Chapter Three

Luckily Ella managed to get out of the makeover with the help of Elena and Bonnie. She was extremely grateful to both girls. Instead they had stuck to their original plan and went to the Grill for dinner. While there Ella had met the hottest guy she'd ever laid eyes on, all of the guys were of course gorgeous, but this one in particular had made her almost choke on her glass of coke, a fact that hadn't gone unnoticed by Caroline.

She'd been introduced to Elena's boyfriend Stefan Salvatore, a very serious looking young man. The others had been Matt Donovan, Caroline's ex, Tyler Lockwood, son of the Mayor and Caroline's current boyfriend and Jeremy Gilbert, Elena's younger brother. Luckily they'd all appeared at the table at roughly the same time and Caroline hadn't been able to tell who it was that had made Ella choke.

In all the night had been a lot of fun, even Caroline's teasing about a secret crush hadn't dampened Ella's spirits. It had felt as if a giant weight had been lifted from her chest, for once in her life she had felt as if she was part of the gang instead of an outsider.

It wasn't until she left Elena's house later that evening that she began to have doubts. If things continued as they were now, if she became friends with all these people, it would break her heart when it was time to leave. It was this she was thinking about when she returned home.

"Ella?" her father's voice called from his study. "Is that you?"

"Yeah Dad," Ella called back. She dropped her backpack at the door and walked down the hall to the open door at the end.

Marcus D'Angelo looked up from the papers that littered his desk as his daughter slipped into the room. "I thought you'd have been home straight after school."

"I went to Mystic Grill with some people from school," Ella explained. She folded herself onto one of the comfortable leather chairs facing her father across his vast desk.

"Really?" he asked, smiling. It wasn't like his daughter to make friends. "Did you have a nice time?"

Ella shrugged and drew her knees up to her chest. She wrapped her arms around her legs and rested her chin on one knee. "It was fun, but I just..."

"What?" her father prompted when she trailed off.

"Nothing," Ella shook her head. "It doesn't matter."

"Gabriella, if there's something on your mind you can talk to me about it."

"It's just...it's hard Daddy," she finally told him. "Everyone here is really nice and I really like them, but what happens when we leave again?"

"I know it's difficult for you sweetie," her father sighed. "But you shouldn't let that stop you from making friends and enjoying yourself while you're here. Even if we do move again you'll still be able to keep in touch with your new friends and you can visit them as often as you like. I want you to be happy while we're here."

"I know," Ella smiled and got to her feet. "I'm tired, I think I'll just make some cocoa and go to bed. Would you like some?"

"With the tiny marshmallows?"

"Always," Ella grinned. It had been their tradition since Ella was a little girl, ever since her mother was killed.

"That would be nice sweetie, thank you."

Ella was in the kitchen when her cell phone rang in her pocket. She lifted it to her ear without looking at the display.

"Hi Caroline," she spoke into the receiver.

"How'd you know it was me?" Caroline asked, surprised.

"Who else would be calling me?" Ella asked with a small laugh. "What's up?"

"What are you doing tomorrow?"

"Going to school," she answered.

"I meant after school," Caroline laughed.

"Nothing."

"Great, there's a school dance next week and I am in dire need of a new dress. You can come shopping with me after school. I'm sure you'll need to get something for the dance too."

"A...dance?"

"Yeah. You do know how to dance don't you?"

"Of course I do," Ella snapped slightly.

"Ella, have you ever been to a school dance before?" The other girl was silent and Caroline got her answer. "Well everyone should go to a school dance. You'll come with me and the others."

"I couldn't do that, I'm sure you'll be going with Tyler."

"Well yeah, but we're going as a group. Bonnie doesn't have a date either, you can go with her. It'll be fun, oh please say you'll come?"

"I'll ask my dad."

Caroline squealed with delight. "Awesome. Well I better go, Tyler's coming over. I'll see you tomorrow Ella."

"Bye."

Ella set about making cocoa, her mind on the dance. She really would like to go, her first school dance. Her heart was racing with excitement as she carried to full mugs down the hall to her father's study.

"You seem to be in a better mood," Marcus pointed out, seeing his daughter's smile. "Good phone call?"

"It was Caroline, the girl I met in school today. There's a school dance next week and she and her friends have invited me to go. Is that all right?" Ella explained, setting the two mugs down on the desk.

"A school dance huh?" Marcus lifted his mug and pretended to mull things over. "I'm guessing there will be boys there?"

"That's the general idea Daddy," Ella laughed. "It's a school dance. That means everyone can go. Not that it matters, boys aren't interested in me."

"What?" Marcus was suddenly serious. "Why would you think a thing like that? You are a very beautiful young woman, any boy would be lucky to have you."

"Daddy," Ella blushed, and looked away from her father.

"It's true, you look just like your mother."

"Is that what made you fall in love with her?" Ella asked. It wasn't very often that her father talked about her mother.

"Juliet was very beautiful, but it was how beautiful she was inside. Your mother had one of the biggest hearts of anyone I have ever met. She was unbelievably kind, just like you are. So believe me sweetheart, when the right boy comes along he'll fall for you as madly as I fell for your mother."

Ella's answering smile lit up the room. "Thank you Daddy."

"Now about this dance. You may go, but only on one condition."

"What?"

Marcus opened his desk drawer and removed a hundred dollars from his wallet. "That you enjoy yourself. Buy yourself something nice to wear."

Ella accepted the money and threw her arms around her father's neck. "Oh thank you Daddy!"

"You're welcome sweetheart."

"I'll tell Caroline first thing tomorrow."

Ella scooped up her mug of cocoa and skipped out the room. She suddenly had a really good feeling about her life in Mystic Falls.

TBC...