FIRE AND ICE ⎯ n.mikaelson¹

ˏˋ 05

The older Lockwood woman frowned as she noticed her children both ready to go out. "Heading out?" Carol questioned with furrowed brows, knowing her two children hadn't left the house much this past week other than to attend school.

Tyler nodded, an irritated look on his face as he nodded towards his sister, "yeah, lunch at the grill. I owe her apparently," the newly triggered wolf muttered in annoyance.

Thea smirked proudly as she slipped on her jacket, impressed that she'd managed to con herself a free pizza.

"I've got practice later, and I'll probably go out after," Tyler informed his mom, making up a quick excuse to cover him for the full moon.

"Yeah, and I promised I'd meet up with Bonnie and Care, so don't wait up," Thea added with a smile, causing Carol to frown as she nodded her head, trying to keep up with all the information.

Before she had the chance to reply to them, however, a sharp knock suddenly sounded at the door, startling the three Lockwood's slightly. Being the closest one to the door, Thea turned towards it, pulling it open with furrowed brows.

"Hi," came the voice of an unfamiliar blonde as soon as Thea opened the door, causing the brunettes brows to furrow further as she didn't recognise the woman at all. "Hi?" the Lockwood teen replied, her confused tone making the statement sound more like a question.

The blonde smiled, chuckling awkwardly as she realised her mistake, "sorry, rude," the woman apologised, "you have no idea who I am."

Thea continued to frown as Tyler and Carol made their way towards the door, standing on either side of Thea as they waited for the blonde to introduce herself.

"I'm Jules, a friend of Mason's from Florida," Jules smiled, introducing herself politely as her gaze drifted between Thea and Tyler, "you must be Tyler and Thea." Tyler nodded, a hesitant smile on his lips as he looked at the woman.

"Yeah. Nice to meet you," the older twin offered politely, his tone surveying his awkwardness. Thea continued to eye the woman critically, getting a bad vibe from her.

Though she had no reason to distrust her; there was something about Jules that didn't sit right with her.

Tyler nudged his twin, scolding her for being impolite causing Thea to roll her eyes. "Hi," the Lockwood teen repeated, a sickly false smile spread across her lips as she greeted the woman.

Jules faltered a little, taken aback by the younger twin's obvious distrust.

"So I know it's weird of me to just stop by," Jules apologised, shifting her gaze away from Thea towards Carol, "but I'm trying to track down Mason," the woman revealed. Thea's face dropped at the mention of her Uncle, a fact that didn't go unnoticed by Jules.

Carol and Tyler both furrowed their brows at the blonde's words, "Mason's back in Florida," Carol spoke up in confusion, "he has been for a while now." Jules frowned as she shifted her gaze away from Thea back towards Carol, "see that's the thing. He's not."

. . .

After making small talk with Jules, Thea quickly left her house and made her way to the Gilbert's without making herself seem too suspicious. The brunette had made up a lie, insisting that Elena needed her help and she'd meet up with Tyler later.

Whilst she wasn't on speaking terms with Damon at the moment, she felt the need to inform him of the newcomer that stopped by her house this morning. She also needed someone to blame for the gut-wrenching anger and guilt she was currently feeling.

"And who's on Tyler Lockwood and the full moon?" Thea heard Jeremy ask as she let herself into the Gilbert home, making her way into the living room to find Damon, Elena, Jeremy. "I am," the Lockwood teen replied before Damon had the chance to speak.