A Quiet Life in Mystic Falls

Vicki's Bite

Azalea told Elena that she was going to walk to the school the next day. She wanted to see if she could master her locker before it became a real problem. In jeans and a lilac long shirt she made her way to the school. Ok she told herself. You can so this. 48, then left to 15 then 24 flick it right and nothing... frowning she tried again. She turned it right and tried to open. It didn't.

She grunted hitting the side of it.

"Whoa hey easy," a voice called up the hall. It was the blonde guy that Tyler was with yesterday.

"Sorry, I just... I don't see what I am doing wrong. Look." Azalea put in the code and clicked it right and pulled. It didn't budge.

"See! I am doing exactly what the paper says." She glared at the lock.

"Let me try," he said smiling, taking the paper and putting in the combination. He clicked right and it opened he smiled at the shocked look on her face.

"There," he said.

"How did you do that?" she asked staring at the opened locker.

"It just takes practice," he smiled. "Something tells me you have never used a locker before."

She blushed.

"Where did you get that from?"

"Listen, don't worry about it you'll get it. I'm Matt," he said offering his hand.

"Lea," she smiled taking it. He was cute, she thought, in a way that made Azalea wanted to cuddle him and pinch his cheeks.

"Thank you, I know who to pester between classes."

"I'm sure Elena will help too," he said.

"You know – right small town."

"That and we used to date, so..." he rubbed the back of his head and looking down. "I'm sorry about Tyler yesterday, he can be a dick."

"It's not your fault." She said smiling.

"Come on I'll try and help you figure it out." he said, shutting the locker and holding the lock...

"The battle of Willow creek. Took place at the very end of the war right here in our own Mystic Falls. How many casualties resulted in this battle? Miss Bennett?"

"Um a lot," Bonnie said, everyone sniggered. "Like a whole lot." She said smirking. He smiled too.

"Cute becomes dumb in an instant Miss Bennett." He looked around for his next victim, "Mr Donavon, would you like to take this opportunity to overcome your imbedded jock stereotype."

"It's ok Mr Tanner, I'm cool with it," he said, Azalea burst out laughing at that comment.

"Miss Potter, as you find this so amusing perhaps –"

"Pass," she said.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"Oh right, I don't know, I haven't got up to that chapter yet, we don't study the civil war in England, we just kind of do the world wars over and over again, sir." She said smiling innocently at him.

"Elena, surely you can enlighten us about one of this town's most significant events."

"I'm sorry I don't know," she said.

"I was willing to be lenient last year for obvious reasons. But the personal excuses ended after summer break..."

Azalea felt her blood boil, without being consciously aware she had stood up.

"How dare you," she snarled interrupting his rant, the expression on her face furious. "There isn't a bloody off switch for grieving, you prat. You never stop grieving you have days where you're fine a song won't bother you, and then other day, wham, tears. So don't you dare talk to her that way! She was politest of the four who answered so pull your neck in you're a teacher not the minister." And with that she furiously swooped up her belongings in her arms and stormed from the class. For long moment everyone stared at the door in shock. Most felt simply stunned, others felt joy at someone talking to Mr Tanner like that. Elena Gilbert felt extremely grateful and sad for the English girl; she got the emotion down, because of this, she knew that Azalea had lost people too. Now that she thought of it she hadn't seen Azalea's parents yet. Then she realised that the redhead had not answered the questions Stefan had the night before. She would ask her in the most gentle way possible to see if her hunch was correct. But if it was, who was she living with? Surely she wasn't by herself?