Azalea hadn't been paying attention to all of the classes, but History was easily the most boring thanks to their prat of a teacher Mr Tanner. She looked up to check the time.
"Originally discovered nearly five centuries ago, it hasn't been over mystic falls in over 145 years. Now the comet will be at its brightest right after dusk during tomorrow celebration. Are we bothering you Mr Salvatore, Miss Gilbert."
Azalea looked around to see the two staring at each other, she rolled her eyes. Elena shook her head as the bell went.
"Well that was riveting," Azalea said to the group, making Bonnie, Elena and Matt laugh.
"I like history, just not with him," Stefan said.
"I think parts of it are interesting," Azalea agreed.
"Like?" Stefan pressed.
"Egypt, especially 18th and 19th dynasty,"
"I'm more of a 19th century," Stefan said smirking; I guessed that was the era he was from.
"Well I need the loo so, see you guys later," I said grabbing Bonnie's arm. "Can you show me where the toilets are again?" she asked, Bonnie smiled knowing the redhead was trying to give the soon to be couple some space.
"Sure, see you guys later," Bonnie said as she and Azalea left…
"Well home time," Azalea said. "That's still really weird,"
"What is?" Elena asked.
"Leaving school, I went to a boarding school so going home every night is as confusing as hell." She smirked.
"Well me, Bonnie and Caroline are going to the Grill if you want to come with us, we're meeting her by her locker."
"Sure that would be great," she beamed glad to be included.
"Sorry, girls only," Elena said to Stefan who smirked.
"It's all right," he said. "See you soon," he said, looking at Elena again before leaving.
"Come on we best head of before Caroline kills us," Bonnie said, making the other two girls laugh.
"Actually can I catch up, I wanted to talk to Matt. See how Vicki's doing." Elena said, stopping.
"Sure we'll hold Caroline off."
"Yeah, I'll just keep talking, she'll be totally distracted." Azalea said. Elena grinned at her before rushing down the corridor.
It didn't take us long to see the blonde standing by her locker looking impatient.
"We're in trouble," Bonnie said as she caught sight of the of them.
"Finally," Caroline whined. "What took you two so long? Where is Elena? Whatever, come on lets go," Caroline said heading out of the school.
They headed to The Grill to eat, picking a table outside and waiting to order their food.
"We should wait for Elena," Azalea said. "She's just asking Matt how Vicki is,"
As she spoke, she could see Elena rushing towards them.
"How is she?" the redhead asked, worried for the teen.
"Matt says she's doing ok, but she's hallucinating." Elena said before sitting down in the spare seat.
"How so?"
"Never mind, but they say she'll make a full recovery," Elena said smiling at the smallest girl.
"Hey, can I take your order?" a cheery blonde woman asked. Elena, Caroline decided to eat salads, both get a coke to drink, Bonnie plate of chips and a water, Azalea has a veggie burger and a Fanta lemon.
"But Lea, the medic said that if it wasn't for you she wouldn't have made it to hospital." Elena said; Azalea blushed as the other girls looked at her admirably.
"I just knew how to help, anyone would do it," she muttered looking down at the table.
"Aw she's modest," Caroline said.
"True heroes always are," Bonnie said, Azalea was sure just to watch her squirm.
"It's crazy isn't it how amazing it is we get to see the comet," Azalea said changing the topic, as the food arrived.
"Well I was talking to Grams, and she says the comet is a sign of impending doom. The last time it passed over Mystic Falls there was lots of death so much that it created a bed of paranormal activity."
"Hmm, yeah then you poured Grams another shot and she told you about the aliens." Caroline said.
"Come on do you guys not believe in the supernatural." Azalea said taking a sip of coke.
"No, but now onto more important things." He looked at Elena. "So then what?" Caroline said looking at Elena.
"So then nothing," Elena said. Azalea looked puzzled, what had happened now?
"You and Stefan talked all night, no sloppy first kiss or touchy feeling of any kind." Caroline said looking sceptic. Ah, Azalea thought.
"No we didn't go there," Elena said. Folding a sheet of paper.
"Not even a hand shake, I mean we are your friends, ok, you're supposed to share the smut."
Azalea chocked on her burger, Bonnie patted her on the back.
"Ok we just talked for hours." Elena said as a redhead tried to wash her lodged burger down with her drink.
"What is with the blockage just jump his bones already. Ok it's easy boy like girl, girl like boy sex." Caroline said causing the young witch to inhale her drink, forcing the Bonnie to thump her back once again.
"Merlin Caroline, are you trying to kill me?" she gasped. "Is that how it works in America?"
"Aw we have a virgin in the group," she cooed.
"And I plan to stay that way for a while," Azalea said unwaveringly.
"I accept that as a challenge," the blonde squealed with enthusiasm. "And wait did you say Merlin?"
Crap, before she could explain Elena suddenly stood up and started getting ready to go.
"Where are you going?" Bonnie asked.
"Caroline's right, it is easy. If I sit here long enough I'll end up talking myself out of it."
"And what is wrong with that, what happened to romance?" Azalea pouted.
"Are you serious?" Caroline scowled at her as thought Azalea was trying to trick her.
"Yeah, I am," she said taking a drink quickly before Caroline could speak again.
"See you guys later," Elena said walking away. Bonnie shook her head amused at the look on Caroline face.
"You are so cute, Lea," she squealed, pinching the red head's cheeks.
"Buggar off, Caroline," she said swatting the taller girl away.
"Don't think I'm through with you, your helping me with the arrangements for the comet."
"Sure, I don't mind," Azalea said, still trying to recover fully from the conversation that had just passed.
"Great, we have a lot off work to do, so if you print out the flyers."
"I'd love to Caroline, but the printer and I have a tricky relationship. I'll hand them out," she promised, looking at the blonde sheepishly, Bonnie laughed.
"Fine, met me at 11.30 at the park to start handing stuff out," with that the blonde left.
The next day the redhead spent the several hours handing out leaflets before it grew dark people started to arrive, she smiled at the turn out
As soon as she got there she got a candle from someone who was handing them out.
"Hey candle," Bonnie said, when the dark girl found her, Azalea smiled nodding as she lit her new candle.
"Thanks," I said smiling at Bonnie.
The comet was beautiful to watch, she noticed Matt lit Elena's and Elena accidently lit Stefan's, the redhead couldn't help but notice the symbolic meaning behind it.
The comet was beautiful, a truly magnificent sight, she continued to stare at the stars as it left their view starting its path around until 145 years when it would return. Staring up at the constellations she was reminded of Hogwarts and the fun times she had with Ron and Hermione, not to mention everyone else she had lost. To think in the last 6 years while this comet had been travelling towards them, she had been through so much, she had grown up, felt loss and heartbreak, truly understood torture suffering, misery, but she had also learnt about happiness, love friendship and family. What seemed like such a small time for the ball of ice was so altering and difficult for her. She envied it simple, easy journey it knew where it was going and how long it would take. Well, it would if it was alive.
"Hey," a voice said in her ear making her jump. "Shh, relax it's just me." Stefan's voice said in her ear. "We are all heading to the Grill if you want to come?"
"Sure, thanks Stefan, was in my own world," she said smiling.
The group headed to one of the stool tables so they could all fit on.
"That was truly amazing wasn't it?" She said starting off conversation.
"Are you big on stuff like that?" Matt asked. "I saw you staring at the stars after the comet."
"We studied Astronomy at school."
"At Hogwarts," Elena said smirking reminding the redhead.
"But I seriously did learn at school." Azalea concluded, "I got a B, the exam was interrupted." She added trying not to let why darken her thoughts.
"That's cool," Tyler said not looking like he found it cool at all; she noticed his eyes flickering down from her face.
"Eyes are up here, Tyler," she reminded him.
"Don't be such a dick," Matt said slapping the back of his head.
"You'll end up like Tanner," she cautioned making the American teens laugh.
"He is a tool," Tyler agreed.
"Has he always been like that?" she asked.
"Pretty much," Elena said, as her brother came rushing over, looking worried.
"Hey has anyone seen, Vicki," Jeremy asked.
"You're her stalker you tell us," Tyler said.
"I can't find her," Jeremy said.
"She probably found someone else to party with sorry, pill pusher looks like you've been replaced."
"Grow up, Tyler," Azalea said frowning.
"What's with the pill pusher?" Elena asked her eyes narrowing.
"Ask him," Tyler said.
"Are you going to do this right now," Jeremy said angrily.
"You're dealing?" Elena gasped.
"She'll never go for you," Tyler mocked.
"She already did over and over and over again." Jeremy snapped.
"No way." Tyler said astounded
"You and –"
"Why don't we go and find her instead of bickering like 10 year olds." Azalea suggested, cutting Caroline off.
"I'll check the bathroom." Caroline said
"I'll check the square," Matt announced.
"I'll come with you," Jeremy said.
"Oh no, no, no," Elena said, grabbing Jeremy and walking off before I couldn't hear any more. I Apparated to the forest, looking for her there, hoping that I caught the vampire in the act rather than after… But to no use. I got back to see the younger Gilbert stare at Vicki with Tyler, she talked over to him and took his hand in a platonic way.
"Come on Jeremy, don't torture yourself," she whispered, he look miserable but walked with her out the door and back home. As they walked Azalea had a brain wave.
"Why don't we ask Jenna if you can stay at mine so we can talk," Azalea said gently, he looked at her surprised.
"Strictly platonic and therapeutic, I'll tell you some of my shit; you tell me some of yours, see who wins."
He smiled.
"Yeah I like that," he said, looking at her with his big puppy eyes.
When they got back to Azalea's house Jeremy texted Jenna to see if it was ok for him to stay over, as he was going that Azalea made them both a cup of tea.
"Jenna says it's cool," he said looking up from the phone in his hand.
"Alright, so you reckon you want to go first or shall I?" she said.
"Could you?"
"No problem… and Jeremy, I promise to not tell anyone unless you want me too all right," she said gently.
Without the magical parts or details of her friends murders, she told about her parents being murdered by a mad man who believe that killing her would give him power. Then about the relatives who made her earn her keep (skipping over the cupboard and the starvation and the beatings), continuing into the murderer returning and people she cared about dying. How said killer killed himself accidently, and that she felt lonely and like England was no longer where she should be, being home was now painful so she had to leave."
"So there you have it my life in a nut shell, top that Gilbert," she said in a teasing tone, ignoring his horrified expression.
He told her how his felt after his parents died. How awful it was when Elena came home and Jenna, how he began drugs and the way that every happy memory he had since the accident, Vicki had been in every one.
"I can't give you much help in your love life. I've never felt that way about anyone, but I can help you with your bordering addiction. I became dependent on sleeping tablets," well sleeping draughts, but close enough, "to stop nightmares. It wasn't till my friend Ron confronted me I realised how bad it had gotten."
"You were an addict?"
"I am an addict." She corrected. "I was addicted, it made the pain go away, it allowed me to forget until I woke up. I took them for years Jeremy, I wouldn't wish any kind of addiction on anyone, the stuff I was taking had long term effects, luckily I stopped in time."
He looked at her stunned.
"I can go without drugs if I want to," Jeremy said.
"You'll see if that's true if you stop taking them. Come on Jeremy, it's getting late the spare room is already made up."
He looked at her gratefully heading upstairs to bed, after a few minutes she joined him.
Jeremy woke up abruptly, it didn't take the young Gilbert long to work out how he woke. A torture filled scream coming from his host's room. He dove from the bed, rushing to wake her. He shook her shoulders, trying not to take in her pain filled expression.
"Lea wake up! Lea!" he said desperately.
Azalea shot up still screaming, it took her a moment to realise it was her, once she did the shrieks abruptly stopped.
"Sorry Jeremy," she gasped wiping the sweat from her brow.
"Don't worry about it," he said staring at the petite English girl anxiously.
"What time is it?"
"Half 5,"
"You go back to sleep," she said smiling.
"No, I don't want to leave you,"
"Well then what do you like to do for fun?"
"Draw,"
"So do I, draw out your frustration, while I make us something to eat, I have art paper in the sitting room, paints, chalk the works."
"Did you draw the castle in the sitting room?"
"Everything in this house I did," she said smiling.
"Wow,"
"Not really, I just had lots of time. Go on Jere, you go in the shower first."
She swung her legs out of the bed and padded down to make a full English.
Hey everyone, I hope you enjoyed that chapter. I love seeing your comments so don't be shy :D
Cara xx