Cannonball

Disclaimer: I don't own anything or anyone from The Vampire Diaries.

Thank you again so so much for all your kind words in your reviews! I never honestly thought in a million words that so many people would like this! You really do inspire me to keep on writing and make me eager to want to get the next chapter out as quick as possible so to not keep you all waiting and to see what you have to say next!

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Hope you like it...

September 7th 2012.

Friday 9:05am.

Mystic Falls.

"Baby, baby, baby oh!" Caroline sings along to some stupid Justin Bieber beside me as we wait for our History class to start.

I try to block her out as much as I can, my head is pounding and the last thing I need is my superhyper best friend singing out of tune right beside me.

I am so glad that it is Friday.

Normally, I don't particular hate school, in fact, I used to kind of love it. But lately it's been nothing but a bore and this first week back has been absolute hell.

And it's all Damon's fault.

I started the school year with the absolute most sincere intentions to forget about our many flings over the summer, to pretend that it didn't happen and concentrate on my relationship with Matt. I needed to be the best girlfriend that I could be to him, because he deserves so much better than me, so I needed to make sure that from now on I would be 100 percent faithful and loyal to him.

That didn't even last 24 hours.

I'm so angry with myself for sleeping with Damon again. I swore it was just a summer fling, that when I ended it that hot humid day in mid-August that I ended it for good.

But now he won't leave me alone.

No, seriously, he keeps appearing in places that I'm already at and I swear it's not just a coincidence. I don't know what kind of game he is playing, but he really needs to stop! What happened in the library the other day was risky enough, but last night he had to nerve to talk to me in The Grill!

The Mystic Grill where all my friends hang out, where my boyfriend works, where my parents sometimes go for dinner!

Is he out of his arrogant pig-headed mind?!

God he is so infuriating!

"Morning class." I'm interupted from my anti-Damon thoughts by Mr Saltzman strolling into the classroom already over five minutes late but he doesn't seem to care. "Look, it's Friday, the last day of the first week back and I'm sure you are all just as fed up and bored as I am."

Some of the class snigger and laugh at his attitude while others who haven't been taught by him before look genuinely surprised by it. I however had the pleasure of being taught by him since my freshman year, so I am used to his laidback and straight talking attitude.

"You all know the drill, you have a semester one project to work on and then to present at the end of the year. This year you'll be working in groups of three, these groups will be picked at random from a hat and then they will be non-neagotable, got it?" he says firmly and we all nod our heads in agreement.

I wait with open ears as Mr Saltzman starts to walk down the class and stop at the student who is sat in the front row on the far lefthand side. He picks out two folded up pieces of paper and reads out their names, showing who will be in his group.

It continues and Caroline groans beside me as some guy from the basketball team reads out her name as well as some stoner kid who barely even shows up to class.

"Great, that's a big fat F for me!" she scowls and I try to hide my smile at the unluckiness of it all.

However, my own luck wasn't any better.

In fact, it was worse.

"Felix Matherson and Elena-great...Elena Gilbert." I frown at the unfamiliar voice but then freeze when I turn to see who Mr Saltzman is stood next too.

Stefan Salvatore.

"What?" I gasp, horrified that this is happening. "No...I...I can't!"

"I don't exactly want to work with you either!" Stefan glares at me from across the room and we both look up at our History teacher pleadingly.

"Non-negotiable." Mr Saltzman cuts in before either of us can say anything and I huff in annoyance and lean back into my chair.

The rest of the hour drags like hell and I wait for the impatiently for the bell to ring to signal the end of class.

Eventually it goes off and I wait slowly behind for everyone to leave before stopping by Mr Saltzman's desk.

"Elena." he sighs, leaning back into his chair. "I know what you're going to ask me, and I'm sorry but the answer is no."

"But this is different." I try to plead my case. "My family...and the Salvatore's...it's complicated, but I can't work with Stefan. Please, I'm sure there will be someone in class who is willing to swap with me?"

"I'm sure there is, but that's not the point, Elena." he actually does look a little sympathetic. "If I offer you a trade, then other people in the class will want to trade and then it will just be chaos. I can't show favoritism to anyone in my class, no matter the reason. I'm sorry but it's only going to be once a week for 3 months, it's not the end of the world."

Oh but it nearly is.

This semester is going to be hell.

The second Stefan walks into my apartment I can immediately tell that he was not in the best of moods, especially after watching him slam my front door with a loud thud.

"Geez, what did the door ever do to you?" I smirk at him while pulling out two beers and throwing one across the room to a chuckling Klaus who is lounged on my sofa in my open planned apartment.

"I've had the worst day at school." Stefan grumbles and walks towards my fridge and goes to pull out a beer but I swat his hand away. "What?"

"Not for you baby brother." I tease him.

"Are you serious?! I'm not even a year younger than you!"

"And if you go home stinking of beer it'll just give your Mommy another reason to hate me, which leads to me getting more grief." I brush past him to go and sit on the armchair sofa lifting my feet up onto the coffee in front of me. "The chocolate milk is on the bottom shelf." I wink at him and watch as his scowl deepens.

"Thanks for adding to my shit day, Damon." he snaps at me and I laugh.

"Mate chill out, he's kidding." Klaus calls out with his British accent without even turning around to look at my brother.

I laugh as Stefan frowns for a moment before grunting something under his breath and pulling a beer out from the fridge and walking over and shoving Klaus's legs off the couch so he can sit down.

"You're an ass."

I chuckle and take a swig from my beer. "Come on then, tell me about your day." I can just see that he is dying to vent.

"Well it started off with getting a flat tire this morning on the way in to school so I had to call Kol to come and pick me up, then when I eventually did get to school I realized I left my cellphone back in the car so he drove me all the way back again, and then to make matters worse I get to History and Mr Saltzman puts us into our presentation group, and guess who is my partner?"

"Um...Snoopy?" I wiggle my eyebrows at him.

"No." he glares at me. "Elena fucking Gilbert."

I nearly choke on my drink. "Oh."

"That's crap, mate." Klaus chuckles amused. "But funny."

"Shut up." Stefan scowls. "I have the worst luck, how the hell am I supposed to work with Elena Gilbert for three months? She's a bitch."

I tense slightly and grip onto my beer bottle a little tighter, staying silent.

"Hey, this is the perfect solution!" Klaus sits up straight slightly and I look at him confused.

"And how the hell did you work that one out?"

"Think about it, Zach asked Damon to try and get in Gilbert's house to steal that evidence, right? You're now working on a genuine school project with his daughter, ergo...the perfect excuse to get in their house."

I sit up straight. "He's actually right." I muse before adding. "For once."

Stefan looks between us warily. "I don't know...that's risky, I mean, I can't exactly just go snooping around the place while Elena is right there."

"I'm sure you'll find an opportunity." Klaus reassures him. "You have more chance than Damon anyway." he chuckles. "How the hell did Zach expect you to get in with the Gilbert's?" he shakes his head amused and I smile slightly.

"Crazy." I murmur distractedly for a moment as I feel a huge weight lift off my shoulders and I'm not sure why.

Why was I so hesitant to try and get Elena to trust me enough to allow me into her home? I'd been 'bumping' into her all week, trying to get her to talk to me but I knew it wasn't working, I knew it was just pissing her off and even though that would usually amuse me, there was something different this time with me knowing that I had my own hidden agendas rather than just doing it because I wanted too.

"We still going to the Lockwood party tonight?" Klaus breaks me away from my thoughts yet again.

"Sure." Stefan takes a sip from his beer. "Damon?"

"Oh I'll be there." I smirk, thinking of what I have lined up to give everyone a good show tonight.

"Oh, where are you going sweetie?" My Mom walks into my bedroom without knocking to see me putting the finishing touches to my make up.

"I told you Mom, Mason Lockwood is throwing a back to school party." I realize there is no point in lying about where I'm heading because they'd probably find out about the party at the next council meeting or social event anyway.

"Oh that's tonight?" she looks hesitant for a moment. "I thought you were going to help me choose table flowers for the town Library fundraising event next weekend?"

Shit. I completely forgot about that.

"Can we reschedule?" I ask, noticing the slightly put out look on her face. It's a Friday night for God's sake, I do not want to spend it stuck at home with my mother looking at flower arrangements.

"That's not a very committed attitude, Elena." she sounds disappointed. "You need to learn how to stick to your agreements."

"Ok, fine." I sigh. "I'll stay and help."

She stays silent for a moment before letting out a loud sigh of her own. "No, it's fine. You go the party."

I'm not buying it.

"I don't have to go, Mom, it's no big deal. I'll just text Matt to tell him not to come pick me up and then I'll be all yours."

"No dear." her voice is a little more solid. "You go and enjoy yourself, I do remember what it was like to be young and in love."

I force a smile and nod my head, watching with relief as she walks out of my bedroom and I turn back to face myself in the mirror and glance at the different photos along the side.

I pull off a photo that was taken of me and Matt not long before we started dating, we were friends for years first, in fact, I don't really remember a time when I didn't know Matt and he wasn't in my life. He has always been there, whether as a friend or something more, which is why I feel even more awful about what I have been doing to him lately.

I stare at the photo that looks almost unrecognizable to me now, we were so young, even though it was only taken just over a year ago. Matt looks different, I certainly look different, but at least I know that his personality hasn't changed since this was taken, unlike my own.

I jump slightly as my phone starts to vibrate on the dressing table in front of me and I pick up my cell to see that I have a text than none other than Matt himself to let me know that he is waiting in the car outside.

I sigh and leave the photo off the mirror before grabbing my purse and quickly leaving my room, I shout goodbye to my Mom who is cooking dinner in the kitchen before quickly jogging down the porch steps and towards Matt's truck which is parked on the street.

"Hey." I jump in his car and plaster on a smile.

"Hi." he smiles sweetly back before pulling away. "You good?"

"Yeah." I nod my head. "I just hope this party will be fun."

"It will be." Matt answers confidently. "Tyler told me that Mason has lots of beer and snacks, plus he even has a new sound system so the music will be awesome."

"Great."

"Oh and did you hear about Tyler's new girl Amy who he has been hooking up with? Apparently she.." Matt trails off into a story that I have absolute no interest in. I try my best to pay attention but my mind keeps on drifting off elsewhere.

My phone vibrates again and I look down to see I have two text messages. I open the first one up from Caroline.

Hurry up and get here girl!
This party is freakin awesome
xxx

I freeze when I see the next one. It's from Sally D. aka, the code name in my phone for Damon.

Hope to do more than see you
tonight sexy ;)

I frown in annoyance at the the way my heart rate started to speed up and quickly delete the text, glancing briefly at Matt who is still chatting away about something and I try and force myself to listen to what he is saying, knowing that he deserves so much better than me.

When we arrive at Mason Lockwood's mansion the party is already in full swing and Matt takes a hold of my hand before leading me inside, gently sliding past people to get through, polite smiles and happy grins as he makes his way through the crowds as one of the most popular boys in our junior class.

After finding our friends we all gather around a table and play a small game of truth or dare, it's nothing crazy or extreme but it's fun and I'm actually having a good time.

I even don't mind when Katherine joins in the game, taking her place beside Mason and I'm a little surprised when I see them share a kiss, unaware that they were together but then again it's Katherine Pierce so nothing surprises me with her.

"Room for two more?" I freeze at the familiar voice and turn my head to see Damon approaching the table with a smirk on his face, Klaus following close behind as per usual.

"Not tonight, Salvatore." Mason glares at him.

"What?" Damon holds his hands up. "We just want to play, don't we Klaus."

"Sure do mate." Klaus grins and I don't miss the wink he sends towards Caroline who instantly scoffs and looks away.

"Just let them play Mase." Tyler joins in much to my surprise. "It's not worth the hassle to argue about this."

"Thanks mate." Klaus smirks. "I knew you were my least hated Lockwood for a reason."

The game continues but when it fizzles out it changes to a game of I Never and that's when things go sour.

"I have never..." Klaus begins with an amused look on his face. "Slept with Damon."

The table goes silent except for the slight chuckle coming from Damon's lips and I swear I feel my face starting to heat up and I clutch onto my plastic cup tightly.

Katherine scowls for a moment before taking a large swig of her drink and I don't miss the fierce look of anger that crosses Mason's face as we fall into an awkward pause of silence.

"Elena?"

My heart falls to my stomach and my head snaps towards Damon and I look at him with wide fearful eyes.

What the hell is doing?

He is looking at me with a devils smirk on his lips and I swear time stops and it wouldn't surprise me if the whole group can hear the heavy beating of my heart.

"How's your Dad?" he eventually speaks again after what feels like hours and a rush of relief takes over my body when I realize that he is not about to blow my biggest secret.

Hell, that doesn't mean I'm not pissed off by this little stunt though!

"Why are you even bothering us, Damon?" Caroline interrupts him from saying anything else, an angry glare on her face.

"Aw Barbie I am hurt, I thought we were friends." Damon pouts.

"Just go man, before I kick you out. Nobody wants you here!" Mason joins in and I sigh and take a step back, ready to escape this messed up situation.

"Now is that the way you normally speak to your guests Mason? So rude, now I'm really hurt." he smirks before glancing at his watch. "But I'll have you know, this whole thing..." he waves his finger around motioning to the lot of us. "Was all a ploy anyway." his eyes briefly land on mine and I frown confused. "Do you really think we'd want to spend time at a party with you idiots? Playing stupid immature drinking games? It was a method of distraction and you all fell for it." he laughs and Klaus smirks beside him.

"What are you talking about?" Mason takes a step towards Damon, an angry frown on his face.

"Just one second and you'll find out." Damon smirks and like clockwork the music turns off and everyone looks around confused.

"DUDE WHERE'S THE MUSIC GONE?" Someone calls from the crowds of people as chatter starts to takeover. "WHAT THE HELL MAN?"

However, before Mason can even go to sort out his sound system, their big 60inch TV screen in the main room switches on and we all turn our heads in that direction and that's when I see the body of Katherine Pierce sat seductively on a bed in just her underwear, a flirtatious smirk on her face as she speaks out.

"You coming to join me or what handsome?"

"Just one second sexy." a deep voice replies from behind the camera and my heart starts to speed up again when I notice it sounds familiar.

I look at Katherine and watch as her face pales, her eyes darting to Damon's who just winks at her and my stomach drops when I turn back to the TV screen just in time to see a half naked Damon climb on top of her, his lips pressing against hers as his hands roam her naked flesh, Katherine's doing the exact same back to him.

Oh my god.

It's a sex tape.

"Turn it off!" Katherine screams before darting off towards the TV. "Someone turn it off! Mason do something!" she shouts desperately, her eyes watering.

Mason is stood frozen in shock and I feel sick as I watch the screen before me.

Damon looks so smug that all I want to do is reach across and slap him in the face, however we both know that I can't exactly do that.

After what seems like hours, but I think it was merely just minutes, Katherine eventually finds the remote control to turn off the TV just in time before things got really dirty.

The party falls to a silence, before the whispering and the giggles start and I look back at Damon who is looking directly at Katherine with a smirk on his face and I am horrified to think that he could do this to someone.

No matter how much of a bitch Katherine is, this is just wrong.

Everything else that happens is a blur, but I do know that Mason pounced on Damon and the two ended up having a fight which was eventually broken up by Tyler and Klaus, Damon was obviously kicked out of the house, Klaus too and not long after that the party was over and Tyler was shouting at everyone to leave, Mason and Katherine long gone somewhere, probably arguing this out.

"Wow..well...that was interesting." Bonnie mumbles as we walk back towards her car, Matt going back to stay at a friends house to play computer games so Bonnie said she'd take me home, along with Caroline.

"Damon Salvatore is such a dick." Caroline rants angrily. "I mean, I don't like Katherine, and she clearly is a slut, but that was just humiliating."

"I know." I murmur quietly. A sickly feeling in my stomach, wondering if maybe Damon has secretly recorded us too.

Shit.

I know now that whatever was going on between Damon and I needs to stop now.

For good.

"Oh man, did you see Lockwood's face?" Klaus laughs as we walk into my apartment and he immediately walks towards the fridge and throws me a beer.

I force a smile as I take a large swig before sitting down on the couch and turning on the TV.

"I thought you'd be more happy about it?" Klaus looks at me confused. "I know you got a black eye from it but surely it was worth it to get back at him and Katherine?"

"It was worth it." I answer back immediately.

"Then why do you look so moody?" He asks confused.

"I'm not." I huff. "I'm just tired, it's been a long day."

"Alright mate. Whatever you say." Klaus holds his hands up, knowing exactly when to drop it.

I sigh and take another swig of my beer as I think back to what happened tonight.

The moment when Katherine realized what was happening was a highlight in my life, it really was, after everything that bitch did to me when I was actually a good boyfriend to her. I treated her right, I was faithful.

Unlike her.

I know she cheated on me, despite how much she likes to pretend otherwise. She cheated on me with Mason, numerous of times, she just doesn't know that I know it.

She doesn't know that that is why I broke up with her, and not for the reason of me just being bored and wanting to be single, which is what I told her at the time.

But I'm guessing after tonight's stunt she'll have a clearer idea.

Revenge is sweeter than she ever was and as far as I am concerned she deserved everything she got.

That's not what is bothering me though.

No.

It was the look on Elena's face when she realized what was happening that got to me.

That look of horror, disgust and shame that crossed her features as she looked between me and the TV.

I don't know why it got to me so much, I mean, really, Elena is no different to Katherine in some ways. They both cheat on their boyfriends, they both cheat with me. The only difference is Katherine cheated on me too.

In fact, Elena is probably worse, because at least Katherine doesn't pretend to be something that she's not, too afraid to show the world her real self, too afraid to not be who her parents want her to be, to be what her parents expect her to be.

I'm interrupted from my thoughts by a text on my phone and I'm more than shocked to see that it's from Elena herself.

We need to talk. Now.
Meet me at old Lockwood
cellar.

I jump up to my feet and grab my leather jacket and swing it on after placing my beer bottle onto the coffee table in front of me.

"Where are you going?" Klaus asks confused. "It''s almost midnight."

"Out." I reply vaguely as I walk towards the door but then stop. "Actually, you best make yourself scarce."

"Oh I see," Klaus smirks while standing up. "Booty call?"

I smile and shrug. "Something like that." I wink slightly, hoping that I'll be able to convince Elena to come back with me tonight.

It seems like it's been far too long since her perfect little body was wrapped up in mine.

I drive towards woods and park my car, seeing Elena's is already there, before stepping out and making the small trek through the trees towards the old Lockwood ruins. I stop at the top of the steps and look around to make sure there no drunk or stoned teens hanging around this Friday night before quickly jogging down the steps.

I stop to see Elena stood with her back to me, her hair lying straight on her back, as her arms a clearly folded in front of her.

I clear my throat and watch as she slowly turns around, a small glare on her face and I immediately smirk because this is nothing we haven't played out before.

She starts off pretending that she doesn't really want me here, despite being the one who called or texted me, she plays hard to get, before eventually after she makes sure I've worked hard enough, she gives in and relishes in what we are.

Who we are together.

"You came." she sounds a little surprised and I don't know why.

"I always do." I reply with a slight smirk. "You know that."

She doesn't say anything and I frown a little, because even though she does always start off distant, there is something different about this time, something in the way she is standing, in the way that she is looking at me.

Her eyes aren't lingering on my body like they usually do and there isn't that usual sparkle there.

"You ok?" I take a step closer to her but she just holds her arm out to tell me to stop.

"I just want to ask you one thing, Damon." her voice is cold, distant. "And please, just give me an honest answer."

"Ok..." I reply warily, unsure of where she is going with this.

"Do you..." she trails off and for a moment she almost looks embarrassed. "I mean...we've obviously been together in your apartment and...well...have you ever...I mean..."

Realization crosses over me immediately.

"You want to know if I have a sex tape of us together?" I cut in bluntly.

Elena shrugs slightly before nodding her head and looking down to the concrete floor.

"Why would you ask that, Elena?"

Her head snaps up to face me, her eyes now on fire as a look of anger takes over her features. "Why would I ask that? Are you serious, Damon? Really?!" she raises her voice slightly before she attempts to control herself, but I can still hear the anger in her tone. "How can you even ask me that after the crappy stunt you pulled tonight with Katherine!"

"But you're not Katherine." I reply simply.

She pauses for a moment and opens and closes her mouth, seemingly thrown off by my comment but I don't know why.

Despite my earlier thoughts about their similarities, Elena isn't actually Katherine.

She's not manipulative like Katherine is, she doesn't deliberately set out to hurt people like Katherine does.

She's just also not perfect like Katherine either, she's also a liar too, just like Katherine.

But still, her and Katherine are two completely different people when it actually comes down to it. Standing here right now in front of Elena, I can see that.

"Just answer the question, Damon."

"No." I answer with a frown. "And I'm actually a little offended that you would think that of me."

She scoffs and shakes her head. "Oh my god, you are unbelievable! Do you hear yourself right now? You did an awful thing tonight, Damon! You deliberately set out to hurt someone, two people actually, and humiliate them! That's not normal behavior! What the hell is wrong with you?"

"You don't know anything, Elena!" I glare at her. "You don't know Katherine like I do."

"No, maybe not. But what I do know is that what you did tonight was wrong, it was disgusting and...I can't be around someone like that."

"Oh here we go." I let out a laugh and shake my head. "The good girl ends things with the bad boy yet again. How many times have we played out this scenario, Elena? Are we onto our, what? Fourth time now? I know how this goes; you'll end whatever the hell this is," I wave my finger between us both. "And go back to your perfect princess preppy life, until yet again you get bored because that life isn't you and you'll come running back to me again until the next time I do something else to piss you off or you get a big rush of guilt and the whole process repeats all over again!"

"No, it's different this time!" she argues back angrily. "You disgust me, Damon! I can't believe I even went near you, never mind sleep with you!"

I smirk. "Oh please, we both know how much you loved every moment of it, because we both know that nobody else makes you feel the way that I make you feel! We both know that your own boyfriend can't satisfy you the way that I can." she falters for a moment and I can tell that I am getting to her and I take a step forward. "We have a spark Elena, you can deny it all you want, but it's there. It's there when we touch...it's there when we kiss...it's there when I'm inside of you and you're screaming out my name." I watch as her jaw clenches tightly and she looks away.

"Just leave me alone, Damon." her voice is shaky now and I know that I'm getting to her, breaking through her barriers all over again.

Repeating the process. Continuing the cycle.

"You were the one who text me, Elena." I point out almost smugly.

"Yes, to tell you that this needs to stop!" and just like that, she's angry again, her voice stern and hard.

"Ok, fine." I scoff. "But just so you know, that tape Katherine and I made? It wasn't anything sinister at the time, ok? I didn't record it without her knowing, hell if I remember correctly it was her damn idea!" I grin for a moment. "I bet she is regretting it now though, damn I should have made an extra copy." I wiggle my eyebrows at her.

"God you are such an ass!" Elena groans in frustration and goes to walk past me but I grab her arm and stop her, pulling her against me.

"Don't fight this, Elena, you know I'm right."

However I'm shocked when her hand reaches back and she slaps me full force across the face.

Hard.

I wince and drop her arm and watch as Elena stares at me with a fierce glare in her eyes.

"Stay away from me, Damon! Don't call me, don't text me, don't even look at me! I mean it!" and with that she turns on her heel and storms away.

I stay still for a moment before slowly lifting my hand to hold my stinging cheek where she just hit me and a sudden annoying unwanted feeling overtakes me as I realize that Elena may actually be completely serious this time.

Yikes! Elena is certainly pissed about that sex tape huh...

Hope you all enjoyed it, please review and let me know what you thought :)

Until next time!