Eska ~ The Forgotten Gilbert

7. Haunted

Elena POV

Everyone was looking for Vicki, and I felt guilty that I knew where she was but couldn't say anything. I watched Jeremy pack his school bag, knowing that it was empty of things he actually needed for school and that he was wanting to go out and search for her himself.

"You should go to school, Jeremy," I said to him, watching as he made to leave the house. "There are plenty of people searching for her, I'll find her. I promise."

"I have to go and find her, Elena," he looked at me imploringly. "She could be hurt."

With that, he left the house and I sighed in defeat. My phone went off and I switched on to see that Caroline had text me, asking what I was going to be wearing to the Halloween party at school tonight.

Caroline: I've given Bonnie a witch outfit and that pendant that Damon gave me. I don't want to look at it any more... </3

I sighed again, knowing that I couldn't get out of the halloween party. I had to be there to protect Jeremy from Vicki, no matter how much I didn't want to be there.

"Eska, I'm heading out!" I called up to my sister and left before waiting for a response. 

Eska's POV

It was the day of the Halloween party at school, and I was absolutely dreading it. Yet another opportunity for the messed up teenagers of Mystic Falls to dress in as little as possible and behave like there wasn't something seriously wrong with this place. I lay in bed thinking about what had happened at the boarding house the night before. How Damon suddenly wasn't Damon anymore and how Caroline was seemingly unable to control her own actions and thoughts. What plagued me the most, however, was the image of the man with the broken neck, lying on the floor of the cellar. What had happened? And why hadn't Damon attacked me? Instead, he'd taken care of me when I couldn't take care of myself, when nobody else had noticed.

I rolled out of bed, moaning at the stiff feel of my limbs and the mild pounding in my head. My phone went off, I looked at the screen to see who had contacted me. It was Jacob, and I felt my heartbeat start to pick up with the excitement of someone wanting to contact me.

Jacob: Hey, you never showed up last night. You going to the party?

My heart sank, and I remembered how I was supposed to meet Jacob at the grill the previous night after the car wash had finished. I shook my head in frustration. How could I have forgotten? Great girlfriend I was turning out to be, if that's what I even was. 

I headed to the bathroom to get ready for the day, avoiding looking in any of the mirrors in an attempt to savour what little self-confidence I may have woken up with. After showering and brushing my teeth, I got dressed in a pair of jeans and a simple sweatshirt. My wet hair curled naturally, and I grabbed a jacket and left the house, heading for Jacob's place to apologise. 

Arriving at Jacob's house, I knocked on the door and shuffled nervously, waiting for him to answer it. It wasn't long before the door swung open, and Jacob looked down at me, a frown covering his face as he saw it was me.

"Jacob..."I began, my shaking hands giving away my nervousness at the thought of upsetting somebody I cared about. "I'm really sorry about last night. Something came up with Caroline, and I had to help her. "  

He shrugged, smiling slightly, and step to the side to a show me in. "Don't worry about it, Eska, I get it - girl code or something, right?" 

I smiled, relieved that he had seemingly forgiven me before following him into the house and walking down the hallway. 

"So, you never actually answered my message," he said, turning to look at me as we walked into a large, bright kitchen. "Are you going to the party tonight?"