𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸 ∙ 𝗝𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗺𝘆 𝗚𝗶𝗹𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘁

𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗻

Heading to school the next day, Heidi met up with Jeremy at his locker as planned, quickly running an errand for Stefan. After the events the night prior, Stefan was persistent on Jeremy drinking vervain/wearing vervain at all times to protect himself and everyone else. He had to go speak to his brother and so he wanted Heidi to pass the little gift over to the teenage boy.

So, she located him instantly and sent him a small smile as she approached him, adjusting the strap of her bag as she walked. High school was new to her and she hadn't been in decades. In fact, the last time she decided to return to school was when she and Anna got bored and enrolled into University, both getting their degrees. It was all useless anyway, it's not like they could settle down and get a job, they eventually had to keep moving so nobody became suspicious.

"Hey, I was told to give you this." Heidi greeted, rummaging through her bag to reveal the small box. Inside it laid multiple pieces of the plant itself, along with a small jar of vervain, one that he could add to a drink of his choice.

"Stefan said it protects me from compulsion." Jeremy commented, already getting a brief explanation about the plant from Stefan when the mention of him using it was brought up.

"Vervain is incredibly toxic to us vampires and it hurts like a bitch when it comes in contact with like any part of our body." Heidi grimaced at the memories she held of said plant.

"So, it's like poison?" Jeremy questioned slowly and she shrugged, leaning against the locker beside him.

"Sort of." Heidi looked into his locker and snickered when she saw a photo of the two of them in there. It had been taken on a polaroid, the girl rolling her eyes as he grinned widely. She told him to throw it away but apparently he did not. "It'll keep unwanted people out of your head so use it everyday."

"Wait, but why vervain?" Jeremy seemed to be full of questions today and surprisingly Heidi was in a good mood so she was willing to accept all his various questions.

At his comment, she maintained her smile despite his questions. "I don't know I'm not the person who decided it." Heidi quipped, once again allowing her eyes to sweep through his locker. "There are other herbs and roots, stuff like that, which can harm vampires but vervain is the most common use of protection.

"Like a stake through the heart?" Jeremy quizzed, recalling reading something about the death option while she raised merely raised her brow.

"It can't be any stake, it has to be wood." Heidi corrected and he allowed his lips to tug up into a small grin.

That dopey grin made her knees go weak and she did not know why, maybe she had the flu. "You're confidently telling me all the different ways I could possibly kill or even torture you." Jeremy commented in amusement as he let a chuckle pass by his lips.

"Jer, absolutely nothing against you, but I would win in a fight, easily." Heidi retorted playfully. "Besides, why would you want to kill me, I'm one of the only people who can tolerate you."

"Low blow." Jeremy pretended to clutch his heart as she rolled her eyes. "Although, I could say the same for you."

"Rude."

Begrudgingly, Heidi sighed as she made her way over to the stall Jeremy had been forced to work on. A carnival had been placed in Mystic Falls and the students were all helping with different stalls. Thankfully, Heidi had managed to get out of it but Jeremy forced her to come and help him pass the slow and agonising time he had to spend working there.

Noticing no sign of the boy, she rolled her eyes and listened closely, hearing someone struggling. Vamp-speeding out of the crowd, she scanned her eyes to where she'd heard the sound earlier. There, she saw Damon, the vampire with his arms wrapped around Jeremy's neck as he held him in a chokehold. Once again, she Vamp-sped into the crowd and this time, towards the current unfair fight occurring.

Heidi grabbed the man and pulled him off her friend, slamming his body into the stall beside him. "Why don't you try fight with someone who is not human?" She quipped sarcastically, moving her hands down to pull the ring out of Damon's grip. "Get out of my sight."

Damon went to retort but the harsh look on her face made him roll his eyes, pushing her off of him. With one last glare directed at the youngest Gilbert, he took off into the crowd, blending in with them until he completely was out of sight. As soon as he was gone, Heidi whirled around to face her friend, scanning her eyes over him to ensure he was okay and not harmed in anyway.

Vamp-speeding closer to him, she grabbed his hand and revealed the ring that Damon had taken from him. She placed it on his finger and sent him a soft smile, unaware of the blood rushing to his cheeks at this mere interaction. No matter what she did, how small, he ended up with a smile on his face and he was thankful he'd met her, even if it was all fake in the beginning. It was real now and that's all that mattered.

"He didn't hurt you or anything?" Heidi asked finally, dropping his hand as she allowed her eyes to scan him once again.

"No, I'm fine." Jeremy reassured and she she slowly nodded, taking a step backwards. "Thank you."

"What are friends for?" Heidi smiled as he chuckled, wrapping his arm around her shoulder as they walked into the crowd together, deciding to try make the most of this horrific night that awaited them.

In Jeremy's eyes, the time would pass by easily as long as he had her by his side.

Words~1017.
{edited:no}