Chapter 9
"Hecate"
The town had been reeling ever since the last five murders. The council had decided that the dead body of the man who reported on the "crime" would throw the town into a frenzy. His body had been buried in the woods to help keep up the farce for the sanity of the town. His body was in the woods to be later be exhumed by the council. The council had put in for him to take a sabbatical from work. He would be out of town and encounter an unfortunate accident. He would not be okay and pass away. It was as simple as that and everyone could still good about their merry lives. He would then be brought to the morgue to later be buried in the Fell plot. My job was to act like he was still alive.
He should be alive.
He should be here.
He shouldn't be in the woods.
He was my family.
Was
I was in a state of rage and chaos several bottles of alcohol were shattered around the house leading to a caustic smell. Books were thrown and expensive pieces of art laid strewn about. The dishes sat in the sink and food laid out wasting away. The house was in chaos I was in chaos. I felt numb and my stomach clenched in a sense of guilt and nausea at thinking about what happened to him. I want to just melt away. I was apathetic. I was here. He wasn't.
Heels sounded in the doorway and I couldn't even roll my head over on the couch to look at them. I was in a poor state, unwashed, uncleansed, and uncaring. If the intruder had come to murder me I really couldn't muster the will up to care. Their heels causing the glass to crackle against the wood surely causing the scars I felt on the floor.
"Get up." Her voice cut through the chaos and it woke me up. It woke up my hatred.
"Get out Carol, can't you see I am mourning." I lifted up a glass of whiskey showing off my self made wake for him.
"No you aren't, Logan is on vacation. You are going about life as usual." Carol grabbed my arm yanking me up into a sitting position." The town is throwing a Halloween party tonight. You are on the Founder's Committee and you are going to enjoy it."
"Fuck off." Carol dragged me towards the stairs and I limply followed her. She turned on the shower pushing me in and forcibly holding the glass door closed. The cold water spilled down and cause my mind to blank. I stood there like a wet cat full clothed and pissed. "Logan would be so disappointed in you."
" Don't say that." My heart was ripping and I wanted to punch the damn glass that separated us.
" You are a disgrace to the Fells clean yourself up and pull yourself together. I will be downstairs when you are ready." It felt like hours before I came downstairs but only a couple minutes had passed. Getting clean and ready felt cathartic. I needed this. I needed directions right now. My brain needed a route to go on.
"Good, I have a costume for you here. You will put it on and you will join me tonight. I will tell the other committee members you are there to babysit Tyler in case I need you. I don't care if you are happy you are going to act it." She placed a pill in my hand and I automatically put it to my lips. "Take this Valium and buck up."
I looked at the costume she set out and I couldn't help but admire it. It was a slutty looking Greco-Roman number. It had a plunging black neckline that formed a halter top with the skirt hitting the floor. Slits ran up either side of the skirt exposing leg anytime I moved. A spiked crown, moon-shaped jewelry, and a key were the only accessories.
" A Greek?"
"A goddess. This is Hecate, the goddess of the underworld."
"Fitting."
"And you will match Tyler." She added a smirk playing on her lips.
" He is?"
"A Roman."
"Are we a couple now?" I couldn't help but tease this woman despite her help.
"No, but if others get that impression it wouldn't be the worst for Tyler's reputation."
"And my reputation?"
"He's a Lockwood." She looked down at me like that was enough of an explanation.
XXX
Hair, makeup and costume, with all that done I was deemed presentable enough to be seen in public by Carol. She kept a watchful eye on me and every time I did my makeup or hair less than perfect she made me do it again. Mayor Lockwood picked us up from the house and the car ride over to the Mystic Grill was a rather awkward affair in itself. My mind was growing fuzzy and a smile was growing in place of my sneer a few giggles slipping out here in there.
"What did you give her?" Mayor Lockwood hissed out at his wife.
"She will be fine," and with that, we entered the premise. I felt like a fancy handbag at this point. Meant to be seen and admired by those around. Mayor Lockwood found us a booth and we settled in. I was the third wheel at this party and for some reason, it seemed funny in my mind. I was on a date with the Mayor and his wife, would people think I was their unicorn? (Unicorn is a colloquial term for the third member in a polyamorous relationship.)The thought made me giggle which made me receive a sharp look from Richard. I bet he would dominate in the bedroom, but then again I could not see Carol being submissive in any shape or form. Did they even have a sex life? It seemed like they did a one and done kind of deal with Tyler maybe Richard needs a mistress, maybe that's why he is so uptight.
"I am glad you are presentable Belle." Richard's eyes weighed on me for what may have been a split second too long. Like father like son I suppose.
"You look handsome Dick!" I giggled out thinking calling the Mayor Dick the funniest shit on the planet. Dick the dick, with a big ol' dick, dicking a dude whilst he gets the dick. Carol did look at her husband to gauge his reaction and I shook my mane to wave away some of the fog in my head.
"Can I get you guys anything?" A poor waiter came up to the table and immediately felt the uncomfortable atmosphere.
"Darling, I need a glass of prosecco!" I squealed out I wanted something bubbly to titillate my tongue "Cheryl- Carol wants a Martini Two olives, and I don't know what Dick wants so get him a gin and tonic."
"Is that alright Mayor Lockwood?" The waiter queried out unsure if he could trust the ball of joy in front of him.
"Just get it," Dick ordered the poor waiter about and god it was sexy. Maybe I should try to be his mistress… but Carol would hate me and I was a person of strong moral character. Carol joined me in my revelry polishing off three cocktails in an impressive amount of time. You would expect that a group of people drinking together would loosen up and have more fun but the exact opposite was happening. Don't get me wrong I was having a grand old time with my Prosecco and had even ordered a bottle for myself. Carol seemed to be feeling her hot self but not her husband and he seemed to be feeling the same.
"How many martinis have you had?" Dick knew the answer but I assumed he wanted to piss of Carol's Parade. I filled up my glass with my bottle and hunkered down to enjoy the show.
"Oh, don't start with me!" Carol sniped back and I wanted to snigger but thought better of it.
"Dude, I don't even remember how many I have had today." I waved my hand in front of my little buddy making Dick's lip curl.
"Can we go now? We are late for the Halloween Party Let's Go. And she is supposed to be watching our son making sure he doesn't get to too much trouble" Dick threw down his napkin trying to relieve himself from the awkward ménage his wife put him in.
" So go ahead, we are going to finish our drinks." And with Carol's dismissal, Dick flourished his cute little ass out the door and I may have watched for a little too long.
"Carol you are a legend." I tipped my glass at her and tilted my head while I was at it skewing my crown to the side.
"Yes, I am," She ate her olive in a way she thought seductive looking around the bar in a sweeping motion till her eyes landed on something of interest. And boy was that thing something I wish I wasn't there. Damon decided that his and Carol's shared eye contact was an invitation and swaggered his way to sit in the booth next to me. I scooted away grabbing my bottle in desperation causing Damon to chortle at my childish behavior and Carol to primp like a peacock.
"Let me guess, Daisy Buchanan and a Goth Greek?" Damon said inspecting our costumes with a heavy appraising eye causing Carol to giggle like a schoolgirl and me to want to leave. " I love a good Gatsby look."
" I have met you before, aren't you Caroline's boyfriend?" Carol's attempts at flirting made my skin crawl. I knew her kid and her husband and I did not want to be in the middle of this divorce
"This is Damon the local charlatan." I was not feeling particularly kind to him despite Lydia's urging to sleep with the man. If I did it would be a hate fuck and that seemed too high energy for me right now.
"Hey, don't sell me short you caught me at an off time. Caroline had a schoolgirl crush on me, it was cute but I had to let her down easy." Damon was schmoozing Carol to the extreme and it was disgruntling, to say the least. I looked around trying to cash out with our waiter, but he was nowhere in sight. "I am glad you remembered me." Fuck gag me where the hell was this waiter get me the fuck out of here.
"Well, you have a face that is hard to forget." Carol tittered back. Am I an accomplice to her impending divorce? Did this make it okay to fuck Dick now? "What's your last name, Damon?"
"Waiter get my check, get it fast and I will give you a forty percent tip." Damon laughed at my misery as I whispered to the waiter trying to escape. I must have whispered louder then I intended, but I didn't care that he had heard me.
"Salvatore."
"Salvatore any relation to Zach?" Carol was salivating over the Salvatore I felt like she wanted to take him in the restraint as soon as she heard that.
"Zach's my uncle!"
"Figures, this whole warped town is related to each other." I snickered as the waiter came back and gave me my check and I scurried to give them my card. Ignoring their conversation as I did.
"How do you know Zach?"
"Well, we know Zach from the Founder's Council." Carol quipped back to Damon. I looked up seeing them both leaning in getting closer to each other.
"We?"
"Belle and I. You know the Salvatores were one of this town's original settlers." The waiter came back with my check and I began to furiously try to calculate the tip with my head swimming. Messing up on the first one and scribbling it out to write on the one underneath.
" I wasn't aware that Zach was a member. I recently moved back home and haven't really had a chance to meet many of his friends." Damon was in full schmooze mode and if we were friends I would have been laughing at him for taking on Carol the Cougar.
"Tell him to return my calls won't you."
" I am leaving I got babysitting to do guys." I stood up and grabbed my half-full bottle looking around to see if anyone noticed and trying to hide it under and between the slit of my skirt.
I was about to depart when I heard Damon say," Zach went out of town for a bit, but if this is about the vervain…"
"You know about vervain?" Carol questioned.
"Does everyone in the town know about this shit?" I spun on the spot in a huff and slammed my ass back down in the booth.
"Well, I'm a Salvatore of course I do."
"I didn't know until-"
"Of course," Carol cut me off eye narrowing at me before returning to her target.
"So you need vervain?" Damon enquired
"Yes, My husband and I only have left what his father left him."
"I have accidentally been drinking my father's supply, I thought it was tea," I said with shrug making Carol look at me with judging eyes.
"Zach promised that he could get us more." Carol seemed like she was sharing a secret but I think she was just trying to give Damon more fuck me eyes.
"Well I talk to him all the time, so why don't I just ask him? How much do you need, how many people you think?"
"Well there's our children of course-" I cut into Carol down with sitting still and wanting to escape this conversation.
" I am going to go babysit for real this time…" I looked at the pair flirting and I was excited to scurry off. They didn't seem to notice and Damon slid into Carol's side moving even closer to her.
XXX
The next day I woke up feeling like hell in a handbasket. Tyler was passed out in my bathroom. I had a hazy memory of keeping him away from a thirty old woman who was trying to get her paws into him. I felt like hell and my head hurt like fuck. I grabbed the Excedrin next to my bed feeling the need to take the edge off. "Tyler, do you have any more weed."
"Shut up." I heard his voice echo out. I wobbled out of bed and went to get breakfast started.
"Take a shower you mutt and come downstairs when you are ready." I liked having someone in my house. It made me feel less lonely.
XXX
I walked through town a week later trying to get some coffee and felt like I was being watched. I looked up and saw Damon beelining to me from across the square.
"You done hitting on married women?"
"Maybe, but I have a favor to ask you from one council member to another." He was putting on his 'I am so handsome face' and it was annoying the heck out of me.
"And why do you think I would help you?" Today was not the day to be asking me for things. People kept on asking how he was and how his vacation was going and I was just kind of done with pretending today.
"I wanted to throw a party-"
"Fuck off," I started to walk away, but Damon quickly cut me off.
"It's for my brother, it's his birthday… Please?" He looked at me with puppy dog eyes and I couldn't help but feel a stab in my heart.
"Your brother?" I tried not to let my voice quiver but it did and it made me feel weak.
"Yeah, my little brother, ever since our parents passed away he hasn't wanted to celebrate his birthday." Each one of Damon's words cased and extra stab in my heart I felt like I was gasping for air and couldn't help but grimace. "Our relationship has been strained for a while and I wanted to make it up to him."
"So what do you need ?" I gave in. I was weak, I was heartbroken and I was sympathetic.
"Great, so my brother Stefan is in high school, and if I threw a party there is no way he would attend. I was hoping if someone else threw it, he would."
"You want me to throw a party for under-aged kids?"
"For my brother." Damon was laying on the puppy dog eyes really thick right now and the add line hit me right where my feelings were. Which was in the gutter, to be honest.
"You are paying for the kegs and shit alcohol!"
" I wouldn't dream of making a lady pay, I am a gentleman." Damon coyishly protested making me want to take back what I had said.
"You are helping set up and clean up before and afterwords," I added thinking of the mess that would surely follow the next day.
"I'll get some people to help us." A stupid smirk graced his too handsome face.
"Fine, when his birthday?"
A/n: I am pumped right now! I have hit 14 favorites and 16 follows. I honestly never would have thought so many people would be interested in this story! Thank you for reading guys. Also, I got my first review and it brought a smile to my face, thanks CrazyKate92! Sorry for the verbatim conversation in the bar but it was kind of important for plot development so I kept it in.