Humanity 3 "The Renewal"

Chapter 20

DAMON’S POV

I walk through the house on the phone with Ric. “Where have you been? I’ve been calling you all day.” I scold him.

“Yeah, sorry about that. I just needed to get my head together.” He says.

“So I take it Rebekah got the stake?” I ask ask, rolling my eyes.

“I don’t know. I woke up alone. There’s no sign of it.”

“Lovely.” I scoff. “What now?”

“Well, I think I need to get out of town. Somewhere secluded. I keep blacking out which means I’m still a threat to everyone.” He tells me. I know he’s right, but he can’t just leave.

“I don’t know if now is the best time for you to be going on a spirit quest, Ric.”

“It’s just for a couple of days. I’m stocked up on Bonnie’s herbs, so I should be fine. I gotta go.” He says quickly before hanging up.

ASHLEY’S POV

“So, Alaric is trying to pull himself together, why is that a bad thing?” Caroline asks me as the two of us walk through the hallway at school.

Everything is being set up for the 20s decade dance and Caroline keeps checking things off of her clipboard as we walk. She’s stressed because Rebekah was supposed to be running this thing and now she isn’t even here.

“I just…I wish there was something I could do.” I tell her as I pick up a chandelier lying on the floor. “Where should we hang this thing?” I ask.

“You know, if Rebekah wanted to hang this monstrosity, she should have shown up to do it herself.” Caroline states as she takes the chandelier from my hand and puts it in a box.

I look down the hallway and I notice Jeremy and Matt are hanging stars from the ceiling by the entrance to the gym.

“What are you doing?” Caroline calls to them. “You can’t just hang them! They’re supposed to trickle down.” She says in frustration.

“Trickle, duh.” Matt says with a nod and I giggle a little bit.

“Look at them all bromancy.” Caroline says to me with a smile.

“Yeah, Elena asked Matt to help Jeremy readjust. He got him his old job back at the Grill.”

“That was nice of him.” Caroline smiles as we keep walking through the hallway.

“Jeremy has got a lot on his mind. The whole thing with Alaric has got him really stressed out.” I explain to her a conversation that Elena and I had over the phone last night.

“You sure it has nothing to do with him witnessing you and Stefan getting hot and heavy in a skeevy motel?” She shoots and I stop walking.

“How did you…”

“Elena told me.” She says with a smirk. I had to tell Elena. I felt so guilty about it, especially after Jeremy saw it happen. “So, who are you brining to the dance?”

“What do you mean?” I frown. “I thought you, me, Bonnie and Elena were going as girl dates.” None of really seem to be having luck with our love lives so we thought it would be a good idea.

“Well, Bonnie has a date.” Caroline tells me.

“What?”

“Jamie called and wanted to see her so she asked him.” That’s a little weird. They’re kind of like brother and sister, but I guess they technically aren’t. Good for Bonnie. “So, here’s a thought, why don’t you go with Damon?” She suggests.