Life Unexpected

Author's Note: So the characters in this story are all human. The story is about Elena Gilbert who moves in with her Aunt during the summer and kind of finds her place in unexpected places for instance Elena makes friends with Caroline a crazy and unorganized Catering owner and several others. She struggles to cope with the loss of her family and the way she lost her family which will be mentioned in later chapters. I don't want to give too much away seeing as I only have one chapter done. I hope you enjoy and please review and tell me what you think thanks.

Chapter 1

Elena,

I thought I should let you know that I think it is time for us to be on a break. I have noticed that you have become quite attached to me and I'm sorry but I don't feel the same way. You are a great girl and everything but I can't see this relationship going anywhere. I am willing to talk this over with you at the end of the summer when I get back and hopefully we will come to a mutual agreement until then I really do think we need to spend time apart.

Sincerely,

Matt

"I can't believe him" says Elena out loud as she reads her boyfriend's email. All of this just because she told him she loved him. And to think she really thought she was in love him. Elena and Matt had been going out for two years. They started dating her junior year of highschool. Everyone thought they would end up getting married but things change when Matt go excepted into Stanford. He wanted to become an attorney that dealt with abuse and drug cases since his mom had issues with both in the past. Elena tried the best she could in encouragement and support but apparently since she has no idea what she wants to do with the rest of her life even after graduating from high school. She comes off as too attached. "Soorrryy if I thought I should spend more time with my boyfriend. I didn't think I was getting that clingy" Elena mutters to herself some more. After two years of dating Matt and being friends with him for four years she really believed that they would date for a few more years and eventually get married.

This summer was going to suck not only does she have to move down to her Aunt's house for the summer but she has to leave all her friends. Elena shuts off her laptop and packs it up with the rest of her belongings. Her Aunt Jenna wants her to spend the summer at her house to possibly get used to the idea of living with her since she has been staying with her friend Bonnie's house for the past year. She was lucky that she was even able to stay with them instead of going to foster care. Elena has heard so many horrible stories about kids having to live with complete strangers. Bonnie and her Grandmother would never let her end up there so she got to stay with them. This past year has been the hardest year for Elena. Everyone looks at her differently now, waiting for her to change or to just crash down. Yes she did lose her family and yes it has been really difficult but that's not why they stare or ask how she is doing. They look at her differently because she is the one who survived. Day by day she is reminded how she was the one who lived while her parents and younger brother died. Maybe change is good. Maybe just maybe Elena will finally find a place where she belongs.

"Elena! Great you made it" says Aunt Jenna as she comes sprinting out the front door as soon as the taxi pulls up in the driveway.

"Hi Aunt Jenna" says Elena as she gets out of the passenger's seat and being wrapped into Jenna's arms into a big hug.

"You are just in time for the big party I'm hoisting tonight. Maybe you'll meet some new friends here. It's a great big party I have every year. I am so excited I even got the best caterers too. I think they are called Dream Catering or something like that. Apparently they will do anything to make your vision for the event happen" says Jenna barely taking a breath between words. Her excitement for Elena's arrival has made her talk even faster than before which is unusual even for Jenna.

"Breath Jenna. Just breath. A party sounds fun." Elena says putting on a smile for her aunt not wanting to disappoint her. Even though she really just wants to go in her room and sleep until the summer ends. The pair walk inside and Elena stops suddenly when she sees a man about thirty walking around in only a pair of boxers with a cup of coffee in her hand. Elena hears aunt squeal as she sees her boyfriend's appearance.

"Ric. This is not what I had imagined as a first meeting with my niece." Says Jenna as she tries to cover Elena's eyes. Elena laughs at her aunt and her boyfriend. And then Elena continues to laugh for this has been the first time she has truly laughed since the incident a year ago. Jenna quickly looking at her niece stares in confusion as tears fall from Elena's eyes.

When Elena has finally stopped laughing Ric comes back into the room were decent clothes now shaking Elena's hand. "It's nice to finally meet you. Jenna has talked about you constantly. I'm Alaric but you can call me Ric."

"It's nice to finally meet you too Ric." Says Elena as Jenna drags her through the house glaring at Ric for ruining their first meeting. Jenna takes Elena to her new bedroom. Elena takes in the room and notices a lot of touches that Jenna made trying to make feel like home for instance she finds the last photo that was taken of her parents and brother on the stand next to her bed. Elena looks at Jenna and just hugs her knowing in that moment she has finally found a place she could call home again.

"Thank you Jenna. This looks great." Jenna leaves Elena alone so that she could unpack. When Aunt Jenna finally left Elena closes the door and picks up the picture of the family she lost. Well here's to new adventures and new beginnings Elena whispers to the faces staring at her.

As Elena gets dressed for the party that is starting downstairs she suddenly hears the biggest and loudest crash she has ever heard and any one in the neighborhood for that matter has heard. Elena quickly finishes putting on her black dress and takes a quick last look at her hair making sure there wasn't a loose strand that has come out of her up do before running down the stairs to find out what the commotion was. Elena however is stopped by her aunt who when seeing her niece emerge from upstairs grabs her by the arm and pulls her aside. "Elena could you please go see what the commotion was about and tell them that at the moment I am beyond from being pleased." Aunt Jenna says barely holding it together after a spill earlier ended up on a guest new white dress with a stained red wine all over the front. Her aunt was about to have major breakdown from the caterers she hired for her event. Elena knew that she better go and try to rectify the situation before the Dream Catering Company was no more.

As Elena entered the kitchen it seemed that everything that could go wrong had already gone wrong for this catering group. There were things flying everywhere and Elena stepped in something that squished when she walked making her really want to cringe at the thought of what could be on her shoe at the moment but she was completely distracted when all of a sudden the door she just came through slammed open with someone running across the tile floor barely missing Elena when he slid into the island and was handed a platter of chees puffs while yelling "It's mad house out their Caroline. You better do something quick." And off he goes back into the room full of hungry people because apparently the caterers were understaffed and had to go by some ham for some crazy reason they forgot to pick up the ham. All the while no one notice that Elena had entered the room until the woman named Caroline turned around with a handful of stuffed mushrooms that still needed to be cooked.

"Oh hello. I didn't see you there. I know this is weird but I am understaffed at the moment and I could use an extra hand if you don't mind." Says Caroline a tall blonde woman who seems to be in her early twenties asks of Elena as she finally takes notice of her.

Elena just nods her in response and starts dishing out entrees. When suddenly her aunt enters the kitchen and sees Elena dishing some of the plates. "Wait. What going on here? Elena" Jenna looks from the chaos that had ensued in the kitchen to her niece who trying to help these people. How could they make her niece help them. That is low. "Oh hi Aunt Jenna… umm Caroline here was just teaching me the proper ways of setting up a plate." Says Elena trying to help this total Stranger out for this was the first time in a long time since she actually had fun. "Oh okay. Well when you are done here I could use your help out there." And with that Aunt Jenna walks back out there hoping the night was not a total ruin.

When Jenna left Caroline finally takes a good look at Elena and realizes that she does look like her customer. Woops. "I am sorry. I had no idea who you were when you came in here. But if you are ever looking for a job a could use you. You are the fastest server I have besides Mr. Salvatore. Thanks again….um.. I am so sorry I didn't get your name."

"Oh I'm Elena. I'll have to think about your offer. I had a lot of fun tonight thanks. But I gottta go before Aunt Jenna comes back."

"She's really pissed isn't she." Caroline says as Elena begins to walk out the door.

"Well yeah she is but that's just Aunt Jenna. She tries so hard to get everything just perfect and doesn't like it when things go well unexpectedly. But things happen that we can't control."

And with that Elena goes and finds Aunt Jenna who wants her get some more ice from the freezer in the garage. The lights in the garage are off making the darkness of the night and the darkness of the garage pitch black. As Elena fumbles to try and find the light she goes near the trash cans when out of nowhere she hears "GOTCHA". Elena's heart complety stops as she jumps in the air. She cannot stop her heart from beating a million times a second. "OH My GOD" says Elena as she finally gets her bearings. From behind she hears someone approaching because of the noise.

"Stefan what are you doing." Says the figure behind Elena.

A small form comes out from behind the trashcans. Elena observes that he cannot be older than seventeen years old. He has light blonde hair and appears to still be in the awkward not quite a man phase. "I thought I was scaring you. But apparently not" says Stefan as he now realizes what a huge mistake he made. The other figure comes directly next to Elena were she can finally make his appearance out and oh my goodness this man is good looking like unbelievably good looking. He has dark disheveled hair and the brightest pair of blues eyes that could pierce through every girls heart. "Nope. You didn't get me. And now you are down by three. Nice try tho." Says the older one.

The one called Stefan looks down cast and whispers not fair this was the best gotcha yet. The older one still waiting for a reply finally takes a look in my direction and says "I'm really sorry it's a game my brother and I came up with a few months ago. He really didn't mean any harm. I'm Damon Salvatore by the way and this is my little brother Stefan" says Damon as he puts out his arm for Elena to shake his hand as he does so she can see the smallest glimpse of what appears to be a tattoo on his upper arm peaking from the hem of his sleeve.

Elena take his hand in hers and replies "I'm Elena Gilb-" and with that Elena was not allowed to finish her sentence for Caroline comes out the door yelling at the two men in front of Elena saying she had to comp half the bill for the troubles and mishaps that happened at the party today. That's when Elena realizes that Damon and Stefan Salvatore are part of the Dream Catering team. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to work during the summer after all…