Summertime Sadness
Chapter three
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The party is in full swing when I arrive. The backyard is packed and everyone from town seems to be here. People are decked in their best Hawaiian gear and lei's adorn everyone's necks. There are Hawaiian dancers and I wonder who sprung for them because this couldn't have been cheap.
But what really stands apart from everything is the decorations. Lots of twinkling lights are spread out and there are even lanterns everywhere that fill the yard with a soft glow. There's is a Tiki bar with glasses filled with drinks and little tiny umbrellas that are bright and colorful. And there happens to be an actual sand pit. This exceeded my expectations by miles. This is the greatest thing I've ever seen. I actually feel like I'm in Hawaii.
I spot Elena instantly who is talking with both Salvatore brothers. She may be a vampire now and she may have chosen Damon based on the fact that she's sired…but she's my friend first and foremost and I owe it to her not to be judgmental.
Who am I kidding? I really can't stand Damon most of the time and I'll always root for Stefan. He's the good guy. I may be a tad bit biased due to the fact that Damon used me when I was human; compelling me to be his little play thing, but I strictly believe that Stefan is Elena's epic love story despite my heated past with his brother.
When I reach them, Elena throws her arms around me, engulfing me in a hug. Thankfully Stefan took the drink out of her hand beforehand so she couldn't spill it on me and my new dress.
She pulls back, eyeing me up and down, obviously admiring my outfit. "Look at you, Caroline! You look great!"
"Thanks, Elena. You do too." I tell her sincerely.
It's true. She looks beautiful as usual. Her dress is a deep red with flowers all over it and it flows all the way down to her ankles. It suits her perfectly.
"Can you believe this?" she asks, gesturing all around her. "I wonder who paid for all of this because there is no way Tyler's mom would have."
"I was wondering the same thing when I walked in here... or out here, rather." I joke.
"The town will raise money for an event but to get an actual sand pit..." Stefan's voice trails off and he has an amused look on his face... "only one person has that kind of money."
"Someone old as time maybe?" Damon raises an eyebrow while glancing at me.
What is that supposed to mean?
"Don't know but whoever it was, made a little girls dream come true," Elena smiles knowingly at me and I can't help but smile back at her. "Caroline's always wanted a Hawaiian themed graduation party."
"Well, you and Bonnie did too." I tell her.
"Yeah, but not as much as you, Caroline. You've always wanted one of these parties since we were little."
"I know. I wanted the decorations and the food and the dress. I got that tonight." I grin, knowing that this night is going to be perfect. "I just hope there's no wind tonight because this dress is really short."
"Yeah, you're not really wearing a crime fighting dress, Barbie." Damon chimes in. "Didn't you get the memo?"
"What memo?" I ask.
I've clearly been left out of the loop. Again.
"Operation 'kill Klaus' is on tonight." he says before taking a long swig of his beer.
This is not happening to me. I asked for one night and I couldn't even get thirty minutes.
"Please, tell me you're joking," I whine and look to Stefan who nods solemnly, confirming tonight's plans.
"We have to do this, Caroline." Damon insists. "Klaus won't risk an attack with all these people here which means we have the upper hand. We have to use it to our advantage."
I look at Elena who gives me an apologetic look and it makes me sick. She won't even stand up for me? She just explained to them that I've been waiting forever for this. I look around at all the people and some are laughing and drinking, not having to worry about life and death. And here I am... stuck in another useless attempt at killing Klaus.
"Maybe Caroline can skip this one," Stefan suggests, giving me what seems to be a reassuring smile but it doesn't work. "This is her night after all."
"It's not my night. It was supposed to be our night." I emphasize, giving Elena a pointed look.
"I know, Care but this is really important."
"And this isn't?" I scoff at her. "You really have changed, Elena. One of these days you're going to wake up and realize that everything you say due to your freaky sire bond, is not okay and you'll be begging Stefan for that cure."
"Caroline, you don't have to be a bitch to me because you're upset about tonight." She snaps.
"But that's the thing isn't it, Elena? It's not just about tonight. It's every night." I tell her.
"It's not every night, Caroline. It's just one night. One."
Every night I feel like I've got the world on my shoulders and every night I feel a little more closer to my breaking point, but she doesn't get it. She'll never understand if she continues to keep living in her bubble. I only broke out of my shell completely when I became a vampire. What's it going to take for her to see the world outside of 'Damon'?
"Look Barbie, you need to be Klaus bait, again." Damn says breaking the silence. "We need you not to skip out on this one."
"I'm sorry, what?!" I shout.
My head snaps to Damon and he gives me a sardonic grin. "Do you really expect us to distract him without you?" he asks me like it should be obvious that he was going to mention it.
Why do I always get roped into playing the bait? Why do I even have to be a part of this at all? Do they really think Klaus is that stupid anyway? He has to know that when I give him the time of day, it's usually so someone can use it to their advantage.
"Stop calling me Klaus bait, Damon and yes, I do expect you to distract him without me because tonight I'm not going to be apart of any stupid attempt at killing Klaus for the millionth time." I tell him firmly.
"Alright, I'll distract Klaus and Caroline can enjoy the party." Stefan says with his hands in the air like he's the martyr of the group.
Why is Stefan even helping? He needs Klaus to help get the cure and if he's dead, he can't get it. Besides Klaus, nobody wants the cure more than him.
"If anyone needs me for anything other than Klaus business, I'll be over by the punch bowl." I snip and stomp off towards the refreshments table.
Glowering into the punch bowl, I wish I could take it and chuck it across the room.
"There you are."
I turn around to face Tyler and immediately my face softens. Wrapping my arms around him, I bury my face into his neck and inhale his woodsy scent. His arms tighten around my waist and I let out a relaxed sigh now that he's here.
"Hey, what's wrong?" He pulls back and searches my eyes for an answer.
"I just wanted one night, Tyler. One night where we could be normal teenagers and don't have to worry about killing anyone. I wanted this graduation party to be special but how can it be special if everyone's so focused on killing Klaus? Cant they wait until tomorrow?"
I'm so overwhelmed with everything that I don't even realize that I'm crying until I feel Tyler wiping the tears from my cheeks. His face morphs into one of understanding as he attempts to calm me down, brushing the hair away from my wet face.
"We're not regular teenagers anymore, Care. You're a vampire and I'm a hybrid."
"I know that, but-"
"No, listen to me," he cuts me off with an intent look. "I know you've been looking forward to this since we were kids but we have to kill Klaus tonight. This is our last chance to do it. We've been laying low for a while and he won't expect it, Caroline. When all of this is over, you and I can go out and do something fun."
"Are you really siding with them?" Stepping out of his arms, I look at him appalled. "You promised me that we'd dance and drink and spend time with all of our friends. This is our graduation party, Tyler. You know how much tonight means to me."
"I'm sorry Caroline but I'll make it up to you."
"No, you can't," I say, choking on my tears. "This was supposed to be our night and you ruined it."
"Caroline, you're overreacting. I don't know why you're crying over this. We have years to have more graduations."
"Are you kidding me, Tyler?"
Tyler's phone goes off and he pulls it out of his pocket, staring at the screen intensely. When he's satisfied, he pockets it and looks at me with a forlorn look. "I love you, Caroline but I really need to take care of this."
He kisses me on the forehead and runs off leaving me by the punch.
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I don't know how long I've been standing here alone before I decide to make my way to the front of the house. I need to get away from the party that I'll never get to experience. With everyone so focused on the death of an evil hybrid, there's obviously no point in sticking around for the party.
The night is beautiful and the air smells so good...a little too good.
I can feel the veins under my eyes emerge followed by my fangs, as another lungful of sweet smelling blood hits my nose. My head whips to the right where I see a girl from one of my classes sitting on the curb with a scraped knee. She's alone and cradling her ankle in the process.
If you don't know how to wear heels, then don't even try.
I slowly take a step closer, fighting what my body wants; what my body needs.
Strong arms suddenly wrap around my waist, pulling me into a hard chest. I try to kick but my legs are brought up so that I'm being carried bridal style. This person starts to run; quicker than I can. I try to look up to see my attacker's face but before I can, we suddenly stop and I'm put back on my own two feet again.
I whirl around, ready to attack but stop when I see Klaus standing there. He must see the pure confusion on my face because he explains. "I was saving you the regret, love."
"What?"
He comes closer so that he's only standing a couple of feet away. "You would've regretted killing her in the morning, Caroline. I was stopping you from something that I know you didn't want to do."
I stand with my arms at my side, completely shaken at what almost happened. I almost killed that girl. I almost took her life because I couldn't resist a little blood. What is wrong with me? I have more control than that. More sobs rack my body and I desperately wish I could turn back time erasing this entire night from my memory.
"Why did you save her life?" I ask quietly, my voice barely audible to my own ears. Klaus is into taking lives, not preserving them.
"I didn't."
"What?" I ask alarmed.
"All I'm saying is that I don't know what she's doing at this very moment." Klaus explains, sensing my distress. "Anything can happen. I just came to stop you from making a mistake. I saved her from you for the moment, not from anything else in her life."
"But why?"
He closes his eyes and lets out a frustrated sigh before returning his attention back to me. "I don't want you to find another reason to hate yourself when you wake up in the morning."
That wasn't what I was expecting. What he did for me was more than I can thank him for and I'll forever be grateful. As much as I can stand here thinking of every reason to hate him, he did something so selfless. He only did it for me. For me.
"Believe it or not, Caroline, I genuinely want you to live your life without regrets because it'll make for a tiring existence if you spend so much of it hating yourself."
"I really should get going." I say, feeling awkward. My tears are drying but standing in the middle of the forest crying my eyes out in front of Klaus, the evil hybrid, isn't my idea of a good night.
Despite what he did for me, I can't forget all of the bad things he's done just because he showed me one act of generosity... no matter how grateful I am.
"Back to your party?"
"It's not my party."
"If you say so." He smiles. "The whole town is under the assumption that it's for you."
"Well, that's just stupid. It's for all of us..mainly for Bonnie, Elena and myself."
"Now where might they be when you need them the most?
"At the party. They're pretty busy these days."
"Ah yes. You're friends... who are too busy to notice you."
"It's not like that." I snap, instantly coming to their defense.
"My apologies... it only seems that way. If they weren't so focused on killing me tonight, they might be more observant to notice that their friend needs them."
My eyes go wide at his words.
"Don't look so shocked, Caroline. I'm over a thousand years old. I can pick up on things."
"I had nothing to do with it."
I don't know what makes me say it, despite the fact that it's the truth. It's not like I care if he dies anyway.
"I know that too, love." His voice is soft now, like he wants me to believe in what he tells me; that he knows I didn't have anything to do in plotting his death this time. It shouldn't matter this time... but why does it feel different?
It feels too tense. The way he's looking at me like he knows every thought I've ever had.
I shake my head at my thoughts and give Klaus an awkward smile. "I really should be going now... but thank you... for not letting me... you know..."
"Take a bite out of the human?" Klaus smirks, his playful side appearing.
I give him a bigger grin, feeling the tension leave the air and give a mental sigh of relief.
"Yeah, could've been a disaster."
"Oh, it could have been horrendous." He rolls his eyes and lets out a laugh; something I've never heard before and I feel myself smiling even bigger than before... if that's even possible to do with Klaus around.
"Completely."
"You better get back to the party. I know you've been waiting for tonight for a very long time."
"How did-"
"Small town, love." he smiles and cuts me off. "Looks like you ended up being 'Klaus bait' anyway."
"What? I-"
He runs off, leaving me standing alone in the woods with my eyes wide as saucers.
Klaus will always be one step ahead.