The rest of the day flew by with out incident. Though every time Elena looked at Stefan, the only thing she could think of was the icy blue stare of his brother.

God she was a 'ho. Just like Kat.

After the last bell rang. Elena practically sprinted to her car. She didn't want to run into Stefan. It was just too embarrassing.

"Elena! Wait up!" A breathless Caroline caught up to her window just as she was closing it.

"Elena don't forget you're coming over later to get ready for the dance…. right?" She asked.

"Yea Car… I'll be over around 5:30." Elena smiled as convincingly as she could manage, waited for Caroline to step back, and then took off.

She blew out a breath and turned on the radio. Good music always seemed to make things better.

The song was in the beginning but it made her stop cold.

"No one knows what it's like
To be the bad man
To be the sad man
Behind blue eyes
And no one knows
What it's like to be hated
To be fated to telling only lies

But my dreams they aren't as empty
As my conscience seems to be
I have hours, only lonely
My love is vengeance
That's never free"

Elena shut the radio off and groaned. Not even the radio would let her have peace. How was he everywhere?

She pulled into the driveway and shut off the engine but stayed in the car, rubbing her eyes trying to ward off the impending headache she felt coming on.

Getting out she slammed the door with more force than necessary. Right now she honestly didn't even care. She ran up the steps and through the front door barely stopping to shake off her sneakers and head for her room. Maybe if she did her homework her mind wouldn't wander. Hopefully.

She threw her book bag onto her bed and flopped down beside it.

"Elena…"

His voice surrounded her like the mist that seemed to follow him.

"Damon." She whispered.

He chuckled softly.

"Elena, come to me…"His voice faded.

"Damon… no don't leave me here!" She cried.

"Come to me…" His voice came from every direction fainter than before.

"Damon!"

Elena jerked and fell off the bed.

Oh God she had fallen asleep! What time was it?

She looked at her alarm clock. 5:20. Crap! She had ten minutes to make it to Caroline's house or she was going to get a bitchfit.

She grabbed her makeup bag and purse and headed to her car. She didn't turn on the radio for fear of what music might be playing. After her last dream she couldn't deal with it right now.

She pulled up to Caroline's with two minutes to spare.

"Hey!" Caroline greeted her as she opened the door.

"Ready to party?" She joked.

"I've got an amazing gold and green dress for you!" Caroline gushed, rushing head first into it.

She pulled it out of the closet and Elena's jaw nearly hit the floor. It was quite possibly the most beautiful dress she had ever seen, let alone would wear.

"It's gorgeous Car! Where did you find it?" She said amazed.

"I guess it was one of my ancestors' but it doesn't fit me so I thought you could wear it." She explained with a shrug of her shoulders.

She helped Elena into it and laced up the back.

"Gosh you're beautiful Elena." Caroline said as she looked at her best friend.

"Thanks Car. So are you that dress is stunning!"

They fixed their hair did their make up and looked at the clock. 7:30. It was time to hit the road.

"Um Caroline?" Elena began, " How are we getting there? I can't drive in a hoop skirt."

Caroline smiled.

"We have a horse and buggy bringing us." Elena looked around but didn't see one.

"Oh…. Umm where is it?" She asked confused.

"On its way" As she finished Elena could just make out the outline of a buggy coming down the street.

Her breath stopped when she saw who was driving it.

"Well hello ladies, some one ordered a ride to the ball?" He said with a half smirk.

"Hello Damon." Elena said shortly.

"Stefan sent me." Again the annoyingly adorable smirk.

"How kind of you."

"Thank you Damon this is wonderful!" Caroline gushed.

Damon stepped down and offered her his hand to assist her.

Caroline smiled broadly, taking his hand and stepping up into the carriage.

When Elena's turn came he kissed the hand he held before lifting her in.

"And we're off."

The school parking lot was packed as they tried to maneuver around the loitering students.

Caroline spotted Matt and after the carriage came to a standstill she hopped down and made a beeline for him.

Elena couldn't see Stefan.

She stood up and made to leave the carriage. Damon was there before she could get down on her own.

"My lady." He said offering his hand with a flourish.

She smiled.

"Thank you." She took his hand and exited the vehicle.

"Do you see Stefan anywhere?" She asked him when her feet were safely on the ground.

He looked around them.

"No, but perhaps he is in the gym." He offered his arm and she accepted, slipping her arm through his.

He escorted her through the doors and headed for the gym.

Elena searched, but he was nowhere to be seen.

Damon looked down at her hurt face.

"You look stunning by the way Miss Gilbert." He whispered in her ear causing a shiver to race down her spine.

"Thank you." She said looking at him warily.

Damon didn't like the way she looked at him. As if she feared him.

"Don't be afraid of me Elena; I'm not going to hurt you." He whispered again intoxicatingly close.

A song began to play.

He pulled her in close for a dance.

He smelled nice. Like expensive cologne… and something else she couldn't quite place.

Elena placed her head on his chest as they twirled around the dance floor. Why couldn't things just be simple for her? And why was she dreaming such terrifying things about Damon when he seemed to be completely harmless? She took a reassuring breath. She had to tell him.

"Damon" She began.

He stared her dead in the eyes.

"Yes Elena?" He answered.

"I've, well I've been having these… dreams… about… you." She finished with a blush.

His eyes betrayed his amusement.

"Really… what kind of… dreams?" He asked with a sinister grin.

"Nightmares" She whispered.

His eyes brows shot up in surprise.

"Nightmares?"

"Well at first." She admitted, " Then it turned into… I don't even know."

"Hmmmm."

The music ended and Elena stepped back from Damon hoping to find Stefan.

"He's not here." Damon said grabbing her hand.

"What?"

"Stefan, he's not here." He repeated.

"How do you know?" She asked him confusion written all over her face.

"I just do." He said sadness filling his beautiful eyes.

"Well where is he then?" She demanded.

"Not here." Was all she could get out of him.

"Take me home then." She said tears threatening to fall.

Stefan had stood her up. And sent DAMON in his place.

What a fool she had been, to think that he would show up.

She was silent the entire ride home. Her heart was broken. What had she done so wrong for him to do such a thing?

They reached the Gilbert home and Elena got out of the Carriage. She started for her door after saying goodnight to a tense Damon. Geesh what was his problem?

"Elena, do you want to go for a walk?" Damon said suddenly grabbing her hand.

"No I want to go to bed I'm tired and upset but thank you for asking." She shook off his hand and opened the front door. Funny. It should be locked.

Elena grabbed the nearest object she put her hand on.

Damon.

"What are you doing?" She asked in an angry whisper.

"Elena please come for a walk with me." He pleaded.

"No!" She whispered again.

She grabbed a statue and headed up to her room. The light was on. She had shut it off before heading to Caroline's hadn't she?

"Mmmmmmm" Came a voice from behind her door.

Someone was in her room.

She slowly opened her door.

She dropped the statue causing it to shatter on the hard wood floor.

"Stefan?" She asked tears welling up in her eyes.

Stefan jumped up off her bed.

"Elena?" He said dumbfounded.

"Hi Elena." She heard a new voice. But it was a voice she knew.

"Katherine?" She said completely baffled.

It was all so surreal. Like a dream.

And then it clicked.

Stefan had slept with her twin. In her own bed.

The room began to spin, the last thing her muddled brain recognized was the pained and concerned look on Damon's face before it all went black.