Any Other World

Disclaimer: I don't anything or anyone from The Vampire Diaries

Hey guys, thanks for staying with me! Now it's time to get this story going...I hope you like it!

It wasn't unusual for me these days to wake up in the morning and feel the sudden urge to throw up. However today was extra special, because today was my first day starting at Mystic Falls High.

I've only been in town for three weeks, but for the most part I managed to hide away in my bedroom to try and avoid any kind of human contact.

Today there was no avoiding the outside world. Summer is officially over. My family have only been dead for six weeks but apparently that is long enough for me to stop hiding in my bedroom sulking and time for me to get back in to the real world.

"Elena, sweetheart, it's almost time to go. Are you ready?" Isobel asks me through the closed bedroom door.

I want to reply saying no. No I am not ready. I am not ready to be the new girl, I am not ready to start my junior year in a new school. I am not ready to live this new unwanted life I have found myself forced in to.

"Yes. One second." Is what comes out instead. I hear Katherine in the bathroom, her music blaring out of her speakers as she sings along obnoxiously.

She is so carefree. I try to remember how that used to feel but instead all I feel is pain. I pull open the bedroom door and Isobel startles for a moment before offering me a sympathetic smile.

"Don't worry, you'll be fine." She tries to reassure me but it doesn't work. "Katherine will be there to help show you around, won't you darling?"

"Sure." Katherine brushes past us and runs down the stairs and out of the door without another word. I swallow hard and I see Isobel watching me carefully and that puts me more on edge.

"Don't worry about her," she offers me gently. "She just hates the first day of school."

I nod slowly but don't give any other response, Isobel pats my arm and I take that as a sign that it's time to leave.

I don't bother saying goodbye to my Uncle John, he is probably locked away in his home office anyway. When I step outside, Katherine is already sitting in the front seat with her headphones plugged in to her ears and her eyes glued to her cellphone.

I sit in the backseat and we make the short drive to the school. I wonder why we couldn't just walk, it really isn't that far. When we arrive, Isobel wishes us both a good first day before driving away.

I'm surprised to see that Katherine has actually waited for me, and she motions with her head for me to follow her.

"Okay, so this is the quad." She waves her arm out around the crowded area. "That's the gym/sports hall," she points to a separate building across the parking lot. "Over there is the football field. They are really big on sports here." She explains as we walk through the crowds of people. It doesn't take me long to realize that Katherine is one of the popular kids, I hear many different people calling out her name to say hello. Some she acknowledges, others she doesn't even bother to spare a glance in their direction.

She clearly has all of the power.

"This is the main building, you'll have basically all of your classes in this building except for gym class and maybe health and sex ed. They are usually held in the sports hall. I'll take you to the principles office to collect your schedule." I follow her silently, trying my hardest to tell myself that the only reason people are staring is because they are looking at Katherine and not the new girl with the dead parents.

We walk into the reception area which is a little cooler than the rest of the school and I feel like I finally have a few seconds to breathe.

Katherine strolls confidently towards what I can only guess is the school secretary desk, a young rather pleasant looking young woman sitting behind the desk with a kind smile on her face.

"Hey Miss Sommers, this is my cousin Elena Gilbert, today is her first day. My Mom told me to bring her here."

"Of course," she looks at me over Katherine's shoulder. "Hi Elena, I'm Miss Sommers, it's nice to meet you." I'm surprised when she holds out her hand for me to shake. This would never have happened at my old school.

Not wanting to be rude, I shake her hand politely and offer her a small smile. "Nice to meet you too," I murmur quietly.

"Principle Lockwood is in a meeting at the moment but she told me to tell you to drop by tomorrow morning before class for an introductory meeting. In the meantime, here is your schedule." She hands me over a sheet of paper. "If you have any questions, please come and see me. I don't bite." She winks at me and for the first time since waking up this morning the nauseous feeling in my stomach stops. "No matter how small or silly you think it may be, this is what I'm here for." She hands me a small booklet. "This is just some information on the school, you know, activities, after-school clubs, that sort of thing." I take the booklet from her with a nod. "Your locker combination should be on the back of your schedule. I'm sure Katherine won't mind showing you to it?" She glances at my cousin who has been standing inspecting her nails.

She looks up at the sound of her name and it takes her a moment to realize this conversation now involves her.

"Sure." She answers simply and suddenly the nausea is back.

"Okay then," Miss Sommers claps her hand together. "I think that's everything. Like I said, if you need anything, you know where to find me."

"Thank you." I smile back politely and Katherine turns on her heel and walks out of the room. I follow her, unsure if this is now where we part ways but after a few moments she falls back in to step with me and pulls my schedule out of my hands.

"Math with Mr Kelso first period, ouch." She grimaces. "I had him last semester, he's boring as hell."

"Great," I mutter quietly.

Katherine surprisingly offers me a small smile. "You'll be fine. Plus, you have Mr Saltzman for History, he's the best. Oh look, we share a few classes." She continues to eye my schedule but doesn't bother to let me know which of those classes it is that we share. "Mrs Benson for Biology, hmm, she's a little loopy. Mr Williams for Physics, also boring. Apart from that, I think it's okay." She hands me back my schedule and then stops, tugging on my arm. "This is your locker." She motions to the one of many blue lockers lining the halls and I immediately curse myself for not paying attention while we were walking because there is no way I will be able to remember how to get here again on my own.

"Hey Katherine!"

"I have to go." She briefly waves at whoever calls her name. "I'll see you around."

Just like that she is gone and I'm left standing alone at my locker surrounded by a bunch of faceless strangers with no idea what to do next.

"Hey, can you lend me ten bux." I look up to see Stefan standing beside me as I sit on one of the many picnic benches in the quad.

"You didn't come home last night." I state simply as I look back down to my phone.

I don't have to look back up to know that Stefan is rolling his eyes. "Whatever, can you lend me 10 bux or not?" He asks impatiently.

"Nope."

"Damon," he groans loudly and I look up to see my best friend Enzo watching us with an amused smirk on his face. "Stop being a dick."

"Stop being a slob and get a job."

"You know I can't get a job, football season is starting and I'd have to miss some practices."

"And basketball practice starts in a month for me. Speak to your coach, get a job." I reply bluntly. Stefan groans loudly and mutters about me being a dick again before storming off.

Enzo chuckles from across from me and I look up at him with a raised eyebrow. "What?"

"You could have just lent him the ten bux, you know how stressed he gets over football."

"He needs to get a job. I'm sick of playing the big brother when I'm only six minutes older than him." I huff in annoyance. "I've worked my ass off all summer while he trained and played football all day. I'm not doing it anymore."

"Fair enough." Enzo muses as we fall into a short silence. "How's things at home?" I immediately tense, despite Enzo being my only friend who truly knows how bad things are with my Dad, I still don't like to talk about it. Especially here at school.

"Same old."

"I saw your Dad this morning, you know? He was sitting in Jack's yard playing poker over a crate of beer," he informs me carefully, "at 7am."

Another reason Enzo is so much in the know is because he is also lives in our trailer park. His trailer is just a few down from mine, so there is no hiding from him.

"Well that'll explain why he also didn't come home last night." I mutter but honestly I'm glad. I'd rather him be out drinking all night across the street in our neighbours yard over him sitting drinking alone in our trailer with Lucas and Emma around.

"You should tell someone." Enzo says seriously. "You should tell Miss Sommers, or the principle…or one of Luke and Emma's teachers. They would be able to help."

I scoff and shake my head. "Help? No way. They would take them away from us, they would separate us. There is no way in hell I am letting Lucas and Emma grow up in some foster home. No way. Look, I've got this, okay? And I know Stefan can be a whiny selfish dick sometimes but he helps take care of them. It's the only thing other than football that he is actually good at. We've got this." My tone is harsh but I don't care. There is no way in hell I am losing my little brother and sister and that is exactly what will happen if people find out the truth about my Dad.

"Okay, fine." Enzo holds his hands up in defeat. I clench my jaw but luckily the moment is broken when our friends Klaus and Marcel appear out of nowhere and pull us both into headlocks.

"Hey, you're Elena, right?" I look up from my book surprised to see a girl with dark hair looking at me with a sweet smile on her face. I nod silently. "My name is Bonnie, nice to meet you." Again just like Miss Sommers she reaches her hand out for me to shake and again I do, politely.

"Hi." I force a smile back, realizing that I probably should try and actually make friends here. I have spent my first two classes sitting quietly with my head down, avoiding all eye contact and conversation with my peers.

"So I heard a rumour that you're related to Katherine Gilbert, is that true?" She asks quietly as the teacher sits at the front. We are all supposed to be silently reading but Bonnie isn't the only one in the class talking.

The teacher doesn't seem to care much.

"Yep, she's my cousin." I reply, waiting for the 'oh my god, that's crazy. I love Katherine.' Response that I have received a few times already this morning from the very few people who have tried to talk to me.

"Ouch. Unlucky you." My head shoots up and I look at her surprised. She cringes. "Sorry…I shouldn't have said that…she's your family…"

"No." I shake my head, quickly waving her off and smiling my first genuine smile of the day. "That's okay."

It's not that Katherine has been a bitch to me or anything, she hasn't, but she hasn't exactly been welcoming to me either.

Cold and distant would be two words I would use to describe her.

"I kind of assumed everyone loved her…she seems so…popular."

"Yep, that's Katherine for you." Bonnie rolls her eyes. "My best friend Caroline is her friend, they are both on the cheer squad, but honestly, I have no time for the girl. I think she's a bitch." She realises again who she is talking too. "Sorry." I smile and shake my head, reminding her that it's okay. "If it helps, she doesn't like me all that much either."

I don't see why not. Bonnie is the first person I have met today who actually seems somewhat decent. I don't know what it is about this school, this town even, but everyone just seems so fake.

"Probably because I'm a trailer trash kid."

I practically choke on air and look at her bemused. "A what?"

"A trailer trash kid." Bonnie looks amused by my expression. "It's what they call us mere peasants who live in the trailer parks across town."

My jaw drops in shock. "That's awful."

Bonnie shrugs casually like it's not a big deal. "You're new to town. You'll learn soon enough how backwards this place is, you're either really really rich or really really poor. There is no in-between."

I think briefly to the big and spacious four bedroomed house that Katherine lives in and it doesn't take me long to figure out what category they fall into. I wonder if I'm automatically placed with the rich kids because I now live in their big house.

I wonder if they'll know that I have literally lost everything.

I have nothing now.

I push back those thoughts and turn my attention back to Bonnie. "That's still awful." I repeat, shocked that this sort of thing exists right now. We're supposed to be moving forward but it seems to me already that this town is at a standstill.

"You'll get used to it. It doesn't bother me. It won't bother you either after a while of living here and going to this school. You'll get sucked straight in to our small town politics."

"I used to live in a small town, and I promise you it was nothing like this."

Bonnie smiles a knowing smile. "This is Mystic Falls, it's a different kind of world here and nothing will ever change.."

I take a deep breath, my palms sweating and my hands shaking as I head towards the cafeteria. I can hear the loud noise of chatter and laughter all the way from the hallway and that only makes it even more intimidating.

I suck it up, reminding myself that it's not that scary. Nothing bad is going to happen.

I can do this.

I have been through a hell of a lot worse than lunch in a high school cafeteria.

I spot Katherine immediately, she is sitting at a large table with a crowd surrounding her, a mix of both boys and girls, clearly the popular kids of the school. Our eyes catch for a brief moment before she looks away and I realize that means she doesn't want me to come over.

I'm honestly okay with that.

I wait in line and pick a standard meal and when I turn back around my face starts to heat up again. This hall is huge, twice the size of the cafeteria in my old school.

I look around with my eyes, trying not to look too much out of place as I slowly walk through the spaces between the crowded table, praying there will be a spare one before I end up running to the bathrooms and eating lunch in the stall like the pathetic person I feel myself turning into.

"Elena!" I feel my shoulders sag in relief when I turn to see Bonnie standing at a table, waving me over with a welcoming smile.

"Hey," I approach her, still somewhat nervous and hesitantly. Just because she's saying hello, does not mean she wants me to join her and her friends for lunch.

"Come sit with us." She motions to an empty seat beside her and I set my tray down in relief. "Everyone, this is Elena, Elena this is everyone." The group all greets me with welcoming smiles and I feel myself finally starting to relax.

"So, Elena, how are you finding your first day?" A guy who I learned was called Matt asks me with a kind smile. He's cute, blonde hair, blue eyes, plays football. He's that guy.

"Fine." I reply simply before I remember I'm the one who has to make the effort here. They already have their friends, I'm the one who needs to impress. "It's a lot bigger than my old school. I've gotten lost a couple of times."

Matt nods in agreement. "It's the only high school in town, so everyone goes here." He explains but I'm still surprised because I honestly didn't think this town was even big enough to have a school this size packed with so many students. "Don't worry, you'll get used to it."

"Are you single?" A dark haired guy with a cocky smile asks me.

"Tyler!" The blonde girl next to him shrieks and punches him in the arm. "Ignore him, he's an ass." She looks at me with a smile and I slowly return it.

"What do you care? You're dating Klaus now."

"I am not dating Klaus." The girl scowls before turning to face me. "Tyler is my ex, my very bitter ex." She glares at him and Tyler rolls his eyes. "My name is Caroline, nice to meet you."

Caroline. Bonnie's best friend. Bonnie's best friend who is also friends with Katherine.

"You're Kat's cousin, right?" She asks after a moment and I nod. I see the pity and sympathy flash in her eyes and I realize that she knows the reason I'm here. It only lasts a minute but it's enough.

I wonder if everyone else knows too or if it's just something that only Katherine's friends are aware of?

Bonnie didn't mention anything, but then again it's not exactly a topic that people find easy to bring up. 'Oh hey, you're the orphan who lost her entire family in a house fire. Nice to meet you'.

"Do you like cheerleading?" Caroline asks, clearly reading my face and quickly changing the subject.

Bonnie groans loudly. "Leave her alone, Caroline. Too soon, give the girl one day here before trying to recruit her."

Caroline glares at her friend before looking back at me. "Try outs are next week, you should come. Katherine is the captain, I'm sure she would love to have you."

I doubt that.

"I actually used to cheer in my old school." I reluctantly confess, immediately regretting it when I see Caroline's eyes light up, "but I don't think I'm going to continue here."

"No you should!" Caroline sounds somewhat excited and I see Bonnie mouth 'sorry' at me and I hide my smile. "It's great to cheer here, we have lots of sports teams. Football, basketball, they all get great crowds."

"Especially the football." Matt winks at me, reminding me that he is on the team.

"I'll think about it." I offer, hoping that the subject will be dropped. Thankfully, Bonnie starts up another topic and I surprisingly fall into the conversion fairly easily.

It doesn't take me long to realize that I like this small group. Even Tyler, who I thought was a bit obnoxious at first has his good points so far.

I briefly wonder why Caroline isn't sitting with Katherine and the rest of the cheer squad but I decide not to bring it up. Especially since Bonnie made it very clear that she is not a fan of my cousin.

The rest of the day seems to go by without a hitch. I even found myself in classes with Matt, Caroline and another one with Bonnie on the afternoon which was nice. They all waved me over to sit with them and at least I no longer have to worry so much about making friends.

I try not to think about my parents and Jeremy too much. This is a fresh start and I don't want to be known as the girl who lost everything.

Bonnie said this town is full of fake people. Maybe I'll fit right in, I'm fairly good at pretending.

When I get home, I sit around the table with John and Isobel for dinner, I notice Katherine is missing but then Isobel briefly mentions that she is out with friends.

Maybe tomorrow I'll ask Bonnie if she wants to hang out after school, just to avoid the awkwardness of having to sit through this 'family' dinner again.

As soon as I am excused I head straight upstairs and lock myself in my bedroom. I stay there for hours, reading my book and browsing on my new laptop which Isobel bought me as a pity gift. I add Bonnie, Caroline, Matt and Tyler on Facebook and almost immediately I receive a message from Matt.

We chat for an hour or so, mostly about school, and places in town I need to visit and different restaurants to eat in.

It's nice.

I don't realize the time but my eyes start to strain reminding me that I should probably call it a night. I change in to my PJs before heading towards the bathroom. I flick on the light and curse when the room remains in darkness. Katherine mentioned that sometimes the light switch doesn't work.

I don't bother trying to call my Uncle John to come and fix it, and instead I leave the door slightly ajar to let some light in and continue with my nightly routine.

I finish brushing my teeth and start washing my face.

"Cute PJs." I almost shriek and swing around to see a guy who looks about the same age as me standing in the doorway with a smirk on his face.

He is only in his underwear and for a second I wonder if Isobel and John had a son I didn't know about.

I hope not because my eyes unintentionally trail over his toned body before looking back up to his smirking face. His bright blue eyes are watching me intently and my heart beat won't calm down.

"Sorry," he steps further into the room and pushes the door back closed so we are almost in darkness again. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"Who are you?" I wheeze out, still shocked.

There is a hot half naked guy in my bathroom.

"I'm Damon, I'm a friend of Katherine's. You must be Elena." He takes a step closer and holds out his hand.

I snap out of my trance and slowly slide my own into his and I suck in a breath when he lifts my hand to press a soft kiss against my knuckles.

"Nice to meet you." He winks at me and I thank God that it is dark in here so he can't see my embarrassing blush.

I quickly pull my hand from his grasp. "I uh…I should uh…bye." I brush past him quickly and practically run back into my bedroom, slamming the door shut behind me.

I lean back against it and let out a breath I didn't even know I was holding, immediately cursing myself for being so pathetic and embarrassing.

It takes me an extra minute or so to realize the reason why Damon was standing half naked in our bathroom. He is a friend of Katherine and we all know what that means.

I shake my head and head in to bed, trying to ignore the bright blue eyes fighting to get in to my subconscious.

Thanks for reading! And thank you so much for those who reviewed the first 2 chapters it really does mean a lot :)

Don't be shy, drop a review and let me know what you thought of this one. This story is going to be a little different than to what I'm used to writing, you'll probably notice more as it progresses - I'll not say anything more because I don't want to give anything away.

See you next time!