Chapter 6: Mistaken

Elena, Jenna, Jeremy and I walked out of the police station to see Stefan waiting for us at the bottom of the steps. "We'll meet you at the car in a minute." I stated and cleared my throat at Jenna who looked back at Elena and I.

"Okay." She replied with a nod as she walked by Stefan who smiled in acknowledgment.

"You okay?" Stefan asked Elena once Jeremy and Jenna were out of earshot.

"I don't think the Sheriff suspected anything. Jeremy had no memory at all—all he knew was what Damon made him know." Elena stated, furrowing her eyebrows as I crossed my arms over my chest.

"Thank you." Stefan said quietly, looking between us and and I slowly nodded back at him while Elena sighed in defeat.

"I can't do this, Stefan." Elena stated in defeat. "Every time I look at Jeremy or Matt, I know that Vicki isn't coming back—and they'll never know why. Everywhere around you, people die and go missing and I can't. I—it's just—It's just too much." Elena pointed out and I looked away from the two of them, waiting for their 'moment' to be over.

"Why don't we go somewhere and talk about it?" Stefan asked her reassuringly, grabbing her hands in his but she shook her head.

"No." Elena replied, pulling away from him and he furrowed his eyebrows. "Stefan, you have to stay away from me.." She added before walking to the car quickly. I sighed, shaking my head after her and looking at Stefan.

"She just—she just needs time." I stated, nodding in some reassurance but not very convincingly I'm afraid. "She'll come around." I added with a small smile. "Eventually." I stated before walking after her.

~~~

Jenna sighed heavily, landing on the couch beside me. "You're wallowing." She informed in defeat and I rose an eyebrow at her.

"So are you." I pointed out skeptically and she rolled her eyes.

"My wallow is legitimate. I was dumped." She countered and I folded my arms over my chest.

"Yeah, well, Logan's a jerk." I informed, shrugging in amusement and Jenna scoffed.

"You didn't get a brush off email saying 'I'm leaving town. See ya.' " Jenna clarified in defeat and I looked at her fully to see a disappointed look.

"Wanna keep it down over there?" Jeremy asked in annoyance from the table behind us.

"Why, what are you doing?" Jenna asked, looking behind the couch as he looked up from what he was working on.

"Homework." He answered and I furrowed my eyebrows and looked behind the couch at him also.

"Since when do you do homework?" I asked sarcastically, shaking my head at him.

"I gotta finish this. I'm way behind and I have a quiz tomorrow, so.." Jeremy replied, flipping through pages of the textbook and looking up at Jenna and I before going back to his notes.

"What do you think? Alien?" I asked Jenna as we both watched Jeremy in silent confusion.

"Some sort of replicant." Jenna agreed, both of us staring at him for a few more seconds before he rolled his eyes and looked between us.

"He can hear you." Jeremy stated, giving us a fake smile in annoyance and writing down more notes.

-Time Skip-

"You up?" A voice asked, knocking on my door and I turned to see Bonnie standing there. I sighed and rolled over to stare up at the ceiling.

"No." I answered, pulling the covers over me. Bonnie rolled her eyes and came towards me, pulling the covers off of my head.

"Why haven't you called me back?" She asked, sitting in bed next to me and I looked up at the ceiling, sighing deeply in thought.

"I'm sorry." I apologized, looking back at her and she tilted her head down at me.

"Are you gonna stay in there forever?" She asked and I rose an eyebrow, thinking it over in my head.

"Yep." I pointed out, making her smile in amusement.

"Move over." Bonnie gestured and I smiled, making room for her before she was laying next to me. "I'm officially worried." She said, eyeing me carefully and I slowly shook my head. "What's going on?" She asked and I looked up at the ceiling again.

"I'm tired of thinking, of talking. I—" I started, cutting myself off in defeat as my thoughts clouded me again.

"Can I get a one-line version so I can at least pretend to be helpful?" Bonnie asked in amusement and I finally met her gaze.

"Stefan and Elena broke up and I wanna be there for her—I mean, I should be but Tyler keeps calling and texting me yet, all I can think about.." I stated, furrowing my eyebrows and shaking my head as I cut myself off at the thought, making Bonnie furrow her eyebrows as well. "Is Damon." I admitted, looking at Bonnie who furrowed her eyebrows.

"Well—That's not good." Bonnie countered and I rolled my eyes, looking away from her in defeat. "Look, I'm sorry.. I know I've been kind of M.I.A when you and Elena needed me the most.. I suck." She stated and I slowly nodded.

"You wanna make it up to me?" I asked, raising my eyebrow at her and she smiled. "Get my mind off of it." I sighed in defeat and Bonnie smirked, sitting up.

"Just remember you asked for it." Bonnie warned, getting out of the bed and I rose my eyebrow as she closed my window before grabbing scissors off of my night stand and cutting one of my pillows open, making me furrow my eyebrows. "Be patient." She reassured me before sitting on my bed as the feathers from my pillow surrounded her. "I need to swear you to secrecy." Bonnie pointed out and I rolled my eyes.

"It's kind of a bad week for that stuff." I stated sarcastically and she rolled her eyes at me.

"Well, swear because I'm not supposed to be showing you this." Bonnie warned and I slowly nodded in defeat.

"Okay, I swear." I stated and Bonnie smirked, nodding back at me.

"Okay—there's no windows opened, right?" Bonnie asked, gesturing around my room and I slowly nodded.

"Right." I agreed, raising an eyebrow back at her.

"There's no fan, no air conditioning?" Bonnie asked again, tilting her head at me.

"None—what are you doing?" I countered with a sigh down at the feathers from my pillow.

"Grams just showed me this. You're gonna love it." Bonnie reassured and I rose an eyebrow. "You ready?" She asked, smiling at me as her hands fluffed the feathers on my bed and I slowly nodded back at her. I watched as she took one hand above the feathers below her before she moved her hand up slowly. I furrowed my eyebrows as a feather floated from under her palm before she put the feather back down easily.

"Bonnie, what is this?" I asked, looking between her and the feathers before she smiled and rubbed her hands together, taking a deep breath. I watched as she then hovered both hands above the feathers now, lifting them in the air before more feathers followed her palms, floating freely under them. I widened my eyes in awe as Bonnie set the feathers back down and rested her hands on her knees. I watched Bonnie curiously before more of the feathers floated in the air, without her having to hover her hand over any of them and I gasped, sitting up in bed and looking over the feathers that moved around Bonnie and I slowly. "It's true, Mariana. Everything my Grams told me. It's impossible.. but true." Bonnie pointed out quietly and I shook my head at the feathers before smiling at her.

"You're a witch." I said quietly, laughing in amazement. "I—I don't understand though—If grams asked you to keep this a secret, why did you tell me?" I added, shaking my head at her as the feathers floated back down onto the bed.

"You're my best friend, Mariana. I can't keep secrets from you." Bonnie replied with a smile and I slowly sighed, nodding back at her, giving her a small smile.. A guilty one.

~~~

There was a knock at the door and I looked up from my homework and at Elena who was doing the dishes across from me. "I'll get it." She stated and I nodded in agreement and looked down again as she closed the dishwasher and walked out of the kitchen and down the hallway. I heard her open the door and I looked down the hall in curiosity to see Stefan standing there.

"Hey." Stefan stated, smiling down at Elena and I quickly looked down at my books again, pretending to not be paying attention.

-Elena-

"What are you doing here?" I asked, tilting my head at Stefan and he rose an eyebrow.

"Um, well, Lexi said that you came by and you—you seemed upset." Stefan answered, looking me over in a caring manner and I slowly nodded.

"Right." I stated pointedly, making Stefan furrow his brows. "The girl in the towel." I informed, remembering the blonde who answered his door when I went to see him earlier.

"The towel?" Stefan repeated in clear confusion and I tilted my head back.

"Mm-hmm." I answered in annoyance and watched him think it over in his head before he widened his eyes in realization.

"Oh. No, no—" He chuckled down at me and I furrowed my eyebrows. "No, no, no, no. Not like that." Stefan reassured, shaking his head softly. "Uh, she's not exactly a girl. Lexi's um.." He started, leading off as he smiled in amusement. "She's 350 years old." He informed and I widened my eyes at him.

"You mean she's a.." I led off in realization and Stefan nodded in agreement.

"And she's my oldest friend. Nothing romantic. Ever." Stefan pointed out and I furrowed my eyebrows, feeling stupid all of a sudden.

"Oh." I stated chuckling a bit. "Okay, well—she kept staring at me. It was weird." I stated, walking back into the house and leaning against the wall as Stefan walked in after me.

"Well, you know, I've talked about you a lot so.. I guess she felt like she knew you." Stefan replied and I slowly nodded back at him, looking down. "So why'd you come by?" He asked and I furrowed my eyebrows, looking back at him.

"I, uh—" I started, cutting myself off, only to sigh. "It was a mistake." I answered and shook my head but he stepped closer to me, clearly seeing through it.

"Elena, talk to me." Stefan stated, putting his hands in his jean pockets and I shook my head.

"I can't." I argued in annoyance and he furrowed his eyebrows. "Stefan, I can't and that the problem." I clarified, looking up at him in defeat. "I'm keeping all these secrets from everyone—Mariana and I can't even tell our best friends, do you know how hard that is?" I asked and watched Stefan look down in defeat. "It's like I need to talk to someone but the only person I can talk to besides Mariana—is you." I stated, holding my arms around me more and Stefan slowly nodded.

"I want you to know that I will always be here for you." He reassured in a soft voice and I watched him intently. "You can come to me about anything, ok?" Stefan asked and I stared at him for a few seconds, not knowing how to respond before I looked away.

"Well, thank you for coming by." I stated,  leaning off of the wall and Stefan slowly nodded back at me and walked back out of the door and I looked away from him.

"Hey. Do you need a ride to the Grill tonight?" Stefan asked, turning back to me and I furrowed my eyebrows at him and his smile.

"Are you going to Caroline's party?" I asked, chuckling in amusement.

"Lexi's dragging me." Stefan replied with a smile and I nodded back at him. "And.." He added, leading off. "It's my birthday." He stated and I rose an eyebrow.

"Really?" I asked, walking towards him and he chuckled again. "Wow, um.. Happy birthday then." I stated and he give me a small nod in appreciation.

"Thank you." Stefan replied with a smile and I sighed deeply as he watched me.

"Actually, I—Uh.." I started, leading off as Stefan waited for my answer. "I think I'm gonna stay in tonight." I answered finally and his smile slowly disappeared and he slowly nodded, clearly in disappointment.

"Ok." He responded after a few seconds and I stared at him quietly. "Well—Have uh, have a good night." Stefan stated quietly, walking out onto the porch fully. I sighed deeply as I watched him walk down the steps before I closed the door.

-Mariana-

I heard the door close and I got up from the table and walked down the hall. "Did I hear Stefan?" I asked, pretending to not have been listening for the past five awkward minutes.

"Uh, yeah. He asked if I needed a ride to Caroline's party." Elena replied shrugging it off and I rose an eyebrow.

"Oh. He's going to it?" I asked, folding my arms over my chest as we walked into the living room and she nodded.

"Yeah.. It's his birthday so him and his friend Lexi are going to go celebrate, I guess." Elena pointed out and I smirked at her. "What?" She asked in annoyance but I shrugged.

"Nothing." I replied, standing behind the couch while she sat in a chair across from me.

"You're going to drag me to that party, aren't you?" Elena asked with a sigh and I chucked, tilting my head in amusement.

"I am totally going to drag you to that party." I agreed with a nod and she rolled her eyes in defeat but a small smile played on her face.

-Time Skip-

I walked into the Grill with Elena to see a lot of people dancing to the music that played loudly throughout the restaurant. "Caroline knows how to throw 'em, doesn't she?" I asked loudly, shaking my head in annoyance.

"Look, there's Stefan." Elena stated from beside me as she gestured towards the pool tables. I rose an eyebrow and looked at them to see him playing pool with a gorgeous blonde girl with long hair. I rose my eyebrow at her curiously before Damon stepped in front of my view, on purpose I suppose.

"Stefan smiles. Alert the media." Damon stated in amusement as he walked towards Elena and I before standing behind me.

"You haven't given him a lot of reasons to be happy, lately." Elena countered in annoyance as she watched the two from a distance.

"Oh, you're right. Poor, Stefan. Persecuted throughout eternity by his depraved brother." Damon said sarcastically, looking down at Elena who sighed in response at him. "Does it get tiring, being so righteous?" He asked, making her scoff back.

"It flares up in the presence of psychopaths." Elena answered coldly and walked away from him.

"Ouch. Well, consider this psychopath's feelings hurt." Damon countered in hurt after her but she ignored him. Damon tolled his eyes and I turned to him fully, folding my arms over my chest.

"What did you do to my brother?" I asked, changing the subject easily.

"I'm gonna need a less vague question.." Damon replied in confusion before he stepped closer to me, filling up the space that Elena left.

"When you erased Jeremy's memory about Vicki, what else did you do to him?" I asked again, tilting my head in curiousness.

"You asked me to take away his memory of fangs and rawr—all of the bad stuff. You wanted me to take away his suffering." Damon pointed out sarcastically and I furrowed my eyebrows.

"But he's acting different. He seems okay with everything and I mean, a little too okay. He's studying, he's not doing drugs, not drinking—Are you sure you didn't do something else?" I asked in concern but Damon looked away from me and sighed.

"Mariana." He stated, looking back at me with a calm expression. "I took away his suffering." Damon added reassuringly and I let silence fall over the two of us for a few seconds before I nodded slowly.

"Thank you." I smiled, putting a hand on his arm before walking away from him and towards the crowd of people. I stood at an empty table and overlooked all of the people before the gorgeous blonde that was hanging out with Stefan at the pool tables, came over to me holding three shots.

"Ah, the famous Elena." She stated with a smile and I rose my eyebrow.

"More like—'the famous Elena's' sister." I informed with a nod and she tilted her head at me, completely taken aback as I eyed her carefully. "You must be towel girl. Elena told me about you." I stated in amusement and she smirked back at me.

"I've been called worse." She admitted, shrugging back. "Here." She gestured, handing me one of the shots and I smirked, taking it gladly. "I'm Lexi, by the way." She introduced and I nodded back at her.

"Let me guess.. Drinking makes for lushy vamps?" I asked in amusement and Lexi smirked back at me. "You know, I've never seen Stefan drunk. He always seems so—" I started but Lexi cut me off.

"So uptight?" Lexi asked with a laugh and I slowly nodded.

"Yeah. I guess that's the benefit of knowing someone for over a hundred years. You can just be yourself." I stated with a sigh and looked past Lexi and at Damon, who sat at the bar drinking alone now. "Sometimes he can't be himself around Elena or I." I added, looking away from Damon and Lexi shrugged.

"Well, not yet." She replied in some reassurance and I rose an eyebrow. "The first step was telling you. The rest comes with time." Lexi reassured and I slowly nodded, thinking it over and looking back at Damon.

"You seem so sure." I stated quietly. Lexi followed my gaze and raised her eyebrow at Damon and I quickly looked away in embarrassment. Silence fell among us before she sighed, looking back at me. "The love of my life—was human." She stated and I furrowed my eyebrows. "He went through what I imagine you're going through—Denial, anger, etc." Lexi stated and I slowly nodded, looking down. "But at the end of the day.. Love really did conquer all." Lexi informed with a smile and I shook my head, downing my shot as she downed hers.

"Would it be ridiculous to say that I'm scared?" I asked, sighing at her in uncertainty and Lexi furrowed her eyebrows.

"But you're here.. Because you're crazy about him.. I get it, even if it's someone like Damon." She stated and I sighed, shaking my head. "Listen, take it from someone who's been around a long time.. When it's real, you can't walk away." Lexi stated, eyeing me carefully before downing the third shot that was on the table and I smiled at her. "Whew." She laughed, walking back towards the party.

"Hey, Lexi." I stated and she turned back to me in confusion. "It was really nice meeting you." I added and she smiled, nodding back at me before walking towards the bar. I sighed and walked over to Elena who was talking to Stefan near the pool tables. "Hey." I said smiling at them and Stefan turned to me.

"Hey." Stefan replied nodding at me with a smile. "Thanks for coming." He added and I smiled back at him.

"Happy one hundredth and.... something birthday." I laughed, hugging him and heard him chuckle back at me. We pulled away and I sighed turning towards Elena. "I'm gonna go home. I'm—" I started, cutting myself off as I looked passed her and saw the Sheriff walking into the Grill with two deputies behind her. She set her sights on the bar and moved towards it quickly. I furrowed my eyebrows and looked at the bar to see Lexi and Damon talking intently about something. The Sheriff stopped next to them and looked down at Damon before turning to Lexi and injecting something into her hip, making her groan lightly and weakly fall into the deputies arms.

"Oh, my god." Stefan stated worriedly as the deputies dragged Lexi out of the Grill while people watched the scene in shock and confusion.

"What is it?" Elena asked, furrowing her eyebrows before following Stefan away from the pool tables and through the crowd, towards the front exit.

"Excuse me. Excuse me, sorry." Stefan stated as he made his way through the crowd of people, getting to the exit that two deputies stood guard in front of.

"Can't go out this way." One of the deputies clarified and Stefan quickly turned around, walking towards the back of Grill before existing into the alleyway. I heard gun shots come from somewhere around the corner as the three of us looked out from behind a building, making sure to keep hidden. And there in front of us was Lexi, getting shot with bullets as she angrily walked towards the Sheriff. Sheriff Forbes widened her eyes, backing up from Lexi who kept drawing closer as her bullets didn't even phase her. All of a sudden, out of no where came Damon who plunged a stake into Lexi's heart. I widened my eyes while Elena gasped, but Stefan quickly covered his hand over her mouth.

"Sh, sh." Stefan warned, holding her against him, trying not to be seen. "Oh, my god." He added in shock as Damon stood in front of Lexi who gasped from under him. The three of us watched as Lexi shook her head at Damon in defeat and disappointment before he pushed the stake further into her and she groaned, desiccating and falling to the ground in front of him.

"Are you okay?" Damon asked in concern as he turned towards the Sheriff and put his hands on her shoulders in reassurance after she lowered her gun at him.

"Thank you." Sheriff replied, nodding back at him in some shock. "Get it in the car, quickly." She motioned and Damon nodded back at her before Stefan took his hand from Elena's mouth slowly.

~~~

"Stefan." Elena stated, walking quickly after him after the police left the Grill. "Stefan." She said again in annoyance, grabbing his arm and turning him around to her but he pulled himself away.

"He killed her. He killed Zach. He killed Tanner—He turned Vicki." He stated, shaking his head angrily and listing off the names. "I have to kill him." Stefan added in determination before walking away from us again.

"No. You can't do that." Elena argued, running after him but he turned back towards her.

"Why are you trying to save him, Elena? He's never going to change. Don't you see that? He's never gonna change." Stefan stated loudly at her, shaking his head in disappointment and walking away.

"I'm not trying to save him. I'm trying to save you—You have no idea what this will do to you. Please, Stefan?" Elena asked worriedly, grabbing his hand and holding it to her chest reassuringly.

"Everywhere that I go, pain and death follow.. Damon follows me." Stefan pointed out, shaking his head at her. "No more." He warned, going to walk away again as he took his hand from Elena but I stepped in front of him.

"Stefan, please—please. Just—just talk to me." I pleaded, standing in front of him and he stopped and just stared down at me. "Let me be here for you, let Elena be here for you.. Talk to us." I sighed, shaking my head at him in defeat.

"No." He countered, his eyes glazing over slowly and I furrowed my eyebrows. "Elena was right to stay away from me." Stefan stated, looking over my shoulder at her. She opened her mouth to protest but Stefan was already walking away from us again.