"Four Calling Birds"
Caroline went to Google and began typing.
12 days of Christmas
The plan was simple: do as much research on the popular song to find out what Klaus may show up with next.
"Obsessive is the wrong word…"
Caroline clicked on the Wikipedia entry and began reading.
"English Christmas carol…blah blah blah…"
She scrolled down the page to the lyrics section and began singing quietly to herself while she read them.
Until she got to the fourth day.
"Four colly birds!?" She exclaimed to her computer, "What the eff is a colly bird?"
Before she could read the next line her phone buzzed with a phone call.
"Bonnie, hey!" She said into the receiver, "How's your dad's family?"
"Boring as always. How's Cabo!?" Bonnie asked excitedly.
Caroline rolled her eyes and went into the details of how Elena ditched her.
The conversation rolled into a twenty minute bashing session of Damon.
"Also, did you know that in the "Twelve Days of Christmas" song, day four is actually colly birds, not Calling birds?"
"What, no way."
Caroline laughed, "I know! I totally feel like my childhood was a lie."
Bonnie laughed as well, "So, what's a colly bird then?"
Caroline snorted, "A freakin' black bird that represents coal-"
Suddenly Caroline knew what Klaus' plan was.
"Hey Bonnie? I gotta go, I'll talk to you later okay?"
Caroline laughed as she clicked the conversation away.
"That bastards giving me coal!" She exclaimed, knowing exactly what she was going to do today.
It was impossible to find true coal anywhere.
As Caroline circled the entire supermarket for the third time, she almost just decided on charcoal.
She picked up two bags and was comparing prices when her phone rang.
"Hello?" She asked, unsure of the number that had dialed her.
"Hi, is this Caroline?"
"It is, may I ask who's calling?"
"Yes, this is Kaitlin Menza, associate lifestyle editor from Seventeen Magazine! I was just calling because we received your application for our "Fresh Faces" contest, and my team and I completely love you. Your resume is very impressive and we think you'd be a great addition to our spread!"
Caroline was momentarily stunned, "What? Seriously?"
"Of course! I was actually calling to see if we could set up your interview, we need to do a quick little interview about you and your town, we'll come to you of course, and we'll bring our hair, makeup and wardrobe team to dress you all up and take a few pictures for the article. We'll pick a date after the holidays of course, but we'll need to come down to you before April, because the May edition is when we're running the article."
Caroline's mouth fell open, "You want to come to Mystic Falls, and interview me?"
"Yes, we were thinking around February or March? If we could get some great snowfall pictures that would be fantastic. Does that work for you?"
Caroline nodded and then answered, "Sure, of course, yes!"
"Great! Alright Caroline, we'll be in touch with you after the holidays! Congratulations again!"
Caroline pulled the phone away from her ear and jumped up and down right there in the barbecue aisle.
Caroline sat on a curbside bench with her phone out, searching for the nearest store where she could buy real coal.
Nothing in her town.
Of course.
"I know they sell cute little bags of it at Target…" She murmured, then Googling the nearest Target super center.
"Two towns over…awesome."
Caroline sighed and began digging for her car keys out of her purse.
Her phone vibrated.
"Hey mom." Caroline said, continuing to dig around for her keys.
"Hey Caroline, what're you doing?"
"Umm, trying to find my stupid keys so I can finish up my shopping."
"Oh okay, well look, I was going to send myself home early tonight, do you want me to pick up some Chinese food for us?"
Caroline stopped digging, "You're going to be home for dinner?"
"Yeah, I put most of my case files away. I'm ready for a night off."
Caroline smiled, "Well, then yeah, Chinese sounds great. Do you want to maybe rent a couple movies too?"
"I'd love that. Let's get the latest Nicholas Sparks movie, have you seen it?"
Caroline shook her head, "No, but I want to!"
"Me too. Okay then, I'll see you around six?"
"Sure mom, sounds good. I love you."
"Love you too, Care."
Caroline laughed at the strangeness, her mom, a night off?
Must be a Christmas miracle.
After finally getting the proper coal from Target, Caroline was back in her car and on her way back to Mystic Falls.
While she was at a red light, the radio announcer began talking about the next hourly contest they were hosting.
"Alright loyal listeners! It's time for our Ed Sheeran giveaway!"
Caroline heard the woman say Ed Sheeran and quickly turned the volume knob and listened.
"That's right!" The broadcaster continued, "We're going to play "A Team" sometime in the next thirty minutes, and when it's over, be caller twelve and we'll hook you up two tickets and backstage passes for his upcoming show!"
"Ugh, that would be so cool!" Caroline thought as the light turned green. She pulled her phone from her bag and quickly typed the radio stations phone number before she started moving.
The odds of her winning were about as good as winning the lottery, but she had an hour drive to get home, she needed something to keep her entertained.
As she drove her mind wandered.
"I haven't heard from Klaus today…" She couldn't help but think, "Too bad I have him beat on today's surprise. He'll show up at my house but waiting for him won't be me, but a big bag of coal." Caroline laughed out loud at her own plotting.
Suddenly, she heard the light acoustic opening chords
"White lips, pale face, breathing in the snowflakes…"
Caroline was giddy as she sang along, turning her volume up louder.
In order to win, she decided she'd need to call in just as the song was ending.
She carefully drove and held her thumb on the call button while the song played.
Finally, as it was ending, Caroline pressed call and activated the speakerphone.
For the longest time, the line just rang and rang. Caroline shrugged it off, she didn't look at it as a win or a lose.
Just as she was about to end the call, she heard the line click.
"Congratulations! You're number twelve!"
"WHAT!?" Caroline screamed happily, "This is seriously the best day I've ever had!"
Caroline was still beaming when she parked her car in the driveway.
It was only five-thirty and her mom wasn't home yet.
Caroline didn't even care, she was floating on cloud nine.
When her phone rang this time, she didn't even care who it was, no one could ruin her fantastic mood.
"Hello love."
Not even Klaus.
"Hello Klaus, before you even try to give me my fourth present; I want you to know that I already know what it is."
"Oh really? Do tell." Klaus smiled from the other line.
Caroline sighed as she got out of her car, "Coal. Which I bought for you as well, because I discovered that it wasn't truly calling birds, but colly birds. But you know what?"
"What?" Klaus asked hesitantly.
"I'm not even going to give it to you."
"Why not?"
Caroline felt the happiness overcome her, "Because today was the best day ever."
"Was it? How?"
"Well, I seriously got the best four phone calls of my life. I got to bash Damon right off the bat this morning, Seventeen magazine wants to interview me, me. My mom actually wants to spend time with me, and I freaking won Ed Sheeran tickets. Ed freaking Sheeran! It's really almost too good to be…"
Caroline's words faded away as she thought of the uncanny order of the events that took place today.
Suddenly Caroline's mood flipped around completely, "Klaus, did you have something to do with that?"
Klaus chuckled from the other line, "Do you not believe in luck?"
"When it comes to you? No." Caroline began pacing her front porch. If Klaus had compelled all these people, then was it real?
No. It wasn't.
"Are you near your front door?" Klaus asked, a smile pulled at his lips.
Caroline frowned as she nervously looked down the street, "Yes, why?"
"Look on the mat." He said easily.
Caroline walked to the door and on top of the mat was a little bag of coal.
She gave a relieved sigh as she picked up the coal and shook her head.
"Did you find it?"
Rather than giving him the satisfaction, Caroline changed the topic, "So I beat you today." she said smugly.
Klaus laughed, "That's a matter of opinion, sweetheart."
"What does that even mean?"
"Well, you've been talking to me on the phone for ten minutes now." Klaus said brightly, "In my book that kind of makes me a winner."
Caroline went silent, thinking for the perfect comeback.
"You're impossible." Was the best response she could think of, "Goodbye."
"Until tomorrow."
Klaus smiled as he ended Caroline's call, he then dialed a phone number and waited for an answer.
Finally, the line clicked over to one of Klaus's hybrids.
"Yes," Klaus said sternly, "Your team did very well today, congratulations."
He paused briefly, in thought.
"Oh, and consider the next eight days your holiday vacation."
Klaus hung up, and slid his phone across his dresser.
Eight more days.
Eight more glorious, hope-filled days.
A/N: Aww, Klausy's turning into a big softy!
This chapter's so long! And I bet I ruined ALL OF YOUR CHILDHOODS with this 'colly birds' bull. It blew my mind when I found out. I almost didn't think I could write a chapter about it.
But thanks to my boyfriend and the lovely OkBooey31, I think our ideas worked out pretty well!
I hope everyone has a good Monday! I will, because I'm off yayyyyyyy