CHAPTER FOUR | MEMORY LANE

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

RILEY WANDERED OUT OF THE BATHROOM, AFTER DOING HER MAKEUP AND HEADED OVER TO HER CLOSET IN SEARCH OF AN OUTFIT. She hadn't heard from Stefan, and she felt like the two had barely seen each other since all of the Katherine drama, so planned to head over and check in with him.

"Ooh! Pretty shirt." Damon's voice turned into a whistle as the strawberry-blonde jolted in surprise, then turned around to see the Salvatore was laid across her bed. "

The strawberry-blonde tossed her jumper back onto the back with an irritated look on her face. "You really need to stop appearing in my room like this. You're displaying so many stalker-like traits, right now."

"So, tell the cops." The Salvatore raise an eyebrow toward the female with a challenging look on his face. "Or, better still, tell your Grandma."

"Ooh, that's a good idea. She'll probably kill you herself." The strawberry-blonde answered with a soft hum.

"She still hates me, right? Why?"

"Because she can read people like a book. She thinks you're a narcissistic, dick. And, I mean, she's not too far off the mark, is she?"

"Ouch." He smirked before he finally got up to his feet. "You know, you don't have to pretend to hate me anymore. Our beef? Squashed."

"Our beef can only be squashed by me. And, it's not." Riley rolled her eyes as a scoff of irritation left her lips. "Why are you here, anyway?"

"Aunt Jenna's having a barbecue." The Salvatore shrugged. "I figured I'd come round and ask you to join me. Thought it would be a good way to celebrate the resurrection of our friendship."

"Jenna doesn't like you," Riley narrowed her gaze toward him as she turned to face him. "What's in it for you anyway? You'd never go to something so trivial unless you were planning something."

"Mason Lockwood's going."

"And, there it is. Your other obsession." Riley slowly nodded.

"Look, will you come with me, or not?" The Salvatore's eyes narrowed, almost as if he were getting irritated with her.

"Fine. Fine! But, this doesn't mean you and I are cool. I'm just coming to make sure you don't do anything stupid."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

"To dirty shame," Alaric yelled out as he, Jenna, and Mason clinked their shot glasses together just as Damon entered the kitchen with the strawberry-blonde at his side.

"Damon," Jenna gritted her teeth, almost biting her tongue once she saw the vampire, then she turned to Riley. "Riley, Elena didn't tell me you were coming— with him."

"Well, I didn't even know until earlier. This guy can be very persuasive when he wants something." Riley lightly chuckled in an attempt to cover up the awkwardness.

"Yeah, I bet he can." Elena's Aunt mumbled under her breath just as Damon's posture became slightly more rigid.

"We're just doing shots, let me get you a shot glass buddy," Alaric called in Damon's direction.

"No," Jenna called out just as she downed her shot, and dumped her empty glass into Damon's hand. "Use mine!"

"Ouch, someone hates you just as much as I do," Riley scoffed as Mason Lockwood wandered over to the couple.

"We haven't met." He held his hand out to Damon, who quickly accepted his handshake. Mason Lockwood."

"Oh, sure. Hey! Damon Salvatore." He was quick to respond as he accepted Mason's handshake. "And this is Riley Evans."

"Girlfriend?" The Lockwood raised an eyebrow.

"Yes."

"No. Shut up, Damon," Riley answered with a stern look in her eyes before she wandered off to find Elena. As Riley headed away from Damon, she heard him whisper we're goin' through stuff, which caused a small scoff to leave her lips. She stepped out onto the front porch where she saw Caroline and Elena. "Hey, what're you guys doin' out here?"

"Elena's worried about Stefan 'cause he hasn't called her back," Caroline told the strawberry-blonde, whose eyes widened, while she shoved more chips into her mouth. "God! I cannot stop eating. Stefan says it's a great way to sublimate the cravings. You know, it's horrible. Just fighting the urge for blood every minute of every day."

Elena tilted her head with a sympathetic look on her face. "I know that Stefan really hates that part of himself."

"Well, yeah. I mean, he hates that you're a constant temptation."

"Wha—" Riley's mouth gaped open as she watched Elena lean forward. "Stefan wouldn't say that."

"Oh, come on, Riley. The desire to rip out Elena's jugular every time he's with her?" Caroline scoffed. "Trust me, it's there. That's why I had to break up with Matt."

"Hey, the food's ready. Come get it." Alaric told the three girls who were situated on the front porch before he smiled and headed back inside the Gilbert residence.

"Finally. I'm starving." Caroline chuckled as she hurried inside.

"Elena, don't listen to her, okay? Stefan— he loves you. Sure, it's probably hard for him to control his urges, but he does. He does it for you." Riley gave Elena a supportive smile as the doppelganger nodded. "Now, come on."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

As the afternoon progressed, Damon had caught sight of Aunt Jenna's silver set. Obviously, he wanted to expose Mason so he had assumed that silver would be the perfect thing to do that, but Mason avoiding it and instead progressed with several innuendos alluding to the possibility of him knowing what Damon was.

"Caroline's driving Elena to your place." Riley heavily sighed as she wandered into the kitchen, where Damon was stood alone, eyeing up the silver set. "Apparently, she's worried about Stefan."

"Something wrong?" Damon raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

"I don't know. He's been quiet, so I guess Elena's just worried. Who knows. I'm sure she'll call if something's wrong." The strawberry-blonde's eyes lifted just as Mason wandered into the kitchen.

"Jenna just brought out Guitar Hero. Might be time to mutiny." He called out to the two, just as a small chuckle escaped the vampire's lips.

"Well, I just happen to like Guitar Hero. So you, my friend, are barking up the wrong tree." Damon told Mason whilst he poured himself another bourbon.

"Okay. Enough with the innuendos. You win. You're hilarious." The Lockwood rolled his eyes. "Come on, man, you don't think I know what this barbecue's about?"

"How'd you know what Damon is?" Riley raised an eyebrow as the Lockwood turned his gaze to her. Even though she was annoyed with Damon, she was still protective against Mason.

"It doesn't matter. I'm not your enemy."

A small scoff of disbelief left Damon's lips whilst he narrowed his gaze to Mason. "You tried to kill my brother."

As Damon attempted to yank Riley away from Mason, the Lockwood wandered after him. "That was a mistake. There was confusion. I couldn't chain myself up. I have no control once I shift."

"Aw. What? No obedience school?" The Salvatore vampire muttered again whilst he leaned against the skin. Riley nudged him with the below as a sigh left her lips.

"I'm serious," Mason spoke in a low tone. "Let's not spark some age-old feud that doesn't apply to us."

"You turn up here out of the blue and you want us to believe that you're not gonna be a threat, to anyone?" The strawberry-blonde raised an eyebrow full of disbelief as she tilted her head.

"I lost my brother, my nephew lost his father. I'm here for my family." The Lockwood held his hand out ready for Damon to shake. "Let's be above this."

Damon reluctantly shook Mason's hand, the Lockwood nodded to Riley who gave him an unsure smile back. Though, once he wandered out of the kitchen, Damon grabbed one of the silver knives from the cutlery box.

Riley noticed a heavy sigh escape Damon's lips as his body tensed up. "I'm guessing you didn't buy that?"

"Not a word." The Salvatore confirmed with a light hum. "Now, I've got an idea, but if you're gonna be a buzz-kill, I can always take you home."

"It depends on the idea."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

The barbecue was over, but Damon's plan to corner Mason was only just beginning. Riley and Mason appeared just by the Mystic Grill, where the Lockwood was attempting to encourage people to join him for one final drink. Once he jumped out of his jeep, he caught sight of Damon and Riley. "Damon? Riley? What, more dog jokes?"

"Nah. Those got old." Damon chuckled as he glanced to Riley, who set her sights on Mason and began to use her magic to give him an aneurysm. Once the Lockwood dropped to his knees, clutching his head in agony, Damon stabbed him with the silver knife.

Riley relented the spell on Mason, then she hurried over to the back of Mason's car with Damon to drop the tail down. But, once they turned around, Mason had risen to his feet with the knife in his hand.

"You know, I think it was werewolves who started this whole silver myth." Mason wandered over to them with a smile and pushed the tail of his car back up. "Probably for moments like this."

"So, silver doesn't affect you," Riley stated the obvious with an awkward look on her face.

"Duly noted." Damon carried on, making sure the witch was behind him in case Mason tried anything.

"I was really looking forward to last call." Mason sighed out heavily with a shrug whilst he set his sights on the vampire. "Now, you've made an enemy." And with that, Mason got back in his truck and drove away.

"Hm. I feel like that could've gone a little better." The witch sighed heavily as the cold breeze began to wrap around her. "I think I should get going, anyway."

"Yeah, no, I understand. Don't want Gwen to hate me more than she already does." A small chuckle escaped Damon's lips as the two started to walk down the street.

"I'm not sure that's possible," Riley smirked back toward him. "You know, I don't entirely hate you anymore, by the way. I still think you're a jackass, but you're a redeemable jackass."

"Well, uh— thank you. I think." Damon trailed off awkwardly as the strawberry-blonde tugged her jacket over herself.

"Aw, look at you, two. So adorable. And, so doomed to fail." The mocking voice of Katherine Pierce called out to them as she stepped forwards and appeared in from of Riley with one arm rested on her hip while the other twirled with her hair. "What's up? Bad day?"

"Bad century." Damon retorted. "I heard you were on the loose."

"Hm. I would ask if you were jealous, but here you are spending your day with witch-bitch, here." Katherine purred seductively as her eyes cast onto the strawberry-blonde. "Why'd you too look so pouty?"

"Werewolf drama. Nothing really to do with you." Riley answered back.

Damon watched a smile flicker of a grin appear on Katherine's face, that was when he concluded Katherine knew something. "What do you know about werewolves?"

"Why don't you ask your brother? Don't try to be the hero, Damon. You'll end up dead."

"Been there. Done that. At least this time, it'll be worth it." Damon snapped once more as he grabbed Riley's hand and pulled her away from Katherine.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───