The Vampire Diaries: Trinity

Chapter Seventy Six: After School Special

Malia leans her head against the seat and sighs. "Are we there yet?"

Allison rolls her eyes in annoyance. "Can you please stop asking that?"

Trinity shakes her head at the two. "We're not far out. We should be there pretty soon."

"So about this library," Lydia says from her seat next to Malia. "Exactly how big is it?"

"Screw the library," Malia says. "How big is the palace?"

"You'll both find out when we get there," Trinity tells them.

A memorial service for Carol Lockwood is set up in the gym of the high school.

"Carol Lockwood always said that togetherness in times of tragedy leads to healing, that one community is stronger than a thousand of its members," Liz says. "But how does a community stay strong after losing its leader? And Carol was so much more than a leader; she was an open-minded friend and a concerned mother, taken from us too soon by a terrible accident."

Tyler shakes his head. "Screw this." He stands from his seat.

"What?" Caroline asks. "Tyler? Tyler?" She quietly calls as he leaves the gym.

"Please join me in observing a minute silence in her memory," Liz says. Everyone puts their heads down for the moment of silence. Elena looks over to the other side of the gym and sees Rebekah. She closes her eyes and looks over again only to find the spot empty.

Bonnie looks at her friend. "Are you okay?"

"Be right back," Elena says, standing from her seat and leaving the gym.

"Thank you so much. In the wake of this tragedy, the town has selected an interim mayor. Many of you may already know him. Please welcome Mr. Rudy Hopkins." Liz introduces the man, who steps to the podium.

"Thank you so much, Sheriff." He says before addressing the audience. "Carol Lockwood put this town first."

Elena walks down the hallway and stops at the sound of someone crying. She turns the corner and finds April. "April, what's wrong?"

The girl startles for a second and begins to compose herself. "Nothing. I'm fine."

"But you're crying?"

"It's just the whole mayor thing, you know. It's bringing stuff up about my dad." She says. Elena nods in understanding. "And I know you're a vampire."

Elena looks at her, shocked. "Wait, what?" She asks. Suddenly Rebekah appears and snaps her neck.

April looks at Rebekah. "Was that necessary?"

"No, but it was fun." Rebekah smiles.

The attendees of the memorial exit the gym. Caroline walks through the crowd while she talks on her phone. "Hey, you just missed the mandatory school assembly."

Stefan looks at the glass in front of him from his spot at the bar in the Grill. "Well, that's because I'm at a mandatory all-day drinking party." He says.

"Seriously? You decided to go on a ripper bender now?"

"My brother slept with Elena. It kinda puts a damper on things."

"First of all, you weren't supposed to know that, and second of all, Tyler is already spiraling, and he gets top priority."

"His mother just died. What do you expect?"

"I'm his girlfriend. I expect him to talk to me. Instead, he's all angry, and it doesn't help that everyone keeps referring to his mother's death as an accident, which is just a really polite way of saying she was drunk."