Friday Night Bites

"Come on, Amara! We're going to be late!" Elena's voice called from the bottom of the stairs, her tone bright with excitement.

"I'm coming!" I shouted back, pulling on my jacket and grabbing my phone. Friday night football wasn't my thing, but if Elena was going, I wasn't about to leave her alone in the middle of Mystic Falls drama. Especially after last night's encounter with Damon and his annoying "Bluebell" nickname. The nerve.

I hurried downstairs, finding Elena grinning with that unmistakable twinkle in her eye.

"What?" I asked, raising an eyebrow as we stepped out into the evening air.

She shrugged, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Nothing. Just nice to see you getting into the school spirit, that's all."

"Right," I muttered, rolling my eyes. "I'm here to keep you out of trouble, not because I care about who scores a touchdown."

She laughed, linking her arm through mine. "Well, come on, Miss Chaperone. Let's get this night started."

By the time we reached the field, the air was buzzing with excitement. The stadium lights blazed over the crowd, casting a glow across the rows of bleachers packed with students, families, and alumni. I spotted Jeremy standing off to the side, arms crossed, visibly annoyed. Next to him was Anna, looking uncomfortable, while Tyler smirked nearby, hands in his pockets like he didn't have a care in the world. Typical.

"Uh-oh," I muttered. "Looks like the love triangle's in full swing."

Elena followed my gaze, her brow furrowing. "What is he doing?"

We made our way over to Jeremy, who looked like he was seconds away from exploding. Tyler was saying something, his voice just loud enough to carry over the buzz of the crowd.

"Back off, dude," Jeremy snapped, fists clenched at his sides. "She doesn't want anything to do with you."

"Oh, really?" Tyler sneered, looking past Jeremy at Anna, who was nervously biting her lip. "Because I don't remember her asking you to play bodyguard."

Anna crossed her arms. "Tyler, seriously. Just leave it alone, okay?"

Tyler ignored her, his eyes narrowing at Jeremy. "You've got a lot of nerve, Gilbert. Just because your sister's around doesn't mean anyone else has to care."

Jeremy took a step forward, his face tight with anger. "Say that again."

I glanced at Elena, and we both moved closer, hoping to diffuse the situation before it got out of hand. But before we could intervene, Tyler shoved Jeremy, and the scuffle turned into a full-blown fight.

Jeremy swung first, his fist connecting with Tyler's jaw. Tyler staggered back, clutching his face, but his surprise quickly turned into rage. He lunged at Jeremy, tackling him to the ground, and the two of them started trading punches, both of them too furious to stop.

"Guys!" I shouted, rushing forward with Elena. But they were too locked into their brawl to hear anyone.

Just as things were getting out of control, Matt stepped in, grabbing Tyler by the shoulders and pulling him off Jeremy. "Hey! Both of you, cut it out!"

Jeremy struggled to his feet, his face red, blood trickling from his lip. He stumbled slightly, clearly under the influence of whatever he'd been drinking. His eyes locked on Tyler, who was being restrained by Matt, and without thinking, Jeremy grabbed a broken beer bottle off the ground.

"Jeremy, don't!" I yelled, moving forward. But he raised the bottle, ready to lunge at Tyler.

And then Stefan was there, somehow appearing between them in an instant. His hand shot out, grabbing the bottle before Jeremy could strike. For a moment, everything was silent. Then, as if in slow motion, I watched Stefan's hand close around the jagged edge, blood trickling down his fingers.

"Jeremy, let it go," Stefan said, his voice low and steady.

Jeremy blinked, seeming to come to his senses, and he let go of the bottle, looking ashamed. Tyler, still fuming, shook off Matt's grip but didn't make another move.

Elena stepped closer, looking at Stefan's hand with concern. "Stefan, you're bleeding…"

But as I glanced down, I could have sworn the cut was already gone, the skin smooth and unbroken. Elena looked puzzled, as though she'd noticed something too, but Stefan just brushed it off, hiding his hand in his jacket pocket.

"I'm fine," he said quickly, giving her a reassuring smile. "Let's get you guys back to the bleachers."

Matt led Tyler away, still lecturing him on how reckless he'd been, while Jeremy sank onto the bleachers, holding his head in his hands. Elena and I exchanged a glance, both of us rattled by how close that had come to turning ugly.

"Come on, Jer," Elena said softly, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Let's just watch the rest of the game, okay?"

Jeremy nodded, his shoulders slumped, and I sat down next to him, my mind still racing. I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Stefan's hand had definitely healed faster than it should have, and I'd noticed the look in his eyes—something distant, like he was hiding more than he let on.

The game went on, the players charging down the field under the blazing stadium lights, but I could barely pay attention. My mind was still on everything that had happened, replaying each moment like I could find an answer if I looked close enough. 

By the end of the night, we'd managed to settle Jeremy down, and he promised he'd lay off the drinking. Elena went off to say goodnight to Stefan, who had that intense, mysterious look as he spoke softly with her, while I waited by the bleachers, trying to shake off the nagging feeling that I was being watched.

And that's when I saw him.

Damon stood at the edge of the field, half-hidden in the shadows, watching me with that infuriating smirk on his face. He gave a small wave, lifting his hand just enough to get my attention, like he'd been waiting for me to notice him all along. The sight of him made my stomach twist with irritation.

I clenched my jaw, fighting the urge to storm over there and demand to know what his problem was. It was bad enough that he had some weird obsession with calling me "Bluebell," but now he was showing up wherever I went, lurking in the shadows like he thought it was a game.

My hands curled into fists, and I glared back at him, hoping he'd get the hint. But Damon just chuckled softly, his dark eyes glinting with amusement as he turned and disappeared into the night.

I exhaled, trying to steady myself. So now I have a stalker. Great.

As Elena rejoined me, her face glowing from whatever she and Stefan had talked about, I forced a smile, trying to ignore the unease that settled over me.

"What's wrong?" she asked, noticing my tense expression.

"Nothing," I lied, throwing one last glance at the shadows where Damon had stood. "Let's just get home." 

But as we walked away, I couldn't shake the feeling that Damon's presence was going to be anything but "nothing."