Chapter 10

It was Saturday night, and I was excited.

Damon, Caroline, Bonnie, Elena, Matt, and I were going to The Grill. Bonnie was rather reluctant, because Damon was going to be there, but Elena convinced her.

"Paige, I'm going out tonight. A bunch of us are going to The Grill," I tell her.

"Do you need the car?" she asks.

"No," I shake my head. "Damon is picking me up. He should be here soon."

"Alright. Have fun," Paige says.

"Thanks. Are you doing anything tonight?" I ask her.

"No," she sighs. "I'll stay home and watch Oprah or something."

I look at her funny, "Um, have fun with that."

"I will," she laughs.

A knock sounds at the door.

"See you later," I call as I head out.

"Be safe," she yells in return.

I don't even know what she meant by that.

"Ready?" Damon asks as I open the door.

"Yep," I smile. "Bye, Paige."

Damon takes my hand and leads me to the car. "You look nice."

I was wearing a pair of dark blue jeans and a flowing white blouse. And a cream scarf tied around my neck. Damon had left a rather nasty bite mark. It still wasn't fully healed.

"Thank you," I tell him.

"You're welcome," he kisses me. As he drives us towards The Grill, he takes my hand.

"So, are any of my other friends supernatural?" I ask him.

He glances at me. "Caroline is a vampire. Though she's rather new. Oh, and Bonnie is a witch. We don't get along. Witches don't really like vampires in general, but she really hates me.

"What did you do?" I ask him.

"Nothing!" Damon denies.

For some reason, I don't believe him.

"Is that everyone?" I ask.

"Well, Elena is human. But she's a doppelganger. Oh, and she used to date my brother," Damon explains.

My mind flashes to that logbook. "Stefan," I murmur.

Damon glances over at me.

"What?" I ask.

"You're not stalking me, are you?" he asks.

"No," I laugh. "I saw a logbook from a ball a hundred years ago."

"Oh," Damon says.

It's quiet for a few minutes.

"Alaric Saltzman, your history teacher, is a vampire hunter," Damon says.

"Does he hunt you?" I ask.

"No. We work together to take down the ones even more crueler than I am," Damon says.

"You're not cruel," I tell him. "Who are these big bad vampires?"

"Well, our main concerns are Elijah and Klaus," Damon says. "And there is Rebekah. She wants to kill Elena. Elijah used to, now it's mainly just Rebekah. Klaus is making hybrids. We don't like it. Klaus is a hybrid himself. Hybrid is referring to half werewolf, half vampire.

"Oh my," I say.

"Yes, so stay away from Klaus and Elijah," Damon says.

"So did you tell our group of friends that I know?" I ask him.

"No," he says. "They'll find out, eventually."

I roll my eyes at him.

"What?" he asks.

"Nothing," I deny.

"We're here," he says.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," I say.

Damon rolls his eyes now, "Just get out of the car."

"Such a gentleman," I say getting out.

He takes my hand and leads us into The Grill.

"Wait," I say, stopping right inside the door.

"What now?" Damon asks.

I pout, "All I was going to ask was if we were together."

"You want to be my girlfriend?" Damon asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes," I giggle. "You're not as bad as you like to think you are."

"Whatever," Damon says.

"Whatever? What are you? A 13 year old girl?" I ask.

"No" he rolls his eyes.

"Can you just be normal for like 5 seconds and ask me out?" I ask him.

"Fine, Kalinda, will you be my girlfriend? I just won't be able to live without you. You are the sun in my sky, the light of my life," Damon proclaims. "I am nothing, nothing!, without you."

"You ruined it. But, yes, I will," I say. Then I stalk off to where I see Bonnie and Caroline sitting, leaving Damon to follow.

"Hey," Caroline smiles as I reach the table. "I thought you were coming with Damon?"

"I did," I said. "I left him by the door."

"Why?" Bonnie asks. "Not that I don't prefer him there."

"Because he was being stupid," I say.

"She asked me to ask her out, so I did," Damon says appearing behind me.

"What took you so long?" I ask.

"Saw someone I know," Damon says. "Stopped for a second to say hello."

"Elena and Matt should be here soon," Bonnie says.

We all looked at her.

"Just thought I'd tell you," Bonnie puts her hands up in defeat.

Elena arrived about five minutes later, without Matt.

"Matt and I broke up," Elena said as she sat down.

"Oh, no. Why?" Bonnie asks.

"We just didn't work out," Elena shrugs. "It's too difficult with me being involved in so much, and him not wanting to be involved."

I am guessing by "so much" she means vampire stuff.

"I am so sorry," Caroline says.

"No, really, it was probably for the best," Elena says.

"Are you sure?" Bonnie says.

"Yes," Elena says. "Let's talk about something else."

"Alright, let's talk about how Damon and Kalinda are dating now," Caroline grins.

I blush, and Damon smirks.

"What? Since when?" Elena asks.

"Since about 2 minutes ago," Damon says.

"Scarf," Caroline murmurs. "Give away."

"Ew," Bonnie says, just now realizing why I'm wearing the scarf.

I blush again.

They all look at me funny.

Just then a guy comes over to our table.

"Stefan," Damon says.

So, this is Damon's brother. He looks like Damon.

"Stefan," Elena greets.

"Can I join you?" Stefan asks.

"I guess," Elena sighs.

"Did you know Damon is dating Kalinda now?" Caroline asks Stefan.

"Who is Kalinda?" Stefan asks.

"Me!" I wave.

Damon grabs the hand I am waving and pulls it down, underneath the table. "You are too energetic today."

I smile at him.

"So, Kalinda, are you new in town?" Stefan asks.

"Yes," I nod. "My sister and I moved here from Florida after our parents died."

"Oh, I'm sorry," he says. "How old are you? Do you still go to high school?"

"I'm 18. I'm a senior," I say.

"Cool," Stefan says. "I'm actually a senior, too. I'm going back to school tomorrow. I've been… sick recently, and I'm just going back."

Sure. Sick. I think. I'll have to ask Damon what "sick" means.

"I didn't know you were better," Elena says. "You didn't tell me."

"I didn't think you cared," Stefan shrugs.

"Stefan," Elena chides. "You know I loved you. I still love you."

"Elena and Stefan were really serious," Caroline whispers to me. "Then he screwed up."

"Oh," I say. I'll have to ask Damon about that, too.

"So, how about we ditch these people and go burn off that energy of yours," Damon suggests into my ear.

But, just then, another man interrupts our table.

"Excuse me," the man says.

Damon groans, "Elijah."

My eyes widen. Elijah! I look up at him. He has short brown hair and brown eyes. He's dressed in a suit. Weird.

"Who is this young lady?" he asks me.

"Kalinda Emerose," I introduce myself.

He looks at me for a second. "Are you related to Paige?"

"Yes," I nod. "She's my sister. How do you know her?"

"We've gone out a couple times," he smiles. "We were supposed to go out tonight, but we had to reschedule for tomorrow."

"Oh," I smile. "Well, I'm glad she's making new friends."

"He is not a good friend to have," Damon murmurs.

"Now, don't be spreading rumors," Elijah says.

"They're true. What are you doing with Paige anyway?" Damon says. "I never thought you'd go for someone so… lively."

Elijah narrows his eyes at Damon, "Same goes for you. But I see you're more his toy," Elijah says to me, eyeing my scarf.

I scowl. I am not a toy!

"Let's go, Kalinda," Damon says. He takes my hand and leads me outside.

"Where are we going?" I ask.

"My place," he says. "We won't be interrupted there."

I just roll my eyes.

"We can be alone," he whispers in my ear.

I giggle, "What about Stefan?"

"He'll be too busy trying to get Elena back," Damon shrugs.

"Really?" I ask.

"Yes," he says. "Stefan has finally come to his senses. He's off human blood. He loves her. I don't get it."

"Well, she's pretty, I guess, and she seems really nice. I'm sure there is a lot to love about her," I say.

"No," he laughs. "I meant, the love thing. I don't understand love."

"You've never been in love?" I gasp. "Even after hundreds of years?"

"No," Damon says. "Unless you count Katherine. But that was more obsession than love."

"Oh," I frown. "Well, I guess it takes someone special to show you love."

He smiles down at me, "Have you ever had a drink?"

"Yes, but don't tell Paige," I say.

"How about we just go back to my place for a drink?" Damon says.

He'd been driving for a while now. I'd thought that's where we were going. "I thought we were headed to your house?"

"Well, yes, but now only to have a couple drinks, then I'll bring you back home," Damon says.

"What?" You don't want to get me into your bed?" I ask.

"Not yet. I'm learning you're a special girl, Kalinda," Damon says. "Maybe you'll be the one to show me love."