(2) Just Magic (D. Salvatore)

Chapter Eighty-Eight

At the High School, the 60s decade dance is starting. Students are entering and arriving. Those inside already are dancing. Alaric arrives, dances his way through the crowd and heads over to Dana and her date who are among a very small number of students not dancing.

"Nice outfit, Mr Saltzman. Totally far out" Dana offers.

"Thank you, Dana. Thank you. Now, who is your date?"

"It's Chad, Mr Saltzman, from third period" Chad informs him.

"Chad, of course. How would you and your friends like to earn a little extra credit?" Chad smiles and looks eager to help out.

.............

Bonnie and Jeremy are outside, heading towards the front of the school together. As dates. Together. Bonnie hasn't actually talked to Cassandra yet, she's putting it off because she doesn't want her friend to hate her because she has feelings for her little brother.

"Wait" Jeremy stops her from heading inside. He lets out a breath and then takes off his ring. "Look, I, um, I want you to have this"

"If you're asking me to go steady, I think that was the fifties" Bonnie counters.

"No, I'm serious, Bonnie"

"The ring won't work on me, Jeremy" She argues softly.

"But it was made by a witch" He counters.

"To protect from the supernatural, not for someone who is"

"Well, I have to do something. I can't just...I can't just let you get yourself killed"

"Just because a bunch of dead witches gave me a warning doesn't mean I'm going to die" Bonnie stops him.

"So you're saying there's a 50-50 shot you won't?" Jeremy asks, she gives him a soft look back. "Look, I'm sorry. But...you know I don't have the best luck in the girlfriend department"

"Hey. Listen, I...I can't explain it. But I can feel them. I'm empowered, Jeremy, I can do this. I know I can. I'm strong enough" She assures him and hugs Jeremy, her eyes finding Cassandra and Damon as they walk towards them.

"Damon" Bonnie greets.

"Evenin'" Damon offers back.

"Cassie" Bonnie continues, Cassandra waves her fingers at her friend before she and Damon head on inside.

............

Inside, Cassandra and Damon join Elena, Stefan, along with Bonnie and Jeremy. Cassandra is uneasy already. Something unsettling her. She's not sure what it is, but it's not a good feeling so nothing good is going to come from tonight. She doesn't want to be here, so that might be contributing to that feeling. Dana goes onto the stage and speaks into the microphone set up.

"Thanks for being here, everybody. We have a special shout-out tonight" Dana starts. "This is for Elena. From Klaus" Dana announces and a song starts playing. Elena seems stunned. Alaric looks rather happy with himself. Cassandra snorts.

"Lame" She comments, Damon hums in agreement.

"Cheap shot. He's just trying to bait us" He adds.

"I know everyone here" Elena admits as she looks around.

"He's not here" Cassandra agrees.

"Maybe he just wants us to believe that he is here" Stefan offers.

"It's a party, people. Blend. Let him come to us" Damon motions with his hands to shoo them all off.

"Good idea" Bonnie agrees and then takes Jeremy's arm.

"No, no, I really don't feel like dancing" He protests.

"Too bad" She drags him onto the dance floor. Damon sees Alaric.

"There's Ric" He points out and then turns to Cassandra. "I'll be right back" She hums and nods. She'll be fine for five minutes on her own, she's not about ready to drop, yet.

..........

Damon approaches Alaric who lingers near the drinks table, he appears to be unable to hide his smile.

"Special dedication, huh? This guy's a little twisted" Alaric points out as Damon leans against the table next to him.

"I'm not impressed" Alaric appears disappointed and looks at Damon.

"No?"

"Let me know if you see anything out of whack" Damon adds and then walks away again. Alaric clenches his jaw and taps his fingers on his arm.

...........

Damon returns to Cassandra who is now standing alone, all the others paired up on the dance floor. Her eyes on them with a soft smile. Even with what tonight is. With the threat of Klaus. She can be happy her friends are laughing and smiling and dancing together.

"Did they all leave you?" He playfully pouts at her. Cassandra rolls her eyes and turns to face him.

"We both know that dancing, not my deal...." She reminds him. Damon takes Cassandra's hand and nods to the dance floor, she groans a little. "I told you...I don't dance" She argues weakly as he leads her towards the centre of the floor.

"If we can't dance at a school dance then when can we?" He asks her, she sighs a little and then caves, because he has a point. And if she's honest, the whole thing isn't bothering her as much as it usually would. "Plus you do dance, we've danced before..."

"That was a different" She argues as he spins her around before pulling her closer.

"So...How you doing?" He asks her. She gives him a look, knowing just what he is asking of her. 

"I feel fine" She answers.

"About tonight?" He counters. She shrugs back at him.

"I don't know...Um, freaking out a bit" She admits. "You?"

"Cool as a cucumber" He answers, she gives him a look. "Come on, remember the last decade dance? The vampires were all, 'arghh!' And you were all, 'aahh!'" She smirks and then chuckles.

"Right" She agrees. "And you won"

"Yes! We won" He adds, then spins her around before he pulls her closer, his arm around her back.

"You're good at this," She tells him fondly.

"I've got moves you've never seen" He wiggles his eyebrows at her, she laughs a little before it fades and she cringes slightly. "What?" He asks her. "What is it?" She shakes her head.

"It's nothing, it's just a headache," She tells him, he gives her a look.

"Like before?" He counters, she gives a half shrug. He then frowns. "I don't....feel it" He whispers. Things like this happen he gets it too. He gets some echo of it. But right now. He's got nothing.

"It's probably just low blood sugar" She counters, waving it off. "I'm going to get some punch" She then pulls back from him, walking away to the punch table. She doesn't think it's low blood sugar. But a drink will help her.