Stefan - it's not so easy

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*Trigger Warning Mentions: Abuse but nothing Graphic*

request: Hey!!❤️can you please do a story where Stefan has dyslexia, and the gang (Elena, Damon, Caroline, Bonnie, Matt, Tyler and Enzo) mock him for it as a joke, but Stefan doesn't see it as a joke and he gets really really sad and does something bad (you can choose what he does) and then they all apologize (season 2 appearance please❤️) in your Sickfics story btw❤️live you

Written by co-writerLilyFlynnigan4 

Stefan tossed and turned in his bed. He was having a hard time going to sleep. He had a history test tomorrow. History was one of his best subjects as he lived through most of it and was always able to give oral answers. But ever since he was a kid he struggled with reading and writing and never knew why.

He turned on his side and finally faded off into sleep.

Crack. The sound of the whip hitting him again. "Father, please stop." 10 year old Stefan called out again. "No son of mine is failing out of school." His father cracked the whip against his skin once more. Stefan cried. It wasn't his fault. Really he was trying his best, but the words seemed to move off the page. It was difficult for him to read outloud and his teacher had sent another note home.

"Father, I'll help him." a soft voice said. Stefan looked up to see his big brother at the doorway. His father looked angry for a moment, before Damon could say. "We'll go do our homework right now and it will be better than last week's." Damon promised. Stefan looked back at his father who gestured for him to leave with Damon. Stefan quickly got up and went with Damon to the study.

Without having said anything, Damon went to get ice for Stefan's back. Stefan sniffled as Damon laid it on him. "I'm sorry, Damon." Stefan whimpered. Damon got down on one knee and looked at his little brother. "It's okay, Stefan. We'll just practice more."

Knock. Knock. Stefan opened his eyes and took notice of his room. He wasn't 10 years old anymore. "Stefan, you're gonna be late for school." Damon called out. Stefan groaned. Damon poked his head in. "Are you sick?" Damon asked. Stefan shot him a look. "No." "Well then get your ass out of bed."

Stefan sometimes missed how caring Damon used to be. Although he didn't need anyone to look out for him anymore, it was hard to live with Damon given how far apart they had grown. Stefan got dressed and headed off to school.

When Stefan got to school, he found Caroline, Tyler and Bonnie outside looking over notes for the history test. "Oh hey Stefan, can you quiz us." Bonnie asked. Stefan hesitated but took the notes. "What year do..did the re..revolution...start?" Stefan read.

"1775!" Caroline answered quickly.

Stefan looked down again. "Which b.." the words seem to swim in front of him. He always struggled to differentiate between lowercase T's and L' and this word had a lot of them. "Which batters were the most...im..imp.." Stafan tried.

"Wait, batters? You mean battles?" Bonnie corrected. "Dude, do you know how to read?" Tyler asked bluntly. "Tyler." Caroline scorned him with a slap on the arm. "Of course he does, right Stefan?" Bonnie asked.,

Stefan didn't know what to say. He sort of knew. But it was always so easy for everyone else. Maybe there was something wrong with him. "I knew there was something that had to be off about you. Mr. Perfect, never learned how to read." Tyler laughed. "I...I know how to read." Stefan defended himself. "Well not very well though." Bonnie commented bluntly. Stefan turned pink while Caroline shot looks at Bonnie and Tyler, them clearly not picking up on the fact that their comments had gone too far.

"Hey, what are you guys doing?" Elena asked as she approached the group. "Nothing." Stefan said quickly and he pulled her away from them. He didn't want Elena of all people to know about this.

If Elena thought it was weird he pulled her away she didn't show it. She blabbered about her worries for Jeremy while they entered the school and went to their lockers.

Finally the bell rang and it was time for history. Being in Alaric's class was usually fun, but today Stefan felt nothing but anxiety.

After sitting in his seat a minute, he looked up to see Tyler and Matt looking at him and whispering to each other, both laughing, Tyler more so than Matt. He knew exactly what Tyler was saying. This was totally humiliating, he had survived hundreds of years. So what if he wasn't a perfect reader.

But when Alaric put the test in front of Stefan, Stefan could barely understand any of it. Too many words were unfamiliar and they seemed to flip letters as he was reading. He closed his eyes and calmly got up out of his seat and put his almost blank test on Alaric's desk before walking out of the classroom.

"Stefan?" he heard Elena call. But he ignored her. He walked out of the school and then at vampire speed ran to the woods. All he could feel was anger boiling up in his veins. He took his anger out on a chipmunk and then had it as a snack, thinking he would feel better after he had some fresh food. But he didn't.

He fumbled around the woods. Kicking rocks and trees and eventually screaming at the top of his lungs. Why did this happen to him? He tried so hard, but it was like books and words just made fun of him when he tried to read. It's why he started writing in his diary more, to get practice but it only helped a little. 150 years of this life and he still read like he was a kid. It just made him mad.

Suddenly he heard footsteps and he turned to find a teenage girl taking pictures of some of the wildlife. He didn't recognize her, but it wouldn't have mattered if he did. He pounced on her quickly. Compelling her to be quiet as he fed from her neck.

"Stefan, let her go." Stefan looked up to see Damon standing before him. "Let her go." Damon almost whispered. "But I'm hungry." Stefan growled. "No, you're sad. Let's go home. I'll get you a blood bag and we can talk about it." Damon said, sounding like the big brother he once had been. Stefan stopped and let the girl go, she was about ready to pass out. Damon healed her and then compelled her to forget before sending her on her way. He even remembered to check the camera to make sure she had no photos of Stefan. They got lucky.

Damon took Stefan home and told him how Alaric had called and mentioned the blank test. Stefan was embarrassed but finally admitted to Damon how difficult reading still was for him. He explained how the words moved and letters got switched in his brain. Damon calmed Stefan down before calling Alaric back, who recommended Stefan get tested.

Once he had the diagnosis, Stefan was able to meet with a specialist and she worked with him on how to train his brain to read differently. She also explained that there was nothing wrong with him and millions of people struggled with dyslexia. Stefan knew his friends might not always be super supportive, but at least he had his big brother.

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