Hello, my lovelies. Got an update for you! I hope you enjoy it. 

Emma xox

***

She could add loose hair to the list of questionable choices that she had made that day.

The ride in the back made her feel like a serotonin fueled golden lab poking its head out the window as it rode down the freeway. Perhaps dog analogies were not quite the tone she should strike, though - it seemed a little harsh to her newly found werewolf people. 

Speaking of such people, Tyler sat across from her - arms folded and eyes focusing directly on her face. 

"So what's new in your world Lockwood?" Nothing. No answer, not even an acknowledgement of her existence. "Girlfriend? Wife? Baby? You mean to tell me you are a father, congrats!"

"I'm not pregnant Grace." Her careless chaos had thrown him off balance, and it had come out all wrong.

"I know dummy. But seriously what's up - I have missed out on so much - from being in a coma to going away. Besides, I want to try turn over a new leaf - if I am going to be stuck here I may as well make friends. Any friend of Beau is a friend of mine."

"Beau isn't your friend Grace."

"Well you are his." She smiled, ignoring his snide comment. "So..."

"Well, what is there to know. I'm a senior, my dad died because he was a wolf and he didn't even know it and my mum is on the council opposed to everything supernatural. I spent a night every month breaking every single bone in my body and turning into a monster and well I am dating Caroline now." He tailed off in a whisper.

"Oh what was that? You are dating Car, so you moved on from Matt's sister to mine."

"Car isn't your sister Grace."

"Well her mother adopted me and she is her mother's daughter. A rose by any other name and all that."

"I've never even heard either of you refer to each other as sister before."

"Becuase we don't - she isn't my sister Lockwood it was comedic effect. Lighten up! You've gone from, pardon me, your best mate's sister to your best mate's exes best mate. A little Alabama don't you think."

"Vicki is dead Grace." 

"I forget." The smile didn't quite fall from her face. Instead, she shook her head. "Memories from then are still kinda fuzzy."

"It's alright I guess." Leaning back, he narrowed his eyes. "I've been meaning to ask - Rafferty seems pretty convinced that you aren't a vampire or up to anything sketchy."

"Yet?"

"Yet I've been able to smell blood on you from the moment you walked in the house."

"Blood?" 

"Yes blood."

Grace's nose twitched as she took a deep breath, but Beau's cornering was as skilful as ever, and she was knocked off balance and fell to her knees. The jolt didn't hurt so much as startle her, but her hand landed on her book bag. It squished and squirmed as if a liquid under pressure was trying to run away from her grip. Clenching her jaw, she drew herself up back to where she had been sitting and opened the bag.  There among the stationery and supplies were two blood bags - it didn't take her long to figure out who had sneaked them in there.

She must have been so busy plotting murder and general violence in the first class she had forgotten to pay any attention to what was inside. 

"Rebekah." She muttered, turning her bag toward Tyler. His eyes darkened, and his jaw clenched. 

"Hold on." She snapped, pointing a finger at him. "You are a vampire! You were about to get all high and mighty at me and you are walking round here with fangs and an unhealthy dose of bloodlust."

"Well that is hardly my fault. You can thank your friend for that."

"So he did it." She muttered. Klaus had gone and done it. To Tyler Lockwood, no less.

"If 'did' you mean turn me into a true monster then yeah sure,  he 'did it'." 

"I am sorry - for any part that I had to play in that."

"Don't. Don't apologise for something we both know wasn't your fault."

"No. If I hadn't have lied to Klaus then he never would have come back here searching for revenge and turning you into a hybrid."

"Its alright - Klaus liberated me from the constant pain and helplessness of being a wolf. In some sick twisted way I'm grateful." Tyler held out his hand. "Tell you what, grudges and bad blood are far too exahsting. You obviously don't need to the blood so hand it over and I'll call it a truce."

"A truce? What did you ever do to me."

"Oh enough Graceless, enough." He whispered, a haunted look on his face.

"Ahh I see." Neither Grace nor Tyler was ever a true model citizen or student, but outcasts didn't bond into some sick cult contrary to popular media. He had been as much to blame for her taunting as anyone else. Her friendship with Beau didn't spare her the taunts but merely created new material. It had never really in her eyes created any grudge on her part. However, handing over the blood bag would both improve her day and put water under the bridge. 

"Deal." She passed over the bag, and Tyler squished and plaid with it, as though somehow it would inform him what he should do next. "I think it is like a Capri Sun."

"What?"

"I've watched Kat and Nik... Kathrine and Klaus and even Stefan take enough of them to know its nothing special." Giving him a toothy grin, she poked her canines. "Poke and suck."

He plunged his teeth in and soon enough was draining the bag dry. 

"If Nik ever does come back then his prized hybrid needs to be in pristine condition - can't have you suffering from blood deficiency, I don't need another reason to be in his bad books. I'm only afforded so much good grace, the last thing I need to do is be culpable in the starving of his asset."

"Asset?"

"Sorry, that made you sound like a possession. That was really insensitive."

"Nah, it's not that bad. I've been called worse."

Tapping the side of her mouth, she nodded towards him. "Don't waste your snack you messy pup."

"Thanks." He snickered, wiping away the excess that lay next to his lips. Catching her eyes once more, it felt like he was staring deep within her as his tongue slowly removed the remaining blood from the back of his hand. If she didn't find him so idiotic, it would have made her insides churn. 

But he was an idiot. Pure and simple.

At this point, her history with Beau and their friendship didn't even play into it. A sharp kick to the shin took the smirk off his face. 

"Don't try those moves on me you cretin."

"I wouldn't even dare." Holding up his fingers, he began to count. "Matt, Beau, Oli, man I'm sure even Jer's mind has wondered their - dam you had an original at your beck and call so who knows who else. We can't all succumb to your highness."

"Your highness?"

"Your grace, your highness. Comedic effect Verde. Comedic. Effect. I was just thinking that it was a bit better than Graceless."

"I suppose. I think I can hook you up with a supply of snacks by the way. So you don't have to go human hunting."

"I'd appreciate that." He nodded as they pulled into the school car park. It was recess, and students were milling around the place - it seemed they had picked the perfect time to blend back into the student population seamlessly.

"Divide and conquer lads." Beau called out as he parked the truck. "And ladies."

"It was a pleasure folks." Grace saluted as she jumped out the back of the truck. "Now I have some mild to medium-rare torture to suffer through."

Zipping through the crowd, she eventually managed to find her way to her AP History class. It seemed that Rebekah had truly gone to town on her schedule, landing her with Ric, the vampire slayer, as her teacher - one of her many sins, it would seem. The blonde was stacking up a lot to atone for. 

"Look, his being here is not good for any of us." Elena sneered to Salzman as Grace, and some of the others walked into the class. "We have to do something." She muttered, skulking off to her seat. 

"Hello teach," smiled Grace, her mere presence throwing him off guard. 

Through the coughing and spluttering, he managed to make out a measly do I know you, a weak effort to save face. She doubted he really knew how much he had gotten up to, with the shooting and all, but she also doubted that 'hey, living in your flat was rather pleasant was the best of formal introductions. 

"My name is Grace Verde, I took a year out but I am now back to complete my senior year. I can't wait to see what your class will entail." In her head, she sounded like a psycho anime exchange student, but she didn't quite have the pink hair to pull off the main character role. Instead, she settled for the stunned look on his face. She managed to resist the temptation the slunk off to the back of the class and instead settled for the neutral mid-ground. 

Sadly it seemed that put her in dangerous proximity to Queen Bee. Elena gave her the courtesy of a death glare and not much more. Caroline couldn't even bring herself to meet Grace's eyes. How had it already been such a long day?

***

Were there enough walls in the school for all the bonfire fliers? Perhaps not, but that wasn't going to stop her with 'Never Gonna Break My Stride" banging around her skull like a personal anthem.

"I forgot about the bonfire." Elena mused, her voice detached from reality. "You have to go! It's our first spirit squad event." Caroline reasoned with her. "And it sets the bar for the whole year."

"Relax, Caroline. I'll be there."

"Thank you. It's just that..." Before she could continue, however, Tyler swooped in, stealing a kiss. 

"Happy first day!"

Caroline was about to congratulate him on his school spirit when Elena gasped in shock and pointed at his shirt.

"Is that blood?"

"Oh my God!" Gabbing his arm, they barged into the nearest restroom. 

"What's going on?!" He cawed, flustered by their actions and palpable disgust. 

"Vampire 101...don't wear your breakfast to school!" Caroline chastised him while Elena snooped around, making sure that they were alone.

"Chill out." He shrugged them off. "It was just a blood bag."

"From where?"

"Her high...Grace." He smirked. "She said she is going to hook me up."

"Her what now?" Caroline's teeth ground together as she repeated it. 

"And what are you even talking to her for?" Elena butted in. "Why does she even have blood. So Klaus turned her then?"

"Klaus left behind Rebekah and Grace and Grace thought it a good idea to protect his new asset, that's all - she is no vampire."

"His what? Why are you amused by this?"

"I'm his first successful hybrid, Caroline. Don't you think that's the tiniest bit awesome?" 

Caroline winced as she tried to process what he had just said. "Oh, wow!" She shook her head. "I cannot believe you just said that."

"So, I'm going to go. Good luck." Elena shoved some paper towels into Tyler's hands and promptly left.

"What is that all about?"

"You know how she feels about Grace."

"No I really don't. Do you, does anyone?"

"Well then that is besides the point - blood from her is practically blood from Klaus and neither 

of us want to see you fraternising with the enemy."

"Well, I have to get blood from somewhere." He smirked. 

"You are unbelievable." She snapped, the bell rang, and she didn't need any more of an excuse to leave him in the restroom.  

The shock and confusion still stuck with her as she sat in her history class chair, trying to ignore the murderous staring contest going on between Grace and Elena. 

She couldn't bring herself to look at Grace, though - what words could she use or what feelings would begin to describe how she was feeling. It was perhaps then better left unsaid. 

As if the drama wasn't enough, in sauntered Stefan. 

"You're in my seat." The poor human scampered away; Stefan was, after all, oozing out predatorial energy - it was potent and far too much for any mere mortal. "Hey you!" He smiled over to Elena. It was a gleam that didn't quite reach his eyes. 

AP AMERICAN HISTORY

Ric scratched onto the blackboard. His chalk felt like it was scratching the inside of her skull, and it itched. The drama and tension were overriding her balance, and so her heightened senses were running amuck. She could smell the lynx Africa on her classmate as clearly as if she was snorting the can herself and hear the pencil dancing across the paper like a knife across her eardrum. It was excruciating. 

"Welcome back, seniors."

***

"Let's turn our brains back on, starting with this country's original founders..." Grace's head almost hit the table. She didn't have the strength to make it through any more than the five minutes of school she had already suffered through. "the Native Americans." She was just glad that Europeans or the Mayflower weren't the next words out of the teacher's mouth - she could at least respect him for that. 

"What about the Vikings?" Rebekah asked as she sauntered into the classroom. All eyes followed her as she took her seat.

"There's no evidence that Viking explorers actually settled in the United States. Who are you?"

"My name's Rebekah. I'm new. And history's my favorite subject."
It would appear that Rebekah was the plucky main character, destined for great plot lines and quippy remarks. 

Rebekah, ever the protagonist.