43 reviews for the first chapter?! . Blown away. Some of you are football fans, some of you have never watched a game, some of you are from overseas... It truly blows my mind. I would LOVE to personally reply to each of you, but you all are so good to me, that I just don't have the time to do so (unless, of course, you would rather me reply than write... :))
While I can't reply to each of you individually, you CAN follow me on social media (links in bio!). You can chat with me there (especially on Twitter!) - ask all the questions, say all the things! And see my sometimes real-time tweets about the antics of my real life job. We are full of mischief...
Now, to introduce you to a very important character in this little tale...
Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Diaries or Friday Night Lights (But I want to be Tami Taylor...)
Damon studied the dusty playbook in front of him, debating on whether he liked what he was seeing. He flipped the page, deep in concentration, recognizing elements of the scheme, baffled at others. The sound of knocking drew his attention from the faded pages. The big body of Jason Craig filled his doorway.
"You wanted to see me, Coach?" Damon put the playbook aside.
"Have a seat," he said, nodding towards the worn chair across from his battered desk. Craig sat down and looked at Damon expectantly. Damon leaned back in his chair, his arms crossed. "Let's have a chat about why you weren't where you were supposed to be today."
"Coach, I'm a football player," Craig said quickly. He had prepared his excuse ahead of time, sure his skipping class was what earned him a summons to the coach's office. "I was on the field for practice. That is where I was supposed to be." Damon shook his head.
"You are a student first," he informed the young man. "I checked your academic record. You are barely getting by. You won't be getting by if Ms. Gilbert doesn't give you a passing grade."
"Can't you talk to her? Coach Crawford used to…"
"I am not Coach Crawford," Damon said, cutting Craig off. He had only glanced at the GPA report Stefan pulled for him, but he suspected the team's former coach did his players no real favors, convincing teachers to pass them or manipulating grades himself to ensure they had the GPA required to play football. "Craig, what are your plans after this school year?" Craig shrugged.
"Get a job, I reckon."
"What do you want to do after this year?" Damon continued. Craig studied him, thinking.
"You know," he said after a few moments, "I don't know. I ain't never really thought about it. I mean, in my family and just around here in general, that's what you do when you graduate. You get a job at the docks or somethin' like that."
"Do you want to work at the docks?" Damon countered. Craig shook his head.
"Not even a little bit," he admitted. "I don't even like eatin' fish, dang sure don't want to work with bait and the day's catch."
"That's what I thought," Damon said with a nod. He leaned forward and rested his forearms on the desktop. "Now, back to my first question. Why weren't you where you were supposed to be this morning?" Craig sighed.
"I figured it won't no use in showin' up to write an essay when I ain't going to college," he confessed. Damon sighed, not out of frustration with Craig, but with frustration at the lack of support this team had in the past. He knew a few of the assistant coaches did what they could, but they had other responsibilities, other students to teach, papers to grade, tests to give. They couldn't be everywhere at once. Neither could he. But, he could try.
"You are a student first," he said again. "It is a privilege to play football, not a right. I won't tolerate skipping classes or not doing your homework. I don't care how good of a football player you are. A football career, whether it ends after high school or in the pros, will only last for so long. You need something to fall back on, a way to support yourself and any family you may one day have. You need an education and I am going to make sure you – and everyone else on this team – gets one." Craig looked surprised by Damon's speech.
"Coach, I mean no disrespect, but – how is you gonna to do that? I can't go to college if I wanted to…"
"Why not?" Damon countered. "Why couldn't you go to college?"
"Well, my grades, for one thing, but my family ain't got no money. Most people 'round here ain't got no money. I can't pay for college if I wanted to."
"You could go to a junior college or a community college for a couple of years," Damon replied. "As far as paying for it, there is financial aid, scholarships. If you decide you want something, you don't let anything stand in the way. Got it?" Slowly, Craig nodded, still studying his coach .
"Why do you care?" he asked after a few beats of silence. "Why do you care if some kid from a single mom home in Nags Head, North Carolina gets an education or goes to college or whatever?"
"I am your coach," Damon said. "It is my job to care. It is my job to make sure you realize your own potential and to help you get to wherever it is you want to go, whether you want to be a doctor or a lawyer or a mechanic or a fry cook." Craig gave him a tentative smile.
"I ain't really ever had someone encourage me," he confessed. Damon nodded.
"I know," he said solemnly. "That changes now, though." Craig's smile grew a bit bigger. "How do you think you did on that essay?" Craig shrugged.
"Okay, I think," he said. "It was on One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest. That book won't all that bad, you know?" Damon raised an eyebrow.
"You read the book?" Craig nodded.
"We can't afford cable, so it ain't much else to do but go to the beach or read. Or else you end up sittin' around, starin' at the walls or gettin' in trouble doin' something you ain't supposed to do. And, well, Ms. Gilbert, she ain't one to play with. She made sure I read that book." He grinned. "Honest? I'm kinda scared of her." Damon chuckled.
"I haven't formerly met her yet, but she didn't come across as a pushover."
"She ain't," Craig confirmed. "We learned real fast not to cut up in her class. She's good people, though." He looked at Damon curiously again. "She's like you. She cares about us. Maybe too much, but she does."
"That's our job," Damon replied. He pushed his chair back from the desk. "Go on home, Craig. Have some dinner, get some rest. Be back here at eight am sharp for drills." Craig nodded once.
"Yes, sir," he agreed. He stood and gave Damon one more nod before leaving. Damon blew out a breath and sat back in his chair. Lacing his hands behind his head, he took the opportunity to look around his makeshift office.
It was barely bigger than a storage closet, the paint faded and the carpet worn. His desk was wobbly, the wood scarred by those that had used it before him. The top drawer stuck and the bottom drawer of his file cabinet had been full of rat droppings and scrap paper when he first opened it. His nameplate hadn't been installed yet, and the locker room down the hall was in dire need of an update. It was nowhere near the state-of-the-art facilities he had in Texas, but it would have to do.
With a sigh, he stood and rolled his shoulders. His to-do list was endless and he had to start somewhere. He decided to start by formally introducing himself to one Ms. Gilbert.
Elena bit her lip, her focus on the lesson plans in front of her as she debated which books her AP Literature class would study during the upcoming school year. There were too many options, too many stories she loved to choose just a handful. She was so focused on the task that she didn't notice Damon appear in her doorway. He watched her work for a moment, smirking at her concentration, before lifting his hand and rapping on the doorframe. She gasped and jumped, her hand flying to her chest in alarm. He chuckled.
"Sorry to interrupt," he said, remaining in the doorframe. He again noted how attractive she was. "But, to be fair, you did interrupt my practice earlier." Elena relaxed into her chair, putting her pencil down as her heartbeat returned to normal.
"Coach Salvatore," she greeted. "I suppose I owe you an apology for barging in on your practice. I was rather – passionate – at the time."
"So I witnessed," Damon agreed. He took a few steps into the room. "We haven't been properly introduced. I'm Damon Salvatore." Elena stood, smoothing down her dress as she did so. She walked around her desk and offered her hand.
"Elena Gilbert," she replied. Damon took her hand. Something about her made him feel like he should kiss the back of her hand instead of merely shake it. Still, he remained professional, ignoring the odd feeling of warmth that passed through him. It was gone as soon as she removed her hand.
"Pleasure to meet you." Elena smiled slightly.
"Likewise," she agreed. "I have heard a lot about you."
"Ah yes, the Texan outsider brought in to replace Coach Tim Crawford, the losingest coach in First Flight High School's history." Elena's smile threatened to turn into a smirk.
"Among other things," she replied. She had never been fond of Coach Crawford, even when he was her gym teacher in high school.
"I am quite the talk of the town from what I understand."
"You are," Elena confirmed. "But, lucky me, I got to hear all about you, long before you were announced as the new head coach." Several details clicked into place for Damon all at once.
"You are Elena," he said with sudden clarity, emphasizing her name. He knew she knew his story – or at least parts of it – even if she wasn't letting on. "You are my dear sister-in-law's best friend. I have heard a bit about you, as well."
"Oh, yeah?" Elena asked. "All good things, I'm sure." There was a twinkle in her eye that made the corner of Damon's lips turn up ever so slightly.
"Mainly things like 'Care is out shopping with Elena' and 'Caroline's best friend Elena is going to be there, but my best friend, my own brother, isn't.' So, yeah, I guess all good things." Elena narrowed her eyes at him.
"That's right! You missed Stefan and Caroline's wedding because of some playoff game!"
"No, not some playoff game," Damon retorted. He had had this argument many times before. "It was the state championship. Which my team won, by the way."
"If I recall correctly, Stefan didn't speak to you for a month."
"He didn't," Damon agreed. "His fault, really. Who the hell gets married during football season?"
"Two teachers in the Outer Banks of North Carolina who don't have to worry about playoffs because their school hasn't won more than two games in a season in ten years." Damon made a face at the statistic.
"We are going to change that," he said with confidence.
"I guess we will have to see," Elena said, unable to hide her skepticism.
"I do like to prove people wrong," Damon replied evenly. Skepticism about him and his ability to turn the program around was a sentiment that ran rabid through Nags Head. He was never one to back down from a challenge, however. "Aside from introducing myself, I did want to stop by and ask you about Jason Craig's essay." Elena raised an eyebrow.
"What about it?" she asked wearily. Coach Crawford had started many conversations with her this same way. They always ended with her refusing to do his bidding and him storming out of the room in a fury.
"How did he do?"
"I gave him a 'C,'" Elena replied. "I considered giving him a 'B-minus,' but I believe he can do better. Regardless, Coach Salvatore, you don't have to worry. Your linebacker or whatever he is, has officially passed my summer school session."
"What do you mean, you think he can do better?" Damon inquired.
"I mean, I think he can do better. Jason is a smart kid. He likes to read. He tries to keep it under wraps. I guess it isn't cool for him to be a bookworm in his circle of friends. But, he is a smart kid and he really understands the material when he is questioned in class. Of course, I have to pull the answers out of him, but he isn't the dumb jock he to pretend to be." Slowly, Damon nodded.
"I just had a good talk with him. Him skipping out on class or assignments shouldn't happen again." Elena looked surprised.
"You talked to him?" she asked before she could stop herself.
"He is a student," Damon countered. "His job is to show up to class and do his work. Football is what he does in his free time." Elena considered him for a moment.
"Jason was in summer school because I wouldn't pass him through," she told Damon. "He didn't turn in several assignments and he failed his final last fall. I refused to pass him when Coach Crawford asked me to, and he couldn't re-take the class his spring semester because he had to pass other classes, and so, he joined me in eleventh grade English this summer."
"You will find that I run a different ship than Crawford," Damon informed her. "I expect my players to be students first. If any one of my guys isn't making the grade, I will know about it. There will be no more passing them along for the sake of eligibility to play football." Elena eyed him.
"You sound serious."
"I am," Damon confirmed. "This team lacks discipline. That changes today." Elena gave him a small smile.
"You aren't Coach Taylor and this isn't Friday Night Lights," she reminded him. Damon held her gaze, a slow smirk forming.
"And here I pegged you for a regular Tami Taylor."
"Don't get me wrong," Elena said, "I want the best for my students and I push them to deliver. I expect them to do well in my class. But, realistically, there are a lot of socioeconomic factors that I can't do much about." She was referring to the low incomes and single parent homes that plagued a significant portion of the school's student body.
"Socioeconomics are no excuse for my team to be anything other than young men," Damon countered. "You let me know if you have any trouble with any of my players, academically or otherwise." Elena merely nodded. Damon was talking a big game. She wanted to believe him, but she was still skeptical. First Flight had a handful of younger teachers, like herself, who did what they could for their students. But, most of the faculty had been around for years and many were content to do the minimum, passing the years until they could retire, figuring they had seen it all and there was nothing more they could offer.
"I should probably warn you about my brother, then," she said after a moment. Damon mentally searched the roster he had already managed to commit to memory after the morning's practice, mostly because he had spent a lot of time yelling at the names listed on it.
"Jeremy Gilbert. Junior. Starting right tackle last year, even though he is the size of a vanilla wafer." He had watched the kid in practice, considering what to do with him. He wasn't a tackle. He was tall and lean. The build of a wide receiver.
"That's him," Elena confirmed. She smiled slightly, but there was a sadness about her. "Our dad always said he was too small to be a defensive tackle."
"He is," Damon stated. "I'm going to give him some reps at wide receiver tomorrow, see how his hands are."
"I can't tell you if he can catch a ball or not, but I can tell you that you may need to – adjust his attitude, so to speak." She paused for a moment, considering whether to continue. She decided to confide in Damon in hopes that he would at least be aware of Jeremy's issues. "We lost our parents in a car accident last year. He was with them, but only suffered minor injuries. I'm his legal guardian and, well, it has been a difficult adjustment. For both of us." Damon nodded in understanding.
"I'm sorry to hear about your parents," he said. "I will keep an eye on Jeremy, make sure he's behaving himself, at least on the football field."
"Thank you," Elena said, meaning it. She worried constantly about her little brother, his behavior. He struggled with survivor's guilt and had fallen in with the wrong crowd. He had built a fortress around him, pushed her away every time she tried to reach out to him, help him. She worried she would lose him, too.
"It's my job," Damon said with a nod. Elena opened her mouth to say something else, but something behind Damon caught her attention and she smiled. Damon looked over his shoulder to find Stefan's wife, Caroline, in the doorway, holding a small girl. He had never seen the child before, but had no doubt as to whom she belonged to. She looked exactly like Elena.
"Hi, Ava Kate!" Elena greeted enthusiastically, taking a few steps towards the door. "Did you have fun with Aunt Care?" The little girl didn't reply. With her fingers in her mouth, she clung to Caroline and eyed Damon suspiciously.
"We went to a movie, and got frozen yogurt," Caroline spoke up. She gave the girl a playful jostle. The child didn't react, eyes still on Damon. He gave her what he hoped was a friendly smile.
"That sounds like fun!" Elena said, continuing her enthusiasm. "Come give Mommy a hug." With some effort, Caroline put the child on the ground, gently detaching the girl's grip on her shirt. With one more skeptical glance at Damon, she darted the few feet from Caroline to her mother and threw herself into Elena's waiting arms.
"I'm surprised to see you here," Caroline said to Damon. "I didn't think you would leave your office, too busy doodling Xs and Os, or whatever you do that keeps you from attending your only brother's wedding."
"Are you ever going to let that go?" Damon countered. Caroline made a face as she shook her head.
"No," she informed him. "Don't forget, you also have to teach three history classes a day here. You may want to work on lesson plans at some point." It was Damon's turn to make a face at her. In Texas, he had been afforded the opportunity to focus all his attention on coaching. At First Flight, they didn't have the money to hire him solely as a coach and so, he was putting his history degree to use as a teacher as well.
"Did you like the movie?" Elena was asking her daughter. The little girl, now clinging to her mother, merely nodded, her fingers back in her mouth.
"She's – shy," Caroline said to Damon, noting his curious expression. Damon didn't miss the hesitation to call the child shy. He nodded in response as Elena stood, the little girl in her arms.
"Ava Kate, this is Coach Salvatore. He is a new teacher here." Her head resting against her mother's shoulder, Ava Kate continued to look skeptically at Damon. He smiled at her again.
"Hi, Ava Kate," he said. "It's nice to meet you." The little girl merely blinked.
"Can you say hello?" Elena prompted.
"Hi," Ava Kate replied so softly Damon only just heard her.
"She's shy," Elena said again, almost apologetically.
"That's okay," Damon said. He noted Elena wasn't wearing a ring – wedding, engagement, or otherwise – on her left hand. "You have a beautiful little girl, Ms. Gilbert."
"Thank you," Elena said with a smile. She kissed the top of Ava Kate's head.
"As much as I hate to say it, my dear sister-in-law is right. I should get back to my office. I have both plays to draw up and lesson plans to write."
"I am always right," Caroline quipped. Damon rolled his eyes.
"Ms. Gilbert, Ava Kate, you ladies have a nice evening," he said. With that, he left the room, whistling as he went.
"So, that's the infamous Damon," Elena said, placing Ava Kate on the ground. With Damon gone, she had perked up some. She still held on to Elena's hand, but had removed her fingers from her mouth and was contently listening to her mother and aunt talk.
"That's him," Caroline confirmed, perching on a desk. "What was he doing here, anyway?"
"He came to talk to me about Jason Craig," Elena explained. "He didn't show up to write his essay for me today, so I went and dragged him out of football practice. It seems Coach Salvatore has some pretty lofty ambitions about correcting the team's discipline and academic issues."
"Damon is a pain in the you-know-what, with all of his swagger and sarcasm, but to give credit where credit is due, his teams have always had decent collective GPAs and solid behavioral records. He has his work cut out for him, but I wouldn't write him off."
"Despite the reasons he is no longer in Texas?" Elena asked with a raised eyebrow.
"He was innocent," Caroline reminded Elena. "Even though he was basically run out of town on a rail, he was innocent."
"I know," Elena admitted, recalling the details Caroline and Stefan had told her about the demise of Damon's coaching career in Texas. "I just hope he knows what he's getting into here."
"Don't we all?" Caroline countered. She stood from her perch. "I'm going to go reorganize my supply closet and see what I'm working with and what I need to beg, borrow, and steal."
"Good luck," Elena said. "With the funding part, especially." Funding was an issue across the school, but Caroline's science classes especially often lacked the supplies needed for every student to effectively learn. She did the best she could, and paid for a lot out of her own pocket, but it was frustrating all the same. "Thank you, for taking Ava Kate today. I owe you."
"Are you kidding?" Caroline asked. She came over and crouched down in front of Ava Kate. "Thank you, Ava Kate, for hanging out with me. I need a little girl time, what with all of those boys I have to put up with." Ava Kate smiled at her. "How about a hug?" Without hesitation, Ava Kate wrapped her arms around Caroline.
"Thank you," Elena said again, once Caroline had released Ava Kate and was standing again. "I don't know what I would do without you."
"Your life would be boring," Caroline quipped with a wink. "Stop and say goodbye on the way out!" With that, she disappeared down the hall, leaving Elena and Ava Kate standing in the middle of Elena's classroom, Ava Kate looking at her expectantly.
"Mommy won't be much longer," she promised her. "Do you want to color? Or maybe watch something on the iPad?"
"Color," Ava Kate answered in her soft voice.
"Let's color, then," Elena agreed. She retrieved a coloring book and crayons from her bag and set Ava Kate up at a desk. She returned to her own desk and resumed her work on her lesson plans, glancing occasionally at her daughter. She tried to ignore the guilt that gnawed away at her, rooted so deeply in her stomach she didn't know how to live without it.
And now you have met Ava Kate. So many of you loved our darling Molly in my Restrictor Plate story. I loved that kid, too. Ava Kate is of a different mold, but I love her, too. She's going to be challenging to write, but she is such an important part of this tale.
What do we think? Is Damon developing a crush on Elena, yet? And Caroline as a science teacher? I like that. I never thought of her as the 'dumb' blonde, anyway.
Let me know what you thought!
