(1) Just Magic (D. Salvatore)

Chapter Nine

Caroline, Elena, and Bonnie always go for something light, no matter what time of the day they are at the Mystic Grill, but Cassandra always eats as if she is never going to eat again. She is really lucky she doesn't get fat. Making up for it with yoga, running, and Zumba. She keeps in shape for the amount of crap she puts in her body. They try to have dinner at least once a week together to keep their whole friendship bond strong. Cassandra missed a few over the summer, this actually being her first once since the accident. Thankfully they are keeping the conversation light....ish.

"Well, I was talking to Grams, and she said the comet is a sign of impending doom" Bonnie informs them. Cassandra pushes a couple of fries around her plate as she listens. "The last time it passed over Mystic Falls, there was lots of death. So much blood and carnage, it created a bed of paranormal activity."

"Yeah, and then you poured Grams another shot and she told you about the aliens" Caroline mocks, Cassandra and Bonnie share a look, Bonnie shrugs back a little. It's not surprising for Caroline to be so flippant about things she has no interest in. "So then what?" Caroline asks Elena.

"So then nothing." Elena answers.

"You and Stefan talked all night? There was no sloppy first kiss or touchy-feely of any kind?" Caroline counters with a disappointed frown on her face. To be fair, even Cassandra thought something would have happened. He's a teenage boy and Elena is beautiful.

"Nope. We didn't go there"

"Not even a handshake? I mean, Elena, we are your friends. Okay? You are supposed to share the smut." Caroline teases Elena who snorts and shakes her head.

"We just talked for hours," Elena admits.

"Okay, what is with the blockage?" Caroline asks Elena. "Just jump his bones already! Okay, it's easy. Boy likes girl, girl likes boy, sex!" Cassandra, Bonnie, and Elena stare at Caroline.

"Profound." Cassandra comments dryly, Elena nods a little, more in agreement with Caroline than Cassandra. Elena gets up from her seat.

"Where are you going?" Bonnie asks.

"Caroline's right. It is easy. If I sit here long enough, I'll end up talking myself out of it instead of doing what I started the day saying what I was going to do." Elena tells them and then walks away. Cassandra and Bonnie share a look. Caroline then turns a look on Cassandra. One down. Two to go. Elena is well on her way to being in a relationship. That just leaves Bonnie and Cassandra.

"No," Cassandra tells her, already reading her without needing to use her powers.

"You don't know what I was going to say" Caroline defends herself, Cassandra gives her a look.

"Let's see, Elena has hitched her wagon to the choo choo train of love...I'm next, right?" Cassandra asks her, Caroline opens her mouth to argue, but then realises she can't. Cassandra is right. Bonnie chuckles. "I'm not looking for anything, Care" Cassandra points out.

"It's been months" Caroline argues. "Tyler's getting his leg over elsewhere....why shouldn't you?"

"Because I'm still getting over the fact that my parents are dead and my boyfriend rode the town bike?" Cassandra counters, Caroline looks at her softly. "And I have other stuff going on...I'm not even thinking about it..." Caroline nods and then turns to Bonnie.

"Don't even think about it" Bonnie warns and the three of them break into smiles and chuckles.

"You think it's going to happen?" Cassandra asks as she chews a fry between her teeth. "Elena and Stefan?" Elena has only ever been with one boy. Matt. She's not a slut, like Vicki, or a weekend harlot like Caroline. Cassandra's not sure if Elena is going to instantly go there with someone new, someone she barely knows.

"I don't know" Bonnie agrees with her. "She was with Matt for a long time...."

"Getting over the first is tough" Cassandra agrees.

"Hmm, but it does get better" Caroline offers. "You know.....in the sack" Cassandra snorts.

"Tyler wasn't bad" She defends a little and then shrugs a little. "By the end...he was like a dog in heat" She offers, Caroline chokes on her drink as Bonnie chuckles. It's crass but it is nice to see some of the old Cassandra shining through. Each day that goes by, they see a little more of her coming back. The light-heartedness. The sarcasm. The jokes. The immaturity. It's taking time. But she is getting there. And they are getting their friend back.

"Oh my god, it's coming out of my nose" Caroline complains as she grabs a napkin.

..........

Cassandra sits on her bed, cross-legged, hairbrush in hand as she watches Elena shuffle into the room. Clearly, nothing good happened with her going to see Stefan. Her face could curdle milk right about now.

"So what did he say?" Cassandra asks Elena who drops face-first onto Cassandra's bed. She grumbles her answer and Cassandra frowns, hearing none of it. Elena lifts her head.

"He's on the rebound and has raging family issues." Elena voices. Cassandra cocks her head and then snorts.

"You met Damon then" She offers, Elena frowns at her. "Just helped with the jeep" She adds and shrugs as she pulls her hairbrush through her hair. "It could be worse" Cassandra starts, Elena cocks her head. "He could be cheating on you" She teases, Elena and Cassandra share a smirk. But Elena knows that those comments show how hurt she is by Tyler's actions.

"Want to watch an episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show before we have to be at the square?" Elena asks, Cassandra softens and nods. It's something they grew up on. Old sitcoms. Something Elena and Cassandra used to spend their Sunday's together watching the old shows with popcorn and ice cream. It was their thing. And something they haven't done for months. They haven't done a lot of things for months because of the accident. And she's missed them.