Dark Heretic (E. St. John)

Chapter 15

Nick and Jase stop by a memorial in front of the girl's dormitory and they both lay a flower on it.

"Hey, i have a class soon," Nick says to Jase.

"I'll see you later," Jase replies and the two do a bro-hug before going their separate wa6s.

Instead of sneaking into the Applied Microbiology class with Elena and Caroline, Nick goes to his Business 101 class where Professor Nichols is writing the name off his class across the large chalk board. Professor Dwight Nichols is an older man, around 67 or older, with graying hair and round glasses on his oval shaped face. He's short but there's nothing wrong with shortness in a man.

Nick sits in the middle of the classroom in his jeans he stole from Stefan's room when he moved to college, a Whitmore t-shirt, and some converse shoes. His hair, which has brown a little, is in a messy bun, his eyes are bright. He watches as other students taking Business 101 enter the class. A girl and a guy sit on either side of him right as Professor Nichols gets started on the first class of this school year.
*********

Nick is reading a grimoire until it's time for the bonfire when someone opens the door. He goes to hide it when Jase's voice stops him.

"You're a witch?" Jase asks. He quickly closes the door and walks over. "There's a reason my major is Occult Studies." He sits at one of the desk chairs and he pulls a grimoire out of his bag. "I'm a witch, too."

Nick lifts his head. "Really?"

"Yeah," Jase says. "But you're something more. You couldn't get into the Whitmore house. Not without an invitation."

"I'm a heretic," Nick says. "Some call me the Dark Heretic."

"I've heard of you," Jase says. "I'm Jase Parker. I have a twin sister named Jocelyn Parker. We're from the Gemini coven."

"You have a coven?" Nick asks. "I didn't know I had magic until I turned."

"I can ask my father for information gathered on you, your kind," Jase says.

"That would be awesome," Nick says. "Wanna go to the bonfire together?"

"Yeah," Jase replies. "Let me go get changed."

Nick nods and he takes off his class clothes once Jase leaves the room. He dresses in some white jeans and a black v-neck t-shirt. He wears his usual converse and he brushes out his hair before leaving the room to find both Damon and Jase.

"What happened?" Nick asks.

"Silas is pretending to be some Stefan guy with your friend Elena," Jase says. "I had to prove myself a witch for him to talk."

"I'm surprised he did at all," Nick says. "Go get Caroline, Damon. We'll be at the bonfire."

"Yeah, okay," Damon replies.

Nick and Jase leave the dormitory and they head to where the bonfire is being held. Nick gets separated from Jase and soon, Silas approaches him.

"You know, I have a soft spot for brunettes," Silas says, "even males." He looks around in the night and he spots Damon with Caroline. He can see Nick's past playing in his head and he can't help but feel bad for him so he gets up, deciding to leave him alone, and walk away.

Nick goes and he gets some beer from a keg while Elena walks off with Jesse. Clay snatches him up before someone else can and he brings him over to a large crowd of seniors.

Caroline leaves a room of wood after Damon and Elena leave. She looks for Nick and her eyes pause when she sees him laughing with a group of guys, looking purely happy for the first time since Elijah followed Klaus to Louisiana and then got daggered, like he expected nothing else from the likes of Klaus Mikaelson.

She decides not to bother him and she goes back to the shed to sit with Jesse.
*******

Jase and Nick are laughing as they reach their dorms.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Jase says. "Goodnight, Nick."

Nick nods. "Goodnight, Jase," he replies and goes into his dorm. He looks up and grabs a grimoire and studies some dark spells. He got this grimoire from the tomb of a witch in Greece this past summer between high school and college. The last Dark Witch, she died before becoming a true immortal like Nick.

Nick goes to the first page because he hasn't read this one yet and he reads the resurrection spell and he raises his eyebrows in intrigue and he skims through it.
*****

"You met the Dark Heretic?" Joshua Parker asks his son in surprise.

"Yeah," Jase replies. "He's a freshman and really cool. Are they really siphons?"

"Dark witches do siphon, but they also have their own magic, too," Joshua says. "That's what makes them so unique, and so much better than Malakai."

"So I can be friends with him?" Jase asks.

Joshua hums. "Yes, you can," he replies.

Jade smiles when he hangs up and he sits in his bed, pleased.