Rebel Just For Kicks: Kol Mikaelson [1]

16: The Old Neighbourhood

a/n: Who's ready for some backstory mwahaha - There Goes the Neighbourhood' and 'Let The Right One In' have been turned into three chapters to accommodate flashbacks

Anyway, on with the story <3 - Bea

~***~

MJ was scratching up the side of her arm as she walked onto campus. Her breaths were shallow, and she was checking the face of every person she passed, making a note of anyone with a hood up, or anyone that seemed to be looking back at her.

It had been a week. She'd gone a week, and all the magic she'd siphoned had just been sitting inside of her, waiting for another attack. She knew it was coming. With vampires, with vampire groups, if there was someone alive to make an attack, they would.

Once in the building, she rushed to her locker and pulled out her chalk pen, drawing another rune on her arm, muttering the activation word, then shoving the books she wouldn't need till after lunch inside her locker. She started to fiddle with the lock, eyes closed, just listening to everyone walk up and down the corridor. The squeak of sneakers was making her flinch.

"You look like a wreck, not going to lie," Elliot was leaning against the locker next to hers.

She hadn't even notice him get there.

How was she supposed to spot a vampire if she couldn't even notice humans?

"Thanks."

"I say it with love," He put a finger out, "Am I about to witness you burn out?"

"I don't burn out," She'd gotten through two highly competitive boarding schools without burning out, and she was not going to let a vampire tomb ruin her streak of perfect grades, "I just haven't been getting much sleep."

She needed to come up with a lie that wouldn't make him concerned.

"Addicted to this telenovela," Simple excused, relatable ones, "Been re-watching it until like three in the morning."

"And last week?"

"Same thing. Malhação has been on air since 95. It's a time consuming binge."

"Fair," He dropped it

MJ looked around.

Elena and Stefan were talking by his locker, smiling cutely and enjoying ignorant bliss. They weren't worried about tomb vampires running around town, and she didn't want to burst their bubble of happiness. Especially Elena's. She may have fallen for a vampire, but that didn't mean she was signing up to the full supernatural life. She'd have too eventually, if she wanted to stay with Stefan for more than a year, but until they'd had that conversation, she could be left out of things.

MJ would talk to Stefan later.

Then there was Matt and Caroline. No vampire drama, just teen drama.

"MJ?" Elliot was staring at her, waving a hand over her face, "You zoned out for a good five minutes there."

"Eh, sorry, yeah, I just," She could get through the day, "Need a minute."

MJ closed her locker and moved away from the crowds. Into a classroom. The nearest classroom.

Her history classroom.

She closed the door behind her, raised her hand and cast a noise cancelling spell on the door. She'd stayed up studying different types of silencing charms. She couldn't hear anything going on outside and no one would be able to hear her.

Nothing but quiet.

She breathed out in relief.

She couldn't do it. She could feel the dark magic in her veins, begging to be released, but she couldn't let it out. Not when she needed it. No matter how loud the voices in her head got, she couldn't let them win by leaving herself defenceless.