Perfect Match

Chapter 11

XXXX

"You guys have a hot tub. Why don't we have a hot tub?" Mia complained as she slipped into the bubbling, warm water with a sigh of contentment.

Peter, with his stereotypical surfer sandy blonde hair, laughed. "We have a mini pool, Mia. Under our shower tap..."

Resting against the island, already bored, Katherine scoffed. Without looking up, she rolled her deep, brown eyes. "That's called a bathtub, genius," she retorted. "Where's Stefan? This party is a total drag without him."

Elena crossed her arms over her chest, already glaring at the brunette across from her. "Probably avoiding you," she quipped bitterly. Katherine simply laughed and poured herself a glass of wine.

"Why do you care so much about Stefan?" Janie asked as politely as she could. She was in the hot tub with Jem's tanned arm gently around her shoulders. "He doesn't really strike me as the life of the party type."

Katherine amusedly arched a perfectly waxed eyebrow. "No one told you? I was Stefan's first love. He never really got over me. Hasn't anyone ever noticed that Elena kind of looks like me?"

"There is a resemblance. You guys could be sisters," Mia noted. Katherine smirked, but Elena simply clenched her jaw.

"Maybe," she replied calmly, "Stefan only dated you in the first place because you looked like me."

Katherine took a long, leisurely sip of her wine. "No need to get catty, Elena. I was simply making an observation." She giggled against the glass.

Just then, Stefan arrived, carrying bags upon bags of every imaginable junk food: from Doritos to Hostess cupcakes. "Hope you guys are hungry," he laughed, setting everything down on the island, without giving Katherine a second glance, despite her flirtatious grin. "Please tell me the answer to that is yes, because I didn't rob from the producer's food stash for nothing."

"Yo," Peter shouted excitedly, his deep voice echoing through the suite. "Pass the cheese puffs, bro!"

Stefan smiled and threw them right to him.

"Nice throw!" Jem complimented with an impressed grin. "You play baseball?"

"Actually," Elena proudly interjected. "Stefan's on the football team. He's a star!"

Stefan timidly smiled and shook his head in protest. "She's a liar." Everyone -except for Katherine- smiled at Stefan and Elena, laughing softly at their playful exchange and the way they secretly glanced at each other across the room through their lashes.

Katherine sighed, lamely glancing around. "Excuse me, Stefan. Where is the restroom?" she asked with mock kindness.

His voice was cold when he replied. "Through the bedroom to your left."

With a smirk, she grinned and walked past everyone. "Thanks."

XXXX

The night progressed quickly -Katherine left along with Landon and Todd-, and before they even knew it, they were sitting in a big circle like middle schoolers, laughing and getting to know each other with silly, jovial games.

"Elena, it's your turn!" Janie smiled. "Truth or dare?"

Elena bit her lip, slowly raising her head from Stefan's shoulder to look around at the circle of people. "Um... What the hell! Dare," she insisted brightly, causing Stefan to laugh.

Stefan looked down at her, determined to be the one to think of the dare this time, considering his previous ideas had been terrible, involving the cliche request of trying to drink ketchup. "I dare you..." He bit his bottom lip, pondering for a moment.