CHAPTER 8:
The beaming rays of the golden sun strike me as I climb out of my car. I slide my tote bag over my shoulder. Mystic Falls Community Center stands in front of me, and I make my way up the stone steps and walk into the building.
"Hey, Elena," A perky ginger named Vanessa smiles widely as I approach the reception desk.
"Hey," I smile in return as I set my bag on top of the counter and reach out for my gym pass.
"Regular?" she asks, and I nod.
"Here you go," she says, gesturing to my wrist. I place my wrist on top of the counter, and I watch as Vanessa wraps a band around it.
"Thanks," I say once I take my wrist away. "I'll see you later,"
I make my way to the women's locker room. Once I enter the room, my flip-slops slap against the tiled-floor beneath my feet, ricocheting off of the walls.
I wander over to locker 1133B and dig out my key. Once the locker door swings open, I plop down on the wooden bench in front of it. I kick my flip-flops off and toss them onto the locker floor. I fetch out my towel and set it beside me, and I stand and strip out of my white cover-up, revealing my purple Speedo one-piece. I throw my clothes onto the top shelf and shut the locker. I quickly lock it once more, and I gather my towel and phone and make my way to the showers.
Once I'm freshly rinsed, I walk through the blue door at the end of the hall and enter the pool area. Florence + The Machine belts "Sweet Nothing" as I wander over to a lawn chair and set my towel down on top of it, stuffing my phone in between the material. I slide off my rings and my bracelets, and bury them with my phone inside of my towel. Once I'm all clear, I sit down on the edge of the pool and slide my legs into the water. Thankfully, it's the perfect temperature, and I pull my legs out of the water. As I walk over to the other side of the pool, I slide on the goggles that rest on top of my face, and the cool water splashes onto my face as I dive into the aqua water.
Twenty minutes later, my hand grips the edge of the pool, and I come up for air.
"Are you training for the Olympics or something?"
A vaguely familiar voice startles me, and I whisk my goggles off and wipe my face and look up.
"Stefan?" He's standing in front of me, and he's wearing a pair of speedo swim trunks. His question nudges my mind, and I shake my head. "No, I'm just exercising."
"Well, do you mind if I exercise along with you?" He wonders, and I push off from the edge to make room for him to slide in.
"Not at all," I smile, shaking my head.
Stefan nods, and I watch as he hops into the water, splashing me lightly.
"So, you come here often?"
"When I'm in town, yes." I nod. "I've just returned from school at Whitmore." I say.
Stefan's eyebrows rise. "Whitmore?" he asks in disbelief, and I nod again. "Did you go there?"
"No," He shakes his head as he sighs, "My family's had a history of going there. Damon and I have family in Charlottesville near Whitmore, and our parents attended. He and I sort of were the black sheep and both attended Duke."
"Oh," I say.
"Hey, before I forget," Stefan says, "You were amazing last night." he compliments, and I frown in confusion.
"The singing." he reminds me, and I perk up.
"Oh, right," I nod, feeling my cheeks heat. "Thanks,"
"I don't know if your sister got a hold of you yet, but she says that she wants you to sing at her and Damon's reception."
What?
"Oh?"
"Yeah, she wishes she could sing as well as you," Stefan scoffs, and if I wasn't so shocked, I'd feel more obligated to defend Kat.
"Well, she said she was going to call and ask you to stop by and talk to her about it," he shrugs.
I nod. "I'll go and see her tomorrow." I would go over today, but I can't be in that house. I've had horrible sleep, what with certain dreams that involved a certain sister's fiancé. If he hadn't been so tender and worried about me after the Mason thing last night, then my mind wouldn't even have conjured those dreams up.
What is going on with me?
Suddenly, my phone's ringtone shatters the silence, and I excuse myself and climb out of the pool. I wipe my hands off quickly on my towel and reach for my phone and answer it.
"Hello?" I ask, frowning.
"Hey, stranger," a familiar voice says, and my face breaks into a smile.
"Lexi?" I gasp. "How are you?"
I've not spoken to Lexi in ages. She and I met while we attended Whitmore, and since she went back to Newark after graduation, I've barely heard from her since.
"I'm good. Listen, I'm heading out to Virginia for some work. Could I stay at your place?" she asks.
"I'll have to ask my uncle, but I'm almost certain that you'll be able to." I grin. "So, you're coming for business?"
Lexi's sigh drips down the phone. "Yeah, my boss is transferring a group out to Virginia to train a new set of employees at our Richmond location."
"Richmond?" I frown. "Lexi, that's a two hour drive from where I live."
"It's not too bad." she says. "Hey, I've gotta go."
"Alright. I'll let you know about staying here." I tell her.
"Great, thanks." Lexi's relief is obvious. "Thanks, Elena."
"No problem." I say. "I'll talk to you soon."
"Alright. Bye," she says, and I pull the phone away from my ear.
"So, you've got a visitor?"
At the sound of Stefan's voice, I whip around, startled.
"Yeah, I think so," I nod, sighing as I calm my heart down. "Hey, I've gotta go," I tell him as I gather my stuff together.
"Alright," Stefan says warily, surely perplexed by my strange behavior. I was planning on leaving around now, near two, and it's just past.
"I'll see you later," I wave, and my feet squeak as they press against the slippery tile beneath.
Ten minutes later, I hop into my car. I set my stuff in the seat beside me, and I stretch a hair binder and tie it around my damp hair. Once I'm ready, I put the gear into reverse as I back out of the lot.
When the house comes into view, I pull right into the driveway. I switch of the radio, Ellie Goulding's "Lights" fading. Grayson's out in the front yard fiddling with the lawn mower. He's been working outside since I woke up this morning. It's his time of the month.
Cleaning, that is.
I quickly hop out of the car and walk over to him.
"Hey, I can do that for you," I tell him. Grayson looks up, and when he sees me, he jumps in surprise.
"God, you're sneaky," he chuckles as he rests his hand on his chest. "Are you sure?"
I nod. "Of course. You've been working all morning,"
Grayson sighs. "Elena-"
"Please. I want to help." I say.
"You've got your mother's good samaritan genes," Grayson chuckles, and at the mention of my mother, I smile somberly.
"She did always love to help others," I agree.
"Even when she didn't have to," Grayson raises an eyebrow at me.
"Why not?" he sighs, turning to look at the machine beside him. "You sure?"
I nod, smiling. "Sure as I can be."
"Thanks, Elena," He smiles. "I'll be in the back working on the terrace."
I nod, and when I'm alone, I pull out my phone and pop my earphones in. Immediately, The Naked and Famous' "Young Blood" croons, and I tug on the power chord, and when the mower roars to life, I start off.
Fifteen minutes later, I'm escorting the mower back to the front. As the last seconds of "Little Talks" whispers in my ears, I park the mower in the garage.
"That was quick," Grayson assesses, and I nod in agreement.
"Yeah, I work fast when I'm listening to music." I shrug.
"Well, thanks again," he smiles, and I shake my head.
"Oh, it was no trouble." I say.
"Well, the favor's still appreciated," he smiles, and I giggle as he turns away. Just then, a thought pops into my mind.
"Hey, Grayson?" I ask, and he turns around. "Can I ask for a huge favor?"
Grayson crosses his arms as he addresses me. "How much?"
I shake my head. "No, I'm not asking for money," I tell him. How do I say this?
Just say it.
It's that simple.
"My friend from Whitmore, Lexi, she's coming here on a business trip from Newark, and she's wondering if she could say here while she's in Virginia." I say quickly. Grayson says nothing as he stares at me.
"Sure," he shrugs. "But she'll have to stay in your room, seeing as the guest room is full of storage. When is she coming?"
"That's fine." I tell him. "I'll let you know after I call her."
"Alright," Grayson says. "I'm going to go inside and lay down for a bit."
I nod. "Okay."
Once Grayson enters the house, I pull out my phone and call Lexi.
The next day, I'm sitting at the kitchen table, munching on a blueberry Pop-tart as I read my email. There's a bunch of spam and junk mail, and I've been deleting them for the past twenty minutes. I'm waiting for Lexi to come in. As it turns out, Lexi is coming today, and I'm really looking forward to seeing her again.
Just as I'm about to click on the delete button, the front doorbell chimes, and I spring up from the chair and wander to the front hall.
As I whisk the door open, a perky tall woman with golden hair and a California-like tan stands cheerfully.
"Lexi!" I squeal, and soon we're wrapped in a hug.
"Hey," she says as she pulls away. "Thanks again for letting me stay,"
"Here let me take that," I say when Lexi reaches for her suitcases on the ground. "And no problem."
As Lexi wanders into the living room, I follow her, kicking the door behind. I set her suitcases gently down by the staircase, and when I look up, she's regarding me suspiciously.
"You're playing again?" she asks, and just as my mind clouds with confusion, I trace her gaze to the piano, which has stacks of open sheet music spread on the top. Ever since Stefan mentioned that Kat was going to ask me to play at her wedding reception, I've been fiddling on the piano.
"Yeah," I nod.
"Why?"
"Kat's getting married, and she's asked me to perform at her reception." I shrug, and Lexi's eyes widen significantly.
"What?" she gasps. "Are you singing, too?"
I nod.
"Wow," her eyebrows raise in surprise. "Well, let's make sure I'm in town for the rehearsal dinner." she winks, and I sigh in dread. The less people I sing in front of, the better.
"So, where you headed off to?" Lexi says, and I remember that I'm all dressed.
"I'm actually going over to Kat's now to talk to her about the reception." I say. "You're welcome to come if you'd like," I tell her, and Lexi immediately perks up.
"Really?" she grins. "Sure,"
Lexi and I stand on the porch outside of Kat's, and I swallow as I ring the bell. Immediately, something that sounds like shouting emerges faintly, and Lexi and I lean in.
"What's going on?" Lexi asks, and I shrug.
Just then, the door whisks open.
"Elena," Damon sighs exhaustedly.
"Damon?" I blink. He looks as if he's not had an ounce of sleep in the past few days. His hair's all messed up, and his eyes are hooded.
"What are you doing here?" he asks, and I remember that Lexi's present as I follow his gaze to her. She's wide-eyed with shock. Surely, she's fascinated by his attractiveness.
"I, er, ran into your brother yesterday-"
"Really?" Damon's eyebrows raise. "He didn't mention anything."
"Oh," I frown. Huh. "Well, he said that Kat wanted me to perform at your guy's wedding reception, and I just thought I'd stop by to talk to her,"
Damon yawns as he moves aside, gesturing for Lexi and I to enter. "Come on in."
The floor squeaks as Lexi and I enter, and Immediately, Kat walks in, looking equally as exhausted as Damon.
"Will you ever just call?" she groans.
"Sorry," I say. "This is my friend, Lexi," I announce, and when I turn to her, she looks as if she's seen a ghost.
What's up with her?
"Alright," Kat crosses her arms. "Why are you here, again?"
"I ran into Stefan at the gym yesterday, and he mentioned that you wanted me to perform at your and Damon's reception."
"What?" Damon gasps, and I turn around to face him. He looks wide awake now.
"Oh," Kat sighs, her tone softer. "Yeah, I would appreciate that. Between the two of us, you were the one with the talent," she says, a hint of jealousy in her tone.
"Yeah, we all know that you could be on American Idol, you're voice is that incredible." Damon says, and I turn around, coming eye to eye with him.
"Thanks," I smile softly, my skin flaming.
Oh, God."Here, why don't you two come and sit out back?" Kat offers, and Lexi and I follow her out back. When we're alone, and Kat shuts the sliding door, I turn to her.
"What was with all of the shouting?" I wonder, remembering the commotion that Lexi and I had heard earlier.
"Oh, that," Kat sighs. "It was just Damon and me arguing over a house."
"What's wrong?"
"It's not important anymore," she says, and I know that she won't offer anymore on the topic.
"So, what's your plan for the reception?" I ask, and Kat perks up. "I've some plans inside. I'll go grab them."
I nod, and Kat wanders off, leaving Lexi and I alone. I turn to her, wanting to get to the bottom of this abnormal and slightly unnerving mood she's in.
"What's wrong?" I ask her softly. "You look like you've seen a ghost," I chuckle softly, and when her face remains serious as she turns to me, I frown.
"Elena, do you know who that is?" she hisses, gesturing to Damon through the glass, and I'm thrown by her frantic tone.
"Kat's fiancé," I say warily. "Who else?"
"Elena, there's something that you should know," Lexi says, and I frown, my stomach blooming with worry.
"What is it?" I ask softly.
"I don't know how to say this," she sighs, and I'm nearly ready to scream at her when she continues.
"Do you remember when Mason and you broke up sophomore year?" she asks, and I nod.
"Just before winter break."
"Well, you were so upset, and you wanted to down to the bar one night during break." she says. "I wouldn't have let you, but you were so sad, I thought you should have some alone time. I came down to the bar to keep an eye on you that night."
"What?" I gasp. "Why?"
"I wanted to make sure you didn't sneak off and get yourself into trouble." she defends, and I calm down. If I start an argument, I won't get an answer.
"Anyway," Lexi sighs."You just kept taking shot after shot, and I should've stopped you, but I didn't want you to know that I was following you-"
"Lexi, just say it." I implore.
"Elena, Damon walked into that bar that night," she hisses. "Elena, I saw you leave with him."
"What?" I gasp. "No, I would've remembered him-"
Lexi shakes her head. "Elena, you were wasted, and so was he. And besides, you looked completely different, remember?"
I immediately remember that I had dyed my hair after Mason and I broke up. It was a burgundy color, and I had short hair and bangs.
"You didn't come home that night." she says.
All becomes clear.
You were drunk.
Damon walked into the bar that night.
You left with him
You didn't come home.
"Oh, my god," I breathe as my thoughts scramble to fit into the right places.
I had a one-night stand with my sister's fiancé.
"Alright, here are the plans," Kat's voice echoes distantly, and I blink.
I have to get out of here.
Now.
"I'm sorry, Kat, I have to go." I tell her, and Lexi follows me into the house.
"What?" Kat snaps. "But-"
"Elena?"
I look up, and sure enough, I'm face to face with Damon.
Oh, my god.
Oh, my god.
I have to leave.
NOW.
"Excuse me," I murmur, bowing my head down as I scurry past him.
"What's wrong?" Damon's soft voice asks, and I force myself to walk out of the house.
December 2010
Elena sat at the bar out front of her apartment complex as she brushed her shoulder-length burgundy hair behind her ear. She normally found and met clients in here, but tonight, she had just needed a drink. Some catchy song crooned in the background by a band that she recognized as Kids Of 88. SHe couldn't place the name of the song, however.
"Another round, please," Elena raised her hand as she flagged down the bartender, and he grabbed another cup and filled it with Bourbon. A glass was set in front of her, and Elena drowned it down immediately. She was so drunk that if she tried to stand, she would fall to the floor.
"Trying to clean the Bourbon supply out?" A voice asked beside her, and Elena set the now empty glass onto the counter, turning to face the man. Through her classes, she saw that his hair had a dark brown hue to it, and from what she could tell in her hazy state, his eyes were a beautifully colored oceanic blue.
"I'm not on the clock." she scoffed.
"Oh, you're one of Trevor's girls," The stranger said.
"Who wants to know?" Elena said.
"No one. Just merely curious," the man smiled.
"Listen, I'm not on the clock," she sighed as she waved for another round. "My shift ended twenty minutes ago,"
"Come on," he said as the bartender came and took her glass. "You loo
"Make that two," he said, and Elena scoffed.
This was going to be a long night.
Later That Night...
The sound of a door slamming vaguely registered in Elena's mind.
"God, you're so fucking beautiful," he cupped her face and leaned in to kiss her hungrily.
"Take your clothes off," he growled, and Elena slowly reached to the hem of her dress and began to pull it off. She was suddenly turned around again, her back to his front.
"Here," he growled, and in an instant, her pink dress was stripped off over her head, and it was now on the floor at her feet. In a flash, He had snapped her bra off and tossed it to the ground beside her dress. She was just in her underwear now. His hands, his warm hands, now cupped her soft breasts, and Elena moaned in response.
"God, you're perfect," He moaned, and Elena suddenly felt her back pressing against every wall in the hallway as they made their way to the back room, Once they had entered, his hands had pushed the door was set onto his bed, laying on her back. Before she knew it, he was on top of her, covering her body. Elena looked up at the beautiful man in front of her. She didn't know who he was. But she didn't care.
Elena felt her skin tingling with anticipation as his hands moved to the waistline of her underwear, and in an instant, they were pulled down. Elena gripped her hands around his broad and muscular back, waiting for her relief as he entered her swiftly.
Sorry for the length! It'll be longer next chapter! :)
AN:PLEASE FAVE/FOLLOW. Oh, and PLEASE REVIEW :) It motivates me to update more!
PS: Please check out my other TVD/DE stories Bitten: The Marked,it's sequels Bitten: The Hunted & Bitten: The Saved, The Other Side of Me, Star Crossed and Shelter. I'd REALLY appreciate it :)
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Soundtrack that inspired/were mentioned in this chapter:
Theme Song: Bad Things~ Meiko
Young Blood ~ The Naked And Famous
Sweet Nothing ~ Calvin Harris ft. Florence + The Machine
Summertime Sadness (Cedric Gervais Remix)~ Lana Del Rey
Little Talks ~ Of Monsters And Men
Lights ~ Ellie Goulding
Just A Little Bit ~ Kids of 88
Up In Flames ~ She Wants Revenge
Tonight (I'm Loving You) ~ Enrique Iglesias ft. Ludacris
Closer ~ Kings of Leon