Chapter 6
"It was so bizarre!" I say shaking my head as my mother pulls into the school parking lot. She's leaving for her business trip right after dropping me off at school. I, of course, am making up a story about what happened at my party Friday night. I can't just tell her it ended in disaster because Stefan and Damon are vampires. My mother would think I've gone off the deep end if I told her that. The last thing I need right now is a shrink.
"Sounds like he's just trying to pester you Darling." She says parking the car and looking over at me. I nod my head and stare over at the school not wanting to go into it. "You've got everything set up with Elena, right?"
"Yup, you have no reason to worry. I'll be safe and sound with her and her family. Not to mention her totally hott little brother, who just happens to be my age." I lie and throw in the stuff about her brother to really sell it. Her brother is really hott but, he's not my type. Not that I've ever really talked to him.
"Alright, I love you honey. I'll be back in a week. Bye." She smiles lovingly in my direction. I lean over to her side of the car and kiss her on the cheek. I hop out of the car and watch as she drives away. I stare after the car and almost feel like crying. I'm going to be living alone in my house for a week straight.
"You're such a liar." I hear Damon's voice in my ear. I gasp and whirl around to face him in surprise. He chuckles and leans away from my face. Why do vampires always have to sneak up on you like that? Can't they just say hi at a normal distance away from you instead of scaring the shit out of you? I force myself to stay strong this time.
"What don't you understand about stay the hell away? Not that I am trying to support your talking to me but…whatever do you mean? You don't know anything." I snap walking around him. He uses unfair advantage over myself and is in front of me again in the blink of an eye. I pout up at him with a disapproving look on my face. He laughs again and shakes his head in amusement. Does everything I do amuse him?
"You have no where to stay this week. You told your mom that you're staying at Elena's when we both know that's not true."
"So? What do you want me to do about it? She's gone. I'm just going to stay in my house alone." I try for a second time to walk around Damon. He puts his arm out, restricting my continuance of walking away from him. "I have to get to class!" He drops his hand and I stomp away from him. Things with him are such a roller coaster! One minute I hate his guts and then another….I find myself hoping for there to be some good left in him.
"Elena! Hey!" I call to her standing in front of the school doors alone. Where's Stefan? I hope she's okay. I've never seen her without him by her side. I pick up my pace and rush over to her. "Elena, are you okay?" Elena turns around and faces me with a confused look on her face. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing…sorry. I'm just a little distracted." She says in a distant voice. "What's up?"
"Nothing much, my mother just left for her business trip."
"Oh!" She says leaning away from me and tucking her hair behind her ear. "I hadn't realized that she was leaving on a business trip." She nervously swallows and seems to be waiting for my response.
"I know I'm sorry that I didn't tell you about it. I was actually wondering if I could stay at your place this week, while she's gone." I ask hopeful she tilts her head to the side in consideration. "I know its last minuet or whatever I was just wondering. Otherwise I'll have to stay in my house alone."
"Of course you can…" She trails off, looking over her shoulder at the school doors.
"Looking for Stefan?"
"Yes." She whips back around at the sound of his name. I cock an eyebrow at her before laughing. She swallows and looks me straight in the eyes. "You're wearing vervain, aren't you?"
"Yeah, let me guess you saw Damon and wanted to make sure I had it on."
"Yeah, of course. Well, look I got to go. I don't want to be late for first period." She smiles sweetly before walking towards the school. I wave to her and turn around to see Damon observing us from the other side of the parking lot. I roll my eyes and look over my shoulder to see that Elena has already entered the school because she's no where in sight.
I shrug and walk into the school doors to go find her. I check over my shoulder for Damon but he's bailed. I don't have a single clue what he was even doing here to begin with. He's too old for high school. I wonder how old he actually is…
"Hey Emma!" Caroline cheers from her locker. Leaning against the lockers next to Caroline is Bonnie, Elena, and Stefan. I sigh with relief that they are standing next to each other holding hands. I was a little worried when I saw Elena a few seconds ago. She seemed so strange. She was acting strange.
"Hey guys!" I say waving and making my way over to the lockers. "What time can I come over tonight?" I turn to Elena and watch her look at me confused. "To stay at your house for the week…" I try to remind her. She slowly shakes her head like she has no clue what I'm talking about.
"My Uncle John is staying in the guest bedroom right now. I'm sorry but, I can't house you for a week." Elena says sounding like I'm being rude. I look over at the others to see that they all look confused as well.
"But, just a few seconds ago you told me that it would be no problem." I try my hardest to not burst out into tears. I hate being looked at the way they are looking at me. So many people at my old school used to look at me like that. "Why did you tell me that if you didn't have any room?"
"You never asked me, certainly not a few seconds ago. I've been over here all morning." She lies right to my face. "Why are you telling stories?" I gasp and luckily the bell rings for homeroom. I turn and rush away from the group of them. I can't believe Elena just lied so boldly to my face like that! Not only did she do that, she made me look rude and like a liar in front of the others. I find the girl's bathroom right around the corner and slam through the doors. I whip into one of the open stalls and lock it behind me. I feel like such a baby.
"Emma, what's wrong?" I hear a voice that is extremely deep for a girl. I wipe the tears from my eyes and try to collect myself. I have to get to class anyways. "Emma, I know that's you in there. I can hear you from yards away." I ignore the voice and try to calm myself down. Suddenly, I find myself being torn from the stall. I gasp in shock as I lock eyes with Damon.
"W-w-what are you doing here Damon?"
"Making sure you're okay."
"But, this is the girl's bathroom!"
"So what? I had to make sure you were okay." Damon says with a heartfelt smile. I scrunch my eyebrows in trying to figure him out. He is like two completely different people. One minuet he's diabolical, evil, and murderous. The next he's sweet, caring, and compassionate. "What?"
"You make no sense my friend." I laugh, finally halting the tears. I walk over to the mirrors and begin fixing my make-up. "Just a few minuets ago you were bugging the hell out of me and now you're worried about why I'm crying?"
"So, what happened?"
"Nothing, it's just stupid. I'm going to get to class now. You should probably go before you cause a lockdown." I smile meekly before heading out of the bathroom and into my homeroom. As the day drags on I can't seem to get Damon out of my mind. He cared so much about me. But, why? Why would he have any reason to care so much about me? A chill rolls down my spine at the first thought that pops into my head. He probably wants to tap a vein…
I shake my head trying to push that conclusion to the back of my mind. Damon's source of food is coursing through me. He probably is just using one of his hunting methods. Just luring me into trusting him and letting him get close to me so he has an easier excess to my blood.
The lunch bell rings and I get up with a dreadful sigh. I make my way to the cafeteria with my bagged lunch. I stare at Elena and Stefan's table with a sigh. I turn out of their direction and head over to the lunch table I had gone to last week when they had made me mad. I focus hard on the table top, deep in thought.
I just cannot face them after the way they had embarrassed me this morning. I close my eyes at the feeling of my head pounding from trying to figure everything out through the confusion. "Why are you over here by yourself?" I hear Damon's voice. I look up at the spot that was unoccupied a few seconds ago. I shrug and reach for my bagged lunch. "Does this have to do with what happened this morning?" I nod my head and look distastefully at my smashed peanut butter and jelly sandwich. "Are you going to tell me what happened?"
"No." I sigh and pick at the top slice of wheat bread. I hate wheat bread. I don't know why my mother keeps packing me food that I don't like despite the multiple times I tell her I don't like it. "It's just…I really don't want to talk about it."
"I'm going to get it out of you. I hope you know that. Even if I have to torture you, I'm going to get it out of you." He slurs cockily. I look up in fear and relax when I see joking in his eyes. I stick my tongue out at him and continue to poke at my food. "No offense but that stuff looks really gross."
"Yeah…it is." I laugh, finally deciding to push my food to the center of the table. "I guess I'm going without lunch today." I smile up at Damon before looking over his shoulder at Stefan. He's sitting across the courtyard but, his eyes are locked on the both of us. I glare over at him before focusing back on Damon.
"Why don't you let me bring you to lunch somewhere that serves food that's…edible?"
"Would we be back in time for my last three classes?"
"Um…do you want me to lie?"
"No."
"Okay, then not probably not."
"I don't know then… I haven't been going to class a lot lately. I don't want to fall behind on my studies." I say glancing back at the school doors. Damon chuckles and shakes his head in disbelief.
"Come on now Emma, really? Which would you rather do? Sit around bored in study hall or chill with me in an expensive restaurant? I'm buying!" He leans in closer to me and looks up at me through his eyelashes. "Please Emma. Come with me." He tone turns dark and seductive and I have to hold in my swoon.
"Fine, whatever." I roll my eyes, pretending to not be extremely wanting to just dart out of here with him right at this very moment! Damon smiles deviously as we walk together towards the exit. I feel Stefan's eyes burning into our backs. I smile at the thought of it and continue my way towards a possible death.