I was in Stefan's room after we had officially made up. We were currently laying completely-clothed on his bed. It meant that he was my boyfriend now. I couldn't believe that I had a boyfriend who was also a vampire. Granted, I had always wanted to date a vampire, but I expected said vampire to be like Alice Cullen, not a less-emo version of Edward Cullen.
"So, what do you know about that vampire who was in the road?" I asked. I wasn't sure why I was asking. Stefan couldn't possibly know every vampire. I also couldn't help but wonder how many vampires there were. I had a ton of questions about vampires that I didn't even know if he could answer.
"Did you see his face?" He asked me. That probably would be helpful, but I was not able to do that.
"No, it was dark, and he was wearing a hoodie." I pointed out. I was pretty sure that I saw some brown hair, but that was the most common hair color in the world. "Did Damon say anything?"
"No. I got you something." He replied before he grabbed a box. That was a bit of an awkward transition. He probably could have done that a little more smoothly. "This is vervain. It's the same stuff in your necklace."
I had since put it back on because I was stupid to ever take it off. I still felt weird wearing a necklace, but I supposed if it protected me, I would continue to wear it.
"So, you can put it in jewelry or food, or drink and I made a bracelet for Elena." Stefan added. He probably could have given her a necklace. The thing was I didn't really know a lot about putting it in jewelry. I needed to give some Caroline. I even debated giving some to Anna, but I didn't know if vampires would go after her. It was also possible that she already knew about vervain since she was so obsessed with vampires. I liked having a friend who liked vampires as much as I did.
"There's so much to remember." I declared. I was pretty sure that I understood it. I just had to figure out a good way to give it to Caroline. "So, I'm not really an expert on jewelry. I want to make sure that I have something to give to Caroline so Damon can't mess with her head. Can you help me with that?"
"I think I have something that she would like." He explained. I couldn't help but wonder how he knew more about fashion than me…oh yeah, he's over 150 years old He then presented me with…my dad's watch. "I also have this for you."
"You found this? I was looking everywhere for it." I responded in joy. I couldn't believe it. I had felt so bad when I lost it. I knew that I couldn't ever let it out of my sight again. Maybe I was being a little dramatic, but this meant so much to me since it was my dad's, and I didn't have a lot left to remember him by. Even if I was adopted, they were my parents. "Where was it?"
"Well Logan must have stolen it from you and Damon stole it from him and I stole it from him." He told me. Logan. He must have snuck into my room. He was using Jenna to get the watch. It all made sense now.
"Why does it look different?" I inquired as I opened it. It didn't look like a watch anymore.
"Because it's not just a watch." He answered. I could tell that. "It's also a compass that points to vampires. It will prevent them from sneaking up on you as long as you have it."
"So do you want to talk about the other night, as in the part before I ran away?" I questioned. It was kind of awkward to talk about since it was my first time. "You probably have a lot more experience than me."
"Mary, you don't have to worry about that. There's no one else I'd want to do it with more than you. So do you want to get dinner?" He requested. That made me feel better. I was also glad to know that I wouldn't get pregnant. I was pretty sure that I could get pregnant.
"No, Elena and I were going to get pizza." I stated. I then decided to ask something since he was so rich. "Do you think you could help pay to get her a new car?"
"I'll see you soon." He told me as he kissed me. He didn't answer the question. I sighed and took my bike home.
Later that night, I was editing my paper and waiting for the pizza guy. I was almost done. I liked to read it over first to make sure that it made sense. I heard the doorbell and answered it.
"That's going to be $22.00." He told me. I wasn't sure why Elena was so insistent on keeping it. It wasn't like I was going to spend it on anything else or anything.
"Elena, I need the money!" I called upstairs. I hoped that got her attention. "So, you can come in and put it here."
He stepped into the house and put it down while I went to save my work. I would have to wait to print it until the morning though.
The next day, I went to school dressed in a blue cardigan over a white tank and jeans. After I went to the library to print it, I turned in my paper to Mr. Saltzman.
After school, Anna and I went to the Grill. I needed to tell someone else about and Anna was really the only friend I had of my own. I could have borrowed Elena's friends, but they might tell her, and I wasn't ready for that just yet. I still needed to find more about it from Jenna. I didn't even care about meeting my birth parents. They had given me up and I was raised by parents who loved me even though I wasn't theirs.
"So, I found out that I'm adopted." I told her. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do about it."
"Well, you parents probably would have told you eventually." She explained. They probably would have.
"But when I looked at my birth certificate, it said Greyson and Miranda Gilbert were my parents." I declared. Of course, it was possible that they didn't know who my birth parents were.
"Well people with money have ways of taking care of things." She pointed out. That was also true. It also probably didn't hurt that my dad was a doctor.
"I guess that my dad being a doctor would be easy to manipulate." I agreed. I supposed I did want to know about the circumstances of my birth. Mom and Dad may not have been looking to adopt since they already had Elena. "So has anything exciting happened to you? Were you going to go to this dance by any chance?"
"I probably was going to go." She explained. I was nice to know that I would have someone to talk to there other than Stefan. "I even had this costume planned. I was thinking of dressing as June Carter."
"She was the one that was played Reese Witherspoon, wasn't she?" I asked.
"Yes, and Reese won an Oscar for playing her." She added. Yeah, I saw Walk the Line. It was a pretty good movie even if it was a little weird. "Did you have an outfit in particular that you were going for?"
"No, I couldn't think of anyone in particular." I answered. It was probably because most of the big celebrities that I knew from the 50s were blonde. I also couldn't help but wonder if Stefan had any celebrity friends from the 50s. He did say that he and Lexi were pretty tight with Bon Jovi, so it was possible.
The next day at school, Mr. Saltzman put my paper on my desk with an A on it as I was leaving class. I was pretty happy. I missed getting As. It felt nice.
"Yes, thank you." I told him with a smile.
"It's a good essay, but you don't actually think that there are vampires in Mystic Falls, do you?" He asked. I didn't have to think it when I knew it was true, but I didn't want to tell him that because I didn't want to get sent to the guidance counselor.
"No, I mean there have been a lot of animal attacks here." I lied. Well, it wasn't a lie, but I needed to think that was my reasoning.
"That's conjecture." He pointed out as I put it in my backpack. "But it's creative so that's why you got the A. Just don't get caught up in the conspiracy aspect of it."
"I won't." I promised. There was no need for conspiracy when you know it's true. Besides, Anna was caught up in the conspiracy enough for both of us. I prepared to exit when he stopped me.
"Oh, and Mary, that source you cited: Jonathan Gilbert's journal, I'd really like to read it." He added. I was a bit surprised by that.
"Why?" I questioned with a grin.
"A first-person account of the Civil War is like porn for a history teacher." He explained with a chuckle. I didn't think that he meant it literally, though it was a bit of a weird way to put it. I did understand what he meant though.
"Well, if you liked my essay, wait till you read this guy." I declared as I took the journal out and handed it to him. I probably should have been more careful with it considering what happened with the watch, but I was pretty sure that he would give it back.
"Thank you." He told me as I walked away. I needed to find Stefan and ask him a favor. I found him by his locker. I needed to be able to go to the dance, but that couldn't happen unless something else happened.
"Hey, I need a favor from you." I replied. I hoped he would do it because I didn't want to ask Damon to do it.
"What is it?" He asked me curiously.
"So, my English grade is kind of…not good." I stated. That was the only other class that I was failing. "My teacher did agree to give me extra credit, but I'd have to man the punchbowl, which wouldn't give us many chances to dance. That's why I was wondering if you could have a one-on-one chat with her, if you know what I mean."
"You want me to compel her?" He responded and I nodded. Was it wrong to ask him to do that, probably, but I wouldn't be able to enjoy the dance otherwise.
"I know it doesn't seem right, but I've been trying harder." I told him. "I just got off to a bad start, but I promise I'll get an A next semester."
"Okay, but this is the only time that I'm doing this." He remarked. I didn't know if I believed it, but he probably wouldn't have to do it again.
"Thank you." I responded as I gave him a hug. "I promise."
I went to meet Anna at the Grill after school, hoping that Stefan was taking care of things. He told me that he could still basic compulsions. I wondered if he was going to ask her to give me an A. I would like it, but I didn't need it.
"So how did the paper go?" She asked me. She still didn't seem to just want to say hello to me.
"I got an A. Thanks for the help." I answered. "So do you want to come over to my house and maybe we can get ready for the dance together?"
"I don't think so." She told me. I frowned. I hoped that she had other plans and wasn't just doing it to blow me off. "I have this plan and my mom wants to take pictures and it's going to be complicated. You'd be better off getting ready by yourself."
I would have said that I could do it with it. I would love to meet her mom, but I didn't actually know where she lived.
When I got home, I began to get in a pink and white dress. I had to look up what teenagers wore in the 50s because I didn't really know. I also managed to convince Elena to curl my hair. I wanted to look authentic. She had already left to hang out with her friends. I heard sounds from the compass. It sounded like it was moving for some reason.
I decided to call Stefan to see what I should do.
"Stefan's phone." Damon answered. I was hoping that I wouldn't have to talk to him. Why did he have Stefan's phone?
"Where is he?" I questioned.
"He's on his way to you and forgot his phone." Damon explained. How could he go anywhere without his phone? That was one way to determine that he wasn't a regular teenager because he didn't have a reliance on cellphones.
"Well, this compass has been going off, so it must be sensing him." I stated as I went downstairs.
Suddenly, I felt a pair of teeth in my neck. I screamed before Stefan appeared. The vampire ran out and I took some deep breaths. I couldn't believe that I had almost died in my own home.
Stefan quickly called Damon over as I realized who had attacked me. It was the pizza guy. Okay, I had to make a note not to invite any more delivery people in because you never knew who could be a vampire.
"How did he get in?" Damon asked.
"I invited him." I explained, still freaking out with my hands shaking. I would also have to find something to cover up with my wound with that didn't look weird.
"He posed as a pizza delivery guy." Stefan added. I couldn't help but wonder if I was going to develop an irrational fear of pizza guys now.
"Well, he gets points for that." Damon commented. Yes, it was a creative way to get into the house. "Did he say what he wanted?"
"No, he was too busy trying to eat me." I snapped. I didn't think that I was handling it too well. "I don't know what to do."
"Don't look at me like that. I told you we had company." Damon replied. He hadn't told me that.
"Damon, he was invited in." Stefan remarked. Yes, we knew that. I didn't know why he needed to say it.
"It looks like we have to kill him." Damon stated. I looked at him. "He's been invited in. As long as he's alive, this house isn't safe…for anyone who lives in it."
"What do I do?" I questioned. I didn't know if he would go after Jenna or Elena, but it probably wasn't worth the risk.
"You're going to let your boyfriend take you to the dance." Damon answered as he gave me an ascot to wear around my neck. "If he shows up, we can kill him there."
Once I got to the dance, I noticed Jenna was there and I decided that I was ready to talk to her. I also couldn't help but wonder what the plan was if he didn't show up.
"So, what can you tell me?" I asked. I assumed that she understood what I meant. We hadn't really talked about anything else lately.
"Your dad was getting off work when a girl about 16 came in ready to give birth. She was a runaway, and he was going to set her up somewhere, but in the morning, she was gone, and you were there. So, they took care of things and wrote their names down and told as few people as possible." She explained. That honestly made me want to know about her even less. She had literally abandoned me. At least if she had died, I would feel better about it.
"Do you know anything about her?" I questioned. I didn't even know why I wanted to know.
"Just a name: Isobel." She replied. Well, I couldn't take anything from that.
I then noticed Damon by Caroline and Bonnie. Both of them quickly walked away from him since they had reason to hate him. He had tried to kill both of them, even if Caroline didn't remember it.
"Your ability to drive women away from you is impressive." I quipped. I was feeling a little feisty.
"Mary, would you like to dance?" He asked. I wouldn't feel comfortable dancing with him.
"Yes…with Stefan." I declared as I took my boyfriend to the dancefloor. It was going to be our first dance together as a couple.
I began to dance around him even though I was really bad at it, and I didn't know how girls in the 50s danced. Maybe I should have researched that when I was researching outfits.
"So, you need to dance with me so I look less silly." I told him. That was the reason that we were on the dancefloor after all. "I mean you were alive in the 50s. I don't know anything about it other than some movies that I've watched. So, what can you tell me about it?"
"Well, there was segregation, McCarthyism, and the Cold War." He explained. Why did he have to focus on the bad stuff?
"I knew that. I want the good stuff." I replied with a frown.
"Well it was a lot of fun." He admitted. Was he going to tell me how it was fun?
"Teach me how to swing dance." I requested. He grabbed me quickly and spun me around before he dipped me.
"Now you need to savor this memory, because it's never going to happen again." He stated with a playful smile. He needed to let loose more often.
I then decided to go over by the punchbowl where Anna was working, and Elena was standing.
"So, I see that you two have met." I noted. "Do you like each other?"
"Anna's cool." Elena remarked before she walked off.
"So, things haven't been easy." Anna declared. "I thought you said you said that weren't going to dress as a character."
"I didn't." I replied.
"Really? Because you look a lot like Lorraine McFly from Back to the Future." She commented. Did I really?
"I guess that's just a coincidence." I stated. "So, you look nice."
"Thanks, you too." She replied. "So, since you're done with that journal, do you think that I can borrow it?"
"I gave it to Mr. Saltzman." I explained as I took a glass and headed back to Stefan. We happened to notice Damon dancing with Tina Fell, a girl in my grade. Part of me thought that I should separate the two of them.
"You can't take him anywhere, can you?" I questioned. "Also was that song even from the 50s?"
"No to both. It came out in '62." He replied before I noticed someone standing in the corner wearing a hoodie. He was here.
"Stefan, back corner." I declared, pointing at him.
Stefan went after him, and I realized that I needed to go to the bathroom. I walked off in that direction.
"Hello, Mary." Pizza Guy declared, and I suddenly realized that I needed to run. I began to head to the cafeteria. I wished that I wasn't wearing heels. I needed something wooden. All I could find was some pencils. He grabbed me and I stabbed him in the eye. It wouldn't kill him, but it did give me enough time to escape him. I grabbed a mop and broke it over the table. I was a little surprised that I was able to do that to be honest. I went over to him, but he knocked it away and once again Stefan came to my rescue.
"Hey, Dickhead." Damon interrupted. "No one wants to kill you. We just want to talk."
Well, actually we wanted to talk and then kill him. He made a break for me, but Stefan grabbed him and jammed the stake into his stomach.
"So now, why are you after Mary?" Damon questioned. I would have predicted the good cop-bad cop thing to be reversed to be honest.
"Because it's fun and I need to something to do until we get Katherine out of the tomb." He explained. How did he know Katherine?
"You knew Katherine?" Damon asked him in surprise.
"You think you were the only one?" Pizza Guy rebutted. "You don't even remember me."
"How do you open the tomb?" I demanded. He said nothing, so Stefan stabbed him again.
"The grimoire, Emily Bennett's: the location is in Jonathan Gilbert's journal." He grunted. That was kind of unfortunate.
"Who are you working with?" Damon questioned. That would be good to know. Of course he could have just been working alone.
"I'm not telling. You're going to have to kill me." He responded, and Stefan did.
"So, I'm going to say goodbyes before we head home." I stated. I wanted to tell Anna good night. If not for the fact that I wanted to spend the night at the boarding house, I probably would have invited her over.
I went back into the gym and found Anna. I was still panting.
"Why are you so out of breath?" She asked me curiously. I had to come up with a good reason for that.
"I'm just tired out from all of that dancing." I lied. "Did you get a chance to dance with anyone by any chance?"
"No, and I didn't see you there that much." She replied. Okay, so I needed to come up with something else then.
"Well, I was off somewhere more intimate with my boyfriend." I lied with a bit of a blush.
"Okay, gotcha, say no more." She told me with a grin.
"So, I was gonna get out of here. I'll see you later." I remarked.
"Do you think that maybe I could sleep over tomorrow night?" She questioned suddenly. I didn't expect her to just ask me that. It meant that I wouldn't have to ask first.
"Sure." I said. "I'd have to ask my aunt first, but she'd probably be okay with it."
I then went back to Stefan who took me home and gave me some tea. I was pretty sure that there was vervain in it. I also would have accepted some of Damon's liquor.
"So, I felt so empowered when I was holding that stake." I told him as he sat next to me. Of course, I also realized that I probably shouldn't have been so excited about the prospect of killing someone even if they were a vampire.
"There's something that you need to know." He responded. "I told Damon that I would help him open the tomb, but I was lying."
I didn't really have a response to that. It was probably a bad idea to do it, but it was probably also a bad idea to lie to Damon.
"So do you think that I can stay over tonight?" I asked.
"Sure." He answered.
So Mary invited Anna to stay over early. Too bad she doesn't know what's going to happen. Also she and Stefan ended up making up. Please don't forget to review.