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Chapter 8

162 Candles

"Mum's not here," I guess out loud as I spot Caroline on her way out.

Caroline shrugs, "What do you think, Vicki's missing," she tells me. As soon as the name Vicki comes out of her mouth I wince the image flashing through my head again, nervously I touch the wound on my neck.

"Elouise are you paying attention to me," Caroline snaps drawing my mind away from the thoughts that were drowning it.

"What sorry I wasn't listening," I mutter, falling heavily on my seat.

Caroline rolls her eyes, "I got that, what is your problem you've been really down lately."

"I'm having a teenage crisis, they happen," I inform her, looking down.

Caroline shakes her head, "Really I hate to break it to you but your whole life is a crisis, I'll be back later," she informs me, grabbing her bag and marching out. I half smile at her comment, almost glad she was back to being mean, I was beginning to appreciate the normal so much more now.

"Hey mum," I say knocking gently on her office door, they said she was with someone but I was hoping she wouldn't mind.

"Come in," she calls and I step through to see Damon, I narrow my eyes in confusion why was he here? "Thanks for coming Damon," mum says as I step through.

Damon nods, "Good to see you sheriff, Elouise." I stare at him, my emotions still a deep mixture of anger and fear, Vicki's fate had confirmed to me that I had a reason to fear Damon.

"What are you doing here?" mum asks me confused as the door closes.

"Right sorry I was wondering if I could have some money?" I question, "for my hair, I want to go back to my original colour," I explain at mum's concerned look.

Mum smiles, "So your rebellious stage is over," she comments grabbing her wallet.

"You call violet hair rebellious," I reply jokingly.

"For you it is," she states, handing me over the money.

I shrug, "I guess," I murmur tempted to ask her why Damon was here. In the end I decide against it, knowing she wouldn't give me a straight answer anyway.

"So what brought this on?" mum questions me as I reach for the handle.

I look at her, "I want to be me again," I attempt to explain, the truth was I didn't even know.

She nods thoughtfully, "Okay bye," she says, taking a seat back at her desk.

"Bye," I answer, happy to reach outside again as the cool air washes over me. A hand grabbing me shocks me, I look at in surprise to see Damon as he pulls me across, "What do you want?" I hiss in anger. Nervously I glance around; my heart speeding up as I realize nobody is around to save me.

Damon smirks, "Calm down I'm not going to kill you, I'm keeping a low profile," he assures me.

I take a few steps back, "Well your still a vampire and I still don't trust you," I tell him firmly. This doesn't nothing but bring a smile to his face I frown in frustration.

"Your sister's throwing a party at the Grill tonight you should come," he invites me.

"Unbelievable," I mutter, "you drag me out of the way to invite me to a party, what is wrong with you? Besides I don't want to go."

Damon shrugs, "Your choice, but I'll let you in on a secret," Damon says, taking a few steps until he's beside me, "its Stefan's birthday."

I cross my arms turning my head to look at him, "This is you manipulating me to come," I guess glaring at him before beginning to walk away. I wasn't going to admit that if it was truly Stefan's birthday it would work.

I ended up going over to Stefan's much later, in fact not much longer before the party actually starts. Part of it was to insure that I didn't end up seeing Damon, he was the last person I wanted to see.

"Elouise," Stefan stops short when he sees me.

I look at him confused before I realize, "It's the hair, I know I haven't be naturally brown since like the first year of high school it's weird," I ramble nervously.

Stefan shakes his head, "No, no it suits you," he assures me.

I step past him into the house, "Damon mentioned its your birthday," I comment.

"Yeah it is," Stefan confirms, "you saw Damon?" he asks me suspicious. I

look at the ground before looking back up at Stefan, "He's freaking me out," I admit, "he went out of his way to invite me to this thing." I would prefer it if Damon was threatening me or something, it would be less weird.

Stefan glances at the clock before sighing, "You remind him of someone," he pauses, "you remind us of someone," he corrects himself.

"In the 1800s," I question intrigued.

Stefan nods, "She was Damon's closest friend and she almost happened to be Katherine's closest friend as well," he tells me.

"The evil one?" I question, wondering how anyone like me could be friends with someone like that.

Stefan nods, "Her name was Rose, she appeared in Mystic Falls a couple months after Katherine, but they became friends instantly Katherine use to say they were bound by a common past and a common goal. Damon was taken by her but she convinced Damon that she could never love but that Katherine did love him," Stefan says and my eyes widen with the knowledge, "and you know the rest of the story."

"And you think I'm like her?" I question offended, did they think I would ever do something like that?

Stefan shakes his head quickly, "No, no, but there a certain things about you that are very Rose like," he explains, "the good things," he assures me.

"Who's this?" a female voice asks, as the blonde walks up to stand beside Stefan, giving me an odd look.

"Elouise, this is Lexi my oldest friend," Stefan introduces us, stressing the word oldest.

"So you're a vampire?" I ask, not stop think how bad it would be if she wasn't.

Lexi laughs, "Yeah I am," she confirms. I take in the knowledge a little bit more fearful of her but knowing since she was Stefan's friend that she was a good one.

"I should go," I announce, "I'll see you two at the party," I tell them remembering why I was here in the first place to confirm whether it was Stefan's birthday or not.

"Just so you know I don't it appreciate, you inviting me to this, you talking to me, I don't appreciate you being near me not after Vicki," I say firmly to Damon's back, I had been working up the courage to say it to him all the way over here.

Damon swings around to face me, pausing at my new appearance, "You realize I'm a vampire, so you being mean to me isn't exactly safe," he informs me smirking.

I take a few deep breaths to prepare myself, "Yes I do but I don't believe you'll hurt, not just for the fact that Stefan told me about how I remind you of your old friend Rose, " I pause when I see a flash of hurt pass his face but before I can confirm it its gone, leaving me to wonder if I really saw it at all, "and second Stefan will protect me," I tell him firmly.

Damon looks like he's about to laugh, "Stefan's no match for me." I frown at him, while I knew this was true I didn't count on him pointing it out.

"I however am," Lexi announces coming up to stand next to me.

Damon shrugs, "Want a drink," he offers both of us pointing at the bar.

"Not talking to me," I snap at him, walking away, "thanks for that," I say to Lexi as she comes beside me.

"No problem Damon's," she starts, "an ass," I finish.

Lexi laughs, "Yeah I like you," she comments, "so what's the deal with Elena?" she questions me.

"What do you mean?" I ask confused.

"Why'd she break up with Stefan?" she clarifies, taking a seat at the bar.

I stare at her in shock, "I didn't even know," I stutter. I had been so caught up in how I was affected by everything; I hadn't even given a thought as to how Elena was doing. In fact I hadn't even asked her.

"Elena," I call as I watch Elena walk away from Damon.

"Hey," she greets me.

"I have to apologize for being so self-absorbed until Lexi told me I didn't even realize you and Stefan had broken up," I admit, guilt washing over me.

Elena smiles, "Its fine, you were going through stuff too, so Lexi?" she questions changing the subject.

"Yeah I like her, she's great and Stefan totally lightens up around her," I say looking over to where they were.

Elena follows my gaze, "I'm going to talk to her," she tells me determined.

"Good you should and you should talk to Stefan as well," I encourage her.

"Mum what's going on?" I question as I see her arrive with some of her officers.

Mum looks at me worry flooding her face when she sees me, "Elouise now's not the time, just stay here," she orders me.

"But mum," I argue, "Elouise this is not up for discussion," she snaps. I stare at her as she goes and stands beside a girl, looking around the bar. I tilt my head to the side, wondering what was happening. My eyes widen shock overcoming my body as I watch the girl point over to Damon and Lexi and before I know it they're dragging Lexi outside.

I make my way to the door just as Stefan does, "You can't go out this way," he informs both of us.

I attempt to push past him but he holds me back, "I'm the Sheriff's daughter, you can't do that," I snap, hitting his hand off me.

"Elouise you're not leaving," he glares at me. I search around me for another way out in desperation but its to no avail. I know they're going to do something to her, kill her, if they knew Lexi was a vampire and they thought she was responsible there was no way they would spare her.

"What happened?" I ask Elena as she walks back into the Grill visibly shaken.

"Damon staked her," she says.

I gasp I couldn't believe that, I couldn't believe anyone was that horrible, "But," I mutter in confusion.

"I think Stefan might kill him," Elena admits sadly.

"Good," I hiss. Elena looks up at me shock evident in her face, "After everything he deserves to die," I say firmly.

"But Stefan doesn't deserve to live with the guilt of killing his brother," Elena muses. I think about Caroline and realize that no matter how many horrible things she did I could never kill her.

"No he doesn't," I agree.

"Elouise, I think its time you went home," mum says coming over to us. "Elena," she greets her.

"Hey," Elena replies, smiling even though it doesn't reach her eyes. "I'll see you at school," Elena murmurs walking away. I watch her go worried hoping she's alright and like her hoping that Stefan doesn't kill Damon.

"What happened tonight?" I question, seeing what story she would give me.

"Nothing Elouise, I don't want to discuss it," she tells me in a tone that implies I should quit while I'm ahead.

"Of course its not up for discussion," I say bitterly ignoring it, "I'll find my own way home," I snap at her walking away.

"Elouise, it's late," mum argues.

"I don't care," I hiss, grabbing my phone and quickly sending Daniel a text to pick me up. As I expected mum gets side tracked and doesn't even bother fighting me, although I guess I'd hear about it later. Leaning against the Grill outside I try to process everything that's happened, my mother knew about vampires, Lexi was dead one of the few people I had liked straight away, and Damon was responsible. This was my life now, and I hated it.