Damon was walking into the living room as I poured blood from a bag into the glass. "Care for one?"
"Don't mind if I do," Damon said as he reached for another.
"What about you, Stef?" I asked as Stefan walked in.
"No, thank you," Stefan answered. "I'm not hungry, just ate."
"Are you worried that one day, all the forest animals are gonna band together and fight back?" I asked. "I mean, surely they talk."
He gave me a small, sarcastic smile before looking at Damon. "I'm just happy that's a blood bag and not a sorority girl supplying your dinner."
"I like this," Damon said. "You, walking on eggshells around me because you think I'm gonna explode. Very suspenseful. Is Elena worried, too? I bet I'm in your every conversation."
"Have you heard from Katherine?"
Damon changed the subject. "I think the Lockwoods have a family secret because the Gilbert device affected them, but vervain didn't. So they're not vampires, they're something else."
"Is this your new obsession?" Stefan asked.
"You'd rather some unknown supernatural element running rampant upon our town?" Damon asked. "Fine, I'll drop it."
"We haven't seen the last of Katherine, you do know that, right?" I asked.
"We have no idea what she's up to," Stefan said.
"Sure we do," Damon said. "She came back to profess her undying eternal love for you, so I'm gonna let you deal with her, because I have more important things to do, like explode. Cheers!"
*
I saw Damon at the school carnival, watching Tyler arm wrestle. I stood next to him. "You're lurking."
"I'm observing," Damon replied.
"More like obsessing," I told him.
Tyler won the match.
"He's got strength," Damon said.
"He's a triple letter varsity athlete, of course he's got strength," I replied. "You're reaching."
Mason Lockwood stood next to Tyler. "I bet I could beat you."
"Enter the uncle," I said.
Stefan stood on the other side of me. "That's ridiculous."
Mason beat Tyler, who said, "Okay, he's the champ, who wants to go next?"
"Stefan wants to go," Damon said, making them look toward us.
"Yeah, sure, I'll . . .give it a shot," Stefan said, going to join Mason and Tyler at the table.
"Get him, Stef!" I said.
"My brother and sister over there think I can beat you," Stefan said as they prepared.
Tyler laughed as Mason told Stefan, "Your brother and sister are wrong."
They started, both putting in hard pressure before Mason beat Stefan, Tyler mimicking a bomb with his hands as Damon looked pissed, Stefan coming back to join us.
"You didn't put in any effort at all," Damon said.
"Yeah, actually, I did," Stefan said.
That peaked my interest, nodding to the hall. "Come with me." They followed me out into the hall, and I turned to Stefan. "Is he . . ?"
"No, no, it wasn't that kind of strength, but it was more than human, if that makes sense," Stefan answered.
"What is up with that family?" Damon asked.
