Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
the new normal
ATHENA FROWNED AT THE TEXT FROM DAMON ON HER PHONE.
So, Caroline hates me.
She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion and typed back a response.
When did you speak to Caroline? And why does she hate you?
She looked back up at her television, burrowing herself amidst her fuzzy blankets. She had introduced Damon to her father before they left to go home, earning a confused and slightly concerned look from Raphael.
That was until Damon explained that she went to school with his little brother and he saw her as a pest he couldn't get rid of. Not completely a lie, all things considered, but he just left out the fact that he was a vampire and felt severely protective over the teenage girl that had been singled out by a Katherine Pierce lookalike. Even though she didn't know it, they were kindred spirits in that sense.
She'd been home for almost an hour now, and she was perfectly comfortable in the warmth of her bed, filled with different-sized pillows and a thousand blankets. It was her paradise, especially because she could see her TV from her position. Nothing could disturb her at the moment.
I think she's jealous, but little does she know I think you're an annoying little human.
Athena scoffed out loud at the text. "Asshole."
Yeah, well, little does she know that I think you're a wannabe Dracula. Even the Cullens are cooler than you.
Besides Damon– Damon was disturbing her because he was a nuisance.
Sighing, she opened a new text thread on her phone. Athena typed it out quickly and sent it before she could talk herself out of anything, but instantly her heart pounded against her chest with regret. She dropped her phone on the pillow next to her and bit her lip anxiously.
She hoped she was making the right decision.
──────
Stefan eyed Elena oddly, his gaze darting back up to where the comet was traveling through the sky above them.
"Sorry for barging in," She shrugged awkwardly. "Especially after earlier."
Stefan shook his head. "No, I'm, uh, I'm actually glad you're here. The way we left things, I didn't like it."
Elena nodded in agreement. "See, the thing is, I got home tonight planning on doing what I always do– write in my diary like I have been since my mom gave it to me when I was ten. It's where I get everything out, everything I'm feeling. It all goes in this little book that I hide on the second shelf behind this really hideous ceramic mermaid."
Stefan forced a smile, eyeing Elena's warm eyes anxiously.
"But then I realized that I'd just be writing things that I should probably tell you."
"No, I need to say this," She interrupted, continuing before he could stop her. "Today I convinced myself it was okay to give up. Don't take risks. Stick with the status quo. No drama, now is just not the time. But my reasons aren't reasons, they're excuses. All I'm doing is hiding from the truth, and the truth is that... I'm scared, Stefan. I'm scared that if I let myself be happy for even one moment, that the world's just going to come crashing down and I– I don't know if I can survive that."
Stefan ran a hand through his hair and looked down at Elena. "Do you want to know what I'd write?"
Elena nodded.
"I met a girl. We talked. It was epic. But then the sun came up and reality set in," Elena smiled at the usage of her words from earlier. "Well, this is reality. Right here. And it might not be what we thought we wanted, but it's what we've got."
Elena lunged forward and kissed him, and Stefan reciprocated it. As happy as he felt kissing Elena, knowing they'd somehow fixed their issues or at least danced around them enough to settle things for now, he couldn't clear his mind of a certain snarky girl who was at home lying in bed.
──────
Athena eyed the school, her eyes scanning for one person in particular. She quickly got out of her car when she spotted him, hurrying over before he could walk over to the two girls she had been avoiding for weeks.
"Stefan! Stefan, wait up!" She called, watching him stop briefly before continuing like she didn't call his name. "Stefan, I am but a small person in a world of giants!"
Stefan came to a complete stop, sighing as he turned around to face Athena. "A world of giants?"
She shrugged, coming to a stop before him. "You walk really fast. And I want to ask you how you are after last night. I didn't quite get everything that happened, but,"
"You really shouldn't concern yourself with it, Athena. It's between me and my brother." Stefan turned and started to walk away again, determined to find Elena before Athena could make him break.
"I'm gonna jump on your back if you don't turn back around and talk to me,"
Stefan stopped, still not facing her. "No, you're not."
"Yes, I am. Better catch me."
Before he could stop her, Athena was flinging herself onto his back and wrapping her limbs around him like some sort of koala. He grunted but barely moved under her weight. "Athena."
"Stefan,"
He sighed, giving in and wrapping his hands around her thighs so he could keep her on his back without her falling. He didn't want her to get hurt just because he had decided the best way to salvage his relationship with Elena was by pretending she didn't exist. "I meant what I said. You'll get hurt dealing with vampires."
"And I'm willing to risk that because you and Damon are the only people I like in this town. You can't just shut me out 'cause I know your secret, Stefan, I'm fine with it."
Stefan frowned, his concern for her trumping anything she could possibly try to assuage him with at the moment. He was grateful she couldn't see his face at the moment, even from where her head had come to rest on his shoulder.
"Are you going to answer all my questions now, or are you gonna make me deal with your brother before ten a.m.? Because let's face it, Stefan, nobody wants that."
Well— she wasn't wrong.
"Fine." He rolled his eyes and walked them over to a picnic table, dropping Athena off his back onto the table haphazardly and turning around to meet her glare. He smiled sweetly at her and sat down. "What do you want to know?"
