[episode 1.5]

September 28, 2009

ENZO DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE TO REPLY because without warning, an unexpected thud in the wall connected to Jeremy's room made me flinch into sudden action.

Nothing else mattered as I ran with as silent of steps as I could manage to my brother's door. If Damon had come back and was hurting Jeremy, I had no idea what I would do, but I would do something. I had to.

I pushed open Jeremy's door without knocking, lifting the small, pink Barbie bat I'd grabbed on my way to his room, and instantly realized my mistake.

"Margot!" Jeremy hissed. Hints of embarrassment and anger permeated his hushed voice.

The bat fell to my hip, and I slammed my free hand over my eyes. Instant mortification gripped my entire body, and I began wondering if we had bleach anywhere that I could use to purify my eyes.

I didn't see that, but I never, ever wanted to see my brother half-naked in bed with a girl ever again.

"So sorry, Jer. Hi, Vicki. I heard a thud, and I just got scared because — and well, I didn't expect — I'm so, so sorry," I rambled, all with my hand still firmly clamped over my eyes.

"It's fine, Margot," Jeremy sighed, the anger leaving his voice immediately. The covers crinkled as he shifted slightly, and I cringed back at the sound. "Can you, uh, go or something?"

"Yep." I nodded eagerly, still with eyes closed. "Yep. One hundred percent. Goodnight."

I backed up immediately and pulled the door shut with me, not even waiting for another response. Where was the nearest graveyard? I wondered. Because I needed to go bury myself in it.

Luckily, I only saw a flash of Jeremy without a shirt on and Vicki's freckled shoulders, but it was more than enough.

Trudging back to my room, I grimaced weakly at Enzo sitting on my bed. There was an easy grin on his face, as if he was greatly amused by everything that had just happened.

"Look, I'm mortified, okay?" I laughed weakly once I shut my bedroom door and leaned back against it. I ran a hand over my face and chuckled again. "I can't believe I just walked in on my brother and a girl while holding a Barbie baseball bat."

"Next time put your hair in pigtails and ask them if they want to have a sleepover," he teased.

I scoffed, but some of the tension left my body instantly.

"Don't be mean to me," I said and finally plopped down on the bed beside the vision of him. "That was traumatizing."

Enzo chuckled in my mind, and I wished I could bottle the warmth. How was it only minutes ago that I was crying over the outrage of what he'd experienced and now he was teasing me about walking in on my brother hooking up with a girl?

"Can you imagine what would have happened if Elena had been the one to find them instead of you?" Enzo chuckled, his eyes crinkling with warmth.

I put my hand over my mouth and giggled. "Oh gosh. On that note, thank goodness it was me. Elena worries all the time, so I can't imagine her taking that well."

"Yeah."

Enzo watched me as I carefully curled up under my covers. He was quiet now, and while he didn't look as upset as he was earlier, his bright smile had settled into something more subdued now.

"Did you have any siblings growing up?"

"No," he said, and I watched his face fall further. "No, I didn't."

A pang struck my heart as I realized how lonely Enzo's life had seemed. He grew up an only child and then had endured decades of imprisonment and torture, only to be abandoned by the only other inmate he'd ever had. Silently, I promised never to leave him. Even if he tried to push me away, I don't think I could let him. Not after knowing him like this.

"You should sleep, darling," Enzo said after stealing a glance at the clock. "Your eyes are struggling to stay open, and it's after two in the morning."

I nodded, slowly sinking down into my bed. "You're right," I whispered. "I'm so tired."

"I know," he said, sweeping his eyes over my face in the near darkness. Just as the exhaustion started to suck me under, Enzo whispered, "Me too."

**********

IN A TERRIBLE CASE OF DEJA VU, I woke up early that morning to Elena loudly making her way into my bedroom. I blinked away the exhaustion and noticed Enzo blink into the room with eyes looking as heavy as mine felt.

"You okay?" I asked her.

"Vicki Donovan is in Jeremy's room," she said as a way of greeting. "And Jenna doesn't care — she's going out with Logan Fell tonight — and I am so over Stefan. Did you know it's been three days since I've heard from him?"

"What a prat," Enzo added helpfully from his corner of the room.

I blinked and sat up, trying to process everything she'd just said and figure out where to start. "Hm?" I settled with, still completely out of it.

"Three days, and I get nothing. No text good morning, or any acknowledgment to my messages and voicemails, and he hasn't even been at school." She let out a slow, tired sigh, running her hand through her already perfect hair. "Also, you're going to be late to school."

One glance at the clock confirmed what she said. I flew out of bed and raced toward my closet. I grabbed a random sweatshirt and jeans and started to peel off my top, but I froze and glanced back at Enzo. From his spot on the edge of my bed, he sat silently with his eyes squeezed shut.

I blinked in pleasant surprise. Did Enzo not look at me when I changed?

Elena continued on, "He said he had to deal with something, and has given absolutely no other explanation."

"Because he's a selfish prat who doesn't deserve to breathe the same air as Margot, let alone date her sister," Enzo grumbled, almost to himself.

I blinked. His eyes were still closed. I continued trying to get changed.

"I'm totally not bothered by it though," Elena said, pacing the room. "Totally don't care. I told Jenna that I refuse to be one of those girls who lets her entire world come crashing down because of some guy—"

"Margot, do you think your sister will be terribly upset if I harmed that idiotic boyfriend of hers once I'm free?"

"—and Stefan is totally not going to change that for me."

"Yeah, he's not worth it."

"And you know what? There are plenty of other fish in the sea — Margot?"

A sudden hand on my upper back made me flinch so hard that I nearly fell into my closet face first. From the horrified look on Elena's face, I knew I overreacted horribly.

I winced.

"Margot," she trailed and took in my now shaking hands. "What is wrong with you?"

The empathetic, concerned sister look on her face suddenly had the truth spilling from my mouth before I could stop it.

"Elena, I think I'm losing my mind," I said in a rushed half-joke.

"What?" she asked, staring even closer at me now. "Why would you think that?"

My face flamed with the realization that I'd backed myself into a complete corner. I wanted to tell her, and probably had to at this point — Elena was not big on secrets — but all reason told me she wouldn't understand. I knew what this would sound like, and with her track record of sisterly concern, I knew this likely wouldn't go over well for me.

But, some part of me still wanted to try.

"Because I'm sharing my last three brain cells with a British guy who hates your boyfriend," I said lightheartedly, but I glanced at Enzo as I said it, and I felt the full weight of her silence as I did.

"I'm sorry," Elena said, blinking rapidly at me. "What did you just say?"

"Look, the world is not what you think it is," I said, 100% making everything worse. "Witches and vampires and magic? All real."

Elena stared at me like I'd grown a second head and immediately backed up toward the door. I could see it in her eyes immediately — the way she didn't believe me. The way she was now assessing everything about me through the lens of crazy. Elena thought I'd gone insane, just like all the kids at school.

"Oh my god," she said, staring at me so intensely that I wanted to jump out the window just to have her look away. "Damon was right."

It was as if the cord that existed inside me to keep me upright just suddenly snapped, and I slowly slumped, gutted by what she'd said. Without hesitation, she'd trusted the abusive ex-boyfriend of our best friend over her own sister. I understood why she believed it — heck, I'd even said I thought I was losing my mind myself a moment ago — but to hear her align with him?

"If you feel that way," I said, my throat thickening with tears, "then maybe you should go."

Elena's eyebrows shot up her forehead.

"I mean it," I said, blinking at the moisture collecting in my eyes. "It's best to stay away from the crazy girl, right? Isn't that what all the kids at school say?"

"Margot—"

"No, Elena," I cut her off. "Please go."

She looked like she wanted to say more, but she must have seen something in my face because she left only after a second's hesitation.

Once the door shut behind her, I realized this was the first time we'd truly fought in years.