Unexpected (Vampire Diaries Fanfic)

Interesting first class

I walked into the classroom, and almost everyone was already seated, chatting quietly or scrolling through their phones. I hesitated near the door, taking in the unfamiliar faces. It felt like all eyes were on me, even though most of the students seemed absorbed in their own conversations.

Before I could take another step, the teacher approached me with a welcoming smile.

"Hi, I'm Mr. Saltzman. You must be Jessica Taylor," he said, offering a handshake.

I shook his hand, noticing that he seemed younger than most teachers I'd had in the past. He had dirty blonde hair and a relaxed, approachable demeanor. I could already tell that my mom would probably find him cute, which made me smirk inwardly.

"Yep, that's me, but call me Jess or Jessie, please," I told him, giving him a polite smile.

"Of course," he said easily, gesturing toward an empty seat. "There's a spot over there."

I glanced where he pointed. The only available seat was next to a guy with dark brown hair and deep brown eyes. He looked up as I made my way over and gave me a friendly nod.

As soon as I sat down, he leaned toward me slightly. "Hey, I'm Jeremy Gilbert," he introduced himself with a casual smile.

I perked up at the name. "Oh, are you Elena's brother?" I asked, already making the connection.

"Yeah," he replied, nodding. "You moved in next door, right?"

"Yeah, yesterday. Your sister gave me a ride to school. She's really nice," I said sincerely, still grateful for how welcoming Elena had been.

"Yeah, she is," Jeremy said with a soft smile, and I couldn't help but notice how attractive he was, especially with that effortless, slightly messy hair and the way his bangs fell into his eyes. He had that artsy, hipster vibe that I found really appealing. And he was in my grade, which made me silently hope he wasn't taken. He was definitely my type.

Before I could dwell too much on it, Mr. Saltzman clapped his hands to get the class's attention. "Okay, everyone. Class is starting. Phones away, please."

A collective groan rippled through the room, but everyone obediently stashed their phones. Despite the early-morning vibe of reluctance, Mr. Saltzman had a way of keeping us all engaged. He was funny, relatable, and passionate about the subject, which made the lesson fly by faster than I expected.

By the time seventh period rolled around, it was lunch, and I found myself sitting with Elena, Stefan, Caroline, Bonnie, and Matt at their table. It was a bit surreal—just yesterday I was the new girl with no friends, and now here I was, surrounded by a group that already felt so tight-knit. They acted like a big family, joking around and teasing each other, and they made me feel like I was already part of their world.

School ended at 2:15, and Caroline offered to drive me and Elena home since Stefan had football practice. As we pulled up to our houses, I turned to her.

"Thanks, Caroline. I really appreciate the ride," I said as I grabbed my bag from the back seat.

"Anytime!" she said cheerfully. "Text me later, okay?"

"Will do," I promised, waving as she drove off.

At lunch, they'd all insisted on putting their numbers into my phone, and it felt good to finally have some contacts in my new town. It was kind of exciting to actually have friends now.

Elena turned to me as we stood on the sidewalk. "Hey, do you want to hang out now?" she asked.

"Sure. My place or yours?" I asked, shifting my bag on my shoulder.

"Mine. My aunt Jenna's home, and she's been wanting to meet you," Elena said with a smile.

"Okay, sounds good," I replied, following her up the porch steps and into her house.

The place was cozy, filled with the smell of coffee and something sweet baking in the oven. We stepped inside, and I noticed a young woman lounging on the couch, watching TV.

"Hey, Elena. Welcome home!" she called, getting up when she saw us. "Who's this?"

Elena smiled and gestured toward me. "This is Jessie Taylor. She and her parents moved in next door."

Jenna grinned warmly as she approached. "Oh, hi! I'm Elena's aunt, Jenna. It's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too," I said, feeling a little shy under her friendly gaze.

"I remember when you were a baby," Jenna said suddenly, her smile widening.

I blinked in surprise. "You knew me?" I asked, confused.

Jenna nodded, her expression softening with nostalgia. "I was friends with your parents for a long time. I remember when they adopted you. They told me they were moving back, and I'm really happy you're here."

"Wow, I didn't know," I said, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the connection.

"Well, make yourself at home," Jenna said warmly. "If you girls need anything, just let me know."

"Thanks," I said quietly, still processing the revelation as Jenna walked back into the kitchen.

I turned to Elena, who gave me a small smile. "So, you live with your aunt?" I asked, trying to shift the conversation.

"Yeah," Elena said, her expression turning a bit somber. "My parents died last year, and Jenna moved in to take care of me and Jeremy."

"I'm really sorry. What happened?" I asked softly, not wanting to pry but also wanting to understand.

"Our car went off Wickery Bridge," she explained, her voice tinged with sadness. "I was the only one who made it out of the water."

Without thinking, I reached out and hugged her tightly. She hugged me back, and for a moment, we just stood there in silence.

"Thanks. I needed that," she said, pulling away and giving me a grateful smile.

"Anytime," I said, returning the smile.

We went up to her room and spent the rest of the afternoon hanging out. Despite everything, being around Elena felt so easy and natural, like we'd been friends for years. It was weird how quickly I'd grown attached, but in a good way. I was having so much fun that I almost forgot I was still the new girl in town.