Civil Twilight

By: Megan

Chapter 6: Forbidden Subjects, Places, and People

The drive to the party at the old Founder's Mansion had been absolutely quiet, so much so that Elena could hear the sound of the gravel being crushed under the tires of Stefan's sports car on the dirt road. The tension between the two, boy and girl, was palpable at best. Although, despite everything that had happened and been building since Stefan's confession, Elena at least thought some decent conversation was in order. She felt several abrupt and hot tears make their way to the borders of her small oval brown eyes, threatening to become telling as they nearly made her heavy eyeliner, that she had applied only an hour before, run in two thin streaks down her cheeks.

Elena felt sick to her stomach. It was a building anticipation and fear, to be around all those people. Alone. The only reason Stefan had come was Aunt Jenna, and if he couldn't even speak a word to her during a drive, she didn't expect him to offer her a dance either. So she would be without a plus one, simply a fledgling youngster playing dress up on the sidelines. In a very revealing dress, which was most definitely not her style.

As Stefan pulled up to the mansion, a valet opened up the door for Elena, as she took a small breath and hopped out of the car, while Stefan came from her right and slid his hand into hers, wordlessly. Elena looked down at their to hands clasped, confusion inning her brows. But Stefan simply nodded and smiled at her, leading her up the steps, and through the ornate double doors. The minute inside, Elena eyes were bombarding by the vast array of colors, and the strings of endless tiny lights decorating the dark red walls, people littering the dance floor. The long rectangular tables holding food and drink hardly abandoned.

"I'm going to get you a drink," Stefan said out of the blue, those being his first words that he had spoken to Elena all night.

Elena nodded, Stefan going to the other side of the room and turning her head casually to the right, Elena drew a sharp breath, her eyes resting on the figure walking towards her. It was Damon. Sauntering up to her casually and confidently, as per usual. He was smiling, though. An actual genuine smile, not the demeaning smirk. And Elena wondered why. And then she saw his eyes rolling up and down her shape, almost as if inspecting the dress, every cut and every fold. As if he was undressing her with his eyes. Elena felt herself flush slowly, a warm and milky sensation invading her stomach. Coming up closer to her, Elena found herself fumbling for words, selecting a few, not knowing that once they came out of her mouth, how short and honest they were.

"Would you stop checking me out?"

"Well, give me something else to stare at."

"Your little act wont work with me, you know. I know what you are."

Damon came several steps closer.

"Do you really?"

With that, the feelings in Elena's stomach were quickly replaced with something else. Anger and annoyance. Seeing Caroline on the other side of the room, looking very happy, carefree, and absolutely gorgeous. And Elena came to the verdict that Damon was not going to ruin that.

"Is this just another one of your games?"

"What?"

"The very second that Caroline starts getting a little bit better, you come over here, trying to charm everyone-"

"You find me charming?"

"No. I consider you to be a pain in the ass. I think your trying to get back into her good graces and then mess with her. And I wont let that happen."

"Always the loyal friend Elena. But I think with your being so upset you forgot one little thing, that I don't need to try to get back into poor Carrie's good graces, I can just do my magic little eye trick and-"

"What are you, in kindergarten?"

A prolonged silence, with Damon being slightly taken aback, and quite honestly, amused. This young girl had been the only person to ever stand up to him, with the knowledge of exactly who he was. And if he hadn't been so damn entertained by it, Damon would have considering snapping her neck a long time ago. But what would be the fun in that?

"Well, is there anything that you're going to say?" Elena asked.

Damon smirked, coming up closer to her, and only mere inches from her face answered in a light tone, "You have pretty hair." And then he walked off. Leaving Elena to wonder how one person could say something so sickenly sarcastic and yet, have the words contain a somewhat genuine ring to them.

Caroline Forbes stood on the outskirts of the party. The petite blond eyed Elena from across the dance floor, suddenly looking down at her designer dress that her father had delivered from Paris and feeling like it had come from the sale rack at Wall-mart. Why, whenever she felt the slightest bit confident and beautiful, she spotted Elena right over her very shoulder? Or, it was more Caroline being behind Elena, always staring at that perfectly shaped back, the one that boy's couldn't seem to resist. The one that Elena possessed, along with a tiny waist, without having to diet. And the one that Caroline couldn't seem to achieve even when she took her lunch that her mom made her and threw it in the trash at school, telling Elena and Bonnie that she had already eaten, just having a few select sips of her sparkling water. Elena was always the shinning star, and she was more like the dying meteor crashing towards the ground, Caroline thought to herself. Seeing her mother patrolling the doorway, Caroline walked up to her, wanting to show of her new cream-colored dress. And that's when a look of horror came over her mother's face.

"Mom what is it?"

"Where did you get that dress?"

"Dad sent it."

"I can't believe him. It is way to low cut, is he trying to have my own daughter come of as a skank?"

And Lily Forbes stopped herself, looking at her daughter's hurt face, almost not believing the words that had come out of her mouth. Hot tears began to prick at Caroline's eyes as she ran off to the hallway leading to the guest bedrooms in the large house, ignoring the signs that said "Do Not Pass." She just had to get away.

Finding herself in a tiny dark bedroom, what looked to be an old nursery, Caroline sat down on one of the many antique sofa, burying her face in her hands. And then, hearing someone clear their throat behind her, she turned around to… find Stefan standing there. In the dark looking handsome and clean cut as always, the imposing and charming character, which wanted Elena.

"What are you doing her Caroline?"

And as she turned her face towards him, Stefan could see the track marks that destroyed her immaculate make-up on her pale cheeks, her eyes bloodshot with tears.

"Are you okay? What's wrong?"

A concerned look came over the passive vampire's features and sitting beside Caroline, he hesitantly put his hand on her shaking shoulder.

"It's nothing."

"It certainly doesn't seem like nothing."

"I don't want to talk about it," And looking at Stefan's face in the dim light that flooded the room Caroline managed to get out a small question as her body racked with sobs. "Can you just sit here with me?"

"Sure I will."

Stefan hadn't shown up. Somehow, Elena knew that he wouldn't. He wasn't getting a drink. For all she knew he could probably be leaving town or…

"Hey, you want to dance?"

Elena turned to see Matt smiling behind her, giving her a light tap on the shoulder. Elena gave a content and relived smile. That was Matt, always her clean-cut jock knight in Abercrombie and Fitch. And she had to admit, that even though there had been no real passion between them as boyfriend and girlfriend, with how many times he had delivered whenever she was hurt or in need, Elena loved him for it. Really genuinely felt it pulse through her veins. Matt was a good guy, and he always seemed to catch her when she faltered.

"Would you, Elena? Just as friends of course."

"You don't have to worry, Matt. Stefan and I broke up."

"Oh."

"And, yes, I would love to dance."

A grin graced Matt's boyish and all American features, as he took Elena's hand and led her to the dance floor. For the first time in awhile, Elena felt as if everything in life were simple, like clockwork, like this dance with Matt; like it was before the Salvatore brothers came to town. Then, the song abruptly changed, and as everyone began to change partners with the dancers beside them, Elena found her hand in Damon's grasp. And putting a strong arm around her back, Damon led her to the rhythm of the new beat.

"Now for someone with only one left foot."

And placing his hand on the small of her bare back, Elena could feel the chilling coldness of his fingers there, the pressure as they supported her, digging lightly into her skin. It was a thrilling sensation. Everything seemed to blur, shapes moving past and colors in and out of the darks and the lights of shadows. After a few moments, Elena looked up at him. "About what I said before, about Katherine…"

"I already politely told you to drop the subject."

"I know…"

With that the glittering enjoyment in Damon's dark eyes drained out, and his smile faded, and their dancing slowed considerably. He seemed no longer amused, but fierce and heated.

"I advise you to not ask me again."

Elena looked up at him soberly, unafraid.

"That is not your decision to make, I'm involved in this now, you know."

And with those words, the lights went out.

Authors Note: Evil cliffhanger, I know. After this chapter, I'm taking a two weeks hiatus to focus on other fiction and to significantly plan out the following entry in this story. There will be a revelation next chapter, and things are going to start getting a little bit more complicated than they already are in Mystic Falls.

Why did the lights go out, and why has Stefan been so standoffish, will he open up to Caroline? Express your theories, thoughts, criticisms or praises in a review please. They always make my day. :)