The next day, Caroline woke up in a very happy mood. All the intimacy she had shared with Alan in the woods, and then the way he had wrapped her in a hug and his lips had brushed past hers, was constantly flashing over and over again before her eyes. And every time, a blissful smile crossed her face. She was too happy, too pleased with whatever had happened to her yesterday.
If not for Vicki being bitten by an animal and getting hurt, Caroline would have very easily labeled the previous day as one of the most perfect days of her life. But that did not affect how happy she really was. Alan! His name and face was constantly on her mind.
"Caroline," Sheriff Forbes' voice came through at the last moment when Caroline was just about to step out of her house. "Why are you in such a hurry? At least, have some breakfast."
She was dressed in her Sheriff uniform and was ready to leave for her official duty.
"No, mom," Caroline responded, her steps slowing down a bit, but she did not stop. "I am getting late for school. Bonnie and Elena would be waiting for me."
"First," she continued, "I will attend a couple of classes, then me, Bonnie, and Elena will go to see Vicki."
"I hope she is fine," she interjected a quick prayer in between her flow of sentences.
"And then we will go to the Grill," she stated her itinerary without being asked. "And as for breakfast, I will grab some of it from the canteen. I am not going to remain hungry."
"You always do this," the Sheriff almost scolded her daughter. "You wake up late and then you are in a rush to your school."
"Mom! Mom!" Caroline responded, her tone exasperated. "It is no big deal. Ok! And I will not repeat it again."
"At least take a bite," the Sheriff said, but Caroline was already outside the gates even before she had finished her sentence.
Sheriff Forbes shook her head as she sighed deeply. She was exasperated. There was nothing else she could really do other than thinking that Caroline was getting out of her hands. With another shake of her head, Lizz sat at the dining table and served herself some breakfast.
Meanwhile, Caroline had just inserted her keys into the car door and was about to unlock it when the roar of the engine of another car shattered the silence and the calm of the street. Caroline paid no heed to it as the car arrived and stopped just next to hers.
"Do you mind if I drop you at school today?" the man in the driver's seat asked.
"Alan!" Caroline, spotting the man, reacted with a beaming face. "I am surprised. I was not expecting to see you."
"Maybe I was planning on surprising you," Alan said with a small, amused smirk.
"Now, hop in," he added with a tilt of his head.
Caroline giggled in exhilaration, and she quickly took her seat in the front passenger seat. Alan shifted gears, pressed the accelerator, and the car roared toward Mystic Falls High School.
They had barely driven for a couple of minutes when Alan braked the car, bringing it to a stop. This particular road passed close to the forest and it was completely empty. Because of yesterday's event and since it was morning, there was no traffic on the road.
"Why did you stop?" Caroline questioned with a confused face.
Alan did not reply as he leaned toward Caroline, bringing his face close to hers. Her cheeks reddened, she blushed and gulped inwardly, but Alan did not do anything that she had been expecting.
He, instead, reached out to the dashboard of the car, opened it, and pulled out a box from it. He pulled back to his seat and presented the box toward Caroline. A knowing smirk was present on his face as if telling Caroline that I caught what you were thinking.
"What is it?" she questioned, still blushing.
Alan opened the box, revealing a beautiful golden bracelet inside it.
"Wow!" Caroline immediately reacted. "This is so beautiful."
"Like it?" Alan smiled. "This is for you."
"Really?" Caroline asked, even as her hands reached for the bracelet. "This is beautiful."
"Wear it," Alan said, and Caroline took another couple of moments admiring the bracelet before she wrapped it around her wrist.
"It looks great on you," Alan remarked, taking her wrist in his hands. "Do not take it off."
"Why would I take it off?" Caroline almost retorted playfully.
"Good," Alan smiled. He let go of her hands before pressing the accelerator and the car raced away.
The bracelet was one of the ornaments that Alan had picked up from the basement of his mansion. The bracelet had a hollowed space within it which Alan had filled with vervain.
After the party in the woods, Damon had set his eyes on Caroline. He had put her under compulsion and then she had become a victim of Damon's assault. He had used her as a means to get involved in the life of Elena.
And therefore, Alan was not going to risk it. The vervain filled bracelet was the preliminary protection for her. It would keep Damon from acting against Caroline, at least in the public.
In less than ten minutes, they arrived at their destination. Mystic Falls High School. Caroline stepped out of the car.
"See you in a few hours," Alan said as he waved his hand.
"Bye, see you," Caroline responded, waving her hand back.
During the drive, Caroline had discussed her itinerary with Alan, and it was decided that they would meet again at the Mystic Grill after Caroline and her friends returned from the hospital after visiting Vicki.
As Caroline was walking away from the car toward the school, her face was all smiles and her heart was fluttering with happiness. The gesture of Alan coming to pick her up, him giving her this so beautiful gift, everything had touched her heart.
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