22. STRANGE FASCINATION
Sienna couldn't remember the last time her and her best friend actually hung out with other people who weren't each other, sure they had 'side friends' as Olivia called them, but no one that every really stuck. No one that ever truly cared.
People would come and they would go as they pleased, which the girls were okay with because they had each other and both of them knew that would never change.
But it is odd now, to have so many new people entering their life. They had Davina, Enzo, Freya, Elijah and Klaus practically living with them and whenever Kai chose to return they had him too.
Sienna didn't actually know if she liked or not, having people in her life who seemingly cared for her. Plus she hated change she the drastic change in her lifestyle was something which threw her off completely.
Attachment frightened her, too. She hated when the genuine care for someone actually settled and she was left worrying about them, thinking about them — she didn't like it. She let herself get attached to Olivia, with difficulty though, it took a while for her to genuinely open up but Olivia, forever the secretly compassionate soul, was patient and gentle with her and Sienna could not be any more grateful.
Sienna wanted to be loved. She wanted someone to care for her unconditionally and hold her in the dead of night, wait up for her when she was out. But she was scared to love, to fully open up and have someone shove it all back in her face without a second thought, to reject her, to deny her.
She wanted something which she was scared to return so she decided to swear off love altogether.
"What's on your mind, beautiful?" Olivia questioned her best friend as she sat down next to her on her bed, placing a hand on her thigh and rubbing circles with her thumb.
"I need a distraction. Food?" Sienna avoided Olivia's question with her own, a hopeful smile on her face.
"You know I can't say no to that face." Olivia groaned in fake misery, the smile on her pink lips giving away her true feelings.
"It's because you love me so much." Sienna replied simply as she searched for an outfit.
"Unfortunately." Olivia sighed melodramatically.
• • •
Olivia and Sienna had set off to the grill, arm in arm with smiles on their faces. Sienna was dressed in a black halter neck crop top with high waisted flared jeans and combat boots, a rose quartz crystal necklace dipping down into her cleavage. Olivia, on the other hand, was clad in a dark purple cotton dress with short sleeves and a collar, a matching dark purple beanie, a oversized leather jacket and varying in size silver necklaces on her neck with black platform boots on her feet.
"Okay okay." Olivia began, "Fuck, marry, kill .. Benedict Cumberbatch, RDJ and Tom Holland."
Sienna bit her lower lip in thought for a few moments before responding - "Fuck RDJ, Marry Ben and Kill Tom. Sorry Tom but I'm into older men."
"Trust me i know."
"It's your turn." Sienna grinned. "Fuck marry kill.. Elizabeth Olsen, Zoey Deutch, Shay Mitchell."
Olivia gasped, "I can't answer that." She denied seriously.
Sienna simply stared at her in silence, taking a long and purposefully louder sip of her strawberry milkshake.
"Fuck.. Shay.. Mary Zoey and kill Lizzie." Olivia let out the last bit quickly, looking like the words had physically hurt her to say them.
"Plot twist." Sienna gaped dramatically. "I thought you'd kill Zoey."
"Never, she's too adorable." Olivia said. "But so is Lizzie." She sighed sadly, "Why is life so difficult."
The waitress who they gave their order finally came back around, looking mildly exhausted but she still had a award worthy smile on her painted lips. "Here's your two dishes of garlic bread, your chicken nuggets and your tomato and cheese pasta."
"Thank you, darling." Sienna thanked with a flirty grin, screw her - the woman was stunning.
The waitress blushed, muttering a quiet 'you're welcome' before hurrying away in an extremely flustered nature.
"Why flirt like that with randos when you have two original hunks of men at home who are fully ready and willingly to rearrange your insides." Olivia pointed out.
"First of all, it's fun." Sienna started while putting up her fingers for how many pointes she made, "Second of all, they do not wanna rearrange my insides." She put up a second finger, "And third of all, I'd be the one in charge anyway."
"Even more reason, imagine bossing around those men. The power you would feel." Olivia encouraged cheekily.
"Stop feeding into my need for control and power." Sienna muttered in amusement.
"Never." Olivia grinned back with a wink.
As the two fell into their regular layout of conversation which consisted of dark humour, teasing, sex jokes, random topics and joking insults — smiling and joking all the while ; a pair of eyes watched the whole ordeal sadly.
Caroline Forbes sat in one of the booths of the grill, picking at the skin of her hand and her nails, fiddling with anything to distract herself. Bonnie, Elena and her had all planned on hanging out at the grill, and Caroline had been buzzing with excitement all day — having not spent a proper day with her best friends without anything supernatural related in ages, but, they didn't show. Neither of them did. Without so much as a message to her explaining why.
The blonde just felt alone. Unwanted, used. No one even spoke to her for her anymore, they always needed something. And Caroline just wanted to appreciated, she wanted a true friendship where the person would love her for her, want to speak to her for her, not just use her for plots and plans. Only speak to her when she was needed.
She almost felt like she was being pulled along by a rope which was attached onto her with a vice grip which refused to loosen. And anytime the grip dared to loosen for a moment or two and she was allowed the relief of momentary freedom, it always tightened again. Keeping her repeating the cycle of disappointment all over again.
Caroline knew if she was brave enough she could grab the metaphorical scissors and cut the rope which bound her down, but the thing was, without the rope which was led by her 'best friend' she wouldn't have anything.
So she played along. Willingly allowing the rope to tug her instead of resisting, just hoping and praying that one day. The hold would loosen in its own and she'd be free, happy.
That certainly wasn't today, she knew without a doubt, but Caroline was patient and surprisingly optimistic in spite of her situation. That would either be her downfall or her salvation. She didn't quite know yet.
"Hi." Caroline snapped away from her thoughts as a voice greeted her happily, "Caroline right?"
Caroline could only nod, looking at the pair of best friends warily as they shared silent looks with a nod.
"Not to sound like those creepy men whom we all rightfully loathe but we were wondering why such a beautiful lady like yourself was sitting alone?" Sienna teasingly asked, delighted at the cute giggle Caroline emitted. "And if said beautiful lady would like some company?"
"She'd love some." Caroline responded honestly, grabbing ahold of Olivia's hand who hoisted her up out of the alone and depressing booth, taking her to their much more lively booth.
"I love your outfit by the way, Caroline, you should come shopping with us one day." Sienna suggested with an easygoing smile.
Caroline immediately perked up, her blue eyes shining brightly in happiness and she barely held back a squeal of excitement, she had noticed their fashion too and absolutely adored their outfits.
Elena and Bonnie never shared the same interest in shopping as her and Elena had made it perfectly clear she didn't care that Caroline was interested in it and wouldn't go shopping for or with Caroline, Bonnie merely agreeing with every word with flew out of Elena's mouth. So she never asked, never pestered, honestly she couldn't even be herself around them really. But without them who did she have.
"I would really like that." Caroline nodded lightly with a shy smile, hiding how truly eager she was.
"Aren't you just the cutest little thing." Olivia cooed honestly and Caroline blushed slightly while Sienna nodded in agreement with a soft grin.
"Thank you." Caroline replied with a small laugh, feeling the warmth of cheeks but not really caring as she felt genuine happiness for the first time in a while.
And as they were chatting, laughing, having fun, Caroline's phone went off in her bag. Her 'friends' messaging her for her help with something.
But she didn't hear it, she didn't even notice.
Step one to cutting that rope.