I woke up to the sound of my alarm blaring on the nightstand beside me, pulling me out of a restless sleep. I groaned, rolling over and slamming my hand down on the phone, silencing the noise. The early morning sun peeked through the curtains, casting golden light across my room. I squinted against it, blinking the sleep from my eyes.
For a moment, I lay there, trying to piece together everything that had happened the night before. The stranger at the Grill, his cryptic words, the tension that had filled the room... It all felt like a hazy dream, except the lingering feeling of unease told me otherwise.
I sat up, running a hand through my tangled hair. It was a new day, but the events of last night were still swirling around in my head, refusing to settle. Whoever that man was, he knew something—about me, about Mystic Falls. And I couldn't shake the feeling that whatever he had to say next wouldn't be pleasant.
I reached for my phone, checking for any messages. The group chat was already active, with a string of texts from Bonnie and Caroline.
Bonnie: Morning, everyone. Anyone else still freaked out by that guy last night?
Caroline: Majorly. Who even was he? And why was he looking at Scarlett like that?
Elena: Agreed. He seemed to know something. We need to figure this out.
I sighed, typing back a quick response.
Scarlett: Yeah, it was weird. We should meet up after school and talk about it.
I tossed the phone aside and swung my legs out of bed, padding over to my closet. If I was going to get through today, I needed to focus on something else for a while. I grabbed a simple black top, a pair of high-waisted jeans, and my favorite leather jacket, deciding to keep it casual yet comfortable.
After pulling on my clothes, I headed to the bathroom to wash up. The mirror reflected back my tired face, dark circles under my eyes that hadn't been there before. I splashed some cold water on my face, trying to wake myself up, and then I brushed out my hair, tying it back into a loose ponytail.
Just as I was about to leave the bathroom, my phone buzzed again. I glanced at the screen and felt a smile tug at my lips.
Stefan: Morning. I'm outside. Figured I'd walk you to school.
Of course, he was here. He hadn't even asked this time. I couldn't help but shake my head, a small laugh escaping me as I quickly texted back.
Scarlett: You know, you could give a girl some warning.
Stefan: Where's the fun in that?
I pocketed my phone and grabbed my bag, taking one last look at myself in the mirror before heading downstairs. The nerves that had been fluttering in my stomach since last night began to settle a bit. Maybe walking to school with Stefan would give me a chance to sort through my thoughts—or at least distract me from them for a while.
When I opened the front door, Stefan was already there, leaning casually against the porch railing. He looked up with a smile that made his eyes crinkle at the corners.
"Good morning," he greeted, pushing himself off the railing.
"Morning," I replied, stepping outside and closing the door behind me. "You're making a habit out of this."
He grinned, falling into step beside me as we started walking. "What can I say? I like spending time with you."
I rolled my eyes, but the warmth in his voice made me smile despite myself. "You're lucky I don't mind."
YOU ARE READING
The Eternal Curse (TVD FanFic)
VampireI've always been told that starting over was the best way to leave the past behind. That's exactly what I'm doing in Mystic Falls-leaving the shadows of my past, my true nature, and the centuries I've lived, to finally make a life for myself. The to...
