Fix You

Chapter 6

The second I switch my phone back on after getting settled in the hotel room, a series of texts start coming it. Mostly from Damon trying to figure out where I am and if I'm coming home. I consider answering for a moment before deciding against it. He can sweat for now. A few pop through from Stefan, disconnected as ever.

Sometimes I can't help but to wonder how stupid or gullible my brothers think I am. To not notice Elena is the doppelgänger of Katherine. Or that Caroline is very clearly a vampire. And Damon wants to pretend as if my being friends with Niklaus is a direct attack on our family. That I'm somehow the reckless one in our bunch.

My phone rings while I sit in the arm chair of my hotel room, legs dangling over one arm. My curiosity piques as I notice it's Niklaus.
"I am both alive and sober." I say as my answer and he gives a laugh.
"I was making sure you didn't loop back to throttle your brother."
"Not worth the effort, you said it yourself. And then Stefan would get involved and it would be a whole ordeal." I reply in a bored tone.
"Shouldn't you be in school?" He asks and I laugh genuinely.
"I called and told them that I'm transferring to schooling online. Because being in a traditional classroom is too difficult for me after studying abroad for two years." I say with a smirk on my face.
"I didn't think you belonged there." He says and I start laughing.
"I let myself become a cheerleader. The skirt barely covered my bottom." I say shaking my head.
"My mother was rolling in her grave." I joke and then the phone beeps, indicating I have a call waiting. I pull it away to see it's Damon.
"Damon's on the other line, and I suppose I should also inform him I'm alive as well." I grumble before switching over.
"Hello." I answer in a short clipped tone.
"So you've finally decided to answer." He says, clearly still angry.
"Yup. Because clearly we aren't going to see eye to eye on this issue." I answer as I twist in the chair so my feet are planted on the floor.
"When do you plan on coming home?" He asks after a very long pause.
"I'm not. I won't live in that house anymore. I don't know how you and Stefan can stand it." I answer honestly.
"It's just a house." He says and I roll my eyes.
"To you. To me it was like a prison." I tell him and he sighs.
"At some point, Serena, you're going to need to let the past be the past." He says and the white hot rage is back in an instant.
"I'll make you a deal, Damon. I'll let the past be the past when you do. Stop chasing after Elena. Because you and I both know you're really chasing Katherine. And she didn't actually want either of you." I sneer, before hitting the "end call" button hard enough to crack the screen. I sigh to myself, the rage dissipating just as fast as it set in. I stand and shrug into my jacket,I stride through the door to my hotel room, letting it swing shut behind me.

I walk out to the parking lot, suddenly realizing I don't have my car. I roll my eyes in amusement as I see it parked in the corner parking spot. I walk over to it, and check in the back wheel well for my keys and find them there, well hidden.  I slide into the drivers seat, wanting to send Niklaus a thank you test but my phone is done for.

I pull into the parking lot of the mall, suddenly desperately missing Rebekah. Not only because she enjoys shopping as much as I do, but because I could use her advice right about now. She always understood me, she knew what it was like to grow up with only brothers. And how frustrating and bone headed they could be. I wish I could find her, wherever she was even just to talk about nothing with her.

I walk out of the electronics store, with the newest iDevice in hand. Contacts and messages all transferred over easily. I find an open bench and sit down as I type out a text to Niklaus, thanking him for everything in the last twenty-four hours. I pull up the web browser installed on this phone and start scrolling the property listings.
"What are you doing?" A text from Niklaus pops through as I browse.
"Looking for a house." I text back rapidly before returning to my search. I click open the link that leads back to a beautiful old Victorian house. The polar opposite of the Boarding house.  I quickly fill out the application for a viewing. I stand up from the bench, and glance up at a man practically leering at me. I fix him with a very dark look and he nearly shrivels up right there. My phone starts buzzing for what feels like the millionth time today.
"Niklaus, if you don't stop calling me, my dear brothers are going to start thinking we're more than friends." I tell him and I can hear him laugh.
"How far away is this house you're looking at?" He asks casually, almost like he's concerned I'm skipping town.
"Just outside of town. Not far at all really." I tell him.
"Also, pardon me if this is an instructive question, but do you know how I'd be able to get ahold of Rebekah? We haven't talked in ages." I say and he sighs.
"I don't. But let me try reaching out." He says and I nod like he can see me.
"I hope I didn't do anything to upset her." I say absentmindedly as I walk to my car. A text pops through from the asking agent of the house I looked at.
"Hey, do you wanna go look at this house with me?" I ask, half joking, although I know he would know more about the state it's in than I would. I'd get to distracted by how pretty it looks.
"Send me the address." He says and I grin.
"Niklaus Mikaelson you are truly the best friend I have."