𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙣𝙚—"𝙄 𝙬𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙗𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙚"

———

𝘾𝙇𝘼𝙍𝘼 𝙇𝙊𝘾𝙆𝙒𝙊𝙊𝘿 𝙒𝘼𝙎 𝘾𝙐𝙍𝙍𝙀𝙉𝙏𝙇𝙔 𝙍𝙀𝙇𝘼𝙓𝙄𝙉𝙂 at the Mystic Grill, the go-to place for all of the common teenagers of Mystic Falls. She was sitting on the uncomfortable bar stool while patiently waiting for her friend, Matt, to get off his late-night shift so the two could enjoy some drinks.

"Now, if it isn't my best friend. Should've known by now you can't sneak up behind me."

The blonde girl swiftly looks over her shoulder, spotting Damon Salvatore as he was a few feet behind her with his hands in his pockets. Now you'd think, how in the world could this pestering, selfish, vampire dick be her best friend? Complicated, to say the least.

Clara found out about vampires the night Vicki Donovan tried to kill Jeremey and Elena Gilbert, she accidentally walked in just as soon as Damon shoves the wooden stake right through her heart. Losing her was difficult for Matt, so Clara helped her longtime best friend as much as she could. Surprising him with his favorite food, spending some time binge watching netflix, etc.

Ever since that fateful night, Clara's been in on every plot and plan against the evils that waltzed their way into her town. Between the violence of villain Damon to the sacrifice for the hybrid Klaus to this incoming problem, all of the Original Family.

She had only met Elijah once, and he seemed morally right while his brother, Klaus, was the complete opposite. She's grown to dislike the Originals, just because of all of the pain they, mostly Klaus, have created.

"It's still fun to try," Damon smirks, flashing his bright blue eyes mixed with mischief while taking the stool to the right of her at the bar. "Good to see you too, Lara."

"So," Clara begins, taking a sip of the water that Matt had gotten her awhile ago, placing it back on the coaster. "What are you up too?"

Clara can always tell when something's up with her best friend, he can sometimes be a difficult book to read, but nonetheless can tell the change in him. He held his breath, and glanced down to the counter while he doesn't speak up. She was curious to why he was being so hard to open up, but surely he was trying to protect her from whatever new problem was surfacing.

"There's a ball tonight," Damon states, signaling to the female bartender that he wanted his usual by waving around his index finger. By now, every bartender here knows Damon's usual drink, a shot of bourbon. Can't say he has bad taste, however. "Elena says she isn't going—"

"—But you think she's lying," Clara finished, and she pursed her lips while glancing from the bar counter to meet eye contact with Damon. Elena was easier to read, she's practically been an open book her entire life. "I'm guessing Stefan too."

Clara stayed as far away as possible from the Delena and Stelena drama, since everyone has their own opinion. Caroline believes Damon is the absolute worst influence for Elena, and Stefan is the epic hero. While Bonnie believes Elena deserves to be happy, with either Damon or Stefan. She thought both boys would be better off without fighting, breaking their brother bond for a hundred and a half years because of one single girl, once again.

Ever since Klaus took Stefan away from us as Stefan saved his brother, he's been a different person. Klaus forced Stefan to shut his humanity switch and feed on Elena, and ever since that moment she knew the bright joy in Stefan's heart disappeared. Clara couldn't say this more relaxed Stefan isn't more fun, it's just not what she's used too. She secretly missed the brooding, delicate boy who was like a great friend.

"We're going."

"And?"

"We need all the help we can get," Damon takes the shot of the bourbon, downing it simply, already beckoning the bartender to bring him another one.

"Compel her to give me a shot and maybe I will," Clara smiled mischievously, patting Damon's back as he rolled his eyes at her childish ways.

Within a moment, the female bartender walks over and Damon meets eye contact with her as she pours him another shot in his previous shot glass. He flashes his infamous blue eyes as she stares deeply into them, and her emotions fade as Damon starts his compulsion.

"Give my friend here a shot too."

Without any hesitation, the girl turns to Clara while picking up another shot glasses that was cleaned, filling it with the same bourbon she gave Damon. Damon raises his shot, and then Clara, and they cheer their shots together as a bit of the liquid spills on the counter. Smiles crossed both of their faces, and Clara wished to stay like that. Peaceful. Happy. 

"Cheers to this shitty ball we're about to attend!"

Together they swallowed the hard liquor, Clara's face twisting a bit while the taste stains her mouth as she slams the shot glass back on the counter. Damon downs it without any hesitation, however, because he's been drowning himself with every type of liquor for the last century and a half.

"You're really getting my best friend drunk?"

Clara spins around, her high ponytail bobbing as she did so, to look at Matt, who was wearing his usual Mystic Grill uniform. He had a more agitated face on, probably because of the annoying customers along with Damon's sly smirk. Clara smiled sweetly at him, mostly because he doesn't particularly like the girl being so close to the Salvatore brother.

"Of course," Damon waves off, and while Matt's serious face doesn't shift, he rolls his eyes again. "Not. It's one shot."

"Matty, I'll be fine," Clara stated, sending him a reassuring nod. Matt still doesn't seem to believe the girls answer, but doesn't say anything else as he returns to the back storage room with his hands full of dishes. Clara then turns back around to face Damon, while she elbows his side gently. "So, what dress are you buying me for tonight?"

"Whatever your little heart desires," Damon smiles, pointing his index finger towards her heart, the crinkles around his lips grow as he winks towards the girl with his blue eyes.

Damon and Clara's friendship consists of flirty, sarcastic comments that make the duo smile and laugh. He has been there for her since the beginning, even when he was supposedly evil, and she couldn't have been more grateful. They've had their ups and downs just like any other friendship, but they don't give up on each other, ever.

Most people would probably see Damon and Clara as possible lovers, but she could never imagine dating the raven-haired boy. He's a brother to Clara, and that's all the love she could have for him.

"We should go shopping, then."

•••

With Damon glued to Clara's side, we entered the Mikaelsons new house. It was gorgeous on the outside, so the inside could only be even more beautiful. As the duo entered, Clara was almost as mind-blown as the day she first walked into the Salvatore boarding house, astounded by the beauty of the older artifacts.

White lights were hanging across the railings of the stairs of the first and second floor, while a few musical instruments were playing in the background, by the stairs. People were either wearing polite black and white tuxes or beautiful ballgowns, and Clara suddenly felt out of place. Although she was apart of the biggest founding family, she was far from a polite little girl.

Thanks to Damon, Clara found the most stunning deep red dress. White sparkles were sprinkled all over, shining brightly thanks to the lights. It was low cut, exposing a bit more of the blondes chest than anticipated, but beggars couldn't be choosers. The sleeves went to about her elbows, and that was more appreciated since the cold had been tugging at her all day.

"So do you really think the Mikaelsons are waving a white flag?" Clara asked, releasing her arm from intertwined with Damon's as they came to a hault near a circle table of delicious fruits and cheeses.

"Absolutely not," Damon shakes his head, and Clara nodded in agreement with the raven-haired boy. He stops a waiter by waving his hand, and then snatches two glasses of champagne from their black tray, handing one to Clara while he keeps the other in his hand.

As Clara examined around the room, her eyes fell on her mother as she spotted her walking her way towards the two. She smiled softly at her mom, and rehab mayor brightly returned it

"Wow, baby, you look stunning," she touches the blondes shoulder, and she smiles at the her mother again. Then her somewhat fake smile faded as she switched from Clara to Damon, and she eyed the man up and down. "Damon."

Clara wanted to laugh between the tension of the two, but it would be impolite of her for being a 'lady.' She remembered when Damon had to flirt his way under her mothers skin, and Clara feels as if she hadn't quite passed him up.

"Hello, Carol. Hanging out with your new besties?"

"I'm the mayor, Damon," Carol narrows her eyes, and then the fake smile reappears on her face, taking a drink of her champagne. "When the oldest, deadliest family of vampires moves into your town, you welcome them with a smile."

"Well, at least you know who you're borrowing that cup of sugar from," Damon whispers, examining the rest of the party, then flashes his infamous smirk at the mayor as he finishes.

"I'm trying to protect this town. They've assured me they want peace, and I've assured them that I'd enforce it," my mom states, and she looked as if she was about to continue by opening his mouth but the three were interrupted.

"Mayor Lockwood."

Now, Clara Lockwood would be damned.

The boy who interrupted the trio was one of the most handsome men Clara had ever landed eyes on, and she knows quite a lot of hot boys.

Her lips parted as she silently gasped at the boy. He had brown hair cut a bit shorter behind his ears, these gorgeous pink lips, and stunning brown eyes. The black and white tux he was wearing was fitted him perfectly, and his muscles could almost show through his white shirt. Clara realized she had been staring at him ever since he walked over, and she felt the heat rush to her cheeks as they turned to a bright pink one. So instead of gazing at the boy to one's end, she glanced down to the floor instead.

"We haven't formally met," the boy continues, and then he switches from the mayor to Clara, a spark in his eyes.

His eyes rack up and down her body, and then he leans forward to grab hold of the girls hand hanging loosely. Chills were sent up and down her body as their skin met contact. Clara was reluctant to let the boy touch her, and all she wanted to do was pull her hand back, but some part of the girl didn't allow it to happen.

He plants a kiss on it, holding it while he purses his lips at her, and the blush only gets worse. Usually, Clara didn't have these types of problems with blushing and staring because of one cute boy. Boys are annoying and difficult, so she always tried to keep her distance.

"Kol Mikaelson," he smiles, and the crinkles by his lips just made Clara want to smile. "I hope your lovely town embraces us just as much as we plan to embrace it."

As soon as Clara heard the name Mikaelson, the bubbling feeling she received by the boy seemed to stop. Of course the cute boy Clara picked out of the entire crowd would belong in that villainous family. She heard about Kol from Elijah once or twice, him being the wildest of the Mikaelsons, apparently. Never did she think the boy would look so dashing, though.

"Clara Lockwood," she smiled weakly, switching from the ground to meet the boys brown eyes. She blinked a few times while tucking a piece of her curled blonde hair behind her ear, awkwardly.

"Damon Salvatore," Damon steps forward, reaching his hand out formally for a handshake, but Kol doesn't take it in and instead stares at it instead. "Have we met?"

Kol glances from Damon to back to Clara, and a small smirk raises on his face. She narrowed her blue eyes a bit at the boy as he kept eye contact with her, but she didn't want to break it.

"I've met a lot of people," Kol speaks up, raising his eyebrows as he licks his pink lips, and then he looks to Damon and then back to Clara. "And you don't particularly stand out. But you, darling, I won't be forgetting that face."

Kol then walks away, glancing at Clara one last time before leaving us, and she struggles to stop a laugh from escaping her lips. The boy had gut, which already made Clara like him more. Claras mother then takes the hint from Kol and walks away from the duo, leaving Damon and Clara by themselves.

"Oh I wouldn't laugh, it looks like someone has a crush," Damon laughs cheerfully, switching between Clara and the disappearing Kol in the crowd of men and woman.

"A crush?" Clara scoffed, crinkling up her fave in confused while folding her arms distastefully at the raven-haired boy.

"Oh, I saw the way you looked at him, and the way he looked at you," Damon smirks mischievously, taking a sip of his champagne out of the glass he still was holding. "Who knew that the Clara Lockwood could blush!"

"Oh, shut up!" Clara smacks Damon's arm as hard as she could, but it probably didn't hurt him at all because of his supernatural strength.

Then, in came Elena.

She looked stunningly beautiful in the black and gold dress she had picked out for this special ball, and Clara saw the way her best friend stared at the doppelgänger. His blue eyes shined brightly with love mixed with lust. He's helplessly in love with his brothers girl, and Clara only felt pity for the boy.

Clara took that as her cue to leave, as both Damon and Stefan spotted the Gilbert girl as she made her spectacular entrance. The blonde girl rose her hands in defense as Damon opened his mouth, probably to come up with some excuse as to why he needed to leave.

"You're good, Damon," Clara nodded, smiling weakly. Damon sent her an apologetical glance as he chased off after Elena, and it was nothing out of the ordinary with the boy was always chasing after the girl.

Clara studied them carefully, not tearing her eyes away as it looked as if Damon and Elena had already started arguing, probably about the fact that Elena stated she wasn't coming to the ball at all. Then in came Stefan, his hero hair hair tightly attached on his head, adding to the conversation.

"Here I thought you were spoken for."

Clara swiftly turned around, careful not to spill her champagne, and it was the cute Kol Mikaelson from only a few moments ago. Clara wanted to dislike him, because of his family, but the little twinkle in his brown eyes made it so damn hard.

"Mikaelson," Clara stated, trying her best to show she wasn't nearly as interested as she actually was. Her tone of voice kept her emotion in check. "Why would you think so?"

"The way he," Kol says, pointing to the raven-haired boy still debating with Elena and Stefan. "Looked when I walked over, all protective and jealous."

"I wonder why you'd be interested even if I was spoken for," Clara glanced from looking down at her glass of champagne to make eye contact with Kol. His thick accent only made him appear to be even cuter. "Clearly, you're just looking for a bite."

He tilts his head a bit, and narrows his eyes at the beautiful girl. The wild boy seemed a bit shocked that Clara had such attitude mixed along with surprise that she knew about vampires, let alone that he was one of them.

"I like pretty little things with sharp tongues."

The brown-haired boy smirks, and Clara takes a step forward while placing her index finger under Kol's chin, raising it. He suddenly seemed much more interested, and the smile faded as he leaned forward, expecting nonetheless a kiss, but Clara instantly backed away as a sly smirk rose on her pink lips.

"And I like non-annoying, funny boys who mind their own business, guess we both aren't getting what we want, huh?"

a/n: hey guys! i hope everyone's having a good day <3 if you like this book, don't forget to vote & comment! it literally makes my day when i see your comments :-)