Dark Heretic (E. St. John)

Chapter 01

(Nickolas is now going by just Nick)

Nick James is walking through the corridor of Mystic Falls High School with Caroline under his arm. He's a junior, since he was eighteen he became a vampire sixty-four years ago. He had been sixteen when he and Katherine met.

"Let's go find Elena," Caroline chirps.

Nick nods and they walk down the hallways. Once Caroline sees the brunette, she springs forward and hugs her. Nick comes to a stop beside Bonnie Bennett.

"How are you?" Caroline gushes before she pulls away, but she holds onto Elena's shoulders to look at her. "Oh, it's so good to see you." She smiles at her before turning to Bonnie. "How is she?" she asks. "Is she good?"

"Caroline, I'm right here," Elena Gilbert says and Caroline looks at her once more. "And I'm fine," she lies, "thank you."

Nick doesn't mind that much that his parents are dead. His father died about 30 years ago in a car accident, and his mother got alcohol poisoning.

"Really?" Caroline asks, not believing a single word that Elena just spoke.

Nick knows that Elena doesn't feel the same as him. She had amazing parents who loved her: Doctor Greyson Gilbert and his wife, Miranda Sommers-Gilbert.

"Yes," Elena replies with the phoniest smile that Nick has ever seen and he met Damon Salvatore in 1973. "Much better."

Caroline, still disbelieving, coos sadly and she embraces Elena once more. Caroline wraps herself around Nick once she's done and they walk down the hall and they join the cheerleaders. They all try flirting with them, but he's not interested in all. That doesn't bother Caroline but what does is that he's not even interested in her. He'll kiss her back, but he doesn't like it, and he never initiates the kiss first.

With those thoughts in mind, the blonde notices the new student passing by and she sees just how hot he is. He doesn't look her way, but his profile is all she needs to know he's attractive. She's not the only one who's noticed, so has the brunette male beside of her. His eyes - light green with swirls of dark brown - watch the new student. But in difference to Caroline, he's not checking the boy out. He is looking (staring) because he recognizes him.

The new student Stefan Salvatore, the brother of the sarcastic vampire Nick met in '73. Nick met Stefan back in 1965 after he watched some cops beat a man and his lover to death like they did him and Lee in 1945. He and Stefan got along pretty well, actually.

"Babe, are you going to be at cheer practice next weekend?" Care asks.

"Care, I play football," Nick replies as he looks at her. "I'll be at my own practice, not yours."

Caroline deflates a little. She was hopeful but she knew it was too good to happen. She often believes that Nick signed up for football so he didn't have to watch her cheerleading practice. He didn't even sign up until their sophomore year and he started here as a freshman, and they started dating as sophomores.

Caroline does the math in her head as she walks Nick to his first class, History with Mr. Tanner. She realizes that Nick signed up for football right when she and him became boyfriend and girlfriend.

"I'll see you at lunch?" Caroline asks.

"Yeah," Nick agrees.

Caroline waits for him to kiss her first but he doesn't, so Caroline pecks him on the lips and she walks down the hall. Nick sighs and he walks into the classroom. He sits down behind Bonnie and he leans back in his seat and sees Stefan entering. Stefan offers Nick a smile in greeting, instantly recognizing the boy and he sits down beside him.