A Cautionary Tale to Those Seeking Higher Education
(In Mystic Falls)
Chapter One: Friends Forever…Literally!
"That's our dorm?!" Caroline Forbes stared up at the Turquoise Southern plantation style home with hints of Victorian Gothic flair thrown into the mix. Large white columns wrapped in Ivy supported the house as the stone steps leading onto the large wrap around porch holding rattan furniture painted white with plush cushions, the same turquoise as the house, and white porch swings beckoning any passerby to while away the afternoon in them. Elena Gilbert stared at the piece of paper in her hands and then nodded grinning, at her two best friends. "According to the map the Residential Office gave me, this is the place we will be spending the next four years of our lives in." The brunette vampire bit her bottom lip nervously looking down at her toffee colored high heeled boots and the cobble stone path way leading to their new home. "I've already missed prom and graduation thanks to me not being able to cope and turning my humanity off. I refuse to let myself not enjoy every minute with my best friends in college." Her chin wobbled lightly as she stated her resolution. She had been an evil, ruthless, cold hearted bitch when she flipped her switch after she had been unable to cope with the death of her little brother, Jeremy Gilbert after the disastrous search for the cure for vampirism, which had resulted in Silas rising and trying to bring Hell on Earth.
Bonnie Bennet put a sympathetic hand on her best friend's shoulder gently, murmuring. "Hey, you weren't the only one who was treading on the dark side last year. I was completely overtaken by Expression and I did help Silas destroy the veil to the other side, all because I missed Jeremy and Grams so much, and wanted to see them again." Elena nodded smiling at the witch warmly. "True, but you did manage to bring back Jeremy and seeing him alive and well brought me out of my emotionless state. And if it weren't for your quick thinking I'd still be in the fetal position sobbing over everything I'd done while my switch was flipped still hiding in the Salvatore's basement." Elena turned to Caroline who just shrugged. "Wasn't me, it was Klaus, he's the one that came up with the idea to compel you so you could handle it." Caroline's cheeks glowed warmly at the mention of her boyfriend's name. Bonnie and Elena giggled at their best friend's reaction, "Seriously Caroline, you're with him now, there's no need to blush or look away every time you or one of us mentions his name!" Bonnie grinned as Elena tried to quell the giggles.
At first, the witch and the Doppelganger vampire had been against their friend and the Original Hybrid getting together, especially after they found out about Klaus and Hayley's one night stand that had turned into a whole lot more than any of them had bargained for. The werewolf side of Klaus had somehow impregnated Hayley, and while any more notions of romance were out of the question for the two, they had decided to start a truce of sorts for the sake of the unborn child. True Caroline was not fond of Hayley at all, Caroline respected Klaus's decision to take full responsibility for his actions. It had been during his confession to Caroline about Hayley and her "condition," and just how said "condition" came to pass, that Caroline had finally thrown caution to the wind and let her feelings out for Klaus. Had she been pissed that Wereslut had gotten to yet another man she loved? Yes! But the fact that Klaus told the truth about it, was what calmed her down. He hadn't tried to play it off as something it wasn't, much like Tyler had the last night she had seen him. Dancing in his eyes at his former manor, that now belonged to Matt Donovan, that night while the guests for her after prom party had yet to begin arriving, Tyler Lockwood had spoken of having to leave again, but that he would come around again sometime. Caroline had believed him, until she had looked into his eyes, and seen the truth. He was not simply saying 'see you again,' he was saying 'goodbye.' At first, Caroline had been heartbroken, then one day she woke up realizing that the whole draw to her relationship with the werewolf had been the danger and excitement of being together, and puppy love. The feelings she never wanted to have for someone else were much deeper than what she and Tyler had had. In hopes of an intervention, Caroline had told Bonnie, Damon, and Stefan, her true feelings for that man that had caused them so much chaos. Bonnie surprisingly, was against Caroline ever telling Klaus, let alone ever being with him. The Salvatore brothers after seeing how Klaus acted around Caroline and how changed he had become after meeting her however gave Caroline her full support. What finally convinced Bonnie to be happy for Caroline's decision was the night that Klaus compelled a grief stricken Elena to not kill herself, and that she would be strong enough to handle all the things that she had done in her own time. That she would continue to live her unlife because there were friends that needed her here. He did it out of love for Caroline, and after making sure that Elena was going to be okay, he kissed Caroline and headed back to his home in New Orleans. He still had Marcel to overthrow and witches forced to do the self appointed king of New Orleans that needed to be freed. He also had his redemption to work on, though Elijah, Katarina and Rebekah and Stefan were helping him more than he could ever have imagined.
A ping alerted Caroline of another text message and she took it out of the pocket of her stylish pink trench coat and sighed dreamily as she replied to the text. "When's the next time you'll be seeing each other?" Bonnie asked her friend gently. Caroline sighed and put her phone back into her pocket. "At the end of the month, he's coming for the three day weekend. You guys are so lucky that your boyfriends live in town!" She whined playfully. This time it was Elena and Bonnie that blushed and looked down embarrassed. Jeremy Gilbert had come back to life when Silas had destroyed the wall to the other side and had helped Bonnie trap the vampiric warlock on the other side for eternity. After Elena had her humanity restored to her, she had figured out her feelings for Damon had been real and they had reunited. Stefan surprisingly was not crushed by this in the least. He had gone off to live his own life and had ended up with Rebekah in New Orleans. It was still a little weird thinking about the two being together, but they were all getting used to it.