"That night was awful." She pointed out. "Matt was behaving like an ass, Caroline was provoking everyone and-"

"I know!" He interrupted. "Believe me, I know. But that night isn't my point, merely a part of."

Elena sighed, glancing at the unpacked boxes that laid upon her bed, and sitting down beside them. It had been a long enough day already, and she was finding it incredibly hard to stay focused when he wasn't getting straight to his point. Her response didn't go unnoticed though, as he pulled out the desk chair and sat himself down, propping himself up by resting his elbows on his knees.

"Look, I'm sorry for dragging this out, I'm just not really sure how else to make you understand."

"Make me understand what?"

"Those things I said at the party… I didn't just say them because I was drunk. I'll admit that I have extremely bad timing, but I said it because it's the truth."

"Tyler-"

"No, wait!" He interrupted again. "I'm not done yet."

"It's not that I don't love reminiscing about old times together but a lot has happened since those times and it has been a really long day, settling in at college and all… think that you could just cut the unnecessary stuff?"

"Y- yeah. Sorry."

"It's okay. Go on…"

"Right, well… first I want you to know that I'm not mad at you anymore for not believing me about Matt in the first place, I know it was a lot to take in."

"You pretty much blanked me over it for months, Tyler. I was hurting because everyone knew but me."

"Yeah, but I'm done with that now. I was being arrogant, and I'm sorry."

"It's fine… what's your second point?"

"Ah, secondly, those things I said are because I have been wanting to say them… for a long time now."

Elena looked up at him with wide eyes after finally hearing his point. She was glad not to have to sit through more memories, but now she was having trouble processing what he was saying. Before she could say anything, his face fell and he stood up, turning for the door.

"Wait!"

He paused, turning around again so that he was facing her. "It's okay, Elena. I understand."

"No, I was… I was going to- I don't want you to go just yet." She stated. "About this past summer, and about senior year… I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have treated you like a criminal, all you did was tell me the truth."

"And I shouldn't have ignored you and avoided you the way I did."

"So, with that being said… are we good again?"

"Yes. Yes we are."

"But wait, about those things you've always wanted to say… C- can you tell me now?"

"I- did you forget?"

"No, I just want to hear them while you're sober."

"Oh, okay."

"You don't have to though. I understand if-"

"I want you, Elena. I always have, and I probably always will."

"As a friend?"

"No! As a lot more than that."

"Oh."

A small v shape formed between Tyler's eyebrows as he frowned. He hadn't been expecting her to say it back, but he also didn't expect her to respond so dismissively. Hanging his head, he turned back for the door.

"Tyler!" He heard her call again, though he continued through the door and into the hall until her hand brushed against his, holding him by his fingers. With a sigh, he turned around.

"Ele-"

"Shut up!" She demanded, closing the distance between them and kissing him before he could say anything more. He froze at first, shocked by her brashness, but quickly relaxed, closing his eyes and bringing his hand up to her face.

Both being caught up in one another, neither noticed when the main door opened and someone walked through, until they cleared their throat. Elena was first to break the kiss, her eyes wide. Tyler, although disappointed, forced himself to follow her stare.

"Seriously! I knew you were easy, Elena, but I didn't think that you'd go this low."

"What do you want, Matt?"

"I actually came to apologise."

"For what? Screwing around with every Barbie behind my back or getting caught out?"

"I was going to apologise. Not anymore. You're disgusting!"

"Really? I'm disgusting for moving on from you? Wow, are you sure you belong in college, Matty Rat? Because you seem to be talking at a preschool level." She retorted, causing Tyler to snort as he held in a laugh.

"Don't even go there." He snapped. "And as for you, Tyler… you're supposed to be my best friend?"

"I am… Well, I was… until you started treating the people who cared about you like dirt."

"Oh, I see. You're doing this to teach me a lesson."

"No, you've got it all wrong. I'm doing this because I want to be doing this. If you don't like it then there's the door, don't let it whoop your ass on the way out!"

"What?"

"You had your chance with her, dude, but you didn't know a good thing when you had it. It's time to let her go."

"Fine! Just fine! You two are so bad that you deserve each other. Don't come crying to me, Elena, when you see this jerk for who he really is!"

"I don't think you'll have to worry about that, now if you don't mind, we were in the middle of something." Tyler said, shutting down any further conversation with the other boy.

Glaring at the two with a different kind of annoyance, he turned and hastily headed back through the door in which he'd entered. Tyler turned his attention back to Elena, who gave him a goofy smile before laughing randomly.

"Well, I think we certainly shut him down." She commented.

"Yes, we did."

Silence filled the air for a moment as neither knew what to say or do. Elena glanced back towards her dorm room and then at the clock on the wall; it was already past six. Classes would be starting at nine sharp in the morning.

"I don't mean to end this so soon, but it's getting on a bit and unpacking might take me a while, then I've still got to shower and sort everything out for tomorrow so-"

"Yeah, no, I get it. It's cool. I've got quite a lot to finish up too. If you like I could stop by early tomorrow, what time do you get up?"

"Five."

"Five! Elena, classes don't start until nine."

"I know, but there's a lot to be done."

"You know there is such a thing as over preparing?"

"I know. But it won't be this way all term, mostly just this first week. I don't wanna screw up."

"And you won't."

"Thanks."

"Anyways, so I'll stop by… say… six?"

"Yeah, six is good."

"Alright then, I guess I'll see you then." He concluded, pulling her into a hug and planting a kiss on her forehead before pulling back. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

With that being said, he lingered only for a second, before turning and walking down the hall towards his dorm. Elena stood still, watching him until he was out of sight, then headed back into her dorm, turning her attention to the boxes.

Tyler continued walking until he reached his own dorm, stopping dead in the doorway when he saw Matt sprawled on the other bed, a duffle bag down by the side and one of the bags from the bed where Tyler had left it earlier. Matt looked up with a smirk, but said nothing.

"You're my roommate?"

"Uh huh."

"Great." Tyler rolled his eyes. "What are you doing with my bag?"

"Looking for something."

"For what?"

"The thing that's going to prove to Elena that you're just a jerk and that you're not worthy of her the way that I am."

Giving a fake yawn and a snoring sound, Tyler resisted the urge to smack the other boy in his smug face, and snatched his bag away instead. "Sorry, I almost fell asleep with how repetitive you're getting."

"Come on, Ty, we're buds!"

"Dude, no we're really not." He sighed. "Oh, and number one rule of the dorm; stay out of my stuff."

"Whatever."

Ignoring the blonde boy, Tyler rummaged through his bag, ensuring that everything was still as he'd left it, then placed it down by his bed and focused on the box instead. He sat down and reached inside, pulling out the first thing his fingers touched; an old trophy from the beginning of senior year.

*Flashback*

"And in first place of the annual visual arts competition, we have Tyler Lockwood with his outstanding portrait; Sad Girl."

As everyone in the assembly clapped and cheered, Tyler got to his feet and gracefully walked up to the podium. He nodded and smiled at his classmates as they cheered him on, but he couldn't have felt less cheerful. He'd won the competition, sure, but the price of winning had not been worth it in the end.

The principal shook his hand and gave him a golden trophy that was shaped to mimic a sculpture. He muttered a thank you, then turned to the audience. Though his face fell when he saw the empty seat in between Bonnie and Caroline. He froze, no longer wanting to give the speech.

"I'm sorry, excuse me everybody." He said with a wry smile and took off through the giant double doors on the other side of the room.

His eyes darted in several directions until he located her. She was running, or at least almost. Knowing that he wouldn't get much of a chance to speak to her, he dashed after her until he was standing in front of her, blocking her path. Though he hadn't thought of what he wanted to say.

"Aren't you supposed to be giving a speech for that trophy?"

"Yeah, but the trophy doesn't mean anything… not when you're mad at me."

"I'm not mad at you for a stupid competition, Tyler! I'm mad because you used MY humiliation as a subject!"

"I didn't! Well, not intentionally… The theme was emotion, and I was just experimenting. Somehow, I guess my subconscious just came back with you."

"I'll give you points for originality with your excuses, but still… it doesn't give you a free pass on exploiting my pain for your gain."

"Damn it, Elena! I'm not giving you excuses. It's the truth, and if you don't believe me then check the date on the drawing."

"What does the date have to do with any of this?"

"You didn't know about Matt and his crap until after I had finished it… I wasn't using your pain for my gain. It didn't even exist then."

"Because everyone knew but me! Yet no one decided to say anything until you did… "

"I'm sorry, Elena. I never thought that the drawing would upset you. But you have to admit that you didn't exactly believe me when I tried to tell you."

"But I- I'm sorry too, Tyler. I have to go!" She stammered, pushing past him and hurrying away.

He remained, bringing the trophy up and examining it. With a sigh, he tossed it into the trash can and continued walking.

*End of Flashback*

"Look, Matt… I'm not doing this to hurt you."

"But I hurt her, so it makes sense-"

"I'm not! It's just… for the longest time I've had these feelings for her and they've never gone away. So no, I'm not doing it to hurt you. I'm doing it because it's what I've wanted since before you even had her."

"Like I care anyway, she's easy and you like easy."

"I'm going to pretend that I didn't hear that. You can deny it all you want, but I speak only the truth."

"It's not going to last."

"Oh yeah? Well, we'll see about that. Enough is enough. I'm going for a shower." He said, heading towards the small bathroom that was included with the dorm room.

"Hah! I wouldn't bother, that's not going to impress her."

Tyler turned around with a smirk on his face. "I don't need to impress her, idiot. I already won." With that being said, he turned and disappeared straight into the bathroom.

"For now." Matt forced himself up off the small bed, eyeing the phone that had been left on the opposite bed. He moved over and reached out, hesitating before picking it up.

Pulling the brush through her now soaking hair, Elena plugged the hair dryer into the socket and was about to turn it on when the buzz of her phone pulled her away from the task. Tightening the towel around her body, she picked up the phone that she'd left on the desk and looked at the screen. Reading the message that was left, she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth as she tried to wrap her head around what was written. It made no sense. Tyler had gone through the trouble of declaring his feelings, he'd even strayed from the point while doing so, it was odd - and hurtful, that he'd go through all of that just to then tell her that it meant nothing and that it was all just a joke. Turning the screen off, she slammed the phone back down on the desk and sucked in a deep breath. She half dried her hair, not caring to dry it completely. Then she hastily got dressed, before leaving the room to go find his dorm room.