March, 2004 (Present day, 7:15 a.m.)
Caroline is in her own thoughts when she takes the vacant seat in the train. Her eyes are fixed on the floor, when her purse starts to buzz.
"I don't know, Bonnie." She said the second she took the phone.
"I didn't ask anything."
"But, I know why you are calling me." They already had that conversation last night, about the fact if she still feel anything.
"If you know, then just tell him already, Caroline."
"I am not saying anything to anyone. Today we are meeting because we are celebrating the fact that we met today. That's it."
"And it must be your idea."
"How does that matter if it was my idea or not?" she questions
"I don't know, it's like you are trying to look for ways to meet him.
"He was the one who suggested." She couldn't help but blurt out the truth.
"Then he is looking for ways."
"You are being delusional, Bonnie. You know that, right?" Caroline laughs lightly. She has accepted the fact that nothing is going to happen between them. And moreover, she doesn't want to lose a friend like Stefan.
"You are just wasting the time, in which you can already be with him, make memories and everything."
"I will keep that in mind." She cut the phone before Bonnie could say anything else. Bonnie has mistaken her life to be with a book or a movie, which isn't true. She knows how the conversation like that ends in real lives. And she doesn't want to go through that route.
July, 2003
"See, I told you that you will crack it. And you did." Caroline laughed lightly.
"Yeah… you did."
"We should totally celebrate."
"It's not such a big deal, Caroline."
"Yes, it is. Come on, Stefan. Life means celebration. And the news like this, it demands to be celebrated." She talked with her animated expressions, and her hands moving with every gesture.
"OR…. Your other name is throwing party for no reason."
"Fine, then take it in that way. But, we are celebrating." How could he say no to her? And with a smile, and shaking head, he accepted his defeat.
Caroline loved parties, and the preparations for it. And so her days were blessed in organizing everything. From the type of drink to the number of food items, she took care of all the things. After all it wasn't just about cracking one exam, but to be the topper of his university in the semester.
"Are you going to talk to him or not?" Bonnie was helping her keeping the boxes of paper plates inside Lexi's apartment. Lexi was all in for a party, and she herself suggested for the place, since it was near to everyone's place.
"Bonnie!" Caroline gave a warning look at her. Lexi might be anywhere nearby, and if she heard their conversation, she would be busted for no reason. Bonnie questioned her with her eyes.
"First of all, we will talk about this after we reach home. It's not a place to discuss… such things… you know." She mouthed Lexi's name, and Bonnie didn't say anything after that.
"By the way, when is Ben coming?"
"He will be here in a while."
They both were busy putting the things in places when Lexi came. "Do you need any help? What can I do?"
"Um, we are actually done. But, you can help in putting the music CD, setting it in the system."
"Perfect, I will do that. And did Stefan said when is he coming?" Lexi asked her.
"I texted him, but I haven't got the response yet." Caroline checked her phone again, which she had been doing for a while now that day.
"Same." Lexi informed her. "We haven't talked much for past few days, since I was busy visiting Lee, and Stefan never bothers me when I am with Lee." Caroline smiled when she saw the spark in Lexi's eyes whenever she took her boyfriend's name.
"Is he coming today?"
"Yeah, he had some work to finish, after that he will be here."
"Can't wait to meet him." In past couple of days, she had been talking a lot with Lexi. And she was glad that someone like her was Stefan's best friend.
The phone started ringing for both Caroline and Lexi, and the text was from Stefan.
Will be there in half an hour.
The text was same for both of them.
"Lee is very lucky you know… he found you." Caroline said after a moment passed, and Lexi smiled at her.
"I don't know if he is lucky or if I am." Lexi looked at Caroline and continued, "He told me once, that he wants to have a forever with me… which is kind of cute. But I want to believe in today. Live it like it's our forever."
Her words struck the cords in her mind, hitting her hard.
"Why is that look on your face?" Bonnie came back to where she was standing.
"I have decided." Caroline turned around to look at her, with a determination in her eyes. "I have decided to tell him… tell him how I feel about him." Bonnie gave her a wide smile.
"What changed your mind?"
"Something about living in today." Caroline smiled to herself. She literally was counting the seconds, until the time Stefan comes.
Stefan came there exactly after half an hour, but then Lexi was with him most of the time, or he was with Lee, or someone else who happened to come early there. Caroline cursed every single person who were blocking him.
"Who the hell comes to a party this early." She mumbled to herself in anger. But there was nothing but to wait for a moment he could be alone.
The party was in full swing, and Stefan was happy and laughing as well.
"Have you noticed something different about Stefan?" Lee asked Lexi.
"What kind of different?"
"He is not-"
"Brooding?" Lexi finished his sentence.
"Yeah... That. What changed?"
"Someone new came in his life." Lexi pointed at Caroline who was dancing in the middle of the dance floor with the foam glass in her hand.
Caroline was laughing and dancing with Bonnie, while Ben went to take drink for her.
"So, when are you going to talk to him?" Bonnie asked keeping her voice down as much as possible in the midst of the loud music.
"No one is leaving him alone even for one second. Like, most of the time he is happy being left alone, and stand and brood, but today he is either with him or her, or someone else." Caroline pointed to the whole crowd.
She glanced at Stefan, who was looking on her way, and gave a smile to her, and she flustered a little. Laughing and enjoying her best music, she was on a roll, but her laughter came to a halt when she saw Tyler coming through the entrance door.
"What is he doing here?" Bonnie asked when she saw Caroline frozen at her position.
"Maybe someone invited him." And he wasn't alone, he was with the girl with curled blonde hair in her black dress. There was no second thought that it was Liv.
"Good for him… he looks happy."
"Caroline? Are you okay?"
I am fine Bonnie, don't worry about me." And she actually feeling okay with him being there in the same room. Maybe she did moved on from him.
Stefan looked at her, when he saw Tyler in the party. His worried looks were enough to make her smile.
I am fine
She mouthed, and but his posture was still stiffened.
Caroline went to refill her glass, when she bumped into Tyler.
"Hey." She met him with a wide smile.
"Hi."
"How are you?"
"I am good. How about you."
"I am fine…. she looks nice." She pointed at his girlfriend who was talking to some girl on the other side of the room.
"Yeah… she is."
"I am happy for you. I know five months are not long enough in a relation, but it's the start. And I am really glad for you." She gave him a smile, which he returned back after few seconds.
"Thanks. But, it's not five months. We have been dating for around two months."
"Oh, but I heard-"
"People like to gossip. I know her for almost five months, but it doesn't mean I started dating her right when we met. When I was with you, I was loyal to you." Tyler said in a way like there was some hidden meanings behind his last sentence.
"I didn't mean it like that."
"And We don't need to do any small talks."
"I know… I just thought-"
"What? That we can go back to being friends? I don't think we can, so it will be better if you just leave me alone." The air around them started to heat up, but thanks to Stefan, Tyler couldn't continue any further.
"Is everything all right here?" Stefan asked, he looked at Tyler with his serious eyes. Tyler was little irritated, and so he didn't filter out the next things he conversed with Stefan.
"Yeah, why don't you ask her to keep everything right and leave me alone?"
"Hey, she was just being nice… what's wrong with you?" Stefan couldn't understand his behavior.
"Oh, she didn't tell you… didn't she?" He looked at Caroline, who was way too shocked to react. Everything was happening so fast. "You remember Klaus, right. The guy whom everyone hated in high-school, the creep who almost destroyed my life, my family, just because he had money."
"What's your point, Tyler?" Stefan was getting impatient with him now.
"I walked on her when she had her tongue in his mouth, man."
Caroline couldn't move for a while. When Tyler said those words, when Stefan turned his face to look at her, she could see the disappointment all over his face. And it ripped her heart away. She couldn't stand there anymore.
"Enjoy the party." She managed to say those words and went straight towards the exit. The fact that she regretted her decision, never counted for Tyler. Tyler left her to take the revenge for his family, and they were not even in any relationship when the incident happened. But it doesn't matter, because the very moment she didn't cared about what Tyler said, but what Stefan thought.
She found an empty bench across the street, and sat there for a while. After all, how could she able to face Stefan now?
"Hey, you are here…. I had been looking for you everywhere." Stefan's voice made her jump on her seat.
"Yeah, well, I couldn't find a rock to crawl under, so…" she laughed lightly, and peaked a look at him. He was giving her a warm smile, and she couldn't understand what he was thinking at that moment. He came closer, and sat beside her.
"You must be thinking I am such a horrible person, right?" she looked at him sincerely. "Give it straight to me, whatever you think."
"Okay, someone has to do it, so let me do this. Caroline… you are a horrible person, you are thoughtless, you are shallow, and you are completely undependable." The moment he started talking, her laughter came next, knowing the fact that he is messing with her.
"Hey don't be mean, okay… I am vulnerable."
"And I don't even know what guys see in you." She was laughing and smiling widely, and just like that, he took away all her worries.
"Let's go, and enjoy the party which we threw for all those people I don't even know. I am not paying for others to enjoy and not be present there." he motioned his head to ask her, and they both walked towards the apartment.
Caroline was with Bonnie, and Stefan was there as well, never wanting to go anywhere else.
"I hope he didn't said much." Bonnie was concerned, but Caroline shoved it away.
"I think it's good that he said what he said… because if he didn't, I would have never knew how over I am on him. And anyways, I am done feeling bad about whatever decision I took at that time." Bonnie nodded at her, and Stefan smiled back at Caroline.
Tyler was standing on the other side of the room with one hand massaging his nose, almost leaving with his girlfriend.
"Look at Tyler. He is looking a little weird." Bonnie commented, and when Caroline looked at him she felt the same.
"Yeah, his face… looks a little puffy, and swollen. Isn't it?" she asked Stefan, and he pursed his lips, as if he was keeping his lips to smile.
"Is it? Maybe his face is like that."
Bonnie pulled Caroline through her elbow, and whispered "when are you going to talk to him?"
"Soon." She looked at Stefan getting ready to tell him what she feels. "Stefan, I wanted to talk to you... can we talk?"
"Sure." She was about to talk when Stefan interrupted her, his eyes on the door. "My friend has come, let's go, I will introduce you." Caroline had a wide smile all over face. In just few seconds she was going to tell him about every feeling she was having, now and before.
Her smile started to fade away, slowly, when her heart started to shout with crying tears…. When Stefan went to meet his friend, the girl whom he kissed … right in front of her.
"This is Caroline…. And Caroline, this is Ivy." Caroline tried to smile, however broken it looked. he day would turn like this… she never knew.