Sarah's POV

"I'm not saying don't date the guy. I'm just saying, take it slow."

Bonnie, Elena and I were walking near the front of the school, and our friend was acting weird.

"Why are you acting weird?" I repeated my thoughts to Bonnie.

Elena agreed with me. "You were the one who said to go for it."

Elena had apologized last night with a big tub of ice cream and an old movie—the best way. We were now back to being wonder twins.

"Now I'm saying take it slow." Bonnie replied.

I narrowed my eyes at my best friend. Did she have a vision about Stefan? That would explain her weirdness right now.

"Why the about-face?" Elena asked.

"It's not an about-face." Bonnie denied. "You're single for the first time in your high school career. It's the perfect time to play the field."

I snorted. "Oh, because she's so that girl." Me on the other hand... "Seriously, what are you not saying?"

Bonnie sighed in defeat. "It's stupid."

"Bonnie..." Elena dragged her name.

"What?"

"Spit it out!" We ganged up on her.

"I accidentally touched Stefan." Uh-oh. "And I got a really bad feeling."

Well... fuck. Stefan was as good as discovered right now. One thing my being a hybrid offered me was that I felt human to witches and vampires alike until I revealed my face.

"Is that it?" Elena's face relaxed. "Bonnie!"

"It was bad bad!" Bonnie defended.

"Is this the whole witch mojo thing again?" Elena asked.

Bonnie sighed. "You know what? I'm just concerned. This is me expressing concern about my best friend's new boyfriend."

"And I love you for it, I do." Elena squeezed her hand. "But I feel good. It's been a hard year, and I'm starting to feel like things are getting back to normal again. And you know what? Stefan is a big part of that."

I could feel Bonnie deflate, whatever fears she had for Elena, she had to hide them now that she'd heard that.

"Good morning, girls." Speaking of the devil.

I turned around, eyeing Stefan up and down as he walked up to us. Hm, what I would do to this boy if he wasn't already involved with my twin sister.

"Hey, um, we gotta find Caroline. She's not answering her phone." Bonnie said, dragging me along. "See you guys later."

"See ya!" I waved at the couple, chuckling at Bonnie's bad attempt to evade Stefan. "So sneaky, Bon', didn't think you had it in you." My sarcasm was thick.

"Shut up." She laughed.

•••••••

The bell ringing startled me out of my vision, my eyes fluttering before they lowered to the numbers I'd written all over my book.

'8'. '14'. '22.' What on earth...?

My thoughts stopped short when I realized Bonnie had the same exact numbers written all over her own book. Our startled gazes met at the same time, hers afraid while mine was thinking hard. I these kind of visions, those where I only got bits, it meant that someone was going to die for sure and who, I wonder.

•••••••

"Alright, girls! Two rounds of warm-ups! I don't want any injuries, got it?"

After a slew of playful 'Yes, chief!', my girls went about their warm-ups.

Care and I were co-captain of the Mystic High cheerleading team, on which Elena and Bonnie also were. It'd been our dream since we were five or six, the four of us in my bedroom, looking at stolen album photos and watching our mothers in their own Mystic cheerleaders' uniforms.

Speaking of my co-captain, I put my phone on my ear for the hundredth time. "Care-bear, I'm gonna kill you! Be here in less than five minutes or so help me."

"Still not answering?" Bonnie asked before I shook my head in disbelief. The co-captain of the cheerleading team late, and Care of all people, it wasn't like her at all.

Before I could locate Care with my powers—at this point I was getting worried—, Elena showed up.

"Oh, my god!" Bonnie and I said at the same time, smiles up to our ears. I was so happy to see my sister finally at practice.

"You're here!" Bonnie exclaimed.

"Yep. I can't be sad girl forever." Elena smiled. "The only way to get things back to normal is to do things that already were. Oh, and you're both coming to dinner tonight."

I rolled my eyes. "We live together, Elena. Where else am I gonna be." I sassed.

She stuck her tongue out at me as Bonnie raised a brow. "I am?"

Elena nodded. "Mm-hmm. You girls, me and Stefan. You have to give him a chance."

"Tonight's no good." Bonnie lied, knowing damn well she had nothing to do. "Have you seen Caroline? We've texted her like a hundred times."

"Don't change the subject Bonnie Bennett." Elena cornered her. "You're going to be there."

Bonnie sighed, resigned. "Fine. I'll go."

"Good."

"But seriously, though, have you seen Care?" I asked my sister.

Elena shook her head. "I haven't. This isn't like her."

"I'll try her again." Bonnie took out her phone but before she could dial, we heard a engine roar.

There was Caroline in Damon's car, sucking lips with him before getting out of the car.

And why was I even getting jealous? It's not like I fancied the guy... right?

"Uh..." Elena was as stumped as I was.

"Oh, my god! That must be the mystery guy from the Grill." Bonnie exclaimed.

"That's not a mystery guy. That's Damon Salvatore." Elena replied.

Bonnie gasped. "Salvatore, as in Stefan?!"

"The one and only." I replied, locking eyes with Damon. "And he's one tall order of dark and sexy."

"You're my dream girl too, honey." I heard him whisper, eyes still locked on mine.

I rolled my eyes for good measure, not letting myself be affected as Care approached our little huddle. "I got the other brother." She told Elena. "Hope you don't mind." Before turning to me. "Sorry I'm late. I was uh, busy."

"Yeah, right." I chuckled before gathering the girls. "All right, girls, time to shine!"

~

We were an hour into our practice when Caroline stopped a struggling Elena. "Elena sweetie, why don't you just observe today, ok?"

I threw an apologetic glance at my sister but she really was slowing us down. "Ok! Keep going, girls! Do it again from the top! And 5, 6, 7, 8!"

••••••••••

"You know, putting my food in nice plates isn't going to count as you helping me." I snorted as my sister was plating the food I'd cooked. No one in this household could cook for their lives so it always fell on moi.

Cheer practice was over and we were all showered and dressed for the upcoming dinner—with me in a short, white dress that shopped mid-thigh and embraced my curves in all the right places.

Elena threw me a stank glare as Bonnie continued to tell us her 'witchy discoveries' as we called them.

"You explain it. Last night, I'm watching Nine-o, a commercial break comes on and I'm like, I bet it's that phone commercial. And sure enough, it's that guy and the girl on the bench, he flies to Paris and back. They take a picture."

"Oh come on, that commercial's on a constant loop." Elena said, something which I agreed on.

"Fine." Bonnie said. "Well, how about this? Today, I'm obsessed with three numbers. I keep seeing 8, 14, and 22. How weird is that?"

I could feel Bonnie's burning gaze into the back of my head but I didn't bulge. I would only be willing to talk to her with this kind of stuff, only when she truly believed.

"Maybe we should play the lottery." Elena proposed. "Have you talked to your Gram's?"

Bonnie shook her head. "She's just gonna say it's because I'm a witch. I don't want to be a witch, do you guys want to be witches?"

Elena snorted. "I don't want to be a witch."

"I'm already a witch." I smirked, turning around after I'd finished with my dessert's decoration.

Elena and Bonnie rolled their eyes, not knowing I was truly stating facts. Ever since I was young, I never once lied to them about my powers, I've always told them I was a witch. I just never showed it to them so I guess that was why they never took me seriously.

"Ok, serving spoons." Elena clapped her hands. "Where are the serving spoons."

"Middle drawer on your left." Bonnie replied, shocking even herself when Elena found the spoons in said drawer.

"Ok, so you've been in this kitchen like a thousand times." Elena reasoned.

"Yeah, that's it." Bonnie whispered, both of us only knowing the truth.

Two weeks ago, I'd rearranged the entire kitchen and she'd been on the phone with me so there was no way she could have known where the serving spoons were.

The doorbell chose that moment to ring. Saved by the bell.

"Ok, he's here." Elena turned to Bonnie. "Don't be nervous. Just be your awesome loving self." She said before leaving to open the door.

Bonnie stopped before a random drawer, whispering. "Birthday candles." And sure enough, the item was inside.

She freaked out and turned, eyes locking with me. "S..."

"Talk to Grams, B." I pleaded with her. "And this time, with an open mind."

••••••••

"Did Tanner give you a hard time, today?" Elena asked Stefan as we arrived at the end of our main dish.

The dinner had gone pretty well—if you didn't count dear Bonnie's stiff figure in front of me.

"Well, he let me on the team, so I must have done something right." Stefan replied with a polite smile.

"Bonnie, you should have seen Stefan today." Elena included Bonnie. "Tyler threw a ball at him and..."

"Yeah, I heard." Bonnie interrupted.

Elena looked like she was about to kick our best friend so I intervened. "B, tell Stefan about your family, will you?"

"Um, divorced. No mom. Live with my dad."

I rolled my eyes at her generic answer. "No, about the witches." I turned to Stefan. "Bonnie's family has a lineage of witches. It's really cool."

I did this on purpose. There was no way Stefan hadn't encountered a Bennett witch in his century of existence so I wanted to give him a chance to get on her good side.

"Cool isn't the word I'd use." Bonnie was embarrassed but I could tell she was grateful for my use of the word and not something like 'freaky'.

"Well, it's certainly interesting." Stefan said. You go, boy! "I'm not too versed but I know that there's a history of Celtic druids that migrated here in the 1800s."

"My family came by way of Salem." Bonnie was warming up to him.

"Really? Salem witches?"

"Yeah."

"I would say that's pretty cool." Stefan told her.

"Why?"

"Salem witches are heroic examples of individualism and nonconformity." Stefan continued to suck up to her. Atta boy!

Bonnie looked pleased, finally fully relaxing. "Yeah, they are."

Oh fuck. "I'll get the door." I said, rising from my seat.

"What door?" Elena asked, confused before getting startled when the doorbell rang. "How the hell do you do that?"

"It's called talent, sis, look it up."

Elena rolled her eyes at me, standing up to come with me. I sighed as I was torn, wanting whoever was at the door to come in and yet not.

I opened the door, and sure enough Care and Damon stood before us.

"Surprise!" My blond best friend exclaimed. "Bonnie said you were doing dinner so we brought desserts."

I rolled my eyes at the excuse—Care knew I always made fantastic desserts—, Damon must have been eager to come and destroy the fragile peace between Elena and Stefan.

"Hope you don't mind." Damon told Elena, but his eyes were on me, clearly taking my dress off with his eyes.

"What are you doing here?" Stefan came up behind us and asked his brother.

"Waiting for Elena to invite me in." Damon replied, all smiles.

Elena startled. "Oh yeah, you can..."

"No. No. No!" Stefan panicked. "He can't, uh, he can't stay. Can you, Damon?"

Care was clearly impatient because she walked into the house and motioned him to do the same. "Get in here."

"We're just... finishing up." Stefan stalled once again.

"It's fine." Elena gave in. "Come on in."

Damon smirked and slowly stepped over the threshold, finally getting into the house. I could practically feel a shift of power around me. Hm.

"You have a beautiful home, Elena, Sarah." Damon said, his perpetual smirk still in place.

"Thank you."

•••••••

Now that the matter of home invite was over, I'd whipped out my home desserts and we were all in the living room, cups of tea and slices of tarts before us.

Care and Damon were on the couch in front of mine and Bonnie's while Stefan and Elena shared the last one.

"I cannot believe that Mr. Tanner let you on the team." Caroline was telling Stefan. "Tyler must be seething. But good for you. Go for it."

I settled in to watch the train wreck that was my blonde best friend when she'd had a few drinks in her system—it was over the top, inappropriate and magnificent.

"That's what I always tell him." Damon chimed in. "You have to engage. You can't just sit there and wait for life to come to you. You have to go get it."

"Yeah. Elena wasn't so lucky today." Care turned to my twin. "It's only because you missed summer camp. God, I don't know how you're ever going to learn the routines."

"Good things she lives with the one who created said routines then." I chuckled.

"We'll work with her." Bonnie added in. "She'll get it."

"I guess we can put her in the back." Care muttered, with me restraining my snicker. She was so going to regret her words tomorrow.

"You know, you don't really seem like the cheerleader type, Elena." Damon then looked me up and down. "Sarah, however, looked like she was born for it."

I rolled my eyes and caught Bonnie raising a brow at the obvious sexual tension between us. 'Later' I mouthed to her.

"Oh, it's just because her parents died." Care's words came crashing down on me, even though she was talking about my twin. "Yeah, I mean, she's just going through a blah phase. She used to be way more fun. And I say that with complete sensitivity."

Damon hadn't removed his eyes from my eyes so he didn't miss my small flinch. "I'm sorry Elena, Sarah. I know what it's like to lose both your parents." He told us. "In fact, Stefan and I have watched every single person we've ever cared about die."

That right there hit me right in my heart. You could say I was afraid to see my friends and family die while I lived forever. That was the only downfall to this vampire life.

"We don't need to get into that right now, Damon." Stefan stiffly said.

"Oh, you know what, you're right, Stef. I'm sorry. The last thing I wanted to do was bring her up." Damon dropped another small bomb on Elena. The devil.

••••••••

"One more."

I was in the kitchen, taking care of the dirty plates when I heard a voice behind me. Turning around to see Damon with a glass, I threw him a smile. "Oh, thank you."

Stopping besides me, he chuckled. "I like your sister. She knows how to laugh. And she makes Stefan laugh, which is something I haven't seen in a very long time."

I raised a brow. "Do you want me to ask about Katherine? Is that what this is about?"

"Mh-mmh." He confirmed. "But this, us, is... something more. Confusing but more."

My words alright. Damon and I had strong sexual tension but I couldn't see where this could be headed—aside from under the sheets.

"How did she die?" I changed the subject, less I wanted to jump his bones in the kitchen with my sister, his brother, and my best friends in the other room.

"In a fire. Tragic fire." He replied.

"Recently?" I wonder if she'd also been a vampire.

"It seems like it was yesterday." The smile on his face was surprisingly a sad one.

"What was she like?" Now I was curious.

Damon chuckled. "She was beautiful. A lot like you in that department. Except your eyes, those baby blues..." He seemed mesmerized by my eyes before shaking his head. "She was also very complicated, selfish, and at times not very kind, but very sexy and seductive."

I raised a brow. "So which one of you dated her first?"

There was no jealousy in my tone, I rather wanted to applaud the girl. Seeing Stefan and Damon, even I would have gone for both—yes, both and at the same time because, well, why choose, you know?

Damon laughed. "Nicely deduced. I was the first but I'm sure Stefan's answer would differ from mine."

I searched his eyes for what I was looking for. "Honesty. I like that." I hummed.

Damon slowly maneuvered us to where he had his arms on each side of my body, trapping me against the counter and our bodies dangerously close to each other.

"Well, I figured I couldn't go around lying to you if I wanted in your pants, Ms. Gilbert." He gently peppered my neck with kisses, nearly making me moan.

I hummed. "And how exactly do you plan on getting in said pants, Mr. Salvatore?"

His mouth still at my neck, this time doing sucking motions, he trailed a finger down my torso and straight to my navel, just above a specific happy place I wanted him to explore.

"Hey. Need some help?"

I sighed in unison with Damon as he slowly backed away from me and we both turned around to see a tense Elena in the entrance of the kitchen.

"Sure. Why not?" Damon said, but we could both tell he didn't really mean it.

Elena shot me a look as we walked further into the room, which made me roll my eyes but I was grateful for her interruption. Otherwise I would have jumped Damon in the middle of my kitchen, not caring who heard us.

Sigh. I really needed to get laid.

My eyes caught Damon's, his promising all kinds of pleasure later on. Bring it on.

••••••••

The next day, football night

"And you're not in uniform because...?" I intercepted my sister with a stern face.

It was game night and I was rounding up all my girls for a little warm up just before the game.

"I had a little talk with Damon in the kitchen when you and Stefan were on the porch." Elena sighed. "This really isn't for me, S, I'm sorry."

I sighed. "I'm not gonna force you into it, E, I'm just glad you're genuinely smiling again."

"Like I said, a big part is thanks to Stefan." Elena looked like a fool in love and I loved that for her.

"Just like that necklace on you?" I nodded at the beauty, and despite knowing it had vervaine in it, it called to me. I felt like it didn't belong on my sister's neck but on a much, much, older one. One that I knew I knew but couldn't get my head around that particular memory.

"Yeah, a gift from Stefan." Elena sighed, taking it in her hand. "Isn't it pretty?"

"Gorgeous." I whispered, weirded out by whatever kind of feel I'd just had.

•••••••

"Stop It, Tyler! Jeremy!"

I was looking for my brother when I heard Vicki screaming, and rushed to where they were near the field to see Tyler and my brother going at it.

"Sarah, help!" Vicki cried when seeing me. "You have to do something."

I glared at her. "What you should have done a long time ago, Vicki, is leave my brother the hell alone."

I was about to stop the fight when Stefan appeared and grabbed Tyler's wrist. "Hey! He's down. Enough!"

Tyler tried to punch Stefan to no avail but I only had eyes for Jer and saw the moment he grabbed a broken beer bottle, swinging it towards Tyler.

"Jer, no!" I rushed in front of him, and saw his eyes shut in fear of what he was about to do—hit me with the bottle as he had no time to step back.

Before the bottle could connect with my head—not that it would have hurt me—, a hand appeared in front me, Stefan stopping the bottle's track.

"Jeremy, no!" I heard in the distance, seeing Elena and Matt running towards us.

"Tyler, knock it off! Stop!" Matt was taking Tyler away for a walk.

Elena rushed to hurt Stefan while I turned back to Jer when his arms closed down on me.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck!... Fuck. Sarah, S, fuck, I'm so sorry!" Jer's whole body was shaking. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"You wouldn't have hurt me." I tried soothing him.

"Yes, I would have." He yelled, taking me back in his arms. "Fuck, S, I've never been so scared than the moment I saw you in front of that bottle."

"Hey, hey." I gently took his face in my hands. "You wouldn't have hurt me, Jer-bear. Trust me."

He stared into my eyes, looking for his big sister's reassurance that all was right—something I always gave him, always have and always will.

Seeing I really was alright, he heaved a sigh of relief and hugged me back. "I don't know how to give her up, S."

"Yes, you do, Jer-bear." I whispered. "I know it's hard, I know she helped you cope but she isn't healthy for you."

He sighed in my hair, not replying but I knew he got my words.

"And seriously, Jer, your choice in women suck." I snorted.

Jer snorted with me, before he tickled me and we both laughed. For a moment there, all was well in our world.

•••••••••

"Hey! Where have you been?" Bonnie asked Elena, making me turn from the field and into our own little group.

"Can I ask you a question and you give me a really serious, no-joke response?" Elena asked Bonnie.

"Of course. What is it?"

"The bad mojo. When you touched Stefan and you had that reaction..."

Oh fuck. I knew she'd realize Stefan was something more, but not this soon. It must have the lack of injury from Jer's bottle earlier on. Seeing as we healed faster than humanly possible, she must be freaked.

"You know what, forget I said that." Bonnie shook her head. "Your little dinner party plot totally won me over."

"No, Bonnie, Seriously. What was it? Did you see something or..." Elena still didn't give up.

"It wasn't clear like a picture." Bonnie finally said. "Like today, I keep seeing those numbers I told you guys about, 8,14,22."

"Yeah?"

"When I touched Stefan, it was a feeling. And it vibrated through me, and it was cold, and it..." Bonnie hesitated.

"And it what?" Elena urged.

"It was death." Bonnie whispered. "It was what I imagine death to be like."

I could see Elena was really freaked out now.

"Open mind, girls." I told them what I always said. "Look at everything with an open mind."

I could only hope they would listen.

••••••

8, 14, and 22.

The numbers of death, the numbers I'd been seeing all week long.

I looked at the police licence plate 'BLDG8', The immatriculation's car was 'FHT14', and the number on the ground was a clear, white-painted 22.

At last, I looked at the body of Mr. Tanner—no, not body, corpse was more accurate. Death by Damon.

I couldn't say I was moved—call me a bitch but I didn't really care for his death, I was more concerned with Bonnie who was right next to me, realizing she'd also been having a vision of someone's death all week long.

"S..." Her whisper was broken.

"Talk to Grams, B."

"Sarah..."

"Bonnie, talk to Grams." I insisted.

Her eyes glazed over, she nodded and rushed to her car.

~

I was lying in the middle of the field —ignoring everyone— when Jeremy joined me.

"You okay?" He asked as he laid next to me.

"Peachy." I whispered, laying my head on his shoulder while he tucked me closer to his body.

After a slight lull, I spoke up. "Hey, Jer-bear, you know how much I love you right?"

"Not as much as I love you." He said.

"Impossible." I chuckled.

We were interrupted by cautious steps towards us, and sat up to see Vicki coming our way. I glared at her but she threw an apologetic glance at me before she looked at Jeremy.

"It wasn't just for the drugs." She said.

Jer turned to me, waiting to see my reaction but all I could see were his puppy eyes.

I rolled my eyes. "Go." I urged him. Bad as she was for him, your first love is something you never forget.

He kissed my temple and walked away, hand in hand with Vicki before I laid back down.

After a short while, another body laid down besides mine.

"Angry?" A husky voice whispered.

"It'll take more than Tanner's death to make me angry, Damon." I gently chuckled. "I get it you know."

"What?" He was still whispering.

"Your humanity." I whispered back.

Staying silent, his arm came around me, —tucking me to his side—, his hand gently caressing my face before he spoke up. "I guess you do."