Dark Heretic (E. St. John)

Chapter 26

Enzo picked Nick up, or went to Nick's dorm, after Nick's Friday class and they go to the boarding house in the Impala.  Enzo and Damon are playing pool while Nick tries to find some booze to drink.

"So you broke up. That, I get. Then you slept together. Not smart, but again, I get it," Enzo says. "Now here's where it gets a bit hazy for me. You went to a parent-teacher conference?"

"Wait, seriously?" Nick laughs. "God." He walks over and he leans against the pool table beside Enzo. "For Jeremy?"

"Yes, for Jeremy," Damon replies. "He was having some trouble at school."

"Right," Enzo says. "Then the kicker. You offer to drive her back to campus, and she says she can't be around you. I mean, I'm just confused even thinking about it. Can't imagine how you feel."

"I'm fine," Damon says. "We're just taking some time apart."

"Yeah, of course," Enzo remarks. "A friend phase, where you, her friend, watch as she moves on with her life, finds a new boyfriend, perhaps a nice gentleman from a fraternity— Chance or Brock."

"I'll kill thrm before she can," Nick says. "Fraternity boys are good in bed, but they're al snobby." He makes a face and Enzo laughs.

"Nick, do yo find your new boyfriend insufferable?" Damon asks.

"He's not my boyfriend," Nick says. "And no, I don't. I've dealt with you since 1973. I can handle Lorenzo."

"Oh, love," Enzo smirks, "call me Lorenzo one more time."

"Great, now you're both annoying me," Damon comments irritably as he glares at the duo.

"We could always go kill people," Enzo says as he turns back to Damon, "but I suppose that's what got you into this problem in the first place."
**********

"Care to lose again, or shall we move on to step two of Elena-less Damon?" Enzo asks.

"You know, bringing up her name defeats the purpose of me trying to forget about her," Damon says.

"Bring up whose name?" Enzo asks. He then whispers, "Elena."

Nick nudges him as Damon's cellphone begins to ring.

"Whatever," he grunts and he checks his phone. "Speak of the devil." He ignores the call. "Damon, one. Temptation, zero."

This time Nick's rings.

"Ooh, it's blondie," Enzo says. "I guess she's not as mad as she thought, is she, love?"

"Shush," Nick scolds. "Hey, Care. I'm sorry."

"I forgive you," Caroline says and Nick shuffled at Enzo's hand on his back. "But that's not why I called. Can you tell Damon that there's something going on with Elena and Stefan?"

Even though both vampires can hear, Nick puts his phone on speaker and lays it on the pool table.

"What?" Damon asks her.

"Well..." Caroline starts, "you know how we all laughed off the notion that the universe is drawing Stefan and Elena together?"

"Yeah," Damon replies.

"Well... that's happening," Caroline says.

"What's happening?" Damon asks.

"Now that Stefan's doppel-him -"

"Tom?" Damon asks.

"Tom, yes," Caroline says. "Now that Tom is dead, Stefan and Elena are the last pair of doppelgängers, which might explain why Stefan and Elena are suddenly having vision-type situations of each other."