[THE HOUSE GUEST]

listen, when the eyes talk.

    "JULIETTE IT'S FIVE IN the morning," Harlee complained as she struggled to climb through the blonde's window. Meanwhile, Juliette paced around her room, her mind running wild as she tried to process what just happened.

Seraphina, the witch who invaded her dreams and the owner of the grimoire she had, was a Gilbert—part of her bloodline. Her ancestor. Her family.

But how?

Juliette has never heard her parents, who knew more about their heritage than anyone, mention Seraphina Gilbert who was a witch.

"Hey J, I know you're having a moment right now but I need help." The pixie-haired girl announced, one leg hanging awkwardly in the room, her fingers desperately gripping the window ledge, the rest of her body was still hanging out of the window.

Juliette snapped out of her thoughts and rushed over to help Harlee through the window. As she pulled her friend inside, she heard another voice—one that made her freeze in her place.

"Finally! She's heavy!" The voice was laced with sarcasm, and it was all too familiar.

"Shut up, Spencer!" Harlee whispered shouting, sticking her head out of the window to glare at whoever was outside.

Juliette's heart skipped a beat at the name. Spencer. Her ex-boyfriend. The last person she wanted to deal with right now.

It wasn't that she had anything against him—they hadn't ended on bad terms. Their breakup had been mutual, they both just weren't ready for a long-term relationship then. But even so, seeing him again would bring up emotions and memories she'd rather not deal with right now.

Her time in Kentucky was the best in her entire life. She was afraid that if more people from her past came back, she wouldn't be able to stop herself from immediately packing her bags and leaving Mystic Falls without looking back.

She couldn't do that right now.

"You brought Spencer?" Juliette asked, her voice laced with annoyance as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Harlee opened her mouth to speak but Spencer, who was now fully through the window, but was sitting on the ledge, spoke instead, "Well, It's nice to see you too Juliette, I'm really feeling the love right now." The brunette said sarcastically, a familiar smirk tugging at the corners of his lips.

Juliette sent him an apologetic smile before bringing her hands to her face, rubbing her temples as if that would relieve the headache that was beginning to form. "Sorry to wake up guys up so early, I just needed someone to talk to about something."

"It couldn't wait till morning?" Spencer asked, his brows furrowed with slight confusion but also concern. Spencer Jackson was a man who loved his sleep.

Harlee glared at her twin brother, elbowing him in the rib cage before she turned to the blonde. "It's okay, what's wrong?"

The blonde sighed as she glanced at the twins briefly before moving to sit at the edge of her bed, her hands covering her face for a moment. "Okay, you both are going to think I'm insane and that I should be locked in a psych ward but you are really the only ones I trust with this."

Sure, she was best friends with Caroline and Bonnie and she trusted them with her life. But with something like this—something this insane—she did not trust them to not go to Elena and tell her.

Harlee and Spencer shared a concerned look before looking back at Juliette. "J, what's wrong?" Harlee asked, her voice laced with worry as she stepped closer to the blonde.

Juliette told them everything.

The dreams with Elijah and when they started. The mark she got when she first met him. How she had fallen so hard for him (Spencer grimaced at this) And when he died twice in the same night she bled and felt pain in the same spot he was daggered.

She told them about the voices and the extreme headaches. How at random times she can move things with a flick of her wrist. The Grimoire. Juliette felt like she was insane when she noticed their expressions, they looked at her like she was some headless chicken. She then told them about her dream that happened an hour ago, and that when she read the grimoire, she found out that Seraphina was a Gilbert.

"And that's everything."

Juliette's words hung in the air, the silence between the three of them growing more unbearable with each passing second. Harlee and Spencer just stared at her, mouths agape, as if they were in a state of shock. The blonde cringed, her stomach twisting in anxiety as she began to regret telling them.

What if they told Elena?

The thought made her feel sick. Elena had enough on her plate right now—she didn't need to be burdened with Juliette's problem too.

"Can one of you please say anything?" Juliette finally asked, her voice barely above a whisper as she glanced between the twins. She anxiously twisted her hands, her eyes glued on the floor as she waited for someone to say anything.

Spencer spoke first, "Jeez, you are insane." He chuckled as he leaned against her dresser. Juliette couldn't help the smile that crawled onto her lips, feeling a wave of relief flow through her.

Harlee glared at her twin brother before smiling sympathetically at Juliette, moving to sit beside her on the bed, wrapping her arm over her shoulders. "Ignore him, you aren't insane. Clearly, something is happening and we're going to help you sort it out."

The blonde smiled softly at the brunette, leaning into her side. "Well Elijah's witch gave me Seraphina's grimoire, so maybe it has something that might help me." She gestured toward the book that was sitting on her desk, Spencer picked it up and began flicking through the pages.

"Elijah? The Original vampire you're in love with?" Spencer spoke, his voice laced with sarcasm as she rolled his eyes.

Juliette rolled her eyes at her ex-boyfriend, "I'm not in love with him." She defended.

"Hmm, okay baby, you keep thinking that," Harlee spoke as she brushed a strand of Juliette's hair behind her ear, patting her back with her other arm.

Juliette scoffed but decided to leave it. They had much more pressing matters at hand. "Okay, what do I do about the voices and the headaches?" She asked, suppressing a yawn.

Harlee shrugged, "I'm not sure, I can't think of a reason that would explain them. I mean I haven't heard of Seraphina in the witching community." The brunette furrowed her brows, pressing her lips together with a look of concentration on her face.

Juliette frowned deeply, Harlee was the only witch in her life who was the most experienced. If she didn't know anything, who would?

"We could do research. I mean, you haven't been a witch for long so you probably just don't know about it yet." Spencer suggested.

Juliette shook her head, "I don't want to put this all you guys, I'll find time today to try and find anything about her." The blonde squinted her eyes, knowing full well that today was going to be hectic—as her days are always— so she wouldn't have any time.

Harlee and Spencer shared a look before the pixie-haired brunette spoke, "Nope, you've already told us now. We're going to help you while you deal with your sister and her constant death wishes."

✧✧✧✧

This chapter is honestly bad but I just wanted to get a chapter out for you guys.

I'm sorry it's so short, I genuinely didn't have the energy to write anymore but I didn't want to leave you guys hanging.

Year 11 is kicking my ass and it's only been 4 days. I'm actually so done already 😭

If you see any spelling mistakes, no you didn't.

I hope to see you in the next chapter!!

Byeeee

5/09/24