For What You Are

“Kara, there’s someone at the door for you!” Ally’s voice rang through the house as Kara finished tying her shoes around her ankles.

“Coming!” she yelled, picking up her mask and purse before running to the door.

“Don’t wait up for me,” Kara said as she walked past Ally. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Have fun.”

“Will do,” she replied, opening the door and stepping outside.

“You got my money?” was the first thing she asked the person sitting beside the door.

“Right here,” Damon replied, holding out a bag that looked really heavy.

“You have got to be kidding me,” Kara replied, taking the bag and feeling her arm drop from the weight of it. Peeking through the elastic binding the top, she saw hundreds of coins amassed inside. With as much effort as she could, she threw it back at Damon.

“You purposefully did this to annoy me, didn’t you?”

“If I told you yes, would the bet be off?”

“Fine,” Kara responded in exasperation. “But let’s just get to this party before anything else goes in your favour.”

“Fine by me,” he said, opening her door with a slightly mocking bow. “Miss. James.”

She evil-eyed him as she sat down in the comfortable leather seats. “So why are you going to this party?” she asked as he climbed into the driver’s seat. “It can’t be because you have friends.”

“Ouch,” he said, starting the car. “Is that really any way to start the night?”

Kara raised her eyebrows at him and he turned his eyes back to the road and reversed out of the driveway.

“As hard as it may be to believe I do have some people, who…well, think of me as a friend.”

“Like Kale,” Kara said.

“Yes, exactly like Kale,” Damon responded. “What I think of him…well, that’s a completely different story.”

“That’s not very nice,” Kara said doubtfully. “Are you socially inept or just a general loner.”

“I wouldn’t say socially inept,” he replied. “More…mistrustful.”

“Why?”

“Well, if you know him like I do, you’d know why. His wi-girlfriend told me all I need to not trust him.”

“You’re in that good with his girlfriend?”

“Was,” he corrected. “Used to be. Past tense. If she ever hears you saying that, she’ll kill me, so I’d advise you not to repeat it.”

“Who says I’d care if she did? By the way, who is she?”

“Hailey,” Damon said.

“They’re dating?!” she asked incredulously. “I thought they were just really close.”

“Really, really close,” he said.

“So, why did you tell me about the party?”

“Because this night will be less boring if somebody is there who’s not afraid to talk to me.”

“People are going to be afraid to talk to you?” Kara asked in mock surprise. “But you have such warm and sociable qualities.”

“I am Damon Salvatore,” he replied.

“I had noticed.”