Whatever It Takes {Two | Alaric Saltzman}

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Abigail and Elena had been to Principal Webber's office before, together and separately, but never for the same reasons as Jeremy; however, this one was all about him. "Principal Weber, we know that graduation isn't for a while, but Jeremy just got accepted into a great art school in Santa Fe."

"Jeremy Gilbert? Graduate early?" He shook his head. "I don't think so, not with his academic record."

"What's wrong with it?" Elena asked.

"Let's start with the drug use in his freshman year."

Elena took a quick breath. "Well-"

"You mean the year that our parents died?" Abigail asked.

"What's the excuse for the next three years of woeful attendance? Or the months where he faked his own death?"

"He didn't actually fake it." Clasping her hands together in front of her with an accusatory expression, she leaned back in her chair. "We went to this island off the coast of Canada in search of the cure for vampirism, and Jeremy-"

Elena slapped her arm. "Abigail!"

Unswayed by Elena's interjection, he asked, "Is this some sort of joke to you?"

She shook her head. "No."

"Look," Elena said, "Jeremy has had a rough time here, but that's part of the reason why we want him to go."

"Well, I'm sorry, but I can't let that happen."

"Principal-"

Abigail turned to her sister. "So, can we try this my way now?"

She spoke quickly in an effort to get out as much as she could before Abigail cut her off again, "We already compelled him into art school. Sorry that I wanted our little brother to actually get a degree."

"He will. Sort of. Okay. Um..." She turned back to the man in front of them. "This small-town atmosphere doesn't nurture a creative spirit like Jeremy Gilbert, and it's of your opinion that it's time for him to get out of Mystic Falls."

Matt opened the Grill early for Jeremy's going away party with plans on closing it late, but there were only two people sitting at the table Abigail dropped a red cap and gown on. "Look who graduated. Jeremy Gilbert."

"He was okay with it?"

"Sure." She shrugged. "I mean, you're practically flunking, you missed one hundred days of school, and you can barely spell the word 'graduate,' but sure. He was okay with it."

Elena sat down next to Damon. "We helped the process along."

Abigail took a step toward the bar. "I'm gonna get a drink."

Faintly, she heard Jeremy ask, "She okay?"

"She will be," Damon said. "We all will. Somehow, we'll all find a way to move on without you, Jeremy. Oh, hey, just did."

She sat down on the opposite side of the bar than she usually did, right next to Tyler. "Alaric conveniently disappeared at my arrival."

"Alaric left because he was worried about the fact that some people in this town still think he's dead."

"Yeah, that anti-magic border really screwed up all the compulsion revolving around him. And, uh, well, you know, the articles and the headstone don't really help either." She poured herself a double shot. "We'll have to figure out what to do about that."

"Are you guys..."

"Well," she stuttered out, "I'm still his TA and he's still Alaric, so there you go."