of nowhere.

"Forget what?" I questioned, still on the edge.

"Forget that we're in the same history class." He answered with a teasing grin while holding the door to the history classroom open. At that moment, I felt like an idiot. I laughed awkwardly and walked in. "I guess you have a lot on your mind." He commented lightly. I simply nodded and made a beeline for my seat near the back near Matt.

Luckily, Matt was already here. I took out my notebooks and textbook while avoiding Stefan's gaze. Matt gave me a puzzled look. I could only imagine how confusing things might've been from his view. I mouthed that I was fine before passing him my notes from last week. He smiled gratefully before he took them and scanned the notes. Stefan was still staring at me and Elena hadn't come in yet. I was starting to believe that Stefan had actually lost it. I pretended to go over my own notes and check the textbook while waiting for Mr Saltzman before taking out my phone.

Where r U?

- Rosy

Runnin l8

- Bon

Mr S will b here soon.

- Rosy

Relax, he's not Tanner

-Bon

I heard a quiet hush fall over the class and I quickly shoved my phone into my bag. Mr Saltzman walked in just as the second bell rang. I looked around the class to see that everyone was here, except Bonnie. She was running late.

"Okay," Mr Saltzman walked in and placed his stuff on the table and turned to look at us. "This week we're gonna set outside our regular curriculum for a lesson in local history as we approach Founders' Day. Apparently the community leaders feels it's more important than World War 2 but hey what do I know?" He finished, clearly not happy about the change. Who could blame him? It was still refreshing to have teachers in this town that acknowledged the hyper fixation of this town over their tainted history, most of which was hidden. Tanner, on the other hand, would have rejoiced.

Just as Mr Saltzman turned his back. There was a knock on the door. Bonnie walked in just in time. She looked at Mr Saltzman apologetically as she apologized for being late. "Sorry I'm late." She said before making her way to her seat near Elena and Stefan.

Mr Saltzman nodded and clasped his hands together and stared at the class before smiling. "Well, it looks like we will be at full occupancy today." He announced as he turned his head towards Bonnie. "Welcome home, Bonnie." He greeted, and turned away to write something on the board.

Bonnie sat down and threw a smile at me, mouthing that she was okay. I smiled back and nodded. She then turned to smile at Elena but I saw her face fall when she noticed Stefan. Her smile faded away and she visibly stiffened. What Damon and Stefan did and was, still haunted her. Her grandmother was dead because of them, after all. That's not something you could get over. I quietly watched the three while mindlessly doodling on the corners of the page in my notebook. For a moment, I thought Stefan wouldn't react. If I remembered Stefan before he lost it, he would have given Bonnie an apologetic look or a look of plea. He didn't do any of that.

Instead, Stefan smiled at her but Bonnie turned her head away from him, trying not to look at him. I pursed my lips and put my head down, turning my attention back to class. Clearly everything was not fine. Bonnie could forgive Elena, she was our childhood friend. Stefan, at the end of the day, was nobody to us. As harsh as it sounded, that was probably what Bonnie thought. And as much as I tried to be friends with Stefan, a part of me knew that one day I might be the one to end his life.

---

"—Let me get this straight, Mrs Lockwood roped you in to help her for the pageant." Caroline said. Her arms were roped around mine. We walked through the halls before we made our way to the double doors leading to the parking lot. With our free hands, we pushed the doors open. I turned back to Caroline and nodded. "So does that mean you're a judge?" She questioned out loud.

I pulled her arm and put my free hand over her mouth. "Not so loud." I shushed her and looked around if anyone had noticed. Luckily no did.

Caroline shook me off. She huffed and untangled her hair before turning back to me. "What's the big deal? Everyone's gonna know anyway." She said. "Hey," She let go of my arm and hopped in front of me. "Maybe you can put a good word for me to the other judges." There was a hopeful look in her eyes as she eagerly stared at me for my answer.

I shook my head and looked away. "Caroline." I warned in a teasing tone.

"I'm just saying as your best friend and your favorite person in this town." She grabbed my hands and grinned wide. "I am your favorite, right?" She asked, leaning in. Despite the smile on her face, she shifted around her feet like she didn't want to hear that answer. Guess she was still insecure about being compared to Elena. "Right?" She asked again. Her voice was a little quieter now.

I snorted and lightly punched her arm. "Of course you are." I beamed and took the lead, walking in front of her. "No offense to Elena or Bonnie, obviously."

"Obviously." She agreed. Her voice was louder than before and she was back to being her cheery self. "Thanks."

"For?"

"Choosing me."

"Caroline..." I stopped and turned to look at her again. "Not this again."

She sighed. "I know. I know..." Caroline looked away and started gnawing at her lips. I lightly nudged her arm to remind her to stop. At this rate, her nervous tick would bruise her lips and the pageant was just around the corner. She took the hint and stopped. "Thanks." She said again. "For making me your first choice. Bonnie and everyone else always picks Elena." Her voice was quiet again. For a moment neither of us spoke as we trudged through the parking lot, aimlessly. It was Caroline who broke the silence first. "...Y'know—"

"No." I cut her off, knowing what she was gonna say.

"You didn't even let me finish." She complained.

"Didn't have to." I shook my head. "For the last time, I'm not going to rig the pageant in your favor, Care. It's not gonna be fair to everyone else."

"Oh please, since when have you cared about being fair?" She muttered.

"All the time." I answered, bored.

"Oh yeah." She nodded as if she just remembered. "I forgot you were that type." Only when it comes to normal things like this. Otherwise I didn't care about playing fair but I wasn't going to say that part out loud. She pouted and widened her eyes to give me a pleading look. "Well, it's not going to be fair for me."

"You don't know that."

"I do." She snapped. "The Fell girls are easily going to get more points than me cause they have a Fell on the judging panel—"

"There's a Fell on the judging panel every other year," I paused. "Except that one year we had Pastor Young's wife on the panel for some reason."

"I forgot about that. Anyways, look." She stopped and grabbed my arms, shaking me. I blinked while trying to keep myself from being dizzy. "Fells have more chances than me. And then there's Elena—" Elena? I thought pageants were not her thing this year. I mean her parents died and she was going through it. I tilted my head to a side in confusion when Caroline let go. "Elena has the whole tragic thing going on which I know the judges are gonna love and Amber's not a threat but she has the girl-next-door thing going on."

"Wait Elena's in the pageant."

"As far as I know; yes." Caroline folded her arms and looked away. "Unless..."

"Unless?"

"She drops out."

"Caroline." I chided.

"What? I'm just saying, pageants aren't her thing anymore and what better way for her to take a breather than to just—drop out."

I didn't bother to answer her and instead turned away. Caroline let out a sound of complaint while my eyes wandered around the parking lot, looking for a sign of my witchy best friend. I couldn't see her at all. Instead, my attention was pulled towards two girls coming out of the school building. Caroline pulled at my sleeve and gestured with her head towards the girls. It was the Fell girls we were just talking about. "Oh no." I covered my hand with my mouth taking in their appearances. The girls, noticing me, waved at me. I quickly flashed them a smile and turned my back to them.

Caroline mimicked me and gasped. "Major fashion fails." She commented in between her laughs. One of the Fell girls wore a pastel floral sundress paired with a bright neon orange striped blazer while the other wore a black and white chevron striped top which was cute if only she didn't decide to wear a red polka dot denim skirt. And let's not talk about the lemon yellow cardigan.

I pulled at my short black skirt and looked down at my own outfit. I couldn't help but compare my mostly black with some white outfit. It was a very sharp contrast. The black and white thin striped full sleeved shirt tucked into a black short skirt paired with long black stockings and black combat boots. Even my bag was black. Compared to them, I had no color, well, unless I counted the sleeveless moss green sleeveless parka I had on. "I guess they like colors." I commented with an awkward laugh.

"Or their closet threw up on them." My blonde friend muttered quietly. I nodded my head in agreement. Whoever told them those were good together lied to them. I could only guess that they were going to hire a stylist for the pageant or did. Either way, even I couldn't be nice about that.

"Forget that." I squinted and leaned a little closer while the girls were walking past. "Is that a police ankle bracelet?" I questioned with my hand on my mouth.

"Oh my god!" Caroline gasped and followed my gaze. "It totally is. I heard that one of them had a DUI but it was nothing, guess not." Forget about their questionable outfits but the ankle bracelet took me off guard. "Look at them and tell me they deserve to win this." Caroline added, gesturing with her head pointed towards the girls.

"Equal opportunities." I echoed back to the words Carol had said when Amber was chosen. Caroline stared at me with her face scrunched up. I shook my head with laughter.

I turned back to see the girls had disappeared. Thank god, I wouldn't be able to talk to them with a straight face. I scanned the thin crowd once again for Bonnie. Finally, I found her in the distance with someone. She looked like she was in the middle of a conversation with someone. Another glance and I could see the person more clearly. It was none other than Elena.

"Oh by the way, Bonnie's back. She's over there with Elena." I pointed out.

Caroline followed my line of vision and squealed. I recoiled and waited for her to finish. She didn't reply but instead she grabbed my hand and dragged me with her over to Bonnie. Even though I saw Bonnie in History. Caroline dodged several people coming our way effortlessly while I apologized to them on the way. As she got closer to our other best friends she let go of my hand. "Bonnie! Bonnie!" She called out brightly. "Thank god you're home!" She said as she engulfed Bonnie into a hug. Bonnie smiled and gently patted Caroline's back. I simply waved at her. She nodded in response. It was good to have her back. "I know we all talked everyday but we missed you." Caroline went on without caring about what she had just said.

Bonnie and I shared a look while Elena's face scrunched up. Her eyes trembled and she hugged herself. She was upset. I looked away from the moment she turned her head towards me with an accusatory look. "You...all talked?" She breathed out.

I didn't get a chance to answer before Caroline took over. "Hmm...yeah we did." She said, distractedly. "It was Ava's idea, actually" She gestured to me with her hand.

"It was nothing." I mumbled, trying to make Caroline drop the topic.

Elena stared at me with a raised brow while I pursed my lips. I didn't know what to say. How do I tell someone that they make another person uncomfortable without hurting them. It was impossible. Caroline didn't seem to pick up the silent exchanges between me and Elena. "Ava thought it would help Bonnie with school and then it became a thing." She carried on, explaining as if that was gonna make things better. I don't know if Caroline was deliberately doing it or not but Elena looked even more upset. "How are you doing?" My blonde friend then asked. It was such an effortless switch in pace but it was clear that Elena was not happy being the one left out this time. I felt bad but it's not like Bonnie wanted to keep in touch with her during her mourning period. I wanted to respect that choice. A part of me did blame Elena as well for convincing Sheila to open the tomb, even Stefan was against it back then.

"Better." Bonnie replied to Caroline after a moment while awkwardly ignoring Elena's gaze on her. "Better. You know, glad to be back and trying to keep myself busy." She added with a soft smile.

"Well, I can help with that. Major wardrobe problem. You need to help me pick up the perfect dress for the Founders' court since—" Caroline glanced at me with a pout. "—Ava just bailed on me."

Somewhat thankful for the change in topic. I stepped forward and scoffed. "For the last time, I can't help you with anything, it's not gonna be fair to others."

Caroline scowled. "Not even wardrobe?" She questioned with a look. I shook my head and she sighed in response. I heard her mumble and mutter about how unfair I was being towards her.

"The Founders' court?" Elena asked, breaking her silence. She narrowed her eyes in confusion and looked between me and Caroline. "Did I miss something?" She asked.

"The Founders' court!" Caroline exclaimed. "You know, Miss Mystic Falls." She tried to remind Elena about the pageant the whole town had been buzzing over since last month. "They announced it today and you and I are both on it." My blonde best friend gestured to me with her hands. "Ava's a judge and honorary Miss Mystic...that's why she's not helping me."

Elena nodded. "Oh my god!" She said like she just remembered. "We signed up for that so long ago...I completely forgot."

"So, are you dropping out then?" Caroline asked with a hopeful smile. Bonnie and I shared a look while I silently told her to be nice.

"I can't." Elena answered while looking at Bonnie.

"No?" Caroline's smile faded and she sucked in a breath. I gave up on her.

Bonnie sighed. "Her mom is the one who wanted her to enter." She reminded Caroline. Even though Bonnie didn't look like she wanted to talk, she still defended Elena. She was a good friend, I guess. Elena turned to me and opened her mouth to say something but I quickly made an excuse and left before things got even more awkward than usual.

---

The Founders Hall had changed dramatically since the kick-off party. Buzz. The marble staircases which were left undecorated were now adorned with pastel pink tulle and white tulle along small white rose bouquets. The pillars were also wrapped in the same pastel pink tulle. Around me decorators buzzed around the Hall as Mrs Lockwood walked around. She smiled when she saw me staring and gave me a look of approval. I guess she approved of my design choices. I directed a couple of decorators to the dancefloor as they carried in the flower arrangements, called in at the last minute. Buzz. I wasn't happy about that at all but I had to work with what I got. I personally wanted a pink crystal theme but Mrs Lockwood wanted flowers which according to her were a staple Miss Mystic Falls pageant decoration.

Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.

I stepped back as a few decorators brought in a different chandelier. This one was used in the 20s for the Miss Mystic back then. It was simple but beautiful. Buzz. Buzz. The crystals in the chandelier looked as if they were rain drops in the sun and they were shaped in a drooping dome. Mrs Lockwood had asked someone to decorate them even more by attaching some pastel pink tulle and adding in more flowers that appeared to drape down from the chandeliers. It wasn't my style but I guess neither was the pageant. "...The flowers are off-center." I said, directing the decorators near the banisters of the winding stairs. They nodded and started adjusting the flowers. "Stop. Stop. That's perfect. Leave it." I flashed them a smile when they got the placement right and nodded my head before walking outside.

Outside, there were small circle tables all set up. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. I flicked the clipboard in my hand and came to a stop. In front of me was the arrangement of tables Mrs Lockwood and I had drawn up while the mayor had approved of it. He didn't really look at it, if I had to be honest. I compared the arrangement in front of me to the one drawn out on the paper. It was almost identical. All that was left to do was add the white satin tablecloths and flower arrangements on each table. The banquet table was done. I ticked that off. The caterers already called and confirmed. Everything was almost done.

Buzz.

I scowled when the faint buzzing of my phone interrupted my train of thoughts again. I hugged the clipboard to my chest with one hand and took out my phone with the other. I pressed a button and my phone lit up.

11 Missed Calls.

It read. I rolled my eyes as my phone started buzzing again. Seriously, I thought while staring down at my phone. Instead of picking it up "Mrs Lockwood." I called out to her from where I stood. No answer. I sucked in a breath and walked through one of the many halls of the Founders Hall. My phone was still buzzing. I get it already. "Mrs Lockwood?" I tried again.

"Hmm." I heard the faint sound of her voice from one of the halls. "Ava, is that you?" She called out, appearing behind me. I jumped at her sudden appearance and clutched my chest in shock. "Is there a problem?" She asked, not checking if I was okay first.

I shook that thought off and turned to her. "Everything's fine, Mrs Lockwood. I was wondering if I could take my break now?"

"Sure. In fact, I think we're done here...for now" She looked around the halls and held out her own clipboard. Mrs Lockwood gestured to me to show her my clipboard. I obediently followed her movements and placed the clipboard in front of the mayor's wife. She scanned the papers, flicking through each while comparing mine to hers. She would then tick off the ones that I had ticked off or vice versa. "On second thoughts, we still have the interviews left for the day but you can go on your lunch break." She smiled politely and turned away from me, disappearing off into another hall.

I sighed tiredly and walked back to the reception of the Founders Hall. It was almost empty apart from a few decorators who were just polishing and dusting. Those were the final touches. I scanned the room and made my way towards the seating area. There were two chaise lounge sofa with a table in front of it along with a pile of clipboards. I placed my bubble-gum pink clipboard and stretched out my hands before taking my jacket and backpack from the chaise lounge where I had left it. Without looking back, I walked out the door and rushed to my car. Buzz.

My phone buzzed again just as I locked myself in my car. I picked up my phone and placed it on the dashboard. "Finally." I heard the annoying voice of Damon greet me. "Where were you?"

"Busy." I snapped. I pulled open the vanity mirror in my car and checked over my makeup while retying my ponytail. "—Unlike some people." I commented quietly under my breath.

I heard him snort on the other side. "I'll have you know that I have been very busy." He retorted.

"I bet." I turned around and reached into the backseat of the car and grabbed my lunch. I paused to look in the rear-view mirror, checking if I was really alone. "I mean it's not easy to empty blood banks around Mystic Falls and Grove Hill—which reminds me—do you suck at compelling people or what?" I questioned.

No answer. Damon didn't answer for a while. I heard him suck in a deep breath and let it out. "...It's not me." He quietly said.

"Figured you're more of a vein person or leech." I carried on, acting as if I didn't notice his sudden quietness. "Tomb vampires then?"

"Unfortunately…" He trailed off, hesitating to finish. "Anna—"

"Jeremy's emo vampire not-girlfriend whose mom was a tomb vampire."

"That's—eh—the one. She dropped by and it's not them...the tomb vampires, they had nothing to do with this." I heard some shuffling of papers on the other side as I opened my lunchbox. While Damon shuffled through some papers which were probably reports from the Sheriff, I quietly munched on my chicken and avocado salad. "...You didn't happen to see Stefan around."

"I haven't seen him since yesterday. He did seem a little too touchy and too happy-go-lucky which reminds me; is he okay cause he is kinda freaking me out."

"He says he is but—" Damon paused for breath. I was starting to think that Damon was concerned, actually concerned about his brother. "—I don't think he is."

My breath caught in my throat and I carefully placed my now-empty lunchbox back. My hands started shaking a little as I remembered the strange almost predatorial look in Stefan's gaze yesterday. "Thought so." I muttered. "He's not okay is he?"

"No, he's not."

"The blood bags..."

"It's Stefan. I found a stash of them at the boarding house."

"Shit." I leaned back in my seat and stared out at the Founders Hall in the distance. "...John Gilbert is riling up the council again." I revealed. "You didn't do yourself any favors by trying to kill him at the Founders Kickoff." I curled a few strands of my hair between my fingers and sat up.

"Yeah I know—keeps giving me the 'I'm gonna kill you look', it's getting real creepy."

"Well, you did kill him. He just wants to repay the favor."

"He didn't die." He tried to justify his past actions, like that would make things better. "He had the same ring Alaric Saltzman had."

"I figured when I saw him jump back to life. Ugh. Maybe, next time ask questions first, kill later or better yet don't kill."

He grunted and muttered something that I didn't exactly hear. "Got it, I'll torture him next time."

My eyes widened and I quickly jumped to put a stop to that thought. "Damon, no. Focus on Stefan. No killing or torturing."

"I'm starting to think you care about us."

"I care about Elena, not you, not sure about Stefan. Since you're playing vampire hunter now, something needs to be done before your brother hurts someone."

"That's where you and I come in. We should work together to keep my brother in check else I'm gonna have to hear him moping around for the next hundred years."

"Agree with you on the first part. I'm just gonna pretend the second part doesn't exist." I shook my head in disbelief that I was doing this again. But anything for my friends. "You should let Mr Saltzman know as well." I added in as an afterthought. It was either him or my uncle. And my uncle would set Damon on fire before he decided to help him.

"Got it."

"Look, I have to go. Pageant stuff." I quickly hung up on him, the moment I saw Mrs Lockwood come outside to greet the other judges who just came in. I glanced at the mirror one last time, checking my hair before getting out of my car.

---

Mrs Lockwood sat in the center of the judging panel while I sat next to her. Besides sat the wife of Tobias Fell, Dorothy. She was a tall thin woman with mousy brown hair and a permanent arrogant smile plastered on her face. Dorothy Fell looked as if she was a former pageant queen and she was, just like Mrs Lockwood. Mrs Fell's gaze was towards the door leading to the waiting room where the Miss Mystic court members all waited. She quietly stared at the door for a few minutes before checking the list again. I watched her discreetly, observing her out of pure boredom. I heard a quiet yawn beside me and turned to face Will's mom.

Mrs Smallwood represented the Smallwoods on the panel. The tiny cheerful but bored woman with coffee colored hair and dark eyes didn't want to be here but for the sake of family she was here. The Smallwoods were distantly related to Lockwoods yet they still had ties to the Founders and they would never let anyone forget it. "Carol, I think we should start calling the girls in." Mrs Smallwood stated, folding her arms against her chest. She wasn't trying to hide her disdain for Mrs Lockwood at all. Unlike the two other women, Mrs Smallwood was not a former pageant Queen. But it was either her or pastor Young's wife and the latter wasn't the best choice. I scrunched up my face thinking of the Youngs. Like the Smallwoods, the Youngs were said to be related to one of the Founding families, either the Fells or Gilberts. No one really knew. My dad once told me that used to claim to be part of our family up until the 1910s before our family put an end to that. Either way, they were over-religious and a little too obsessive over vampires, basically creepy as hell. At least to me.

Mrs Lockwood turned to look at Mrs Smallwood after a few minutes had passed. She opened her mouth and then scanned the table before settling her gaze on Mrs Fell. The two women nodded their heads at the same time as if they were silently communicating. "Creepy." I mumbled under my breath and quickly sat up straight. I stood up and turned to Mrs Lockwood. "Should I tell them—" I gestured to the volunteers waiting nearby. "—to let the girls in yet?" I asked.

"Hmm. Not yet." Mrs Lockwood said. She turned her gaze to the list in front of her and kept going over it. "Gosh. I don't know who we should start with."

"First name, alphabetical?" Mrs Smallwood suggested with a hopeful smile.

"Then that would put Amber Bradley before all of the other girls." Mrs Fell replied. There was a slight tone of disgust in her voice as if the idea of a non-founder taking part in this pageant revolted her. Mrs Fell noticed the looks around the table and quickly switched her tone. She coughed twice while covering her mouth. "...With all due respect to Ms Bradley, I've heard she has stage fright. The interviews will start off on an awkward note and no one and I mean no one wants that." Mrs Smallwood looked away from her, annoyed while I awkwardly smiled. This was getting off to a great start. "You understand. Don't you, Carol."

Mrs Lockwood smiled even wider and nodded. "How about we do it according to the order they were chosen?" I suggested, looking around. I picked up my clipboard from the table and flicked it to the page I wanted. "We'll start with Caroline Forbes, Elena Gilbert, Blair Fell then—Amber Bradley followed by Tina Fell and Laura Hamilton."

"We'll go with that. Let's start." Mrs Lockwood flicked back her pages and gestured to the door and the person standing by the door. They reappeared after a few minutes with six girls. The girls stood nervously in front of the judging table.

Mrs Lockwood and Mrs Fell signalled for me to stand up. Seeing that, I quickly stood up as gracefully as I could. "Good evening Miss Mystic Court. I'm Ava Fitzroy, the honorary Miss Mystic for last year's Miss Mystic Pageant." I greeted with a bright plastic smile. I could see Caroline from the corner of my eyes, holding back a snicker. Yes, laugh at my suffering. "We're going to start off the interviews in a few moments but first a few words from our host, Mrs Carol Lockwood!"

"Thank you Ava." Mrs Lockwood thanked me as I sat down. "As you all might've heard, this year's queen will have the special honor of taking stage at the hundred and fiftieth Founders' Day Gala. But before we crown our winner, we'd like to get to know a bit more about each of you." She gestured to the crowd of girls. The girls all nodded. "Good, we'll start off with Caroline Forbes."

The rest of the girls were led back to the waiting room. Caroline waited until they were all gone before she strutted in with a confident yet somewhat nervous smile. She greeted the judges and me before taking a seat. She sat with her legs crossed and her back straight. She was definitely scoring those points for posture and poise. I smiled as I quietly jotted those ideas down for Caroline. Mrs Lockwood shared a look with all of us before clearing her throat and clasping her hands together. "Well, Caroline, tell us about yourself." I said.

Caroline sucked in a breath and let it out before beginning to speak. "I'm on the Mystic Falls beautification committee; I volunteer at the poor soup kitchen." I wrote that down and peeked at the other judges. Mrs Fell looked the most pleased out of the three judges while Mrs Smallwood had a neutral and an unreadable look on her face. "I implemented this year's go green campaign at school." Caroline carried on, her confidence unwavering. "Recently, I worked for the recycling program and was in charge of this year's police raffle."

I nodded and wrote that down as well. "Now, tell us what being Miss Mystic means to you?" Mrs Lockwood asked.

Without missing a beat, my friend nodded at the question. "To me, it means being part of the Mystic Falls community and working to make this town even better."

"Excellent." Mrs Lockwood remarked. "That is all we have to say. Thank you again for giving us your time."

Caroline and Elena's interviews were the only ones that I really remembered. Time flew by quickly while I was busy worrying about the tomb vampires, Stefan and John Gilbert. This was not gonna be fun at all. The only other interview I could vaguely recall was that of Laura Hamilton and one of the Fell girls who mentioned her DUI as if it was nothing. Mrs Fell looked visibly upset at the mention of the DUI and the community service. While Laura was stupid enough to mention her win two years ago during her sophomore year and questioning mid-interview if it was possible for her to win a second time. It was funny to see Mrs Lockwood swiftly cross out a name while maintaining a smile and eye contact with someone. Laura seemed nice too, if I ignored her arrogant streak. She may not have been the first ever Miss Mystic contestant to win twice but she did become the first to be eliminated at the final interview stage. A feat, if I had to say so myself.

I laughed to myself thinking of Laura and the DUI girl. Maybe this wasn't completely boring after all. I got up and bid the judges goodbye after doing a final check around the Founders Hall and walked out. I dragged myself to my car, getting in and driving myself straight home.

---

"Honor your partner." Mrs Lockwood said as she walked up and down the row of couples. The pageant prep was in full force with final dance rehearsal being today. This meant skipping several classes and being stuck in the rearranged cafeteria. "Stay focus, right hand around." She carried on with a subtle hint of a smile on her face. She was enjoying this. "Flirt with your eyes." She turned around and nodded at me, checking if I was still there. I mean where else would I go. The student council also had to be there for some reason. "Left hand around." She added.

I sat on one of the tables that were pushed to the sides to make way for the makeshift dance floor. Swinging my legs off the table, I quietly observed the couples in front of me. Not all of them were here. Matt was one. He was again roped into taking extra shifts at the Grill and was forced to miss the dance rehearsals. It couldn't be helped. I sighed thinking about Matt. Across the room, Tyler sat at the opposite end of the room on a table. He was there for the demonstration earlier. His mother had made me and him dance in front of everyone to give everyone an idea of the dance. Not that Stefan needed it, considering he was around when this thing started. Otherwise it was okay, if I ignored Tyler's attempts to talk about Matt and his useless apologies. It was really useless to apologize to me about what he did at the kickoff party when it was Matt that was affected. It was him who was left alone again and now forced to do double shifts to make up for the absence of Kelly.

Tyler pretended to talk to his friends but now and then I would catch him staring at me with misplaced guilt. It was getting annoying especially since the others in the room were starting to catch on. I turned away from Tyler and shifted around my seat to get a better look at the couple. Next to me, Dana and Erica sat with their legs crossed. Erica stared longingly at the couples in the makeshift dance floor and would sigh every few minutes. Despite her relationship with a Smallwood, she wasn't chosen for the court. Instead she was relegated to a replacement candidate in case someone stepped down. Someone that might be Amber or one of the Fell girls. Amber looked a little clumsy but she was far better than one of the Fell. Caroline was still not here but it wasn't like she needed practice. I knew she would be perfect. My eyes were caught on the dancing figures of Elena and Stefan who looked sweet and passionate. I could practically feel the love radiating off of them. It was almost nauseating that it almost made me puke hearts out and I guess I wasn't the only one.

Stefan took Elena's hands in his which basically broke the 'no touch' rule of the dance and spun her around before dipping her, holding her in his arms. I frowned. "No! No! There's no touching during this part." Mrs Lockwood marched over to the couple and quickly separated them. She then turned away and left them, walking away to check on the other couples. I kept my eyes on them. Despite the bright smiles on the couple's face, Stefan's smile was strange. He caught me staring and grinned happily but the smile didn't reach his eyes. His happiness felt like a ticking time bomb to me. "—Very nice, Amber!" I heard Mrs Lockwood compliment Amber Bradley in the distance as I broke my gaze away from Stefan. Maybe I should just avoid him.

"Thank you, Mrs. Lockwood!" Amber thanked her. She almost looked like she would jump in joy. Mrs Fell didn't lie when she said Amber was anxious. Before that little compliment she looked too focused on her every move and her facial expressions were a little stiff. At least now, she looked a little more relaxed.

I pushed myself off the table and walked over to Amber, picking up my clipboard along the way. "Stand a little straight and relax a bit." Amber nodded and obediently followed my instructions. I knew she had no chance to win but it wouldn't hurt to help her out a bit. At least, it'll be a popularity boost for her and her family. "...Smile." The blonde girl flashed a small but shy smile and carried on dancing.

"Perfect Amber." Mrs Lockwood clapped her hands together and nodded along happily. It was a miracle. Barely anything really pleased that woman. "You're a good teacher Ava." She complimented me before carrying on her rounds.

I smiled politely at the compliment before moving on to one of the Fells. She clumsily danced with her partner. I could tell she was drunk. "Tina, I think you should slow down a bit." Tina stopped dancing and her partner gave me a grateful look. The two separated and stood apart. "Take a break and get something to eat." I smiled at the two before leaning close to Tina's ears. "Sober up in twenty or you can drop out." I quietly threatened before pulling back and smiling again. Tina's eyes widened in fear as she meekly nodded and grabbed her partner's wrist. She dragged that boy out of that room quickly. The Fells did take Founders anything seriously, after all. I could guess how screwed Tina 'DUI' Fell would be if her family found out she was dropped because she got drunk at dance rehearsal. "Elena. Stefan." I called out the couple, even though I told myself I was going to ignore them. The two broke apart and glanced at me. I signed, shaking my head at my friends. "...Is it that hard to stick to the rules?" I quietly remarked. Stefan shrugged while the stupid grin was still on his face while Elena looked a little embarrassed. I mean the two of them could flirt all they want in their free time. I sighed. "Take a break." I said, looking back at Mrs Lockwood who nodded in approval. I could tell without reading her mind, she was getting sick of them too.

Elena and Stefan parted from each other and nodded. My childhood best friend opened her mouth to say something but I turned away and walked back to Erica and Dana to grab my phone. Caroline was still not here. Before I could call or text her, I heard the over-familiar peppy voice of Caroline from the entrance of the cafeteria. She was not alone. Bonnie stood beside her. Seeing her, Elena jumped at the opportunity to talk to her. Oh god. This was gonna be awkward. I just knew it. Ever since Bonnie came back, I was avoiding Elena. It wasn't like I was guilty of anything. It's just I felt bad keeping the fact that I was in contact with Bonnie all this time while she was too busy worrying about her boyfriend.

"Is it just me or is Bonnie and Elena being awkward around each other." Dana quietly remarked. From the corner of my eye, I could see Dana staring at me expectedly.

Erica noticed this and she leaned over to cover my view with her face. She looked concerned. "Is everything okay?" She asked.

"Everything is fine." I stated, moving away from the two. I sucked in a breath and turned back to the two girls. "Can you guys watch my stuff, I'm gonna go help Caroline." I didn't wait for their answers as I strutted towards my friends.

The closer I got to the entrance of the cafeteria where my friends were gathered, the more nervous I felt. Instantly, Stefan's eyes snapped to look at me as I approached. I faltered in my steps and slowed down. The cold deathlike feeling which had almost faded when I was around Stefan felt suffocating now. He didn't take his gaze away from me. It's just Stefan. I quietly remarked to myself. There's nothing to be worried about. I shivered involuntarily and stopped at a distance. "—he had to work today." I heard Caroline say. "Ava, hey. Sorry I'm late." Caroline waved at me.

"It's fine. You made it...just in time." I tugged at the sleeves of my plum t-shirt as I tried to ignore the chilling feeling that was crawling up my spine.

"Matt's—"

"I know. He called." I smiled at my blonde best friend while ignoring the awkward looks between Bonnie and Elena along with Stefan's weird grin. I grabbed Caroline's hand and tried to lead her to the makeshift dance floor.

I turned to look at Bonnie and gestured to her to follow me with my head. She made a move to follow me and Caroline but stopped when Elena spoke up. "Bonnie, do you have a minute?"

Bonnie and I shared a look. She didn't want to be left alone with Elena. I tilted my head to the side, pointing to the sign that read 'dance rehearsals'. She softly gasped, understanding what I meant and turned her gaze to Elena. "We only have 30 minutes for rehearsal." She answered, again trying to follow me and Caroline.

"It'll only take a minute, please?"

I shrugged. Caroline and I shared a look while we stared at each other. "Fine. Ava, do you mind?" Bonnie turned to me. I raised my brows in confusion before she sighed. "Moral support." Moral support? I glanced at Elena who stared at me, conflicted. Bonnie didn't want me for moral support but rather as the buffer.

Reluctantly, I nodded. "Give me a minute." I said. I walked over Mrs Lockwood, letting her know Caroline was here before I told her I was taking a quick break. She didn't question me at all. Instead she just ticked Caroline's name on the clipboard and led my blonde friend to the side to wait for her stand-in partner while Bonnie went off to talk to Elena.

---

The silence was deafening in the empty hallway. I stood between my two friends while I leaned against a set of lockers. Stefan had decided to take off again, thankfully. His mere presence was putting me on the edge. It was the same feeling that I had when Damon first came to town. The 'Tanner incident' flooded into my mind as I shivered again, remembering the hyper-realistic vision and the cruel reality of finding my old history teacher's corpse.

"Bonnie, you have to tell me what's wrong." Elena took the lead and broke the wall of silence first.

Bonnie glanced at me and then at Elena and shook her head. "It's not worth talking about." She said. I pursed my lips in disagreement. It was worth talking about. Sheila Bennett died because of Elena's words but it wasn't my place to start something. I was just here as the peacekeeper.

"What do you mean not worth it?" Elena retorted. I scoffed quietly, she was not in the position to get angry here. "You barely said ten words to me and you won't even look at Stefan." She carried on. "Is that what it is? Is it Stefan?

My witchy friend sighed and glanced at me again. I gave her a look and she nodded. There was no point for her to keep it all in. "Listen, Elena, I can't just pretend that everything's okay." She bit back. "Everything my Grams did was to protect us from those vampires in the tomb." She wrapped her arms around herself. "...And now they're out, which means she died for nothing."

"I'm so sorry Bonnie. What can I do to make it better?"

Bonnie shook her head. "That's just it, there's nothing you can do." She took a step forward and stared at Elena's doe eyes that looked on the verge of tears. "I blame him, Elena, him and Damon and I'm not gonna put you in a situation where you have to choose sides besides Ava's already done enough for me." Bonnie turned away from Elena and started walking towards the cafeteria door. "...I'm just having a hard time with it, okay?" She finished and walked off, leaving me and Elena standing 'alone'.

"What do I do?" Elena asked, the moment Bonnie was gone. "Ava? What do I do?"

I pursed my lips and sucked in a breath. Letting it go, I shook my head. "Nothing. Nothing. Because nothing you do is going to bring back the dead." I stated with a calm look. Sheila Bennett wasn't the only one dead. All those hikers and campers along with those that were killed on the sides of the road by the vampires that left town. There was no bringing them back. I know what I said to Elena sounded cold but it was the truth. "I hate to say I told you so but I did warn you of sympathizing with Damon that time—about opening the tomb—but there's no point crying about the past...We just have to move on."

Elena shook her head. "I thought I made the right decision—that Katherine would be there—and it would all work out for us all."

"But it didn't." I pointed out. "And the 'right' decision isn't the 'best' decision. What you think is right isn't right for everyone. The sooner you realize that the quicker things will get easier for you." I added, toying with a strand of my hair. When I finished, I looked up to see Elena on the verge of tears. "You should go home and rest." I patted her shoulders and pushed her gently into the direction of the school car park entrance. She nodded meekly and walked off. I paused for a second as I made my way back to the cafeteria. The familiar death-like chill was there again. Against my better judgement, I called out to Stefan. "You shouldn't eavesdrop. It's rude."

Stefan came out of the corner and grinned lightly. There it was. The hollow grin that I was not used to. It felt too Damon-like and at the same time very alien on Stefan's face. "Sorry, I couldn't help myself. I just happened to be here." He said. Liar. He meant to hear us. Sometimes, I wished I could read his mind.

I didn't call him out for lying. Instead, I nodded at him. "Don't do it again." I replied quietly and turned away to walk away from him.

---

Just like that it was the day of the pageant. I stood in front of the tall and wide mirror and stared at my own reflection. My mahogany hair was let loose in soft curls while some of my hair was pinned to the left with a small pearl hairpin that had belonged to grandma Janine. It was a last minute gift from my uncle. It was a thoughtful gift considering she was the reason I even had anything to do with the pageant. In my mind, I'd like to think a piece of her was with me as I wore the pearl hairpin. Sappy, I know. I sighed and turned my gaze towards the dress I had on.

A satin magenta dress with a halter neck. It was backless and sleeveless. It draped down my body in a perfect fit. It was beautiful and comfortable to move around in. There was no train, the dress was ankle length, making it easier to walk in despite the six inch rose colored heels on my feet. To complete the look, I wore a platinum bracelet with pink diamonds on my wrist that completed my look. The only downside was that I couldn't hide any weapons on me. So no dagger and definitely no crossbow or any sort of bows. At least I looked pretty.

I paused and turned around just as the soft clicking of heels was heard. Mrs Lockwood walked in a hurry from the door behind me. She looked at me and gave me a look, signalling that the first of the guests were here. Wasting no time, I followed the older woman to the dressing rooms. The first thing I noticed was how frantic Amber was. The blonde contestant nervously paced around the room anxiously while Tina and the other Fell loudly bickered over a hairdryer. It was a mess. Mrs Lockwood and I shared a look. Before I could say anything she had left the room. Great. Just amazing. I scowled and ignored the Fells to check on Caroline while taking a peek at Elena's station.

At Elena's dressing table, Jenna stood over Elena with an eyeshadow palette. The two quietly and happily chatted away, ignoring the chaos in the background. It was commendable, to say the least. On the other side, the Fells looked to have hired a professional hair stylist and makeup artist. A good choice. I turned my attention back on Caroline who seemed as if she was the only one who was doing her own hair and makeup. For a moment, I wondered where her aunts were but then I stopped remembering why they weren't there. I sucked in a breath and walked over to my blonde best friend.

"Need some help?" I quietly asked, leaning over her dressing table.

Caroline turned to look at me. She smiled and narrowed her eyes. "Thought you couldn't cause of the 'so-called' rules." She joked as I picked up the hair curler. She threw her sunshine blonde hair behind her back, letting it fall on her barbie pink silk robe. The color of her robe was close to my dress, almost giving the illusion that we were matching.

I laughed. "Technically that applied to before the days of the pageant. Day of the pageant is fair game—as long as I don't go overboard and crown you just cause you're one of my best friends."

"Well, in that case. Thanks."

"Where's your mom?" I asked, curling a section of her hair.

Caroline sighed as she picked a shimmery beige eyeshadow up. "Security." Was all she said. "Even today she's gonna put her work before me."

I let go of the curled hair and picked up another section. "It's probably cause of all those missing campers and hikers. There's also been a series of thefts at hospitals." I quietly remarked just quiet enough that only she could hear.

"I know. Doesn't stop me from being disappointed." I nodded at Caroline's response and finished curling her hair. "Oh by the way, I went with the green dress."

"Well, it was Bonnie's pick."

"Yeah, but I feel like you would've gone with that too."

"Hmm. True. Emerald green is my favourite shade of green." I let go of the final curled sections and picked up a brush along with a comb. Wordlessly, I worked on Caroline's hair and then used some pins that she handed to me to stick it to place. Then I picked up the hair spray. "Cover your mouth." I softly whispered before I started spraying the hair spray. "...And you're done." I said, stepping back.

Caroline beamed brightly as she checked her hair in the mirror. She turned her head to the sides to check if it was perfect but then she stopped. Buzz. My phone went off just then. Quickly, I took it out from my purse which was attached to my bracelet. One missed call from Matt. Oh no. Caroline accidently saw my phone and frowned.

Got roped into more shifts.

Might miss the pageant.

Tell Care

- Matty

Oh no. I turned to look at Caroline who read those messages. Her joy crumbled in an instant as tears welled up in her eyes. She tried to shake them off to prevent her makeup from being smudged. I quickly moved and took out some tissues and held them to her face gently. "Why does this always happen to me?" She said. Her voice was shaky and eyes were watery. I gently rubbed her back, trying to calm her down. Caroline kept shaking her head, upset that she was abandoned once again. I didn't know what to do. Then she stopped. Her eyes wandered to the other side of the room where my other childhood best friend was. Elena awkwardly joked around with her aunt as Jenna attempted to curl her hair.

I didn't have to look at Caroline to know she was jealous. She was jealous of Elena who even though she was orphaned still had her aunt, a loving boyfriend and people that would try to make time for her. I understood where she was coming from. After all, my parents were somewhat like the Sheriff. Absent, always busy. Even though they would try to make time for me, they were always busy with work. My brother was in another state and busy as well but at least I had uncle Nate. Caroline turned to look at me with teary eyes, I just shook my head. There wasn't any point being jealous of Elena. She sighed and nodded. Silently, she turned away from me but not before glancing at Elena another time who got up and left the room.

I opened my mouth to say something, only to be interrupted by Mrs Lockwood. "Ava, can you check on Amber for me?" Mrs Lockwood asked, looking around for a sign of the blonde contestant but she was nowhere to be found.

"Sure. Also Matt Donovan, escort for Caroline Forbes is unfortunately not going to be present." I said. Caroline flinched back as I quietly talked to Mrs Lockwood. The older woman made no motion to acknowledge my blonde friend. Instead, Mrs Lockwood wrote down something on her clipboard and thanked me for letting her know.

"Now Amber..." Mrs Lockwood began.

I simply nodded at Mrs Lockwood and got up, giving Caroline a quick comforting tap. Without looking back, I walked over to the changing room to check on Amber. I felt bad for her. It was obvious that she wasn't going to win and the poor girl was clearly bad at crowds and attention while the rest of the founders' descendents were practically groomed for this since they were born, even the ones that never took part like me. Still, I wasn't the right person to calm her down. At the end of the day, I was just the stand-in for a winner that never was. I had no experience standing there with the rest of the contestants. I did, however, have experience with attention. I guess that would do.

Pausing outside the door for a second before I pushed the door open and shut it behind me as I walked in. The moment I walked in I found Amber still in her casual outfit, pacing around while Elena stood off to the side. She looked concerned at the blonde girl. "Amber?" I called out.

The anxiety-stricken girl stared at me with wide eyes like a deer caught in the headlights. "Ava, right?" She asked.

I nodded in response. "Hi, I just came to check on you." Clasping my hands in front of me, I walked towards her. "I heard you weren't feeling so great." I added. Amber sucked in a deep breath and let it out. Her hands were shaking and she kept on breathing heavily.

"Honestly, I'm so nervous and...worried" She answered after a while without looking at Elena.

I smiled brightly and gently rubbed her right arm. "Stage nerves." I clicked my fingers together. "It's perfectly normal, I'm sure everyone has it as well." I said. That was a lie. The Fells didn't have it at all. I checked on them before and they were the picture of confidence or arrogance, depending who you asked. It was definitely because they had a Fell on the judging panel. Caroline was also nervous even if she didn't let it show but for the wrong reasons.

And it looked like Amber was unconvinced. She bit her lips. "It doesn't seem that way." She said. Her eyes casted a glance at Elena who looked concerned for the non-founder girl but there was no sign of nerves from the brunette.

"Well everyone reacts differently." I replied. "How about...a drink or a snack?" I asked with a smile on my face. My face was going to hurt from all that smiling I was doing. "Tea is known to be quite relaxing or maybe a glass of wat—"

"Thanks but I think I'm just gonna get some air." She cut me off. I nodded understandingly while glancing at Elena. "I'm allowed to go out right?" She questioned, wondering if there was some rule that meant she couldn't. There was a cold feeling in the back of my spine that almost forced me to lie. Staring at her, I couldn't. She looked at me, expectedly with her wide blue eyes. "Ava?" Her hands kept fidgeting in a nervous manner that left me with no choice but to say yes. The bright pageant queen's smile never left her face for a second. The smile could've been a winning smile if she was born into a Founding family. A shame, I thought.

I blinked and tried to remember what she asked me. "Right...um...rules. I don't think there's one stopping you." I answered after remembering her question.

"Thanks."

"Just don't go too far and be back—" I brought my left hand forward to check on my watch and looked back at Amber. "Before the line-ups or else you might be disqualified."

Amber raised her brows in alarm but her smile was back as she nodded and breathed out, shaking her hands like she was shaking off her nerves. "Okay. I'll be back soon. Thanks Ava."

I simply moved my head in acknowledgement. She walked past me and left the room the moment our talk ended. Elena and I stared at each other before we both shrugged. "Do you need help or..."

"Actually I might." She answered while walking over to the mirror. It was still awkward to be around Elena after the whole conversation with Bonnie. Letting her know how I felt for the second time around was not great because I knew deep down it didn't go through to her at all. That Elena, someone who thought her way was the best way. I had no choice but to suck it up. Elena could complain about Bonnie ignoring her all she wants but I have work to do. I started walking towards the huge mirror in the center of the room. There, Elena's royal blue pageant dress was hanging onto the frame of the ornate mirror.

I stopped in my tracks. A sudden familiar chill went through me as I let out a tired sigh. "Damon." I guessed.

"Damon?" Elena repeated just as the intruder walked in. My guess was correct. I saw Damon walk into the changing room without a word from his reflection in the mirror. He was dressed for the occasion and as much as I hated to admit it he looked good. For a moment he didn't say anything but just scanned the room. His electric blue eyes met my caramel ones and we just stared at each other.

I gave him a look asking him what he was doing here. "Um, hello? What are you doing here?" I asked, trying not to raise my voice.

His jaws clenched and his eyes narrowed. "We need to talk." He said, staring at me and Elena.

Elena and I shared the same look of confusion. "Does it have to be right now?" Elena asked, taking her dress hanger off the mirror frame. She held the dress in her hands and stared at Damon.

"We're kinda in the middle of something." I chimed in, folding my arms.

Despite my high heels, I was still nowhere close to Damon's height. He rolled his eyes and stared at me with a look of annoyance. "Normally I would have a completely different outlook of what I'm about to tell you two especially Elena—" He said, gesturing to Elena and then turned back to look at both of us. "—but since it could really inconvenience me, I'll squeal."

"Oh no." I gasped.

"Oh yeah." Damon said. It didn't take me long to realize what he was talking about.

On the other hand, Elena was clueless. She looked between me and Damon, confused about what was going on. "What are you two talking about?" She asked, her grip on her dress tightened.

Damon and I stared at each other for a moment. We were both egging each other on, on who should spill. I took a step back. He shook his head and took that as a sign. "Stefan's still drinking human blood." He blurted out.

"What?!" Elena exclaimed in horror. Her face turned pale and her hands started to shake.

Great. I sighed and looked away. I started pacing around the room. I don't know what I was expecting. I thought he would get better and like a total idiot I let myself believe Stefan was different. Stupid Ava. Stefan was a vampire at the end of the day just like his brother. "...I bet you're overjoyed."

Damon snorted at my remark. "Yeah, a month ago I would have rejoiced." He admitted. I raised my eyebrows and gave him a look of disbelief. "But," His eyes darkened and he stared at the floor. "with the council back on the alert, it is not a good time for Stefan to fly off the handle." He added.

"I know he's been a little edgy but he said that was normal." Elena tried to make sense of her boyfriend's actions even though there was justification.

"He has a fridge full of stolen blood bank contraband in the house."

"Well he did tell me he was an addict." I pointed out, stopping mid-step. "A blood addict." Saying those words disgusted me. I needed to take a shower, maybe a bath.

Elena shook her head. She didn't or couldn't believe a thing Damon was saying or I was commenting. "Oh my god." She gasped, clutching her dress tighter. She stopped pacing and hobbled over to the couch in the changing room.

"He has no idea what normal is, his entire existence isn't normal."

I snorted. "Vampires aren't normal either." I lightly commented.

"Normal to a vampire is drinking human blood" Damon retorted. "—but he spent all this time fighting it when he should have been learning to control it and now it's controlling him instead."

"I can't believe this." Elena was still in denial. "I mean, it's Stefan that we're talking about here."

"He's a vampire." I said. "One which just happens to be addicted to human blood." I added, looking away.

"As much as I hate to agree with Ava here. Stefan's on human blood, Elena," Damon stared at Elena while I shook my head. This was not going as we both had hoped. "he'll do anything, he'll say anything because he's not gonna want to stop." Two of us shared a look that mirrored each other. "Trust me." I almost wanted to scoff and make a snarky comment but held back.

"This is all my fault; I'm the one who fed him the blood in the first place." Elena sighed and put her head between her hands.

I shook my head, giving Damon another look. It was technically mine and Damon's fault too considering we both tried to get him to take blood bags. Mine was done out of goodwill and belief that maybe Stefan would get used to it. While Damon had done it to either taunt his brother or he actually cared. I didn't know. "Well, there's no point crying about something that's already done and said." I stated. Elena snapped her head towards me and stared at me with her wide doe eyes. I shrugged. What did she want me to do? Blame her for what was going on? Sure, I could do that but that wouldn't get anything done. If I did, I had to blame myself and Damon. And it was tiring to shift blame rather than get something fixed. What was done was done. All we could do now is focus on the now and stop the situation from going bad to worse. "So what do—" My words were cut off as a shiver ran down my back and the urge to kill was faintly stronger.

Damon immediately noticed it. When I looked up at Elena, he caught my eyes. Seeing my face, he quickly sobered up and put on a mask just as Stefan walked in. "What's going on in here?" Stefan greeted us in his usual manner that almost had me fooled.

I stared at him in disappointment. I didn't bother to hide my feelings this time. I do admit that I was more disappointed with myself than him and was basically speechless. Damon, on the other hand, reacted differently. "Just filling Elena and Ava on your extra-curricular activities." He quietly revealed.

Stefan let out a laugh of disbelief. "What are you talking about?"

"Y'know break-ins at the hospital. Missing blood bags. The fun stuff." I added, crossing my arms.

The younger Salvatore shook his head, ready to deny his crimes but Elena beat him to it. "I know about the blood, Stefan." The moment she said this, he looked at the floor and shook his head. There was a sliver of a smile on his face. Yeah, this wasn't the Stefan we knew. He wasn't sorry at all.

I scoffed and was about to retaliate before Damon grabbed my arm without me knowing. "I'm uh—I'll be downstairs, drinking." He excused himself and gently dragged me with him while I silently fumed.

---

Damon and I waited until we were out of earshot and into the sparsely filled courtyard before I opened my mouth. I looked around for a minute checking for any signs of anyone listening in before turning to glare at Damon. "Are you insane? Actually don't answer that. You just left them alone—like that." I ranted quietly while painting a smile on my face for any onlookers.

"We just left them alone." Damon corrected, grabbing my hand into his like I was his date or something. I almost pulled back but stopped when I noticed Mrs Lockwood staring at us. Damon smiled and waved at her before carrying on. "They need to talk it out."

"Yeah but not alone. Damon—" I freed myself from his grip and turned to stare at him. "Stefan is not himself right now. He's basically a junkie."

"Basically."

"How are you so—ugh—nevermind." I shook my head and grabbed a drink from a tray nearby and swirled it in my hand. "We need to call Lexi."

Damon stared at me for a second before mimicking my actions and grabbing a drink himself. "What makes you think Lexi has a better chance of getting through to him than his girlfriend."

"Apart from the fact they are probably best friends, um. Stefan and Lexi seemed to know each other for a while." I answered back. "Like don't get me wrong. Elena is great and all but she's terrible at handling the whole junkie thing just look at Jeremy." I added.

"He's fine."

"You had to compel him to be fine. Even then it was a botched compulsion."

"Not my fault that kid's nosy for his own good." I rolled my eyes and shook my head. "Y'know I'm right."

"Whatever." I took a sip of my drink, trying to ignore what was going on.

I froze when suddenly Damon gently pushed a few loose strands of my hair out of my face. I stared at him with a blank look. "You look good. Starting to think you really like pink and red."

"Your flattery isn't gonna erase the fact that your brother is a ticking time bomb."

"Technically this is also your fa—"

"Ava. The line-ups starting soon." The over-excited voice of Mrs Smallwood interrupted Damon before he finished his sentence. I thanked the heavens for her interruption and turned to look at her. "Can you quickly let the other girls know." She added.

"Sure." I answered, a little too enthusiastically.

Without another word to Damon, I walked off towards the dressing rooms. I stopped to text Damon to watch out for Stefan before carrying on, choosing to forget whatever he said before. Amber. I needed to think about Amber and the damned pageant. This was better than whatever mess the Salvatore brothers were cooking up. The pageant. If Stefan was spiralling, there was no way I should let him take part in the pageant. I stopped in my tracks and started to turn around and starting walking faster towards Mrs Lockwood and her husband, the Mayor.

It didn't take me long to find the two along with Tobias Fell and his wife. The Fells and Lockwoods were busy quietly chatting away while in the distance my uncle was chatting with John. I could tell that he was not having a good time. Jenna walked by with Mr Saltzman twice while trying to catch my uncle's eye and get him to leave John but it seemed John wasn't interested in leaving. I looked away from them and their little high school drama, shifting my attention back to Mrs Lockwood who was flipping through the finalized list of contestants and their escorts.

"Oh. You scared me." Mrs Lockwood jumped a little when I walked over to her. She clutched her chest in surprise before smiling. "Is there anything wrong?"

"No. I just came to check the list." I answered. Mrs Lockwood nodded, handing me the list. I quickly scanned the paper. Matt's name was underlined in red while another time was added next to his. The backup escort. "Mrs Lockwood, do we have another backup escort?"

Mrs Lockwood scrunched up her face in confusion while tilting her head to the side. "Well, no. Maybe, there's Tyler but—" She glanced at her husband and swallowed before the corners of her lips turned upwards in a forced smile. "No. We don't." She said firmly. "Why?"

I didn't answer. My grip on the clipboard tightened and I sucked in a breath. What do I do? I thought. "Can we add Damon Salvatore as a back up escort for Elena Gilbert." I said.

She didn't move. The mayor's wife stared at me in confusion. I could hear all the different questions swimming in her head as we just stared at each other. "Why?" She asked again. "Stefan's here, I just saw him." She added.

I sighed and looked around. This was taking too long. "Don't ask questions. Just do it." I mumbled under my breath.

Mrs Lockwood's light blue eyes shimmered into a light gold tint as she nodded dumbly. She took the clipboard from my hands and in a daze wrote down Damon's name. After she was done, she capped her pen and walked off. This was for the best, I tried to justify. Better safe than sorry.

---

The dressing room was buzzing when I walked in. The Fells were in the midst of another argument while clutching the skirts of their pageant dresses. On the other side, Caroline was pacing around taking deep breaths. I stopped on the threshold and counted. Three out of five. Elena and Amber were still not here. Elena's station was empty but unlike Amber's, her makeup and hair styling tools were all put away neatly. No doubt done by Jenna before she left. Amber's station on the other hand looked terrible.

I breathed out tiredly and walked out of the room. The clicking of my heels pounded against the floor as I hurried over to the changing room. I knocked once with no answer. Just as I was about to open it, Elena swung open the door. She wore her knee length royal blue silk dress and nervously chewed on her lips. Her eyes brightened seeing me.

"I know. I know. I'm late." She said before she hurried over to the dressing room, leaving alone in front of the changing room.

Well, at least she was aware of it. Amber. I remembered her and walked into the room. "...Amber?" I called out. "Are you back?" I questioned, looking around the empty changing room. There was no answer. I could faintly hear the creaking wooden ceiling but nothing else. Seriously, I told her to hurry back. "Amber!" I called out again, a little louder. I strutted out the room and threw open the bathroom a few doors down the changing room.

Gasp.

Shards of broken mirror stained with blood was scattered on the floor. The cream marble sink was cracked on the edges as if someone had been gripping it too hard. On the floor in front of the door, there was a deep crimson stain. I could faintly smell the familiar iron-like smell of blood from where I stood. I gasped again, taking in the scene in front of me. What happened here? I bent down, being careful not to dirty my dress and peered at the scene closer. It was worse than what I had scene. I opened my hands and started to reach over to the sink or touch one of the shards so I don't know, maybe trigger my visions. But I stopped. My left hand hovered mid-air before I balled up my fists and drew back before standing up straight. What was I doing? If the Sheriff finds this, no doubt they will, my prints would be all over the sink or the mirror.

Quickly I got up and looked around for anyone. No one saw me. I was lucky. As normally as I could I got out of the room and walked over to the second staircase that wasn't used for the court's entrance and made my way through the crowd. I made my way to my uncle to tell him what I saw but I stopped. John was still there with my uncle. Uncle Nate and I made eye contact. Unfortunately, John noticed this. I awkwardly nodded and smiled in their direction before reluctantly looking around for a sign of Amber. There was no sign of the anxious blonde anywhere in the crowd. I was starting to fear the worst. The pageant was quickly crashing down in flames.

Against my better judgement, I walked over to Damon. He started shuffling in with the crowd as they gathered around the main staircase that would be the entrance for the Miss Mystic Court. Luckily he was alone right now. "Have you seen Amber Bradley?" I asked Damon quietly. I was desperate and worried. We had Stefan on the edge and Amber missing. I dreaded thinking about the possibility of the worst.

"Who?" He whispered.

"Blonde, this tall—" I gestured with my hands. "and a bundle of nerves." Damon looked at me, confused. "She's the only one whose on edge apart from Elena."

"Ah." Damon nodded. "Nope. Haven't seen her. Before you ask…no. I didn't eat her." He added as an afterthought.

"Great. Just great."

"Don't sweat it. Stage fright gets the best of us."

"That's not why I'm worried." I replied, opening and closing my fists. I paused. The escorts for the pageant started gathering around the staircase now. I mentally counted them. Four out of five. I recognized Jeff who was the backup escort for Caroline in Matt's absence and even Amber's escort. Then who… "Uh-Oh." I said quietly under my breath.

"What?" Damon questioned.

"Stefan's also missing." I pointed out, gesturing to the escorts.

His eyes widened as he followed my line of sight. "That can't be good."

"No. It can't."

"Relax." He tried to calm me down. "You said it yourself, Stefan's nothing like me."

"He said he can be worse." I retorted. I thought back to our conversation at the boarding house and it chilled my bones. I couldn't even ask my uncle for help without raising John and the council's alarm.

"He is." Damon admitted.

"Damon!"

"You wanted me to be honest. This is me being honest."

"I think Stefan might've taken Amber."

Damon glanced at me and then glanced around. "That...is a very serious accusation."

I sighed and shook my head. "There's a bathroom upstairs with a broken mirror and cracked sink along with a few drops of blood."

"That doesn't sound so good."

"No. It doesn't." I admitted. "Ugh. At least I added in your name as a backup escort for Elena."

"What!?"

"Hey! You were around when they set this thing up, I'm sure y'know the steps and everything. Besides you owe me." I said. He did owe me for not turning him into a pile of ashes or turning him into the council along with the fact that I had to play his therapist. "I have to go and take my place. We'll go look for Stefan after this all over." I added, walking away to join Mrs Lockwood at the top of the staircase.

---

Amber was still missing. As more time passed, the more I believed Stefan took her. Unfortunately, I couldn't just go on a hunch considering I had nothing to go on. No psychic dreams or visions or anything, really. I paced around the floor while Caroline and Elena stood in front of the bannister. Caroline was leaning down and nervously shaking her hands to get rid of her nerves while Elena was looking around anxiously for a different reason. She would pause now and then just I paused pacing to give me a look. A look, Caroline and the other contestants were far too busy to notice.

Downstairs Mayor Lockwood was joined by a crowd of people as he prepared himself to start announcing the introductions. He wasn't alone. He was joined by Mr and Mrs Fell along with Mr and Mrs Smallwood. While upstairs Mrs Lockwood and I kept watch over the contestants.

"Miss Tina Fell, escorted by Bartholomew Whitmore." Mayor Lockwood announced.

Taking that as her cue Tina Fell gracefully descended down the steps. Her bright coral chiffon dress trailed behind her like a soft waterfall. She smiled demurely and softly took her escort's hand, letting him guide her to the dance floor outside. Everyone's eyes were on her. Well, almost everyone. Mrs Lockwood was too busy running around in the background behind me. She too was worried about Amber but for the wrong reasons.

"Has anyone seen Amber?" Mrs Lockwood asked. Elena and Caroline turned around, shaking their heads in unison.

I walked over to her, clutching my hands together. Noticing me, Mrs Lockwood gestured to a side where no one would be able to hear us. I followed her quietly while still keeping an eye on the other girls. "Amber said she was going out to get some air but that was an hour or two ago." I answered.

"Oh no. There's supposed to be five on the court but there's four. What do we do?"

I racked my brains for a solution. "I have an idea. It's a little out there."

"I'll take anything to avoid this becoming a joke."

"We'll replace Amber with another girl." I proposed.

Mrs Lockwood let out an exasperated breath. "And where are we going to find another girl that knows the dance and is dressed appropriately."

"Erica Sato." I blurted out without thinking.

"Erica Sato? She's not a Founder."

"Neither was Amber." I pointed out.

Mrs Lockwood nodded. "Right but the dance."

"She's dating Amber's escort, William Smallwood, so she knows the dance." I said. Now I had her attention, she stared at me and pursed her lips. I could tell she was still very reluctant and was considering changing the rules, excluding Amber from the court altogether. That would not be a good look for the Founders. "...We could lend her one of the backup dresses. Plus having her on the court gives us diversity points and more attention than having Amber." I apologized in my head to both girls. I didn't mean what I said here at all.

Mrs Lockwood finally relented and agreed. "Get her changed and ready in five." I quickly nodded at the command and pulled out my phone. Without wasting a second, I called Erica to quickly come upstairs. She answered quickly and before I hung up, she was already standing behind me and Mrs Lockwood.

Seeing her, Mrs Lockwood grabbed her hand while mumbling about the time. Erica was dragged away with Mrs Lockwood to the changing room to change into one of the backup dresses donated by my and the Lockwood family. At least that's one problem solved I thought, walking back to Caroline and Elena.

"—had your chance to drop out and believe me I was all for it because there is no way that I could beat you. Elena, you're doing this because it was important to your mom." I heard Caroline say.

I stopped in my tracks. My eyes narrowed in on Elena and I couldn't help but glare. I get that she was worried but could she not have picked a better time to drop out. I held my complaints in, not wanting to start an argument and hovered around the two.

A round of applause from the downstairs signalled it was time for the next contestant. I walked over to Caroline and nodded at her, signalling her to get ready. She nodded back, sucking a nervous breath before a bright smile blossomed on her face. "Miss Caroline Forbes—and her escort Jeffrey Lockwood Hamilton." Mayor Lockwood announced.

Hearing her name, Caroline gently clutched the sides of her satin emerald gown and gracefully descended down the steps. I gently pushed Elena forward as Caroline disappeared from the top of the stairs. I could see Caroline effortlessly accept her escort's hand as he led her around the crowd before guiding her to the dance floor.

I turned to Elena and cocked my head to the side as I folded my arms. "I really hope you weren't about to drop out." I stated with my eyes wide and my fists clenched.

"Ava—"

Before she could argue or say anything back. I cut her off. I didn't have time to hear her excuses. "I get you're worried about Stefan, so am I but—I and everyone else have spent waay too much time and effort organizing this—only for you to drop out while another member of the court is missing."

"I'm sorry."

"I don't want you to be. I want you to put some effort into this...and not drop out."

Just as I finished, Mrs Lockwood strolled back into the landing with a dressed up Erica. Gone was her previous muted green cocktail dress, now she wore a champagne coloured chiffon gown with black flowers and asymmetrical neckline. It was good for a last minute change but good nonetheless. "Elena, you're next." Mrs Lockwood reminded, as she escorted Erica into position behind Elena.

Elena nodded and sucked in a breath. She and I shared a look as I gave her a gentle tap on the shoulders. We waited until the applause died down before the Mayor announced her entrance. "Miss Elena Gilbert, escorted by Mister Stefan Salvatore who's—" The Mayor paused and seemed to be looking around. "—unwell." He added in as if he was in trance. Of course he was. That would be my fault. Elena breathed out in disappointment and started to slowly walk to the steps. "—Taking his place is Mister Damon Salvatore."

Damon looked up, shaking his head. 'You. Owe. Me. ' He mouthed just as he slid into what should have been Stefan's position. Elena almost froze seeing Damon but she carried on. Her royal blue silk gown trailed behind her as she awkwardly smiled, taking Damon's hand.

I watched with bated breath as the two gracefully moved outside to join the other escorts and the contestants while I waited upstairs. The moment they were gone I pulled out my phone and texted Stefan.

Where r u?

- Ava

No reply. I sighed and tried again while looking around. Erica stared at me with bright wide eyes. "I can't believe this is happening." She muttered under her breath.

I didn't bother to respond. Instead I smiled and tried again.

We r all worried bout u.

- Ava

Again no reply. Just as I was about to give up. My phone buzzed with a message. Just two words flashed on my screen.

I'm fine.

- Stef

Unbelievable. I wanted to ask him about Amber and press on but I guess I ran out of time. "And finally..." The Mayor called everyone to attention once again. "Miss Am—" He almost called out Amber Bradley's name but stopped himself and quickly corrected himself before making a fool out of himself. "—Erica Sato and her escort William Smallwood." With that, a round of thunderous applause followed as I watched Erica suck in a deep breath and clutch her skirt. The corners of lips turned upward into a sweet smile.

She floated down the steps with her dress trailing behind her smoothly. Like the other escorts, they followed the same motions and then the crowd started to disperse. It was then that Mrs Lockwood and I went downstairs, following the last of the crowds into the outdoor dance floor.

---

The dance and other parts of the pageant flew by in flash. I went through the motions in a daze, not really there. Now and then, I'd catch Elena or Damon's eyes and they'd give me a look of urgency especially Elena who really didn't want to be here. Well, it was too late for her to drop out now after everything. Damon didn't look that concerned. I just wanted everything to be over so I could go check on Amber. I didn't even know if she was alive or dead. I'd hate to have another person die because of my uncertainty.

Thunderous applause of the crowd broke me out of thoughts as I stared ahead with a soft smile. My eyes were hazy with sleep and anxiety, threatening to shut out of lack of sleep but at least I had some makeup on that masked it. It didn't help that the sun had set and it was night. It wasn't a good time at all. I quickly snapped my attention back to the pageant.

"—Before I crown the winner, I'd like to offer a personal thank you to all of these young ladies for their efforts to better our community." Mayor Lockwood said, gesturing to the five girls standing on the stage. "So, without further adieu it is my honor to announce our very own Miss Mystic Falls," He held a small cream envelope in his hands and gave a glance to the girls before announcing. "Miss Caroline Forbes!" Caroline's eyes widened in surprise as she cupped her mouth and let out a laugh of disbelief. Elena engulfed Caroline into a hug as the two beamed with joy. For a moment, I almost forgot about Amber and Stefan. For a moment. "And helping me crown her we have...Ava Fitzroy from the Fitzroy family as the honorary Miss Mystic Falls." The crowd burst into another round of applause as I shook off my nerves and confidently took center stage. Caroline beamed brightly at me while I politely smiled back at the crowd. If Stefan wasn't out of control I might have had a better response but at that moment my mind was a mess.

The mayor stepped aside, allowing me to stand next to Caroline. A girl wearing a black satin dress handed the mayor sash which read out 'Miss Mystic Falls' and stepped away. Mayor Lockwood stepped forward and placed the sash over Caroline's head. He helped her to adjust it in place before stepping back once more. Another girl in an identical dress stepped in with a bouquet of flowers and passed the flowers to Mrs Lockwood who took it with grace before handing it to Caroline who giggled in blissful joy as she accepted the flowers. A third girl holding a tiara on a violet satin pillow came forward. Her blonde hair in a tight bun like the others, she looked neat and plain compared to the contestants and even me and Mrs Lockwood. She stood in front of the mayor and placed the pillow with the tiara in front of me.

I smiled politely before carefully lifting the small jewelled headpiece with both of my hands. Like Mrs Lockwood and I had rehearsed it before multiple times I gracefully walked over to Caroline and gently placed it on her head. "Ladies and Gentlemen," I called out to the somewhat excited crowd. "I give you your new Miss Mystic Falls' Caroline Forbes!" I stepped aside and stood off to the side with the mayor and his wife as Caroline took center stage.

---

"Well?" I asked Damon as we both stood in a small corner of the ballroom.

Damon shook his head. "You were right. They found blood in that bathroom." He said quietly into my ears in the guise of being flirty to onlookers but his tone suggested something else. He wasn't pleased at all. In fact, he sounded annoyed at his younger brother for screwing up.

Before I could ask more questions Elena's all but ran towards us. She grabbed Damon and me, grabbing our attention while pulling us apart. "What is it, did you two find him?" She interrogated us. Her voice filled with urgency.

"No." I shook my head.

Damon looked around for a moment before quietly dragging us into another corner. "There were signs of a struggle in the upstairs bathroom." He paused to glance at me to check I was still there. "There was blood—"

"And Amber's also missing." I pointed out. "I already told Damon this but I fear that...Stefan took her." I added, my voice gradually getting quieter.

"Did you have your...visions?" Elena asked.

"No, it's a hunch. I didn't want to touch anything there in case they dusted for prints."

"—Which they did." Damon said. "Good call but yeah, that Amber girl is probably with Stefan."

Elena shook her head in disbelief. She covered her mouth in fear and sucked in deep breath before letting go. "He wouldn't hurt her, he won't!" She cried out.

"We don't know that." I said, reminding myself about Stefan. Even though he may be a friend, he was still a vampire. He warned me about himself. I thought he was being dramatic back then but now looking at things, he wasn't.

Damon gave me a tired look and shook his head. "Let's just find him, okay?" He said, trying to clearly calm Elena down. "Why don't you guys get your coats on, come on!"

---

I clutched my skirt and ran through the woods around Founders' Hall. Elena's hands were gripping mine as I tugged her along. Damon was at the front taking the lead. He was deliberately being slow to let us follow him. Beneath my feet I could hear sounds of twigs breaking and dead leaves crunching. The chilly night air blew past me, making me shiver slightly. I had my burgundy short trench coat on and unfortunately, I didn't get to take off my heels. So here I was with Elena and Damon, running in heels through the night, trying to look for Elena's vampire boyfriend.

A piercing shriek echoed through the woods. We picked up our pace and started running even faster. I let go of Elena's hands and started sprinting through the woods. Kicking my legs, I effortlessly caught up to Damon. I was lucky the ground was dry and that there was no rain in the previous days following up to the pageant or else I would've slipped. We came to a halt as another shriek echoed through the vast woods. The three of us shared a look and ran even faster towards the source of the shrieks.

In the midst of darkness, the shadow of Stefan loomed over the fallen and terrified figure of Amber. Her golden blonde hair swayed side to side as she shrieked in pain and horror. Stefan dove into her neck like an animal trying to devour its prey. I gasped as lightning flashed all of sudden. Strange, the weather was fine all day. The lightning flashed. Stefan's face flickered into another.

Suddenly, when I opened my eyes it was raining. Amber's face flickered before it reformed to another very familiar face. Hanna. The rain was pouring harder now, the water wasn't rising but I felt like I was drowning. I breathed in and out, trying hard not to lose my breath. Lightning flashed in front of my eyes once more.

"Stefan!" I heard Elena call out, snapping me back to reality. I breathed out a breath, I didn't know I was holding and hunched forward.

Hearing Elena, Stefan let go of Amber. She fell to the floor like a ragdoll who was done being played with. Her light golden hair reflected against the wisps of light that started to gather around my hands. She fell to the floor, her hair fanned out. Stefan let go and got up. His face was caked in Amber's blood. The wisps of light danced wildly around my fingertips, warming me inside out as I numbly stepped forward.

Damon quickly noticed me, stepped in front of me. He attempted to calm his brother down before I did anything. "Stefan, come on. Get control." He tried to placate him, stepping closer and closer to his brother. "It's okay, come on. Breath through it man." Stefan bobbed his head, acting as if he was gaining back his control. The moment Damon let his guard down, his younger brother grabbed him and threw him against a tree.

"Saw that one coming." I commented out loud, forcing myself to be normal. I brought my hands forward and wisps of light followed. Dusts of light poured from my hands. "I really don't want to hurt you." I added. Now I was the one trying to placate him. I held out my illuminated hands in front of me. His face flickered to Isaac's for a brief second. "...Please Is—Stefan." I begged. "Don't." Stefan growled and bared his fangs at me. Elena glanced at me, pleadingly as I shook my head. I curled up my fists, palms facing the sky. The wisps of light pulled together to form an orb of light. Relaxing my palm, the orb floated above me. I clicked my hand towards Stefan and the orb of light hurtled towards him. It blinded him as he cowered due to the intense light. The orb shattered into small wisps once more the moment it collided against him.

His skin burned and sizzled as the pungent smell of burning flesh and skin filled the air. I recoiled in disgust but stood firm, ready to attack once more. My head started buzzing with static as a dull ache started to form. The buzzing grew quiet as the wisps returned in unison back to me. He hissed and screamed out in pain while writhing on the ground. "No!" Elena jumped in front of my view as I started to repeat my motions. Stefan got up to his feet just as Damon recovered. His face and hands partially healed. He hissed at me and bared his fangs again. I narrowed my eyes at him as the wisps of light dance wildly around the tips of my fingers. He started marching towards me when Damon flashed in the middle of his path. The two brothers glared at each other ready to attack. "Stefan stop it!" Elena begged her boyfriend to stop.

All of sudden, Stefan clutched his head and dropped down to his knees again. He moaned in pain. Elena looked at me with horrified eyes but I was confused. That wasn't me. I shook my head, telling her it wasn't me. We both turned around to find Bonnie behind us. She was quietly chanting under her breath as she got closer. She nodded at me and moved her head towards the victim on the floor. I nodded back, running towards Amber. The wisps of light trailed behind me, following me. I narrowed my eyes, willing the light to go away and it disappeared into the darkness. Then I crouched down on the floor beside her and placed two fingers on the unmarred side of her neck. Her skin was cold, deathly cold and I could feel her life slowly fading. But it was there. Her pulse was slow and erratic but it was there. She was alive. I looked up and signalled to Bonnie that Amber was fine. Bonnie breathed out in relief and slowed down her chanting.

Not caring about my dress at this point, I sat down on the dirt floor and took Amber's neck into my hands. There was a wound on her neck from Stefan's bite. I could also feel something sticky and thick underneath her head. Blood. Her head must've hit a rock or something. I focused on her neck wound first. It was more concerning. There was a chunk of flesh missing from her neck and it was caked in blood. Even in the darkness I could imagine how grim it must've actually been. I grimaced as I placed my left hand over her neck. A soft light gold light illuminated my hand once more with lilac and pastel blue wisps of light shimmering in-between the gold. In the light, I could finally see how deep her wound was. It was just as bad as I had imagined it before.

Slowly the wound on her neck started to close up as the blood gently crumbled away. My hands felt warm against the cold weather and Amber's deathly cold skin. Slowly the warmth from my finger transferred from me to her. Her blue lips shifted to a pale pink and her cheeks became rosy as the coldness from her body subsided. Before I knew it the wound on her neck was completely healed. Luckily, her blood didn't get on her clothes. Now the only problem was the wound on her head. For a second I wondered if it would be better for me to leave that as it was. It would be easier to make excuses for head injury than a bitten neck. There was also the fact that my mind was hazy and I felt slightly weaker. I should just leave that alone, I thought.

When I looked up Stefan was gone. He had disappeared into the night while I was too busy checking on Amber. I looked around to see Bonnie and Damon staring at me in concern while Elena was staring elsewhere. Her eyes were teary and she looked pained. "You okay?" Damon asked, flashing towards me while Bonnie ran towards me at the same time.

Remembering I was there, Elena gasped. "Ava! Are you okay?" She questioned, carefully hurrying towards me.

I put a hand up in the air, signalling her to a stop. "I'm...fine." I weakly answered Damon and Elena. "I'm—cough—fine." I covered my mouth as I let out a bloody cough. "I'm fine." I repeated again. Damon and Bonnie peered over me in disbelief while the former held out their hand in support. I purposely rejected Damon's hand and grabbed Bonnie's who pulled me up. Damon, instead, grabbed me by my waist and helped Bonnie to support my weight.

"Clearly, this isn't fine." Damon retorted back, taking over from Bonnie. "You sprained your ankle and you're coughing blood."

At his words, I suddenly felt the ache. I was too numb from all the adrenaline and magic to even notice it. And just as I noticed it. It was gone. "It's gone." I mumbled under my breath. "Guess it healed."

"You're just full of surprises." He quietly remarked, still supporting me. Elena hovered around the pair. She was still looking around for a sign of Stefan. But I knew there wouldn't be one. He probably went home. "Should've left the healing to me. I would've given her my blood." He added.

I scoffed and freed myself from his grips, walking over to Bonnie. She glared at Damon while helping me stand up. "Give her your blood—" I pointed at Amber's knocked-out form. "—and then accidentally turn another innocent into a vampire." I reminded, thinking back to Vicki. "I had it under control...I was just tired."

---

Sirens rang throughout the woods as Bonnie and I leaned against each other. Elena stood in front of me next to Damon while Sheriff Forbes was crouched down next to an awake Amber. "She doesn't remember what happened." Sheriff Forbes stated, walking towards us. Of course she doesn't Damon and I took turns making sure her compulsion was air tight. I still felt slightly dizzy. Damon said something in response but I wasn't paying attention. "—didn't see anything?" Sheriff Forbes asked the three of us. My uncle stood behind her watching the four of us. He didn't look pleased at all. In fact, he looked disappointed in me.

Damon and Elena turned to look at Bonnie. Way to make things suspicious. Luckily Sheriff Forbes didn't see that look but my uncle did. He didn't point it out though. "The three of us were on a walk when I tripped over something—" I looked down at my dirt stained magenta gown. Sheriff Forbes followed my gaze and nodded. "—She was passed out. I think she hit her head against a rock or something." I finished while looking at my two friends who nodded along.

"And then I called Damon." Elena added while staring at me. I hate to say it but she was terrible at lying.

"Is she gonna be okay? Bonnie questioned. She bit her lips and stared at the Sheriff with big eyes filled with concern.

"It looks like it, yeah." Caroline's mom answered, glancing back at Amber who had a blanket wrapped around her. "Why don't you girls get back to the party? The three of us can take it from here."

"Okay." Elena said

I pulled my coat around me tight. "I think I'm just gonna call it a night." I stated, breathing out tiredly. Sheriff Forbes bobbed her head, understanding where I was coming from.

"I'll take her home." Uncle Nate stepped forward and stood behind me.

Sheriff Forbes shook her head. Her eyes flared up in a silent anger. I could practically hear her thoughts screaming at my uncle. Angry that he was bailing out on council duties again. I flinched back at the onslaught of the Sheriff's thoughts. Uncle Nate, noticing it, gently patted my head. "Nathan." She quietly begged.

"Sorry Liz but Ava takes priority here. She's family." Uncle Nate pointed out and grabbed my arm, pulling back towards the parking lot. Bonnie and Elena had already left. "If you need me, you can call." He finished, not letting the Sheriff respond before dragging me to the parking lot. He let go, the closer we got to his car. By now the disappointment had faded, leaving only fatigue.

"You're disappointed." I quietly commented, slowing my pace.

Uncle Nate sighed and rolled his eyes. "Should I not be?" He retorted. He took out his keys and fumbled around with them before unlocking the door to his car. "What were you thinking?! Giving dietary advice to an unstable vampire." He hissed, pulling the door open. He threw my purse in the back and pointed to the front seat. "Get in."

I breathed out and got in. "I can explain."

"I bet you can."

"I thought I was doing the right thing."

"Your 'friend' said it himself he had problems with human blood and what did you do?" He pulled at his seatbelt.

I mimicked his actions and put on my seatbelt. "I was thinking that maybe it would help like he could slowly get used to it—was a bad idea I know that now but come on—I kept you updated."

The engine of the car roared to life as my uncle turned it on. He drove us out of the parking lot before he spoke again. "I'm not mad that you didn't give me more to go on. I'm disappointed. There's a difference." He said after a moment of silence. He drove through the dark and winding roads of Mystic Falls that looked ominous in the dim moonlight. "An innocent girl could've died. You and your friends could've died."

"But we didn't." I moved to stare at him. "I protected myself."

"You almost passed out!" He shouted, stopping the car in the middle of the road. "You almost passed out and I had to hear it from Damon freaking Salvatore of all people. Do you know how scared I was when he told me. Like what would I do if anything happened to you? What would I say to your parents and your brother? After what happened to dad, mom and Eri—" Uncle Nate cut himself and slammed his fists against the steering wheel. The car's horn echoed loudly against the quiet night. I jumped at his sudden actions. "...You could've gotten hurt."

We didn't say anything for the rest of the way. Driving in complete silence, uncle Nate stared straight ahead while I stared outside. In the background, I could hear the slight buzzing of my phone. No doubt it was Elena or maybe even Lexi who I texted before we went after Stefan. I didn't bother to check. I felt horrible after my uncle's outburst. It was justified. I understood why he was mad. I had been more reckless lately. I was borderline suicidal, almost acting like Elena.

The car came to stop right in front of the manor. My uncle killed the engine and got out. He walked over to my side and pulled open the door on my side, holding it open for me. I got out, thanking him wordlessly and grabbed my bag from the back. At the doorway, the butler and several staff were waiting for us. My uncle marched towards the house, throwing his coat at a nearby servant before disappearing up the stairs. I sighed and dragged myself to my room while Gina fussed over my ruined dress. The guilt was back for a different reason and now it was gnawing away at me. For asking Stefan to try human blood, for putting myself in constant danger and worrying my uncle.

---

Author's note: We love a MC who admits their faults and knows when they screw up. That's Ava for you. Until next time.