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Sempiternal
Chapter Twenty-Six
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"Honestly, I should have banged Kol when I had the chance," Carter blurted out, followed by a small belch. "I mean, he seemed interested." Matt glanced over at the strawberry blonde in confusion. "He tried to kill me," he spoke with a small chuckle. Her eyes widened. She was grateful each time that hazy fog came over her head and the alcohol began kicking in, but it never lasted long. She knew that since Kaitlin and Matt were beginning to get piss drunk, she could just say what was on her mind and not have to worry about getting judgmental looks, even though that wasn't necessarily a problem to begin with. Carter ran her fingers through her tangled hair, retying the band slowly.
"We should play truth or drink," Tyler suggested with a devious smirk. Everyone rolled their eyes at the Lockwood boy. He always came up with games no one knew about, and always altered the rules to his own liking. "What the hell is that?" Matt asked with a grin on his lips. As far as anyone could tell, Matt was a happy drunk. Kaitlin, on the other hand, was wild. She smiled dangerously at Tyler, biting down on her bottom lip. Carter knew she may have had a thing for her cousin, but never would have believed it until now. "It's where someone asks you a question, and you can either answer it truthfully or drink. Its not that difficult to understand," he joked. Matt nodded his head slowly, rolling his eyes. "Fine then, I'm in. Carter?"
Her eyes darted toward the blonde beside her, curiously. "Sure, why not. Its not like half of us will remember anything tomorrow," she replied with a light shrug. Tyler cheered, and Kaitlin was quick to join in. "Okay, Matt first!" the Japanese girl exclaimed, giggling. "Ty, are you and Care still together?" The boy glared at his friend, reluctantly lifting the can to his lips. Carter's eyebrows shot up in surprise. Were the two fighting? Tyler swallowed the gulp before turning toward Kaitlin. "Why'd you stay in Mystic Falls after Carter died?" he interrogated curiously. Kaitlin's cheeks began to color, her dark eyes wide. "Oh, well. I didn't want to leave her mom alone, even though she would have been just fine. Damon took care of her–" She stopped talking, turning to face her best friend. "Sorry..."
Carter shook her head with a small smile. "That chapter of my life is over, so... I can't stay mad." She shrugged her shoulders slowly, leaning back on her hands. "In that case, Cee, did you and Matty boy ever get at it?" She bursted into a fit of drunken giggles, her hands covering her flushed cheeks. Carter and Matt blushed profusely, both shaking their heads. "We got close one night in his truck, but Aunt Jackie..." Tyler stumbled with laughter, falling back onto the grass beneath him. "No way! Aunt Jackie totally cockblocked you!" Carter threw her now empty can at the Lockwood boy. She was grateful for the small flames yielding soft flames. "Shut up!" she whined with a soft smile. She directed her eyes toward Matt, who scratched awkwardly at the back of his head. "You're turn."
Matt felt uncomfortable under the strawberry blonde's gaze. The alcohol was making his head all fuzzy and bringing back old memories. "Why doesn't your mom live with you?" His eyes widened at her question in surprise. He never expected that question. Carter was getting deep. "Uh, I'll just drink to that," he chuckled nervously, tipping back his beer. He released a small sigh after the liquid slipped down his throat, settling in his warm belly. "What happened to your dad?" She knew that she deserved that. She didn't know why she was going so deep, especially since she was sober. Her eyes traveled to the fresh, unopened can between her fingers. "My dad was a great person, and I loved him so much. But he had problems, and alcohol was one of them. Everything was okay one day. He wasn't abusive or anything, he just slept a lot.
"I remember kissing him on the cheek before heading to school that day and when I got home, there he was. He was hanging in the living room from the ceiling fan. I was too scared to call anyone, so I got him down and just sat with him until my mom got home later that night." Everyone fell silent. Kaitlin didn't even know about Carter's dad. She had just assumed it was a car accident, like most deaths. Carter popped open her beer with a small smile. "He's the reason I didn't want to be this. I don't want to go down the same path he did." Matt wrapped his arm securely around her waist, pulling her into his side. Tyler looked down at the beer can resting between his fingers. "Mom told me it was bad, but... I didn't know," he voiced, looking back up to meet Carter's eyes. "I'm sorry."
She shook her head with a light laugh. "Don't do that, okay? We're here to have some fun, right? I'm sorry for getting so dark." Matt rested his head against her shoulder with a grin. She couldn't stop the wide grin from spreading across her face. Carter turned to look at Kaitlin with a cheeky grin. "Kait. Do you have a crush on anyone?" Carter waggled her eyebrows playfully, and the small girl blushed. She fingered through her hair, her deep eyes running over Tyler's frame. Although she made the motion quite obvious, she pressed her lips to the can and proceeded to drink. Mystery was never her strong suit, and Carter couldn't stop her eyes from rolling. "Matt, why did you and Carter break up?" Carter rolled her eyes, moving abruptly. "What's with the Marter questions?" she questioned with a strange smile.
"I'm just curious! It just happened. None of us saw it coming," Kaitlin lied. Matt ran his fingers through his hair with a puff of air. "Wrong time, I guess." He looked to Carter with a hint of curiosity. "What about you?" She bit down on the inside of her cheek, glancing back down at the grass below them. "For Damon, I guess. And because we sort of drifted away with the whole... Vick thing and Aunt Jackie." Matt looked down for a moment before nodding slowly. "Yeah... I was a real jerk to you that night at the Halloween party. God, I felt so bad and then you died, and I never got the chance to apologize. So, I'm sorry." She wrapped her arms around Matt's shoulders with a sweet smile. "It's okay, Matty. We're all good." Their heads rested against the other's and Tyler couldn't be happier. "Ooh, I got an idea!" Kaitlin shifted onto her knees, almost tipping over her beer can.
"We used to play this game at parties. Its called Chicken." Matt chuckled. "What the hell is that?" Tyler asked first, resting his palms in his lap. Carter smiled. "Its were you move in closer and closer until you kiss the person. Whoever backs off first is the chicken," she explained, unwrapping herself from Matt. "Yeah! We stopped playing it because Jackson kissed Carter and Scott broke his nose." Kaitlin giggled despite the sadness that came from speaking about their friends. Carter felt her skin grow warm at the memory. "Yeah, and Jack bled all over my carpet," she joked, running her fingers through her ponytail. "Matt," Kaitlin spoke with a wide grin. Her doe like eyes focused on the boy as she slowly leaned in. He had no idea what to do, but eventually their lips met and the Japanese girl was a giggling mess.
Kaitlin faced Carter with a look of determination. "We know how this is going to end," the strawberry blonde laughed. Instead of drawing it out, Carter leaned forward and kissed her friend. Both boys were taken by surprise by the action. The alcohol fueling Kaitlin's body encouraged her to take it further for entertainment, but Carter proceeded to pull away with a grin. Tyler stared in amazement at the two girls, his jaw slack. "Holy shit," he breathed out. Kaitlin smiled wide, running her fingers through her board straight hair. "No offense, but that was really hot," Matt voiced as Kaitlin turned to face Tyler. "Perverts," Carter joked. Kaitlin moved closer to Tyler, their eyes locked in an intense gaze. If Tyler wasn't so in love with Caroline, he could see himself kissing Kaitlin. But before their lips met, Tyler turned away.
Kaitlin felt embarrassed. Her cheeks tinged pink and her eyes widened in surprise. She fell back onto the grass with a shy smile, rubbing her cheek nervously. "Your turn," Matt chuckled, oblivious to the tension swimming around them. Tyler turned to Carter, and both teens shook their heads with small laughs. "Not even gonna attempt it," Tyler chuckled, finally turning to Matt. Matt's eyes sparkled with amusement as the two boys leaned toward the other, locked in an intense and challenging gaze. Matt puckered his lips jokingly, resulting in Tyler jerking away. "Dude! You cheated!" he shouted. Matt's laugh came from his belly, genuinely echoing through the distance. "Its called being drunk!" he retorted. Carter felt laughter bubble within her throat but fought against it, her fingers hiding her smiling lips.
"Cee is up!" Kaitlin cheered. She didn't want Carter and Matt back together. She was low key still hanging onto Carter and Damon, but her girl needed to feel something. Carter needed to kiss someone other than Damon. Matt glanced toward Carter with a playful smirk adorning his thin lips. "You ready?" She rolled her eyes with a small laugh, focusing on the boy in front of her. "The real question is: are you ready?" He leaned forward first, his eyes trailing from her eyes to her lips. He puffed out a gust of air. "Shit, I don't know. Your kiss was always the best one I've had." Her cheeks ignited into a hard blush, her eyes flickering toward his. "Shut up." Their noses brushed and Carter sucked in a breath of air. He pressed his lips against hers.
Her face began to tingle with the contact. She wanted to pull back. She knew he was kissing her because he was drunk, yet she felt herself becoming tipsy just from the taste of his tongue. His fingers brushed over her cheekbone, locking with the hair falling from her ponytail. She was the one to deepen the kiss, tilting Matt's head back. He flinched, and that familiar and intoxicating scent began to feel Carter's nose. "Shit!" he gasped, jerking away from Carter. She had nicked his lip. Her eyes zeroed in on the blood spilling across his bottom lip, her tongue darting out to wet her lips. "Carter, no!" She pounced on the blonde, attaching their lips once more. The blood felt warm against her palette. She felt as if she was floating on cloud nine. Her lips detached from his, littering kisses down his jawline. His pulse raced beneath her touch. He was cowering.
Tyler jerked the girl from their friend, holding her down with both arms. Her eyes were glowing, flickering like a deadly flame. Matt's blood stained her lips. "Carter, stop. Control it," Tyler hissed in her ear. She fought against his arms. The sight of Matt cowering away from her enticed her. She wanted to rip him to shreds. "It's Matt! Look! You're scaring him!" Tyler pinned her down, his knee pressed into her back. Her eyes not once left Matt's, and slowly they began to return to their normal hue. She breathed hard, clutching onto the grass between her fingers. Tears began to build behind her eyes. "Oh, God. Matt," she whispered. Tyler kept her down, staring back at his friend. "I'm so sorry."
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"Matt, hey!" Carter jogged up to the blonde. Her hair was messily piled on top of her head and she wore one of the only pair of flat shoes she has. Matt slowed down for her, but didn't make eye contact. "I just... I don't know what happened last ni–" He stopped her with a small smile. "Can we not talk about that? I'm not mad at you, okay? It's no big deal." She smiled genuinely at the boy, looping her arm with his. "Yeah.." He lead her into the wooded area once again, staring straight ahead. "But about the kiss.. Sorry about that. I mean, I shouldn't have done that." She chuckled at his words, shaking her head. "It wasn't horrible, but I shouldn't have let it escalate. I felt like I was taking advantage of you."
He grinned, ruffling his own hair with his free hand. "I felt the same way if I'm being honest. Let's just agree not to tell anyone about it. Deal?" Carter nodded, agreeing with him. They continued to walk through the trees silently until they ran up on Caroline and Elena. Care smiled at Carter, her blonde waves lightly flittering with the wind. "Hey, Cee," she greeted the strawberry blonde. "Hey, Care." Both girls grinned, but Elena stayed silent. Her eyes wandered over her friend, her bottom lip taken between her teeth. "What's with the cryptic secret meeting text?" Matt questioned. He and Carter slowly broke apart, Carter's arms crossing over her chest. "I don't know Stefan just said to meet here," Elena responded. Everyone began to glance across the clearing until the infamous Salvatore brothers broke through the brush.
"Where's Bonnie?" Stefan questioned, his eyebrows drawn in confusion. Caroline and Elena turn to face the vampire. "I texted her too." Caroline tucked her hair behind her ear. "Um, Bonnie's mom bailed on her. Again. So, I think we should leave her out of this one," she explained. Damon neared Carter, his vibrant eyes locked on her small frame. His gaze ignited a bundle of shivers within her, scurrying along her spine. "What are we even doing here?" she asked, breaking Damon's hard gaze. Stefan's eyes met hers, a sympathetic smile grazing over his lips. "We found some more white oak. Long story, wait for the movie," Damon replied with a smirk. His fingertips hovered over her bare shoulder as he moved behind the girl. She looked over at him with a fierce glare.
"Hang on. White oak? You have a weapon that can kill Klaus?" Damon stepped away with a playful smile. He knew he could still ignite something within her. He knew she still felt something for him. And he was going to win her back. "Nope. We all have a weapon." Carter's eyes snap toward the duffel bag Stefan had thrown out in front of him. Inside were stakes sharpened to a point. Carter felt nervous around the weapon. "Klaus has always been one step ahead of us, but now we have the advantage. We're all armed and they are all linked, meaning we only need to kill one of them," Stefan began. His eyes scanned over the varying faces around him. "We need to seize the best opportunity, which means we need to prepare for every opportunity."
Carter glanced toward Elena, noticing the brunette already staring back at her. "Scenario number one," Damon spoke. His hands took Elena's shoulders hostage, moving her to a point. "You get to play Klaus." She nodded in response. "This all feels a little too Twilight-y to me," Carter voiced, earning a small chuckle from Caroline. "This isn't a joke, Carter. Pay attention." Damon stared at the hybrid in mild shock. Her cheeks flushed pink and she slowly stood back to hide away. "Rebekah is our target so we distract her and catch her off guard. To do that we need to keep Klaus separate and occupied." Stefan turned to look at Caroline. She let out a huff, placing her arms onto her hips. "Why do I always have to be Klaus bait?" she questioned, irritated. "Because he's obsessed with you."
Damon walked over to Caroline with a small smile. "But for right now we need you to play Rebekah. We use the quarterback to distract her. Just keep her talking." Matt's eyebrows fell in confusion. "How?" Damon just simply halfway shrugged his shoulders before responding, "Act interested. She's lonely, desperate." — "Clearly. She slept with you," Caroline retorted. Carter's eyes widened at the vampire's words. "What?" Her voice was small. Damon turned to look at the strawberry blonde. She stared back at him with this look of betrayal that sent him backtracking. "Cee, I'm so sorry. I thought you knew." Her cheeks burned with anger; with hurt. "I didn't, but thanks for telling me." She turned on her heels, wiping at the trickling tears she had fought so hard against.
"Way to go, Barbie," Damon hissed. Stefan was the one to go after Carter. He knew she was hurting, but they couldn't do this without her. He followed the sound of her angry marching until he caught up with her. "He did it because he was hurting, Carter," he explained, matching her steps. "I get it. We aren't together anymore. I don't have the right to be mad, which is why I'm leaving, so I can be mad alone." Stefan scoffed at the girl. He grabbed her shoulder, stopping her in her tracks. "You're being ridiculous. He loves you, okay? You love him, and that's okay." She shook her head with a gentle smile. "I can't do this, Stef. Not with you." She took his hand from her shoulder and let it fall, moving away. "If anything happens, call me." Stefan fought the urge to run after her and bring her back. He just turned back and went right back to the group with a solemn expression.