Journey To The Past [Sequel to At The Beginning]

Chapter 17

Mystic Falls High School
Cassie was helping at the food truck window when Jeremy stepped up to buy popcorn with Damon trailing behind him. Cassie knew he was gonna try something. "Jeremy, it's so good to see you alive." Damon said loudly. "Damon shut up! Aren't you a little old for a high school carnival?" Cassie asked him with snark then handed Jeremy his popcorn. "A hundred and fifty years too old." He replied then took some of Jeremy's popcorn and ate it. "You're pretty funny cracking jokes when I could I don't know...blow the whole lid off this thing by telling someone what you really are." Jeremy threatened him. Cassie raced out of the truck knowing trouble was about to start.
Damon wrapped his arm around Jeremy's shoulder and walked him away from the crowd. Cassie ran up to them to make sure Damon didn't hurt Jeremy. "So please tell me that that is not a threat." Damon said with a warning tone. "Maybe it is." Jeremy said with disdain and showed him his Gilbert ring. Cassie watched Damon carefully; within a second Damon had Jeremy in a choke hold from behind. "Damon stop!" Cassie said and tried to pry him off Jeremy. "This is what we're not gonna do: we're not gonna walk around like we are invincible when it's this easy for me to end you." He said and then released him. Jeremy stumbled backward into Cassie but she caught him. "If you want to tell people what I really am go ahead and try." Damon said with a dangerous smirk. He then held up Jeremy's ring; he had stole from his hand. "I will shove this ring so far up your ass, you'll really have something to choke on." Damon said and flicked the ring at Jeremy's face and walked away. "You okay?" Cassie asked as Jeremy rubbed his face where the ring hit him in pain. "I'm fine." Jeremy said angrily before looking down and picking up the ring. He walked away in a huff. Cassie let out a frustrated sigh and walked in the direction Damon went.
She found Damon inside watching Tyler who was arm wrestling in a competition. She walked over right as Stefan moved next to Damon. "You're lurking." Stefan said to him. "I'm observing." Damon replied. "More like obsessing." Cassie said with a chuckle. Damon gave her a dirty look. "He's got this." Cassie said with a smirk. Next second, Tyler won. Cassie applauded him. "Yeah Ty!" She yelled to him. He looked over and waved to her. She smiled and waved back. "He's got strength." Damon commented. "He's a triple letter varsity athlete, of course he has strength. You're reaching." Stefan said trying to stop his brother.
Mason walked over to the arm wrestling table and was about to go up against Tyler. "Enter the uncle." Damon said with a smirk. "You're being ridiculous." Cassie said to him with attitude. Within a minute, Mason beat Tyler. "Okay, he's the champ, who wants to go next?" Tyler asked the crowd. "Stefan wants to go." Damon said volunteering Stefan. Cassie and Stefan both shot Damon a 'are you serious?' look. "Yeah, sure, I'll...give it a shot." Stefan said and walked over to Mason. "Get him Stef!" Damon yelled encouragingly. "My brother over there thinks I can beat you." Stefan informed Mason as they grabbed hands. Mason looked over at Damon. "Your brother's wrong." Mason told him with a smirk. Tyler let go of their hands and they started wrestling, both putting in hard pressure. Stefan suddenly has a look of confusion on his face. Mason was stronger than him. Mason beat him. Damon scowled angrily. Stefan walked back over to Damon and Cassie. "You didn't put in any effort at all." Damon spat angrily. "Yeah, actually I did." Stefan told him honestly. Cassie and Damon exchange surprised glances. "Come with me." Damon said and walked into the hallway with Stefan and Cassie behind him.
Once they reached a secluded spot they stopped walking. "Is he...?" Damon began to ask but Stefan cut him off."No, no, it wasn't that kind of strength but it was more than human, if that makes any sense." Stefan said still trying to understand himself. "What is up with that family?" Damon asked frustrated. "If they're not vampires, what the hell are they?" Cassie asked confused. "Ooh, ah, maybe they're, um, ninja turtles!" Stefan said jokingly. Cassie chuckled. "You're not funny." Damon scolded him. Cassie rolled her eyes at Damon's negativity. "Or no, zombies, werewolves." Stefan spouted out; trying to make Damon realize he was over reaching. Cassie giggled. "No comedic timing at all." Damon said to Stefan with a scowl.
Then he turned his head and saw Carter repairing something. "What? What are you up to?" Cassie asked noticing where Damon was looking. "This is reality and there's no such thing as werewolves or...combat turtles." Damon said with an eye roll. "I said ninja turtles, actually." Stefan corrected him. "Hey you!" Damon yelled as he walked toward Carter. "I have a name." Carter told him. "Yeah I don't care." Damon said then grabbed his shoulders and compelled him. "I need you to pick a fight with someone, a kid named Tyler Lockwood." Damon said looking directly into his eyes. "Damon, don't do this." Cassie told him and again tried to pry him off of Carter but Damon pushed her back. "It's just an experiment. Get him mad, don't back down no matter what he does, okay?" Damon compelled him again. "I won't back down." Carter replied in a monotone trance state. "I know you won't." Damon said with a smile then he released him and pat him on the back as Carter walked away.
Stefan gave his brother a dirty look. "You do realize someone is going to get hurt right?" Cassie asked Damon with attitude. "No, someone is going to get mad, as in rage." Damon said to Cassie with a smirk. Cassie knew this wasn't gonna end well. She saw Tyler's temper first hand. "Damon, you can't do this." She told him. Damon saw the fear in her eyes. "Why? What's he gonna do Cassie?" Damon asked her know curious as to what she knows. Cassie remained silent with her mouth agape. "What's that going to accomplish?" Stefan asked disappointed in Damon's actions. "According to Cassie's face, that Tyler kid is incapable of walking away from a fight. Let's see who intervenes; maybe it's the ambiguous, supernatural mystery uncle." Damon said and walked away. "Stefan, he's right. Tyler can't control the rage." Cassie said to Stefan with worry in her eyes. Stefan looked at her and saw the fear in her eyes. "Let's go find Tyler." Stefan said to her and put his hand out of her to take. She took his hand and they ran to find Tyler.