𝐆𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐳𝐲

- - -
❝And the cold you get
Will be the best arrest you've had❞

Blue Day
~Darker My Love
- - -

Kat couldn't process anything. It was as if her mind had come to a standstill, the calm before the storm. She ran home, stumbling upstairs with her pounding legs as rushes by her room. But by and by, she sees someone in Jeremy's room that she didn't expect to.

"Jenna?" Her huffing aunt gives Kat a fleeting look before turning back to look under Jeremy's bed "Yes, it's me - the hypocrite patrol"

"What, huh, what are you doing?" Kat enters the room, her widening under furrowed brows as Jenna crawls back out and rushes to check Jeremy's shoes "I've become my worst nightmare. The authority figure who has to violate a 15-year-old's privacy— Jackpot!" she waves a small white packet hysterically "I see the hiding places haven't gotten any more creative"

The aunt looked maniacal, she was in her pyjamas, rooting through her nephew - a 15 year old boy's bed and drawers for something. There was a helpless glint in Jenna's eyes that made Kat realise that this was more than just her brother, or his drugs. 

Jenna Sommers was officially freaking out.

"Jenny..." she holds the hyperventilating strawberry-blonde by her shoulders, shoe and all "Calm down. What happened?"

"Your ass-hat of a history teacher shamed me good yesterday" she throws the show down with gritted teeth. Kat gently pulls her onto the unmade bed "You got Tanner-ed, been there, done that, it's al-"

"Discover the impossible, Ms. Sommers."  she gets up "Got it! Thanks! Like I didn't know I was screwing up" Kat sighs, wrapping her arms around her aunt, whispering into her hair "You're not screwing up, Jenny"

"Yes, I am!" she pulls back, tears beginning to spring at the bottom of her eyes "You know why? Because I'm not her. She made everything look so easy. You know, high school, marriage, having you. I can't do it. I'm gonna say or do the wrong thing, and he's gonna get worse, and it's gonna be my fault. It's impossible!"

"Hey hey hey..." she kneels in front of Jenna's huddled form with a reassuring smile "You're just... It's the fear talking. You're just a little scared. We all are - rightfully so... But you know what? Everything will be alright. You know why?" she wipes Jenna's tears with the sleeve of her leather jacket.

"Why?" Jenna looks up, blinking with a hopeful gulp "Because, somewhere between the fear of having to take care of us and the fear of leaving us alone, you've become the strongest woman I know"

"But I'm not strong, I'm horrible at parenting, I'm down in the dumps when you think of someone like your mother!"

"Maybe you are at the lowest of your depths" Kat shrugs "But now... You are my mother, our mother... It may be scary... but we're a team - we win together, we lose together, and we'll talk to Jeremy, okay? He's scared too"

Jenna sniffles, hugging Kat tightly as her jaw moves over her resolute niece's shoulder "Okay... Okay... We're a team"

"Yes... We're a team... And we'll work through the impossible"

"...Tanner's a dick" 

Kat giggles "Of course he is! Gossip Girl?"

"And ice cream"

"Chocolate"

"Vanilla"

"Is that your sex type Jenny?" Kat laughs before her eyes widen and her mouth flattens open in sheepish apology. Jenna breathes out just as wide-eyed. Removing her jacket, Kat closes her eyes with a placating breath "Working through the impossible... We can do this"

Jenna puts an amused arm around her waist "We'd better"

That midnight, Kat tiptoes around the sleeping house and sneaks in some vervain in the kitchen and in clothes. 

It's official. She's going crazy.

"Hey Kat! Wait up." Stefan beams as he catches up to her not far from the school grounds. It was successfully the next day, Kat having caught a wink of sleep in between some more paranoid scribbling on her art canvas.

"Hey Stefan, chipper huh?" Kat smirks knowingly. Elena had talked her ear off about the kiss. It was all romantic - a hearty confession, kiss under the comet and of course, fluttering in her gut. To say that Elena was happy would be an understatement.

And in that bright corner that Kat had revealed to her family, Kat was happy too. Happy for Elena.

The elder Gilbert grins at Stefan with a twinkle and looks down at his moving feet "So... why are you walking to school?"

"Um... I always walk to school, uh, you?"

"Elena was catching a ride with Bonnie and Caroline isn't picking up my phone"

Stefan nods and they go back to their comfortable silence. The only sounds they hear are the rubbing of their converse soles on the rickety pavement, a crinkle of the papers in Stefan and Kat's bag. 

"Oh my God, I can't take this" she halts in her  traces, gazing at Stefan seriously "Can you do me a favour?" 

He frowns in confusion, but it fades as soon as she says "I don't want you to call me 'Kat'"

Oozing understanding, Stefan nods "Okay... But I can't go around calling you my new girlfriend's sister"

Her eyes narrow as if to scold 'Oh you did not' and she throws herself on Stefan's back with careless spontaneity, flicking his ear as she would Tyler's or Matt's. The immediate ease of friendly vibes made something unclench in Kat's gut. 

"Ow ow ow!" Stefan grunts, his hands automatically looping around Kat's calves to save her from a fall to the asphalt beneath them "What's wrong in that? Geez easy easy! Okay! Okay, I won't call you that"

Satisfied, Kat stops "Sorry and thank you... I- I really needed to do that"

"And you made me your punching bag!" he mocks. "Oh please Salvatore! It's not like those precious muscles of yours can't afford more swelling" she teases, until both of them freeze, realising how they probably look to the others right now.

Stefan's biceps flex against her knees, his hair blowing into her neck and his chiselled back digging into her stomach. They are clinging to each other, with their matching leather satchels hanging off the tip of their elbows.  

"I, um" Kat clear her throat unceremoniously "I should probably not take a piggyback in the middle of the street"

Stefan awkwardly scoffs as he bends back, seeming too fit to Kat's chagrin, letting her down.

Kat catches her breath as she brushes invisible lint off her scarf, hoping that the hotness rushing to her face would fade by the time they reach the school gates. 

"Don't piss Tanner off today, hm?" Kat reverts to her normal self, a barely-there smirk twitching up her lips as she pats Stefan's (really muscly) shoulder. 

"Great, now you think I can't handle a sadomasochistic teacher"

"I know you can handle him, surprising I know-" she jokes,

"You wound me-"

"-But, I want to be the one doing it today"

Stefan looks at her in confusion before catching onto her plan. Kat wanted to escort the History teacher personally, if need be, to the gates of teacher Hell for embarrassing her aunt days before.

"... Do I need to be worried?" Stefan frowns.

She innocently shrugs in response "Worried that you might have to call be Ms. Gilbert in the halls because you haven't given me a nickname yet? Yes!"

Stefan dramatically narrows his eyes, his back pressing to hers as if taking a super spy pose "007 do you copy?"

"I do not" Kat deadpans "'Cause I'm not some George O'Malley to die for a PR disagreement"

Stefan snorts before clicking his tongue "I'm going to win this, just you wait"  

"I'm giving you full reign over the school until we walk back home... Find a good nickname for me" she winks as they approach Elena and Bonnie, in their own conversation. 

"Good morning, Elena. Good morning, Bonnie" Elena smiles and moves to make-out with her boyfriend, but settles for pecking his lips when Kat clears her throat with disgust. 

Bonnie seems far too less excited. She waves hesitantly and pats Elena in farewell "Hey, um, I gotta find Caroline. She's not answering her phone. So I'll see you guys later"

Looking at her retreating form, the elder Gilbert shrugs "Hey, you know what? The guys are waiting to throw some ball, ciao, and you" she points to Stefan with a sly smirk "Surprise me"

Kat was shuffling around the court along with Tyler and Matt as they throw football on the front grounds. The bell hadn't rung yet, so the ones who had come early to school had chosen to laze around.

It was a habit for the three to play often - whenever they could. Before, it was accompanied with Mason - Tyler's uncle and her father - Grayson. But after Mason shifted to Miami and Grayson passed away, it was just the three teenagers left to play wherever they wanted to. They chose their school grounds every morning.

Tyler hoots at Kat as she staggers back with the Lockwood's clearly challenging throw and smirks back. "You're on Lockwood". She puts all her strength in her waist and bicep and shoots it hard towards him. But, he lets it go and turns to Matt "Look...there's Elena and her new boyfriend" 

Sure to Tyler's taunt, Stefan and Elena walk towards the benches - minding their own business. Kat supresses a streak of annoyance. She thought she was finally in a place where she wouldn't have to talk about Elena.

But she seemed to worm her way into any conversation.

Elena laughs at something Stefan said and Matt visibly slumps an inch or two. 

"Now, what are they doing?" Tyler smirks "Oh, they're walking, walking, walking. Yep. Right into the sunset"

Kat glares at him, not really believing that he'd go to such lengths to cover up what was really his jealousy of Stefan. "Lockwood! Stop being a dick and start working on your throws, they'll turn limpy if you don't get your head outta your ass"

Patting Matt with a small reassuring smile, Kat straps her satchel over her shoulder and walks away from them to the couple by the benches 

"-Dinner, my house. 8:00. You, me, Bonnie and Kat. You two will spend some quality time and she'll get to see what a great guy you are. Mission accomplished" Elena smiles.

"Then one request" Kat snickers, throwing her hand over Stefan's shoulder with a scrunched up nose "I'm cooking" 

Stefan's brows crinkle "You cook?" 

Kat looks smugly at a glaring Elena "Only because I want more of this face" she waves at herself "to go around. Or I'd retire from my job as Sous chef from Casa del Gilbert to choke on Elena's cooking"

Her twin waves it off nonchalantly "Whatever." They turn around and start walking towards Hall 1 from where they could see Tyler and Matt shuffling about. 

The Lockwood was frowning at the sight of the girl who was supposed to be his person, his Kat, telling Stefan Salvatore all the things she was supposed to sharing with him instead. An impulse of red flashes in Tyler's eyes and without thinking it through completely through, his hands flick to throw the football across the field - right at Stefan.

Before Elena can react, a football comes whizzing past at the standing trio. 

With a panicked shout, almost as a reflex of spending so much time with overprotective Lockwood's, Kat catches it at the right time. 

"Wh-" she huffs, her eyes finally landing on the culprit. It doesn't slip by her notice whom the ball was aimed to hurt. 

Tyler purses his lips across the lawn and Matt gazes apologetically in shock at Stefan and then to Kat. The elder Gilbert glares visibly at the Lockwood and starts to take a step in the direction of the boys but Stefan stops her. 

He motions for the ball. Kat hesitates but hands it over - she would like it if Stefan didn't fight with those. Though something in Stefan's ready hold on the ball told her that he can kick their ass with his eyes closed, Kat did not want to find herself in the middle of a brawl before school even started.

However, true to his kind oak-green eyes, Stefan doesn't pick up a fight but slips the ball from Kat's hands into his own. Giving a small non-hostile smile to Tyler, Stefan throws the ball up in the air - hurtling towards the cocky Lockwood. 

Tyler manages to catch it in time, narrowly missing his lower torso. But he stumbles back a few steps in surprise of the throw. Kat glares one last time at Tyler's face and says to Stefan "You need to open up more Salvatore. God knows what other talents you're hiding under that broody gaze"

"You play football?" Elena quizzes in surprise.

They all go inside and Elena and Kat stop to take out their History books for their first and only joint class. Stefan shrugs modestly "I used to. But it was a long time ago"

"Why? Are you tired from carrying the world on your shoulders?" 

Elena looks at her, not really cracking a smile.

"You get it? 'Cause he's too broo-" Kat grunts "Why do I even bother with you!"

Kat shuts her locker with a giddy bang, her eyes lighting up at Stefan "You know what? You should try out for the team, there's an opening"

"-Plus you'd look hot in a team jersey" Elena smirks. Kat sticks out her tongue "If you're gonna make out - the washroom's that way" she scrunches up her nose mockingly, making Stefan laugh and Elena mirror Kat's expression.

"So... try out for the team?" Elena asks with a small smile. Stefan takes his books out now "Yeah... I don't think so"

"You don't like football? Is that what it is?" Kat frowns, snatching his books away from him. 

She personally loved football, especially the after-party until Elena once got high as a kite and got ass-groped by an older student. Suffice it to say, it's better to not ask about what happened to Pete Hutt that night. 

Rolling his eyes, Stefan scoffs and snatches his stuff back from Kat's arms "No, I love football actually. I think it's a great sport. But in this case, I don't think football likes me. You saw Tyler over there" he explains to Kat and turns to his girlfriend "-and we both know how Matt feels"

"They don't know you. To them, you're mysterious loner guy. And you can be... like the only one I'll allow to kick Tyler's volatile ass" they all sit in their seats - Elena in the last row with Stefan in the seat beside her and her twin in front of her.

Class starts and the elder Gilbert gives up badgering Stefan. If he wants to join the team - he will. The other thing that occupied her mind was Caroline's empty seat. The blonde wasn't answering her phone, and for all Kat knew, she was skipping the day for cheer tryouts for some fashion apocalypse. 

Caroline Forbes cared about four things - fashion, cheerleading, boys and Kat. With both - cheer and Kat right here at school, skipping wouldn't be an option for her.

"Miss Gilbert?" Tanner's voice brings her out of her doodles - forcing her to look up only to realise that he meant Elena.

"Pearl Harbour?"

Elena looks down sheepishly, blubbering in uncertainty.

"December 7 1941" — "7th December 1941" Both Kat and Stefan answer at the same time. Kat looks behind with a glare and he shrugs - can't blame the guy for having a knack for standing up for Elena - half the town's that way. But Kat was so eager to manhandle the teacher's shrivelled up brain!

Tanner's eyes fleetingly pass by Kat in a nod but they focus on Stefan "Thank you Miss Gilbert" he mocks. Stefan purses his lips into a small smile "Anytime"

"Very well then... Fall of the Berlin Wall" Tanner looks around to the class once again.

"1989" — "'89" Kat presses her lips in satisfaction. Tanner frowns at the curly-haired Gilbert, who simply shrugs with raised brows. Stefan smiles slightly "I'm uh, good with dates, sir"

"And I'm good with your easy questions, Sir" she tilts her head with a smile. 

"How good?" the teacher fumes "Keep it to the year" he says to Stefan. Kat tries to open her mouth but Tanner cuts her off "Ah-uh you're not answering"

Contrary to popular teen behaviour, she slumps down and watches Stefan answer every date Tanner shot at him with beady widening eyes.

"Lincoln"

"1865"

"Roe vs. Wade"

"1973"

"Brown vs. Board"

"1954"

"Battle of Gettysburg"

"1863"

"Civil Rights Act"

"1964"

"John F Kennedy assassination"

"1963"

"Martin Luther King"

"'68"

"Korean war"

"1950 to 1953"

"Ha!" Tanner exclaims with petty triumph "It ended in '52" 

"Actually" Kat frowns bemusedly "It was '53" Tanner silently glares at the student who was told to be quiet. Pocketing his hands with unlost ego, he grits his teeth "Look it up, somebody. Quickly"

"Oh, no need," she smiles very brightly, ignoring Elena's kick under her chair. She holds out her open History textbook and lifts it up for Tanner to see. He snatches it, scanning the small letters for any proof that Stefan and Kat might have been wrong. 

The bell rings, but not louder than the students' amusement.

"Good Dana! Now work on that flip a bit more! Girls - stretch and warm up for 5! I'll be right back!" Kat shouts to her team and tries Caroline's cell again. The sun was blasting down mercilessly on her over-exerted body. Her unruly hair was up in a bun, sweat clinging to the upper edge of her full lips.  

Being co-captain was sometimes the end of her sanity. And to conduct the tryouts without Care was not really feasible. Kat bypasses some guys running onto the field, ignoring them as they stare at her curves. She didn't care about them, she was busy giving Tyler a warning glare all the way from the cheerleader squad to the goalpost.

Elena and Bonnie are talking about her coming to dinner tonight "Please don't tell me you're cooking" Bonnie scoffs, somewhat masking her fear. Kat throws down her phone onto Bonnie's bag and laughs "We don't wanna drive Stefan away now would we?"

Elena freezes mid-stretch and sighs "Hey, my cooking isn't that bad!"

She gets an amused look from her friends. "Can you look me in the eye and say that Elena?" Bonnie challenges. In answer, the younger Gilbert snatches Kat's bottle and throws it near Bonnie with a tantrum face.

Can't really blame her. Everyone in Mystic Falls knew where to go if they wanted a legitimate excuse  of food poisoning for applying a leave. And it wasn't the Mystic Grill by any chance.

Coming off the bleachers with determination, Stefan catches Kat's eye. She jogs towards him to listen to his conversation with 'Coach' Tanner,

"-want to apologise for that. I've played football before. Wide receiver, mostly, and I'm pretty good" Tanner's gaze flits to Kat's neutral one and then back to the field "Well, I won't be asking you who won the super bowl in '71"

"'71 was th-" Kat nudges Stefan in the side, making him eat up the rest of his answer "...Sorry. I...I understand that, sir"

Kat crosses her arms over her shoulders in anticipation with flinching eyes. She liked making the teacher stand on his toes with worry that a student might report him for bias, which she has done quite a few times. 

Tanner finally scoffs "Only to see you get knocked on your ass. Borrow some gear. Go! Before I change my mind, and Ms. Gilbert? Should I be telling you that your activity has a designated space that is nowhere here?"

"Just being the Student President, Mr. T. Wouldn't want anyone to be left behind with the niceties of your team, would we?" she bites back with a seemingly polite grimace.

Stefan comes in his sports apparel to smile brightly at Kat. She nods at him with the same smile, turning to Tanner "This was very simple, and noble of you Mr. Tanner... Now" she waves as she walks away "My squad awaits" 

Kat throws one last thumbs-up to Stefan, running towards the cheer side of the field.  When she reaches the crowd, she sees none other than Caroline strut out of a blue vintage car with a sly smirk on. "Care where you been! You're late!"

She smiles brighter, completely unaffected by her best friend's concern "All good things come to those who wait hunnie, you look so hot" she hugs her sweaty shoulders for a millisecond before whispering "I got the other brother, hope you don't mind if we share— Sorry girls I'm late! I was, uh, busy" she smiles brightly and arranges the cheer-squad in position. 

"Other brother?" Kat murmurs with clueless lilt and looks to her vehicle. 

From where Damon fucking Salvatore winks at her over the rim of his sunglasses. 

𝐈𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞'𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐫
Everything alright there? How you doin'?