Canon Had Begun
Running.
All she seemed to know is how to run. She focused on the breath in her lunges, the pressure from each step in her legs. But, no matter how much she wanted to stop. She mustn’t.
Well, that was until she got to her backyard gate. She looked down at her watch, 6:37am. Enough to take a shower and get ready for the first day of Junior year. Something Elena never thought she would say every again. She opens the gate, letting Dasher to walk through first. As he passed, she patted his head.
Elena walked into the kitchen to see Jenna sitting on the couch in her PJ’s still. “Shouldn’t you be getting ready?” She filled the kettle with water, before putting it on the stove.
Jenna looked over the couch. “Should and want are completely different things.”
The teenager just shrugged. “Fair enough.” She began walking up stairs, before shouting. “Don’t forget your vervain!”
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A little more than half an hour later, Elena came down to see Jenna at the fridge trying to find something to eat. “Toast. I can make toast.”
Elena gave her a smile. “I’m just gonna have my smoothie, Jenna.” I pulled the door to the freezer door, pulling out my frozen mango's. While Jenna handed me the milk.
Jeremy walked in, since he could smell the coffee. “Is there coffee?” He petted Dasher as he walked past him.
Jenna then began stuffing all her things into her bag. “Your first day of school and I’m totally unprepared.”
Elena snickered. “Maybe If you got ready when I told you.” She trailed off the sentence, teasingly.
“Oh, har har.” She then held out a couple bucks to the teenagers. “Lunch money?” They both grabbed the money. Only one said thank you. “Anything else? A number two pencil? What am I missing?”
“Your presentation.” The doppelganger witch told her guardian, not bothering to look at her as she began making her smoothie.
She checked her watch. “I’m meeting with my thesis advisor at? Now. Crap!”
“Go!” Elena shooed her aunt towards the door. “We’ll be fine, remember.”
The strawberry blonde just nodded, before rushing out the door. Only saying one thing. “Don’t forget your vervain!”
Elena muttered under her breath, while smiling. “Unbelievable.” Before turning to her baby brother shoving her newly made smoothie into her bag. Grabbing her keys off the counter. “Ready?”
He just grunted, walking towards the garage. Elena ran her hand through her hair. Things between her and Jeremy have been a little rough since she told Jenna he was smoking weed. Even though he thought the witch thing was cool, it wasn’t cool enough to save her from the silent treatment.
“You okay?” She tried to start a conversation, but he just shot it down.
“Don’t start.” He told her while grabbing his helmet that she makes him wear, getting on the back seat of the electric scooter.
“Tough crowd.” She muttered to herself.
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They pulled into the school parking lot. And when they did, let’s just say, people were not minding their own business. Jeremy took off his helmet, trying to get as far from his sister as he possibly could. However, that plan failed when she grabbed his arm. “Look, I’m not gonna tell you not to do drugs, since I know for sure you’re not gonna listen. Just, don’t do it before or during school. Please?” Jeremy Gilbert just rolled his eyes, reluctantly agreeing to her statement. But, just before he could walk away again, she pulled him back once more. “Do you have everything for the mosquitoes?”
After she told them everything, she wanted a code name for vampires so they wouldn’t know that they knew. So after much discussion, they landed on the blood sucker of the insect world.
“You didn’t really give me a choice in the matter. Since you put it in my bag before I woke up.”
The girl’s cheeks flushed red from embarrassment. Completely forgetting what she did before her mourning run. “Oh, well. Sorry?”
He once again rolled his eyes, walking away from her towards her friends. Elena watched him. Rubbing her eyes from the ridiculousness of the situation that she was presented with. “I hope you’re having fun, Qetsiyah.”
“Elena, hey!” A voice yelled from behind her.
She turned around to see Bonnie Bennett. The town's only witch. Well, not anymore she supposed. “Bonnie, hey.” Bonnie gave her a huge hug. Elena not expecting that, just patted her back awkwardly. She never was a fan of hugs.
The dark skinned soon-to-be witch pulled away when she realized she was making the doppelganger uncomfortable. “You look so different!” She finally gave Elena an once over.
Elena gave her a tight smile. Trying to sell, I’m still grieving, but trying not to. “Thanks. I just thought, new year, new me. Ya know?” She really hoped she believed her.
Bonnie just waved her off. “I completely understand.” She then grabbed Elena’s arm, pulling her into the school. “Come on, let’s go find our lockers.”
As they walked down the hallway, Bonnie began talking about the witchy thing her Grams keeps telling her. “So grams is telling me I'm psychic. Our ancestors were from salem, which isn't all that, I know, crazy, but she's going on and on about it, and I'm like, put this woman in a home already! But then I started thinking, I predicted Obama and I predicted Heath Ledger, and I still think Florida will break off and turn into little resort islands.”
The taller female had a discrete smirk on her face as she walked next to her old body’s owner friend. “Maybe you are. Who knows? It would be cool.”
Bonnie gave an unladylike snort. “Maybe I should put you in a home.”
“Nah, I’m gonna be young forever.” Elena snorted.
We were pretty close to our lockers, when Bonnie saw a girl supposedly wearing a ugly shirt? “Look at the shower curtain on Kelly Beach. She looks like a hot. Can I still say ‘tranny mess’?”
Elena rolled her eyes. Not quite believing people only a decade ago, called people such a harmful nickname. “No, that term’s transphobic and highly offensive. Besides, calling a shirt a ‘shower curtain’ is a complete bitch move.”
Safe to say, Bonnie was shocked to say the lease. “Tell me how you really feel.”
Elena ignored her, going to open her locker and setting down her helmet, one of her work uniforms, and books that were not needed at the moment, when Bonnie Bennett cocked her head to where Matt was watching them. The witch, trying to be friendly. Gave him a slight wave. However, he didn’t wave back. With a sigh, she turned her head back to the Bennett witch. Playing her part. “He hates me.”
“That’s not hate.” Bonnie disagrees. “That’s ‘you dumped me, but I’m too cool to show it, but secretly I’m listening to air supply’s greatest hits.”
She was about to say something else, but was cut off by the party planner of Mystic Falls. Caroline Forbes. “Elena. Oh, my god.” She pulled her into a hug. Which once again, not completely for. “How are you? Oh, it’s good to see you. The bad girl/grunge look, totally hot.” She then turns to Bonnie. “How is she? Is she good?”
Bonnie and Elena lock eyes. “Care, I’m fine. I promise.”
Her eyes light up at that. “Really?” I just gave her a smile, nodding my head. “Oh, you poor thing.” She pulls her back into a hug.
Elena pats her back, trying to pry her off. “Okay, Caroline.”
Caroline pulls back, adjusting her purse. “Okay, see you guys later?”
The two witches watch her walk away. In shock of what just happened. Elena turned back towards Bonnie. “Is she always that preppy?”
Bonnie threw her head back. “Come on.” She pulled Elena down the corridor when she stopped them. “Hold up. Who’s this?”
That’s Stefan Salvatore is what Elena wanted to say, but she didn’t want him to know that she knew until later. She knew the exact moment she would tell him. It’s all part of the plan after all. “All I see is back.”
“It’s a hot back.” Bonnie joked. “I’m sensing Seattle, and he plays the guitar.”
“Really?” Elena looked at Bonnie through the corner of her eye. Remembering that it was heavily implied that in the show he could play guitar. “Wonder how good he is. Maybe we can jam one day?”
Bonnie cocked her eyebrow. “When did you learn to play?”
Elena just shrugged, not answering the question.
“Jeremy, good batch, man.”
She spotted her little brother going into the bathroom. “Oh, no he didn’t.” She looked at Bonnie. “Excuse me.” Stalking after her now little brother. “When I said I wanted a younger sibling, this isn’t what I had in mind.” She mumbled to herself, opening the door to the men,s restroom.
Elena pushed the guy in the yellow shirt away from her, before clenching her fist in an upwards motion to lock the door. Grabbing Jeremy’s face after she spotted him putting in eye drops. A clever way to seem like you were sober. “Great, just great, Jer. I gave you one rule. You already broke it. On the first day of school, and you’re as high as a kite!”
To his credit, he tried to deny it. “No, I’m not.” But, Elena wasn’t having it.
This was her family know, god forbid if she let him spiral. “Give it to me, or you won’t like how I take it.”
“Stop, all right!” Jer was pissed. “You need to chill yourself, all right?”
Elena scoffed. “Now you’re talking like a Cali surfer. Hand them over!”
It was Jeremy’s turn to scoff. “Look, stop! I don’t have anything on me. Are you crazy?”
“You want crazy, I’ll give you crazy!” The witch ran her hands through her hair. This was more stressful in real life. “I have condoned your bad behavior all through Summer because I thought you would finally see how damaging it will be to your health. But, I guess not! And I won’t stand for it, not anymore.” She was about to continue when she heard some toilet flush, as fast as she could she unlocked the door without the muggle noticing. “Give it.”
The youngest Gilbert scoffed. “I don’t need this.” Going to walk out before seeing the only blunt he had on his person fly towards Elena. “Hey! Not cool.”
“Not cool, huh?” She set the blunt on fire, turning it into ashes. “How’s that?”
He just glared at her, before storming out of the restroom. Elena hot on his tail. Well she was, before she ran into Stefan Salvatore.
“Uh, pardon me.” Let’s just say, meeting him for the first time left the body snatcher speechless. “Um, is this the men’s room?”
That seemed to pull Elena back to the land of the living. “Yeah, uh, Sorry. You see, I have a little brother. Family drama, sure you understand. Uh, bye.” She ducked her head, quickly walking away. Keeping from forming attachment was going to be harder than she thought.
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While Tanner was going on and on about the Civil War, Elena was hardly focusing. She was too busy creating new spells in her grimoire disguised as her class note book. She wanted to impress her magic teacher the next time she met up with her, since she can’t always see Qetsiyah in her dreamscape.
However, since she was in her own little world. She failed to see Stefan peeking at her book. Well, that was until she got a text from BonBon reading. “HAWT-E. STARING @ U.”
With that one text, she immediately shut her book, glancing over her shoulder to see the hundred-sixty year old vampire giving her a love sick stare. And for reasons that poor Elena didn’t understand. She actually liked the attention.
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It was the end of the school day and the Gilbert girl was waiting for her brother by her scooter. She sat on the seat, tapping her fingers on her phone impatiently, before checking the time again. 3:17pm. Seventeen minutes since school got out, it doesn’t take someone that long to get their books and say bye. Elena bit her lips in frustration before calling Jeremy.
“Hello?”
“Jeremy!” She gave a sarcastic smile. “Where the hell are you? School ended twenty minutes ago.”
“I got a ride from a friend.”
At that her frustration turned into anger. “And you didn’t think to tell me? Your ride for the day, and your sister who has work at four?”
“Sorry?”
“Unbelievable.” She muttered to herself. “Your ‘friend’ better be sober while driving. Oh, and if you left your helmet at school, I’m not driving you tomorrow.” Elena hung up the phone after she had the last word. “That little fucker, I swear to god. I’m gonna set his ugly ass on fire.”
“I pity the person, then.”
Elena turned around as fast as she could, startled by the sudden voice. When her eyes focused she could see it was her vampire stalker. She then scoffed. “I don’t. My brother is a little shit.”
Stefan gave her a crooked smile. “I guess all family dynamics are like that.”
The doppelganger gave him a confused look. In the canon he straight up refused to even mention Damon, but now? He openly emitted to it. “Younger or older?”
“Older by seven years.”
Elena pretended to wince. “Ouch, were they like, the third parent?”
Silas’s doppelganger laughed at that. “Surprisingly no.” He then sobered up. “He and I, uh, don’t have the best relationship.”
“Sorry to hear that.” Even though she knew that they would become brothers again, it was still difficult to hear that. “I’m El.” She held out her hand for him to shake.
He returned that favor. “Stefan.”
After a few moments of them holding each other's hand. They seemed to snap out of it. Elena spoke up first. “Listen, I have to go to work. But, my friends are meeting at the Mystic Grill. You should go. I’d offer you a ride there, but” She gestured to the helmet on the seat. “I only have one.”
“I’ll be there.” Stefan gave her a small smile.
She gave him one in return. “Great! Can’t wait to serve you.” The witch’s face turned beet red. “I mean, since I work there. I’ll be serving all of you.” Stefan just looked amused. “I’m gonna go now. Bye, Stefan.”
“Bye, El.”
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Elena was picking up the food for Matt and Tyler's table, when her little brother came up to her.
“Elena.” It looked like he wanted to apologize for the call, but his sister wasn’t having it.
“I’m working, Jer. Not now.” Elena told him as she walked away from him, stopping at the table with the two star athletes from the high school. “One large fry, and two american cheeseburgers.” She sat the two plates down. “Do you guys want any refiles?”
“I’d love one.” Tyler told her in a flirty way. Which was slightly disturbing.
She nodded while grabbing it. The waitress was about to walk away when Matt spoke up. “Do you know where Vicki is? She was supposed to work today.”
“Who do you think is covering for her?” Elena gave him a smile, before it vanished. Walking away to refile the cup. Already tired from all the small town drama.
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The unlocked witch was cleaning off a table near the door, when she heard it ding. Looking up she saw it was none other than Stefan Salvatore. “Hey, you made it.”
Stefan just shrugged. “I told you I’d come.”
Elena gave him a smile. “Come on, I’ll show you where everyone is.” Yet, when she did. She didn’t expect her fellow friends to be watching her every move. She rolled her eyes, when she saw Matt walk up to Stefan.
“Hey,” He held out his hand. “I’m Matt, nice to meet you.”
“Hi. Stefan.” When he told Matt his name, he could feel the tension in the air.
Elena was about to open her mouth when she saw her boss wave her over. “Matt, can you introduce Stefan to the group. Brent is calling me over. Thanks.”
She didn’t even wait for an answer as she fast walked over to the owner. “What’s up?”
“Who’s the boy?” He asked her with a smirk.
Elena blew out a breath of amusement. Of course this fifty-sixty year old man would want the gossip. “The boy’s name is Stefan Salvatore. He’s the new kid at school. And I think he kinda likes me.”
Brent patted his shoulder. “That boy just doesn’t like you, he's infatuated. His eye’s haven't left you since you walked over here.”
That surprised her. “Really?” She turned her head, and sure enough. He was.
“You know what, you only have half an hour left, go ahead and clock off.”
“Wait, really.” Elena blinked in surprised.
Brent just waved his hand, walking away. “Who am I to get in the way of young love?”
“Thanks, Brent!”
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“Hey, guys.” Elena sat down at the table where Bonnie, Caroline, and Stefan were seated.
Caroline didn’t look too happy. “Elena! I thought you were working?” She kept glancing at Stefan.
The soon-to-be sacrifice just shrugged her shoulders. “Brent left me off early. Something about not needing me anymore.” She then changed the subject. “So, what were you guys talking about?”
The blonde just rolled her eyes, before speaking up. “So, Stefan, if you’re new, then you don’t know about the party tomorrow.”
Said person didn’t even glance Caroline's way after she said her piece. He just turned to Elena and said. “Are you going?”
Before Elena could say anything about it, Bonnie spoke up seeing how the man was looking at her best friend. “Of course she is.”
The body snatcher turned slight red, since the locked witch threw her under the bus. Guess she had to find Thumper.