Innocence

XXIII

"My girlfriend's name was Crystal June Carter."

"What."

"What!"

"The fuck?"

I hadn't even realized that Sadie and Zoe stood by the doorframe, their jaws pretty much on the floor. I wasn't much better. "Did you say... um, Crystal Carter? Did you mean Patricia Farter or something?"

What? What! What.

My mind was blowing up with random questions. Was she an ancestor of mine? Wait, I had it. I'd watched a few TV series in my time, I knew this.

"My ancestor! I was adopted, my mother turned into a vampire. But my vampire mother's great ancestor is Crystal June Carter, and she's a vampire. That's why you must've dated someone three hundred years older than you,"

I practically quoted a part of Vampire Diaries. Emily chuckled, leaning back into the seat as she watched both of us with hawk-like eyes.

Calum just stared at me as if I'd grown two heads. What the fuck? I'm not the creepy one here.

"Werewolves?" I guessed in a small voice. "Bonnie Bennet the witch cast a spell and cloned me?"

Calum slowly shook his head.

"You creepily googled the same name as your old girlfriend and found my neglected Facebook profile?"

Calum frowned.

"Knew it," I muttered.

"No, actually..."

"Then how Calum? How?" I demanded, and then I paused, thinking up another theory. "Wait don't tell me,"

Calum rolled his eyes and I glared at him as I tried to add two and two.

"Are vampires involved in any way?" Calum finally got to his feet and threw his hands in the air in what I assumed was frustration.

Oh buddy, now you know how I've felt all this time.

"Vampires don't exist Crystal!" he shouted.

"Says who!" I shot back, standing up so I could attempt to match his height levels. There was no success.

For some reason, I think I was just arguing for the sake of arguing. Or maybe it was because I didn't really want to know why he'd stalked me or whatever because I had the same name as his girlfriend.

"Because! Do you see any bloodsuckers roaming Greenfield?"

"That's the point you douche!" I snapped back. Definitely arguing for the sake of it. "They won't go prancing around and say 'hey I'm Damon the vampire. I've come to suck your blood,'" I pointed out. "They aren't that stupid,"

"You're stupid for believing they exist!"

"Oh my fucking god you guys," Zoe. "Grow the hell up! Vampires may exist, we have no proof-" Calum scoffed and I smirked at Zoe. "But seriously, let's address the real problem here. Calum, why the hell did you stalk poor Crystal here?"

"If you weren't gonna say it, I would've," Sadie agreed, high-fiving Zoe.

Well they bonded quickly.

"Well, Zoe..." I bit my lip, nervously awaiting Calum's reply. Did I want to hear this? Did I really want to?

What the hell are you thinking Crystal? You've been pissed off because he wouldn't give you answers and now you're scared of the truth? What is wrong with you?

I bit my lip again, feeling the skin peel slightly. I felt my hands trembling and my toes curled in my barefoot state.

"She is my girlfriend."