Dark Heretic (E. St. John)

Chapter 03

"You don't want to come out yet?" Caroline asks Nick at her house as she gets ready for school.

"No," Nick replies. He's still too scared too because every time he thinks he wants to (over the past two days and the six decades), he remembers those cops beating him and Lee to death. "Not yet."

"Then we can still pretend to be a couple," Caroline says. "It'll be easier now since I know the truth."

Nick nods. "Yeah," he agrees. "Just until to stage an epic breakup or we do it in private and let you tell the world. We'll decide later."

Caroline nods. She puts on her cardigan once her shoes are on. She grabs her bag and the two go out to Nick's Impala. He drives them to the high school. Caroline waits for him to open her door like he always has when she carpools with him. She grabs his hand and interlocks their fingers before they head inside.

Right before they walk inside, Nick drapes an arm over Caroline's shoulder and she leans into him, enjoying the image of being a pretty girl under an attractive guy's arm. Caroline smiles at people as they pass, girls and guys both checking out Nick. That makes Caroline smug, even guys check someone as attractive as Nick, is out.

Nick pecks Caroline on the cheek once they reach Mr. Tanner's classroom. "See you at lunch," he says casually before entering the classroom.

"He is so hot," a girl comments as she and a boy walk down the hall past Caroline.

"Tell me about it," the guy replies. "Hottest guy here. Caroline Forbes is lucky."

Caroline smiles and she goes to her first period class.
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Nick and Caroline are now at an outdoors table with Elena and Bonnie at the Grill.

"I was talking to Grams, and she said the comet is a sign of impending doom," Bonnie says. "The last time it passed over Mystic Falls, there was lots of death. So much blood and carnage, it created a bed of paranormal activity."

"Yeah, and then you poured Grams another shot and she told you about the aliens," Caroline says and she turns to Elena. "So then what?"

Elena was telling them about Stefan coming to her house the other night and she invited him.

"So then nothing," Elena replies.

"You and Stefan talked all night?" Caroline asks, her eyebrows creasing to show her disbelief. "There was no sloppy first kiss or touchy-feely of any kind?"

"Nope," Elena replies, "we didn't go there."

"Not even a handshake?" Caroline scoffs. She made out with Nick and he's gay, and Elena didn't kiss Stefan, who is clearly into girls? "Come on, Elena, we are your friends, okay? You are supposed to share the smut."

Elena smiles softly. "We just talked for hours," she says and Nick can't help but smile, too.

"What is with the blockage?" Caroline asks bluntly. "Just jump his bones already! It's easy! Girl likes boy, boy likes girl, sex!"

Nick snorts at that and he bows his head as he starts snickering. Caroline elbows him and he just laughs louder, which puts a smile on Caroline's face. His eyes are so bright as he laughs in pure joy. He calms down slowly when he sees Elena standing up.

"Where are you going?" Bonnie asks.

"Caroline's right, it is easy," Elena says. "If I sit here long enough, I'll end up talking myself out of it instead of doing what I started the day saying I was going to do. It's time to move forward."

"Yes!" Nick high-fives Elena. "That's what you do in life; keep moving forward. Don't let setbacks drag you down."

Elena smiles and she thanks him before leaving.
-/-/-/-/-/-/-