Fate or Destiny ⌁ TVD [1] ✓

{32} "Damon Was Right."

***

I WAS FORCED by Elena and Jenna to help Elena  get ready for the Miss Mystic Falls Pageant. Elena wanted me there to help her because we're best friends, and Jenna wanted me there for the extra set of hands. Everyone was putting makeup on as Jenna was curling Elena's hair.

"Thanks for helping me," Elena said to Jenna and I, turning to us with smiles.

"Don't thank me until you're sure your hair isn't gonna burn off," Jenna jokes lightheartedly.

"You know I remember when my mom and I were first applying for this, she was so excited," Elena reminisced.

"So were you if I recall," Jenna added.

"I was. She just made it sound like so much fun. Lots has changed since then," Elena had realized.

"Yeah, older women, sexier dresses, and more makeup," I said with a chuckle, putting a bit of blush on Elena's cheeks.

"I hate to break it to you, but its a little late for cold feet," Jenna said to us.

Elena replied, "I don't have cold feet. I just...I think I'd be enjoying it a lot more if she was here." Aww, I guess I could understand that..

"Well I tell you one thing, your hair would have a better chance if she was," Jenna once again joked.

Elena chuckled, "Okay, I should go put my dress on. Be careful with that thing, don't hurt anybody." She got up and walked off, me following after her.

***

Elena and I entered the room to put her dress on, but a blonde girl was already there. She seemed a little nervous, anxious. "Are you okay, Amber?" Elena asked her nervously.

"I hate being the center of attention. I get panic attacks," Amber said, trying to breathe as she fidgeted to take her mind off of it.

"Do you need some privacy so you can change?" Elena offered her.

"Actually I'm just- I'm gonna go get some air," Amber replied, walking out as she closed the door. I grabbed Elena's royal blue pageant dress, when I
saw Damon in the mirror and jumped, turning around.

"Hey, you can't be back here," Elena said to Damon.

"Yeah, this is sort of a girls only thing right now, Damon," I replied to him, holding the dress up.

"We need to talk," Damon said seriously.

"Do we have to talk right now?" I asked, holding up Elena's dress. "We're kind of in the middle of something here.."

"Normally I would have a completely different outlook of what I'm about to tell you but since it could really inconvenience me, I'll.." Damon paused to find the right words, before smiling, "squeal."

"What are you talking about?" Elena questioned him.

"Stefan's still drinking human blood," Damon, as he put it, "squealed".

"What?!" Elena and I both asked in disbelief. I.. I thought that was a one time thing. And that he was doing better..

"Yeah, a month ago I would have rejoiced but with the council back on the alert, it is not a good time for Stefan to fly off the handle," Damon explained.

"I know he's been a little edgy but he said that was normal," Elena said to Damon.

"I didn't even know about this 'edgy' Stefan," I said to them, crossing my arms. Why was the nice one always left out of the loop?

"He has a fridge full of stolen blood bank contraband in the house," Damon, explained, Elena sitting down on the couch. I laid the dress there as Damon continued, "He has no idea what normal is, his entire existence isn't normal. Normal to a vampire is drinking human blood but he spent all this time fighting it when he should have been learning to control it and now it's controlling him instead."

"I can't believe this. I mean, it's Stefan that we're talking about here," Elena said in disbelief, a denial chuckle escaping her lips.

"Stefan on human blood Elena; he'll do anything, he'll say anything because he's not gonna want to stop. Trust me. You can even ask her," Damon pointed to me, "Stefan isn't pretty when he's on human blood.." Elena looked at me, and I just sent her a worried look back. Damon was right.

***

Elena was still shocked as she spoke, "This is all my fault; I'm the one who fed him the blood in the first place." Elena was freaking out, and all I could do was stand behind her and tub her shoulders to calm her down before the big Miss Mystic Falls Pageant. We didn't need a drama-filled pageant winner. We needed a clear-headed, worry-free one. Elena was neither of those. Stefan entered though, interrupting everything.

"What's going on in here?" Stefan asked, walking inside. He was in an all dark suit with a white rose on it.

"I was just filling Elena and Charlotte in on your extra-curricular activities," Damon explained, turning back to look at Stefan.

"What are you talking about?" Stefan asked with a chuckle, obviously playing dumb.

"We know about the blood, Stefan," Elena replied simply to him.

"I'm uh - I'll be downstairs, drinking," Damon excised himself, as I nodded.

"Yeah, uh, me too. But I'll be drinking water," I said, following after him downstairs. I couldn't believe that Stefan was now getting all junked up on human blood. I knew he had had some, but Elena told me that he told her he was doing better.. Guess not.