Best Friends

Part 4: Thanksgiving

Over the past few weeks Damon and I got closer. We bonded so well it was insane. The more time I spent with Damon the less time I spent throwing up. I couldn't do it around him and by the time he would go home I usually had digested my food already. I wasn't losing much weight. I felt awful but I tried to eat less and less. It was stressful hiding this secret but I loved spending time with him, it was worth it.

Caroline was so weird about my friendship with Damon. She couldn't tell if he liked me or not so one day she would be supportive and the next she would be judgemental. It was tiring explaining that I didn't care whether he had feelings for me or not. Damon meant the world to me I was happy having him in my life with or without a relationship.

After Halloween Stefan was back to bothering me everyday. I was exhausted by it. I kept it a secret from Damon because I didn't want him to be involved. It was never anything major he would just hit on me or make fun of me. It was like him and Rebekah resented my friendship with Damon so much that they both decided to make my life complicated. Rebekah didn't try so hard like Stefan. She made me feel bad just by looking at me. I was losing the fight to be strong in this situation. I was tired of being made fun of or the whispering. The biggest thing that happened was before Thanksgiving break. I was in the hallway talking to Caroline, and Stefan came up from behind me and snapped my bra strap. It happened so fast by the time I turned around he was gone. That's considered a form of sexual assault. It made me feel so bad. I didn't know what I deserved to be treated like that. I didn't even have to tell Damon because he heard it from everyone on the team. Damon confronted him and punched him right in the jaw. That was the last time he bothered me for months. Damon made me feel safe and I liked that.

Thanksgiving Day was spent at Damon's house. I usually spend it with my family but my older brother Jeremy couldn't afford to come home from college so my mom wanted to go to a spa since she had time off work. My little brother went to stay with my aunt Jenna and her husband Alaric. He loved going over there and so did I but I didn't really want to be around family. I spend most if time making sure my brother Max is okay that I just needed a break. My dad reached out to me about spending it with him but I didn't really feel the need to spend a depressing family dinner at his studio apartment. I still hold resentment over the way he just left us and thinks he can still spent time with me like nothing happened. I didn't want to spent time with him so I told him I had plans already. I slept over Caroline's that whole week and spent Thanksgiving with Damon while she went to her dad's. It was awesome meeting the rest of Damon's family. His older sister Hayley, and mom are really nice. I felt so at home and apart of the family. I knew where Damon got his nice qualities from. They taught him how to be a good guy. That was what I was thankful for this year.

It was hard being in front of all of these people. I was forced to eat or they would catch on. "So Elena what grade are you in?" Hayley asked me as she noticed I was young.

I swallowed my turkey reluctantly. "9th grade." I watched her face look over at Damon. I could tell she liked me but she seemed worried about her brother's intentions with me.

"Are you guys dating?" She asked blunty. My eyes widened, I looked over at Damon but I couldn't read his face.

"Hayley leave the poor girl alone." Damon's mother Lily said shaking her head. His father Giuseppe laughed.

She rolled her eyes. "What? I'm curious. Sue me." Hayley turned her head to look back at me. "So?"

I noticed Damon looked uncomfortable. "She's my best friend." He said as he took a bite of his dinner.

It was nice having him refer to me as his best friend, especially since Enzo was sitting at the same table but I wished he would've said something else.

After dinner Enzo and everyone left and Damon and I stayed to clean up. I hoped things weren't awkward after what Hayley was saying.

"Sorry about that Elena." Damon whispered to me as we were in the kitchen after clearing the table.

"Don't worry about it." I smiled at him while washing my hands.

"Hayley's really nosy but you'll get use to it." He mentioned as I giggled.

"Do you mind if I go upstairs and use your bathroom? I want to make a phone call." I wanted to use his bathroom so I could get rid of all that food I ate.

He nodded. "Of course."

I went upstairs and locked the bathroom door. I bended over the toilet and winced at my knee popping. It keeps happening a lot lately. I felt so weak and tired all of the time. My body was aching all of the time. I sleep for hours and hours. It's been rough. I knew it was from what I've been doing to myself but I didn't care about anything except being my weight goal. I would rather be tired and weak than fat. If this is what I needed to be happy with my body I could get over the rest.

I finished throwing up and I unlocked the door to see Damon standing there concerned. "Are you okay?" He asked me with worry in his eyes.

I wiped my mouth. "Yeah I'm fine." I said, panicked. I felt my face going white I couldn't believe he caught me. This is what I've been most terrified of.

Damon sat down on his bed. "You were just throwing up in there." He said patting the bed for me to sit next to him. "Are you sick?"

I nodded as I sat down, hoping to convince him. "I ate too much." I feared he was going to catch me. I didn't want anyone knowing my secret.

"Lay down. I'll go get you ginger ale." He offered.

I smiled weakly. "Thank you." I felt bad lying to him when he was being so sweet to me.

He went and got me ginger ale and crackers. "Here you go." Damon handed me the ginger ale.

I took a sip and sat it down. "I should be getting to Caroline's." I mentioned as I realized the time.

"Is anyone over there?" He asked me wanting to make sure I would be looked after.

"No Caroline's still at her dads and her mom isn't going to be home till the morning." Caroline's mom was in the next town over with distant family.

"Then you should stay here tonight." Damon suggested. "My parents will be fine with it. I don't want you to be alone while you are sick."

"I don't know." I knew my mom wouldn't be okay with it.

"Please? I want to take care of you." He begged me to stay out of worry.

I nodded. "Okay I'll stay." I smiled.

It was nice he wanted to make sure I wasn't alone and sick. He went to let his parents know while I texted Caroline's mom, Liz.

Damon made up a bed on the floor for himself. We talked for hours as we fell asleep. I loved spending time with him and his family. I wished to do this forever. I knew that wasn't reality but for now this was so nice.

I woke up the next morning to Damon carrying a tray with toast and eggs. I smiled as I stretched my arms. "Is this all for me?" I smirked.

"Yeah, yeah don't get use to it." He chuckled. "How are you feeling?"

"Better." I smiled as I took a small bite of the toast.

"Good." He smiled at me.

I played sick for another hour before I headed back to Caroline's for another night. I couldn't believe I fooled him like that. I did feel bad but at the same time I was so relieved. I don't know if he would be friends with me if he knew what I did behind closed doors.