Chapter 1

Caroline

I woke up today just dreading another day, at least for my sake it was Friday and I had some hope for tonight's event. Lately all I could think about was leaving Mystic Falls and forget the life I once had here, everything has changed. I just want to leave, it's not like anyone would understand or care if I did leave, yeah my mom would be upset and worry but I think she'd understand my reasons for really wanting to leave this town, I mean I was a vampire now everything I have ever desired for the future has changed, everything got taken away from me so quickly that I've not really had the chance to think about what I wanted until now.

Things here are not worth my time; I want to travel the world now, see what the world has to offer, ever since Klaus saved my life all I could think about where the words he spoke to me on my birthday while he saved my life.

"I'll let you in on a little secret, there's a whole world out there waiting for you great cities and art and music. Genuine beauty and you can have all of it, you can have a thousand more birthdays."

I should see what the world has to offer but where do I start? And how can I explain to all my friends and my mom that I have to leave Mystic Falls. It's not like something is keeping me here. Mom said I should finish school, that even though I'm a vampire I should at least finish and have one human experience. School was about to end soon and I was close to graduating and I didn't know what I was supposed to do next. There's no point in going to college anymore and moving back to mystic falls, getting married, have kids and live a perfect life here. It just didn't matter to me anymore everything has changed.

I got up and went to the bathroom to start getting ready for school, showered, brushed my teeth, put some makeup on and curl my hair. Lose waves would do today not feeling like taking too much time getting ready. Finally I got dressed and headed on my way out.

Once at school Caroline meet up with Bonnie and Elena. "Hi Care," Elena said as she went up to Caroline and hugged Caroline tightly. At the same time Bonnie held Caroline's hand and squeezed it briefly and smiled at her while Elena hugged her.

"Ready for class?" Bonnie asked. "Yes, lets go. Already bored of classes." Caroline replied back.

"Not to worry I am too," Bonnie told her with a smile as the girls walked to class, giggling, and started talking about the upcoming events: Prom. Caroline wasn't as excited about this time of her life like she was a year ago, before she was a vampire. Prom no longer interested her but she decided it was better to make the best of it and go to prom with her friends and try to enjoy it. Besides it was her first prom and the most important one in her whole life. At the end of the day the girls went to the Grill and began the prom discussion again.

"So are you taking Damon to prom Elena?" Bonnie was curious to see what she would say and in a way Caroline was too, Damon and Elena had been spending a lot of time together the last couple of months but she has yet to tell us if they're an item or not.

"Well, I have to tell you guys something. Damon and I have been together for a while now. I didn't want to tell you both anything because I still wanted to get my feelings together before I went out and told you guys." Elena explained.

"Bonnie and I both suspected it was happening we just didn't want to pressure you into telling us. But what about Stefan?" asked Caroline. Elena winced just by hearing Stefan's name, but she eventually took a deep sigh.

"It's ok if you're not ready to talk about it yet," Bonnie reassured Elena. Caroline just smiled and gave Elena an I-totally-understand-no-pressure. "No it's okay, you two are my best friends and you deserve to know. Stefan and I it's officially over. He left multiple times and even tried to kill me to get his way with Klaus. I understand in a way but Damon never left, he stayed and during that time I feel in love with him and I want to be with him and he loves me too, it was always Damon." Once Elena finished she left out another sigh. Both Bonnie and Caroline gave her reassuring smiles and she returned them.

After a long evening at the Grill and planning out every detail about prom. Starting when they'd all go prom dress shopping, and where they'd meet to do each other's hair and make-up and pamper each other before the big day. Caroline was actually starting to get excited again.

Once finally getting home Caroline went upstairs and began to get changed, she walked in front of her closet and pulled out a blue strapless cocktail dress with a flower on the top left side of her dress. It clung nicely to her small curves. She loved the dress it wasn't too tight or too lose on her body; it was just perfect for what she had planned. She went back to her closet and picked out black heel pumps that made her at least 4 inches taller. She went to the vanity in her room and got started once again today on her makeup, she decided to make it more drastic and fixed some of her loose curls. Once ready, she got back in her car and drove out of Mystic Falls a couple towns over to a secret club named Q Lounge.

Once outside the front doors she compelled the bouncer to let her in for free and slowly started to get excited, this wasn't her first time in this club. She walked inside and started to remember the features of the club once again, black walls with intricate white designs almost like flowers. She saw the smalls black sofas and people taking seats and mingling with their friends and drinks in their hands. The place was quite big, small sections separated from the dance floor with black sofas everywhere. Eventually she reached the dance floor and in front was the stage with a small band and mike, no one yet had decided to sing up on the stage. She finally reached the bar and compelled the bartender to get her a drink.

After two drinks and the women had started taking the turns to sing up on stage. The alcohol had finally given Caroline the bravery to sing up on a stage and after one small woman finished her song Come Back When You Canby Barcelona she started walking towards the stage since she was next. One of the band members asked for her name, "Caroline," she said nervously. "Nothing to be scared about, are you ready?" the tall piano player asked. "Yes," she replied a little more confidently.

"Everyone please welcome Caroline to the stage." The piano player spoke into the microphone and the crowd applauded. Within seconds the band started to play the song she had decided to sing that night, The First Time I Saw Your Face by Roberta Flack. She didn't know why picked that song but she didn't have to think about it for long and she let herself go and began to sing.

At the end of her song, the crowd began to clap and cheer so loudly about sound of her voice she began to get shy all over again. She walked off the stage and walked back to the bar with plans for one for drink and to then leave the bar to go back home. She was so excited by how the crowd fell in love with her voice; she couldn't believe everyone actually liked her. After finishing her drink she began to walk out of the club and to her car. When she finally reached her car someone stopped her and gently grabbed her arm, she turned around and she couldn't believe who she saw.

"Hello there sweetheart, I've got to say you sure have one lovely voice," Klaus said to her.