The next morning...
Mystic Falls High School.
"He did what?"
Bonnie's voice rose an octave.
Beside her, Elena wore an equally bewildered expression.
"Yes!" Caroline exclaimed, throwing her hands into the air. "I'm just as confused as you two! Why the hell did that bastard kiss me?!"
Elena frowned.
"Then... why did you let him?"
Caroline blinked.
"What?"
"From the way you described it..." Elena continued carefully, "...you never pushed him away."
Caroline opened her mouth.
Closed it again.
"I..."
Elena tilted her head.
"...Do you like him, Caroline?"
"Eh?!"
Caroline looked as though she'd just been accused of murder.
"That jerk? No way—"
"Shhh."
Bonnie suddenly cut them both off.
She subtly pointed toward the school entrance.
Aiken had just walked in.
Expression as unreadable as ever.
He walked straight down the hallway toward History class without acknowledging anyone.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Caroline, Bonnie, and Elena.
He deliberately ignored them.
If yesterday's kiss had planted the seed...
Today, indifference would water it.
Caroline stared after him in disbelief.
"...I can't believe this."
Her eye twitched.
"He's acting like nothing even happened."
Then she marched after him.
"Caroline, wait—"
Bonnie reached out.
Too late.
Caroline was already halfway down the hallway.
Bonnie and Elena exchanged a helpless look before quietly following behind.
Not close enough to interrupt.
Just close enough to listen.
Caroline stopped directly in front of Aiken, forcing him to halt.
"You bastard!"
Several students turned toward them.
"You've got some explaining to do!"
Aiken looked at her with complete confusion.
"What?"
He blinked once.
"What are you talking about?"
The sheer innocence in his voice almost made it believable.
Caroline stared.
"...Are you seriously joking with me?"
"You kissed me!"
Recognition crossed Aiken's face.
"Oh."
He nodded slowly.
"That."
"Yes, that!"
Aiken looked genuinely puzzled.
"...Well, you asked me to."
Silence.
Caroline's brain crashed.
"...Excuse me?"
"When did I ever ask you to kiss me?!"
Aiken folded his arms thoughtfully.
"You told me..."
He deliberately spoke a little louder.
Just loud enough for the nearby students to hear.
"...to treat you the same way I treat animals."
Caroline's face instantly turned scarlet.
"W-What are you talking about?!"
From a short distance away, Bonnie and Elena exchanged horrified looks.
Oh no.
"And then..." Aiken continued innocently.
"You said—"
Before he could finish, Caroline lunged forward and clamped a hand over his mouth.
"Shut up!"
She forced a smile toward the increasingly interested students walking past.
"H-He's lying."
Her voice had dropped to an embarrassed whisper.
"Stop making things up."
After a few seconds, she slowly removed her hand.
Aiken looked down at her.
Their faces were only inches apart.
He smiled faintly.
"You're awfully close."
Caroline froze.
"Do you want another kiss?"
Her entire face turned bright red.
"S-Shut up!"
Without another word, she spun around and practically fled down the hallway.
Bonnie and Elena watched her disappear around the corner.
Neither of them spoke for several long seconds.
Finally...
Bonnie blinked.
"He..."
Elena slowly nodded, still staring after Caroline.
"...Actually managed to shut Caroline up."
...
The music echoed through the trees surrounding the Falls.
Bonfires illuminated the clearing with warm orange light while students laughed, danced, and drank.
Music blasted from portable speakers.
The smell of grilled food mixed with the scent of damp earth and pine.
It was loud.
Chaotic.
Exactly what Aiken had expected.
He stood slightly apart from the crowd, leaning against a tree with a plastic cup in his hand.
Water.
While nearly everyone around him drank beer or stronger alcohol, he quietly sipped water.
His attention wasn't on the party.
It was on the entrance.
Stefan still hadn't arrived.
Elena Gilbert was already here.
Which meant...
He'll show up soon.
Aiken's eyes wandered across the clearing.
Elena was chatting with Bonnie near the fire.
Matt lingered nearby, awkwardly pretending not to look at Elena every five seconds.
And then there was Caroline.
She was walking around with a group of girls...
Yet every few moments...
She glanced in his direction.
Quickly.
As if trying not to get caught.
Aiken watched her do it again.
And again.
Eventually, he sighed.
"Caroline."
She instinctively looked over.
"What?"
"Are you planning on watching me all night?"
Caroline froze.
"...What?"
Bonnie and Elena, who had quietly noticed Caroline's repeated glances some time ago, exchanged tired looks.
They both sighed.
"I'm not watching you!" Caroline snapped as she marched over.
She stopped right in front of him, crossing her arms.
"I just happened to look over here."
"Several times."
"I wasn't counting."
"I was."
Caroline clicked her tongue.
She still hadn't forgiven him for what had happened yesterday.
Or this morning.
"So..." she began with a smug smile.
"What are you doing here all alone?"
She glanced around dramatically.
"Oh..."
"No friends?"
"Are you planning to spend the whole night standing here by yourself?"
"I certainly hoped to."
Aiken took another sip of water.
"But you seem determined to prevent that."
Caroline frowned.
Why wasn't anything getting to him?
She searched desperately for something to mock.
Then her eyes landed on his cup.
Her face brightened.
"Oh my God..."
She pointed at it.
"You're drinking water?"
Aiken looked down at the cup.
"...Yes."
"Don't tell me your mommy and daddy told you not to drink."
She grinned triumphantly.
"Is that it?"
Aiken let out a quiet sigh.
"I simply don't like alcohol."
He shrugged.
"I'm a terrible drinker."
"I get drunk after one beer."
"...Seriously?"
"Seriously."
Caroline blinked.
That wasn't the response she'd expected.
She'd been trying to embarrass him.
Instead...
He didn't seem embarrassed at all.
She pouted in frustration.
Aiken looked at her for a second.
"...You're cute when you pout."
Caroline immediately turned red.
"S-Shut up."
She looked away.
Then back at him.
Then away again.
"Give it up, Caroline."
Aiken sighed.
"You can't really annoy m—"
Splash!
A full cup of beer hit him square in the face.
Silence.
Beer slowly dripped from his hair.
Down his shirt.
Onto the grass.
Aiken remained perfectly still.
After a long pause...
He sighed.
"...That was my favorite shirt."
"It serves you ri—"
Splash!
Caroline shrieked as cold water exploded across her face.
She stood there completely soaked.
"...Did you just—"
Before she could finish—
Aiken casually borrowed a nearby student's cup.
"Thanks."
The confused student barely had time to react.
Splash!
Another shower of beer drenched Caroline.
"You!"
Then she immediately grabbed another random cup from someone else.
Splash!
Beer hit Aiken.
"Oh, come on," the second student complained.
"My beer!"
"Borrowing it!" Caroline shouted.
Aiken picked up another abandoned cup.
Splash!
Caroline fired back.
Splash!
Soon the two of them were completely soaked from head to toe.
Beer.
Water.
Whatever happened to be inside the cups.
Around them, students had stopped partying altogether.
Instead...
They were watching the ridiculous exchange unfold.
Then...
Caroline suddenly burst into laughter.
"Hahaha!"
She bent forward, clutching her stomach.
"I can't believe this!"
Aiken looked at her for a moment.
Then he chuckled too.
Before long...
Both of them were laughing like idiots.
The argument had completely disappeared.
Aiken slowly stepped closer.
Caroline looked up.
"What?"
Without answering, Aiken reached toward her face.
Her heartbeat immediately sped up.
"W-What are you doing...?"
Instead of touching her cheek, he gently pinched a wet strand of blonde hair between his fingers.
"...Looks like I got your hair too."
He smiled faintly. "I was being careful not to. Too bad."
Caroline stared at him.
Then...
Before she even realized what she was doing...
She leaned forward.
And kissed him.
The world around them seemed to disappear.
A few seconds later, they separated.
Both simply looked at one another.
Then...
Aiken smirked.
"You know..."
"I only kissed you yesterday because I thought it'd be funny to annoy you."
He tilted his head.
"I honestly didn't think you'd fall for me."
Caroline's face turned scarlet.
"You..."
She punched him lightly in the chest.
"You tall bastard!"
Standing at six foot two, Aiken barely reacted.
Instead...
He laughed.
Caroline tried to stay angry.
She lasted about three seconds.
Then she started laughing too.
The two stood there smiling at each other.
And then—
"Somebody!"
A panicked voice cut through the party.
"Help us!"
Elena.
To be continued...