A/N Keeping this chapter short and sweet... Reviews please? I want to know how I'm doing. (:

NO CHARACTER POV

The music blared and the bass thumped in Elena's chest. Her shoulder muscles and arms tingled from the alcohol and everything was flying by in a daze. She was dancing with some guy who graduated the year before that she'd never actually spoken to, but always thought was pretty attractive. She swung her hips and put her arms on each of the boy's shoulders, and together they danced in the least graceful way. It wasn't long before they were each offered another beer. Greedily, she chugged hers fast and with slurred words, encouraged the boy to do the same so they could keep dancing.

Thump Thump Thump the music screamed, words inaudible over the excited teens. The boy's hands started to drop lower, off Elena's waist. Her recognition of the motion was blurred, her foggy mind not being able to piece everything together. She knew she was excited though, and she pulled herself closer to him to dance. Thump Thump Thump, she could feel herself losing control of both her actions and her balance. When another plastic cup was passed to her, a hand met it before hers, almost startling her slow moving brain.

"Hey, that's mine," she garbled, looking up with dizzy eyes to the man now holding the cup.

He smirked and downed it in one gulp, not even wincing as he finished and dropped the cup. "I don't think vodka and beer go well together, missy."

"I can drink what I want." She raised her finger to his face with too much speed, and finally lost her balance, slipping out of the boy's hands – who had been to intoxicated to see the conversation happening before him. The man caught her fluidly, holding the giggling her against his chest.

"Sorry bud, I'm cutting in." The boy seemed indifferent and turned around, dancing now with three other girls, all equally as drunk.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, unsure of whether she was angry or very pleased to see the raven haired man.

"I told you I was coming, didn't I?" That was true, in a way. When Elena, Bonnie, and Caroline had been shopping for back to school outfits, he'd stolen her secretly from the group for just a moment. Elena had been having a rough day, telling her friends about the "Matt Situation" and then trying hopelessly to appease Jeremy... And then Damon was standing in front of her, giving her a look that she couldn't fathom the meaning of. When he asked her how she'd been in the week that he hadn't seen her, she suddenly just broke down, crying into his shirt, telling him everything. How her parents had died that night, how it was all her fault, how Jeremy would never forgive her... She hadn't mentioned Matt. And then he'd told her to be careful at the party the girls had been talking about, and that he'd be sure to "drag her ass" home if she got into trouble.

"Well kind of," Elena grinned, slipping her hands into his jacket.

"I think your friends are wondering about you." He said low, watching the two girls at the other side of the party, whispering and watching him watching them.

"I've been kinda slutty," she admitted. Or well... Slutty for her anyway. She hadn't gone off sleeping with anyone, but she'd been taking shots and dancing with any boy she saw.

"Right, so maybe it's time we take you home?"

She felt herself get angry, fury building in her throat ready to explode out at him, but his eyes were so sincere, and the deep blue washed her away. Instead of yelling, she nodded, still lost in him.

Of course Caroline and Bonnie weren't going to let her leave with some guy, especially if she was still with Matt, so all four of them got into Damon's car, and headed off to Caroline's to sleep, or in Elena's case, throw up for six hours.

The night moved slow for the girls, headaches, stomach aches, and unanswered questions keeping them awake. Eventually, Caroline got up to make something to eat, hoping it would also help to settle the still ill Elena's stomach. The Sheriff came in many times to check on them, Matt called numerous times, obviously angry about the scenes he'd witnessed only hours ago, and a crow watched from the window.