Letters To My Ex-Jerk

Chapter 15- Shopping for Cali

"Wake up, rise and shine!" A bright voice broke me out of my deep sleep. I'd been dreaming of Stefan and Damon ironically enough. It was some sort of complex dream and although I couldn't remember much about it, I remembered it was one of those dreams that were so confusing; they woke you up with a splitting headache.

"Go'way," I mumbled, pulling the cover over my head and tucking my body into a tight ball. I kept my eyes closed, trying to lull myself back into sleep.

"I won't go away! We have a big day at the mall ahead of us," The voice complained; a voice I now recognized as Caroline's. Then suddenly the cover was tugged off of me and I was left in my pajama bottoms and light pink tank top. I opened my eyes groggily and peered up at my new roommate who was already dressed in a white miniskirt and a gray camisole with white patterns on it. She was holding a cup from Starbucks in her hand.

I sat up quickly and took it from her, the smell of the Caramel Macchiato melting away all my senses. She giggled and sat down at the end of my bed, watching as I started glugging from the drink, my mind slowly unknotting itself from the headache I had.

"So I was thinking we hit Forever21 first then we can go on to JC Penney then..." She continued talking and I just sipped my drink, slowly coming back into consciousness.

"Wait a second," I said when I was done with my drink, "Why are we going shopping again?"

"For your Cali trip, duh. You told me about it yesterday and how you wanted me to help you get clothes for it cause you didn't have any decent summer clothes," Caroline beamed at me, but my mind was blank.

"I did?"

"Yes, you did. When we were sitting on the couch…. Oh forget it, you were probably half asleep," She got up off the bed and straightened her clothes. Then she walked over to my desk and threw an energy bar at me.

"Get ready cause in 20 minutes Matt is coming to pick us up," Caroline sang, tossing her hair over her shoulder and starting out of the room.

"Why is Matt taking us?"

"Would you rather we took public transportation?" She winced as if the underground or a taxi was the worst thing that could happen to her.

I just rolled my eyes, "I'll be ready," I told her and she grinned at me, before waving and hurrying out of the room. Strange girl. I thought to myself.

I then hopped off of the bed, taking a bite of the energy bar before I walked into the bathroom to start getting ready for our big shopping trip. From what Caroline had planned, it sounded like it was going to be a very long one.

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"Nu-uh….No way…. That swimsuit gives granny suit a whole new definition," Caroline exclaimed from where she was sitting on the chair outside the dressing room. I was modeling swimsuits for her to choose from but so far none of the ones I'd chosen had been satisfactory enough for her.

"But I like it," I pointed out, looking in the mirror that had been set up to one side. Luckily no one else was in the dressing room area. I looked at the black one piece suit I picked out which had a medium swooping neckline.

"It's lame," Caroline cried, before getting up and rushing out of the room. I scratched my head and sighed, leaning against the mirror as I waited for her to return. She came back with a bunch of bikinis and a tankini. She flung them at me and practically pushed me back into the stall.

I changed into the first one; a khaki bikini with all sorts of different colored flowers on it. I had to admit, I looked pretty good in it. I came out to Caroline and gave her a little twirl.

She jumped up, clapping. She ran over and hugged me, before twirling me around. "Now that's what I'm talking about," She informed me, looking pleased. "Next," She exclaimed.

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A few hours and very many credit card transactions later, Caroline and I were sitting in the food court of the mall with Matt. Caroline was still gushing over the clothes we had bought, insisting I would be the hottest girl in California. I told her I already had Stefan and I didn't need to impress anyone else, though that was a slight lie. There was a small part inside of me that longed to impress Damon and make his jaw drop; a part inside me that wanted to make him jealous.

"These pink rhinestone flip flops really bring out the sparkle in your eyes, right Matt?" Caroline held up the flip flop in front of her boyfriend, causing a few people to look over. She didn't look like she cared. I simpered back, turning away from my crazy friend. Matt was too busy stuffing his cheeseburger into his mouth to care.

"Right, Matt?" Caroline repeated, her eyes flashing with the determination they sometimes possessed when she was passionate about something. She was passionate about…. Flip flops now?

"Sure, Caroline," Matt burst out between bites of burger. He looked tired and bored and I instantly felt sorry for him for being caught in this girl talk. I had offered for him to go home and we could just take public transport back but Caroline and Matt had both disagreed.

I stuffed my last French fry into my mouth and looked around the food court. Suddenly Elena passed, walking with a few shopping bags and a brown haired guy with light brown eyes on her arm. She smiled as she passed by, slowing down and coming over.

"Bonnie, hey!" She exclaimed, looking pleased to see me.

I hopped out of my seat, remembering that our friendship was still on new grounds. I smiled at her, "Hiya Elena," I replied, my eyes scanning her new friend briefly.

"This is my new boyfriend, Stevie," She beamed, gesturing to the guy beside her who I noticed was carrying the rest of her bags.

He nodded at me, "Hey,"

"Nice. How are you doing?" I replied, wondering how she'd gotten another boyfriend in such short time. She surely didn't waste any time.

"I'm great. I can't wait for Spring break. Do you have any plans?" Elena asked, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

"Actually, yes. I'm going to visit Sarah and my dad in California," I said, feeling actually very excited at the fact that I would see my dad after not seeing him for a while. I missed Sarah very much too.

"Damon mentioned he was heading up there too. Are you by any chance-" Her eyes glinted with some unknown emotion.

"Yes, we are. And Stefan his brother who is actually my boyfriend now and Damon's new girlfriend, Andie," I explained to her, and her eyes lit up with recognition.

"Stefan's that hottie we saw at the gym, right?" She demanded, and Stevie tightened his arm around her waist, looking protective.

"Yeah, he is," My voice portrayed a smug tone that I hadn't meant to use but thankfully, Elena didn't notice it.

Stevie whispered something to her then and I looked away, giving them a moment's privacy in case they needed it. Elena touched my hand.

"Well, we have to go. Stevie's mom is waiting for us. I'm invited to eat lunch at theirs," She explained to me, gesturing to her boyfriend.

"Okay…. Well, um, have fun," I said, smiling at her and feeling a little sad that our relationship seemed kind of strange. Before, I used to know everything about her and she knew everything about me. Or at least everything, I mean.

"You too. Have a great time in Cali. When you come back, call me and we can meet up," Elena suggested, before giving me a brief one armed hug and rushing off with Stevie, who nodded to me one more time. Was that the only thing he could do? That and whisper?

I headed back to the table where Caroline and Matt had finished up eating and were sharing a milkshake. "What did Elena want?" Caroline asked, looking sort of interested.

"Nothing much. Hi/bye, that sort of thing," I told her, sinking back into the seat. I finished up my fries and then gulped down my orange juice behind it.

"What time is your flight, Bonnie?" Matt asked.

I scrunched my forehead, trying to remember what time the flight was exactly. "Um…. 9, I think." I mumbled, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

"Then we'd better get going if we're going to have enough time to pack," Caroline reminded me, getting up.

I nodded, remembering how I hadn't even started packing my clothes for the trip and we were due to board the flight in 4 hours. We started out of the mall, the million shopping bags we'd bought in our hands. I wondered how I was going to fit them all in my suitcase.

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Dear Ex-Jerk.

I'm so confused. I care so much about Stefan but do I love him? Do I love him as much as I loved you? I don't know…. Only time will tell…

Your actions when I'm around you both are different. I told Caroline about them and she says you're jealous, but that can't be the truth. You really like Andie. I know you do. Even though you wanted to be with me before, that was before you met Andie, before you fell for her.

I don't like Andie. I think she's an annoying bitch. Is it selfish that I'm taking advantage of her for tickets? I don't actually mind her but sometimes she can be a little impulsive. I wonder why she doesn't have any friends.

Elena's acting weird too. Sure I don't expect us to be the best of friends right away again, but she's not being herself. And since when does she get a boyfriend in 5 minutes? That irritates me even though I don't know why. Maybe it's cause I spent a few months boyfriendless before I met Stefan. Either way, it's pissing me off. Maybe it's that time of month again…

Now, I have to go put the final touches on my suitcase before Caroline comes to yell at me about writing letters to Damon again. When I told her about it, she said she understood but she thought it was weird. I don't. I find it special.

Oh, and I have to call Sarah and my dad and tell them I'm coming too.

Love,

Bonnie xx

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I zipped my bag with a final huff and picked my phone up from on the dresser. I was strongly in need of a caffeine boost but I had to call both Sarah and my father or I would forget to do so later on. Besides, Damon was coming to pick me up soon for the flight. We would all be going to the airport together in Damon's car as decided earlier.

I dialed Sarah's number first because she was my old best friend and all that. She picked up after the first ring.

"Yo, Bonnie! Is that you?" She demanded, her voice excited.

"Yes, it is, Ara," I said, using her old nickname.

"How are you? I miss you so damn much," She exclaimed, and I knew her green-blue eyes would be sparkling with happiness as she clutched the phone to her ear.

"I miss you more. Guess what, Ara? I have some fabtastic news," I said, slowly as not to give anything away.

"What? Did you finally break up with that asshole of a boyfriend of yours?" She asked, speaking of Damon. I'd told her once about him, but I guess I hadn't told her about the breakup.

"Yes, but that isn't the news. I'm coming to visit you guys tomorrow," I exclaimed, and I was met with a high pitched squeal on the other side.

"Oh my god, seriously, Bon? You're kidding?" She practically screamed.

"No, I'm not," Then I told her the details of my flight and she promised to meet us at the airport.

"Well, I have to go cause I need to call Daddy and also," I peered down at my watch, "I'm almost late for getting ready,"

"Okay, well, I'll tell your dad so you can go get dressed. I can't wait to see you, Caramel Crème," She sang, using one of our old nicknames.

"You too, Fudge Muffin. I love you," I hung up then, smiling at the fact that I would see my old friend. I missed her a lot and we certainly had a lot of catching up to do. I then walked over my wardrobe to pull out some comfy travel clothes to wear for the flight and started to get ready before Damon called me complaining about me being late. Sometimes he was worse than a girl on PMS.

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An hour later, I was dressed in comfy light blue jeans and a green tank top. My hair was brushed and pulled back so as not to irritate me. I was sitting next to Caroline on the couch and we were waiting for Damon to call and tell us that the car was downstairs. Caroline had plans to go to a Spring Break party with Matt in a couple of hours and she'd halted her preparations to see me off.

My cell phone buzzed in my pocket. I picked it up, checking it.

Have a safe flight and a great time in Cali, hun. Call me when you get back! Elena xxx

I typed a quick reply with a 'thank you and I'll try' before turning back to Caroline and sighing.

"Was that Damon?" She asked, pushing blonde hair nonchalantly out of her eyes.

"Nope. It was Elena, wishing me a good flight and a great time," I informed her, placing the cell phone onto the coffee table and squeezing my hands together in an effort to pass the time. Why was Damon so late?

"I'm glad you guys are friends again," Caroline replied, a genuine smile on her face. I smiled back at her, knowing I loved her because of her positive attitude and her plain out awesomeness.

"Me too. Being enemies with Elena Gilbert is awkward," I muttered, just as my cell phone started to ring. Damon's number.

"Finally!" I exclaimed, jumping up and grabbing the phone. I pressed reject, knowing he was downstairs and turned to Caroline, whose eyes had become tear filled for some reason. She flung her arms around me and gave me a big, warm hug.

I hugged her back, "Are you crying, Caroline?" I demanded, once I'd pulled back.

Caroline wiped her shiny eyes, "No…. yes…. I'm going to miss you," she cried, sniffing a little.

I laughed, "It's only a few days. I'll be back to bug the hell out of you before you know it," I informed her, causing her to smile.

She squeezed my hand. "I love you, Bonnie Bennett. You're my best friend," She exclaimed, her blue eyes boring into me with honesty.

"You too," I replied, as I put my handbag on and then started dragging my suitcase along slowly but surely, making sure as not to tip it over.

"Have a great time! Don't be a stranger," She pleaded, and I shook my head.

"I'll call you every day," I promised, giving her one last quick hug and leaving her sniveling in the apartment. I made my way down the steps, dragging the bag down with me. I was at the entrance in a few minutes.

A car I assumed was Damon's was parked around the blocks. It was obviously rented because Damon didn't have a car while we were dating. Or maybe he had bought it. I didn't know of his financial issues anymore. Stefan jumped out of the car when he saw me and helped me load my bag into the boot of the car along with their bags. I noticed there were 4 pink suitcases that looked like they belonged to Andie because it was pretty obvious they weren't Damon or Stefan's. How many suitcases did the chick need?

He then took my hand and squeezed it. "How are you?" He asked, that warm look in his eyes that made me go weak in the knees.

I nodded, "I'm great, yourself?" I replied, smiling at him.

He smiled back, "Pretty awesome now," He touched my cheek lightly and was just about to lean in for a kiss when the horn of the car sounded. Damon peeked his head out of the drivers seat window looking pissed off.

"Get in the car! You already wasted enough time, Bennett," He yelled, aggravated.

I rolled my eyes and taking Stefan's hand, we got into the car. Andie smiled at me from the front seat giving me a little wave though it all seemed very superficial to me. I returned the gestures with just as much plasticity. Damon started the engine, and I fastened my seatbelt and leaned my head on Stefan's shoulder.

"Don't tell me I wasted time. You're the one who was late," I informed Damon, a few seconds later.

"It's not my fault Stefan took a million years to get his stuff together. I mean, you'd think a straight guy wouldn't take that much time packing a suitcase," Damon rolled his eyes, annoyed.

"Shut up, Damon." Stefan replied, shooting a glare at his brother.

Damon just chuckled, "And where have you been for the last 5 minutes? I called you 5 minutes ago," He repeated, looking at me for a split second before turning back to the road.

"Keep your eyes on the road, Dae," Andie pleaded of him, looking out of the window.

Damon ignored her, looking out the other side.

"I was saying bye to Caroline. She got very emotional," I informed them all.

"Yeah, she does that. She gets very attached. But we love her," Stefan assured me, rubbing my back gently in a way that was intensely comforting.

"Speak for yourself," Damon muttered.

"Damon, we both know you had feelings for her. You guys dated long enough." Stefan replied, shooting his brother a teasing look.

Damon glared at him, an ice cold glare that could freeze you in place. Stefan however was unfazed, used to his brother's antics. "That was a long time ago," He grumbled, his face expressionless.

"Yeah, whatever," Stefan replied, smiling because he knew he'd hit a sore spot.

"Wait a second, you dated Caroline?" I asked, unable to believe it.

"No more talking in this matter. End of story," Damon snapped, and I recoiled into Stefan immediately at his sharp tone. He'd never used that tone when speaking to me before. It hurt.

"Don't talk to Bonnie that way," Stefan replied, just as harshly to his brother.

Damon ignored him, keeping his eyes on the road. He didn't speak again until we reached the airport

A/N: This chapter is way overdue. I'm sorry a million times, I truly am. I hope you liked it because I had very much fun writing it and please leave a review. I'm thankful to all who reviewed on the last chapter, I'm sorry for keeping you waiting!

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Lily (: xx

Disclaimer: I don't own TVD. Or anything else that came up that's known.