I had started getting visions of a new Petrova doppelganger exiting. The more often I had got these visons the clearer they became, and learned that this new doppelganger lived in the town of Mystic Falls, Virginia. Despite my reluctance to ever move back to what was once the village I grew up in I decided that I needed to move to Mystic Falls, with the hope of saving the girl from the dark fate that she was unwillingly thrust into just by the sheer unluckiness of DNA. It took me a few weeks to get everything ready, but a little over a month later I found myself in Mystic Falls. I arrived at the house I had purchased, knowing I would be here for a while. I also took the time to register myself as a new student at the local High School. I spent the rest of the summer getting ready to go back to school and learning about the town I now called home and learned who and how well they knew the supernatural history of this town.
Before I knew it, it was the first day of class and I made my way into the school. After spending half an hour in the main office I had my schedule and walked out and into the sea of people that filled the hallways. I walked down the hallway focused on trying to figure out where I was supposed to go, that I didn't notice there was someone in front of me until I walked right into them.
"Oh I am so sorry. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going." I said as I looked at the blonde girl I crashed into.
"It's not a problem first days are always challenging, are you new here?" the girl said.
"Yes I am. I just moved here about a month ago" I told her.
"Welcome to Mystic Falls, small town America. Nothing ever happens here so you'll be bored fast. I'm Caroline by the way." the girl said.
"That won't last too long, things will change in a few years I'm afraid" I said under my breath. "I'm Catalina, nice to meet you Caroline" I said.
"You too, we should probably head to our first class, what class do you have?" Caroline asked motioning that we should start walking. I glanced down at the piece of paper in my hands trying to figure out what class was first.
"History" I said looking at my class schedule.
"That's what class my friends and I have, follow me I'll show you around today" Caroline said as she started walking off in the direction I was originally heading. I quickly started walking after her. As we walked Caroline gave me the generic tour of the school promising that the rest of it would be learned as the year went on. Suddenly Caroline stopped and opened a door on our right so we could walk into a classroom. As we walked into the room I saw a group of people wave to Caroline and she walked over to where they were sitting by the windows.
"Hey guys this is Catalina, she's new." Caroline said as she took a seat next to one of the boys. Caroline pointed to another one of the empty desks by the other two girls in the group for me to sit in.
"I hope Care here hasn't scared you too much talking school gossip, I'm Tyler by the way" the guy Caroline sat down by said.
"Nice to meet you Catalina, I'm Matt" the other boy said.
"Bonnie, welcome to Mystic Falls" the dark skinned girl said.
"Elena, I hope you like it here" the girl who I knew to be the doppelganger I was searching for said.
"Nice to meet you all" I said as I sat down in the desk in front of Elena. They continued the conversation about summer vacation and what they all did before the teacher walked in. Class began with the teacher briefly touching on everything we would be covering throughout the year. I smiled knowing that this class was going to be fun for me. After all I lived through history and should already know all this, and the fact that humans always end up getting at least 25% of the information wrong. The day passed in the typical first day of school fashion and before I knew it, it was time for lunch. I followed Bonnie to the cafeteria from the class we just had together. I grabbed some food and followed Bonnie to the table her friends usually sit at.
"So I never got to ask, what brings you to Mystic Falls? It's the most boring town on the east coast" Matt asked once everyone sat down at the table.
"My mother grew up a few hours from here and decided that she wanted to move back, but without actually being in the town she grew up in." I said going with the first thing that came to mind. I continued to tell them modified versions of things I had done throughout my life, making them believable for people who didn't know the truth yet. The day passed and before I knew it the end of the day arrived and I was heading out of the school ready to walk home. I was surprised at how easy the day had been and I felt like it was one of the easiest first days of high school I had ever experienced. Days faded by and Caroline and her friends always included me in their group and we became fast friends. I felt like I had known them forever and couldn't imagine not having them, I hoped they didn't hate me too much when the truth comes out. One day about a month into the school year after I made up some story about my parents leaving town on business, Bonnie had invited me over to her house for dinner and I accepted excited about not eating by myself for once. I arrived at her house and knocking on the door and was greeted by a face I hadn't seen in fifty years.
"Sheila" I said in a quiet voice not wanting to give myself away before it was necessary.
"Catalina" Sheila responded just as quietly as she opened the door enough to let me in the house. I quickly stepped in as Sheila closed the door behind me
"I can't believe that I didn't realize it sooner, that Bonnie is your granddaughter. She looks so much like you did at that age. I'm assuming that Bonnie doesn't know the truth about what she is?" I asked not sure if the young girl knew about our world yet.
"No she doesn't. After Abby my daughter ran away, I promised her father that I wouldn't tell her until after she turned 16. After all he is human and doesn't fully understand our world" Sheila said looking down.
"I understand, it is hard for people that are not part of our world to understand and except our world. Don't worry, I won't mention anything until you tell her" I smiled at the older woman knowing that when she did tell Bonnie that it would come as a shock. Seconds later I watched as Bonnie walked into the room.
"Hey sorry about not answering the door Cat, I was helping my dad finish setting the table" Bonnie said.
"It's okay, I was getting to know your grandmother here" I said realizing that I was still in the doorway.
"Well, that means that dinner should be just about ready let's make our way into the dining room" Sheila said ushering Bonnie and I into the next room. Dinner was amazing and after helping to clean up Bonnie and I headed to her room to hang out and work on some homework to make her dad happy. A few hours later I was getting ready to head home when Sheila had offered to give me a ride. We got in the car and I could tell that Sheila was nervous about why I was here and still had some questions for me.
"We are safe now, what do you want to know?" I asked as we pulled away from the house.
"I need to know why you are here and if it will affect my granddaughter" Sheila said.
"To be honest with you, my time here will affect Bonnie since she is friends with Elena. But Elena is the one that I am here for. She has a very painful future ahead of her I want to protect her from as much as I can. I also want to end the reign of terror the brother of two people I care deeply about holds over both then and any supernatural being. I believe there is a chance that Elena is the doppelganger who is destined to help alter the doppelganger curse enough to render Petrova doppelgangers useless." I said.
"I have always loved Elena like she was my own granddaughter, she and Bonnie have been friends since they were little kids, and I have known that as Elena grew up and began to look more and more like the doppelgangers that have come before her that, that alone will drag Bonnie into situations that I wish she could avoid. I need to know that you will be there for Bonnie and keep her safe" Sheila said with a sorrow tone in her voice.
"Bonnie is Elena's best friend, so that means I will do anything I can for her as well as their other friends" I said.
"I'm glad that they have you, they will need your strength to lean on when their worlds turn upside down" Sheila said as she pulled up in front of my house. I smiled as I climbed out of the car.
"If you want me there when you tell Bonnie just let me know, sometimes news like this can be easier to digest when you have someone to lean on" I said as I shut the door and walked into the house. Realizing that Bonnie is a Bennett witch changes just what I have to prepare for when the truth does come.
The next year and a half passed by in what felt like the blink of an eye. For as long as I have been alive, it might as well have been. I couldn't believe that today was Grayson and Miranda Gilberts funeral; they were the nicest people I had met in the longest time. They did not deserve the fate they had. I had to be there for Elena losing your parents had to be hard when you had a good relationship with them. It made me miss my parents for about a split second and then I remembered what horrible people they were and that they didn't deserve my sorrow. I headed for the church ready to support my friend. The funeral passed and everyone headed to the cemetery to bury the couple. I noticed that Sheila Bennett had stayed behind and something told me that I should stay with her because she was facing a tough decision.
"Something on your mind Mrs. Bennett" I asked as I walked up to the woman politely incase someone over heard us.
"I have decided that I am going to tell Bonnie once school lets out for the summer, I just hope I'm doing the right thing" Sheila said.
"It is her birth right, so no matter what it is the right thing to do. No matter what Rudy may have wanted" I told her.
"Will you still be there to help soften the blow?" Sheila asked
"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else; I remember how I felt when I found out I was a witch it was probably the most shocking thing I had ever heard even if I was young. Even if it wasn't such a secretive thing in my village, although when you grow up in an exiled family anything can be shocking" I said thinking about the day I found I learned of the magic flowing through me and the reason my family lived so far from the village.