Chapter 4

"It was really bizzare." I say popping another chip into my mouth with a loud "crunch!"

"That is quite the day." My mother says wiping her hands on her apron. "So, you like this Stefan boy?"

"Right."

"But, he has a girlfriend?"

"Right."

"And his girlfriend is Elena."

"Right."

"And this Elena girl is really nice so you want her to become your new best friend."

"Exactly."

"Well, that's not going to lead to any problems or anything." She retorts sarcastically before whipping the apron off and revealing her buisness suite. "If you can manage to not screw up with this whole 'crush on your new best friend's boyfriend thing', do you think you could get her parents to allow you to stay with her next week?"

"You're already going away on another buisness trip?"

"Honey, I have to pay the bills and without your father's pay check I need to take up as many bonus offers as possible."

"Isn't Dad supposed to be paying child support or something?"

"Yeah, but I only get one every month and it goes towards our bills." She says grabbing the lunch she just packed herself. "Have a nice second day of school dear."

"Thanks. Bye." I say as she kisses me on the cheek hurriedly before racing out the door to our garage. I sigh and look over to the fridge. She didn't pack me my own luch, did she? I grab an empty brown paper bag and begin digging through the cuboards. I reach for something when a loud "BEEP!" erupts through the foggy morning air.

"EMMA!" I hear Elena's voice in the distance. I sigh and walk right out the door without a lunch.

"Hey guys!" I cheer right as I walk out the door. I rush over to the SUV and hop right into the back. "Good morning."

"Morning Emma." Stefan says with a smirk on his face.

"What is it?"

"Nothing." Elena says pursing her lips together to keep herself from laughing.

"I'm not that funny looking am I?" I joke.

"No, you look great." Stefan makes eye contact with me in the rear veiw mirror. "You look perfect actually."

I glance over at Elena, waiting for her to go into protective girlfriend mode but… nothing. Not a single "Stefan!" or "Excuse me?" or even a "Stefan, are you cheating on me with Emma?"

"What's going on?"

"We…um…you see…" Stefan starts clearing his throat nervously.

"We're not going to school!"

"What?" I sreech in surprise.

"The teachers went on strike for some strange reason…" Elena giggles. She and Stefan make eye contact before they both burst out in outright laughter.

"I don't really understand the joke in that." I state confused.

"It's just that Stefan he…" Elena starts to explain before Stefan stops laughing and looks right at her with reprimandment. "…He farted before you got in the car."

"Um…oh?" I look out the window. How immature can these two be?

"Thanks a lot Elena." Stefan mutters jokingly.

"Sorry." She laughs. "So, I am taking my younger brother Jeremy out to the free clinic to get him help with this newly found desire to smoke pot, get drunk, and cut himself."

"Oh, wow…" I say at a loss of words. How do I react to that? "That's pretty intense."

"Yeah I know but, it will be totally worth it in the long run."

"Definitely." I agree with her. She smiles as we pull into a driveway. The house is medium size but looks very beautiful.

"This is my stop. I'll see you two later." Elena says quickly leaning in to get a quick kiss. Stefan holds her head there so he can get more than just a quick peck. "I love you."

"I love you too Elena. Call me when you're done with this session."

"No problem." She climbs out of the car. "Bye Emma."

"Bye…" I watch Elena walk into her house as Stefan pulls out and starts to drive away.

"So, what do you want to do Emma? We have the entire day to ourselves."

"SHIT!" I curse and Stefan slams on the breaks, causing me to fly forward due to me not wearing a seatbelt. I bash my head against the middle compartment, causing a small line of blood to trickle down my foorhead. "Ow!"

"Oh my God!" Stefan croaks with much strain in his voice. "I need to get out of the car!"

"Stefan, its okay-"

"No, you don't understand! I need to get away from here right now!" He flings the door open and I blink my eye once and he's gone. I shake my head in confusion as the cars behind Stefan's begin to honk their horns at me in annoyence. I open the middle compartment and find a napkin in there. I apply pressure to it as I search the area around the car for Stefan but it seems that he has fled the scene. Once the bleeding stops I throw it out the window. I know that litering is wrong but, I'm in a pretty bad situation right now. "I'm back."

"Stefan?" I ask blinking over at him now sitting in the driver's seat that was empty not that long ago.

"Yeah." He begins to drive again like nothing had just happened. "So, I say we go over to my house again."

"I don't know that didn't work out all of too well last time."

"Very true, what do you want to do?"

"Would you mind if we visited that Battle of Willowcreek battle field?"

"What?"

"I know it's weird but, I really like history things. I know for a fact that this town has historic rememberance for the Battle of Willow Creek."

"You like history too?"

"I absolutely love it." I gush with a wide smile. He smiles back and turns down the road that leads to the battle field.

"I know this field so well; sometimes it's almost as if I fought on it myself." He says in a mysterious tone.

"Really? I feel that way sometimes too! Almost as if I were someone else that lived here in a past life or something."

"I thought you were Christian."

"I am." I scrunch my eyebrows at him.

"Well, isn't reincarnation a Buddist belief?"

"Yeah and Hindu as well." I say as we both hop out of the car. "But, sometimes I just get this feeling that I belonged to another era."

"I've felt like that before." He chuckles. I smile and look over at him as we walk over to the statues that are all around the rebuilt church.

"They made an exact replica of this church. It cannot be the actual one because in it they burned-"

"Thousands of innocient civilians, I know." As the words leave my mouth he looks at me with the most glorious smile I have ever seen.

"You really know your stuff."

"It's my absolute favorite subject in school." I say staring up at him. His eyes are so beautiful. They are warm and inviting. They make me feel accepted and safe. Like I could do anything and they wouldn't judge me. We both snap out of our gazing and I dig my digital camera out of my pocket. "Let's go have a photoshoot with some statues in a rebuilt church."

"I'm up for that." He smiles taking the camera out of my hands. We run around for hours at the memorial park taking pictures at everything. This memorial battle ground site is so good! "Do you want to go inside?"

"Duh!" I laugh grabbing his hand and sprinting into the building. The doors we walk through open up into a large sanctuary that is absolutely amazing! The windows are all beautiful stained glass and the pews are all cherry wood with nativity scenes carved into them. "Did you know that they had the guy who originally carved the pew's ancestor carve these by hand just as his great grandfather had because they wanted it to be as close to the original as possible."

"Really? I did not know that." Stefan says with shock that I knew something that he didn't.

"Yeah, the guy who did them's name is Peter Rynsford."

"Peter Rynsford huh?" Stefan sighs while sitting down in one of the pews. I nod my head and sit down next to him.

"Yup." I look over at his troubled face. "What's wrong?" He doesn't answer me, he just continues to stare at the ground. I reach over and place my hand over his. I see a sudden flash of light and suddenly, there are people everywhere!

"Damon!" A man whom I've never seen before whispers at a young boy, who looks exactly like Damon except he is dressed like he is from the time that this church was actually open still. "Sit down, the Minister is about to start the service." Damon rolls his eyes and sits down next to me. He looks directly at me and smiles.

"Can you believe Dad? He's just upset because I have been talking with Katherine a lot. I think he may be suspicous of our behavior."

"You know that I don't like it when you bring her up Damon." A voice that doesn't belong to me says, but the sound is coming from me.

"It's not my fault that you didn't bring Katherine into your bed last night after the Founder's day ball. You could have, you brought her to her door and gave her a cute little kiss on the cheek. You should have known that she wanted more than that."

"Damon, this isn't funny!" A voice that sounds suspicously like Stefan's, booms from my mouth. "I'll be right back." I jump up involuntarily and rush into the men's bathroom which wasn't much like modern day restrooms let me tell you. "You're alright. Just ignore him." I tell myself. I look up into the mirror and I look exactly like Stefan! Only he, just like Damon, is dressed like he's from the eighteen-hundreds! I sigh and walk back to my seat next to Damon calmly right as the Minister begins to talk.

I jolt my hand way from Stefan's and gasp. "What the hell was that?" I burst in shock.

"I…I have no idea." Stefan says looking over at me with the same expression. I stand up and begin to rush away from him when he grabs my wrist and restrains me from walk any farther than arms length. "Wait, don't leave. It's lunch time. Do you want to go to a restraunt or something?"

"No, I'm fine." I say sighing and walking out of the church at a slower pace. Stefan releases my hand and follows close behind. I smile over at the field that we were just running around, playing in not that long ago.

"Why did you suddenly curse this morning after we left Elena's?"

"Oh, my mom is going away after dropping me off at school Monday. I was supposed to ask Elena if I could stay at her house."

"Oh."

"But, I guess I'll just stay home alone. It's only for a few days right?"

"No, why don't you just stay with me at my house?"

"That may turn out just a little awkard." I say smiling a sweet smile. "But thanks for the offer."

"Anytime." He smiles happily. "So…TAG YOU'RE IT!" He shoves my shoulder and begins sprinting at a very fast speed out into the battle grounds. I laugh and begin to chase him but, have little luck catching him. I smirk to myself as I suddenly collapse onto the ground.

"OUCH!" I groan. "My ankle! I think I may have sprained it." Stefan rushes to my side and kneals down next to me.

"Emma, it'll be okay I'll just carry you to the car and we'll-"

"Tag you're it!" I laugh, suddenly being able to jump up and sprint away from him.

"Hey! You're a cheater!"

"Yes, I am!" I yell to the skies. Stefan takes me head on and football tackles me to the ground.

"Gottcha!" He seethes looking down at me. I laugh and stare straight up at him. Our chests are rising and falling in perfect rhythm. Mine goes up, his goes down. His expression of joy changes and it becomes very serious. Stefan begins to lean down towards me, staring at his target, my lips.

"Stefan we…" I whisper out of breath still.

"Ssssshhhh." He cuts me off as he gets closer and closer to me. Instead of continueing to try and stop him or reminding him of his girlfriend, whom he has claimed to really love, I let him gently place his lips over my own. He pulls away for a second before putting them back again. We connect lips one more time before we begin to kiss eachother harder. I sit up and continue to kiss him as if this was the right thing to do. Suddenly reality smashes into me and I realize what I am doing. I am making out with my best friend's boyfriend! I'm such a slut! I automatically push Stefan away and leap away from him.

"Oh my good God!" I whisper, my breathing heavy.

"What did I just do?" Stefan mumbles. "I can't believe I just did that!" I open my mouth to respond but nothing comes out. What am I supposed to say 'It's okay Stefan, it was just a kiss?' He looks over at me with apologetic eyes. "Emma I'm…" He starts taking a step towards me. I take a step back. "…I'm really sorry." I shake my head and take another step away from him. "Don't act like this Emma." He warns me with slight histeria in the back of his throat. Each step forward that he takes, I take back with a scared look on my face. "Don't do that! Stop it!" Stefan exploads. "Stop treating me like I'm some kind of monster!" He moves so fast that I don't even see him and he grabs me by the shoulders. "You're gunna stop acting scared of me right this instant!" Yeah, that's the way to get a girl to stop acting scared of you! Growl commands at her vicously and shake her slightly!

"I-I…I can't trust myself around you anymore Stefan. It's not you; it's me that I'm afraid of." I quiver out, afraid of this side of Stefan that I have never seen before.

"Don't be." Stefan says back to his calm voice. I nod my head as he leans in and kisses me on the lips softly for the last time. Only, my focus isn't on the kiss. It's on something far more important. My focus is on the person that is standing about ten feet away from us, behind the tree, watching our every move. Damon.

Stefan hugs me tight after pulling away. "Stefan, behind us." He pulls out of the hug and lays his eyes upon Damon and he gasps.

"Oh no!" He mutters. "Fuck, I'm so screwed." Damon looks pissed. He walks over to us once he sees that we've noticed him.

"Katherine," Damon greets Stefan with a slight bow. "Slut."

"Excuse me?" I snap. "I am NOT a slut! I am a virgin thank you very fucking much you bastard!" My eyes widen in shock at my own come back.

"Emma, don't make him mad." Stefan says taking a few steps inbetween Damon and I. "People who make him mad end up dead." I stare at Damon in horror. How can Stefan feel comfortable living in the same house as this guy? And just to think that I was actually attracted to this guy yesterday morning!

"Oh, stop being so melo-dramatic Stefan!" Damon laughs. "You're the one that fucked this up, not me."

"It was just a kiss." I explain taking a bold step around Stefan, to Damon.

"Emma, get back behind me. You don't understand what you're actually doing."

"If I don't show him that I trust him, then this will not end well for any of us." I look back over to Damon and take another step closer to him. "Just a kiss. A meaningless little kiss."

"It didn't look very meaningless to me." Damon scoffs.

"You like Elena, don't you?"

"Shut up!" Damon growls, much as Stefan had a few moments before we noticed him. Whatever this is, it must run in the family!

"Damon, we don't have to tell Elena about this. Please."

"I…I won't." He finally says after a few seconds of anxious waiting for his answer. "But, only just to prove to you that I have no feelings towards her."

"Fine, I agree to that." I nod my head.

"Hold up, one other condition." He says, his malicous smile returning. I feel my stomach flip at the sight of it. What is he going to make me do? "You have to come over here and give me a little of what you gave to Stefan there."

"No way Damon! Like I made very clear before, I am not a slut."

"If you only kissed me, that wouldn't make you a slut."

"Yes it would because any girl that kisses you would either have to be desprate or easy."

"Fine then, I guess that I'll just have to go tell Elena about what I just saw."

"Damon, wait!" I hold my hand up and look back at Stefan. "I'll be willing to take one for the team."

"You don't have to do this Emma." Stefan assures me almost as if he doesn't want me to.

"I know, I…" I look back over at Damon. "I want to."

"Well, of course you do sweet heart." Damon chuckles. I roll my eyes in thick annoyence as I walk right up to him. I get up on my tippy toes and try to plant one on him to get it over with. But, no. Instead Damon grabs the back of my hair and yanks me away from his face.

"Ow! Jeez Damon what's your problem?"

"When you kiss me you're going to enjoy it. You're not just going to do it to get it done."

"Well, if you want it that way than we will be standing here forever because I will never kiss you for enjoyment."

"We'll see about that." He chuckles. I roll my eyes again in irritation. Once I look back up at Damon I pause. He's staring at me with the same look Stefan gives Elena only intensify it by one-hundred. I can't help but stare at it in astoundment. I didn't think anyone would ever be able to mimick that face without meaning it but, lone behold, before my eyes here is Damon, making fun of Stefan by doing the same love struck look that he does, better, and not meaning it one bit.

Damon takes my chin and holds it in place to make sure I do not try to falter my way out of it. Not that I could if I wanted to, my entire body is numb with nerves. Damon is making me….nervous? Damon brushes his lips against mine and I feel like I just ate a sparkler and somehow it got lit in there. I have to let out a breath quickly before his kisses me again only this time I feel like some one stuck a magnet into my heart and Damon is wearing an iron suite. He pulls away to let me try to recover before going in for the hardest kiss. It would be impossible to give me enough time to recover from these kisses though.

He knows that too. A slight smirk twitches at his love struck expression. It reminds me that no matter how good a kisser Damon may be, these feelings are not real!

He comes in for the final kiss and it is so intense, it feels like I may just black out from the pure, rich, true pleasure! It's so rough and wild. It's as though someone pushed me out a plane, that was the highest in the air a plane can go, but I'm without a parachute.

As if I am a marionette, I begin to kiss him back, brushing my hands along his arms, neck, face, and chest. If he thinks he can kiss well, I'll just show him that I'm not so bad either. Damon rips away and stutters back from me a few steps. "Wow." He mutters.

"There, now you have to keep your big ass mouth shut!" I say, pretending to be uneffected by the kiss. Which is very hard by the way, but they both seem to be buying it. "Let's go Stefan." He nodds his head and leads me back to his car out by the church. I have to fight the strong urge to touch my tingling lips. What kind of kiss was that?