Stefan and Delena: Origin

{7} Alice. Really?

I racked my brain for more ideas. Caroline's obsession with this school dance has taken her over completely. We had decorations sorted, food was on the go with Bonnie, Music was being chosen by Caroline and I had to design the posters to hang up around the school.

"You're still designing?" Damon asked as he entered my room, kicking a few balls of crumpled paper out of the way.

"It's harder than it looks when you have the Queen of Perfection in charge." I shrugged, moving over so Damon could sit down.

"What kind of dance is it anyway?" He asked, playing with my hair.

"Wonderland."

"Oh of course, a wacky idea is perfect for Miss Caroline Forbes. Let me guess, she is going to dress up as Alice?" 

"I don't actually know, she won't tell us. Caroline has chosen costumes for me, her, Bonnie, Stefan,  Tyler and Matt. She is even sorting them out and everything for us considering all she has left to do for dance is pick a few songs for the DJ."

"Hm. So do you know your costume?" 

"Nope. Caroline being... Well Caroline, wants everything to be a surprise." I sighed, picking up my pencil.

"I think you should put the title thingy at the top in the middle in big bold letters so it will stand out, then the details, you know like times and stuff, at the bottom and just decorate it with characters and wacky teapots or something to fill the rest of the space." Damon suggested.

"I tried something like that, but I just can't get the Rabbit and the Red Queen right." I replied, annoyed at myself.

"Let me try." Damon playfully pushed me aside and took the pencil and paper out of my grip. I leaned my head on his shoulder as he started to sketch out the basic idea for the poster.

***

It was later on in the day and me and Jeremy were on our way down to meet Caroline, Bonnie, Tyler, Matt and Stefan.

"Boy am I glad Caroline forgot to choose my 'costume', by the looks of it this dance is going to be weird." Jeremy teased as he snatched Damon's final poster design out of my bag.

"Hey be careful with that, it's the only one we have at the moment, I just need to verify it with the 'boss' before I take it to the photo copier." I laughed as Jeremy made a face when I mentioned Caroline as the boss.

We strolled down the path to Central Park just generally chatting about this and that.

"Hey, I bet you five dollars Ric and Damon chaperon the dance." Jeremy laughed.

"You're on!" I replied. I knew he would win, any chance Alaric had at crashing a high school dance, he would take.

I quickly spotted Caroline's beautiful wavy blond hair sitting at a park bench and instantly noticed everyone else, dammit we were last to arrive. What was I saying? Of course we were last to arrive.

"Hey." I smiled at everyone as I sat down next to Caroline and Matt.

"Hiya, so have you figured out the invitation design?" Caroline asked right away.

"Nice to see you too, Care." I laughed and handed her the design. "Sorry if it's a bit crumpled, Jer snatched it from me on the way here." I glared at Jeremy in that playful brother-sister way.

"Wow. You know, this is really good! The font, the colours, the characters round the edges! Great job, Elena!" Caroline complimented.

"Well, actually Damon did the whole thing." I said smiling like a lunatic. Nearly everyone sitting at the bench didn't think much of Damon, this might just be a start of them changing their minds.

"Wait, what? Did you just say Damon?" Caroline asked, rather shocked.

"Oh come on! It's not that surprising is it?" I questioned.

"A little. I mean, since when did Damon help out for a school dance." Matt cut in.

He had a point. Damon thought High school dances were a waste of time.

"I didn't know Damon was a good drawer." Stefan commented, also shocked.

"Really? You been with him for like what, 150 years now?" Tyler replied.

"Well, to be honest when me and Damon were growing up as kids we didn't really get to know each other. We were so different. But when I reached 11 and he was 18, we became like best friends. And around that time he was preparing to start College, which he mucked up completely, got frustrated and left. And he did a repeat of that when he joined the army..." Stefan trailed off. 

"I didn't know that..." I admitted.

"Well that goes to show you don't really know him as well as you thought you did." Caroline cut in. She seemed rather pleased with herself to make that comment. But how was I supposed to know that? Damon wasn't really the topic me and Stefan discussed when we were together.

"Don't get any ideas, Elena. Damon just keeps himself to himself and I think he's better off that way." Stefan told me with stern eyes.

"Okay, changing the subject. Caroline what costumes have you chosen for us?" Bonnie said, lightening the mood.

"Okay, well I've only ever seen like half the film so I thought I'd do a little research on characters and I decided to include characters from the film and the book. So here's the plan. Me and Tyler can be the King and Queen of hearts, Matt can be the Cheshire cat, Bonnie can be the mouse and Elena and Stefan can be Alice and the Mad Hatter. Oh and Jeremy if you are going I have a costume planned for you too just in case, the Caterpillar. Don't be turned off by your character, because I've planned the costumes out so they suit you all in each individual ways." Caroline smiled

"I'm going to be a creepy smiling cat?" Matt asked, rather annoyed.

"Yes, because you have a great smile" Caroline replied very cheerily. 

"A mouse?!" Bonnie joined in.

"You are cute thou, Bon. Give it a chance. The costume will look totally gorgeous on you!"

"Um... I hate to be a buzz kill but there is no way I'm going as the Hatter. Crazy hair, weird outfit... Just not me." Stefan said looking down at his shoes.

"Stefan, give it a chance! The whole point is that you look ridiculous yet cool and that it will be a night to remember with your friends!"

Stefan sighed and nodded slowly. He really wasn't into the whole dance thing, and neither was I. I didn't want to be Alice. No way.

"Caroline..." I started to say, but Caroline cut in

"No, Elena! Not you too! Trust me this Alice costume for you will be amazing! Please, please, please?" She begged, bringing the tips of her fingers up to her nose and pressing her palms together.

"I'll give it a go..." I sighed.

"Great! So it's all settled! Bonnie what did you do for food?" Caroline asked.

***

"A Caterpillar? Really?" Jeremy sighed as we walked through the front door.

"Give it a chance, Jer. We all are." I replied, unenthusiastically.

"So I hear Jeremy is dressing up as a Caterpillar. That should be entertaining to see." Alaric smiled as he walked into the hall with a brewing cup of coffee in his hands. "Elena, Damon's just in there" Alaric tilted his head towards the living room. I nodded as a thank you and headed into the living room.

"How was it?" Damon asked. He knew what my reply would be.

"Awful." I replied. "Guess who Alice is." I pointed a finger towards myself.

"Hey that's cool." He said, getting up from the couch. Damon walked over to me and stood so close in front of me that our noses brushed passed each others. He leaned down and kissed me passionately.

"But I don't want to be Alice." I sulked into his shoulder as soon as our kiss broke.

"Oh suck it up." He replied playfully. "Now wait here, I'll go make you lunch."