Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries!

Tyler stood on the bridge that hovered over the little pond. He sighed when he saw his reflection in the water. 'Why couldn't I just tell her,' he thought. His mind twisted and turned as he tried to muster up an explanation. He finally gave up his lousy attempts and closed his eyes. It was the middle of summer, so the light breeze was welcomed. He took one last look into the pond and began walking towards the big mansion.

Things had been different with his mom since his dad passed away. She's been keeping to herself more often and to say Tyler was surprised at her idea of a party was an understatement. He figured it was mainly because it was what was good for the town, being able to let people know that they are still in good hands even without the Mayor. That and she had another motive which made Tyler's head hurt.

The conversation that took place earlier suddenly rang in his ears. His mom had told him about the Salvatore brothers leaving town without as much as a goodbye. He figured this was going somewhere he always tried to avoid. She rambled on about Elena Gilbert and the party tonight and he blocked her out for the most part. He was consumed in his own thoughts at the time. He'd known Elena since they were little. Their mom's said they shared a playpen together and they'd been best friends since Tyler could remember. Over the years, his mom had told him that it would just be amazing if Tyler married Elena, her being a sweet girl and a founding family member as well. He always changed the subject when those things came into the short conversations with Carol.

But the truth was, his mom was right. Elena was sweet, beautiful, kind and passionate. She was loyal to her friends and family and she never backed down from a challenge. And her knowing about his secret brought them even closer together. But she just saw him as her best friend and a shoulder to cry on if she needed it, so for the most part he stayed away and hit on other girls that would willingly give him a chance. His mom was angered with his constant giving up but she just stood in the shadows, hoping that one day her baby boy would finally wake up and chase after the girl.

Tyler walked into the mansion a little before eight o'clock. The party was about to start and he already had a headache. His mom shared a worried expression with him, mainly about his current migraine but also fear that tonight was going to be messed up somehow. Five minutes. Tyler looked at the clock, counting the minutes to when his migraine would hit him head on. Four minutes. He shoved his mom's hand away as she reached to fix his tie. She smiled at him and did it anyway. Three minutes. He wondered what his mom would say to Elena about him tonight. He started to get slightly worried about the situation. Two minutes. Tyler looked towards the stairs that led up to the quiet of his bedroom. One minute. He tried to plan his escape, and just when he thought he had a pretty good plan formed in his head, the doorbell rang, interrupting his thoughts.

People filed in, Carol greeting one after another. Tyler's migraine, started to flare to life. 'This is only the beginning', he thought. He winced in pain as his head started pounding after greeting the first couple people. He weaved through the crowd, avoiding long conversations, eyes on an empty corner. "Tyler!" He heard a female voice call out his name. He turned around, expecting to see Caroline Forbes, the girl who had been trying to get his attention for a month now, but was pleasantly surprised when he saw the beautiful brunette making her way through the crowd to get to him. "Hey," he said, grinning as she hugged him.

"Where have you been all night?" Elena asked, her chocolate brown eyes smiling up at him. "Avoiding people," he said with a scowl on his face. She laughed at him and looked around. "Could this have anything to do with your mom or Caroline?" "Both." He replied, miserably. She laughed once again, her voice sounding like music. She pulled him towards the crowd and out of his corner. "Come on Ty," she said, a mischievous glint in her eyes, "Let's dance." He shook his head violently and pulled back.

She gave him the puppy dog eyes and the pout to go along. He rolled his eyes and let her lead him to the dance floor. "Ya know, I really need to learn to say no to that face," he said, chuckling. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he laid his hands gently on her waist as they began to sway to the beat of the music. "You know your mom is watching us right?" she laughed. He groaned in response, letting her know that he figured that much. The rest of the dance was a comfortable silence as she laid her head on his chest and he led her in their dance.

"I love you Ty," she mumbled into his shirt. He couldn't quite hear what she said with the volume of the music. "Huh?" he asked. She just shook her head. "Just keep dancing." So he did, leading her in their dances, his mom watching from the sidelines, talking to the sheriff as well. He groaned inwardly and rested his chin on Elena's head.

"I have to go," she said, pulling away from him. He was confused by her sudden distance from him and she turned away from him, hiding the tears that threatened to expose themselves. "I'll call you late Ty." She said. She kissed his cheek and she was gone, the only memory of her at the party was his tear stained shirt, which he didn't notice, and the heat that her kiss to his cheek had left behind. Finally, he just shook his head and turned away from the door where she exited and made his way, hastily to his room.

The migraine had just gotten worse.