"Stefan is bringing me to the party, but Bonnie and Caroline want to take you," Elena explained as she did my hair.
"Alright, I could use some girl bonding time," I said partially sarcastically. I liked Bonnie and Caroline, Bonnie a little more, but I wasn't big on the popularity, school spirit type deal.
"Okay, done," Elena said referring to my hair. "Go change, and Bonnie and Caroline should be here by then. I have to go meet Stefan now."
"Okay," I said. I went to my room and changed into a dress. When I got in the car, Caroline was prattling on about something, but Bonnie looked preoccupied. I felt some sort of kinship with Bonnie, so when we got to the party I pulled her aside.
"Are you okay?" I asked her.
"Fine," She said dismissively.
"Bonnie, if there is something bothering you, you can talk to me," I said. "I know we aren't best friends like you, Caroline, and Elena, but I still want to know if you are okay."
Bonnie took a deep breath.
"Okay, I want to show you something," She said pulling me into a secluded corner where there was no one around to watch.
"Remember how Grams is always talking about being psychic and being a witch, and me having those same qualities?" She asked.
"Yes," I said.
"Well, she wasn't lying," Bonnie said. I gave her a skeptical look. She took a candle from her purse and set it on the ground. She looked at the candle for a long time, and with a blink, from her eyes, the candle ignited, and the flame flickered intensely.
"Woa," I whispered. Bonnie blinked again and the flame when out.
"So, that's my secret, I'm a witch," She said slowly.
"That is really cool," I said grinning.
"Don't tell anyone, okay?" Bonnie asked. "I don't think Elena and Caroline would understand, especially Caroline."
"Don't worry Bonnie, you're secret is safe with me," I said. "Shall we get back to the party?" I asked standing up and holding my arm out to her. Bonnie looped her arm through mine, and we walked into the throng of people.
Elena and Stefan were looking at the artifacts that belonged to the town's history. Caroline was talking to a raven haired man, who as Damon, even from the back side.
Bonnie watched my gaze. She gave a small smile and a giggle.
"What?" I asked.
"Poor Caroline," She said. "She has tried to win over each of the Salvatore brothers, but Elena won Stefan, and I can see in your eyes that you are winning Damon," She explained. I saw Damon stiffen slightly, he could hear what Bonnie was saying.
"I'm not winning anything, nor am I trying to," I said a bit sourly before taking off into the crowd.
Bonnie found me a few minutes later.
"I'm sorry if I said something that offended you," She said. I shrugged. "I think you do feel something for him," She said.
"Bonnie, now it is my turn to tell you a secret," I said. Bonnie looked at me expectantly. "Promise not to tell anyone, especially Elena," I said. Bonnie nodded. I told her about Stefan and Damon being vampires, and the deal I had made with Damon to keep him from hurting other people in the town.
"Does Elena know about the vampires?" Bonnie asked.
"No, but I told Stefan that if he doesn't tell her soon, I will,"I said. "He said he would, but I want her to hear it from him and no one else."
"I understand," Bonnie said. "Why hasn't he just killed you?" She asked.
"I don't know, he said he was curious about me or something," I said. "Damon and I have a mutual understanding, nothing more."
Bonnie and I walked into another room where Damon and Caroline were looking rather cozy.
"Sorry," Bonnie said turning to leave. I stared at Damon.
"I hope you aren't biting off more than you can chew," I said in a sassy tone. "You know with that new diet of yours you want to be careful what you try to fit in your mouth." Damon grinned at me.
"Is that an offer?" He asked raising an eyebrow. I put my hand on my neck, playing with the necklace chain there and running my fingers along my throat. It looked like a perfectly human gesture, but Damon's eyes sparkled.
"No," I said pulling my hand away from my throat and giving him a bright look of my own. Damon's eyes rolled to the ceiling.
Damon took a few steps towards me until he was standing right in front of me. I had to look up to meet his eyes. He took my hand in his, the one he usually fed off of.
"Dance with me," It was not a request, more of an order. Caroline looked very pissed as Damon led me out of the room. Bonnie stared after us a little skeptically.
Once we were near the music and other dancers, Damon pulled me into his arms and held me much closer than I had expected. He led me through the steps of a dance I did not recognize.
"You know how to dance," I commented. Damon chuckled softly.
"When I was human, it was required for men my age to learn to dance so we could properly court women," He said. I gave a snort of laughter.
"Eighteen sixty four," I said.
"How do you figure?" He asked.
"Well, the name Salvatore is Italian, so your family is far older than Mystic Falls, but Stefan and your name are signed on the document of the town, therefore you were here in eighteen sixty four. Your father is also on the document, so you couldn't have been vampires before that, or he would have noticed, and the famous vampire round up happened mere months after Mystic Falls became a town, yet you and Stefan were not burned in the church, so you must have been human at the time." I smiled, satisfied with my deductions.
"And once again, your perceptiveness leads you in the right direction," He said pushing me away from him in a spin and then pulling me back into his arms. I smiled lightly, and then rested my head against his shoulder. He smelled amazing!
The smell of summer sun, autumn wind, and winter oceans all mingled together to form a lovely scent that made me feel suddenly dizzy. My body moved so nicely against his, but my mind was becoming clouded and weak. This all felt so familiar, it was all too much! How could I be feeling this way for him when I barely knew him?
"Are you okay?" Damon asked making my look at him. "Your body is trembling."
"I...uh..." I was completely lost in his piercing eyes. "I...have to go," I said disengaging myself from Damon's arms and running for the bathroom. Elena saw me, and followed me closely.
"Rora, are you okay?" She asked.
"I'm fine," I said shakily.
"You don't look fine, what happened?" She asked.
"I just don't understand why I feel this way," I said.
"About Damon?" She asked.
"All I can think about is him, last time it took over a year for me to feel this strongly for someone, now, I can't even fight it, I don't want too!" I sighed heavily, and Elena hugged me seeing that I needed comfort.
"Rora, don't worry, everything is okay," She said softly stroking my hair. I nodded against her shoulder, forcing myself not to cry.
"I don't want to feel like that again," I said. "So weak and vulnerable."
"You are anything but weak and vulnerable," Elena said. "You have always been the stronger one between us, and you are too much of a fighter to be vulnerable. Whatever this is that is hurting you, you will kick its ass."
"Thanks, Lena," I said with a sigh and a little laugh. Elena pulled away from me and ran her hands down my arms. She clasped my wrists, and I pulled my still injured one away with a sharp hiss.
"What is that?" Elena asked.
"Lena, it is nothing," I said trying to hide the mark. "I scratched myself." Elena took my arm and turned it over.
"This is a bite mark," She said. "Who did this to you, was it Damon?" She asked.
"It isn't anything," I said pulling my wrist away.
"Stefan said he could get violent if he wasn't happy, I didn't believe him, I didn't want to, this is insane," Elena was ranting. I put my hands on her shoulders to stop her.
"Lena, I can't explain what this is, but I can assure you that Damon has done nothing to me that I have objected to," I said enunciating my words and hoping she would understand. Elena nodded.
"Okay, but if he does, you tell Stefan and me," She said firmly.
"I will, I promise," I said.
Elena and I left the bathroom and I went looking for Jenna. She was talking to the Lockwoods, and Jeremy was talking to Vicky. With that I decided to go home. I didn't want to ask for a ride, so I walked.
When I got home I went to my room, shutting and locking the door. I pulled my jacket off and turned to see someone lying on my bed.