Fall

Chapter 60: Memory Lane

Elena was not happy with me. That much was clear. Everyone in the house could feel it. My mom, strained though our relationship is right now, even tried to step in and mediate. It didn't work. Jeremy tried once. But a single look from Elena and I quickly told him to stay out of it. 

The house became a bit of a hostile environment.

Despite how perfectly my plan had worked, despite how glad I was to get Elena off my back and to not have to tell anyone, there was a heavy pit in my stomach. A voice in my head, day in and day out, called me a coward. If I really think hard on it, if I really let myself bring the fronts and barriers down, I know it's true. I hide behind the selflessness -- which is very much real, I don't want to burden them -- so that I don't have to open up. So I can keep moving forward without worrying about my death. And, if I'm brutally honest, so I don't have to dwell on the doubts in my head. That no one will care as much, not like when Elena's life is in danger. 

So I take the coward's way out instead. And because of it, I'm now stress baking. "Kara, honey, please tell me you're not making another pie or cake or cookie or something." My mom admonishes as she comes into the kitchen, going over a piece of paper in her hand. Probably a list for the barbeque she's putting together.

"No, no, none of those. I'm making a galette. Totally different." I give my mom an impish grin as I turn the light on in the oven so I can see how it's doing. Elena comes in and grabs a quick cup of coffee, shooting me a look that I return immediately. It's immature, I'm aware. I don't care, as long as I can avoid having these difficult conversations. I should've never opened up to her. 

She heads out pretty soon after that, neither of us saying a word to the other. My mom moves to the pantry and searches through it for hot dog buns, and I pull the galette out when it's ready. "Kara, we can't possibly eat all of these things you're baking. Give them out to friends, because I'm going crazy here." My mom complains, bringing a bag of hot dog buns out and placing it on the one remaining section of the counter. "I have no room to cook! Go, shoo, give them out." 

"Fine, fine." I acquiesce, already boxing the different baked goods into tupperware and heading out the door. I stop off at Bonnie's first, it's the closest, and she gratefully takes the cupcakes and cinnamon rolls. Then Caroline's, where she takes the muffins and lemon tarts. Ms. Skuld took a pie, Tyler Lockwood took the strawberry cake. That left the chocolate chip cookies and the fresh blackberry galette. So I drove to the Salvatore Boarding house and rang the doorbell, balancing the desserts and the new sheets I had recently bought. 

The door opens and a harried Stefan looks at me in shock. "Hey, uh, Kara. What're you, what're you doing here?" 

Frowning at him, I push past into the enormous house and shove the things in my hands at him. "Friendly friend visit. Chocolate chip cookies, blackberry galette, some new sheets to replace those scratchy ones on your bed," I replied, taking in the skittish look on his face. 

"You won't let that go, will you? They're wool!"

"Yeah, and they suck." I intone, watching as he moves everything into the kitchen. "Is everything ok?" His movements are a little jerky, and he vamp sped to his room and back to deposit the sheets in his room. The speed caused a little breeze to blow my hair back a bit. 

When he returns, he sighs. "I-"

"Oh great, the sister." I turn at the sound of Elena's voice with a distinct sarcastic and bitchy twinge, seeing Katherine right in front of me as she tilts her face. "We're playing a question game. Join us." 

I get the sense that wasn't so much a request as a demand. "It's a good thing I brought snacks then." I say, refusing to let Katherine see me frightened of her. I sit down on the couch next to Stefan, who seems to be incredibly stressed out and doing a fabulous job of hiding it.