Crying Lightning
Hello! Thanks to everyone who reviewed, meant a lot to see your thoughts and your feedback is important to me with how I develop this story! I hope you all enjoy this chapter too.
Also, someone asked about Katherine and Elena, they aren't related in any way, they look similar but not in any kind of supernatural obvious way, just that they both have the same color hair and eyes.
Disclaimer: I don't anything or anyone from the vampire diaries.
This chapter is in Elena's POV, enjoy! :)
I groan tiredly as the alarm beside my bed goes off, pulling my from my dreamless sleep long before I was ready.
I strain open my eyes and I sigh in frustration when I look how early it is.
It should be illegal to wake up before 9am when school is out but alas, I have commitments, or at least Caroline has commitments and she makes sure that we all have to follow them.
I'm glad that it is the last day of cheer camp, I don't think I could take another day of these early morning workouts and ridiculously cheesy practised routines.
I force myself out of bed and walk over to my mirror, smiling down at the photo that was taken just a mere few months before their death, of my 11 year old self in my cheer uniform with my parents, I gently run my finger over us, knowing that it was always my mother's dream to see me in the same cheering squad she was a part of when she was my age in Mystic Falls High School.
I just wish she were here to see it.
My eyes glance to the next photo along and my smile widens when I see a photo of my boyfriend Stefan Salvatore.
Stefan and his family moved back to Mystic Falls right before freshman year started, we met on the first day and became instant friends. I was dating Matt Donovan at the time, and although I always found Stefan attractive, I didn't break up with Matt because of him, Matt and I had our own reasons and thankfully we managed to stay friends when we did split at the beginning of sophomore year. If anything, he is my closest friend besides Bonnie and Caroline. It wasn't until the end of that sophomore year when Stefan and I decided to take our relationship further than friendship.
I realise that I'm dawdling and force myself to get in the shower. The quicker I get dressed and head down to the High School for cheer practise, the quicker I get to see Stefan.
I've missed him.
He has spent the last three weeks away from Mystic Falls, he said he was just visiting family out of state because it was summer vacation but I know it has more to do with his older brother Damon and what went down right here in Mystic Falls six months ago.
I don't know the details, believe it or not, dating the younger Salvatore doesn't give me inside information on what happened, despite how much Caroline and the rest of the cheer girls like to believe.
Stefan very rarely speaks of his family, especially his brother.
All I know is what everyone else in this town knows, Damon was in a gang all through High School, and towards the end of his senior year, he and his girlfriend Katherine were shot in what has said to be a gang war just outside of town.
Unfortunately Katherine was killed in the incident but no one really knows who by or why it happened, or why Katherine was even there.
There has been gossip that it was Damon himself who shot her, because he was arrested on the day of Katherine's funeral, but nobody knows why and all I know from Stefan is that whatever charge they had arrested him on, he was released 24 hours later on probation by their father, who, as one of the leading members of the founding council of Mystic Falls, has a lot of influence and say over this town. Damon disappeared right after that, Stefan said he went to live with their grandparents in Chicago. I don't even think he got to finish his senior year.
I do have to wonder though, how Damon's entire gang found themselves arrested and locked up that day, with the exception of Damon and Tyler Lockwood. Rumour has it that because Tyler is the Mayors son, they were very lenient on him and just like Damon, he was realised from prison on probation.
Their rival gang was the same, most of the boys were arrested for being involved in the shooting bar the Mikelson brothers, Klaus and Kol, and again the reason seems to be of how much power and money that family also has. There is also another rumour that it was Klaus who killed Katherine, especially since no one had seen him since, just like Damon, he had left town. But it's all just rumours, no one really knows what actually happened that fateful night.
I don't think I care very much about knowing what happened though to be honest, despite him being my boyfriend's brother, I never really spoke to Damon Salvatore, he was always just that boy in the grade above us in High School who just so happened to be Stefan's brother, and part of one of the fierce big gangs in Mystic Falls. I never agreed with the gang stuff, I never understand why two sets of teenage boys all hated each other, despite all growing up in the same town and the same school together.
I'm just relieved that Stefan, Matt and my brother Jeremy never got involved in it all and never picked a side between the two rival gangs, because if they had, it could also be them in prison right now, or worse, dead.
"You're late" Caroline scolds me as I jump out of my car and quickly jog across the field to where my best friend and the rest of the cheer girls are waiting for me.
"I know, I know, I'm sorry" I tell her apologetically as I throw my gym bag on the ground and take my usual position.
"Senior year starts in three weeks Elena, three weeks! We need to be ready, this is our year girls!"
I suppress the urge to roll my eyes and glance over at my other best friend Bonnie who is trying to hide her smirk. I think she cares about this just as much as I do.
Once Caroline begins our warm-up routines, Bonnie moves to come stand beside me and grins "I bet you're looking forward to seeing Stefan later"
"Very!" I grin and nod my head furiously "I've missed him"
"Caroline is kind of right you know Elena" Bonnie tells me with a smile "This is our year, this is your year. Yours and Stefan, everything is there for the taking, Prom King and Queen, Miss Mystic Falls. He's one of the stars of the football team and you're a cheerleader, both of you are popular, this is stuff junior high girls dream of!"
"I know Bon" I grin "I just hope I can do it, I know that my Mom won Miss Mystic Falls two years running, and since I didn't win last year, I feel like this is my time. Her and my Dad were also Prom King and Queen their senior year and I want nothing more than to follow in their footsteps and make them proud" I tell her determinedly.
"Only if you want this Elena" Bonnie tells me seriously with a pointedly look. "Only if this is what you want"
"It is" I tell her with a convincing nod "This is my year, I can feel it"
"Stefan!" I smile widely as I fling open my front door and leap into my boyfriend's arms "God I have missed you!"
I pull back to kiss him and can feel him smile into the kiss before pulling away "I've missed you too Elena" he pecks my forehead before I pull him inside.
"How was your trip? Did you spend time with your family? See everyone you wanted to see? Do you want to stay for dinner? Aunt Jenna is cooking meatloaf; I know it's your favourite"
"Elena" Stefan laughs while shaking his head "One question at a time!"
"Sorry" I smile shyly "I've just missed you, it's been boring here without you" I pout.
"Caroline not been cracking the whip at summer cheer camp?" he asks amused as he follows me towards the kitchen.
"It's Caroline, of course she was" I laugh a little as we walk into the kitchen where my Aunt Jenna is cooking while her boyfriend Alaric, who also happens to by my History teacher, is sitting at the counter reading the paper.
"Stefan!" Jenna beams at my boyfriend and walks round to give him a hug "Thank god you're home, this one has been sulking and pouting while you've been gone!" she smirks and I send her a glare for revealing that information. I don't want to look like a pathetic clingy girlfriend. "Are you staying for dinner? I'm making meatloaf, Elena said it was your favourite"
"Actually…" Stefan begins looking guiltily over at me "I can't actually stay, I have to go back home. Family stuff"
I raise my eyebrow at him before pulling him out of the kitchen into the hallway "You've just got back, I haven't even seen you for 10 minutes" I frown.
"I know and I'm sorry" Stefan sighs while running his fingers through his hair "But my Dad needs me home this afternoon, it's important and I told him I wouldn't be long. I'm sorry Elena"
I pout a little and look down at my shoes before Stefan places his finger under my chin and lifts my head back up to face him "Why don't you come over tonight after dinner? You can stay the night" he smiles shyly and I sigh before slowly nodding my head.
"Fine" I sulk a little "But I'm still not happy with you Stefan"
"I know" Stefan says as his smile turns into a smirk "But I'll make it up to later, I promise"
"You better"
I sigh loudly and lift up my side of the covers in frustration as I try to ignore the sound of Stefan's loud snoring beside me.
Does it need to be so freaking loud?
Despite it being the end of the summer, it's too hot and I can't sleep. I glance over at the digital clock on Stefan's beside table and see that it's barely 3:30am.
Why do I have to be awake?
I climb out of bed and decide to go and get a glass of water, hoping the cold liquid will cool me down and then in turn help me sleep.
I creep out of Stefan's bedroom, careful to be quiet so I don't wake him and creep down the old hallway, trying to ignore how the boarding house always freaks me out a little at night.
It's so creepy.
I slowly climb down the stairs, hoping I don't run into anyone, especially Stefan's dad, he would so not be happy to find me here in short shorts and a tank top in the middle of the night.
I smile a little in satisfaction as I reach the bottom step of the stairs without them making the usual loud creaking sounds they tend to do and head towards the kitchen, making sure I walk carefully so I don't stumble into anything and most importantly not to knock over one of the many antiques the Salvatore's hold here, Giuseppe would kill me.
I open the kitchen door and make sure it closes silently behind me before turning on the light, I turn around to walk towards the sink but a boy sitting at the breakfast bar makes me jump and then scream.
"Oh my god" I pant clutching my chest, still scared from the fright he gave me.
It's Stefan's brother, and he is sitting on a stool at the breakfast bar looking straight at my and suddenly I gulp a little in fear and this has nothing to do with my thinking that I would be alone down here.
"You scared me" I mumble awkwardly and suddenly I'm very aware and very conscious of the clothes, or lack of, that I'm currently wearing.
"I live here" Damon replies in that usual dark deep tone that he always uses. Not that we have spoken a lot, because we certainly haven't, I don't think Damon likes to talk, not that I'd know anyway since I've never even officially met him as Stefan's girlfriend.
In fact, I'm a little surprised to find him here; Stefan never mentioned he was back and no one thought he would ever return to Mystic Falls after everything that happened.
"Sorry" Suddenly I feel like I'm being scolded by an adult and I gulp nervously as I quickly walk towards the sink and run the tap, the noise of the water breaking some of the tension that is quickly filling this room "I just needed to get a glass of water" I explain before realising how obvious that is as I reach for a glass.
Damon doesn't say anything and the only noise in the large kitchen is the sound of the running tap and I hurriedly continue to put my hand over it, almost begging the water to hurry up and get colder so I can get out of here and back to the sanctuary that is Stefan's bedroom.
Even though I have my back to him, I can feel Damon's eyes on me and I self-consciously pull down on my tank top, hoping I don't have even more skin on display than necessary.
"Do I make you nervous?" His deep voice breaks the silence and I freeze, unsure how to answer this.
"No" I answer and curse how shaky my voice just sounded "Of course not"
"Then why do you look like you can barely wait a second before running out of here, Elena"
He knows my name, or at least he remembers my name, and I have no idea why that thought makes my heart beat twice as fast as normal.
"I'm just tired, it's late" I try to explain before finally turning around to face him and I have to try and stifle as gasp as I notice he is now standing at the other end of the counter, the side next to me, looking straight at me just a few feet away.
His eyes are so blue.
He continues to stare at me, not saying a word and again I can feel my heart rate increasing.
What is he doing?
"Um" I awkwardly let out a cough and cringe slightly at my lack of coolness in this situation. He must think I'm such a loser. "What are you doing up anyway?"
Damon shrugs and he finally breaks his stare before walking past me to the cupboard and pulling out an empty glass "Same as you" he tells me simply "I wanted a glass of water"
Somehow, I know he is lying.
"Speaking of" Damon nods his head towards the sink behind me "I think that water will be cold now"
"Right!" I break out of my little trance and nervously fill up the glass, cursing at my shaking hands and turning the tap off. I turn around when I realise that if Damon were telling the truth I should have probably left the tap running for him but when I look up he is back to his stool at the other side of the counter, his empty glass still where he left it by the sink untouched and empty.
He looks up at me and I've never seen someone look so intense "Goodnight Elena" he tells me looking directly at my eyes without breaking his stare, causing my to gulp nervously and I realise that he wants me to leave and for some reason that disappoints me a little.
"Oh" I mumble awkwardly and head towards the door "Goodnight Damon"
It's not until I'm back upstairs in the safety of my boyfriend's bedroom when I realise that I never once thought about how much I assumed I didn't like him when I was in his company. Everything that happened last year with his gang and his bad boy reputation never even crossed my mind.
Ok so there it is, I know there wasn't much dialogue in this chapter, but it was mainly an introduction to Elena's life as well as revealing a little about what happened with the Damon/Katherine shooting, or at least what outsiders think may have happened and their version of the aftermath of that.
The story starts to get going from the next chapter onwards!
I hope you liked it, please review it would mean a lot :)
Thanks all!