The Vampire Diaries: Natalie Gilbert

123. Expression Triangle

Natalie's POV

Caroline had dragged me to the Grill, where Rebekah was already waiting for me. I was surprised that the two of them planned it together but I just shrugged it off, and started downing bourbon. The three of us stand at the main bar, Caroline and Rebekah watching Elena who is angrily throwing darts at the dartboard.

"She still believes she can go up against Kathrine." I scoff, rolling my eyes at my sister as I take a sip of my drink. There's no doubt that Elena is imagining she's really throwing the darts at Kathrine's head, if the anger in her throws had anything to say about it. A gust of wind suddenly follows a couple into the Grill which causes Caroline to raise her eyebrows in curiosity. "Is it supposed to rain tonight?" She questions.

"Do I look like a meteorologist?" Rebekah answers back in her usual bitchy, sarcastic tone, though her eyes don't stray from Elena, who tosses another dart at the dartboard and Caroline sighs heavily. "Someone needs to do something, before she explodes." She utters. "I've got her to turn it back on, you lot can handle the rest." I mutter.

"I got this." Rebekah tells us, nodding confidently as she grabs a bottle from behind the bar and struts over to Elena in her usual over-confident manner. Rebekah and Elena become somewhat friends when Elena had her humanity off, so Rebekah clearly assumes she could help. "Drink. You're putting everyone on edge." She demands, placing the bottle down on a table.

"So, what's the deal? I'm new to this whole emotional switch situation." She states. "It's not complicated." Elena mumbles as she gestures her head in the direction of the dart board once she'd taken another shot. "See that dart board? All I can picture is Kathrine's face." She admits.

"So, you're emotions are on, they're just dialled to rage." Rebekah concludes with a nod of her head, whilst Elena walks over to the dartboard to recollect her darts. "Look, Rebekah, I get that we had our Thelma and Louise thing back when I had my humanity off, but let me make one thing clear...we're not friends." She scoffs.

"What about me?" Caroline asks, with an unreadable look on her face while I sit down at the table, texting Stefan. "Are we still friends?" Caroline continues as Elena pauses which, off course, Caroline notices. "Elena, everything you said when your humanity was off- did you mean it? Is that how you really feel?"

"I really don't feel like going down memory lane." Elena shakes her head making me scoff, taking a huge gulp of bourbon. "Well, what about when you said, and I quote, 'you're a repulsive, blood-sucking, control freak monster'?" Caroline reminds Elena with hurt in her tone. "Did you really mean those things?" She wonders.

"If you're waiting on an apology, you're not gonna get one. I can't let myself feel bad because if I feel bad then I feel everything. And we've all seen how well I've handled that." Elena replies and I chuckle humourlessly making the three of them look at me. "Ah, again with the pity-party." I roll my eyes bored before I turn my gaze to Elena.

"You should feel bad for all the shit that you've pulled." I snap before I glance at my best friend. "You know, Care, if you're waiting on an apology from her, don't bother. She only feels sorry for herself." I shrug, spinning a knife in my hand before I throw it to the dartboard without looking, hitting the bullseye just as the power in the bar goes out.

"Uh, anyone else a little freaked out by the timing of that?" Caroline asks before me, her, Rebekah and Matt all hurry out of the Grill and look around. The entire town appears to be plunged into complete darkness while a storm rages on. "The power's completely out!" Rebekah yells above the sound of the wind whirling around us. "I'll call my mom. Maybe she knows what's going on." Caroline suggests as a bad feeling fills in me.