Cannonball

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

A small warning: There is a little drug use in this chapter!

September 29th 2012.

Saturday 9:30pm.

Mystic Falls.

Zach lights up a cigarette as he sits at my small wooden table that is placed to the side of my open kitchen, looking out of my second floor window that looks out into the street below. His shoulders are tense and I stand in silence as he smokes before me, barely speaking a word since he arrived ten minutes ago.

I can't take the silence for much longer however.

"Uncle Zach-"

"Stop!" he cuts me off coldly. "Don't talk, I'm trying to think." he puffs on his cigarette and I sigh and run my hand through my hair nervously, not really sure what else I'm supposed to do right now. After a few more minutes of eerie silence he finally speaks up. "This is one big mess, Damon."

"I know."

"You know? That's great." he mutters sarcastically and at least I know where my attitude came from. "I asked you to do one thing for me, Damon, one thing." he slams his fist against my cheap table and I watch as it rattles for a moment from the impact.

"Oh come on, that one thing was practically impossible! Besides, I already told you that Stefan had more chance of getting in with the Gilbert's than I did anyway!"

"You think if I wanted Stefan to do it I wouldn't have asked him in the first place?" he stands to his feet and stares at me with anger in his eyes. "I didn't ask Stefan! I asked you! You're the one I trust the most in this damn family to get things done my way, Damon! I don't trust your other Uncles, I don't trust your cousins, I don't trust your brother!"

"Why the hell not? Stefan is trustworthy! You know fine well he is!" I argue, defending my little brother because he has only ever done what Zach has asked of him.

"With some things, yes." he admits. "But face it, he's a Daddy's boy so when it comes down to it, he'll side with Giuseppe."

"I wasn't aware that there were any sides here." I frown confused. "As far as I was concerned, we're all on the same side, we're all a family and we all stick together. You told me that."

Zach shakes his head in annoyance. "You're missing the point. I asked you for your help and you let me down, you didn't even try!"

I gulp slightly and look away because he is right. With everything that happened with Elena three weeks ago, I haven't even made an effort to try and get into the Gilbert home and I definitely didn't stand a chance in trying to get inside the Forbes and especially the Lockwood's right now.

"Look I'm sorry ok, I really am." I tell him sincerely. "But surely there is another way, if not through Stefan then through someone else. You must know people who can make this whole mess disappear."

Zach stays silent before putting out his cigerette. "If I do manage to get myself out of this situation then it won't have anything to do with you." he practically huffs before reaching out into his back pocket and pulling out a small see through packet of white pills and throwing them at me. "Now go and get rid of all of these for me will you, I would actually like to make some money before I end my life behind bars." he practically snarls at me and I sigh before shoving them in my pocket and walking out of the door.

I know better than to argue with him about giving me the crappy jobs like trying to push pills in clubs, especially since I'm already in his bad books right now anyway.

"So Elena, I'm guessing you're going to ask Matt to be your escort at Miss Mystic?" Caroline leans back against my couch from her place on the floor, sipping on a homemade milkshake as she casually flicks through a fashion magazine, a repeat of a reality TV show that she loves playing quietly in the background.

"Um I haven't really thought about it," I stifle a yawn as I lay back on the couch to get comfortable "I guess so."

"You guess so?" Caroline glances back at me confused.

"Well I mean...it's not for another few months yet." I explain myself distractedly as I fiddle with my phone between my fingers. "Who knows what will happen."

"What, you don't think that you and Matt will still be together then?" she swings around to face me, shock evident on her face.

"No, no." I quickly shake my head. "That's not what I meant, I just mean that I haven't spoken to him about it yet, I don't even know if he'd want to do it."

"Oh I'm sure he would sweetie." My Mom walks into the room with a mug of coco in her hand, reminding us that she could hear every word we were saying from where she was in the kitchen. "You should ask him soon, you may think that the event is far away but January will come by before you even know it, trust me. Besides, you still need to pick out a dress and make sure that Matt gets a suit that matches, you know that sort of thing impresses the judges."

"So true." Caroline agrees. "I haven't picked a date yet but it doesn't matter because I have already pre-booked three of the same suits in three different sizes that will match my dress." she grins enthusiastically.

I almost gawp at her. Three of the same suit in three different sizes? Is she serious? Talk about over doing it.

"You see Elena, I told you I wasn't just nagging when I said you really needed to make a start in preparation." My Mom jumps straight on the bandwagon, clearly wishing I was as excited and enthusiastic about these kinds of events as Caroline always is.

I sigh and stop myself from rolling my eyes. "I know Mom, don't worry about it." I take a sip from my milkshake. "I'll find a nice dress, and a suit for Matt." I add.

"Oh we should all go shopping tomorrow to look!" Caroline squeals with excitement, leaning forward.

"It's a Sunday." I try and discourage her immediately.

"So? The mall in Richmond is open on Sunday's and it's only a two hour drive away, plus the stores there are so much better than what we have here anyway! No offence to Mrs Patterson, but her selection of dresses isn't exactly extraordinary." Caroline rolls her eyes slightly as she critiques our local dress boutique before continuing "Will you come too Mrs Gilbert? I'm sure we could use all the help we can."

"Oh yes, that sounds great. I'll drive." My mom smiles happily, clearly pleased to be around someone who has as much enthusiasm about this competition as she does.

Maybe they can both go shopping together and leave me at home alone with some peace.

"I haven't even agreed to this yet." I try not to lose my patience. "I have homework I still need to do and-"

"Oh nonsense Elena." My Mom cuts me off, waving her hand. "You can do that once we get back. Don't worry sweetheart, I promise we will find the perfect dress for you, you don't have to stress about it."

Right, because that's why I don't want to go.

This party sucks.

I gave up on going to the clubs to try and sell these pills that my Uncle Zach gave me when I came across a Whitmore college frat party, figuring I'd just get the job done here instead.

And although I have managed to sell a good percentage of them, that doesn't make up for the fact that this party is as dull as dishwater and if this is what real college parties are like and not the shit you see in the movies and on TV then I really am glad that my grades suck so bad that no where will probably accept me anyway, even if I did bother to apply.

I sigh and shut down another girls attempt at flirting. Normally, I would jump at the chance to hook up with college girls, I mean there is always something so much crazier and wilder about them than high school girls, probably the experience and their feelings of freedom being away from their parents.

But tonight is different.

And I absolutely detest the fact that the reason why is that I don't want to have sex with anyone but Elena fucking Gilbert.

She's successfully avoided me for three weeks now, I've barely even seen a glance of her. I don't know where she's been hiding, or how she's been avoiding me so well, but it's been working.

And with each passing day, I'm starting to really believe that when Elena did end it that Friday night in the old Lockwood cellars, that she really did end it for good.

Which sucks, because she is the best sex that I've ever had.

Despite her annoying stubborn self-righteous personality.

I grunt and down the rest of the cheap stale beer in my plastic cup before throwing it onto the floor in frustration.

Fuck Elena Gilbert. I don't need her anyway.

I pull out the small packet of pills from my pocket before sliding one out into my palm. I stare at it for a moment before pushing the bag back in my pocket and placing the left over pill between my fingers.

I walk towards one of the many kegs and pour myself another cup of beer before placing the pill on my tongue, swishing back the beer and letting it slide down my throat.

I'm sure Zach won't notice if I'm a little short, besides, it's not like I've never actually done it before either. It's just something that I do on a rare occasion, when I really need to let loose and escape from the world for a little while.

I sigh in satisfaction before looking around the party to see where, or who I can have some fun with.

I stop when my eyes land on a pretty red head across the room who is looking just as bored as I felt five minutes ago. There is something different about her, something that makes her stand out from the rest of this crowd and I smirk before making my way over to her, waiting for the effects of the pill to kick in.

"I was going to offer you a drink but then I realized that the crap they call alcohol here isn't even worthy of the cheap plastic we drink it from." I take note of the glare on her face as she eyes me up and down and an idea crosses my mind. "So I figured...a girl who looks as bored as you do at a college party is probably used to something far more fun...and dangerous." I smirk and pull out a pill, not missing the way her eyes light up as she eyes it for a moment. "Well?"

"I'm Sage." she holds out her hand and I grin.

Worked like a charm.

"Damon." I take her hand and bring it to my lips before pressing a slow kiss to her knuckles. I step closer to her so we are almost flushed together before I place the pill onto my tongue. She eyes me for a moment with a hint of smirk on her lips before she grabs the back of my neck with her hands and crashes my mouth against hers. I moan against her lips but it's not long until her tongue slides across mine and she removes the pill onto her own and pulls away and I watch amused as she swallows it smugly.

"Thanks." she winks at me, her body lingering in front of my own.

"You know, I usually charge people for that."

"What? A kiss?" she teases and I let out a laugh and shake my head. "I'm sure I'll find some other way to pay you back." she tugs on my hand, pulling me through the crowds of drunk students and I follow her. "Come on Damon, let me show you what real fun at a real college party is like."

Colors.

Lots and lots of color is all I see, and I don't even know what makes the floor to the walls, but it feels like just one big blur of beautiful colors that have come together in one massive colorful explosion.

I don't know where I am, but all I know there wherever it is that I am, it is the coolest place ever.

Sage twirls around in front of me, a giggle spilling out of her lips as she reaches out her hand and runs it down my face. I frown confused, but when she draws two lines underneath each eye on her own face I realize that it's UV paint on her fingers.

Oh.

Interesting.

I watch amazed as the luminous colors light up her face and I lift up my own hand and slowly reach it out to touch her face, tracing the lines drawn with my fingers, the colors overtaking me. The red, the orange merging together and I stare at her for a moment mesmerized, because this is truly beautiful. She is beautiful.

"Come." she says one word and it echos through my ears and I let her lead me through the colorful wonderful beautiful place that we are gliding through. I feel like I am floating, Sage holding one hand while the other lifts to the side, like I am pretending to fly.

Maybe I am.

It sure feels like it.

We walk into another room and it's so much darker, the colors aren't as bright, in fact, the only real color is the dark red walls. The floors are jet black, like you are standing on a big dark empty hole and part of me feels like I am about to fall through it, so I grip onto Sage's hand tighter as she pulls me towards a small group of people who are all sat around in a circle and that's when I see the bong in the middle, the smoke floating around, barely visible in the darkness.

Sage pulls me down onto the floor to sit beside her, she doesn't speak, instead she pulls a tube from the bong and places it between her lips and I watch as she inhales with a sigh before exhaling contently, the smoke floating from between her parted lips and it's the hottest thing I've seen all night.

She passes it slowly to me and I don't waste a second before inhaling the substance, letting the feeling slide down my throat and into my lungs. I close my eyes and lean backwards so I am now lying on my back and that's when I notice the luminous dark blue ceiling and the yellow dots glowing like stars.

Holy shit.

That is frickin awesome.

I feel a body beside me and I turn my head slightly to see that it's Sage and it takes a second for me to realize that she is now holding my hand.

We lay like that for a while, I'm not sure for how long but eventually Sage tugs on my hand and pulls me up to my feet. She leads me back out of the room and I follow her along to another one. She stops and knocks for a second before stepping inside and I frown when I see it's a bathroom.

This room isn't so beautiful.

There's two men in there and I hang back as Sage approaches them. I frown as they share smiles and giggles and I don't miss the look they all send me before Sage signals for me to come over.

I slowly do, my feet still feel like they are walking on air and Sage smirks at me before motioning to the white powder on the side of the sink.

"You first." she whispers huskily into my ear, her hand stroking my back and I lean down before sniffing up, letting the powder fly up my nose towards my brain, and it's almost like I can feel every single particle as it does.

Sage smirks and pats my cheek before leaning down herself and taking two lines. I watch as she wipes her nose with her hand before turning back to face me, both hands on my chest before she pushes me back out of the room almost as quickly as we came in.

"I feel like I'm flying." I blurt out stupidly, my voice sounding light and unfamiliar, like it's coming from someone else.

Someone else who is trapped in my body.

Sage giggles and lets go of my hand to raise her own in the air and I watch as she tilts her head back. "Then let's fly, Damon."

I don't really understand what she means, but she grabs my hand again and starts to run and I just know that I need to follow her.

We keep running, and running and she's right, I do feel like I am flying. I can almost feel the wind hitting against my cheeks, messing up my hair, despite us being indoors in a place that is hot and stuffy and a feeling of lack of air.

We come to a stop and she giggles before opening a door to another dark room, but this time there is no luminous colors on the walls or the ceiling.

She turns around and pulls me in, closing the door behind me before slamming me back against it and that's when she kisses me.

No hidden agendas this time.

It doesn't take me long to respond to the kiss and I moan into her mouth as her hand runs down my chest and over the bulge in my pants.

I open my eyes briefly as she pulls me back towards the double bed that is placed in the middle of the room but when I do, Sage's red hair is gone.

Instead it's been replaced with brown, and her green eyes are now a dark chocolate color.

Sage is no longer Sage.

Sage is Elena.

I attack her lips immediately, all for a sudden a rush of hunger, want and need overtakes me and I almost feel like a wild animal as I push her down onto the bed and climb on top of her, ripping off her clothes as quickly as I can, not caring if I've ruined them or not.

Before I know it my shirt has been discarded and Elena flips me over before tugging onto my pants and pulling them down, she smirks at me with that devilish less than innocent smile of hers that she keeps for only me, before shoving down my boxers and taking my rock hard member into her mouth.

"Oh God!" I gasp and close my eyes as she deep throats me. "Don't stop." I place my hand in her thick dark hair as the other grips onto the pillow beside me tightly.

Oh my God she is amazing.

Elena Gilbert is actually a goddess.

Everything about her, her hair, her eyes, her nose, her smile, her legs, her breasts, her cute little butt. Everything screams beauty, sexiness and as she bobs her head up and down, sucking on my hard penis I know that she is absolutely the most perfect woman.

She oozes sex.

She stops before I am completely satisfied though and I sit up with annoyance but the sneaky grin on her face shows me that I'm not about to be disappointed. I watch confused for a moment though as Elena climbs off of me and leans down from the bed, however just a moment later she reappears with a condom in her hand and a smirk on her face.

I smile back and let her place it over my throbbing penis, wondering if the head she gave me moments ago was the only foreplay we would be doing tonight.

Normally Elena and I like to have a lot of fun before we get down to the real good stuff.

However tonight she seems impatient and I certainly do not complain as she sinks down onto me, her hands pressed down on my chest.

"Oh god." I gasp as she starts to slowly thrust against me, backwards and forth, up and down. "Harder!" I moan, my fingers digging into her thighs. "Yes, Elena," I shudder in excitement "Oh Elena...you're amazing baby, yes."

Then it stops.

I open my eyes confused at why she's stopped moving and look up to see that her dark brown hair is now red again.

Her deep dark brown pools have gone back to green.

It's not Elena.

No.

It's Sage.

A wave of disappointment washes over me and I squint trying to figure out what's going on but Sage doesn't seem as interested in this as she was before.

And frankly, neither am I.

I watch powerlessly as she climbs up from me and moves to the side of the bed and silently pulls on her top over her head, not saying a word.

I stare as she finishes getting dressed before glancing back at me with a small smile on her face. "I did have fun tonight, Damon. Thank you." she pauses for a moment before speaking again. "But I'm obviously not the one who you want to be here with right now."

She walks out of the room and leaves me laying here alone without looking back.

"So...what do you want to do tonight?" I ask Matt the next day as I sit on his desk chair while he sits in his bed playing on his Xbox.

I spent the whole day in Richmond shopping with my Mom and Caroline to find me a dress for the Miss Mystic Falls competition. It was almost worse than hell, shopping with my mother and Caroline separately is bad enough, but when they are both together? It is unbearable.

But I pushed myself through it with a fake smile and fake enthusiasm and eventually we did find a dress that wasn't totally awful that my Mom and Caroline both loved and I tolerated.

"I dunno," Matt answers my previous question and shrugs distractedly. "The Grill?"

I sigh in annoyance. "Really? We go there nearly every night."

"So? It's fun and all our friends hang out there."

"Don't you get bored of it though? I mean, you work there half the week and the other half you spend there anyway! Surely you must get sick of the place..."

"Not really." he answers without paying attention as his fingers smack against the buttons in his game controller.

I shake my head and look down at my phone, my finger subconsciously tapping onto my contacts.

"Well, why don't we go somewhere different tonight?" I suggest.

"Like where?" he asks without looking at me, his eyes glued to the screen and I watch as he shoots some kind of zombie and lets out a small cheer. I roll my eyes.

"I don't know...just somewhere different." I trail. "We could even try going somewhere outside of Mystic Falls, just get in the car and drive until we find some place...see where we end up." I smile but it quickly fades.

"I don't know, Elena. I'm quite happy to go to The Grill, besides, some of the guys will be there too and I'm sure your girlfriends will be around."

"Right, of course." I sigh and scroll down the list of contacts before stopping on the one I haven't used in over three weeks.

Sally D. aka Damon Salvatore.

No.

Don't even go there.

I scold myself and quickly move off the page and lock my phone, placing it on the desk away from me, away from any kind of temptation. I need to end all contact with Damon Salvatore for good.

He's an asshole.

An asshole I never want to speak to again.

I notice the sounds of shooting and zombie shrills stop and I look up to see Matt jump off his bed and walk towards me, kneeling down in front of me. "Hey come on." he smiles and places his hands on each side of my cheeks. "The Grill isn't that bad, and they do good food."

"I know," I force a smile. "I just thought we could have maybe done something else for a change."

"Why bother looking for change when we have a perfectly good hang out spot already?" he smiles sweetly at me. "Besides, it's just somewhere to go for dinner. No big deal."

"I know." I reply and he leans forward to kiss me for a moment before jumping back up to his feet.

"Let me go quickly shower and then we'll go, ok?"

"Ok." I nod my head and watch as he picks up his towel and leaves the room, but not before sending me one last sweet Matt Donovan smile in my direction that he has been giving me for as long as I can remember.

Some things in life never change.

I hope you enjoyed it!

Sorry for the lack of Delena, and even the lack of Elena really. Not much going on with those two together in this chapter, but I just wanted to show how different their lives are right now. Besides, if you count Damon's little drug induced hallucination it wasn't totally Delena free ;)

drop a review and let me know your awesome thoughts!

Until next time :)