ICARUS ▻ the vampire diaries.

𝔳𝔦. chapter six.

"Hm. Alright. Very good," pause. "Wow, that worked out quite fast."

"Yep," Alaska said monotonously, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. "You're getting so good at this."

Jenna didn't seem to catch the underlying sarcasm in her voice.

"Can you stop chewing off my ear now?"

"Sure! Can you check up on Jer, by the way? He sneaked out earlier. Just make sure he doesn't take off with his stoner buddies. I don't want him passanging with those assholes."

Alaska snorted, pointing out, "I don't think passanging's a word."

"Sure it is, I just used it in a sentence."

Alaska sighed once more, but this time there was a fond smile on her face. "Yeah, noted. I'm gonna hang up now. Love you or whatever."

"Love you too! Make good choices!'

"Aye, aye, Captain."

Finally hanging up the phone with a long exhale, Alaska turned her attention back to the party scene. Caroline had already gotten up from her seat and was now standing beside her. Even though they were situated a street away, she could hear the music pounding through the place, shaking the trees and juddering the SUV. Alaska tapped her fingers against the roof, watching as inebriated kids yelled, sang and milled all around. She closed her eyes for a second, clenched one of her fists and thumped it against her thighs-- something she did often when she was nervous, though she had no idea why she'd be nervous about going to a party that was in full-swing, when it was her own decision to delve back into the high-school 'normalcy'.

Breaking her train of thoughts, Caroline shoulder-bumped her. "That went well?"

"Yeah, I guess," Alaska replied, managing a smile despite the feeling of rapid guilt seeping in through her skin."You know how paranoid Jenna can get sometimes."

Caroline gave her a contemplative look. "You just lied to her," she said. "Didn't you?"

"Don't you start too."

"I overheard a bit," Caroline admitted anyway. "She isn't exactly wrong, you know? You shouldn't be out with only your bike so late at night."

"Well, it must be a good thing that I have a functioning brain and I know karate, huh?"

Caroline didn't look amused. "You may be smart. You may take care of people but you're shit at taking care of yourself."

Alaska crossed her arms over her stomach. "Is this a subtle way of insulting my fighting skills?"

"Absolutely not. But you'd never let Elena or me do the same stuff-"

"Caroline," Alaska grabbed her shoulders and looked her straight in the eye. She could tell that her friend was one second away from descending into a shit-blistering rant about how she needed to stop treating cars like they were gonna eat her alive. She would be absolutely right with her concern. Because as bitter as it sounded, Alaska was in fact letting that tiny fear dictate her life. She knew it. But was it too cruel to forget about it for one night? "You know me, right? I am a rational person. I like to live a clutter free and orderly life which is why I also happen to love my bike and the solace it gives me. I am not the type to compromise with my safety. You'll see me flying around and rioting in my car in no time. But tonight-"