Vampire Diaries Blood Brothers

~Chapter Five~

Jeremy had come home late as high as a kite and as drunk as a sailor. I knew seeing her nephew whom she was responsible for was hard on Jenna, but she handled it well. In saying that, she knocked off early and I think I heard her talking to someone in her room down the hall. Whether she was speaking on the phone of crying to my parents photograph I had no idea. I only hoped she would be strong enough to get through this. Legally, Aunt Jenna was our guardian, but emotionally and realistically, she was just the same as me and Jeremy. We'd lost out parents and sister, but Jenna had also lost family too. She'd lost her sister, her brother-in-law, her niece and on top of that, she lost her carefree life along with it. 
   Lying on my bed I stared at the ceiling, exhaling loudly as I let my eyelids flutter. Everything had been so hectic and crazy I felt as though right here, right now was the first chance I had all day to just chill out and relax. Caroline, as she'd said many times before, used these moments to hang out with friends and party, but I hung on to these moments for as long as I could. Peace was rare for me and I was determined to keep it for as long as possible.
   Sinking into my soft mattress, some hit my window. It sounded like a single drop of hail, but the sky was so clear. I heard it again, and again, and again. Eventually, I pulled my curtains back and peered into the darkness. I didn't know what I'd expected to find, but it definitely wasn't Stefan Salvatore throwing rocks at my window at ten o'clock at night.
   Pulling a light pink hued jacket over my singlet, I crept downstairs and opened the front door. Stefan was still wearing the same clothes as in the cemetery except the side of his shirt was torn. I frowned. What had happened after I left?
   "I'm sorry for coming unannounced," he apologised. "I just wanted to apologise for my performance earlier. It was weird and sudden and extremely inappropriate."
   "You're sorry?" I whispered, closing the door behind me. "Wow," I muttered as I invited him to sit next to me on our porch swing. "Stefan, I'm the one who should apologise. You've been nothing but gracious and kind and understanding all day. I was lying on the ground in a graveyard sobbing into the grass and instead of ignoring me and pretending not to notice you came to make sure I was OK." I took a deep breath. "You have no idea how much that means to me. Thank you."
   "Any time," he smiled. "Look, Eva, I have to be honest with you. I didn't just stop by to apologise tonight. I also came by to ask..." My heart skipped a beat. Is he about to ask me out? "If we could start over."
   A part of me was disappointed, but another part of me was relieved. Despite knowing him for only a day I considered Stefan and I to be friends and I imagined over the next few days we would only grow closer, but I was still dealing with everything and I didn't think I was ready for a relationship yet.
   "Of course," I breathed. "Of course, we can definitely start over." I nodded eagerly but Stefan got up and jogged back to the road. My face fell, but seconds later he returned, a wide smile on his face.

   "Hi!" He greeted from the path, making his way towards the porch. "I'm Stefan Salvatore. I'm a loner who likes to hang out in cemeteries. My hobbies include diary writing, football and dancing. I recently moved back here and live in the Salvatore Boarding House with my Uncle Zach. I just started attending Mystic Falls High School and met this really sweet, lovely, beautiful girl named Eva Gilbert." 
   I bit my lip. He thinks I'm beautiful? "Oh!" He added. "And I also have a grand piano that my new friend Eva Gilbert is welcome to use any time she likes."
   Laughing, I grinned and shook his extended hand. "Hi, I'm Eva Gilbert. I'm a weirdo freak show who has a lot of baggage and likes to hang out in cemeteries, but I'm still trying to figure out whether I'm a loner or not. My hobbies include diary writing... And I guess I'm still trying to figure that out too. I've lived in this house my entire life and live with my Aunt Jenna and brother Jeremy who I'm pretty sure almost ran you over this morning," I scrunched my nose up and whispered an apology but he only chuckled and urged me to keep going. "Today was my first day as a Junior at Mystic Falls High School and was also the first day of what I expect and hope to be a life long friendship with a kind, gentle, attractive boy named Stefan Salvatore."
   Stefan started clapping slowly but I interrupted him. "I almost forgot. I love to play the piano and will definitely come by your house to play it whenever I can."
   Laughing, I glanced back to the door and opened it wide. "Do you want to come inside?"
   Smiling, Stefan nodded and stepped through. "Yes."