...🌑...

PRESENT, Mystics Falls

𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝟐𝟎𝟎𝟗

"I'm not saying don't date the guy. I'm just saying, take it slow."

"You were the one who said to go for it."

I shoved my sketchbook in my bag. "She's just being cautious, Elena."

"Why the about-face?" Elean wondered.

"It's not an about-face." Bonnie denied. "You're single for the first time in your entire high school career. It's the perfect time to play the field."

Elena laughed. "Oh, because I'm so that girl. Seriously, what are you guys not saying?"

I stopped beside and looked at my best friends. "It's nothing."

"Selene..." Elena sighed.

"I have a bad feeling," I explained, not meeting her gaze.

"Hmm." Elena raised a brow. "Is that all?"

I looked into her eyes and knew that she wasn't convinced. "Hey, we're just expressing concern for our best friend's boyfriend." I crossed my arms. "For all we know, he could be an ax murderer."

"And I love you both for it, I do." Elena began as she put her hand on Bonnie's shoulders and grabbed my hand. "But I feel good. It's been a hard year, and I'm starting to kind of feel like things are getting back to normal again. And you know what? Stefan is a big part of that."

I bit my tongue because I could see that Elena cared about Stefan a lot more than she wanted to admit. I wanted to be supportive, but I had a sick feeling that Stefan wasn't human, and if all the times he looked at me briefly in the hallway and a shiver went down my spine was an inclination, I knew exactly what he was.

A vampire.

"Good morning, Elena."

I felt Elena drop her hand as she smiled at her boyfriend.

He smiled. "Good morning, Bonnie and Selene."

"Hey, um, I gotta find Caroline." Bonnie rushed out. Her gaze looked wary at Stefan. "She's not answering her phone. So I'll see you guys later."

"Bonnie, wait." Elena frowned as Bonnie walked away.

I jerked my thumb behind me. "I'm going go too."

"Selene." Elena started.

"Look, I've got to turn my art assignment in before the bell rings," I told her. I gave her arm a reassuring squeeze. "But I'll see you in class."

I walked across the courtyard, heading to the far end of the school, feeling a piercing gaze on my back. I stopped and turned, but no one looked at me as Tyler and his jocks threw the football around before the first bell.

Maybe it was nothing.

...🌑...

I held my hand over my eyes, shielding myself from the sun, and groaned at the abnormally hot August day. Giggles reached my ears, and I turned my head at my fellow cheerleaders huddled up talking, not stretching.

"Hey," I called out. I felt everyone's gaze on me. "Less talking, more stretching."

"Oh, my God! You're here!" Bonnie yelled.

I blinked as Elena walked across the field we shared with the football players in a tank top and shorts.

Hmm, interesting.

"Yep. I can't be sad girl forever." Elena explained.

I pulled Elena into a quick hug. "Are you sure?"

"The only way to get things back to the way they were are to do things that were." Elena dropped into a lunge. "Oh, and both of you are coming to dinner tonight."

"We are?" Bonnie questioned.

Elena nodded. "Mm-hmm. You, Selene, me and Stefan." Bonnie's jaw dropped in shock. "You have to give him a chance."

"How much of a chance are we talking?" I asked, stretching my arms over my head.

"The same chance you gave Matt." Elena pointed out.

Great.

"Tonight's no good," Bonnie said. "Have you seen Caroline? I texted her like a hundred times."

"Don't change the subject, Bonnie Bennett!" Elena smiled. "You're going to be there."

Bonnie groaned. "Fine, I'll go."

I felt both of their gazes turn to me. "Fine, but if I don't like him after tonight, then no more chances."

"Deal." Elena nodded.

I whipped my gaze around and frowned when I couldn't find my perky blonde best friend. "Where the hell is Caroline?"

"I don't know," Elena said, getting to her feet. "It's not like her."

"She should be glad she's co-captain, or I would have her running laps," I told them.

Bonnie pulled out her phone. "I'll try her again."

A roar reached my ears, and I turned as a blue Mustang pulled up. I furrowed my brows as I watched my best friend kiss a dark-haired guy.

"Oh my God." Bonnie gasped. "That must be the mystery guy from the grill."

I felt my heart drop as Caroline pulled away, and piercing blue eyes found mine. "It's Damon Salvatore."

"Salvatore, as in Stefan?!" Bonnie gaped in shock.

"I got the other brother. Hope you don't mind," Caroline smirked at Elena. "Sorry, I'm late, girls. I, uh, was busy. All right, let's start with the double-pike herkey hurdler. What do you say?"

"Are you okay?" Elena mumbled.

I didn't know why I felt hurt that Damon was kissing Caroline when we only spoke a few times. "Yeah." I could see out of the corner of my eye Damon getting out of his car and heading straight for me. "I left something in my locker. I'll be back."

I turned and stormed towards the school, not wanting to deal with Damon and whatever he wanted to say to me. But I didn't get far when he grabbed my wrist and pulled me into an empty classroom.

"Sunshine," Damon breathed.

"Don't call me that," I said, feeling hurt and not knowing why. "Just leave me alone."

"I can explain." Damon tried.

I didn't want to hear it, and whatever I was feeling, I would get over it eventually. "Look, Caroline's my best friend and likes you, so don't break her heart, okay."

I brushed past him when his hand wrapped around my waist, and goosebumps erupted. I peeked through my lashes and held my breath as his mouth was a breath away from mine.

"I don't want her," Damon muttered, and my gaze shifted to his eyes, and I saw regret.

I took a step back. "But you chose her."

Without another word, I walked out of the classroom and down the long hall, trying to get some space between me and Damon—distance from his touch and piercing gaze.

...🌑...

"Do you want to talk about it before Stefan gets here?"

I rest my hands on the counter in Elena's kitchen, not meeting her gaze. "There's nothing to talk about."

"Oh really," Elena said.

"Look, nothing was going on between us," I explained. "He took an interest, and now that interest is in Caroline. End of story."

"Are you sure?" Elena prodded. I lifted my gaze to hers and nodded, hoping she wouldn't push anymore. "Well, it's his loss." She opened a drawer and groaned. "Okay, serving spoons. Where are the serving spoons?"

I pulled open the middle drawer on her left. "You need to get into the kitchen more, Elena."

"It's better for everyone if I don't," Elena said.

The doorbell rings, and Elena shoves a bowl into my chest.

"Okay, he's here. Don't be nervous. Just be your normal loving self." Elena told me.

I turned to Bonnie. "I don't think she wants that."

"Let's ease him into the craziness of Selene Hastings." Bonnie laughed, taking the bowl from me.

There is only one word that I have for dinner, and it is silence and awkward. 

Well, two words.

I picked at my salad and felt unease in my gut whenever I met Stefan's gaze. I know that he might not be the vampire that is out killing those in town, but vampires and witches never mixed well.

They usually wanted two things from us—power or food.

"Did Tanner give you a hard time today?" Elena asked.

"He let me on the team, so I must have done something right." Stefan joked.

Elena looked at me before shifting to Bonnie. "Bonnie, you should have seen Stefan today. Tyler threw a ball right at him, and..."

"Yeah, I heard." Bonnie cut her off.

I shoved a forkful of salad into my mouth as the silence drifted.

"Why don't you tell Stefan about your family?" Elena asked, her gaze still on Bonnie.

"Um, divorced. No mom. Live with my dad." Bonnie recited.

Elena rolled her eyes. "No, about the witches." She turned to Stefan. "Bonnie's family has a lineage of witches. It's really cool."

"Cool isn't the word I'd use," Bonnie pointed out.

I took a long sip from my water as Elena glared at Bonnie.

"Well, it's certainly interesting." Stefan offered. "I'm not too versed, but I do know that there's a history of Celtic druids that migrated here in the 1800s."

"My family came by way of Salem." Bonnie perked up.

"Really? Salem witches?" Stefan asked.

Bonnie nodded. "Yeah."

"I would say that's pretty cool," Stefan smiled and turned to Elena.

"Really? Why?" Bonnie wondered.

"Salem witches are heroic examples of individualism and nonconformity," Stefan explained.

A smile graced Bonnie's lips. "Yeah, they are."

"Selene?" Elena raised her brows.

I sighed. "My family comes from witches too and still practice today."

"Really?" Stefan furrowed his brows as he stared at her.

"Yeah," Bonnie said. "She's a Hastings."

I nodded. "Yeah, that's me."

Stefan's eyes widened, and he went to open his eyes when a knock echoed throughout the house.

"I wonder who that could be," Elena said, getting up.

"I'll come with you," Bonnie offered as she walked out of the room with Elena.

I leaned back in my chair and felt Stefan's gaze never leaving mine. "Yes?"

"You know what I am, don't you?" Stefan asked. 

I nodded, as there was no reason to deny it. "Yes."

Stefan suddenly got to his feet and rushed out of the dining room. I got up and followed as I walked into the living room. I stopped as Damon stood in Elena's living room beside Caroline.

"Surprise!" Caroline smiled. "We brought dessert."

This is going to be a long dinner.

...🌑...

"One more."

I looked over my shoulder as Damon stood in the middle of the kitchen holding a glass cup. I reach out for it, but it slips between my fingers, heading for the ground when Damon catches it out of the air. "Thanks."

"You're going to have to talk to me eventually, sunshine," Damon said.

"Why do you keep bringing up Katherine?" I asked as it kept bugging me all night. Whenever Damon saw Stefan or Elena get too close, he suddenly needed to bring up Stefan's ex. He raised a brow. "How did she die?"

"In a fire. Tragic fire." Damon said without a hint of care as he put a plate in the dishwasher.

I handed him another plate. "You didn't care for her."

"No." Damon sighed. "She was beautiful. A lot like you in that department. She was also complicated, selfish, and sometimes not very kind, but very sexy and seductive."

"So, not your type." I guessed.

"No." Damon shook his head. "But Stefan loved her."

I closed the dishwasher and grabbed a towel to wipe my soaking hands. "Why do you hate your brother?"

"It's a very long and complicated story," Damon answered. "Let's just say he's the reason I lost someone."

My eyes flickered to the chain around his neck "I'm sorry."

"About?" Damon furrowed his brows.

"That you lost someone," I said. "I never got to meet my dad, but without him here, a part of me feels like I lost him too." 

I handed him the towel and could see the pain in his eyes. I wanted to take his pain away as my fingers itched to grab his hand, but I didn't. Instead, I turned away from him and walked away, feeling his eyes on my back before slipping into the living room.

"Selene?" Elena asked as I grabbed my coat from the door.

"I'm going to head home," I told her. "Don't worry. I'm still going to give Stefan a chance."

Elena frowned. "What happened in there?"

I didn't answer her as I pulled my brown leather jacket on. "I'll see you tomorrow."

...🌑...

"Let's be honest here." Tanner started. "In the past, we let other teams come into our town and roll right over us!" Boos echo from the crowd. "But that is about to change." I rolled my eyes and shook my red pompoms as the crowd cheered. "We've got some great new talent tonight starting on the offense, and I'm gonna tell you right now, it has been a long time since I have seen a kid like this with hands like these. Let's give it up for Stefan Salvatore!"

A crash echoed, and I furrowed my brows as everyone turned their heads toward the parking lot.

"Tyler, stop!"

I brushed past the crowd, and my eyes widened at Tyler slamming Jeremy into the ground.

"Stop, you're hurting him!" Vickie yelled.

I felt warmth course through my veins, and I flicked my wrists as a slight breeze rushed at Tyler, who was thrown off Jeremy. I pulled Jeremy to his feet and pushed him behind me as Tyler turned and glared at me. He stormed towards me with hands clenched at his side.

"Tyler, enough," I said.

Jeremy runs from behind me, holding a broken bottle and aiming it at Tyler.

"Don't, Jer," I said.

He doesn't listen as he swings the bottle aiming for Tyler when Stefan jumps in, and Jeremy slices into his hand.

"Jeremy, no!" Elena screamed.

"Tyler, knock it off!" Matt yelled as he grabbed Tyler around the waist. "Stop!"

I felt a hand grab my arm and pull me into the middle of the crowd, away from the fight. 

"Sunshine."

A breath escaped my lips as Damon cupped my grip, and concern flashed behind his eyes. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" Damon asked.

I nodded, and almost as if on instinct, I grabbed his hand and placed it over my heart. "I'm fine, Damon." I waited until concern washed away from his eyes and pulled away. "You should go find Caroline."

I pushed through the crowd, walking away from him and heading to my car because whenever he was around, I couldn't think. I couldn't breathe. He consumed everything. I needed a moment to myself and away from him and everyone as word about the fight broke throughout the night.

"Sunshine, please." Damon pleaded.

I stopped a couple of feet from my car. "Don't." I felt tears prickle against my eyes. "Please just don't."

"Selene."

I furrowed my brows, wiping my cheeks as a few stray tears fell. "Mom?"

"Oh honey, I couldn't find you." Mom said and pulled me into a tight hug. "Are you okay?"

I nodded as she looked me over. "Yeah."

"So it's true," Damon said. I half turned as he glanced between me and my mom. "You're a Hastings?"

"What are you doing here?" Mom growled as she pushed me behind her.

Damon smirked. "You can't keep me away forever, Celeste." 

...🌑...

A/N: ANOTHER UPDATE!!!

THANK YOU FOR 585 READS.

So Damon is with Caroline for now, which we all know won't last forever. Again, this is another filler chapter, but it does have a bit of angst for Damon and Selene. Also, if you haven't figured it out, some of the plot will change slightly, but not too much. 

Anyway, I hope you guys like it.

QUESTIONS: What do you guys think of the chapter? How do you guys think Celeste and Damon know each other? What is your favorite episode in season 1?

SONG: Anywhere But Here by SafetySuit

-MakenaBlack