I honestly don't remember when Alaric quit teaching, and I don't have my blurays right now... I'll get to the fact checking when I have them available. This story starts around the beginning of season 2. But this is more of a filler/introduction, though. Thank you for following and favouring, enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own The Vampire Diaries
''Mum! I need a pen!''
I frantically rummaged through one of our kitchen drawers where we usually kept pens, notepads and such – and I couldn't find a single one. I groaned. I was late for school. Not that I went to school – I sometimes filled in as a substitute. I'd graduated two years ago, facing my crushed dreams of going to university and going straight to working at the Grill to help support my mother and I. Sometimes Mystic Falls High called me to fill in for some of their teachers since they knew that I was both reliable and versatile.
''Mum!'' I yelled, my stress emanating in frustration.
I heard her rushed steps and seconds later she appeared in the doorway with a pen in hand.
''Will this do?'' I nodded and pretty much snatched it out of her hand. ''This isn't like you, Evangeline.''
''I know,'' I answered shortly. ''I didn't get much sleep last night.''
My mother put a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear, frowning. ''Do you want to talk about it?''
I shook my head and threw everything I needed food-wise into my bag. ''I'm late.''
I gave her a quick hug. ''See you later.'' I waved at her and hurried out to my bike.
We did have a car, it's just that my mother needed it for work on some days. She was a nurse at the hospital here in Mystic Falls, a profession which came with a lot of overtime and many night shifts. We didn't always get to see much of each other these days, since I juggled working at school and taking as many evening shifts at the Grill as I could.
Substituting was fun, usually. Since I was only a couple of years older than most of the students, and we'd all grown up in the same town, it felt awkward on my part from time to time. But I did my best, and I was getting better at it. The class I usually had was English, sometimes history, so I was comfortable around most of the English students. Today, though, it was my first time getting to hold a French class. Me speaking French was the result of my high school education. I always had a knack for languages, so I didn't really have a problem substituting in the subject, even though I wasn't a hundred percent fluent.
When I'd made it to school, and gotten all the materials I needed from the teachers office, I quickly headed over to the classroom. I had French first, and to be honest? I was really, really nervous. Opening the door, I found most of the class already seated. Surprisingly.
''Bonjour!'' I smiled at the students, hoping it didn't look too strained. Or that I looked stuck up. Or something – I pretty much ran every possible scenario I could think of through my head. ''Comment-allez vous?''
Those who didn't just stare at me, stared at their phones. And I didn't get any response. I sighed inwardly, and sure hoped I would fare better in my upcoming English class. There was nothing so exhausting as trying to get a class to wake up.
I had two different French classes before lunch, and one English class after. Thankfully, it was a group of students that I'd had many times before.
''Hello everyone,'' I gave them a smile as I entered, covering up my tiredness. At least, I hoped it would. I gave the class a look over. Most of them seemed to be here.
''Hi, Miss Moreau,'' the same greeting spread across the room.
''So, obviously, Mrs. Cooper has been elsewhere detained,'' I stated, dumping my folders and books on the desk with a thud. ''I'm going to take over this class for the coming month, just so you know.''
''You always make our day, Miss Moreau,'' I heard a familiar jokester from the back say in a sing-song voice. ''This is going to be the best month ever.''
''Thank you, Isaac, likewise.'' I chuckled and smiled at the familiar blonde guy leaning back in his chair. ''So, today we're supposed to go over your book reports, yes?''
The class answered in a mix of humming and groaning. I laughed. ''Don't worry. You know I'm nice.''
As I walked around the classroom collecting the students reports, I mentally went through the attendance list. I'd had this class before, so I was familiar with who should be there. And besides, I was only a couple of years older than them, and we'd grown up in the same town. Naturally, I knew who was who. I frowned when I noticed that a certain someone was missing yet again.
''Has anyone seen Stefan today?''
''He's sick,'' a female voice responded almost instantly.
''Thank you Elena,'' I replied with a small smile. ''Would you mind telling him that I need to talk with him?'' The brunette nodded.
Stefan Salvatore was an interesting character. Clever as can be, but difficult to read. He wasn't from around here really, although his family was. Being a founding family, and all. He was nice and smart though, and Elena had obviously fallen for him so I took that as a good sign. But he'd missed class quite a few times now. Before class, I'd sneaked a peek in Mrs. Coopers attendance folder and noticed a few too many red marks beside his name. So I knew I had to talk with him, for his own sake.
I picked up my copy of The Catcher in the Rye and waved it in front of the class, leaning back with my other hand supporting me on the desk behind me. ''This is the book I've read. I hope you've all done the same?''
''I have!''
I looked at the back of the classroom trying not to smile. ''Thank you, Isaac.''
To be honest, I was just happy as long as the students respected me even though I wasn't really their elder, and that they did the work that was required of them. And thankfully, they did. The former, at least. Unfortunately, I couldn't expect all of my students to be as focused and determined as myself.
The class continued without any mishaps – thank god – and when the bell rang I felt the same relief as I always did. I wasn't uncomfortable with teaching anymore, not like I'd been at the beginning, but I entered a role that felt heavier than it probably should. Maybe it was my age, I don't know.
I gathered all my things and all the reports that had been handed in and headed towards the teachers office to drop them off. I had to mentally prepare for work at the Grill in – I looked at my wrist-watch – two hours from now. And I had to ride my bike home and change.
As I went to open the door to the office and enter, I bumped into someone who was on their way out. ''Oh, sorry!'' I took a deep breath when the jump scare wore off.
''I'm sorry, too,'' a male voice answered. ''Hi, Miss Moreau.''
I looked up to see who it was that I'd bumped into. ''Oh, mr. Saltzman. Sorry, again.''
The residing history teacher, Mr. Saltzman, looked down at me with his blue eyes. He was really nice, and the students seemed to really like him. And respect him. I honestly wished that when I'd gone to high school, I'd have had him in history rather than Tanner. Not the nicest thing to say about a dead man, I suppose, but truth be told, he wasn't nice.
''You heading home?'' he asked, offering me a small smile.
I nodded. ''Yeah, I only had three classes today so...''
He stepped aside, letting me pass through. ''You're covering for Mrs. Cooper, right?''
''Uhu,'' I replied and went over to what had been cleared as my little corner – basically a chair by a tiny table squeezed in between Mrs. Coopers and Mr. Saltzmans two desks. I placed the folders in a correct order and made sure that everything was neat an right where it should be. ''For a month.''
''Yeah, well, if you need anything, you know where to find me,'' he reassured and I gave him a thankful smile when I turned around again.
''Thanks.''
His gaze lowered to the floor, making him look as if he were in deep thought.
''I'll see you around?'' I grabbed my coat and tried to meet his eyes, which then flickered to mine.
''Yeah,'' he smiled. ''Bye.''
As I went out to get my bike I frowned. Sometimes there was just too many strange things happening in this town. I didn't know if it was all in my head or not, but lately, the past year or so, Mystic Falls didn't seem so safe anymore. I shook myself rid of the thought. No. Nothing bad ever happened in Mystic Falls. Only multiple disappearances. And deaths. Sure – nothing bad ever happened here.
It wasn't a busy night at the Mystic Grill. Sometimes if would be crawling with high school students, but tonight there were only a few older couples and some people at the bar. Working at a place like the Grill, you got to see and hear a lot. If you were observant. I wasn't one to snoop around, not in excess, but I tended to keep both an ear and an eye out. If anything, it made my job so much more interesting.
''Evangeline!'' I heard my name being called from the kitchen. I gave the tables and guests a once-over before I went back there, making sure I wasn't needed.
My supervisor was in the back, standing next to a girl about my age with brown hair and dark eyes. She looked nervous.
''Yes, ma'am?'' I looked at her expectantly.
The girl beat her to it, and reached out her hand in greeting.
Oh, god, I hated this. I couldn't not shake her hand, and I couldn't control getting an emotional reading from her. All I could do was concentrate on not channeling anything of myself onto her.
''Hi,'' I smiled and shook her hand quickly. That short contact was all it took for me to feel that yes, she was in fact nervous. Incredibly nervous, and I had to bite my tongue to keep myself from feeling the sick-to-the-stomach feeling she gave me.
She smiled nervously. ''Hi. I'm Sarah.''
Thankfully, I didn't seem to have afflicted her in any way. It was a game of russian roulette, me greeting other people. That was the only time I put my hands against another persons skin, and since I didn't know how to control myself, it could always go either one way or the other.
''She'll be taking over after Jane,'' Roberta explained, and I nodded. ''I need you to show her the ropes around here.''
''No problem,'' I said and looked at Sarah. ''Have you waitered before?''
''Yes,'' she answered in a shaky voice. ''Not much, but I've got some experience.''
''I'll leave you to it,'' Roberta leaned in and whispered to me and patted my shoulder as a 'thank you', before she walked away.
I turned to Sarah. ''Okay, first off,'' I began, ''welcome to the Grill.''
She visibly relaxed. ''Thank you,'' she said quietly, looking around. ''Um... Where do you want me to start?''
I grinned, trying to come off as friendly as possible. If she was comfortable she would most likely both feel and perform better.
''You can start with relaxing. Come on, I'll show you how to work the cashier.''
The first thing I did when I got home was getting myself up the stairs and then throwing myself on the bed. I let out an unattractive grunt and closed my eyes.
''Cheers to another day,'' I mumbled to myself and rolled onto my back, sighing.
I had work tomorrow as well, three classes. Mrs. Cooper being on leave was actually a godsend. Otherwise I might just get one class a week, or even less. It was money we needed, so I only complained when I was completely worn out. I usually just... worked. I'd gotten in to this routine that had me on autopilot from morning until night, and I didn't do much else. Most of my friends were off to college and naturally, we'd lost contact. Whatever social life I had, existed only when I worked. Lucky then, that I worked every night and, at least this month, most days.
My mother was working night today, so I wouldn't see her until tomorrow. I really felt like doing something constructive, but I didn't really have the strength. There was one thing I had to do, though.
I had made it my business to, every night, sit down in front of my computer and search for... well, for my symptoms. I didn't know what else to call it. And I figured, if I searched every night, I wouldn't miss if anything new showed up. I'd done this for a few years without any luck. I still didn't know what I was.
I slid into the chair in front of my desk and rattled the mouse to get the computer out of sleep mode. When I started typing in the search engine my previously searched sentences blinked before my eyes. Feeling what other people feel? Making people feel things. Make people cry. Make people laugh. I cringed at especially the two later ones, but my mind didn't let me rule anything out, so I usually surveyed those kind of answers as well.
I let my eyes swipe across the screen as I searched. And searched. I sat there for I don't know how long, but when I felt like nothing would come up, my eyes were almost glued shut and I was yawning every other second.
The worst thing about me was the fact that I had to be so careful around people. I didn't even know the extent of what I could do, and I couldn't always control it. Skin on skin contact was required, but basically I just needed to poke someone to get a sense of their emotional state. Or make them feel something. It was restricting, in a way. And I didn't like not knowing why I got like this, or what it was that I actually was.
Thankfully, greeting the new girl at work today went well. It was worse if I was agitated in any way – either sad or angry, or happy even – but people still noticed if they suddenly felt differently. My guess is that it didn't feel as normal mood swings, it probably had a more instant effect.
I sighed and closed my eyes. All I ever wanted was to feel normal. If being abnormal in a normal town didn't make me feel as the ultimate pariah, then I don't know what else would. Everything in my life but this was as normal as could be.
Sure, Mystic Falls had it's fair share of quirkiness, and lately things sometimes seemed to have sprung out of hand, but in my mind it was still the same old, boring town. Boring, but normal. So, why couldn't I be, too?
