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CHAPTER 10: YOUR FUTURE NEEDS YOU
❝ this has wasted enough of my time. ❞
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ENOLA FELT SICK TO HER STOMACH. Maybe it was because of the events that had transpired the previous night. Or maybe—just maybe—it was because Caroline and Matt were walking down the hall with their hands interlocked. They looked like one of those cliché couples you see in the movies. And though Enola wanted nothing more than to be a supportive friend, she couldn't help but feel sick.
Enola had promised Caroline that these feelings would not affect their relationship. No matter how bad her heart ached, she would not storm across this hallway and force them a part. It was a passing thing. These feelings would subside. She wasn't sure whether or not she was talking about her feelings or the feelings Caroline had for Matt. Either way, she hoped it all would end soon. She couldn't bear the thought of seeing them together.
"Did I miss something?" Elena frowned.
"They have been hanging out," Enola shrugged, trying her best to act unbothered.
"And you're okay with this?" Elena asked slowly.
"Why wouldn't I be?" Enola hummed, avoiding any and all eye contact that just might give her actual feelings away. "I just want her to be happy."
"Wow," Elena applauded. "That is really mature of you—"
"But this little thing won't last long," Enola declared, eyeing Caroline and Matt in distaste.
"Well, your maturity certainly didn't last long." Elena blinked.
"I said I wanted her to be happy," Enola scoffed. "Doesn't mean I can't be bitter about it."
"Caroline needs someone nice like Matt as opposed to a homicidal vampire like Damon." Bonnie spoke up, leaning against her locker. "He is like those villains you read about in books."
"I don't know about you guys, but I would choose a villain over a hero any day." Enola announced.
"Even if it is Damon," Bonnie quirked a brow.
"Damon is subjectively attractive," Enola shrugged. "And, being a vampire, he probably has a whole lot of experience."
"Ew," Elena cringed.
"What?" Enola scoffed. "I'm just being honest."
"Speaking of heroes and villains," Elena cleared her throat, turning to her best friend with a look of curiosity. "How are you doing with all of this?"
"I'm freaked out. Damon attacked me. I could be dead right now." Bonnie confessed. "But I'm also grateful. To Stefan. He saved my life." She then set her sights on Elena, who tensed at the mention of her boyfriend. Or ex-boyfriend. It was hard to keep up these days. "Have you spoken to him?"
"Not since he told me he was leaving." Elena answered. "For all I know, he's already gone."
"He wouldn't leave without saying good-bye." Bonnie told her best friend.
"Yes, he would." Enola corrected.
"He thinks he's protecting me," Elena sighed.
"If he was really protecting you, he would have never gotten involved in your life." Enola said.
"Enola is right." Bonnie agreed. "Maybe this is for the best."
"What? Why?" Elena frowned, looking between the two of them with wide eyes.
"What kind of future could you have had with him, even if he stayed? It's not like he can have kids, and you would always be on the run looking over your shoulder. How long can you stay in one place without people realizing you don't age?" Bonnie wondered. And as if on cue, a banner fell from the ceiling that read; The Promise Of Your Future.
"Did you just—"
"No, I swear." Bonnie promised, cutting Elena off.
"Damn," Enola laughed. "The future must really hate you, Lena."
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The moment Enola exited the large building there was a strange rhythmic buzzing. The girl huffed, struggling to reach into her back pocket for her cellular device due to the school books she had been balancing on her left hip and the bag slung over her right shoulder. After a long and tedious moment, she was just barely able to pull her phone out of the back pocket of her jeans in time to read the caller I.D. Seeing as it was an unknown number, she ended the call and pocketed the device before continuing the short walk to her car.
"Did you just hang up on me?" Enola let out a short yelp at the voice that had just caught her off guard. So off guard she slammed one of her rather large text books into her perpetrators face. "Ow."
"Damon?" Enola blinked, reluctantly lowering her books. "Have you learned nothing since the last time you snuck up on me?"
"Apparently not," Damon scowled, flexing his jaw in hopes of making the dull ache go away.
"Well?" Enola impatiently tapped her foot. "Is there a reason you decided to ruin my day with your unwelcome presence?"
"As a matter of fact," Damon smirked deviously. "I need your help."
"No." Enola decided, attempting to continue to her vehicle.
"There is a new vampire in town," Damon announced, swiftly blocking her path. "And it doesn't just affect me. It affects you and everyone you care about." Noticing her hesitance, he decided to push further. "Come on. We'll be just like Bonnie and Clyde."
"Don't they die in the end?" Enola quirked a brow.
"Irrelevant." Damon told her. "Moral of the story is, we're on the same team."
"I highly doubt that," Enola scoffed.
"Just hear me out," Damon pleaded.
"Five minutes," Enola decided.
"Thank you—"
"Five minutes." Enola interrupted firmly.
"Okay," Damon huffed, reaching into his pocket for a familiar pocket watch that once belonged to Enola's family.
"Where did you—"
"Five minutes," Damon reminded before holding the Gilbert watch out for her to see clearly. "This watch was created over a century ago to guide humans in the direction of their very desired prey; vampires. And since I am of that desired species, the watch will not work for me. That is where you come in, princess."
"You want me to use the watch that you stole from my brother to track this mysterious vampire down so you can kill them?" Enola finished.
"Technically Logan Fell stole it from your brother. I stole it from his corpse." Damon corrected smugly.
"Just give me the damn thing," Enola huffed, snatching the pocket watch out of Damon's grasp before pausing. "And if you ever call me princess again, I will castrate you."
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Enola tapped her fingers along to the music that blasted through her radio as she drove down the nearly abandoned street in peace. She had spent the better half of an hour driving through Mystic Falls in hopes of eliciting a reaction out of the pocket watch that sat in her passenger seat. It wasn't until she passed an abandoned warehouse that the dial began to spin like crazy. She huffed, pulling into the empty parking lot before hopping out of the vehicle with the pocket watch clasped firmly in her hand. She watched the dial spin as she pressed her phone to her ear before calling Damon's unsaved contact in her phone.
"So what do you want me to do now?" Enola questioned the moment he answered her call.
"Just wait. I'll be there in a minute." Damon responded, expertly flashing in front of her with his vamp-speed.
"That was really dramatic." Enola rolled her eyes, pocketing her phone to face him. "How did you know where I was?"
"I could hear the generator in the background." Damon shrugged.
"So," Enola began slowly. "Am I done here?"
"For now," Damon decided.
"For now?" Enola echoed in disbelief. "What does that mean?"
"Wait here." Damon said. "I should be out of there in five minutes. Maybe we can go for a drink afterwards."
"Maybe not." Enola scoffed. "My sister doesn't want me anywhere near you."
"And what do you want?" Damon quirked a brow.
"To go home," Enola said. "This has wasted enough of my time."
"Maybe your sister is right," Damon hummed. "You should stay away from me."
"I'm not scared of you," Enola rolled her eyes.
"Well, maybe you should be." Damon taunted.
"And yet I'm not." Enola decided. "Do you want to know why?"
"Why?" Damon wondered.
"Because when I look at you, all I see is a scared little kid who was forced to grow up too soon." Enola said.
Damon scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief as he slowly began to back up. He turned on his heels before making his way over to the side of the building, attempting to open the steel door. Upon realizing it was locked, he broke the handle and forced it open. Enola watched as Damon entered the building, the door closing behind him. All was silent for a long moment until a series of gunshots sounded, fully capturing her attention.
"Oh, hell no." Enola scoffed, quickly climbing into her vehicle and driving off into the sunset.
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Enola Gilbert spent many nights dreaming of the future. And do you want to know what she saw? Nothing. Besides her obvious plans of opening her own Art Gallery, she saw nothing. No family. No friends. And definitely no pets. It was a lonely road, but it was her road. She didn't like the thought of being tied down. It was mentally exhausting.
"Enola," Elena breathed, rushing over to her twin with Stefan a few steps behind. "Have you seen Logan Fell?"
"No," Enola hummed, focusing on the art history pamphlet in front of her. "Why?"
"He is the other vampire," Stefan informed quietly.
"I'm not surprised," Enola muttered nonchalantly. "The guy gave me serial killer vibes from day one."
"This is serious, Nola." Elena panicked. "He came to the house last night."
"What?" Enola blinked, turning towards her sister with wide eyes.
"He tried to get Jenna to invite him in." Elena explained shortly.
"Well, did she?" Enola asked worriedly.
"No—thank god." Elena huffed. "But he is somewhere around here—or at least he was."
"Elena and I are trying to find him," Stefan informed. "Your help would be very much appreciated."
"Sure," Enola nodded, setting the pamphlet down to aid them in their search.
"Hey," Matt nodded, passing them in the hallway,
"Hey," Elena quickly grabbed his arm, causing him to stop dead in his tracks. "Have you by any chance seen Logan Fell?"
"The news guy about yay high, face of a naked mole rat, dry ass personality." Enola described. "Which now that I think about it, fits nearly everyone in Mystic Falls."
"Yeah," Matt nodded, chuckling at Enola's out of pocket comment. "He just gave Caroline a ride home."
Matt didn't notice how all three of them tensed up at the information before disappearing into the crowd like the background character he had always been. Enola didn't pay any mind to his departure, turning her panicked gaze towards Stefan.
"Stay here," Stefan instructed the twins.
"Wha—" Enola tried stepping forward to follow only to be held back by her sister.
"No," Elena shook her head. "There is nothing we can do but wait."
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And wait they did.
Enola impatiently tapped her foot on the tiled floor of the cafeteria as Elena rambled on and on about everything and nothing. She knew that was just her sisters way of keeping her mind off of Caroline and the impossible situation. However, Enola could not stop the constant urge to stab her own eardrums out. Thankfully before she got the chance to, Stefan made an appearance.
"Caroline?" Enola questioned hopefully.
"She's okay. I took her home." Stefan reassured, watching as Enola's shoulders sagged in relief. She would never admit it out loud, but she was grateful. "She was shaken up, but all she knows is Logan attacked her. Nothing else."
"Where is Logan?" Elena questioned, setting a comforting hand upon her sisters back.
"Damon is . . . dealing with him." Stefan hesitated.
"As in . . . " Elena gulped nervously.
Stefan nodded solemnly, looking away for a brief minute to let the guilt marinate deep within his soul. He hated this. He hated how death seemed so normal to them. They were only seventeen. They shouldn't have to deal with all this drama and madness. Then again, he shouldn't have gotten himself involved if he really wanted what was best for them. And yet, here Elena was setting a comforting hand on his arm as if he was the one who needed to be consoled.
"You saw what happened tonight, right?" Stefan cleared his throat, shaking Elena's hand off of his arm. "I mean, you understand why we can't be together? You see if?"
"Yeah, I'm starting to see a lot of things, Stefan." Elena scoffed.
"You and me both," Enola muttered under her breath before speaking openly. "Do you think you could give Lena a ride home, Stef? I planned on stopping by Caroline's house to make sure she's okay."
"But Caroline's house is on the way to yours," Stefan frowned in confusion.
"I know," Enola smiled cheekily as she backed away from the pair. "But I figured you two could have quite a bit to talk about." She paused for a brief moment. "Or you could do a little less talking and just—"
"Oh my god," Elena cringed, knowing exactly where her sister was going with this.
"Okay, okay," Enola chuckled in amusement. "Have fun, love birds."
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Enola could now proudly say that her relationship with Caroline was fully mended. They had just spent the past two hours cuddled up on the couch, shoving their faces with a plethora of tasty delectables they had stolen from the Forbes family pantry as they watched a ridiculous chick flick they had already seen ten times over. Nothing—and I mean nothing—could wipe the smile off of Enola's normally passive face. Or so she thought.
"Elena," Enola grinned, climbing into the driver's seat of her vehicle with her phone pressed securely between her shoulder and ear. "I thought Stefan would have lasted longer considering he's a vampire." She chuckled to herself, blindly searching for the keyhole before finally starting her car. "Don't worry. I'm sure that will change with time." She put the vehicle in drive and pulled away from the curb. "Two hours is still a long time for you, though. I mean, how good could Matthew Donavan possibly be? I bet that vampire D put his to complete and utter shame—"
"Enola," Elena quickly interrupted. "Where are you right now?"
"Just leaving Caroline's now," Enola hummed. "I was going to pick up some Chinese on my way home. Do you want something?"
"I need you to pick me up," Elena said, sounding slightly more panicked.
"What? Why?" Enola frowned. "I thought things with Stefan were going well."
"They were," Elena said. "And then—"
"And then what?" Enola huffed.
"And then I found a picture of his ex-girlfriend." Elena explained. "Kathrine."
"Well, that is kinda concerning," Enola pointed out.
"That's not the concerning part," Elena informed.
"What could be more concerning than your boyfriend keeping a picture of his ex that has been dead for over a century?" Enola quirked a brow.
"Your boyfriend keeping a picture of his dead ex that looks exactly like you and your twin sister?" Elena supplied.
"No way!" Enola laughed in amusement. "I mean, most guys do have a type. I guess Stefan has a thing for girls with a slightly damaged soul. It probably comes from his savior kink."
"No, no, Enola, this is serious." Elena stressed. "Katherine—she looks exactly like us. I'll send you a picture."
Enola honestly thought her sister was being a tad bit dramatic. She had always been. But when she opened the picture her sister had just sent her of the elusive Katherine Pierce, she knew that Elena's concerns were completely valid. She looked exactly like them. They looked exactly like her.
"What the fuck?" Enola breathed, pressing the phone back to her ear. "I'm on my way—"
Enola had only looked away from the road for only five seconds. Five seconds seemed to be enough for a strange man in a black hood to make an appearance in the middle of the street. The girl released a panicked yelp as she slammed her foot on the brakes, praying for a miracle. But no miracles came as her car slammed into the man at full speed, causing her to violently hit her head against the window as the vehicle flipped what felt like a dozen times before finally landing on the roof.
"Enola?" Elena called from the phone that laid a few feet away on the concrete.
Enola was unable to focus on the panicked screams coming from her sister when her eyes landed on a blurry figure in the middle of the road. It was the man she had just hit with her car. He effortlessly popped his broken bones back into place before he slowly began to make his way forward like a predator stalking its prey. However, just before he could get his hands on her, he quickly vanished. Still, that did nothing to quell the rapid beating of Enola's heart. Especially when Damon popped out of nowhere, earning a horrified scream from her. She most definitely would have hit him if it weren't for the seatbelt holding her back.
"How you doing in there?" Damon questioned, concern written across his face.
"I am just peachy," Enola gritted out.
"You look stuck." Damon pointed out, peering into the car.
"No shit." Enola scoffed.
"Hey," Damon snapped, looking deep into her eyes. "I am just trying to help you." Enola clamped her mouth shut, allowing Damon to do his thing. "I want you to put your hands on the roof—just like that. You ready?"
"Yeah," Enola breathed, shakily as she followed his instructions.
"One . . . two . . . three." Damon counted down before snapping her seatbelt and dragging her almost unconscious body from the wreckage. He stood up straight, lifting her into his arms bridal style "Are you okay? Can you stand? Is anything broken?" He attempted to set her on her feet, only for her to fall forward. He quickly caught her, keeping the girl close to his body. "I got you."
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AUTHORS NOTE.
a few of you have been wondering if damon was still going to be in love with enola and the answer is . . . yes. another thing you guys have probably been wondering is if enola is still mad at elena and the answer is also . . . yes. their little feud was just put on hold because they had bigger fish to fry this chapter. they obviously still have a lot to discuss and work through. until next time, my loves!!!