There were five computers running heavy in the boarding house. The fans were working hard to push the hot air of the sides of the laptops, and the sound mixed with clicking to refresh pages. Bonnie, Damon, Stefan, Elena, Caroline, Tyler, Matt, and Jeremy all sat in the foyer, mumbling swears, minor prayers though none of them had ever really gotten into the whole God thing.
"She can pull though, it's pretty close." Elena said from her seat beside her brother, who was leaning over to watch as the live feed updated with another quick refresh. The feed updated itself, but, one could never be too careful.
Stefan who was looking at his phone periodically walked behind the couch to look over her shoulder. "The fact that it's close at all is ridiculous." his eyes shifted to Caroline whose brow was furrowed. She had at one point been republican. Yet, even she was anxiously tapping her nails on her laptop and wondering if she could have gotten through to more people.
"I think we should all eat. We haven't eaten all day." Jeremy said, acting as more of a look out for the group. Everyone just ignored him, far to engrossed in their nervous habits. Nevertheless, she sighed, looking at his friends, and his family, worriedly, before going in the kitchen to get some snacks to put on the table.
Matt sat near the fireplace, unsure of what to say. He had not voted. Still, he did not think it mattered. Even as he watched his friends stare at their screens, and pace around, he had not yet processed how serious this was. He hadn't told any of them about not voting - he felt it was none of their business. Yet, there was was, starting to wonder if he'd made the right choice. He was conflicted.
On the couch across from Jeremy, Stefan, and Elena, sat Tyler, Damon and Bonnie. Of all the faces in the room, Bonnie's held the most concern. Damon sat beside her, watching her refresh the screen on her laptop, and caressing the side of her arm with his thumb. Tyler was texting his mother, asking her if she was going to show up, or stay in town. She was the major after all.
"Bonnie, do you want something to drink?" Damon asked her, and watched her shake her head, her green eyes flickering along the screen. It wasn't sure what he was supposed to say, or do. The last Presidential election, they were voting for a great man, Barack Obama. Now? Now, one of the options was someone who hated more than half of the people in the room he was in. Who was likely going to tear down the country they lived in piece by piece.
The next hour went by even slower, yet not slow enough. It was almost two in the morning, everyone was exhausted. Tension was so thick in the room that it was making it difficult for everyone to breath. Jeremy had gotten everyone to eat and drink a little. Matt was fidgeting, and when someone asked him if he was okay, he could only say he was worried for them. Did he even have a right to be worried? He was unsure.
Then... It happened. That single image on the screen that went the room into absolute silence.
Donald Trump Has Won The Presidency.
The only sound in the room was the fans on the computers. No one was even breathing. Just staring at their screens. Damon's eyes left Bonnie's laptop, and landed on her face. Her expression was blank, but then after a moment she just closed her laptop, and set it to the side. "Bonnie?" he whispered, unsure of what to say.
Bonnie felt like her entire chest had been ripped open, and she stood up, inhaling to take a breath. However, with her exhale came the next sound that filled the room. A broken sob. Her green eyes overflowed with her tears, and she placed a hand along her mouth. Damon stood up quickly, his own eyes struggling to contain the tears that licked along his lashline.
There were no words. As Bonnie started to sob, Damon started to cry silently, and everyone set their computers to the side. Elena was the first to walk over, teat stained face to wrap her arms around Bonnie as Damon held her too. Then, Stefan, then Tyler, and Caroline, then Jeremy.
Matt stood slowly, looking over at his friends, crying, holding Bonnie who was by far crying the most. Suddenly, he felt beyond guilty. Seeing the sheer grief of every single person in the room, he felt like he himself was a part of what had happened. Swallowing hard, he stepped over to the group, and placed a hand along Elena, and Jeremy's backs, as he couldn't quite get to Bonnie.
And there were still no words... When Bonnie couldn't stand anymore, when she moved to sit on the floor, everyone moved with her. It didn't matter how long she cried, they stayed with her. Damon wiped her tears with the sleeve of his shirt, and listened to her hitched breath.
There were no words.