The Balance

Chapter 30

"How long are you going to starve Elena?" I ask my brothers as they sit in the parlor trying to come up with a new game plan. "She is the calmest starving vampire I know."

Damon nods, "I remember when Stefan starved me down there for three days. I would've wept at your feet for an orange peel."

"Look, she's not gonna beg for blood. Begging means desperation, emotion. She's still in no-humanity zone." Stefan states.

"How hungry does she have to be before we can torture some feelings back into her?" Damon grins.

"A lot hungrier than she is now, apparently." Stefan says.

I plop down on the couch and scroll through my phone. After prom, Klaus ran off and I haven't heard from him or Tyler. Matt took me to dinner last night, where I filled him in on Tyler's surprised visit. I could see disappointment flash in Matt's eyes but I'm not sure if it's because he missed the opportunity to see his friend or something more.

"So what are we supposed to do in the meantime?" Damon asks.

[Katherine enters the room.]

"Maybe I can provide a little excitement." Katherine's voice enters the room.

I groan along side my brothers. "Katherine."

Katherine grins, "The one and only...sort of. So, when's the Welcome Home party?" She proceeds to pour herself a drink.

Damon stands up, "Wow, look who went and got bold. Last time I checked, Klaus was plotting your eternal demise."

"Well, it doesn't matter anymore, because Klaus is gone." She smiles at me.

"Wait, what do you mean he's gone?" I shake my head confused.

"Let's just say that werewolf girl, Hayley, turned out to be just the thing we needed to get Klaus out of our lives-- for good." Katherine smiles.

My heart sinks, gone for good? Without a goodbye?

***
"Do you think he's really gone for good?" Matt asks me as we are sitting in the living room at the Lockwood mansion.

I shrug, "I'm not sure where he went but Katherine seems pretty confident he won't be making a return trip to Mystic Falls anytime soon."

Matt sighs, "well maybe that means Tyler can finally stop running from him."

"Yeah, maybe" I mumble as my mind is elsewhere.

Something that Katherine said has stuck with me. How does Hayley fit in the equation of Klaus skipping town? Things aren't adding up and I can't swallow my pride enough to reach out to him myself.

"Are you going to reach out to him?" Matt asks as if he could read my mind.

I shake my head, "if he truly wanted to say goodbye he would have done so before he left. I'm not going to call him up and beg for answers." I wave my hand, "now let's get back to studying spanish."

***

Klaus observes a small parade of people dancing and performing down a street. He takes out his phone and dials a number. He leaves a message.

"Allison. I'm standing in one of my favorite places in the world, surrounded by food, music, art, culture, and all I can think about is how much I want you here by my side to enjoy it with me. Maybe one day you'll join me." He hangs up, smiles, pockets his phone and continues his way down the street.

***
"Clearly whatever they are doing with Elena isn't working." Matt states, we are sitting in the living room of my house and I can hear Elena screaming in pain as my brothers try to get her to flip the switch back on.