Was supposed to post this a week ago, then I was sick, still am, and it took me four days to wrote this. I am so sorry for the delay.
Enjoy!
Chapter 7
"It has only been a week and I'm ready to commit suicide; probably by choking myself to death with books," Caroline huffed as she threw herself on her bed and took off her glasses.
On the other side of the room, Elena was typing haphazardly in her bed on her laptop with her hair on a loose bun and her reaction regarding what Caroline had said was only a weak nod.
"Are you even listening to me?" the blonde girl asked in annoyance.
"Sorry. This assignment should be done in," she looked at her watch on her left hand, "... twenty minutes. We'll talk then."
Caroline nodded solemnly and walked over to her desk to retrieve her toiletries, "Meanwhile, I'm taking a shower to wash the smell of library before it's crowded."
She then left her brunette friend alone with her assignment.
Elena was still typing without acknowledging her friend disappearance to the shared bathroom. Her French 101 assignment was taking a toll on her. She could do it yesterday. Or the day before yesterday. However, a certain friend, with hypnotizing blue eyes and midnight locks was distracting her. He kept calling her at least twenty one times a day; yep, she counted.
Damon had never been one to give up and turned down a challenge. She knew that. She knew that a lot about him.
She stopped typing suddenly when her phone rang for the seventeenth times today. She did not have to look at the screen to know who was calling her. She let out a tired sigh and rejected the phone call. She opened her message icon and searched for her bestest friend's name.
She decided to text him because, one, she didn't have time to talk to him now, thanks to the assignment she had not finished because of Damon, and two, because she just simply still upset with him and no talking policy was what she always did when she's upset with someone.
To: Bestest Friend
Do not call me. I am busy.
It did not take long for Damon to reply her hate text.
From: Bestest Friend
So you are alive! Starting to think you may be dead or something.
Elena rolled her eyes and went to her contacts to change Damon's name. She deleted 'Bestest Friend' and changed it to 'Asshole Damon.' After she changed it, a chime came from her phone; she frowned.
From: Asshole Damon
And pick up when I call!
To:Asshole Damon
Did you not read my first message? I AM BUSY.
From: Asshole Damon
NOW STOP WITH YOUR ATTITUDE, MISSY. I DO NOT LIKE IT WHEN YOU USE ALL CAPS WHEN YOU ARE TEXTING ME.
Before she had a chance to reply to his all caps text, her phone rang and expectedly, Asshole Damon is calling...
She punched her ignore button then switched her iPhone to silent mode before she put the phone on her bedside drawer.
She took a deep breath before she started typing again.
Caroline was back in the room after her fifteen minutes shower when Elena yelled and fist bumped into the air, "Finished! My very first finished assignment of the semester. You proud of me yet?" she fluttered her long lashes to her best friend.
"I've done mine three days ago. I'm working on my projects for finals now," Caroline waved her hand nonchalantly as she apply her hair lotion.
"Whatevs," Elena saved the file on her laptop before send the assignment to her professor. She closed the intimidating object then put it far away from her, "So, I'm free now. Want to grab some dinner?"
"Sure. I'm in a mood for Mexican. Should we eat out?"
"Yeah, I'm dying slowly from living in this small cubicle every day," Elena went to grab her black zip up jacket and pocketed her twenty bucks.
"Uh... it is kind of your fault. Speaking of which, what happened? You've been stuck inside for a week at least, only went out for classes," Caroline asked as she put on her light green cardigan.
She was quiet for a minute before she said, "It's Damon. He rather... lied to me. Well, not really, lie, but he hid something, and we always, always share everything since we were kids. I just feel weird that he's been hiding something from me, you know?"
They went out of the room and jogged downstairs, "Yeah? What'd he lie about?"
"Jessica," she felt bitterness in her tongue, "his girlfriend."
Caroline's eyes widened then turned to look at her best friend, "He has a girlfriend?"
"My reaction exactly," Elena mumbled.
"Ugh, just when I thought he was edible to... you know..."
"What?"
"Bonnie and I thought you have a crush on him. I told you before, right? And then you dropped the bomb about Jessica and my dream of planning yours and Damon's wedding is gone," she sighed weakly.
"What? Caroline, no. I do not have any crush on anyone. I am with Matt. Still remember Matt, right? Tall, blond, blue eyes, goes to Duke; my boyfriend," Elena exclaimed as they went into the line of Mexican food truck across their dorm.
"Yeah, sure, until one of you caves and you went down."
"Now you're just being mean. Come on, be positive for me. I love Matt, he's – "
"Kind, smart, thoughtful, yada yada yada. I know, 'Lena. It's just that... I don't see you with Matt, okay? I've told you before, since you guys first went out. Yes, I encouraged you to say yes to him years ago but I'd never think that you guys would go this far," Caroline rambled as they wait for their names to be called.
"Why?" she was actually tired of hearing Caroline's complains but she also couldn't help to wonder what made her best friend thought like that.
"He's safe, for one. You do not work with safe choices. You go here, to New York, even when your parents reluctantly let you. You like fashion, which kind of identifies with girly girl, yet when we were in junior high and in high school, you loved rock climbing, camping and hiking; but still you do it with grace, and no, I am not being a sexist or stereotyping here. You're adventurous, 'Lena. You don't let people dictate you. While Matt; he is your safety net. I'm sure you can take care of yourself, that is why you chose Matt, because you need someone who can never defy you. You're a dominant. You need someone who could defy you , fight you, then you feel satisfied. Admit it; Damon does it to you. He calls you out, he argues with you, while yes, it irritates you, but you love it anyway" she raised her forefinger directly on Elena's face.
She slightly widened her eyes then as if she was compelled, she nodded. Because she knew Caroline was right.
Saturday morning came around and Elena felt someone was shaking her shoulder.
"I gotta go to the gym, "Caroline whispered to her which earn Elena's yawn, "be back in an hour. Bye, hun."
She heard the blonde-haired woman closed the door and she sat up, leaning against her headboard her head turned to her bedside table and she instantly knew that it was already eight in the morning. She stretched her muscle a bit before she took her phone from where she had put it last night.
There were fifteen missed calls from, the one and only, Damon Salvatore, two texts from Liv, and a text from Katherine. She replied to her sister first saying that she sure could use her old laptop for her assignment for school, then she went to reply Liv's text with a yes to lunch together at a restaurant three blocks from her campus.
In addition, she built up courage to call Damon back. She took a deep breath before she punch the green button on her phone screen.
She waited exactly three rings before she knew someone on the other side of the line pick up, "Hi, Elena. Good morning!"
She frowned when she heard a woman's cheery voice through the phone, "morning. Is this... Jessica?"
"Yes. Oh, you recognize my voice already," she said gleefully, "I'm pretty sure you call for Damon, but he's still sleeping. I'll tell him when he wakes up, okay?"
"Yeah, sure, thanks. You sleep over?" she couldn't help but curious.
"Yep. He made me dinner last night and it went so late so I decided to sleep here. Oh, do you want to have lunch with us? At the Salvatore's today?"
She felt like she's going to throw up. She dares to ask me to lunch with her?
"I'm sorry, but I already have a plan for lunch today."
The thing is, she was not feeling a bit sorry. She silently thanking Liv for asked her out to lunch.
"Oh," she sounded... disappointed? "It's okay. How about dinner? I would like to get to know someone who is very close to Damon. Who knows, maybe next week we'll go shopping together."
"A friend asked me already. Sorry," she lied.
She knew she was being mean but she couldn't help it. Jessica was the girl who put her relationship with Damon strained.
"Oh... is that someone special?" she teased.
"A friend, no big deal. Uh, gotta go now. Nice talking to you, Jessica."
She hung up before Jessica had time to reply. She couldn't believe her luck. Today was starting in a very bad way.
"So, this restaurant serves the best Italian food in New York, I heard. Luke hates Italian so I got you stuck with me for the rest of the day."
Liv was driving in her dark blue Prius and Elena was bobbing her head up and down to Silénto's Whip/Nae Nae. They were cruising down to the restaurant Liv would not shut up about. She knocked on Elena's room five minutes before she was supposed to pick her up, and she was practically got strangled by Caroline's nonstop chatting for twenty minutes, talking about the latest young adults novels.
"Yeah, be grateful that I love Italian," Elena said.
"I am. You know, this restaurant had opened their branches and I bet the owner is filthy rich. Also, they opened up their first restaurant three – "
"Okay, you need to stop obsessing over that restaurant, I'm already here," Elena giggled.
Liv was working on her parallel parking when Elena's phone rang and the screen showed Damon's name. She sighed as she got out of the car.
"This is it. Salvatore's"
She looked up and she was faced with the same Salvatore's she had come to a week ago. Her eyes widened and her breath shortened.
"Can we not eat here?"
"What?" she frowned, "Why not? You just said that you love Italian."
"It's not the food..."
"So?"
She mustered up her courage then shook her head to get over her anxiety and said, "Nothing. Let's just go in."
Liv blinked before they went inside and she told her reservation to the maître'd.
She pointed to the side of the open bar and they went to the direction. Elena sat on her chair and Liv sat in front of her. The waiter came and gave them the menus, gave them some time to order.
"I think pasta sounds great," Liv said as she flip her menu.
On the other hand, Elena did not even touch hers. She looked right and left for Damon and Jessica. She did not want to face them now. Not yet. She still had a little bit of anger inside her for Damon who had hid something from her.
"Elena?"
She looked up instantly to find Ric standing beside her.
"Hi, Ric. Nice to see you again," she smiled, "This is my friend, Liv. Liv, this is Ric, the most talented bartender here," she winked at her new friend.
They shook hands and shared a smile, "Damon's here, by the way. Want me to call him?"
"Oh, no. Not this time. I'll call him if I want to see him. Thanks, though."
"Okay, I'll leave you ladies alone now. Nice to meet you, Liv."
Ric left them as the waiter came and they said their orders. Elena wasn't in the mood for eating so she just asked for garlic bread and ice tea.
"Who was that cutie?" Liv asked, her eyes shone.
"'That cutie' was Ric, probably six or seven years our senior, so back off, okay?"
"Oh," she pouted, "but he's cute."
Elena rolled her eyes and chuckled for her friend's behavior.
"Oh, that reminds me. Who is Damon? The same Damon you talked about few days ago?"
"Yep, one and only."
"Who's he anyway?"
Elena then told Liv about her childhood best friend and how now his family owned this restaurant and two other branches. She left the part where Damon lied to her though, she felt if she talked about it, she would just blow up by calling Damon and yell at him here and now.
"Oh my gosh, you could just say that before we leave," she amused.
"I didn't know we would go here, remember?"
"Oh, yeah. You're right," she nodded.
They were talking about school when someone tapped her shoulder.
"Hey, Elena."
She turned around to find, none other, Jessica.
She raised her eyebrows, "Hi... Jess."
"I thought you were just making excuses to pass my offer. Turns out you do have lunch plan. In Salvatore's nonetheless. It's such a coincidence," she gushed as she went to hug Elena.
The brown-haired woman let go as if Jessica's body was made of fire, "I know. This is my friend, Liv. Liv, it's Jessica."
Liv, who sensed Elena's hostility, went to shake Jessica's perfect hand as she said, "Liv. I'm sure you have a pleasure meeting me. Sorry, can't say the same."
Elena was trying her hardest not to laugh by watching Jessica's expression, "So, you order already?"
"Oh, I'm done actually. Damon made PB&J and we ate upstairs. We were planning to go to the bookstore since I need new books for my new classes. He's upstairs cleaning up, you can wait for him," she said, smiling.
"Yeah, sure," Elena responded as she sat on her chair.
Unexpectedly, Jessica pulled up a chair and sat on their table. Liv was starting to form her murderous look, while Elena pursed her lips in annoyance.
"What're you guys having?"
She was making small talk when Damon's voice boomed as he walking toward the table, "Who's your friend, babe?"
Elena turned her head, found Damon clad in dark green Henley shirt and dark washed jeans, "Hey there, Damon."
Don't worry I feel the same way as you guys, I, too, want to strangle Jessica and get her out of the picture. Oh, and the way DE texting... it's pretty cute don't you think?
Please be a dear and leave me your review would ya? Constructive comments are welcomed.
See you next chapter!
PS: Who else in love with Whip/Nae Nae?!
