Chapter 10

or

Dream Land

Three days. I was knocked out for three days. Altogether it'd been a week since I'd seen Tyler. He ignored my phone calls and didn't respond to my texts. He left me.

Katherine hadn't gotten a hold of us since we got Alaric and Jules back—since I jumped. Everyone agreed it would be safe for me to get back to school. So I did.

Mom was fine. She could finally get back into work and I could finally get back into my old routine.

When I walked through the front door of my apartment, everything looked the same. My roomate's—ex roommate—shoes were on the floor next to the front door, and the kitchen light was on. We always left it on for when we came in late. I turned it off before heading to my room.

I shut Rose's open door not wanting to even look at things that reminded me of her betrayal.

They still had her at the Manor. She was free to leave the room, but not the house. They watched her every waking moment. She wasn't allowed to talk to anyone else who she would be able to Compel and could have no contact with Katherine, her maker.

When I got to my room, there were dirty clothes still needed washed and my desk had different papers covering the top. My bed wasn't made and I didn't feel like fixing it. I didn't even feel like eating.

I tried calling Tyler again.

No answer.

Shocking.

Instead I went back to sleep.

The next day, my alarm clock woke me up, a sound I wasn't at all used to. I'd been sleeping in back at Mystic Falls and I didn't want to wake up. For once I didn't want to go to class.

But I did. I threw on some jeans and a hoodie, not caring about doing my hair or make-up. Finals were soon so people probably thought that's why I didn't care about my appearance.

I wonder if I would see him today, Tyler that is. I didn't know if he was still with his uncle Mason or back at school. I hoped he wasn't at school. I didn't want to see him.

It was warmer than I'd remembered outside. Spring time meant couples attacking each other on the lawns and the birds singing quite too happily. Snow wasn't covering the sidewalk, which was nice.

In the distance I saw a familiar football player with his arm around his chosen girl of the month. Matt Donovan.

It felt like a lifetime ago when Matt and I had a date at the coffee shop. Instead I fell in love with a boy who was in debt to protect me. I hope the hole in my heart would leave soon.

I walked into class and no one noticed my entrance. To them I was just another student who skipped class for nearly a whole semester. To my professors, I might as well be failing his or her class.

Sadly enough, I didn't care. I knew I would pass, I turned everything in and I took all my tests online while back visiting Mystic Falls. My lowest grade was a 91 for each quiz.

I had an hour for each test so there was no way I could look in my book to cheat for all of one hundred questions. The only thing that was holding me back in this class was that I had skipped so many lectures. Same with all my other courses.

"Miss. Forbes, how lovely to see you today," Professor Franks said.

I guess it was every teacher's job that day to call me out on my attendance in front of the entire lecture, not that I was there, but that I was finally back and able to join in. They all knew why I was back home taking care of Mom.

"Miss. Forbes, how wonderful it is for you to join us."

"Miss. Forbes, we should speak after class about that grade of yours," one said as if my grade was poor. I would be able to keep my scholarship with the high marks I've made this year. Even though I missed out, it didn't mean I was failing.

"Everything back home is fine," I promised Professor Sylvia. She, like a couple other of my teachers, pulled me aside on the way out to speak with me.

She was luckily my last class for the day and wanted to talk to me about my well being. I never knew teachers would care so much in college. They didn't my first semester when I got sick with mono.

"Good, you're a very bright student," she said shuffling papers around on her desk.

I just nodded, taking the conversation to be over and headed out the door.

"Caroline!" I heard my name being yelled. I turned around to see a bouncy brunette headed my way. Jannet Boulding, easiest, but nicest, cheerleader on the squad. "I'm so happy to see you back here! I thought you were still back in Mystic Falls. How's your mom?"

"J," I greeted as she looped her arm though mine. "You seem to be in a good mood. Mom's fine and I didn't want to miss finals coming up."

"Or the parties," she giggled. "Speaking of which, one of our favorite fraternity brothers is having one tonight and the entire squad is invited."

The squad had a lot of 'favorite' fraternity brothers considering how many of us were in sororities. I can only imagine who's have the 'before finals' party. I might as well go though since I was trying to get back into my old routine.

"Sure, I'd love to go," I said as she led me out of the building.

Later that night I was putting on red lipstick and adding more mascara than usual. J insisted that I put on skinny jeans and a dark shirt to highlight the natural blonde in my hair. To make her happy, I did.

The party was bigger than any I'd been to. The frat house was three stories high and the lawn was able to fit at least six cars on it if there wasn't enough space on the street.

It felt weird walking in high heels again, but I strutted through them well enough. As soon as I walked through the front door, strong arms lifted me in a hug from behind. Only one guy on campus ever did that to me.

"Spence, put me down!" I screeched until he set me down.

"Forbes, where ya been?" Alcohol reeked from his mouth while a wide grin spread across his face. "I missed you. We all did, actually. Want a beer? C'mon I'll take you to the kitchen."

He grabbed my hand softly and tugged me along gently in his slightly tipsy way until we got to the room where nearly every table was covered with empty or full red party cups. "FORBES!" some people erupted as I opened my beer. I was attacked with five more hugs for the lifetime I was away from school. I'm sure word spread why I left. But I wasn't ready for this kind of welcome.

I barely went to the parties anyway because I wanted to focus on school so this was one of the few times I went out. I hadn't realized how many people missed me, or knew me for that matter.

It was getting so claustrophobic until Spence led me outside where we sat with some people by a bonfire. Behind us, some guys were playing football. Random grunts and yells were thrown around while some of them got tackled.

"Do you know where J went?" I asked Spence.

"No," he answered handing me a drink. I took it and nearly chugged the entire thing down. I needed to let loose and forget everything.

"Watch it there, you don't want to drink too fast," Spencer said, slurring his words. I was vaguely aware of footsteps coming closer to us.

"Well well well, if it isn't Caroline Forbes," a deep voice said behind us.

"Tyler?" I asked before the person came in to view.

"No, it's Brandon," he said. I recognized Brandon from somewhere. "Aren't you Matt's best friend? Matt Donovon?"

"Yeah!" he said, more excited than a sober person. He probably already had a few drinks in his system. "I'm surprised you remembered me. I don't think anyone could forget you, the girl who turned Donovan down." A blush crept up to my cheeks in embarrassment as he handed me another drink to replace my empty one.

"I'll be right back guys. I need a refill," Spencer said to us.

"Cheers to you," Brandon said. "To the girl who rejected the non rejectable." We clinked our drinks together, he more so than I, and nearly spilled everything on himself. He took his drink without even noticing the mess he made and I followed, chugging yet another cup down.

It wasn't until he licked his lips that he looked down,did he realize the spill. I never pegged Brandon as a lightweight. He must have had a lot to drink.

"Oh no, Caroline! I spilt this drink on myself! I need to clean this off! Do you know where the bathroom is?" he asked, genuinely upset.

"Here, I'll help you find it," I said giggeling. Finally, I was beginning to feel the drinks in my system. "You can't tell you spilled your beer though, Brandon," I said pulling him to the house to help him find a bathroom to clean up. "You're wearing a dark shuuurt," I said slowly and making the 't' pop. "And dark pants… so I mean, really, it's hard to tell."

"Awe thank you Caroline, that is really sweet of you." Why was I already slurring my words? Alcohol never kicked in this quickly. Brandon looked at his cup with an odd expression, as if contemplating something, then looked at me with a bright smile. "Hey can you finish my beer for me? I don't want to finish it, but it would be sush a shame to waste it."

It really would have been a shame to just throw it away, or leave it unattended. He didn't have that much left anyway, so I helped him finish it.

It was so hard to find a bathroom. The music was loud and we had to push through at least three couples just to get to the other end of the room.

When we finally found one and I waited outside the door for him until I heard someone call my name down the hall. We were on the third floor, how we got up here without any trips or falls, I'd never know. But we were the only ones up here, so who called my name?

"Brandon!" I yelled loudly, hoping he would hear me form the other side of the door. "I'll be right back!" I felt like a drunk person yelling for a taxi with the tone of voice I was using.

I walked down the hall, nearly tripping over my feet until I heard my name from another room. When I walked in, a horrible figure stood in my sight.

"Katherine!" I yelled, wishing this were a dream. "No!" Why wouldn't she go away?! "You aren't supposed to be here!"

"I'm here for the last part of the game, Caroline dear." She said before looking past me, immediately clutching her head and screaming in agony

"You're done with these games from us," my best friend said behind me. I would recognize Bonnie's voice anywhere, no matter how drunk I was. "Katherine, you will stop messing with us, and leave us alone, so help me if I don't kill you now!"

Katherine screamed louder than I thought possible. I sat down on the floor, unable to take in what was happening. Katherine was here? I was drunk? And Bonnie just knew to come here?

"Tyler, come in here and get Caroline. Where are Damon and Stefan? They should be here by now," she yelled at him as his arms wrapped around me to help me up.

"Come on beautiful," he said quietly in my ear. "They're almost here," he told Bonnie. Even when he wasn't talking to me, I still got the butterflies.

"Tyler, why're you here? You hate me," I said as he escorted me out of the room. "And what is Bonnie doing?" I asked, trying to act more sober than what I was.

"University, hush. Come one, let me get you home." His voice was so sweet and so concerned for me, it made me melt.

We were walking down the steps when we bumped into Stefan and Damon. "Where have you been? You're screwing up our plan!" My Angel began to scold.

I'd never seen Stefan glare at Damon that hard before. Damon must've done something again.

"Tyler, I'm tired," I said hoping it hadn't come out as a whine. It probably did. Bye!" I yelled at Elena's boyfriend and his brother as they went to assist my friend.

I hadn't even realized we reached the bottom floor until I saw Brandon in the kitchen making out with some other girl. I'm glad he cleaned the beer off himself.

When we got to the car, Tyler slowly tucked me into the passenger's side, his warm hands buckling me in. He kissed my forehead before shutting the door for me.

When he parked in front of my apartment complex, he got out first and helped me out of my car like I was five again and my mom was helping me get ready for bed. I didn't know if it was his supernatural strength, or the fact that he was naturally strong, but he carried me all the way to my room number and I handed him my keys so he could unlock the front door.

He set me down on my bed, as gently as a feather landing on water and brushed some hair out of my face. His dark eyes had the most amazing shine to them that night.

"Tyler, I'm so glad you're back," I told him as he began to take my shoes off.

"I'm sorry I left," he replied setting the shoes down. His hands trailed along my ankles as he slowly pulled my right sock off before going to the other one.

"Why did you?" My left ankle got more attention than my right as the sock was slowly pulled off.

"I had to," he said looking up with a pained expression. "We finally got information out of Rose and found out Katherine would go after you first. So we let you go home without telling you anything."

"You knew Katherine was coming after me?" I said leaning up on my elbows.

He crawled towards me and reached for my hand. I didn't realize what he was doing until he unclasped the bracelet around my wrist and set it on my nightstand. His fingers trailed up my arm, slowly and compellingly as he reached my neck to take off the jewelry that hung off it.

"I did. It was the only way to catch her. I've been watching you since you got home to make sure you were safe. I couldn't talk to you in case she,Katherine, knew we were planning something. Caroline, I'm so sorry. I knew how sad you were and I didn't do anything."

"Tyler," I said, my eyes fluttering shut. I wanted his face to be the last I saw that night. "Fall asleep with me."

The last thing I felt was his protective arm around me, holding me close and his steady heartbeat matching my every breath.

"I'll never let you go," he said as I escaped peacefully into a wonderful dream world.

Hey, I am so sorry for taking so long to write this. I finally got a computer and got stumped on to how continue with this story. I just wanted to apologize to you for saying I'd post it up a certain day and end up not doing it, which isn't like me at all. In the meantime of having writers block, I've been writing some other fanfics(that I haven't posted yet because I want to get a couple chapters done first) and would like to get your opinion. Would you like me to stick with Forwood, or mix it up with Forwood AND Delena/Stelena? OR, to push it even FURTHER!... make a Twilight or Harry Potter fanfic? I already have some ideas made, so review and let me know, or pm me and give me your opinions. I want to write something you would love to read. I hope you review so I know your thoughts. Thank you, and sorry again.

-Pheyth

P.S. I am already started on the next chapter and will post it asap.