-'CHAPTER 7´-
Elaine was putting her books in her locker when Elena approached her.
"Hey Elaine, are you okay?" the brunette asks, brows furrowed.
"Oh hey Lena, yeah, I'm feeling a lot better," she nods.
"I'm really, really sorry, I swear if I knew you would get hurt, I wouldn't have agreed -" the brunette starts.
"Agreed to what," the blonde asks, closing her locker.
"I mean - not agreed, I just mean," the brunette stutters over her words.
"What do you mean, Elena?" the blonde asks.
The brunette just wears a face of guilt. Suddenly, a flicker of realization glints in the woman's eyes. "You knew that man was going to try and kill me," the blonde asks, hurt lacing her voice.
"No, Elaine, I didn't know he would actually hurt you. The plan was just to scare Klaus," she pleads.
"So to use me," Elaine questions, and Elena couldn't respond. Guilt ate at the woman's stomach. She never meant to hurt her friend.
Elaine just grabs her backpack and steps to leave.
"I'm trying to apologize to El," Elena says.
"I think I just wanna be alone right now," Elaine mutters, walking away. Hurt filled the woman's heart. How could her friend so easily let her play bait and not even tell her.
"What about you?" Elena walks back into her path.
"What about me?" Elaine questions, stopping in her tracks.
"How can you be friends with Klaus after everything he did to me?" the brunette questions frustrated.
Something about that strikes Elaine. "What's the difference of you being friends with Damon, I understand you have a different relationship with him than I do I never got angry about it even when you knew what he did to me what's the difference between that and my friendship with Klaus" Elaine asks and the brunette looked a at loss for words.
"For the record, even for Klaus, I wouldn't have used you, Elena," the blonde leaves, not wanting to hear what the brunette had to say.
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
"Wow," Caroline says.
"Do you think I was too harsh?" the blonde asks.
"I think you said how you felt, and that's what you should have done," the vampire groaned. "I just can't believe she would do that."
"I don't think she meant to hurt me," Elaine mumbles, stuffing some popcorn in her mouth.
Caroline jumps on the couch next to her friend, grabbing some popcorn from the bowl in Elaine's lap.
"When did you become friends with Klaus?" Caroline questions.
Elaine shrugs. "I don't know. we met a while ago and hung out a few times he's always been nice."
Caroline raises a brow. "Killer hybrid who's nice," she nudges her friend "is he hot".
Elaine laughs.
"I bet he's hot. Villains are usually hot," the vampire smirks.
Elaine shakes her head amusingly. "Alright Caroline, I think you've seen too many movies."
"Maybe you just haven't seen enough," the blonde shrugs. Elaine rolls her eyes.
"Come on, I really wanna know, promise I won't tell anyone," Caroline pleads.
Elaine smiles. "Okay, so he's kinda cute," she mutters. Caroline's face brightens before opening her mouth to start, but Elaine cuts her off. "Please don't start."
Caroline continues anyway. "We can have double dates once I find a boyfriend," the blonde groans. "Why do you have to find someone the second I break up with Tyler?" Elaine laughs. "I said he's cute, not that I'm marrying the man."
"Well, duh, he has to propose first, which I will totally help pick out the ring," she says excitedly.
"Can we start the movie now?" Elaine says with a smile on her face.
"Fine means girls again or clueless again," Care asks, switching the tv to netflix.
Elaine shrugs "lets watch mean girls."
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Caroline held the pink glittery roses as her and Elaine walked to her house.
"It's your birthday, Care. we'll do whatever you want." The blonde smiled at the vampire, who looked a little sad.
"Thanks for the flowers." Caroline, thanks again.
"Again, it's your birthday."
"I know I just don't really feel like celebrating it," the vampire says softly.
"Caroline Forbes, the woman who gifted me a calendar with every important date you had planned, doesn't wanna celebrate her birthday." Elaine questions nudging the blonde.
Care laughs. "It's just that I'm - I'm seventeen forever, not even eighteen. That would be good, but it just feels like I can't move on."
Elaine grabs the blonde's hand. "I get it Care, I've been twenty for about 1000 years it sucks but you Caroline have grown so much and you're going to continue to grow and be an amazing person you deserve to celebrate that and if you are not feeling the mood we can just watch movies and chill whatever you want".
Caroline smiles softly. "Thanks."
"Again, it's your birthday. I have to be nice, ' Elaine teases.
Care laughs lightly "no I mean thanks for all of it, for being my best friend," the woman says softly. All her life, Caroline Forbes had felt second best. She was the second choice for Matt, the second choice friend for Elena and Bonnie, but not to Elaine. The woman always chose her. It sounded kinda selfish or obsessive, but it was nice to know someone would choose Caroline Forbes.
Elaine's teasing expression fades into a soft smile "your my best friend too Caroline. I'll always look out for you."
Caroline smiles. The two girls walk over to her door. "So what are we doing?" Elaine enthused.
"Well, first you're baking me an amazing cake," Caroline states.
The vampire opens the door, taking off her coat as she walks in.
"Fine but just because it's your birthday."
"Surprise" is a mixture of voices boom
Elena, Matt, and Bonnie jump out, surprising the two blondes.
The two look at each other with raised brows.
"Happy birthday, Care," Elena says, approaching the vampire, putting a purple tiara on her.
"Change your clothes, we're going to the falls," Bonnie enthused. "Campfire, smores."
"Like when we were little," Elena adds.
"But with tequila," Matt days holding up a bottle. Caroline laughs lightly.
"Thanks guys really but I'm not really feeling my birthday, Elaine and I were just gonna eat in and watch movies," the blonde explains.
"I'm sorry what?" Bonnie laughs. "You already declared your birthday as everyone's favorite day of the year."
"Yeah, and now it's just a reminder that I'm technically dead. I don't even like 17. It's just a filler year to get to 18. I'm stuck in a filler year. "
"You're not stuck, Caroline," Elena says sympathetically.
"Yeah, I am, but it's okay. I'll be fine. I just need some time to wallow in it, and the best wallowing is done with Elaine, her baking and some 2000s movies."
"I have a better idea," Elena states.
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
The group ends up in the forest in some old shed Elena knew. The brunette decided to give the blonde a funeral instead of a birthday so she could move on. Elaine was glad the vampire seemed to enjoy this; it was a good idea.
The night was filled with laughter, drinks, and cake. Caroline had blown out her candles, and after a bit, Bonnie left, having gotten into something with Elena to force Jeremy out of town.
A little later, Tyler came, which wasn't the best since the hybrid and the vampire had broken up days ago, but Care still went with him.
Matt, Elena, and Elaine were all three looking for Caroline after she hadn't come back in a while. It mostly consisted of Elena and Matt talking while Elaine just looked for her friend.
Suddenly Matt drops to the ground and Elaine turns to Elena to see the brunette's wide eyes before it all goes black.