A/N Wow! I did not expect the feedback; it made me smile! Thank you to everyone who took the time to review, follow and favourite!
Anyway, I hope you enjoy chapter two!
"You ready?"
"No."Caroline answered after a long moment, resting her cheek in her palm, elbow propped up on the side of the car, eyes shut as the fresh air hit her face."Yes."
Cherie's eyes flickered to her sister, to the road then back at her sister, trying to work out if her sister was truly ready. She'd given herself a week away from everything. A week of recovering from the torture their father had put her through, a week of coming to terms with the fact he might never accept who she was. A week of being with her sister as the pair rewatched their favorite show.
A week of hiding from her friends.
And it made Caroline feel relieved as well as some dread.
"Care-"
Caroline opened her eyes, inhaling and exhaling the fresh air, fingers playing with her curls.
"I'm ready."Caroline decided, smiling a little too forcefully at her reflection in the rear view mirror."I can't keep ignoring phone calls or house calls from them forever, can I? I'm just...feeling stomach turny, i guess."
"Not if you want them to break down the door next time,"Cherie replied, fingers drumming against the steering wheel along to the beat of the music playing on the radio. She glanced at her sister again, noticing Caroline's nervous hair twirling around her fingers."If it'll make you less...stomach turny, i'll pick you up afterwards? Help you avoid the awkward ride home offers from Bonnie and everyone so they can't interrogate you."
"You don't mind?"Caroline hopefully inquired, releasing a small sigh of relief when Cherie nodded."Where are you heading anyways?"
"The Grill. Apparently, I need to pay my way now that i'm moving back in."Playfully rolling her eyes, Cherie paused to glance at the time on her watch, mentally noting to try not to be late for her appointment."I'll stick around there for a while, schmooze a little then pick you up. Think i'll make it as a waitress?"
"As long as you remember that sneaking a drink here and there comes out of your paycheck."Caroline remarked with a false, reprimanding tone, patting Cherie's hand before she let out a gasp."Oh, you have been drinking the vervain, have you?"
"Yeah, I have. Every morning."Cherie answered, grimacing as she thought of the taste."But it's really-"
"Horrible, yeah, but it'll keep you from being compelled by vampires. Even me-"Caroline said the last part quite promptly with a quirky smile."just in case I turn into no-humanity Caroline.
"On that note, i might double up on it 'cause the only person I want in my head is-"
"Yeah, okay!"Holding a hand up to cut her sister off, Caroline shook her head with a sniff."I don't need to know what you want in a man."
"The feeling's mutual."Cherie's lips twitched upwards into a teasing smile, and she sent her sister a sideways glance. "But, just FYI, it's certainly not Tyler Lockwood."
Caroline rolled her eyes with a small grin just as Cherie pulled into a parking space near the playing field where they practiced their cheers. They were a bit late but, as always, the cheerleaders were waiting for their head cheerleader.
Caroline's smile slowly fell as the sound of teenagers chattering. It was a sound that used to make her smile as she sauntered through the halls as head cheerleader, people looking at her with envy. But now, since she had gone through the stages of being a vampire and growing up, Caroline had a different outlook on life now.
She wasn't girly little Caroline anymore, and now that she had her sister back, she wasn't so alone.
Bonnie turned and looked at them, eyebrows raised in shock as her gaze landed on Cherie. Elena, who was there to probably talk to the witch since she was no longer on the team, turned as-well, expression mirroring Bonnie's. Cherie offered the pair a small smile and a wave, smile faltering at Elena slightly before turned to her sister who was grabbing her bag from the back seat.
"Half three?"
"Yeah."Caroline nodded in response, double checking her features in the rear-view mirror."Half three."
"I'll make sure i'm here by before half three, and we'll go back to The Grill."Cherie's smile faltered a little in confusion and, after glancing around at students walking by she leaned a little closer."You can eat proper food, can you?"
"Yeah, I can."Caroline whispered back, feigning a smug smirk."I can eat and never gain a pound."
"You get to stay young for all eternity and never gain a pound?"Cherie playfully rolled her eyes as Caroline simpered to herself."Why do people hate vampires again?"
Quietly laughing to herself, Caroline got out of the car, hip checking the door behind her. Cherie watched her sister take a few steps as she turned the key in the ignition, the radio playing softly in the background. Cherie looked out for any other cars and prepared to take off, fingers rapping against the steering wheel.
Until she heard her name being called and heels making their way back to her car.
"Cherie?"
"Yeah?"Cherie halted her movements and raised her head, peering up at her sister over the rim of her sunglasses."What's wrong?"
Caroline lingered, turning to fully face her sister lowered her voice, the remnants of a smile still on her face but there was a notable change in its broadness. Caroline was a control freak; she hated not having control over what she couldn't control.
"You will be here at half three, won't you?"
Cherie gave her vampire sister an understanding, big smile and nodded.
"On the dot."
Caroline firmly nodded back with her usual beaming smile, waving goodbye before she turned and ambled away. For the first time in a long time, there was a bounce in her step.
Forbes House
"Thank you!"
Cherie waved off the movers and skipped into her house, shutting the front door with her hip before she began to make her way up the staircase. She hummed along to the music coming from her bedroom, knowing that nobody could tell her off because her mother was working and Caroline was at high school.
She took two steps at a time,
"I must look like i'm having a fit."Cherie whispered as she bounced to her room that was next to Caroline's, laughing to herself.
The music got louder as she entered the room, jumping over an empty box. She bit her lip as she almost stumbled when her foot barely missed the rim of the box.
"Thank God mom never saw that!"
"If I were you, I'd take precaution, before I start to leave fly girl. You know 'cause in some portions, you'll think she's the best thing in the world!"
Cherie sang along, jumping from foot to foot along to the beat of the song, twirling around on her heels before she placed the box marked 'pictures, books & wires' on top of her bed. It was the last box, there were a few empty boxes on her floor that had contained the bigger things that she'd had to unpack. Everything that took a while to unpack was sorted, Cherie had spent most of the morning unpacking after she'd dropped off Caroline.
Everything had arrived a week after she returned to her home town. Her mother had kept Cherie's bedroom just how her eldest daughter had left it. Her father had taken his time sending Cherie her things, as if trying to make a point but Cherie didn't let it get to her.
"She's so fly; she'll drive you right out of your mind, steal your heart when you're blind."
Cherie, hungry from all the unpacking, left the last box full and made her way out of the bedroom.
As she did, she took the bluetooth speaker and her phone from the vanity before skipping out of the room.
"Poison!"She hummed, rushing down the steps, jumping from the last couple, landing on the ground.
She spoke out loud, turning on her heel as she began to make her way into the kitchen."Is Dracula real?"
"Beware she's scheming; she'll make you think you're dreaming, you'll fall in love, and you'll be screaming dreaming!"
"...good work, girls! Same time tomorrow!"
The cheerleaders, thin layers of sweat coating their foreheads, nodded and skipped off to change for their next class. Smiling at some of her fellow cheerleaders as they ambled off Caroline turned around and made her way over to where she had placed down her jacket and bag, picking up her water bottle and taking a sip from it.
After taking a few sips, she placed it back down and tightened her ponytail just in time to turn around and see Bonnie walking up to her, lips curving up when she saw her friend.
"So, you're back then?"
"Yep."Holding out her arms and letting them fall back at her sides, Caroline half smiled."Looks like it."
"We were worried."Bonnie's voice lowered to a whisper as a cheerleader passed them, not wanting her to hear their conversation."You weren't answering out calls, texts and your mom wouldn't let us through the front door."
Caroline, sensing that Bonnie was about to delve into a conversation about her being absent for the week, just looked at her best friend, unsure of what to say. She hadn't wanted to ignore everyone, but she had been mentally healing from her father's disappointment in her as well as the torture.
And she certainly didn't want to speak about it so soon.
"Were you ill?"
Shaking her head, Caroline let out a breathy laugh.
"I'm a vampire, Bon; I don't get ill."Caroline reached down and picked up her gym bag, securing it on her shoulder."I just wanted to spend time with Cher; we haven't seen each other in, like, forever."
Bonnie, while not seeming like she'd completely bought the response, didn't protest or attempt to further the conversation. She just nodded, turning and walking in time with Caroline when her friend started off towards the entrance.
"I know how much you missed her."
Caroline didn't say anything; she just nodded with a small smile, grip tightening on her bag strap.
"I remember you cried for a week when your dad took her with him."Bonnie carried on, stepping closer to her best friend and wrapping an arm around her."I'm happy for you, Care. I know you're close."
Smile still on her face, Caroline hummed."Yeah, it's good."
"But, are you sure it's safe for her to be here with everything that's happening?"Bonnie asked, smile fading a little, whispering once again."What if she-"
"She knows everything, Bonnie. My dad told her I was a vampire, and I told her everything else."Caroline cut in with a small nod."She's up to speed."
"What? Why?"
Caroline shrugged, slowing her pace a little."Because she's my sister and I trust her."
Completely halting her walking and giving Caroline no choice but to do the same, Bonnie looked troubled. Crossing her arms over her chest as thoughts of the worst that could happen came to mind, the witch started to panic.
"Now that Mikael is dead and Stefan's got his family, Klaus and Rebekah are even more than a threat."Bonnie gave a subtle nod across the field, and Caroline followed her gaze, eyes landing on Rebekah who stood with a small crowd of her own clique."If she can forgive him for killing their mother, she can forgive him for doing anything."
Bonnie and Caroline turned back to one another, the witch giving a wary headshake."She needs to be protected."
It was Caroline's turn to shake her head, and she did just that, defiant in her choice.
"Keeping secrets from those we love isn't protection, Bonnie, it's called being selfish. Elena learned that when she kept Jeremy in the darkness about everything, I learned it with my mom. If she knows everything, then i'll be able to protect her."Caroline frowned, refusing to think of the long road it took for her mother to be all right with the entire situation."I don't want to drive anyone else away, you know?"
Bonnie said nothing but her exasperated expression relaxed, and she stiffly nodded, silently telling Caroline that she was listening.
"Just stick with me here, all right?"Caroline beseeched, smiling hopefully at her best friend, palms meeting in a prayer position as she drew out."Please?"
Bonnie, unable to resist Caroline's smile, didn't hold back her own smile at the sight. She remained silent for a few moments, frown upturning into a half smile before she eventually nodded.
"All right."Bonnie murmured, uncrossing her arms as she slowly came to terms with Caroline's decision, firmly repeating."All right."
Thank you for reading!
I hope this chapter wasn't boring for you, I just want you to know more about the situation before I introduce her to our boys. I don't want it to seem rushed, I want you to know Cherie's opinions, thoughts, how close she is with her family and what type of person she is.
I hope you liked this chapter and, if you did and wish to see more of this story, please leave a review!