By the time we got home, the moon had already passed and the sun was already starting to rise. I slipped out of the dress Klaus bought me and laid it over the couch in my room. Undoing my hair, I hear a knock. “It’s open,” I shouted. Bonnie let herself inside the room as I continued minding my own business.
“I promised to explain everything,” she said. I gave her a nod, “I can’t tell you all the exact details, because it would reveal Klaus’ secret. And one thing that I am fairly certain of is that no one can mess with the King and get to live another day. However, there are some things that I could tell you.”
“So talk,” I sat down on the bed, curling up.
She swallowed, “I can’t tell you exactly why we knew each other, but I can assure you that Klaus and I are not, and have never been romantically involved.”
I nod, “Okay. Well, if there’s anything else that you could actually tell me,” I say, climbing off the bed and walking to the door. I gesture to the door as I opened it, “Please don’t hesitate to stop by. My door is always open,” I say sarcastically. I don’t want to fight with her, but it hurts me to know that she doesn’t trust me at all.
“There is,” she said, getting up to close the windows and fans. “Close the door and get over here. I have something to show you.” I made a face. “Trust me,” she mouthed. I let out a heavy sigh, slamming the door shut. She grabbed a pair of scissors from my night table and ripped open one of my pillows.
“Hey!” I shouted, climbing back on bed.
She scattered the feathers on my bed, smiling. “Be patient.” She sits on the foot of my bed, “I need to swear you to secrecy.”
I kept my expression jaded. “It’s kind of a bad day for that kind of stuff.”
“Swear. ‘Cause I’m not supposed to be showing you this.” I kept silent. “Look, I know I’ve been kind of MIA when you need me the most. And I suck. But you need to swear.”
I sigh, “Okay. I swear.”
“Okay.” She made gestures as she spoke, “There’s no windows open, right?”
I looked around from left to right. “Right,” nodding a little.
“There’s no fan. No air-conditioning.”
I rolled my eyes. This is ridiculous. “None! What are you doing?”
Smiling, “Grams showed me this. You’re gonna love it.” She paused with an ear-to-ear grin on her face. “Ready?” I nod lightly. She stares intently into the pile of feathers, concentrating. Placing her right hand on the air above the pile, she slowly raised her hand palm down. Surprisingly, a feather followed the wind trail her hand left.
I watch in disbelief as she slowly directed the feather back to the pile. “Bonnie, what’s going on?” She took in a huge breath with a huge smile on her face and rubbed both her hands together. Now, she places both hands above the pile of feathers and started levitating pieces all at once. I sat there shocked and motionless to the point of paralysis. The feathers slowly set back down the pile. I was trying to telepathically ask her how the hell she was doing that. She gathered the question from my wondering eyes, but she just smiled. And suddenly, her eyes looked from the pile to the air. So many feathers started floating. It was beautiful.
I scoff in joy, getting up to my knees. My mouth hanged open in amazement. My gaze following the floating feathers. They were floating and going in circles. It was against physics, and yet, I see it happening right in front of my eyes. I cover my mouth with both hands.
She gave me a warm smile, “It’s true, Caroline. Supernatural creatures exist and I am one of them. It’s impossible but it’s true. I’m a witch.”
Nodding, I gave her an encouraging smile. “I believe you.” Going back to a seated position, we exchanged giggles and smiles.
“My Grams taught me a lot before she passed away, but losing her made me lose control. Too much emotion filled me and I end up hurting people. I had to stay away from you and everybody. It took a while for me to control it, but reading Gram’s grimoire helped a lot.”
Grimoire? What the? “That’s cool. Wasn’t there anyone else that could help you though?”
She says, “No. Well, a girl came to me for help. The lack of experience made me decide to take no notice of her plea but then she was slaughtered the next day. By then, there was nothing that I could do to save her. Fortunately, that experience finally made reality sink in. I had to step up or I’d have to watch people die because of me. Or even I might die!” She paused, “The thought I couldn’t bear the most is that people I care about could also get hurt.”
“Wait,” I said after a realization hit me, “This all happened while we were in Mystic Falls?” She nodded. “I know you didn’t tell me for a reason, but the fact that I didn’t find out by myself makes me a terrible person! I can’t believe I didn’t see that my best friend is a witch!”
She laughed, “It’s not your fault. I made it impossible for you to notice that. The supernatural creatures that exist in this world is infinite and I don’t want you getting in the middle of our drama.”
I gave her a smile, “Bonnie, you are my best friend. We’re supposed to be getting in the middle of each other’s drama.” I took her hand, “Promise me that you won’t be hiding things from me anymore. I want to be here for you,” she gave me a nod. She shared more stories about being a witch, like how she brought people back to life, and how she was able meet people who could see ghosts. It was almost six in the morning when she finally said that we should be getting some sleep.
“Good night,” I said. She got up from my bed, ready to exit my room when I said something, “Wait.” She stopped at her feet, her head turned to face me, “Where does this leave me with Klaus? And you and Kol? I mean, seriously, didn’t you see the way he’s seducing you? He tried to lure me first, then when he grasped the fact that I wasn’t going to fall, he went to get you. If Klaus is dangerous, then what does it make Kol?”
She shrugged both shoulders, “They both are, but I’ve seen Kol in a different light. Klaus is just a different story. You should stay away from him.”
“What if I couldn’t?”
She sighed, “I can’t do anything about it. Like I said before, consider this as a warning.” My lips pressed into a hard line after hearing her last statement. “Good night, Caroline,” and she disappeared into the dark. I laid my back onto my bed, trying to sink in all the new realizations. This is insane. Bonnie’s a witch, and magic exists.
All my life, I have forced myself not to be a believer of the impossible, but this changes everything. I basically just saw feathers floating everywhere and heard crazy stories about life and death. She’s my best friend. She wouldn’t lie to me and she wouldn’t hurt me. I want to believe that Klaus is dangerous, because a part of me sees that. However, a bigger part of me wants to unravel the lost boy I glimpsed behind those wounded eyes.
I haven’t seen that much sadness in someone’s eyes before, especially when they are discussing about their passion. Passions are what makes a person inspired and happy, but his eyes told another story. What is he hiding? How is he dangerous? I’m so conflicted.
I slept that day until 11 am.
There was a faint knock at my window. I scrambled out of my bed and looked out. There was nobody in the front porch, nobody to have thrown rocks at my window, yet there is a small box at my window pane. I picked up the navy colored box and slipped out the ribbon. I opened it, revealing a rolled up paper. I stretched it open.
It was a lovely portrait of me and a horse. Below the sketch was a note, “Thank you for your honesty,” underneath that was a name, “Klaus.” My heart dropped.
I just got off from work, making my way to the bar nearby, where Cami was working. After the whole ball thing, my eyes started to stop judging the pretty blonde. She was actually nice. Even though I still think that she’s a carbon copy of me, I didn’t say anything. Matt and I haven’t spoken since, so it was really weird when he joined me for dinner.
“You adjusting okay?” he asked.
I nodded, “Yeah. Jeremy’s been helping me a lot. He’s a great kid.”
“Really? I hate that kid. He and Vicki always banged each other at home. It’s so annoying. Sometimes, they even get stoned in her room. It’s really not the best scene I want to go home to every day.”
My mouth hanged open, “Vicki and Jeremy?” Why didn’t I think of that? Of course, Vicki Donovan would flirt with him! He’s a cute guy who works at a supermarket her brother owns. She probably ogled him for days from a distance. And when they finally get together, of course they’d be stoned. That’s how Vicki Donovan lives. She influences people with her bad habits and lives with it.
“So, what do you think of Cami? Isn’t she great?”
I scoffed, “Of course.” Swallowing the last bit of my lunch, I looked up to see his face. It was skeptical. “You don’t see it?” He shook his head, “Matt, I know you have a crush on me, but I didn’t know you would go as far as to look for, well for the lack of better words, a doppelgänger of me.”
His mouth hanged open as his tongue swiped the inner flesh of his left cheek. His eyes look betrayed and his face turned pale. Oh my, what have I done? He got up from his chair, taking out bills from his pocket and leaving it on the table. “You know what, Care, I like you a lot better when you’re not trying to be smart,” then he left.
I watched him leave with bewildered eyes. I can’t believe Matt’s being so hard on me. It’s obvious that Cami looks like me. Why don’t people see it? I walked over to the bar to buy myself a beer, when I see Kol and Klaus standing beside two stools. I rolled my eyes and walked pass them, hoping not to get noticed.
“Caroline,” I heard a certain British man call.
I moved my head to his direction in a snappy manner, hoping to make him see that I am still furious with him, “Oh, it’s you.” I uttered, crossing my arms.
He gave me a pained look and looked down to the drink he had in his hand, “Join us for a drink?” he whispered, looking up to meet my eyes. As he spoke, Kol tossed up his own glass as a sign of invitation. Oh my, the Mikaelson Brothers offering me to have a drink with them. Should I be flattered or insulted?
My eyes looked at Kol from top to bottom before facing Klaus, “I’d rather die of thirst, but thanks.” I gave him a forced and fake smile, before turning my back on both of them. So much for a beer.
I strode out from the bar. The night life of New Orleans enveloping me as I did. I tucked my jacket closer to my body for warmth as I passed the street. A honk from a car behind me grabbed my attention, but I was already too distant from the street to have cared.
“Caroline!” someone shouted.
I rolled my eyes as I turned to face him, “Are you serious? Take a hint.” I spun around, continuing to walk away. I heard his footsteps behind me.
“Don’t be angry, love. We had a little spat. I’m over it already.”
“Oh, well I’m not,” I said, slowing my pace to a stop. “How can I acquit myself?” I heard him ask.
Why does he have to be so charming? I sighed. Even when I’m infuriated with him, he still manages to make me feel attracted to him. I don’t even understand why I’m fascinated with this man! Was it because of how Bonnie makes him seem mysterious? Maybe it’s because of the whole secret thing. Maybe, once I learn about the stupid secret, then I wouldn’t be so damn drawn. But how am I going to be able to ask him about the secret when Bonnie so specifically asked me to stay away from him?
I spun to face him, deciding that staying away is the better option. “You and your expensive clothing, and romantic drawings can leave me alone.”
I watched his expression turn to disappointment. Oh, that pained look. That’s the Klaus I wanted to get to know. That’s the lost boy that I can’t seem to figure out. That’s the face that makes me so swoon to him. I tried to turn away so that I wouldn’t need to look at that face, but his words made me unable to. “Oh, come on.” The way he said it, it sounded so vulnerable. “Take a chance, Caroline.” I scoffed, joyfully.
He smiled, suddenly taking a seat on the bench nearby. “Talk to me,” he paused as I stared at his face. How can I refuse to this? He’s acting like a little kid who couldn’t get what he wants. It’s so adorably sweet. “Come on, get to know me.” He smirked. I want to. I want to get to know you, but I’m afraid of what you are. Bonnie warned me, I should stay away. “I dare you,” he challenged.
I swallowed. Yes, I want this. I looked away from him to think straight. Caroline, you want this and you know it. What’s stopping you? Bonnie can date his bad boy, Kol, but I can’t see Klaus? That’s unfair. If Klaus is so dangerous, then I want to know how much. I get to decide if I find him dangerous. I get to decide if he’s not worth my time. When I looked at him, he gave me a playful squint. It feels so challenging. “Fine!”
Sitting beside him on the bench, I sighed. He had a playful smile on his face, but he didn’t speak. He just stared, no, ogled at me. It’s so awkward. How can I make this normal? I’m sitting on a bench with a supposedly dangerous man, and I’m afraid of the awkwardness. Every bit of that sentence is just wrong. I observed him as he looked at me.
His scruffy chin is so fitting for his face. It’s so mature. He’s probably so much older than I, but I can’t tell how much. His endearing dimpled smile is just so adorable that it makes him look younger. I’d like to tap that. “So, what do you want to talk about?”
He maintained his intense gaze into my eyes, “I want to talk about you.” I scoffed and smiled, both of us shifting our eyes away from each other’s gaze. He silently laughed, before looking at me again. “Your hopes, your dreams.” I looked at him, “Everything you want in life.”
Words seem so poetic every time when combined with his accent. I laughed, “Just to be clear, I’m too smart to be seduced by you.”
A smile crawled up his face, “Well, that’s why I like you.”
Batting my eyelashes at him, I beamed. Like I said, everything is endearing coming out from the mouth of Klaus Mikaelson. He kept his eyes on me. For some unknown reason, with the intensity of his gaze, I feel a charge of electric anticipation between us. My heart started to beat faster and my breathing continued to hitch. The connection broke when he opened his mouth. “Why did you move to New Orleans?”
I muttered, “College. I'm starting my Freshman Year this semester at Whitmore University.”
“And you've always wanted to study there?”
Shaking my head, “No. I don't really have a dream school. My future is more of my worries rather than college. I want to work at this journalism firm in town.”
He smirked, “I can get you a job. Anything you want.”
I rolled my eyes, “Don't try to influence my job opportunities with your unending city connections. I don't need it.”
He laughed, “I'm very generous with my unending city connections, Caroline. Especially with you.” I beamed, “Do you have time?” he asked.
“For what?”
He smiled. “I want to show you something.”
I bit my lip. He wants to show me something. What is it? What could it be? Does it have anything to do with the secret? Something to do with Bonnie? I want to join him to whatever adventure he has ready for me, but I couldn’t. I need to listen to my best friend. If I couldn’t stay away from him, I might as well be cautious.
Shaking my head, “I should probably get home.” He looked down, disappointment washing over his face. The lost boy. I smiled, “I have a question.” His head jolted up to confront mine, but he didn’t speak. “How do you know Bonnie?”
He sighed, “So eager for new knowledge, aren’t you love?” I rolled my eyes at him, “Maybe if you decide to accept my offer one day, I’d tell you.” A song from the Disney Movie Aladdin suddenly filled my head. The way he said those words, it made me feel like he’s trying to show me the world. It’s so — romantic.
I got up, “Look, I should go.”
He maintained seated on the bench, “When can I see you again?” I shook my head, shrugging both shoulders. “Until we meet again,” giving me a farewell nod, he walked away.
I scrutinized the way his back moved as he walked. It’s a little sexy, the way he is. Actually, every inch of Klaus is a little sexy. Except for the accent, the accent is very sexy. Shaking away my thoughts of Mr. Douche Bag Guy, I continued walking myself home. So much has happened for today.
It’s only my fifth day at work and I’ve already upset my boss. I really should find a new job. I don’t want to be hanging on to Matt for financial support. I walked up from the front door into my room. Bonnie wasn’t home yet. I sat down on my couch, looking at my sample résumé. It looks worthy of an internship. Maybe I could apply now and reapply next year if I am not accepted. After all, there is really no point in looking for a new job if I wouldn’t be happy with what I am doing anyway.
At around noon of the next day, I went to Q & S Journ to apply for the internship. It was a long shot, but I have to try. After a long wait, it was finally my interview. I adjusted my attire in a pleasant and presentable manner before entering the office. The office was a modern black and white workplace. There was no fancy couch or TV, just plain table and chairs.
A man was standing beside the window with his back to me. He was tall and muscular. “Good morning,” I greeted. Slowly, the man turns to face me. The man was black and bold. I could see his muscle rippling out of his shirt. I tried to catch my breath. He is in very excellent shape and very attractive. He gave me a smile and pointed to a seat opposite his chair.
“Caroline Forbes?” I nod. “I’m Mr. Gerard. I’m head of this Journalism Firm. Now, I want to get straight to the point. Why do you think that you deserve this internship?”
I bit the inner flesh of my cheek. That’s straightforward. He didn’t even ask me about job experiences, or where I study. “Well, to be frank, I don’t think I deserve the internship. I don’t have enough experience or enough knowledge about the journalism world. However, I do believe that with the correct mentoring, I could mold myself into someone that you would want in this company.”
He laughed, “Ms. Forbes, you are not impressing me right now. We are not your personal mentors.” He paused, “Have you had any experiences of some sort? Why are you even interested in journalism? Are your parents journalists? Were you forced to be like them? Answer Ms. Forbes. I don’t have all day.”
Seriously? What an incredibly terrible way of using my break time! I come here to see if I have a shot in getting my dream job, and I end up meeting this guy who thinks he’s the boss of everyone. This is outrageously maddening! “Mr. Gerard, not to disrespect, but I believe that I am correct when I assume that you have not assessed my résumé. All of the information that you need is already written there, and in a very proper manner, I might add. I worked hard on that, just to come here and find out that you don’t care a crap about it?” I sigh, “Sir, that is very unprofessional of you and if this is what you have to offer to me, then I’m sorry to disappoint, but I would need to withdraw my application.”
He smirked, “Ms. Forbes, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Our firm is one of the highest grossing firms in all of America. You withdraw and you are never going to see the insides of this building ever again.”
“I’ll take that chance. I’m sorry to have taken up your time, but I have decided. Thank you,” I stepped over to gather my résumé from his table, but his hand suddenly wrapped around my wrist. His eyes looked up to meet mine. He smiled.
“I have read you writings, Ms. Forbes. I must say, I am impressed. For a girl so unexperienced, you sure could write one hell of an article.” I pulled back my hand from his grip. Where is he going with this? “You are correct. I did not read your résumé. I want my interns to be raw, new. Nothing based from paper. Probably half of a person's résumé are lies anyway.”
I squinted, “Where are you going with this, sir?”
He handed me my papers, “I mean, I would still need to evaluate several of those intern-hopefuls, but Ms. Forbes, you pretty much have it in the bag.”
My mouth dropped, “Are you serious?” Oh my God. He's serious! I have a job. I have a job! “But,” he suddenly spoke.
“What? But what?”
He stood up, “I would still need to see more of your works. This is a paid internship, Ms. Forbes. I like my people well-trained.” He walked to a drawer and pulled out a piece of parchment. He handed it to me, “I make background checks on all my interns. That is taken on Friday night at the Mikaelson's Ball.”
My eyes captivated by the photo, I smiled. It was a photo of Klaus and me on the ballroom. We were dancing and seemed to be both smiling. It was a strange encounter, from what I remember, but in this photo, we look acquainted. Well, actually, we look like a couple. It’s probably just because of the angle of the photo.
The way that our eyes meet in the picture just looks so intense. There is so much intensity in the gaze that it looked almost as if electrical jolts were being passed to and from each other. My head turned to see Mr. Gerard, “What does this have to do with anything?”
He sat back down on his chair, “I want you to feature the Mikaelson Family in your first article. They're the most talked about family in town, and I want people to know their story. We've tried doing this once and it was a huge revelation, but all the answers turned out to be lies.” His right hand balled into a fist, “That Kol Mikaelson treated the interview as a joke, humiliating my firm in the process. Now, I want an inside story. Can you do that for me?”
I gulped, “Sir, I don't know. The Mikaelson's and I are not really friends. I only met them at the ball. Klaus and I danced but it does not mean that I could sweet talk myself up an interview with them.”
He shrugged, “Figure something out and the internship is yours. I'll give you 2 weeks.” I sighed and nodded. “Oh and Caroline?”
“Yeah?”
He chuckles, “Call me Marcel.”
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