BLONDIE • the mikaelsons

chapter thirteen

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

I spun and spun until I was dizzy and out of breath. Dancing again was the best feeling in the world, aside from sex with Elijah and regrettably, Klaus. Shaking my head, I purged the thought of the Mikaelsons from my mind and just let myself enjoy the freedom of dancing again.

This morning I had showed up at the small dance studio that I had spent most of my childhood in. It was located on the outskirts of Mystic Falls and it felt like a second home of sorts. The owner and my former ballet teacher, Lauren, was more happy to see me again than any of my family were. She hadn't changed much, with only a few new wrinkles and a couple gray hairs starting to grow. Lauren had hugged me tightly, chastising me for not visiting and yet praising me for what I had accomplished.

I was halfway through a leap when I spotted Lauren entering the studio, a look of surprise on her face.

"Emilia! I didn't know you were still here!" She said with a grin, "You've been here for nearly four hours, your feet must be killing you."

"My whole body is in agony," I confirmed, panting as I walked over to her, "but I am loving every minute of the pain."

Lauren chuckled, "You haven't changed, Emilia. I said to your parents when they first started bringing you here that you were the type to dance until you dropped."

"I'm like an open book when it comes to you, Lauren." I replied with a soft smile.

"I'm sorry about them, by the way. I sent a card but I wasn't sure if you ever received it." Lauren said with a grim smile, "I went to the funeral but I couldn't seem to find you."

"Oh, I didn't go." I said, feeling a pang of pain in my heart, "I had an important performance that week so I couldn't make it."

I expected her to look at me with horror; that was what everyone else had done when I told them that I didn't attend my parents funeral. It made me feel heartless and cold but that couldn't have been further from the truth. The truth was, at the time my normal schedule had become my lifeline as I powered through my grief. Leaving that schedule to return to a town I hated would have truly broken me.

The look of horror on Lauren's face never came. Instead, she smiled sadly as she held my shoulder in silent comfort. I gave her a reassuring smile just as five or six children bounded into the room.

"Hi, Miss Lauren!" One of them shouted as she ran past and began twirling around the room.

I chuckled, "It seems you have a class to teach. I'll get out of your way."

Walking over to my bag, I wiped a towel over my face before quickly checking my phone in case someone had attempted to contact me whilst I was here. A sudden prod on my lower back had me startling. I spun around and looked down to find a child looking up at me with curious eyes.

"Hi?" I said and her face lit up.

"We have the same hair colour." She informed me, holding out a strand of her messy blonde hair to show me.

"We do." I confirmed with a nervous smile. I didn't have any experience with children whatsoever so I wasn't sure how to respond to the child who had randomly approached me.

"My mommy and sister have brown hair." The little girl said, blinking up at her tiny hands fiddled with the hem of her mini tutu skirt.

"I used to have brown hair." I said with a shrug.

"Did you dye it?" She asked and I nodded, "My sister, Chloe, said that dyeing your hair blonde means that you are a harlot."

I let out a choke at her bluntness. Kids truly just repeated everything they heard like a parrot.

"Your sister sounds like a real bit-"

"Evie!" Lauren said as she walked over to us, shooting me a sharp look. I gave her an apologetic look. "This is Emilia, she's a professional dancer."

Evie looked up at me in awe, "Wow! So you dance for money?"

I bit my lip to smother a giggle that threatened to burst free. This kid was absolutely brilliant.

"Yes, Emilia currently dances for the Royal Dance Academy in Chicago!" Lauren answered for me.

"Well, I best get going." I told them, "It was lovely to meet you Evie! And Lauren, I'll see you again at some point."

Lauren nodded as she walked me to the door, "I don't know if you're interested but I'm currently looking to hire a new dance instructor. I'd hire you in a heartbeat, as long as you don't swear in front of the children."

I sighed, "Thank you for the offer but I don't intend on staying in Mystic Falls long. Now that my foot is healed, I'm eager to get out of here as soon as I can."

"I know you hate this town. I'm surprised you're not gone already!"

"Yeah, well there is something I have to do for my sister but once that's done I'll be out of here." I confirmed.

"Alright then," Lauren said, parting my arm, "If you change your mind about the job, give me a call!"

"Okay, I'll see you soon!"

When I was out of the building, I hurried to the car I had borrowed from Jenna and slipped into the front seat. Giving myself a moment before I drove home, I watched as parents dropped off their excited children for ballet and considered Lauren's offer.

It was true that I wanted to get out of Mystic Falls but who knew how long I'd have to be here before all of the curse drama concluded? It might be years before Klaus finally shows his face in this painfully small town. Maybe passing the time by working here would be a good idea?

When I returned after my injury, I had managed to convince myself that getting back to the dance program was what mattered most. After I'd arrived, however, I knew that despite our many differences, I couldn't leave Elena to deal with Klaus. The guilt would overwhelm me if my sister was sacrificed and I did nothing to stop it.

I was pulled out of my thoughts when my phone rang. I answered it absentmindedly, expecting it to be either Jenna or Elijah, who were the only people who knew my new number.

"Hello?"

"I wasn't expecting you to pick up," A deep seductive voice replied and I froze, "It's nice to hear your voice again, love."

My hand shook as my phone fell from my hand and landed on my lap. My heart was beating loud in my ears and I let out a shaky breath. Picking up the phone again, my voice was surprisingly steady as I spoke.

"Hello, Niklaus."

A/N: I have never really stopped writing fanfictions but up until about a month ago, I hadn't read a fanfiction in years. I had completely forgotten how much I loved being in a familiar world and reading about my favourite character falling in love. I read an Elijah Mikaelson fanfic and it completely sucked me in but unfortunately, it is incomplete. Waiting for the next update is painful and I finally understand how some of you guys might feel when I don't update frequently. With that in mind, I am going to try to update as much as I possibly can!

Since I'm just getting back into fanfictions, I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations for me? I'm specifically looking for Elijah Mikaelson ones (since I am completely obsessed with him) but I will accept any TVD recommendations!

Originally published: July 4th 2024