The One That Didn't Get Away, Chapter One
Disclaimer: I do not own anything you may recognize. Any relation to my version of the characters and real life persons is purely coincidental. There is no copyright infringement intended.
"I can't believe it! How had the journalists not picked up on this! Or the paparazzi? I mean they follow him around all the time; you would think something like this would have been found out about five minutes after it happened!" Caroline slammed the latest edition of 'Ok!' magazine down on the table in front of her and pointed at the cover with one perfectly manicured nail.
Bonnie looked up from last week's edition of 'Vogue' her hazel eyes widening when they landed on what Caroline was pointing at. "Seriously?" She squeaked in a voice that was completely abnormal for Bonnie. When Caroline nodded; her bright blue eyes still round as saucers. Bonnie's own smile grew into a full blown grin. "Elena! Elena! You have to see this. Look!" She gushed.
Elena paid no attention; her eyes still lost in the pages of her book. She turned a page, licking her lips as she greedily took in the words. She was involved in a world full of unrequited love, deceit and control. She could feel her heart pounding as she nervously bit her lip; she had no idea if she could trust this man or not. He seemed nice; but you could never judge someone by face value. The book was suddenly wrenched from her grip and she looked up in shock.
Caroline had her novel dangling in-between two of her fingers almost as though the book held some sort of disease that she would catch if she held it too closely. Elena scowled at her best friend. She was a great person; but she should seriously know by now not to take a book from her when she was reading it. "Caroline!" She hissed as her friend folded the page she was on in half and dumped it on the table.
Caroline blinked and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry 'Lena." She knew Elena hated it when someone folded the pages of a book. "But, seriously! You have to see this." Bonnie nodded enthusiastically and picked the magazine Caroline was reading earlier and shoved it at Elena.
Elena caught it and placed it in her lap, looking at it if was some kind of disgrace to literature. "Okay." She looked at her friends. "What am I supposed to be looking at?" The sooner she got this over and done with the sooner she could get back to her book. Winston and Julia had just snuck into O'Brian's apartment to meet him together; she didn't know if she could trust O'Brian, it seemed like they could but Elena never judged someone by face value – they always had some hidden agenda. Bonnie stretched one expertly filed nail and tapped something on the front cover of the magazine.
Elena raised an eyebrow when she read the headline. Of course, she should have guessed. Only one thing would get her friends so wound up and excited that they had to tear Elena away from her book to show her. She scanned the headline again and rolled her eyes at her friends' obsessive fan-girl attitude towards this one celebrity male. "DAMON SALVATORE SPOTTED KISSING BLOND WOMAN" that wasn't out of the ordinary; there had been hundreds of these headlines. Elena rolled her eyes again and looked up; meeting the excited eyes of her two best friends. "So? What's different about this? Damon's always kissing some new woman." She tossed the magazine onto the glass coffee table in front of her and reached for her book.
Caroline swiped the book out of the reach before she could touch it and scowled. "You didn't read the writing under it. That was the important bit." She whined. Bonnie nodded in agreement held up the magazine again so Elena could read it.
Elena narrowed her eyes at her friend and shook her head; but reigned herself in and read it anyway. "It has been officially confirmed girls! Damon Salvatore has split with his girlfriend of five years – famous Hollywood model Katherine Pierce - two months ago and since then has remained utterly single! He told us that… (Cont: pg 25.)"
"Finally!" Caroline exclaimed.
"It's unbelievable! After five horrible tormented years he has finally split with The Vampire."
Elena rolled her eyes at her friends. The Vampire. Was the nickname they had for the one and only Katherine Pierce. They called her it ever since she had started to pick up a reputation for dating males and then leaving them high and dry. Elena had never seen her friends so devastated when it was announced that Damon Salvatore was officially dating Katherine Pierce. They had nothing else to talk about for weeks; every time they saw each other they would launch into some new debate about why The Vampire was the worst possible person for their favourite celebrity: Damon Salvatore.
"It isn't such a big deal. It's not like they were tied to each other anyway." Elena tore the magazine from Bonnie's hand and turned it to page 25. "Damon was always being found with some other poor woman in his bed." It was true. Damon Salvatore was the world's most notorious womanizer. Any woman he found partially attractive he would flirt with shamelessly, and he would always win: and the next morning the poor girl would wake up in his bed, knowing exactly what was coming next. The walk of shame.
"Just because you hate him Elena; doesn't mean we have to as well." That was true too. Bonnie and Caroline were her two closest friends; but she was completely different to the both of them. Well when it came to celebrities anyway. They were both devoted to The Salvatore's. Which included Damon Salvatore and his younger – not so famous – brother; Stefan Salvatore. They both preferred Damon, but when it came to Salvatore trivia they knew absolutely everything about them. From their favourite colours to what brand of boxers they wore. Whilst Elena knew nothing, apart from what Caroline and Bonnie had drilled into her head over and over so much that it was impossible to forget.
Their ages, for example was something Elena knew because her friends had celebrated The Salvatore's birthdays ever since she could remember. Stefan was 17, their age and only got his big break because his older – sexier – brother was already massive in the world. Damon Salvatore – the sex symbol for all single and taken women around and the role model for all single and taken men – was 24. As far as Elena knew; she was the only one who hated him, with a passion. He was so big-headed she was surprised his head didn't explode whenever he walked into a crowded room, he flirted with every member of the opposite sex, it seemed as if lived his life with his downstairs brain not his upstairs one. And on top of all that; he knew it! He knew he was arrogant and cocky and he mastered everything he did with such an air of self-confidence and fluidity.
"He's a dick." Was Elena's not so dignified reply.
"I bet he has a nice dick." Caroline giggled and Bonnie joined in. Elena sighed in exasperation, she was never going to get anywhere with these two. She looked back down at the magazine, scowling at the smirking photo of Damon on the right hand side of the page.
What irked Elena the most was that he was so god damn sexy he got away with everything! He had a lean build with perfectly chiselled features and a defined jaw-line. His jet black hair always seemed as though he had just rolled out of bed; but in the perfect messy style. It always looked as though it was begging to have hands running through it; which it probably did Elena thought bitterly. And he had the most gorgeous eyes. They were this shade of blue which you could never place; the colours always seemed to swirl together and change in whatever light he was in. If he wasn't so bloody sexy then he would have been kicked out of the celebrity world ages ago for his pompousness. But because women fawned over him wherever he went and younger men looked up to him due to his fortune in life he was practically worshipped by the rest of the celebrity world.
"Read it out loud 'Lena!" Elena looked up at Bonnie and Caroline who had stopped talking and were now looking at her expectedly.
Elena shook her head. "Oh no. You know I hate this stuff. You read it." She shoved it at Bonnie who caught it before it fell to the floor.
"Fine." She grumbled. Elena knew she hated reading aloud, and Caroline always stuttered. So really; Elena was the best person. But she wouldn't read that aloud. Not gossip magazines. If someone like Jeremy – her younger brother – who knew she hated this stuff walked in; she would never live it down.
Bonnie started off timidly but her voice grew louder quite quickly as she grew in confidence; talking about Damon was something she was an expert at. This wasn't that different. "(Cont from front page.) He told us that… he plans to remain single for a while. Have fun and enjoy life (not that he hasn't been doing that anyway girls…) He also told us that he has no intention of settling down for a long time so there's plenty of time for his fans to "have a go." (Always a good thing for us women out there, right?)" Elena shuddered in disgust. "While we were talking to him we managed to find time for a quick interview which I'm sure all you girls will be thrilled to hear." Bonnie trailed off, swallowed and looked up at her two friends who were watching her; both with completely different emotions playing on their faces.
"Carry on Bonnie. I'm dying to hear the interview." Elena stated sarcastically and slumped back on the sofa, crossing her arms and staring at the ceiling looking as though she wanted to pull her hair out.
"Bonnieee." Caroline whined and gestured at the magazine. She really was dying to hear the interview. Bonnie sat stock still with the magazine still tightly in her hands; it seemed as though she had gone into shock. Why? Elena had no idea. Caroline sighed and shook her head. "Jesus Bon. You always do this. As soon as something interesting about Damon pops up you start daydreaming about him." She muttered and then giggled. "Not that daydreaming about Damon is a bad thing; there are just certain times you shouldn't. Like when were in the middle of reading an interview with him!" She leaned forward and snatched the magazine from her friend's hands and placed it on her own lap. "So Damon, now that you have finished filming your latest blockbuster; what are you planning to do next?" Caroline squinted her eyes at Damon's answer. "O-Oh. I hav-have-a"
Elena released a breath and puffed out her cheeks. When it came to reading what Damon's answers were Caroline's stutter always got worse. It was ridiculous. She took the magazine carefully from her friend's tightly grasped hands; Caroline shot her a look of relief. Elena shook her head and rolled her eyes. No matter how much she hated Damon – bloody – Salvatore she always seemed to end up reading his answers when her friends decided to read his interviews out loud. She didn't even know why she still refused every time; it would always come back in a circle and she would end up doing it anyway.
She lowered her voice and slowed it down; in her best mimic of Damon she could. The same voice she always used when reading his words, it made it less serious for her. Since she hated him; it made her feel better, proving to herself and anyone nearby at the time that she wasn't changing her mind about him. "Oh. I have a few surprises in store."
Caroline moved so she was peering over Elena's shoulder; knowing how this routine went. She would be the interviewer and Elena would pretend to be Damon and Bonnie would watch and giggle quietly to herself. Elena looked up and her suspicions were confirmed, Bonnie was biting back a laugh as she watched her two best friends. "(Interviewer laughs) Anything special for us girls?"
"Definitely. It's a special surprise for everyone. (Winks.)" Elena added an especially cheesy wink on the end which made Bonnie burst into giggles.
"(Flirts) I don't suppose you would be able to tell us a mini little thing you're planning?" Caroline placed her had on Elena's shoulder in a flirty way and Elena grabbed it, grinning coyly at her friend.
"Oh, I don't know. It's not just my place to say. Let's just say I am going travelling this summer for a while."
Caroline pouted for effect, but added chirpily. "So, you're going travelling? Anywhere in particular?"
Elena shifted uncomfortably on the sofa; something about this was causing warning bells in her stomach. "If I told you I would have to kill you. (Grins cheekily.)"
"Oh really? That is a shame. (Smiles flirtatiously) So are you visiting anyone?"
"No-one in particular. Just an old friend from college. (Half smiles.)" Elena turned the half-smile into a full blown grin and rolled her eyes.
"You keep in contact with friends from before you were famous? That's so sweet." Caroline frowned; not knowing this fact. She didn't know he even still had friends from college.
"Only the bare minimal. (Winks.) This one's important and he's well informed. (Grins flirtatiously.)" Elena added to the flirtatious grin by pulling Caroline's hand forward so she lost balance and fell over the top of the low sofa. Elena giggled as she dodged Caroline falling on top of her.
Caroline stuck her tongue out at her friend. She should have known that was going to happen; Elena always pulled that trick and she always fell for it, every time. "So, what's this guy's name? Maybe we've heard of him."
"His name is not something I am at liberty to announce…yet." Elena could just picture his little smug smirk.
"I am afraid that was all we had time for. Damon was needed for a meeting which we were not allowed into (I know, disappointing. ) But I am sure we will have more juicy gossip for all your girls next week! Until then; keep reading 'Ok!' magazine for celebrity news that you just have to know…" Caroline and Bonnie's faces dropped when the interview was over.
"Unbelievable. Guys, he's a womanizing dick!" Elena exclaimed at their two fallen faces.
"Who's a womanizing dick?" Jeremy appeared at the front door, covered in sweat, and slumped onto the sofa next to Bonnie. She squealed and jumped up, running to the other side of the room. Jeremy grinned at her reaction. "It's seriously hot out there."
"Damon Salvatore is a womanizing dick. I don't see why women fawn all over him like lost puppies." Elena growled before eyeing Jeremy carefully. "It's that hot out there?" She noted his exhausted face.
He nodded. "Yeah. The temperatures picked up in the last hour. It's close to boiling now, I swear!" He exclaimed and wiped his hand across his forehead shaking the sweat droplets of his hand. The girls watched him in disgust. "Anyway. Elena, I can see why you hate this Damon dude. But he's a celebrity. It's not as if you're ever going to meet him, so there's no need to worry."
"I will meet him one day. If it's the last thing I do." Caroline uttered, Bonnie nodded in agreement.
Elena rolled her eyes. "It's their fault he even crosses my mind. If it was up to me I wouldn't even know he existed."
"You don't mean that Elena." Bonnie mimicked Caroline's pout perfectly.
Elena nodded slowly. "Yes, yes I do."
"Not that I'm complaining 'Lena, but every other girl I know is obsessed with Damon Salvatore." Jeremy stood up and walked over to the magazine which was still in Elena's lap and held it up to his face, examining the photograph of Damon carefully. "I mean, you can see why. He makes practically every guy so jealous we want to rip our own heads off." He chucked spitefully and dropped the magazine back on the table.
"He's a dick, who only wants women for their bodies." Elena countered. "I don't know what's worse, that he's a good looking womanizing dick, or that he's a famous womanizing dick." She scowled. "He gives young boys the wrong impression of females." She folded her arms and looked away from her friends and brother.
"So you admit he's good looking!" Bonnie exclaimed proudly, as though she had accomplished something.
"I never said he wasn't." Elena mumbled, still turned away.
"He's not just good looking, he's a sex god. One smouldering look from him and any girl would practically melt into a puddle on the floor." Caroline stared into the distance dreamily.
"Apart from Elena." Bonnie muttered bitterly.
Elena's head snapped in Bonnie's direction. "You say that like it's a bad thing." She narrowed her eyes. "At least I can stand on my own two feet without some guy being able to control me!"
Bonnie's own eyes narrowed angrily. "I am a perfectly independent woman."
Elena scoffed. "You say that now, but as soon as Damon Salvatore pops up on the TV or in some stupid celeb mag you practically turn into a bubbling wreck, and you have never even met him!"
"At least I know how to have fun!" Bonnie growled.
Elena stood up sharply. "I know how to have to fun. I just don't think talking and fussing over a celebrity that's an asshole and uses women for pleasure is fun for me." She hissed and stormed over to where her book sat abandoned on the table and picked it up.
Bonnie stood up to and marched over to Elena, so they were a foot apart. Caroline watched them silently; used to their arguments by now. Bonnie reached out and grabbed the book in Elena's grasp and wrenched it free, throwing it across the room. Jeremy caught it reflexly and sat down next to Caroline; she screwed her nose up from the smell and scooted away from him. "All you do is read those boring books!"
"They are classics! Maybe if you stopped fawning over celebrities you would see the benefits of reading a classic book instead of all this rubbish." She picked up the 'Ok!' magazine and shook it in Bonnie's face.
Bonnie grabbed Elena's wrist and held it in the air. "If its rubbish then why do other people read it?" She hissed.
Elena wrenched her arm free and pushed Bonnie's back. "Because you're all stupid girls who are controlled by the celebrity world and not by your own lives!"
"At least we have people to look up too." Her eyes flickered to the picture of Damon on the front page and back to Elena.
"I do have someone to look up too!" Elena yelled throwing the magazine at Bonnie.
"Oh yeah? Who?" Bonnie sneered as the magazine dropped to the floor.
"GIRLS!" They both froze and turned slowly to face Jenna in the doorway. "Stop arguing over pointless things."
Elena opened her mouth to protest but one look from her Aunt and she snapped her mouth closed again and looked at the floor in defeat. Bonnie copied her movements, looking at the magazine hopelessly.
"What were they arguing about this time?" Alaric popped up behind Jenna and wrapped his arms around her waist.
She leaned into him, smiling slightly. "Who do you think?" She laughed lightly.
Elena and Bonnie both knew Jenna's laugh meant they were off the hook. They both stepped apart and slumped down in separate chairs not looking at each other. Jeremy chuckled at the two of them. "The one and only Damon Salvatore." He answered his Aunt's question.
"Again?" Alaric's face dropped slightly, and he bit his lip. But the younger people in the room weren't looking at him; Bonnie and Elena were looking at the wall, Jeremy was grinning, amused, to himself and Caroline was biting her lip nervously. He briefly wondered if he had done the right thing, but shook the feeling off. There was nothing he could do about it.
"What else do they argue about?" Jenna asked him; knowing why he was worrying. She put a reassuring hand on his shoulder and smiled.
He opened his mouth to answer, but closed it realizing there wasn't anything. He briefly closed his eyes and ran his hand through his hair, before turning and leaving the room again. Jenna sighed, briefly scanning the room in front of her before disappearing off the way her husband went. Knowing she had to reassure him he was doing the right thing. Even if she wasn't so sure herself.
Elena finally turned to look at Bonnie now her Aunt and Ric were out the room. Bonnie turned and looked at her apologetically and Elena matched her expression. "I'm sorry I said celebrities rule your life. They don't." Elena mumbled.
"And I'm sorry I said all you do is read those boring books. They're not boring and you do other things too." Bonnie smiled guiltily.
They both locked eyes and giggled. "We did it again." Bonnie announced.
Elena nodded. "We did indeed."
Caroline and Jeremy grinned. Bonnie and Elena argued nearly every day about the celebrity world. They always vowed they wouldn't, and then they did. It was normal, and they supposed; a part of family life. Bonnie was like a sister to Elena and so was Caroline. They were all like a large dysfunctional family; so therefore they argued like one too.
"Elena." Elena looked at Jeremy and he chucked her book at her.
She caught it easily and reopened it, scowling at Caroline as she smoothed out the folded page. Caroline rolled her eyes and went back to examining her nails. Bonnie checked her phone and grinned slightly when she realized she had one unopened message from Tyler.
Elena caught her smiling to herself and frowned knowing who it was. "I thought I told you to stop texting him."
Bonnie blushed when she realised everyone was looking at her. "I didn't text him. He texted me!" She defended and looked back at the unopened message.
Jeremy scoffed. "You're still talking to that douche? Come on Bon. He cheated on you."
"We don't know for sure!" She shot back.
He laughed harshly. "He accidently rang you and you heard a woman moaning on the other side. What do you think he was doing?"
Caroline shot him a harsh look. "She's right. He could have been watching TV."
"They don't show that stuff until late at night. It was 7am!"
"Shut it Jer. We don't know for sure; you're not making anything better." Elena growled.
Bonnie sniffled. "I don't know what to do. Do I confront him?"
"I think you should ask him what he was doing at Seven yesterday." Caroline wrapped her arm around Bonnie.
"But don't tell him that he phoned you. If he tells you something completely different to what you heard then you know he's lying." Jeremy's face fell. "And therefore cheating." He added.
Bonnie looked up at him and smiled slightly; Jeremy smiled back. Caroline and Elena shared a look, knowing what was slowly happening between their best friend and Elena's brother. The only problem was Jeremy had a girlfriend. Anna. "I don't think you should ask him until after the camping trip." Elena spoke up. Bonnie looked up confused. "Only because then no-one will be hurt beforehand." And then her brother could get his emotions with Anna and Bonnie sorted out. She added in her head. Caroline nodded in agreement, knowing Anna and Tyler could be the ones getting hurt in the end.
Elena wondered when feelings became so complicated.
In the other room Ric was pacing backwards and forwards, one of his hands tangled in his hair and the other tightly grasped onto his cell phone. Jenna stood in the doorway, biting her lip. She hesitantly took one step forward, but quickly took it back again and went back to hovering the doorway.
"I don't know what to do Jenna." He closed his eyes and slumped against the far wall, running his hand once again through his already messed up hair.
"Elena's not a child Ric." She smiled softly, but her eyes clearly showed her worry.
"I know. But she hates him. This will not end well Jenna; I can feel it." He grimaced and peered up at Jenna through his lashes. "Someone's gonna die by the end of Summer. I just know it."
Jenna laughed quietly and walked over to him, kicking the door shut behind her. She placed her hands on his shoulders. "It's going to be fine. I promise." She didn't know if she could keep that promise. "Call him." She added, gesturing at the phone in his hand.
"And what do I say? 'Sorry Damon. I know you're an A-list celebrity and everything but I'm afraid you can't come with us because my step-niece absolutely loathes you, and I am slightly afraid one of you will be dead by the end of the day.' That would not go down well Jenna."
She sighed. "Tell him the truth. Maybe he will understand."
Ric shook his head. "He is exactly as the media portray him Jen. Arrogant and pig-headed. He won't listen."
Jenna stepped back, crossed her arms and frowned. "Try it."
He shook his head again and looked at the phone nervously in his hand. "I can't. He's probably busy. In a meeting, with friends, or a girl…" He trailed off and looked back at Jenna hopefully.
She had her 'this means business face' on and he knew immediately she was going to get her way. "You have three options. A) You call him. B) I call him. And that's probably not the best idea; since he's a womanizing celebrity and I'm a woman. Or C) None of us call him; he shows up anyway and you don't get any sex for two months." She grinned triumphantly.
Ric frowned. "You're such a nice person." He stated sarcastically.
Jenna smiled playfully. "And you know it."
He sighed and unlocked his phone. Waving Jenna off playfully as he pressed the speed-dial for Damon. He grimaced as he held it to his ear and listened to the ringing tone. Jenna sat down and watched him. It rang five times before he heard the click, signalling someone had picked up. "Hello Ricky Boy." His voice drawled from the other side of the phone.
"Damon." He stated.
"Alaric." Came the mimicking reply and Ric rolled his eyes, signalling his throat being cut which made Jenna chuckle. "Is that a woman I hear laughing in the background Ric? What are you up too?"
Ric could just picture Damon's smirk as he made his friend uncomfortable. He glared at the phone. "It's Jenna." He shot a quick glance her way; she was watching him curiously. "My girlfriend." He added for good measure. She gave him thumbs up and he smiled slightly at her.
"Is she hot?"
His eyes widened and his eyes once again flashed to Jenna. His grip tightened on the phone. "Damon." He hissed.
There was a slow chuckle from the other end. "Just curious," and although he couldn't see him he knew Damon would have one of his hands up in mock surrender. "Soooo Ric. Was there an actual reason you called? Or did you just want to hear my voice?"
Ric rolled his eyes at his friend's sarcastically arrogant statement. "That's right Damon. I just couldn't wait to hear your amazingly sexy voice despite the fact I am seeing you in two days time."
He could hear Damon's soft laughing through the phone. "Oh, how you wound me Ricky Boy." There was a pause from the other side and Ric heard someone shouting something, to which Damon replied, 'in a minute.' "Listen Ric; I've got to go. Hectic lifestyle and all that. I need to finish all my bookings before I come down, that way there's less chance of anyone following me."
Ric nodded although Damon couldn't see him. He took a deep breath and exhaled. "That's the problem." He winced as he finished his sentence; Jenna watched him closely.
"What's the problem Ric; you're not bailing on me are you….?" Came the cocky reply.
Ric shook his head immediately and closed his eyes. "No – it's. It's just that-"
"Spit it out Ric, I'm a very busy person you know." He could practically feel Damon rolling his eyes in impatience.
He took a deep breath. "My step-niece hates you." He blurted. His eyes widened and he covered his mouth with his hand. This was a bad, no good, very bad idea. Telling the person who your step-niece hates that she hates you could go either of two ways; but either way it meant Damon would have the advantage. Damn. He should have thought this through.
There was a disbelieving laugh from the other side of the phone. "What?"
Ric sighed. "It's true. She does, with a vengeance." He pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Seriously? There's a girl who hates me? Wow, never saw that one coming." There was a light laugh and then a pause. Ric closed his eyes and trekked over to where Jenna was sitting and leaned against the table. "How old is she?"
Ric's eyes widened at the reply and he immediately shook his head. "I can't tell you that."
There was a laugh; this time louder than the others. "Calm down Ric. All I want to know is her age; in any case I'm meeting her soon. Otherwise you wouldn't have told me. So there's really no problem in telling me information that I will find out anyway."
Ric reached out and Jenna linked her hand with his. "She's Seventeen." He breathed out. Jenna's eyes widened when she realized what Damon had asked. She shook her head sharply and Ric sent her an apologetic look.
"Hmm…" He purred. "Perfect age."
"Damon." Ric warned. Jenna sent him a panicked look and he pulled the phone away from his ear and put it on loud speaker. Carefully watching the door; knowing anyone could walk through it.
"Simmer down Ric; I won't even go near her." He chuckled.
Ric sat down on the table, placing the phone between them and grimacing. "Somehow I find that hard to believe." Jenna sat and listened, her mouth partially open in shock that she was actually listening to an A-list celebrity on the phone. She briefly hoped no-one was hacking into their phones at the moment.
"I'm sure you do." Ric could picture Damon smirking and he watched Jenna as she bit her lip to stop herself from retorting. "So, why does the lovely lady hate me?"
Ric shook his head. "I'm not completely sure."
"Sooo," his voice drawled "you know she hates me, but not why. I find that hard to believe…"
Ric tightened his hand into a fist at his friends tormenting voice. It was hard not to feel threatened by the star. "Sorry Damon. No idea."
There was a playful whine from the phone. "Come onnnn Ric. I know you know why."
"Sorry Damon." He shook his head and shot a quick glance at the door.
"Please?"
"No."
"Pretty please?" Ric could picture Damon's fake pout easily; he had seen it many times.
"No."
"Now I really want to know." There was a brief pause. "You know I'll find out anyway." He sang patronizingly.
"Damo-"
"Oh, for God's sake. She doesn't like you because you're a pompous stuck up celebrity ass who always has some woman in his bed." Jenna interrupted growling.
Silence.
Ric stared at Jenna in shock, his eyes wide. Jenna blushed and looked down, oops.
"Hmm… How long have you had me on speaker phone Ricky Boy?" Ric could just picture Damon with one eyebrow raised disbelievingly.
"Long enough." He replied.
There was a brief chuckle from the other side. "Well… Hellooo Jenna." Jenna blushed again and looked away from the phone as if Damon could see her through it. "Thank you for your honest reply. Can't say I have much to say to that besides its probably true." There was a moment of silence and then a chuckle. "Scratch that. Very true."
"God, he really is an ass." Jenna mumbled.
"Still on speaker phone… he can heaaar youuu." He sang and Jenna's mouth snapped shut and she glared at the phone.
Ric shook his head and placed his hand over Jenna's. Knowing how easy it was for Damon to get into your head and turn you into a gibbering mess. She shot him a thankful look before staring at the ceiling. "Damon. I only rang to inform you; just so you know you don't have to come."
Another chuckle. "Oh, I'm still coming alright. This is going to be fuuun."
Ric frowned at the phone. "Elena is a strong independent woman. She knows what she's doing." His eyes widened when he realized he had given Damon her name. He had this knack of making things slip out even if you didn't want to say them. Please say he didn't notice his slip up.
Of course, Ric wasn't going to get his wish. "Elena. That's her name? Elenaaa. Such a pretty name."
"Damon." Ric growled.
Damon ignored him. "Damn, now I really am late for this meeting." But he laughed all the same. "Friday; 9am at the grill. I'll be there. See you then!" He said cheerfully and before Ric could add anything in he hung up the phone. Silence. The dial tone echoed throughout the room.
They both looked at each other and grimaced. This was not going to go well. Ric opened the door for Jenna to go through; as he pulled it open Jeremy came tumbling through the threshold. Jenna and Ric looked at him in surprise as he landed on his knees in front of them. He quickly scrambled to his feet; blocking the doorway. Shock written all over his features. "Was that who I think it was?" He pointed at the phone in Ric's hand.
Ric gulped and locked eyes with a confused and shocked Jeremy. He opened his mouth to answer when his phone buzzed; he looked down thankful for the brief break which gave him time to think of something to say to Jeremy. But his thanks didn't last long as his phone flashed with:
One New Message: Damon Salvatore.
He swallowed and pressed the open button. Not knowing the simple black words written on the white back ground were the words which would change everything.
Challenge accepted. ;)
A.N/ Likey or no likey?
This is my first AH fanfiction; I wanted to be able to shake the characters up a little and try something different. This seemed the way to do it.
I have this idea rattling around in my brain for a while now, and, well I thought it was probably time to release it unto the world.
Did anyone get the book Elena was reading? It's a classic. Love it.
I am giving this story an M rating, although they probably won't be any smut in it for awhile; or maybe at all. It depends on whether they carry on cracking down on the explicit stuff. I don't want this taken down.
I should be able to update rather quickly if people like. I have other fanfictions on the go; but if people like this then I can always shift my attentions. This fic has a lot of potential and I'm excited to start writing it.
I don't have a beta or a proof reader, so I apologise in advance for any grammatical or spelling mistakes. I have looked through it the best I could, but you know, with your own writings you always seem to miss something out.
-N x