Three months have passed. Emma, Jeremy and Jared were almost insuperable
They each cheated death in their own way and are helping each other heal emotionally.
Jared isn't paying attention and runs right into a girl who was walking and reading. Her books fall and they both bend down to pick them up
Jared's heart belongs to Emma but he knows he has to try and move on.
"Hi, I'm Jared."
"Hi, I'm Anna."
**Warning** some harsh language
Another month passes and the two couples find themselves with one another as often as possible. Anna had just lost her father less than a year prior so she too was doing her own healing. He was attacked by a werewolf and being a vampire, died a slow and painful death. It was an image that Anna tried often to forget about.
It was a Friday night and the four emotionally recovering teenagers were feeling restless. They were sitting on the couch at the Salvatore manor. Neither of Emma's brothers was home at the time. Anna was twirling her thick brown hair around her index finger. She looked over at her friends with her big brown eyes.
"I'm feeling too much in my head, let's go clubbing," she suggested.
"Clubbing?" Emma asked, "How do you suggest we get in? We barely look 18 let alone 21."
"That's easy, we just compel the bouncer," Anna answered.
Emma didn't have to think about it long. She said she was in. The girls then looked at the guys. Both Jeremy and Jared knew they would all just be asking for trouble if they went. Neither could resist the puppy dog eye look they were both getting from their girlfriends. Jared rolled his eyes.
"Fiiiine," he said.
"Ya, fine," Jeremy agreed reluctantly.
"Great! Okay, we need to change our clothes. Anna, come on, I'm sure I have something you can wear."
"What about us?" Jeremy asked. "We're not exactly dressed for a club either."
Emma looked at the boys and had to quickly agree that their regular jeans and rock tee shirts just wouldn't do for a dance club. She thought for a moment then had a plan.
"I know, you can both wear something of Damon's. He actually has a lot more "party" clothes than Stefan."
"I don't know," said Jared with a worried look in his eyes, "I really don't want to have to deal with Damon if he found out."
Emma thought for another moment.
"Okay, I got it!"
She grabbed her cell phone and sent out a quick text to her brother. A couple of minutes later she got the response she was hoping to get.
"Alright, it's settled. Damon said yes. You just can't touch anything "too" designer."
"Wait, what did you tell him?" Jeremy asked.
"I just told him that we were all going to a movie that is starting soon. I said that you two fell in mud and needed a quick change of clothes."
"That's it? That's all it took?" He asked a bit bewildered.
"Jared, my brother is out with your sister, he's happily distracted. Trust me, it's all good."
The four each ran upstairs and changed into clothes appropriate for a dance club. An hour later the four met back up on top of the stairs. They each approved of each other's looks.
Jared wore a long sleeve white flocked double pistol shirt. It read Silver Dagger on the side of the sleeve and had two huge western style pistols on the back. With that he wore Dsquared sexy grunge jeans and black and red rock "cowboy" boots that he had showing from under the jeans. The color of his boots matched his black and red tipped Mohawk. Jeremy wore Armani jeans; a solid black, very form fitting short sleeve shirt and solid black Dior ankle high boots. To match his designer look he spiked his hair as best as he could with the hair gel he found in Damon's bathroom.
"Oooo Jer, Armani and Dior? I'm thinking that is what Damon meant by "too" designer," said Emma.
"You're probably right, I'll go change."
"Wait, you look so damn good though. Just promise me you will be extra careful."
"I promise," said Jeremy with his notorious boyish smile. "But," he cleared his throat, "how in the hell did you ever convince Damon to let you buy dresses like the two you both have on?"
Emma looked at Anna and down at herself. She smiled.
"Oh, he has no idea I own these. That is why I'm bringing this backpack with dresses that are a lot more "Damon approved" so Anna and I can change into them before we come home."
Anna wore a micro mini dress. The body was white and form fitting tube design with black velvet halter tie neck straps and a black ruffle flirt skirt attached with a hip bow trim. She complimented her dress with three inch designer clear see through pumps. Emma's dress was just as revealing. It was a solid black, flirty ruched mini dress. It had a wide V neckline with a halter tie neck style with a double ruffle hemline. Her shoes to match were 5.5 inch heel, black multi strap platform pumps.
Anna looked at all of them. "I don't know, we just might get away with looking like we're 21 dressed like this."
Jeremy laughed nervously, "Ummm okay maybe so but you still plan on doing that compel thing right."
The three vampires laughed.
"Don't worry Jer, that's the plan," said Emma.
VVV
The four teens made their way into a downtown club just a town over from Mystic Falls. It was a mere 45 minute drive, plenty of time to get back by midnight which was their curfew. Emma worked her vampire "magic" on the bouncer and each of them walked in as if they had a right to. They immediately started to move to the music when they walked in. They were already having a great time, the atmosphere was perfect, the music was perfect and no other adult was there to tell them no.
The girls found a small table and the boys got drinks from the bar. The bartender questioned Jared and Jeremy's age and decided to ask for their I.D. as well. Jared compelled the bartender and for the rest of the night didn't have a problem getting drinks. They walked back to the table and handed the girls each a cocktail and a round of shots for all of them. Jared had two shots before everyone at the table agreed that he couldn't drink anymore.
"Why do I have to be the designated driver?" Jared whined.
"Because you're the only one with a driver's license," Anna answered.
"Yeah, I have to live in Mystic Falls two more years before I'm "16" so therefore I don't have a "license," said Emma feeling annoyed at Damon's rules.
"My mom does the same thing when we move to a new town. She tells people I'm only 15 so the younger I am where we live, the longer we can stay," added Anna.
Jared rolled his eyes, "Fine! But, it doesn't mean I can't dance," he stood up and held out his hand, "Anna?"
She gave him a huge smile and joined him on the dance floor. Jeremy and Emma followed. The four danced for close to an hour. Jared and Jeremy had to keep Emma and Anna close. Several men had tried to dance with the girls and could care less that they were there with their boyfriends.
"My buzz is wearing off, I need more to drink." Anna complained.
"I agree," said Emma.
"Alright, we'll go but you two please sit over there and wait for us," said Jeremy.
The girls took a table by the wall and waited for the boys to return with the drinks. One of Anna's favorite songs started to play. She was dancing to it in her seat happily.
"I'm going to run to the bathroom for a minute. I need to fix my hair; do you want to come with me?" Emma asked.
"I really love this song. I'm going to stay and wait for the guys."
"Okay, I'll be right back."
VVV
Emma was walking back out from the bathroom when she was approached by a guy who resembled Ashton somewhat.
"Hey beautiful, I haven't seen you around here before," said the drunk man who etched himself much too close in Emma's personal space.
"I'm here with my boyfriend, excuse me."
She tried to walk away but he grabbed her arm. That simple action jolted many flashbacks of her terrorizing 24 hours. She began to scream. Jared was next to her in a heartbeat. Jeremy was directly behind him. He could only go as fast as he humanly could. Emma was sobbing. Jared didn't bother to ask questions and punched the guy. He hit him so hard that he knocked him out with the first punch. He fell and no one around them seem to care and went right back to their business.
Jared got Anna to have her help him with carrying the drinks while Jeremy sat with Emma. She was sitting on his lap and crying on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry; I don't mean to ruin your fun."
"What? Em, you're not ruining anything. The guy was obviously being an ass. It's not your fault," Jeremy comforted.
"I don't know what happened. The guy grabbed my arm and then I just freaked out."
VVV
Jeremy held her close and rocked her in his arms. She felt safe and secure with him. She nestled her face into his neck and covered part of her face with her own hair. She started sucking her thumb. It was a habit she had broken time and time again but had it activated after her horrific ordeal with Ashton. Jeremy knew about it and never gave her a hard time. Only he and her brothers knew of her self-comforting trait. It was a habit she formed when she watched her father being killed by her own brother, Stefan. She hid in a closet for hours. It was Damon who found Emma rocking back and forth sucking her thumb.
VVV
Anna and Jared returned with many drinks. They had cocktails and shots. Emma quickly took her thumb out of her mouth, wiped her tears and gave her friends a welcomed smile.
"Are you okay?" Anna asked genuinely concerned.
"Yeah, I'll be okay in a few minutes."
"What's going to happen in a few minutes?" Jared asked.
"I'll have finished at least one cocktail and several shots," Emma answered with a sly smile as she raised a tall cocktail.
The next couple of hours went by and Emma, Jeremy, Anna and Jared were dancing and drinking. Jared only danced but none the less he was having a great time watching Anna get insanely drunk and tasting her sweet nectar filled kisses. Being sober, he kept track of the time.
"Hey guys, it's 11, we need to go if all of us are going to make it back before midnight."
They each grumbled but knew not to push their luck and stumbled out of the club. On their way out they didn't see Mason Lockwood but he did see them. He could see that Jared was sober and the one driving so he didn't stop them. He did however send a text to his friends, Damon and Chelsea.
It was close to 11:20 before Jared was able to get everyone on the road. Jeremy was throwing up every couple of minutes. It wasn't until he finally felt it was safe to go did they bother driving. Jared sped as quickly as he could and had five minutes to spare. He dropped Jeremy off home first then drove and dropped both the girls off. They were all rushing so their goodbyes were short but sweet. Jared drove off to get home as quickly as he could. The girls had 1 minute to midnight. They were both still a bit tipsy as well but had managed to sober up enough to walk pretty straight. As Emma was about to unlock the door she noticed Anna was still wearing the "non Damon approved" dress. She glanced down and she too was still wearing her micro mini dress.
"Damn! Anna," Emma whispered, "we need to change our clothes fir…"
Before Emma could even finish her sentence the front door opened. The front light flicked on. It was Damon. He was anything but happy. He folded his arms and looked at what the two girls were wearing.
"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" He asked rhetorically and with an unmistaken tone of anger.
Emma looked at Damon then over at Anna and back at Damon. She was dumbfounded. Only two words could escape her lips.
"Fuck me."