Damon, Jeremy and I stand awkwardly waiting among the mass of people waiting to congratulate their loved ones. The silence between us might have been bearable if it weren't for all of the laughing and cheering around us.

Damon rocks back on his heels, his arms crossed over his chest, and gives me an overly forced smile. 'Nice weather we're having.'

Jeremy shakes his head at him. 'Really?'

Smirking, he shrugs 'What? I'm making conversation.'

Again Jeremy shakes his head. 'Dumbass.' I laugh loudly and Damon shoots me a look which causes Jeremy to laugh.

'What's so funny over here?' We turn in sync and come face to face with a smiling Veronica.

'Nothing.' Jeremy replies with a smile and walks over to give her a quick hug. 'Congratulations.'

'Thank's.'

'Yeah congratulations. You just wasted four years of your life on a piece of paper.'

She punches Damon in the shoulder with what appears to be every ounce of strength she has. He stumbles back a bit from the force and laughs. 'Dumbass.'

Jeremy and I both let out a loud laugh and Damon glares at us. 'Congratulations.'

She beams gratefully back at me. 'Thank you Stefan.' Her face turns stern and she points a scolding finger back at Damon. 'Don't be saying any of that crap when everyone else gets here.' Instantly I sober up at the thought and look him over trying to see if he's taking her serious or not. I really don't want to kick his ass today.

He shakes his head his trademark smirk in place. 'I'm not an idiot.'

She snorts humorously. 'Well then you're one hell of an actor.' I'm just barely able to bite back a laugh.

'Where's everybody else?' Jeremy asks while looking around, bouncing anxiously on the balls of his feet.

She rolls her eyes. 'Caroline's Mom caught us just outside the gate.' Damon smirks and Jeremy laughs, instantly I feel like an outsider. Veronica turns to me as if sensing my discomfort. 'The Sheriff hate's me.'

'Why?' I'm honestly curious.

She shrugs with mock confusion. 'I have no clue. I'm awesome.'

Jeremy shoots her a look. 'It has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that you met her for the first time while being hauled off in handcuffs.'

She squares her shoulders defensively. 'Hey the little barista bitch had it coming, I clearly told her'

'Two add shots and Soy Milk.' Damon and Jeremy finished simultaneously.

A pout formed on her face and she crossed her arms. 'Well I did.'

'I'm completely lost.' I'm a bit startled by Damon's hand slapping against my back.

'Consider your self lucky.' He smirks and she glares while making a face at him.

Their little back and forth goes on for a bit longer until finally, Bonnie, followed by Elena, Caroline and Matt, came into view. Jeremy rushes forward and picks Bonnie up in his arms and kisses her. She giggles as he puts her down and touches his forehead to hers. I'm not able to hear what they're saying to each other but the huge smiles on their face's are telling. Everyone passes them by while laughing. I meet Caroline's eyes and she's practically glowing. Somehow Matt end's up at my side before her, so I turn and shake his hand, pulling him into a quick hug. 'Congratulation's.'

'Thanks man.'

I turn to face Caroline and am met with Bonnie's smiling face. I pull her into a hug. 'Congratulation's.' I glance over her shoulder and see Caroline talking to Veronica and Jeremy. She glances up and shoots me an apologetic smile. Laughing I turn back to Matt and Bonnie. 'So did you guy's think you were going to ever make it here?' The both burst with laughter.

Matt shakes his head while slapping me on the back. 'Man, we didn't think we were going to make it to high school graduation.' We all laugh knowing it's the truth.

'What is so funny that my bestest friend can't congratulate me?' Her voice is playful and coming from over my shoulder. Smiling I turn abruptly and pick her up in a hug. She screams and let's out a giddy laugh. 'Put me down!' Laughing, I comply with her demand and bring her back down, as soon as her feet hit the grass though I pull her into my arms. 'You did it.'

I feel her relax as if she'd been holding her breath. 'I did didn't I?'

'Congratulations.'

'Thanks.' We pull back and take a step apart.

'So? How do you feel?' I search for any signs of her earlier reservations.

She instantly starts chewing on her bottom lip uncertainly but still is unable to stop smiling. 'I'm not sure.' She looks around at the mass of people. 'I don't think it's hit me yet.'

Suddenly Elena and Damon appear beside us. Elena is looking to Caroline and Damon is giving me a look I know all to well. It's amusement. Shaking my head I tune back into the conversation. Caroline is nodding in agreement to whatever Elena has just said.
'OK well we'll see you guy's later then.' Elena looks over at me and I feel like I'm missing something. Did she ask me something? She gives me a small smile and pulls Damon along behind her. Once they're out of hearing distance, Caroline shoves me. Hard. 'What?'

'What do you mean, what?' Thoroughly confused I rub my shoulder. She put her hands on her hips and gives me a scolding look. 'Stefan you didn't congratulate her!'

'What? Yes I' I glance in the direction they disappeared to and I realize I didn't. Guiltily I look back.

'She's going to think you did it on purpose!'

'But I didn't!'

'Maybe not but she's doesn't know that.'

'Come on it's not that big of a deal.' Even as I say it I feel bad. She just gives me a look. 'OK! I know. I just - I guess I can call her.' I try to keep the uncertainty out of my voice as I pull my phone from my pocket.

'You can not call her!' She shouts incredulously before shoving me again.

'Stop doing that!'

'I will as soon as you stop being a jerk!'

'I'm not' I trail off, feeling the stares of the people around us. I can only imagine what their thinking. I turn and sure enough people are watching. It's then that I realize that we're the last of our group left. I turn back to her and she seems just as uncomfortable by the attention as I am. I grasp her upper arm gently, urging her forward. 'Can we talk about this somewhere else?'

'Yea, fine.' Subtly she pulls from my grasp and walks off while undoing her gown. I'm left with no choice but to follow. We're in the parking lot beside her car when she turns back on me with frustration. 'Tell me you didn't do that because of what I told you.'

'What?' It takes a second for me to catch up with her line of thinking. 'No. I told you it wasn't on purpose.' My words end on a weak note because the guilty thought sneaks into my mind that maybe subconsciously I had.

She groans and pushes my shoulder rougher then I think she meant to. 'Stefan!' She whines guiltily.

'You can't possibly make me feel any worse then I already do.'

'Stefan.'

'I know. I screwed up.'

'Stefan.'

'There's nothing I can' She stumbles backward and I notice that her attention is no longer on me. The look on her face has me on alert in an instant. I turn, following her gaze and take a step back toward her when my eyes lock on a smiling Klaus.

Short little filler chapter that was originally a lot longer but as I was re reading it I realized that it didn't flow right as one chapter and I didn't want to rewrite it because I actually kind of like how it turned out - for once lol Anyway I hope you all agree and I promise Chapter Eleven will not take me nearly as long to post. Thank you all for your support and comments!