❝if i'm being honest.❞
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

CHARLOTTE TRIED TO SPARE MORE ATTENTION FOR THE RIDICULOUSLY EMBARRASSING BACHELOR'S CONTEST, BUT CORY WAS MAKING IT HARD. He wouldn't stop providing his entirely inappropriate and unnecessary commentary on every single man introduced on the stage, and it didn't help that she was a teenage girl sitting amidst a bar full of single women her mom's age, who appeared to be shameless in their desire.

"Oh, ew, a plumber? So, he's got the money, sure, but his hair is obviously thinning, he's definitely a divorcee, and he probably smells like actual shit. None of that is worth it."

Charlotte groaned softly, choking on another badly muffled laugh as she tried to ignore Cory's comments. "Oh, my god, you're horrible. You are a horrible person, Cory."

Cory smirked amusedly at her, sipping on his drink that smelled so strongly of whiskey it almost threatened to burn Charlotte's nostrils. "Well, look who's next. Mystic Falls' very own–"

"Oh, god– don't–"

"Alaric Saltzman, aka alcoholic teacher with dodgy past, and a keen interest in our resident sunshine's sexy Aunt Jenna–"

"Ew!"

"Personally, I can't get down with the sad eyes he's got going on, not to mention the constant 5 o'clock shadow that makes him look like he was born beneath an overpass, but I digress. I think we all know that Jenna has questionable taste."

Charlotte held a firm hand over her mouth to hide her grin when Damon's light eyes shot to her, his gaze twinkling with amusement, and she instinctively shot a hand out to push at Cory's ribs. "Stop that, someone's going to hear you,"

"I wish someone would hear me, I'm hilarious. Maybe a talent scout will overhear, and I'll get a ticket straight to Hollywood, Charlie." Cory takes another sip of his drink, looking at her with wide eyes. "Don't worry, I'll take you with me. You can be my manager, and I'll skyrocket us both into a world of fame and money. We'll have it made, Charles."

"Do not start calling me Charles again, Cory," Charlotte couldn't help but snort, rapping her knuckles against the table they were seated at, watching the spectacle of the contest play out. "You wouldn't ditch me for fame?"

Cory hums, shaking his head. "Couldn't do it without you to keep me from killing snippy blondes with daddy issues, or telling your sister she's stupid, you know?"

"You have such a way with words. That Hollywood dream is looking realer by the second, honestly,"

Cory chuckles, eyes shifting back to the stage again as Alaric fumbled around his question, and Mrs. Lockwood moved onto Damon.

"And now we have our resident sunshine's biggest supporter right behind yours truly– he's truly a stunner, barely a bachelor with how much he pines, and he's got a bad attitude to boot," Cory stage-whispered, leaning into Charlotte again. "Ladies, please don't let your panties fall to the floor, it's Damon Salvatore,"

Charlotte watched Damon choke down a laugh on stage as he replied to Carol, and she dropped her flushed face into her hands in utter defeat. "You are the worst."

"Do you have any hobbies? Do you like to travel?" Carol's voice lulls through the microphone, and Charlotte focuses her gaze on stage as Cory finally falls silent.

"Oh, yeah, LA, New York," Damon nods, taking in a breath. "Couple years ago, I was in North Carolina, near the Duke campus, actually. I think–I think Alaric went to school there. Didn't you, Ric?"

Charlotte's easy smile falters at Damon's pointed words, and she frowns, eyes shifting around the crowd to see her sister's face mirror her own.

"Yeah, 'cause I– I know your wife did. I had a drink with her once. She was a great girl– I ever tell you that? 'Cause she was just... delicious."

Charlotte's frown deepened when she saw Elena take off towards the door, Stefan following closely after her.

"So... that was weird, right?"

Charlotte darted her gaze to Cory, and then back to Damon, who still seemed entirely smug on stage. Nodding slowly, she looked back to her friend with nothing but confusion written on her face. "Yeah. That was really weird."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

"Hey, Elena? What was all of that stuff earlier at the Grill?" Charlotte stepped into her sister's bedroom, immediately frowning when she saw the tears streaking down her cheeks. "Elena?"

"Charlie," Elena sighed shakily, her voice hoarse. "Do you– Isobel. She was– she was Alaric's wife, Charlotte. And Damon killed her."

Charlotte stopped short of Elena's bed, her brows twitching at the information. "Oh."

"But earlier, when Stefan and I were outside, there was a man who came up to me and he told me to stop trying to find her– that she didn't want to be found. So, he didn't– he didn't kill her. She turned. And she compelled that man to talk to me tonight, I guarantee it."

"Oh."

"Charlie," Elena sighed frustratedly. "Is that all you have to say?"

Blinking rapidly, she recovered from her brief shock. "What do you want me to say, Elena?"

"Maybe something about Damon being an asshole, like always. He killed our birth mother, Charlotte. Or the fact that she's not really dead, but she's a vampire now, all because she ran into Damon."

"I don't... I don't care about either of those things, though," Charlotte huffed a slight laugh, the sound escaping her by complete accident. "I never cared about Isobel, and Damon didn't actually kill her, so I don't really think it matters. If she literally compelled a guy to tell you to stop looking for her, I would just take the hint and drop it."

Elena's brows furrowed and she scoffed at Charlotte's words. "Charlotte, how can you defend him? He killed our mom and bragged about it tonight!"

"She's not our mother, and she's obviously not dead, Elena! I don't understand why you're being such a hag about this, it's not like it's the worst thing Damon's ever done!"

"Charlotte–"

Frustration rising steadily, Charlotte cuts her off. "Jesus, Elena, she's a literal stranger that was coincidentally married to our history teacher. You've only ever seen in pictures, she can't possibly mean something to you."

"Charlotte, he's a monster, you can't just make excuses for him every time he does something like this!"

"I'm not making excuses, he killed Isobel, he turned her– so what! She is a stranger, Elena, she means nothing to me. In fact, I'm happier with that outcome, because it just means that you might finally stop this ridiculous chase for her when she obviously never wanted us in the first place."

Elena's dark eyes flash with hurt and she stands, approaching Charlotte with heavy footsteps. "Look, I get that you don't want anything to do with her, but I at least would've liked the chance to meet her, or know more about her, other than the fact that she was married to Alaric, and my boyfriend's brother killed her."

"Why, Elena?" Charlotte shook her head, her voice incredulous. "Why do you need to know so much about her? Are you that desperate to replace Mom? Our actual mother, who raised us our entire lives and never made us question if she wanted us, or loved us, and never once made us think we weren't her kids? Are you that naive, Elena, really?"

An angry tear falls down Charlotte's cheek as she sees more fall down her sister's, and although she knows they're hurling hateful words at each other because they have no other output for them, she can't bring herself to calm down or stop.

"I'm not trying to replace anyone, Charlotte, it's not that black and white. I haven't moved on from the fact that our parents died, okay, it's not like– I don't do drugs like Jeremy, and I didn't–"

"You didn't what," Charlotte grits her teeth as Elena abruptly stops, and she reaches a hand up, pushing at her sister's shoulder. "You didn't have a mental breakdown like I did? Say it, Elena. Say it. You didn't try to kill yourself like I did, is that it?"

Elena flinches at her words, but Charlotte continues unperturbed. "I get it– I get that I messed it up. I get that I made a horrible time so much worse for everyone, alright, but do you think that maybe for five seconds, you could stop and wonder why my behavior and my attitude towards your whole stupid mission to find Isobel is deserved?"

Charlotte throws her hands up, absentmindedly wiping at her wet cheeks. Her voice bounces off of Elena's walls, and she wonders just how much their conversation is echoing through the house.

"Maybe think about the fact that when Mom and Dad died, I tried to kill myself, and now you keep trying to get me to care about Isobel, so– what? So I can try it again if something happens to her, and I lose yet another mother? Seriously, Elena, take your head out of your ass for five fucking seconds and think about the fact that this has nothing to do with Damon?!"

Elena scoffs, her voice cracking through her emotions. "It has everything to do with Damon, Charlotte, you are constantly defending him, and you're too stupid to see that he wouldn't do the same for you if it came down to it!"

Charlotte shakes her head, a wry, empty smile twisting at her lips. "I constantly stick my neck out for Damon, you're right. I've been helping him this whole time. He has his complete trust in me, no thanks to you or Stefan. So, you can't sit here and make it seem like I have betrayed you for him, because I have constantly stuck up for you and your stupid boyfriend at every turn of the corner. I have done nothing but defend you, and I have continuously put my friendship with Damon at risk because of it, and you don't even realize that! You can't even keep a promise when it comes to him, because Stefan has convinced you to blindly listen to him and his every word."

"Does your friendship with Damon really mean that much to you, Charlotte? You always take his side, you are literally doing it right now! I'm your sister, Charlotte! Can he really mean that much to you?!"

"It means everything to me, Elena!" Charlotte's voice slams off the walls of the bedroom, cracking with anger. "You all make Damon out to be a monster, so he acts like one. Tell me, Elena, what would you do if everyone, including your only family, thinks you're always lying, always plotting, always bad. What would you do, Elena? You would become the person everyone thinks you are!"

"Charlotte–"

"No, I'm talking!" Charlotte cuts her off, pointing an accusing finger at her sister, who flinches at the abrupt movement. "Don't stand here and accuse me of being some traitor, like there's actually sides to pick. You and I got involved in this bullshit because of your relationship with Stefan, and you have done everything in your power to make him stay, and fight for your relationship, including going against me and my word. So you don't get to make me the bad guy– you don't get to do that. You can hate Damon all you want, and you can hate me for being his friend and having his back, but you cannot tell me that what I've done is wrong when everything I've done since Mom and Dad died has been to protect you!"

Tears stream down both of their faces, and they are faintly aware of the presence having stopped in the doorway, watching their volleying argument with rising concern.

"Everything I do is to make sure you, Jenna, and Jeremy are safe, and every single decision you have made in the past two months has gone against that. So you don't get to lecture me about monsters, and who I should and shouldn't be friends with. I'm a big girl, Elena. You don't get to sit here and act like everything I'm doing is because of Damon, because it's not."

She wipes at her cheeks again, furiously glancing over at Cory standing in the doorway with his mouth ajar. "Everything I do is my own decision, and every word that comes out of my mouth is my own. And right now, I am telling you that I don't care about Isobel, I don't care what Damon did, and I don't care if you hate me forever because of that. Damon is my friend, and I will continue being his friend until I decide otherwise. And if you don't approve of that, then I guess you can just go complain to Stefan about it, can't you?"

Charlotte trails off, shaking her head as she finally takes a breath, swallowing against the sandpaper feeling in her throat.

She turns to look at Cory, who slowly backs out of the doorway and walks across the hallway to her room, and with a shaky sigh, she follows after him.

The slam of Elena's door makes her flinch, and pettily, she slams hers behind her when she enters her room, sending a framed photo of her and Elena from last hear falling to the floor with a quiet crack of glass.

She disregards the broken frame and drops down on the end of her bed, dropping her wet face into her palms with a long, drawn out groan.

When she looks up at Cory through bloodshot eyes, he's got his brows raised and his face is one of nonchalance that she recognizes is poorly feigned.

"How much of that did you hear?"

He purses his lips, contemplating his answer. "Do you want the truth, or do you want me to lie and make you feel better?"

"The truth, please," She huffs, drawing a knee up to her chest to rest her cheek on it. "I doubt I could feel any worse, so just deliver the finishing blow."

"Well, the part where you destroyed your sister's entire personality and life was... kind of surprising, and also kind of funny, if I'm being honest. You usually leave that up to me. But then there's also the part where Stefan's a vampire, and Damon's also a vampire– but he probably, maybe, almost killed or turned your bitch of a birth mom."

Charlotte's eyes widen slowly and she lifts her head to look at Cory in disbelief, his face still the picture of innocence.

"But, if I'm being honest," He fakes a wince. "I kind of already knew about that part. I've known the whole time, actually. Since, like, day one."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

author's note; publishing this and then going to bed bc im evil 🙌🏻

edited and published; 12.24.22. (got a new laptop for christmas so enjoy the first thing posted off of it!) 

- liz