4.

"Why are you always signing me up for shit I don't want to do?" I asked Caroline, flicking at my stack of flyers.

She had assigned Elena, Bonnie and I the mind numbingly boring task of folding up all the flyers for the next day's night of the comet event in the town square. It was a pretty big thing – apparently the comet only came around once every hundred and forty-five years and Mystic Falls would have the best view in the US. People had come flooding into town to witness the once in a lifetime event and the town council had decided to capitalise on it. The brightly coloured flyers advertised face painting, food stalls, live music and viewing stations for astronomy fanatics to view the comet through a telescope.

"Think of how good it'll look to potential colleges." Caroline said brightly, taking a sip of her milkshake. She was long finished folding her flyers and knowing Caroline had probably turned it into a one-sided race.

"Passing out flyers for a crappy small-town gathering?" I raised a brow.

"Giving up your personal time to help arrange town events! Showing a strong presence in the community and displaying excellent teamworking skills!"

I couldn't help but laugh, "How do you make it sound like an achievement?"

"Don't question it, just be happy that I'm around to help with your applications."

"Think you can write mine, too?" Bonnie asked drily, pulling my flyers towards herself.

"Of course," Caroline winked, "your new psychic powers are giving me excellent content."

"You know, it's actually really interesting." Elena said thoughtfully, "It only comes around once every hundred and forty-five years. After everything bad that's happened, maybe it'll bring a little luck."

"Well," Bonnie started, "I was talking to Grams, and she said the comet-"

"Will turn us all into toads?" I offered, "or maybe kill all first-born children? C'mon, if it came out of your Grams' mouth, it's got to be something gloomy."

"She said it was a sign of impending doom." Bonnie confirmed, "The last time it passed over Mystic Falls, there was lots of death."

"Yeah, that's a side effect of a civil war."

"Danny, do you want to hear or not?" she said impatiently, "Grams said so much blood and carnage created a bed of paranormal activity."

Caroline carefully folded a flyer, "Yeah and then you poured Grams another shot, and she told you about the aliens." Caroline turned to Elena eagerly, "So then what?"

Of course, it was the only thing Caroline had on her mind. Shortly before we had seated ourselves at the small outdoor table, Elena had revealed that Stefan Salvatore had spent the night at our house. Caroline nearly went into cardiac arrest, first with excitement, and then disappointment when Elena had told us all they had done was talk.

"So then, nothing." Elena looked down, trying not to grin as she thought about it.

"You and Stefan talked all night?" Caroline confirmed disbelievingly, "There was no sloppy first kiss or touchy-feely of any kind?"

"Nope. We didn't go there." Elena insisted.

"Not even a handshake?" Caroline pressed.

"Or a hug?" I added. I knew my sister. She was a sucker for hugs.

I saw the glimmer in her eyes as she looked down again and pounced on it like a dog with a bone.

"Hah! There was a hug!"

"When I was talking about mom and dad!" Elena defended, "It wasn't like that!"

"Could not give a single fuck about context." Caroline said flatly, "what did his abs feel like?"

"I'm not gonna answer that, Caroline." Elena said stubbornly.

"Okay, I've had enough!" Caroline smacked both of her hands down on the table, "Between you two Gilberts, there is a serious blockage. We are your friends; you are supposed to share the smut."

"Danny has smut?" Bonnie raised her eyebrows.

"I have smut?" I repeated.

"Yeah, with your bender dude!" Caroline folded her arms, "I'm very offended you won't tell me what happened!"

"Nothing happened!" I exclaimed exasperatedly.

"Alright," Caroline leaned forward and took our hands, "I have a quick lesson for you. Boy likes girl, girl likes boy – sex!"

"Profound." Elena rolled her eyes.

The table was quiet for a moment before Elena threw down her flyers and got to her feet, grabbing her jacket.

"Where are you going?" Bonnie asked in confusion.

"Caroline's right." Elena announced, "It is easy. If I sit here long enough, I'll end up talking myself out of it instead of doing what I started the day saying I was going to do."

"You started the day saying you were gonna fuck Stefan?" I wiggled my eyebrows at her.

"Shush!" Caroline jabbed me in the arm, "It's a decent aim."

Elena strode towards her car, and Bonnie hopped seats to sit next to me.

"So, what's with the bender dude?" She asked.

"There was no bender dude!" I insisted.

"Please," Caroline scoffed, "you had a guys t-shirt in your bag! You come back with a really expensive-looking piece of jewellery and you didn't even try with Stefan. There was a bender dude!"

My hand closed around my locket. I hadn't realised anyone had noticed it.

"I don't know, Care. I was pretty out of it; I can't remember anything." I said coolly, tucking the necklace back under my shirt.

Caroline put her head in her hands and released a muffled screech of frustration.

"Why don't you go and sleep with someone?" I suggested, "And then you'll have something to talk about."

"Don't you think I'm trying?" She exclaimed, "I can't find that guy from the other night anywhere."

"Why didn't you just talk to him?" I asked, stealing a sip of her milkshake.

"I don't know. God, what if he was just passing through and I never see him again?"

"I'm sure you'll survive." I said wryly, "I'm gonna head home and wait for Elena."

"You text me and tell me everything." Caroline's head bolted up, "No, you call me and let me listen!"

"Okay, okay!" I grinned raising my hands, "I'll see you later!"

When I arrived home, Jenna was sat at the table with her head in her hands and a steaming mug of coffee in front of her.

"You okay?" I asked, slinging my bag down onto the floor.

"I had Jeremy's parent-teacher conference today." She groaned, "And your asshole history teacher shamed me good."

"Tanner's a dick." I nodded. "What did he say?"

"Jeremy's skipped six of his classes already. Also, that he's on drugs. Oh, and you best buckle yourself in for quite a ride, because he suggested I get some other relatives in the picture. You know who that'll mean."

"Jenna!" I gasped, "If you move in Uncle John, I will never forgive you!"

"You think I want to?" she asked, "I don't want that slimy little toad hanging around here, either. So, we need a plan."

"We? Jer's barely speaking to me."

"Look." She leant forward, meeting my eyes, "He's mad, but he thinks the world of you, Danny. Elena and I have been on his case all summer – he's tired of us, but he might listen to you."

I sighed, taking a seat next to her and resting my head in my hands, "You know he's been hooking up with Vicki Donovan? I don't think we're going to get through to him while he's following her around like a puppy."

"See – you're back a week and you've got a better idea of what he's up to than we've had all summer." She frowned, taking a long sip of her coffee.

"I can't take credit – Caroline heard it." I shrugged, "I guess I can try talking to him."

Upstairs in my room, I tried to think. I paced. I lit a cigarette. I remembered I was inside and flung open a window, breathing smoke out into the late afternoon air. I didn't need Elena mad at me for making the house stink of smoke. She was bitter enough about my habit, always giving me articles on cancer rates and lung capacity. I supposed it was her way of caring. But the nicotine helped me think straight, and that was what I really needed at that moment. Because I doubted anything I said to Jeremy would change things.

"Danny?" Elena gave my door a gentle tap.

I immediately stubbled the cigarette out against the window ledge, tossing it out onto the roof.

"Yeah, come in!" I called, and she closed the door again behind her, "That was quick. Does Stefan have issues? Hang on let me call-"

"Don't call Care. I didn't sleep with him." She told me exasperatedly, flopping down on my bed, "I barely spoke to him."

"Uh-oh. What happened?"

"His older brother Damon was there."

"I thought he doesn't speak to his siblings?"

"How did you know that?" she rolled her eyes, "No don't answer that – Caroline, right? Anyway, Damon told me Stefan's got raging ex-girlfriend issues, and he's on the rebound."

"Shit. That sucks."

"And when Stefan came down, he didn't even look at me. Practically kicked me out."

"Jeez. What are you going to do?"

She sighed, stretching out on the bed, "I don't know, Danny. I'll just wait and see what happens, I guess. I mean, we never exchanged numbers or anything. We just talked."

I shrugged and lay down next to her. Honestly, Stefan Salvatore was starting to seem like an asshole. First Caroline, now Elena? Would Bonnie be next? Was he going to work his way around all my friends and be a dick to them?

"Jenna want's me to talk to Jeremy."

"Yeah?" she eyed me, "Maybe you can get through to him."

"I hope so." I answered, "Because if someone doesn't, it looks like we'll be seeing a lot more of Uncle John. When he moves in and becomes one of our guardians."

"What?" she sat bolt upright, "Jenna said that?"

"Apparently Tanner put her through the ringer earlier. Said we needed another relative in the picture."

"Okay," Elena got off the bed, "so operation 'fix Jeremy' needs to go into overdrive."

"Be gentle." I told her, "You've tried tough love, and it didn't work. Give kindness a try."

"Don't you think we did? All summer we tried kindness, Danny! Nothing gets through to him!"

"Come on – it's just a little pot, Elena, that's the least of our worries. We just need him to take school a little more seriously."

"The least of our worries? It's a gateway drug!" she stomped towards the door, "And I know you've been smoking in here – I can smell it!" she snapped on her way out.

I pressed my knuckled against my eyes. How did I always manage to piss her off? Living in this house was going to be very difficult once I'd annoyed Jeremy with my talk, too. Maybe if I put on a Vicki mask he'd be interested in listening?

Vicki Donovan! The idea struck like a bolt of lightning. He wouldn't listen to his teachers or us, but maybe if Vicki gave him a nudge in the right direction, he would pay attention. I sat up, thinking hard. How soon should I wait before talking to her? She had just been mauled, after all. There must be other things on her mind.

Eventually, I decided I wouldn't go out of my way to talk to her. I would just wait until I next saw her at school or the grill or whatever. The more I thought about it, the less confident I was she'd even help. When was the last time Vicki went a week without skipping a class? Or a day without some kind of pill? I collapsed against my pillow and let out a loud groan of frustration against the cotton.