Dark Beauty

Chapter 17: Caroline's 17th Birthday

I jolted up for what felt like the thousandth time in my life. Memories flooding into my mind. Anger rising inside me.

Is it so hard for people to stop breaking my neck? I looked around the room. I'm in the Salvatore's. Again. Great. 

As I swung my legs over my bed, I could hear shower water pouring, coming from a room down the hall. I followed the sound that lead to Damon's bedroom. Walking in, I could see Damon taking a shower in his lovely, big bathroom with a giant smile on his face. I smiled, obviously happy at the fact that for once after Katherine's 'supposed' death back in the 1800's, my best friend in the whole entire world was happy.

"Well someone seems really happy. Let me guess. Elena has something to do with it?" I said to him, hiding the bit of disgust I wanted to show in Elena's name. I sat on his bed one leg crossed under the other one that I swung unconsciously. Immediately, his smile grew bigger and he turned off the shower water and wrapped a towel around his waist.

"You know it." He stepped out of the shower and went to take care of his necessities. "Hey! You want to know something?"

"Uh. Yeah I do. I am your best friend aren't I?"

Damon chuckles before replying. "Me and Elena kissed last night."

Immediate shock fills every nerve in my body.

"What?! I thought she was still hung up on Stefan."

"I guess she wasn't."

"Well, did you make the first move?" I asked with fake excitement that hid my pure guilt. He was getting hung up on a girl I am about to kill.

"Yes. I am Damon Salvatore aren't I?" He replied mocking me. I stuck my tongue out at him as he came out of the bathroom whistling, knowing I hate that sound. Covering my ears to block out the sound, Stefan strolled into the bedroom.

"Good morning." Damon said to him, stopping the whistle sounds. Stefan didn't reply. He just stared at me with a glare.

"Well.... I think I'll be going now. By my beautiful Damon." Damon smiled at my sarcastic comment as I left his room heading too my room to change.

***

Today was Caroline's birthday. Over the past week, Caroline and I have grown closer. She was the first to forgive me after the Elena-ritual and the hybrid incident, and the first to really understand parts of me that only Avangeline understood. I guess you could say that she connected with my young adult female side and all of its drama. By far, I was extremely surprised that she pulled me in for a hug after I had come to apologize to her and Tyler over Niklaus' behavior. She said she understood in such a really weird way that she couldn't explain it. Maybe fate has deemed us to be friends? I will never know.

Earlier, I had called her while getting dressed to tell her that we are skipping school and celebrating her birthday. She didn't really seem too happy about her birthday. But I ignored that as I walked up the staircase to her front porch, my black knee-high booted heals clicking against the wood. My black waist-high jeans seemed to gleam in the sun light as my black crop that was fitted with a leather jacket of mine did not.

My charm bracelets and rings chattered when I knocked on Care's front door. I pushed back my bangs with the hand that was free, seeing as the other one had Caroline's birthday gift in it. Caroline walked to the door and opened it with a frown upon her face.

"Why are you frowning? It's your birthday. Cheer up." I smiled at her. Care stepped out of her home, shutting the door behind her, and stood in front of me.

"Because I'm a vampire. I'm going to have a never ending amount of birthday's after this. So what's the point in celebrating?"

"The point is Care" I laid my free hand on her shoulder. "yes you're a vampire, but look at it this way. If you were still human, would you be as strong as you are now? Would you be able to get away with anything? Would people be able to follow you're direct order as they do now, then they would have if you were human? No, they wouldn't. You are going to have never ending birthdays. You are going to live to be 23,000 years old and that means 23,000 times you get too celebrate the one day you will always love. The one day that might even become a national holiday. Heck, Maybe even a global holiday. Caroline, you're birthday is important. and we need to celebrate."