McKenna Parker sighed unhappily as she walked through the halls of Mystic Falls High school. Transferring during her senior year hadn't been her best idea, but after both her parents died within months of each other, she'd had nowhere to go. So she had gotten herself emancipated because she wasn't eighteen yet and moved to the small town in Virginia.
Her first order of business had been to find a place to live. There had been an ad in the newspaper for a new roommate. She had called and the owners offered her the room. She had offered to pay her portion of rent but they had declined, saying they had enough money to pay and had just wanted a new roommate. She wasn't going to depend on anyone so she needed to find a job.
That came her way when she went in search of something to eat between finding some place to live and talking with the school board. The bartender saw her looking in the paper and started talking to her about what she was looking for. When she confessed to needing a job, he lit up and offered her a bartending job since their last bartender had had to quit. She took the job, thanking him as she ate her lunch then ran out the door for her meeting with the principal.
The last thing she had to do was finalize her registration to Mystic Falls High School. She had had her old school send her transcript to the school. All the other paperwork was annoying but it had to be done so she could finish high school. With her transcript in tow, it made it easier to get ready.
Now with everything behind her, she started her first day of class of Mystic Falls High.
Everyone stared at her as she tried to find her classes. She wasn't that different from everyone else. Her hair was a pale auburn that offset her bright green eyes. She looked normal enough. It must be because she was the new kid. She had never been the new kid before so she felt the pain of other new kids.
She opened her locker door, when she found it, and pulled out her history book. Looking at the mirror, she sighed and closed the door just so she could rest her head against it.
"Hey, Kenna," a familiar voice said from behind her.
She turned around. "Hey, Stefan. What's up?"
Stefan Salvatore was her new roommate, along with his older brother Damon. They had been very helpful when she moved into their place. They had helped her get everything to her new room and make sure she was comfortable before going off somewhere, leaving her to herself. They weren't too overbearing and always asked if she needed something when they went out.
He shrugged as he leaned against the lockers. "Just checking to see if you're adjusting to school life. It's got to be doing hard things at once. You did just move, find a place to live, a place to work, and register for school all in one week."
"I'm doing fine. The only ones I know here in this school are you and Matt and that's a little disconcerting."
"It takes time. I was new once as well. It'll get better."
McKenna sighed as they moved down the hall towards their history class. "I'm used to people at least acknowledging me."
"This is the south. People aren't as open as the media makes it seem." He motioned her to the door. With his hand at the small of her back, McKenna went in.
Class started. Alaric Saltzman was a very nice guy. He paid her a little attention when he asked her random questions. Stefan sat behind her and tapped her shoulder with his pencil. It gave her a distraction from the room and her own thoughts.
As this was going on, McKenna was highly aware of the girl sitting beside her. Something about Stefan keeping her preoccupied was bothering the other girl. She couldn't figure it out because the girl kept looking away.
"McKenna?" Alaric said.
She looked up. "Yes?"
"We're in the middle of WWII. Before I can continue, I'd like to know how much you know."
McKenna took a deep breath and looked at Stefan. He smiled slightly as he nodded. "Um… People think WWII started in 1939 but in reality it started in 1934 with the mobilization of Germany. The Germans invaded Czechoslovakia and Belgium before invading Poland in 1939. It escalated when they broke their peace treaty with Russia by invading them."
"When did the U.S. get involved?"
"Before or after the bombing of Pearl Harbor?"
Alaric smiled as he crossed his arms and leaned back on his heels. "After."
"Dec. 8, 1941, President Roosevelt asked Congress for a declaration of war. They granted it and the U.S. entered into WWII."
"Thank you. Let's pick up from there."
As he started lecturing, McKenna slumped in her seat. She turned around when Stefan tapped her shoulder twice. He smiled and nodded his satisfaction. Around her, a couple of the girls started glaring at her or glancing at her in suspicion. This was not going to be a good day.
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"Hey, McKenna, can you help me?" Matt Donovan, her new boss, asked as he hefted a case of beer.
"Yeah, give me a second," she replied as she helped a customer. After making sure he was taken care of, she went into the back. "Okay, I'm here."
Matt looked up as he loaded the cooler. "Grab that case and start putting them to chill."
She didn't say a word as she did as he asked. They sat side by side as they restocked the refrigerators under the bar. It was companionable silence even though they had only met a few days ago. He had said she was a natural behind the bar and that made her happy.
Matt cleared his throat, garnering her attention. "So I heard an interesting rumor floating around school today. It seems you have something going on with Stefan Salvatore."
"With Stefan? No. There's nothing going on with Stefan."
"Then why are you close with him?"
"I wouldn't say I'm close with him. I have the same AP classes with him and I live with him but nothing else."
Matt stopped working and looked at her. "You live with him?"
"I needed a place to stay after my dad died and they had a room open. It's better than nothing. I pay for my own food and other things so I don't ask them for anything."
"So you live with the Salvatores and have nothing going on with them?"
She shook her head. "No. Do I have to have something going on with two guys if I simply live with them?"
"Usually people take that and say you're loose." She looked at him sharply. "This is the south. You only shack up if you want something."
"Well, where I'm from, you can share a house with a guy and not have anything said about you."
"You're new so you don't know what's been going here with Stefan, Damon and Elena."
She stood up and grabbed the two crates. "Who?"
"Elena Gilbert. She sits beside you in history."
"The dark haired girl who kept looking at me like I was hurting her?"
"That would be Elena. She dated Stefan before something happened and he left. Damon started taking care of her then. When Stefan came back, it became all weird and she's been trying to get on with her life since then."
McKenna was speechless for a few moments. So she took the time to put the crates in the back. When she came back out, Matt was wiping down the counter. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't know."
"I know. It's probably easier if you're just friends with Stefan and then get to know Elena."
"I'll try."
"Also, if you need anything, let me know. I'll do what I can."
"Thanks, Matt. Now I think I need to get back to work."
She turned and walked around the bar to help out the one waitress on the job at the moment. Working kept her mind off everything and at the moment her mind was trailing. Moving here had been a big step from her big city adventure. She liked the little town much more than the big city. It was quiet and she could think and even paint when she felt like it.
With that thought in mind, she turned and went back to the bar.
"Hey, Matt, I was wondering if there was any way I could come in and paint the bar once or twice a month. I don't mean paint it as in changing the color scheme. I mean paint it as in making a portrait," she said before she lost her nerve.
Matt smiled as he looked at her. "You paint?" She nodded. "I don't see why not. We can make an art night once or twice a month and you can show what you've made so far."
A huge smile blossomed on McKenna's face at the thought. "Thanks, Matt!"
He nodded. "No problem. Get back to work."
She turned around so fast she ran right into someone. Strong hands caught her around the upper arms and steadied her. She shook her head to get the sudden buzz out of it.
"Sorry," she said.
"No, I'm sorry. I sometimes forget that I move too fast for others around me."
She looked up at him as he looked down at him. They took time to look at each and see what the other was about. He had medium brown hair and light brown eyes. He looked at her a little too intensely but that all changed as he became inquisitive. At the same time, his hands loosened enough that she could move.
"McKenna?" They both turned at her name. Damon stood in front of them with his hands in his jacket pockets. "Is everything all right?"
McKenna shrugged herself out of the other man's hold and turned towards him. "Yeah, Damon, everything's fine. I just ran into…" She turned back to the man she had run into. "I'm sorry but I didn't get your name."
The other man extended his hand. "I'm Elijah Mikaelsen. It's a pleasure to meet your acquaintance, McKenna…"
"Parker. McKenna Parker." She turned back to Damon. "See? I'm fine. Can I get back to work?" She didn't wait for an answer as she nodded at Elijah and went to finish her shift.
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Midnight rolled around and McKenna rolled into the driveway of the boardinghouse. The living room was lit up like a Christmas tree. That wasn't unusual. They always had someone visiting late at night. She just went to her room and ignored them mostly.
Tonight as she walked to the door, she noticed there were two SUVs in the driveway. She paid no attention as she walked in the house. She dropped her bag by the door and her keys on the table by the closet door. Making her way to the kitchen, she bypassed the living room, not even bothering to look inside as she went. She grabbed a Coke and a sandwich before heading back the way she came.
When she made a roundabout for the stairs, she stopped in the living room right behind the alcohol table. A girl who McKenna thought to be Elena and Elijah were sitting around the fire with Damon and Stefan. It was eerily quiet. It gave her more time to study Elijah.
He was dressed impeccably. Now that she thought about it, he had been dressed that way at the bar as well. There was an air about him that spoke of wealth and age, like he was old enough to have seen the world a thousand times over.
"McKenna, when did you get home?" Damon asked. It was as if they had been in a trance that they didn't notice her there.
"A few moments ago," she replied. She set the can down on the table and scratched her back. "Are you Elena by any chance?"
The girl stood up. "I am. And you're the new student McKenna Parker. Why are you living here? Why aren't you with your parents?"
McKenna bit her lip then scratched the back of her head. "My mom died three months ago of leukemia and my dad died of a broken heart last month. I'm living here because it's cheap- no offense, Damon- and it's not like I have any family anyway."
Elena's hands flew to her mouth as a look of horror came over her face. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know because Damon and Stefan didn't tell me."
"I didn't tell them."
"Still I'm very sorry for assuming you're involved with them. It's just Damon likes to bring women home and I never know when he does it."
McKenna's eyebrows shot up. "You don't live here?"
"No, I live across town."
The new girl nodded as she took a bite of her sandwich. There was no way she could say that her attention was completely on Elijah. The other man had stood from his seat and turned towards them, the firelight casting shadows on his face.
Shaking off the sudden giddiness that had come on her, she grabbed her drink, excused herself and darted upstairs. Once tucked in her room, she polished off her sandwich and pulled out her homework. It didn't take long for her to be completely engulfed by it.
When she finally looked up at the clock, it read two. It was quiet downstairs which meant Damon and Stefan had either gone to bed or were just being quiet. Needing to stretch her legs, McKenna got up and left her room. When she descended the stairs, Elijah was staring into the flames.
"I thought you went to bed," he said suddenly, causing her to jump.
She shook her head even though he was turned away from her. "No, I was getting caught up on all the school work that was done before I came to school."
Elijah turned around. "Shouldn't you be getting to bed?"
"I'm about to go to bed but I usually double check to make sure Damon puts out the fire. It's a habit I've picked up."
"You're very mature."
"Thank you. Why are you still here and where are Damon and Stefan?"
"They went out for a bit. They asked me to stay here until they get back."
McKenna nodded and headed for the stairs once again. "Well then, good night, Elijah."
"Good night, McKenna."
She went back up the stairs and back to her room. Once her teeth and hair were brushed, she climbed in bed. With the lights out and the house quiet, it gave her time to think. Who was Elijah Mikaelsen and why was he here in this house? She never figured it out before she fell asleep.