I'm Mariana Gilbert. (TVD fanfic: Damon Salvatore)

Carnival Rides

"You know, today's been a day full of sorry's from people who really don't give a crap." Tyler admitted skeptically and I sighed, slowly nodding.

"I remember when my dad died, I had a house full of strangers telling me what a great guy he was." I informed quietly as Tyler looked down at the flask in silence. "I-I know how hard all of this is, Tyler." I added, shaking my head in reassurance.

"Difference is, in your case, it was true." Tyler countered emotionlessly before looking back up at me. "My dad was a dick." He pointed out in some anger before drinking from the flask again and I slowly nodded.

"Yeah, yeah, he was." I agreed softly and Tyler eyed me carefully before gesturing down at the flask.

"I found this in his desk." He stated, handing the flask to me and I rose my eyebrow down at it. "He won't mind, he's dead." Tyler added sarcastically and I sighed at him as I leant against his father's desk that stood behind me.

"Hey, what's going on in here, Ty?" A voice asked, opening the doors to the room and coming in. I rose and eyebrow and looked at who who it was before I felt my eyes widen.

"Mason?" I asked in disbelief and smiled widely at him from where he stood in front of me.

"Mariana Gilbert? That can't be you." Mason replied in some shock and amusement a he looked me up and down, making me chuckle and quickly hug him. "God, you've gotten bigger, huh?" He asked, eyeing me and I shrugged as we pulled away.

"Well, Ty and I were both fourteen the last time you came home." I pointed out, looking at Tyler who watched us in silence before back at Mason, who noticed the flask he was holding. Tyler stared back at Mason in silence, waiting for him to say something but he just gestured for it. Tyler sighed and handed the flask over to him before Mason took a swig of it, not saying anything. Tyler and I exchanged a confused look, letting silence fell over the three of us before Mason handed the flask back over to Tyler, making him smirk.
~~~~

I folded my arms over my chest while Elena wiped the blood off of Stefan's stomach with a small towel from where he sat on a bench, outside of the Lockwood estate. "Are you gonna be okay?" I asked, looking down at him skeptically.

"Yeah. It'll heal." Stefan answered quietly as he looked down at the wound and I rolled my eyes.

"That not what I meant." I countered softly and he slowly nodded back up at me.

"I was trying to figure her out. I was playing along.. I let her get to me." Stefan stated in disappointment at himself as he talked about Katherine, and I slowly nodded as I listened intently before Damon came over to us.

"Tried to track her but she's gone. Ooh—cover up, Fabio. We got a crazy ex on the loose." He stated sarcastically, looking away from Stefan as Elena pulled his shirt down. "Better watch out, looks like Katherine's trying to steal your guy." Damon added with a smirk and she furrowed her eyebrows before looking away from him.

"That's not what's happening." Stefan replied quietly and looked away from us, making me raise an eyebrow while Elena's face fell.

"Isn't it?" Damon countered, shaking his head and Stefan looked back up at him.

"Katherine's going to try to play us against each other, you do know that, right?" Stefan asked in annoyance and sat up toward him.

"Brother, don't you worry. Our bond is unbreakable." Damon stated in amusement, making Stefan stand up from the bench while Elena and I rose an eyebrow.

"We need to say united against her. Look—I'm not going to let Katherine come in here and destroy the part of you that is finally, after all of this time, willing to feel something." He added, shaking his head at Damon who looked at me for a few seconds, before looking away and avoiding my eye contact again. "She'll try to break you. She'll try to break us. And how we respond to that will define us. It's our choice, Damon." Stefan pointed out in defeat. I watched in silence as Damon stared back at him for a few seconds before he looked away in defeat.
~~~