Making History

Home At Last

Soon, the pizzas had been distributed; everyone was still where they had been where I left them. Jenna was in the kitchen, Elena was in her room with Bonnie, and Jeremy was in his room.

I decided to join Jenna.

We were both sat in a silence for fifteen minutes or so, silently eating our pizza as we exchanged polite, half-hearted smiles every now and again.

I was the one to break the silence.

"So, I erm, kind of made a decision while I was upstairs earlier," I revealed, nervously scratching the back of my head, after wiping pizza grease on my leg.

"Hmm?" she raised her eyebrows politely, a small smile gracing her pretty face.

I nodded, clearing my throat, and taking a deep breath; "I'm gonna stay in Mystic Falls and while," I said, "I just think we all need to be together right now, so I've written a letter to the kids in my class, and I'm gonna send that along with a letter of resignation tomorrow morning," I announced, glancing out of the window at the dark night sky.

She nodded; "Elena and Jeremy will be as ecstatic as I am, Jess, but is it what you want? I mean you love your job in Manhattan, and you were even up for promotion. Do you really wanna throw that away?" she asked, concerned.

I took a deep breath; "I've made my decision, Aunt Jenna. This is the way it has to be. We need to be each other's support system, and in the long run, that's more important than a stupid promotion," I scoffed, making her chuckle.

"Besides," I continued, "I wanna give this place another chance, ya know? Make a life here. It's what I would've done had I not got the job offer from Manhattan so I kinda wanna see how it would've gone. You never know; maybe there's a history teaching job," I pondered aloud.

"Maybe," she mused; "I mean the history teacher at the high school just got fired for a relationship with a student, so that's up for grabs..."

"Don't do teenagers," I revealed, giggling, "Too much attitude. I much prefer primary school students."

We both had a little giggle, and Aunt Jenna soon raised the glass of wine she had poured for us, making me raise mine.

"Well cheers to that. A primary school teaching job and a new life for you here in Mystic Falls."

We clinked glasses and grinned as we drunk.

Heading up to bed, I had officially packed away all my clothes from the boot of my car. I'd told Jenna I'd lock up the house, knowing that everyone was exhausted after all our grief from today.

I had my lilac, knee length night gown with a white lace trim on, and hugged myself in an attempt to keep vaguely warm as I heard my bare feet thud dully against the kitchen tiles as I checked all the locks.

After I'd finished downstairs, I padded upstairs, turning off lights as I went.

I looked in on everyone as I walked past their rooms.

I smiled as I peered around Jenna's door to find her sleeping soundly, a small smile finally present on her face.

I slowly padded into Elena's room, and walked over to her bed to check on her.

She was breathing steadily and I smiled down at her. I leaned down and placed a light kiss to her forehead, before something at the window scared the life out of me.

I jumped and tried to control my breathing, and not to squeal so as not to wake Elena.

I looked to her window to find it slightly ajar, and a gigantic, midnight-black crow was sat perched on her window sill.

"Don't you dare," I murmured, glaring at it.

As if it knew exactly how to annoy me, it began to open its mouth tauntingly.

I leapt over to the window and shooed it off, before it could caw and wake Elena, sending it flying off quickly into the night, letting out an echoing caw as it beat its heavy black wings.

I sighed in relief, and shut Elena's window, closing the curtains.

I looked at her one last time.

Thankfully, school was basically over, so she'd have an entire summer to hopefully get over the deaths of our parents without any interruption from people like Caroline Forbes being insensitive and the like.

I wandered out of Elena's room, quietly shutting the door behind me, before going into Jeremy's. None of his windows were open, and his curtains were all drawn, so that the only light in the room now was the one seeping in from the landing through the door I was holding open.

Tiptoeing up to the side of his bed, I could tell he'd been crying from the damp patch on his pillow. I smiled sadly, sighing in sympathy for him, before leaning down and pressing a kiss to his head, as I had done with Elena.

"It'll all get better. We just need to give it time," I promised in a faint whisper, not wanting to wake him.

I smiled fondly at him once more, before heading back out onto the landing.

I turned off the main light before wandering into my room, slowly closing the door behind me until I heard it gently click in the lock.

I sighed, and headed over to my dresser again, and brushed my hair through one last time.

For probably the thirtieth time since I wrote them, I reread my letter of resignation, and the letter to my pupils that I would be sending off tomorrow. To be honest, I didn't know if leaving the only job I had ever had was a good move on my part; all I knew was that I needed my family, and vice versa, and so I would do anything to help them out, including quitting my job to be with them if need be.

I finally slipped the two letters in the envelope I had already addressed and stuck a stamp on. I licked the envelope and shut it, gliding my hand across the back to seal it. I turned it over so it was faced up, and placed it exactly in the middle of the dresser, ready for me to pick up and post tomorrow.

With one last glance at it, I made my way over to my bed. I climbed into it, and just lay there for a few moments, staring up at the ceiling aimlessly.

The truth was, I didn't know where to go from here, and my brain was telling me I shouldn't leave the life I had built in Manhattan just to stay. But my heart was telling me that staying here and starting anew was the best thing for me. So many times, I had listened to my brain. Perhaps now it was time to listen to my heart for once.

With this thought in mind, I finally drifted off to sleep, home at last.