I know why you’re really here.
So maybe that text message was a little too vague Bonnie thought to herself. But it was already sent and she couldn’t take it back. Now that the first seed of chaos was planted, she wondered what events would follow. She knew that there were various versions of the future that could happen, but the ever-changing tapestry of time was fickle. It was like a pond. She tossed a proverbial stone, the ripples would do the rest.
“Let’s go find a table, Bon.”
Successfully pulled from her thoughts, she turned to her blonde friend with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes… not that anyone would notice.
“So, Care, tell me about the new kid in town.” Bonnie crossed her arms over her chest and gave Caroline a knowing smirk. She knew the girl would take the bait.
“His name is Stefan Salvatore,” she said with an eager grin. “He lives with his uncle up at the old Salvatore Boarding House. He hasn’t lived here since he was a kid, military family so they moved around a lot. He’s a gemini and his favorite color is blue.”
The girls stopped at the bar and Caroline turned to face her with a satisfied smile.
“You got all of that in one day?” She asked.
“Oh please,” Caroline scoffed. “I got all that in between third and fourth period. We’re planning a June wedding.”
Bonnie rolled her eyes as she watched the blonde walk off. Turning to the bartender, she gave him a grin that oozed sophistication but seemed rough around the edges. A testament to her borderline aberrant nature.
“I’ll have a Vieux Carré.”
The bartender looked startled, as if he hadn’t heard the term in a while. She watched as he pursed his lips then shrugged.
“Make it two.”
“Are you from New Orleans by any chance?” The man making her drinks asked.
She cocked her head to the side.
“No,” she said after a beat. “Just because a drink originates in the Big Easy, means little about my origins. Besides... my family is from France.”
With that, she took the drinks that were clearly ready and headed toward the table where Caroline, Elena, and Stefan were waiting.
“Here, Care.” She placed the drink in front of the blonde and sat down, keeping one eye on the new boy in town.
“Is that a Sazerac?” He asked, curiosity filling his gaze.
“Absolutely not,” she said with a sniff. “That’s child’s play, Stefan. A shame it is not to know one’s liquor.”
She watched as he cocked his head to the side. His gaze becoming increasingly more intrigued, much to the chagrin of Caroline and Elena.
“I never told you my name,” he finally said.
She let out a chuckle as she sipped from her glass. “Everyone knows your name, Stefan. You’re the shiny new toy that the kids are itching to play with.”
He sat back in his seat, a small smile playing at the corner of his lips.
She returned it with one of her own.
Oh, this is going to be fun.
“So, Stefan,” Caroline said ending their banter. “You were born in Mystic Falls?”
“Mhmm,” he nodded. “And I moved when I was still young.”
“Parents?” I asked.
“My parents passed away.”
With a sly glance across the table, Bonnie saw Elena practically melt. Of course the girl would take that bit of information and run with it. She would’ve promptly vomited if the clean up wouldn’t have been a nightmare.
“Any siblings?” Elena asked.
“None that I talk to,” he replied. His attention solely on Elena right now. “I live with my uncle.”
Bonnie sat back in her seat and took another sip of her drink. It was a much needed distraction from the nauseating display in front of her.
“So, Stefan,” Caroline said steering the conversation away from somber matters. “If you’re new, then you don’t know about the party tomorrow.”
“It’s a back to school thing at the falls,” she said chiming in. She could tell that the night was coming to a close.
“Are you going?” He asked, his attention right back on Elena.
“Of course she is,” Bonnie drawled nonchalantly downing the last of her drink. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to get another Vieux Carré.”
“Take my cup?” Caroline asked. “I’m done for the night.”
“Sure thing.” She grabbed the cup and headed back to the bar before signaling the bartender. “One more.”
He raised an eyebrow before nodding.
“I can’t say I’m surprised he didn’t card you,” a voice said behind her.
“And why is that?” She asked glancing at the brunette boy that now stood beside her.
“I’m curious,” he said completely disregarding her question. “Why do I feel like I should know you.”
“I’m at a loss, Stefan.” She turned to face him completely. “I’ve never seen you a day in my life.”
He was about to respond when she heard a muted buzzing sound coming from his back pocket.
She watched as he took out his phone a tapped away on the screen.
The bartender had already set her drink onto the table top so she raised her glass to hide the small smile that pulled at the corners of her lips.
Stefan stiffened ever so slightly, mediocre eyes would have missed it. Bonnie couldn’t have missed it. Her eyes were sharp and she was actively searching for a reaction.
Again he stiffened, more noticeably this time. Whatever he was reading on his phone must have been some startling information. But, of course, Bonnie knew that already.
She was the one who had those messages primed and ready to send after all.
It’s interesting that you would omit having a brother when getting to know new friends.
Especially when that brother is back in town.
I know why he’s really here.
Bonnie’s blood was aflame with energy. Three more seeds of chaos had been planted and she couldn’t wait to see what fruits would yield from her gardening. The results were sure to be bountiful if she played her cards right.
Glancing toward the light that streamed in from the large glass windows, she vaguely registered Mr. Tanner’s voice as he droned on about that blasted Battle of Willow Creek that took place at the end of the Civil War.
“How many casualties resulted in this battle?” He asked looking around the classroom. “Mr. Donovan, would you like to take this opportunity to overcome your embedded jock stereotype?”
“It’s okay, Mr. Tanner.” Matt’s smile was genuinely infectious. “I’m cool with it.”
Ripples of quiet laughter echoed in the background and the teacher turned toward his next victim.
“Mhmm,” he hummed. “Caroline? Surely you can enlighten us about one of the town’s most significantly historical events?”
“You mean an event that was so historical, it doesn’t even mention how a certain populace fought and died for a country that treats them worse than they would the dirt on the bottom of their shoes? Never mind the treatment said populace still receives today.”
Bonnie perked up slightly.
This definitely wasn’t an answer she was expecting to come out of the girl’s mouth.
She cocked her head to the side considering what she knew about the blonde. Perhaps Caroline may have more going on in her head than Bonnie had previously thought. Perhaps it was time to plant another seed in an unlikely host.
Mr. Tanner coughed. “That’s… not the answer I was looking for.”
“Well, it’s the only one I’m going to give.”
Bonnie watched as Mr. Tanner stared at the blonde for a moment before his attention was placed on another student who decided to speak up.
“There were 346 casualties,” Stefan said. “Unless you’re counting the local civilians.”
“That’s correct, Mr…” Mr. Tanner trailed off.
“Salvatore,” the new boy answered.
“Salvatore,” the teacher considered the name with mildly veiled curiosity. “Any relation to the original settlers here in Mystic Falls?”
“Distant,” Stefan replied.
“Well, very good.” Mr. Tanner took a few steps over to the right making the confederate flag on his desk plainly visible.
Bonnie blinked twice before narrowing her eyes. Why hadn’t she noticed it before?
This fucker has another thing coming.
“Except, of course, there were no civilian casualties in this battle.” The ignorant teacher continued to prattle on.
“Actually, there were 27, sir.” Bonnie piped up surprising more than just Mr. Tanner. She could see Stefan from the corner of her eye, he looked positively shocked.
“Confederate soldiers fired on a church believing it to be housing weapons.” She sat back in her seat nonchalantly and twirled her Mont Blanc pen in her nimble fingers. “They were wrong. The founder’s archives are stored in Civil Hall if you’d like to brush up on your facts, Mr. Tanner.”
She didn’t have to look up to know that she owned her teacher and seriously caught the attention of the new boy in town.
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