Vampire Diaries Blood Brothers

~Chapter Nine~

All that could be heard during dinner was the clinking of cutlery and the sounds of knives being dragged against the ceramic plates as the three of us ate Stefan's delicious home cooked meal in silence. Numerous times I had tried to start a conversation which the three of us could get into, but it was like Bonnie refused to socialise with Stefan.
   "Bonnie, why don't you tell Stefan about your family?" I suggested. Stefan wasn't a huge fan of the vampire aspect in Twilight, but maybe witches was more his thing.
   Stefan turned to Bonnie, curious to learn, but Bonnie once again shut him down. "Have no mom, live with my dad and grandma."
   Stefan nodded, unsure how to respond but I only rolled my eyes. "No, about the witches." His head immediately turned and I tried to hide my smile. So vampires no, witches yes? "Bonnie's family has a lineage of witches," I informed him, seeing as Bonnie wasn't going to. "It's really cool," I eyeballed her.
   "Cool isn't the word I'd use," she shot back.
   I glared at her. Why couldn't she just give Stefan a chance? We weren't exactly a couple but it looked to be heading that way and I just wanted my best friend and boyfriend to get along. Was that so much to ask?
   "It's certainly interesting," Stefan commented, taking a sip of his cola. "I'm not too versed but I know that there's a history of Celtic Druids who migrated here in the 1800s."
   "My family came by the way of Salem," she interjected.
   "Really?" Stefan asked, seemingly hooked. Bonnie nodded, her cheeks red. "Salem Witches?"
   "Yeah," she confirmed, embarrassed.
   Turning back to me, Stefan grinned. "Well I'd say that's pretty cool."
   "Really?" Bonnie raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
   Stefan ran his tongue over his lips then leaned forward. "Salem Witches are... Heroic examples of individualism and non conformity."
   Proudly, Bonnie beamed. "Yeah they are."
   Bonnie and Stefan started discussing the Salem Witches and the family history that came with it when there was a knock at the door. Rubbing the raw skin on my chest, I excused myself from the table. "I wonder who that could be."

I opened the door to find Caroline smiling, a cake in her hands, with Damon standing behind her, smiling apologetically as Caroline invited herself inside. "I heard you guys were doing dinner so I thought we'd bring dessert," she beamed, adjusting the scarf around her neck. 
   "Hope you don't mind," Damon's nose twitched as he waited patiently on the porch.
   "What are you doing here?" Stefan demanded, appearing at my side.
   "I'm waiting for our lovely hostess to invite me in."
   I opened my mouth to let him but Stefan didn't give me the chance. "No, no, no!" He blurted out, half blocking the door. Damon tilted his head, slightly amused as I frowned. "Eva, don't let him in."
   "Stefan-"
   "He can't stay," he interrupted, running his hand through his hair nervously. "Can you Damon?"
   "Oh for goodness sake," Caroline stamped her foot impatiently. "Just come in Damon."
   "We're practically finished anyway," Stefan reasoned.
   Confused, I shook my head. "Stefan, what are you talking about? We only just finished dinner and they brought dessert." He opened his mouth to protest but I spoke before he had the chance to argue. "Come in, Damon."
   Damon smiled smugly as he dramatically stepped through the door, breathing in the leftovers I left for Jenna. Stefan scowled as his older brother swaggered past, walking as if he owned the place. Turning on his heel, he smiled at me. "You have a lovely home Eva, thank you for inviting me in."
   I watched as he turned into the living room. The way he spoke and remained outside until I verbally said he could come inside was suspicious, but I didn't question it. Maybe he really was just being polite.

~~~

Caroline stuffed the last piece of chocolate cake in her mouth as I sipped at my fresh coffee. I had thought the conversation would hit an awkward silence as it had at dinner before Bonnie and Stefan hit it off, talking about witches, but there was never any risk of silence where Caroline was involved.
   "I cannot believe that Mr Tanner let you on the team," Caroline grinned, her hair bouncing by her shoulders. "Ugh, Tyler must be seething," she giggled. "But good for you," she added sweetly. "Go for it."
   "That's what I always tell him," Damon rolled his eyes, relaxing into the arm chair by the window. "You have to engage. You can't just sit there and wait for life to come to you - you have to go get it," he said passionately.
   "Yeah," Caroline agreed. "Eva wasn't so lucky today. It's only because you missed Summer camp," she added quickly, stroking Damon's leg as she sat at his feet. "I don't know how you're ever going to learnt the routines-"
   "I'll work with her," Bonnie glared at her. "She'll get it." 
   I offered Bonnie a grateful smile but Caroline just kept on talking. "I guess we could put her in the back," she thought aloud. 
   "You know, you don't seem like the cheer leader type, Eva," Damon smiled, trying to interrupt Caroline before she said something she (and everyone else for that matter) regretted.
   Unsure of how to respond, I smiled and rested my head on Stefan's shoulder, taking a sip of my hot coffee. "It's just because her parents died, and her sister."
   I almost spat out my coffee as I choked, horrified that Caroline would say something like that, especially now. My body tensed as I stared at Caroline, my heart aching. Bonnie's mouth hung open as she glared, trying to cue for Caroline to stop talking but she was totally oblivious, happily explaining my entire life story to Stefan and Damon - not that Damon didn't know already.
   "Yeah," Caroline confirmed. "I mean, she's just totally going through a blah phase," she giggled as though she had just cracked a joke. I wished she had stopped when nobody laughed, but she didn't. She just kept... On... Talking.
   "Although," she murmured to herself. "Elena was always a better cheer leader than Eva. I mean, we need Eva because Elena was the 'face' of the cheer team - besides me of course - and since Eva has the same face she is a great popularity asset but in terms of the actual routine, her talent lies elsewhere."
   Tucking her foot underneath her, Caroline adjusted her sitting position and gripped Damon's knee, tapping her perfect pink fingernails on his leg. "Did you know, Elena could memorise an entire routine in less than twenty minutes? She could run through it once and perform it perfectly. Well, better than Eva ever could anyway."
   "Caroline-" Stefan cut in as I leaned away from him and sat uncomfortably next to him, staring at the mug in my hand, trying not to cry.
   Unfortunately, Caroline's mouth didn't stop for him. "Eva is still a great asset to the team though. Besides me, Elena was the face of the cheer squad. She raised awareness and popularity and she also helped run tryouts and stuff. And, since Eva has the same face, it's important we keep that up. She may be a terrible cheer leader, but I can't do everything and quite frankly, no one needs to know the 'face' of the cheer squad doesn't have the talent. I mean, they'll just associate her with Elena anyway."
   "Caroline-" He tried again.
   "You guys would have loved Eva. Stefan, most guys get with Eva because of her looks, but you totally would've dated Elena. She was way more fun than Eva, and she had still had the looks, obviously. I mean, Eva was fun, never as fun as Elena, but still fun. Unfortunately for us, she just hasn't been the same since the majority of her family died."
   "Caroline!" Bonnie and Stefan shouted together (Bonnie more aggressively). 
   A tense silence filled the room as Caroline looked around, still oblivious. Her eyes met mine and suddenly, her face fell as she realised what she had done. "And I say that with complete sensitivity," she winced.