Humanity 6 "The Change"

Chapter 3

STEFAN'S POV

I pull up at the repair shop and get out of the car. Dean is working on a car when I walk inside.

"Ain't a parking lot, kid." He calls out.

"Yeah, well, I'm not here to work. I need a few days off." I demand.

"It looks like I need a new mechanic." He says, turning to face me.

I grab him firmly by the shirt and slam him up against the car. "I said I need a few days off."

"Are you slow?" He asks rudely. "Let me simplify. Stay, keep the job. Leave, lose it."

I lose my temper and lift him up off of the ground.

"How the hell are you so strong?" He asks with a frown.

"You hired a vampire. Next time do a background check." I growl before compelling him. "Now, shut up and don't move. See, I was trying to...get a fresh start, live a normal life, normal job, normal dick of a boss. That's you, by the way, and this place was supposed to be my sanctuary. And it was until yesterday."

I set Dean down and grab his arm, pulling him out to my car. "This is my girlfriend, Ivy." I tell him, opening the trunk. "Someone killed her last night in front of me. So, now I have to go home...last place on this earth that I wanna be...find him and kill him. Like I said, I need a few days off."

"You should take a few days off." He tells me.

"Thanks buddy. I will." I smile, handing him my keys. "Now, I need you to drive my car into the woods, and you're gonna burry my girlfriend. And forget this ever happened. Oh, and when I get back, you're giving me a raise."

ASHLEY'S POV

I walk into the dorm room carrying a tray of coffees for everyone, but Caroline's the only one in there.

"So, I volunteer at the hospital until like two. And then I figured we could carpool to the party at the swimming hole." I tell her as I set the coffees down. When I look back at her, I notice that she's packing a bag. "Um...normally when you move back in, you unpack."

"I'm not staying." She says with a sigh. "Last night was just a momentary moment of weakness."

"Momentary moment?" I ask, raising any eyebrow, and she nods. "Are you sure you don't want to come back to school?"

Caroline doesn't say anything as she just stares at me.

"Caroline, needing your friends isn't a weakness." I tell her.

She shakes her head at me and closes her bag. "Tell that to Stefan, who clearly needs no one."

"Cut him some slack, he lost his brother." I say, crossing my arms. "Granted, said brother was a homicidal maniac...but still."

Caroline snaps her head up to look at me. Her face is filled with sadness and concern and I'm not sure why.

"What?" I ask her, but she shakes her head quickly.

"Nothing. I just...I gotta go...to breakfast with Enzo, so..."

"Enzo?" I frown.

"Yep."

"You guys go on one road trip and all of a sudden you're breakfast buddies?" I ask.

"Yeah, I guess so." She says, giggling slightly. "Ironically, he's recently become one of the most stable people in my life."

That's a strange combination, but I'm not gonna judge her.

"Okay, so invite him to the party." I suggest.