Cannonball
Disclaimer: I don't own anything or anyone from The Vampire Diaries.
So I am sending a little sorry note for not being able to update this chapter as speedy as usual! It's that time of the year at university where it is deadline after deadline after deadline after another 10 deadlines! I feel like I am living in the library these days! But I managed to get this chapter completed, in a rare evening free so I hope you all enjoy it!
Another special shout out to anglcdmn1986 for yet again being my beta for this chapter and spotting all my little mistakes that I keep on making, especially this evening when I have a pounding headache and my eyes hurt looking at anything bright!
Pssh enough of my ramblings...
March 27th 2013.
Wednesday 8:45am
Mystic Falls
"I'll be parked right out here at three o clock. You make sure you come straight out, okay?" My Mom warns me sternly, because apparently being chauffeured to and from school is part of my punishment for loving Damon.
"I have cheer practice after school." I lie, hoping that if I'm lucky Damon and I can find an empty classroom or somewhere just to spend some time together, that way my Mom can still pick me up from school when she thinks 'practice' is over and I get to spend some more time with Damon, alone.
"Not today, you don't," she replies coldly. "No practice while you're grounded."
I grit my teeth and bite my tongue. "And how long exactly am I grounded for again?"
"For the foreseeable future," she snipes back before glancing in the wing mirror to where Jeremy is sat looking fed up and bored. "You make sure she gets straight to class without running off to see that Salvatore boy."
I glare at her and Jeremy rolls his eyes. "I'm not her babysitter." He huffs. "She clearly does whatever the hell she wants to anyway." His voice is cold and I turn and look out of the window to see everyone going about their usual morning routine. Nothing seems different, everything is normal but I know that as soon as I get out of this car things are going to change.
"Yes well a lot of things will be changing around here." She replies stiffly.
I send her a side glare and roll my eyes. "Whatever," I huff, opening the door and slamming it shut behind me, not caring if it's an immature action because this whole thing is ridiculous.
I just need to ride this out because this can't go on forever.
"Come on then," Jeremy glares at me once he climbs out of the car, already two steps ahead of me as he glides straight past me in long strides. "You heard what Mom said." I mutter under my breath and follow him out of the parking lot and towards the main building of the school
I ignore the way that heads start to turn in my direction.
Ignore the stares.
Ignore the whispers.
"You know, I'm older than you therefore you don't get to tell me what to do."
"But clearly I'm smarter than you and since you insist on acting like a child, it's no surprise that Mom and Dad are going to start treating you like one." He snaps back coldly and I shake my head.
"How long is this going to go on for?" I look at him in exasperation, already sick of getting this treatment from my family. My Dad literally ignored me this morning; he didn't say a single word to me, despite my best efforts. My Mom is acting like I've just murdered a children's choir and Jeremy is looking at me like I'm the devil reincarnated.
"Until you see sense and dump that asshole you're suddenly calling your boyfriend."
"Yeah well that's not going to happen so you're just going to have to suck it up and deal with it, Jer."
"Or they can deal with it," he scowls and I look up just in time to see Caroline and Bonnie walking hastily towards us. "I'm done babysitting you, if you have any sense you'll listen to Mom and Dad." He pushes past my two best friends once they reach me. "She's all yours." He snipes bitterly and I watch as Caroline and Bonnie awkwardly glance at each other before turning to face me. A determined look Caroline's face.
"Okay so we have a major SOS problem on our hands, Elena." Caroline jumps straight in, edging closer to me while discreetly looking around to see that our fellow peers are turning their heads to stare at me while they walk past. "I don't know if you've heard…or if you've noticed…but some skank has spread a rumor around school that you are dating Damon Salvatore," she scowls in disgust. "We think it was Vicki but it could be that crazy skank Ellie, you know the one who we kicked off the cheer squad last year and now she just sits in the back of our English class glaring and muttering to herself? Or maybe it wa-"
"Caroline stop." I cut her off with a slight grimace, because this was something I did not want to discuss with my two best friends at school, but I guess the damage is done, and the news is out.
I'm about to try and ease my way into a suitable reasonable answer as to what has been going on when Bonnie speaks up and beats me too it.
"It's true, isn't it?" she looks at me disappointedly and I turn to face her nervously.
"What? Of course it's not true!" Caroline almost gasps and looks back at me confidently. "Tell her Elena!"
I feel a hand land on my shoulder just in time to see Bonnie and Caroline's eyes bulging out of their heads. I tip my head to the side to see Damon now stood beside me with a devils smirk on his lips, his arm still wrapped around me.
"My ears are burning. Talking about me, ladies?" he wiggles his eyebrows playfully and I immediately elbow him in the side.
I guess words are no longer necessary.
Caroline's jaw drops in pure astonishment and I think for the first time in her life she is actually speechless.
I clear my throat and force a wary smile. "It's true." I say the words out loud while trying to make my voice sound strong but there is no stopping the shakiness that my nerves are causing. "We're together."
Bonnie looks away with a look on her face that I can only describe as disappointment but before anyone can say anything else; Damon grips my shoulder tightly and motions for me to start walking.
"While this conversation has been absolutely thrilling, we have to be somewhere." He smiles mockingly at my two best friends before practically shoving me away from them despite my protests.
"Damon!" I scold at him in annoyance, trying to pretend that literally every single person we walk past are not stopping what they are doing to look at us. "What the hell?" I look over my shoulder at Bonnie and Caroline who are stood looking at us in utter shock, not quite believing if this is actually happening. I feel awful that they had to find out from someone who wasn't me.
"Trust me," he murmurs into my ear while pulling me even closer to him as we edge closer and closer to the main doors. "The last thing you need right now is to get into all this with an audience."
I suppose he's right, but I know that I owe them some kind of explanation as well as an apology for all the lies I have been telling them over the past few months. They deserve to hear the truth and they deserve to hear it from me.
But not here, not at school with listening ears and lurking eyes.
"Everyone's staring at us." I feel an uncomfortable pit in my stomach as I notice more and more students arriving at the school, and more and more of them turning to stare in our directions, some with shock, some with gossipy smiles and giggles as they whisper to their friends and there's even some who are sending us disapproving looks.
Damon glares at those who are close enough to us before moving us off to one side so we have slightly more privacy than in the middle of the quad and away from the majority of prying eyes.
I'm aware that my parents will be so angry when they find out that this is now public knowledge. I know that they were hoping to keep this private, not wanting to be shamed in public because of me loving a boy with the wrong last name.
"Stefan told Kol about us, therefore pretty much the entire junior class found out overnight. I'm guessing the rest of the school are now in the loop too," Damon explains cautiously. "By lunch time the whole town will know about us."
I let out an annoyed huff because I was hoping this wouldn't all just happen overnight. I wanted to sit down with my friends and tell them face to face. I also wanted to be the one to tell Matt too, especially since we'd actually been getting along lately.
"I know it sucks," Damon continues with a small sympathetic smile, "but at least now we don't have to hide anymore. I'm going to lose some man points here but I can't tell you how much I've wanted to walk you to class." He smirks slightly in a teasing tone and I let out a laugh and slap him on the shoulder.
"Shut up." I try and force the smile away from my lips but Damon always knows the right thing to say to me to make me laugh.
"What?" he chuckles innocently. "It's true!" he tugs on my hips and pulls me against him, my hands immediately landing on his chest before sliding up and wrapping around his neck. "And there is other perks to this whole thing too…" he trails as his lips lightly graze mine.
"Oh yeah?" I whisper with a smile. "Like what?"
"Well," he bends down and presses a slow open mouth kiss to my neck. I gasp and shudder against him, a moaning sound escaping from my lips without my permission as his teeth graze my skin. "I get to do this," he murmurs against me and my eyelids flutter closed before he pulls away too quickly. Before I open my eyes again his lips are finally on mine and I sigh contently into the kiss. His tongue brushes against mine as I press my body flush against him, my arms wrapping around his neck tightly.
"Jesus, it is true."
I pull back from Damon at the cold tone of the voice that has interrupted us and I turn to my right to see Mason looking at us in a mixture of anger and disgust.
"Hey Mase, how you doin', buddy?" Damon grins at him happily, his arm immediately coming to wrap around my shoulder and pull me against him. I inwardly curse at his act of possessive and smugness but otherwise don't react to it. There's going to be no hiding anymore. Mason's eyes harden, his gaze glued to where Damon's hand rests on my shoulder and I can see my boyfriend smirking from the corner of my eye. I suppose Damon has been waiting a long time for this when it came to Mason and I'm sure he's about to enjoy every single second of this moment. "So have you lost your voice or…?" Damon urges him to speak with a cocky smirk.
Mason gawps in disbelief, clearly not understanding how this is happening and I send him a small nervous smile.
"So I guess you've heard?"
His eyes snap back to me, his pupils darkening as he speaks. "I heard the rumors; I didn't actually think they were true. What the hell is going on with you, Elena? Are you out of your mind?"
I sigh because I don't need all of this again and I know that by the end of the day I am going to be so sick and tired of having to explain myself.
"Out of all the people you could choose to date you choose him?" He sends Damon a glance filled with pure hatred.
"Aw don't be jealous, Mason." Damon smirks. "It's not our fault she has good taste." Mason looks back at me in astonishment, as if that sentence was supposed to prove his point but honestly I don't have the energy to argue or to defend myself anymore.
And that little bit of me that still does. I'm saving for Bonnie and Caroline later.
"What the hell, Elena? I don't understand. Why? This has come out of nowhere!"
I go to reply with some half assed apology for lying but yet again Damon happily beats me too it.
"Actually," he interrupts with a smirk. "This has been going on for months."
"Months?" Mason asks disbelieving. "How can that be when we went-"
"On that date?" Damon cuts him off with a grin. "Yeah buddy, she was with me then too."
Mason's face falls and he looks at me like I'm a complete stranger to him and I can't help the grimace and the guilt that hits the pit of my stomach. I actually felt a little bad about falsely leading Mason on once I found out that he wasn't the person behind the blackmail attempts, especially now that I know that Katherine is keeping the biggest secret of them all from him too.
"She doesn't have to explain herself to you." Damon continues. "And to be honest, I think we're done here." His smile falls and motions for Mason to leave with his other hand. Mason looks between us both with a look of anger and astonishment before doing what Damon said and leaving.
I watch him go and wait until he is out of earshot before I elbow my boyfriend in the ribs for the second time already this morning.
"You didn't have to be such a dick." I scold him immediately, pulling out of his grasp. "I know you hate the guy, but I don't and that was a jackass move you just pulled Damon."
Damon rolls his eyes uncaring. "Oh please," he scoffs. "That asshole has had it coming for years! Besides, I didn't notice you hurrying to shut me up through all of that. In fact, part of me kind of thinks you enjoyed it." He wiggles his eyebrows suggestively at me and this time I'm the one rolling my eyes.
I shove him with one hand but it's half-hearted and he knows it. "I'd just prefer it if I didn't destroy my relationships with everyone in this town before lunch." I mutter almost bitterly.
Damon frowns and his hand slowly lands on my cheek. "You aren't regretting all this already, are you?"
"No!" I defend myself immediately because that can't be further from the truth. "But this whole thing sucks; I just wish people wouldn't be so judgmental. I don't want to end up on my own." I crease my eyebrows together while trying not to sound so pathetic.
"Hey come on," this thumb soothingly strokes my cheek. "You're always going to be stuck with me." He smiles slightly and I press my hand on top of his, leaning into his palm.
"That's not what I mean…" I trail. "I know I have you but…I don't want to lose my friends. Why can't I have both?" I feel my eyes flicker closed to try and hide my unshed tears because the last thing I want Damon to think is that I am upset about us now being public.
I wouldn't change my relationship with him for anything or anyone, and if I had to choose I'd always choose Damon.
But that doesn't mean that the people I would lose because of that choice wouldn't suck.
"You wanna know what I think?" he asks softly and I can feel his breath against my lips. I nod my head and my eyes flutter open again and I hold in a gasp as his strong blue pools stare intently at me and I try to stop myself from getting lost in them to hear what he has to say. "I think that if they aren't willing to support you through this or to still stand by you just because you're dating me, then they probably weren't your friends to begin with. You are worth ten times them, Elena." I feel a tear fall before I can stop it and I let out a shaky breath.
"What if they'll never accept us?"
"Then you don't need them." He tells me firmly, his thumb softly brushing away my fallen single tear.
I smile slightly but it's a watery one. "That's easy for you to say when you still have your friends by your side."
"I have Klaus," he points out with a small smile. "And if I remember correctly, when he found out about us his reaction wasn't exactly pretty. I'm not saying that they are going to accept us straight away, hell I'm not even saying that they'll ever accept me but if they love you as much as you love them, then they'll get over it. It's just gonna take some time."
I don't bother to fight the smile that forces its way to my lips because of his words. Like I said, Damon always knows how to find the words to make me feel better.
"All we have is time, right?" I say lightly.
"Exactly." He agrees with a grin before pressing his lips against mine lightly for a kiss. It's not long enough and he pulls away too soon with a smile. "Now come on pretty girl, we have our grand entrance to make."
Elena's hand is clutched tightly in my own as I push open the main doors to the school. I know that she is going to find this a lot harder than me. I don't care about what people think about me or say about me, but Elena was raised differently than I was.
She was brought up to always be aware and cautious of how to act and behave in public, to always keep up appearances to protect her squeaky clean image. She struggled when she and Matt had broken up and she had to face this pathetic parade of teenagers wanting to pry into her life and whisper about her behind her back.
This is going to be ten times worse.
The only thing that I am confident about in all of this is Elena also happens to be ten times stronger than she was just a few short months ago.
Plus, she didn't have me by her side back then either.
"Ready to enter the lion's den?" I murmur into her ear quietly but keep my tone fun and light.
"No," she admits, her hand clinging even tighter to mine as she swallows hard and clenches her jaw.
"Well it's too late to back out now sweetheart, let's go." I wink at her encouragingly before pulling her inside and she has no choice but to follow.
It's like jumping straight into the deep end, right?
What happens next is like something you'd see in a teen movie. Faces turned our way, the usual loud murmurs of the hallway crowds lower into quiet whispers and giggles with people staring without shame.
Elena is tense beside me, I can feel it and I squeeze her hand tightly. I wink at her when her head turns to look at me, a light hearted smile on my face that she slowly but genuinely returns and I feel a wave of relief take over me from it.
If she can smile right here right now in this moment, under the scrutiny of half the school for the first time as we head towards her locker then I am absolutely confident that she will be able to make it through this day.
"See that wasn't so hard, was it?" I smirk at her as we finally reach her locker. She sighs and opens it up, her eyes shifting around her as she is very much aware of all the stares that we are still on the receiving end of.
"I guess it could have been worse." She admits as she pulls out a text book. "Although, the real test is what comes next." She frowns slightly and I take a step closer to her as she turns to face me with a grimace on her face.
"What comes next?" I ask confused, my hand landing on her hip just as the first bell rings to signal for us to all head to our first class of the day.
"History." She says simply but I can hear the edge to her voice.
"Okay?" I'm still not quite sure why this is a bad thing. I mean, I know that Mr. Saltzman is dating her Aunt Jenna but he is one of the rare few teachers who can actually stand me in this damn school so I can't see him having that much of a problem with us. "Mr. Saltzman isn't going to call you out about us in a classroom full of people if that's what you're worried about." I frown.
"No, no." she shakes her head immediately. "Ric's not the problem. Your brother is."
"Oh."
Realization then dawns on me that Elena and Stefan share classes and that if I know my brother, especially when he is feeling betrayed, can be a real asshole.
"I'll just ignore him, right?" she frowns, both of us still standing still despite the moving students around us heading to class.
"If he says anything to you, you tell me, okay?" I tell her firmly. "Hopefully he will have the sense not to but if he does just ignore him. You shouldn't have to worry about dealing with Stefan, he's my problem, not yours."
She nods slowly and taps my chest with a sigh. "I guess it's time to face the music." She closes her locker with her spare hand before letting out a smile. "What were you saying earlier about walking me to class?"
I smile and kiss her quickly before following through with my promise. There are a lot less students in the hallway now but that doesn't stop the attention still being focused on us. I do my best to stay neutral and to not glare and make an angry comment at every idiot who I catch speaking one of our names as we walk by, knowing that the last thing Elena needs right now is me starting a fight with someone completely unimportant.
We come to a slow halt outside of Mr Saltzman's classroom. I smile and brush some fallen hair out of Elena's face.
"You can do this." I tell her confidently. She nods her head and I know she believes me. She believes in herself. "I'll see you at lunch?"
"Yep." She leans up and presses a kiss to my lips, it starts off light but I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her flush against me. She moans into my mouth as I deepen the kiss, for a moment completely forgetting where we are. If it wasn't for the sound of someone clearing their throat I probably would have only pulled away to tell Elena to forget all about school and we can go have our education somewhere else more private.
Unfortunately, Mr. Saltzman, or Ric, as Elena often refers to him is stood in the doorway of his class, his arms folded across his chest as he leans to one side. An eyebrow raised high as his gaze flickers between us both before eventually staying on my girlfriend.
Elena takes a giant step away from me with a big bright red blush on her cheeks and sends him a meek smile.
"Hi."
"Class starts in about five seconds, Miss Gilbert." He tells her in a firm teacher-like tone. Elena nods slowly, biting on her lip before heading inside with her head low. I watch her go with a nervous pit in my stomach because I don't know how things will go in there and I hate that I can't be by her side.
"Damon," Ric pulls me out of my thoughts and my gaze snaps up to him. "Don't you have class?" he questions me and I nod my head.
"Heading there now, Mr. Saltzman." I send him a mocking smile and go to turn away.
"Salvatore!" he calls after me and takes a few steps into the now empty hallway. I frown confused and turn around, motioning for him to say whatever the hell it is he wants to say to me. "Don't worry about Elena, I'll keep an eye on her." He tells me seriously and I feel my eyes unintentionally widen at the genuineness in his voice.
"Um thank you." I clear my throat and nod gratefully before swinging back around on my heel and heading to class.
So with the exception of Caroline giving me the cold shoulder, History wasn't actually that bad. When I first entered the room after the small embarrassing encounter with Ric, the class quickly went quiet and all eyes were on me.
I did my best to shut them out, and I went and sat on my usual seat next to Caroline who very obviously shifted away from me. I let out a sigh but didn't say anything else otherwise.
When Ric called my name out to take in attendance there were a few giggles and comments from the back of the class but Ric swiftly shut them up and I send him a grateful smile.
I bit on my pen nervously when Stefan strolled in ten minutes late with only a mumble of an apology for Ric. He catches my eye before he reaches his usual seat and my heart pounded painfully against my chest.
But then he just looked away and sat down and didn't look at me again since. I guess he's going with the 'pretending-I-don't-exist' move. I can't say that I'm not relieved, and I'm sure that Damon will be too.
I just hope it lasts.
I make it to lunch without any lasting damage and I smile when I see a text from Damon telling me to eat with him and Klaus today outside by the old bike sheds, hidden away from prying eyes.
I step outside, the brisk early spring air hitting my cheeks and sending a small shiver down my spine.
I pull on my gloves from my pocket and am momentarily distracted before I collide into a firm body.
"Oh," I curse my stupidity and step back to apologize. "I'm so sorry I wasn't-" I immediately cut myself off when it's Matt who is stood in front of me. "Matt." I breathe out his name nervously.
"Elena." His voice is cold and hard and it's so unfamiliar coming from his lips.
We fall into a tense awkward silence and I know that I need to say something. That I need to explain everything or something but I just can't seem to find my voice.
Matt lets out a bitter dry laugh, like he is expecting this from me and that immediately put me on the defensive.
"So, I heard about you and Damon." He breaks the silence and I clear my throat. Thankful that there doesn't seem to be anyone else around so at least we won't have an audience.
"I'm sorry that you had to hear it from someone else. I wanted to be the one to tell you," I admit awkwardly.
"Did you really?"
"Yes of course." I frown. "Matt…I know that things have been difficult between us these past few months, but I still care for you. I still want to be your friend."
He looks away and blinks in the sunlight, his eyes squinting. "I just want to know why, Elena? Why him? Why Damon Salvatore? As far as I knew - hell as far as this whole town knew - you hated the guy. What the hell changed? What changed you into that girl who betrays her whole family for a boy?"
I sigh. He just doesn't get it. "It's not that simple. It's complicated."
"It seems pretty simple to me." He bites back sharply. "I don't know what he did or how he did, but he's changed you," He accuses me harshly, "because you sure as hell aren't the Elena Gilbert I used to know. The Elena Gilbert that I grew up with, the one who I cared about and fell in love with would not spend God knows how long lying to all her friends. She wouldn't keep secrets and she sure as hell wouldn't betray her family. I just don't know who you are anymore." He stares at me long and hard before pushing past me. I don't say anything else and I stand still and let out a shaky pant as I feel the sound of the door slamming shut behind me.
I close my eyes and suck in a breath before exhaling. I remind myself that he's just angry right now, this is all fresh and new to him and he doesn't understand. He needs time to cool off and I'm than happy to give him it.
Once I regain my composure I head off in search of Damon and Klaus. It doesn't take me long to find them, hidden away just like I was promised. Rebekah is with them too, lounged on a concrete step as Klaus puffs on a cigarette on the steps above her. Damon leaning against the shed beside them with his hands clasped behind his back.
They look like a trio of social misfits, and I for one am glad that I have been accepted into this fold.
It's a lot different to sitting at the jocks and cheerleaders table that's for sure.
"There she is!" Rebekah spots me first, an amused smile crossing her lips as I step closer. "Our very own real life Juliet."
Damon scowls at her, clearly not impressed with her analogy but I just laugh and flip her the bird, smiling as a laugh falls from Rebekah's lips before her attention turns to scolding her brother for getting cigarette ash on her clothes.
"Hey you." Damon stands up straight as I fall into his awaiting arms. God I have needed to be in his embrace all morning. I snuggle against him immediately, his muscular arms instantly wrapping around me and pulling me tight. I sigh content against the crook of his neck, tilting my head slightly to press a slow soft kiss against his skin before I reluctantly pull back.
Damon's hands fall to my hips as he eyes me up and down with a small smile. "We're halfway. I promise you once today is over with it will get easier."
I'm not so sure about that because I still haven't had the chance to speak to Bonnie and Caroline yet.
"I saw Matt." I tell him with a slight grimace. "It didn't go great."
"Do you need me to kick his ass? I will gladly follow through with beating him up." his eyes light up and flicker with excitement.
"No." I tut and slap his shoulder but he just winks at me playfully. "He just gave me the whole 'I don't know you anymore' speech. I guess it could have gone a lot worse, but to be honest he could barely even stand to look at me."
"My God, what are people's problems?" Rebekah interrupts and Damon sends her another glare for clearly eavesdropping on our conversation. "What?" she raises both of her eyebrows at him. "I'm like three feet away! If you didn't want us to hear then you should have moved elsewhere." She rolls her eyes and Klaus lets out of a laugh. "Anyway," she continues. "I don't even understand the big deal. It's not like you killed someone and there are sure as hell a lot worse things going on in the world than you two dating. Besides, you aren't even that interesting." She presses her eyebrows together before smiling. "No offence."
"None taken." I smile, happy to at least have one more person in our corner, even if she does have an odd way of showing us her support. I turn in Damon's embrace, his arms wrapping around my waist with his hands landing on my stomach. I lean back into him, the corners of my lips tugging as he presses kisses into my hair. "But unfortunately the small minded idiots in this school have nothing else to talk about. This means that we are number one topic of discussion and will most likely be left in this role for the foreseeable future."
"Well, there's only three more months left of school, right?" Klaus offers encouragingly as he throws away his cig. "What's three months?"
"Three months until Damon graduates and then I have to face them all alone for senior year." I mutter disappointedly.
"That's if he even graduates." Rebekah teases.
"Ha. Ha. Ha," Damon mockingly replies over my shoulder. "Someone give her a British Comedy Award. Besides, I told you things will be fine again in a few weeks. Caroline and Bonnie will get over it and by the next school year no one will even care about us anymore anyway."
"He's right." Klaus agrees. "You're this month's drama. It's all new and exciting to talk about right now but they will get bored and be over it after a while. You just have to ride through the storm."
I know that they are right, I do. But it's not my classmates that I'm worried about.
It's my parents. It's Jeremy. It's Bonnie and Caroline.
What if they never forgive me?
Damon must sense my concern because he squeezes me tighter from behind before dipping his head down and kissing my cheek. "Stop worrying." He whispers into my ear soothingly. "Everything will work itself out. I promise."
I nod and squeeze his hands that rest against me before leaning back into him, hoping that he's right.
"Knock, knock." I look up from my place sprawled on my bed to see my Aunt Jenna step in with a small smile.
"Hey." I sit up, closing the book I was reading. "What are you doing here?" I ask confused because I didn't know she'd be in town today.
"Um…you're parents have a meeting with the council tonight and-"
"And they want you to babysit me because they no longer trust me to be home alone." I cut her off with a frown, noticing the guilty look on her face. "Great. For being seventeen, I really do enjoy being treated like a child." I huff sarcastically.
"Surely you understand why." She offers but I just send her a glare because I do not need to hear this for the billionth time. She softens slightly and closes the door behind her. "If it helps, I'm proud of you, Elena."
I freeze, tilting my head up to her in shock. "What? You are?" I ask confused because she's made it obvious that she's not exactly Damon's number one fan.
"Yeah." She smiles softly. "For finally being able to tell the truth, and for no longer keeping secrets. You knew how difficult it would be but you did it anyway. You're brave and that's why I'm proud of you."
I feel my cheeks reddening slightly and let out a smile. "Thank you, Aunt Jenna. I appreciate that."
"So, how did your friends take the news?" she asks curiously.
"Ah." I frown. "Not great. Matt basically told me that he doesn't know who I am anymore and that he wants nothing to do with me. Bonnie and Caroline have ignored me all day and I have been the butt to all jokes and gossip in school from people I don't even know."
"You knew it wasn't going to be easy."
"I know." I agree. "I just wish I had the chance to talk to Bonnie and Caroline properly, but since I'm grounded and I don't want an audience, I don't exactly have an opportunity to defend myself."
Jenna stays silent for a few moments before letting out a loud sigh. "Okay. I guess I wouldn't technically be breaking the rules of letting you out of the house if I allow Bonnie and Caroline to come over."
"Really?" I look at her hopefully.
"Yes, but only if you don't tell your parents."
"I won't." I quickly agree but then my excitement quickly fades. "I doubt they'll even want to come over."
"Oh please." Jenna scoffs waving me off. "If I know Caroline Forbes she won't be able to resist finding out all the juicy details, no matter how set against it she is."
I smile sneakily because she's right. As much as Caroline hates Damon, she will still want to know everything about it. Jenna leaves my room and I quickly send them both a text asking them to come over so I can explain everything to them and finally tell them both the whole truth.
A very long fifteen minutes later I get a text back from Caroline to say that they will be both round soon and I let out a shaky breath and mentally prepare for what I'm about to say.
Time goes by too quickly and before I know it they are stood in my door way, both of their faces completely blank and giving nothing away and when I motion for them to come inside it all feels very formal and impersonal.
You wouldn't think that these two are the girls I have been best friends with since kindergarten.
They both sit down on the edge of my bed and I pull myself to my feet, knowing that I won't be able to sit still through this.
"So," Caroline starts, breaking the awkward silence that fell upon us. "Are you going to tell us what the hell is going on?"
"I don't know where to start." I admit nervously, still to this very second debating on whether or not I should tell them the whole truth about how I also cheated on Matt.
"The beginning would be a good place." Bonnie tells me pointedly.
"Wait, wait," Caroline interrupts before I can get started. "What about the guy from Richmond? I thought he made you happy and now you've just dumped him out of nowhere?"
"Caroline," Bonnie sighs while fighting a smile. "Damon is the mystery guy."
"Oh." She frowns slightly and looks at me in disappointment. "Another lie?"
I nod guiltily before taking in a deep breath. I can be brave. "I met Damon in a bar during the summer. I had an argument with Matt and my Mom was pressurizing me with social responsibilities and I needed to escape from all the heaviness and I ended up there, it wasn't planned. Damon approached me, I naturally told him to leave me alone but he wouldn't budge. He just kept on talking to me like I was interested in what he had to say. Eventually I had enough and decided to leave but I barely made it to my car when some drunk man grabbed me." I cringe slightly at the memory and I watch as a hint of concern crosses both of my friend's faces.
That's good. At least they do still care, even though they might end up hating me.
"He was being rough and you know," I grimace. "Hands on and he was too strong for me, but suddenly out of nowhere he was pulled away from me and it was Damon. He saved me and threatened the guy to leave me alone and I was so shaken up that when he took me back in the bar to get me a drink to calm my nerves, I couldn't argue with him." I decide to leave the slightly more violent version of Damon's entrance out. "We started talking, and this time I didn't ignore him. He was also drinking and one thing led to another..." I trail nervously.
Bonnie is the first person to put two and two together. "Wait wait…you slept with him last summer?" she asks in disbelief and I slowly nod my head. "But you were still with Matt…"
"I know." My voice breaks slightly as the words fall from my lips.
"Oh my god, Elena." Bonnie looks at me disapprovingly.
"I know." I repeat. "I feel awful for cheating. It was stupid and I made a mistake."
"You made a mistake but you're still with Damon now?" Caroline is glaring at me, and I can see that she is angrier about this than even Bonnie. "Does Matt even know?" I shake my head. "God Elena!" she rants in frustration. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"
"I didn't mean for it to happen!" I defend myself immediately. "We were both drunk and-"
"And that makes it okay?" she cuts me off furiously.
"Of course not! I know it was wrong, I knew back then it was too. I made a mistake. People make mistakes."
"So then what happened next?" Bonnie interrupts our mini argument before either of us can make it continue. "What happened between then and now? You're saying cheating on Matt was a mistake but clearly you don't regret sleeping with Damon."
She's right, I suppose. It was like when I told my Aunt Jenna, I feel guilty about what happened but I don't feel guilty because it happened with Damon. I don't regret that summer because if it never happened then maybe Damon and I would never have gotten to know each other.
Or maybe we would have.
Who knows? I do know that now I can't imagine a life without him.
"I avoided Damon for weeks afterwards but then he gave me a ride home and I just…I wasn't strong enough to fight my attraction to him."
Bonnie sighs and looks away, Caroline is looking completely horrified. "It's Damon Salvatore! His surname alone should stop him being attractive to you never mind the fact that he is a giant asshole with an awful personality!"
I decide to ignore that last comment.
"So you were having an affair?" Bonnie asks curiously and again I shake my head.
"I don't even think at that point that we could even call it that…" I frown because it seems so odd to think that back then that Damon and I could only stand each other on a sexual level.
"So you were just sleeping with him with absolutely no shame whatsoever?" Caroline scowls.
"If you want to put it so bluntly, then yes. But I did feel shame, Care."
"Not enough to stop." She points out.
"No, I suppose not."
"So then what happened?" Bonnie begins again with the question and I'm grateful that unlike Caroline she seems to be able to remain at least partially level headed throughout this. Well, at least until she hears the full story.
"Once school started I ended things but…" I trail deciding it might be best if I miss out the night at the bar after school when we slept together again and then that little library make out session where yet again Damon made me lose control and give in to him.
I'm about to go for the big one. This is what I am hoping will eventually make my best friends actually give Damon a chance.
"Nobody knows this, not even Matt." I look at them both nervously. "And what I'm about to say can't leave this room because it will get not only Damon, but me too, in serious trouble." They both look at me curiously but I need them to promise. "Promise me."
They glance at each other skeptically before eventually giving in and agreeing.
"I lied about what really happened that night of the fire at The Grill." I begin nervously, watching as both of them look at me curiously. "Matt had passed out from the smoke and I was completely terrified. I genuinely believed that I was about to die. The smoke was getting really bad and I was struggling to breath but then…I heard the sound of banging, I suppose you could say." I can't fight the relieved smile that crosses my lips. "It was Damon." I watch as both of their eyes widen in surprise. "He knew about those underground tunnels and when he found out that I was trapped inside The Grill he forced his way in underground. He sprained his ankle kicking down the shaft but eventually he got inside. He could barely walk but he still found the strength to pick Matt up and carry him out of there. He saved me, he saved both of us."
They both blink in astonishment, neither quite knowing that to say.
"So if it was Damon who saved you and Matt, why did you lie to the police and say that you found the tunnel and dragged Matt out? Why didn't Damon take the credit?"
"I don't know." I admit honestly because I don't. No matter how much I ask him, Damon to this day won't give me a real genuine answer about why he wanted to be an unknown hero. "He won't tell me why. But…this can't be spoken about to anyone else. I lied in my statement, which was used in court. Damon put his whole family under investigation and his father almost went to prison because of it. He did all this for me and he barely even accepted my thank you."
Neither of them say anything, and I guess that they are too shocked to think of anything. Even Caroline looks speechless.
"From then on we started to become friends and I broke up with Matt. Damon and I were getting closer and my feelings for him turned into something so much more than lust." I look at both of them seriously, needing them to understand that this is real. "I love him. I'm in love with him."
This snaps Caroline back to life. "Love? God Elena! This is Damon Salvatore we are talking about here! He's a bad guy! He does bad things to good people and he enjoys that fact! Aren't you forgetting all the problems he has caused for your family? For your Dad? My Mom?"
"I know that you hate him, Caroline!" I snap defensively. "But I don't hate him! I love him. I'm not even asking you to give him a chance, I just want you to be able to support me and stand by me through this. We didn't ask for this to happen but it did and I'm that it did. It's real and I can't walk away and neither can he. We're still going to be together, with or without your support. But please, I really need it." I feel my eyes stinging with tears but Caroline just stands up to her feet.
"I'm sorry, Elena." She looks away while shaking her head. "I can't support you on this, not with him." She scowls slightly before leaving the room. I watch her go almost in despair before turning back to Bonnie who hasn't spoken since I finished my confession.
"Bon?"
She slowly stands up and lets out a loud sigh. "I don't understand it, Elena." She admits. "I'm not saying that I will support you with him," she continues and I cringe, "but I'm also not saying that I won't either." I feel my heart flutter with a feeling of hope. "I just need time…to get my head around this. I can't forgive you yet for all the lies and the secrets and betrayals. I don't understand how my best friend who I have known pretty much all my life has kept this whole secret life from me, has lied to my face every single day." I gulp at her words.
"You have to understand why we kept it a secret."
"I do," she agrees, "but it still hurts." I clear my throat from the lump that is building. "I can't lie and say that I haven't noticed a change in you lately, that these few months you've been different. I put it all down to this mystery guy that you were seeing…and since that mystery guy doesn't even exist and that it is in fact, Damon, I still can't ignore what I saw." I feel the hope build up again. "I'm not saying that I like him, or if I'll ever like him but just…be patient. I need time to get my head around all of this."
"I know," I nod my head with a small smile. "It's a lot to take in, I understand."
She sends me a small smile back, it's tiny, but it's there. She starts to leave but slowly turns around. "Don't worry about Caroline, she will calm down eventually."
"I hope so." I admit because I really don't want to destroy our relationship forever.
"No more secrets?" She offers me an olive branch and I gratefully accept it.
"No more secrets."
"Oh come on mate, cheer up!" Klaus pats me on the back as we reach the bar. "Elena's grounded, you're not. You can't just sit around all night doing nothing just because she can't do anything." He signals for the barmaid to come over with a smirk and a wink and I awkwardly stand there while he flirts before eventually ordering us two beers.
"Thanks." I mutter as I accept the cold bottle and take a large swig. "Man I need this."
It's been a rough day.
"I just feel bad," I admit as we sit down on the bar stools. "She seems to be getting the brunt of this whole thing more than me and it's not fair."
"Um, aren't you the one who got kicked you and pretty much banished from your own family?" he looks at me slightly amused. "At least her parents can still stand her."
"Barely." I mutter bitterly, still hating the awful treatment that Elena is getting because of all this.
"She can't be grounded forever. Take your own advice and just give it time." He takes a swig from his beer. "Before you know it Elena will be back here by your side and the two of you will be disgustingly making out and not being able to keep your dirty hands off each other while poor old me has to stand beside you both and stomach it like the perfect classy third wheel that I am."
"You do make a good third wheel," I send him a side smirk. "Well, as good as a third wheel can be without being a complete cock-blocker."
He chuckles and I let out a laugh myself. I go to pick up my bottle of beer from the bar when suddenly I feel a hand clutched tightly against my neck from behind and I before I can even think of what is going on my head is being slammed against the bar in front of me.
"Ahh!" I wail out in pain as I feel my head being pulled back, my forehead is pounding and everything is dizzy. I briefly hear Klaus's protests from my side as he jumps to his feet but it takes me another moment before my focus comes back and I'm met with dark eyes right in front of me as his hand wraps around my throat, choking me.
It takes me another few seconds to put the name to the face but I slowly start to recognize that he is Connor Jordan.
"Ah ah ah," He tilts his head to the side as I try to fight my way out of his grasp but this man is twice my size and at least ten years older than me. I barely stand a chance. "You," he barks at Klaus coldly. "Sit back down if you know what's good for you."
Klaus however doesn't move, he still stands tense and ready for a fight. His fists clenched tightly by his sides.
"What is this about?" I breathe out with gasps, well aware of Connor's fingers digging painfully into my skin.
"I've just come with a little message, Salvatore." He grips my throat even tighter and I feel my eyes start to water from the pressure. "A little birdy informed us all about your dirty little escapades with Vaughn's girl."
Andie Starr. Fuck. I knew that bitch would come back to haunt me.
"And I'm just here to remind you that you need to keep your hands to yourself."
"He's not even seeing Andie anymore! He hasn't been for months!" Klaus comes to my defense quickly, not that I deserve it.
"Vaughn knows and he's not happy with you." He pins me further against the bar, completely ignoring Klaus. "You've been marked kid." Connor tells me threateningly, his voice cold and hard.
He lets me go and I gasp and almost fall to my knees, leaning against the bar behind me as I try and catch my breath.
Connor takes a step back, a smirk crossing his features in a quick changing contrast as he lets out a chuckle at the state of me. "Enjoy your evening boys." He turns on his heel and walks away.
I stand up straight and rub my throat. My head is pounding and my skin is burning where I can still feel his fingers lingering against my neck.
"You alright?" Klaus asks me concerned, glancing briefly in the direction towards the exit. Connor is long gone.
I clear my throat and let out another breath as I compose myself. I turn and look at Klaus and I don't miss the fear in his blue eyes as we both silently replay Connor's threat in our heads.
I take a large swig of my beer, downing the rest of it in one go before putting the bottle down. My hand is still clenched tightly around the glass bottle, my knuckles turning white from the pressure.
I look back at Klaus who looks a little pale, his eyebrows scrunched together and I clear my throat, trying to find my voice again before I speak.
"I think I'm in trouble."
Not long now until the prologue guys!
I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Thanks again to those of you who took the time to write me a review, they are so fun to read and always put a smile on my face! I look forward to reading them after posting every chapter so THANK YOU! :)
Until next time!