Holiday Gloom

Elena knew that she was being beyond pathetic, but at this point her life was a complete mess. So what did she have to lose? It had been almost two weeks since her parents had divorced and all though she was getting her own life back in order, everything was becoming screwed up again.

She and her sisters were barely speaking to each other, her father had moved out, and Damon hadn't called or texted once. She knew that they were broke up, but a part of her couldn't help but hope that he would call.

Elena looked over her shoulder even though she knew that the house was empty, Jenna was meeting with her lawyer and Katherine what off who knows where. Elena bit her lip as she went to Damon's Facebook's page. She hadn't checked it in a while, mostly because she didn't want to think about him.

She clicked it open and saw that he hadn't written anything new on his wall, but there was a new picture. It was taken at the beach and Damon was wearing a hat, a pretty blond girl was leaning against him pressing her own cheek against him. Elena couldn't help, but notice that she was wearing the same hat.

Elena felt a pang of jealousy stab her through her heart. She knew that they were over and that she had no right to feel jealous, but she couldn't help it, she felt hurt and angry and sort of jealous because Damon was able to move on and she wasn't.

She was trying, but they might as well be telling her to go climb a mountain. She sighed as she turned off the computer. No, she couldn't focus on Damon anymore, she needed to focus on her own screwed up problems first. Damon could wait.

"All packed?" Silas asked half knocking on Amara's dorm room, Amara had texted him that Tessa went to visit Celeste so it was safe for him to visit, a half opened suitcase was on her bed. It was the last day of the term and everyone else was going home for winter break.

"Hey," Amara gave him a small kiss before pulling out a gift. "Since we're on break, I thought I'd give you, your Christmas present early." She handed him a wrapped gift.

Silas pulled out the wrapping paper and the present turned out to be a soccer ball and it had two concert tickets attached to it.

Amara blushed. "You mentioned how much you love them, and I've never been to one of their concerts, perhaps you could take me with you?"

"You're on." Silas said. "Though it does make my present look weak by comparison."

"Oh, no, don't say that," Amara said as she took the small box from him. "I'm sure, I'll love it." She opened the box and inside was a pretty brooch of a hummingbird made with green and blue stones. "Silas, it's so cute and it will look good with my winter coats."

"Lexi helped me pick it out," Silas said trying not to sound too embarrassed. "And I remembered you loved hummingbirds from that poem you said you're liked."

"I did." Amara said as she touched the brooch. "Merry Christmas."

Tessa peeked over her dorm room hours later, half of the student population was gone already and she knew that Amara had left on the first plane to wherever the hell she came from which made it the perfect opportunity for Tessa to sneak in.

She knew she was being beyond petty, but she wanted Amara gone permanently, and the only way to do that was expulsion. What Tessa was planning to do was quite devious if she did say so herself, but in a way rather brilliant as well.

From her bag she pulled out a small bag of marijuana that she had managed to obtain at such short notice for a hefty price. It was a tiny amount that it barely fit into a small bag but it would be enough to get Amara into trouble.

She opened Amara's night table drawer and placed the baggie inside in clear view. Tessa's brown eyes stopped short on a few pages stapled together, her eyes went through the pages. It was a short story, Amara was probably hoping to get in published in the school's literary magazine and it was actually good.

Tessa slipped it into her bag and closed the drawer, she had a feeling things would start to get better for her very soon.

"I'm dreading this aren't you?" Elena asked Katherine as she set the plates for dinner which now only consisted of the four women. Usually the holiday season was Elena's favorite season, but after the mess that had happened all year, she couldn't wait for it to be over.

Katherine snorted. "Which part, the part where we pretend that everything is all right or the part that we know that things are never going to be the same again."

Elena shrugged. "Both, I guess." She studied Katherine's movements they were slower than usual and she looked a less glamorous version of herself with an old sweatshirt. "Are you ok, you've been kind of out of it these past few days?"

"I'm fine, Elena." Katherine said looking visibly annoyed. 'I don't need you hovering."

"I'm not trying to be hovering, I'm just concerned-"Elena tried.

"Well, I don't need you concern, back off."

"Amara, you're here!" both sister squealed as they wrapped their arms around the triplet.

"I'm here!" Amara smiled back as she let her suitcase fall to the ground, she studied each of her sister's faces. "You guys look so different!"

Katherine playfully shoved her. "In a good way, I hope."

"Definitely in a good way."

The doorbell rang and Elena pulled away. "I'll get it, it's probably the pizza guy." She opened the door and took a step back and looked at the familiar dark hair man. "Damon?"

Damon gave her a wry smile. "Happy holidays, Elena."

"Present time! Present time!" Katherine squealed as she clapped her hands together, not caring that half of the people that were jogging in the park were staring at her as if she were crazy. She had no idea why Elijah had suggested that they open presents in the park when it was freezing outside.

Elijah had already opened his own present which consisted of a book that Katherine thought was beyond boring, but that he "suggested" he would like and now it was Katherine's turn.

Elijah tried to hold in a laugh as he handed her the purple wrapped gift. "Now be patient."

"I am being patient," Katherine insisted as she removed the paper. "I haven't ripped it from your hand yet." She smiled when she saw that it was the pretty pink sweater that Katherine had fallen in love with when they had gone to buy presents for Rebekah. He had remembered. "Elijah, you remembered!"

Elijah chuckled. "I did remember."

Katherine immediately put on the sweater, but it was obviously too big for her now small frame. The material stretched too long. It was like a little kid playing dress up with their parents' clothing.

Elijah frowned. "I'm sorry, Rebekah told me you size, but I may have gotten it wrong. I'll return it and get it in a smaller size."

Katherine gave him a quick peck on the cheek, loving the way that he said smaller. "Don't you dare, I love it."

-End of Chapter Sixteen-