ERIN WALKED TO THE ROOFTOP IN HER DRESS BUT HER COMPLEXION WAS STILL WHITE AS GHOST. She felt her eyes sting as she held back her tears and tried to forget the knot in her throat. She knew Caroline didn't mean any harm in the question but it stirred something inside Erin. Erin was dead. She was just a ghost walking around Mystic Falls trying to find her unfinished business. But she couldn't.

She thought it was her mother, but her mother made it clear, she wanted nothing to do with Erin. The only people she could trust were Damon and Carson but even they were too busy with their lives. Carson was going to be a mother soon enough and Damon had his own problems and own life away from Erin. She was going to be just another memory to them. And she didn't want that.

The thing was, she acted happy all the time that she didn't even notice her own heartbreak. As much as she loved being alive and doing all the things she used to, it hurt her to know that she was going to leave soon. She thought about forgetting her stupid business, so she could stay but it didn't feel right. And she had a gut feeling in her chest that said her time was almost up.

The reason she hadn't told Damon was because she didn't want pity. She didn't want him to look at her differently and she knew that if she did, he would be in pain if she ever left. He had gone through a lot in the last 100 plus years of his life and she didn't want to add anything. She was going to come up with a lie and say she was moving so that he wouldn't suspect anything.

Erin went up the numerous stairs to the rooftop when she reached the rooftop, she saw Damon in one of the lounge chairs with his nose in a book. Erin took in a deep breath and put a large grin on her face.

She twirled around, "How do I look?"

Damon put the book down and gave Erin a thumbs up, "Caroline really did work a miracle on you,"

Erin pretended to be fake offended by what Damon said and then let out a laugh, "What is all this?" she asked, "Why am I wearing make-up and a dress?"

Damon got up from the chair and looked around the rooftop, which had the lights on, casting a glow in the dark sky, "Well, you've never experienced prom and so I thought I'd give you something better."

Erin furrowed her brows in confusion, "Better? How?"

"Well, instead of the usual sappy music, corsages, and dancing, this will be different," he started, "We will have alcohol at this 'prom' and instead of sappy music, we will have fun music and we can do whatever we want," Damon pointed to a box of beer, it wasn't the beer that Erin bought which made her smile.

"You changed our beer," she said walking over to the six-pack of beer and lifting it up, "You are traitor, Damon Salvatore."

"I think it was about time we got good beer," Damon started, "You can thank me later."

Erin rolled her eyes as she put the beer down, she pulled one out and took off the cap before taking a swig of it, "It's not the same,"

Damon rolled his eyes, "Erin, stop,"

Erin chuckled before sitting down on one of the lounge chairs, "You know, we could have easily done this in regular clothing."

"Oh, I know," he started, "I just thought it would set the mood, ya know?"

Erin shook her head as she laughed, "What music are you going to play?"

"Classics," he answered, "No, slow dancing or sappy Mariah Carey songs. Good music."

Erin took a swig of the beer, "That's a subjective statement. What you find good, I can hate. What if I like Mariah Carey?"

Damon glanced at Erin with a look which made her giggle, "I'm kidding, I'm kidding."

"What else do you do at prom?" Erin asked as she took a sip of the beer.

"I don't know, talk I guess, dance?" Damon answered.

Erin sat up straight from her chair, "You made this 'prom' night and you didn't even know what to do?"

Damon turned his head, "I'm a hundred-year-old vampire, how am I supposed to know?" he asked, "You're the young one."

"You literally just went to prom," Erin argued, "Plus, I was homeschooled!" The last part was a lie and Erin knew it, she never liked lying.

"You really think I was paying attention? My girlfriend or whatever she is lost her humanity!" he argued.

Erin rolled her eyes, "Maybe she doesn't want to turn it back on. The universe hurts us and maybe she doesn't want to feel the pain it brings."

Damon furrowed his brows and Erin got up and he followed her, "Well, look at you. What happened to your positive Patricia attitude?"

Erin scrunched her nose, "Positive Patricia? Really?" she started, "And besides, the universe brings pain and joy and sometimes it's our job to keep fighting."

Damon licked his lips, "Well, maybe some of us stopped fighting a long time ago."

Erin's shoulders dropped, "You've never stopped fighting, even now. You fight for Elena, she's the reason why you're fighting."

Damon set the beer down, "There's no hope fighting anymore."

Erin scoffed, "Jesus, Damon," she started, "Things aren't always going to go as planned, plans get ruined and people change. You can't just expect everything to go your way. People don't see things the way you do. Everyone sees the world differently, the universe isn't going to conform to your views. Life happens Damon and it sucks. Trust me, because I know."

"What do you know?" he asked, "You've practically been in hiding all your life, homeschooled little miss perfect. You don't know anything Erin, you think that just because your mom shut you out, you know all the world's problems? Well, guess what, you're wrong."

Erin stood frozen in her spot, her hands were clenched into fists, and there was a knot in her throat. Her dark brown eyes were glassy and were stinging with tears, "Get out," she whispered, "Leave, now!"

"No need to tell me twice." With that he left, Erin was left standing in the middle of the mess of she made. She sat against the wall in the dress hugging her knees tightly. She let the tears fall out and a sob escaped her lips. She started to sniffle when she wiped the tears from her eyes. She looked up at the night sky and looked at the North Star.

She knew her time was almost up.

author's note:

hey everyone. so i decided to shorten the story to 7 chapters + epilogue for personal reasons, hence why the story is escalating. i hope you're all enjoying the story.