So this chapter is a little dramatic and you find out something… Enjoy and don't forget to review!

Graduation.

Elena never thought the word would sound so, so sweet. She remembered being a freshman, when she would day dream at the end of the year that it would be her that'd walk across the stage in a dark blue cap and gown. She'd dream that in just a couple of months, she'd be going to college to become a journalist and would meet the man of her dreams. They'd move out of their dorms into a small, one bedroom apartment until they graduated and then they'd both get glamorous jobs someplace like New York City and would begin their lives. Of course, as the time went on, she stopped thinking like that because she started actually liking high school and then she started dating Matt. And at the same time, she realized that life after graduation wasn't going to be a fairytale and she started liking the safe life she had in high school. But after the last two years, she was very, very ready to graduate and get away from the responsibility of sitting in a classroom, day after day when so many more important, life threatening things were happening.

Her friends felt much the same way. Tyler and Caroline were because Caroline, of course, wasn't aging and as for Tyler, since he'd turn they'd only discovered very, very small changes. They had a theory that his rate of growing and maturing had slowed down by a large amount and everyone was curious about his future. Would he die at a normal, human age or would he stop growing all together and be an immortal? She had to admit, the curiosity was eating at her. They'd decided to stick around town instead heading off to college. Elena had voiced her objection to that but Caroline had simply said that we they all needed to stay together.

Elena had accepted it because that was the truth, but when Bonnie told her the same thing, she felt much, much more opposed to the idea.

"Bonnie, don't be stupid!" Elena had said, frustrated after being told Bonnie wasn't going to college. "You can't just not go!"

"You're not going," Bonnie pointed out, crossing her arms over her chest.

"The circumstances are a little different though," Elena said, pointing down at her baby bump.

"Look, Elena," Bonnie said, "I'm going to go to college. Just not right now. With the curse and Klaus and Elijah… I just don't think its a good idea. I need to be right here in Mystic Falls to help protect the town."

"But what if Elijah can't find Klaus right away?" Elena challenged. "How long are you willing to put your life on hold?"

Bonnie shrugged, looking way too unconcerned about the whole thing. "I don't look at it that way," she said. "I'm protecting my friends. That's not an incontinence to me."

"Don't put your life on hold for me," Elena said.

"Its not just that, Elena," Bonnie said, suddenly looking a little uncomfortable. "I'm not ready to leave yet. I'm not ready to leave my friends and my family and…."

"And Jeremy," Elena guessed. Bonnie and Jeremy had been spending a lot of time together and more than just in a "I'm the brother of your best friend" kind of way. Elena noticed secret looks and odd vibes when they were all together. It was like there was some tension between them that couldn't be voiced. It reminded Elena of the time when she and Stefan had pretended to not be together so Katherine would back off. She wasn't the only one who felt this way and Damon had mentioned it one night when Bonnie and Jeremy had just left the Boarding House. His suspicion confirmed her's. Something was definitely going on with the two.

"W-what?" Bonnie asked, trying to hide the "deer in the headlight" look and the panic in her voice. "Jeremy? Why would you think that?"

Elena sighed. There had been a time where Bonnie would tell her anything, even that she liked her brother. "Bonnie, come on," Elena said, a comforting smile tugging on her lips. "You don't have to hide it. You and Jeremy like each other."

Bonnie continued to look stubborn, but after a few seconds sat down on Elena's bed, looking defeated. "Was it that obvious?" she asked, timidly.

Elena rolled her eyes and smiled. She sat down and took her best friends hand. "You're my best friend and Jeremy is my brother," she said. "I know when something is going on."

"We were going to tell you," Bonnie defended them. "We just didn't want to be any more stress and-"

Elena waved her hand dismissively, stopping Bonnie's ramble. "You two like each other. So what? You have every right to be happy."

"So it doesn't bother you that we like each other?" Bonnie asked, hope shining on her face.

Sure, it was definitely a little weird. She wasn't going to lie but everyone had been so wrapped up in protecting her- especially Bonnie- that she was happy that she had found someone that made her happy, even if it was her little brother.

Bonnie waited impatiently for the answer, biting her lip.

"Of course not," Elena said, causing a wide smile to form on the witch's lip and she threw her arms around her. "I just wished you wouldn't have thought you had to hide it from me. I'm your best friend, Bon. That's not changed."

"I know, I know!" Bonnie exclaimed, happily. "I'm sorry and it won't happen again!"

She was glad that she knew what was happening between them but she couldn't help but feel a little guilty because she hadn't been truthful with everyone. But this was more than liking someone. This was something big and when everyone found out… they would be furious with her. It had been bothering her for weeks but she hasn't told anyone yet because when she does, everything will change.

"You look nice," Damon commented from inside her doorway.

She hid all the guilt and worry and replaced it with a smile before turning around. "Thank you," she said, trying to keep her voice light and easy. Damon looked gorgeous in his signature dark jeans and black shirt. His hair was perfectly messy and he was wearing that smirk she use to hate but had come to love. She couldn't help but notice how completely opposite they looked. She was wearing a simple white dress that would be comfortable underneath her gown.

His smirk faded and was replaced with worry and suspicion.

Damn it.

"What?" she asked, trying to look innocent.

He looked her over. "You look… worried," he said. "You have been for the last couple of weeks."

Damn it, damn it, damn it! She tried to stop her panic but couldn't help it. She wasn't ready for anyone to know yet. She'd done a damn good job of hiding it and she knew when Damon found out, it wasn't going to be good. It was going to be really, really bad actually.

She shrugged nonchalantly but some of her panic had leaked out and he was across the room in a second hugging her. "Are you nervous?" he asked.

For just a second, she thought he knew but he then asked, "About graduation?"

Whew. Close one. "Yeah," she said, feeling even more guilty for lying to him. The secret was coming out eventually and the sooner the better. But she just wasn't ready yet. She had planned to never tell anyone but she knew that was unrealistic. They would find out.

"Don't be," Damon said, sweetly. It was true that when you felt guilty about something, everyone seemed to be so comforting, even if they didn't know it. She felt sick with guilt. "I thought you were happy about graduation?"

She pulled away from him and walked over to her mirror- one of the few things still left in her room- and smoothed her dress down. She was moving in with Damon so they had already moved most of her stuff to the Boarding House, but a few things still remained. She would have gotten ready at Damon's, but she knew Jenna wanted to share this moment and she wasn't going to deny her of that. Her aunt had gone through a lot and she deserved to have at least one day of normal.

Damon looked surprised that she walked away and he looked even more worried. Elena didn't pull away very often. Scratch that. Ever. She didn't pull away ever. "I am," she said, slowly. "Its just that- I don't know. Its just weird I guess."

She watched in the mirror as he walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He sat his chin down on her shoulder and smiled. She smiled back in the mirror.

"A big part of your life is coming to a close," he said. "Its okay to feel a little… weirded out by that."

She forced herself to smile wider. "You're right," she said, turning around. She looked up into those blue eyes of his and quickly hugged him, hiding the tears that were forming in her eyes.

She'd tell him soon. He deserved to know. It was his life now, too.

Mystic Falls High School graduation was held out on the football field. Chairs were set up, row after row and there was a makeshift stage set up with a podium and another set of chairs for faculty and staff. The high school had a low number of students so they hadn't seen the need to rent out an auditorium or anything like that. When they'd arrived, Jenna, Jeremy and Damon had been ordered to go ahead and take their seats and the students had been told to head to the gym, where they would be put in alphabetical order.

She quickly met up with Bonnie and Caroline, clad in their graduation cap and gown, who were smiling widely and talking. She saw Tyler and Matt off to the side talking. Matt was messing with the cap, looking annoyed and Elena laughed, shaking her head at them. Caroline and Bonnie rushed to her when they saw her approaching and gave her a choking hug.

"Can you believe it?" Caroline gushed, tears forming in her eyes. "We're graduating!"

"I know!" Elena said, sounding less enthusiastic than Caroline. Of course, no one was as happy as Caroline. Despite the recent drama of their lives, she had managed to keep perfect grades and her volunteer work was threw the roof, so she was chosen as Valedictorian. The moment she found out she had called Elena, completely freaking out. She hadn't heard the speech yet (Caroline wanted them to have the full effect of hearing it for the first time) but she knew it was going to be amazing.

"I can't believe its just… over," Bonnie said, not looking upset about it.

Caroline rolled her eyes at her friend's lack of enthusiasm. "Come on!" she said, her voice high with annoyance. "Be excited! We're graduating!"

"Sorry!" Bonnie said, breaking into a wide smile, which Elena thought was directed towards them but when she saw Jeremy walking up to them, she knew better.

"Hey, guys," Jeremy said, wrapping an arm lazily around Bonnie waist. She blushed and Caroline and Elena smiled at the two.

"Hey," they all chorused.

Tyler and Matt saw them and ventured over to the group. They went into easy conversation, mostly about graduation and what Matt was going after the summer and things along the lines of that. Elena couldn't help but smile at the total normalcy of it. It felt like- for just a minute- everything was back to normal, where vampires and werewolves didn't exist. Doppelgangers and curses were just fiction and they were all normal, teenagers. She felt Damon's arms wrap around her and the normalcy shattered, but not in a bad way. This was her life now. And she loved it.

They continued to talk and Elena felt Matt's eyes on her and Damon until Alaric came over and said they had to go to their seats. Damon shot him a look but didn't argue. Alaric and another teacher began frantically trying to get them in order.

"You and Damon, huh?" Matt asked, as they waited for their spot.

"Yeah," Elena said. "Me and Damon."

"Never thought I'd see that one happen," Matt said.

"Me either," she said, shrugging. "But things never turn out the way you think."

"Guess so," he said, looking at Caroline and Tyler, who had their heads bent close together and were talking.

Elena felt bad for a moment. She had been so wrapped up in her own life, she had kind of forgot about Matt. Well, not forgot, but they weren't as close. There use to be a time when they could talk to each other about anything and everything. But then everything with vampires and curses happened, not to mention her current boyfriend turned his sister, and her ex-boyfriend had staked her. Things just weren't the same with them.

She touched his arm gently. "Matt, I'm sorry that things haven't been… I don't know, good with us," she said, genuinely. After their awkward post breakup stage, things had gone back to normal. They were close friends.

He shrugged. "You've been… busy," he said, his eyes going to her bloated stomach.

The words weren't insulting, but his tone of voice certainly was. She withdrew her hand and gave him a pointed look. "Don't look at me like that," she snapped.

"Like what?"

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Like… like I'm some stupid girl who couldn't keep her legs closed," she said, heat rising to her cheeks in anger.

"I'm not!" he said, quickly, looking guilty. "I mean, I'm not trying to. Look, its just weird, you know? It feels like a week ago you and Stefan were together and we would all go out to the Grill after games and now, Stefan's gone, your with Damon and pregnant. I feel like I don't even know you anymore."

She sighed, some of the anger receding. "Believe me, Matt, I know. But I'm happy. Happier than when I was with Stefan. And, no I didn't plan on having a baby anytime soon, but I'm not ashamed or regretful."

He smiled his boyish smile then, causing her to smile back. He pulled her into a friendly hug. "Then I'm happy for you. And if anyone can do it, its you."

She hugged him back and said, "I'll miss you Matt Donovan."

"I'm not going that far," he said, pulling back to look at her. He looked a little surprised at the tears in her eyes, but didn't comment. "UR isn't that far away. I'll still visit and everything."

"I know," she said, though that hadn't been what she'd meant, "Its just going to be weird."

Alaric called his name then and he gave her a wave and smile before heading off to his spot in the line.

Caroline and Tyler were off in the corner and she was reading over her note cards, looking nervous. Bonnie was already in line so she just stood there, waiting for her name to be called. Finally, her name was called and she sauntered over to her spot. Her mind was wandering until the teacher said that they were starting and she felt a flutter of nervousness. The music began and they began walking.

…

After sitting down, Caroline was called up to the stage for her speech. Only because Elena knew her so well did she see the nervousness in her eyes instead of the calm, collected looking cheerleader everyone else saw. Everyone quieted so she could begin.

Caroline gave everyone a bright smile and began. "Wow," she said, shaking her blonde curls as she looked at the crowd. "I think the first thing that needs to be said is guys, we did it! We're done!"

The crowd erupted in cheer before the teachers quieted them down.

"A little over four years ago, we walked into those school doors as scared, uncertain freshman. We didn't now who we were or who we wanted to be. We were just kids. And for a lot of us, we still are. We still are uncertain of who we're going to be in the world. And its scary because after today, everything changes. We become adults today. And while that's terrifying, its also exciting. The opportunities are endless. We can be whatever we want to be from this day on.

"So whether you want to be a doctor, or a writer, or if you're like me, you have absolutely no idea what you want to be, you can do it. And if you start and you don't like it, change your mind. We're only human, and we only have one life, so there is no reason why you shouldn't do exactly what you want to do."

A very select number of people had to chuckle at the whole "human, one life thing" because for quite a few people there, that wasn't the case. They had a lot more than one life to do what they want. They had eternity.

Caroline smiled and winked at the crowd before continuing. "So I could stand up here and continue to talk about how we're all going to make a difference in the world and we are the future, but I don't know about you guys, but I'm ready to get the hell out of here!"

The crowd erupted in cheer and the staff and faculty shook there head, though they also wore a smile. "So, my fellow peers," Caroline said, "Have a nice life!"

Everyone cheered and this time, no one stopped them.

…

One by one, every senior student of Mystic Falls High was called up to get there diploma. A lot of parents were teary eyed, as were the students, but for most, it was all smiles and excitement. Elena cheered like crazy when Bonnie, Matt and Caroline got their diplomas. And then, it was her name that was called and she was the one shaking the principles hand and taking her diploma. She looked out at the crowd and saw Jenna, Jeremy and Damon cheering and waving. Damon gave her a wink and she smiled.

And then names were continuously called until the very last name was called, the principle said a few words and everyone threw up their caps.

And then it was over.

After it was over, people began filling out with their family and friends. They all decided to go to the Grill to celebrate. It was extremely crowded when they got there but they managed to get a table large enough for all of them. They ordered and ate while parents talked and everyone else just relaxed. Elena, however, wasn't relaxing. She was on edge. She had been since she woke up in the morning and it wasn't helping that the air was filled with a feeling of finality.

But she smiled and pretended to be okay. She fooled everyone with her smile and everything was flowing smoothly. No one suspected a thing, even Damon. Well, she thought she was doing a good job of pretending.

Bonnie reached her hand out and touched Elena's arm. "You okay?" she asked, lowly. It was low enough that only Damon, Tyler and Caroline had heard it. She could feel Damon's eyes watching her closely, though she pretended not to notice.

"I'm fine," she said, lightly. "Why?"

"I don't know," Bonnie said, not believing when Elena said she was fine. "You just look…distant or something."

Elena shrugged and sipped her water. "I'm fine, just a little tired."

It wasn't long after that that people began leaving and they followed suit. Everyone began parting ways to go home with their family. Tyler gave everyone a quick goodbye before leaving with his mom and Caroline, Bonnie and Matt followed not long after.

"Are you going to ride home with us?" Jenna asked as they got up to leave.

"No," Elena said, shaking her head. "I'm going to go with Damon for while, but I'll be home later."

Jenna nodded and she, Alaric and Jeremy walked out the door. That left her with Damon, who had been usually quiet since Bonnie had made the comment about Elena looking distant.

"Ready?" he asked.

She nodded and they made their way to the car. He remained quiet as he opened up the door and throughout the entire car ride back to the Boarding House. Elena could feel the tension and she knew it was unavoidable. She was going to have to tell Damon. She couldn't keep it a secret much longer. They pulled up and they made there way into the house. The moment they stepped into the door, Damon started.

"Elena, you need to tell me what's wrong," he said, his eyebrows knitting together. "and don't say nothing. You've been tense and on edge ever since we talked this morning and I know its more than just graduation."

She sighed and sat down, motioning for him to sit down beside her. He did, looking immensely worried and she took his hand.

"Damon," she said, slowly, "I have to tell you something and you're not going to like it."

I know, I know. I'm mean like that(: Hey, at least it was long. Review!