𝟒𝟕

a/n: Charlotte's outfit for the chapter is above!

☆═━ 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐘 𝐒𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍━═☆

Emotions. Throughout Charlotte's life, these were the only things that controlled her. She cared deeply for everyone around her, how they were feeling, if they were in pain, she would sympathize with them. She would feel guilty— if she was the cause of their pain.

Being that way, put her in situations where people claimed her as too good to be true, annoyingly perfect, or even naive.

Charlotte, just like any other person, had thoughts of her own that she couldn't shout out— no matter how much she wanted to do that. Turning off her humanity brought out a girl that was sick of everyone's opinions about her. A girl that wanted to let go and be free, be happy on her own terms.

She twirled around after stepping out of the fitting room in a short mauve dress, "So...what do you guys think?"

Kol raised his eyebrows, downing his glass of champagne, "It looks gorgeous on you."

Charlotte smiled in advance before Rebekah called out from the fitting room, "There has to be more to this dress!"

Klaus rolled his eyes, stating, "There's not."

She got out of the fitting room, wearing a short, black dress, "So women in the 21st-century dress like prostitutes, then."

Charlotte folded her arms together, "Well...I wouldn't use the word prostitutes. They are just more confident about their bodies."

"You know, I got dirty looks for wearing trousers?" The blonde raised an eyebrow, turning to the Bernard vampire.

Klaus sipped on his champagne, retorting, "You wore trousers so women today could wear nothing."

"Or maybe because it's significant," Paulina shrugged her shoulders at that, exchanging a look with Rebekah, "That women wear the pants and men...well, they are left to fend for themselves."

"And your proof to that mad theory is?"

She chuckled, walking over to take the champagne bottle from his hand, "Well, I wore the pants in all of my relationships, and even now, I still do."

"I can't help but agree," Rebekah nodded, smiling with a shrug of her shoulders before turning to Charlotte, "What about you, Lottie?"

"Lottie?" Charlotte frowned at the odd nickname that only her older sisters used before pursing her lips together, "Well, my only legit relationship was with this one, over there," She pointed over to Stefan, drinking a glass of champagne, "And he was quite the helpless romantic...it was actually suffocating now that I think about it."

Stefan raised his eyebrows as Paulina held back a laugh but Charlotte continued either way, "And there was Oliver but we weren't really much before I ate him three months ago."

"Impressive history," The blonde Mikaelson commented before shaking her head in disapproval, "And what is this music? It sounds like a cable car accident."

Charlotte shrugged her shoulders to the beat of the music, answering, "It's dance music."

She scoffed, "People dance to this?"

"I am now, aren't I?" Charlotte asked, dancing her way back into the fitting room, "Oh, and the dress? Fantastique."

The hybrid spoke up, asking, "Are we done?"

"And why are you so grumpy?" Rebekah asked, folding her arms together.

"I needed one thing from you for my witch to find out why my hybrids are dying, one thing. Your necklace. And you lost it!" Klaus shook his head, sighing in frustration, "And when I thought I could trust Lina with the location of the coffins, she goes and does...that," He pointed over to Kol, rolling his eyes.

Paulina retorted, raising her eyebrows, "Remember when I trusted you to not lie to Elijah, and then you screwed us both over? Yeah, payback's a bitch, Klaus."

Kol scoffed, speaking, "Ah, please. If you pulled the dagger out of me to sit me through hours of pointless talk then you shouldn't have."

The Gilbert shrugged, "Fine, what do you want to do?"

"We are in Chicago, isn't there at least one good bar to party and eat people or what?"

Charlotte grinned, stepping out of the fitting room after putting her clothes back on, "I like this guy. He is fun."

Paulina shook her head, turning to Kol, "Do me a favor and don't encourage her."

"Can't help being the psychotic maniac," He chuckled in response.

Rebekah rolled her eyes at their banter before turning to Stefan, "So what do you think?"

"I like it," He answered before she furrowed her eyebrows together, seeming unsatisfied, "What? I said I like it."

"I can always tell when you're lying, Stefan," Rebekah said before storming back into the fitting room.

Klaus looked at Stefan, "Nice one. Good work."

"You're the one that pulled the dagger out of her."

"Shut up, both of you," Paulina huffed out, picking short jeans and a white blouse from the pile of untouched clothes, "Hey, Bex...I think you will like these."

The blonde extended her hand out, murmuring, "Thanks, Lina."

Paulina picked out a dress for herself before moving into the fitting room Charlotte was in a few minutes ago. "All right. I'm going to get some fresh air," Stefan said, getting up and straight out of there.

"This is boring," Kol rolled his eyes, placing his glass of champagne down.

"Wanna party?" Charlotte raised a suggestive eyebrow, smirking.

"Well, yes, of course."

"I know a place."

Kol got up, pulling his jacket off the chair, "Lead the way."

✵ ✵ ✵

Charlotte didn't quite know many daytime partying bars but what was Google for, huh?

"So, according to Cady, some talkative human I met yesterday, this is the only day and night bar that has vampires allowed policy," Charlotte said, walking inside whilst dragging Kol behind her.

"Quite creative, little minx."

She shrugged her shoulders before raising her index finger, "But, we are still going to clubs without that policy, only at night because it's even more fun."

Kol nodded with a sinful smirk on his lips as Charlotte made her way to the dance floor and he was quick to join her. Granted, today's dances were very different from those in the past century, but he was quick to adjust himself to the current culture by following through with her moves.

The Bernard's arms were looped around his neck, an uncaring, reckless smile on her face as she moved her hips to the music. She rocked her head back, shaking her head as her hair was let loose and she could barely see through her silky brown locks.

"So, what's got you and Lina in such a twist?"

Charlotte looked up at him, wiggling her eyebrows before a chuckle escaped her lips, "She wants me to turn my humanity back on and I don't want to, it's actually quite hypocritical of her."

Kol raised his eyebrow, seemingly interested in the matter before he asked, "Why did you abandon it in the first place?"

She twirled around, swinging her hips to the music before shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly, "I killed my niece. Too much drama. Life sucks as a vampire so, I just had to make it stop sucking."

"Will you ever turn it back on?"

Charlotte pretended to think for a few seconds before a giggle escaped her, "No, Kol, what idiot would do that? I am having fun. Do you know that I have never for once just let go and danced my way through a club? Or even made one mistake worth remembering?"

He had wrapped his arms around her waist, tugging her closer, "Define mistake worth remembering?"

She smirked, leaning forward. Charlotte captured Kol's lips between her own, pausing to answer, "There's a lot of definitions...but consider this one of them."

Charlotte sunk back into the kiss, not a single part of her thinking about any consequences or doubts, for once in her life. Kol's hands tugged at her hair, body pressed against hers as their kiss turned heated, Charlotte's bottom lip tugged between his teeth.

✵ ✵ ✵

Paulina was pacing in the warehouse, shaking her head before she placed her phone on the table. "I called for like the hundredth time and she is not answering...Plus, when the hell did it slip either of your minds to get Kol a freaking phone?"

Rebekah rolled her eyes, crossing a leg over the other, "Kol knows nothing around here. If they both aren't here then they are both together now."

The Gilbert screeched out, "And that doesn't make me any less worried! It's been hours!"

The blonde sighed, "Don't overexaggerate."

"It's been exactly nine hours, forty-five minutes, and thirty-two seconds," Paulina claimed, crossing her arms together, "I swear to God if your brother did something to her, I will make him wish he was—"

The brunette Gilbert vampire was interrupted as Charlotte's chuckle rung through the room, walking inside, "Wooh...Hello, you guys."

"Oh, my God...," Paulina froze in her step, gaping. She nearly gasped at Charlotte's bedraggled state. Hair a mess, mascara smudged under her eyes, her new tank top might have been ripped further than it's usual style. Not to mention the definite smell of sex all over her.

"Damn...," Rebekah chuckled underneath her breath, taking note of Paulina Gilbert's shocked state.

The Gilbert sucked in a deep breath before pulling Kol's hand and walking out of the room, "You and I need to have a quick talk."

"I would like to hear that!" Rebekah called out before following them out.

Charlotte waved her hand after them before throwing her heels by the couch. She stretched her arms above her head, looking ahead of her to find Stefan, standing by the coffins at the end of the room.

He was probably looking them over but it was clear where his attention laid then. Charlotte raised an eyebrow, noticing his unwavering gaze, "Something on my face?"

"Really?"

She shrugged her shoulders, "I am indulging myself into the life of a free, hot, and single girl," She paused, raising her eyebrows, "Oh, don't tell me you started to care for me when I could care less about you? Because that would be very unfortunate...for you."

Stefan walked up to her, shaking his head, "None of this is right, Charlotte. You—"

Charlotte faked a yawn, interjecting, "I am too sore to even function the shit coming out of your mouth but...maybe we can reschedule? Oh, or wait. About you and Paulina's little secret, what was that?"

He hesitated, knowing he couldn't exactly tell her the truth before choosing a different method, "She thinks I could be the one to get you to turn your humanity back on."

The Bernard raised her eyebrows and he didn't retreat before she laughed out, patting his shoulders, "That's the funniest thing I have heard all year."

"What, is it not true?"

Charlotte chuckled, shaking her head. She paused, shrugging her shoulders, "You are not my anchor, Stefan. I don't even classify you as one of those people important in my life. You are...nothing to me."

The brunette rose her index finger, stating, "I will admit you are attractive, and yeah, that was one of the reasons I liked you but you are not the one or remotely anyone for me."

"When I go too far, you won't be the one to bring me back," She stated, crossing her arms together, "But points for trying, yeah?" Charlotte chuckled at his baffled look, he looked...shocked, the pitiful kind of shocked.

She patted his shoulder one last time before turning around and pulling her heels off the floor, "My anchor? Huh, dumbass," Charlotte mocked, laughing her heart out.

✵ ✵ ✵