Anchorage

Chapter 2: The Bonfire

She was in the teachers' lounge for less than an hour before Coach Tanner stormed in, he was visibly flustered and wasted no time in barking at Erin.

"Gilbert! Are those papers graded yet or are you staring into space like that air headed sister of yours?"

Erin, who was far too used to Coach Tanners abrasive attitude, simply held up a stack of complete papers. She knew that when he got into a mood he would cheer himself up by writing rude disparaging remarks on the students' papers. It gave him a special sort of joy.

Coach Tanner snatched the papers from her hand and angrily flipped through them. Eyeing her begrudgingly when he noticed they were completed.

"At least one of you Gilberts are worth something" He grumbled. Pausing as he turned to leave and he looked at Erin speculatively. "The Battle of Willow Creek. How many casualties were there?"

Erin raised her eyebrows at the odd question, wondering what brought it but answered anyway. "346. Unless you include civilian casualties of which there were 27. I believe Confederates fired on a church?" Or the Council burned a bunch of vampires alive. Bet that's not in any history books.

The words were barely out of her mouth before Coach Tanner snarled and stalked out of the room grumbling about smart ass kids.

That man was just full of sunshine and rainbows. Erin secretly wondered if he lived off the tears of small children. She could only shrug as she continued to grade papers for some of the other teachers and ponder on the wisdom of having Coaches teach more than sports.

School was barely over when Erin's cellphone rang. Caroline was ecstatic, just like Elena had said she'd be. The new boy at school was apparently gorgeous and Caroline had decided that he was husband material.

"He's the one, Erin. I can feel it. Our children would make Michelangelo weep." Said Caroline.

Erin rolled her eyes as she let herself into her house with her cell wedged between her ear and her shoulder as Caroline rambled. Caroline was, without a doubt, one of her best friends. Just like her Grandmother, Charlotte Forbes, had been in her previous life. There were only three living people who knew exactly who and what she was. Charlotte being one of those three. Erin still visited her longtime friend even after her rebirth, but it was becoming harder and harder to see her. Charlotte was getting old, she wouldn't be around much longer and Charlotte knew it. Maybe that's why she pushed Erin to open up to Caroline so hard, Charlotte was convinced she needed someone besides her who knew what she was but Erin couldn't bring herself to burden Caroline like that. She was such a care free girl and Erin refused to be the one to change that.

Erin's attention was snagged by the next words out of Caroline's mouth.

"His name is Stefan Salvatore"

Salvatore. Stefan Salvatore. The new school hottie was named Stefan Salvatore and he had an extreme dislike of blood and a fondness for her sister. Her sister who just happen to be the spitting image of Katherine Peirce. Coincidence? Not fucking likely. That was just great, Stefan Salvatore was back in town and with him always came his brother Damon. He always popped up like a cockroach that just wouldn't die. Erin's dislike for Damon was almost as great as her dislike for the Petrova bloodline. He had an awful habit of screwing her over, whether he knew it or not.

"He lives with his uncle up at the ugly old Salvatore boarding house. You know the one you help garden at? Apparently he hasn't lived here since he was a kid. Military family. So they moved around a lot." Prattled Caroline as Erin walked around her house tidying up on her way to her room.