The Beginning

Friday Night Bites - 4

It's the next night and everyone is reunited at the school. Everyone crowded in, about to celebrate the football teams first game, and Tanner the football coach is giving a speech.

Stefan and I exchanged numbers last night at Elenas place, he texted me last night saying he had an idea to protect Elena. He gave her a locket, filled with vervain. He got the idea from my locket, I steal glances at the locket right now.

It's silver, with a single red ruby encrusted in it. It's pretty I'll give him that. And a good precaution, I don't need Damon using anymore of my friends.

Above the noise, I faintly hear screaming, fighting. Everyone notices and I make my way through the crowded to see what was going on. Tyler is on top of Jeremy, hitting him, while Vicki is screaming at the both of them.

"Tyler, Stop!" I rush to her side and grab a hold of her, and start screaming at both men.

"Stop it, Tyler!"

They don't listen and instead keep brawling like cats. Stefan comes and grabs a hold of Tyler, Tyler in turn punches him in the stomach.

Jermey who is now regaining balance gets up and grabs a hold of a piece of a glass beer bottle. "Jeremy, No!" I scream, aware of his intentions.

He goes to hit Tyler with it, but Stefan grabs him, the glass cutting into his hand. "Jeremy enough!" Elena screams as she pulls him away.

I look at Vicki with worry. "Are you okay? Did they hurt you?" I ask looking her over. She shakes her head, and I wrap an arm around her, giving her a hug.

I look as Elena inspects Jermey, and he pushes her away, storming off. Vicki looks at him with fear. Tyler is being held off by the other football players, and Elena goes to Stefan to check his hand.

She grabs his hand to inspect the cut, she furrows her brows in confusion and looks up at Stefan. He says something to her that I can't quite hear, when Stefan leaves her side she stares after him in confusion. I turn towards Vicki "Come on, let's go watch the game"

I walk side by side with Matt and Stefan. I had to leave Vicki with her friends because I'm a cheerleader and I have to perform.

"You gonna be able to play?" Matt asks Stefan. "Oh, yeah. I'm good"

"Uh, what you did back there...you had Jeremy's back" Matt says coming to a stop, facing Stefan. "Ah, he's a messed up kid. Someone's gotta look out for him" Matt nods.

"I know. This week at practice, I was a dick" Stefan smiles a little. "You had your reasons"

"No excuse" He holds a hand out and Stefan takes it. "Good luck tonight. We're lucky to have you" I smile at the exchange. I pat Matt on the shoulder.

"See you on the field"

He nods and smiles makes his way to the locker rooms. I turn to Stefan. "I'm gonna go find Elena before we start" He nods and I turn to go but stop when I hear clapping.

"Isn't That Nice" I turn along with Stefan to see Damon leaning against the wall. "Stefan joins a team. Makes a friend. It's all so 'Rah, Rah, Go Team, Yeah!' Isn't it mermaid?"

I scowl at the nickname. "Not tonight, I'm done with you" Stefan says turning away, I turn with him and gasp in shock when Damon appears in front of us.

"Nice trick with Elena. Let me guess-vervain in the necklace?" He asks Stefan before turning to me and eyeing my locket. "Same with you" He turns to Stefan.

"I admit, I was a bit surprised. It's been a while since anyone could resist my compulsion" He says with a smirk. "Where'd you get it?" He asks.

"Does it matter?" I respond, and walk past him. "Guess I could seduce her the old-fashion way. Or I could just..eat her" Stefan and I stop and turn to Damon.

Anger spilling from my face. "No. Your not gonna hurt her, Damon"

"No?" Damon's asks. "Because deep down inside. There is a part of you that feels for her"

I'm taken back by what Stefan just said. Even Damon is.

Seriously, he has feelings? I'd love to see that.

"I was worried that you had no humanity, left inside you. That you may have really become the monster that you pretend to be"

"Who's pretending?" Damon shoots back.

"Then kill me"

"Well I'm tempted"

"No Your not. You've had lifetimes to do it, and here I am, still alive. And there you are. You're still haunting me. After 145 year"

I look away and do the mental math, 162 years old. Wow. I look back when Stefan brings up his ex.

"Katherine is Dead, and you hate me, because you loved her, and you torture me because you still do. And that, my brother, that is your humanity" The both stare at each other

Stefan like if he just won, and Damon who looks like he considers chopping his head off. "Salvatore!" Calls out a voice Tanner. We all turn to see him standing by the door.

He approaches us with arms outstretched.

"What the hell? We've got a game to play!" Stefan ignores him and turns back to Damon.

"If that's my humanity..then what's this?" In a swift motion he pushes past us and goes towards Tanner. Biting him in the neck.

"No!" I scream and try to run to him but Stefan grabs me and holds be back, wrapping his arms around my waist to pull me back and I struggle against him.

Damon let's go of Tanner and let's his body slump down. I gasp and cover my mouth to stop a sob from escaping.

"Anyone, any time, any place" Damon threatens. His eyes bloodshot and his mouth and teeth covered with Tanners blood. "Let me go!" I yell at Stefan as I try to break from his grasp.

"He's dead Ariel!" I collapse against him and sob. Tanner was a dick but he didn't deserve to die. "Come on, we got go" He says and leads me to the women's bathroom.

I rush inside and go to one of the empty stalls and throw up my dinner. I just witnessed murder. I just saw Damon kill Tanner.

"You okay in there?" Stefan asks from outside. "Define okay!" I shot back as I get up and flush the toilet.

I head to the sink and wash my face. I must have been inside the bathroom for hours cause when I come out the cops have already come and are taking Tanners body away.

Stefan heard with his vampire hearing that Matt found him, when he told me, I immediate run to find him.

He's sitting in the back of a truck. I rush to him and grab a hold of his hands and will him to look at me. "Are you okay?" I ask, my voice cracking at the end. He nods slight

"Yeah, I'm fine" I don't believe him and hoist myself up to his side, resting my head on his shoulder.

When we get home, both Matt and Vicki pass out after the events that happened today. I try sleeping but I can't. I keep seeing Damon's face, Tanners body, Eventually, like at 4 in the morning, I fall asleep.