"Shit," Stefan muttered under his breath when he saw Cameron's car pulling up infront of the house.
"Let me talk to him," Damon announced when he joined Stefan by the window.
As Cameron got out of his car and stepped up onto the decking, he raised his hand to knock but accidentally hit Damon's chest with his knuckles as the door opened.
"I guess you must've seen me coming," Cameron grinned but his smile faded when he realised that Damon was not happy to see him.
"We need to have a little chat," Damon scowled as he stepped out onto the decking and closed the door.
"If this is about the arguement between me and Ash at the party I just came to apologi-"
"Oh so I guess you haven't been told yet."
"Told what?"
"Might wanna change your status to single again unless you're into dating dead girls."
"What?"
"Ash killed Maddison last night. And I'd like to know why you weren't there to stop her before she drained her of blood."
"Holy shit! You're not messing with me are you?"
"Honestly bud, kinda wish I was eventhough that girl was a bitch."
"Holy crap!" Cameron buried his face in his hands and murmured: "This is all my fault. I'm so fucking stupid."
"What do you mean it was your fault?" Damon asked pulling Cameron's hands away from his face and stooping down to look him dead in the eyes.
"Ash...well...Maddison got us all to play Spin the Bottle and it ended with me making out with her and Ash running off."
Damon's eyes narrowed as he processed this new information.
"I would punch you in the face if you weren't her friend."
"I'm really sorry I didnt mean for any of this to happen she just ran off and said she just needed some fresh air then when she didn't come back I thought she'd phoned you to come pick her up."
"What about Maddison? Weren't worried as to why she had run off and followed Ash?"
"I told her to fuck off and stay away from me. She left the room extremely pissed off but I didn't know she was running off to find Ash."
Damon turned on his heel and leant against the wooden rail of the decking, lost in thought.
"She's a mess you know," Damon started to say. "It's as if every sin seems to drain her happiness more and more. She hasn't eaten or drank anything since the incident and I've only ever gotten her to smile once. If I hadn't intervened she'd still be sat in there in bloody clothes."
Cameron walked over to Damon, burying his hands deep into his pockets.
"Maybe I can help," he offered. "I know she probably hates me right now but it's worth a try."
****
"Ash," Damon called out but Ash didn't respond and just kept facing forward. "You have a visitor. But just do us both a favour and try not to kill him."
She still didn't respond.
Damon held the door open wider and stepped aside so Cameron could walk in.
"Hey," Cameron called out as he took slow steps towards Ash.
Even though she had her back to him, from where she sat on the sofa she lifted her arm above her head, flipping her middle finger up at him from behind.
"I guess I deserve that," Cameron sighed.
"Do you want me to leave?" Elijah asked getting up from the armchair.
"Stay where you are," Damon whispered and Elijah sat back down.
Cameron walked over and sat down at the opposite end of the sofa.
Ash still didn't do or say anything.
"I just came to say that I'm really sorry," Cameron began. "I should have never even gotten involved with Maddison in that way in the first place and most importantly I should have been there beside you when it happened."
She still didn't even twitch.
"You don't have to do or say anything and I understand if you just want me to leave but I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry. I hope you can forgive me."
All the boys in the room, including Stefan who had appeared in the kitchen door way to watch, stared in silence as they waited to see how Ash would respond.
And yet again she made no movement or sound.
Cameron bowed his head in defeat as he got up from the sofa and walked over to Damon.
"It was worth a shot," he murmured.
Damon nodded his head respectfully and patted the boy's shoulder as he turned to leave.
But just as he was about to grab the door handle, a figure suddenly appeared infront of him.
Cameron looked up into the pale green eyes of his childhood best friend.
They weren't as bright as he was used to seeing them. She had those sort of eyes that seemed to change depending on her emotions.
He gave her a sad smile.
"I want an explanation," Ash finally said. "Answers to all my questions and I'll consider whether or not you deserve my forgiveness."
"Thank you," Cameron whispered then turned to Damon and asked: "Mind if I take her off to the diner for a bit."
"Bring her back by six, if you're still alive by then," Damon replied.
****
"Thanks Cindy," Cameron thanked the waitress as she placed a small bowl of hot chips and an even smaller bowl of grated cheese on the table.
"I put some cheese on the side cause I know Ash like to put it with her chips," Cindy smiled sweetly placing a wrinkled hand on Ash's shoulder.
Ash responded with a small smile which quickly vanished as soon as they were left alone.
"Was making me wait twenty minutes for a bowl of chips really worth it?" Ash asked as Cameron squirted ketchup into a pile at the edge of the bowl.
"Yes because I haven't eaten since lunch and I can't concentrate on an empty stomach," he replied picking up a chip and dipping it in the red sauce before popping it in his mouth. "So...you wanted to ask me some questions. Fire away."
"Have you and...her...ever...ya know?"
"Oh...yes...but just once and it didn't even last very long."
"How long is not very long?"
"Half hour."
"Ok...why her? Of all people why her?"
"There's something I've been keeping from you...for a while now. The only reason I went out with Maddison in the first place...was because I have a crush on you. I wanted to make you jealous so you would end things with Caleb and Maddison wanted Caleb back so..."
"So you two teamed up and tried to win me and Caleb over."
"Yeah."
"Cameron...I love you too but just as a friend ok."
"I understand. Have I earned forgiveness yet?"
"As long as you promise not to do anything like that again then yes you are forgiven."
"Yes!" Cameron yelled a bit too loudly, pounding his fists in the air as heads turned to stare.
Ash started laughing as he did a little dance at his achievement.
"And I made her laugh," Cameron exclaimed. "Check me out. I am a magician."
"Cindy what did you do to those chips?" Ash called out to the old waitress at the bar.
She laughed and shrugged her shoulders as she continued to serve milkshakes at the bar to a couple of kids.
"Ok now that I've managed to get you to not only forgive me but also laugh," Cameron said lowering his voice to a normal pitch. "Are you gonna eat something?"
Ash looked down at the bowl of chips.
"Come on," he encouraged. "Atleast eat one of them. Please."
After a quiet moment of thought, Ash shyly picked up a chip and put it in her mouth. She chewed and swallowed.
"There she is," Cameron grinned.
The song playing from the speakers around the diner changed and Ash muttered to herself: "Oh shit."
"Oh you already know what's coming," Cameron grinned in recognition.
"Please no stay sat down please. I'm really not in the mood."
"Then just stay sat down, bury your face in your hands and pretend you don't know me for two minutes."
"Lord help me," Ash sighed banging her head down on the table as Cameron slowly got to his feet.
"And the walls kept tumbling down in the city that we love," Cameron sang.
"Grey clouds roll over the hills bringing darkness from above...but if you close your eyes."
Cameron then began dancing crazily near the table, chanting the lyrics while Ash watched him in embarrassment.
"Does it almost feel like nothing's changed at all
And if you close your eyes
Does it almost feel like you've been here before."
"Come on Ash," Cameron encouraged her as he grabbed her hands and pulled her to her feet.
Ash noticed Cindy walk over to the radio and turn the music up a bit higher as she watched them with a smirk.
He spun Ash around and she laughed from the thrill of it all as they danced in the diner with all eyes on them.
****
"Cam," Ash said. "There's something I want to talk to you about before you go."
They were both sat on the little bench out on the decking of the Salvatore house.
It was now dark outside, the only light source was the moon and the light from the windows of the house and as they were making their way up the drive it had started raining. Thank god there was shelter above the decking.
"What is it?" Cameron asked.
"Ever since I first turned I've been having this recurring dream."
****
Damon was sat peacefully beside the window replying to a few texts from Bonnie.
Stefan was upstairs in the shower and Elijah was lazing around in the guest bedroom.
Just as he was finishing the text he was about to send to Bonnie, his ears pricked up when he suddenly picked up on what Ash just said.
He stood up from his seat and quietly crept towards the door so he could listen in on their conversation.
****
"What's the dream about?" Cameron asked.
"I'm running barefoot up a grassy hill," Ash begins to explain. "It's a warm summer's day and I'm wearing a white dress that's blowing around me in the breeze. When I reach the top of the hill, dark clouds block out the sun then it gets colder and I hear my mother's voice repeating the same words over and over again."
"What's she saying?"
"She's chanting what she wrote on her suicide note." Cameron's face suddenly goes pale.
"I think we should stop talking about this. The others might overhear. We'll continue this another time some place else ok."
"Ok."
"Come on let's go inside I'm freezing and this rain is getting heavier."
****
Damon quickly ran back to his seat and pretended to still be on his phone as Ash and Cameron pushed open the door.
"I'll see you soon," Cameron said wrapping Ash into a tight hug.
"I'm gonna go up to bed I'm exhausted," Ash groaned pulling away and making her way upstairs.
"Good night then. See ya Damon."
Cameron turned and walked back out the door but Damon ran out after him and grabbed his arm.
"Wait a minute kiddo," Damon exclaims. "I wanna ask you about something."
"What is it cause I need to get going," Cameron sighed as Damon closed the door.
"What's on this suicide note I hear about?"
"I'm not telling you shit. It's between me and Ash and I promised not to tell anyone."
"Come on." Damon said looking him in the eyes. "Tell me what is written on Yasmin's suicide note." His eyes glowed red as he compelled the truth out of Cameron.
"Nice try Damon." Cameron laughed as he showed him the black, stone bracelet round his wrist. "Ash gave it to me."
"Son of a bitch, come on just tell me."
"No can do. A promise is a promise. Why don't you just ask her about it but good luck cause she's sensitive about the subject and most likely won't tell you anything."
But before Damon could try and persuade him anymore, Cameron pulled up the hood of his jacket and ran off to his car.