A/N: Um, hey. Remember me, that girl that occasionally made Delena stories and updated really slowly? No? Um… Well, yeah. Hey, look how tall you got! And I really love what you did with your hair. Yeah…it's pretty, um…interesting. Heh.
But in all seriousness though, hi guys! This is weird. Has it really and truly been like over a year? That's insane. Where has all this time gone? I feel so old. But not really. How was your year, guys? Do you even watch TVD anymore? Is Delena still a thing, or has everyone jumped ship to like Damon/Kol or something? I'm lost.
Anyway, I'm sincerely sorry for the long time it took to produce this chapter, and I honestly don't have a good excuse (I do have a couple bad ones…) as to what happened except…well, life. I do hope you enjoy the chapter, and I apologize for the choppiness of it, as it was written over the course of a year. Next chapter we get into the year where most of the story takes place, and it will be pretty steady from there on out. Oof, I'm pretty nervous here. It took me way too long to get the balls to post this and what if you guys just hate me and you're all like oh great this bitch is back and wasn't The Hunger Games awesome and I really should stop blabbering now and just let you guys read the story though I bet no one is reading this dumb author's note anyway and okay I'm leaving now?
Enjoy!
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I remember
We were walking up to strawberry swing
I can't wait until the morning
Wouldn't wanna change a thing
People moving all the time
Inside a perfectly straight line
Don't you wanna curve away?
When it's such...
It's such a perfect day
It's such a perfect day
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Elena tipped her head towards the sky, relishing in the warm rays. She closed her eyes and smiled as the warmth surrounded her. Suddenly, the world jerked around her and her eyes snapped open.
"Damon! Be careful! You're going to kill me." She chastised, turning to glare at him. Damon stuck his tongue out at her and wiggled the bike a little bit more for good measure. Elena gasped and held on tighter to the handle bars. "Are you sure this is even safe? Stefan said it was dangerous…" Elena added, shifting uncomfortably from her perch on the bike.
Damon rolled his eyes. "When do I ever listen to Stefan?" he asked, an eyebrow raised. They rolled into town and Damon slowed down, allowing Elena to hop off. Her knees buckled and Damon flew of the bike to hold her up.
"I'm fine." She laughed, pushing him away. Damon blushed and picked up his discarded bike. That bike was his pride and joy, with shifting gears and quick speeds. It was a sleek black and was the fastest bike in the neighborhood. It even beat Tyler's huge red bike with metal spikes on the side, which he fondly called The Monster.
Elena walked along on the sidewalk as Damon slowly pedaled next to her. With a wicked smile, Damon suddenly pushed forward on his bike, lifting the top wheel and lifting up both his hands. Elena laughed and cheered.
"Hey Elena!" a voice called. Elena turned to see a smirking Kol, flanked by two other sly looking boys.
Elena smiled. "Oh hey Kol. What's up?" she asked kindly.
"Nothin' much." He responded. Elena didn't like the way the boys were all looking at her. One of the boys turned to whisper something in Kol's ear and Kol snorted back. Down the street, Damon looked back smiling to see if Elena was watching. His forehead wrinkled when he saw that she was turned away from him and talking to someone else. He cycled back to see Elena trembling, but not with fear. Her eyes were narrowed and smoldering and her hands were balled into fists at her sides. Damon pushed harder.
"Don't ever say that about him again." She hissed. Then, while Kol and his sidekicks were chortling, Elena pulled her hand back and swung it forward, catching Kol straight in the face. His nose exploded in a shower of blood and he howled in pain.
"This isn't over, Gilbert." He said before they all slunk away.
"What did he say?" Damon asked, huffing after he finally reached Elena. Without waiting for an answer he started pedaling again. "I'm going to kill him." He growled.
Elena grabbled onto the seat, pulling him back. "Don't. I got him good." She said proudly.
Damon chuckled softly and looked at Elena with a sparkle in his eyes. "I know." He said.
"Oh! Mommy and Daddy have a house by the lake now."
"What?" Damon asked, confused.
"Yeah. My Grandpa gave it to them. We're all going there this summer and they said it's okay if you and Stefan come."
Damon's eyes lit up. "Really? That's awesome!"
Elena grinned. "I know. I can't wait."
"You want to go get a snack?" Damon asked, tugging on her long ponytail.
Elena pulled on his hair back and pushed him away playfully. "Sure."
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Damon smirked and turned his baseball cap to the side, smacking the dusty ball against the baseball mitt. Elena gripped the bat harder and dug her feet deeper into the dry dirt.
"Hey batter, batter, swing, batter!" Bonnie called from first base, a beat up garbage can top. She hopped up and down excitedly, her pig tails bouncing with her. Matt threw her an amused look.
"Come on, Elena! You hit this and we win!" Stefan yelled. He stood tensely at third base, one foot touching the huge rock and his other stretched as far as he could reach it. He winked at her and nodded encouragingly.
Elena fixed her attention back on Damon, her mouth hardened in a thin line. He cocked his head. "You sure you can handle this, 'Lena?" he asked tauntingly. "Give up now and it will save you the humiliation." Tyler laughed in the background. Elena saw Damon tense slightly.
"Bring it on." She said, causing Bonnie and Stefan to cheer wildly.
Damon nodded and shot out the first ball with an elaborate pitch. Elena kept her eyes on it and timing carefully, swung out her bat. She heard a satisfying crack and ping. The ball arced in the air and Elena stared open mouthed after it. Tyler stuck his glove out and jumped, but the ball sailed way over his head and instead landed in front of a surprised Caroline, who had been playing with her hair for a good chunk of the game. There was a pause before everything burst into action. Bonnie and Stefan shot forward. Tyler screamed at a bewildered Caroline to pick the ball up. As she tentatively reached for it, crying about how much mud was on it, Stefan rounded home base. Elena reached first and slid to second. Tyler reached Caroline and yanked the ball out of her hand, and the two quickly got into a fight about who should have the ball. Bonnie slid home, high-fiving an energetic Stefan.
"Throw the ball to me!" Damon yelled, exasperated.
Caroline finally got hold of the ball and tossed it to Damon before pushing Tyler to the ground. Damon took off running. "You're mine, Gilbert!"
Elena snuck a look over her shoulder, and her eyes widened. Damon was right behind her, a determined look on his face, and the ball clutched in his outstretched hand. It was almost touching her. She skidded around third base, and doubled up her speed as she headed for home. The lone base seemed miles away. Stefan, Bonnie, and the sidelined Matt all cheered her on, and even the dust covered Tyler and Caroline stopped their fight to watch the final stretch.
Elena heard nothing but the pounding of her feet hitting the hard packed earth. The abandoned field that they were playing on faded away, and she was now surrounded by cheering fans in a packed stadium. She imagined an announcer's booming voice saying, And there goes Elena Gilbert, the fastest runner in Mystic Falls, trailed closely by the older Salvatore boy…
Suddenly, Elena lost her footing and began to slide uncontrollably towards the base.
She's on the ground and sliding now! Will she ever make it? This is it folks! The deciding factor between who is better- Elena or Damon? He's gaining, and she's almost safe, and-
"HEY!" The loud voice echoed over the fields, stopping the kids in their tracks. "THIS IS PRIVATE PROPERTY! YOU KIDS ARE IN BIG TROUBLE!" With frightened looks at each other, they all darted into the woods as quick as their legs could carry them.
"I knew this was gonna happen. And since Elena didn't make it, we tied. And you said the winner gets icecream…" Tyler said, fuming.
"Fine." Damon whispered. "As long as you pay."
They all trudged back to the location of their hidden bikes glancing behind them furtively the whole way and shushing Tyler when his protests became too vocal. Then, laughing they took off from the abandoned park.
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"I'll have a double fudge sundae with nuts…and your number." Damon said with a wink as he leaned forward.
The blonde manning the counter studied her long, perfectly manicured nails. "Corny pickup lines cost extra." She looked up. "How old are you anyway?"
"Old enough for you babe." Damon replied. The blonde rolled her eyes and slapped the change on the counter. He gave Tyler and Matt high fives.
"Ugh. You guys are so sick." Caroline groaned. She took her milkshake and dragged a chair to a long table.
"Aww, is my little Barbie jealous?" Damon said, slinging his arm around her.
Caroline pushed his arm off with a disgusted look on her face. Damon pouted and leaned towards Bonnie. "What about you, BonBon?"
Elena took her ice cream cone and went to sit down in the booth across from Damon, Bonnie and Caroline. She frowned at Damon and jumped slightly as Stefan and Matt slid in next to her. "You're such a flirt, Damon." Elena announced, shifting uncomfortably.
"He's probably going to end up alone and when he's older." Bonnie commented, giving Damon a sly look.
"With these looks? I don't think so."
Elena snorted and threw whipped cream at him. Damon glared and smeared chocolate syrup on her face.
Before they knew it, they were being dragged out of the parlor, ice cream sticking to their clothes. The blonde cashier sneered at Damon. "Go back to the playground, kid."
Damon bristled. "Seven years from now, she's so gonna regret that."
"Why? 'Cuz you'll be so hot that girls will be dropping on the spot?" Elena snorted, throwing him a disbelieving look.
"You know it."
"Don't hold your breath, Damon."
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"I can't believe we're going to middle school next year."
"I know right?" Caroline said, wielding the lipgloss tube expertly. "I can't wait for mature, middle school boys that don't suck their thumb."
Elena watched as Caroline's hand shook as she brought the tube down. Something was wrong. "You okay, Care?" she asked cautiously.
Caroline looked away. "Yeah. 'M fine.
Bonnie exchanged a look with Elena as she pulled herself to a sitting position on Elena's bed.
"Care…"
Caroline started sobbing. Bonnie and Elena immediately jumped up and rushed to her either side. "It's m-my dad." She stuttered.
"What about your dad?" Bonnie questioned softly, stroking her blonde hair.
Caroline's sobs slowed into hiccups. She shook her head. "It's…complicated." She said finally.
"You can tell us anything." Bonnie said, her voice hushed.
Caroline studied the crumpled up tissue Elena had given her. "He doesn't love my mom anymore. They're…getting divorced." She took a deep steadying breath. "He's leaving soon…with his boyfriend." She looked up quickly to gauge her friend's reactions.
Elena gave her a sad look. "Oh, Care."
"And…well, at least you still have your mom with you." Bonnie added, trying to appeal to Caroline's optimistic spirit. "I'd do anything to see my mom." She added a little wistfully.
"That's true," Caroline said. "But I don't even see her anymore, and when I do…it's like she's not even there."
"We're here for you, okay?" Elena said, wrapping the blonde in a bear hug.
"Always." Bonnie said from the other side.
And Caroline smiled.
"You guys are the best." She said. Then she peered at herself at in the mirror and gasped dramatically, pushing her way out of the hug. "And my makeup is ruined!"
"Well, that lasted long." Bonnie sighed. She and Elena met eyes and began laughing hard as Caroline scrubbed at her eyes in the mirror, making her look like a rabid raccoon.
"Geez Caroline. I always knew you were ugly, but this is really bad." The girls looked up to see Jeremy lounging in the doorway, holding a game console in one hand.
Elena scowled. "Jeremy, get out of here!" She flung a pillow at him, but he easily dodged it and flopped on her bed. "I'm gonna tell mom on you!" she threatened. Jeremy shrugged as he played his game. With an indignant, "Mom!" Elena rushed out of the room.
Jeremy turned his attention to Bonnie. "Hi Bonnie." He said shyly, his cheeks turning pink. But Bonnie didn't hear him as she muttered soothing comments to Caroline. Jeremy sighed, then smiled mischievously. He slipped unnoticed out of the room.
"See, mom, he's so annoying!" Elena said, tugging a reluctant Miranda into the room.
She sighed. "Elena, he's not even in here."
"What? But…" Miranda left and Elena pouted. "He gets away with everything!"
They all laughed and flopped onto Elena's bed to talk. "So have you seen Damon's new friend Klaus? He is so cute! Those blue eyes!" Caroline squealed.
Elena pulled a face. "I don't like him. He gives me the creeps. And whenever Damon's around him he acts like he's all bad and stuff."
"Who, Damon?"
"Yeah. He changed so much. Like, he's so…so…"
"Hot?" Caroline volunteered.
"Jerk-ish?" Bonnie added.
"No! Guys!" Elena said crossly. "Just forget I said that."
"Okay. Anyway…those blue eyes!"
They had all drifted off to sleep when Elena was jerked awake by a strange bumping sound. Her eyes widened and she clutched an empty popcorn bowl to her chest.
Bang.
Elena shook Caroline and Bonnie awake. "Guys…" she whispered. The darkness pressed on her, and she suddenly regretted ever putting away her comforting nightlight. And where was her teddy when she needed him?
There was a rustling noise. Her blood ran cold. It was coming from under her bed. "Omigod we're going to die." Caroline wailed.
Bonnie and Elena shushed her. Elena grabbed her brush and wielded it like a deadly weapon that might actually do some damage.
"Bonnie," a voice hissed. The girls went pale. "Caroline, Elena." It continued, dragging the vowels in a distorted growl. Caroline clutched Bonnie's wrists in a death grip.
"Damon is a stud…" the demon voice continued, followed by a sigh and a chuckle.
The girls relaxed and raised eyebrows. Elena flicked the lights on. "You guys can come out now." She commanded, dropping the brush on the bed.
Three dark-headed boys popped out from under the bed.
"You snore, Caroline." Stefan commented bluntly.
Caroline blushed. Her face then straightened into one of disgust. "How long have you been under there, creeps?"
Damon smirked. "Don't worry, it wasn't long."
"It was my idea." Jeremy admitted proudly. The three girls hurled pillows at them.
"And my mom just let you guys in?" Elena questioned, mystified.
"You know your mom loves me." Damon said. Elena couldn't help but to smile at the devilish boy. It was completely true; Miranda loved the brothers just as much as she did Jeremy and Elena, substituting herself as the loving mother figure the boys didn't have. She would often bake things just for the sake of seeing the delighted grins on Damon and Stefan's faces. Giuseppe rarely, if ever, cooked.
"I don't really see why." Elena laughed. Damon made a face, stopping momentarily from stuffing his face with stale, leftover popcorn.
"So…who's up for a game of truth or dare?" Jeremy offered, hopeful.
Bonnie hurled another pillow at him.
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"Let's play seven minutes in heaven!" Caroline announced cheerfully. There was a collective mixture of groans and whistles among the group of middle schoolers. Still, despite the hesitation, the kids sat down anxiously in a circle in the middle of the room. "And since it's Klaus' birthday, he can go first." She continued, looking at the blue eyed boy dreamily.
"My pleasure." He said in his strange accent, and spinned the bottle.
Elena's heart pounded as she watched the coke bottle spin round and round. Please not me, please not me, she begged silently. From across the circle Klaus met her eyes and smirked. He murmured something into Damon's ear and they both guffawed. Elena scowled. Klaus was cute, with his windswept blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes, but there was something different about him, something that told her to stay far away. The bottle slowed to a stop. Elena stifled a gasp. Caroline fumed.
The bottle had quivered to a stop in front of Bonnie.
She flushed red and Klaus shrugged and stood up. "Let's go, love." He said. Elena was somewhat surprised. She had heard Caroline bragging about the way she could manipulate the bottle to somehow to land on who she wanted.
While they were gone, Elena scanned the rest of the gossiping circle. Next to Elena sat a cute boy named Luka, who looked somewhat upset. Elena smiled at that. In between Damon and Matt sat Elijah, Klaus' half brother, who lived with him in the giant mansion they were in now. He was a strange guy, Elena mused. He had a pensive look on his usually emotionless face. He was perfectly groomed, with not a hair out of place. Elijah caught her staring and raised his eyebrow. Elena turned away, embarrassed at being caught. Also in the group were Andie, who was practically sitting on Damon's lap, Gretta and Maddox, Klaus' goons and also eighth graders along with a couple other kids, and Aimee, giggling with her friend Sarah while typing furiously on her glittering phone. Great. Now the whole school would know about Klaus and Bonnie.
"So, Elena. I heard you're going out with Trevor." Mason said, leaning in from on her right, his pale green eyes glinting eagerly.
Elena blushed, thinking of the shy, brown haired boy she had sat next to at a party in the movie theater. She could feel many eyes on her, anticipating her answer. She noticed the Salvatore brothers also seemed very interested, their eyes flashing. "Um…well…"
Slam. Everyone jumped as the sound of the door slamming resonated through the house. Bonnie stormed in, her face flustered and furious. With a quick, "I'm leaving, sorry," she was out the front door. Elena and Caroline exchanged alarmed stares.
"What's her problem?" Caroline said, turning her attention back to Klaus, who was slinking back in the room.
Elena rolled her eyes and ran back out to find Bonnie, followed closely behind by Damon. Out in the massively impressive yard of the Smith's she spotted Bonnie sitting on the edge of a marble fountain, tapping her foot impatiently. "Bonnie, what's wrong?" she asked, sitting down next to her.
Bonnie gave her a baleful stare. "He's a creep, Elena."
Elena's eyes went wide. "What did he do to you? I swear I'll kill him." Elena said passionately.
"What's going on here?" Damon asked, pushing his way over to the girls.
Bonnie suddenly smiled, standing up. "But don't worry. He won't be trying it ever again. There's my dad now."
Damon and Elena watched her jump into her dad's car. "You guys coming back?" a voice called from inside the house.
The two padded silently back to house and sat in their respective spots. Elena noted that Klaus was flushed with his eyebrows puckered in irritation. "Damon, you go." He said absently.
Damon immediately smirked at the circle. Elena giggled to herself as all the girls in the circle eagerly leaned forward.
He was cute, she supposed, with his untidy black hair and big blue eyes framed by long lashes, but it was Damon. Damon, who shoved a lizard down her shirt in fourth grade and flirted with blonde cashiers, but was always there, with that devilish smile, the one that lit up every girl's face in the circle, most of all, Rebekah. Elena's face screwed up in slight disgust. Rebekah was another member of the strange family, and always followed around their group, copying everything they did, hoping one of them would even look at her. She tried to sympathize with the girl, but every time she said a kind word, Rebekah all but spit in her face.
The bottle was slowing now, and Elena let out a stifled laugh as it landed on a ruffled Alaric. Damon, spun the bottle again in exasperation, and Elena's laugh died away. The noise seemed to fade, and her body froze in shock. Her. The bottle was pointing to her.
Heat flooded her face as she took in the different expressions in the group. Some, like Matt, Stefan, and the girls seemed furious. Caroline looked smug, Damon just shocked. The Mikaelson siblings were all amused. It was just a game to them.
Elena let out an embarrassed, short laugh. "Sorry, you should spin again." She managed to get out.
Klaus kept his cool, aloof expression. "You know the rules. Go into the room."
"You let him spin again for Alaric!" Elena pointed out.
"That's different."
Elena turned to Damon for help, but was stunned how red and flustered the usually calm Damon was. His mantra even was, "cool as a cucumber." Was he really that embarrassed and disgusted at the thought of kissing her? A stubborn obstinacy filled her, and she stood up suddenly. "Fine." She said, pulling Damon away with her into the room, away from the hoots and hollers.
She pushed him in and closed the door. Damon stumbled and sat on the bed. He gave a whistle of appreciation as he surveyed the room. "These guys definitely know how to spend their money." Elena's eyes widened as she took in the giant flat screen TV, thick lavish carpets, and huge king size canopy bed. She sat down next to Damon on the bed and bounced up and down a couple times. "So…" Damon started, clearing his throat.
Elena turned her head. "Huh?" she said, still dazed from the luxury of the room. Realization hit her as she stared at his still-flushed face, his inability to meet her eyes. "Oh." She sighed. "Well, let's get this over with." She nervously put her hands on Damon's shoulders and looked into his large, surprised blue eyes. She leaned forward; her eyes fluttering closed…and sighed. She pulled back apologetically. "I can't."
Damon studied the floor, but Elena forced him to look at her. "I can't." she repeated, and gave a big smile. "You're like my brother." Her face screwed up. "How weird and gross would that be? Besides, they don't have to know we didn't kiss." She stood and patted him on the back. "Right?"
Damon gave a halfhearted smile. "Right."
"And…can I tell you a secret?" Elena's voice dropped to a whisper.
"Of course." Damon replied steadily.
"I…I think I like Stefan." The words came out in a rush and Elena immediately covered her face with her hands.
Damon felt his stomach drop. The world seemed to do a slow turn. "You do?"
"Yes." Elena groaned. "But you can't tell anyone, Damon." She looked at him urgently.
"I won't."
"Pinky promise?" Elena asked, and outstretched her pinky.
Damon hesitated, then linked his with hers. "Yeah."
"Let's go." She grinned, skipping towards the door, glad that things wouldn't be weird between her and her best friend.
Damon got up and followed her mechanically, the smile melting off his face. A hardened mask took its place. The talking group of middle schoolers all looked up expectantly as the two reentered.
"How was it?" Rebekah questioned, an eyebrow raised.
Damon chuckled heartlessly. "I wish it would've been you." He said. She gave a laugh of satisfaction and leaned into him. A smirk curved his lips as he wrapped an arm around her, his mind clear for the first time.
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Cold, cold water bring me round
Now my feet won't touch the ground
Cold, cold water what ya say?
When it's such...
It's such a perfect day
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So, please review because forgiveness is good. :)
I love you all!