a/n: charlotte's outfit is above ⬆
☆═━ 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐋𝐕𝐄 ━═☆
The sun rising on the horizon was more than a good sign; it was a powerful omen to say that we can still hope and dream. Every day was a new chance to change and make it better for a brighter future.
Ever since forever, Charlotte had a belief that no matter what happens, as long as the sun rises then everything would be fine, in time. Maybe it was the fact that underground had no sunlight that made her days their even more unbearable.
She could finally enjoy the warmth of the sun against her skin, not as warm as her human days but Charlotte was thankful she had the ability to walk in the sun rather than hide till the dawn of night, like many vampires.
Damon, being as cautious as ever, didn't let her out of the Salvatore Boarding House when she had first woken up before seeing her necklace, a spelled necklace with lapis lazuli, he had figured none other than Emily Bennett must have spelled it.
Charlotte smiled to herself, getting ready for a bright new day with a warm sun clear from her room's window. This was it, her new start, her second chance at life.
Damon drove Charlotte to school in his 1969 blue Chevy Camaro, drawing the attention of many high schoolers as he opened her car door, jokingly trying to act like a gentleman as the Bernard rolled her eyes.
"That was unnecessary."
Damon chuckled, shaking his head, "Of course it was, that bought you the whole year which means no one is gonna try and...," He paused for a second, to pick the right words, "...annoy you."
"Why would someone try and annoy me...or anyone for that matter?" Charlotte shrugged her shoulders, asking as they made their way to the Administration office.
"Struggles of a teenage life...everyone is annoying," Damon stated, stopping in front of a lady's desk.
Damon eyed the woman's name tag before speaking, "Miss Adams...? Here's the thing, little Charlotte here wants to join the school and you see...some of her papers aren't exactly existing...," He trailed off.
Miss Adams raised an eyebrow, looking from Damon to a beaming Charlotte, "I am afraid I can't help you with that."
Damon tsk'd, leaning forward to get in perfect contact with Miss Adams' eyes, "Oh, but you can. You are gonna have to work on making sure all of Charlotte's papers are complete— with perfect grades, she is a real nerd at heart," He compelled, his pupils dilating.
Miss Adams' attitude suddenly brightened up, "Welcome to the school, Charlotte!"
Charlotte's eyes widened, smiling in bewilderment as she nudged Damon, "You have to teach me that, how can someone do anything for anyone without please?"
"Modern times require modern solutions," Damon shrugged, smirking to himself as Charlotte frowned in confusion.
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"It'd just be nice if we could get through one day without having to deal with any of it," Elena said, sighing as she added, "No vampire mother or brother."
"No vampires at all?" Stefan asked, emphasizing.
"No vampires but you," Elena shook her head with a faint smile, "I just want to get us back to normal stuff like school and homework and here's a thought," She paused for the dramatic effect, "Fun."
Before Stefan could respond to that, Elena's eyes drifted off to find Caroline rambling and smiling from ear to ear as she showed Charlotte around, the latter being more amused by the second.
"Speaking of vampires...I didn't know Charlotte was joining the school?" Elena raised an eyebrow, turning to Stefan who upon hearing that turned around, to find said brunette laughing at some dumb joke Caroline said.
"Matt and I are planning to hang out later, and you should definitely join us! You know ...get to know us and work on the whole new friendship thing?" Caroline offered, rambling quickly.
Charlotte nodded, "Of course, I would love too."
"We were thinking of making it some sort of triple date? Me and Matt, Elena and Stefan--" Caroline said, crossing her arms before Charlotte cut her off, frowning.
"Me and myself?"
Caroline chuckled, "Actually...I know that Tyler is not really with anyone lately...and even though he is a total dick, it's just this once," She promised, sighing as Charlotte looked unconvinced, "Please?"
Charlotte pursed her lips, deep down wishing she was not taught to never deny a please, "Fine, so who is Tyler?"
"Tyler Lockwood, on the football team...really not everyone's favorite but--" Caroline talked all about Tyler's life to Charlotte and the Bernard girl must have zoned out at least three times but she was brought back to the land of the living when her body made contact with the ground, and she looked up to find her vision full of hair.
"Oh My God! Charlotte!" Caroline called, almost panicking, "Serena! Get up! You squished her!"
Serena Bernard jumped up, stumbling as she did so before fixing her hair up in the messiest bun, "Heya, sorry newbie, didn't see ya there. Jay was quite literally going to kill me, I filled up his locker with bubblegum like...dude oops? Your locker is super close to the Maths class and surprise, they don't keep a trash can there."
She ranted before pulling out a small pack of bubblegums and offering the girls some, "Want some? All for sharing? As long as you stick it in Jay's locker."
That once Charlotte didn't need a first or last name, the girl's looks were quite enough, that was definitely her great somewhat more niece. She was an almost carbon copy of her middle sister, Fallon Bernard, and her carefree vibe reciprocated all those of Fallon's. Fallon had always been Charlotte's absolute favourite, some people considered them twins at times. The brunette was more than just depressed to know that she will never see her again but being able to see her great-granddaughter nowadays, made up for all of that.
"No thank you, too many calories," Caroline declined, before introducing the starstruck brunette beside her, "This is my official new best friend, Charlotte Bernard."
Serena chewed on her bubblegum, raising an eyebrow at the last name, "Bernard? Really? Might as well be cousins, shorty."
Or I might as well be your great great great ( many more ) grandaunt, Charlotte thought, as she shook her head smiling at her youngest relative.
"My family is really really distant...," Charlotte tried to dismiss the subject, "But--"
Sadly, Serena didn't allow her, "How distant? I mean Nana Izzie must know you, she attended every childbirth in the Bernard's bloodline, including her own," She chuckled, waiting for Charlotte's answer.
The brunette vampire's mouth opened up, and before she could make up a senseless lie, the bell rang, "Well, would you look at that? I have a class!"
"Sure, but this will be continued, shorty cousin," Serena made a joking salute before jumping on the back of one of Timber Wolves as he gave her a piggyback ride to her English class.
Charlotte hadn't stopped smiling since she had seen Serena as Caroline said, "She comes off as weird most of the times but you will love her."
Charlotte nodded, "So, Maths?"
✵ ✵ ✵
Charlotte Bernard had learned two very important things that day, Maths was not her friend and that Tyler Lockwood could be seen as a somewhat good friend but luckily he bailed on the triple date so Serena was his replacement, as a friend of course.
Serena had said and Charlotte would quote, "Who wouldn't love to third-wheel huh?"
So at the moment, Charlotte, Caroline, and Serena were sat at the Mystic Grill drinking strawberry smoothies as the two humans bombarded the brunette vampire with questions she didn't quite have the answers for.
"So, tell me your parents' names. I am sure Nana Izzie will know a thing or two about them," Serena said, pulling out her English notebook to finish her homework.
Charlotte cleared her throat, holding back a cough, "Ah, I need to use the ladies' room," She excused herself.
Caroline frowned, looking back at her as she asked, "You okay?"
Charlotte nodded before making her way to the washroom, she had both of her hands at either side of the sink, letting out a huge breath as she tried to think of a solution to the interrogation Serena is running.
The brunette vampire pulled out her phone, dialing Elena's number and after a few rings, "Hello?" Elena greeted, confused as it was an unknown number.
"Hey, Elena. It's Charlotte," Charlotte greeted then ranted quickly, "You should get to the Grill early, get Matt and Stefan too--"
Elena cut her off, "Stefan is with me right now, is everything okay?"
Charlotte squeezed her eyes shut, letting out another sigh as she said, "Serena is quite literally interrogating me...two more minutes and the whole vampirism thing will be out...lying isn't my best suit, okay?"
"We'll be there."
She heard Stefan's voice from the other line and scoffed before hanging up. Did he really have to be her only way out of this? Charlotte rolled her eyes before walking out the washroom, frustrated to no ends.
Charlotte sat back at the table, fiddling with her daylight necklace around her neck. She always had a habit of fiddling with her necklace whenever she was nervous, but instead, it wasn't the silver necklace her father bought her when she was ten, it was a daylight necklace with a blue gem and taking it off means she dies burning.
Out of sudden thought, Charlotte quickly asked her young niece, "Does your Nana Izzie know anything about some silver necklace passed down to the youngest Bernard heiresses?" She paused to describe, "Heart-shaped with letter C carved inside."
Serena looked up, nodding, "Oh yeah, my sister, Cassie has it now," She answered before tilting her head back a little, "If your family knew about that then you might not be as distant...I mean that necklace is kind of passed down through the original Bernard settlers in Mystic Falls."
The brunette human chuckled, "Actually the first one who wore it was the original Charlotte Bernard, which is why youngest heiresses are named with letter C...it was a gift on her tenth birthday and when she went missing at seventeen, they found her necklace back home, but she was never found," She stopped, sighing as she added, "Guess she never wanted to be found."
But she did want to be found, through her years rotting and desiccating in that tomb, she always thought the day would come where someone would open that stone door and free her. Charlotte imagined the rescuing plan in many ways, played by many people, she just never thought she would wake up in another era and that all her family would believe she ran away and never wanted to be found.
✵ ✵ ✵