* A/N I do not own or claim to own anyone other than my own OC and scenarios I make up. I will try to stick to the story timeline as much as I can. *

*Recap*

My friend replied to my idea and seemed excited about coming to visit our town. I shot a text to Carol Lockwood and asked to meet her tomorrow around lunchtime. I put my phone in my pocket and looked up to see Jenna looking at me with a smile on her face. Oh the 3rd degree I would be getting later.

The awkwardness from the start of the barbeque seems to be forgotten and we all grab some food and enjoy it together. Someone brings up the idea of playing Pictionary™ and so we dig out the old flip board that we used to use. We divided up into teams and started to play. Maybe we were just too inebriated or just bad at drawing because these games weren't going well. Mason wins for what seems like the thousandth time.

Damon seems pleased about that and heads into the kitchen to seemingly help Elena who was getting the pie he brought over ready. I look over at Jenna and she gets up and heads in the kitchen probably to dissuade Damon from coming onto her niece again as she says he has done in the past. I just munch away on my chips as I watch the three of them in the kitchen. I notice that Damon is interested in the silver set of cutleries that was only used for fancy occasions. It is a little weird, but honestly some people were really into the cutlery. We all sit down at the table and get some plates for the pie. Damon comes over and sits the pie in the middle of the table.

"Mason," he says spinning it so the knife is towards Mason. "Why don't you start us off?"

"Sure," Mason says. He then spins the pie a little and takes a piece out by hand and putting it on his plate. He eats a tiny piece that fell off.

"Gross," I say hitting him in the arm. "Now I don't want any."

"What am I?" He says seeing all the weird looks everyone is giving him. "I'm an animal." Everyone chuckles at his answer.

"That's the truth," I say taking a swig from my newly opened beer bottle and getting an odd look again from Damon.

"So Mason, uh," Ric says trying to once again defuse the tension, "you and Jenna or you and Aria never dated?"

"She was always lost in Logan Fell land," he says looking at Jenna. "Aria was too young."

"Perks of being too smart," I say with a tilt of my beer bottle.

"Oh," Jenna says, "my first mistake." She sets down a teacup in front of Ric. "Mason was a catch. He had girls lining up."

"Really," Damon asks like it is a surprise. "Ha. I always pegged you for a lone wolf."

"Mason was always surrounded by people really," I say giving Damon an odd look.

"Oh, I'm sure I wasn't half the lady-killer you were," Mason quips back at Damon. Mason holds up his beer bottle and we all do the same. "How about a toast. To new friends." We all clink our glasses together.

Caroline and Elena leave the house, probably bored by all this walking down memory lane. I grabbed my phone while the others bantered on. Jenna bumped my shoulder and nodded her head to my shoulder. I gave her a look saying I would tell her later. Jenna now goes out to get her next game. She brings in Guitar Hero™ and I just groan. It has been ages since we played that. I might just leave right now if it wasn't for Jenna.

Mason goes to the kitchen and seems to have a deep conversation with Damon about something. They shake hands so maybe this awkward barbeque will be more normal now. The rest of the afternoon passes fine and as it gets darker Mason asks about more drinks at the Grill. I am grabbing my coat by the time he is out the door. Damon takes his exit next.

"It was a great party Jenna," I say giving her a hug. "We should have lunch tomorrow."

"Yea that sounds great," she says. "See you then."

I turn to head out the door to see if I can't grab Mason and get those drinks. But suddenly I turn back to talk to Ric. "It was great to spend more time with you. And we still need to have that history talk Ric."

"Yea we do," he says shaking my hand.

I open the door and head out to see if I can ride with Mason. It seems he has left already, so I head to the Grill to see if he is there already. I park my car in front of the Grill but I don't find Mason's jeep. Well, I guess I will just have to meet up with him another time. I send him a text before heading into the Grill. I grab a seat at the bar and order a drink.

I see Caroline enter a little while later alone and head to the bathroom. A little while later she comes back out and sits at a table by herself. A short time later Elena and her boyfriend come in the Grill. Elena talks to Caroline and the boyfriend sits down at a table. I take a sip of my drink and watch the couple at the table. Their discussion seems to not be a happy one as Elena suddenly leaves on her own. I notice Damon sitting a few seats down from me, but he doesn't seem to notice me at all. He quickly leaves after Elena leaves. It seems that there is some weird love triangle going on.

I paid for my drink and headed out to my car. I run into one of the Sheriff's deputies and I ask him for a ride home since I had a few drinks. She agrees and gives me a lift out to my house. I thank her and head into my house. I was thankful that I didn't buy any produce at the store and was okay leaving some in my car overnight. I grabbed a shower and then crawled into my bed to get ready for tomorrow's day full of activities as well. Would every day be like this always full of things to do and drama bubbling under the surface? I hope so. If not this town would be way too boring to live in.