I wanted to kill Caroline... and maybe hug her at the same time. Caroline, my best friend since diapers, has gotten me out of the house and to go where? A bonfire. Its a tradition because they have one practically everyday for no reason. Honestly, theres no where to go in this sorry excuse for a town so we improvise. This would be my first time actually leaving the house to hang out with people my own age. Thanks to Caroline. I had at least gotten something out of this. The only way I would go was if Caroline would stop telling me what to wear, and that I had full rein on my outfit choices. It had actually caused her to hesitate. But she gave in, no doubt.
I had decided to wear some black tights, combat boots and an oversized sweater. Caroline was appalled. I was comfortable.
People were incessantly grinding on each other, sucking each others faces off like vaccums. It was like a bad rerun of Dirty Dancing. Also, im pretty sure I'll be smelling like beer a month from now. Oddly, at the same time, it felt warm and cozy. It had been a getaway I hadn't known I'd been craving.
They had created there own hang out. Music was blaring out of speakers from a Chevy parked close by. The fire was tall, cackling against black sky, embers fell into the sand. It looked even more beautiful because the water was close by.
I was currently relaxing against a giant log by the fire passing around a spliff, as Caroline calls it, with Caroline, Bonnie, Matt and a few others. I scoped out the grounds for my brother Jeremy. Not that he even needs me to look after him. His bad boy reputation was more than enough to keep anyone away, except for the girls.
I was pulled out of my thoughts when a loud engine pulled into the party. Heads seemed to turn in sync. The car was an old classic blue Camaro. It looked sleek and sexy... Just like its owner.
Out stepped one of the most gorgeous men I would probably ever get to see. He wore a lot of black, blending in to the darkness. All except his lightening blue eyes that just screamed 'I'm incredibly good at sex'. On another note, I saw him shaking hands with Jeremy in a friendly way.
What the hell? This sexy guy was friends with my brother? How could I not know this? Who the hell was he anyway?
"Hey Caroline. Who is that?" I pointed my beer in his direction and Caroline followed, a slow smirk casting across her face.
"That's Damon Salvatore. One of your brothers good friends. He's trouble and a total ladies man! You would know this if you actually spent more time around us."
"Oh. I'm surprised I haven't seen him before.. And I'm sorry, I know I haven't been around lately. But how about this? The rest of the week, I'm all yours. What do you say?" I could already feel myself regretting this.
"Seriously? You mean you'll come with me... No matter where we go? No complaining? And I get to do your make up and pick out your clothes and you won't cry about it?"
"Yup. However, we made a deal about the clothes thing, Care." Caroline lit up like the Fourth of July, squealing. Heads turned from her obnoxious excitement as she practically jumped me.
"Oh my God! This is going to be so much fun! Im going to corrupt you!"
"Can't wait." I said with false enthusiasm. I couldn't help but roll my eyes and grin at my best friends crazyness.
I shook my head, exasperated grabbing another beer. My eyes scouted out the crowd until they came in contact with blue ones. Damon Salvatore was looking at me. And I wasn't looking away. A small smile ghosted across his face and my face flamed. What the fuck is wrong with me?
I turned my attention back to Caroline, to shake off the feeling, not noticing my brother approaching us.
"Elena, what are you doing here?" Jeremy gave me a small hug.
"Im-"
"Im going to corrupt your sister!" Caroline screeched so loud im pretty sure I'll need a hearing aid from now on. I chanced a glance at Jeremy, and he narrowed his eyes curiously.
"What do you mean?"
"I just sold my soul to the devil." I earned a warning look from Caroline.
"Shut up, Elena. Basically, I call the shots."
"And that involves corrupting her?"
"Whats this I hear about corrupting? We all know nobody does it better then me." Blue-eyed Damon Salvatore appeared slinging his arm around Jeremy with a beer resting in his other hand. His eyes stayed on me and mine focused on an interesting grain of sand.
"Shut up, douchebag." Jeremy shrugged him off with a laugh. God, why was this so weird? I've never even talked to the guy and I feel nervous. I am Elena Gilbert this shit doesn't happen to me.
"Anyways, Elena-" Jeremy got my full attention by grabbing my shoulders so I was focused on him. "This is Damon Salvatore, Damon this is Elena Gilbert." Okay, what the hell? Damon stuck his hand out, I felt inclined to touch him. Not that I wanted to or anything...
"Okay. What's with the formal introduction?" I asked trying not to be aware of Damons skin on mine. How long have we been shaking hands? Too long, right? Jeremy laughed.
"Damon personally asked me to introduce him to you." I expected Damon to be embarassed or upset that Jeremy had spilled his motives, most guys would be, but he simply grinned.
"Its true." He shrugged, keeping his eyes on me.
"Why?" I tried to hide my smile but clearly failed since his got bigger.
"I wanted a reason to talk to you." I felt my cheeks heat up again, and discreetly chanced a glance at Caroline who was looking between us with shock and excitement. Oh boy. I took Carolines reaction as a good one and turned my eyes back to his absorbing ones.
"Oh.." Wow, Elena. Got anymore exciting answers?
"You look beautiful if you didn't already know." Was it possible to blush this much? God... He smiled down on me and damn it if his smile didnt make me melt. It lit up the night sky, and when did we get so much closer to each other? Its like we were practiaclly touching.
"You-"
"Woah, woah, woah. Do I have to remind you this is my sister?" Jeremy cut off my reply with a warning look towards Damon. "Come on, Damon. Lets go. See ya, sis."
"It was a pleasure meeting you, Elena." Jeremys little remark hadn't phased him at all, he was grinning all the same.
"Likewise." Jeremy groaned and grabbed Damon by the back of the neck, dragging him away.
"Ill see you later, yeah?" Damon called out over Jeremys arm, trying to fight him away. Oh my God, why is he so cute? I simply nodded and he grinned again tackling Jeremy away.
Was this a joke? Did Damon Salvatore just talk to me like that? Good Lord. I looked to Caroline who's mouth was resting on the floor. Until she squealed... Again.
"OH MY GOD! DAMON SALVATORE LIKES YOU!"
"No way! Doesn't he talk to everyone like that? It probably means nothing."
"Hell no! Damon does not talk to girls like that. He winks at them and offers them a good time, he doesn't ask someone to personally introduce him to someone... OH MY GOD, HE WAS NERVOUS THATS WHY HE ASKED JEREMY!" Caroline was jumping up and down at hyper speed and I was trying to process what just happened.
"Caroline, I think you're losing it." I was trying to refrain from hoping. If I hoped, or I thought, I would inwardly destroy myself.
"And you're ignoring signs. Loud blinking signs!"
"Im not gonna make conclusions out of something its not..." Caroline gave me a withering stare.
"...Do you really think he was into me though?" A small smile crawled onto my face and Caroline squealed jumping again and this time I joined her.
"MAJOR YES!" Maybe, just maybe, Caroline was right.
It has been two days since my Damon incident. Caroline hadn't stopped talking about it and I hadn't stopped thinking about it. This was bad, but there was something about his blue eyes and his smile that I couldn't get out of my head. He was intoxicating my thoughts.
Caroline and I were in my room, me staring at the ceiling trying to rein in my thoughts and her texting incessantly.
"Elena, get up. We're going out." She instantly jumped for her curler and hair brush and started doing her hair. I rolled my eyes at my best friends antics.
"Where are we going?"
"A strip club." She said it so fast I must have misheard her.
"Im sorry.. what? I thought you said strip club."
"Elena, you promised you would come with me anywhere for a week. And I promised corruption, so go get dressed." I knew I would regret that promise! I groaned inwardly looking for excuses in my brain but Caroline was having none of that. She pointed her hot curler at me and, not gonna lie, I was a little intimidated.
"Okay fine! But I don't know what to wear." Her best friends grin lit up the room.
"I'm not aloud to help you with that, remember?"
I narrowed my eyes at her.
"I can't believe you talked me into this!" I yelled over the obnoxiously loud techno music. This place was crazy. There were half naked girls dancing on tables, and one big stage at the right end of the club. Some guys had girls grinding on them personally. I pulled down my shirt self-conciouslly.
"Stop pulling on that!" Caroline scolded, slapping my hands away. She had helped me pick out this outfit which had looked good in my full length mirror but I was now slightly regretting. My outfit included: black tights, a frayed long shirt that barely covered my ass, and black combat boots. My make up was darker then usual and my hair was in loose waves.
"You look hot, Elena! Remember even if you don't feel comfortable: be confident!" Caroline was waving at some boys and that was when I noticed my brother... With a stripper on him.
"Caroline! My brothers here! And theres a stipper on him!"
"Well we are in a strip club, Elena..."
"Wait a second... If Jeremys here that must mean..." It all clicked.
"CAROLINE YOU SNEAKY WHORE! YOU KNEW HE WOULD BE HERE! YOU BROUGHT ME HERE ON PURPOSE!" I screamed in her ear as I realized why she was so adament on us showing up here. I gave her a shove and she grinned triumphantly.
"YOU'RE WELCOME!" She screamed back, abandoning me in the middle of the dancefloor. My grin was hurting my face. I wanted to knock Caroline out with a brick.
Suddenly feeling awkward standing there alone, I scowered out the crowd looking for a familiar face. I caught eyes with Damon, who was staring at me intensely. And boy did he look good. But when did he not? I looked away, walking deeper into the crowd.
I had been wandering around this stupid strip club for an hour, drinking and occasionally dancing and talking with Caroline until she dragged some guy on the dance floor. To be complerely honest, I was feeling down. To my utter embarassment it was because of Damon. He hadn't tried to talk to me, nor had he approached me in the last hour since I've been here.
As I wallowed in my self pity I saw a person... that I'd much rather erase from memory.
Stefan Mason. My ex. Awkward.
Our eyes met for a brief second and I whirled around hoping he wouldn't come over here. Hoping was pointless.
"Elena?" He tapped me on the shoulder and I tried not to throw him over it. This green-eyed-perfect-hair bastard had cheated on me and then tried to be with me... while he was still with her.
"Stefan! What a surprise!" I feigned excitement but he didn't seem to notice since a huge shit eating grin appeared on his face.
"I didn't know you come to places like this."
"You know, just educating myself-" I gestured to one of the strippers in front of us. "Im thinking about becoming a stripper." I sipped on my drink and shrugged. I've definetly had too much alcohol and Stefans face was priceless.
"Are you fucking with me?" I fake smiled as his eyebrows went up and he took one step too close to me.
"Yeah! Just like when you fucked with me! Remember?" His eyes darkened with regret... My eyes clouded with anger.
"Look, Elena I can explain."
"Save it."
With a large sigh, I walked away rather being anywhere but in the situation I was currently in. I made my way across the room, far away from Stefan. Sweaty people were brushing up against me and I'm pretty sure I might have elbowed a girl in the face on accident. I was in a bubble, a sweaty, grinding, gross bubble.
My bubble popped when arms pushed me against the wall. Startled, I was more then ready to give this jackass a piece of my mind until I realized who it was and my eyes widened. Either im hallucinating or this is happening.
I vote hallucination.
The expression on his face was one I wouldn't forget any time soon. He looked vulnerable, and it was an emotion I thought I would never see. Being so cool and collected, his break of character was startling. The blue in his eyes seemed even more prominent as they searched mine.
"Damon?" I meant to say that in a concerned tone but it came out as a breathy moan. Shit.
His hands were placed firmly on the wall, keeping me blocked in. I could only see him, everything else turned into nothing. His body was close to mine, too close but not close enough at the same time. The heat radiating off his body made my knees weak and as if on cue he stepped closer to secure me.
My heart was beating so fast I'm sure I died and then came back. He leaned in closer to me, if that were even possible. He looked stricken, like what he wanted to say was both painful and exactly what he needed.
To be honest, I was scared shitless.
"God... I need to just.. I need to kiss you. Just.. Please don't pull away." His voice cracked once again leaving me utterly speechless.
The saddest part? I understood his need, because I had the same urge. The same unsatisfied desire.
"I won't." My breath mingled with his, as though we were living and breathing from each other, in that moment. He leaned in a little more and the anticipation of what was to come was almost just as great.
A yell and a shove was what ruined our moment. He took a step back, stumbling a bit, taking a huge gulp of air. When I really took him in, his eyes and appearence, I noticed something that made my heart drop. He was wasted. Completely drunk.
He looked at me in confusion and laughed as if he was trying to remember what he had just been doing. However, I couldn't tell wether he was laughing at his drunk state of mind or me. He looked me in the eyes and laughed even harder.
I didn't even bother asking. I fled the scene before he could see my tears threatening to spill. As to why I was crying? I don't know. Its not like I own him or as if I even have the right to cry. He was drunk and he did something stupid. And laughed about the mistake he almost made.
And so did I. I was about to let him kiss me! What the hell? Since when did I fall at the feet to someone with just a simple look? With disgust for myself, I stormed out of the club.
I sent Caroline a quick text and hopped in a cab. I was upset because he hadn't kissed me? No, that couldn't be it. Because he almost did? Definetly not. In less then a second I realized why this feeling of sadness kicked it.
The laughter had hurt as well but most of all, I was upset because it wasn't real.
The next morning I did not feel good, at all. My skull was on fire and my body ached. Stupid hangovers. Hands shoved a glass of water and some pills in my face.
"Thanks for totally going M.I.A last night." Caroline complained. How was she even this awake? I looked like a piece of dirt and here she is looking like a sparkly blonde diamond. Not fair.
"I texted you." She picked up her phone and scrolled through her messages to check.
"Oh. Well why the sudden ditch? I thought you were having fun." I hesitated. Did I really want to tell Caroline how pathetic I was because Damon had almost kissed me while in a drunken faze laughed at me and I was upset about it? No.
"I ran into Stefan." Carolines eyes widened in understanding. "So anything interesting happen after I left?" I stifled a yawn.
"Oh my gosh, yes! I was totally hitting it off with this guy Tyler, he's actually friends with your brother and Damon."
"Fascinating." I mumbled unenthustiasticly but she ignored me and continued.
"Oh and then your brother totally got violated by one of the strippers, not that he was complaining!" I made a scowl in which she laughed.
"Tyler and I totally made out and he's taking me out today! Oh, and Damon got tongued by this red head and they left together! It was major PDA and a whole lot of nasty!" I froze and tried to ignore the tug of my heart that he hooked up with somebody. But at the same time... Why couldn't he? We had nothing. We introduced ourselves and that was that. Besides the whole him-almost-kissing-me-because-he-was-wasted thing but who's counting that right? Turns out he at least got to kiss somebody last night.
"Thats great, Care! I'm glad you finally found someone. I'm gonna have to meet him to approve, you know." I winked at her.
"Right away, Mom!" She stuck her tongue out at me and I snickered. I cascaded back to my thoughts. Why in the hell was I so worried about a guy I didn't even know? I am Elena Gilbert and I don't get like this over boys. I will have fun, and not worry about anything of male description.
"Caroline, is Tyler going to the bonfire tonight?"
"Yeah, why?" She looked puzzled.
"Well, I guess tonights the night I get to meet your new boy toy."
"Oh my God! You want to go to the bonfire! This is a miracle I'm so proud of you! Socializing with people, you're all grown up!" Caroline fake sobbed and went to embrace me.
"Shut up, Caroline!" I shoved her off while I changed into some decent clothes.
"But anyways, I should go. I have a date." Caroline winked at me as she packed up all her stuff.
"You're cheating on me now?! I'm offended!" I put my hand to my heart in mock horror. Caroline left my room with a snort but stuck her head back in.
"Oh and by the way, Tylers not the toy in this relationship. You are. See ya later, slut!" I threw one of my discarded shoes at her but missed and she laughed her whole way out the door.
After throwing on some sweatpants and a sweatshirt I went downstairs. Starving my ass off I walked into the kitchen searching the cupboards for some cereal and a bowl. I opened the cereal up and turned to start pouring it into a bowl when a figure sitting in one of the stools gave me what I would describe as a heart attack.
And total embarassment.
I screamed and in the midst of my panic, the Cheerios I had been about to pour flew all over the kitchen. And all over me. Just what I needed.
"Did I scare you?" Damon asked in an amused tone which only angered me further. He was sitting there eating his own bowl of cereal. So he could talk to me like nothing happened last night?
"No, actually, not at all." He laughed at my sarcasm.
"You could have said something." I continued as I picked Cheerios off my clothes.
"Yeah but that was much more amusing." He flashed me a grin. Stupid face.
I rolled my eyes muttered a silent "I bet" and going to the cabinet to get the broom. He should be cleaning up these Cheerios, not me. He can clean the ones that are inside my shirt with his tongue.
No, bad Elena.
"What are you even doing here?" I was officially annoyed as he sat there smugly eating his own damn bowl of cereal. Mine was currently covering the floor.
"I was drunk last night so I hitched a ride home with your brother and crashed here."
Like clockwork my brothers heavy footsteps descended the stairs but he stopped short when he saw me and the floor covered in Cheerios looking extremely frustrated. He burst out laughing and that was when I'd had enough.
"What the hell happened to you?" Jeremy asked around his laughter, which I scowled at. I looked to Damon who was smirking at the whole situation. Which he had caused.
I grabbed a wet rag and threw it at my brother which hit him in the face shutting him up causing Damon to laugh at Jeremys shocked expression.
"Ask him!" I yelled pointing an accusing finger at Damon and stomping up the stairs, my cereal forgotten.