Chapter 12
Glancing towards the vase on her nightstand, the rose stood vibrant and healthy. Just looking at it made her smile fondly because it made her remember Damon's thoughtfulness the night of the talent show. She closed her eyes briefly and grinned as she remembered.
The night of the talent show, Bonnie was visibly nervous. She was trying to calm her nerves but nothing was working.
"You'll be great!" Caroline said encouragingly.
"Just relax and sing. You have a great voice. There's nothing to worry about." Elena added.
Both were trying to be supportive, but Bonnie could not. She never understood why she was always plagued with such a severe case of stage fright. It's not like she's not used to performing in front of people. She was a cheerleader, after all. She was used to being seen by people, but when it came to speaking by herself in front of huge crowds, she could not handle it.
When it was finally her to chance to perform, she was feeling nervous yet determined. She had decided to sing Demi Lovato's 'Give Your Heart a Break'. She told herself over and over I can do this. I will do this. I will be fine. Stepping onto the stage, she willed herself to breathe and relax. Stepping up to the microphone, she looked out to the crowd and saw the smiling faces of her friends. Even Stefan was there being supportive. She did not, however, see Damon. She was definitely disappointed that she did not see his smirk in the crowd. Silently cursing herself, she tried to focus on conquering her fears and singing her heart out.
With a deep breath, she started to sing. But, even by her own ears, she sounded soft and barely audible. She tried to sing louder, but her heart was pounding in her ears. Her stomach was starting to feel queasy. Why, oh why, did I agree to do this? She asked herself.
She wanted to stop; she wanted to run from the stage and from the prying eyes of an unforgiving audience. Suddenly, she found herself locking eyes with Damon. His penetrating blue eyes provided her with the confidence she needed to continue singing. With Damon looking at her like that, she sang with her whole heart. Not really singing to him, but for him. She wanted to show him that she was a force of nature. Someone to be respected and treasured…maybe even, loved.
He watched her come alive upon the stage. He had never seen her look so amazing. He was captivated by her voice, by her beauty and by her spirit. He tried to remind himself that he was only spending so much time with Bonnie so he could move on from Elena. He wanted Bonnie to like him so maybe she would finally cut him some slack. However, as he watched her on the stage, that was the furthest thought from his mind. He wondered why had I never really seen Bonnie Bennett? The woman she was becoming? He shook his head to clear his mind, but these thoughts wouldn't go away. He feared this so-called plan he had devised was not his best idea.
When Bonnie finished singing, there was thunderous applause. She was proud of herself. She looked at her friend's smiling faces and felt an amazing sense of accomplishment. She tried to catch Damon's eye but he was nowhere in sight. Frustrated at not spotting him, she silently cursed her growing dependency on him. Deciding that she was not going to let him ruin the rest if her night, she made her bow and moved off stage.
When the time came for announcing the winner, Bonnie held her breath. She wasn't expecting first place, but it would've been nice. "And the winner is…" Bonnie grabbed Elena and Caroline's hand in excitement. The announcer opened the envelope and continued, "Jacob and Danielle in their rendition of 'Don't Go Breaking My Heart."
"How could they possibly win?!" shrieked Caroline. "I was so much better than them." As an afterthought, Caroline added, "You were too," as she turned to face Bonnie.
"We both were." Bonnie agreed.
"Uh-huh." Elena chimed in.
"It's okay, though. At least, we went out there. And I made it through the entire song." Bonnie commented.
"I guess." Caroline admitted dejectedly.
Stefan gave Caroline a half hug, hoping to cheer her up. "Maybe some ice cream would help?"
"That'll have to do." Caroline answered, deciding this one talent show would not bring her down. After all, she thought to herself, I'm still a smoking hot vampire.
By the time Bonnie reached her bedroom, she was ready to just relax. It had been a wonderful day. She had made it through her performance and spending time with her friends just eating ice cream made her feel like a normal teenager. Then she noticed a single rose on her bed. It was yellow with a red tip. It was beautiful. A gift from my dad, she wondered. Maybe he wanted to congratulate me.
As she walked towards it, she was in awe. No one had ever given her such an exquisite rose before. She was flattered. She noticed the note that was lying next to it. She picked it up and chuckled.
Bonnie~ In case the ice cream wasn't enough. Damon
"I can always count on Damon…to be Damon" She muttered. "I guess I should at least thank him for the rose. It is lovely." Picking up her phone, she took a deep breath to settle the rising uneasiness she felt and dialed his number.
"The hotter Salvatore speaking," he answered.
"Thank you." She responded, deciding she wasn't going to argue with him after such a thoughtful gift.
"So, you got the flower?"
"Yes, and it's gorgeous."
"Well, you deserved it. You were incredible tonight."
"Really?" Bonnie asked, slightly embarrassed by his compliment.
"Fishing for compliments?"
"I wasn't…unless you have something else you want to say." Bonnie whispered startled by Damon's question.
"You were. But, that's okay."
"Fine, I was." Bonnie remarked, annoyed by Damon's inability to be decent. "Anyways, I just wanted to say thanks for the rose."
"You're welcome."
"Okay, well, good night."
"Good night. Oh, and one more thing..."
"Yes?"
"You looked stunning tonight. Even more so than usual," Damon purred.
With a quick intake of breath, Bonnie was floored by Damon's words. She could feel herself blushing and the room was starting to get hot. "Thanks Damon."
Smirking into the phone, he could feel Bonnie's giddiness. "Okay, good night." He said and hung up the phone. Oh Bonnie, he thought, she really is full of surprises.
Bonnie stared at her cell phone that now showed a blank screen. She was elated by Damon's words. With a deep sigh, she knew she had to finally admit to herself…I'm starting to fall for Damon.
A/N: I do not own any of the characters or the songs. I hope everyone enjoys. I will do my best to update soon.
