Something Used

New Opportunities

DECEMBER

It was the Saturday after the week of exams and the amount of happiness that flooded through my body to know I'm on break was immense. Was immense. I just got back from seeing him and I'm beat. My bed was the only thing I thought about the whole car ride home and I couldn't wait to get into it and sleep until the sun rises. I kicked off my shoes and changed into a t-shirt and shorts in a hurry. Just as I got under my sheets, my phone buzzed. Inevitably, I grabbed it from the lamp stand and saw a text from Caroline.

~kickback party tonight. Let's go;))~

WHAT GREAT TIMING. Honestly I didn't feel like going anywhere tonight. Instead of coming up with an excuse and lying, I told the truth.

~I'm not in the mood. I'm gonna stay in tonight, I'm too tired I'm sorry.~ This was the second time I was blowing my friends off due to him.

She called me right after and I answered.

"What do you mean you're not in the mood Elena? It's break." She sounded ticked off.

"I mean I'm tired. It's okay to be tired." I was too exhausted to defend myself.

"I miss you.. like genuinely. Was it something I said? Or did?"

"No no no Caroline— never. Why would you think that?"

"You've been blowing me off for the past two weeks." She said bluntly.

I have been. It was true. It was a moment of realization also. I was letting everything else interfere with my real life and I couldn't even keep up with what was happening in the lives of the people that mattered to me most. I didn't know what to say. "Count me in." In a way, I felt like I was finally standing up for myself against him. It was a thrill.

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I had on a crop top that hanged low on my chest and a jean skirt with some sneakers. Party wear I hope. I was out of the house at ten and jumped into the backseat of Caroline's car as soon as she pulled up.

"Wow." Caroline looked over her shoulder at me with a mouth wide open.

"Wow.. Is correct." Bonnie laughed a bit and nudged me with her elbow.

"Someoneeee is looking forward to getting laid tonight." Caroline joked in a low mumble but it was loud enough for both of us to hear. They both laughed and I did too. Wow I wasn't even thinking that way at all. Was I coming off that way? They kept a conversation going but my mind was somewhere else. Sleep mostly. No one noticed my silence though. Bonnie smiled at me here and there when she said something funny and I smiled back at her. It was like that the entire way to Colton Dailey's house. I got out of the car and stuffed my phone in my bra. I didn't bring a purse because I would most likely just lose it in my drunken stupor. Bonnie grabbed on to my hand and guided me to the entrance. His house was huge. Almost everyone that threw a party in Mystic Falls had a huge mansion with lenient parents. I just now was beginning to realize that. As we climbed the front steps I nodded at a couple people that greeted me but not with much interest. We made our way inside and conversations quickly faded into inaudible mouthing.

  I try to squirm away but the hand's grip only got tighter around my bicep. It kind of pinched every time I struggled so I stopped and let myself get dragged along. 

The music was blaring from further down the house but it drowned the entire place. I pushed through a couple dozen people, allowing her to take me wherever.

We ended up being face to face with a guy who seemed to be making everyone's drinks.

"Favorite color, go!" He said and pointed directly at me.