Chapter 1: Introducing My Cousin
Elena's POV
"A masquerade tonight, at the plaza ballroom? What the hell! Isn't that a little too, um I don't know, unanticipated?" Elaine asked as I put my bag down on the couch, sighing. "They announced that when? Just outside when they caught you driving home from school? It's Friday the 13th, and there will be a full moon tonight. I'm not that superstitious, but I'm assuming that vampires, witches and werewolves usually go out tonight." She rolled her eyes and tapped her fingers on the coffee table. Then I felt a sudden shift of the air. I stiffened as she mentioned something I didn't know she'd really figure out. Maybe it was all the times I took her to meet Stefan, or maybe Bonnie. My wide eyes blinked in such succession and disbelief.
"Kidding, you know sometimes Elena you take things a little too seriously. As if vampires, werewolves and witches really do exist. We don't live in a fairytale land. Even if they do exist, wouldn't I already know it? Next thing you'd know," She stifled a giggle as I suddenly got real and took a breath. Why would I even think that she would know? Stefan, Bonnie and I hide it so well, that sometimes, I actually forget that they're not normal humans just like me. "Stefan's secretly a vampire and Bonnie's a witch." And she laughed under her breath.
"You have no idea." I muttered under my breath as I sat beside her, and she looked at me with the 'what' expression someone gives to the other person when they knew they said something yet they weren't paying attention enough to hear it. I just murmured the usual reply of 'never mind' and she stood up and began walking away. "Where are you going?" I couldn't stand the curiosity so I asked.
"Upstairs, I have to prepare for the night's main event." She smiled menacingly and waggled her eyebrows. That's something a little too familiar, I thought to myself. That action just reminded me a little bit of my boyfriend's devilishly annoying and irritating older brother, Damon. I widened my eyes and raised my eyebrows at her. I stared at her eye to eye and began asking her a question mentally. I thought you didn't want to go? That's how the two of us usually communicate. "I didn't say I didn't want to go. I just said 'isn't it a little too unanticipated'? I never said anything about not going." She sighed and clucked her tongue back and forth. "You know Elena, twisting words is as easy as one… two… three…" She added, gave a wink and headed for the stairs. Isn't it weird that for the fact that she hasn't even met Damon, she already acts like him?
I sighed and lay on the couch, closing my eyes. I thought about everything, literally, everything. Elaine Gilbert, my cousin who was 13 days older than me, lived with us since the day she turned 12. We were like sisters, and she was everything I physically am. She's the spitting image of me and I was the spitting image of her. We both have the same chestnut brown hair, light brown eyes, narrow pink lips, heart shaped face, tan skin tone, and everything else. If we were to walk the streets together, hand in hand, people would think we're actually sisters and identical twins. We couldn't explain the genes, but if it were possible for me to look like Katherine, I think it would be possible for us to share the same physical traits.
We might be physically the same, but we're absolutely mentally, socially and spiritually different. I'm Jewish, and she's a Christian. We're both as sociable as each other is, but she would be more likely to dress up like Lady Gaga and walk through Mystic Falls. I'm definitely a lot more rational than she is, and I would be able to think a lot more when it comes to problems, but she's better at Spanish, English, Science and History than me. You could say that she's better at academics, and music, being able to play the basic four instruments of Guitar, Drums, Piano and Bass. I could get a hold of my temper more, but when it comes to hard times, she's good at translating her emotions and turning it into poetry and music. It's really beautiful. So if you were to define how good she is from goody-two-shoes Elena, to evil-psychopath Katherine, she's in the middle, the good-psychopath Elaine.
I sighed and sat up. I headed upstairs and went to the guestroom where Elaine was staying. I was beginning to wonder what Elaine could wear for tonight, when she's just visiting here. It would really be weird if she were to pack a heavy masquerade ball gown in her suitcase, and a mask, and yet she was here getting ready for something she wasn't even prepared for. I'm guessing, like the hundreds of people invited to this party, she'd be renting something from the downtown dress shop. Well, she's really good at pulling stuff out from disasters; I think she could pull this one off.
I sat down on the bed and as soon as my body made contact with it, something fell and made a low thud on the floor. I looked and it was a red and black velvet covered notebook. Could it be that Elaine kept a journal? I resisted the urge to see for myself what it feels like to be inside her head, but I realized what it felt like when I lost my journal and had thoughts that someone might know about my deepest darkest secrets. I picked it up and put it under her pillow. It wasn't long till' I heard the door open and it was Elaine in her black tank top and shorts, her hair was messed up and wet.
"Wow, you look…" I muttered as I studied her and her eyes flickered at me while she chuckled.
"Beautiful? Dashing? Sexy?" And there goes her head. I laughed with her and continued.
"Wet. I was going to ask you what you were going to wear for tonight, and it seemed like you don't have anything appropriate for the…"
"I'm going to have to stop you there, Elena. Yes, I know I'm a little bit dress-less, but I think I could manage to find something to wear in Mystic Falls. I mean, the party doesn't start till' 7 and it's only a quarter to 4. I have more than 3 hours to go through this small town and find something perfect for me. I was also going to ask you if you wanted to come with, but I was thinking that you wanted to be with Stefan as you looked for yours. And I'm a big girl, I think I could do it all by myself, so thank you anyways." She said as she began putting a robe on. I smiled weakly at her, stood up and gave her a hug.
"You know, besides the fact that you're a lot meaner than me, you're a really nice girl. I'm beginning to forget about the times we used to hang out and play here in Mystic Falls. And if you want to, I'll give you a list of the 10 best dress rentals here, so that you could have your pick."
"That's nice, thank you." She smiled and I began to turn around to walk away, till' she called my name again. "I'm looking forward for tonight. I'm wondering what man would step up and dance with me." She added and gave a smirk and a wink. I stepped out of the room and closed the door behind me. I leaned against the wall and sighed.
Then it made me drift to the thought of how she just acted a while ago, on how she waggled her eyebrows, gave a devilishly all-too-familiar smirk and a wink that would just say Damon Salvatore. Oh no, Elaine was far too prone to meeting dangerous men whom she usually ends up kissing before the night ends, and now she was in the same town with Damon. After the 3 weeks of trying to hide Elaine from Damon's clutching hands, the time that I dread is coming alive right before my eyes tonight. What if the two met, and what if Elaine figured out everything? How could I even warn her about Damon when I can't even tell her the reason why she should be careful? I was thinking of telling her to not come to the ball anyways, but it's a party and its Elaine I'm talking about here. She never backs down from an invitation to a night of a social gathering. What are the exact words to say, and the exact warnings I should never leave out? I think I need to consult Stefan.
