A Prevailing Love (2) // TVD

Chapter Twelve of A Prevailing Love

Cassidy paced the girl's dressing area worriedly while Bonnie sat on a chair doing Avery's hair for her. The Bennett told her best friend to calm down repeatedly and that she had no reason to fret as bad as she was.

"Look, Jeremy isn't going to ditch like he did April. He's not even going to try to kill you like he did Elena that same year. That was just a bad year for him and you know it had to do with getting the Mark," the brunette continued to repeatedly reassure the vampire and was beginning to worry she would accidentally step on her dress and rip it. "Cass, chill, you're gonna accidentally catch your dress and rip it."

Although, the forever eighteen-year-old continued to pace as she let her mind worry so violently. She was scared and she really hadn't done this pageant in so long. Gosh, the last time she could remember going through with the pageant was when her dad had walked her. Caroline has begged her loads of times but she found herself always dropping out last minute, and she was very grateful Elena was still there to take on the Gilbert name.

Now, she couldn't drop out.

"Oh my god, what's wrong! You look like a hot mess!" Caroline stepped into the room to check up on the girls and noticed her best friend freaking out. She grabbed her by the wrist and made her stop her pacing as she looked at her with that signature Caroline freak out look. The brunette vampire shook her head as she looked away from Caroline.

"I don't think I can do it, Care."

"Hey, don't you back out on me now, Cassidy Gilbert. You got this; you're a strong girl and you're gonna make it out there. You have to do this," Caroline's eyebrows scrunched up in concern as she looked at her best friend before her. Bonnie had finished Avery's updo with some loose curls left out on purpose. She had walked over to the two vampires agreeing with Caroline.

"You got this. Jeremy will be there and you'll win this thing," she quickly looked back to the huntress. "No offense, they're just words of encouragement for her."

"Oh no, it's fine," Avery laughed as she too joined to comfort the panicking vampire. "It won't be too bad. Your brother loves you too much to let you down."

Cassidy took a deep breath as she looked at the doorway, knowing Caroline was making sure everything was okay so they could start lining up. She nodded as she started to head for the door.

"Uhm, Cass?" Caroline stopped her quietly.

She turned around to look at the three girls expectantly.

"Bon hasn't done your hair yet," Caroline held her laugh back only resulting in all the girls laughing together.

xXxXx

All of the contestants were lined up in alphabetical order making Cassidy the second to walk out and Avery the third to walk out. They waited at the top of the stairs to be signaled to walk down to meet with their escorts one by one. Cassidy took a deep breath as she was staring towards the top of the wall as she awaited her signal.

"Hey, uhm, Gilbert, not to mess with you or anything but where's Jer?" Avery stumbled over her words as her eyes were locked with a worried Matt who was at the next escort to move. Not Jeremy Gilbert.

"Huh?" Cassidy snapped out of her thoughts as she looked to her frenemy as the blonde motioned to the bottom of the stairs. The brunette followed her motions and looked to the bottom of the stairs to lock her wide eyes with her sister's ex-boyfriend.

Meanwhile at the bottom of the stairs where the rest of the gang was, Stefan looked to his brother urgently to go hop in line.

"No, Stefan, why don't you go?" Damon hissed angrily, not wanting to escort her because he didn't really know what terms they were on right now. He didn't want to make it more awkward than things already were between the both of them. He wanted her to come clear with her emotions at her own pace.