Splitting Our Odds Into Evens

Seven Months

SEVEN MONTHS LATER

Seven months had passed, and there were only a couple more days left of school. Bonnie hadn't seen or spoken to Kol since their return, vice versa. And to be honest, she kind of preferred it that way. Every moment she spent with him on the other side just made her feelings for him grow. As time flew, Bonnie struggled to adjust to her old normal. She knew she'd come back different. She did. She wasn't the same somehow, she was better or felt better; felt luckier, felt determined to enjoy life, the bonds of current or awaiting friendships, a gut desire to not waste the time she was given back. 

But this, what she was feeling now, it wasn't that, it wasn't better - - it was...it was nothing. Caroline and Elena would spend most days trying their best to make her feel "normal" again. All she felt was Removed. Distant. She felt like her presence wasn't needed anymore, she knew magic always came with a price. She broke the laws of nature bringing herself back to the living, and her magic was gone. It was almost as if her own soul was consuming her, forcing itself to be Bonnie again. They all wanted her to be Strong Bonnie, Bubbly Bonnie, I-Promise-I'm-Okay Bonnie, but she couldn't give her to them. 

Was it because she was trapped in a world that looked exactly like her home? Did that crack her psyche? She wasn't sure. Did she need to be? Was the how or the why important?

All she knew was that whatever made her this way, was silently eating her alive. Because there was one way she could feel something, feel apart of this world, and that was by seeing Kol. She missed his annoying, sarcastic demeanor. Although it was one thing she hated about him, she found herself missing it because that's what made Kol, Kol. 

Sighing, Bonnie closed her locker and regained her focus back to reality. 

"Hey Bonnie"

"Hey Caroline"

"There's this new drive-in movie theater, and I was thinking that maybe you and I could go this Saturday. Elena was supposed to join us but she has plans, so..."

"Caroline I can't"

"Let me guess, your busy. Again. Because apparently everyone is busy. You know what? it's fine, I'll find someone else to go with"

"Caroline"

"No it's fine Bonnie. I promise. Just enjoy your Saturday, I'll see you later" 

"Caroline, you didn't let me finish. I was going to say...I can't say no" 

"Wait, are you serious?" Caroline asked. Bonnie nodded, answering her question. Caroline jumped in excitement and embraced her best friend. It melted Bonnie's heart seeing Caroline so happy and all because of a yes or no question. Although Bonnie was a bit shaky with her decision, it was a start. They say fake it till you make it right? And she refused to let her sadness get in the way of her friend's happiness. 

"I'm gonna be late for class, love you!" Caroline said running to class, nearly tripping from her heels. "Love you" Bonnie shouted in return. She chuckled seeing the joy in Caroline.

***

Bonnie was in class listening to the teacher give instructions for their upcoming project. Suddenly the phone rang, it was a call from the main office. Apparently Bonnie's cousin was there to pick her up early. Bonnie narrowed her eyes, she didn't have any cousins, at least no alive ones to her knowledge. 

"That's weird, could you call them back? They probably made a mistake" Bonnie asked. "I get paid to teach, not to be your receptionist" the teacher replied. "Uh okay, i'm gonna go now" she politely got up, put on her book bag and headed down the hall. 

Bonnie walked to see Damon flirting with one of the staff members. "This has to be a joke" she mumbled under her breath. 

"Hey Bonbon" he grinned. "What do you want, Damon?" she scolded. "You have that uh doctor's appointment today" he said stumbling on his words. "I'm sorry, he is not my cousin-" before she could finish her sentence -  "Okay, time to go" he says cutting her off. As they walked out, the lady mouthed the words "Call me" to Damon, he returned the gesture with a wink. "Some girls just can't resist my good looks....my style and my charm. I can't blame them though, I'd fall in love with me too?"

"Cousin? seriously?" she questioned. "Why are you so mad, I just got you out of a long boring day of school, if anything you should be thanking me with pancakes".

They walked over to her car, Damon clicked the keys unlocking the car door. Bonnie narrowed her eyes "Your giving me a ride home...in my own car? Wait how'd you even get my keys? This feels illegal".

"Get in" he retorted. "How do I know your not going to drive me off a cliff and watch my fragile human body fall to it's death, huh?" she found herself blindly asking him. 

"Listen witch, if I wanted to kill you, I would have done it a long time ago. Who knows? I probably already did" he replied. Bonnie tried to process what he just said, almost believing his statement. Damon quickly changed the subject "Did you hear that?" - "Hear what?" - "Yeah neither did I, on you go bonbon". 

Damon shoved her arm, forcing her to go in the car. Bonnie gave in, rolling her eyes as she entered the vehicle. Damon closed the door and made his way to the driver's seat. Bonnie didn't know what he had up his sleeve, but she kept her composure. 

"Where are you taking me?" She questioned him. "We're going on a little road trip" he said. "So nobody's dying?" she asked. "Nope" 

"So you pulled me out of school for no reason. Wow uhm, okay, I have tons of homework and a test to study for. If you want to do me a favor, take me home" she said. Damon turned to Bonnie. "Eyes on the road" she uttered. Damon sarcastically smiled at her and faced the road. 

"One, I am a hundred seventy two year old vampire, my eyes don't need to be on the road. Two, you've been avoiding everyone since you rose up from the dead, what's up with that?". Bonnie cut him off before he could finish his sentence "I avoid you on purpose". 

"Three, your shirt is ugly" he said casually. Bonnie ignored him, not giving into his insults.  "Oh and we've got something to fix" he continued. "And what is that?" she asked with little to no care. "You" he replied. 

"Excuse me?" she says making eye contact with him. Apparently, her eyes on the road rule didn't apply during conversations like this. "Look, I'm not some broken toy that needs fixing, okay? Just take me home". Damon's words rarely hurt Bonnie, but this time it did. This time, she processed his words in deeper context. And it hurt so bad to hear it because she knew he was right. 

Bonnie put the phone to her ear, Damon used his vampire hearing to get in on the call. A familiar voice was on the line "Hey Bonnie, what's up?". As soon as he heard the voice, he grabbed the phone out of her hand "Hi Stefan, bye Stefan!" he hung up the phone and slid it in his pocket. "Damon, give me my phone-" he cut her off. "Or what? you'll put me in a magically induced coma and make me sleeping beauty 2.0? oh wait...you cant!" 

She didn't respond to his comment because without her magic, she felt vulnerable - too vulnerable. "Why the hell did you call Stefan?" he asked with a look of annoyance planted on his face. "To remind him that next time, he should put his brother on a leash" she scolded. Bonnie lowered herself into the car seat, preparing to dose off. "Sleep well, because we have a long day ahead of us". 

"Awesome..can't wait" she said sarcastically. Bonnie yawned, and completely dosed off.