A/N- Takes off from where we left off... Enjoy!
Chapter 7:
After indulging into a scrumptious ice-cream –two scoop raspberry swirl flavour, of course– in the downtown parlour adjacent to the Mystic Grill, Jeremy and I rubbed our bloated tummies to soothe the dull ache of over-consumption.
We'd, begrudgingly, exchanged our less-suitable choice of wardrobe for old sweats and trodden the rather long and tiring journey to the heart of Mystic Falls. Fatigued, we'd ordered an ice-cream at the luridly bright ice-cream parlour, decorated a bright pink and pale shade of blue, to reduce our overbearingly hot body heat. To put it blatantly, we stunk and the sweat patches marring our not-so-extravagant clothing didn't help to divert the untrue fact to bystanders that it wasn't us who actually reeked. Although, it evidently was.
Jeremy released an awfully loud burp and other customers glared at us from behind their ice-cream cones. A tiny boy, with feet barely grazing the floor as he swung them to-and-fro, was giggling manically at Jeremy's outburst whilst trying to juggle his mountain of an ice-cream that was dripping down his dainty hands and all over his dark jeans, to his mother's disapproval. Once she'd audibly tufted towards our little table and shook her head in disdain, she grabbed a handful of napkins and started dabbing at the little boys face, whispering something near his ear. He chuckled at something she had said and continued to obliterate his monstrosity of a melted ice-cream. Subconsciously, I liked the rim of my lips and turned back towards Jeremy, shaking my head to clear my thoughts.
Today had been awful, to say the least. Firstly, I'd awoken to find my car pretty much dead. Secondly, whilst still in a crestfallen mood, I'd had to withhold myself from causing bodily harm to that stupid intern who didn't even have the decency to offer me a refreshment on a sweltering hot day. Then, to top it all off, Damon smacked my ass. I mean, doesn't that shit only happen in movies? I listed each one off on my fingers, ignoring Jeremy's confused expression at my strange gestures. The only redeeming qualities of the day were bonding with Jeremy over some ice-cream, although I did have to trek all of the way there to get it, and officially getting the job at Mystic Grill, although that also ensured that I'd be seeing Damon on a daily basis and, consequently, even more regularly. Overall, I'd had a shitty day and now we had to walk back.
Great, I thought sarcastically, now I sound like an ungrateful, stuck-up bitch.
And to add to my already terrible day, Tessa chose that precise moment to cross the street from the Mystic Grill with her overcrowded group of clichés. I knew this because I was seated directly by the wall length windows.
Fuck my life.
Rubbing my eyes tiredly as they passed the threshold with a soft chime of the overhead bell signalling their arrival, I withheld a yawn and cast my gaze towards the now dank, dark street spotted with streetlights at every interval. One particular probing streetlight was flickering wildly, casting an eerie glow over the deserted sidewalk. Tilting my head slightly, I watched as it flickered in and out of existence, its orange embers causing my thoughts to drift. A movement to the left of the silver posted streetlamp caught my attention and I squinted to get a closer view, leaning forward out of my seat as Jeremy obliviously continued to lap up his ice-cream hungrily. A sudden wave of recognition rolled over me as I realised that the man in question was one that had lately been a recurrence on my mind.
Licking a splodge of raspberry swirl from my finger, I placed my melted ice-cream in the provided metal holder and rose from the plush seat, scooting around the legless table and fumbling through the growing crowd of customers, including Tessa who accidently-on-purpose stuck her leg out for me to trip over. Luckily, I managed to dodge her attempts and hastily dashed across the street.
He was just about to duck down into his car when I bellowed his name, "Giuseppe!"
His gaze flickered to mine for a second, the flashing glow of the streetlamp making it doubly hard for him to put a name to my face, "It's me, Elena."
I slowed down as I neared the sidewalk he was ambling along towards his flashy car.
Recently, Giuseppe had been a probing and incessant thought on my mind. I hadn't even seen him since asking for the job and it was incredibly rude of me not to thank him first-hand for employing me. Of course, I'd thanked Damon, but somehow it was different; he, after all, didn't run the business entirely. That was down to Giuseppe. And so it was only fair that I extended my gratitude to him.
"Oh," He mumbled, his crinkled eyes blinking in obvious recognition against his defined, bushy brows, "Elena, how nice to see you again."
"Likewise," I breathed, blowing a wispy strand of hair from my face, "I'd just like to personally thank you for giving me the job. I really do appreciate the gesture."
"Nonsense, child, it is my pleasure to have you working for me. We've been low on staff since Damon decided to join the business…"
With slanted eyes and I frown on my forehead, I twisted my head to the side and contemplated what he was trying to put forth. Was he referring to Damon as some sort of serial killer, murdering his waiting staff? The absurdity of the thought almost had me rolling on the cracked concrete in unyielding fits of laughter. Instead, with great difficulty, I maintained a straight face and pondered what on earth he was spouting.
Coming up blank, I frowned and shook my head in perplexity, "I'm sorry, I don't understand."
He chuckled throatily, patting my shoulder comfortingly, "No, you wouldn't, dear."
He didn't seem to elaborate any further and so my frown line intensified. He was watching me with a careful eye for a few fleeting seconds, as if looking for something within my eyes. He must have found what he was searching for because he then added, rather blankly, "Damon enjoys hiring and then firing people. He revels in the feeling of power and manipulation. He wants people to flounder about him and do exactly what he says, when he demands and without an ounce of hesitation. He's overly finicky when it comes to hiring…" With his last words resounding in my head, he grinned disarmingly, and my stupefaction grew.
Caroline had mentioned something about Damon only hiring 'pretty things' to look at… Was that what Giuseppe was discreetly trying to say?
"Is that why he doesn't kiss?" I immediately regretted opening my big mouth. I must have sounded so pathetic and clingy. "I mean, he mentioned something along those lines…" I fumbled with my wording, blushing and fawning for what to say. Damn my lack of filter!
His eyebrow rose at my response, his lips mashed together in a hard line. He shook his head to clear it and nodded meekly, "Something like that. You see, in Damon's mind kissing is far too intimate a gesture for someone that he doesn't share a mutual affection with. So, in my mind, I imagine that the day Damon kisses a girl willingly is the day that he admits his feelings for her."
"Feelings?" I echoed faintly, gulping at my forwardness.
Giuseppe's lips curved up at the corners slightly, "The day he falls in love."
We each stood in a deafeningly quiet silence, ironically, me shell-shocked by his words. Surely, that wasn't what you recited to someone you barely met, an acquaintance. That was something you confidentially rehashed to someone you trusted and was well-acquainted with, not by any means the likes of me.
"Anyway," He sighed, shaking his wrist free to check his wristwatch, much the way he'd done the first time I'd met him, "I must be on my way. I've only just returned from my travels and I only came here to check-up on this place whilst it was in Damon's hands." He gestured with his thumb to the Mystic Grill behind him, "It looks in decent shape, if I do say so myself."
I bobbed my head at his statement, swinging my leg back off of the curb until it hit the curved tarmac of the road. My hands were clasped against my abdomen, a small smile on my lips, "Okay. See you around, Mr Salvatore."
"Yes, I'll see you on Monday, Elena. Eight o'clock sharp." I bowed my head in response to his subtle hint not to be late and retreated back to the parlour. Just as I reached the other side of the road, I heard him call out after me, "And for goodness sakes, Elena, call me Giuseppe!"
My lips curved up again into another smile. Giuseppe really was a kind-hearted man, considering I'd only spoken with him twice.
The overhead doorbell chimed as I pushed against the uncharacteristically heavy door with all of the strength my relatively weak arms could muster, making my entrance doubly known as I cursed the stupid thing. Tugging on the long sleeves of my grey hoodie, I impishly cast my eyes downwards until I reached the modern-styled table Jeremy and I had been seated at. Instead of finding Jeremy sitting on his own with an empty cone in his hand, I found an empty ice-cream cone laid on the table top and Jeremy not entirely alone. For perched on his lap was Tessa, her manicured fingers –or should I say claws- scratching in what was supposed to be a seductive manor against poor Jeremy's laugh lines. It only succeeded in making him wince in stoic disbelief.
Jeremy's eyes met mine across the table, a look of utter confusion and pleading evident in his emerald green orbs. His expression made it clear that he wanted help –pronto.
Catching the line of Jeremy's sight, Tessa turned her head to me, winked, and pressed herself up against Jeremy's chest. Her boobs were probably suffocating him!
Ignoring his protests, she purred something into his ear and he flinched away from her. She pouted in rejection, but continued her seduction nonetheless. She began mussing his hair, fiddling with it provocatively. You could see Jeremy stiffen in response to her advances. This was on the verge of becoming too much –notice my sarcasm.
"Tessa," I spat through clenched teeth, deciding that I most definitely needed to intervene. I knew that she was only trying to get back at me for the party and 'stealing' her seat besides Damon in Chemistry, but it obviously still rubbed me up the wrong way. I mean, she was practically about to stick her nasty tongue down his throat. She cast her lazy eyes to mine, smirking at me all innocent like, "would you care to remove yourself from my brother's lap."
Dumbly, her eyes widened in mock shock, "Oh, I had no idea this was your brother, Eleanor."
"My names Elena."
"And I don't give a shit." She said in a sickly sweet voice, her grin not wavering as she jiggled her eyebrows in provocation.
My nostrils flared as she turned back to Jeremy, yet again. "Get the fuck off of my brother." I enunciated each syllable articulately.
And then I lunged.
I pressed the cold compress against my eye and sighed in relief, also wincing slightly at the pain that only seemed to amplify with the contact.
Tessa may be dumb, but she could sure as hell throw a good swing.
Luckily, so could I.
Although Tessa had managed to shower me with a most probably black eye and multiple other insignificant bruises and cuts from her claws, I'd prevailed and in return given her a chance to get a new nose job. She was in desperate need of one anyways and I'd pointed that out to her before storming out of there.
Opening my eyes –or should I say 'eye'- I peaked at Jeremy and smiled encouragingly, "I'm fine." I nodded, answering his unasked question. He was seated in the breakfast bar stool in front of me, his legs wide open. Earlier, he'd pulled my stool in-between his legs for better access to hold the compress to my face when my arm grew fatigued, the lack of oxygen and influx of lactic acid in my blood making my arm ache. He had held it there for a while, allowing the lactic acid to disperse, hence why his legs were opened to me and I was tucked safely between them.
I groaned in frustration and Jeremy immediately began flustering about me, his hands working in a frenzy to ease the almost non-existent pain, "What's the matter? Where are you hurt? What can I do?"
"Nothing, Jeremy, nothing, I'm fine, really." I tried to subdue him, "I'm just in shock, that's all. I've never done anything like that before, Jer. That wasn't me and I hated myself for doing it."
Tears began pooling in my eyes and cascading down my puffy cheeks. The tears stung my eye, which effectively made me cry even more. Jeremy wiped them away slowly with the pad of his thumbs before encircling me in his embrace, "Sshh," He cooed protectively, "everything will be fine. Everyone gets riled up sometimes, sis. It's not a surprise that you've finally exploded after all these years of pain and torment…" He kissed the top of my head and placed his chin where he'd planted the kiss. "Why don't you go on up to bed. I'll clean this place up and do the dishes."
I nodded my head weakly as he took the now warming compress from my hands and handed me two aspirin and a cold glass of tap water. I downed it and the pills in a few mouthfuls and leaned up to kiss him goodnight on the cheek before hopping from the stool and ambling up the stairs to my bedroom. Throwing on Damon's freshly laundered t-shirt, I slipped it on over my head, fixed my hair into a messy bun, brushed my teeth and clambered into bed. As soon as my head hit the fluffy comfort of my pillow, I blacked out.
Shovelling another spoonful of cereal into my mouth, I ran my tongue over my teeth as mum glared at me from across the kitchen counter, "What?" I muttered through my mouthful of milk and Rice Krispies.
She shook her head in disapproval and went right back to wiping down the counters. Every few swipes, she'd give me a furtive once over before averting my 'eye'…
As speculated, I'd awoken to find a swollen, luridly large eye closed over. It was a putrid purplish colour with strips of red blood vessels all Halloween-ishy looking if I peeled open my eyelid. I looked like a goddamn corpse!
Sighing, I pushed my half-full bowl away from me and rested my head in my hands in defeat, "Just get it out mum, whatever you want to say."
She threw the dishcloth rag on the marble counter before me and placed her hands on her hips defiantly, "I just don't understand, Elena. You're supposed to be the responsible one. It's just not like you, at all." She sighed in defeat and her hands fell limp at her sides as she transferred her weight to her other foot.
"Well, I'm sorry mum, but she was practically suffocating Jeremy with her bumptious tits!"
"Language!" She admonished, pointing her chipped manicured finger at me, "I will not tolerate such things under my roof, Elena." She added more calmly.
"Whatever, mum, I'm going out." I mumbled, jumping from the breakfast bar stool, dumping my bowl in the sink and then stalking out of there.
"Where are you going?" She called out pleadingly after me. I could hear the faint traces of worry in her voice, but her annoyance masked it well. I was already bounding up the stairs before I could reply.
Allowing my pyjamas to fall off of me in a trail from my door to my bed, I put on some fresh underwear and hobbled on one foot as I attempted to force my legs into a pair of super skinny jeans. I threw on a green blouse and tugged my hair free from its bun. Only then did I realise that I'd put my shirt on backwards. Frustrated, I threw my green blouse onto the unmade bed and stormed to the bathroom.
I dragged a brush through my unkempt hair, wincing when it scratched into my bare back, but my eyes were unwavering on my marred face.
My eye was absolutely repulsive and the tiny little cuts on my cheek had dried blood seeping around them onto my plump and rosy cheeks. Grabbing a fresh flannel, I rinsed it under the tap before dabbing gently at the cuts and bruises. Maybe the chilled flannel would reduce the extent of the swelling, but makeup would have to compensate for the fluorescent colours. Obviously, there was nothing I could do about my eye being closed over, but I could live with that.
If I was in this state, I couldn't imagine what Tessa looked like.
A surge of gut-wrenching pity bubbled in the pit of my stomach, but I hastily pushed it away and began cautiously caressing the outline of my eye with my make-up brush. Tentatively, once I'd finished, I smoothed my fingers over the area around my eye, trying to blend the make-up in as much as possible without causing an ounce of pain.
Eventually, I made my way back to my bedroom and plopped down onto my bed, glancing at the clock on my nightstand. My eyes widened when I realised that I'd been dotting about for almost half an hour in just my jeans and bra.
I grabbed the blouse that was strewn across my scatter cushions and slipped it on before grabbing my purse and phone off of my nightstand. I descended the stairs two at a time and grabbed my walking boots and hooded jacket from the hall. If only I had my car…
Mum was wiping her hands on her jeans when she came out of the kitchen to see what I was doing. I rolled my eyes at her before slamming the door shut behind me. I wasn't in the mood for her crap.
I arrived at Mystic Grill just under half an hour later, sweating, panting and dishevelled looking. I glanced briefly into my reflection of the glass door as I entered and breathed a sigh of relief when I realised that my eye make-up, despite the circumstances, was not ruined due to my relentless sweating.
Subtly, after ordering a glass of lemonade from the bar, I slipped into an empty table by the window and cast my gaze out of it, letting my thoughts drift.
"Are you Elena Gilbert?" I blinked in fright and gazed up at the young boy before me. He looked around Jeremy's age with his copper hair, chubby cheeks and dimpled smile. He set my order of lemonade on the placemat before me.
"Yes," I answered. My voice sounded throaty and husky, and so I repeated myself, "Yes, that's me."
"Kickass," He grinned, bobbing his head and licking his lips as he drank in my chosen attire. I suddenly felt naked as his eyes lingered on the few open buttons at the top of my blouse.
"Excuse me?" I retorted, affronted.
"Haven't you heard? You're the talk of the town." He shrugged nonchalantly, as if it wasn't a big deal. My eyes near bugged out of my head, "Everybody's talking about you giving Titty Tessa a good beating. Don't look so bummed," He tacked on, noticing my expression of pure mortification, "She's always been a bit of a snotty bitch and we're all mighty pleased with it all. Well, all except Tessa and her disciples, of course. Oh, and Damon Salvatore…"
My eyes widened, as much as they could, at the mention of Damon, "Why, what's it to Damon?" I tried to sound as uninterested and unfazed as possible as I fiddled with my straw, pushing the ice cubes around in my glass. But, underneath the façade, I was frantically trying to put some sense into his words.
"Oh, he's mighty pissed at what you've done to his girlfriend. I wouldn't be surprised if he got someone else to blacken that other eye for you." He smirked deviously and drummed his fingers along the edge of the table where he was leaning, "In fact, I'd wager a bet to see to it that Damon will personally take care of that himself…"
