PLS DONT READ THIS IT ONLY FOR ME THANK YOU

DIFFERENT

Elena Gilbert sat in her history class wondering what was going to happen at the Mikaelsons' ball that night. Would she get to see Elijah? Would Klaus try to kill her? How would Damon and Stefan react to her not having a date? And what would she even wear?

"Elena?" Alaric Saltzman's voice distracted her from her mussing, "do you know the answer?"

"What was the question, Mr. Saltzman?"

Alaric sighed heavily, "Who was the General for the Confederates during the Civil War?"

Elena grasped at straws, trying desperately to remember that piece of crucial history to appease her guardian.

"It was General Lee, wasn't it, Mr. Saltzman?" Matt Donovan spoke up. Elena sighed in relief, glancing at him gratefully.

"Correct, Matt. Next time please refrain from answering questions that weren't directed at you."

"Can you please show some enthusiasm? I mean, it's not every day that we get to go to a ball," gushed Caroline, "We're going to a ball at one of the biggest mansions with people that actually know how to throw a kick ass party!"

Caroline's reasoning may have seemed shallow, but that was Caroline. Elena couldn't shake the weird feeling she'd been feeling all day no matter what she did. Even the dress shopping that Caroline had forced upon her made no difference.

"I'm sorry, Care. Of course I'm excited." Elena gave a forced smile, "Who're you bringing?"

"Tyler said he had other things to do, probably sleeping with that furry little skank. Not that I care, of course."

"Caroline." Elena chided gently.

"Okay, fine. Maybe I care a little. I can't believe he's still trying to string me along! I gave him so much time to figure everything out, but he still didn't want me. I mean, who wouldn't want this," she motioned to her body, clad in a skin tight red, floor length dress, "Any boy would be beyond lucky to have a date with this!"

Elena couldn't help but laugh. "Replace boy with man and then you have your answer. Tyler's just a boy, you need a man. Someone that respects you and loves you and God forbid doesn't leave you for a 'furry skank'."

"What would I do without you, Elena?" Caroline hugged her friend.

The next two hours were tortuous. Caroline tried on every single dress in the store or so it seemed, just for her to choose the first dress she tried on. Elena couldn't blame her; her red dress suited Caroline as much as her blonde hair needed curls. Elena couldn't find a single dress that fit her the way it should have. Dress after dress fell flat on her figure. Caroline had no problem voicing her opinion on each one: too short, too long, what the hell is that?

"Caroline, I give up," Elena was defeated as the walked along the rest of the stores, "I'll never find something that says sophisticated like what I have envisioned in my head."

"Oh, come on, Elena! We'll find something so ravishing that it'll knock the socks off of every male there!"

Caroline's optimism was scarily infectious. Within moments, Elena's hope had been renewed as she looked at every shop in earnest. Each dress she looked at seemed to be lacking something, yet she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Caroline was growing exasperated with every store that failed to please Elena.

"I don't even take this long," Caroline mumbled.

Just as Elena and Caroline were about to give up, something caught Elena's eye in a store at the end of the block. Elena rushed to the store, her hope rising high.