On My Own | Hale - TVD/TO/TW [4]

11 | Done

Lexi waits outside of Mystic Falls High School. Her eyes are their regular color as she plays a game on her phone. "FYI," she mutters under her breath, glancing up at the pack. "Not exactly my best moment."

"What do you do?" Scott asks.

Lexi shakes her head. "Nothing I can undo." Pushing off of the brick wall, she walks right through the pack towards her approaching sister. "Hey," Lexi says with a small smile. "Heard about Esther's little resurrection trick. Wanted to check on you."

Rebekah nods before she wraps her arms around Lexi. "She's really gone now," Rebekah says, though her voice wavers with each word. "No need to pretend you care."

"I do care," Lexi says as she pulls away. "Why do you think I'm here, cleaning up after a high school dance neither one of us went to?"

Rebekah chuckles, linking her arm with Lexi's. "Don't kid yourself—you're only here to avoid your problems."

"I'm not avoiding," Lexi replies as they walk through the halls and towards the gymnasium. "I'm done."

Rebekah frowns. "Done?"

"Done." Lexi lets go of Rebekah to grab a recycling bin. She sighs at the mess in front of her before she begins stuffing the bin with trash. "I'm not going back." Rebekah stares with her mouth agape. "I know, I know, but they don't need me." Lexi shakes her head as her movements quicken. "They don't even want me, so what's the point? I can only count on you and Nik, right? Not even Elijah or Kol, both bloody cowards."

Lexi throws the entire bin into the wall with a shout.

"See? I'm fine."

She begins to pick up the trash once more.

"You can't just abandon them!" Rebekah exclaims.

"Watch me." Lexi empties her partially full bin into a larger one. "Nik was right. They make me vulnerable, and look what vulnerability has lead to." Her brother's name lies on the tip of her tongue. "People betray me—they always have and they always will."

Rebekah shakes her head, stopping Lexi's movements with a hand. "They are your pack," Rebekah says. "You told me others are attacking them. It's not like you to just leave them defenseless."

Lexi sighs as she runs a hand through her hair. She glances away from Rebekah before she begins to clean once more. Rebekah watches with narrowed eyes. "You aren't," she realizes. "You're not being heartless. Do you truly believe that they're better off without you?"

"That's not the reason—"

"Bullshit!" Rebekah yells, her voice bouncing off of the walls. "This is some sad attempt at protecting them, it always is!"

Lexi straightens her back. "Deucalion is there because of me," she says softly. "Gerard was there to kill me. Hell, Kate's always wanted me dead. Their problems all go back to me. If I was never there in the first place... They would've been safe."

"You can't actually believe that."

"Rebekah, I came to say goodbye," Lexi admits, leaning against the large recycling bin. "To you, to Nik. Because once I do what I came here to do, Nik will never speak to me again."

Rebekah blinks in confusion as footsteps echo off of the walls. Both sisters tense as Caroline walks in, her blonde curls bouncing with each step. "Where's Matt?" She asks as both Originals go back to work.

Rebekah grimaces. "He bailed. Got called into work at the last minute."

"Are you kidding me?" Caroline groans. "So it's just us?"