Damon x oc

52

"Screw Damon," she murmured. "Are we doing manicures or what? Who has their kit."

"Not me," Scarlett replied.

"Mine's in my bag," Bonnie said, and Caroline smiled before walking over the retrieve Bonnie's manicure kit.

"So Elena, how long do you think this fight with Stefan's gonna last?" the blonde asked aloud. "Is it like, a permanent thing?" Elena picked up a French fry and took a bite before responding.

"I don't know Caroline," she said, sounding more than slightly exasperated as she shared an annoyed look with Bonnie. Scarlett frowned as she felt a renewed surge of anger from Caroline, and glanced towards her just as the blonde turned around.

"Why are you such a little liar, Bonnie?" Bonnie and Elena both made sounds of protest at Caroline's exclamation, but Scarlett was too busy staring at the amber crystal hanging from Caroline's hand.

"Didn't you say you threw that away?" Scarlett asked slowly. Bonnie turned to look at the redhead, fear evident in her eyes as she nodded once. "Well then... how did it get back?" Caroline stormed back into the kitchen and dropped the crystal on the centre island.

"I can't believe you lied to me about this," she hissed.

"I'm not lying to you Caroline, I swear," Bonnie replied calmly.

"It's true; I watched her throw it into a field," Elena confirmed. Scarlett couldn't take her eyes off the crystal. She kept getting the strangest feeling from it... almost as if it was actually alive.

"Well then explain it," Caroline said shrilly. Bonnie glanced up at Scarlett – she had always been more interested in the supernatural. It was one of the reasons why she got on so well with Bonnie's Grams and she had a sneaking suspicion that Scarlett already knew that she was a witch.

"Emily?" she asked. The redhead raised a shoulder in a half-hearted shrug.

"It's possible. Your Grams always said she was pretty powerful."

"Wait, who's Emily?" Caroline sounded confused.

"The ghost," Bonnie said, her eyes never leaving Scarlett's face.

"The ghost has a name now?" Caroline asked sarcastically. Scarlett sent her a quick glare, whilst Elena raised a hand to silence her as she too turned to Scarlett.

"I wonder why she won't leave me alone," Bonnie wondered angrily. Caroline finally snapped.

"Okay, what is going on? Why am I not a part of this conversation? You three do this to me all the time."

"That's not true," Elena said, but Bonnie quickly interrupted her.

"Yes it is," the witch said before turning to Caroline. "I can't talk to you, and nor can Scarlett. You don't listen."

"Leave me out of this..." Scarlett mumbled, but she was drowned out by Caroline's shrill retort.

"That's not true!" Bonnie took a deep breath before responding.

"I'm a witch."

"And don't we all know it?" Caroline said scathingly. Scarlett frowned at the blonde's comment, sharing a disappointed look with Elena.

"See?! That's what I'm talking about. I'm trying to tell you something, you won't even hear it," she said, before storming out of the room. Caroline turned to watch her leave and then turned back to Scarlett and Elena.

"I listen!" she exclaimed. "When do I not listen?"

"You may listen, Caroline, but you don't always hear what we're telling you," Scarlett said calmly.

"What's the difference?" Scarlett walked to Caroline's side and placed a hand on her arm. She took a deep breath and looked deep into Caroline's grey eyes, letting her own tranquillity and understanding flow into her friend. Elena watched with wide eyes as Caroline visibly relaxed, a small smile curling her lips.

"This thing that is happening to Bonnie is really scaring her," Scarlett explained softly as she soothingly rubbed Caroline's arm. "She doesn't understand it, and what she really needs is for her friends to just accept it and support her in any way we can, okay?" Caroline nodded in response, before turning and following Bonnie into the living room. Once she had left, Scarlett stumbled slightly and grabbed onto the counter top. Elena rushed around the centre island and helped Scarlett sit on one of the barstools.

"What did you do?" she asked quietly. Scarlett closed her eyes and massaged her temples – her head was pounding.

"I guess you could call is emotional transference; I made Caroline feel what I was feeling. I thought it was worth a shot." Elena nodded slowly as she tried to understand what Scarlett was saying.

"You should be careful, Scarlett. It's obviously taking a lot out of you..." Scarlett smiled slightly and looked up at her friend's concerned gaze.

"Practice makes perfect, right?" Elena smiled in return as the pair snuck to the doorway and eavesdropped on Bonnie and Caroline's conversation.

Meanwhile at the Grill, Stefan was thrashing Damon at darts. The eldest Salvatore scowled as his little brother got yet another bull's-eye.

"Lucky shot," Damon complained as he moved towards the board to grab the darts. Stefan smirked at his brother's reaction.

"More like a carefully honed skill over many decades," he explained as Damon wrote the score on the chalkboard.

"You're beating me." Stefan's smirk only widened.

"Well, yeah, because I'm better than you." Damon walked back to his brother's side, a smirk of his own stretching his lips as he examined Stefan.

"I'm on to you; reverse psychology. I mean, it's a little transparent, but I admire the effort."

"You prefer the brooding forehead?" Stefan asked, drawing his eyebrows together in a frown. Damon smiled at his brother's lame attempt at humour.

"Seriously, what game do you think you're playing?" he asked.

"That's a funny question, considering the fact that I have been asking you that for months." Damon shook his head and turned away as Stefan let out a snort of laughter. "It's frustrating, isn't it?"

"Touché," Damon replied sarcastically. Stefan turned and made his way over to the bar to get another drink, leaving Damon alone by the dart board. Pulling his phone from his pocket, the dark haired vampire typed a quick message before hitting send.

"Who're you texting?" Stefan asked from his side; Damon hadn't heard him approach. He quickly slipped his phone away and smirked tauntingly at his brother.

"No one important."