Not Such An Outcast
Chapter 1
As the morning sun streamed through the airy curtains, Elena Gilbert rolled over to face her clock. Seeing as how she had thirty minutes to get to school, she decided it was best that she got up. So she walked into her bathroom and did all of the usual morning routine stuff that she normally did and then threw on a random outfit and went downstairs.
Scanning the house, she came to the conclusion that she was alone and that her Aunt must not have come home last night. Sighing, she grabbed a banana and a granola bar and walked out of the front door. Elena stared blankly at the black suburban in her driveway for a good two minutes and then decided that she would walk to school. Again.
Yeah maybe next time I'll even be able to-
Never mind.
First period began like it had for the last three years; the teacher drags on for the entire class on what they hope to achieve during the year and people get all excited over being in the same class as their friends. Elena, however, was sitting in the back corner with her head facing towards her tattered copy of The Great Gatsby.
"Uh Elena Gilbert?" She looked up towards Mr. Clarke, her English teacher for the year, "You'll be over there next to Mr. Salvatore, okay?"
Elena felt a lump of nervousness gather in her throat as she attempted to gulp it down. Slowly, she brought her belongings to the seat in the front of the class. A couple of kids in the back, along with Damon Salvatore, started to chuckle as she sat down and pushed her glasses up her nose. Damon hopped into his seat like he was excited to sit next to her, which he was. But, there is a problem. One minor problem. Damon Salvatore was the most popular guy in school, the ladies' man, the school's number one asshole.
Damon flashed his white smile and winked at Elena, who was mentally freaking out. Elena hated this guy, this obnoxious, selfish, rich, annoying-
She could negatively describe Damon all day. Instead, she decided to turn around and forget about the world around her and transfixed herself on her book.
Almost done with the day, Elena thought. She sighed and ate her crappy school lunch just when something happened that she never thought would EVER happen. All of a sudden, Damon situates himself next to Elena and grins at her before taking a bite of sandwich.
"How's your day going, Gilbert? Missed you this summer," Damon said as he watched Elena struggle to comprehend him talking to her.
"Uh. Uh." Elena mumbled, "Fine, and okay."
Damon snickered and glanced at his buddies across the lunchroom. All of them, including Elena's former best friends, Caroline and Bonnie, gave him a thumbs up and laughed uncontrollably.
"You're cute. Did you know that?" Damon smirked. Ah, that famous Salvatore smirk. Both Damon and his brother, Stefan did that same mesmerizing, incredible smirk. "I bet you did know that. You just don't want to admit it."
Elena's eyes widened and she continued to eat her salad. Damon then removed her glasses from her face and pushed her hair out of her face.
"What are you doing? Why are you touching me?" Elena brushed Damon off of her and inched over to the other side of the lunch table. Of course, Damon followed her. It wasn't like Elena had friends sitting at the table with her, she didn't have friends.
"Woah, woah. Chill Gilbert," Damon surrendered himself and giggled. "I was just thinking, maybe since we are seat buddies now… We could get to know each other a little better." He winked at Elena and immediately saw her face change from annoyed to confused to angry.
"Please. Get away from me now," Elena munched on the lettuce and Damon just wouldn't give up.
"I'm not leaving until you at least agree to get a coffee with me after school?" Damon questioned while putting his arm around Elena. He obviously must be joking. He wouldn't try and get with a girl like Elena. Little innocent Elena, who was good in school, followed all of the rules, and didn't have any friends. Damon would NOT go for a girl like her…
"If it'll get you to leave me alone, then fine. Now. Go away," Elena, irritated, moved to the other side of the rectangular table as Damon walked away giving his table a thumbs up and sat down at his table.
"I don't think your gonna win," Mason laughed as he pat Damon's back and took a bite of his sandwich.
"I got her eating out of the palm of my hand," Damon smirked and continued to laugh with his buddies.
It was the last period of the day and Elena was already tired of school. She hated the fact that she had to pretend that everything was alright, when it wasn't. She missed her family, the way it used to be. The way her mother used to get up every morning to make her breakfast and lunch, and the way her dad used to force her to watch football with him every super bowl. She also missed the way her and her brother used to play board games at the family's lake house until they couldn't keep their eyes open they were so tired.
And, to top of this horrible day, she had a date. A DATE! A date with freakin' Damon Salvatore. The school's rich bitch who always got what he wanted because he was the perfect child. He was not! If only she could get out of this stupid mess before she looks even more foolish then she already does on a normal day. Turns out, Damon was in all of her classes and, even better, her locker was right next to his!
Elena had a plan. She was going to use the bathroom right before class ended, then she would skip the ending of last period, go to her locker, and get a head start walking home. It was about five minutes before the end of the period and she raised her hand.
"Can I go to the bathroom?"
"Sure," Mrs. Hollander went back to drawing on the chalkboard.
Elena grabbed her bag and snuck out, heading to her locker. She dropped her new, crappy books into her skinny compartment that the principal thought was enough space. Elena then hurried out of the door and started walking.
Yes, she thought, I made it out.
She was about two minutes in when the bell sounded throughout the school and students shuffled out of the building and into their cars or buses.
"I can't find her," Damon whispered into his phone to his friend Mason.
"Maybe she went home early," Mason suggested.
"Wait, she did leave class to go to the bathroom. Maybe, she left and went home to make sure I didn't know where she was," Damon thought while slamming his black Cadillac's door.
"Woww, go get 'em tiger. You'll find her," Mason smiled through the phone.
"Dude, do you think she will actually do it? I mean, she's a dork. She doesn't seem like the type that would have sex 'till marriage," Damon laughed and started up the car.
"She is a dork, and she probably just wants attention. Just… follow through with the bet, alright? Do anything to make it happen, make her fall in love with you if you have too," Mason said.
"Okay, okay. I'm on my way to her house," Damon stated and hung up.
Elena was strolling down the sidewalk when a black Cadillac stopped right next to her.
Oh shit…
That's Damon's car.
Does he know I skipped the last part of last period to not see him?
"Hey Gilbert? Where's your car?" Damon exclaimed.
"Don't have one, not all of us have a rich daddy who gets us whatever we want," Elena snapped.
"Whoa…" Damon acted surprised and extended his arm to open the passenger door. "Get in, I got you."
"No. I don't like being in the car," Elena rambled on and kept walking with Damon following her.
"What about coffee? Don't you wanna get some? I'll pay," Damon made his famous smirk and left the door open.
"I'm not getting in the car," Elena said and crossed her arms.
"Why not? Do you have a fear of cars or something?" Damon asked.
"No, it's just… You wouldn't understand," Elena mumbled.
"Fine, where is your house? I'll drive to it, with you walking, and then we will WALK to Rook, okay?" Damon spoke softly.
"Okay, I guess. My house is a few houses up," Elena said and continued walking.
"Are you gonna tell me why you wouldn't get in the car, Elena?" Damon asked while stuffing his hands in his black jeans.
Elena was surprised he called her by her first name, "You wouldn't understa-"
"How are you so sure I wouldn't understand?"
"Because, you are too perfect. And you have the perfect life with absolutely no problems in it," Elena pushed up her glasses.
"What makes you so sure that I have no problems in my life?"
"I don't know, you act like you don't. What kind of problems do you have?" Elena was actually curious to know if the pretty boy had problems in his perfect life.
"I'm just a good actor I guess. If you share yours, I guess I'll share mine," Damon was being an actual person and it was surprising Elena. He had never acted like a genuine human being but now, he was different. He was real.
"I've never really told this before though…" Elena murmured.
"Elena, you could trust me," Damon smiled and she saw his beautiful white teeth.
"How do I know if I can?" Elena started, "You are the most popular kid in our school, you and your brother. You may tell everyone…"
"I'm not who you think I am, Elena," Damon said.
"Okay then… I miss my family," Elena began.
"What do you mean? Don't you live with them?" Damon questioned.
"No. It all started in sophomore year. We were going to our family's lakehouse and it was raining really hard." Elena started to feel a blob of saltwater in her eyes. "Well, our car totally hydroplaned off of Wickery Bridge and the car started to drown." A lump the size of a meatball gathered in Elena's throat. "Some Sumerians saved me and my brother, but my mom and dad…" Elena started to sob deeply. "They drowned and…"
"Oh my god. I'm so sorry, Elena," Damon almost started to cry at this. He had no idea what it was about her that made her different but he just realized now, she had no family. "Don't you have your brother though?"
"Well, yes," Elena sniffled. "But, he was s-so overwhelmed with grief that he turned to drugs. A-and he had to go to rehab."
Damon was shocked and speechless. This girl, this poor girl, lost her entire family. He didn't know what to do so he put his protective arm over her weak shoulder. She took off her glasses to wipe her face.
Elena looked up at him and he was staring at her.
Wow, she is gorgeous. How did I not notice her beautiful brown eyes before? She's beautiful on the inside and the outside.
What is going on? Why is he being so supportive? He's not supposed to have a kind heart, he's supposed to be the school's jerk. And WHY is he looking at me like that? Did I have something on my face? Oh god. Elena looked away and wiped her face again with her sweater to see nothing on it.
"I'm so sorry, Elena. Do you live alone?" Damon asked and opened the door to Rook, the coffee shop.
"No, I live with my Aunt Jenna…" Elena said and walked to the counter with Damon's arm still around her.
"Oh, well that's good. I mean- nevermind." Damon mumbled and put both of his hands in his pockets. "What do you want?"
"I guess I'll have a regular coffee with no sugar and cream," Elena said and put her glasses back on, sort of missing his arm around her shoulder.
"Really? You don't strike me as the type of girl that would have straight coffee. You're like me," Damon smiled and ordered two black coffees.
"I don't really seem like what everyone expects me to be," Elena said and grabbed the coffee cup and started towards a small lounging area.
"True. So…" Damon said.
"Tell me about your problems." Elena sipped her warm coffee and settled on a comfy brown couch with Damon.
"Well, to start off, I don't have the perfect life," Elena huffed and chuckled a bit.
There it was. That smile. He's never seen her smile before. Her pearly white, straight teeth were shining and he almost choked on his sip off coffee. He was one of the most beautiful girls he has ever seen…
"You have a beautiful smile, Elena," Damon complimented her.
Elena glanced at him to see him staring at her. She put down her coffee and replied, "Thank you."
"Your welcome," Damon grinned at her.
"Okay, now tell me why you have such an 'oh so awful' life." Elena rested her head on her elbow.
"My dad is an asshole. He takes care of us with money and stuff, but he is such an asshole to my family. My mom if a great mom and I don't know how she is handling this but I know me and my brother are sick of it, and, never mind," Damon explained.
"Oh. Well maybe you should tell him how you feel. Sort of like an intervention," Elena supposed.
"I don't know… My brother and I don't really talk to him that much. He used to abuse us when we talked to him too much when we were younger…" Damon exclaimed
WHAT DID I JUST DO? I JUST TOLD THIS GIRL I BARELY EVEN KNOW THAT MY DAD USED TO ABUSE ME! WHAT IF SHE TELLS SOMEONE, MY DAD WOULD KILL ME!
"Oh my god. I'm so sorry about that. Did you do anything that would make him do that to you?" Elena questioned, her eyes as open widened.
"No. He drinks heavily and didn't really know what he was doing, I think." Damon said and took a gulp of his warm, comforting drink.
"He had no excuse for doing that, you know that, right?" Elena gazed at him concerned.
"Yeah, I guess. Anyways, can we get off of this topic? It's sort of depressing," Damon asked and giggled a bit.
"Sure, umm. What do you wanna talk about? You're the one who wanted to go on a date with me, seat buddy," Elena smirked and looked around the room to see a handful of other couples together, talking, studying, eating, and drinking.
"How about… What's your favorite color?" Damon laughed because he had NO IDEA what to say to this amazing girl. This was so strange for Damon. He never did not know what to say to a girl before. He usually talks about things that he can't remember because his mind is blank, his head if filled with smoke because apparently Elena was talking to him.
"Well, you really don't know what to say, do you?" Elena was laughing, "If you really do want to know, it's red."
"That's my favorite color too, I also like black. That sounds kind of goth, but whatever." Damon and Elena were both laughing.
Just then, there was a moment of pure silence. Damon and Elena were both staring at each other and smiling. It was almost magical, someone would say.
All of a sudden, Damon's phone was ringing. The obnoxious tune was coming from his pocket.
"Sorry, I'll be right back," Damon said apologetically and walked away.
"What's up? I'm on the date," Damon asked, almost annoyed that he had to leave that gorgeous, innocent girl on the couch by herself, like she's been for a couple years now.
"Did you guys have sex yet? It normally doesn't take that long for you," Mason said.
"No, I think I'm gonna wait a few more dates…" Damon was saying and trailing off in his own mind with pictures of Elena in his head.
"Aw, you better follow through, Damon. We can't lose this bet, the girls would win and we don't want that do we?" Mason sounded almost angry.
"Okay, okay. I mean, there's things about her I would never even thought of. She isn't that bad, Mason," Damon said.
"Are you starting to like this dork, Damon?" Mason asked, laughing a little.
"No! I mean, I don't know… No, I'm not!" Damon mumbled and held his head that now started to ache.
"You better not, it'll ruin our rep…" Mason emphasized himself to make himself clear.
"Alright…" Damon hung up, rolled his eyes, and started back towards Elena.
Hope you guys liked Chapter 1. If you like it or if you want to give me some suggestions or corrections, leave a review or PM me
-girlonfirre