*
“Michael’s out hunting right now, but he’ll be back soon.” She poured paintballs into her gun. “Lock and load, Stefan,” and she threw me a packet of yellow paintballs. I caught them and filled my gun with the colourful ammunition.
“Well this looks like fun, mind if I kom bij you?” I whisked around at the familiar voice of brother. Damon was walking towards us with a smile on his face. Lexi barely even looked up at him.
“Why hello there Lexi, long time no see,” he zei with a smirk. He walked around me and knelt down beside her. “But it doesn’t look like you’re too happy to see me.” She stood up and so did he.
“When am I ever happy to see u Damon?” She picked up her paintball gun and walked away from him.
“Oh, well that’s a damn shame. u know that hurts me,” he put his hand on his heart, “right here.” He smirked again and looked at me.
“Quit the sarcasm Damon,” she sighed.
“Sarcasm? How could u even suggest that? That’s mean,” he was still smiling. Suddenly Lexi was in front of him and glaring at him.
“Oh, I’m mean? That’s a little hypocritical don’t u think?” She was older than him, therefore stronger, and he seemed to retract a little at her stern words.
“Ok, ok. Calm down Lexi,” he zei smoothly. “Now, can I play of not,” he asked, trying to look innocent.
“Of course u can Damon,” she replied. I was taken aback. Why was she letting Damon play when she despised him?
“As long as u don’t mind being my primary target,” she added and walked out into the hallway. I laughed as he recoiled a little, but he composed himself.
“Well, whatever. u know how much I love paintballing. And it’s not like I’m not fast.” He grabbed another paintball gun from her bag. “She’ll have to be able to aim pretty good if she wants to get me.” He held the gun at me. “And I wonder who my primary target will be…” he sneered. He stared into my eyes as he walked past.
“Great…” I muttered. I followed Damon out to the front lawn. Lexi stood with Michael directly ahead of us. Their rings shone like ours in the bright sunlight. They had been gegeven them door a band of travelling vampires back in 1801. Damon walked up to Michael and they hugged.
“How are you, buddy? It’s great to see you,” Michael laughed and patted Damon’s back.
“I’m good, man. It’s great to see u too.” Damon was reunited with one of his best vrienden too. Although Lexi and Damon hated each other with a passion, Michael and Damon got on scarily well. I, on the other hand, didn’t get on so well with him.
“Michael, it’s good to see u again,” I zei as I shook his hand.
“You too, Stefan.” He coughed and didn’t look me in the eye.
*
“How come u guys are all like that? I mean, Damon and Lexi, u and Michael?” I asked. Stefan laughed.
“It’s nothing terrible, Elena. It’s just a personality clash thing. Damon and Lexi are completely different. Lexi is warm and friendly, whereas Damon is…well, Damon. However, Michael’s not like Damon, but they just seem to mesh. But Michael and I just don’t seem to. See, there’s nothing awful that keeps us from all being friends.” I nodded and he continued.
*
We entered the forest at different points and ran. I looked for a place to hide and came across a huge oak boom that had hollowed out at the bottom. I threw myself inside and peered around the corners. Not a sign of anyone. The forest was still. I held my paintball gun tightly to my chest. Suddenly, I saw Lexi creeping through the trees about 50m in front of me. I held my breath. She hadn’t seen me. Yet. I locked my gun into shooting position and moved vooruit, voorwaarts silently, slowly. She hadn’t heard me yet either. I moved through the undergrowth, creeping as low as I could. I realised that paintballing was similar to hunting. Creeping slowly so the prey wouldn’t hear you, lowering your body so they can’t see you… This was fun. Lexi was looking around frantically, and she darted against a tree. She held her gun ready to shoot anyone she saw and I took aim. I pressed my finger down slowly and fired. She moved out of the way just before the paintball hit her stomach. It hit the boom and exploded in a yellow shower. She glared at me through the trees before I’d even had time to hide. I knew she was coming for me now. I ran full pelt through the forest with paintballs flying past me.
“Oh Stefan, you’ve done it now,” she yelled from behind me. I laughed and continued running until I saw Damon crouched low door a rock. I skidded to a halt and he looked directly at me. He smiled and raised his gun. The paintball missed me door a fraction as I began to verplaats out of the way. He hadn’t got me. But, unfortunately for Damon, the paintball had hit Lexi in the face.
“Ah, um, I…Oh dear,” Damon zei sheepishly, and began to back away slowly. Lexi was growling.
“Oh Damon. My dear, dear Damon. You’re dead.” And her face morphed into the vampire she was. Damon’s face whitened and he stepped back.
“Oh, come on Lexi, I didn’t aim at you! I was going for my brother…” But she wasn’t listening. She had Damon door the kraag and threw him against a tree. Of course he wasn’t hurt but she was enjoying it all the same. He sprang up and his face morphed too.
“Guys, come off it. We were supposed to be having fun, not fighting.” I moaned. They did this all the time, and it was beginning to get annoying. “We’ve only just started!” Lexi looked at me and her face reverted back to normal.
“Sorry Stefan. It’s just he irritates me so much!” She turned back to Damon. “Watch yourself. volgende time I won’t back down.” Suddenly a scream erupted somewhere in the forest. We all turned in the direction that the noise came from. With that we were all running to the noises source. After about 2 minuten of sprinting we had covered two miles. We were about 50m from the main road that ran through Mystic Falls, and we came across the screamer. It was a small girl, about four years old. She was screaming at a man crouching over a body of woman.
“Michael! What are u doing? We’re supposed to be playing a game, not having lunch,” Lexi joked. I growled.
“Lexi! u can’t joke about this! We’re trying to keep a low profiel here, u know!” She looked at me apologetically. “Sorry honey. Michael! Stop!” And she ran to him. The little girl screamed again as Lexi’s thirst took her over and she began to feed too. Damon sighed beside me.
“What are we gonna do about the girl?” he asked. Michael looked back.
“I know…” he zei cunningly and threw himself at her. I roared and jumped at him. I threw him off but he’d already sunk his teeth in. The girl’s blood…it got on my mouth and…”