Redamancy | Elena Gilbert

Chapter 9

She tried to have fun, but limited herself for safety reasons. Each full moon she spent with Tyler seemed to improve. Caroline was getting attacked less often, and Tyler listened more quickly when Rosalind snapped for him to sit down. He was getting used to the pain and the chains, but he clearly still wished there was a way to not feel any of it at all.

Rosalind continued to keep her drinking and smoking to a minimum. She could give less craps about the effects on her body, which she knew existed, but figured would be rendered cured and without need for concern once she became a wolf with a supernatural healing factor. What mattered to her was not triggering her curse. Not yet. Not while Tyler still needed her.

"Good news," she told Caroline tiredly over the phone the morning of June twenty-second. "I'll be able to make it to your little decorating thing for Elena's party. The actual coach is coming today to do some evaluations and she said I could have the day off. I'll be there after I'm done at the pool. You and Tyler are having lunch at eleven-thirty ish... so we'll probably all arrive at the Boarding House at twelve-fifteen."

"Yay!" said Caroline happily. "That almost makes up for the fact that Bonnie can't make it."

"When you say it like that you sound bitter, no offense."

"Ugh, I am bitter. Bitter that her dad guilt-tripped her into visiting him when he literally never calls her. She doesn't even have fun with that side of her family! He ruined it for us."

Rosalind shrugged. "Well, just remember Elena wanted the party to be small. Is um... Damon gonna be there?"

"Unfortunately, it's his house after all. But he's not here right now, he'll get there late."

"Good," said Rosalind. "I honestly don't know how you can stand being around him after everything he's done."

"I tolerate him, there's a difference. In some respects, he's been not a dick. But most of the times... he is a dick. We have to learn to live with him. At the end of the day... he's Stefan's brother. And as long as any of us mean something to Elena, he'll back us up in the face of danger. I don't like him, but..."

"Yeah," muttered Rosalind. "Okay. Well, I'll see you later, then. Anything you need me to bring?"

"Nope! I have all the decorations. I'd only recommend that you come with the stuff you'll be wearing to the party so you don't have to go back home and get it."

"Okay," she said. "Actually, one more thing I wanted to ask, are you bringing a date to the party?"

"Um, no, why?"

Rosalind cursed internally. She told Tyler not to bring a date and he insisted on bringing some girl named Sophie with him. "Um, no reason," she said. "Just curious if I should ah... bring anyone. See you later." She hung up, and immediately called Tyler.

"What is it?" he answered.

"Hey, you've been questioning your feelings for Caroline for weeks now, and she's not bringing a date to this party, so you should ditch Sophie and come alone and ask her to dance with you, or something!"

"Rosie, I'm not going to ditch Sophie for Caroline when she keeps acting appalled that anyone would ever mistake us as a couple."

"You two so obviously like each other. She blushes each time you take off your shirt before you turn. She sits with you when she doesn't have to. And you've fallen for her, you told me yourself. You should make a move tonight. There's no better time to just... get over yourself and kiss her and tell her you want to be with her! You know what's worse than third-wheeling a couple? Third-wheeling with people who are oblivious to how much they obviously like each other. It's exhausting, Tyler. Besides, that is the kind of girl I want as a future sister-in-law. Not this Sophie girl I've never even heard of."