"Bonnie, you really need get laid," Caroline Forbes says as she places a bowl of popcorn on the table and takes a seat next to Bonnie on the couch.

Bonnie Bennett coughs as her wine goes down the wrong pipe, shocked by her friend's abrupt statement. They hadn't even being talking about sex or anything like that so she's trying to figure out the reason for the sudden change of subject. "What are you talking about?"

Elena and Rebekah look on at the exchange in amusement used to the blonde vampire's abrupt subject changes.

"I'm talking about the fact that your ex-boyfriend is going around town with his new girlfriend while you pine over him."

"I'm not pining over Jeremy," She denies.

"Really?"

"Really." She stresses. " I'm completely over him, have been for a while. In fact I'm happy that he found someone special," Sure she had been a bit hurt when they had broke up for the last time over a year ago, but obviously they weren't meant to be with each other. She can hardly hold him finding the right person against him.

Bonnie's voice is calm enough and after bit of scrutiny, Caroline can tell she's telling the truth. Still it leaves her with one question, "Okay if you're over him then why haven't you gone on any dates?"

"I haven't met anybody. The only time I meet anyone is when I am called in for spells and most them are either in relationships already or not worthy of my time."She pauses suddenly suspicious. "Why exactly are we talking about this? Are you planning on setting me up on a blind date or something?"

"Not at all." Caroline shakes her head.

"Good, I hate blind dates." Bonnie says with some relief. The last thing she wants to do is be set up.

"No blind date, "Caroline repeats. "But I was kind of thinking it would be a good idea for you to participate in the Bellham Festival this year."

Bonnie's eyes widen in shock at the suggestion; she had forgotten that the festival was coming up. The Bellham Festival is an annual month long thing that is held all around the world. Supernatural women (witches, vampires, werewolves, hunters, etc.) place their name on a list and any interested suitors (they must also be supernatural) have a chance to pursue her. The women are free to decline or accept the advances and at the end of the month they pick the person they feel they have the biggest connection with.

The festival initially began as way to help supernatural beings find their mates without having to worry about being exposed, but now it's mostly used as an excuse to get laid in a safe environment. Of course there are those that are actually successful in finding their mates, but for the most part Bellham month has become about the sex. She's only really been eligible for the festival for about three years and two of those years were spent dating Jeremy so of course it had been far from her thoughts. She had been single during last year's festival, but Bonnie she had just broken up with Jeremy, not to mention she's never really been into casual sex. However after more than a year of no sex she has become a little antsy. Still could she really jump into bed with multiple guys in a month's span?

"Before you say no here me out," Caroline notices the hesitation on Bonnie's face. "You've always taken the safe route when it comes to your relationships, been the dutiful girlfriend. I think it's time you let loose and had some fun."

Before Bonnie has a chance to respond, Elena snorts drawing everyone's attention to her. It's obvious from the look on her face she disagrees with Caroline's suggestion.

"I don't see what's wrong with the idea." Rebekah looks at Elena in confusion. "Bonnie is a beautiful single immortal witch, it would only make sense for her to participate. She's bound to have plenty of suitors vying for her attention."

Bonnie warms slightly at the blonde original's compliment. It's been a couple of years since she joined their group and it's still kind of weird to not be at war with her.

"You obviously don't know Bonnie very well if you think she's going to participate. The Bellham Festival is literally a sex fest and as long as I've known Bonnie she has always been a relationship kind of girl."

"You're right that most people treat it that way, but remember I did find my mate last year." Caroline smiles when she thinks of Jesse. They met when she first started college, but they thought it would be best to just be friends. The festival changed things.

"As did I," Rebekah adds.

"Yeah, but don't you remember when you went through the festival last year?" She takes a drink of her wine before continuing. "How you both slept with a lot of guys, guys you barely even knew before you picked your mates?"

"The Bellham festival brings out our natural desires so even if she doesn't pick a mate, the connection she'll feel during any encounters will be worth it." Rebekah tries to reassure a still hesitant Bonnie.

"That's fine for other people, but Bonnie's never been into flings, especially with guys she doesn't know. The last thing any of us should want is for her to get involved with something she might be uncomfortable with."

Bonnie frowns at Elena's explanation. On the surface it sounds like the brunette is just looking out for her, but something about it doesn't ring true.

"Well it's not like she doesn't already know several supernatural men in town. I'm sure many of them would have no problems spending a little time with Bonnie." Caroline points out before narrowing her eyes at the brunette. "We've both agreed that it was time for Bonnie to move on so why exactly are you finding fault with this?"

"I'm just trying to make sure Bonnie doesn't end up getting hurt. She's already been through so much with Jeremy and since I plan to participate this year I don't want her to get her hopes up."

If Bonnie hadn't started to figure out Elena's explanation was bullshit, those last words certainly clear it up."Be honest, Elena." Bonnie says suddenly, her voice tinged with anger. "You're not worried that I could be getting into something I can't handle and you're not thinking about my past with Jeremy. The truth is you don't think anyone other than your brother would be attracted to me. Do you?" She knows Elena and has long since been able to read between the lines when she's trying not to sound like a jerk.

"Bonnie, I-"

"Do you?" Bonnie asks much louder this time.

"It's just …this festival brings out certain types of guys. Guys who usually go for a certain type and no offense…" She pauses as she tries to figure out how what to say. "…but we both know if a guy has a choice between the two of us they'll choose me. They usually do."

Elena's words are arrogant and hurtful, but Bonnie supposes that Elena has good reason to believe what she's saying since it's been true in the past. She remembers how disappointed she was in the seventh grade when she saw her science partner and first crush walk into Caroline's birthday party with her best friend on his arm. She remembers the pain she felt when she realized that her first real boyfriend Oliver had only dated her to get closer to Elena. Hell even her relationship with Jeremy had come second to Elena most of the time.

Don't get her wrong, it's not as though no one is ever interested in her. She had brief relationships with Luka and Jamie, but those ended before they could really begin and part of her will always wonder if they would have truly been interested in her if Elena had shown the slightest interest in them.

She's spent most of her life taking a backseat seat to Elena, even when it came to her own romances and she's tried not to let it bother her. She told herself that it was just the way things were, that it wasn't Elena's fault that those guys turned out to be assholes. But now she's starting to see that deep down Elena gets off on getting the attention even if it is at Bonnie's expense. She probably always has, but was able to hide it better before she became a vampire.

And suddenly all she feels is anger. Anger that she's allowed this to go on for so long, that she's kept to herself because deep down she's always been afraid that she wasn't worthy. Well she's not holding back anymore. She's a desirable woman with a lot to offer and it's time she reaped the benefits of that.

She picks up her wine glass and quickly downs it before placing it back on the table. "I'll do it."

"What do you mean?" Elena glances at Bonnie in surprise.

"Exactly what I said," She pauses for effect. "I'm going to put my name on the list for the Bellham Festival.

"That's great, Bonnie." Caroline smiles happily. All she wants is for Bonnie to be happy and she thinks that this is a good first step toward that.

"Caroline, you can't be seriously encouraging this?" Elena protests. She'd known her words had been hurtful, but she'd done it to make a point. She had hoped that they would deter Bonnie from participating, but apparently they had the opposite effect. "You know she's just going to get hurt."

"I don't know that, actually." Caroline rolls her eyes. Actually she knows for a fact that there are several supernatural men within their group that will be happy when they find out Bonnie put her name on the list this year. A smile forms when she imagines the look on Elena's face when she realizes just how desirable Bonnie will be now that she has put herself in the running.

"Well I'm not going to sit here and watch my best friend get hurt." She stands up and heads for the door, but turns to Bonnie one last time. "If you insist on participating you can do it without my help. "

"Ignore her," Rebekah says the moment the door slams and wastes no time pouring what's left of Elena's wine into her own glass.

"I know I am." Caroline adds with a smile before growing serious. "But I will say if you're going to do this it should because you actually want to, not because you feel you have to prove something to Elena.

"No you're both right. It's time I actually had some fun for once and I want to have fun. Of course what Elena said hurt, but it did make me realize I need to stop dragging my feet."

"Then let's get your name on that list." Caroline picks up her phone and pulls up the Bellham website. She then hands the phone to Bonnie so she can digitally sign her name.

Bonnie takes the phone, but doesn't make a move to actually sign.

"Bonnie?" Caroline frowns when she sees the hesitation.

"I'm just wondering about the guys I end up spending time with. Isn't it a little messed up to string them along like this? What happens when all of this is over and I don't pick anyone?" The last thing she wants to do is hurt anyone.

"The guys go into this already knowing that there is a possibility that they won't be picked. So they are usually gracious about it and assume that it wasn't meant to be." Rebekah explains thinking of her own experience last year.

Although, she's still nervous Bonnie goes ahead and signs her name.

As Caroline and Rebekah start to tell her what to expect, she feels some trepidation, but mostly she feels anticipation at the thought of doing something different, something that is so unlike her.