Children Of The Damned

Eliana

Nearly a week had passed since I had seen everyone from school. It was the day before Christmas Eve and snow was falling softly, fat flakes drifting lazily to the ground. It looked like something out of a movie. I had never had a white Christmas in California.

Even though I hadn’t seen the rest of my friends, Damon came over almost every day, or we went over to the boarding house and sat in front of the fire listening to good music and laughing until we couldn’t breathe. He had kept all the things I had been dreading at bay since my breakup with Matt.

When I broke up with Matt, I was tempted to cancel my plans with my friends, but I didn’t have the heart to do that. Besides, was it really a good idea to let everyone think that this was affecting me? I didn’t want to deal with any more gossip than I already dealt with.

Having mostly raised myself, I learned to cook from an early age, so I went all out on the dinner, making bread rolls and baking a ham. I made green beans with sautéed onions and mushrooms. For desert I made Christmas tree and snowman sugar cookies.

I even bought a tree, although most years we didn’t have one because my parents were too busy to go out and get one. This year, Damon and I went together and picked out a tree. It was huge, so we had quite the time getting it back to the house. Then we decorated together while listening to corny Christmas music.

“You never had this experience before, so you’re getting it now. Corny music included,” he had said.

I had also bought everyone their presents, wrapped them, and placed them under the tree. I bought candy canes and was prepared to make hot cocoa for all of my guests. I had a full pot of coffee ready.

The first ones to arrive were Elena, Stefan, and Jeremy, who had come over in the same car when Stefan picked them up from Elena’s house.

“Don’t worry. Damon will be here in a few,” Stefan reassured me. My facial expression must have been ridiculously transparent.

“Mmm…something smells good,” Elena said, pulling off her coat and hanging it in the closet in the foyer.

“I have a ham in the oven. It’s not supposed to some out for another hour or so.”

“Since when are you such a good cook?” Jeremy asked.

“Don’t make assumptions until everything is ready and we make sure that the dinner is actually edible.”

“I’m sure it will be delicious,” a voice from behind Stefan said. It was Damon, who apparently had arrived when everyone was getting settled.

“Well, thank you for the vote of confidence.”

Caroline, Tyler, and Bonnie arrived shortly afterward, and after everyone was done fussing over making their cup of coffee just right, we all sat down in the living room. Caroline and Tyler seemed to feel a little out of place in the group, and ended up sharing the love seat together. Stefan and Elena sat together on the L-shaped couch while Bonnie and Jeremy sat next to them. Damon sat on the shorter portion of the L, and there was just enough room left for me.

I ran upstairs while the others waited, grabbing my Santa hat and ran back down to address my friends.

“So, I will be playing the role of Jolly St. Nick, delivering presents filled with joy and holiday cheer unto you.”

Damon smiled. Caroline, Bonnie, and Elena actually laughed.

I retrieved the bag full of presents from under the tree.

“Heads up to Jeremy…Caroline…Elena…Stefan…Bonnie…Tyler….and….Damon,” I said in quick succession as I pulled their presents from the bag and tossed them to their recipients.

Stefan and Elena got matching leather-bound journals, since I knew they both kept diaries. Jeremy got pastels from me. Caroline got an emerald green shawl that matched her eyes, which she loved and immediately thanked me for. Bonnie and Tyler got gift cards from me since I had no idea what to get them. For Damon, I burned CD’s for every day of the week for the next two weeks. Each CD had ten tracks. It was all music from bands I knew he liked, or from bands I had recently introduced to him.

“Alright then,” Elena announced. “It’s time for us to give you our gifts,” she said, handing me a heavy, but small jewelry box.

I opened it, and inside was a beautiful heavy silver locket, set with a single sapphire. I brought it up to my face for a closer look, and smelled something faintly herbal.

“Mmm…what’s that smell,” I asked.

“It’s an herb called vervain. It’s for good luck,” Elena answered. Then he helped me put it on.

Caroline bought me a pair of crystal teardrop earrings. Tyler, Bonnie, and Jeremy didn’t get me anything, but it was fine since I didn’t know them very well at all. I wasn’t expecting them to get me anything.

“I have something for you, I swear. But it will have to wait. I’ll explain later,” was Damon’s response when he didn’t have a gift to give me either.

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” I asked.

“It means I’ll tell you later.”

Stefan and Elena looked skeptical, and Stefan pierced Damon with penetrating eyes.

It was all very weird.

__________________________________________________________

“So, are you ever going to give me my present?” I asked Damon while I started on the dishes. Everyone was gone by now, except of course, Damon. He was always there.

“Here,” he said. “I wash, you dry,” he said, being he gentleman and taking the messier job.

“Okay,” I said, taking a towel from the cupboard. “But enough changing the subject.”

“Alright,” he sighed. “I’ll tell you. I don’t have your present with me, because it’s two towns away.”

I raised my eyebrows at him, and he handed me a plate to dry.

“Don’t give me that look,” he said, flicking soapy water at me. “I plan to take you to the most amazing record store you will ever enter.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes, and then you can pick out whatever you want. And I, of course, will buy it for you.”

I put the plate in the cupboard where it belonged as he handed me a handful of silverware.

“So,” he began, “Do you forgive me now?”

“Of course! I can’t wait. When do we go?”

“Tomorrow? Unless you have plans for Christmas Eve.”

“Please. Sometimes I forget I don’t live alone. I have no plans, trust me.”

“Well, now you do.”

I cracked an uncontrollably huge smile. It had been a long time since I was this happy.