Ugh.
Bonnie sighed as she sat across from Caroline while she waited for the blonde to sober up. That disastrous bonfire was a chore to attend. Watching Caroline throw herself at Stefan was enough to make her want to gouge her own eyes out.
“Are you sober yet?”
Caroline lifted her head before laying back down. “Nope.” The sigh she let out sounded so hopeless.
“Keep drinking that water,” Bonnie said. “We gotta get home.”
“Why didn’t he go for me?” She suddenly asked.
Uh oh.
“How come the guys that I want, never want me?”
All she could do was let the girl talk, it was clear to Bonnie that she needed it.
“I’m inappropriate,” Caroline said. “I always say the wrong thing… and Elena, always says the right thing. She doesn’t even try and he just picks her. She’s always the one that everyone picks, for everything. I try so fucking hard, and… I’m never the one.”
“It’s not a competition, Caroline.”
The blonde looked up and stared pointedly at Bonnie. “Yes, it is.”
“No,” Bonnie said crossing her arms over he chest with a stare of her own. “You wanna know why?”
She watched as Caroline rolled her eyes. “Why?”
“It’s not a competition because one day, there’s going to be a man that will always pick you. He’s going to blindside you, he’s going to challenge your beliefs, he’s going to make life worth living. You’re going to change him, you’re going to learn about a whole new world and become stronger for it. You’ll both become stronger for it. So,” she said. “Instead of throwing yourself at every new guy you see, why not wait for the right one to come to you. The right one won’t hesitate to chase you because you deserve everything this world has to offer and so much more.”
The tears shining in Bonnie’s eyes surprised her. She was perturbed to feel the salty droplets cascade down her cheeks but if it helped get her point across, she was all for it.
“It’s definitely not a competition when it comes to me either,” she said taking Caroline’s hands in hers. It was at this moment that Bonnie resolved to be a better friend. “I’ll always choose you first. There’s so much more to you than meets the eye. You’re one of the smartest people I know.”
Caroline scoffed.
“Hey, none of that. I’m serious,” she said. “Remember how you went all CIA about Stefan?”
“Yeah,” the blonde replied with a giggle. “I remember.”
“You do realize you can use that charisma for other things, right?” She suggested. “Don’t think I didn’t notice how you charmed your way to the top of the cheer squad. You’re practically the queen of this whole bloody town no matter what anybody says otherwise. You’ll seriously have to teach me your ways, my lady.”
They both burst into a fit of laugher. Nothing like some comic relief to lighten the mood.
“I’m serious though,” Bonnie said wiping her eyes. “You’re a strategist in the making, why not put those skills to some real use.”
The strange glint in Bonnie’s eye gave Caroline pause. The borderline manic grin on her friend’s lips made the blonde wary even. But curiosity got the best of her.
“What did you have in mind?”
“Nothing too crazy,” Bonnie said with a fully manic grin. “Just cause a little chaos, wreak a little havoc.”
“Oh yeah?” She asked. “How are we going to do that?”
“We’re gonna play a little game,” Bonnie said. “It’s a little something I picked up from someone I met over the summer.”
Sowing a seed of goodness took more work but Bonnie was sure her words would help Caroline make some strides for the better. That, and the fact that she planned to spill the beans about the paranormal sooner rather than later. Especially since the comet was all these townies could talk about. Too bad none of them really had any idea what would happen if someone were to use the power of said comet for truly nefarious purposes.
“Ugh, so much drama.” Caroline rolled her eyes. “Ever notice how the druggies are the biggest attention whores?”
“Caroline, be nice.”
The duo had been sipping martinis at the grill to recuperate from searching for Vicki Donovan. Poor girl was wigged out on something. One could never tell with the druggies.
“Remember that guy you were telling me about?” The blonde asked as she bit into an olive. “The one who will put me first?”
“Mhmm,” Bonnie hummed.
“He sounded really great,” Caroline said. “Any idea what he looks like? So I can keep my eye out?”
“Oh he’ll probably have brown hair and sea-foam green eyes. Hmm, and he’ll be taller than you in heels too.”
Caroline giggled. “That sounds oddly specific, how do you know?”
“I’m a witch, I know things.”
“Riiiight,” she trailed off.
“Ya know,” a voice said as the person it belonged to sauntered up to their table. “I didn’t think anyone believed in witches anymore.”
“I definitely do,” Bonnie said turning her attention to their newcomer. “Do you believe in them, Stefan?”
“Well,” he said. “I know there were Salem witches who fled the trials and settled here in Mystic Falls. I also know there were Celtic druids that migrated to the Americas in the 1800s.”
“I see,” she said finishing her drink. “I already know about the Salem witches, tell me more about the druids.”
“The druids believed in the natural world being imbued with this energy,” he began. “This energy that was seemingly sentient, alive in a way.”
“So magic,” Caroline deadpanned.
“Mhmm,” Stefan hummed. “The druids dubbed themselves the protectors of nature, they sought to keep the balance between the natural and the unnatural.”
“Define natural and unnatural?” Bonnie asked, a hard edge to her gaze that her companions missed.
“Life and death is natural,” he said. “Vampires are not.”
“Those aren’t real,” Caroline said with a scoff.
“They’re very real,” Bonnie said. She almost laughed out loud when Stefan abruptly looked at her. “In fact, there’s plenty around town.”
“Huh?” Caroline gasped. “Seriously?!”
“Mhmm,” Bonnie hummed. “Landlords for one. They are the true vampires of society. Don’t get me started on the government, though. Those taxes? Sucking the working class dry.”
Caroline snorted.
“You had me in the beginning,” Stefan said with a rueful chuckle. “Can’t lie.”
“Did you hear that?” Bonnie asked, a twinkle in her eye. “I think your phone is ringing, Stefan. Someone important must be trying to reach you.”
“Oh, thanks.” She watched as he grabbed his phone.
As he listened to the voicemail, she watched as he abruptly stood up.
“Is everything alright?” She asked.
“I— I gotta go,” he rushed out. “Tell Elena to call me, yeah?”
“I wonder what that was all about?” Caroline mused as she gathered her things and took the rest of her martini to the head.
“Who knows.” Bonnie shrugged.
“I’m gonna head out,” the blonde said. “See you at school.”
“See ya,” Bonnie said with a wave before waiting a full three minutes to follow Caroline out of the grill.
She knew her friend was going to be in danger, but the details surrounding what would happen were as elusive as a snow leopard. For as much as she believed in her abilities as a seer, there were still some things beyond her control.
Keeping to the shadows as she exited the grill through the backdoor, she caught sight of Caroline dropping her keys. She bit back the chuckle at the knowledge of her at times clumsy friend. Slinking in between the cars, she was still more than a few feet away but close enough to see the surrounding area. Close enough to intervene if necessary.
“Oh, hi.”
Oh shit.
It was Caroline’s voice. Who was she talking to?
Lifting herself onto the balls of her feet, she saw black hair and a worn leather jacket.
Crap.
“What’s a pretty thing like you doing out here all by yourself?” She heard the man ask her friend.
“Not interested, sir.” She heard Caroline say. “Please step aside, I’m leaving.”
“I don’t think so,” she heard him say.
She saw the man grab Caroline.
“Let go of me!” She exclaimed. “I’m not interested!”
Oh absolutely not.
“Phasma—
“I said, LET ME GO!”
The force of Caroline’s scream knocked Bonnie and the unknown assailant off their feet.
What the hell was that?
She quickly got up and ran toward Caroline, the man was still lying on the floor.
“Care!” She exclaimed. “Are you okay? What was that?”
“I don’t know, I— AHH!”
Bonnie was stunned into silence. The man had gotten up quicker than she expected for a human. But the blood had already drained from her face when she realized he wasn’t. He had begun to drink from Caroline’s neck while she was just standing there contemplating what the hell was going on.
“GET OFF ME!”
Caroline’s scream didn’t do much to her this time around but her attacker clutched his head as he fell to his knees.
That jump started Bonnie into action. With a snap of her fingers, the man’s neck was broken and he fell over in a seemingly drunken heap.
“You have some explaining to do, Bonnie Blaise Bennett.” Caroline breathed out harshly as she held one hand over her still bleeding neck and the other rested on her knee.
“Yeah?” Bonnie took a deep breath herself. “Well, so do you.”
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