A Clear Renewal

Chapter 7: I'm sorry, Claire.

I found Jeremy at his locker, two days later, and he seemed... fine. "Jeremy?" He turned his head toward me with a smile. "You ok? I talked with Vicki yesterday..."

"Yeah, thanks, Claire. I'm fine, I'll miss her, but I think it's for the best." He smiled softly at me and I could only blink at him.

"Didn't you... want to go with her?"

His smile dropped for half a second but it was back quickly. That was eerie, was he really the same kid I heard pleading with Vicki last night?

"I've thought about that but I can't just leave my family behind for a girl. Everything will be fine. I think it's for the best."

"O...kay..." I looked at him for a second before shaking my head and turning around. I was starting to walk toward my English class when I fully registered his words.

Oh, no... She didn't.

"Jeremy," I called after him when I saw him at the end of the corridor. "Sorry if I seem persistent but," I jogged toward him. "Be honest, what do you think about Vicki's departure?"

He has this disturbing soft smile again, "I think it's for the best."

"Yeah, you're probably right..." I smiled at him sadly.

He resumed his walk and I took the direction of my English class again. She did it.

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My last class was History and since my teacher was... Well, dead, I just went home.

When I was finally alone in my room, I took out my phone and called Vicki.

"Hey, what's up? Enjoying yourself?" I asked with fake cheerfulness.

"Ha. Ha. That's hilarious, Claire. Enzo is still not here, and I'm stuck in my room because of the sun," she sighed, and I heard the sound of a fridge door opening. "Thankfully, I still have blood."

"Enzo should be there by tonight, Vic, I'm sorry that took so long..." Enzo wanted to find a daylight ring before coming, and he had to do a little bit of persuasion to some of his witches'... friends.

"Hey, at least I will have a ring, right?" I could sense the shift in her mood when she talked next. "So... Have you seen Matt and Jeremy?"

And there was the one subject I hoped to avoid, but I knew it was inevitable. "Yeah... Matt was fine, sad but he seemed to understand why you did it. Even if he said he missed you already."

I was sure being separated will do good for both of them, though. But that wasn't the kind of thing she needed to hear right now.

"And... Jeremy?" I heard her nervous tone and my heart clenched because I couldn't really hide it from her.

"He thinks it's for the best but—"

"I suspected it, you know," she cut me before I could finish. "I'm not really girlfriend-material, even more for someone like Jeremy."

"No, Vicki, you don't understand. He said, and I quote, 'I think it's for the best' three times in our conversation. We talked for five minutes, top."

She stayed silent while the information made its way. "You think..."

"I think Elena asked someone to compel him. Stefan or Damon, I don't know, but she probably thought he would be happier like that or something, but—"