chapter 7: The party
Bella POV
"No, no no way"
"But Bell you look cute"
"I look like a hooker"
"No you don't, it's nice"
"I look like a candy striper, Lexi. Hugh Hefner's edition"
It was true. the see though red halter even though it hit my hips had just enough solid fabric to cover my breasts simply because of the built in bra and the teeny tiny red and a white skirt were not her style. She guessed the only person who would wear it would be doing it with a nurse's hat on Halloween. Lexi bit her lip and burst laughing. I looked at her slightly worrying if vampires can go mad
"Thank god!"
"I'm sorry?"
"I wanted to see if you'd draw the line to it"
"You're nuts"
I retorted while throwing the 'skirt' back to Lexi's bag and pulling out a denim one that was thankfully longer and hit mid thigh out of my own bag. Lexi pulled a bandana like strapless black with purple top and a pair of jeans and headed to Stefan's shower so I could use the other one.
After showering I got wrapped in a towel and was blow-drying my hair when I heard a door slam and Lexi shouting for a moment before Stefan's calmer voice was heard. I tiptoed to the door and opened it but I knew better than try and listen in on vampires so when their voices remained hushed I returned to the bathroom and continued getting ready.
She stormed into the room as I was about to put my sandals on, ranting
"Elena is warm, she's nice, she's caring and kind and selfless... she's unique! Who cares if she looks just like the raging bitch! That guy has a lot of emotional trauma because of her! I'm telling you if she hurts him I'll stake her!"
"Is everything alright Lexi?"
"NO!"
For the first time since I met her I actually cowered back in fear. She looked a lot like Rosalie for that moment until she took a deep breath and threw herself on the bed not caring when her towel parted a little on the thighs
"Stefan is my best friend, right?"
"Yes"
"When I met him he was torn up over his ex who turned him and let him be all alone"
That explains her bitter comment on Ed... him not letting the venom spread and keeping me human when he dumped me
"I thought he was ok and he moved on. i was happy o see he had a new girlfriend. Sure she dumped him when she found out that people do get killed around vampires but she'd come around eventually"
"Alright"
"And then I met her. That was her before at the door. And she looks exactly like Katherine"
"The ex?"
"Yes. And I confront him and he's so stupidly sweet about it that I feel guilty to be protective of him"
"it sounds to me like he's in love with this Elena"
"He is"
"I think you should stand by him. He's your friend and frankly you and him are gonna last, you've been friends for a century. Him and Elena it will come to an end at some point. Friendships stay when relationships come and go Lexi. In the meantime get to know her"
was my piece of advice even though Rosalie's voice rang in my head
'You two have gone public. If something happens to her Edward we'll have to move'
Rosalie was right in the end. And Lexi is right as well. That's what I mean by friendships stay. Lexi nodded and got dressed as well. she did our makeup, claiming I hadn't put too much eyeliner and we were ready to go. When we met Stefan at the living room she was quick to hug him and apologize. He accepted it and we piled in the car. Stefan would go meet his girlfriend and bring her over. We headed to a place called Mystic Grill. It was your usual bar with pool tables, booths, secluded tables and a big dance area in the middle. A band was on stage and it was highly decorated.
Damon came to us when we entered and offered to buy drinks. Lexi didn't reply and simply took my hand heading to the bar. Should I tell them they're flirting and remind Lexi of lee or should I keep my mouth shut and let figure it on their own? People were dancing and having fun around us and I was amused to see that I actually had fun. I refused to dance so Lexi dragged Stefan, who came without his girlfriend after all, off to the dance floor. I got a club soda and headed to one of the pool tables. Damon quickly joined me and played a few rounds. I was having fun just like I did back in phoenix. Lexi was with a brunette girl on a table talking like they were talking about global warming and Stefan was on the table with us. Listening him and Lexi talk over his human girlfriend was too much and I had to get out. I mumbled an excuse to them and rushed out the back door.
I leaned against the wall, tears running down my cheeks. Memories hit me and hit me hard. Specially after doing my hardest not to think for the whole summer. I heard shots fired and peeked from the side of the building. A woman in police clothes was shooting Lexi and she was growling worse than Emmett. Suddenly Damon came out of nowhere and staked her in the heart.
I didn't think, I ran!
No POV
"It's all part of the plan"
Damon whispered as he let Lexi fall to the ground. Chief Forbes looked shaken, it was the first time her gun couldn't protect her. Damon kept the sad but relieved facade until the cops cleared and headed home. He knew he had to face the music.
Stefan was livid. His brother killed his best friend. He killed people, that was what Damon did. He went home and attacked his brother.
"I did this for you. I had to get them off our trail"
"You only did it for yourself"
Stefan said and staked him. Damon gasped.
"You missed. Luckily so did I"
Stefan was confused and took a step back. He missed on purpose, he didn't want to kill his brother, just teach him a lesson. He watched as Damon pulled the stake out and trekked up the stairs.
"You coming or not?"
He followed Damon upstairs to the room he gave Bella and Lexi to find his blond best friend, stateless, laid on the bed.
"She needs sometime to heal, I missed on purpose. I don't hate you that much Stefan"
he told his brother and left the room. Stefan knelled next to the bed taking Lexi's hand and vowed not to move until she woke up.
No one wondered where Bella was.
