Ruins || The Vampire Diaries [2]

06: Pictures of You

   For the past week, I had spent it in my bedroom at the boarding house. I didn't even go out to drink, and that made me incredibly hungry but I ignored my hunger and went along with everything. It came to the point where Caroline barged into my room and dragged me out to go with her. First, we stopped by The Grill, where she made me drink a blood bag in the restroom so that I wouldn't eat someone throughout the day. Bonnie arrived, then, a small and reassuring smile on her lips. She looked better than the last time I saw her, more healthier and livelier. Her eyes were back to the gentle brown, no sign of the milky white. She gave me a small smile when she saw me, then quietly thanked me while Caroline went to the restroom.

   "Stefan told me what you did," she softly said. "Thank you."

   I shook my head. "You don't have to thank me, Bonnie. I did what I did."

   "He also told me that you felt horrible after killing those witches," she continued. "Is that why we haven't seen you for the past week?"

   "I did what I did," I repeated. "Bonnie, you're alive and that's what matters."

   "Which is why I'm thanking you," she said, nodding. "Clara, let me thank you and shut up."

   I was surprised at her sudden words, at the snap that came out of nowhere. I was almost tempted to smile, but I pushed it back and nodded. Caroline came back with a big grin, pulled us up, and told us that she couldn't wait to try on her dress. She dragged out of The Grill and straight to the dress shop in the centre of town. While she and Bonnie talked to the store clerk, I walked around the store and passed my hands through each dress.

   I had been to exactly twelve proms in my lifetimes, all of them in different decades. My favourite was during the Fifties. Aside from the severe racism and sexism, fear of nuclear attacks, the beginnings of the Cold War and the Korean War, and the invisible dangers of rock 'n' roll, it was fun. We slowly danced to Elvis Presley's "Love Me Tender" in the overly-cleaned school gymnasium, short dresses of every colour and hairs copying the latest film star. I recalled dancing with Klaus in one of those dances, may hair like Doris Day's and my dress a deep scarlet red.

   I let go of the dress I had been holding on to and took a seat in one of the chairs by the fitting rooms. Bonnie was talking about some dreams she's been having, dreams in which she sees Jeremy. The pair came from the fitting room, Caroline with dress while Bonnie wore her same clothes. Caroline's dress was pink, just like her personality. To be honest, I quite didn't like the dress, but kept my mouth shut since she liked it.

   "Well," she said as she looked at her best friend by the mirror, "you never got to say goodbye, Bon. You're grieving, that's normal."

   "When I woke up, the couch was on fire," Bonnie countered.

   "Oh."

   "I don't know if it's because I was emotional in my dream, or if Shane was right. Without his help, I'll lose control."

   "No, Bonnie," I spoke up. "You don't need Shane to help you."

   "Yeah," Caroline agreed, giving her best friend a grin. "You need a night off from mourning, and I'm gonna make sure that you have it."

   Bonnie smiled back at her, and nodded. "Um, you look super hot, by the way."

   "You think so?" Caroline asked, a grin appearing on her lips.

   "Oh, yeah," Bonnie nodded, smiling back. "I think Matt, Clara, and I are going to have the sexiest date."

   "Clara?" I asked, finally joining their conversation. "What do you mean Clara? Clara is not going anywhere, especially not to a prom."