Hello darlings!
I am back, and the updates will be biweekly from now. I did have some time in the past few weeks but I made the mistake of watching a few episodes of the show and some interviews. Boy, did I spiral. Down the ships and the stans and fandoms. But the worst was the off screen drama with JP, CDries, MDavies and the guy who played Matt. A lot of racist comments, negativity and hate towards actors and characters. (You know what I'm talking about.)
I genuinely didn't know if there was anything salvageable about the TVD world for a while and so I stopped writing this for a while.
But that's probably also why I wanted to continue the fanfic. The characters deserve better, the girls deserve better, the plot deserves better. I may not deliver a full length redo, but I can make our favourite characters have some moments of self respect and empowerment.
On that note, this won't be outright Elena bashing either. She will be whiny and immature to start with, just like other characters have their own flaws, but she will grow beyond that. Same goes for all the major characters, good or bad, they won't be absurd.
Okay, this went longer than I imagined it would. Seeya later peeps!
A loud knocking at her door woke her up from her sleep. Knowing it won't stop any time soon, she resigned herself to put on some pants and open the door.
"What?"
It was that face again, she hated when he did this to her. Her head was pounding and she wanted nothing more than to sleep it off, but she had to push long enough to assure him she was fine.
"I didn't hear you come in last night, Vick. I was worried."
"Sorry Matty, I went to the next town with some friends and we got held up."
"Is that what you call getting stoned in the old cemetery? Do you have no respect for the dead?"
It was one of those days where her brother got all parental and self-righteous on her. Never mind that half of the town partied in and around cemeteries.
"I was out of town, Matt," she lied through her teeth. It helped that she was too stoned and out of her senses for her to look guilty while lying.
"Whatever, I'm going to the town square for the car wash. There's some food in the fridge, eat something and sleep it off, okay?"
"You're the best Matty, except that you wake me up."
"Someone has to."
"Ugh, don't start already. I'll eat. Now go! Isn't a bubbly blonde waiting for you?"
"Don't know what you're talking about."
"It's Mystic High, even I hear the gossip, little brother. The queen bee doesn't like to be kept waiting."
"Not you too, we're just hanging out, okay?"
"Anyone's better than Perfect Miss Gilbert," she shoved her brother out of the door and shut it on him.
It was a usual day in the Donovan household. Neither sibling knew their lives would change forever.
"No friend discounts, no freebies, no pay you laters. We are not running a charity here."
"Yes, Care," "As you say, Caroline," the girls nodded along. They knew better than to interrupt her prep talk. Stefan on the the other hand, didn't know better.
"Hi, Elena. Hi Caroline, hey Bonnie."
"Ugh, the event is called Sexy Suds, you know. Lose the shirt, boyfriend boy."
"Have I just been scolded?"
"And judged," Bonnie added.
"Boyfriend boy? That's mean even for Caroline though," Elena apologised for her friend. "She's a bit of a perfectionist, and strict when it comes to organizing and planning.
"Well, I'll have to lose the shirt then."
"You so have to," Elena pecked him.
"Get a room already," Bonnie gagged, walking away from the couple. She saw Matt looking their way and sighed. Matt hung on Elena didn't bode for either of them, or Caroline, who seemed genuinely interested in the quarterback.
"She's moved on, Matt. The pining has to end."
"I'm not pining. We broke up, I don't know why. But with the accident and her loss, I didn't want to push her. I just wish I understood."
"What difference would it make?"
"Well, I'd like to know if I did something wrong, make sure I don't repeat it," he turned towards Caroline.
"So, you do like her? It's not just a rebound?"
"I don't think it is. I love Elena, I probably always will love her, she was my first love, we were best friends for a long time before that too. But Caroline is different. It's like she sees me, not just all we have, but for what I am now. And I like her too."
"I'm glad you know where you stand. Make sure Caroline knows too."
"Caroline knows what?" The hurricane with the same name stormed in. "Stop dawdling and get to work. I see two cars in the line."
"Yes, ma'am," Bonnie saluted.
"Hey Care, have I told you you are pretty awesome?" Matt called out.
"I know I am, but I'm glad you're seeing it too," she giggled lightly. She allowed herself just a moment to take in the baby blues she'd been crushing on for a week. She ignored the suggestive actions Bonnie was making from her side of the car.
"Someone's got an admirer. Haven't I been gone for just a week?"
"Cassie!"
"Ouch, Caroline, I need air."
"Tough luck, I need you!"
"What can I do for you?"
"We have to get ready for the Founder's party."
"Merlin, this town has too many events!"
"Merlin?"
"Just an expression. So what did I miss?"
"Mission Matt en route. Miss Mystic crown on track."
"And Bonnie?"
"I'm keeping her occupied. She thinks it's me being me so is going with it."
"You're a schemer Caroline Forbes, I don't know how the others don't see it."
"Schemer sounds evil adjacent, I'd like to think myself as a meticulous organiser. Besides, how else do you get things done."
"I'm a schemer through and through, I don't know how others do it either. So anything I can do for you?" she gestured to the car wash.
"I'll give you an easy one cos you're awesome. The counter. Relieve Elena before she gives me the evil eye for keeping her away from her boyfriend too long."
"Alright, I've got it."
She walked from one of the parking slots towards the town square where the counter was set up. She briefly considered texting Damon to check on him, but shook off the thought. She was here on business. And her trip to New York gave her an unexpected breakthrough. It was just her luck that the teens in the town conveniently gathered at one place sober. Now was not the time to deviate and multitask.
"Hi Elena."
"Hey Cassie!" Stefan's girlfriend greeted her.
Elena Gilbert, daughter of one of the founding families of the town from 1850, has a younger brother, Jeremy. A candidate to keep an eye on. Troubled teen with a drug problem, pines over another degenarate, Vicki, a girl too old for him, occasionally gets into drunk brawls, mostly with the football jock, Tyler.
"Caroline sent me to relieve you." God bless Caroline, the head cheerleader caught her up to the town's teen gossip over phone the moment she showed interest to listen.
"Oh great, I was just going to ask Tiki to handle this. I have to go."
Elena stepped away from the counter and towards the washing area before she took a 180 and walked back.
"Actually, Cassie, can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"What is the deal with Stefan and Damon?"
"What do you mean?"
"The strain is visible, I hear animosity when Stefan talks about Damon. Stefan was away the majority of the week to take care of Damon, whatever that means. He asked me to stay away from the Boarding House too for a while. He told me you guys were leaving town."
"Did he now...?" she trailed. "Look, Elena, they have issues they need to sort. I stay out of it because it doesn't concern me. I think you should do the same."
"How can you say that? They need our help."
"I'm sure they don't. Siblings have their own dynamics, I'm sure you and your brother have issues too," she threw a bait to test waters and set the stage for later,. "External intervention rarely works. And if Stefan asked you to stay, you should listen to him."
"You know something."
"I do, but what Damon tells me in confidence isn't something I'm willing to share with you."
"But it's about Stefan."
"Yes, your boyfriend of, what, a month? He doesn't need to tell you anything. If and when you get there in your relationship, he'll tell. Until then, you're going to have to trust him on certain things."
The straight haired brunette huffed and walked away.
She sighed and turned to the younger vampire who appeared less than two minutes later.
"That was unnecessarily harsh. Has Damon compelled you to create a rift between us?"
"Stefan, I am not talking about Damon and his non-compulsion with you anymore," she was beyond exasperated by the so called good brother, aka, The Ripper of Monterey. Self righteous, vegetarian vampire, weak but that didn't make him any less persistent in her experience. "Clearly, you don't want to hear it. And I'm tired of repeating myself over and over."
"Then why were you rude to her?"
"I wasn't, Stefan. I am trying to avoid a supernatural secret blowing up for nothing." She cut him off before he could start spewing something she'd rather not hear. "And how I talk to her isn't any of your business, that's between me and her. Looks like she's got the same problem too, poking her into things that don't concern her. Now, I'm not one for unsolicited advice, but I will indulge this time since your gall offends me. This looks like the beginning of an unhealthy codependence that can ruin your relationship even if your secrets don't. Now, if you don't mind," she gestured him away.
"We have a connection no one can understand."
"Sure, and I'm happy for you. But I want nothing to have to do with you, let's just steer clear of each other."
Abruptly, a tall girl with dirty blonde hair stumbled into Stefan and slipped in between them, making Stefan freeze.
"Oh dude, sorry, I didn't know where I was going," she sang high as a kite. "Wait, don't I know you? We smoked up together yesterday, didn't we? Do you have more of the stuff from last night? It was one hell of trip, man!"
The vampire paled further at her words, "Umm, I don't know what you're talking about, you've got the wrong person. You should leave," he tried to compel her.
If that wasn't fishy, she didn't know what was. Why would he try to compel someone in the middle of the town square? Why was he all the defensive suddenly? She raised an eyebrow at him, stepped back slightly to keep her distance but eyeing them closely with interest.
"I just got here, why would I leave?"
He tapped the girl's face trying to get her to look at him in an attempt to make eye contact to make the compulsion hold. The girl couldn't have been more incooperative, falling into him and pulling herself away at the same time. "Woah, let go off me!" She was unsuccessful in her endeavor but definitely made a scene worth the crowd's attention.
Two teens reached them before she even considered intervening.
"Let her go dude, can't you hear her?" a lanky teenager called out.
"How is that you're always making a mess, Salvatore?" an older, bulkier teen shoved the young vampire, in vain.
"I don't need your help, Tyler, it's not like you're any better," the girl in question spat at her wannabe rescuer.
"It wasn't like that, Vicki. I went too far that day, but this douche can't think he can manhandle you!"
"What do you mean you went too far? The lanky guy questioned, "What did you do now, Lockwood?"
"For god's sake, stay out of this Gilbert!"
Oh, this just had to be her lucky day. Tyler Lockwood and Jeremy Gilbert at each others' throats.
"Hear that punk? Guess the pillpusher has been replaced."
"Like you're any better, you piece of shit! You don't deserve her."
By this point the two of them were going at it chest to chest, Vicki, the druggie now held back by her ex-manhandler for her own safety. It didn't take too long for it to escalate to blows.
From the corner of her eye, she saw Elena and an older woman push through the crowds. Matt, the other football jock seemed to be a few seconds away too. She didn't waste another moment, stepped right into the brawl, pulling the lanky Gilbert away and shoving Tyler away.
"That is enough, both of you!" she ordered, her eyes molten silver, half transformed to her animagus form, taking care not to look towards the gathered bunch.
"Stay put" a clear order.
Tyler backed off immediately, surprise but submission clear in his face while she felt the young Gilbert still struggling to break free.
Bingo!
Not a moment later, Elena pulled her brother away, Matt pushed Stefan away from his sister. Tyler stared at her unnmoving before he took off
"Stay away from my sister, man!" Matt cried out. Elena moved her Jeremy to Stefan and intervened on his behalf.
"There must have been some misunderstanding, Matt. You know how Vicki is..." she trailed, the second sentence much softer than the first.
"Yeah, how am I, bitch?" Vicki pounced at Elena from Matt's embrace.
"Just take her away, Matt. She's not stable.
She just smirked at Stefan who was miserably trying to hide something.
The plot is afoot!
I don't know about you, I've been waiting to kick off with the plot. Unfortunately, world building and stage setting took longer than I'd like. But from now one, expect a rollercoaster.
Reviews please!