Lost and Found (The Vampire Diaries)

Chapter 5: Lapis, Lazulis, and Blood Red Rubies

Jade's view

When we came out of the bathroom the two boys just stared…at me.

Giving myself over to Elena's more than capable hands had been a huge relief. I never had been one of those girls who could spend hours on their appearance so it was nice to know that, for now, that small department of my life was being taken care of. The two of them expressed looks of utter shock and bewilderment, as if they had never expected such a swan to have emerged from this ugly duckling. I smiled at them.

Elena glanced at her watch, "Damn! We're late for school and that essay's due in first lesson! Stefan!" Stefan broke out of his trance and started for the front door. Elena hitched her bag over her shoulder and gave me a short but sweet hug which I hesitantly returned, "I'll see you after school." Then they were gone, leaving me here, alone, with Damon.

He had composed himself now, thank God, but was still staring, making me uncomfortable. It was either one of two things; he was doing it on purpose, or he just did not have a clue. I had a feeling that it was probably a bit of both.

I had never met anyone quite like Damon so I didn't really know how to deal with his strange behaviour, but for now I figured ignorance was the way to go, and crossed over to the book case. Funnily enough, one of the books had caught my eye. It was called, "Child Possessed," by David St. Clair.

I turned the familiar cover in my hands, a girl with dark hair, wearing a long white dress and holding a blood-stained knife, stared back at me with her unseeing eyes. It was a paper back and looked brand new.

"Good book?" I knew he was behind me, could feel his presence and answered, keeping my eyes glued to the crimson title,

"Don't know, I never got round to reading it. My mum told me that it was true and very disturbing, so I was interested." I felt him lean in seductively,

"Interested is the right word," still grasping the book tightly I whirled on him and had the satisfaction of seeing him take a step back, he was backing down, and I liked it.

"Damon, let's get something straight here; I don't know you, therefore, I don't want to play with you. Do you see where I'm going with this?" I liked that he hadn't expected my reaction; I was knocking his ego down a peg, something that should have been done a long time ago.

"Playing what exactly?" His tone was sweet and oblivious, a little too sweet and way too oblivious.

I placed the book on his chest and he took it, "This game where you completely wind me up just to see if at the end of the day you can still seduce me," I pushed him gently but firmly to the side and made straight for the window to see what I could see. I waited for him to follow or to reply but he didn't so I concentrated on the scene before me:

The sun, such a big thing burning so far away, was high in the sky. But it was still morning, the front garden was pristinely trimmed and weeded and the road, just a few meters away, was deserted. A single maple tree stood morosely to the left of the paved pathway that cut through the middle leading to the front door-"Hey!"

Damon was holding my hand up to the light turning it this way and that. I tried to pull away; when that didn't work, big surprise there, I grabbed hold of his wrist with my other hand, ready to wrench myself free,

"Where did you get this?" He was looking at my ring,

"What's the matter, jealous?" In response he brought his hand up to mine, we were wearing the same ring. I studied it with child-like curiosity, noting that the rings were almost identical with one exceptional difference; his ring seemed to have a precious blue stone that I recalled from somewhere as "Lapis Lazuli" whereas my ring had always had a blood red ruby.