turning over a new leaf (klonnie love story) On Hold

getting ready

Caroline's House

"Care, I don't see why I couldn't get dressed at my house," I stated for the millionth time to the blonde-haired General that is my best friend. Her gaze swung to the left when she heard her other doe-eyed friend laugh.

"You are going on a date with Klaus and I don't even need to look in your closet to know you don't have anything appropriate. Did you forget, I'm the one who goes shopping with you?" Caroline stated, with a hand on her hip.

"Why do I keep you around, again?"

"Because without me you would probably show up in a potato sack. Besides, when I asked you to be my best friend in kindergarten, and you accepted, that was a lifelong contract. There is no getting out of this. You are all stuck with me and you love it. You're welcome."

I and Elena smiled and shrugged, both well versed in their contracted friendship. From her spot next to Caroline, in front of Caroline's closet, Rebekah shook her head. "Honestly, Bonnie could show up wearing a potato sack and Niklaus would still be likely to think that Bonnie is the only wonder of the world worth seeing."

The three girls all burst out laughing, leaving me a little embarrassed. "You guys all act like he is just head over heels for me, or like he is just so enamored that I could get away with anything. I get it, he has a crush, but honestly, I think it's just a phase. Maybe, he just wants a witch in his pocket or is intrigued because I was able to pull one over on him, what with Elena still being alive. But whatever it is, I don't think that it's everything that you guys are trying to make it out to be. I'm nothing more than a passing fancy."

The other girls in the room traded worried glances before they fixed their serious gazes on their tiny friend.

"Bonnie," Elena started, "I may still have issues with Klaus, but I would have never encouraged you to go out with him if I thought that this was anything but serious for him. Do you think that he would have come to talk to me and apologize for Jenna and everything else, had it not been for you? I don't know if you've noticed, but Klaus had his sister staked in a coffin and I doubt that when he released her he said "sorry"."

Rebekah nodded, "This is true. Nik does not do apologies. Yet… for you, he apologized to Elena. Not only that, he felt remorse for his actions; I saw it all over his face. This is not a one-time fancy for my brother. I have seen that before. This is different. You are different."

"But why? Why me?" I spread her arms wide and shrugged her shoulders as if to say 'I'm just me.'

Caroline marched over to where Bonnie stood near the mirror and took her by her shoulders, "No you listen here, Bennett. You are amazing. Why you? Fuck! Why anyone else, but you? That's what you should be asking. Don't let the fact that we live in a town full of dickhead boys, who are too busy with their heads up their asses to notice you, keep you from realizing what an amazing and drop-dead gorgeous person you are. And if you could see yourself through our eyes, you would never have to question, "why you" you would just know. I wish you could see from the outside what Klaus looks like when he looks at you. It's like… like…"

"It's like he has finally gotten everything that he has ever wanted, and can't believe you are real. It's like he's afraid to close his eyes or look away because he is scared you will vanish, so he's trying to soak up every single moment he has with you. It's like a man who has finally found his match." Elena said all of this while she looked at me from her spot on the bed.

"He looks at you much like how I imagine a wolf looks at his mate like a predator" Rebekah grinned, as everyone had been doing everything they could to give Bonnie as many hints as possible without outright saying that Klaus and Bonnie were mates. "The inverse is true as well, you know. Your eyes do tend to follow my dear brother around when you think he is not looking. Which happens to be never, when you are within viewing distance. This has no bearing, however, coming from us. As my brother has said, 'relationships require honesty'; so be honest to him about your fears and your hopes. I can promise you that he will stop at nothing until you are secure in your relationship."

I moved to sit in between Elena and Rebekah. I let out a sigh and leaned forward, with my elbows on my knees and my face in my hands. "I'm so nervous around him. But I feel this constant hum of energy between the two of us. It's weird, like even when we aren't close I feel him. I like it and I want to get close to him. But I've never had a real boyfriend before, not counting the time Tyler and I 'went out for three months in middle school. That was just him mostly buying me shakes from the diner after school. I've never felt like this before, for anyone. And… I'm terrified that I might be more than a little in love with him. I'm afraid to get close to him and give him my all, just for him to turn and walk away."

Oh Bonnie," Elena hugged her friend close to her side. "Not everyone is your parents. Not everyone will walk away. I mean look at us, Caroline and I are still here after all of these years. If you can still stand to be around me after everything that happened last year, you can bet that there is no getting rid of me. You, my friend, are someone worth keeping. I know I haven't done my best in a while to show you that, but it's true."

"Yeah! What Gilbert said! You need to let people in. Give them a chance. Not everyone is an asshole that wants to use you the way Damon used me. I mean, look at me. After everything with Damon, I still tried with Matt. It didn't work, mostly because I'm a vampire now, but we are back to being friends. And now Tyler and I are giving it our best. Although, I've got to admit, that hum you were talking about? I have felt it between Tyler and me. Like we are still connected, even when we are apart. It's nice."

"I may have only recently joined your group of friends, but I shall tell you this… Once I have made a friend, a true friend like I have with you girls, I fight with everything in me to protect them. You are, as they said, stuck with me."

I teared up, just as her phone alerted her to a new text. 'Please dress comfortably this evening. Tonight is about getting to know one another, whilst having a fun-filled evening.'

"You guys are the best. But… it looks like I don't need to get dressed up after all." I smile, still slightly teary-eyed, and showed them the text.

"Oh, don't think you got off easy. You are going to wear some tight jeans to show off that round ass of yours and a fun, flirty, casual yet sexy, blouse. No heels, but you sure as hell are going to wear some cute flats." Caroline popped back up to pick an outfit.

I turned to Rebekah with squinted eyes, "How did Klaus get my number?"

"Oh, that was me," Caroline called with her head buried in her closet. I straightened up and turned to face her friends. "Oh, don't give me that look. If I waited for things to happen on their own, the world would stop spinning on its axis. You would be sitting in your house, twiddling your thumbs, wondering when he was going to show up to get you for your date. Now shush, and try this top on."