Chapter Eleven
Stefan and Elena were outside. They're waiting for me.
Caroline sighed before stepping into the open door. She could feel the sun hit her skin and sudden uncertainty rose within the blonde. Would she be able to control herself? Is she ready for this? Pursing at her lips, Caroline unknowingly took a step back from the door only to jump when her back seemed to bump right into a hard surface behind her. Turning around immediately, Caroline's eyes narrowed at the grinning man before her.
"Freaking out already?" Damon asked, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked down at the woman with the most amused expression he could muster.
Caroline forced her eyes away from the man before putting her attention back on the outdoors. The past two days he had told her repeatedly that she'd never survive this, and that he'd rather kill her now because she was just another useless person that could never carry herself—especially as a vampire. He had been cruel to her ever since she had been turned into a vampire and Caroline was tired of it all. She was tired of all the picking on her and his constant thought where he believed that he could easily push her around. She was tired of it all and what hurt the most was that he had said all those things to her when she clearly needed all the help she could get…all the comfort she could receive. Instead, Damon gave her bullshit about all the insecurities she had always had of herself and how she was weak and worthless. He had apologized to her and then made her forget that she was in love with him. He had no right to do that, just like he had no right to judge her character. He had no right.
About to step out of the house without giving him another look, Caroline's breath hitched at the feeling of his hand grab at her forearm, making her freeze in her spot. Looking back at him, Caroline tried to pull free of him while struggling. "Let go of me," Caroline stated sternly, glaring at Damon whose expression seemed to be completely unreadable as he looked down at her.
"Try not drinking anyone dry," Damon advised. His tone of voice was amused and Caroline's hands formed into fists at the sight of him smirk at her again. Starting to struggle again, Caroline grinned when she was able to free her arm from his hold. Maybe the training did benefit?
"I guess we don't have a problem there then," Caroline started harshly; "I'm not the type of person to use and hurt people."
Damon's brows arched. Right, he had used her, manipulated her, fed on her, and hurt her. He even stupidly told her that he had enjoyed her misery yesterday. He had told her that he loved seeing her miserable and pushed around. He was cruel to her and she clearly was done with all of his bullshit. She was mad at him and everyone could tell. What surprised him was the fact that her sudden hatred for him ate at him and made his brain want to explode. Why does it affect me so much?
"So you could save the advice," Caroline muttered before stepping out of the boarding house and nearing the car that Stefan and Elena were already settled into.
Caroline could see Stefan two seats behind her. Watching him smile at her in reassurance, Caroline sighed before looking back down at the textbook on her desk.
I made it into the school, down the crowded halls, and now I'm here. Caroline, you can do this, Caroline mentally encouraged herself.
Smiling slightly, Caroline took in a few breaths. She was fine. She was going to be just fine.
Almost as if she had jinxed it with her thoughts, Caroline's eyes narrowed at the smell coming from the entrance of the class. Head shooting up, Caroline's eyes widened at the sight of Larry in the front row.
"Paper cut," he hissed, lamely waving his hand in the air before trying to get back to his work.
Caroline was trying her hardest to stay in control. She could feel her feet and hands starting to shake, her pencil moving slightly on the table from the vibration. She had to be in control.
"Stefan," Caroline breathed out, her voice so soft, she knew he was able to hear her though.
"Caroline," Stefan whispered back, "Stay in control okay, it's just a paper cut. You've been doing so great."
Caroline nodded to no one in particular. Maybe it was for her? The physical movement of her head allowing her to agree with Stefan and motivate herself to stay in control. She couldn't hurt Larry or anyone else in this room. She was Caroline Forbes and she was going to be completely fine.
You've been doing so great. You've been doing so great.
You've been doing so great. You've been doing so great.
You've been doing so great. You've been doing so great.
You've been doing so great. You've been doing so great.
You've been doing so great. You've been doing so great.
You've been doing so—
I can't. I can't do this.
Caroline got up from her chair at an instant. She knew her face was starting to change, her eyes piercing and displaying her hunger.
Picking up the pencil that she dropped onto the floor, Caroline hastily grabbed her textbooks and papers before starting to exit the room.
To her luck, the bell rang right when she left, leaving the confused students and teacher with no other choice then to avoid her early exit, and pack up themselves.
Stefan's eyes grew with concern as he quickly grabbed all of his belongings as well. Trying to get past the crowd of students that were all now exiting the classroom, Stefan sighed in defeat at the fact that he had definitely lost Caroline.
"Salvatore, would you give Mrs. Forbes the homework for tonight?" the teacher asked, grinning slightly in Stefan's direction.
"Sure thing, sir," Stefan chimed before finally seeing a path to run out of the classroom.
He was right. He had lost Caroline.
Sighing, Stefan couldn't shake off the sudden worry for the blonde. However, he knew exactly where she was going to be.
Pulling out his phone for his back pocket, Stefan opened up his messaging while looking for his brother. Knowing that Damon would be home, he'd be closest to finding Caroline.
Caroline was goin back to the boarding house, back to the woods, and that was a clear thought in Stefan's head when he messaged Damon saying:
She's gone.
Find her and don't be such an ass about it.
Stefan.
Locking his phone, Stefan put it back into his pocket.
(******)
Caroline could feel his presence a few feet from where she walked. She tried her best to ignore it, but the constant loud steps he made in the wet mud was irritating her to the fullest. So she spoke, "What are you doing here?"
"Stefan texted," Damon started, making his way closer to Caroline who seemed to continue with walking deeper into the forest. "He was worried and told me to try to find you, you—"
"I freaked and ran," Caroline interrupted, "I got scared."
Damon's eyes narrowed at the blonde who seemed to be deep in thought. Her words shook a bit when she was to sigh right after speaking and Damon knew everything was probably bothering her. She was still new at that this and he understood that she wasn't ready to be pressured so much, and yet, that's exactly what Damon and Stefan had been doing. They were pressuring her to survive this, to never screw up. She was put on the highest fucking pedestal and she was scared to climb off of it because that meant she'd disappoint one of them. She was scared.
"Don't be too hard on yourself," Damon started, "it was your first day surrounded by so many people."
Caroline's brows furrowed slightly at his words. She was expecting him to make an unpleasant remark on how she was weak and didn't have willpower. She was definitely not expecting that though, almost as if he was trying to make her feel better?
"You'll get it eventually," Damon finished, looking over at the blonde who seemed to be looking at him with the most confused expression ever. "What?" Damon asked, arching his brow at her when she seemed to look away from him right away.
"Nothing," Caroline breathed out before picking up her pace, Damon no longer at her side when continuing to walk deeper into the woods.
Catching up to her again, Damon looked over at the woods, the place where they used to train coming into view and Damon sighed when remembering everything that had happened between the two the day before. She had cried. She thought he hated her.
"You don't want me to help you anymore, huh?" Damon asked. His voice was laced with slight boredom when finally stepping into the cleared field. Leaning against the nearest tree, he watched the blonde barely make eye contact with him when she seemed to walk through the cleared circle that surrounded the both of them. Her eyes seemed to graze past all of the land below her feet and Damon twitched uncomfortably against the tree when she finally looked up at him.
"I don't want help from someone who's got to do it against their will," Caroline started, "I'd rather it be from someone who actually cares if I live or die."
Damon's snickered at that, his legs awkwardly twitching against the tree again. His eyes met her soft ones and he could see that she was hurting. She thought he hated her and the fact that she still found him to be annoyed of her surprisingly ate at him. This aching at his chest never seemed to go away ever since he had seen her cry. She was crying because of him that day and he wasn't going to admit it, but, he regretted saying the things he said. He cared. He cared and that's what scared him.
"I want to help."
"What?" Caroline asked. She was taken aback from what Damon had just lazily blurted out.
Damon sighed exaggeratedly before repeating himself. He eyed Caroline who simply stared at him with a dazed expression. "Why?" she asked softly. Damon grinned before leaning off of the tree and slowly walking over to the blonde. "I've got this fetish towards woman who can kick my ass," Damon stated, shrugging, "Train with me and eventually you'll be able to do just that."
"Kick your ass?" Caroline asked, suddenly grinning at the man.
A sudden warmness erupted at Damon's chest at the sight of her smile. Wiggling his eyebrows at her, Damon shrugged again before standing straight in front of her. "You're mad at me," Damon started, "and you possibly hate me."
"Can't argue with you there," Caroline muttered causing Damon to roll his eyes.
"So why not throw me around every morning?" Damon asked, grinning hugely when Caroline smiled a toothy-grin. There was something about her smiling that made Damon grin larger.
"Tempting," Caroline said before away from Damon and towards the pathway the next tree in sight, "But no thanks."
Damon's brows knitted together at that. Using his vampire speed to get in front of Caroline in an instant, Damon watched the blonde jump in front of him. "So I'm taking that as a 'no' to helping you out, then?" Damon questioned.
Silence.
Damon sighed in annoyance when Caroline simply walked around him and towards the tree again. Turning around, Damon watched her slump against it, before sliding to the ground. She pulled out her side bag, along with a few spare papers and a thin binder; it almost seemed she was completely avoiding his existence at this point.
Not know if it was because he loved annoying her or if he honestly wanted to her to let him help her, Damon walked over to the tree too, before sitting down next to her. Grunting and cursing at the mud that dirtied his jeans, Damon's lips pursed when he accidentally grazed Caroline's arm, causing her pencil to create a wiggling line across the page.
"Damon," Caroline grumbled before starting to erase the line, "Just leave me alone."
"Can't do that Blondie," Damon sang out before nudging her again causing her eraser to wipe down a few words she had recorded. He grinned when he heard an unfriendly squeak erupt from the blonde before she looked back at him.
"Damon what is your deal?" Caroline asked irritated, "Can't you see that I'm trying to stay away from you? Please just leave me alone and allow me to work on my homework in peace. I promise I won't bite anyone's head off, just please leave me alone to my own problems, alright?"
"What's got you all worked up?" Damon asked annoyed.
"You, Damon!" Caroline exclaimed, "You harassed me every day, put me down constantly! You hate me—trust me, I've gotten that message loud and clear, so you don't have to pretend that you might actually care. I know you don't, so stop trying to fool everyone."
Hastily getting up from the ground, Caroline closed her binder before shoving it into her bag again.
Damon simply watched from the ground.
"I told you I was in love with you, and you made me forget. You made me hate you," Caroline yelled, her anger and frustration getting the best of her.
"Well congratulations," she said, her voice softening a bit, "I hate you now."
I hate you now. Damon's stomach twisted in the most unpleasant way.
"I'm done with you," Caroline whispered out, tears visibly attacking her cheeks, "I'm done with both of the Salvatore brothers."
Damon's eyes narrowed at that.
"Both of you just need to leave me be," she began, stumbling backwards a bit, "I'll be fine, just let me figure this out my own way okay?"
She was asking him now. She wanted him to agree—agree with her. Damon didn't do anything; his jaw simply flexed over and over, his hands in fists.
"I'm going back home," Caroline said softly, "I-I can't do this anymore."
"You won't survive it. You won't be able to fight against the thirst if you leave like this," Damon stated, his anger and annoyance getting the best of him as he also got up from the ground.
Something broke in Caroline's eyes, and Damon noticed it. Internally slapping himself awake, Damon's whole body softened, his fists unclenching.
"Right, cause I'm weak?" Caroline asked, voice quivering.
Damon's eyes narrowed at that. He never meant it that way, "Blondie, what are you—"
"Well, I guess we'll see then," she interrupted.
Caroline then turned her back to Damon, her soft footsteps making their way towards the end of the circular field.
What is happening? Damon thought to himself, clearly confused and irritated with the blonde.
Watching the blonde starting to leave the circular field, Damon rolled his eyes at what he was about to do. Sure it was harsh and a dick move, but Damon had no other choice at the moment. He knew Caroline would never walk with him back to the boarding house after everything she had just said…
So instead, Damon used vampire speed to near her, all while snapping her neck in an instant. She gasped at briefly before she started falling to the ground.
She didn't hit the ground.
Damon caught her before she could.
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