***

OUT IN THE front courtyard of Mystic Falls, Elena, Caroline, and I were walking across the lawn together. Caroline was holding the vervain necklace that Elena had given her, looking at it thoughtfully. "It's so pretty. Thank you," Caroline said softly and genuinely, "God, it'll go with, like, everything. What's the occasion?"

"No occasion. Just a little friend gift," Elena replied, though I obviously knew that it wasn't. It was to keep her from being compelled by vampires like us. More specifically, vampires like Damon. But I would have never dreamed of compelling Caroline.

I'm assuming Elena only brought me along so I could pass on the information to Damon that Caroline was now safe. I think I should just let him find out for himself, that seems more fun. I will, however, tell Stefan about the necklace if he doesn't already know. All three of us sit down at a table, Caroline replying. "Lesbian friend necklace? Cause we're freaky like that?" Caroline joked.

Caroline sarcastically winked at Elena, but Elena seriously replied, "Your friendship is important to me."

"Why are you being so mushy?" Caroline questioned. 

"Yeah, why are you being so mushy, Elena?" I questioned accusingly.

"Because, Caroline, you've been avoiding me, and I wanted you to know that whatever is going on with you and Matt, it's okay," Elena said, shooting me a quick look before looking kindly again at Caroline.

"I was gonna talk to you about that. I was, but there's just not much to say. You know, we've hung out a couple times. That's it, but... I just feel like we've peaked as friends," Caroline paused, and Elena nodded. "This is weird. I shouldn't be talking to you about this. It's weird. It's weird, right?"

"It's a little weird, but," Elena said honestly with a chuckle, "If it's what you and Matt want, then it's not about me."

"But it's all about you. Matt's not over you, and we all know it," Caroline fired back.

"I'm with Stefan now. Matt understands that. He knows he has to move on," Elena replied smoothly, and I just nodded. She was right, definitely right.

Elena unwrapped her sandwich while I was eating mine. Grilled cheese was the best thing right now for me, my comfort food. The gooey cheese against the toasted bread was my favorite thing. I wasn't even paying attention to anything when I was eating.

***

I went back home after eating the grilled cheese with Elena and Caroline. I sat there most of the day either reading or watching tv. I was never bored, especially since I also stuffed my face the entire time. I can't get fat, it's a blessing. I can eat whatever I want whenever I want.

I heard the door slam to the house and two pairs of footsteps walking through the house. I walked down to see what the commotion was about, seeing Damon pacing around the living room while Elena and Stefan were on the couch. Oh great, what did they do this time?

"How did he get in?" Damon questioned.

"What's going on down here?" I asked them all, as Elena went to speak, and so did Stefan, but Damon spoke instead.

"He was invited in," Elena explained.

"Elena invited a bloodthirsty vampire into her home," Damon explained, looking over at me with raised eyebrows. I raised my eyebrows at him as Stefan tried to defend Elena.

"He posed as a pizza delivery guy last night," Stefan explained.

"That totally makes sense. Who invites a pizza guy inside their home?" I asked them, crossing my arms. "You just go to the door, grab the pizza, pay for it, and leave the man on his way."

"Well, the vampire gets points for that. Did he say what he wanted?" Damon asked.

"No. He was too busy trying to kill me," Elena replied swiftly.

"And you have no idea who this is?" Stefan asked Damon.

"No," Damon replied, Stefan looked unconvinced. "Don't look at me like that. I told you we had company."

"You think there's more than one?" Elena asked.

"We don't know," Damon replied. He sat on the arm of the couch, as Stefan explained to him that he was indeed invited in. Damon nodded, understanding what Stefan was hinting at. "Then we go get him tonight," he turned to Elena, "You up for it?"

"What do I have to do?" Elena asked.

"Let your boyfriend take you to the dance, I'll go with Charlotte. We'll see who shows up," Damon explained.

"That's a bad idea," Stefan argued, looking at me. "You agree, right?" He asked.

"I.. I don't know Stefan. Damon's only trying to help. But it could also put all of us in danger, mainly Elena," I said to him softly. 

"Till we get him, this house isn't safe. For anyone who lives in it. It's worth a shot," Damon explained.

"I'll do it," Elena said. Stefan looked anxious, and Damon nodded in agreement. Elena grabbed Stefan's hand and looked at him, "I'll be with the three of you. I'll be safe."

Stefan nodded at Damon who just shrugged his shoulder.

***

Damon, Stefan, Elena, and I walked into the party. Damon made me wear a polka-dotted red dress since it was 50's attire. Damon, Stefan, and I were standing together. Bonnie, Caroline, and Elena turned to look back at us. Bonnie was talking about us, but I didn't actually listen to what she said.

Damon walked over to Bonnie, "Hey Bonnie, wanna dance?"

"I'm out of here," Bonnie replied, walking away.

Damon held his arm out to stop her, "Please give me another chance." I could tell he wanted an actual chance, but he never got it.

Bonnie walked off, with Caroline saying these final words: "Back off, Damon."

"Charlotte—" Damon started, but I cut him off, "I would love to, Damon." He took my hand and I walked with him to the dance floor as a slow song played. We danced together, his body pressed against mine. My arms were wrapped around his neck, looking deep into his crystal blue eyes. I could see a faint smile on his face, which made me smile. His arms were wrapped around my waist as we danced the night away.

***

I saw Elena frantically running through a door from my spot at the punch bowl. Then I saw a man slowly following after her. That's the guy, that's the vampire! No matter how frustrated I might get at Elena sometimes, my brother loves her, so I'll do whatever it takes to save her.

I humanly ran to the door, using my enhanced speed once it closed behind me. I tried the exit door, but it was chained. She couldn't have gone through there. I took the way through the cafeteria, hearing a bang and a clash as I opened the doors. Elena has a stake and I stood watching as he grabbed it and threw it to the floor. I thought that was going to be Elena's brave moment that I could rave to Stefan about to make him feel good. His girlfriend killed a vampire all on her own.

Apparently not. It was my moment now, my moment to save her and my moment to finish him off. I took him by the back of the neck just in time, pulling him off of a screaming Elena. Any second later, and she'd be dead.

"Hey, dickhead," Damon called, holding the piece of the mop that the vampire threw on the floor. I watched Stefan run in after Damon, looking upset that he wasn't the one to save Elena and I was. And that he was the last one to get there. "Nobody wants to kill you. We just wanna talk."

The vampire smiled and rushed back toward Elena, and in my head, I thought 'Oh hell no.' Stefan's eyes widened as Damon threw the stake to me and I staked the vampire in his stomach then and there. Damon walked over towards Elena and me with Stefan so we can interrogate the vampire. "Do you feel like talking now?" I asked him since I had driven the stake into his stomach.

"Screw you," The vampire said lowly. I dug the stake into him deeper, and the man groaned in pain. It's what he deserves! Screw me? Screw him.

"No, screw you. That was the wrong answer, buddy," I said with a low growl. I'm a sweet person, I'm kind, I'm pretty soft when it comes to people. But when you piss me off or you try and hurt my friends or the people I consider my family, that's when you're going to hurt. "Why are you doing this?" I asked.

"Because it's fun," the vampire replied snarkily, and I saw Damon in peripheral smirking. I dug the stake in a little bit deeper.

"What do you want with Elena?" I asked him, looking at him with an intense stare.

"She looks like Katherine. And you... You look like Corinthia. Wow... The Salvatores really do get both of them in the end," the man said with a wicked smile.

Stefan, Elena, Damon, and I all looked shocked. He mentioned Corinthia and Katherine... In front of her doppelgängers.

"You knew Corinthia?" Damon asked before he added, "And Katherine?" Obviously he didn't want Elena to feel left out in this little doppelgänger game.

"Oh. You thought you were the only ones," the man laughed and then gasped, "You don't even remember me."

Damon leaned over towards the man, "Tell me how to get in the tomb. Hmm?" I looked over at him, giving him a little confused look. I knew he wanted in the tomb, but why? What was in there that he wanted? Corinthia? Katherine? Corinthia wasn't in there. It had to be Katherine. Why did he want Katherine?

"No," The vampire replied.

I got comfortable in my spot since I was going to be here a while, driving the stake even deeper into him. "C'mon man, my feet hurt in these heels. Just tell him what he wants," I said to him, shaking my head.

"The grimoire," The vampire started.

"Where is it?" Damon interrogated.

I drove the stake in even deeper, feeling sorry for the man at this point. Again, I was nice until you piss me off or you try and hurt my friends. After this, I'd probably go back to being the kind sister I always am. He spoke again, thank God. "Check the journal. The journal. Use Johnathan's journal. Johnathan Gilbert's."

Damon stood and grimaced, as I continued to interrogate him, "Who else is working with you? We know you aren't working alone."

"Who else is there?" Damon questioned after me.

"No. You're gonna have to kill me," the vampire said. Loyalty. I like it. Damon knew I couldn't just kill this vampire, so he held out his hand for the stake and I handed it to him, with Stefan holding him down. Damon then staked the man in the heart and Elena and I gasped in shock together as the man fell to the floor and desiccated.

"What do we... how are you gonna find the others now?" Elena asked frantically.

"He had to die," Damon said simply, but Elena hadn't realized: the man was invited in, if we hadn't killed him, he could've just went back to Elena and tried to hurt and kill her all again.

"But..." Elena trailed off.

"Elena, he's been invited in," Stefan said to her, nodding to her. They hear a door open and see Alaric coming through one of the door's windows. Stefan looked at Damon. "Go. I got this." Stefan said to Damon and me, as we ran out of the cafeteria together. I knew Stefan would protect her. He loves her.

***

Damon shooed me, telling me to go back to the party and enjoy myself as a teenager. It was my years of high school, Damon knew that meant something to me. But I also didn't want to witness him compelling my apparent history teacher right in front of me. "Go. I know how much this means to you. First time in high school. First high school dance. I'll take care of this. And before you say anything, yes, I am positive."

I nodded and he hugged me, before gently pushing me towards the gym to the dance. "Thanks, Damon, I really appreciate it!" I called, following his directions and going inside the gym, not knowing what happened between him and Alaric.