Darkness Visible ➳ TVD ✔️

||23|| ''You're hurt,''

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Chapter 23
😏😏
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About a week had passed since the fire at The Grill and it almost seemed as things were back to normal. The place had been fixed up fairly quickly, and was back in business as usual. I took a few shifts, not as many as before because my mother refused to let me overwork myself after what had happened. My head didn't hurt anymore, but I had a few scabs to show for it.

The only thing that really had changed was that Elena had come over a few times to practice with me. I had to say, for going at it for such a short period of time, I'd actually made some progress. Well... the progress was basically me not feeling as tired after practicing as the first couple of times. So, it wasn't like it was a huge step forward.

It felt like things really just were getting worse and worse. Which was weird, considering how normal everything else in my life seemed. I hadn't been there for any of it, but after everything had happened Elena filled me in on it.

Klaus. I shuddered. Somehow, his name seemed to have that effect on people as soon as they learned about him. I just couldn't help it. The worst thing was how he was a complete phantom – no one seemed to know a thing about him or how he looked. Thank god this was a small town. Any newcomers would surely stand out.

I went out of my room and into the bathroom to splash myself with some cold water, and inspect my face. It wasn't too bad, but still visible, because my skin was so light. I decided that, since I had nothing else to do today, I'd make some fruit salad or something and watch a movie. Maybe that could get the restlessness out of me a bit.

When I got back into my room, I heard my phone vibrate on the desk. Rushing to pick up, I didn't even check who the caller was, but I knew the voice on the other line from somewhere, I just couldn't place her.

''Miss Moreau?''

I pressed the phone a bit closer to my ear, because the sound was muffled for some reason.

''Yes?''

''Hi, this is Karen from Mystic Falls High?''

I thought I recognised the voice on the other side of the line. ''Oh, Karen, hi!'' I greeted the school administrator.

''I was wondering if you could jump in as a chaperone at tonights decade dance,'' she asked hopefully. ''I know we normally don't do that, but you know we trust you and we really are a little short on people.''

''Oh,'' I said, processing for a second. ''Yeah, sure.''

''And the usual compensation, of course,'' Karen added.

''Sure, I'll go.''

We said goodbye and after I'd hung up I skipped down the stairs to get a snack. I opened the door to the fridge and stopped dead in my tracks staring into nothing.

What had I been thinking?

Why did I say yes?

I realised that I'd just thrown myself off a cliff into an ocean of emotion. Was I going to be able to handle it? You've done things like this before, a voice piped up in my head. True, I had. But that didn't end well.

I felt myself starting to cold sweat. I'd already said yes, I couldn't just call back and cancel. And I would get paid.

Shutting the door, I clasped my hands nervously and paced back and forth in the kitchen. I tried to focus on the memory of mine and Elena's practice sessions, because surely; if I'd made progress I should be able to go to a school dance?

I quit my pacing and grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl on the counter. Then I sat down, and took probably the most decisive bite out of an apple I'd ever taken. No more fretting, I told myself. Just deal with it. I took another bite. I can do this. I should just see it as a form of CBT. This dance was the perfect opportunity to get some practice in, aside from the help I got from Elena.