TVD

The start of new beginnings

I stood in black when I watched my parents get buried at six years old. I came to live with the Gilberts, my cousins, and that had turned out to be worse than watching my parents being robbed and murdered in Seattle while we were on vacation. Grayson hated me, for reasons I knew not, and made sure I remembered the depths of that disgust every time he laid eyes on me.

That was until I turned thirteen, he became even more of a monster then. Jeremy and Jenna had no idea what kind of monster they were living with and I didn't have the heart to tell them. I wished Miranda would've stopped it or Elena payed attention, but only Jeremy cared enough to even ask if I was okay. I couldn't tell a child, so I curled even further into myself.

I shook my head and took Jeremy's hand as they stood in black at my Uncle and Aunt's grave. Was it so terrible that I felt immensely relieved that they were never coming back, moreso he was never coming back? I squeezed Jer's hand and forced myself to stay with him, the only person in my family that ever cared about me.

After the funeral and burial, I walked home with Jer to give us both some fresh air before Jenna came back. Jenna hadn't been home in years, so she likely barely remembered me and probably would care more about Elena and Jer, which was reasonable as I was only related through the Gilbert line, not Miranda.

"Thia?" I turn my head to Jer at the nickname. "Yes Jer?" "Why did Dad hate you so much?" Jer replied innocently. My eyes widened as I thought about how to word this in a way appropriate for a boy who lost his father but was not blind to the obvious tension in his beloved cousin. "Your father did not like me, for reasons I am unaware. However, you shouldn't worry about it." I look towards him, he's almost the same height as me now and try to smile. He levels me with a look and says "Glass house Cynthia."

I sigh and look at Jeremy irritated as he gives me our code phrase that demands full transparent honesty when the other is spouting bullshit. "I don't want to ruin your memory of your father Jeremy. He loved you in his weird way and I don't want to rob you of that." "Bullshit, you matter to me too and the truth will always find a way out eventually." I look at him teary-eyed and point to a bench nearby. "You might want to sit for this and hold your reactions 'til the end please or I won't be able to finish." As we sit I begin to tell him the truth of who his father was and the sometimes adamant refusal to acknowledge what was happening by Miranda and Elena. I tell him everything.

When I finish, he roars "He did WHAT? And they knew?" His voice breaks on the last word as he comes to terms with the fact that his mother knew and sister had most certainly known. "That's why Elena hates you so much, isn't it?" He looks at me with tears running down his face. "I would assume so, but she's hated me since the moment I walked through the door to be fair." I see his face harden. "She's never cared about me, not really. You actually know me and cared about me from the moment we met. You are my sister, Cynthia. One day, we will let the truth be told." He hugs me tightly to him and I think to myself, "I honestly have the best brother."