"Look I'm not saying don't date the guy." Bonnie says as we climb out of her car, "All I'm saying is, take it slow."
"Weren't you the one who said to go for it?" Elena pointed out.
"Now I'm saying take it slow." Bonnie reiterated.
"People are allowed to change their minds, E." I laugh, falling into step with Bonnie.
"Exactly, and you're single for the first time in your entire high school career. It's the perfect time to play the field." Elena laughed, shaking her head and then turning to look at us.
"Oh, because I'm so that girl." Elena scoffs.
"You could be." I shrugged.
"Seriously, what are you not saying? You both got weird at the bonfire and now you're acting weirder." Elena pointed out. The feeling I had gotten at the bonfire hadn't really left, it was still there but it wasn't as strong as it was before.
"It's stupid." Bonnie dismissed, shaking her head. Bonnie started to walk fast but Elena stopped her, grabbing her arm.
"Bonnie."
"What?"
"Spit it out." Elena pleaded.
"I accidentally touched Stefan and I got a really bad feeling." Bonnie shrugged. Elena looked at Bonnie skeptically and chuckled slightly.
"Is that it?" Bonnie rolled her eyes, starting to walk away, I gave Elena an 'are you kidding me' look and she frowned, pulling Bonnie's arm back.
"It was bad-bad," Bonnie explained.
"The whole witch mojo thing again?" Elena sighed.
"Elena." I scolded, making her frown slightly.
"You know what, I'm just concerned. This is me expressing my concern about my best friend's new boyfriend."
"And I love you for it, I do. But I feel good. It's been a hard year, and I'm starting to kind of feel like things are getting back to normal again." Elena stated. "And you know what, Stefan is a big part of that."
"Elena, you've known him for maybe two weeks," I say.
"Not you too." Elena frowned.
"I'm just saying, be careful, please." She smiles at Bonnie and I then nods.
"Oh, you'll listen to her, but not me?" Bonnie says playfully as we start to walk again.
"Good morning, Elena." Bonnie and I jump back slightly as Stefan walks up to us. "Bonnie, Alina." Bonnie grabs my arm and then pulls me slightly.
"Hey, um, We gotta go..."
"Find Caroline. See you later, E." I smile, pulling Bonnie with me away from Elena and Stefan. When we're far enough I stop Bonnie. "Dread."
"What?"
"When you touched Stefan, you felt dread, like something bad was gonna happen. Didn't you?" I ask. She nods and i look back to Elena and Stefan who are a bit away from us. "I did too."
__________________________________________
Today was different, Stefan now occupied the seat to my left in the row in front of me, Bonnie was sat behind me and Elena sat a row ahead so she could be closer to Stefan, weirdos. "World war two ended in?" He waited for a second to see if anyone would answer, but no one did. "Anyone got anything?"
"Ms. Juan?" I looked over to the girl who shrugged and then Tanner sighed. "1945."
Elena nudged Stefan's desk, turning back to talk to him. "Hey, as an FYI our team sucks, they could use you," Elena told him. This morning apparently Tyler threw a football at Stefan, I guess hoping to hit him in usual, asshole Tyler manner, but Stefan caught it and threw it back, but hard, making Tyler almost fall.
I wish I could have seen it.
"Can't." Stefan shrugged, I could see Matt leaning forward out of my peripheral vision. I turned to look at Matt and quirk an eyebrow. "I'm a loner, remember."
"Stop being nosy, Donovan," I smirk.
"Gilbert twin, A." I look up with wide eyes to Tanner. I hum in response and he has a scowl on his face.
"Pearl Harbor?"
"1940?" I say in more of a questioning manner.
"Wrong." Tanner says and i frown. "Would you like to try again, Ms. Gilbert?" He asks. I look over to Matt who shrugs.
"Um..."
"December 7th, 1941." Stefan answers for me. I look to the back of Stefan's head with a small frown. Off by one year.
"Thank you Ms. Gilbert." Tanner said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.
"Anytime." Stefan shot back.
"Very well then. The fall of Berlin Wall?" Tanner asks, leaning against his desk, crossing his arms.
"1989." Stefan automatically answers. "I'm good with dates."
"Are you now?" Tanner asks with a glare. "How good? Keep it to the year. Civil rights act?"
"1964."
"John F. Kennedy assassination?"
"1963."
"Martin Luther King?"
" '68." Holy shit...
"Lincoln?"
"1865."
"Roe Verses Wade?"
"1973."
"Brown Vs. Borg?"
"1954."
"The battle of Gettysburg?"
"1863."
"Korean war?"
"1950 to 1953."
"Ha!" I jump slightly, looking at Tanner like he's crazy. "It ended in 1952!"
"Actually sir, it was '53." Stefan states, matter-of-factly. Tanner just glares and him and i pull out my phone to look it up.
"Look it up, somebody!"
"It was 19... 53." I say with a smirk. Tanner just got tannered. Everyone starts to clap for Stefan as Tanner stands there dumbfounded. As the bell rings the class stands up and Stefan turns to me.
"How did you know all that?" I ask.
"Crossword puzzles, lots of them." Stefan laughs.
"Well... thank you. I appreciate it." I smiled. As i turn to walk out of the room, Elena grabs my arm.
"Hey, tonight, you, me, Bonnie and Stefan are having dinner."
"Uh..."
"Yes, i need you to like him. So if you want, invite a friend."
"I don't have those, but fine. If i must."
__________________________________________
"Ah, the yelling of Mr. Tanner. There's nothing like it to start off the new season." I laugh, stretching into a split.
"Totally." Bonnie laughed. I look up to see that Elena's actually here. "Oh my god, you actually came." Bonnie beamed.
"I knew my sister wasn't a quitter." I smile and she gives me one back.
"Yep, i can't be sad girl forever." She huffs. "The only way to get things back to the way they were, are to do things that were." Elena said, stretching into a split next to me. "Oh, and you're coming over tonight for dinner."
"I am?" Bonnie asks with a laugh. Elena hummed in agreement.
"You, me, Alina and Stefan." She says, looking up to Bonnie. Bonnie's face falls and Elena playfully glares. "You have to give him a chance."
"She's making me too." I say in a not so hushed tone, earning a playful glare from my sister.
"But tonight's no good." Bonnie excuses. Elena tilted her head and i quickly changed the subject.
"Have either of you seen Caroline? I've called and texted her like fifty times. And i really don't want to start practice." I whine.
"That's what you get for wanting to be co-captain." Bonnie laughed.
"Hey, you two, don't change the subject. You two are going to be there." Elena demands.
"Fine! I'll go." Bonnie huffs, Elena turns to look at me as i move to stand up.
"Hey, it's my house, i'm kinda forced to be there."
"Good." Elena beams.
"But seriously, where's Caroline?" I ask again. If she isn't here soon, i'll have to start practice in my own.
"I don't know. It's not like her. Try her again?" I sigh and pull out my phone, i'm about to press on her contact, but i see her, in a Chevy Camaro... with Damon.
"Oh, my god." Bonnie gasps. "That's the mystery guy from the grill."
"That's not a mystery guy." Elena tells her.
"That's Damon Salvatore." I watch as Caroline leans in, giving Damon a kiss.
"Salvatore, as in Stefan?" Bonnie asked shocked. Caroline opened the door, walking over to us.
"I got the other brother." Caroline smirks, her eyes drifting towards me for a second. "Hope you don't mind."
I look back over to Damon, who winks at me and then drives off.
"Sorry i'm late girls. I, uh, was busy." She smirks. "All right, let's start with the double pike herkey hurdler, what do you say?"
We start to move around into position as the music starts. And once it does, my body moves to the beat as Caroline calls out the counts.
"Elena, sweetie, why don't you just observe today?" Caroline calls out. I roll my eyes as i keep moving. "K?" I watch as Elena walks away from the group and sits on the ground. "Keep going! Okay. Do it again, let's go."
"Chill out." I tell her as the girls get back into position. Caroline frowns at my words and then turns to look back at the girls.
I turn, looking over seeing Stefan running out onto the field, oh shit... Tyler and Matt aren't going to be very happy with that.
__________________________________________
I tug my flannel on, buttoning it up so my whole stomach wasn't exposed. I could hear Elena's music playing as i walked down the stairs. "Last night, i'm watching 'Nine-O', and a commercial break comes on, and i'm like, 'I bet it's that phone commercial!' and sure enough, it's that guy and the girl with the bench, he flies to Paris and he flies back, then he takes a picture..." Bonnie explains as i walk into the kitchen.
I laugh, shaking my head. Elena turns to look at me and frowns.
"Alina, really?" She asks, gesturing to my outfit.
"What?" I frown. "I'm covered." I was wearing a black lace tank top that went to the bottom of my ribs, a black and white flannel, and black jeans with my signature boots.
"Whatever." Elena sighs. "But come on, Bonnie. That commercail is on a loop."
"Fine, well how about this? Today i'm obsessed with three numbers. I keep seeing 8, 14, and 22. How weird, huh?" She asks, leaning forward.
"You know what, i belive you Bonnie." I smile, expect the unexpected, right? "But maybe you should play the lotto." I smirk. Bonnie chuckles, walking away to the counter.
"Have you talked to your Grams?" Elena asks.
"She's just gonna say it's cause i'm a witch. I don't want to be a witch. Do you wanna be a witch?" She asks, looking to Elena.
"I don't wanna be a witch." Elena shrugs.
"A?"
"Nope, i'm cool." I laugh, and Bonnie pouts. I watch as they keep pouring the take out into bowls. "You know, E, putting it into a nice bowl, it doesn't fool anyone." I smirk.
Elena cracks a smile, rolling her eyes slightly.
"Ever so helpful. Okay, where are serving spoons?" Elena asks, looking around.
"Middle drawer on your left." Bonnie tells her. I watch as Elena opens the drawer, pulling out the spoons. The three of us share a look and Elena shrugs.
"Okay, so you've been in this kitchen like a thousand times." Elena excuses.
"Elena, we live here and we didn't even know where those spoons were." I say with a knowing look. The doorbell rings and Bonnie and i look to each other with a sigh.
"Okay, he's here. Both of you, play nice, especially you." She says, giving me a playful glare. I put on a fake smile, making Elena laugh as she walks to the door. I look to Bonnie and she gives me the same look back.
"Birthday candles?" Bonnie quickly opens the drawer in front of her, pulling out a pack of candles. "So like... can you use your witchy-woo to get me an A?"
Bonnie laughs and rolls her eyes, shaking her head.
Dinner was awkward to say the least. It was the four of us, silently eating. Bonnie and i look to each other before looking to Elena who looks worried.
"Did Tanner give you a hard time today?" Elena asks Stefan.
"Well, he let me on the team, so i must have done something right." Stefan chuckles. Elena laughs along, nodding her head.
"Guys, you should have seen Stefan today. Tyler threw a ball right at him, and--" Elena starts to boast but Bonnie cuts her off.
"I heard."
"News travels fast." I nod. Elena sighs, taking a sip of her drink as Stefan starts to tap his fingers on the table.
"Why don't you tell Stefan about your family, Bonnie?" Elena smiles. Bonnie gives Elena an 'Are you kidding me' look and then looks to Stefan.
"Um, divorced. No mom. Live with my dad." Bonnie nods. Stefan hums in response, nodding his head as well.
"Well this isn't awkward." I mutter, taking a bite of my food. Elena's giving me a small glare, almost like asking for help.
"No, about the witches." Elena blurts out in an attempt to save the dinner. "Bonnie's family has a lineage of witches. It's really cool."
"Cool isn't the word i'd use." Bonnie huffs, looking to Elena.
"Well it's certainly interesting." Stefan cuts in, catching Bonnie's attention. "I'm not too versed, but i do know that there's a history of Celtic Druids that migrated here in the 1800s." Stefan informs us.
"My family came by way of Salem." Bonnie tells him. Stefan's eyes slightly widened.
"Really?" Bonnie gives a small nod. "Salem witches?"
"Yeah." She says, chuckling a little.
"I would say that's pretty cool." Stefan says, smiling at Elena, who smiles at him.
"Really? Why?" Bonnie asks.
"Salem witches are heroic examples of individualism and non-conformity." Bonnie smiles at Stefan's words, lifting her chin a little. Now i feel left out.
"Yeah, they are."
The doorbell rings and i quirk a brow. "I wonder who that could be," Elena says, starting to stand up, but i push myself up out of my chair first.
"I'll get it, you three just... hangout." I say, walking over to the door. I hear Elena sigh.
"Did i do something wrong?" Stefan asks, i could hear the frown in his tone.
"No, that's just her." I could also hear the sadness in Elena's tone. I walk over to the door to see my blonde best friend and none other than Damon Salvatore.
"Surprise!" She smiles and i automatically smile back. "Bonnie said you gusy were doing dinner, so we brought dessert, and i know you get off around new people so i thought your bestie could cheer you up."
"How thoughtful." I laugh, opening the door wider for them to come in.
"Hope you don't mind, she brought a plus one." Damon smiles.
"Not at all, Co-"
"What are you doing here?" I turn around to see Stefan and Elena walking over as Caroline walks in.
"Waiting for Alina or Elena to invite me in." Damon says in a 'duh' tone, Elena and Stefan share a look that i don't understand.
"Yeah, of course, Com-"
"No, no, no." Stefan says, once again cutting me off. I frown at Stefan and his eyes widen. "He can't, uh... He can't stay. Can you, Damon?"
"Get in here." Caroline says, weirded out as well.
"Well, we were just finishing up so..." Elena starts and i frown again.
"It's fine." I tell her, then turning back to Damon. "Come in." I smile, and Damon smirks, stepping in. Stefan and Elena both look to me and i shrug.
"I have friends too." I tell Elena, following Caroline and Damon.
"You have a beautiful home, Alina." Damon smiles.
"Thank you."
A little while later, Damon, Caroline, Elena, Bonnie, Stefan and I were all sitting in the living room. "I cannot believe that Mr. Tanner let you on the team." Caroline laughs. "Tyler must be seething. But good for you, just going for it."
"That's what i always tell him. You have to engage. You can't just sit there and wait for life to come to you." Damon says, looking to Stefan. "You have to go get it."
"Yeah, Elena wasn't so lucky today." Caroline frowns. "It's only cause you missed summer camp. God, i don't know how you're ever going to learn the routines." Caroline frowns.
"Bonnie and I'll work with her. She'll get it." I tell Caroline. Caroline gives me a challenging look, we're best friends, but god does she irritate me sometimes.
"I mean... we could always put her in the back."
"You don't seem like the cheerleader type." Damon says, "But neither do you." He says, looking over to me and i shrug.
"I shock a lot of people."
"It's just cause their parents died." Caroline tells him. I look to her with wide eyes and a clenched jaw. "Yeah, i mean, they're just going through a blah phase. They used to be way more fun." She laughs.
I look down, slightl shaking my head and then i hear Caroline gasp.
"And i say that with complete sensitivity." She adds quietly.
"I'm sorry, Alina, Elena." Damon says softly. "I know what it's like to lose both your parents." I look up to Damon at the same time Elena looks down. "In fact, Stefan and I have watched almost every single person we've ever loved, die."
"We don't need to get into that right now, Damon." Stefan glares.
"Ah, you know what, you're right, Stef. I'm sorry." Damon says, but it's a false apoligie. It's obvious there's tension between the two, but why? "The last thing i wanted to do was bring her up." Another dig at Stefan.
Elena looks over to me and i know i have an amused look on my face. Stefan looks away as well, sighing.
__________________________________________
I had decided to call it a night, i was exhausted. I had just finshed unbottoning my flannel and i threw it on my bed when a knock pulled my attention.
"Come in." I call out, and when the door opens, Damon's standing there. "Hey." i smile.
"Hey, what are you doing up here?"
"I'm tired. What are you doing up here? Tired of taking jabs at Stefan?" I ask, sitting on my bed.
"Never." He says playfully. "But you noticed?"
"I'm perceptive." I shrug.
"I can tell. Well, i cam up to say bye, we're going."
"Okay." I nod, we sit in silence for a second and i quirk an eyebrow. "Goodnight Damon."
"Goodnight Alina." He smirks, walking out of my room and closing the door.
How strange.