Miles From Normal

Chapter 6

In school the next day, Percy's first class was History with Alaric Saltzman. She headed to the class and took her seat only to see the witch staring at her.

Stefan was also looking at her. Both of them had cold looks in their eyes.

Damn those witches, thought Percy. They can sense that I'm not normal. But considering how cold and unafraid Bonnie seemed to be she didn't exactly understand what her senses were telling her.

Elena was looking at Stefan in confusion, as if she couldn't understand why he was glaring at the new girl.

She turned forward again to see Matt Donovan waving at her. Recognizing him as the waiter from the Grill, she smiled and waved back. She got up from her seat to sit at the empty seat near him.

"Hey, Matt."

"Hi. Percy, right? We haven't been introduced yet, but I heard Damon say your name," said Matt, smiling in a friendly way.

"Oh, okay. Mind if I sit here?" Percy motioned towards the seat near him.

"Not at all."

She sat down. Bonnie and Stefan were still glaring at her.

"So, how's school so far?" asked Matt. "Judging by your face it hasn't been great?"

Percy grimaced. "Let's just say some people here aren't exactly... nice."

She noticed Stefan's shoulders tense at that. Oh, great, she thought, vampires had super-hearing. Just like gods. Perfect.

"Don't worry, they'll warm up to you," said Matt reassuringly. "You seem very nice. You'll make friends easily, you'll see."

"I sure hope so. But I don't wanna make friends with "toxic" people." She looked at Stefan when she said that, and was met with a glare.

The brunette at his side scowled at her. She took his hand in hers, making a big show of saying they were not toxic people.

"Well, I can be your friend, if you'd like." Matt smiled. "And I'm certainly not toxic."

"No, you're nice. I'd love to be your friend."

"Hey, Matt," Bonnie called. She was frowning at them. "How's Caroline?"

"She's doing better," replied Matt. "But I haven't heard from her lately." At Percy's curious look, he explained, "Caroline's my girlfriend. She had an accident a while ago, but she's fine now."

"Oh, okay," said Percy.

She remembered the name Caroline. The blonde vampire who had killed a mortal that day at the carnival.

The bell rang. Percy was putting her things into her backpack, when Stefan appeared in front of her. He adopted an easy-going posture, but his eyes were full of anticipation. Like he was ready for anything.

"Hello, Stefan," Percy greeted. "Beautiful morning, isn't it?"

The classroom was almost empty, except for Mr. Saltzman, Bonnie and Elena.

"You know, for someone who claims to want peace between us, you certainly seem to contradict yourself." Stefan had a firm tone, meaning business.

"Do you mean the comments I made with Matt?" Percy faked a look of surprise. "Are you offended?"

"Stefan is not toxic," said Elena, coming to his defense. "Don't assume things. You don't even know us."

Percy ignored her. She looked at Stefan."Your kind is definitely toxic. Always causing trouble to the mortals. And do not get me started on witches. Petty women obsessed with power. Also men," She added as an afterthought. She was thinking of Circe and Medea when she said that. Those two had definitely caused their share of trouble for the demigods when they were on their quests.

The witch reacted instantly. Percy felt a pressure on her forehead, almost as if something was trying to enter her brain and make it collapse. She knew this trick, and it didn't work on demigods. It was weak and painless. Bonnie was obviously a newbie. But then, it wouldn't work even if an experienced witch, or a warlock were to try it.

Percy clicked her tongue at Bonnie. "Oh, so easily agitated. You should really learn to resist the truth." She turned back to the others. "Did you know witches don't even have powers? They just borrow from trees, flowers and the earth. They're just borrowers."

The witch was frozen in her place. Her mouth was open in shock. She took a step back, without it being her intention. "I made every single vein in your brain collapse. No one can resist that, not even vampires. What are you?"

No one had been able to shrug off her spell like that. But yet this unknown teenage girl could. Bonnie was completely terrified.

"Practice makes perfect." Percy tried not to remember the long, excruciatingly painful hours that Circe had tortured her. "And as for my secret, why would I share it with you?"

"You know our secret, why shouldn't we know yours?" Stefan pointed out.

"That makes no sense," said Percy, looking over at Stefan. "I didn't force anyone into telling me your secret. I just found out because of my amazing detective-slash-psychic skills." She gave Bonnie a devilish grin.

"That's not what Stefan said," Alaric decided to speak for the first time. "He said you were powerful enough to hold him and shove him back. You knew he was a vampire. How?"

Percy instantly understood one thing. Damon hadn't said a word of what she had said to the others. She decided to thank him later for that.

"He attacked me, and I defended myself," Percy shrugged.

"So you decided to threaten us all." Elena scowled and crossed her arms over her chest.

Percy ignored her. "I told you I didn't want any problems, and I mean it. But that doesn't mean I'm gonna sit back and let you all kill innocent mortals."

"What makes you think we'll listen to anything you have to say?" Bonnie Bennett spat at her. "You say you don't want any problems, yet you taunt us. Who do you think you are to tell us what to do?"

"Lose the attitude, Winifred," Percy snapped.

She hated people like Bonnie, people who believed themselves to be superior than the others just because they had the power. She was tired of people always snapping at her, raising their voices at her.

"I don't want problems, but if you want them, you'll have it." Every word was carefully spoken. Green eyes blasting fiercely like the savage sea, whose daughter she was, dared them to say anything against her. "You might be a witch, but I am a lady, and I will be treated with the respect I deserve. I've been protecting mortals since I was a little girl, and I'm not gonna stop doing it now."

Protecting mortals? Since she was a little girl? The others shared a startled look. Who WAS this girl?

"No mortals will be harmed," said Alaric. "You have my word on that."

"Why do you even care?" Elena scoffed. "You're new in town. You don't even know anyone."

"I don't care. At least, not about you. I only care about protecting the mortals."

"Elena, Alaric and I are mortals," Bonnie pointed out. "Stefan's not harming us."

"Oh, please. You're a witch, Alaric's a vampire hunter, and Elena's a doppelgänger."

"How do you know..." Elena started.

"Do you know Katherine?" Stefan demanded.

"I did my research. It was not hard to find out about you." Percy shrugged.

The others shared another shocked look. When they turned back to look at Percy, the raven-haired girl was nowhere to be seen.