A/N: I wanna thank all my reviewers and followers! You guys are seriously amazing! I'm so sorry about the long wait. I hope to update a little more regularly.
Chapter 11
"Elena, what on earth-?"
Elena was at the bottom of her stair case, dressed for school and just in time to see the disdain in her mother's eyes. "Morning." She said stiffly.
Jenna just scoffed. "That is the ugliest shirt I've ever seen. Please go change into something else. Something that won't embarrass your father and I."
Elena just rolled her eyes. "It's school, mom. Not a fashion party. I doubt anyone will care how I look." And they wouldn't care how she looked. After last night, nothing would ever make her look right again.
"People always care, Elena!" Jenna snapped. "Even when they say they don't, trust me they do! Now change!"
Normally Elena would just sulk and go back upstairs and change but ever since what happened…ever since her rape, she didn't care about being obedient anymore. There was nothing she was scared of because the worst had already happened to her. And….Elena Gilbert was in a defiant mood.
"No." Elena answered softly.
"Excuse me?" Jenna asked in an incredulous tone. "Young lady now is not the time to be playing games with me, now go change!"
"No!" Elena yelled, taking another step down. "I am not playing games with you, mother and I am not changing!"
Jenna's eyes narrowed to glare at her in anger and disapproval. "And why not?! Why are you choosing today to be defiant with me?!"
"I'm not choosing, I just am." Elena replied.
"Not good enough." Jenna replied briskly. "I want an honest reason why you won't change out of that hideous outfit!"
"Ok." Elena said simply.
Jenna was wary. "Ok?"
"You want an honest reason? Here's one." Elena licked her lips and picked up her bag. "I like this outfit. I feel comfortable in it, and I am choosing to wear it. So, since I am the one who is being seen in it and who has to walk around all day, I am choosing what I want to wear. I don't tell you what to wear."
"Honestly, Elena must you be so contrary?" Jenna asked in disgust. "You have a name to uphold."
Getting fed up with her mother's constant put downs, Elena slams her bag down and stalks up to her mother.
Jenna almost looks intimidated. Almost.
"I am well aware that I have a fucking name to uphold." Elena spat venomously. "You and father never fail to remind me every day every minute of my fucking life!" Jenna's eyes were wide. "Today, I am going to hold up my name. My name is Elena, mom. It's not Jenna and Alaric Gilbert. It's Elena."
Elena went back to where her bag set and picked it up, swinging it over her shoulders. She walked over to the door.
Jenna was too shocked to say anything. She just stood there staring out into space.
Elena stopped at the door and turned around. "In short, mother…I am done falling in line." With that, Elena stormed out and slammed the door.
Elena pulled into the school's parking lot and for the first time she really, really hoped she didn't run into Stefan.
She'd hung up on him and he hadn't tried to call her back. She didn't really know what she was so surprised about. She'd basically told him to get lost after he'd confessed his love for her.
What guy would call back?
Hell, I wouldn't have called me back, Elena thought to herself in disgust as she walked up the steps and inside the school.
The truth was that it was just easier to let him believe that she hated him. It was easier because if he was mad at her and wanted nothing to do with her, it made it that much less painful than spilling the truth to him and having him look at her in pity for the rest of the year.
Elena was momentarily torn away from thoughts of Stefan when she saw Caroline over at her locker.
She took a deep breath and walked over toward her. She didn't really know what she was going to say but she owed her something. She felt horrible about what she'd caused to happen at her best friend's party.
"Caroline,"
Elena was cut off from whatever she was about to say as Caroline angrily shoved her to the ground.
Elena just sat there winded and shocked. "Car-"
"Don't," Caroline cut her off sharply with hatred in her eyes. "Do not get up, do not address me. How about from now on, I don't exist to you, okay?" She stared Elena down with disgust. "Because you sure as shit do not exist to me."
With that Caroline stormed off leaving Elena on the ground, tears forming in her eyes.
Elena wasn't sure how long she just sat on the floor quietly crying into her hands. Suddenly she felt a hand lightly touch her shoulder and she flinched away.
Oh God, was it him? Was she alone with Klaus?
"No, No," She whimpered, curling herself against the locker.
"Elena? Sweetheart?"
It was that voice. That velvet voice that was always so gentle. She slowly looked up, hoping against all hope that it was her angel and not that monster.
"Stefan," She breathed slowly.
Stefan nodded gently and patiently. He looked her over in deep concern and sadness. "I was so worried about you. You hung up last night...I actually wasn't sure if you'd even be here today."
"I have a name to uphold," Elena whispered, just staring straight ahead.
Stefan's heart broke. What was she looking at?
He breathed deeply and took a seat next to her on the floor. He didn't grab her hand or touch her like he wanted to. He just sat with her.
"Why are you sitting on the floor crying, Sweetheart? Did something happen?" Stefan asked gently.
Elena blinked back more tears as she struggled to get control of her emotions. "Just my life."
Stefan frowned at that. She didn't deserve any of the sorrow that had been bestowed upon her in her life and he really wished he knew what had happened last night, so that he could help her. "How about I take you home, Lena?"
Elena finally seemed to snap out of her trance and she got up. "I thought I told you to stay away from me." She picked her bag up and walked into his classroom.
Stefan immediately got up and went in after her, closing the door behind him. It was his free period so he didn't expect any students and he really didn't want to be interrupted talking to her.
"Besides you shouldn't be using your free time to take some basket case home anyway," Elena continued darkly. "I'm sure you've heard the rumors."
Stefan's eyes darkened. "You're not a basket case. I hate when you talk about yourself like that. And I don't exactly listen to gossip, Elena."
"Why are you even talking to me anyway?" Elena asked. "I told you to stay away."
Stefan let out a wry smile. "Well this is my classroom, Elena."
Elena opened her mouth to retort but realized he was right. This was his classroom. "Fine, I'll leave."
Elena moved to go to the door and Stefan quickly followed her, placing his hand against the door, practically caging her against it.
Elena knew that this was Stefan and that he wouldn't hurt her but she was more than a little uncomfortable that he was this close to her. "Stefan," She breathed shakily. He's not Klaus, he's not Klaus, he's not Klaus. "What are you…what are you doing?"
"I can't let you leave like this," Stefan shook his head, not even realizing that his actions were causing her to shake like a leaf. "You called me last night crying and than you told me to forget I knew you and hung up on me."
"Stefan," Elena breathed, the memories of last night were beginning to overtake her as she felt trapped against this door. "please let me go."
"I know I hurt you," Stefan continued, still not realizing that he was actually scaring her. "but I didn't mean any of what I said to you. I thought I was doing what was best for you. I was thinking with my head instead of with my heart."
He reached out and gently grasped her cheek with his hand. It was when he touched her that he felt her violently shaking. Was she…was she actually afraid of him?
Elena shoved him away with all her might and he actually did stumble back, not from her strength but from the realization that the girl he loved more than anything was actually scared of him.
Stefan looked at her in confusion and deep concern. "Lena, what is it?" He saw tears enter her eyes and it broke his heart. "What's wrong?"
