Body & Soul - Klaus Mikaelson

Twenty-Two

This morning feels too normal.

There is no grumbling Ripper. There is no Hybrid on a mission. No hotel room.

Today it's just me, in my house. Normal. And not for the first time, normal feels all too weird. It's another first day of school and another highschool morning. But so far there is nothing supernatural. After a whole summer of supernatural, I at least thought something would happen before I could leave the house.

But as I stare at myself in the mirror, my mocha hair rolling over my shoulders and my blue eyes blinking back at me, I'm surprised how normal I look. How ready I look to take on a senior year of high school. My tan skin screams summer vacation and the freckles dotting my nose seems like a present from the sun. There are no visible scars.

The ones in my mind remain hidden from the others. The after-effects of violent memories and the nightmares that come less often now. But they are still there, still a reminder of the violent life I am in for in the coming years. I swallow hard at the irony. 

I chew on my lip as I turn away from my mirror, grabbing my bag from the floor and starting my way downstairs. I wait for the door to swing open, for Stefan or Damon to come barging in with supernatural drama that will keep me another day from school. But I make it out the front door and to my porch without interruption. 

I force myself to remember that Stefan is still Ripper him and Damon is probably trying to save him. At least I hope he is. 

It seems even more fake as Caroline's car rolls up in my driveway. She sits in the driver's seat with a bright smile. They went home early this morning to collect themselves for school, and Elena for training. But Carolin promised to be back to pick me up as usual. But her car in the driveway, her bright blonde hair and blinding smile that should be bringing back joy, don't. I just get an unsettling feeling that I can't seem to shake. 

For her, I plaster a smile to my face and march down the front porch stairs of my house, trying to breathe in the normal while it lasts.

Because in this town, it never does. 

~~~~~~~~~~

School is crawling with people. It's like last night didn't happen. Like death and destruction didn't ripple through the school before us. I'm still numb to the fact that I am standing in front of Mystic Falls high school for my senior year. I'm surprised that Klaus is letting me stay and didn't drag me along on his next impossible mission.

Maybe he has finally figured it out that he doesn't own me. Perhaps my freedom is him trying to win me back. He would be wrong, but this is nice. I won't complain and I won't turn it down. I know this is limited and I plan on enjoying it as much as possible.

Bonnie, Caroline, Elena, and I stand as we always do on the first day of school. We stare at the school all of us shouldering problems that are driving us crazy. All the problems that come with the supernatural lives we live. Just a few years ago we were four human girls ready to have the best high school years ever. 

Last year we were a witch, a mystical werewolf, and two humans.

Today we're a witch, a vampire, a doppelganger, and a mystical werewolf.

How things have changed.

"Here we are," Caroline breathes. "Senior year."

We all thought today would be better. Caroline has been planning this year since she could walk. This is not at all how we wanted it to start. But then again, had we never met the supernatural we would be normal teenage girls, and maybe we wouldn't be as close as we are now.