Chapter Six
1429 Words
I woke up this morning thanking the universe that I didn’t have a terrible dream like the previous one. I decided to draw this image of Elena in her bed and a bird in her open window. Then I flip the page and draw Damon and Caroline in Damon’s car before I realize what I am drawing. Looking at the paper, it seems kinda weird that I would draw this, but it just flowed through me like I needed to draw it.
Putting my journal and sketch pad away, I get ready for the day, packing a change of clothes because we have cheer practice today. I try calling Caroline, but she isn’t picking up. Elena wanted to ride with Bonnie today so I drove Jeremy and myself to school.
When we arrive at school, Jeremy walks off on his own, all gloomy and depressed. I’m worried about him, but he’s a hormonal teenage boy. If I try to get him to talk he’s just going to ignore me like he does Aunt Jenna and Elena lately. I find Elena, Bonnie, and Stefan talking on the lawn and walk over just as Bonnie leaves.
Stefan: “She doesn’t like me very much.”
Elena: “She doesn’t know you. She’s my best friend. She’s just looking out for me, but when she does, she will love you.”
Skylar: “Hey guys.”
Stefan: “Morning Skylar.”
Elena: “Hey, why didn’t you ride with me and Bonnie?”
Skylar: “Because Bonnie and I have cheer practice today and I thought you would want to leave before that with Jeremy.”
Elena: “Well I was actually thinking about rejoining the squad.”
Skylar: “That would be fun. I have to go, but I’ll see you two in Mr. Tanner’s class.”
Stefan: “See you there.”
Elena: “Okay, if you see Caroline, let me know.”
Skylar: “I will.”
I give Elena a hug and walk away, hoping to find Caroline and just wishing she listened to me last night. I have a bad feeling that she didn’t.
Today, I end up sitting behind Stefan and next to Matt. Bonnie has been doodling in her notebook while Stefan and Elena are whispering to each other and Matt isn’t taking it so well. As for myself, trying to just stay out of it is incredibly annoying when they won’t let me and Caroline is still not answering my texts.
Elena: “[Whispering] Psst. FYI, our team sucks. They could use you.”
Tanner: “Pearl Harbor.”
Stefan: “[Whispering] Can’t, I’m a loner.”
Tanner: “Nothing? Ms. Gilbert.[clears throat]”
Elena’s attention snaps to Mr. Tanner.
Elena: “Hm?”
Tanner: “Pearl Harbor.”
As funny as it is to see her get caught, this guy lives to piss me off.
Elena: “Um….”
Stefan cuts in.
Stefan: “December 7th, 1941.”
Tanner: “Thank you, Ms. Gilbert.”
Stefan: “Anytime.”
Tanner: “Very well. The fall of the Berlin Wall.”
Stefan: “1989. I’m good with dates, sir.”
Tanner: “Are you? How good? Keep it to the year. [Stefan nods] Civil Rights Act.”
Stefan: “1964.”
Tanner: “John F. Kennedy assassination.”
Stefan: “1963.”
Tanner: “Martin Luther King.”
Stefan: “‘68.”
Tanner: “Lincoln.”
Stefan: “1865.”
Tanner: “Roe vs Wade?”
Stefan: “1973.”
Tanner: “Brown vs Board?”
Stefan: “1954.”
Tanner: “The Battle of Gettysburg.”
Stefan: “1863.”
Tanner: “Korean War.”
Stefan: “1950 to 1953.”
Tanner: “Ha! It ended in ‘52. Ha ha ha.”
Mr. Tanner turns to walk back to the front.
Stefan: “Uh, actually, sir, it was ‘53.”
I take out my phone to search it up and find that he is right.
Tanner: “Look it up. Somebody. Quickly.”
Skylar: “Stefan is correct. It was 1953.”
Almost everyone claps for Stefan while Mr. Tanner looks like he is pissed that he couldn’t prove Stefan wrong.
Class ends and once all of our classes end for the day, Bonnie and I go to the locker rooms to change for cheer practice. While the two of us are stretching, someone clears their throat, causing us to turn to them and find Elena smiling. Bonnie pops up.
Bonnie: “Oh my god, you’re here.”
They hug each other while I stand up.
Skylar: “I’m so happy you actually came.”
We hug each other.
Elena: “Yup. I can’t be sad girl forever. The only way to get things back to the way they were, are to do things that were. [She puts her water bottle down.] Oh and Bonnie, you’re coming to dinner tonight.”
Bonnie: “I am?”
Bonnie and I are on either side of Elena(me on her left and Bonnie on her right), starting our stretches again.
Elena: “Mhm. You, me, Skylar, and Stefan.”
I look at her confused and Bonnie clearly doesn’t like the idea.
Elena: “You have to give him a chance.”
Bonnie: “Tonight’s no good.[Elena gives her a ‘really’ look] Have you seen Caroline? I’ve texted her like a hundred times.”
Elena: “Don’t change the subject, Bonnie Bennett. You’re going to be there.”
Skylar: “Please, Bonnie. You can’t let me be a third wheel to Elena and Stefan all night.”
Bonnie: “Fine, I’ll go.”
E&S: “Good.”
We finally finish our stretches and Caroline still hasn’t shown up.
Bonnie: “Seriously, where is Caroline?”
Elena: “I don’t know. It’s not like her.”
Skylar: “I’m getting really worried about her.”
Bonnie: “I’ll try her again.”
She grabs her phone just as I watch a car coming toward us. As it pulls into a parking spot next to the grass, we see Caroline in the passenger seat with Damon driving.
Elena: “Uh…”
Skylar: “Oh my god.”
Bonnie: “That must be the mystery guy from the Grill.”
Elena: “That’s not a mystery guy.”
We watch them kiss.
Skylar: “That’s Damon Salvatore.”
We stand up as Caroline gets out of the car.
Bonnie: “Salvatore? As in Stefan?”
As Caroline walks over, I look back at Damon to see him send me a wink and drive off.
Caroline: “I got the other brother. Hope you don’t mind, Elena.”
She walks past us and stands at the front of our group.
Caroline: “Sorry I’m late, girls. I, uh, was busy. Alright, let’s start with the double-pike herkie hurdler. What do you say?”
We start practicing the routine while Caroline is calling out the count.
Caroline: “One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. Elena, sweetie, [Elena stops while the rest of us keep going] why don’t you just observe today? Okay?[Elena walks to the back of the group] Keep going. Okay. Let’s do it again from the top. And five, six, seven, eight.”
She begins the count again, while I make a mental note to talk to her and Elena later.
After practice, I pull Caroline to the side.
Skylar: “Hey, what happened to not going home with a stranger?”
Caroline: “Oh relax. It’s Damon Salvatore. He’s not a stranger.”
She playfully slaps my shoulder while giggling.
Skylar: “Whatever, he seems like a player to me, so just be careful. Also, since when do you wear scarves when it’s not even cold out?”
Caroline: “I promise to be careful. And BTW, Damon got it for me. It’s cute right? We have a date after this.”
She happily claps while I roll my eyes.
Skylar: “Good for you. So what actually happened last night?”
Caroline: “Well, he surprised me in the parking lot at the Grill and took me home. I invited him in and he spent the night. It was so much fun. I never wanted it to end.”
Skylar: “You better give me details later.[We giggle together] Well, I have to go home. Elena wants Bonnie and Stefan to get along, so she invited them both to dinner. If you have time tonight, you should stop by.”
Caroline: “Sounds fun. I’ll be there with dessert in hand.”
- Writer
