Gilbert Twins [1 - Twins Series]

23 - Graduation

Book: Gilbert Twins
Chapter 23: Graduation
Word Count: 3254

No one's POV

Alaric, Ariana, Jeremy, and Elena were eating lunch together... as a family.

"Mm. Oh, my god." Alaric was loving food, since he'd spent so long without it. Ariana and Elena exchanged amused looks as they both laughed, watching Alaric and Jeremy both practically stuff their faces.

"No grease on the Other Side, huh?" Elena giggled.

"You have no idea how much I've missed this." Alaric then held up a bottle of bourbon. "And this." Ariana took the bottle.

"No, hey. Hey!" Alaric protested, but Ariana still took a swig.

"She just got her humanity back. Let her live a little." Jeremy smiled. He reached for the bottle but Ariana held it away from him.

"Hey, you wish!"

"I'm dead. What are they gonna do, throw me in juvie?" Jeremy scoffed.

"Well, at least you'd have a place to live." Alaric joked. That made Elena laugh. Ariana shot her a playful look.

"Traitor!" She threw food at Elena. And that made both Alaric and Jeremy laugh, so Ariana threw food at them, too, smiling. "You all suck!"

"Hey! Now there it is! That smile. I wasn't sure we were gonna see that again." Alaric mentioned. Ariana's smile widened.

Interrupting the moment, Elena's phone started ringing. She took it out and looked at it.

"It's the Grill. It must be Matt." Elena answered the call. "Hey, you went AWOL this morning. What happened?"

"Hello, Elena. It's your dead friend, Connor, here. You remember me?"

Elena was shocked. Connor continued speaking on the other end of the phone.

"We want Silas and Nicholas, and we want the cures."

"I don't know where they are, so I guess I can't help you."

"Huh. Well, you know who's gonna need some help? Grandma and Grandpa Jones, in town for the big high school graduation, along with Auntie Sue and Uncle Mark. Matter of fact, everybody's here at the Mystic Grill for graduation brunch. You either give me what I want, or they die."

"Please, don't hurt anyone. I'll find Silas and Nicholas and I'll get the cures."

"Good. Get it done." Connor then hung up.

After eavesdropping in on the conversation, Ariana frowned as worry flooded her.

---

Damon was rubbing his shoulder uncomfortably as he checked himself in the mirror in his room. Ariana knocked on the doorframe to announce herself.

"Hey."

"Hey." Damon smiled at her.

"So, I think there's some stuff you and I need to talk about." Ariana muttered.

"Yes, we do." Damon replied. He turned to walk closer to Ariana, but ended up groaning uncomfortably. And unluckily for him, Ariana noticed.

"What was that?"

"Nothing." Damon replied, but Ariana wasn't having any of that. She pulled the collar of his shirt down to reveal the wound in his shoulder. He cringed in pain.

"Damon, why hasn't this healed?" Ariana asked, deeply concerned.

"Because the bullet was laced with werewolf venom, okay? Hunters are dicks." Damon said. Ariana turned away and started pacing, slightly frantic.