"Are you sober yet?" 

Caroline lifted her head to look at her friend.

Bonnie's concerned face was still blurry in front of her and she could feel the warmth radiating off of both of them from the buzz of alcohol.

Inhaling sharply, she let her head drop down as she groaned, "No."

"Keep drinking. I gotta get you home— I gotta get me home." Bonnie reprimanded her lightly, a laugh in her voice.

"Why didn't he go for me? You know, how come the guys that I want never want me?" Caroline's voice was quiet, cracking at the end. She blinked harshly as she felt the familiar burn of tears in her eyes. 

"I'm not touching that."

Bonnie looked uncomfortable, but the words were already tumbling out of Caroline's mouth. 

"I'm inappropriate. I always say the wrong thing..." Caroline ran her hands through her blonde curls, grasping the strands between her fingers. "And...Elena always says the right thing— She doesn't even try! And he just picks her."

Caroline trailed off, "And she's always the one that everyone picks, for everything."

Who could blame them? Elena Gilbert was perfect. She could picture Elena's doe-brown eyes now. The way she looked at Caroline and the way it made Caroline feel. 

 "And I try so hard, and...I'm never the one."

Bonnie interrupted her, "It's not a competition, Caroline."

Caroline scowled. 

Of course it was!

She was back to her age-old issue: did she want to be Elena, or be with Elena?

Her mind flickered back to Stefan, the way he had brushed her of so easily: "Caroline. You and me, it's not gonna happen. Sorry."

Caroline was sick of being second choice, settling for less when she deserved more.

It sounded like perfect revenge to her.

Caroline was going to steal Stefan's girl. 

_____

isa speaks!

no caroline, you don't want to be elena. elena's life sucks. you want to be with elena. 

on my 1000th re-watch, it's so blatantly obvious that caroline is crushing on elena. she never approved of elena's relationship with anyone — because it wasn't a relationship her!

just a fun little 1x01 au oneshot <3