"I'm not saying don't date the guy. Just take it slow." Bonnie tells Elena as we all get out of her car.
"You were the one who said to go for it." Elena reminds her.
"Now, I'm saying take it slow."
"She's got a point. I mean I'm dating Hunter and him and Stefan are brothers." I tell Bonnie.
"Why the about-face?" Elena asks both of them ignoring me.
"It's not an about-face. Your single for the first time in your entire high school career. It's the perfect time to play the field." Bonnie explains herself.
"Oh cause she's so that girl." I say.
"And you, your sophomore you don't need a boyfriend." She tells me.
"First, I'm 16 I'm old enough to have a boyfriend, I mean I'm doing driving classes soon and I'm just old enough. Second, I know I don't NEED a boyfriend but Hunter, He's different." I tell her and look at Elena to see if she's on my side and she nods.
"Seriously Bon, what're you not saying?" Elena asks.
"It's stupid." She says and we both give her a look saying spill it. "I accidentally touched Stefan and got a really bad feeling." She tells us.
"Is that it? Bonnie?" Elena stops Bonnie ad she tries to walk away.
"It was bad, bad."
"Is the whole witch MoJo thing again?" Elena asks.
"You know what? I'm just concerned. This is me expressing concern about my bestfriend's new boyfriend, and her little sister who is practically a little sister to me as well." She says looking at me and I nod saying I get it.
"And we love you for it, we do. But I feel good. It's been a hard year, and I'm starting to kinda feel like things are getting back to normal again. And you know what, Stefan is a big part of that." Elena says and Stefan walks up to us.
"Good morning, Elena. Bonnie, Phoebe." Ge says and gives us nods.
"Hey, um, I gotta find Caroline, She's bot answering her phone. So.. I'll see you guys later." She tells us and walks off.
"Bonnie wait..." Elena tries but she keeps walking.
"She doesn't like me very much."
"She doesn't know you. She's my bestfriend, she's just looking out for me. But when she does, she will love you. Here's what were gonna do, are you free tonight?"
"Yes."
"Perfect. Dinner, my house. 8:00. You, me, Bonnie, Phoebe and Hunter. We will all spend quality time together, and she'll get to see what a great guy you are. Mission accomplished."
"Oh, um, I don't know, Lena."
"Come on, Phebs, I wanna get to know your boyfriend."
"I get that. But I really don't want to scare him off." I tell her.
"Oh stop being dramatic. Just invite him over. It will be great." She tells me.
"Fine. I've gotta get to class." I tell her and walk towards the school.
"Hey, Phoebe. See you at cheer practice today?" Caroline asks me.
"Oh I don't-"
"She'll be there." Jo says from beside me.
"Great, I'll see you there." Caroline smiles and walks off.
"Jo." I sigh.
"Don't Jo me, okay last year you we're one of the only freshman to make Varsity, guess all that time in dance paid off. Also I overheard that a certain Salvatore boy asked Coach this morning to join the team."
"Yeah, I know. Hunter told me."
"And that wasn't enough for you to say yes? Look Phoebe, you loved cheer. I know you did, just go and try it and decide if you still love it." She tells me.
"Fine. I did love it." I tell her.
"Told ya. Plus Elena and Bonnie are on the squad." She tells me with a smile.
▫️▫️▫️
We're all stretching when Elena walks up to practice.
"Oh my god! You're here!" Bonnie says jumping up and hugging Elena.
"Yep, can't be sad girl forever. The only way to get things back to the way things were is to do things that were. Oh and you're coming to dinner tonight."
"I am?" Bonnie asks with a smile.
"Mhm. You, Phoebe, me, Hunter, and Stefan." Elena tells her and she frowns. "You have to give hime a chance."
"But tonights no good. Have you seen Caroline I've texted her like 100 times."
"Don't change the subject Bonnie Bennet! You need to be there, someone needs to stop Elena from showing Hunter some very embarrassing childhood photos of me." I plead with her.
"Fine! I'll go."
"Good." Elena tells her. "Also, those pictures are definitely coming out." She tells me.
"Nope."
"Phebs I already have an album made for this exact situation."
"Ugh. Fine just not any bad ones. Like naked child me or anything." I tell her.
"Okay." She says with a laugh.
"Seriously where is Caroline?" Bonnie asks.
"I don't know. It's not like her. Try her again."
"No need for that, Bon. She decided to finally show up." I say point to where she was driving up in a car with a guy that I can't see the face of quite yet.
"Oh my god. That must be the mystery guy from the grille." Bonnie tells us.
"That's no mystery guy. That's Damon Salvatore."
"Salvatore? As in Stefan and Hunter?" Bonnie asks us and we nod as Caroline gets out of the car.
"I got the other brother. Hope you don't mind." Caroline says towards Elena. "Sorry I was late girls. I was uh, busy. Alright let's start with a double pick herky hurdler." She tells us.
"Um, isn't that like, illegal?" I ask Elena.
" I don't even know." She tells me as she stares at Damon.
Were practicing on the dances, when Caroline tells Elena to observe. She wasn't picking up the moves as fast as me but I guess I have 8 years of dance to thank for that. I'd work with her on them.
I give her an apologetic look and she gives me a smile. We continue to practice them and I start to remember how much I loved cheer to begin with.
▫️▫️▫️
"You explain it! Last night I'm watching nine-0. Commercial break comes on and I'm like 'I bet it's that phone commercial!' and sure enough, it's the guy and the girl with the bench, he flies to Paris, he flies back, they take a picture." Bonnie tells us while Elena gets stuff ready for dinner and I'm sitting on the counter, doing nothing but it's fine.
"Oh come on. That commercials on a constant loop." Elena tells her.
"Well what about this? Today I'm obsessed with numbers, Three numbers. I keep seeing 8, 14, and 22. How weird is that?" could
"Maybe we should play the lottery." Elena says seriously. "Have you talked to your grams?"
"She's just gonna say it's because I'm a witch. I don't want to be a witch, do you wanna be a witch?" Bonnie asks.
" I don't want to be a witch."
"I think it would be cool to be a witch. Ya know, to have badass powers you use to help people." I tell her and she smiles at me.
"And putting it in a nice bowl isn't fooling anyone." Bonnie tells Elena who has started to dump some store bought food into bowls.
"Serving spoons. Okay, where are the serving spoons?" Lena asks ignoring bonnie.
"Middle drawer on your left hand side." Bonnie tells her bit right after looks surprised that she had said anything at all, Lena opens the drawer and the serving spoons are gone.
"So you've been in this kitchen like 1000 times." Lena says.
"Yeah, that's it." Bonnie tells her and the door bell rings and Elena goes to get it.
"Birthday candles." Bonnie says and opens a drawer and a box of birthday candles are there.
Then Hunter Stefan and Elena all walk into the dining room and we follow.
"Boy do I have something for you." Elena tells Hunter.
"Just ignore her." I tell him and sit down him sitting next to me. There's an awkward silence for a little while.
"So what did you have for me?" Hunter asks her.
"Baby pictures."
"Oh I want to see these." He say with a smile.
"Fine, but there's nothing too bad in there right?" I ask Elena as as she pulls out a few photos.
"Nothing too bad." She says and places them in the table. "This one is from our vacation to Florida. She was really in the spirit."
"Oh god." I say as I look at the photo.
"Oo and this one is her eating cereal. I don't know why but my parents thought it was cute.
"Oh my god. I looked like dora!" I say with a laugh and a groan.
"This one is one of my favorites, it's of us."
"Oh, I like that one too." I tell her with a smile.
"This is what mom always looked forward too. Showing your boyfriends embarrassing pictures." She tells me.
"Really?" I ask her.
"Yeah. I mean she could never really do that with Matt, we grew up together. He was there so he couldn't really be all into he had already lived it." She tells me.
"Thank you." I tell her and she gives me a smile knowing what I'm thankful for.
"So, did Tanner give you a hard time today?" Elena asks.
"Well he let me on the team so I must have done something right. Hunter's on the team too." Stefan adds.
"Yeah, I heard." I say with a smile.
"Bonnie you should have seen Stefan today, Tyler threw a ball right at him-"
"I heard." Bonnie cuts her off.
"Why don't you tell Stefan about your family?" Elena tries again.
"Divorced. No mom. I live with my dad." Bonnie tells him straight forward.
"How long before we can leave without it seeming rude?" I whisper ask Hunter and he just laughs a little and takes my hand in his.
"No, about the witches." Elena says. "Bonnie's family has a lineage of witches, it's really cool." Elena tells Stefan and Hunter.
"Cool isn't the word I would use for it."
"Well its certainly is interesting. I'm not too versed but there is a history of Celtic druids that migrated here in the 1800's." Stefan tells her.
"My family came way of Salem." Bonnie tells her.
"Really?" Hunter asks.
"Yeah."
"Salem witches? I'd say thats pretty cool." Stefan says.
"Really? Why?"
"Salem witches are heroism figures of individualism and non-conformity." Stefan tells her.
"Yeah they are." Bonnie says and the doorbell rings.
"Hmm. I wonder who that could be." Elena comments and goes to answer the door, I turn to Hunter before getting up and take the pictures out of his hands.
"Okay, that's enough of that. Now I just need to burn these and the rest of them." I mumble the last part.
"Rest of them? Where are the others?" He asks and chases after me to the door. "Damon?" He stops in his tracks as he sees his older brother and Caroline there.
"Hello, Elena was just about to invite me inside." Damon says.
"It's fine." Elena tells Stefan. "Just come on in."
"You have a beautiful home, Elena, Phoebe." Damon tells us as he walks into the house and his eyes stay on me for a second and Hunter wraps an arm around my waist.
"Thank you." Elena says and we all make our way to the living room.
"I cannot believe that MrTanner let you two on the team. Ugh, Tyler must be seething right now. But good for you, go for it."Caroline tells Hunter and Stefan after Stefan tells them their on the team.
"That's what I always tell them. You have to engage, you can't just sit there and wait for life to come to you. You have to go get it." Damon says.
"When have you ever said that?" Hunter asks him with a dry chuckle, and Stefan gives him a hard look.
"Yeah, Elena wasn't so lucky today. It's only because you missed summer camp. God, I don't know how you're ever going to learn the routines." Caroline tells us.
"We'll work with her, she'll get it." Bonnie tells her and I nod.
"I guess I could put her in the back." Caroline mumbles.
"You know you two don't seem like the cheerleader type, Elena."
"oh, it's only because her parents died, You know, I mean she's totally just going through this blah phase. She used to be way more fun." Caroline tells us.
"Yeah, I guess that's what happens when your whole entire world gets turned around and you can't do anything about it. Because I sort of thought that after your parents die, you get to be less fun." I tell her seriously, then I notice everyone is staring at me. "You know what? Cheer practice today was really tiring, so I think I'm actually going to just go to bed." I say with a sigh and stand up. I head to the stairs and hear someone come up after me but don't pay any attention to them. I head straight towards my room and to my dresser for pajamas. The door closes behind me.
"Are you okay?" He asks me.
"I'm fine. All good here." I tell him and start to head to my bathroom to change and close the door behind me. After I'm finished changing I head back into my room to see Hunter in my bed laying down with his hands behind his head.
"I'm sure she didn't mean what she said." He told me as I lay down next to him.
"I know." I say with a sigh. "It's just.. Jeremy turned to drugs, and Elena literally magically got over it. I just feel like, after they died, I'm the only one with nothing. I mean, I wasn't their biological daughter, no. But, they were my parents, I don't need yo know who my biological mom and dad are because I had parents to grow up with. I was so lucky to find them. And that they wanted me." I tell him.
"I know it's not the same, but you have me now. I'm not going anywhere." He tells me closer to him, laying my head on his chest.
"That's everything." I tell him and wrap my arms around his waist.
I wake up the next day to no hunter in my bed. I look at the bottom of my bed and see my cheer uniform and a note on it.
Don't let her ruin it. You looked so happy at practice. - Hunter
I smile at the note and put on my uniform. I was really happy at practice.
▫️▫️▫️
I meet up with Stefan and Hunter before the game.
"Hey." I greet them.
"You decided tp continue with cheerleading." Hunter says with a smile.
"Yep. It makes me happy so I decided I would do it." I tell him and place a kiss on his lips. "By the way you look really hot in that jersey." I whisper into his ear and he blushes a little.
"Uh-Thanks, You look really good in that uniform." He says stuttering a bit. Gosh He's such a dork.
"Thanks." I say with a smile and kiss him and he wraps his arms around my waist as I wrap my arms around his neck.
"I have something for you." he tells me pulling away.
"What?" I ask him and he pulls out a necklace. "Oh my... It's beautiful." I tell him. "You shouldn't have."
"I know, I wanted to." He tells me and turns me around to put the necklace on me.
"I love it Hunter." I tell him and turn around and give him a quick kiss as his brother and my sister walk up to us.
"Hey, you better go find Caroline before she has your head. She's already super upset that I quite." Elena tells me.
"Good, she can be mad all she wants but she's just gonna have to get over it." I tell her and place a kiss on Hunter's cheek before walking off.
▫️▫️▫️
Mr. Tanner was saying how we got some great new talent on the football team, Stefan and Hunter and he went on with his speech until I heard people fighting and left the group to see what was up. When I make it over to the fight I see Tyler, a friend who I used to be super close with until my parents died, and my older brother. I run over and try to step in but Hunter stops me.
"What? I need to stop this." I tell him.
"Are you crazy?! Your tiny, no offense, they could seriously hurt you." He tells me.
"Yeah? Well right now Tyler could be seriously hurting my brother." I tell him and pull away from him but when I get there I see that Stefan had stepped in and Elena was talking Jer.
"Hey, what happened here?" Jo asks behind me, and Jer walks over by me but passes me.
"I'll be right back. Sorry." I tell Jo and she nods as I run off towards Jeremy. "Jeremy! Jer, hey wait up." I yell to him.
"Just go back to the game Phoebe." He grumbles.
"Hey, what was that about? Are you okay?" I ask him.
"Leave me alone!" He tells me and turns around to walk towards the crowds of people. That's when I realize how far away from people we actually got.
"Shit." I say and start to walk back towards the football field. The pep rally should be over by now. The game would be starting soon and Caroline will be pissed if I'm not there on time.
It takes me a while to get over there because I really hadn't realizes how far I walked. As I make my way over there I see police cars near the school I run over and see them dragging away a body bag.
"Phoebe!" I hear someone call my name and turn around to see Jo there.
"Oh my god! What happened?" I ask her running over to her.
"It's Mr Tanner... He was killed, they're saying it's an animal attack." She tells me.
"Oh my god... What animal comes this close into civilization.. I mean, there was a pep rally we were being really loud." I tell her and I feel a tap on my shoulder. I jump and turn around to see Hunter.
"You okay? I just heard about coach Tanner, is anyone else hurt?" He asks.
"No, they're saying it's an animal. I just- there was a whole football game. What animal would come this close to the school?" I ask him.
"I don't know. How about I take you two home? Stefan and I drove separate." He tells us and Jos looks over at me, questioning whether or not I'm going to get into a car. I nod at her and she nods towards Hunter. He puts his jacket around my shoulders and takes my hand in his, I smile up at him. Jo puts her arm around my shoulder and I lean slightly into my best friend, and we walk like that towards Hunters car.