♤ ı [3] An Everlasting Love

ı 20 ı Friendsgiving

"Ugh," I moan to myself in annoyance.

"Do you think you could do that?"  he presses.

"I guess," I give in, staring down at my feet.

"Good. Now go socialize," he snickers.

"Don't push it," I growl, before I end the call.

∆ ∆ ∆

The one thing I'm thankful for at the moment is Theo, as his constant whining and complaints about being hungry keeps me occupied from having to converse with people- people including Tyler Lockwood and Liv, the witch that was partially responsible for Damon's death. Her and her brother Luke were the ones that stopped the spell early, trapping Damon over on the diminishing other side.

It's even more awkward as dinner is served as I have to sit across from her.

"Alright, would everyone please go to their assigned seats," Caroline instructs, standing at her seat at the end of the table. Theo sits beside me while James sits on the other side of Theo. I quite literally growl as Liv takes her seat across from me, Tyler by her side. James glances over at me with narrowed eyes, as if he's telling me to behave. He knows me well enough that if I don't get a reminder, I'll break from reality. If it weren't for James, I probably would have lunged across the table at her by now.

"Okie dokie!" Caroline claps her hands together. "Now that we're all seated, I thought it'd be fun to share one thing we're each thankful for," she says excitedly.

"Hey! Do you guys wanna see some baby video of Liv and I when we were kids?" Luke suddenly interrupts, causing Caroline to freak out. Before she has a chance to say anything, I decided to intervene first.

"Are you kidding me right now?" I growl. "I am starving."

"It will only take a few minutes," Luke waves me off, as Tyler and Liv crowd around him.

"Listen dipshit, my boyfriend and best friend have been cooking this turkey all afternoon. The least you can do is show some respect," I snap bitterly, causing everyone to glance at me. Caroline however sends me an appreciative nod.

"Yeah, and I'm sure it'll be delicious when I taste it in a few minutes," Luke laughs casually, not really showing any care.

I scoff and glance over at Caroline wide eyed only to realize she's in the same disbelief as I am. "Screw this. I'm not waiting," I snap, going to reach for the bread rolls. " Caroline can you pass the stuffing please?"

"Blair," James warns, sending me one of his looks.

"What?" I snap. "I'm not waiting for some guy that locked my brother on the other side." 

"Remember what I said about having a good thanksgiving?" He raises a brow, reaching over to touch my shoulder gently. "This is what it's about. Family requires a lot of patience." He smiles, giving me a wink.

I sigh and nod, realizing he's right. I decide to give thanksgiving a chance and listen to James. In real houses, thanksgivings are never peaceful. There are always distractions and annoying people, but it's just something I'm going to have to deal with.

I lean back in my chair and stare at the food in front of me, as if it's calling my name. In the mean time, I focus my attention on Theo but I can't help but notice the sound of the video playing from across the table- the video on Liv and Luke's childhood.

"What are you playing?" Jo suddenly asks, standing up out of her chair.

"An old video," Luke says innocently.

"Sounds like you Jo," Elena laughs, watching over Tyler's shoulder at the video.

"That's because it is me," Jo revels, staring at the twins in shock. "I took that video 18 years ago at a birthday party for the twins."

Suddenly the whole room goes quiet, everyone silently putting the pieces together. I watch with careful eyes, observing Jo as her face lights up in recollection, gaping at the witch twins. "Lucas and Olivia?" she questions hopefully, her eyes slightly watery.

"Jo, as in Josette?" Luke questions.

"Wait, you two know each other?" Elena asks, staring back and forth between the twins and Jo. It takes everything in me not to make some bitter remark about her lame ass, obvious question.

"I'm their sister," Jo informs us, a smile growing on her face.

I almost let out a snort, but I contain my shock by covering it up with a cough. Theo glances over at me and smiles, giggling at me. "Mommy you funny," he giggles, causing James to crack a smile.

"Thanks buddy." I smile, ruffing up his hair. He giggles some more, filling the silence in the room before everyone begins talking again. Frankly I feel out of place watching people reunite, but it's entertaining none the less.

"So, if you don't know each other, how did you end up at the same school?" Caroline asks the question on all our minds.

"We had a family friend, Sheila Bennett. She took me under her wing," Jo explains, my ears instantly catching on the famous Bennett name.

"You knew Bonnie's grams?" I question her, joining the conversation.

Jo nods, giving me a smile. "She also helped my family put Kai away," she says, making my mouth quite literally drop open.

"Wait a minute... Kai? As in prison world Kai?" I blurt out, suddenly intrigued in the whole story.

"Yes, Kai, my twin. Our brother," Jo nods, turning to glance back at Liv and Luke who have become strangely quiet.

"You have two sets of twins in the family?" Caroline questions in shock.

"Yeah there were. Until my coven put Kai in a prison world," Luke adds.

"And why exactly did Kai get put in that hell hole?" I ask, my detective instincts seeking clarification. However, it appears my question has hit a soft spot, as Liv leaves the room.

"Because in our coven, at the age of twenty-two, the set of twins merge against each other to determine which one gets to be leader. The winner absorbs the other's magic, and the other one..," Jo takes a pause. "Dies."

I furrow my brows in confusion, taken back by the fact.

"Kai wanted to wipe all of us out so he would be destined to be leader. Now that he's gone, it's up to me and Liv to face off," Luke says, glancing down at his shoes in a brooding stare.

I take a second to glance over at James, leaning in close so only he can hear me. "Is this the kind of family drama you had in mind at thanksgiving dinner?" I tease.

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[completed & edited: 10/11/2021]