Part 5
Jason's thoughts drifted from history class to the new girl, Raquelle. She was much more interesting to think about. He'd heard kids talk about her all morning. How mysterious she was, how smart, apparently, too. The guys all thought she was hot. And, admittedly, if only to himself, Jason would put himself in that camp.
Raquelle *was* hot. There was...something...about her. Something that said she was different from every other girl he'd met before. Maybe it was her eyes, a colour of blue deeper than the sky, not quite midnight, somewhere in between. When she had first looked at him it had seemed as if she was staring right down inside him, into the core of his very soul...
No other girl had ever made him think like that. Daphne certainly hadn't. Now, after meeting Raquelle, he was starting to think about Daphne a little differently. Daphne was...superficial. She didn't really seem to have much plans for the future or anything. Hell, he didn't even know if she wanted to go to college after she graduated, she refused to talk about things like that. Daphne's thoughts were all on herself and now. Occasionally, her thoughts might stray to him every now and then, but...
He shook his head, confused. What was the matter with him? Daphne was the most popular girl in school, the image of Elena Gilbert, sophisticated, fun-loving, romantic, dreamy...who could want more?
Meeting a strange new girl and talking to her for less that ten minutes had already changed his views on Daphne completely. How would Daphne take it if he broke up with her. Homecoming was in another week...Daphne was up for Queen...she'd go berserk if he dumped her. After all, he had an image too. Mr All-American popularity. If he dumped Daphne his whole image could be shattered. Daphne could do a surprising amount of damage.
He dreaded to think what she would do to Raquelle, even if he didn't dump her, just if she knew he liked her. Daphne didn't take well to him liking other girls. Especially people like Raquelle, who had an air of complete mystery about her.
He was surprised to find Raquelle sitting with Daphne's crowd at lunch. She noticeably didn't look all that happy to see that he and Daphne were a couple. Daphne was making a pretty big show of it, and it was getting on his nerves. Daphne acted like she owned him.
But Raquelle seemed to be fitting in quite well. She answered questions carefully, as if there was something she was hiding, which just made her all the more attractive. More than once Daphne kicked him under the table when she caught him staring at Raquelle.
Who are you Raquelle? He thought. A sudden thought occurred to him, and he wondered if he really wanted to know.
* * *
Part 6
Two weeks had passed by, and Raquelle had found herself enjoying school. She had fit in surprisingly well, the people found her intriguing and mysterious and listened to her when she talked. She had gone to the Homecoming dance that weekend with a nice boy Jason had introduced her to, Richard, one of his team-mates. She liked him, but it had just been one date, not enough sparks or anything to turn into a relationship.
Daphne had been very pretty as she had been crowned queen, and Jason had stood beside her, seeming very proud. A stab of jealousy overwhelmed her. Jason had been in her thoughts ever since she had arrived at Robert E. Lee, and that morning she had spoken to him for the first time. Waking or sleeping, she thought of nothing but him.
She was fast falling in love with him, and knew from experience love was dangerous. But he was with Daphne. Daphne was still kind of remote, and Raquelle wondered if maybe Daphne was a little jealous of her.
She kept her feelings about Jason to herself. Unsure why, she found herself gliding around the cemetery. She wasn't sure why she was so drawn here. Maybe her nature, other ideas of death fascinated her. These people here were all dead and gone, all at rest, and at peace like they should be. That was what should happen when you died.
When you were dead, you should be left dead. Creatures like herself, ones thought of in myths and legends, should remain myths and legends.
She paused, shuddering to think of what Jason would think of her if he knew her secret. How would he react to know she was the walking undead? Would he be able to accept her.
One of the main reasons she kept her feelings about him to herself. If she confessed to him how she felt, how attracted to him she was...she 'd seen him looking at her, and wondered if he liked her, maybe a little...but if she told him, and he said he loved her too, she might feel compelled to tell him who she really was. And then he would hate her, and everyone else would be afraid, and they would drive her out of town...
A sound of soft footsteps caught her ears, and she looked around, wondering who else was in the cemetery. There was a presence there, a familiar one...
She moved through the darkness, following her senses, stopping when she spied a figure moving in the darkness. She frowned, even with her night vision she was having trouble trying to identify figure. He seemed to blend into the night itself, as if he were part of it.
He stepped under one of the sparse lights then, and Raquelle drew back into the shadows with a gasp of shock. Damon? Damon was here? In Fell's Church? She fled before he could see her.
* * *
Part 7
Bonnie sat in the lounge of her parent's house, a cup of herbal tea in her hands. She was house-sitting for them while they were on a much-needed vacation. She was also supposed to be keeping her eye on her baby brother Jason. But he was a senior, old enough to take care of himself now. But ever since she'd gotten into so much trouble in her senior year, they had been a little protective over him.
But that had been almost five years ago. Five years...it had passed so quickly. Stefan and Elena had disappeared off to Europe, Meredith had gone off to Duke and had a degree in Parapsychology, and she herself had gone off to Boone college. Matt had gone off to California and she hadn't seen him in almost two years, Caroline had gone off Harvard of all places, she ran her own magazine company. She had a new apartment in New York and was moving in in a few weeks after they'd finished decorating.
As for Damon...no one had any ideas what he was doing. No one had seen him since that night in the clearing when he'd left. Not that she cared. She had decided long ago she could do better, and had stopped thinking about him. Up until yesterday. She could have sworn she'd seen him around.
As if by an unfair twist of fate, the doorbell rang then. Annoyed, and grumbling under her breath, she put her tea down and went to answer it. And got a surprise.
"Hi there, miss me?" Damon was leaning against the door, a predatory smile on his face. He didn't wait to be asked, and barged inside.
"I didn't invite you in," she snapped.
"No, you didn't," he agreed. "Elena did, remember?"
Bonnie glared. "What are you doing here, Damon?"
He shrugged. "An old friend can't come by and say hello? How long has it been since we last saw each other...four years?"
"Almost five," she corrected.
He looked around. "I can see this hasn't changed much." He studied her. "And neither have you."
Bonnie ignored the comment. She didn't say anything, because he was annoyingly right. She still looked exactly the same as she had in high school, with her fluffy red curls, heart-shaped face and warm brown eyes. She hadn't changed much in height either. "Neither have you, for that matter," she pointed out.
Damon was still the same as always, dark and sexy, alluring and intriguing, and still one of the most confusing people she had ever met.
He chuckled. "I haven't changed in about five hundred years. So, what's everyone else up to?"
"Meredith went off to Duke, she's in L.A. at the moment with a degree in Parapsychology. She's going to come and visit in a day or two. Stefan took Elena off for a tour around Europe, Matt went off to California, Caroline runs a magazine company."
"And you're stuck here in boring old Fell's Church," Damon said sympathetically. "How come?"
Bonnie opened her mouth to say Fell's Church *wasn't* boring. But in the last five years, nothing had happened. No new vampires had come, no nothing. Or so she'd heard. "I graduated from Boone College, and have an apartment in New York, it's being furnished at the moment, so I'm staying here for a few weeks before I venture out into the world. And - "
The door opened then, and Jason came in, a very pretty girl with him. She was tall, dressed in dark clothing with a figure that could stop traffic on the freeway. Her eyes were jewel blue, her hair pale gold. She reminded Bonnie faintly of Katherine.
"Hey sis," Jason said cheerfully. "We have a school project to work on, so we're gonna be taking over the kitchen." He eyed Damon then, his smile fading, an unimpressed look on his face. Damon's expression was equally unimpressed. "New boyfriend?"
Bonnie could feel heat rising to her cheeks. "*No*," she said emphatically, glaring at Damon. "Damon was just leaving."
Bonnie realised then, that Jason's new friend was also staring at Damon. But her expression wasn't the usual one Damon got from girls of admiration and awe - hers was one of absolute shock and horror.
"Raquelle?" Jason asked, frowning. "What's wrong?"
"I - I - I have to go now," the new girl stammered, and shoved past Bonnie, running as if for her life.
Damon looked confused. "What was that all about?"
Bonnie shrugged. "You tell me."
"I have no idea," Damon said, looking in the direction the girl had gone.
Neither did anyone else.
* * *
Jason's thoughts drifted from history class to the new girl, Raquelle. She was much more interesting to think about. He'd heard kids talk about her all morning. How mysterious she was, how smart, apparently, too. The guys all thought she was hot. And, admittedly, if only to himself, Jason would put himself in that camp.
Raquelle *was* hot. There was...something...about her. Something that said she was different from every other girl he'd met before. Maybe it was her eyes, a colour of blue deeper than the sky, not quite midnight, somewhere in between. When she had first looked at him it had seemed as if she was staring right down inside him, into the core of his very soul...
No other girl had ever made him think like that. Daphne certainly hadn't. Now, after meeting Raquelle, he was starting to think about Daphne a little differently. Daphne was...superficial. She didn't really seem to have much plans for the future or anything. Hell, he didn't even know if she wanted to go to college after she graduated, she refused to talk about things like that. Daphne's thoughts were all on herself and now. Occasionally, her thoughts might stray to him every now and then, but...
He shook his head, confused. What was the matter with him? Daphne was the most popular girl in school, the image of Elena Gilbert, sophisticated, fun-loving, romantic, dreamy...who could want more?
Meeting a strange new girl and talking to her for less that ten minutes had already changed his views on Daphne completely. How would Daphne take it if he broke up with her. Homecoming was in another week...Daphne was up for Queen...she'd go berserk if he dumped her. After all, he had an image too. Mr All-American popularity. If he dumped Daphne his whole image could be shattered. Daphne could do a surprising amount of damage.
He dreaded to think what she would do to Raquelle, even if he didn't dump her, just if she knew he liked her. Daphne didn't take well to him liking other girls. Especially people like Raquelle, who had an air of complete mystery about her.
He was surprised to find Raquelle sitting with Daphne's crowd at lunch. She noticeably didn't look all that happy to see that he and Daphne were a couple. Daphne was making a pretty big show of it, and it was getting on his nerves. Daphne acted like she owned him.
But Raquelle seemed to be fitting in quite well. She answered questions carefully, as if there was something she was hiding, which just made her all the more attractive. More than once Daphne kicked him under the table when she caught him staring at Raquelle.
Who are you Raquelle? He thought. A sudden thought occurred to him, and he wondered if he really wanted to know.
* * *
Part 6
Two weeks had passed by, and Raquelle had found herself enjoying school. She had fit in surprisingly well, the people found her intriguing and mysterious and listened to her when she talked. She had gone to the Homecoming dance that weekend with a nice boy Jason had introduced her to, Richard, one of his team-mates. She liked him, but it had just been one date, not enough sparks or anything to turn into a relationship.
Daphne had been very pretty as she had been crowned queen, and Jason had stood beside her, seeming very proud. A stab of jealousy overwhelmed her. Jason had been in her thoughts ever since she had arrived at Robert E. Lee, and that morning she had spoken to him for the first time. Waking or sleeping, she thought of nothing but him.
She was fast falling in love with him, and knew from experience love was dangerous. But he was with Daphne. Daphne was still kind of remote, and Raquelle wondered if maybe Daphne was a little jealous of her.
She kept her feelings about Jason to herself. Unsure why, she found herself gliding around the cemetery. She wasn't sure why she was so drawn here. Maybe her nature, other ideas of death fascinated her. These people here were all dead and gone, all at rest, and at peace like they should be. That was what should happen when you died.
When you were dead, you should be left dead. Creatures like herself, ones thought of in myths and legends, should remain myths and legends.
She paused, shuddering to think of what Jason would think of her if he knew her secret. How would he react to know she was the walking undead? Would he be able to accept her.
One of the main reasons she kept her feelings about him to herself. If she confessed to him how she felt, how attracted to him she was...she 'd seen him looking at her, and wondered if he liked her, maybe a little...but if she told him, and he said he loved her too, she might feel compelled to tell him who she really was. And then he would hate her, and everyone else would be afraid, and they would drive her out of town...
A sound of soft footsteps caught her ears, and she looked around, wondering who else was in the cemetery. There was a presence there, a familiar one...
She moved through the darkness, following her senses, stopping when she spied a figure moving in the darkness. She frowned, even with her night vision she was having trouble trying to identify figure. He seemed to blend into the night itself, as if he were part of it.
He stepped under one of the sparse lights then, and Raquelle drew back into the shadows with a gasp of shock. Damon? Damon was here? In Fell's Church? She fled before he could see her.
* * *
Part 7
Bonnie sat in the lounge of her parent's house, a cup of herbal tea in her hands. She was house-sitting for them while they were on a much-needed vacation. She was also supposed to be keeping her eye on her baby brother Jason. But he was a senior, old enough to take care of himself now. But ever since she'd gotten into so much trouble in her senior year, they had been a little protective over him.
But that had been almost five years ago. Five years...it had passed so quickly. Stefan and Elena had disappeared off to Europe, Meredith had gone off to Duke and had a degree in Parapsychology, and she herself had gone off to Boone college. Matt had gone off to California and she hadn't seen him in almost two years, Caroline had gone off Harvard of all places, she ran her own magazine company. She had a new apartment in New York and was moving in in a few weeks after they'd finished decorating.
As for Damon...no one had any ideas what he was doing. No one had seen him since that night in the clearing when he'd left. Not that she cared. She had decided long ago she could do better, and had stopped thinking about him. Up until yesterday. She could have sworn she'd seen him around.
As if by an unfair twist of fate, the doorbell rang then. Annoyed, and grumbling under her breath, she put her tea down and went to answer it. And got a surprise.
"Hi there, miss me?" Damon was leaning against the door, a predatory smile on his face. He didn't wait to be asked, and barged inside.
"I didn't invite you in," she snapped.
"No, you didn't," he agreed. "Elena did, remember?"
Bonnie glared. "What are you doing here, Damon?"
He shrugged. "An old friend can't come by and say hello? How long has it been since we last saw each other...four years?"
"Almost five," she corrected.
He looked around. "I can see this hasn't changed much." He studied her. "And neither have you."
Bonnie ignored the comment. She didn't say anything, because he was annoyingly right. She still looked exactly the same as she had in high school, with her fluffy red curls, heart-shaped face and warm brown eyes. She hadn't changed much in height either. "Neither have you, for that matter," she pointed out.
Damon was still the same as always, dark and sexy, alluring and intriguing, and still one of the most confusing people she had ever met.
He chuckled. "I haven't changed in about five hundred years. So, what's everyone else up to?"
"Meredith went off to Duke, she's in L.A. at the moment with a degree in Parapsychology. She's going to come and visit in a day or two. Stefan took Elena off for a tour around Europe, Matt went off to California, Caroline runs a magazine company."
"And you're stuck here in boring old Fell's Church," Damon said sympathetically. "How come?"
Bonnie opened her mouth to say Fell's Church *wasn't* boring. But in the last five years, nothing had happened. No new vampires had come, no nothing. Or so she'd heard. "I graduated from Boone College, and have an apartment in New York, it's being furnished at the moment, so I'm staying here for a few weeks before I venture out into the world. And - "
The door opened then, and Jason came in, a very pretty girl with him. She was tall, dressed in dark clothing with a figure that could stop traffic on the freeway. Her eyes were jewel blue, her hair pale gold. She reminded Bonnie faintly of Katherine.
"Hey sis," Jason said cheerfully. "We have a school project to work on, so we're gonna be taking over the kitchen." He eyed Damon then, his smile fading, an unimpressed look on his face. Damon's expression was equally unimpressed. "New boyfriend?"
Bonnie could feel heat rising to her cheeks. "*No*," she said emphatically, glaring at Damon. "Damon was just leaving."
Bonnie realised then, that Jason's new friend was also staring at Damon. But her expression wasn't the usual one Damon got from girls of admiration and awe - hers was one of absolute shock and horror.
"Raquelle?" Jason asked, frowning. "What's wrong?"
"I - I - I have to go now," the new girl stammered, and shoved past Bonnie, running as if for her life.
Damon looked confused. "What was that all about?"
Bonnie shrugged. "You tell me."
"I have no idea," Damon said, looking in the direction the girl had gone.
Neither did anyone else.
* * *