Chapter 2
Taking a seat on a barstool, I order a diet cola from a clean cut blonde guy behind the bar, he had a crinkly smile and bright blue eyes, his Mystic Grill nametag said Ben. He hands me the cola, “Thanks” I say, handing him the money for the drink.
“You’re welcome” He smiles, exposing square white even teeth, wide, chiselled jaw and pink kissable lips. Magnificio. These boys are all so cute. “So do you go to school here? I haven’t seen you around before” He asks, still smiling.
“I actually just moved here, I start school tomorrow” I say, smiling back
“Really? Were from?” He asks back, raising an eyebrow as he tops up another drink, towel slung over his shoulder. He slides the drink down the bar. “Can’t you tell?” I ask, trying out these flirty teasing things girls do in teen movies. “Spain? Mexico?” He asks, I try and decide whether he’s joking or not. “I’m kidding, so, Italy huh? You nervous about school?”
I laugh at his joke, or at least, I think it was meant to be funny. “Uh, Yeah, I am. I don’t really know anybody. I literally just moved in” I hear the American words coming out of my Italian mouth and the accent is strange, as are the words. This will take some fine tuning.
“So, your parents setting up the house?” He asks.
“No, I’m on my own”
“Seriously? How old are you?” He asks, both eyebrows rose in surprise. In truth, I’m 572, in appearance, I can pass for 17. “17, I’m emancipated. My parents both died. What about you, are you a mama’s boy?” I ask, waggling my eyebrows.
“It’s just me and my dad, my sister’s flunking college and getting stoned in Georgia” He says with a hint of a smile
“I understand my sister was a little…rebellious too” I think of my older sister. “Is it always this busy?” I ask it’s a Sunday night; surely there shouldn’t be swarms of teenagers dancing and laughing and playing pool. I look over to where Stefan was. A girl with impossibly long thick dark blonde hair was with him now, no mini Katerina in sight. “Yeah, not really, there’s a party going on, Caroline Forbes is behind it, I have to go bus some tables, nice talking to you…” Before he can ask for my name, I drain my cola in need of something stronger and leave in the direction of the pool table.
Lexi and Stefan were there. I tuned in on their conversation “Oops I drank yours, sorry” Lexi smiled and shrugged. “And where’s mine?” I ask, strutting up to hug Stefan and Lexi in turn “Valentina? What’re you doing here?” Stefan asks.
“Well I was waiting for you to make the first move, but I thought it wouldn’t be right, seeing as I’m the one stalking you and all” I wink, I turn to the heavily kholled eyes of Lexi “It’s been too long, sister” I smile softly, she returns it with a big grin
“It so has. What brings you out of your pizzeria?” She asks. I roll my eyes at the comment.
“Haven’t you heard? I’m stalking Stefan.” I quip back
“Why? He’s still all broody” Lexi says. Stefan rolls his eyes at being stuck in the middle. I met Lexi two hundred years ago on what was meant to be a short trip to Chicago, we practically ran into each other and we’ve been friends ever since. And maybe I told a lie about not seeing the Salvatores since 1864; I’ve seen Stefan through the years. Sometimes he knew I was there, sometimes he didn’t, and I never gave up hope the baby Salvatore would turn out better than the eldest.
“Yes, but he just got so pretty” I pretend to drool on him, laying my head on the pool table.
“So did you, the centuries weathered you well, Val” Lexi says, as Stefan lightly punches me arm to move me off the red felt table top and he effortlessly pots balls. “I know” I wink and twirl, showing off my skin tight Gucci leather jacket, high heeled platform lace up ankle boots , black tights and black stretchy skirt, blue black hair in a loose wavy ponytail.
“You didn’t turn out so bad yourself” I reply, but Lexi isn’t listening, she’s watching Stefan watch the mini Katerina watch him. I look at each of them in turn, spending more time looking and Mini Katerina. “Is there a little bit of chimica degli occhi going on here?” I ask. Stefan smiles soundlessly, Lexi asks what it means “It means ‘chemistry of the eyes’” I say, the words fit the situation perfectly.
“What is going on here is that Katherine twin is making eyes at Stefan, and he’s making them back because they both love each other lots and they need us to sprinkle sparkles over them in twilight land” Lexi replies. Stefan nudges her with his elbow. “If you two are going to joke, could you do it somewhere I can’t hear you?” He asks in his I’m-trying-to-be-stern-voice.
“But Stefan, you can hear us everywhere, remember?” I ask quizzically
“Nah, with Elena, he feels human” Lexi whispers dramatically, leaning across Stefan low over the pool table, I lean over right in front of Stefan who was looking as though he’d rather be anywhere else, or he wished the ground would swallow him up, and our noses touch “I feel so human when I’m with you, you complete me” we whisper to each other dramatically, then collapse in peals of laughter. “Leave. Now.” Stefan says, his voice flat, but his eyes dancing with laughter.
“Come on Lexi, I think it’s time we pay the other, less affectionate Salvatore a visit.” I say to Lexi, as this Elena mini Katerina walks up the stairs. “Ugh, if we have too. He’s such a drag. By the way, what are you doing in Mystic Falls?” She asks, prodding me with a finger.
“I decided that I was bored of Italy, a change of scenery, and where better to start than here?”
“Oh I don’t know, Hong Kong? Sydney?”
“Yeah, but it’s such a cute little town” I say. We pass Elena on the stairs, she looks at me, and the same almond shaped eyes as Katerina’s, only hers are clenched in sadness and wariness. “It’s nice to meet you, Elena, I’m Valentina, Stefan and Lexi’s friend from about a century, see you at school tomorrow, right?” I ask, smiling dazzlingly. She looks dazed as she nods and walks away.
“She’s such a loser” I say to Lexi
“She’s cute, and Stefan likes her” She scolds, I sniff, standing by Katerina, because if I don’t nobody will. “Still. So, Damon and Stefan in the same town, I smell trouble” I carry on from the subject of love and Katerina, or Katherine as the Salvatores and Lexi know her.
“That’s what we’re going to find out, get 3 shots of tequila as a bribe” She orders.
“I can’t, I’m supposed to be 17.” I say.
“Ugh, fine, you find son of Satan, I’ll get the prize.
“Deal” I wink as she walks in the direction of the bartender near the upside down bottled of various alcohol, I walk down the other side of the bar, where I was sat before near Damon and he didn’t notice. I spot him only a few stools down. I take a deep breath to calm my nerves and tap him on the shoulder.
YOU ARE READING
The Italian Job (Vampire Diaries)
FanficValentina is an italian vampire who is lonely as her best friend Katerina Petrova always steals her men and her fun, but now Katherine, as she is now known, is well out of the way on mystery business leaving Val alone to re start her life after near...
