"No way!" I covered mouth realizing I had said that too loud, hopefully I didn't wake anyone up. I hit reply on my phone. Shut up! Are you serious? We totally need to go! I hit send and then realized the error of my words. Here I was trying to avoid spending time with Damon and I just invited myself on another road trip with him. I guess if I could get Stefan to go it wouldn't be so bad, "yeah I'll just get Stefan to go" I immediately felt better about the whole thing and let the excitement settle in.
"What do you mean you're leaving? When did you plan this?" I said to Stefan as he packed his suitcase. I had come here early to tell him about the concert/road trip but instead found him packing. "I got a call from an old friend who's having some problems and really needs my help right away. If it wasn't important I promise I wouldn't be leaving you Elena." I guess it was a good reason but I was still upset because it put a damper on my plans. Now that it would just be me and Damon, Stefan definitely wouldn't be thrilled and might even ask me not to go. But it was my favorite band, and who knows when they'd be giving another concert this close. I knew it was a bad idea before I said it but what harm could a little white lie do? "I understand, I came to invite you to a concert but I'll just have Bonnie or Caroline come with me." "Oh who's going to be playing?" he said. "Avenged, you know they're one of my favorites and I don't want to miss hearing them play." "Oh, well then go and have fun, that type of music isn't really to my liking anyway so you should share it with someone who'll appreciate it" he said before he kissed my forehead. "So even if you weren't leaving you wouldn't have wanted to go with me?" I asked. I wouldn't force him to go but I thought he would at least make the effort to give it a try and spend time having fun with me. "It's not really my scene Elena; I find the whole atmosphere to be overcrowded and pointless. But hey I know how to make it up to you" he said as he went to his dresser to grab a ticketmaster envelope. "I wanted to surprise you with these but now seems as good a time as any to give them to you" he pulled the tickets out and handed them to me. I looked at it happy that he went through the trouble of planning something for us so far in advance but the smile quickly fell off of my face. "Britney Spears live in concert" I said not believing the horror my eyes were seeing printed on those tickets, was he serious? This had to be some kind of joke. "Yeah! Isn't it great? I was listening to the radio and they announced it. Then I remembered how we saw the movie once and it seemed perfect, what do you think?" "Wow this is great" I said hoping he couldn't see the horror on my face, "I can't wait." "Great! Well I need to get going if I want to make good time, I don't know how long I'll be gone but I'll call you often ok." "Ok, be safe" he leans down to give me a kiss, but I can only describe it as chaste and I realize the butterflies I used to feel are absent. I walk him to the door and watch him as he disappears around the corner.
I think about going home just then Damon comes up the drive carrying a duffel bag. "Hey" he says as he walks past me without as much as a glance in my direction. I don't know why but it bothers me and I follow him inside to the kitchen. "So, I see Stefan has left already" he takes a glass from the cupboard and opens up the duffel bag, taking out a bag of blood. "Grocery shopping I see, what was on sale this week?" I say teasing him. He gives me a smirk that I can't help but smile at, "actually they were having a buy one get one free offer on O+" he says as he pours some into the glass. As he takes a drink he closes his eyes I see the red veins form around them for the briefest of moments. "You know it's not nice to stare at people while they're eating" he said after a moment. "Oh, I'm sorry" I could feel the blood rising to my cheeks, I hadn't even realized I'd been staring that much.
"So I guess I can count you out of the concert, since my little brother has had to take such an impromptu trip" he says draining the last of his glass. "Well you guess wrong, I'm definitely going" he raises one eyebrow as he looks at me with an expression that's both impressed and a little disbelieving. "Is that right? I would've thought Stefan wouldn't be so thrilled about us taking another road trip" at that I look down not wanting to meet his eyes "unless of course you didn't tell him you were going" he says, the smirk coming back to his face. "Well you're wrong, I did tell him I was going" his eyebrow raises again "Elena" he says in a tone that clearly doesn't believe me. "I did!... I just may have left out the part of you going with me or that it's in Chicago." "Jajajajajajajaja!" I look up startled by the sound, I've never heard Damon laugh. I didn't even think Damon could laugh but there he was, it made me smile I liked the sound of it, it was rich and masculine and I found myself wanting to hear more. "Well I'm definitely surprised and a little shock, Elena Gilbert lying to her boyfriend, I almost want to applaud." "I didn't lie" I say "lying by omission dear, it still counts" his eyes fix onto mine as he says it and I find myself fixed on them. All of a sudden a flash from my dreams comes to mind, his ice blue stare boring into my soul before those soft lips molded against mine to perfection. I looked away but not before I saw that smirk come on his lips, almost like he knew what I was thinking about not to mention he could probably hear my heartbeat increase by 10. "So when do the tickets go on sale" I ask him trying to break the tension that suddenly filled the room. "About 2 months ago" he says "what? Are you kidding me? There aren't going to be any left and the scalpers are probably going to charge an arm and a leg, 2 months ago and you're barely hearing about this now!" I plop down on the chair to upset to continue my rant, I can't believe this was just turning out to be a joke. An envelope drops near my hands "you know you should really let people finish what they're saying" he says fixing me with his gaze again "they went on sale 2 months ago, but I bought them before" the smirk comes back and the island is the only thing keeping me from jumping over and kissing him. What stop that, have you gone insane? What do you mean kiss him, ok I think it's time you wrap this up and head home before you do anything you might regret. "Um so when do we leave" I ask thinking about what I might need to take with me "As soon as you pack your bags."
