Flip the switch (VD)

Under normal circumstances {6}

Zara's POV:

I'm sitting my room with my headphones in when I hear the door slam down stairs over my music. Fuck sake. I sigh and get out of bed and quietly walk towards my door, throwing my headphones onto my bed. I try to open it silently just a little, but the door squeaks making me jump back and slamming it shut. "Zara!" I hear Mark yell as I try to think of how to approach the situation. I look around the room for something to grab in self defense but before I can my door is flung open. "What are you doing here? Why didn't you come downstairs when you heard me?"

"I, I was listening to music so didn't realize you were back. I'm sorry." I try to think of a way to chance the subject and quick. "Why don't we go downstairs and I'll make us some dinner?" He smiles at me and I see his yellow teeth, that smile is what nightmares are made of, it's pure evil, just like him.

"I've got a better idea." He walks over and puts his hand on my shoulder but I flinch away making his smile drop. "Are you afraid of me Zara?" I don't answer and just stare him in the eyes, knowing my voice will fail me if try to speak. "Why are you scared? Huh? You don't need to be, I won't let anyone touch you, if anyone try's to take you away they'll have me to deal with." Moving his hand to stroke my face I close my eyes tight feeling them begin to well up. His hand quickly moves from my face and he grabs my shoulders, shaking me to open my eyes, which I do, them pushes me up against the wall causing me to fall the floor after banging my head. I've learnt not to make a sound when he does things like this, it only makes it worse. "Why won't you speak to me Zara?" He says sickeningly softly while leaning down, stroking my hair.

"Dad, please don't." My voice as I speak knowing that he is now mad at me, which will never lead to good things, I try to be brave and look him dead in the eyes. He looks at me confused as I push him as hard as I can causing him to stumble back and fall into his ass. I stand up and run out of my room and down the stairs, all I can hear are his loud footsteps following me, he's faster but I just have to get to the front door, he won't touch me once I'm out that door in case others see his actions. But before I know it I'm being pulled back by my hair, I let out a small yelp and feel my head be brought backwards. "Please don't-"

"You don't get to tell me what to do." His voice is oddly calm considering his actions, I feel his hot breath on my face I look up at him. Without really thinking I spit up at his face. Shit. "You always have to ruin it!" He pushes me to the floor and climbs on top of me as my screams are muffled by his hand over my mouth.

"Zara!" I open my eyes and sit up straight, I look around and he's no longer here. I then realize where I am I turn to see Damon sitting next to me on the bed. "What happened? Were you having a bad dream?" I feel the sweat all over my body then suddenly become very aware I'm only in my underwear.

"I'm fine." I stand up and grab my clothes covering my body with them. Damon stands and walks over to me.

"Whatever it was, it was only a dream, it wasn't real." I look down, hoping his words were true, but knowing they weren't. I feel a tear role down my face.

"Where's the shower?" I manage to choke before Damon points me in the right direction, I hurry away from the situation I'm in and walk over to the bathroom and turn on the shower, waiting for it to get warm then once it is step in and sob. Sob about the thought of him. About what he has done. About what he would do if he found me again. I sit on the floor of the shower wrapping my arms around my legs and continue to cry in this position, trying to be quieter then the water so no one can here me.

Damon's POV:

I stand in my room for a minute after she left. I don't quite know what to do. When Zara fell asleep I soon got bored so went into her dreams to have some fun, but what I saw only made me mad. Under normal circumstances I would simply find him and kill him, however I think Elena would grow mad at me. Then I think about telling Elena, but then Zara will wonder how Elena found out. I can't just do nothing! She can't know that I know these things. Maybe I could just compel her to tell me? Again, Elena would get mad because she found out I was already compelling her and Elena didn't like that. Urg, if only she didn't have this unbearable control over me, then I could just go back to doing whatever it is that I want to do. Before I know what I'm doing I'm grabbing one of my glasses and throwing at a wall. Well, it' better then throwing it at my brothers head for allowing that stupid party to be held in my house. I look at the shattered glass laying on my floor and just stand. Staring. Not knowing what do you about the broken girl in my bathroom.

I saw her, like really saw her this morning. Saw her body. Saw her relatively new scares and marks where bruises were formed. Thinking about it is driving me insane. I quickly change my clothes then head downstairs, away from her for now.

"Damon, what's wrong?" Elena says as I head to my kitchen. I choose to ignore her and grab a pancake on the stack in the middle of the island then leave the room but hear her follow behind me. "Damon. What's the matter? Talk to me." I spin around quickly making the girl jump.

I sigh at the girls attempts to connect to me. "No Elena. I won't talk to you."

"Damon please, you should talk to me-"

"Why should I? So I can fall deeper? Get lead on some more? Like you said. It's always going to be Stefan, so why string me along? Why insist on making my heart feel like it's consistently about to be ripped out of my chest? Why are you trying to course me pain?" In anger, I say things I probably shouldn't. But I'd like to know her answer.

"Because Damon, I still care for you. I still want to be your friend, be here for you. I don't want you to hurt, I want to try and help." I shake my head and step closer to her, laughing through my anger.

"Elena you can't just fix me! I'm not some broken toy! I'm a murderous vampire and don't pretend I'm anything different!" I turn away and head towards the door. "I don't want to be your friend. It's too damn hard." Walking away leaving her stunned I leave my house completely. Not caring much for the broken girl left in my bathroom nor the girl who broke my heart. I just need to go for a while. So that's what I do.

Zara's POV:

I step out the shower wrapping a towel around me and grabbing my clothes from last night, seemingly my only option of clothes until I go home. I leave my hair wet and head downstairs, not really remembering the layout of the house, I try to head for the kitchen however end up in the living room where Elena is sitting on the sofa, she notices me and gives me a judgmental/ concerned look and I though instantly knowing what she's thinking. "Don't worry Llama, I didn't sleep with anyone last night. Nearly did, but no one who lives here if that's what your suggesting." She laughs a little.

"I didn't say anything, was just acting on what I was seeing." I go and plop down next to her on the sofa. "You got any plans for today?" We all agreed yesterday that school was just not going to be an option today which was fine by me as I don't normally go anyway. I shake my head and ask about her and her day plans. "Going to the Grill , meeting the girls there, you wanna come? I think you should." I give her a confused look but agree to go. Elena let me borrow some jeans and a top that she kept at the Salvatore residence which was very kind of her and just ment we didn't have to go back to my place first. Me Elena and Stefan were on our way to the Grill in Stefan's car, which I had to compliment. The drive was short but in that time we laughed which was extremely nice and relaxing. I like this kid, he's good for her and was there when I wasn't, which I'll have to thank him for at a later date. Once we pulled up to the Grill I see Care and Bonnie's cars already there and smile, walking out of the car and into the Grill. It's not hard to spot them at the pool table, but someone else is with them, but his back is to me so I can't quite tell who it is, looking at Elena questionably, I hear my name being yelled and instantly know who it is. The cheery sound in his voice is something I haven't heard since arriving here. It's always been sad or confused or a handful of other negative feeling, but not this time, giving Elena a massive grin and turn and run over to Tyler, giving the biggest hug as he picks me up, spinning me round. We both smile and laugh along with everyone else as he places me back on the ground.

"You look the exact same." I state laughing to myself at the same boy I know since childhood.

"Well, you don't, look at you all grown and shit." I do a small twirl for him and giggle. I should probably mention, me and Ty have been friends since birth, his Mother and mine were very close and much like Matt and Elena, we owed it to ourselves to see if there was something more, however our breakup was seemingly more mutual then what I've been told about Matt and Elena's. I smile, knowing this was going to be a good day, with all my bestie's together at the Grill playing pool, just like we used too.