Tuesday morning brought nothing new, Elena had talked to Mrs Cooper on Monday, who had previously nominated her for the tech quiz. She said that nothing could be done about it now.
Elena groaned when her brother knocked at the car window. She was already upset as it was. She rolled down the window, holding her head up to ask what he wanted.
"What?"
Bonnie and her were sharing a ride together.
"Bon and I are going together." He seemed excited about it but was acting cool.
Elena shrugged, "So get in the backseat."
Jeremy pursed his lips, "Come on, give us some privacy. Things are finally going somewhere."
She glared at him as if trying to melt him with the fire in her eyes, "The only place you're going is hell because I am not walking to school."
"Elena!" He whined and opened the door, "If you walk today, I'll let you use the bathroom first in the morning for two weeks."
Well it was a good offer, the bastard would always lock her door when he got up to pee in the middle of the night and then Elena would end up on the second turn. She picked up her bag, "Fine, it's not like you can have sex in a fifteen minute drive."
He pulled at her ponytail and she elbowed his back as he called Bonnie outside, who by the looks of it was very upset. Elena made a mental note to ask her later about it.
...
..
Elena was walking down the street, her music was distracting her and now she felt the walk was a good choice because her head was getting more clearer.
Just then she noticed a car slowing down next to her, she removed one ear bud to hear the honking. She'd seen this car before.
It was Damon, "Hey cheerleader. Hop in." The window was down but the hood was up which is why she must have not recognised the car.
Elena unconsciously pulled her skirt lower, "Thanks, I am good." In no mood to have him raise her blood pressure so early.
"You want to be late for school?" He asked, "Come on, it's not like I am a stranger."
"Yeah you're just my mortal enemy." She muttered.
"Huh?"
Elena sighed and walked to his car that was now stopped, "Go! Shoo!"
He raised a brow then reached forward, opening his door, "I can get you on the tech quiz, if you listen to me."
Elena frowned, he couldn't do that or could he?
She sat down in the passenger seat and shut the door, Elena had almost forgotten about how erratically he drove, she had to clutch the seat, "Slow down psycho."
He laughed at her bewildered expressions, slowing down a bit, "So Alaric wants me on the tech group, but I checked the rules online, and I can have a co-contestant ."
"We are not sharing a group." She spat, "I'll never be on the same team as you."
"Why not? Isn't this what you wanted?"
"Look , you have to back out of this." She said with a finality in her tone, "The contestants have a say in whether they want to participate or not."
She saw his face go slightly tense, "Nope. Not doing that."
"Why?"
He stayed quiet, he couldn't exactly tell her Alaric was blackmailing him. What if she thought of this as something else, like him saving her meant he wanted her or worse, liked her.
No fucking way.
"Because I want my college applications to stand out." He pursed his lips.
She rolled her eyes, "Oh please you're not even in SAT prep."
"Its my choice, Elena." He glared at her.
They were now entering the school parking, when the car stopped Elena turned to him, very frustrated at this point.
"I knew it. All you want is to take what's mine, this whole charade of you wanting me to be in same tech group is just as excuse."
"An excuse for what? I am trying to do something good for you." He was surprised at his own defensive tone.
She chuckled humourlessly, "You know what I mean. You want to get me alone, getting me insecure and down enough to have sex with you."
His face twitched slightly as if he were holding back anger, tongue pressing against his cheek, he took a sharp breath, "This is not worth it. Get out of the fucking car."
"What?" she was shocked at his flipped switch.
"I am no longer interested in making you co-contestant, or even sharing air with you so get the fuck out of my car, Losers like Matt Donovan might worship at your alter but I've had my fair share of Elenas so you're nothing fucking special to me." His voice was cold, void of any emotion.
Elena swallowed thick, her pride was wounded. She grabbed her bag and reached for the door. Already plotting revenge. She wanted to hurt him now, hurt him bad.
...
Elena was mad with rage, though she tried to remain as composed as she could be throughout the day. Most of her classes had went by and all she could hear was screaming and screeching noises in her head.
Usually Bonnie would ask her but Elena noticed that her friend was very upset today. She decided to be a good friend and keep her problems aside for once to focus on her.
"Psssss! What's going on? You look like you're going to cry." Elena asked her. Bonnie's head was hanging low, her curls hiding her face, "Hmm? Nothing."
"Bon, I know you're upset about something. Please tell me. I just want to know what it is, I won't help if you don't want me to." Elena knew Bonnie hated asking for advice related to all these things.
She huffed, "Enzo's back."
Elena's jaw tightened slightly, that was Bonnie's first heartbreak. He was almost 19, in air force academy. They had a brutal on and off relationship in the past.
"Why is he back?" Elena asked, already knowing this meant Bonnie was going to step into her toxic routine again.
"I think he has a few weeks off. I don't know. But now he has a girlfriend." She bit into her lip, "Why do I feel so betrayed? He broke up with me an year ago."
Elena looked around to see if their teacher was around or not, "Look you've always been in this limbo with him and every time he shows up you just wonder if it could be what you want it to be this time."
She nodded slightly, "I know. I react desperately. You must think I am so stupid."
Elena chuckled, "You're not stupid. So what was the car ride with Jeremy about? Did you tell him about Enzo?"
Bonnie's green eyes slightly widened as she laughed in embarrassment, "Uh no. I just told him I was upset and didn't want to hang out so then he begin his 'Make Bonnie Happy' mission."
Elena raised a brow as if asking.
"He got me donuts and coffee for breakfast and we're hanging out after school." She said in a sassy tone, somewhat back to her usual self. Elena sighed, "Bon, look I know you think this is fun, but he really likes you. So if you don't like him, tell him before it gets out of control."
She shrugged it off, "It is as harmless as it can be. Trust me."
Elena seemed some what convinced by her friend's promise. Just hoping this wouldn't end in some big disaster for them.
...
..
Damon cursed when he noticed the damn watch on his wrist, he was twenty minutes late to drama club, the drama club president Luke Parker was a real pain in the ass. As soon as he opened the door, everyone's head snapped to him.
"Ah, Salvatore finally decided we were worth his time." As expected Luke snarled.
Damon shut the door after himself, they were in the school theatre, he had received a notification that they were reading a play today on stage.
"Calm down budget Tarantino, I went to the wrong room."
And that's when the teacher's pet Elena Gilbert spoke, "We only have one theatre room in the whole school."
Elena was a star here, amongst the pretentious losers, just where Damon thought she fit the best.
The whole batch was here, Elena, Caroline, Matt which Damon knew was because of Elena, Aimee Walker, Trevor Martin, Sydney Wood, Luke's brother Kai. The list went on.
"Huh. I guess it's still I didn't want to be here then." Damon said tossing his bag to the side and joining the group in the circle of chairs.
He was handed a small booklet.
Luke informed him, "We finally got enough funding for a play some time in the coming month. And we have decided on a classic."
Damon looked up at the roof as if talking to God, "You could have fed a village in Africa with that money, and you gave it to them?"
Caroline snapped at him, "Why don't you save this creative improv for stage?"
He threw his head back on the chair in annoyance, "Go on, talk about French films, I am all ears."
He heard Elena take a sharp breath. It was surprising how he even knew the sound of her breathing, when she was mad at him, or annoyed at him, or frustrated because of him, or- well that's the kind he knew for now.
"We are reading a William Finn and James Lapine play today, famously known as Falsettos."
"We've been reading it for the past 3 sessions." Elena corrected Luke, then muttered, "Of course not all of us were here."
Damon looked up, he knew she was talking about him, "Yeah, I was at tech quiz practice, you know- like actual smart people." He mocked her.
"Damon, you have to read it." Luke said seriously to which he shrugged, "Don't worry I've kept up."
He loved to see that fire blazed in her eyes at the mention of the tech quiz, she could turn him to ashes with just a glare.
"Okay, so we were assigning parts." Luke called out, "We still haven't found our Marvin, of course Elena is our Trina, she's a school favourite after all."
Flattery, Damon shook his head in disdain for the sweet talker.
"Damon, I was thinking you could be our Marvin, since you're pretty enough for it." He said in that slightly high-pitched voice.
Damon's head snapped to him, his face scrunched up in disgust, "What? Pretty?"
Caroline gasped, "Oh my god, he's perfect for Marvin." Damon was about to shut them up when Elena said, "Does it mean I have to be his wife?"
Huh.
It was like an evil plan formed on its own. "Great. I am Marvin." He was quickly on board.
"Okay now that we have decided the characters, Elena as Trina, Damon as Marvin, Kai as Whizzer, Matt as Mendel-"
He went on but Damon's gaze was fixated on her, she seemed oddly calm reading the script as if she had no issue.
She had no issue.
Damon thought was weird. Something was definitely fishy.
As if knowing he was looking at her, Elena glanced up to meet his blue eyes with her brown ones and smirked. Then she winked.
That's when he knew something had happened, he just didn't know what.
"So can someone explain the plot before we do our read?"
Elena raised her hand and Luke gave her a go, her eyes were fixed on Damon as she read, "An unusual romance in the 1970s, we have Marvin and Trina, their marriage crumbles after Marvin falls in love with another man called Whizzer."
Damon didn't even need to hear more, he knew that this twisted girl had played him.
"What, I am gay?" He spat.
Elena feigned being confused, "I thought you said you kept up?"
"No fucking way, a musical is gay as it gets, I don't want to be the biggest stereotype kind of gay." He then looked down at the booklet before looking at Kai, who was suppose to be his lover on stage, "Especially not for him."
Kai rolled his eyes, "Yeah, like I am excited about singing 'Thrill of First Love' with you. Only to die at the end."
Matt too spoke excitedly as he read his part, "Woah, I am Trina's Lover."
Damon's eyes narrowed on the price, "Just don't make a virginity pact with Trina too, buddy."
He got up from his seat, all ready to fight "What did you say? You want to take this outside?"
"Why? Don't your fists work in closed walls?" Damon said challenging him.
Caroline shook Elena as If asking her to do something but she shrugged off reading the script further.
"Okay, big guys- this is not the football field, theatre is a very soft place." Luke said standing between them, "So go to the other ends of room and read your parts. We start practicing in the next session. Save the anger and passion for stage."
Matt walked away with his booklet but Damon stayed in the circle. They were all silently reading, Damon was feeling more and more embarrassed with every scene in the play. More about the fact that he wanted to mess with Elena and now he'd be the one that was played.
He peeked over his booklet at Elena, who was sitting one leg crossed over the other, reading with her full concentration, the corner of her lower lip was being pulled at by her teeth and it did stir something inside him. It had been so long since they'd kiss, and normally he didn't care about kissing but there was just something about the shape of her lips, or the way she gave him so little that it felt like a lottery win when she'd let him kiss her and it just kept him wanting more.
When the session time ran out, she picked up her booklet and without sparing him so much as a look, and headed for the exit, Matt blocked her way, "Can we talk?"
Elena looked up at him and shook her head, "No, I don't want to."
"Look, I am sorry I shouted at you in the showers." He started anyway but Elena interrupted, "Matt, I don't care- I am sorry but I don't, it seems like a million years ago- I am over it. Now excuse me."
"But Elena-"
She walked around him and went outside not in the mood to deal with him, and that's what got Damon to pick up his bag and follow her.
She was still reading something, not the booklet, just another book in her hand, completely distracted and that's why she didn't notice Damon when he pulled her from the main hallway to the auditorium backdoor way, there was hardly any lights so Elena shrieked before he pushed his palm against her mouth, "Shhh"
Once confirming it was him, she nodded- eyes still wide with surprise just like he liked them.
He pulled her book away from her hand, throwing it back, the hand that cupped her mouth slid down to her throat, and closed around it, "No wife of mine is going to cheat on me and get away with it."
Elena was breathing rapidly, then his words registered in, she swallowed thick gathering her composure, "You shouldn't have fallen for someone else then, husband." He didn't expect her to play along and yet here she was.
In less than a second his mouth was on her, keeping her in place as he kissed her, though expecting resistance, he was happy that he found none. She moaned kissing him back, clutching the front of his shirt with one hand and the other arm looped around his neck to pull him closer. His tongue explored her mouth from all angles. He wanted to savour the cherry Lip-gloss taste from her lips while his hands memorised every curve on her body.
This time his hands were wild in their exploration. He let her throat go, kissing it down till he reached her collar bones and began pulling her shirt lower on her shoulders, she was panting but every breath she took posed no resistance as she arched her back for him, grabbing his hair to have some sort of control as his lips ravished the top of her breasts that were clad in a white lacy bra.
"Fuck, you really are an angel." He looked at her in awe, "Too bad you wanted to be corrupted all along." His mouth closed on hers in a searing kiss. She tugged at his lower lip playfully and their tongues mingled while he reached behind to unclasp her bra. Her cheeks turned a crimson colour when he parted an inch from her lips, his gaze down to the rounded, tan-skinned breasts that were pushed up by her lowered shirt.
His lips found their familiar way from the slender curve of her neck to her cleavage, while his fingers softly caressed her skin, thumb circling her pointing nipples. Elena moaned when his mouth closed around it, throwing her head back, she held on to his neck, "Stop. Its just too much!" she cried.
He huffed against her butter soft skin, cursing at how he always had to like difficult girls. Pressing butterfly kisses up her chest, he stopped at her neck, just relishing in the feel of her breasts Pressing against his chest, "So did I reduce you to nothing this time too or did you really want me?"
Elena squirmed under him, "Doesn't change the fact that I hate you."
"But you do want me?" He snickered, "I mean its hardly a secret." He kissed a spot under her ear that made her shiver, she pushed him, "You'll never hear me say it. And while you're busy getting it out of me, I'll be destroying you. When I say you will regret ever stepping into this school or even thinking you could de-throne me, I so mean it , Damon." She pulled up her shirt, glaring at him as she picked up her book and walked out of there.
He shook his head, his fiery kitten was delusional.
...
..
The student council meeting today was jam packed because there were some volunteers in the meeting room too.
Rebekah, Mason and Bonnie were grouped together, basically pretending to work, while Damon was assigning volunteer duties.
Elena and Elijah were busy with other non-masquerade party duties.
And all volunteers, well they were annoying Damon.
Caroline was the undeclared leader of this group, giving him her excessive suggestions about the theme, "What if the school entrance is like a red carpet?"
Damon wanting to choke himself to death when she started talking about balloons. When the door was knocked at, he thanked the skies for interruption, "Yes?"
Surprisingly, Stefan entered the room, and when all eyes were on him, he seemed intimidated, "I am here to volunteer."
And just like that everyone went back to work, Stefan walked to Damon's side of the room, taking a seat next to Caroline, "Hey, I didn't know you'd be here."
Damon raised his brows looking down at his lists of duties, "Sure you didn't."
One way or another, Damon felt like he was saved, "Em, why don't I put you both down for the decoration team?"
Stefan eagerly responded, "Yes. That's good for me."
Caroline however hesitated, "I don't know- Tyler gets really weird about him."
Stefan seemed surprised, "What? Why?"
Damon wanted to smack his head against the table now for being here for this, Caroline continued, "Because I was dating you both a few months ago and when Tyler and I got exclusive, I told him."
Stefan's eyes narrowed, he seemed taken aback, "You were dating both of us? Why am I just finding out about this?"
Damon stood up, "Great, you guys are getting along. I'll go and- do literally anything else."
Once he left, Stefan turned to Caroline, "You never told me you were dating other guys."
She stayed calm, "Stefan I didn't even know what we were. You never gave a shit about anything. Half the time we were dating, you were high."
He frowned, "I already apologised to you. I thought we were becoming friends."
Caroline grabbed her bag in nervousness, "We are. There are no hard feelings. I just don't want to screw things up with Tyler. I am sorry but we can't be on the same team."
"So he doesn't trust you?" Stefan scoffed, "That's what he gives you for your honesty?"
She shook her head, "He trusts me. I don't want to give him a reason not to."
He shrugged, "So work with me. If you're so confident about it. You don't have to ask permission now, do you?" he slightly mocked which flared Caroline's self respect, "Of course not, you know what? I will work with you. Just to prove how cool Tyler is with all of this."
"We'll see about that." Stefan reached for the file on the table, "Let's talk Decor now, or should we discuss Tyler some more."
"Oh shut up already." Caroline said dragging her chair near to his, sharing her Decor ideas with him now.
On the other end of the room Elijah was discussing the year calendar with Elena, "There are so many dances, I mean who needs it?"
Elena chuckled when she saw Elijah sigh out loud and run a hand through his hair, "Students want a break from studies time to time."
He made a 'hmmph' sound and gestured towards the room, "These people study?"
Elena too glanced over the chatting and laughing groups in the room. Her eyes scanned around and spotted Damon, who was leaning against a desk, talking to Rebekah, he had that flirty expression on his face. She knew that well.
The blonde had her hand on his thigh, flirting back with him.
"Yeah, I see your point." She said bitterly.
This just made her feel worse, to think that Damon was screwing girls and still chasing after her like she was a name on his list. It made her feel small, unimportant, not special.
Then she would remember his words from a few days ago, she was not special to him at all.
"Elena?" Elijah asked her.
She snapped out and turned her head back to him, "Yeah?"
Elijah fidgeted slightly, a bit unsure whether to talk to her or not, Elena rarely saw him so nervous, it was highly unusual. Lately Elijah had been acting so weird.
"Um, I was wondering if you want to- maybe. Both of us can go to the dance." He said with long pauses.
Elena huffed, "We have to be there to look after everything, I know."
He shook his head, looking a bit frustrated, "No- um. I meant if you want to go with me."
"You mean you want to share a ride?"
Elijah wanted to dig a hole and live in it now, "No, I mean like a date. I want to take you as a date." He was turning red, feeling like he would combust. After all asking the popular cheerleader was just something he could do in a dream.
Her eyes slightly widened as If it had been extremely unexpected, "Uhh. Date?"
Elijah quickly said, "You can say no, it's fine. I just thought of it."
Now Elena just felt bad for putting Elijah though this discomfort, "It's fine, we can go together. I think it'll be great." She gave him her best smile that calmed the nervous boy down a bit. Elena looked down at the files between them, "Where's the party budget?"
"Bonnie has it. I've done my signatures on it so if you can just get Damon to approve since he is taking care of all the arrangements, I can send it to the teacher's lounge for a report."
Suddenly a plan formed in Elena's mind. It was like the opportunity had knocked on her door. She did promise herself that she would take revenge from Damon.
"I'll get it done. You already are doing so much." She said using her big bambi eyes on him and like she planned, he was unable to refuse her and nodded.
Elena pat his shoulder as she got up and headed for Bonnie, "Hey, I need the party budget. Are you done with it?"
Bonnie seemed exhausted once again as she lead Elena to the drawers behind the meeting table, "Yeah. There you go. Damon hasn't signed yet."
Elena cursed taking the paper, "That's find ill get it signed."
Bonnie tilted her head slightly when she noticed Elena's enthusiasm, "Hmm it looks like you are up to no good. Keep in mind though, this whole secret rendezvous with Damon can end up bad for you."
Elena wanted to laugh in Bonnie's face, "Bonnie it's not what you think it is."
She raised a brow, "Is it not? Because poor Rebekah just spent the better half of an hour trying to convince him to go to the dance with her but Damon told her he's got his sights set on another girl. And just the way he's been staring at you ever since you started talking to me, I'd have to guess that girl is you."
Elena's head snapped to the right and she saw Damon turn to his brother, pretending he was talking to him all along.
Shaking her head in disbelief, she looked back at Bonnie, "That's bull. He just doesn't want to take Rebekah, you know he's more of a wham-bam guy, not the one you'd go with on a dance."
Yet a part of her wondered if Damon was being honest. She didn't want to believe that. Because she was about to screw him over majorly and nothing would stop her
But if he did like her, could she use it? Could she get his signatures without him looking down at the paper to which she was adding a higher budget.
So when the report his later submitted Damon gets his ass suspended from student council.
She walked over after she slightly altered the budget plan and knocked on the table where he was talking to his brother about the workload.
He looked over at Elena who was standing there with her hand on her hip, he dismissed Stefan, whom left the council room with Caroline arguing about renting the curtains.
"What do you need, Angel?" He said with that slightly narrowed eyes, Elena detested his nicknames, this one was the courtesy of her lace bra. She knew he did to remind her of that heated fifteen minutes and turn her on, it never failed to work.
She kept her voice steady, "Your process is getting pretty sloppy, I thought nick-naming was your only creative outlet."
He chuckled, "What can I say I've been writing a lot for the school paper. You know, the one you don't write for because everyone thinks you're boring. So kind of burned out in that department."
Elena tried to contain her anger and frustration, she had to get his signatures to destroy his smug face after all, "You missed the scoop on me, Damon." She said pulling out the paper and placing it on the table with a pen, "If I were so boring, I wouldn't be on your mind all the time." She said leaning closer to whisper in his ear, "I wouldn't have you following my every move, my every plan, it wouldn't have even mattered to you if I told you I am not wearing panties under my skirt."
She watched him swallow thick as she pulled back with a smirk, "Not such an angel now, Am I?" she handed him a pen, not looking away from his arctic blue eyes that seemed dazed at her confession.
He signed on the blank over his name, still looking at her, "You're- you're lying." He seemed almost sure.
Elena shrugged, "I guess you'll never find out."
She did her victory dance in her head as she took the paper back to the filing room, to get it in an envelope for the report. Turning around , she gasped in shock when she saw Damon right behind her in the small filing cabinet room. He towered over her in such a way that she was trapped between the tall drawers and him, "I guess I gotta get the scoop on you."
He nuzzled her temple as his finger pushed her chin up, his lips brushed against hers softly and she sighed when she felt his other hand reaching for her skirt, she put her hand over his to stop him from feeling her up. Her face pulled back as she spoke, "Elijah's taking me to the dance."
She looked down adding, "He asked me out."
She didn't know why she was telling him that. But the one thing she was interested in was his reaction.
His face hardly changed, "So the cheerleader found herself a nerd."
Before she could say anything, he chuckled, "The jock, the nerd- you definitely don't have a type."
It was hardly the reaction she had wanted, but then what did she want from him?
She pushed his hand away from her skirt, "And your type is anything that moves- so keep your condescending opinions to yourself."
He was surprised from the whiplash, she seemed visibly upset for some reason, "Its hardly an opinion, its more of an observation."
She pushed against him till he backed away, "Well I have an observation too, you're a complete ass. Oh wait, that's a fact." He seemed amused at her anger, smirking now, "Am I suppose to care that you found yourself a date to the dance?"
That's when it hit her, she wanted him to care. This was all Bonnie's fault. She set her up to feel this embarrassed in front of her nemesis.
She gathered herself, not letting her face give it away, "Just letting you know that now that I've got myself someone as great as Elijah, I don't need your gigolo services."
"Huh. You sure about that?"
She stepped aside to walk out, "Positive. But don't worry I am sure there will be plenty of girls you can pick from at this short notice, oh wait. There aren't."
...
..
The week had been stressful already, Damon didn't remember his life before this ruckus. He was either reading for his test, solving quizzes Alaric assigned to him, foot ball practice, news paper work, council work. It was just a lot.
Elijah was counting on him for everything. Now that Elena had said yes to the date, Damon noticed Elijah had a god-awful happy sub-urban dad look all the time. At the council meeting yesterday, Elena and him were chatting more than usual. At one point he even had the nerve to hold her hand. She acted so sweet around him, it was sickening. Damon knew this was all a show for him. But then, was it?
Were their stolen moments just her breakup rebound? And now she found her ideal guy.
Rebekah called them a perfect match. Well, she meant it as an insult but he saw it as a threat.
Elena was not Elijah's match. She was full of fire, mystery and a hell lot of pride. He knew just how to make her lose all control.
The worst of it all was that he was literally invisible to her since the other day in the file cabinet. It was like he pushed a wrong button and now she was avoiding him like the plague. No more comebacks or fights, no more peeking, it was as if it never happened. It had only been two days but ever since she broke up with Matt, there never went a day by when there wasn't something going on between them. And now it was just dust.
Elijah had called him to the lab for something and Damon didn't want to see the guy at all. Elijah was under some sort of impression that they were friends which might be because Damon made it look like that initially for his advantage.
"Good, you're here." He said opening the IT lab door, his group friends were busy working while he was pacing around the room.
"What happened?" He asked when he noticed Elijah was worried.
He blew out a breath, "I don't know, the dance is tomorrow and even though I asked her out, it feels so weird."
Damon folded his arms across his chest, "It's just in your head, president."
He turned around and walked to him, almost whispering, "It's not in my head! I want this to be good, Damon. I want her to like me."
Maybe, that was the limit, he felt his fist clenching at the thought of helping another guy with a shot at something that was clearly his.
"From what I've seen, you don't have anything to worry about." Damon wanted to leave before he ended up punching the poor guy.
He shook his head with a tired sigh, "Damon, let's be honest here. I am not a jock or someone who is popular around here. I know she said yes to the date but- she didn't seem excited. Elena is used to big gestures and I screwed up by asking her like I was asking for a pencil."
He palmed his head, "You know when Donovan asked her, he did it in front of everyone on the football field."
Sitting down next to his computer, he looked up at him as if asking for help.
Damon rolled his eyes, "Look, if she wanted a guy like Donovan, she would be with a guy like Donovan. But she isn't, she said yes to you."
He dragged a chair sitting next to him, "You're a great guy, Elijah, guys like you don't need any big gestures. But if you want I can help you with it."
He nodded, "Yes, that's exactly what I want. And I have some ideas too."
Damon was extremely conflicted, on one end he didn't want to fuck up things for Elijah because the poor guy did nothing wrong to him but on the other end was Elena, whom he just couldn't leave alone. Especially now that he was invisible to her.
What if Elijah did something so horrendously big that'll force Elena's couple facade to blow up.
"That's good, how about we keep Elena after school for the party prep. That way we can think of something." Damon suggested, Elijah relaxed a but, now somewhat calm that Damon was helping him, "Great, I feel slightly more confident than I started with."
Damon chuckled, "Its nice to see a heart under your tin man costume. So what are you working on?"
He gestured towards the computer. Elijah groaned in annoyance, "This is just a project of mine. My friends and I wanted to launch this after we are done with this shit hole of a year. Between the damn counsel and SAT prep, I just don't have time."
"Tell me about it. I am becoming a freaking poster child for nerdtropia myself." Damon said looking over the computer screen.
Elijah explained, "It's an application that would act like a platform for patients to connect with doctors. Just by entering your issue, or any symptoms you might have, the application will direct you to a list of doctors for a virtual session. Then you can also take it a step further and give your location to be directed to the best doctors in your areas. It will also save your medical history so you won't have to start all over with new doctors."
"That's pretty impressive." Damon complimented looking at the clean layout of blue and white on the screen whole Elijah showed him his demo data.
"Yeah but it doesn't matter. It needs dedication and money, both of which I don't have." He closed the system down.
Damon shrugged, "I am sure you can get investors whenever you want." Elijah didn't seem to want to talk about it, as if it were a sore subject, "Its just an idea. We're high-school seniors, no one is investing in that." He got up from the chair, "Now let's go, we have to make sure that this party isn't a complete disaster thanks to you."
...
..
.
The preparations for the party were in full swing, people were running around, ladders were practically everywhere. Bonnie was being followed by a very persistent Jeremy.
"You keep saying everything is fine but then you stop talking to me or answering my texts." He called after her but she was avoiding him, "Bonnie?"
She turned around the corner pretending to look at the windows, "I am busy, so if you want to stay, get to work or just go. I don't have time to babysit you."
That always hit him the wrong way, when she pretended he was too young or stupid.
He held her arm, turning her around to him, "Bon, no. Don't do this. Look, I know you're upset about something and if it's something you would rather not tell me then I am not asking." He cupped the side of her face, "All I want is to be close to you. I've done everything to prove to you that you can count on me."
The crease between her eyebrows vanished when she breathed out, feeling a bit calm as Jeremy stroked her hair, "Jer." She felt awful to break it to him, "I don't like you like that."
Like she had predicted, he looked hurt like a puppy, pursing his lips he asked, "So how do you like me? I can be what you want us to be."
Bonnie looked away, unable to look him in his brown , full of love eyes, "I like you like a friend. Whenever I am with you, I let go and laugh. So yeah- spending time with you makes me happy but I just don't want it to be anything more."
Her hand rested against his chest, she reached to cup his face with her other hand and moved closer to kiss his cheek, "You'll find someone soon. I know it."
He nodded, still refusing in his head to be with anyone but the girl who could cause tingles in his skin by just kissing his cheek.
"Wait." He said, before she could leave. He put his bag down and pulled out his sketch book, "I know you were upset these past days, you still are- so I made you something. And if you want to hangout, you can just call me. I'll be there." He handed her his sketch book. Bonnie opened the cover and giggled seeing an animated version of her self in some sort of comic strip.
'The Queen B of Town'
He had named it. Her heart warmed as she saw the little jokes here and there. Truth was Jeremy was extraordinarily talented, and it showed in his drawings that he had displayed in his room, but she never thought he'd write a whole comic book about her.
"Oh god, this is so cool." She couldn't help but gush.
He blushed at her admiration of his work, it was one thing for someone else to praise him, entirely different for Bonnie, his crush since the second grade to do so.
"Well, let me know when you get done." He said picking up his bag off the ground and leaving. She pulled the sketchbook closer to her chest, still smiling. Feeling better for the first time in days.
She was going to open up the book again but then she heard a scream. It was from the main hall. Bonnie rushed towards the sound where a few people were gathered. A ladder was lying on the floor and it was Caroline who screamed, however Stefan had caught her right when she fell from the top.
In shock, she was still crying, "I almost cracked my skull open!" she said to Elena when the latter tried to comfort her. Stefan was patting her head, "You could have asked me for help."
Caroline shook her head with violent cries, "I thought I could do it."
Stefan put her down on the ground, she was still holding on to his shirt, "Its fine, Care, you're okay." Bonnie said sitting close to them too. Elena too sat down, "Are you hurt?"
She nodded slightly, "I turned my ankle, that's how I fell."
"Oh." Stefan said reaching to hold her foot, she squealed, "Ow! Ow! Stop."
He put his hand up in surrender, "Yeah, okay. I was just checking where it's hurt."
Elena pat Caroline's back, "The nurse's office would be closed. Its after hours. I should go look for ice packs."
Before she could go, Stefan stopped her, "No Its fine, I'll take her home, it's not like she can work."
Bonnie agreed, "Good idea."
Caroline's face tensed up, "Tyler's not in school is he?"
When Bonnie shook her head in no, Caroline gestured towards Stefan, "Okay, let's go."
Elena shook her head at Caroline's concerns, "Okay, everyone. We are down two volunteers so we better work fast."
She clapped to move the crowd back to work. That's when Elijah and Damon walked in. Her dark haired nemesis wasted no time in addressing her, though she had avoided to give him an excuse to.
"Why was Stefan carrying out the party Godzilla? She's the only one who was pulling all this shit together?" he snarled.
Elena's eyes slightly widened with his angry tone, "Caroline sprained her ankle."
"It's all because of those stripper high heels." He muttered then turned to Elijah, "We can't be done before tomorrow at this rate, some of us have to stay."
Elijah nodded, "That's fine, Elena can stay." He knew that was the plan.
Damon shrugged, "At this point she has to. Elena I want you to set all the tables. And also call our catering to ask about the order."
She gasped, "What? No, I did the curtains- and I have to go to the hospital for my job. Elijah? Won't you say anything?"
Elijah interrupted, "I am sorry, Elena. But he's supervising. If he says you have to stay then you have to stay."
She bit her lip as she looked at Damon who was giving her that 'I told you so' look.
So she avoids him and he tries to screw with her to get attention.
"Fine." She but out as she turned around to start her new assignment.
...
..
Damon as a supervisor was not fun. All he was missing was a whip in his hand. All he did was bark orders at her and the others.
"Did you call the catering?" he asked when Elena was setting her final table, she nodded. Still refusing to speak to him.
He walked around the table, standing in front of her, "Well what did they say?"
She looked up at him and huffed, "To pick the order."
"Great. Then go do it." He handed her the keys, she looked down at her hand in surprise, "No way."
"And you're moving it to the cafeteria because all the volunteers are gone.
Her jaw dropped, "Damon!" her patience was gone at this point, "No-no. I am tired and this is honestly unfair."
He didn't even flinch a bit, his face still tough and intimidating. "Get to work."
Elena blocked his way when he tried to walk around her, "I've been working all day. You know that."
"Elena, its nothing personal. You guys have been slacking all week. I assigned these tasks for the day before yesterday. But you're walking around with hearts in your damn eyes for Elijah so maybe you're the one who screwed up. This is my first student council project and you're not going to be fucking it up for me." He said with a order like tone, Elena was staring back at him, slightly intimidated.
In a very disturbing turn of events she felt herself getting turned on. His anger and the attitude, it was just a very dominative side of him that she found herself desperately attracted to. With a gulp, she nodded, "Okay." Only able to form a small sound, hiding her ridiculous attraction.
She grabbed the keys and walked towards the exit.
...
..
.
"So what's your big plan because Elena's going to be back in half an hour." He asked as he opened the door to the counsel office where Elijah was sitting.
Once again, looking like a fish out of water, "Uh so this is something obnoxiously romantic. I've taken pictures of her- I do photography in my spare time."
"you have spare time?" He asked confused.
Elijah brushed it off, "So every time at events that the counsel arranged, I've taken some candid shots. And I put them in a video. It's just a lot of pictures. And it would be playing over my favourite song, Every breath you take by the police."
Damon's jaw almost hit the ground when he heard Elijah's plan, "That's not obnoxiously romantic, it's just- obnoxious. And she'll be calling the police on you."
Though it was the perfect way to freak Elena out, he didn't want to scare her for her life, especially because even though Elijah was into Elena, he wasn't a bad person.
"What do you mean?" the colour drained from his face, his usual confident 'President' face crumbled, "Is it bad?"
"Yes, it makes you look like a creep." He walked around and bent to look at the video on the screen, "What the fuck is this?"
He said clicking forward on the thousands of pictures Elijah had of her.
He explained, "You're getting it wrong, it's from twelve school events, so yeah they are a bit large in quantity."
Damon stood up, still looking down at the hopeless guy, with a hand on his hip as if judging him. "Tell me I won't find a bunch of hair in your locker. Because if so- we've got a stalker situation."
Elijah stood up too, "I didn't know this is bad, we are suppose to photograph everyone at those events, so who cares if I took about 300 pictures extra. And no I don't have hair in my locker but I sure am going to jump out the window because I can't embarrass myself tomorrow." Before he would walk out, Damon pulled him back, "Stop."
"I have a backup plan." Damon huffed. "But promise me you're not bringing a camera tomorrow."
Elijah nodded, "Deal."
...
..
Elena had never been here alone and that too in the dark, she needed someone to help her unload all the catering supplies to the cafeteria. Was everyone gone?
"Damon?" she asked in the dark hallway, a bit freaked out by the sound of her own boots.
"Anyone here?"
"You're back."
She shrieked at the voice, and turned around, holding her phone like a weapon, it was Damon.
She let out a sigh of relief, "Did everyone go home?"
He nodded, taking a step towards her, "Its just you and me. And Elijah."
Elena swallowed thick when he invaded her personal space so much that she could smell his fresh fragrance, he didn't look too angry now.
"Big day tomorrow." She muttered.
He looked cool about it, as if it were no big deal, "I am all set." Elena snorted but didn't tell the reason, oh he would regret it all soon when the budget report comes back.
"I took your advice by the way, asked a girl out."
She unknowingly clenched her fists at this new piece of information, did she advice him? "I don't care, I need help with unloading the stuff from the van." But she really did want to know what skank he was taking tomorrow.
His hand raised to touch her shoulder, he turned her around so she was facing away from him, his chest pressed into her back, "Why don't you go get Elijah to help you? He's in the main hall."
She frowned when he tucked her hair behind her ear.
"Huh, you really are petty. All of this because I won't let you play with my head anymore?" She hissed, "Thank you for all of this because now I'll never second guess myself especially when it comes to a lowlife like you."
He chuckled, "Go and catch the stars, Elena. But you will come back to me." He said as he left her there.
Elena cursed as she headed for the main hall, opening the door to complete darkness, she called, "Elijah? Are you here?"
And suddenly with a clicking sound the door closed behind her, she turned around shocked, "What the-"
A ray of pebble like lights cut through the air and following it several beams followed.
Elena was mesmerised as she looked up at the roof of the room, that now resembled a sky, dark blue and blackish- purple, dotted with stars that descended down towards the ground.
She was in a room full of stars. "Ah."
A soft tune begins playing in the back and Elena giggled like a child at the whole scene. Reaching to grabbing what seemed like the stars.
Unable to control herself, she threw her bag down and begin twirling in the beams of light, "Oh my god, this is amazing."
She ran around every corner, it was like her own personal galaxy. All signs of fatigue washed away from her face and body and she felt like she could dance forever.
The wind, the stars, the colours were all for her.
"You like it?" she heard Elijah and spotted him with a column near the back of the hall, walking towards him, Elena felt her cheeks turning red, "You did this?"
He nodded sheepishly, she could make out his shy expressions in the blue light.
"How'd you know that I- that is, you know what, its perfect." She giggled unable to control herself.
He extended a hand, "Then you must dance with me."
Placing her hand in his without hesitation, Elena laughed when he accidentally stepped on her foot, "Sorry I am not coordinated around you. But I promise I'll do better tomorrow, if you still want to go with me?"
She shook her head, "Hey, practice makes perfect. And I'll love to go with you." She said as they slowly moved together.
He was so sweet for this, for setting up all this for her.
But did she tell him about her fascination with the sky at night?
'Go and catch the stars'
She stopped moving and Elijah was immediately alarmed, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, it's just what you did- this is all very beautiful." She forced a smile but her mind was bombarded with thoughts, what new game was this?
From a far ajar door, Damon could see the object of his affection and hatred. Everything just had to be extreme with this girl, he loved to hate her, fight her, make her lose but on a rare day like this, his heart swelled seeing her smile and dance around the hall like a fool. And to know it was because of him gave him something that his prior feelings could never, warmth, pride- something entirely new.
...
A/N: Thank you for waiting on chapters, reading long long Chapters and reviewing.
Next chapter preview: Masquerade dance- will Elena confront Damon.
Damon pulls another trick and now Elena has to tutor him for the Tech quiz.
Elena's plan to get Damon off the counsel is in motion, will it work?
Chapter will be posted on Sunday probably.
Please do leave reviews so I can add wrote accordingly (supply=demand lol). Waiting on what you have to say.
Review?
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