FRANCESCA. ( the vampire diaries)

Chapter Twelve

It was now night time, and the town square was bustling with a sea of people, much more than earlier in the day. The air was filled with excitement and chatter as everyone gathered for the comet festival. The square was brightly lit with strings of colorful lights, and various food stalls and booths had been set up.

Caroline walked over to where Bonnie, Elena, and I were standing, her eyes wide with excitement. The comet was scheduled to make its appearance soon, and the crowd was eagerly anticipating the show. The blonde girl had three candles in her hands, handing them to us.

"Hey, I brought you a candle!" she said cheerfully. I accepted one with a grateful smile.

"Hi, thanks," Elena said, her voice soft.

Caroline's smile widened as she linked arms with Bonnie and me, leaving Elena to walk a bit ahead.

"So, Franny," Caroline said, turning to me, "what do you think of the festival so far?"

I looked around, noticing how kids were running around and having fun, and how everyone was conversing with each other. I nodded to myself, starting to like it just a little bit. It was like a break from reality, sort of.

"I like it, it's nice."

As we strolled through the square, we bumped into Matt, who was holding a lit candle. He flashed a smile at Elena, barely glancing at the rest of us. "Hey."

Elena greeted him back, her eyes following Matt's hand as he extended his candle to light hers. "Thank you," she said quietly.

Matt's gaze lingered on her, his smile turning into something more intense. "You're welcome." I couldn't help but chuckle softly, exchanging a knowing glance with Caroline and Bonnie. The unspoken history between Matt and Elena was clear, even if I wasn't fully in the loop.

Just then, I spotted Stefan making his way toward us, his candle still unlit. His eyes, however, were fixed on Elena. As she turned away from Matt, Stefan approached and Elena, still lost in the moment, lit his candle without realizing who it was.

"Thank you," Stefan said. She looked up abruptly, her surprise evident. "Hi," he added, his gaze softening.

"Hi," Elena replied, her eyes darting back to Matt with a flicker of concern. Matt's face showed a tinge of hurt, but he quickly masked it, turning his attention back to us. Elena, unsure of what to do, began to walk away slowly, and Stefan followed her, leaving the tension hanging in the air.

As I stared down at my unlit candle, feeling a touch of boredom, I glanced over at Caroline and Bonnie, who had already gotten theirs going.

"Here." I heard someone from behind me and saw Tyler, the guy who had talked to me at the bonfire. He seemed pretty chill at the moment, and I guessed that he had acted the way he had back at the bonfire because he was drunk. He was leaning his candle towards me with a smile, offering to light mine.

I accepted his offer with a small smile of my own and leaned my candle towards his, watching as the fire lit it up, illuminating my face. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," Tyler said with a relaxed grin. He glanced up at the sky, a look of quiet admiration on his face. "It's a nice night, isn't it?"

I followed his gaze. "Yeah, it really is."

The night sky was dark, but a streak of green light began to make its way across the horizon. I felt a wave of calm wash over me as I took in the view. Tyler stood beside me, both of us watching in comfortable silence.

"It's pretty calming," Tyler said quietly after a while.

I nodded, feeling the same sense of peace. "I agree." It was moments like these, with the world quiet and the comet streaking across the sky, that made me appreciate the small joys. Even the unexpected company of someone like Tyler added a layer of calmness to the evening. For a moment, everything felt just right.