Amount of words: 4925

A/N: YAY CHAPTER SEVEN IS HERE! Thanks for your continued support :)

Chapter Seven

Larissa
I rubbed my hand over my face as I watched Tayla leave. Her arrival in Mystic Falls was going to anger Klaus; I wasn't supposed to have any friends here, as they could jeopardize everything. In fact, Jackson had firmly told me NO FRIENDS FROM HOME.

Then there was also my dream. If it is real, which it was, I'm 100% sure, then I was in big trouble. My mother rarely visited my dreams anymore, and to have had her and a dead relative pop up was rather unnerving. Add that to the fact that the Spirits were upset with me… well, a ** storm was coming soon.

"Larissa, what are you doing up?" a voice asked behind me.

I jumped, my heart hammering in my chest. I relaxed when I saw it was Jeremy though, and laid my head on the cool surface of the table. I grimaced and watched as Jeremy took the seat Tayla had occupied not 5 minutes ago.

"My friend gave me a surprise visit," I said simply.

Jeremy frowned and asked, "Who is this friend of yours? Is it that Janco guy?" I shook my head no.

"It was Tayla, my best friend from South Africa." He observed me for a moment.

"You don't seem too pleased," he observed.

I shook my head and tried to think of an excuse. It had to be believable to both my new friends and Tayla. "No, not at all. Like sure, I missed Tayla, she's my best friend after all. But Tayla doesn't know I have a half sister, aka Kerri. And Tayla wasn't supposed to know where I moved to," I explained, distraught. "She's going to be really mad when she finds out I've lied to her all these years," I added.

I wasn't completely lying, either. Tayla would feel completely and utterly betrayed. Tayla had the unfortunate ability to hold a grudge as if her life depended on it.

"Just explain it to her, Rissa. I'm sure she'll understand." I snorted at the brunette's response.

"If only it were that easy," I grumbled. "That girl can hold a grudge like no one's business." Jeremy chuckled lowly; a warm, sincere sound. I liked it.

"It seems as if you've got your hands full, Larissa. But you'll survive, I promise you," he said jokingly, but with an undertone of seriousness.

I half smiled at my friend. "And how can you guarantee my survival?"

He gave me a secretive smile. "You'll see at school on Monday."

I nodded, accepting his cryptic answer. I suddenly remembered something. "Hey, aren't you supposed to have a pounding headache?" I accused. "When I woke up, I could barely walk!"

He frowned. "I didn't get drunk, unlike the three of you," he said disapprovingly. I pouted playfully.

"Why not?" I whined. "We were supposed to have fun!"

"Oh I did have fun." Jeremy smirked, and added, "You threw yourself at me."

I could feel myself turning bright red. "That's not true!" I shrieked softly. "I have more dignity than that." I sniffed and, for effect, lifted my nose into the air.

Jeremy lifted an eyebrow. "Oh, so that's why you have a love bite on your neck?"

I gasped, horrified. My hands immediately flew to my neck and covered it. I didn't know it was possible, but I swear my cheeks heated up even more. "I do not have a love bite…do I?" I whispered fearfully, doubt colouring my voice.

Jeremy's lips twitched in amusement at my reaction. "It's not that bad. Come see for yourself," he suggested.

I accepted his hand and followed him as he pulled me to the downstairs bathroom. I was all for checking myself out in the mirror, but once I actually got there, the fear set in.

"What if it's huge and ugly?" I asked nervously, wringing my hands together. "Kerri is going to kill me!"

Jeremy laughed softly and grabbed me by my shoulders. He gently turned me to face the mirror, but I'd squeezed my eyes shut. I did not want to look in the friggen mirror!

"Come on, open your eyes," he coaxed playfully. "It's really not that bad."

"Do you promise?" I asked in a small voice. I felt Jeremy nod behind me. I hesitantly opened my right eye, and when I couldn't see anything, followed with the left one. I critically examined the left side of my neck for the offending bruise. It was quite large, quite ugly, and extremely obvious. I gasped and turned around to bury myself in Jeremy's arms. "You promised it wasn't that bad!" I cried into his chest, my voice accusatory and desperate.

"It's not!" he protested.

I pulled back and looked him dead in the eye. "Not large? Jer, it's the side of a **ing R5 coin!" Before he could ask, I added, "its South African currency."

"It's not that bad," he repeated.

"It is," I mumbled back into his chest. His arms around my back squeezed me gently.

"We'll fix this," Jeremy promised.

I wasn't sure how we could just make a love bite disappear, but in that moment in time I found myself believing him. Jeremy had turned into my best friend, after all.

~IYCSMN~IYCSMN~IYCSMN~

10 am
Six and a half hours later I found myself at the Grill. Jeremy had gone home to his sister. Cailey and Mike were still passed out. I didn't want to leave them alone in my house, but I'd gotten a text from Klaus's witch to meet him at the Grill, and I couldn't exactly tell him no.

So here I was. I was wearing dark washed denim shorts and light blue Chuck Taylor All Star converse. I also wore a light blue Superman top. On my right arm I wore a black beaded bracelet. Around my neck I wore tons of make up to cover the love bite, with my hair made up in a way to cover most of the bruise from sight.

"Good morning, Larissa," Jackson said as he slipped into the seat opposite me.

He still looked the same as always. I nodded at him and said, "Hey. What can I do for you, Jackson?"

The older man rubbed a hand over his face and took a sip of his coffee that I'd had the foresight to order. "I'm sure you know that this isn't a social call," he started slowly. "I'm worried about Klaus." I watched the older warlock closely.

"Why are you worried about the Original?" I asked curiously. "He seemed fine to me."

"Klaus has realized that the doppelganger is still alive," Jackson replied with a grimace. "And he's on his way to Mystic Falls right now to fix the problem and give your friends a bit of a scare." I paled immediately.

"Does Klaus know that we know about Elena being alive? And how did you know in the first place?"

"It's not important how I know," Jackson said harshly. When he saw me wince, he pursed his lips. "Klaus does not know, so we are safe. I made an appointment with you because I need your help in calming Klaus down when he arrives. I'm afraid that he's going to be every bit the freighting Hybrid his reputation warns of."

"Why me, though? He won't listen to what I have to say, Jackson. I'm only fifteen years old, and I'm not that talented at magic."

"Don't underestimate yourself, Larissa. The Nieuwoudt family bloodline is extremely strong. Why else would the Original vampires seek the Nieuwoudt witches' help the last few centuries?" Jackson said rhetorically. That was a good question.

"I honestly don't know, Jackson. My family's always been situated in South Africa as far as I know," I told him thoughtfully.

"That's right. Rebecca was the first to hear of your family from a witch she encountered in Africa. Rebecca was curious and travelled to Cape Town in South Africa to meet the warlocks. She was amazed at their magical abilities and immediately told her brothers. Since then, whenever one of the Nieuwoudt warlocks were needed, they were called upon by an Original. When Klaus heard a few years ago that a female Nieuwoudt possessed magical powers, he knew you were special. That was when he went to South Africa personally to meet you. When he came back, he told me all about you, and how you bonded," Jackson explained. His eyes bored into mine, and I knew he was completely sincere.

"What are you trying to say, Jackson? That Klaus will listen to me all because I'm the only witch in the Nieuwoudt family?" I asked sarcastically. It sounded ridiculous. Jackson shot me an irritated look.

"What I'm trying to say is that Klaus values your opinion. He trusts that your judgement will be correct."

"What do you want me to do, then, when he arrives?" I asked slowly.

Jackson was completely serious when he told me, "I want you to talk sense into him. Calm him down; tell him your thoughts on what is happening. Suggest alternatives to what he can do. Make him think, Larissa. Thinking is really important. But if you can't sway him in the end, assure him that you're still on his side. If he wants you to prove your loyalty, you will do as he says, no matter how hard it is. Do you understand me?"

I took a moment to allow all of the new information sink in. So Klaus was going to be extremely mad when he arrived, and I was the one who will calm him down. Okay, I can do that.

"I understand, Jackson. I'll do whatever he asks," I promised.

~IYCSMN~IYCSMN~IYCSMN~

Jackson's visit had left me feeling nervous. The idea of an angry Klaus scared me, a lot more than I would ever admit aloud. I would also have to tell him about Tayla's arrival, and my mother's warning. I'd much rather tell Klaus, than have him find out some other way.

"Hey, stranger," Cailey's croaky voice said as she entered my kitchen. She was still dressed in her pjs.

"Morning," I replied. "How are you feeling?" I asked sympathetically.

"Like my head is going to explode," she mumbled. She took a seat at the table and rested her head on its cool surface. "How much did we have to drink, anyway?"

"I'm not sure," I told her as I filled a glass with water. I grabbed the Aspirin from earlier and handed two to Cailey. "We can go through the pictures my friend took in a while."

"How about never?" Cailey groaned as she quickly downed the rest of her water. "I hate pills," she complained. "Besides, I'm sure the pictures look horrible."

In the end we agreed to look at them only in a few days. Mike walked down the stairs looking like crap.

"I'm never drinking again," he vowed as he, too, grabbed some pills and a glass of water. "We're too young for that shit, anyway." I found myself agreeing.

"Are there any suggestions for what we should do today?" I asked in a false cheery voice that they didn't seem to notice. To tell the truth, after my talk with Jackson about Klaus I was extremely anxious for when he finally arrived in Mystic Falls. So I needed as much time off as possible.

"We could go to the mall," Cailey suggested hopefully.

"Or we could go watch a movie," Mike interjected.

Cailey scowled at the jock and then said. "How about we go to the mall, shop a bit, and then watch a movie?" I rolled my eyes and quickly shot down their ideas.

"Guys, we're not old enough to drive my car yet." Mike grinned at me.

"Oh really? Who says I'm fifteen?" he asked. "I'm actually sixteen. Plus, I have a licence." My mouth dropped open.

"No way," I cheered. "Okay we can go to the mall!" At their excited faces, I added, "On one condition: you help pay for the gas."

The two readily agreed, and soon we were all in our own worlds getting ready. Cailey chose to wear a quite simple outfit: a striped heart tee and black shorts, coupled with cute heart shaped earrings and black flip-flops.

"Now we sort of match," Cailey'd explained. "We are both wearing shorts and a tee!"

Um, okay Cailey. Whatever you say. Mike was dressed in simple jeans and a button down which, I was starting to guess, was his usual look.

The drive to the mall was quite entertaining. Our windows were wide open and we blasted Afrikaans music through my little car's cd player. We got a lot of strange (and dirty) looks, but we didn't really care. Having fun was all that truly mattered.

Firstly, we entered a cute little dress shop. When I looked at the price tags, the dresses weren't very cute anymore though, so we quickly left. Our next stop was this place called Black Swan, who specialized in black clothing. Mike picked out a dress each for Cailey and me, and sent us to go try them on while he waited.

My first dress I actually quite liked. It was a plain black dress that clung to my body like a second skin. It reached to mid-thigh. With it I quickly put on the stupid high heels Mike picked out and looked at myself in the mirror. I looked older, but I sort of looked like a hooker, too. I grimaced at myself (suddenly hating how I looked) and wobbly made my way out of the stall to show Mike.

He looked up as he heard my heels clicking, and glanced at my legs appreciatively. I scowled at him, and he just chuckled. "It looks good on you," he said honestly. "It makes you look two or three years older."

"Is that a good thing?" I asked doubtfully. "And are you sure it looks good? I feel like a cheap hooker," I mumbled and tugged at the dress self-consciously.

"It really looks great," Cailey said as she appeared next to me. I glanced at her and smiled at how nice she looked. She was dressed in a black strapless Paprika Bandeau Prom Dress. The skirt flowed out, and also reached mid-thigh.

"That's really pretty," I told her.

The blonde grimaced though as Mike tried to assure us we didn't look bad, but cute. "We don't want cute, Mickey," she told him seriously. I nodded empathetically.

"We're done with cute."

"We're grown up now," Cailey ended.

Mike watched us thoughtfully for a few seconds before sending us back to our changing rooms. "I'll bring both of you some clothes in a sec!" he called over his shoulder.

Cailey and I shot each other a look. Do you think he's gay? She mouthed at me.

I shrugged. I don't know. I doubt it, though, I mouthed back. She nodded thoughtfully and we went our separate ways. As soon as I closed the door behind me, I quickly stripped off the dress. While I waited, I decided to check myself out in the mirror.

I looked the same as always…except for that traitorous tummy I was starting to develop. I frowned at the sudden layer of fat on my stomach and poked at it. I'll have to lose that soon, I thought. I can't start to get fat now.

I know I sound stupid or whatever. But the truth was that, as I was growing up, I had a little bit of a weight problem. It wasn't that I was overweight or anything, but every girl in my school was scarily thin; they were like skin and bones. No joke. So here I came with a little bit of baby fat, and was made fun of for being different. So as I grew older I started to gym to get rid of that fat. Moving overseas didn't give me the excuse to stop working out.

I was interrupted from my thoughts when someone knocked on my door. Curious I walked over and opened it a little bit. A hand shoved through and handed me a set of clothes, which I quickly accepted.

"Just try this set on. If it looks good on you, the rest will, too," came Mike's muffled voice.

"Okay," I called to show that I understood.

"It's not sexy, though," Mike quickly said. "I just got something you don't usually wear!"

I was a little excited to see what Mike picked out for me, so I hung up each piece of clothing to carefully assess it. I was a little surprised to see that it was another dress, seeing as Mike knew that I rarely wore dresses. I was more of a jeans and hoodie type of girl. The dress was pretty simple; it was a cute dress with a small neckline and a skirt that flared out from beneath the bust, and reached a few inches above my knees. I found myself liking it, so I quickly tried it on.

It looked perfect on me, and it even hid the little bit of stomach fat I'd gotten. After redressing, I took the dress and walked over to Mike. "It's beautiful, Mike," I told him as I handed the dress to the saleswoman. "But I'm not going to take it." Mike's face turned into a dismayed expression.

"But it's so beautiful!" he protested. "You have to buy it, Larissa."

I bit my lip as I thought how I could explain to him exactly why I couldn't buy it. Finally, I quietly said, "I can't afford it, Mike. Besides, I have more than enough clothing as it is." Mike reluctantly nodded and we left the store.

"Wait, where's Cailey?" I asked concernedly, wondering where my little blonde friend was.

"She's with that Alex dude," Mike replied casually as we took a seat at some cafe I didn't bother to notice the name of. At my blank look, he laughed and helpfully added, "The comic geek from last night, the one you sent her to flirt with." My mouth formed an o in understanding.

"Oh, right," I said with a laugh, "Is he the one who gave her that nice red bruise on her neck?"

Mike smiled slyly at me and said, "You're one to talk, Larissa. You've got a pretty not-so-little bruise yourself." My hand immediately flew to my neck, and I cursed as I realized that I'd forgotten to put my scarf back on.

"Why didn't you tell me, Mike?" I hissed as I desperately tried to think of something to use to cover the offending bruise.

Mike seemed terribly amused by my mini-freak-out, earning him a death glare from me. "Relax," he chuckled as he rearranged my hair. "There, you can't see it when your hair is like this."

I breathed in deeply, held it for a few seconds, and blew out again. I was calm once more. "Thanks, Mike," I said quietly. Then I gave him a quick, awkward hug over the table. But then curiosity overcame me and I asked, "Who gave me the love bite, Mickey?"

Mike's jaw went slack and he stared at me with wide eyes. "You don't remember?" he spluttered. "Oh my gosh, this is hilarious!" he breathed out in between chuckles.

I narrowed my eyes at the jock in front of me. Mike's face had turned a deep red as he struggled to breathe though his laughing. "What? What is it?" I demanded, feeling panic once again returning to my body. My palms turned sweaty as anxiety squeezed me.

"You'll see on Monday," Mike finally said, after taking calming breathes. "You will see who Prince Charming is."

My BlackBerry started to ring, belting out "In The End" from Black Veil Brides. I glanced at the screen and frowned. It was from an Unknown Number. I shrugged and answered.

"Hello, this is Larissa speaking?"

"Where are you? I need your little witchy skills for something."

"I'm still mad at you," I said into the phone. "But I work for you, so when you call, I unfortunately have to do as you ask. So what can I do for you, Klaus?" My fingers twitched nervously as I waited for him to speak. Was he in Mystic Falls already? Did he know I was aware of the Doppelganger being alive?

"Where are you, sweetheart? I need to see you in person. What I need cannot be discussed over the phone...the walls have ears, love."

"I'm at the mall in Mystic Falls. But Klaus, I'm with friends," I warned him.

"No matter. Distract them, or whatever. Or I can just kill them." From the Original's tone, I knew he was being serious.

"You will not!" I said calmly, if a little nervously. "I'll see you in a moment."

The line went dead. I sighed and put my phone away. How the hell was I supposed to get rid of Mike long enough to have a chat with Klaus?

"What was that about?" Mike asked with a raised eyebrow. "I didn't know you had a job." His brown eyes bored into mine.

"I have a job, had it since I moved to Mystic Falls. But listen Mike, I'm really sorry to ask this, but can you give me a moment? My boss is upset with me and needs to sort something out. He's coming here, and he'll be here soon. But it won't be long, I swear." I brushed my fringe out of my eyes as I waited for Mike to reply. The blonde slowly nodded.

"That's fine. I'll be over at the music store, alright?" he said. Mike stood up and, just before he went, gave my shoulder an encouraging squeeze. "Good luck."

I watched the blonde's retreating back with a feeling of dread. Now that he was gone, Klaus was going to come and who knew what was going to happen then? I still had to tell him about Tayla's arrival in Mystic Falls, and about my mother visiting me in my dream. I wasn't looking forward to it.

The waiter came and I ordered two coffees, not really sure if Klaus even drank coffee. Oh well, if he won't drink it I certainly will.

"What are you thinking so deeply about, love?" a voice asked.

I started and watched as the Original hybrid took Mike's previous seat. He was dressed casually, and I found myself liking his leather bracelets. "Um, not much," I mumbled. Klaus nodded and smiled at the waitress as she handed us our coffee.

"What's bothering you, Larissa? And do not tell me it's nothing; I know you better than that." I sighed and took a sip of my coffee to give me some time to think of a response. I couldn't find an easy way to tell him, so I just said the truth.

"My mom visited me in a dream and threatened me with the Spirits. Oh, and my best friend from South Africa turned up at my doorstep at three in the morning."

Saying Klaus looked angry was a serious understatement. He looked positively furious.

"Your best friend is here?" he asked in that scary calm voice he sometimes used. "What, may I ask, is her name?" I gulped nervously.

"Her name is Tayla Bridger," I said carefully. "I talked about her a few times when you visited me."

"Ah, the blonde model friend who is known for the grudges she holds," Klaus mused. He seemed less angry now, which was a relief. "How did she find out where you live?" Darn, now I'd have to tell him about Janco, too.

"Some guy I know from South Africa was on the same flight as I was. He's moved to Mystic Falls too, which was a coincidence. If I have to guess, I'd say he told her." At Klaus's pointed look, I added, "His name is Janco Ebersohn."

The Original was silent for a torturously long time. His eyes regarded me thoughtfully, and after a while he finally asked, "Will they cause any trouble?" I barely stopped myself from sagging with relief.

"No they won't, I swear Klaus."

"If they do, I will compel them," he warned.

I nodded and agreed that it was the best. I took a quick sip from my cup as I waited for Klaus to move on to the next subject.

"What did your mother tell you? How is it that she has the ability to visit you in your dreams if she was merely a normal human?" the Hybrid asked.

I had no clue. How the heck was I supposed to answer that, Klaus? "I'm not sure, Klaus. She warned me to right a wrong, or something, and that if I don't do it the consequences would be great. She also told me that the Spirits were angry with me for what I did." I grimaced and once again pushed my fringe out of my eyes. Jeez, it was irritating. I really need to cut my hair again.

"What are you going to do about this situation?" the Original asked thoughtfully.

"I know I'm supposed to right this wrong, but what does that even mean?" I worried. Then, before Klaus could ask, I went on. "My cousin was killed by Janco, the guy I mentioned earlier. I never told anyone about it, and Janco wasn't accused of murder."

"Why did he kill your cousin? Ah wait, let me guess. He triggered a werewolf gene, didn't he?" Worry entered my heart as I started to realize where Klaus's thoughts were headed.

"Yes, he's a werewolf Klaus. But you cannot change him, at least until you've figured out why your Hybrids aren't successful." Klaus froze suddenly, and I wondered what I said wrong.

"How do you know about my Hybrids, Larissa?" His voice was barely controlled.

I swear my heart stopped beating for a second as the Original stared into my eyes suspiciously. But I calmed down when I remembered he, in fact, had told me.

"You told me when we were on our way to meet Stefan, remember," I reminded him. "You told me all about the Doppelganger and your ritual." The suspicion slowly left Klaus' eyes and his tense body relaxed.

"I'll need your help tomorrow night," he said suddenly. "Be at the school at eight. No questions asked, Larissa."

He was gone before I could even agree. I was left blinking at the spot where he'd been only moments before. What is it with people randomly leaving in the middle of our conversation? I thought dazedly.

I was broken out of my thoughts when my phone buzzed with a text. I frowned when I saw it was from Klaus.

Nice little mark on your neck, Larissa.

Aw darn it; he saw the friggen love bite.

~IYCSMN~IYCSMN~IYCSMN~

Tayla
"You need to come back home, immediately."

I smiled at his over-protective tone and twirled the phone cord around my finger. But I didn't want to go home, not yet. I've only just found Larissa and I wasn't going to leave her so soon.

"We've been over this," I reminded Gabriel gently. "I'm staying here for a while. Besides, you have no right to tell me what to do, you're just my ex." I knew he hated it when I reminded him that we dated once.

"I'm your other best friend, too," he said with a growl. "Look Tay, you now I love you…you're my best friend, and I only have your best interests in mind. Because of that, I need you to come home. Get away from Mystic Falls, and come back home to me and your friends." At my silence, Gabriel sighed and added quietly, "Larissa's moved on. You need to accept that now, sooner rather than later."

I stayed silent, hoping that if I avoided answering him, he'd disappear. However much I wanted to deny what he said, I knew it to be true. Gabriel did care for me, and he would never be this adamant about something if he wasn't being completely serious. And Larissa really was moving on, and he was right: I needed to accept that. It didn't make leaving her any easier, though. She was still the girl closest to my heart, no matter what happens.

"Tayla, are you there?"

I cleared my throat and quickly said, "Yeah, I'm still here." Not in the mood to talk to Gabby anymore, I added, "I've gotta go, Gab."

"Don't you dare put the phone down now, Tayla Nicole Bridger! I'm not done talking to you yet!" Ugh, I didn't want to talk to anyone at the moment. But Gabriel was always there for me, so I guess I could chat a little but longer.

"Fine, I won't go yet," I said reluctantly.

"So um…how is," he cleared his throat, "How is Larissa doing?"

My heart squeezed at the pain I could clearly hear in his voice. I knew they weren't on speaking terms, which made this a lot worse.

"She's doing great," I finally told him. A smile played on my face as I said, "I barged into her house at like half four in the morning, only to help nurse her hangover. Can you believe that? Gosh, it was hilarious…"

I babbled on for the next hour, and that night I went to bed with a smile. Now that I had my best friend back, everything was going to be okay.

Looking back now, I cursed myself. I just had to jinx it.