Any Other World

Disclaimer: I don't own anything or anyone from The Vampire Diaries.

Going back to school was a lot harder than I even thought it would be. I was used to people looking at me; dating Katherine Gilbert and then cheating on Katherine Gilbert ensured that I was often a main topic of discussion but what happened today when I walked through the quad and then through the halls was something on another level completely.

Everyone stared at me – and the majority of those curious stares were filled with sympathy and pity.

It's driving me crazy and it's not even lunch time yet. If it wasn't for the fact that my attendance record was so low to begin with I would have definitely ditched by now.

"Hey loser!" Klaus suddenly appears at one side while Marcel locks me in a brief headlock at the other. I groan and shove him away as they both laugh. "Practice has moved thirty minutes later tonight, Coach has a teachers meeting."

I glance at them both and it takes me a second to realize that Mr Saltzman didn't tell anyone I had quit the team. Which means he didn't accept my resignation…

"I won't be at practice tonight." I reply casually as I keep walking towards my next class.

"Why not?" Klaus asks curiously. "Do you have to work?"

"Nope."

"Then why?" Marcel pushes for an answer. "We have a game on Friday, we need you there to practice our plays."

"You have Mason."

I see them both roll their eyes. "You're better than Lockwood and you know it. Stop being a pussy and come to practice. We'll see you there, I'm not taking no for an answer, okay?" And with that Marcel is gone.

I turn to look at Klaus who shrugs. "You have to listen to your captain."

I glare at him. "Maybe he's not my captain anymore."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Maybe I quit the team."

His eyes widen and he side steps in front of me so we both stop. "Are you serious?" His voice is low. I shrug silently. "Salvatore, you can't just quit."

"Why not?"

"Because…" he looks at me like I've grown a second head. "It's basketball. We're a team and you are a big part of it." He looks around self consciously for a moment, aware of the looks I am getting from many different people who walk by us. "Look, I know you have a tonne of shit going on right now but you can't just quit. Stefan wouldn't want you to quit so don't do it. I'll see you at practice." He's gone before I can argue anymore.

"What the fuck are you staring at?" I bark at a group of freshman who are staring at me by their lockers. They all scatter away quickly and I groan when the bell rings realizing that I am at the other side of the school from where my next class is.

"Great, just great."

"Bad day?"

I freeze at the sound of Elena's soft voice, because I don't even have to turn around to know that it's her. She slowly walks around me so she is now standing by my feet, a soft smile on her face.

"Welcome back."

I force a smile. "Thanks. I'm already wondering if I made the right decision."

"You did. It gets easier, trust me." Her smile fades and I swallow hard at the look on her face.

I've asked her this question before but I need her to answer it again. "How do you do it? Go on every day like nothing is wrong."

Elena shrugs, her eyes are sad but there is a hint of emptiness and I'm kind of jealous. "You just keep pretending."

"But how?" I push her because I need to know how to make myself feel okay again. I need to stop feeling like part of me is gone.

"You plaster on a fake smile and go about your day like nothing ever happened. It makes it easier for yourself but it also makes it easier for everyone around you. Nobody wants to deal with the grieving teenager, not for longer than a few days anyway."

"Is that how you feel? That nobody wants to deal with you?" I ask her curiously.

Again, she shrugs like we are having a simple conversation about what was on TV last night. "It's not about how I feel, Damon, that's just how it is. Are you coming to class?"

I stare at her in awe for a moment before slowly nodding my head. "Yeah, I'm coming."

"Okay great, I'll see you there. It's probably a bad idea if we show up together, somebody will probably tell Katherine and neither of us need that kind of drama."

And with that she's gone and I'm left gawking after her like an idiot.

"Elena? Elena? Are you even listening to me?" I snap my head up and look at Bonnie who is sitting across the table at me at lunch.

"Sorry." I shake my head apologetically. "I spaced out. What were you saying?"

She sighs loudly and looks across the cafeteria where Enzo is sitting with some of his friends, I notice immediately that Damon isn't there and my mind almost wanders away again because of it but I remind myself to focus my attention on Bonnie.

"I just wanted to know if you think I'm being unreasonable. I mean…Enzo's friend just died. He's obviously going to be acting a little different, he's grieving but…" she runs her hand through her hair and I take a moment to watch her. She's tired. Her eyes are heavy and she isn't wearing any makeup.

"Are you okay Bon?"

"Me? Yes, I'll be fine once Enzo starts getting back to normal. Do you think I'm being too needy? I don't want to be selfish. Damon is his best friend so obviously he wants to be there for him but I just feel like he barely makes any time for me anymore. He's too busy spending his spare time with his friends."

"It's natural for people to gravitate towards their friends in grief." The words fly out my lips easily, but I regret saying them because I know that it's bullshit. When my family died I ignored all my friends, hell, I'm still ignoring them now.

I can't exactly say that to Bonnie because it's not going to make her feel any better.

"So you think it's normal?"

I follow her gaze to where Enzo is sitting with his friends, he's smiling and they are all laughing about something but even between them you can see that it's not one hundred percent genuine.

They are all grieving.

"Yes." I look back at Bonnie dead in the eye. "I wouldn't worry about it. It's completely normal."

"Okay," she lets out a loud breath of relief. "Okay. You're right." She shakes her head at herself and forces a smile. "Enough about my love life, what about yours? Are you and Matt dating?"

"What?" I look at her flabbergasted. "No. Who told you that?"

She shrugs with a smirk on her face. "I've heard a rumour."

I groan and put my head in my hands. "We are not dating." I tell her firmly.

"Why not? Would it be so bad to be the girl dating Matt Donovan, the football star?" Bonnie is grinning and part of me wants to blurt out that maybe I'm more interested in the basketball star but I can't risk what is or isn't happening with Damon to get back to Katherine.

"Matt is a great guy," I give in slightly but cringe when Bonnie's smile widens, "But, he's not really what I want right now. I like him but only as a friend."

"Well damn, I would have totally shipped the two of you."

I laugh. "You sound like Caroline."

Bonnie immediately grimaces. "Okay, yeah, you're right. I'll stop now."

"Thank you." We both laugh and I glance back over to Enzo's table to see that Damon is still nowhere to be seen.

I knock on Miss Sommer's office door loudly. "Come in!" I hear her call out and I follow her instructions. I look at her questionably as I stand in her doorway. "Close the door and sit down, Damon." She offers me a kind and gentle smile.

I sigh and do as she says, slumping down onto the comfortable cushioned chair across her desk tiredly. It makes a nice change from the crappy plastic ones we have to sit on in class.

"You look tired." Miss Sommer's states simply and I glance at her cautiously.

"I've been having a little trouble sleeping lately." I give her half of the truth just to attempt to appease her, "but I'm fine. Nothing to worry about." She watches me for a moment and I shift uncomfortably under her gaze. "What did you want to see me about?"

She leans forward on her desk. "I just wanted to check in and see how your first day back is going?"

I shrug casually. "It's fine…it's school."

She nods slowly and gives me a sad smile. "You know Damon, I'm not the bad guy here. Even if it wasn't my job to help you, I would still want to help you because you're a good kid."I frown at her words but she keeps going. "You can talk to me, about anything. It doesn't have to leave this room."

"I have nothing to talk about." I reply bluntly. "My brother died – life goes on." Miss Sommer's doesn't reply straight away and I go to take it as my cue to leave until she speaks up again.

"How's your Dad doing?"

I tense immediately. "He's fine."

"I tried calling him at home but it seems your phone is disconnected." She continues and I swallow nervously. The phone is disconnected because I didn't pay the damn bill from missing so much work lately.

"It's broke." I lie terribly and I can tell that she doesn't buy it. "We're getting a new one soon. It's not exactly at the top of our priorities right now."

"Does he have a mobile I could possibly contact him on?"

My jaw clenches angrily. "Why? Why do you want to speak to him so bad? Why can't you just mind your own damn business and leave us the hell alone!" I raise to my feet.

"Damon-" She stands up and holds out her hand.

"No!" I cut her off. "I don't need your help, okay. I'm fine. Everything is fine! Just leave me alone!" I storm out of her office before she can say anything to pull me back.

I wish she would just mind her own business! I don't need her help. I don't need anybodies help!

Instead of heading to my afternoon classes, I walk quickly outside and towards the bike rack. I unlock my chain off my bike and ride out of here as fast as I can.

When I get home my Dad is nowhere to be seen. I let out a defeated sigh as I look around the messy trailer, the place is a pigsty. I start to clean up a little bit, knowing that it'll probably get back to this way again anyway once my Dad comes home but I can't just ignore it because of the twins.

I'm about half way through when there is a knock on the door. I mutter under my breath, hoping that it's not a drunken neighbour or worse my Dad locked out and back to trash the place again.

I swing the door open and immediately tense when I see Miss Sommer's standing there with a small smile on her face.

"What are you doing here?" I ask coldly and step outside, closing the door behind me.

"I was hoping to maybe bring you back to school?" She smiles lightly at me but I don't return it. "Do you think maybe we could talk inside? It's a little cold out here and I've left my jacket back at school."

I clench my jaw because immediately I want to say no, but she is right, it is cold out and I'm not that much of a dick to let her freeze.

"Fine," I give in reluctantly, thanking myself in my head for cleaning the trailer beforehand. She follows me in and I move some things out of the way self-consciously.

We don't really get any guests – none worth tidying up for anyway.

"Um, take a seat." I mutter awkwardly and point to our worn sofa. Miss Sommer's smiles politely and takes a seat in the small trailer. I clear my throat and lean back against the counter. "I'm sorry for the way I spoke to you at school earlier."

She smiles kindly. "It's okay, really."

I shake my head. "I was a dick. I know you're just trying to help but…" I sigh and look down at my feet.

"It can come across as pushy and intruding." She finishes for me with a smile and I look up at her surprised. "It's okay, Damon, I get it."

I nod silently. "So..."

"I have a proposal for you." I frown confused. "Mr Saltzman told me that you quit the team."

"That's right." I cross my arms in front of my chest defensively.

"I know how busy you are, I know you have a lot going on with working two jobs and looking after Lucas and Emma." She continues and I frown.

"I'm just doing my fair share." I reply defensively.

Jenna looks up at me and I almost shiver under her intense gaze. "Regardless," she continues, "I love kids, and that day I spent with the twins was great. So, I was wondering, why don't I look after the twins while you're at practice and during the games? I have to wait for Ric anyway and I attend every home game so I wouldn't mind them sitting with me. That way you don't have to worry about childcare so much."

I frown at her intentions and shake my head. "No. No it's okay, I can't let you do that."

"I want too, Damon."

"Why?" I ask confused. "Why me? You barely know me. You barely know the twins. I'm just one kid in a school full of hundreds of other students where you work. Why do you want to help?"

"I can't have kids of my own." She blurts out and my eyes widen surprised. She sends me a sad smile. "It's okay, I've accepted it, but sometimes I feel like I'm missing out, you know? So honestly, spending time with Lucas and Emma would be helping me too, not just you."

"They were on the their best behaviour when we had dinner at your house." I tell her seriously. "They normally aren't that easy to look after. They argue and fight, and sometimes they cry over the littlest of things. Lucas constantly wants to be doing something active and fun. Emma will sometimes go a single day only muttering two words to you. They aren't easy."

Jenna's smile widens. "I know, Damon. I think I'll be okay. I think it'll be fun."

I stay silent for a moment as I think about it. Mrs Steven's is getting older and I know that she is finding it harder to look after the twins so much as her health slowly deteriorates, not that she would ever admit to that herself.

Having someone else to watch the twins would be a huge help but it would also be a huge risk too. Jenna isn't from this neighbourhood, she doesn't know what it's like to live here and to grow up here. This is a completely different world to what she is used to and we live a completely different lifestyle.

Plus there is the major issue of my Dad. What if she gets too close and figures it out? She would have to report him to social services, and then I would lose the twins. I can't have that. I can't lose them, especially after already losing Stefan.

"It's just a couple of nights a week, Damon." Jenna interrupts my thought process. "It's not that big of a deal."

"Fine." I give in reluctantly, "but it won't be forever. We can just see how it goes. I won't need you all of the time either, our next door neighbour watches them from time to time and she enjoys it too. I wouldn't want to take them away from her either."

Jenna smiles softly at me. "Of course, Damon. You just let me know when you need me, okay? We'll figure this out."

I nod slowly, hoping that I haven't just made a huge mistake.

"Okay, are you ready to take the shot?" I hold Lucas in my arms closer to the net as he grips onto my basketball tightly between his small hands.

"Yes!"

"Raise your arms." I instruct him, and watch as he does. "Okay, ready – three, two, one, shoot!"

I watch and then cheer as the ball goes flying into the net. Lucas cheers and I put him back down onto his feet and high five him.

"Yes, well done!"

"Good shot!"

I swing around to see Elena walking towards us with a grin on her face. My smile widens even more when she holds out her hand for Lucas and he happily high fives her.

I tilt my head with a smile. "What are you doing here?"

She shrugs and bites on her bottom lip for a moment before answering. "I was in the neighbourhood?"

I chuckle and shake my head. "Right." I pick up the basketball and pass it to Lucas. "Practice your dribbling, I'll watch from over there." Lucas nods and follows my instructions.

I walk over towards the bleachers, Elena following me. "Where's Emma?" She asks curiously, noticing that I'm one child short.

"She's with Enzo, believe it or not." I smirk amused at the look on my best friends face when my little sister asked him if he would watch Cinderella with her.

Elena laughs and shakes her head. "I can't imagine it."

"Poor guy, Emma is probably going to have him covered in glitter by the end of the night." I continue and I barely even notice that this is the most genuine smile I have had all day. Elena's own laugh dies down as we both watch Lucas play in front of us.

"I didn't see you in History today." Elena speaks up breaking our comfortable silence.

I shrug. "I skipped out the afternoon. I had things to do."

"Will I see you back tomorrow?" She asks curiously.

"Probably."

Her smile widens. "That's good."

"Hey Elena," I turn slightly on the bench to face her and for a second I lose my train of thought because I can't get over how beautiful she is. "I really like being around you."

She bites on her bottom lip again and I swear it's one of my most favourite things. "I like being around you too, Damon."

"I want us to be friends." I continue and I try to find a way to say this without sounding like an asshole. "I…I know we have done…you know…things." She blushes but she doesn't look away. "And God was it good, like wow, you're beautiful and sexy and…" I trail off and cringe at myself for how embarrassing I am being, especially when Elena looks down at her feet embarrassed. "I love being around you." I take a deep breath. "But right now…"

"Damon," she cuts me off and I'm surprised when she takes my hand in hers. "It's okay, I get it."

I blink at her surprised. "You do?"

"Yes." She smiles at me and I immediately relax. "I want to be your friend too. I enjoy being around you and I don't want it to stop, especially when we are only just getting started."

My lips twitch into a smile. "So you don't think I'm a jerk?"

"No." She laughs and squeezes my hand. "I get it, okay? It's good, we're good. I'm happy to just be your friend."

I feel like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. Honestly I was worried in case Elena would take this the wrong way and believed that I was just blowing her off. I'm not blowing her off, but I have so much going on in my life right now and God knows what is going to happen next. It wouldn't be fair to Elena if we kept anything going like this, she deserves better than what I can give her right now.

But that doesn't mean that I don't want her in my life.

"I don't want to hide this." Elena blurts out and my eyes widen surprised. "I'm not ashamed to be friends with you, and I'm not going to pretend that I am just to keep up appearances."

"What about Katherine?" I ask her cautiously. "Trust me, Elena, you do not want to get on her bad side."

"We're just friends," she says to me like it's no big deal. "There's nothing else going on between us now. Katherine can't be too hard on me just because we're friends. Besides, she thinks I'm back with my ex anyway."

My eyes widen shocked. "Are you?"

Elena rolls her eyes. "No, of course not. I just said that as a cover. Look, don't worry about Katherine, it's not like I'm going to be inviting you around to the house for dinner or anything. I just don't want to hide whatever this is anymore."

"Okay," I smile slightly because she is certainly a lot braver than I am. "But don't say I didn't warn you."

"I've been through worse." She reminds me pointedly and I smile sadly because it's true.

Elena has been through worse, she has been through a hell of a lot worse. I honestly don't know how she gets through the day but I can't help but admire her for it.

Hell, I can't help but admire her for a lot of things.

I watch her as she gets up to play ball with Lucas, she's not very good, in fact she's borderline terrible and it makes both Luke and I laugh numerous of times of how bad she is.

This evening ends up being the most fun I have had since Stefan died.

I didn't know it at the time, but this was the moment when Elena Gilbert started to change my life forever.

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