Chapter Seven
1323 Words
I went shopping with my sister after practice and she thought we were just going to buy some ready to eat food, but I put a stop to that right away. I decided to just make the meal myself and let her pick the main feature, which she didn’t understand so I had to do that myself and let her pick the drink.
Once we got home, I start cooking and Bonnie joins us shortly after I begin.
Bonnie: “You explain it. Last night, I’m watching 9-0. Commercial break comes on and I’m like, ‘I bet it’s that phone commercial.’ And sure enough, it’s that guy and the girl with the bench, he flies to Paris and he flies back. They take a picture.”
Elena: “Oh, come on. That commercial’s on a constant loop.”
Bonnie: “Fine. Well, how about this? Today, I’m obsessed with numbers. Three numbers. I keep seeing 8, 14, and 22. How weird is that?”
Skylar: “Very. Elena, hand me the bowl.”
I turn off the stove and leave my pan on the warmer as Elena hands me the bowl.
Elena: “Maybe we should play the lottery. Have you talked to your Grams?”
Bonnie: “She’s just gonna say it’s because I’m a witch. I don’t wanna be a witch. Do you wanna be a witch?”
Elena: “I don’t wanna be a witch.”
Skylar: “No thanks. I’m weird enough as is.”
The three of us laugh together.
Skylar: “Can one of you grab the serving spoons?”
I start mixing my noodles with the sauce and other ingredients in the bowl.
Elena: “Okay, serving spoons. Where are the serving spoons?”
Bonnie: “Middle drawer on your left, Elena.”
Elena opens the drawer and pulls them out as I look over to see Bonnie was right.
Elena: “Okay, so you’ve been in this kitchen a thousand times.”
Bonnie: “Yeah, that’s it.”
Elena hands me the serving spoons and I start setting the table up just as the doorbell rings.
Elena: “Okay, he’s here. Don’t be nervous. Just be your normal loving self.”
I walk back into the kitchen as Bonnie opens a drawer and looks very nervous while holding up some birthday candles.
Skylar: “Bonnie, are you okay?”
Bonnie: “Yeah, I’m fine. Let me help.”
She puts the candles away and helps me finish setting up the table. I did try to keep this dinner simple. I made salad, garlic bread, and pesto penne pasta. Elena thinks I may have gone a little overboard, but I don’t think so.
I sit beside Bonnie at the table and there is a lot of awkward silence until Elena tries to break it.
Elena: “Did Tanner give you a hard time today?”
Stefan: “Well, he let me on the team, so I must have done something right.”
Elena: “Skylar, Bonnie, you two should’ve seen Stefan today. Tyler threw a ball right at him, and…”
Bonnie: “Yeah, I heard.”
Skylar: “It was all over school. Everyone knows.”
Elena: “Bonnie, why don’t you tell Stefan about your family?”
Bonnie: “Um, divorced. No mom, live with my dad.”
Stefan: “Mm.”
God this is awkward.
Elena: “No, about the witches.[Stefan’s head almost snaps to look at Elena] Bonnie’s family has a lineage of witches. It’s really cool.”
Bonnie: “Cool isn’t the word I'd use.”
Stefan: “Well, it’s certainly interesting. I’m not too versed, but I know that there’s a history of Celtic Druids that migrated here in the 1800s…”
Bonnie: “My family came by way of Salem.”
Stefan: “Really? Salem witches?”
Bonnie: “Yeah.”
Bonnie nervously smiles.
Stefan: “I’d say that’s pretty cool.”
Bonnie: “Really? Why?”
Stefan: “Salem witches are heroic examples of individualism and nonconformity.”
Bonnie: “Yeah, they are.”
She gives a genuine smile.
Skylar: “Wow, Stefan. Way to make people want to be witches.”
Elena gives me a smile as I continue to eat. Our meal is interrupted a moment later by the doorbell ringing.
Elena: “I wonder who that could be.”
Skylar: “I’ll get it. It must be Caroline.”
I get up and Elena follows me toward the door.
Elena: “Why would Caroline be coming?”
Skylar: “I invited her and she said she would stop by.”
I open the front door before she can say anything, revealing Damon and Caroline.
Caroline: “Surprise!”
She hands me a red velvet cake and I give her a hug.
Skylar: “Thank you. You are the best, Care.”
Caroline: “Sorry we’re late, but we brought dessert.”
Elena: “Oh. I had no idea you two were coming.”
Damon: “Hope you don’t mind.”
Stefan joins us at the door as Caroline comes in, standing between me and Elena.
Stefan: “What are you doing here?”
Damon: “Waiting for Elena and Skylar to invite me in.”
Elena: “Oh, yeah, you can…”
Stefan: “No, no, no. He can’t, um… He can’t stay. Can you, Damon?”
Elena, Caroline, and I give him a confused look as we look between Stefan and Damon.
Caroline: “Get in here.”
Stefan: “We’re just finishing up.”
Elena: “It’s fine.”
Skylar: “Come on in. We still have plenty to go around.”
Damon and Stefan share a look, that seems like they were challenging each other and Stefan lost as Damon walks in.
Damon: “You have a beautiful home, ladies.”
I smile shyly as I walk over toward him.
S&E: “Thank you.”
Skylar: “I’ll show you to the dining room.”
The five of us join Bonnie to continue our meal and eat dessert together before going into the living room to get to know each other.
Caroline: “I cannot believe that Mr. Tanner let you on the team. Tyler must be seething. But good for you. Go for it.”
Damon: “That’s what I always tell him. You have to engage. You can’t just sit there and wait for life to come. You have to go get it.”
Caroline: “Yeah, Elena wasn’t so lucky today. It’s only because you missed summer camp. I don’t know how you’re ever gonna learn the routine.”
I give her my ‘what the hell’ look.
Bonnie: “I’ll work with her, she’ll get it.”
Skylar: “So will I. She’ll be as good as ever.”
Caroline: “I guess we can put her in the back for now.”
I put a hand on Elena’s arm, trying to comfort her and she gives me a small smile as thanks.
Damon: “Yeah, you know, you don’t seem like the cheerleader type, Elena.”
Caroline: “It’s just because her parents died. Yeah, I mean, she’s totally going through a blah phase. She used to be way more fun, like Skylar.”
Bonnie and I give her the look again and this time she realizes what she did.
Caroline: “And I say that with complete sensitivity.”
Damon: “I’m sorry, Elena. I know what it’s like to lose both your parents. In fact, Stefan and I have watched almost every single person we’ve ever cared about die.”
Stefan: “We don’t need to get into that right now, Damon.”
Damon: “Oh, you’re right, Stef. I’m sorry. The last thing I want to do is bring her up.”
Elena and Stefan seem very uncomfortable, while Bonnie, Caroline, and I are confused.
Elena: “I’m gonna go clean up.”
- Writer
