There was an oddity in the Gilbert family that was the one of the Petrova twins. Elena and Charlotte Gilbert looked exactly alike, which happened to also look like Katarina Petrova. But while Elena was kind, caring, and well dressed, Charlotte was sarcastic, loud, and impulsive. She would manipulate the younger kids in school into doing her biding and played with guys like they were toys. Miranda and Grayson were struggling with their middle child at the time of their death, but what they didn't know was that their death would straighten the teen out somewhat. Their son Jeremy on the other hand, would go downhill faster than anyone could have thought.
By the time Charlie woke up for her first day of classes, Elena and Jeremy were already downstairs eating breakfast and drinking coffee with their Aunt Jenna. Charlie was dreading going back to school more than she realized. She was sick of the pitying stares and the free casseroles from the neighbors. She had toned down her ruthless behavior, sure, but schoolwork to Charlie still seemed pretty useless.
Getting out of bed, she dressed in black skinny jeans, a red tank top, her worn in leather jacket, and her favorite pair of studded motorcycle boots. She had used some of her own money to buy a motorcycle after her parents died and it had quickly become her favorite release.
"That's what you're wearing for the first day of school?" Elena asked with a quiet scoff. Charlie rolled her eyes at her twin before grabbing a sip of coffee and then leaving the house. Gunning her bike to life made Charlie feel like she could breathe. Leaving before the rest of the family gave her time to stop by and visit one of her favorite founding families, Zach Salvatore. He owned what used to be the boarding house of Mystic Falls. Charlie found Zach's company soothing as he told her old stories of the town and helped her do research on beings that she recently found out about: vampires.
"Aren't you supposed to be in school?" Zach asked her as she pulled her bike up to the old Salvatore Boarding House.
"I haven't got any classes scheduled until 10:00." Charlie told Zach, brushing her way past him and into the house. A tall teenage boy stood in the foyer, ready to leave. He had green eyes and tan skin with brown, tall hair.
"Charlie, this is Stefan Salvatore."
"Ah, the famous Ripper of Monterey?" Charlie searched the boy's face for any sense of danger, but found none."
"Zach told you?" Stefan questioned, his voice stable but worried.
"No, I've got a…friend who told me." Charlie couldn't mention to anyone about how her friend Klaus told her all about the Salvatore brothers. Neither could she mention that Klaus' blood was in her system the night her parent's car went off the bridge, killing her and turning her into a vampire. Nobody knew about her being a vampire, except Zach. And Charlie had a feeling Zach was about to tell Stefan, if he hadn't already.
"Nice bike." Stefan commented. "I'm Stefan, Zach's Uncle." He knew.
"I'm Charlotte Gilbert. Zach's been keeping me safe here in Mystic Falls."
"How long ago were you turned?" Stefan's eyes became hooded, as if he knew information Charlie didn't. Taking a step sideways, Charlie felt the hair on her arms stand tall.
"About six months. My parents and I were in a car accident. My twin sister too. She and I managed to get out but our parents died. If you see Elena in school today, don't ask her about her parents." Charlie told him.
"Noted. Well I better get going. I still have paperwork to fill out." Stefan smiled at his own joke before turning and leaving through the front door. As soon as his footsteps were out of hearing range, I turned on Zach.
"How long have you known he was coming?!" I threw at him. Zach looked ashamed.
"A few weeks. I didn't want to scare you."
"If Klaus finds out he's here…" Charlie trails off.
"He won't. The only way that will happen is if you tell Klaus and you don't even know where he is at the moment." Zach reasoned with her.
"Fine. So what has you so worried then."
"When one brother goes somewhere, the other typically follows."
"So you're worried that Damon will show up?" Charlie had heard about the antics of the older Salvatore brother. His blood binges, his carelessness of human life, his addiction to booze. While Charlie herself felt she could take on the brother, Zach's worry had her racing to her bike to follow Stefan to school. She tucked her hair under her helmet and sped to Mystic Falls High School, forgetting about the first day of school parade of summer, where girls showed up tanned and blonde and the boys bragged to one another about the girl's he'd slept with.
"Charlie!" Montana Bennett shouted. Charlie and Montana had been friends since kindergarten when everyone rushed to be friends with Elena and Charlie was stuck alone.
"Hey Montana. How was your weekend?"
"Good, I learned a new spell." Montana told her. Montana was a witch, as was her cousin Bonnie, but Bonnie had been too skeptical of the craft and never learned. Montana did.
"Stefan Salvatore is in town." Charlie said under her breath.
"Ahh, so that's what's got you so spooked." Montana laughed. Charlie smiled then because she'd always loved the sound of Monty's laugh. It was the sound of laughter itself.
"Zach think's that Damon is going to come too. That'll be fun." Charlie rolled her eyes before picking a cigarette out from her purse and moving to stand behind a tree before lighting it. The nicotine helped with the blood urges.