The morning of the decade dance I wake up to a box sitting at the end of my bed. It's similar to the one that contained the dress Klaus bought me for the ball several weeks ago, a large bow tied on the top. I shake my head at the extravagance of it all but reach forward nonetheless to open the package and read the note inside.
A gentleman always keeps his promise. I hope that you'll wear the dress, pup, because I cannot wait to see it on my floor tonight.
"Jackass," I mutter, but I can't help the smile on my face as I set the note aside and lift the shimmering dress out of the box. Layered, shiny fringe hangs off the sparkling silver dress and it has a crisscross pattern around the waist with a low-cut neckline. The dress is long enough to hit a couple inches above my knees and silvery strands of fabric hang delicately off the hem, sliding smoothly through my hand as I admire the drapery. A string of beads and a shining headband are also included in the box and I lift them out to examine them as well.
I have no idea how much a outfit like this costs. I don't think I want to know.
A knock sounds from the front door and my mom yells up at me that Caroline and Elena are here to pick me up.
"Shit," I mutter, dropping the dress back into the box before closing it and sliding it underneath my bed. Realizing that I'm late, I leap out of bed to rush around and get ready to meet them downstairs.
A text message came through last night that apparently not all of the decorating got done yesterday and Caroline, having given up on the decorating committee, decided to kidnap us this morning to boss around as well. After hurriedly slipping on a pair of clothes and brushing my teeth I grabbing my keys and phone from my dresser and head down the stairs to find Caroline and Elena both waiting for me.
"Morning Stella," Elena calls. "Your mom let us in."
"You're actually ready on time," Caroline says in a surprised voice. "Wait, you haven't done your hair yet."
"I'll do it later," I tell her, noticing that both Caroline and Elena's hair is curled and and pinned up neatly so it's ready to be styled tonight. "Don't look at me like that, Care. I'll have time. Now let's go."
I shout goodbye to my mom as the three of us get into Elena's car and head towards the school, Caroline complaining about the theme the whole way there.
"I mean seriously, the twenties?" she continues as we all step out into the school parking lot, not having even taken time to breathe the entire ten minute drive here. "I know that Rebekah was daggered or whatever for a long time but the seventies would have been perfect! I had such a good idea for the photo booth too, I was thinking a disco vibe without all of the lights, you know, very colorful and-"
"Caroline please," I interrupt, rubbing my temples in an attempt to quell my rapidly growing headache. "Enough about the dance that could have been, alright? I'm already sick of the one we're actually doing."
"Fine," she pouts, but I can tell she's not really upset. She's just waiting to find someone else that she can either complain to or boss around other than us. Luckily she spots both when we enter the gym and find my brother and Matt already in the corner setting up tables.
"Just like old times," I say to Elena as Caroline immediately approaches the boys and starts directing them on where to go.
"Yeah. Sometimes it's easy to forget that we're not those kids who grew up together anymore," Elena says with a hint of sadness in her voice.
"Thank god," I mutter and she gives me a look. "What? I hated who I was back then."
"And you don't hate who you are now?"
I ponder her question for a moment.
"It's more like I'm figuring out who I am instead of hating myself for not being who everyone thinks I should be."
"I never figured you cared about what anyone else thought," she smiles.
"Where do you think I learned not to?" I smile back. Elena laughs and the two pf us grab several boxes of decorations to move to a table and begin unpacking them. I'm busy setting up plastic champagne flutes for punch while Elena unfolds a table cloth when Caroline makes her way over to us. She's carrying an ugly ornate chandelier ordained with fake jewels and artificial candles that she sets down on the table in front of me with a thunk.
"If Rebekah wanted this monstrosity to be hung up then she really should have been here to do it herself," she huffs. "Amelia, will you throw this out? Thanks."
She shoots a disgusted glare at the lighting fixture as one of underclassman comes over to remove it before noticing Jeremy and Matt both up on ladders hanging stars from the ceiling behind me.
"What are you two doing?" she exclaims, causing both the boys to turn around in alarm. "You can't just hang them, they're supposed to trickle down!"
"Yeah, trickle!" I call out in a mocking voice and Matt and Jeremy both laugh.
"Look at them being all bromancy," Caroline says as she watches the two smiling boys get back to work.
"I asked Matt to help Jeremy re-adjust," Elena says as she finishes with her table cloth and moves to a box of feather boas. "He's been having a hard time with the whole Alaric thing."
"Are you sure it's because of Alaric and not him witnessing you and Damon getting hot and heavy in a skeevy hotel?"
"What?!" I exclaim as Elena glares as Caroline.
"I didn't tell you that so you could torture me with it."
"What are friends for?" the blonde says sweetly and Elena shakes her head with a smile.
"Wait, hold on," I say, holding out my hands. "Hot and heavy? How hot and heavy are we talking here?"
"We just made out," Elena says quietly but I can see a blush creeping slowly up her neck. "No big deal."
"Would it have gone farther if you brother hadn't interrupted?"
Her silence is answer enough and I set down my box of cups to reach out and shake her.
"You slut!"
"Shut up!" she laughs, fighting me off as I attempt to wrap my arms around her shoulders. "It wouldn't have gone that far."
"Yeah right," I laugh, allowing her to push me away and turning back to the task at hand. "So are you bringing him tonight?"
"I thought us girls were all going together!" Elena says. I blink at her for a few seconds before turning to glare at Caroline who shoots me a guilty look in return.
"Making plans for me now?"
"I thought you were more likely to come if we all went as each others dates!" she explains. "Besides, that's off the table now anyway. Bonnie has a date."
"Who?"
"Jamie."
"That's the boy helping take care of her mom, right?" I ask, never having met him.
"Yeah. He's sweet."
"When he's not being compelled to tie me up," Elena mutters.
"I was thinking," Caroline says, ignoring her completely, "that since Bonnie is bringing a date, it might be the perfect opportunity for you to ask Stefan to come."
