The Balance

Chapter 22

Fake snow is flying through the air in town square. Caroline is once again bossing people around and I'm wearing my stupid tiara and Mrs. Mystic Falls sash.

"Now you will go on stage durning "Silent Night" and do the honors of lighting the Christmas tree." Caroline is looking at an agenda on phone.

"Then I'm good to leave right?" I see little children chasing each other and climbing on the fake Santa sled.

"No." She presses her lips together, "you'll need to sing "Joy to the World" then you can scurry home."

I roll my eyes and turn to leave. Tyler is standing behind me in a black suit looking extremely handsome. He opens his mouth to say something then closes it. We haven't seen each other since we broke up and from what I've been told him and Hayley are still coming up with some marvelous plan to recuse the Hybrids from Klaus's order.

"Excuse me," I brush past him and walk into the Grill.

People are walking around the tables full of Christmas presents and and chatting animatedly. I am admiring the art work standing in front of the bar. One piece of art catches my eye, it's a canvas full of black, blue and dark white colors. I recognizes though brush strokes anywhere. The postmodern snowflake was painted by Klaus. I sense I am being watched and turns to see Klaus looking at me. He smiles at me as I turn to face him.

"Here to steal Tiny Tim's crutches?" I tease.

"Dickens was a dark man. You would have liked him."Klaus walks around the table towards me but I step towards the other side to keep some space between us.

"Nice snowflake, by the way." I look at the painting again. Klaus used to spend hours on end painting when we lived together, it was his way of passing time and I would just watch from the couch and admire his technique.

"Is my work really that literal?" Klaus says annoyed.

I shake my head, "I'm serious. There's something...lonely about it."

Klaus grins again, "I am gonna take that as a compliment. Can I offer you some champagne?"

I turn to walk towards another painting, "Can't. Too many adult prying eyes." I turn to face Klaus who has closed the gap between us. "Don't want to be a high school cautionary tale at the next town meeting."

"Well, then it's a good thing the high school part is nearly over." Klaus stares at me for a brief moment, he brushes my sash and his fingers graze my arm and I shiver.

"If I am going to get through this long day of being an idol to young girls then I am going to be need that glass of champagne." I scoff.

He smiles and heads to grab me a glass. I see Caroline and Stefan whispering to each other in the back of the Grill and step outside to the back alley. I'm about to follow them when Klaus appears again with two glass and an unopened bottle. "Shall we?"

***

I down my second glass of champagne, we are hiding behind the Grill away from "prying" eyes. "Do you remember the Christmas we spent in Italy?" I ask.

Klaus's eyes light up, "yes, you demanded we had pasta for breakfast, lunch and dinner that evening."

I smile at the memory, I was obsessed with a little Italian shop on the corner of where we were living. Klaus compelled the owner to make me fresh pasta with meatballs and Alfredo. It was so yummy and we gave the owners a nice donation to open another shop in south Italy. "I wonder how that sweet man is doing now.."

Klaus takes another sip of champagne. "He retired, opened up a vineyard outside Venice, his middle daughter married an American and they took over the two restaurant."