Fall

Chapter 52: Founder's Day

After my mom finishes synching up both Elena's and my corsets, she leaves the room and leaves us to ourselves. I turn to her now, grabbing her hand quickly, and pulling her to sit uncomfortably next to me on the couch. "I can't sit in this getup, Kara, what's up?" 

I wring my hands together, trying desperately to force myself to say the words. To reveal to Elena what I learned yesterday, even though it will change our relationship forever. "Yesterday, Isobel wanted me to get something else for her."

"Yeah, the draugr whatever. The thing you said was deactivated." Elena nods her head, looking at me as if she's worried that the draugr drepa is still active. I chew on my bottom lip and grab her hand quickly, maybe too quickly. 

"Yes. Yes, it is. In exchange, she told me who your dad is. And who my dad is." Elena sits up straighter now at my words, raising an eyebrow. I swallow hard, my throat dry, trying not to chicken out on this. "So...it's John. Your Uncle John is your dad...and he's mine too." I wince, waiting for Elena's reaction to this. Her eyes widen considerably, mouth agape. "That...that makes us sisters. It doesn't really change anything between us, but I wanted you to know." I present all the information to her, trying so hard not to sound like an insecure girl. Just waiting for rejection. 

She brings her hand to run it through her hair before she stops, both of us in hairstyles that took up the majority of the morning. "I...we're sisters? John is our father? That's not..."

"He dated your mom, Isobel, and then took her to the hospital to have you after they'd broken up. He dated my mom after he broke up with Isobel. It tracks." I supply, watching the gears turn in her head. 

She blinks a few times. "I need to...I need to process this. I-" She cuts herself off, squeezing my hand. No doubt as a reaction to whatever expression I let slip onto my face. "I'm glad you're my sister. We were always family. I just need some time, to figure out what this means." She rushes out of the room, struggling to get through the doorway with the hoop skirt of her dress, and I watch in disappointment. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but her running away was not it. 

Hearing the telltale ringing of my phone, I fish it from the pockets of my nearby jeans and bring it to my ear. "Hello?" 

"Kara, Baby, where are you? I didn't get a good morning text from you today. Is everything ok?" I hear Nick ask frantically into the phone. I press my lips into a thin line, already feeling claustrophobic from this relationship that I should've never agreed to. It's cloying. 

"Hey, sorry, been a busy morning. My mom, Elena and I drove over to the town square so we could get ready. Are...are you ok?" I struggle to keep concern in my voice over this overreaction, to not come off as aloof. 

He sighs into the phone. "Yeah, I just didn't know if you were ok. You have to tell me where you are at all times." 

"Right, well, I'm fine." I bow my head down, working so hard not to see this as overdramatic. This is Mystic Falls, people have been dying lately. Maybe he lost someone close to him? But it's only been like an hour since I woke up, it's fairly early in the morning. There's no reason to be so panicked. "See you at the float?" I hang up on him before he answers, not having the bandwidth to deal with him. Ugh, bad sign. 

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When I step up towards Nick, reluctantly, to talk, a certain Salvatore comes in and blocks my way. "Here." He almost thrusts the cup into my hand and I stumble with it, trying not to get it on my mauve dress. I blink at him, at the cup, before sniffing the steam coming from the drinking hole. 

"Peppermint?" I look at the offering in confusion, then back up at him. Why is Damon bringing me drinks all of a sudden? "Thank you." I take a grateful sip, the cooling peppermint helping to cool any reservations I had about this stupid parade. "You know, I didn't even really get to participate in the Miss Mystic pageant. I think that should exempt me from this torture." I indicate towards the parade they're setting up.