Hidden amongst the crowd, candle burning in my hand, I listen to Sheriff Forbes, who stands at a podium on the gym floor. From up here in the bleachers, her voice echoes. "Carol Lockwood always said that togetherness in times of tragedy leads to healing, that one community is stronger than a thousand of its members. 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."
I don't know why I'm here. I don't why I felt so compelled to show up. But the sniffles, the crying around me, and all the mourning, it makes me feel...feel human once more. Death will do that to you. It'll always remind you how fragile life is, how vulnerable humans are. To think that I was the same as them once, so so fragile. So helpless.
I blink, shaking the thoughts from my head. I may have been like them once, but I'm not anymore. I'm stronger, more powerful. I can't and won't break as easily.
"Screw this," Tyler's hiss reaches my ears. With a frown, I watch him stand up, a few rows in front of me.
"What? Tyler? Tyler?" Caroline whispers after his retreating figure.
The Sheriff notices Tyler leaving, but continues on. "Please join me in a minute of silence in her memory."
The crows drops their heads in compliance. To my right, I watch Elena shift in her seat. With a raised brow, I watch her whisper to Bonnie before standing, exiting the gym. I'm temped to follow, but I stay put instead. "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." There's applause as the new Mayor steps up to the podium.
"Thank you so much, Sheriff. Carol Lockwood put this town first. That's why I'm here to talk to you guys. You folks are the future of Mystic Falls..." I drown at the rest of the new Mayor's words as I scan the crowd. Something's not right. I can feel it in my gut.
When the assembly ends, I don't leave right away. My eyes dance over the people flooding out the doors, looking for a clue about what's going on. I do manage to get a few looks as I'm not a student these kids have seen before. I huff at the thought, a student. No, thank you.
It was only as the last few trickle out that I get my answers. As heels click on the floor, approaching me, I turn to face Rebekah. I smirk at her. "Welcome back to the land of the living. Well I guess in our case the land of the un-living, but you get the point."
"Lily," Rebekah smiles. "I'm surprised that you're still here, I'd thought you would have left this small town already."
I shrug, "Sorry to disappoint. I guess I'm just not one to take off fleeing at the first sign of danger, leaving the ones I love behind."
She grimaces at my dig, but nevertheless maintains her composure as her gaze softens. "Allow me to make it up to you."
I frown, crossing my arms over my chest as I watch her with a wariness. "How?"
Her lips turn up as her eyes twinkle with mischief, a mirror to Klaus. "Information, of course. And maybe some entertainment as well." I raise a brow, offering her the chance to explain. Her grin widens, knowing that she has me. "Follow me." I groan at the command but comply anyways. She leads me toward the school library. I frown, what is she up to?
Pushing the door open, I trail behind her, confused until I see the scene in front of me. "What fresh hell is this?" I mutter at the sight of Caroline, Elena, and Stefan all sat at a table together. April Young with them.
Rebekah turns to me with a wink. "Have a seat, deary." I stare at her for a moment, eyes narrowing as I try to figure out what she's planning. Nevertheless, I obey, taking the only seat left, right between Doppelbitch and Caroline, across from my twin. "Class is in session," Rebekah declares. "You've all been compelled," her eyes find mine, then flash away, "you know the rules." She circles us. "Answer my questions honestly, no disobedience, no one leaves." Although I find her words interesting, I don't show it. So, she's compelled the lot of them. Hmm. And for information, but information regarding what? It seems that I'll get to find out with a first row seat. My only duty is to act compelled. "April, my sweet, take notes. This is how you get answers in this town." Out of the corner of my eye, I watch April reach towards her backpack. Oh god! She doesn't actually think Rebekah wants real notes. I roll my eyes at I trail Rebekah's movements. "Let's start with a little quiz. In the year 1114, my brother learnt, thanks to yours truly, about a brotherhood of vampire hunters with tattoos that grew with each kill. These tattoos revealed what, Elena?"
Elena rolls her eyes, "A map."
"Which lead to, Caroline?" Rebekah continues.
"A cure for vampirism," Caroline answers.
"Perfect, so we're all caught up. Stefan Salvatore, the last time we saw each other, you had a vampire hunter, but in order to decode the map, you needed the location of the hunter's sword, which you got out of me using some very dirty tricks. Assuming you found the sword, you also found the cure, and yet, you're all still vampires, which means something went wrong." Rebekah pauses in her steps, looking to April. "What are you doing?"
"Oh, you asked me to take notes," April stammers. A stout laugh falls from my lips before I can stop it. The others' eyes fall onto me. I shrug, it's funny. What can I do about it?
Rebekah pouts at April, "I wasn't being literal, darling." She pauses. "But now that you mention it...a flow chart would be nice, which means index cards and push-pins. Go, fetch." April nods, standing and leaving the room.
"You're wasting your time. We don't know anything," Stefan stares at her with that silent defiance of his.
"So, you just gave up? I thought you would do anything to save Elena? Even if it meant taking the cure yourself, so you could grow old and die with her?" Stefan's eyes flick to Elena, who straightens in her seat with wide eyes. "Why do you look so surprised?" Rebekah asks. No one speaks. "I'm missing something. What is it?" Again, no one says anything.
I let out a loud, long sigh. "They broke up," I answer, throwing my feet onto the table, leaning back.
"Now let us go," Caroline adds. I roll my eyes. Yeah, like it'd be that easy. Please! Rebekah wouldn't organize this whole charade to only find out that Stefan and Elena are no longer a thing. No, she's searching for something more. The question is, what?
Rebekah smiles. "Broke up," she repeats, seeming amazed at the words. "Wait, I'm confused. I thought that Elena was your epic love, Stefan." She takes April's previous seat. "I asked you what happened. You have to tell me."
"She slept with Damon." My twin's response is short and to the point. Monotone at best. My feet fall from the table in surprise. Yeah, I knew that Elena had moved onto Damon and that she thought she loved him, but I didn't think that they had slept together yet. Damn!
I knew it! I called it! I've been saying that she's just like Katherine from day one, and now...now here's my proof. A laugh bubbles up in my chest as I watch Elena's eyes widen. She didn't even know that Stefan knew. Oh, this is great! A look towards Caroline, the guilt written in her eyes, it becomes obvious where he found out. My laugh grows in volume, and soon I'm gripping the edge of the table so not to double over.
Everyone's eyes turn to me. "Have something to share with the class?" Rebekah grins at my reaction. "Do, share," she adds to play up the illusion that I'm compelled just like the rest of them. All those years of choking on vervain definitely have payed off.
As my laughter calms, I put my hands together in a slow clap. "Well done, Elena. Well done, indeed. You know, I really thought that Katherine had you beat in the acting department, but you pulled through. All along, I was right. Right about you. Right about how you're no better than her, stringing along my brothers. Allowing them to believe that you love them, so they'd be willing to risk their lives for you." I sneer at her. Then, the bitterness consumes me more as I face Stefan. A glare on my face. "Believe me now?" I huff. "You should've let her die with the curse." Stefan mirrors my expression, his eyes hardening. "I thought you learned your lesson the first time," I mumble, thinking about how he and Damon had lost their lives in an attempt to free Katherine from becoming a prisoner in fell church. "But I guess not." Arms crossed, I lean back in my seat. Stefan doesn't lose my gaze as we continue to stare daggers at each other.
"Wait," Rebekah's shrill tone has Stefan and I breaking our silent fight as we both turn to stare at her. "What happened here? I thought it was Team Salvatore forever." My face remains in a scowl. Stefan doesn't answer either. And Elena and Caroline, to my knowledge at least, are clueless as well. "Touchy subject, I see." Rebekah hums, standing. "We'll come back to it. Because what I'd like to know is why sweet, loving, innocent Elena," she coos toward Elena, "could be so heartless towards Stefan." She faces Stefan, walking up behind him. "How could she hurt you like that? Answer, please."
"She didn't know it at the time, but she was sired to Damon," Stefan mumbles in compliance.
"A sire bond. That's fascinating." Rebekah slides a chair in between Stefan and Elena, sitting. "And what do you think about that, Elena?"
"I think you're sad and bored and in desperate need of a hobby," Elena replies, glaring at the Original vampire.
Rebekah grits her teeth. "You're hiding something. Fess up," Rebekah compels her.
"I didn't sleep with Damon because of the sire bond. I slept with Damon because I'm in love with him." My mouth parts in surprise as my eyes flick from Stefan to Elena. Stefan's hurt is easy to see in his widened eyes. It's clear that he's been convincing himself that Elena only slept with Damon because of the sire bond. Never did he imagine it could be because she has feelings for him. When my gaze finds Elena again, I watch as her expression turns to one of shock. Clearly, she didn't know how she truly felt either.
I sigh, rolling my eyes at their pitiful love triangle. Caroline, in attempt to ease the tension in the air, asks, "What does any of this have to do with the stupid cure?"
Rebekah sighs, "You're right. We got off the point." Her head turns in Stefan's direction. "Stefan, how do I find the cure? Unless, you'd rather talk about Damon and Elena all day."
"There's a professor. He knows where the cure is." His voice is a void of emotions. He's repressing his hurt.
"Thank you. And, uh, where do I find this professor?"
Stefan rattles off the address of Professor Shane's office. Rebekah smiles at the information, stepping away to make a phone call. In that time, the rest of us remain in our seats. No one speaks. It's just silent.
I'm starting to question why I went along with Rebekah's stupid plan in the first place. I haven't gained any information that I wanted to know. I definitely never wanted to learn about my brothers' love lives like I have.
Rebekah walks back into view. Approaching Caroline with a smirk, she demands her phone. Annoyance written in her expression, Caroline complies due to the compulsion. My brows furrow in curiosity. Who is she calling? Where is she going with this?
Listening in, I hear the other person pick up. I recognize the voice immediately. "I told you, I don't wanna talk," Tyler sighs. I raise a brow. She called Lockwood? Why?
"I heard, and you're keeping all that rage bottled up inside. Caroline's worried sick about you," Rebekah taunts, walking around us. Caroline watches her, eyes narrowed.
"Rebekah?"
"Hello, Tyler. I heard my brother made a real mess of your life. Believe me, I can relate. You have my condolences. In fact, why don't you come down to the high school so you can accept them in person?"
"And why would I do that?"
"Because I have your girlfriend. Maybe you have a better shot saving her than you did your mother. Bye now!" Just as Rebekah hangs up, the library doors fling open.
"Sister," At the voice, I shift in my seat. Kol? He smirks as he takes in my companions settled around the table. "Look at this! You're even worse than Klaus." His eyes drift to mine. "Hello, Lily."
I want to smile at my friend, yet I don't. I'm too conflicted. I heard what he did to Damon in Denver, and though we may not be on the best of terms right now, he's still my brother. And family comes first...doesn't it? I frown.
However, Rebekah saves me from having to choose as she smiles at her brother. "Kol, finally. Did you bring what I asked for?" Kol mirrors his sister's smile, stepping into the hall before entering the library fully, pushing Professor Shane in front of him. Shane stumbles into the room with wide eyes. Stefan, Elena, and Caroline all shift in their seats. Rebekah grins, "You must be Shane."
Before anyone can protest, Rebekah and Kol take Shane away. Where? I'm not sure.
Now left to ourselves, there's a thick tension in the air. Anger and betrayal mixed in along with it. Stefan and Elena remain frozen in their seats, avoiding each other's gaze. Caroline fidgets with her hands, worry for Tyler written in her expression.
I huff, "Well, you're an entertaining bunch."
Stefan frowns, lifting his head to meet my eyes. "Why are you here?" His speaks the words slowly. Suspicion coating each one like a sprinkle of dust. As his head tilts, his face takes on that analytic expression I know too well.
I scowl at him. "Isn't it obvious? Rebekah obviously has some ploy at play and decided to make me a pawn, just like the rest of you." Technically, I speak the truth. I just didn't include the part where I willingly am acting as a pawn in my own self-interest.
Stefan hums, watching me closely. "A couple of days ago, you wanted nothing to do with the curse, so why should she include you here?"
I meet his steady gaze with one of steel. "I don't know, Steffy." I drop the nickname he never liked, watching as his nose crinkles. "I guess, you'll just have to ask her yourself." He frowns at my answer, clearly unsatisfied. I fling my hands wide. "You done with your interrogation, now? Or is there more you want to ask me?"
Although I mean it sarcastically, Stefan takes me up on the offer. "What were you even doing here, in the school, in the first place?"
I roll my eyes. "Asking for my alibi?" I quip. He doesn't react. His expression hard and unloving. "Fine," I sigh, crossing my arms over my chest. "I was at Carol Lockwood's memorial service."
"Why?" He doesn't waste a beat.
I scoff, "Why does it matter?" He doesn't reply, mimicking my crossed arms as I feel those green eyes drift over me. He's looking for something. But what? Annoyed and tired, I'm in no mood to put up with this detective shit. "If you have something to say Stefan, then say it." I pause, leveling his gaze. "What is this really about?"
"Stefan," Caroline's tone is one of warning as she notices the tension between us. Elena remains still in her spot, her eyes flicking between the two of us. She knows that this fight isn't for her to intervene with. "Stefan, maybe it's best to let it go-"
"What'd he say to you, huh?" I frown at his question. Confusion draws my brows together. "Klaus. When I saw you two, you looked awfully friendly, so what'd he say to you? To win you over?" His voice, though steady, has a tinge of rage...and jealousy?
"What?" My tone is of surprise as I survey my brother, my twin. "Win me over? What does that even mean?" As my tone rises in frustration, I see Caroline and Elena inch back in their seats.
"It means that I'm not sure I can trust you anymore when it seems you've taken the Mikaelson's side! His side! Our enemy's side!" Stefan leans across the table, eyes flashing with a fierceness he's never directed toward me before. I gape at him. Stefan takes this as a cue to continue. "You're living with him, aren't you?" Elena's eyes flash to me. I ignore her.
Gritting my teeth, I glare at my brother. "So?" The single word is filled with bitterness, a challenge to see how far he's going to take this.
"Answer me this, honestly if you even can," I recoil at his insult, squeezing my hands into fists, "why is it that you always seem to run to him first?"
A weight hits my chest. I feel my heart concave as I glimpse the pure fury, the pure hurt in Stefan's eyes. It's easy to understand what he sees my actions as: a betrayal. And although that thought sends a dagger into my gut, I muster up my deadliest glare, looking him straight in the eyes. "Have you ever thought that maybe I run to him because you continue to push me his way." I pause, letting my words sink in. "I've been your little Klaus bait time and time again. I'm the distraction, the pawn. You use and use and use me, and then when I need you, you're not there. You've never been there. Neither of you," I whisper, referring to Damon. The room seems to stand still. My heart pauses in my chest. Stefan's gaze bores into mine as I let some of the truth slip out. "So, yes. I run to him. I run to Klaus because he's the only other person who understands it. He understands what it's like to feel like an outsider in your own family. To feel alone in a crowd full of people. He understands the gravity of our condition, the darkness in our hearts, and the monsters we all truly are." My shoulders drop as I breathe deep. Stefan's eyes soften, and I have to look away. Swallowing, I block out Caroline and Elena, looking only at my twin. The one person I always thought would be there for me. "I run to Klaus because he was there when no one else wasn't. He's seen me at my weakest, and he supported me as I built myself back up. I run to Klaus because at the end of the day, he used to be the only person I had." The words fall from my mouth as a sorrow drowns me. Memories of Klaus and I strolling through the gardens, laughing at the drunken fools at the bars, dancing the night away at party after party, or dancing to Elijah playing the piano fill my mind.
It was a time when I was happy. A time when I held no fear in his arms. I felt safe and protected. But most of all, with the Mikaelsons, I felt loved, wanted, and appreciated.
Stefan's expression is gentle, though a heaviness fills his eyes, almost like he can feel my sorrow. "What was he to you?" The question is quiet. A whisper of a breath, inaudible if wasn't for my supernatural hearing.
I part my lips to answer. It's time the truth came to light. Everyone suspects it anyways. "He was-"
The library doors slam open, cutting me off. "Still glued to your seats? Ahh, it's thick with tension in here." Rebekah walks to stand in front of us. "Let's spice things up a bit. Elena, truth or dare?"
"We're done playing your stupid games, Rebekah," Stefan grumbles, acting as if our argument never happened. I frown.
"Truth or dare, Elena," Rebekah persists. "You're compelled. Answer."
"Dare," she sighs.
"I dare you to tell Stefan the truth about Damon," Rebekah murmurs, leaning closer to the Doppelganger.
"Seriously?" Caroline exclaims, fed up with Rebekah's questions. Though I wouldn't admit it, I agree with her. This is getting boring. Rebekah promised me information, but so far, all I've learned is that my brother believes that I've chosen Klaus over him and that he hates me for it.
Rebekah ignores her, looking at Elena intently. "Being with Damon makes me happy," Elena obeys, her tone soft.
"Makes you happy?" Rebekah mocks. "Clowns make you happy, Elena. Dig a little deeper."
"When I'm with him...it feels unpredictable, like...like I'm free." I roll my eyes, avoiding the urge to glance across the table in Stefan's direction, for I don't have to look to know that hurt glimmers in his eyes.
"And how do you feel when you're with Stefan?"
I groan. "Just stop, Rebekah. I don't care about any of this!" Rebekah straightens, her eyes narrowing as she stares at me. I don't flinch at her gaze. "If you have something to ask me, then ask and let me go." Rebekah remains silent, considering it. Then, she walks to my side, leaning down in front of me.
"Is he alive?" Her voice is a whisper. Back to the others, she allows me to see the love and hope in her eyes. A weakness she would never allow anyone else to see.
From the moment she uttered the words, I knew who she meant. My gaze softens as I look to her. A sly frown on my lips. "I don't know," I answer with as much honesty as I can.
It was the truth. I haven't talked or seen him in over a decade. He could be dead. However, I know her true question was if he had made it out of that fire like I did. Too bad she didn't ask that, and too bad I can't be compelled.
Rebekah's gaze flicks to the ground as she processes my words. A second later, her composure regained, she nods to me. "You can go."
...
Walking into the Mikaelson Manor, I find Klaus, drinking a bottle of wine, on the couch. "And where have you been all day?"
I frown at his question, stealing the bottle from his hands as I take a seat next to him. "With your sister." I take a long swig. "And you?" I turn my head to face him. His deep blues meet mine.
"I payed a visit to your brother."