Here is chapter two. I have the first ten chapters written so the updates shouldn't be too far apart. I'm completely floored by the response the first chapter got, so thank you so much. This might be my favourite story I've ever written so I hope that you feel the same way.
Damon
"Hey, Salvatore are we partying tonight?" Tyler Lockwood called as he sat down at our table. This was the elite table. The top students not necessarily in grades at the University of Atlanta. A lot of us just used university as another part of the road to an easy life. I was like that somewhat, I did like my classes and I hated failure. A wonderful lesson instilled in me by my doting father.
"I'm hanging out at Bonnie's tonight. She has that drink deal on now. Besides its karaoke night and I like listening to drunks' butcher songs. It's a blast." I told him and he nodded eagerly.
"Sounds awesome, cheap drinks are always a good thing." He said sitting down with his massive lunch. The kid could eat like a pig, but thanks to his status as a member of the football team he never got fat. I didn't play sports, I was king of the campus without that distinction. It just wouldn't be fair if I was also a jock.
"Are you ditching your father's gala tomorrow night?" Tyler asked and I sighed.
"Unfortunately, not. Giuseppe says we have to make an appearance as a family. There are going to be photographers. Perks of being the family of the Governor of Georgia." I sighed. My father was Giuseppe Salvatore, Governor of Georgia, therefore my family was always in the papers for something. Maybe it's my father planting trees in a Georgia park, or picking peaches. Maybe it's my mother reading to kids in a school somewhere. Maybe it's Stefan's perfect grade in one of his many science and math classes. Or maybe just maybe it's a picture taken of me at a party somewhere drunk off my ass. They always cap those ones off with a line asking if my father being the governor is too much for his eldest son. It's not. I just refuse to change the way I live just so the cameras are happy with what they see. Pretty much every student here parties on the weekends. I want to be able to do that without having a camera around to take pictures of Damon Salvatore wasted.
"I'm ditching." Tyler said. His family was always invited to the parties my family throws. Tyler's father is the mayor of Atlanta so that's how we met. Mr. Lockwood has been the mayor for many years, even while my father was just sitting on the city council. But then he ran for governor and the rest as you say is history.
"At least you can. Maybe I'll take a date this year. We can sneak away somewhere." I uttered thoughtfully. My father wouldn't like that though and I didn't exactly enjoy disappointing him. He wasn't a bad father by any means. He was just busy.
"But that's tomorrow. For tonight let's just get pissed." Tyler suggested and the rest of the guys agreed.
"I'm not getting pissed. As much as I like pissing off my father's team, there is a party tomorrow so I try to behave when the press is out in full force. I'll have a couple drinks and listen to the karaoke but that's it." I decided after thinking about it for a few minutes. Getting drunk wouldn't help anyone. It would just be more for my family to cover up. I'm not a bad guy, I just like having fun.
"Damon." A sultry voice said from somewhere behind me. Before I located her, she perched herself on my lap and I fought the urge to push her off of me.
"Katherine." I said of the blonde perched on my lap.
"You haven't called me in weeks." She said and I wondered why she waited until now to confront me about it.
"I thought that you'd either take the hint or have attacked me about it by now." I mentioned idly.
"I was waiting for you to come to me. I never approach guys." She said with a pout.
"I also made it clear that we had a one-night stand, meaning it's never going to happen again." I told her coolly. Girls like her were only after one thing and that was the fact that she wasn't to be involved with the governor's family. Her father was on the city council and she was insanely jealous of the fact that I got to live in the governor's mansion. She would have to live without that.
"I didn't think you actually meant it." She whined.
"There are other guys you can hook up with. Go choose one." I said gesturing to the rest of my table.
"But won't you get jealous if I have sex with one of your friends?" She asked hopefully and I shook my head.
"I don't get jealous Kat." I told her and she sulked but got off my lap moving around the table to sit in a vacant seat. She was easy to brush off. Katherine Pierce would never beg and I was grateful for that. She felt that she was worth way more than that.
I heard laughter across the quad and saw Caroline Forbes sitting there with her brunette friend. Caroline Forbes was cool and she was friends with absolutely everyone but still she always sat with the brunette every single day. They came to school together and left together. Sometimes I wondered if they were romantic but I never got that vibe from them. I didn't even know who the brunette was and I was someone who prided themselves on knowing everyone in the school. I didn't even know her name. She was very pretty when she smiled or laughed, but she looked tired.
"Who the hell is she? Does anyone know?" I asked pointing the brunette out to my friends.
"No idea. She really keeps to herself. I've seen her walking to her classes and she doesn't say anything unless she's spoken to." Tyler said with a laugh.
"Yeah she's really lame." Kol shot out.
"I don't get why Caroline's friends with her. Caroline is hot and that girl is a downer." Tyler said. It was no secret that Tyler had a massive crush on Caroline but she wouldn't even give him the time of day. She told him once that she wasn't into arrogant assholes.
"How the fuck do none of us know who she is?" I demanded.
"Why do you care?" Kol demanded back.
"I don't. It just bothers me that she is so capable of being invisible. I failed at being invisible and she's succeeding in what I couldn't do." I told them and they all snickered.
"You couldn't ever be invisible Damon." Tyler laughed. They had no depth at all, there was a reason I was only friends with them here and when I was drinking. I liked people with more depth.
"Fine, I'll find someone who does know who she is." I said as I turned around and called out for my brother who was sitting a few tables over.
"What's up?" He asked.
"Who is she?" I demanded pointing at the brunette who was laughing again at something that Caroline said.
"The girl with Caroline?" Stefan asked.
"Yeah and why don't I know her? She's gorgeous but yet I've never spoken to her and neither have the rest of the guys." I asked. Stefan knew everyone too, but he knew the people from the other side of the spectrum better than I did.
"She's not your type Damon. She's not anyone's type. It's like she thinks she's better than everyone here. Caroline is the only one she speaks to aside from teachers and the odd other person who speaks to her." Stefan told me.
"Well all I got that from that is that she's not mute but almost. Give me something that matters Stefan. And her name." I instructed.
"Her name is Elena and she talks a lot to Caroline or the teachers. It's like she doesn't have time for other people in her life. I know she's intending on becoming a doctor so maybe that's why." Stefan told me and I nodded.
"So, she's a future med student named Elena. That is really all you have on her?" I demanded.
"That's all anyone knows. I've tried asking Caroline about her but she shut me down. She just told me that Elena's life is her business and if I ever want to know something I could just ask her instead. Caroline will never betray Elena's trust." Stefan told me.
"One more question Steffie, are they hot for each other, because that's something I would like to get in on." Kol asked and Stefan rolled his eyes.
"Moron. But no they're not lesbians. They're just friends. All I know is that they have a secret and neither of them will say it. I get the vibe it's Elena's secret. But that's all I know." He said before walking away.
"Thanks Stef." I called and he waved and went back to his table.
"Why does Stefan get to talk to her and I don't?" Tyler demanded.
"Because you tried and failed." I reminded him.
When my lunch hour was done I got up and grabbed my bag ready to head to class. I only had a couple more classes until I was done for the weekend and I couldn't wait. It had been a long week and I was ready to be able to sleep in tomorrow and Sunday. I may not even leave the house, I hadn't decided yet. When I got into my English course I changed my direction and took the seat next to Caroline Forbes.
"Hey." She greeted me politely.
"What's up?" I asked when I opened my book and got my pens out.
"Just class. You?" She asked.
"Same here. You catering the party Saturday?" I asked her knowing she worked for the catering company that the party planners always used for my father's gatherings.
"Yes." She answered.
"Good, at least then I'll have someone I know there." I told her and she shook her head.
"I don't get paid to hang out with the guests. I get paid to feed you, besides I'll be with Elena." She told me.
"Elena is going to be there?" I asked.
"Yeah?" She said with a question in her voice.
"Sorry, it's just she's the only person here that I don't know anything about. She's a bit of an enigma." I said with a smirk.
"It's not my place to talk about Elena. It's her life, all I will tell her is that she was her reasons for keeping to herself. That's all you need to know." She told me her voice cooler than before. It was clear that she loved Elena.
"Okay, so we're all going to Bonnie's tonight. You should come along." I invited her and she looked at me. I thought maybe if I could befriend Caroline, I could maybe get closer to Elena. I couldn't help it anymore, I was intrigued by her.
"I can't." She told me underlining the heading she made in her notebook in purple pen.
"Why not? I just invited you out, any other plans can be cancelled." I demanded.
"Oddly enough there are people who are more important than you. I'm busy Friday nights. Every single Friday, so think twice before you ask me to come out again." She told me and I could hear fire in her voice.
"That's cool. I can take a hint." I said before I pissed her off. She ignored me for the rest of class and when we were dismissed she rushed out before I could catch her. All I got from that exchange was that there was something big in Elena's life and I needed to know what it was. I'd always loved a good mystery.
Later that night I was sitting at a table with my buddies at Bonnie's. Bonnie was an awesome woman who dropped out of college two years ago to open a bar with reasonably priced drinks. She was a favourite of college students. Then when she brought in the karaoke Fridays it didn't go over too well until she found Karaoke Girl. Karaoke girl had a voice and she drew people in for drinks. She never stayed long just long enough to get the party going and to have a drink with Bonnie. I'd never approached her because I could never get close enough, but Karaoke Girl was an enigma too.
"Damon, here's your drinks." Bonnie said dropping the tray of beers off at my table.
"Thanks Bon-Bon." I said taking a deep pull of my beer. There was no karaoke yet because everyone always waited for Karaoke girl to show up. No one wanted to steal her thunder until she was gone. Bonnie's was the most popular bar Friday nights. When she arrived she immediately went up to the bar and Bonnie handed her a beer before she went up to the karaoke machine.
"Good evening guys." She greeted and my jaw dropped.
"Dude." Tyler said his mouth agape too. I couldn't believe it but Karaoke Girl was Elena. Elena was Karaoke Girl. How had I not noticed that before?