Previously on:
As I walk away, he's eyeing me like he can't quite figure me out, which surprises me because he once referred to me as shallow. Yep, shallow as a kiddy pool was the exact phrasing he used. That was back when he was still only using me. Now we have… a what? Relationship? Yea right. I have to stop thinking that everyone cares about me. I have to stop being weak little Caroline. All these nightmares about suffocating and I forgot the girl who use to single handedly plan an entire charity carnival. "I am not weak. I am not weak." I repeat over and over again in my head and I will continue to repeat this mantra until I believe it, until I no longer wake up in a cold sweat with Katherine's image on my mind, until Damon Salvatore stops giving me this tingling awkward confused feeling at the pit of my stomach.
"I am not weak," I say to myself all the way home.
"This dance sucks," I whine.
"You're just saying that because you didn't plan it," Bonnie says. We'd gotten here about an hour ago and already my mind was dying of boredom. There were too many cutesy couples reminding me that I was alone. Beside that I wanted desperately to know who Matt was bringing to the dance so that I could mercifully gossip about how fat she looked in her dress to Bonnie.
"And you're just being nice about the dance because you know how much it annoys me that I didn't plan it," I say bitterly. Jeremy and Bonnie were supposed to be each other's dates to the dance, but he had gotten a nasty flu and Bonnie had agreed to come with me instead. So far, she wasn't being a very entertaining companion. Stefan and Elena were already here, but they were mostly keeping to themselves. I thought it was strange that Elena wasn't wearing the dress we had spent hours picking out, but she looked fantastic in a short silver sequined dress so I brushed the thought off.
"I'm going to go get more punch," Bonnie said and rushed off. I was hit with a wave of nostalgia. School dances use to be so much fun. Bonnie, Elena and I would all spend the hours before the dance luxuriously getting ready. None of us would get ignored for a boyfriend unlike now when all Elena would do at dances is pay attention to Stefan.
"Hey Care," Matt said from in front of me. When had he gotten there? I must have been so preoccupied that I hadn't seen him come in. Unfortunately, as soon as I took notice of Matt I realized that he had a gorgeous lanky blonde in a red silk dress on his arm.
"Hello Caroline, Are you enjoying yourself?" Lexi said. This was his date! He passed her up for Lexi! She was a vampire! It didn't seem fair that I had given Matt up so that he could date a nice normal girl and instead he picked Lexi who was exactly like me. I wanted to smack the smug smile right off that slutty girl's face. Instead, I got up head held high and walked away without saying anything. Matt could have his stupid date, and Elena could have her stupid prince charming Stefan, I needed some air.
As I'm walking out the doors of the gym, I get pulled to the side of the building. At first I'm terrified that I'm about to get staked, but as my back hits the wall I see that it's Damon. He's got a big grin on his face, and I instantly can't help laughing in return.
"What are you doing here?" I whisper. His hands are at my waist and if I had needed to breathe I would have already forgotten how to.
"I'm chaperoning, cant you tell?" he said. He is so close that when he speaks I feel his breathe on my cheek.
"Chaperoning what?" I say and I know exactly what he's referring to, but maybe if I keep him talking he'll forget that he's only an inch away from me.
"The Dance," he says. He's not responding like his usual cocky self. Usually he responds to my questions with lengthy sentences. Usually he's being arrogant and self assured. Instead, he gives me these one word answers and stares deeply into my eyes casually running his hands along my arms.
"The Dance is inside," I say breathily. I briefly wonder what the hell has happened to my voice that has seemed to have taken on a life of its very own.
"So let's make one out here," Damon says and before I know what's happening I've been swept up into Damon's arms and were circling around the parking a lot in a waltz. I am aware of how ridiculous we look, but I don't even care. I'm having so much fun that I've forgotten that there's a hundred high school students just a few feet away. It's one of those magical moments that I will probably always remember and then as if the night hadn't been perfect enough, it starts snowing. Damon and I slow down so that instead of waltzing we're really just swaying. Again, I notice how close we are. Nose to nose. I can see that Damon's eyelids are dusted with freckles. Damon tilts my chin up and leans in. I just know that he's about to kiss me, and every fiber of my being welcomes it. It almost feels like I've been waiting a lifetime to be kissed by Damon. Just as his lips are about to close on mine Stefan's voice rings through the lot.
"You, Liar! You are a conniving bitch, Katherine. I can't believe you came here. "At the sound of Stefan's voice, Damon lets go of me and takes a step away. Our eyes are still locked when Stefan rounds the corner dragging by the wrist a very amused Elena or Katherine. It really is getting hard to tell at this point. Damon's eyes break away from mine first, but only because I'm too busy trying to decipher the tension that's rolling off of him in waves.
Katherine looks around at all of us and smirks. It looks like she's caused exactly the reaction she was looking for.
"It took you longer to recognize me this time Stefan, next time you won't even be able to tell the difference, "She says and rushes away.
We're all silent for a good long while. We're all confused and disoriented by the encounter. Damon seems to clear his head first.
"If that was Katherine then where is Elena?" There's finality to that statement that none of us want to hear. The truth is that with every day Katherine integrates herself further and further into our lives, and there can only be room for one of them.
Next on… Damon walks Caroline home. They discuss Katherine being in town, but avoid the almost kiss, and Caroline finds out why Katherine is really in town.
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