Fifteen-year-old Elena Gilbert was standing by the car in front of her six best friends about to leave and probably never come back. "I'm sorry, guys." She told them all sadly.

"Lena bug," Stefan Salvatore said sadly. "Why do you have to go?" He asked her.

"I'm sorry, Stefan. I just do." She told him, putting a hand on his arm. He was the hardest for her to say goodbye to. She always, since fifth grade, had a crush on him, but he was always thinking of her as just a friend. Or, at least she thought. He was a good-looking boy, every girl wanted him, and he let them.

She moved over to one of her other best friends, Caroline Forbes. Her eyes were puffy and red and tears stained her face. "Elena," She sobbed and threw her arms around Elena's neck. Elena broke down crying for the second time that day.

"I'm sorry, Care bear." Elena mumbled into Caroline's shoulder. They all had nicknames for each other that only one person could use. Stefan called Elena, 'Lena bug' and Elena called Caroline 'Care bear'. Everyone else had nicknames too. Elena started moving off of Caroline but she hugged harder.

Elena felt Caroline's head starting shaking. "No, please, Lena, don't go. Please." She begged.

Elena sniffed before answering her friend. "I'm so sorry, but I have too." This time, as Elena moved away, Caroline let her. She moved to her other best friend, Tyler Lockwood. He was looking down at his feet, probably trying not to look at her because he could end up crying. "Ty," She said sadly.

He put his arms around her and she did the same. "Bye, Elena." He said stiffly. He was one of those guys who hide their feelings because they think if they let them out, it would ruin their 'man' reputation.

"Bye, Ty." Elena said. They broke apart and Elena moved onto Matt Donavan, who was the one who had a crush on her. But, since she always like Stefan, she ignored Matt's feelings. "You'll be okay, Matty." She promised him.

"I know." He nodded. They hugged tightly before letting go so Elena could say goodbye to two of her other best friends left.

Bonnie Bennett was next. She was a mess just like Caroline and Elena. "Bon?" She asked. Bonnie lifted her head to look Elena in the eye. "Goodbye, Bon." Elena cried and rushed to hug her. Last but by far not least, Elena's all time, for life, best friend, Katherine Pierce. "Kat, don't be mad." She tried to say. Katherine's arms were crossed and her eyes were averting from Elena quickly every second.

"I am going to be mad, E. You know why?" She asked angrily. "Because there is no reason for you to leave! Your parents and brother are still staying here! Why do you have to go, huh? Why is this the only thing that you don't tell me?" She almost yelled at Elena. "I thought we were best friends forever, sisters, but I guess not." She said sadly.

"No, Kat, don't think that." Elena said, touching her arm.

"Why not?" She screamed. "Just go. Please. And don't come back. It will be best." Katherine told her and stormed off. Elena covered her face with her hands and just cried. After a minute, Stefan slowly walked over to her and wrapped his strong arms around her.

He tightened his grip on her, trying to comfort her. "She didn't mean that, Lena bug, know that." He whispered in her ear. She breathed in the smell of his cologne and natural scent and stuck it in her brain to remember forever. Just incase she never did come back. She pushed him off of her so she could go in the car and leave. She couldn't handle all of this anymore, she needed to leave, as much as she didn't want to.

"Bye guys. I love you." She told all of them. They all mumbled a love you back and waved as she got into the car with her dad to take her to the airport. She got into a fashion school and she didn't want them to know because they would be mad that she would drop out of their school just so she could fly all the way across the country for another high school and that it was her choice.

Her aunt and uncle live in Los Angeles, California, so she was going to stay with them her high school years. She looked out the window to see Stefan leaning on a pole with his arms crossed and his head hanging down low. All of the others walked their separate ways and that was the last she saw them.

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Eight years later…

Twenty-three-year-old Elena Gilbert walked off the plane with sunglasses, ready to go outside where her car was waiting. She was now a big fashion designer that had stores opening all over the country. She couldn't wait.

The main store of her clothes was opening in New York City where she grew up. She didn't know if everyone she knew still lived here, but she hoped so. She was going to be living in New York City again and she was so excited. She told her driver to drop her off at a Starbucks and she would walk around after that. "Thanks." She said as she slipped out of the car. Her crop top under her jacket started riding up and she quickly fixed it before walking away from the car.

She got her usual from Starbucks, iced coffee with milk and sugar. Doesn't matter what the weather was, Elena always got iced coffee. She walked out and started walking down the street with her eyes on her phone. She didn't see where she was going so she bumped right into a hard chest.

Her coffee dropped to the ground, breaking and spilling. She sighed annoyed and looked up at the person she bumped into. "I'm sorry," He said quickly.

"No, no it's okay. At least it didn't spill on either of us, so we're good." She smiled. He smiled back at her. She bent down to pick up the plastic and throw it in a nearby recycling bin. She started walking away again, but turned quickly. "Sorry, by the way. I wasn't looking." She threw over her shoulder to the guy who was watching her leave.

"No, problem." He called out to her. She smiled and turned to look in front of her so she didn't bump into anyone else. Although, whoever that guy was, he was nice bumping into. He smelled really good.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

As she was walking down the familiar streets of Manhattan, she noticed someone looking extremely familiar to her. He was in a suit and that threw her off because she had to do a double take to see if it really was him. He was looking down at his phone and standing in front of a window of a store. She walked over excitedly. "Ty-ty!" She exclaimed as she neared him.

He looked up from his phone quickly, knowing that voice and that nickname. The only person who called him that was… "Elena!" He exclaimed as well.

She nodded and stood in front of him. "It's me." She told him. Tyler's eyes went up and down her body, noticing time did well for her.

"Wow," He said, drawing out the 'o' a little. "Not the little 'Lena Gilbert I used to know." He smirked.

She shrugged and smiled. "I guess I changed a little." She took a look at him up and down and realized he really changed. "What happened to moving to one of the suburb states to be that famous football player you always wanted to be?" She asked him.

"Well, that changed. I now own a long, long line of hotels across the country," He said proudly.

"You know what that means?" She asked. She brought her fingers together and moved them and made a 'cha-ching' noise. "Money, money." She laughed.

"Yeah," He said. "Well, I'm not the only one. Fashion now, huh?" He asked. Obviously he's heard about her. His girlfriend wears Elena's clothes all the time. Elena nodded happily. "It's so good to see you, Lena-bear." Lena –bear just came up, none of them really knew why.

She hugged him tightly and moved her face into his neck. "Cutting it a little to close to him, honey." The both heard from someone next to them. Elena moved off of him quickly and looked at the girl ready to apologize.

"Caroline?" Elena asked. Caroline took a good look at Elena before screeching an ear-piercing scream.

"Elena!" She exclaimed and almost jumped on Elena. Elena almost lost her balance on her five-inch heels because of the force Caroline put on her.

"It's me, Care-bear." Elena said smiling.

Caroline broke off but kept her hands on Elena's upper arms. "When did you get here?" She asked hurriedly.

"Like, an hour ago." She told the bubbly blonde. "So, it's you and Ty now, huh?" She asked while smiling.

"Yup." Tyler said, putting an arm around Caroline's waist and kissing her cheek. Elena put a hand to her heart and let out a long 'aww'.

"What about you, Elena, any special one?" Caroline asked her.

Elena's eyes widened in surprise that Caroline would ask that all of a sudden. "Uh, no. Not yet." She told her. Elena was still hung up on her childhood crush Stefan Salvatore. She really wanted to see him, just to see how much he had changed, or if he did at all. She didn't want to ask them and she fought really hard not to but she just blurted it out. "How's Stefan?" She asked.

A smirk formed on Caroline's lips. "He's well." She answered. "Turn around." Elena looked confused at her friend before turning slowly.

"What am I looking at?" She asked.

"Well, we see she's still not the brightest." Tyler commented, earning a punch in the stomach from Elena. "Just look up." He told her. Her eyes scanned the billboards above her before gasping.

"Oh my god!" She exclaimed, turning back around to them. "That's Stefan?" She asked surprised.

"Yeah. Changed, right?" Caroline asked. Elena nodded slowly. Then she remembered something. The smile up there matched a smile she's seen earlier. But all she could think about was the guy she bumped into .

She gasped loudly again. Tyler and Caroline both looked at her confused. "I bumped into him earlier!" She exclaimed. "Yeah, my coffee spilled between us and we just apologized to each other and then walked away. I had no idea that was him!" She told them.

"Well, and here I thought I was special being the first old friend you seen in eight years." Tyler commented.

"Sorry," Elena shrugged.

"We have to get drinks later." Caroline said excitedly. "Everyone can come!" She exclaimed.

Elena shrugged and smiled. "Yeah, how about Pleiades?" She asked them. Both of them nodded. "Wait, here let me give you my new number," She suggested to them. She rattled it off so they could put it in and then they set a time. "7:30's good." Elena said, agreeing with Caroline.

"Great!" Caroline hugged Elena again and then walked away with Tyler. She kept walking down the street again and smiled to herself. She was so glad to be back. She just hoped the rest of her friends were too.

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