Hello lovelies!
I'm really happy to see a lot of views and alerts! I hope I'm not greedy when I say it'll be even better if you can drop your reviews. This is my first fanfic, I'm not as confident as I'd like to be. I'd love to know what you think about the story, the characters, the writing, anything really. I'd love to hear your thoughts and learn how I can make this fic better.
Coming to this chapter, first of all, sorry for poor chapter name, I would gladly go without hearing 'new normal' given the unending pandemic. I had the chapter written and didn't want to postpone publishing because I couldn't think of a good title. It starts canon 'Friday Night Bites' but moves away slowly so do read. It's mostly in Bonnie's POV (yup, finally!)
Dear Diary,
I got home yesterday planning on doing what always do, write my diary, like I have been since mom gave me one when I was ten. But then I realized I'd just be writing things that I probably should be telling him.
I convinced myself that I should give up, not take risks, stick with the status quo, no drama. That now isn't the right time.
But Bonnie was right, my reasons aren't reasons, they're excuses. All I'm doing is hiding from the truth, and the truth is that I was scared. I am scared. I am scared that if I let myself be happy for even one moment, the world is going to come crashing down and I don't know if I could survive that.
But I can't live in fear of living my life. Mom and dad wouldn't want that for me. So I have to try.
Yesterday, I did try. I went over to Stefan's place, we talked, we kissed, it was epic. Then the sun came up and reality set in, this is reality. He makes me feel more alive than I had in a very long time and I like him.
"I'm not saying don't date the guy, I'm just saying is to take it slow." Bonnie told her friend exasperated as she got out of her silver Prius at the school parking.
"But you were the one who said go for it," Elena pointed out.
"Now I'm saying take it slow," Bonnie sassed back.
"Why the about face?"
"It's not an about face. You're single for the first time in your entire high school career. It's the perfect time to play the field."
"Oh really, because I am so that girl. Seriously, what are you not saying, Bonnie?"
"It's stupid.."
"Bonnie, spit it out."
"I accidentally touched Stefan and I got a really bad feeling."
"That's it?"
That was the problem, Bonnie knew it herself. It was small, but it was a really bad feeling. She half felt like she was going mad these days. She'd been telling herself it was the stress of the new year, but it didn't seem to go away. The feeling of knowing things, of feeling things that she couldn't possibly know.
"Is this the witch mojo thing again?" Elena asked her gently.
She didn't want her friend worried for her. "You know what, I'm just concerned. This is me expressing my concern about my best friend's new boyfriend."
"And I love you for it, I do" Elena told her. "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 Stefan is a big part of that."
She smiled at her friend, unexplainable strange things were not more important than Elena's happiness. She probably imagined things with Stefan, she told herself.
Not a moment later, Stefan joined them. "Good morning, Elena. Good morning, Bonnie."
Spoke too soon, she thought. "Hey, I got to find Caroline, she's not answering her phone. I'll see you guys later," she told them making excuses to get away from the dark, sinking feeling she felt around Stefan.
"Bonnie wait," Elena call after her.
"She doesn't like me very much, does she?" she heard Stefan asked Elena as she sped away.
Bonnie was warming up for practice when Elena called her attention.
"Oh my god, you're here!" she hugged her with more enthusiasm than the situation called. Her, Elena and Caroline had been doing it together for years and she didn't her tiny group to drift away. Caroline had slowly become busy and social over the years and Elena had been withdrawn for months. She just missed the old times.
"Yep, can't be sad girl forever," Elena told her before starting her own stretches. "The only way to get things back to the way they were are to do things that were. Oh, and you're coming to dinner tonight."
"I am?" She asked excitedly.
"Yup. You, me and Stefan." She didn't even try to pretend that her disappointment.
"You have to give him a chance!"
"Tonight is no good," she started, trying to get out of the plan. "Have you seen Caroline? I have texted her like a 100 times." She informed Elena.
"Don't change the subject, Bonnie Bennet, you are going to be there." Elena told her in her trademark, 'I'm going to get my way, you just watch' look.
"Fine, I'll go." She just resigned herself to a dinner in discomfort. "Seriously, where is Caroline. It's not like her."
"Try her again."
Elena patted her and pointed the other way before she couldn't connect the call. There was Caroline. Getting out of from a blue car.
"Isn't that Damon?" She asked.
"What is she doing with him?" Elena added.
She saw Damon wave at them before he drove away.
"Sorry, I'm late girls. I was busy." Caroline announced before signaling the squad into positions. She took off a leather jacket that Bonnie had never seen on Caroline before and started a grueling practice session.
"Well, how about this. Today, I am obsessed with numbers. Three numbers, I keep seeing eight, fourteen and twenty two." She tried to tell Elena how she had been feeling spooky recently. "How weird is that?"
"Maybe we should play the lottery," Elena laughed it off unconcerned, serving the packaged food into the dishes in her kitchen. "Have you talked to your grams?"
"She's just going to say it's because I'm a witch. I don't want to be a witch. Do you want to be a witch?"
"I don't want to be a witch."
"Putting it in a nice bowl isn't fooling anybody."
"Okay, serving spoons.."
"Middle drawer on your left." Bonnie pointed out without a thought. They exchanged uneasy glances when Elena found the spoons in there.
"You've been in this kitchen a thousand times," she offered unconvinced.
"That must be it," Bonnie half heartedly agreed.
The doorbell ringing saved them both from having to think about it further.
"Okay, he's here. Be your normal, loving self."
The dinner was awkward and stifled to say the least. She didn't feel comfortable around Stefan and Elena kept prompting them both to talk to each other. She even told the guy about them coming from a line of witches. She eased up a little bit when Stefan didn't find that weird at all and even commented that Salem witches were individualist non-conformers. At least he didn't call her crazy or something.
The doorbell ringing again saved her from further conversation. She hoped Elena's brother Jeremy or her aunt Jenna came to join them for dinner.
She was surprised to see Caroline and Damon join them. It only got more awkward from then.
"I heard you made the team, Stefan. Congratulations! Tyler must be seething," Caroline started perching on the armchair of the single couch Damon was on. That surprised Bonnie. Caroline was a total social butterfly, but she never clicked with people beyond that. Their group, the girls, Matt and Tyler were the only ones she was actually friends with.
"That's what I keep telling him, you have to seize the opportunity as it comes to you."
"Elena wasn't so lucky today," she told him, "I don't know how you'll learn everything, Elena. I guess we can put you in the back," she muttered to herself thinking about the formations.
"You don't seem like a cheerleader, Elena," Damon commented.
"She's going through her blah phase right now, since her parents passed away. She used to be way more fun. She'll bounce back though." Caroline answered for Elena. "I say that with complete sensitivity, nothing can keep Elena down for long." She added as a matter of fact seeing the expressions of disbelief on the girls' faces.
"I'm sorry, Elena, I know what it's like to lose your parents. Stefan and I lost a lot of people we cared about."
"We don't need to go there, Damon." Stefan grunted, his annoyance evident.
"I'm sorry, Stefan. The last thing I wanted was to bring her up."
Bonnie just sunk further into her seat, glad that she was not involved. She watched as shots kept going to and fro, some subtle, some not. There was something about Damon that seemed very familiar. She had never met the man before but she couldn't shake off the feeling that she knew him some way. Like they had unfinished business.
The man in question caught her eye, made a face mocking the room. She distantly heard Elena and Caroline being catty with each, something that has become all too usual recently. But her attention stayed on the dark haired man, like he was a piece she had to figure out.
She had a feeling she'd see a lot more of him in the future. Being around him didn't unsettle her though. Being around him felt comfortable, welcome even. She flushed at her own train of thought, looked away quickly. Not before she saw a smirk on his face though. Like he could read her mind.
"So, you missed school today Caroline," Elena fished.
"I went shopping with Cassie. We had loads of fun. I'll cover up the school work." Caroline replied pleasantly, she didn't need Elena to tell on her to her mom.
"Damon came with you?" Stefan asked some what surprised.
"Damon joined us for lunch, Cassie had to be somewhere after so Damon dropped me back."
"And you decided to hang out with him after practice again?" Elena questioned. "Cassie may not appreciate that," she added mockingly.
Bonnie, now fully focused on the room, turned to Elena in alarm. Elena could be mean sometimes, but never to her and Caroline. She didn't understand what just happened. From the look on Stefan's face, he was quite surprised himself.
"Oh, I don't know, Elena. It's not like I'm stringing along one guy for months and then jumped on to the first attractive guy that looked my way."
All three of them gasped, Caroline included. Damon diffused the situation by calling on Elena before anything else could be said. "Elena, why don't you show me where to put the dishes?" he asked pointedly.
Elena stormed off without another look at Caroline. Bonnie didn't know if she should confront Caroline or check on Elena. She figured she could avoid Damon after their weird moment, not their moment, she corrected herself internally, and pulled Caroline away.
"What's going on, Care? You've been drawing away from us and have been cold," she asked softly.
"Do you actually care, Bonnie?" Caroline shot.
"What do you mean? Of course, I care."
"It doesn't look like that. All I hear is Elena this, Elena that. I know you two are closer than you are to me, but you don't even try these days. You don't include me on your plans, you don't want to hang out with me, you don't even listen to me."
Bonnie was going to defend herself before she paused, "I'm really sorry you felt that way, Care. I love you just as much. Both you and Elena used to be outgoing and I never had to do much with either of you. But with Elena pulling away after the accident, I am trying to be there for her actively. I didn't mean to exclude you."
Caroline's face softened with a hint of guilt coloring her face. She continued, now jokingly, "You've been busy with all the extracurriculars too, I figured I'll just stay out of the way. You know how you get when you're on a mission, can't stand in the way if I value my life."
They hugged each other on the porch before making their way in. Bonnie held Caroline back for a moment, "You know Elena didn't mean to make a move on Stefan, right? She didn't even know you were interested. It just happened.."
"I don't care about that, Bon. Stefan doesn't know what he's missing out on, he's the loser," Caroline told her confidently.
"Wow, who are you and what have you done to my Caroline?"
"Hanging out with Cassie does that to you. I'd have made friends with an older, more fashionable girl a long time ago if I knew how good it makes me feel about myself."
"I'm glad to hear that, Care. Now, how about we have a sleepover, just you and I?"
"Deal! Now, tell me about this witch thing."
And there goes another chapter.
Explanations:
Elena will be cattier. But NO bashing. She isn't quite the Mary Sue they make her seem from time to time in the show, that was unbelievable and slightly annoying too. Elena was the queen bee before she becomes less involved in everything. She isn't nice or average (Katherine's descendent after all).
Caroline gets claws before she gets fangs. I don't like how her character growth begins only after she becomes a vampire. I'd like to think it makes her more confident in herself and hence she matured. Now spending time with Cassie, she slowly moves away from the insecurities that the pressure of high school puts on anyone. She will soon have the girls' support too and she becomes the force we all know she had the potential to be.
Bonnie will blossom. That's all I have to say about her character growth. Now tell me what you think of that tiny Bamon moment. Can we ship Bamon? Or are we going to be Camon? (FYI, it will only be one of those two. The chemistry is on hold till the ship is finalized.)
Damon is charming, but he's not a man whore. If he's waited 150 years to be reunited with his 'one true love', he can stay faithful to his 'fiancé'. So no action for him until the tomb opens.
Next up: Tanner dies, Bonnie freaks, Cassie teaches magic lessons to the newly discovered witch.
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