Founder's Party
~~~~~
{outfit for chapter above}
~~~~~
"They all look fine to me."
Alora looked away from the abundance of dresses she had pulled out and towards Vicki, who was applying her makeup in the mirror. She then looked back down at the dresses with a frown on her face.
"All of them look so fancy for this event from what you and everyone else has told me. The ones that don't, well....they're a little too short for the people in Mystic Falls," Alora put a few back into her closet, "not that I actually care, but still."
Vicki turned to see Alora, "Well, what about one of your hippie outfits?"
"They're not 'hippie'," Alora commented.
Vicki shot her a look.
Alora sighed, "What about them?"
"Wear one of them."
"I guess....I mean, I probably will, but I just thought to wear something that was an actual dress, you know?"
"Weren't you the one who was preaching only moments ago that 'fitting in' wasn't a big deal and that the opinion you have on yourself is the only one that matters?" Her question was rhetorical.
"Yeah," Alora huffed, answering anyway.
Vicki twisted the cap of her mascara back on before she placed it on the desk. She then turned around and made her way over to Alora, "I'll find something for you."
"You will?"
"I will," Vicki lightly nudged her out of the way, her eyes widening as she saw her friend's closet. "Holy–! Your closet is amazing! I'm so jealous!" She exclaimed before she went trifling through the clothing, starting at one end and going piece by piece, sliding the hanger across the railing.
"How about this one?" She suggested, turning to Alora.
The dress was completely white, designed to fall a little shorter than mid-thigh.. It was off the shoulder, but had sleeves starting at the shoulder that flowed down to the wrists, where they were cinched with a white ribbon. There were light-colored wooden buttons trailing down the front of it, keeping it all together.
"It's a little flashy, no?"
"It's cute," Vicki looked at the dress again.
"It is, though it fits more in the other cities I've lived in," Alora responded. The dress was actually one of her favorites, though she had no clue when she would be able to wear it again in Mystic Falls.
Vicki put the dress pack where she found it, "That reminds me. Where have you all lived?"
"Many places," Alora sat down on the edge of the bed, Arthur immediately making his way towards her, putting his front paws on her lap and nuzzling his head against her side.
"Specifics, please?"
"In or out of The States?"
"In."
"California," Alora responded. "It was a little too tourist-like for my opinion, but it had some of my favorite people. I still talk to some of the friends I made there, though—not as often as I would like."
"Then there was Colorado and New Mexico," She continued. "My dad and I both loved Colorado the most. It was probably the only place we liked equally. We lived in many places in New Mexico, Santa Few being my favorite. I matched the style that was going on in the city and enjoyed all the little shops that were there. "
"Though I do have to admit, the food there wasn't the best—the restaurants, at least. One would think they would have good tacos, but they in fact, did not."
She scrunched her face up at the reminder of the food.
Vicki listened to every word Alora was saying before she pulled out another dress, "What about this one?"
The dress was longer than the other one, falling a tad bit above the knee. It was a pale green coloring, the torso being sheer with embroidered flowers across it. The only sleeves on it were satin ribbons that tied at the top, and it was backless.
"Do you happen to have an event that takes place in the spring?" Alora questioned.
"Of course we do," Vicki confirmed. "There is an event like every other week, sometimes multiple per week. It's ridiculous.....so you're planning on saving this dress for the occasion then?"
Alora hummed.
"I can't wait to see it, sunshine."
"Sunshine?"
"It's fitting, no?"
She placed the dress back in the closet and continued looking.
"But back to the places you've lived."
"Oh, right!" Alora spaced out for a second. "I lived in multiple parts of Texas. It was hot and humid, though I do have to admit it was quite cheap to live there. The schools, however, sucked. We also lived in Michigan and a few other states up North, none of which really stood out."
"Lastly, we spent a lot of time in Louisiana, recently. We were trying to work our way around the state before deciding on another place to live. It was a lot of time in hotels and a lot of restaurants, which there were no objections to because the food is really good there. The only major city we failed to visit on that go around was New Orleans."
"Okay," Vicki turned to Alora. "I have a few questions."
"Go for it."
"First off, what the hell is this?" Vicki questioned, holding up a bright purple dress.
Alora laughed when she saw it, "I forgot that was in there—Halloween costume. Think Daphne from Scooby Doo. I have a hideous wig around here somewhere that completes the look."
Vicki raised her eyebrows looking down at it, "That explains it."
She went back to looking.
"Second off, traveling around The States must cost a lot, so what on earth does your dad do to afford it?" Vicki questioned, frowning at one of the dresses she saw.
The question was harmless.
"He's a writer."
"A writer?"
Alora nodded, even though Vicki couldn't see her, "He's been writing books since before I was born. Mainly, fantasy, adventure type books, some romance scattered in there and then the occasional mystery or thriller—a mix of a few in the best ones."
"So smart and hot?" There was a teasing tone in Vicki's fun.
She was just having some innocent fun.
"One more comment and I will shove you right back out the door you came in," The threat was empty and Alora was struggling to keep the laughter that was bubbling up within her down.
Vicki just looked over her shoulder and winked.
Alora threw a pillow from her bed at her.
"Next question, then," Vicki tried to say through her laughter, "Why don't you seem disappointed about not going to New Orleans? I've heard people say it's a beautiful city."
"It is," Alora bobbed her head. "We lived there for a few months. I don't remember much of it since I was younger. But I do know that my dad enjoyed it there, probably his favorite out of the mix of places we've lived."
"Hmm."
"Any more questions?"
"One more," Vicki turned to her with another dress in her hands yet again, "What about this one?"
The dress was a pale bluish lavender, the color periwinkle came to mind when Alora saw it. The color almost seemed faded, but deliberately. It had long, flowy sleeves and fell to the exact mid-thigh. There was a light brown piece of fabric, cinching the dress together at the waist to pronounce the figure. The plunge neck came to directly meet the 'belt.' The last distinguishing figure was the decorated beads and embroidered suns that were scattered upon it.
Alora tilted her head, "I forgot I had that."
"So is that a yes, then?"
"It's a yes."
Vicki cheered to herself, an excited smile making its way to her face as she dragged Alora up from the bed, handed the dress to her, and then shoved her in the direction of the bathroom.
"Quick, quick, quick! Go change!"
~~~~~
Vicki ended up getting a ride with Alora and Dean, much to the confusion of her brother, who was rather shocked to see his sister hanging out with someone who seemed so normal.
When the group of three arrived, they joined the line that led up to the Lockwood Mansion. Alora stared at the building with wide eyes, marveling out how large it was compared to many of the other houses that were in the town.
"Have you never seen a mansion?" Vicki jokingly asked, lightly knocking her shoulder against Alora's.
"No, no, I have," Alora snapped her attention away from the building. "I just didn't expect to see one in this town."
"Finally think there isn't as much charm to this place as you previously thought?" Dean questioned, having entered the conversation between the two girls. Unlike his daughter, he didn't like the mansion they stood in front of.
He didn't like many things.
"I didn't say that."
"The way you're looking at the place says something different," Dean told her, watching as she looked up at him, frowning.
"Using my own words against me, that's just cold," She commented, remembering the previous conversation they had in his office earlier.
Alora looked over at Vicki, going to ask her another question; however, she noticed that Vicki's attention had drifted elsewhere. Following her line of view, Alora saw that Vicki was looking at Tyler, who was looking back at her as well.
Her face had a smile on it.
He had a look of unease.
Alora watched as Tyler excused himself from his parents before making his way through the line. He eventually came to where they were standing. He gave Alora a half-smile, not even noticing Dean. Instead, he grabbed Vicki's arm and dragged her away from the line.
"Uh, let's go this way."
Vicki frowned, looking back at the line, confused, "Why? What about Alora?"
Tyler shifted, briefly looking at his mom, who was staring at him with a look of disappointment. "Line's too long. We can go around back. Come on, party's in the back."
Vicki tugged her arm free. "But I was with—" Her words got cut off when Tyler placed his hand on her back and began ushering in the other direction.
"Alora will be fine."
"But–"
"Vick, come on."
Vicki frowned once more, looking back at the father and daughter she had gone with. She was looking forward to spending more time with Alora, seeing as the younger girl was the one of the first people to just accept her for who she was, instead of wanting her to be something—more like someone—else.
She looked back at Tyler.
He was the boy she had been crushing on for the longest time, regardless that he was a year younger than her. She had always wanted his attention and now, she had it.
She didn't want to pass it up.
Her lips tugged up into a small smile, though it was forced.
"Okay, yeah, let's go."
Alora watched as Vicki and Tyler walked off. She frowned at the sight of it, immediately pulling her phone out.
Is everything okay with you and Tyler?
She sent the message to Vicki.
It didn't sit well with how quickly Vicki had changed attitudes when around Tyler. One moment, she had been frowning and almost uncomfortable, and the next, she was....smiling? It almost looked like Tyler wasn't taking 'no' for an answer.
That didn't sit right with her.
Maybe Alora was over analyzing it, but she wanted to make sure.
It would be wrong for her to not.
"You okay?"
Alora looked back to her father when she heard his low voice. "Everything's fine. I just wanted to make sure she's okay," Alora responded, pursing her lips as she glanced back to where Vicki and Tyler disappeared to.
Dean watched his kid for a moment, wondering how she was the exact opposite.
Alora wasn't like him.
And she wasn't like Ivory—her mother.
Eventually, the two had made their way to the front of the line, where they were greeted by Mayor Lockwood and his wife. Both of them had cheery smiles, which made Dean desperately want to insult them.
"We're so glad both of you could make it," Mrs. Lockwood greeted the two of them, her eyes lingering on Dean a little longer than they should have. "Hopefully, Mystic Falls has been welcoming to you both."
"It has," Dean gave them one of his charming smiles.
It had Mrs. Lockwood swooning.
"Well, come on in," She then said, giving them both a kind smile.
Alora paused at the words.
They were deliberate—they were testing people. They wanted to know if vampires were in the town. She assumed that they didn't think that vampires could show up because they couldn't be in sunlight, therefore, they were inviting people in without a second thought.
A little careless in her opinion.
"It was lovely to meet you," Dean directed the comment to the Mayor, earning a nod in response.
As soon as Alora and Dean entered the house, Dean's charming smile fell.
"You seem to have gained an admirer," Alora mused with a teasing smile on her face. "A married one at that."
"I will ground you."
Alora looked up at him, "You've never once done that."
Dean gave her a fake smile, "Maybe I'll start now."
Alora's smile fell.
"Now, go find your witch."
"She's not—"
"Huh-huh," Dean spun her around by her shoulders until she was facing where Bonnie was going to be. "Go."
He shoved her forward a bit.
Alora stumbled on her heels. She looked over her shoulder, only to see her father being cornered by some random woman—already? He looked miserable, even though he had a 'smile' on his face.
She snickered at the sight before looking back in front of her.
As Alora walked around, she kept her eye out for Bonnie. She knew she was going in the right direction—call it witchy intuition. She had taken note of multiple people who were gathered there.
Stefan and Elena.
A vampire and a human teenager.
They looked to be having a great time together, truly enjoying themselves. Both of them seemed to have not a single care for anything else in the world, completely enraptured in the presence of the other.
Elena.
Alora had only ever had a simple conversation with Elena. The times that Alora had been with Bonnie or Matt had led to her talking to Elena. However, Alora had mostly just been there witnessing the drama in Elena's life unfold.
Then there was Stefan.
Alora had never had a single conversion with the vampire. She had a brief interaction with him—a weird one at that. Stefan had sat down at her table when she was reading and then greeted her without saying anything else to her.
She didn't really know Stefan, so she couldn't form an actual opinion on him.
However, she did think that Stefan and Elena were moving a little too fast.
But it wasn't her place to say anything.
Alora had also picked up on the other vampire that was in the place.
Damon, who was accompanied by Caroline, his compelled girlfriend ( personal blood bag ), but who was she to point out the specifics?
Damon.
Alora knew next to nothing about the vampire. She knew he was the one that was killing all the people in the town—the 'animal attacks.' She also knew that Stefan and Damon didn't get along with each other, based on the obvious tension that was between the two.
She may not have personally known Damon, but she did form her opinion on him already. She didn't like him.
At all.
His morals were corrupted—like most vampires. She hated that he was using Caroliene for his own benefit. She didn't deserve that—no one did. He was not only compelling and feeding on her, but Alora also figured that he was forcing her to do plenty of other things.
Speaking of Caroline.
Alora had engaged in plenty of conversations with her. The blonde may have been a little blunt and oblivious to how her words sounded, but she was a genuinely nice person. She was friends with Bonnie, Elena, Matt, and countless other people that Alora was trying to become friends with, so they were bound to get close to each other.
She also knew that Caroline's mother was the Sheriff of the town.
Go Mama Forbes!
From what Alora had heard, Caroline didn't have a good relationship with her mother. Based on the events today, she figured that Caroline was upset that her mother was working, patrolling the area.
Alora figured that she knew way too much about the people in the town, when she hadn't even talked to them.
She stopped paying attention to other people as soon as she saw Bonnie sitting at a table, alone. She frowned out the sight before making her way over towards the girl.
As she was walking over, she saw Bonnie was intently focused on a candle that was in front of her. And before she knew it, a flame flickered to life.
Alora's eyes widened.
As did Bonnie's, who quickly blew out the candle.
Alora knew Bonnie didn't want to accept that she was a witch, so she decided to not question it. Instead, Alora came up behind Bonnie and wrapped her arms loosely around the girl's neck, resting her head on Bonnie's shoulder.
"Hey, stranger."
Bonnie blinked, rapidly, upon hearing her friend's voice. She turned her head to see Alora, her face oddly close to Alora's when she did.
"You came."
"Of course I did," Alora commented, unwrapping her arms from around Bonnie and moving around so she was in front of her. "I said I would be, so here I am. Are you alright?"
Bonnie's eyes drifted to the candle, subconsciously. She then looked back at Alora. "I'm fine, yeah," She cleared her throat, a smile appearing on her face, "sorry."
Alora knew the cause of Bonnie's unease, but pushed down her own curiosity. "Well," A mischievous smile made its way to her face, "Do you want to dance?"
Bonnie looked at Alora before looking down at the hand Alora had offered her. She wasn't used to getting so much attention from one person, her friends were always off with their own issues, whether it be family problems, boyfriends, or even other friends.
"So?"
The silence had made Alora uneasy, thinking she had done something wrong.
Hearing her voice again, Bonnie snapped out of her thoughts. With a smile on her face, she placed her hand in Alora's and got up from where she was sitting.
"I would love to."
Alora grinned back at her and led her onto the dance floor.
~~~~~
Across the room, Caroline stood with Damon. She had a glass of champagne in her hand as she watched everyone else talking, laughing, dancing...having the time of their lives.
She opened her mouth to ask Damon if he wanted to dance, only to glance over at him and then shut her mouth, pursing her lips.
She didn't want to provoke him.
The first guy who picked her first—who picked her over Elena. Caroline had thought that she had struck gold, that she was finally going to live out her teenage fantasies. Instead, she just ended up with nothing but pure bad luck.
She ended up with a vampire.
Some who acted as if he cared, only because he was getting a blood source and sex.
An involuntary shiver spread over Caroline at the reminder. It was a cold feeling, one that made her uncomfortable as she shifted on her feet, gripping her glass tighter.
Damon noticed her sudden tense posture from beside him. He raised an eyebrow at the question and glanced down at the blonde next to him. "Everything okay?" He questioned, not that he actually cared.
His voice was curt and cold as he spoke to her, reminding Caroline just how little he cared for her. She was only there to let him feed and to do whatever he wanted, even if she didn't want. The unpleasant memories of what he had forced her to do flashed through her mind when she looked up at him.
She hated the situation she had gotten herself into.
She hated him.
But she couldn't do anything.
"I'm fine," Caroline replied, giving him a small, believable smile, willing her voice not to crack.
She couldn't seem weak.
No.
That would be foolish of her.
She was happy.
Damon had told her that she was happy.
Said vampire gave her a short nod, rolling his eyes as he looked back at the dance floor where he saw Stefan and Elena dancing.
His jaw clenched at the sight of them.
Stefan had ruined everything for him. He had taken Katherine from him, taken his choice away, and then proceeded to be a pain in the ass for the rest of the immortal lives. Even now, back in Mystic Falls, Stefan was happy. He had moved on, found love again in Elena—an exact copy of Katherine, the woman who Damon still loved.
"They look so cute together."
Damon sighed at the sound of Caroline's voice. He sometimes wondered why he even put up with the blonde teenager.
"Don't talk, please."
Caroline brought the champagne glass to her lips.
She loved talking.
How was she supposed to not comment on every single thing she saw?
As she took a sip of her drink, Caroline's blue eyes scanned the scene in front of her. She saw her mom, patrolling the area, all dressed up in her uniform. She saw her friend, Elena, talking and dancing with Stefan. She saw the Mayor and his wife mingling with people in the crowd. Finally, she saw her friend, Bonnie, dancing with Alora.
They all looked so happy.
She was supposed to be happy.
Damon had told her she was supposed to be happy.
So why was there this empty feeling in her that continued telling her that she wasn't?
Caroline had never seen Bonnie so happy. Her friend was laughing and had a smile across her face the entire time she talked and danced with Alora.
"She looks so happy," Caroline couldn't help the comment from slipping past her lips.
She immediately froze.
She was supposed not to talk.
"Who?"
Caroline tried to hide her shock at Damon's interest.
"Bonnie."
That peaked Damon's interest even more. He looked over at the girl that Caroline had pointed out. She was dancing with someone that Damon had heard was new to down.
He tilted his head at the sight of the girl in the flowy, blue dress.
Whoever that was seemed out of place, like she didn't belong in Mystic Falls.
There was also something about her, something that he couldn't quite place. There was some type of aura to her, one that made Damon on edge. He had felt a similar feeling when he had passed by another gentleman at the party.
The guy had been tatted up, wearing a dark navy blue suit and white shirt. He had a similar aura as the girl with Bonnie, though he was darker and stronger.
Both of them were out of place.
"Who's she dancing with?" He wanted to know all he could.
"Alora," Caroline replied.
"What do you know about her?" Damon asked before looking at Caroline. "Tell me everything."
As soon as Caroline heard those words, she couldn't stop herself from talking as soon as her mouth opened to respond.
"Alora Grey," Her voice sounded robotic.
"She's new to town. She arrived the same time that you and your brother did. She's one of those personal people, who seems to get along with everyone and is willing to talk to everyone, even if she doesn't know them. It's kind of annoying."
"She made quick friends with Bonnie, plus these two kids at our school, Amanda and Asher. She plays pool at the Mystic Grill with Matt and Tyler most days after school, and has recently formed a friendship with Vicki Donovan."
"Anything else?"
Caroline thought for a moment.
"She only has her father. They arrived in town together. When I asked her about her mom, she got dodgy with the question like she didn't want to answer it and the topic made her uncomfortable. She had a pet cat, but she's like really close with her dad."
Caroline was jealous of that.
Her relationship had been rocky with her father ever since he left her mom.
Hell, her relationship with both parents was terrible.
"Her dad?" Damon was intrigued.
"I haven't seen him personally, but she told Tyler that he has tattoos and looks like super intimidating—very out of place looking. Kind of hot."
Damon frowned.
The guy from earlier was Alora's father.
It made sense, though it made Damon more on edge.
"Why were you—"
"Stop talking."
Caroline did.
She didn't know why, but she did.
All she was left to do was watch everyone else go on with their lives and be happy, while she stood there, in her own ( forced ) relationship, stuck, unable to go or do anything.
~~~~~
While Alora had been spending her time with Bonnie, Dean had been making his way around the house, alone. Unfortunately, that meant that people felt obligated to talk to him, which he didn't like happening.
At all.
Dean was currently standing by a hideous looking painting that was on the wall with a glass of champagne in his hand as he listened to the middle-aged couple talk about their kids.
"Our littlest one just started kindergarten," The woman, who he didn't remember the name of, began. "She cried when she stood in front of the classroom, clinging onto me, begging to just let her go home."
Dean nodded, absentmindedly.
"Her eyes were all red and puffy when the teacher came out of the classroom to try and convince her to come inside the classroom. She kept on refusing to go in though, not wanting to leave me. The only thing that finally convinced her was that the teacher had Play-Doh," The lady laughed.
As did her husband.
Dean gave them an amused smile and a weak chuckle as if he actually cared about what they were saying.
But they knew none the better.
"Littlest one?' He questioned. "How many other kids do you have?"
The woman smiled at the question.
Dean still didn't remember her name.
"Two," She replied.
"Two older boys," The husband added.
Dean also didn't remember his name either.
"Ethan and Matthew. One is seven and the other is eight, exactly one and half years apart," The woman continued to explain.
"And your little girl's name?"
"Paxton."
Dean nodded, taking a sip of the bubbly drink, cringing at the flavor.
He hated champagne.
It was pretty much one of the only alcohols he didn't like.
The husband cleared his throat, "Do you have any kids?"
"I do, actually," Dean replied. "A daughter."
His answer seemed to shock them as if they hadn't expected it.
"Oh!" The woman explained. "How sweet. What's her name? Is she here?"
"Alora," Dean didn't like answering questions about his own life or his kids. He didn't like people prying into it, even the inquiries were harmless. "She's around here somewhere."
"Really?" The husband raised his brows, looking around. "I don't see any children around here."
Dean hated when people assume things.
"She's seventeen."
"Oh..."
The married couple exchanged looks with one another.
"If you'll excuse me," Dean flashed them a smile, immediately calming their nerves.
"It was nice talking to you."
Dean nodded at what the husband had said, seemingly agreeing with the two before he walked off. The smile on his face fell once again as soon as he was out of the couple's sight.
God!
That conversation had been dreadful.
He immediately beelined for the bar, knowing that having more alcohol in his system besides the bubbly champagne would make any further conversations a lot easier to deal with.
When he got to the bar, Dean noticed a familiar strawberry blonde, Jenna, getting herself a drink. However, he didn't decide to start a conversation with her. Instead, he placed the half-full flute on the counter, not wanting to bother to drink any of it.
He ordered himself a glass of whiskey as another man approached the bar.
"Don't shoot! Only need a refill," The man greeted Jenna, when she shot him a glare.
"Shooting implies caring."
"Feigned indifference," The man hummed, "I like it."
Dean rolled his eyes, watching the bartender grab a glass and a bottle.
"I'm over the banter, Logan."
Logan.
A name for the face.
"I'd really rather you just left me alone," Jenna told Logan.
"I'm sorry, Jenna. About your sister."
Dean already didn't like the man and the way he didn't respect the words that Jenna had said. She had asked for him to leave her alone, and he didn't.
What a stand up guy.
"Thank you," Jenna didn't turn to look at him.
"I came to the funeral."
"I know. I saw you," Jenna was cold as she spoke to him.
Dean applauded her ability to stay mad at him as his drink was placed in front of him. He thanked the bartender with a nod, picking the glass up and taking a sip.
"Yeah, I didn't want to push my way in, but I wanted to be there for you. And when I heard you were staying in Mystic Falls, I thought maybe...Well, maybe I could have a second chance to make things right," Logan continued.
Dean couldn't help give a chuckle of disbelief at what he was saying, which attracted the attention of both Jenna and Logan. He regretted his actions immediately, but he didn't let the added attention bother him. Why would it?
"Excuse me?" Logan seemed annoyed.
"You're the news guy, right?" Dean questioned, ignoring the exclamation. "Logan Fell, isn't it? You've been discussing all the 'animal attacks.'"
Logan nodded, trying not to shift uncomfortably at how Dean was looking at him. "Who are you?" He questioned, not having seen the man before.
"Dean. Grey. It's a pleasure to meet you," Dean's voice was laced with sincerity, though he was anything but.
Logan turned to back to Jenna, "Jen—"
"Her name was Monica, wasn't it?" Jenna questioned, sarcastically.
Logan faltered before he grabbed his drink and walked off.
"I didn't mean to eavesdrop," Dean told Jenna as soon as he was gone. It was true, he hadn't meant to.
Jenna looked over at him, finally allowing herself a moment to take in his appearance. He was wearing a perfectly tailored navy blue suit, leaving the jacket open. He had a white dress shirt underneath with the top few buttons not done up, letting the tattoos that bridged from his chest to bottom of his neck to be easily seen.
"It's fine," Jenna cleared her throat, having realized she had been staring for a little too long.
Dean had noticed too.
"Let me guess, high school sweetheart?"
There was a teasing tone in his voice, which made Jenna's lips tug upwards.
"Something like that."
Jenna's eyes drifted to the abandoned glass of champagne in front of Dean. "Not a fan?" She questioned, gesturing to the glass.
"Too bubbly," Dean commented, eyeing the drink with distaste.
Jenna laughed, "Then why have it to begin with?"
"Some couple gave it to me, when they got two of their own. It would have been rude to not accept it," Dean replied. "They then proceeded to talk about their children for the next half hour before looking at me like I had two heads when I mentioned that I had a kid in high school."
"You're not a people person, are you?" Jenna had a teasing smile playing on her lips.
"What gave it away?" He questioned, sarcastically, finishing off his drink.
Jenna smiled behind the glass in her hands, "For someone who doesn't like talking, you sure seem fine with talking to me."
Dean shrugged, a small smirk forming "Maybe you're just an exception."
Jenna then watched as he walked away, smiling down at the floor once she could no longer see him.
~~~~~
"You look amazing, by the way," Bonnie's eyes widened before correcting herself, "I mean, your dress—your dress looks amazing."
Alora laughed, smiling down at Bonnie as they swayed to the music, "Why thank you. You look pretty amazing, too. And I mean you, not the dress you're wearing."
Bonnie felt heat rush up to her face and she averted her eyes, looking everywhere but Alora, who was finding nothing but amusement in the girl's sudden bashfulness.
"Do you want to get ice cream?"
Alora blinked, "What?"
"Sorry, sorry," Bonnie rolled her bottom lip into her mouth. "I mean, they normally have ice cream at events like this. Normally, Elena and I would always go and get it together, but she's with Stefan and you're...you're here."
Alora briefly glanced over at Elena, who was still dancing with Stefan. She then looked back down at Bonnie. "I would love to," She repeated the same words that Bonnie had used earlier.
Bonnie smiled before grabbing Alora's hand and leading her through the crowd of other pairs of people that were dancing.
The two eventually did get their ice cream.
They had then ended up in a random room of the Lockwood Mansion. The two girls were sitting on one of the antique couches that adorned the room. Alora was facing Bonnie as the two of them talked with each other and ate ice cream.
"You made friends with Vicki Donovan?" Bonnie questioned in disbelief.
"Why do you say her name like that? I mean, why does the entire town say it like that?" Alora had heard the same distasteful tone each time the girl was mentioned.
"Just...." Bonnie didn't know how to phrase it.
Before Bonnie could figure out what to say, Elena entered the room. Alora was the first to notice her and the frown that was on the girl's face.
"Are you okay?" Alora questioned.
Bonnie turned to see her friend enter the room and sit down in a chair near the couch the two girls were sitting on. She immediately figured that Elena was having problems with Stefan. The two had not been together for even a week and they had gotten into more arguments than Bonnie thought was possible.
However, Bonnie believed this one was her fault.
She had told Elena about what Caroline had said, which was bound to cause a fuss between the happy couple.
"I'm sorry, Elena," Bonnie apologized. "This is my fault. I planted doubt. I'm a doubt planter."
Alora frowned, failing to see how Elena's relationship problem were Bonnie's fault.
But she didn't comment on it.
It wasn't her place.
"It's not your fault. I just—I feel terrible because I said that I wouldn't get in the middle of it, and then that's exactly what I did," Elena complained. "I got all snotty."
Vampire problems.
Elena was inserting herself into problems that were at least a century deep. Alora thought that it was a nice concept for Elena to help fix the problems between Stefan and Damon, but Elena didn't understand the severity of what had happened between the two of them.
It was going to get her killed.
Alora furrowed her brows when she saw another person enter the room, Mrs. Lockwood.
"Elena, honey, there you are. I notice the watch still isn't in the collection."
"Oh, um, I'm sorry, Mrs. Lockwood. I, um, I couldn't find it. I guess it's still packed up in my parents' stuff somewhere," Elena replied, clearly lying, but Mrs. Lockwood didn't catch on to it at least.
"I see," She nodded. "Well, please let me know if you find it."
What was so important about a watch?
"Ok," Elena agreed.
Mrs. Lockwood nodded and then walked off.
"What was that about?" Bonnie questioned.
Elena looked at the doorway that the woman had departed to. She looked back at Bonnie and Alora. "I..I don't know," She shook her head.
Alora frowned, taking note of it.
Something had to be special about that watch, right?
~~~~~
Elena had left Bonnie and Alora.
She went to rectify things with Stefan.
Again.
After the brunette had left the two of them, Alora and Bonnie had resumed wandering around the house. Alora was excited to see more of the mansion, it was practically some type of museum with all the different antiques and paintings.
"You're thinking about something," Alora pointed out as they walked into the living room of the house.
"I am not," Bonnie argued before she sighed when she noticed the lighthearted look on Alora's face. "Fine, I'm worried for Elena," She admitted.
"Why?"
"When I'm around Stefan, I just get a really bad feeling."
Stefan was a vampire.
"And the two of them have gotten into so many arguments and they just started dating," Bonnie took the opportunity to vent. "He's hiding something. I don't know what, but he is. But I haven't seen Elena this happy in a long time."
"Bonnie..."
"I don't want to see her get hurt," Bonnie continued. "She's falling for him, fast–too fast. I'm worried that whatever Stefan's secret is, is going to come out, and then Elena will get hurt."
She probably was going to.
A vampire problem became everybody's problem.
Alora went to reassure Bonnie that everything was going to be fine, but she realized that would be a lie. She would be directly lying to her friend because when a vampire was involved, nothing was ever going to be fine.
"You're a good friend, Bonnie."
It wasn't a lie.
Bonnie gave her a small smile.
The two then stood in silence, their shoulders brushing against each other as they watched what was going on in the room.
One of the people hired for the event entered the room, followed by Mrs. Lockwood only moments later. Neither of which noticed the two girls that were in the room.
"Look around," Mrs. Lockwood snapped at the person. "What's missing?" She gestured to the abundance of candles that were in the room. "The flames, the candles. Why aren't they lit? There's matches in the kitchen."
The boy quickly nodded his head before rushing out of the room.
"Honestly," Mrs. Lockwood exited the room as well.
"Bitch," Bonnie muttered.
Alora smiled at the comment.
Bonnie focused on one of the candles in the room, but then she went to turn away, forgetting Alora was there for a brief moment. However, she then turned back to the room, seeing all the candles lit up.
Her eyes widened and she looked towards Alora.
"I have to go," Bonnie told her, making her way out of the room.
"Bonnie."
Bonnie didn't turn back around to say any further to Alora, who watched as Bonnie disappeared into the crowd. She then looked up at the ceiling, muttering something under her breath before she pulled out her phone.
She had received a message from Vicki.
- I'm fine. There's no need to worry about me.
- I left the party early. I'll see you at school.
- Have fun at the party, sunshine ;)
Sorry I didn't get to see you again. Hope you enjoyed the little time you did spend at the party<333
See you at school.
Alora then pulled up her father's contact.
Is it okay if I leave early?
She didn't even have to wait more than a few seconds before she got a response.
- Leaving a social event before me? I'm shocked.
- It's fine with me. Just be safe.
- I'll see you when I get home.
Thank you. Love you.
Alora stuffed her phone back into the pockets on her dress. She then weaved her way through the crowd, avoiding most of the people she recognized. For once in her life, she wasn't in the mood for a conversation.
Once outside, Alora made her way down the steps. As she was walking across the lawn, she noticed two figures in the distance. She squinted her eyes to see if she could make them out.
Damon.
Caroline.
She already knew she was screwing herself over as soon as she picked up her steps to make sure Caroline was okay. The closer she got, she noticed the enraged expression on Damon's face. It only made Alora walk faster.
Caroline didn't deserve to get hurt.
She didn't deserve what was happening to her.
Alora watched as Damon bit into Caroline's neck. Damon got in a few seconds before Alora got close enough to toss Damon off of her, telekinetically.
Damon flew backward a few feet, collapsing onto the ground beneath him. Alora kept a watchful eye on him before she rushed over to Caroline, catching the blonde before she could fully collapse.
Stefan sped to the scene, eyes widening in surprise at the sight of what Alora had done.
She was a witch.
Alora cradled a shaking Caroline in her arms, gently placing a hand over the wound on Caroline's neck. She chanted a spell under her breath, her hand glowing a faint orange on her hand as she healed the wound.
All the while, Alora watched as Damon began to choke, blood spewing out of his mouth, running from the corners of his mouth. She grimaced at the sight.
She hadn't caused that.
"What the hell?" Damon exclaimed, briefly flickering his gaze away from Alora and towards his brother, who was walking towards him.
"You know, I couldn't spike your drink...So I spiked hers."
Vervain.
Alora looked away from the two brothers.
They weren't her problem. They weren't her problem. They weren't her problem.
She needed to focus on Caroline. The girl who had been fed on by Damon. The girl who had a wound that was being healed as the moments passed. The girl who was crying into her chest as her body shook in fear.
Damon and Stefan were not her problem.
Caroline was.
Caroline was her priority.
"You're okay, you're okay," Alora muttered the words like a mantra, hoping to ease Caroline....and herself.
"Are you okay?" Stefan's voice.
Stefan knew she was a witch.
Damon knew she was a witch.
"Go," That was all she said to him.
And he did.
Stefan picked up his brother and sped away from the scene.
Once he was gone, Caroline untangled herself from Alora's embrace. She looked up at Alora, sitting upright on the grass. Her dried tears were staining her cheeks and fresh ones were stinging in her eyes, but she didn't know why she was crying.
"What am I—what am I....?" She trailed off, still staying close to Alora.
"Do you remember what happened?"
Caroline looked around, confused, then back to Alora. "Damon....I was out here with Damon. He was mad at me," She reached up to touch her neck, subconsciously.
Alora knew better than to ask her if she was okay.
She wasn't.
And she wouldn't admit it either.
"Come on," Alora got to her feet and then helped Caroline get up as well. She ignored the blood that was on her hands and on her dress as Caroline picked something up off of the ground, but she didn't see what. "Let's get you home, yeah?"
Caroline numbly nodded, letting Alora support her weight as they walked.
"Where's your car?"
Caroline pointed her in the right direction.
When they got to the car, Caroline went to get into the driver's side, only for Alora to steer her towards the passenger seat, opening the door for her and helping her inside.
"Keys?"
Caroline didn't argue and handed the girl the keys.
Alora closed the door and made her way to the driver's seat. She slipped into the seat and put the key into the ignition before pulling out of the spot Caroline had parked and began driving off.
"Alora," Caroline's voice was barely above a whisper.
"Yeah?" Alora glanced over at her.
"Thank you."
~~~~~
Inside the Lockwood Mansion, the party had come o a close. Everyone had left the residence, including those who had been hired to clean up. The only room left occupied was with those who were on the council.
"Thank you for staying so late," Mrs. Lockwood spoke.
"Did you get the Gilbert watch?" It was the Sheriff who spoke. She wanted to be prepared for the vampires that had infested the town once more.
"She claims it's packed away in her parents' things."
"I can get it," Logan announced, making his way further into the room. "Though there may be another complication."
"That being?"
"Dean Grey."
The name had Mrs. Lockwood straightening her posture.
"He's new to town, but something is off about him," Logan told them.
It might have just been his petty jealousy.
"Besides, I can't get into the Gilbert house if I can't win over Jenna. Her attention, well, it's on him."
The Sheriff nodded, "Do whatever it takes. We're going to need it."
"Are you sure?"
"Five bodies all drained of blood? I'm certain."
"They've come back."
~~~~~
a/n: hello lovelies:) i started writing this update as soon as i finished the last one, but i am just now getting it out. it's like 7.5k words, which im pretty proud of. i hope you enjoy it<333
alora is friendly with everyone btw or at least she will try to be in the beginning, but there's room for character development.
dean and jenna are going to get together due to popular demand.
the secret about alora being a witch is out, so the plot thickens now. she still won't jump straight into the fire. she's smarter that and dean wouldn't let her.
what do we think of the vicki alora friendship?
caroline and alora friendship?
please don't be a silent reader. vote and comment.
stay safe and beautiful. love you lots<333