Elena Gilbert stared back at the reflection meeting her in the mirror. A heavy sigh fell from her lips as she stared back at the girl in the mirror. Her chocolate brown eyes staring back at her with a certain sadness as she pulled her brunette hair back in a tight ponytail.
Just smile. Elena repeated to herself. Just smile and make it believable
She couldn't believe it had been three years. Three years since she left Mystic Falls for New York, three years since she said goodbye to the little town she had known her whole life, three years since she lost her parents.
All she had to do was get through today...
"Elena! Come on, you're taking forever." The high pitched voice pulled her out of her thoughts. With a heavy sigh, she turned to swing open the door to the bathroom.
"Yeah, Care...sorry, it's all yours." She said, gesturing to the bathroom and stepping aside so her room mate could use the room.
Elena moved to New York City in hopes to start off her career as an author. She had so much potential as a teenager and it was her dream ever since she was a little girl to start writing. Soon after her career as an author didn't go as expected, she moved in with her two bestfriends, Bonnie and Caroline. The three were like glue as children, always by each others side. And that followed through adulthood, too.
Plopping down on the bed with a groan, Elena burried herself in blankets in pillows, hoping to just escape from the world for a while. Before she knew it, the sound of the front door of her apartment being open startled Elena from her daze. Her bestfriend, Bonnie Bennett was soon by her side on the bed, pulling the blankets away from Elena's face.
"C'mon, 'Lena. You can't hide in there forever." Popping her head out from the pillows, she stared up at her friend, rolling her doe eyes at her.
"It's one day, Bonnie. One day where I just need to be cut off from the rest of the world." Elena spoke in a monotone voice. Just thinking about this very day from three years ago brought her back to the exact moment when it happened. Elena could still remember the car skidding off the road, the scream that came from her mother when the car plunged into the water. Drifting her eyes shut, Elena tried to push the dark thoughts to the back of her mind.
"Elena, you're my bestfriend, okay? And as your bestfriend it is my duty to make sure you don't lose it. Especially on days like today..." Bonnie's voice began to trail off a bit, staring down on her friend with a sympathetic smile. "Maybe we should go out and do something and get your mind off of everything.
Elena just simply shook her head. Her eyes were practically screaming "don't-you-dare-make-me-leave-this-bed." "I second that." Caroline's chipper voice came from behind Elena, the usual bubbly smile was planted on her face. "Stefan just texted me..."
"You two are still dating?" Bonnie interupted Caroline, shooting Elena that look.
Caroline's face turned a shade of red as a few giggles surpressed from the blonde. "Bonnie Bennett, don't interrupt me." She added with a smile and a wink. "As I was saying...Stefan invited all of us to The Grille tonight. There's a new artist playing who just so happens to be his dick of an older brother."
"Sounds like fun. We should totaly go!" A tone of excitment was evident in Bonnie's voice. She nudged Elena playfully with an encouraging smile.
Almost immeadiatly Elena objected to the idea, the thought of even leaving the appartment today made her feel sick. "Look, guys..." Elena trailed off.
"Uh-huh, Gilbert. No excuses! You're going." Caroline joined her two friends on the bed before reaching down for Elena's hand and squeezing it reasuringly. "Look, I know today is a hard day for you, but you can't hide forever. You have to keep living your life, just like your parents would have wanted you to." With a defeated sigh, Elena rolled her brown eyes up at her bubbly friend.
"Okay fine, I'l go." Caroline immediatly let out a squeel, clapping with excitment. She stood up from the bed and made her way towards the bathroom before calling out, "plus, there's going to be tons of eye candy for the both of you." Bonnie and Elena both looked at each other as they both erupted into a spurt of giggles.
Damon Salvatore sat at the bar, finishing off another shot of bourbon. He knew it was only a matter of an hour before he had to go up on stage, but he didn't seem to care. Playing in beat-up bars didn't exactly appeal to Damon, especially since his younger brother practically had to break his back to get him the gig. The raven-haired man let out a sigh before signaling over the bartender. "How about another bourbon, princess?" He asked with a wink, watching as the young girl walked away with a fit of giggles.
"You know, you really shouldn't be getting drunk before a gig, dick." Alaric Saltzman clapped the younger man on the back before taking a seat on the stool beside him. "I'll have what he's having." Alaric gave his order to the bartender before turning to Damon. "Your brother is gonna kill you if you go up there drunk."
"Aw, come on Ric, cut me some slack. This isn't exactly the most ideal gig, after all. I'll be playing in front of a bunch of old farts, what's the big deal?" Damon sarcastically wiggled his eyebrows as a smirk played on his lips. Alaric had been Damon's bestfriend since college. They were like partners-in-crime, always having each others backs. Despite being bestfriends, Ric could still be a big pain in Damon's ass. "The big deal is that your brother spent weeks trying to get you this job and quite frankly, you need this job." Damon scoffed at his older bestfriend, rolling his eyes at him. "Here come's Stefan..." Alaric warned before disappearing from sight.
His little brother leaned against the bar. "Looks like you're excited for your big gig." He mused sarcastically, clearly acknowledging Damon's current state.
"Stef, trust me, I'm pissing my pants at how excited I am. You got nothing to worry about, little brother. I won't mess this up." Damon tipped back another shot, wincing slightly as the liquid stung at his throat. "You better not. Caroline is coming tonight with friends and I don't need you embarassing me, okay?" The older brother noted the serious look in his younger brothers eyes. His head bobbed up and down in an understanding nod.
"Ah, so Stefan's got himself a girl?" Playfully punching his brother in his side, Damon surpressed a small chuckle. "Shut up, Damon." The younger Salvatore quickly shoved his brother off of him as he noticed Caroline walk in the front door with Elena and Bonnie. "Here she is." Stefan pointed in the direction of the front door before disappearing from Damon and immediately ending up at Caroline's side.
Damon turned his neck to check out his brother's new girl, but it wasn't the bubbly blonde that he layed his eyed on. It was the girl beside the blonde. The sight of her almost knocked Damon off of the bar stool. She was breathtaking, absolutely beautiful. Her chocolate-brown eyes was the first thing noticed, and then her perfectly straight brunette hair that framed her face perfectly, then her beautiful smile.
And just like that, Damon Salvatore's life was forever changed.