The slight rustle of my curtains against an open window is what I think finally brought me out of my sleep. My eyes remained closed, but my ears kept for the sounds the house made. A faint ringing, that might just be my head spinning from the night before, and a lawn mower from outside a few houses down.
Wow my hangover is severe. I'll have to make sure I don't keep up with Caroline again for a long time. At least for the rest of the week. Why she insisted on that stupid bonfire last night, I will never know. We vowed not to go after the last one when Amy Bradly vomited all over Bonnie's change of clothes and blamed it on us for not moving them after we were done swimming at the Lockwood Lake. What a bitch.
Last night was such a blur, the last thing I remember is getting into a pissing match with Mat and calling my parents to come and get me. Bonnie had insisted I went home with them, but after throwing back another shot with them and fighting with him, I knew I'd want to wake up in my own bed.
I didn't need my eyes open to know how bright it was in my bedroom. Having white walls, sheets, and a plethora of decent sized windows didn't help the cause much either. I cursed my dad for a moment for not letting me paint it when I was eleven like I had wanted too.
I groaned and rolled over stretching my muscles with my eyes still closed. Maybe I could get away with staying home from church today. My dad would totally buy my migraine excuse, mom knew better, but she would just laugh and say she would see me later.
I waited a few more minutes knowing my alarm was bound to go off soon. After about ten minutes of laying there I cracked an eye open towards where it was perched on my nightstand and realized it was well past noon.
Mom must have known I'd want to sleep in. I rationalized her turning off my alarm this morning before they left. I wondered if Jer went with them.
After another few moments I slowly began the process of waking myself up.
My muscles are so stiff. I thought. It feels like the day I came home from cheer camp last summer. Caroline had us do this ridiculous routine to keep up with the other girls and I thought my limbs were going to fall off.
I stretched my arms far above my head and rolled my ankles, finally opening my eyes to stare at the blank ceiling.
"Elena?" Caroline's voice made me jump two feet off the bed and I instinctively grabbed my comforter up to my chin when I spotted her, along with two other guys in the room.
Oh, God. Did I go home with one of them last night and Caroline the other? That's really the last time I keep up with her.
"Jesus, Care! Give a girl a heart attack!" I threw a hand over my forehead. She smiled warily.
"How're you feeling?" Her eyes searched my features, but I ignored her and took a better look at the strangers in the corner of my room. One had sandy brown hair and deep set green eyes, the other raven hair and crystal blue. Both incredibly beautiful and I began to wonder which one came home with me and which with her.
Who're you kidding? I thought to myself. The Raven hair has bad boy written all over him, and you're a sucker for blue eyes.
"I feel like a semi hit me and backed over me a few times too many." I put a hand up to my forehead again. "How're you even standing right now?" I laughed at her.
"What do you mean?" She seemed genuinely confused by my question.
"I mean," I glanced back over to the beautiful men in the corner. "I tried keeping up with you after the fourth mixed drink last night and gave up on round five." I laughed again, her face contorted in a weird concentrating scowl before I continued. "We're both major lightweights so I have no idea how you're even awake before three." I took in account her makeup fixed and hair done. "Along with looking like you just stepped off some runway. I mean seriously, Care that bonfire was insane." I laughed as she and the two men just stared at me.
She still remained in some state of confusion before her face snapped like a rubber band into the expression of shock.
"Elena?" She said dragging my name a bit and sitting on the side of my bed to face me directly. "What year is it?" I could see both of the men's faces in the corner drop and go sheet white.
"What do you mean what year is it?" I laughed half heartedly, now afraid and confused, matching Care's expression to a T.
"Just tell me the year, Elena!" She pushed.
"Two-thousand and nine!" I blurted. "You're scaring me, Care. What's going on?"
She turned to the two men in the corner and I could tell she knew them well enough to only have whatever conversation by just staring at each other.
"Caroline. Tell me what's going on. And who are they? What're they doing here? Are they guys from last night?" I looked up to both men who had the worst looks of betrayal and heartbreak on both of their faces.
She looked back at me with sad eyes, but fake optimism coated her voice.
"I'm just going to call Bonnie, okay? Bonnie can fix everything." She reached inside her pocket and pulled out a phone I didn't recognize before heading to my door and out in the hallway.
I flushed realizing I was left alone with two strange men in my room.
The one with sandy hair and kind eyes sat down on the corner of my bed, which made me scoot further away instinctively. He looked kind enough, but the fact that he even knew me well enough to feel like he could sit had me on edge.
"Elena?" His voice was sweet and cautious. "You don't remember me?" I could tell he was covering up a majority of his emotions. "My name is Stefan, does that help?"
I stared at him for a long minute while keeping my guard on high alert. He had very angled features, like a statue and his eyes were very sincere. It was like looking at a stranger that I had passed in the hallway at school a million times, but never stopped to talk. On the tip of my tongue, but not enough to remember.
The intensity of his stare and the emotions pouring through his gaze had me look away.
"I don't know you." I whispered. "Were you at the party last night?" I asked hopeful.
Before he could answer Caroline came back in the room before he could respond.
"Bonnie will be here in five. Let's get some breakfast in you." She said hastily and threw the covers off of me. I am so glad I was decent but the full jeans and sweater is not what I remember wearing out last night.
She grabbed my arm to yank me up and I let out a yelp as pain rippled throughout my torso and neck. I am much more sore than I initially realized.
As if in a flash Care was on the other side of me and Stefan and whoever the other man was were kneeling next to me while I caught my breath from the pain.
"Oh my God, Elena! Are you okay? I'm so sorry!" I knelt over the side of my bed while my head spun trying to right myself.
"I-I'm fine." I got out, afraid of getting sick from the spinning. Both men were on either arm, I shook them off gently as I raised myself up on my feet. Trying hard not to show how genuinely nauseas I am. Many of my bones cracked as I unfolded myself into an upright position.
"I am really sore from something." I whispered mostly to myself.
"These jeans are really uncomfortable." I laughed trying to make an awkward situation lighter, and failing miserably. I turned and looked at Caroline praying she could understand what I meant, and thankfully she did.
"Let's change you into something a little more comfortable, hm?"
A few moments later, after I was tucked into some soft cotton shorts and a t-shirt I never knew I owned, Caroline practically carried me down the stairs and into the kitchen. If I didn't know any better I would say cheerleading has definitely made her much stronger than I realized.
She lifted me on to a stool gently, how she did I will never know, and began to make some coffee. I briefly wondered where Stefan and his friend went, but my thoughts were paused as I watched Caroline nervously shuffle around the room for ingredients and supplies to make what I assumed was breakfast. She was avoiding my gaze and lost in her own scattered thoughts.
I wondered what could be so bad as to her taking on the responsible role the way she was. She was always the bubbly, blonde, air headed best friend that I've known since we were in diapers. Now seeing her so strong and guarded really had me on high alert and made my hair stand on end.
I looked around the kitchen and noticed how a few appliances had been swapped and moved around. It was strange because I know our knife rack and utensil holder were next to he sink yesterday morning. And now, they were nowhere to be found. The dining room table no longer had it's two extending leaves in it and only left room for four. All the pictures and notes left on the fridge were completely cleared out. Mom left an ongoing shopping list up there for when we went at the end of every two weeks so we would know what each of us wanted. I had just put up wanting some lemonade and s'mores supplies for next weekends barbecue.
Everything was strange and out of place. The atmosphere was totally wrong and a little dark. I couldn't put my finger on it, but something was off.
I heard the doorknob turn and was met with a timid and worried face from Bonnie, Stefan and the raven-haired man flanking her.
"Hey, Elena!" Bonnie said with enthusiasm that didn't meet her eyes. The men didn't say anything. She came over to hug me, but before she could Caroline stopped her.
"She's really sore." Giving Bonnie a look.
"Right," Bonnie shot me a different look that totally read Weird. I stifled a giggle, relieved to have some type of normalcy.
"How're you feeling?" She placed an old leather book on the counter and sat next to me in a bar stool at the island. The book was worn and had strange symbols on it that I couldn't recognize.
I thought about my answer and looked carefully around the room. Stopping at each face as I did so.
"Strange, and confused." I looked back at her understanding smile.
"Why are you confused?" She asked trying to keep the concern out of her voice.
"Well," I glanced at Stefan and his friend again, then back at her. I'm so glad she understood.
"And, I really didn't notice it before now, but both of you, look..." I thought about my next words carefully while looking back and forth between Care and Bonnie. "Different."
They shared a look before Caroline went back to mixing whatever it was in the bowl she was giving no mercy to.
"Elena," her voice was careful. "Do you know what the date is?" Her gaze was very intent on me.
"Why do you guys keep asking me that?" I was growing frustrated at the questions and looks.
"Do you trust me, Elena?" She asked gaining my attention and composure along with my curiosity.
"Of course I do." I didn't have to think about my answer.
"Good." Was the last thing I heard before everything went black.
I woke up sometime later back in my bed and thought maybe that whole scenario was a dream, until Caroline brought me breakfast on one of the trays mom used to use when me and Jeremy were sick.
"Hey there!" She said way to cheerily as I sat up. I rubbed my eyes.
"What happened?" I asked confused as to how I wound up in my bed again.
"Oh you just said you were tired so we brought you back up to sleep a while longer." Her eyes were screaming liar, but I could tell she didn't want me to question it, so I didn't push.
"I"m really not that hungry." I confessed feeling bad about the buffet she laid out in front of me.
"That's okay, eat what you want if you want."
I picked up and nibbled on a piece of plain toast as the two men and Bonnie came back in the room. Stefans eyes looked red around the rims, like he had teared up a few times too many. The other beautiful man looked ready to hit something, like he was on fire, but it didn't reach his eyes. I only caught them for a second, but burning emotion shown behind them and it made me wish I was the reason for it.
Whoa, where did that come from?
"Okay, Elena." Bonnie began. "What is the last thing you remember about yesterday?"
I thought carefully about how I wanted to answer.
"Mat and I got in a huge fight," I started, gauging their faces and them giving nothing away. "So you and I," I looked at Caroline, "Got really wasted and I had to call my parents to come get me."
Everyone remained quiet in their own thoughts. It made me agitated, I wanted to understand what was happening, but I kept patient and quiet.
I looked over each of my best friends. They looked worn, and... older? Is that possible?
Care's hair was definitely longer, and I know Bonnie couldn't have lost all of her baby fat in one night, no matter how hard Caroline might have worked to help. The most she ever lost was fifteen pounds in one summer because of cheerleading and that was definitely an accomplishment.
Something suddenly snapped in my brain. I don't know how I didn't put two and two together before. With Care and Bonnie looking like older versions of themselves and their continuous questions on what happened last night and what year it was, it brought tears to my eyes and panic to my chest.
Bonnie reacted instantly and grabbed my hand.
"There isn't any reason to get scared, Elena. We're right here." Her voice was calming, but it wasn't the comfort I was looking for, it was answers.
"What year is it?" I asked finally.
"Two-thousand and eleven." The raven haired man said finally, he was standing the furthest from me in the room. His voice was gravely, and sexy, but he was very mattter-of-fact, I wasn't sure if I liked that or not. I somehow craved him closer, which terrified me, but he seemed safe to me.
"God, Damon!" Care shrieked. "Just rip the bandaid off, like it's not gonna send her into shock!"
"She's strong enough. She always has been." His voice trailed off as we just stared at one another.
Two years. I thought. Two years have passed. Where are my parents? Jeremy? Was I still a cheerleader? How much has changed? Who are Stefan and Damon?
Damon was his name. It was so fitting. I didn't know how, but it was. I felt like I should look away, like I was ashamed for staring at him for so long, but I couldn't help myself. He was so much more familiar than Stefan. He was closer than the tip of my tongue, like I could feel that we knew each other, more than just friends. Mat and I broke up last- I mean two years ago, so I wouldn't put it past me for falling into his blue eyes and never coming back up again.
"You didn't have to be so blunt." Care crossed her arms. There's the best friend I know and love.
He broke our gaze to shoot her a look. I looked down suddenly embarrassed for how long we were staring at one another.
Somehow I didn't feel as if I was drowning anymore. I wasn't panicked like I thought I should be. I honestly felt a little too lax, which scared me a little more.
"I gave you some tea to calm your nerves." Bonnie could read me like a book.
"You drugged me." It wasn't a question, but I was a little surprised at her.
"Just a little." She giggled as I dropped the upper half of my body against my head board, feeling too heavy all of a sudden. I laughed with her, suddenly realizing how ridiculous this situation was.
"So let me get this straight." I said lazily. "It's two whole years past where my brain thinks it's at, right?"
"Right." She laughed.
"What happened?" I asked suddenly, sitting up really fast. It made my head spin.
Bonnie shot Caroline a 'Help me' look. Caroline shuffled slightly and sat next to Bonnie to look at me.
"There was an accident..."
Caroline explained that I had been with Mat in his truck. We were coming home from Damon and Stefan's house when Mat swerved to miss a deer and sent us off the side of the bridge and into the river. Mat is staying in the hospital with a concussion and a few bumps and bruises, but otherwise is fine.
I, however, was able to be released due to no doctors thinking anything was wrong with me. That's a malpractice suit waiting to happen.
I could tell most things were being kept secret from me, like why we had been out, or how they fished us out of a sinking truck, but I was still attempting to wrap my head around the two years thing.
I had asked for some space as everyone filed out of my room and I was left with my thoughts.
I don't know why but I had the sudden urge to blast music as loud as I could, so I hit play on my radio and cranked the volume up on whatever it was I was listening to last. I curled my legs up to my chest in the middle of my bed and waited.
I waited for everything to make sense, and snap into place. Like how we ended up on the bridge last night. And why my parents weren't here. And where is Jeremy? Is everything just insane and completely different now? And who were Stefan and Damon? By the looks of them I knew I had to have been involved with at least one of them, but from the way they both looked at me, I couldn't tell which one.
A deer? That's really all they could come up with? 'Mat swerved to miss it.' Yeah, right. Mat is the best driver I know, he got his license before any of us did and he knows better than to jerk the wheel. Although it has been 2 years since then I guess.
I just can't believe it's two-thousand eleven. What's new? What have I missed out on? Will I ever remember any of it?
I stood up, curious now. I went to my closet to investigate. There is barely anything different in here, same old jeans and sneakers, same old dresses and shirts. No uniform. Am I not a cheerleader anymore? Strange.
I made my way to the mirror and stared at myself. I do look slimmer, like I've lost majority of my baby fat too. My cheekbones were more pronounced, and I definitely had some gnarly circles under my eyes. I looked like I needed more sleep and a couple of Xanax's. I had bruises over my neck and collar bones, but I didn't bother looking any further out of fear of not liking what I saw.
I heard a car door shut suddenly. I looked out my window and saw Stefan climb into the passenger seat of a blue Camaro while Damon stood outside of it talking very animatedly to Caroline. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but by Care's leaning her weight to one side, crossing her arms, and the way she moved her head when she spoke, I could tell it was her being defensive. Over me?
As if to answer my question, Damon's piercing eyes looked up to my window. He spoke to Caroline while he continued his gaze, and if I didn't know any better I would say he could see all the way up here through the tree, and glare on the glass. But he stood a good forty maybe even fifty feet away at the side of the road next to the Camaro.
Caroline turned and headed back toward the house as Damon stood staring a few moments longer. There's definitely something going on between us, I'm sure of it. The thought made me flutter on the inside, but I stood staring until he finally broke our intact and got into the drivers side, squealing off onto the road and leaving me there just as confused as I was when I woke up.