CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR   /   ACT TWO

Dead Girl Walking

MYSTIC FALLS, 1864

                             Angelina's mind was taken over by the sound of horses trolling along the long dirt path. The sounds of her sister and Emily Bennett conversing beside her unfazed her as she gazed out the window. Though she wasn't paying attention to the noise because her mind was elsewhere. Traveling to Mystic Falls seemed exhausting to her. Only a few months ago, she and her sister were running through the streets of Connecticut, attempting to settle down, but their journey was cut short when word of their whereabouts spread amongst other supernaturals.

Don't get her wrong; she was relieved to be out of there as quickly as she could, but she wished she could have stayed longer. Her sister, however, promised her shortly before they left that they would stay in Virginia for as long as they could. Though her sister's promises beginning to wear thin.

"How much further until we reach this 'Lockwood Plantation'?" Katherine began to complain, fanning herself with her sensu.

"Won't be long now, we've just entered the town of Mystic Falls." Emily replied to ease her nerves.

"Good." The doppelgänger let out a frustrated sigh.

The carriage abruptly came to a halt, and Angelina lifted her head from the edge of the window and looked in the direction of her sister.

"Why'd we stop?" She questioned, peering outside the window curiously.

"Looks like a gentleman's having some problems with his carriage." The witch informed her and Katherine rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"At this rate, we won't arrive until sundown.."

Angelina poked her head outside the window to see the problem and her heart immediately stopped.

Standing by his own broken down carriage, there stood a gorgeous man, a her eyes locked onto him. She couldn't describe it. The way he stood, his hair, his eyes, and the smile on his face as he conversed with their coachman. Her body was on fire, and she couldn't take her gaze away from him. As she stared, her heart began to race and a bright red patch formed on her face. The sensation was indescribable. She wanted-no, needed-to know more about him.

"Who is that man?"

Katherine and Emily peeked their heads outside and the Bennett witch began to speak. "He's the son of Giuseppe Salvatore, his name is um.. Stefan Salvatore, I believe."

"Do you think we could remain in their residence for the time being?" The youngest twin pleaded with her sister, but instead of agreement, she received an eye roll.

"Don't even think about it, Angelina." Katherine sneered.

"What? Why not?! Emily told us she has yet to find a home for us, and I see no problem with simply asking Giuseppe to stay with his family."

"Because the last time you shared affections for a man, you almost got us both killed." She retorted and her sister groaned in annoyance. "Besides, you don't have any room in your life for love."

The doppelgänger sighed and returned to the window, where Stefan continued to converse with the coachmen while staring longingly out the window. Katherine's words annoyed her, as she knew they were right; but she couldn't help but want to know him. She began to lose awareness of her surroundings as she stared, and her focus was solely on him. His gaze shifted from the coachmen to her and they locked eyes, and her entire world stopped.

Stefan smiled and waved his hand at her, and she began to grow nervous. Despite her nervousness, she straightened her stance and returned his wave with a genuine smile.

The Bennett witch grinned as she noticed the twinkle in her eyes before returning her attention to Katherine. "Though, your sister is right, Katherine. I haven't found either of you a home for the time being, and it wouldn't hurt to ask."

Katherine let out a soft moan and rolled her eyes, adjusting her posture and facing Emily. "Fine; but only for a few months."

Angelina's eyes gleamed, and she clapped her hands together joyously. "Perfect!" Katherine's arm was taken in her hand, and she hugged her firmly while resting her head on her shoulder.

Katherine sighed and laid her head on her sister's. She was well aware that she had just agreed to something that could end in disaster. But her sister's feelings for a man wouldn't change a thing.

In the end, she'd do what she had to do to survive.

                             Angelina opened the door to the boarding house, welcoming herself right in. All of her friends were at school and while she was supposed to be as well, she was once again ditching.

Unfortunately, her last resort was to spend time with Damon. Despite their sentimental moment in the basement during their near death experience, it didn't mean she was any less angry with him for what he did to Stefan; and yes, while his breakup with Elena may have "benefited" her in a way considering they were somewhat.. together now, it still hurt him nonetheless.

She couldn't recall the last time Stefan and Damon had a real one-on-one conversation in a long time. She, of all people, knew what it was like to harbor resentment toward a sibling, especially one with whom you'd shared your life for over a century. However, hatred toward your own sibling, someone you would go through hell and back for, destroys your connection to the point where it feels empty.

Angelina entered the boarding home and took a few more steps inside. The living room was deafeningly quiet and deserted, as if no one had been there for hours; but she wasn't even going to try to find him by calling out to him. She was bored, but she wasn't that bored.

Just as turned around on her heel, she was greeted by the not so pleasant surprise of Damon standing before her with a confused expression all over.

"What are you doing here?" He immediately questioned, stepping closer to her and she quickly regretted her decision of showing up here. "Shouldn't you be at school or something?"

"Yes.." She placed her hands in the back pocket of her jeans and swung her body back in forth. "But I don't necessarily have to be."

"Then why are you here?" His brows wrinkled as he walked passed her and into the living room.

"I dunno, I was bored." Angelina shrugged and turned back around to face him as he plopped down on the couch and grabbed a book from the side table.

"Oh, so you're not mad at me anymore?"

"No, I'm still mad." She corrected him and shook her head. "You're just unfortunately my last resort."

"Of course." He rolled his eyes and read his book carelessly. "Y'know, Stefan and Elena's breakup was technically a win for you. Now you have him all to yourself."

"Aw, thank you Damon for your generous contribution to my love life." She replied with a hint of sarcasm in her tone.

"I'm not wrong."

The room went silent until Damon lifted up his head from the book and turned to face her. "If it makes you feel any better, Elena and I aren't exactly on speaking terms."

"And why is that?" She raised and eyebrow out of curiosity.

"Oh, just some regular old drama." He grinned. "She told me she still was in love with Stefan, and my hand just happened to accidentally slipped around her brothers neck and snap it."

"Excuse me, what?!" Angelina exclaimed, scoffing in disbelief. "You killed Jeremy?!"

"Oh, relax." He replied, brushing off his actions. "He was wearing John Gilbert's ring, he's fine."

A sigh of relief came out of her mouth, but her annoyance stayed in place. "And did you know he had the ring on?"

"That's not important."

"Y'know, if you want at least one of the doppelgängers to like you, maybe don't be a dick all the time."

Damon gave her a sarcastic grin and shifted his attention back to his book. The brunette rolled her eyes, which felt like the 100th time this month. Her friends idiotic actions came as no surprise to her, but she wondered how long he'd last until Elena would cut him off. He tried to kill her brother, she'd probably hate him forever, right?

She couldn't help but keep her mind focused on the things Katherine was doing right now. If she was causing problems, or if she was planning to cause problems. Probably both. Half of her was worried, but the thought of Katherine going to far lengths to obtain the moonstone piqued her interest. But, no matter how far she went, she'd never let her get her hands on that stone.

Katherine's infatuation with Elijah was 518 years ago. Just because they had a small crush on each other doesn't mean he wouldn't turn them both over to Klaus in a heartbeat. Her plan was irrational, and she wouldn't let her go through with it. She just needed a plan of her own.

Just then, her thoughts were interrupted by the irritating sound of her phone ringing. She let out an exasperated sigh and pulled out her phone from her back pocket before standing up from the couch and into the kitchen for some privacy. She held the phone in front of her and a look of surprise overcame her as Elena's name displayed on her phone.

Reluctantly, she pressed answer and held the phone up to her ear.

"Hey, Angelina, where are you?" She could hear her voice from the other side of the phone.

"At the boarding house, why?"

"You're kinda missing school.."

"That's kinda the point."

"Fine then.. anyways, I have something to ask."

"What is it?"

"There's this carnival tonight, and Caroline was supposed to organize it but she doesn't get out of the hospital until tomorrow morning. Bonnie and I are helping her, but we could really use one more hand."

"...So what does this have to do with me?" Angelina dragged on, but she knew exactly what she was asking her. She just wanted to give her the implication that she didn't want to be asked.

"Will you help us?"

Angelina let out an irritated groan and rolled her eyes, again. "When is it?" She didn't even attempt to hide her annoyance.

"8pm."

"Fine.." She reluctantly agreed, rapidly tapping her finger against the kitchen counter. "But only because it's for Caroline."

"Thanks, Angelina." Elena thanked and hung up the phone.

Angelina had no desire to assist in the planning of a carnival. But, it would allow her to be outdoors, amongst a crowd, and guarantee that her sister was not making any trouble; and, as she had said, she was doing it for Caroline. The brunette turned on her heel, exited the kitchen, and returned to the living room, heading for the front door.

"And where are you going?" Damon asked, lifting his head up from his book and turning to look towards her.

"Some school carnival." She replied bluntly. "I'd suggest you not come, y'know if you don't want Elena to hate you even more just by seeing your face."

"Oh, shut up." He rolled his eyes and went back to his book. The doppelgänger smiled and left the boarding house, ready to make her way to the school to meet up with Elena.

                             Amidst the chaotic carnival atmosphere, Angelina navigated through throngs of students, their cheers and screams echoing around her. She scanned the crowd, searching for Elena and Bonnie, wondering what urgent matter could possibly require her assistance. The carnival seemed like a blast, but with Katherine lurking in Mystic Falls, having a vampire like her around wouldn't hurt.

As she pushed through the crowd, her attention was momentarily diverted by the sight of the Salvatore brothers standing together, a rare occurrence lately. It was a surprise, considering their usual penchant for bickering. Damon's lack of argumentativeness was particularly notable.

Forgetting her original mission, Angelina approached the brothers, drawn in by their shared focus on Tyler Lockwood's arm wrestling match. Surrounded by a raucous crowd of teenagers, the scene was a stark reminder of the vibrant chaos of high school life in Mystic Falls.

"And what are you two doing?" She placed herself right next to Stefan and smiled.

"Observing the carnival, of course." Damon replied in a snarky tone. The three of them watched as Tyler forcefully slammed his classmates hand down on the table and everyone cheered for his victory.

"He's got strength." He commented once more.

"He's a triple-letter varsity athlete, of course he has strength." Stefan replied. "You're reaching."

"What're you talking about?" The Petrova titled her head to the side out of curiosity.

"Damon thinks somethings up with Tyler." Stefan shifted his head in her direction. "Thinks he's got some sort of super strength, but he's most definitely wrong."

Angelina raised her eyebrows in amusement as Tyler's uncle, Mason Lockwood appeared from the midst of the crowd and challenged his nephew to a round. Damon and Angelina straightened their posture, focused on which one of them would beat the other while Stefan remained unamused.

"Enter the uncle.." The eldest Salvatore observed.

The bell rang and the two locked hands, using everything ounce of strength they had to push the others hand down.

"This is ridiculous." Stefan complained.

It didn't take long for Mason to slam his arm down on the table, and the crowd cheering for him.

"He's older, of course he won." He shrugged it off and Damon smirked at his brothers remark.

"Well in that case, why don't you have a go, Angelina?"

"Excuse me?" The doppelgänger scoffed and crossed her arms. "Yeah, no. You go."

"Just go, it's just a test!" He attempted to convince her.

"If it's just a test then you-"

Damon placed his hand on her back and pushed her farther into the midst of the crowd, drawing everyone's attention to her before she could continue her sentence. Angelina flung her head back and sighed, cocking it to the side, as she stood in front of Mason Lockwood.

"Yeah, sorry, I'm not going against a girl."

The Petrova rolled her eyes and raised her arm while resting her elbow on the table. "Get your head out of your ass and play," she mocked.

Reluctantly, Mason clasped Angelina's hand, their eyes locked in a silent challenge. As the bell tolled, the crowd erupted into cheers, cheering them on. With every ounce of strength, they pushed against each other, muscles straining in the intense competition.

Angelina's focus drifted from Mason's determined gaze to their entwined hands, her mind honed in on her own power. She didn't care about besting him; she knew she was stronger, wiser, and far older, despite Mason's werewolf gene. Victory seemed inevitable for her.

"Angelina, right?" Mason's voice broke through her concentration, and she reluctantly tore her eyes away from their struggle, nodding in acknowledgment before returning her focus to the match, determined to emerge triumphant.

"Ah, you must be Katherine's sister."

As Mason uttered her sister's name, Angelina's eyes widened in shock, her breath catching in her throat. Before she could react, he seized the opportunity, slamming her arm down onto the table with a victorious grin. The crowd erupted in cheers for the Lockwoods.

Stunned, Angelina stood there, speechless, while Mason reveled in his win, exchanging a triumphant high-five with his nephew. Slowly, she made her way back to the Salvatore brothers, still reeling from his win. Massaging her wrist to ease the sharp discomfort, her mind raced with thoughts of Katherine's unexpected alliances.

A Lockwood—a pawn in Katherine's game? It seemed unlikely, yet strangely fitting. Memories of past dealings with George Lockwood flooded her mind, raising questions about what Mason might know. As she pondered the implications, a sense of unease settled over her, leaving her wary of the tangled web of alliances and betrayals in Mystic Falls.

"You didn't put in any effort at all." Damon retorted as she made her way back to them.

"Sure I did." She let go of her wrist and looked up at him. "He was.. he was just stronger than me."

"You're 537 years old and you lost to 20 year old surfer guy?"

"Shut up, Damon."

Stefan glanced at Angelina, noticing the disturbed expression on her face and frowned. "You alright?"

"Yeah, yeah.." She stammered through her words, her tone reassuring. "I'm fine."

When their eyes focused on each other's, the Salvatore nodded and smiled, which she returned, her cheeks turning a brilliant scarlet.

"Come with me." Damon spoke up, interrupting their moments and they both looked at him. He began backing away, with the two of them trailing close behind, back into the school, where the halls were bustling with kids conversing alongside the lockers. When they realized they were further away from Mason, they all came to a stop to ensure he didn't hear their chat.

"Is he..." The eldest Salvatore began, referring to a vampire.

"Doesn't look like it to me." Stefan shrugged.

"What is up with that family? If they're not vampires then what the hell are they?"

"Ooh, uh- maybe they're, uh, ninja turtles." Stefan joked, Angelina burying her head in her hand and chuckling at his remark.

"You're not funny." His brother retorted.

"Or no, zombies.. werewolves."

"No comedic timing, at all."

Damon rolled his eyes as Stefan and Angelina smiled at his jokes. Angelina began to step away from the brothers as she said, "Um.. I'll be back soon. I just have to take care of something." and they both nodded.

"I'll see you later," Stefan replied, wrapping his arm around her shoulder, kissing her forehead, and then letting go. The doppelgänger's face lit up with a giddy smile, and she couldn't help but chuckle with delight.

As he watched their lovey dovey moment, the raven haired vampire wrinkled his brows and lifted his finger, pointing towards Angelina and then at his brother. "Are you two..?"

The brunette shifted her smile into a sneer as she looked at him. "Bye bye, Damon." she said. She smiled and waved before whirling on her heel and walked away from both of them, her hands behind her back.

It had been days since they had kissed after the fire in the basement at Founders Day, and neither of them had expressed any affection for the other in public. Still, the thought of engaging in some PDA with him sent shivers down Angelina's spine, filling her with excitement. Their relationship hadn't been officially defined, but it felt right, natural even.

As she roamed the halls of the school, Angelina's heart raced with anticipation. Her destination: the darkened corridor leading to the carnival's center, where she hoped to track down Mason Lockwood. This was her chance to grill him about what he knew regarding her and Katherine, and maybe even glean some useful information.

Her footsteps echoed in the empty hallway, the only sound breaking the silence. But suddenly, another set of footsteps joined hers, accompanied by a ghostly apparition. Angelina's eyes widened in surprise as she looked up to find none other than Caroline Forbes standing before her, a mixture of curiosity and concern etched on her face.

"Care?" She cocked her head to the side, perplexed. "I thought you weren't getting out of the hospital until tomorrow morning?"

Caroline said nothing, her eyes scanning Angelina from top to bottom. As her friend's gaze lingered, Angelina couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but she sensed that something was deeply amiss.

"Who are you?" Caroline finally formed a short sentence.

"Excuse me?"

"You're not Elena's sister.. she never had a sister. I know that for a fact." She began to speak."You just showed up and everyone believed you."

"How do you know this?" Her words were soft, somewhat reassuring to ease her friend to prevent anger. "There's no way you'd believe that unless you were.."

Angelina's mind was muddled by shock, and a faint grin appeared on the blondes face, and it all made sense. She had been turned, and the compulsion was gradually fading.

"I have a message from Katherine." Caroline's grin widened and she stepped closer to her, more shocking and shock thoughts racing through the brunettes head. "She said, 'Game on'."

"Caroline, wait-" She grabbed her arm, but was halted in her tracks as the blonde jerked away, grabbed her by the neck, and pinned her against the lockers. Reacting swiftly, Angelina pushed Caroline's arm away and twisted it, reversing their positions so she was the one in control, her hand tightening around Caroline's throat as she leaned against the lockers.

"I'm not gonna fight you, Care." The blonde struggled for oxygen as Angelina tightened her grasp on her neck, her grip firm but not suffocating. The blonde struggled for breath, prompting her to release her hold slightly to allow her to breathe.

Gasping for air, Caroline slumped to the ground, clutching her throat, before scrambling away, leaving Angelina alone in the hallway.

"God, that bitch." Angelina muttered under her breath, frustration evident in her tone as she cursed her sister's manipulative schemes. With a determined stride, she hurried off to find Stefan, Elena, and Damon, her mind focused on the task at hand.

AUTHORS NOTE
wondering who angelinas first love was and if it offers a lot of significance to the story and affects her decisions later in the book 🤔 who knows

UGH I LOVE THIS BOOK MAINLY BC HER RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER CHARACTERS MATTERS SO MUCH BC IT LEADS TO SOMETHING KINDA BIG HAPPENING LATER