I live on the sidewalk of your loneliness

when someone hurts you,

I really wish I could tell you there's no one else

that loves you endlessly.

How it pains me to see you sigh

for someone who doesn't make you happy

if only you knew I'd die for you.

RBD, "Inalcanzable"

14. A FRIEND IN THE TIME OF NEED.

"What do you mean you're not coming? I don't need to remind you that your Miss Mystic Falls attendance record totally sucks." She put all this effort into this, trying to make things as normal as possible. The least her friends can do is pretend they are happy to engage in the party. "Besides, you're a founding family member, by definition you have to be here.

Who arranges those flowers? They are paid to do this, why can't they learn to do it properly?

"Elena and I broke up. By definition, I don't need to be anywhere."

She rolls her eyes. It's one thing to spend the night wallowing in his heartbreak and self-pity. But if he doesn't even try, how is he going to get out of it?

And it's such a pretty, sunny day.

"Did that sound as depressing to you as it did to me?"

"I'm not depressed. I just want to rip into someone's artery and feed until I can't breathe anymore."

"Well, you can't. As your sober sponsor, I am not going to let that happen. Try and sublimate."

"She said she has feelings for Damon."

Caroline stays silent for a moment and stops walking around. Sometimes she really wants to put her hands on Elena's shoulders and shake some sense into her. If it was going to end up like this, why did she take so long before making her choice? Why did she have to go back and forth between Stefan and Damon for so long?

And she wishes she could tell Stefan that it's not possible, that no one could choose Damon over him, that Elena will see reason. But she knows it's not true. She's seen it. Only because Caroline would choose Stefan over anyone else a million times, doesn't mean others would.

"Maybe… maybe when she gets the cure things will change. But meanwhile, Stefan, just remember to take care of yourself."

"Is that my Miss Mystic application? Where did you get that?!"

"When I am chosen I intend to redefine excellence." He laughs as he reads the paper. "Now, I'm really enjoying your use of when here. It's very confident."

Caroline actually has some fun with Klaus at the pageant.

She'd like him better if he wasn't a master manipulator (or if she wasn't aware of that). He's charming when he wants to be, but he has no regard for others. After the experience with Damon and the disastrous consequences it brought to her, she's done dating that kind of person.

It's also why she cannot trust him with Tom's existence, even if it'd solve his problem of having a human doppelgänger.

Still, Caroline sometimes wonders, because she wants him gone, far away from Stefan and the bad influence he has on her friend.

Finding the cure for Elena?

It'd be great if it did not cost so much.

And she decides the price is too high after Jeremy's newfound instincts make him want to kill his own sister. Caroline did not know that having Jeremy get the map to the cure could turn him crazy. But in his desire to get Elena back to who she used to be, Stefan is willing to do anything, and isn't it the same as forsaking his humanity?

Now he feels forced to leave his own house to let his ex-girlfriend live there, and when she opens the door to welcome him back, the dejected expression on his face it's even worse than it was the day before.

"Don't worry. You can stay

"She's right, you know that. Even if you do find the cure, she won't be the girl we used to know."

Elena is lost. It became clear in the way she said red if Damon said red, and would probably jump if he told him to-

Oh.

"I met Tyler a couple of days ago, he's back in town. Did you know that he parted ways with Klaus after his body was possessed, and his ancient original girlfriend was killed? He said he's free now."

Stefan tilts his head.

"How did we jump from Elena's situation to Tyler?"

"Tyler was sired to Klaus, right? He felt grateful for not having to turn into a wolf, and so he had to do whatever Klaus wanted to do, even if he didn't like the idea. That's how he bit me that time…" She winces, remembering that horrible pain. "Anyway, doesn't it sound similar to what's happening to Elena? Today, Elena was worried about Jeremy. Who swoops in and tells her to relax? Damon. And she listens. When Elena started feeding, who said that she could only drink blood straight from the vein?"

He finally understands where she's getting at, and they go through all the instances Elena's choices have been influenced by Damon.

"Elena's sired to Damon."

She can't help it. She wants to give Stefan hope, so he can keep being himself. Besides, how disgusting is it that Damon is basically mind-controlling a woman to do as he wishes once more?

It's at this point that her memories, no, her dreams, betray her intentions, as she remembers one particular dream.

"I didn't sleep with Damon because of the sire bond. I slept with Damon because I'm in love with him."

She remembers how she wished to stop the words coming out of her friend's mouth, knowing how much it hurt Stefan.

"Hybrids are sired to Klaus because of their gratitude, because of all their suffering before they were turned. Elena… Maybe Elena is sired to Damon because she already had feelings for him before she died."

This is something everyone knows.

She's picking his side in all this. In the long run, it's better for Stefan to start accepting that it's over.

She's given them the chance. And she tried to stay silent, although it became difficult after learning that Elena went as far as to sleep with Damon (not that she did not know it would happen, but so fast? In the house of the ex-boyfriend she broke up with just the day before?

And they say she is the insensitive one!

Still, Caroline regrets losing her temper when she and Bonnie leave the boarding house, and they are driving back home.

"What was that?"

"What? You dislike him as much as I do."

Bonnie stares at her.

"We know what he is, and this isn't only about him. Caroline, we've known each other forever. 'At least Ripper Stefan wasn't a man slut'? What exactly are you defending here?"

She sighs. Bonnie can't find out now… or has she found out already? Is it that evident?

"I won't get involved in your conversations about the Damon-Elena situation. It's clear I picked a side."

"Stefan over someone who's been your friend forever?"

Caroline bites the insides of her cheeks, frustration growing in her chest.

When she looks back, there have been three moments in her vampire life that defined her, one right after the other. It's the same face that has saved her all those three times.

"It's not a matter of the time we've been friends. If I have to weigh who was on my side when I needed it the most… when I died and turned into a vampire, and I knew nothing about my new reality, or if I was even able to make it… it was Stefan who was by my side. I will never, ever be able to forget that."

It's a low move, guilt-tripping Bonnie with something that happened long ago, considering that they were different people back then. But it works. Bonnie does not dig into it anymore.

It's been a while since she heard from Tom.

He tells her that he lost a young girl on their way to the hospital, and it's something that he is not used to (he's that good at his job). The girl wasn't even seventeen, and she reminded him of Caroline back when they met, which is what prompted him to call her.

But when he's in a better mood, they start talking about her college applications and her plans after graduation. It makes Caroline feel like she's a normal teen, right until she needs to explain the reasons why she wants to stay close to home.

"Whitmore? Really?"

He thinks she could do much better, and the amount of faith is something incredible considering the short time they actually spent together.

"I think I'll be able to broaden my horizons later in life. For now, I just want to stay where I can see my mom often."

One day, it will no longer be possible.

"Let's talk about something else. What happened with that crazy ex from last time? You finally got rid of her?"

"Ah, Julie? You won't believe it, but she came back like, a week after we talked and-

Caroline is ready to get all the juice of the story, when she hears the front door open, and she knows it's not her mom who left not very long ago. Stefan is back.

"Tom, I'm sorry. I have something to do. Let's continue our talk later, okay?"

She doesn't want Stefan to hear Tom and wonder why his voice sounds exactly the same as his.

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah… I think so."

Stefan smiles when he sees her walking down the stairs.

"Hey! You're up early."

"Well, unlike you, I still have to go to school. Was your little brotherly trip useful?"

Apparently not. What Caroline can't believe is that Stefan has it in him to sympathize with his traitor of a brother, who clearly hasn't told him everything.

"I think you are in need of some healthy distraction that doesn't have to do with searching for other vampires for the day." She decides, "I could always skip school, you know?"

"Who are you, again?"

Carolines smiles. She's tired of seeing him sad, and she's tired of feeling bad for him as a consequence, so something must be done.

"I'm calling it. Since I've been so kind to let you crash into my couch whenever you want to, it's time to repay. You're going to help me make breakfast, and then we're having a morning movie."

"Klaus still wants me to find vampires for the map, remember?"

"I couldn't care less about what Klaus wants. We need some time to relax, which I did not get from the only-girls party yesterday, so it's not up to discussion."

He shakes his head and sighs loudly, but gives in without complaining.