CHAPTER FOUR || FRIDAY NIGHT BITES

Dad: You never listen to me Aelia. You're getting on my last nerve kid. 

Dad: I told you to be home and have made dinner for when I got in.

Aelia: Dad I told you about the game tonight. 

Dad: No you didn't, I would've remembered. you're just lying to me.

Dad: you better get back home now.

Aelia glanced down at her phone re-reading the text conversation between her and her father, She had told him. She always told him when she wouldn't be home, But it was always the same argument. She knew the consequences of not listening to him, She knew what would happen if she stayed at the game. But she was done letting him control every aspect of her life. Elena and Bonnie were right. She needed to branch out a bit. 

"What happened to the uniform?" A familiar voice invaded Aelia's ears causing her to instantly shove her phone into her pocket and look up. There was Stefan, in His football jersey ready to play. Aelia smiled taking in his appearance, wow he was hot...

"Look at you" She gushed with a smile admiring him while brushing off his question, There wasn't a bone in her body that could deny how beautiful Stefan Salvatore was: "You look good"

She quit cheer, She didn't have the energy for it anymore along with the way things were going at home she didn't have time for cheerleading anymore. She noticed the way Stefan stood waiting for her answer, waiting for more than just a compliment-- so she lied: "I quit. I'm a quitter. I joined Elena" 

"You're not a quitter, you got sick. It takes time to recover from that" Stefan countered remembering how Aelia had been sick for 2 weeks. Aelia looked down clearing her throat with a nod, Oh how much she hated lying. 

"I hope this isn't too weird, Or too soon, and I know, I know you said you're not ready for a relationship right now" Stefan said causing Aelia to cock a brow before he fished around in his pocket. "But I wanted you to have this"

Stefan pulled a small wooden box from his Pocket, flicking open the lid he revealed a small gold pendant with a light blue gem attached to the bottom-- Aelia gushed as she carefully pulled the necklace from the box: "Oh my god it's beautiful"

"It's something I've had for forever, but I've never wanted to give it to anyone until now" Stefan spoke his voice like velvet, everything about him so alluring. Aelia smiled admiring the necklace and her opinions slowly began to change. she'd said she wasn't ready for a relationship, but she was. it was her father holding her back and she was done with it.

"I'd really like it if you wore it for me-- for good luck" Stefan's words rushed through Aelia's veins a cloud of belonging looming over them as they locked eyes. A smile tugged at Aelia's lips as she nodded before she got a whiff of- rose? roses?

"Is that rose?" She asked looking down at the necklace, as if it had a rose or some scent inside it. Stefan shook his head before answering "Oh no it's a herb, it's nice huh?"

"I love it- Would you help me put it on? Please?" She asked-- the question only causing Stefan to nod happily flashing his intense smile. Aelia turned around passing Stefan the two ends of the necklace-- Aelia moved her hair carefully out of the way as Stefan stepped closer to her doing up the necklace. he was so close Aelia could feel the feather-light touches of his breath against her shoulder as he spoke, sending a shiver down her spine: "I wanted to thank you, for pushing me to try out for the team- it feels really good"

Aelia smiled as she turned back to face him after he'd done her necklace up, and she giggled: "We're a pair, I quit, you start"

"We're a work in progress. We'll figure it out" he corrected, his eyes tracing the outline of her face. Admiring every detail. Aelia smiled nodding: "Yes we are"

*****

"Yes, Dad." Aelia sighed as she held her phone to her ear, she'd had to step away from the crowds of people celebrating before the game to talk to her asshole of a father, A father who wanted her home straight away to be his slave. 

"Dad I can't... Yeah, I said I'm sorry... I'll get Stefan to walk me home or something-- after the game" shit. she'd let his name slip without a second thought. a string of curses and questions filled her ears, That had been the first time her father had heard her mention the name of any boy apart from Jeremy Gilbert. 

"Who's Stefan?? Is he a boyfriend? Aelia are you misbehaving because of some stupid boy?? Aelia you know better than this" Aelia had to hold her phone a few centimeters from her ear to take a deep breath before answering: "he's not my boyfriend. He's Elena's boyfriend's friend"

Aelia hated it, She couldn't even call Stefan her friend without a lecture and she knew it. More questions and more cursing filled her ears. More complaining about how she's too lazy, too boy-crazy to worry about her good old dad. Good? ha, that was laughable.

just as she was about to respond she heard a commotion to her left, Turning her head in confusion she sat three boys fighting-- Jeremy, Tyler and Jay. Her heart dropped to her stomach as the hairs on the back of her neck stood tall: "Jeremy- Dad I gotta go" 

Aelia frantically ended the call shoving her phone into her pocket before rushing over to the Fight, Her heart pounding so violently against her ribcage with worry, Yet before she could reach the boys the two Salvatores got there first. Stefan and Carson. 

"Hey! He's down enough!" Stefan exclaimed grabbing Tyler's fist as he pulled it back to hit Jeremy again, While Carson pulled Jay away from Jermey like the 180-pound football player was nothing. Aelia's hand covered her open mouth in Shock-- 

"Jeremy no!"

"No Jer!" Both Elena and Aelia spoke in unison as Jeremy pulled himself up from the floor, a broken glass bottle in hand. The Gilbert teen went to smash the already broken bottle across Tyler's head-- Yet Stefan instantly pushed Tyler to the floor lifting his hand to block the bottle while Carson rushed toward Jeremy. 

Elena rushed toward Jeremy while Matt and Carson pushed Tyler and Jay further away from the scene, The altercation filled Aelia with a familiar sense of anxiety that was beyond sickening. Her eyes locked on Stefan-- It took a few seconds for her to realise he was hurt... Droplets of blood dripped from his palm. 

"Stef- your hand" Aelia surged toward him as she snapped out of her anxious state, Stefan barely gave the girl a chance to look at it as he closed his palm insanely quick: "No- no it's fine, I'm okay." He brushed off her concern hiding his hand behind his back. 

"No Stefan show me- how bad is it?" Aelia shook her head, she didn't want him to have to act like he wasn't hurt, Her hand brushed his muscular forearm gently building it toward her. His closed hand being gently opened by Aelia only to see a faint line across his palm... No blood, No broken skin. Her brows snapped together as she stared down at his hand. She could've sworn she'd seen blood. 

"Wha- I saw it-" Aelia stuttered looking up at him confused, She'd seen the blood. Confusion laced the blood rushing through Aelia's veins as she tried piecing together what she'd seen while Stefan dismissed her claims wiping his palm on his trousers: "He missed- it's not my blood... see I'm fine"

"No, But I saw it. the glass cut your hand... I saw the blood-" Aelia stuttered confused, her wide eyes laced with bewilderment as he shook his head showing her his hand: "I'm fine. I'm okay... It's almost kick-off time- so I'll see you after the game."

*****

"Bonnie! Bonnie! what's going on?!" Aelia exclaimed as she rushed out of the school building and into the dark parking lot littered with police cars and ambulances, Bonnie turned at the sound of Aelia's voice. The bonnet girl's eyes swimming in tears as she swallowed the lump in her throat.

"Tanner- He's dead" Bonnie sobbed, Aelia's throat drying up in an instant as her eyes fell on the pool of blood on the parking lot asphalt. Aelia pulled Bonnie into her arms as waves of disbelief and shock ran through her veins like acid. 

Bonnie clung to Aelia as tears rolled down her cheeks a cloud of grief lingering over them not letting them escape its rain as they took deep breaths trying to combat the drastic grief consuming their bodies. It was supposed to be a night of cheers, Happiness and football but instead, it was turning into a bloodbath. 

Aelia watched as two paramedics lifted a stretcher into an ambulance a black body bag laid out on top of the stretcher presumably carrying Tanner's body, Aelia let out a soft gasp as she tried to keep her composure, Maybe she should've gone home when her father had asked.

****

"What kind of animal could be doing all this? why did it come out of the woods? all the younger kids that have to walk home- god this is awful" Aelia exclaimed as Stefan listened shaking his head, Shock looming over the teenagers at the loss, Tanner, the coach, The teacher... 

"I don't know, I don't know" Stefan sighed shaking his head as he cupped Aelia's cheeks while tucking a stray strand of her hair behind her ear in an attempt at reassuring her in some way, Aelia sighed just wanting the night to be over as she gently grabbed Stefan's wrist. Guiding his hand down so she could examine it again. 

"I was so sure you cut your hand- I saw it" She reminded, everything felt so unreal, so unreal to the point she'd started convincing herself she'd begun imagining things. She couldn't fathom how he hadn't cut his hand, She'd seen the blood. 

"I'm fine" Stefan reassured taking both of her hands in his: "I'm fine, we're fine okay? that's what matters"

Aelia nodded looking up at Stefan before he pulled her into his arms, Aelia sighed as he wrapped his muscular arms around her. His presence, his touch instantly calming her anxieties just enough for her to relax in the comfort and warmth his arms gave. Stefan rubbed Aelia's back gently as he spoke again: "Let's get you home okay?"