Timeless

Chapter 24

That night the Salvatore boarding house was filled with drunk teenagers. Loud music blasted from the surround sound, at least 3 games of beer pong were set up, and everyone was dancing and drinking all in honor of Elena's birthday. Empty red solo cups tinkled as they hit the beer stained floor, timed perfectly with the rowdy laughter coming from every corner of the house. Caroline had managed to pull off yet another successful party, much to Elena's chagrin. She had requested that Caroline keep it small, but of course Caroline didn't listen. The big party was better. It was a much bigger distraction, which they all needed. Which she definitely needed.

Caroline leaned up against the wall, bottle of tequila in hand, her lips pressed firmly to the mouth of the bottle taking a large swig. She was watching the crowd take shots and grind up on one another as the music played on. Tyler was in the center, dancing with some girl from school named Sophie, or better known as slutty Sophie. The girl's bubble gum pink lips trailed down Tyler's jaw as his hands slid around her waist to grab her backside. Caroline scoffed, rolling her eyes. Everyone was having a great time. She wished she were too.

Her mind wandered again to Klaus. She wondered where he was at that very moment. She wished he were there. But did she really? What would he even be doing if he were? Sharing cake with Elena, playing beer pong with Matt, challenging Damon and Ric to find out who could drink the most scotch while Damon continued to bitch about the condition of his Persian rug? Of course not. If Klaus were around it would be a complete disaster. There would be fighting and torn off limbs and bloodshed because her friends and the love of her life would never get along.

The whole time she had been thinking about finding Klaus, she hadn't even thought of how he would fit into her world until tonight. Not until she saw Tyler and Sophie making out that she wished she could be them, partying with her boyfriend, being a normal teenager. But Klaus wasn't normal. He wasn't a teenager. He was a thousand year old original hybrid and nothing was ever normal or simple when it came to him.

Caroline realized she was jealous of Sophie and Tyler, which was stupid, because it wasn't like they were in love. But that was the part that rankled so much. They would go back to Tyler's and sleep together and then Tyler would probably not call her the next day and Sophie would move onto her next victim. It wasn't fair.

For some weird reason, she had had this fantasy that she and Elena would find Klaus and Stefan and bring them back to Mystic Falls and everything would turn out ok. That Stefan and Elena could be together again and everyone would forgive her for loving Klaus but realize that maybe he wasn't so bad. They all got over Damon and the hell he caused when he first showed up right? But that was stupid. She was stupid. Klaus had been right when he had compelled her in the cave the night of the sacrifice. It really had been the end. But not just for him, for both of them.

Caroline gulped down another mouthful of tequila, hoping the liquid would wash away the ache she couldn't seem to shake from her bones.

"Hitting the bottle pretty hard tonight aren't you?" Matt said coming to stand next to her.

"I thought you were ignoring me?"

"I'm not ignoring you," he countered, "besides. You've been gone. With Klaus."

"Geez!" Caroline groaned. "What is it with everyone? Nothing is going on with me and Klaus!"

"That's not even what I meant," Matt said holding up his hands in defense, but Caroline had turned away from him and gone back to her bottle. "Now who's ignoring who."

Caroline said nothing, not in the mood to argue or explain herself to her former boyfriend. Matt scoffed and walked away. Just then Tyler walked up, Sophie trailing behind him.