Shiloh sighed to herself as she packed her books away, getting up from her seat. It had been yet another history class that had gone over her head. As per usual, she stayed longer than anyone else, packing up her things as slowly as possible. "Surprised? It's a good essay. Your thoughts are clear, and your argument is well laid out. It's just, uh, you don't actually think there are vampires in Mystic Falls?" Shiloh glanced up at Alaric who had stopped Jeremy to give him his essay back.
"No. I mean, I think statistically there's been more animal attacks, mysterious deaths, uh, people gone missing, more than any other place in the whole commonwealth of Virginia." Jeremy said.
"It's conjecture, but creative, which is why you got the "A." I just wouldn't get too, uh, caught up in the whole conspiracy theory of it all." Alaric said.
"Ah, I won't." Jeremy assured him.
"Oh, uh, Jeremy,the source that you cited for the 1860s info, uh, Jonathan Gilbert...?"
"Oh, my ancestor's journal?"
"I'd really like to see that sometime."
"Really?"
"A first-person account of the Civil War? That's like, uh, porn for a history teacher." Alaric grinned. Jeremy reached into his bag, pulling out the journal and handing it to Alaric.
"You think my essay's creative, wait till you get a load of this thing."
"Thank you." Alaric said, his eyes fixed on the journal as Jeremy left the room.
"Excuse me, sir?" Shiloh spoke up.
"Oh, Shiloh. What's up? We still on for the tutor session tonight?" Alaric asked.
"Yeah, I was just making sure." Shiloh nodded her head. "Can I ask... what's so important about that journal?"
"Well, it's amazing. The civil war was kinda a big deal, and to have someone who was actually there and lived it, I mean, wouldn't you want to know what they had to say?" Alaric asked.
"Yeah, I guess so." Shiloh said, eyeing the teacher one more time before heading to her next class.
He wanted Jonathan Gilbert's journal.- Shiloh
He is a history teacher- Lexi
You don't find it kinda weird that the new history teacher no one knows anything about who always wears a majorly eck ring wants the journal of a historic vampire hunter?- Shiloh
You still think he's a vampire?- Lexi
Maybe. Or maybe he's a vampire hunter, following in the footsteps of a Buffy- Shiloh
Your mind is a wonderfully creative place, you know that?- Lexi
"Hey, Shy, mind getting me an application?" Matt asked.
"Sure." Shiloh replied, heading behind the counter and bringing him back an application and a pen. "I didn't know you were looking for a job." She said.
"Matt Donovan. What do you know?" Ben said, appearing behind the bar.
"Ben McKittrick. What's up, man?" Matt asked.
"Rough season, bud." Ben said.
"Yeah. It's kind of hard to recover when you have to forfeit half your games."
"You gonna be workin' here?" Ben asked.
"Yup, followin' in your footsteps, minus the state championship."
"Well, we can't all be football gods."
"Watch it Ben, that hats not gonna fit if your head gets any bigger." Shiloh teased. "So, Matt, what's the job? Cook?"
"Busboy." Matt said.
"Well, good luck, I'll put in a good word for you." She said, going back to work.
"Everything ok over here?" Shiloh looked up when she heard Ben's voice. He seemed to be breaking up a fight between Bonnie and Damon.
"Yeah, we're fine." Damon said.
"I wasn't talkin' to you." Ben said. Shiloh hurried over and grabbed Damon's arm.
"Come on, Damon." Shiloh said, tugging his arm. "Please." She added. Damon stood his ground for a second longer, then followed Shiloh away from Bonnie and Ben.
"You know just because I like you doesn't mean I won't hurt you." Damon said once they were outside the grill. "Or at least someone you care about, there sure as hell aren't a shortage of them."
"You like me?" Shiloh asked surprised. "I thought- nevermind, why is bad to have people you care about?"
"Cause they hurt you." Damon said.
"That's not true." Shiloh said.
"So it doesn't hurt you that Liz is a sheriff first and a mother second. Or that Caroline's to much of an airhead to realize somethings going on with you. Or that your best friend clearly ditched you for his little druggie girlfriend. Or that no one seems notice you're all alone with the dangerous, murderous vampire." Damon said.
"Not everyone hurts the people that care about them, Damon." Shiloh said, his voice cracking slightly. "You didn't hurt me... until now." She said, turning and going back to work with tears welling up in her eyes that she quickly pulled back.
"Matt? What's wrong?" Shiloh asked as Matt stormed by. "Bad first shift?" She asked once she had followed him into the back room. "Why don't you take a breather, I'll cover for you for a while. I know if can be kinda overwhelming at first, but you'll get it."
"How can you be related to Caroline?" Matt asked.
"So, this isn't work problems, this is friend problems. We're in the same boat on that one I'm afraid."
"You and Jeremy have a fight?" Matt asked.
"Not Jeremy." Shiloh sighed. "Back to you, what's the deal with Caroline?"
"No offence, but your sister can be such a snob sometimes." Matt said.
"Sometimes." Shiloh agreed. "But, another thing about Caroline, she also has a tendency to talk without thinking. She doesn't mean to be so... snobby. She just hasn't grown into what she can be. Give her time, she'll be who I know she can be." Shiloh said.
"You're sure the two of you are sisters?"
"The DNA test haven't come back yet."
"See ya, Shiloh. You're sure you can handle closing by yourself?" Matt asked.
"Yes, now go, go win my sister back. She deserves a nice guy for once." Shiloh smiled.
"Thanks." Matt said, practically running out of the grill and to his truck in the parking lot. Shiloh smiled to herself, but the smile quickly dropped as Damon's words replayed in her mind. Jeremy was talking about a new girl, what if he decided to ditch her again. Would she be put second to another girl? She sighed, the thoughts running wild in her head as she whipped down a table. She headed to the back to get a cleaner dish towel and noticed all the dishes were washed and stacked. She tilted her head in confusion, heading back out to the front. The entire grill was cleaned, all the chairs were put up on the tables and the trash cans were emptied. Even the dark boards were neatly closed and the pool sticks back in there racks. She smiled to herself as she picked up the small necklace left on the table nearest her. She ran her fingers across the smooth silver locket and smelt the faint scent of vervain as she brought it closer to inspect it.
"Thank you." Shiloh whispered, putting the locket safety around her neck.
