❝Raise a glass to the dead and the ones we want to forget❞
•

"Are you sure this will help?" I ask Caroline, "Damon literally broke up with her, like yesterday."

"Yes, Rowan. She needs to get up and move on." She said sternly, gripping onto the breakfast tray.

I scoff, "Like you moved on from Tyler." My words were mumbled, but she still shot me a look. "Just stating facts here. And to be honest, I believe Bonnie agrees, right?"

We both look at her as we make it to their dorm. Did I forget to mention she came back from the dead? Well, then I forgot to mention a lot then.

Oops?

Bonnie only sighs taking the trash from Caroline before breaks it. I hold the drinks of course, ready to collide with today head on.

Caroline opened the door, letting me be the first to greet. "Good morning, Elena Gilbert!" I shout and she only groaned, putting herself further under the covers.

"Time to get up sleepy head." Caroline said, opening the curtains.

"No, I'm not leaving this bed." She groaned, before Caroline snatched the blanket from her body.

"That's why we brought breakfast to you." Bonnie says and Elena rolled over before sitting up to see a perfectly nice breakfast that I worked very hard on. I even made the muffins blueberry.

"What's all this?" She looked up with a soft smile, seeing our kind gesture.

"This is your breakup breakfast." Caroline cheers and we shoot glares, pointing out her insensitivity. "What?"

"My what?" Elena questions, eyebrow raised.

"I think what our dear, oblivious, friend is trying to say that this is for you." I cover up, putting the champagne and orange juice on the dresser. I grab the glasses from the tray after Bonnie put it on the bed.

"Thanks guys." She breathed out and I nodded, pouring us all some Mimosa.

I hand each of them a glass, "Well, it's the least we could do. Everything had been so hectic; you and Damon being taken for some Augustine thing and then finding out your father was a part of it. Well... it's a lot to take in."

They all nod, "So, speaking of, you and Damon.. It's just done? That's it? You're just giving up?" Bonnie speaks up, and Elena only shrugs.

"As she should!" Caroline states proudly and we all roll our eyes, "I mean, he did say... and I quote... 'I am a bad person. I am bad for you, and I am choosing to let you go'."

Elena gaped, "You memorized my breakup?"

"That's creepy, you know that, right?" I wonder, but she just scoffed, ignoring me.

"Of course I did." She boldly spoke, "Now let's drink." We all raise our glass and take sips from our glasses.

"I just have to face reality." Elena sighed, a frown forming on her face, "If Damon makes up his mind about something, it's done." Another sigh escaped her as her phone rings.

"It's Stefan." Caroline says when she looks at the caller ID. When look at Elena, hoping for a response.

"Tell him I don't feel like talking." She told Caroline and she nodded, answering.

"She doesn't feel like talking." Caroline repeats into the phone, but after a few seconds, her demeanor change. Soon enough, she hangs up, looking at us wearily.

"What's wrong?" I ask, placing my half empty glass down.

"It's Katherine."

•
•

"Why are we going to see a woman that destroyed all of our lives?" I wondered as Caroline parks the car.

"Trust me, we're all asking the same thing." Bonnie huffed. We all step out the car, walking towards the boarding house. I don't knock, so I just walk inside, knowing that it's never locked.

So after graduation, Elena stuffed the cure down Katherine's throat, instantly making her human. Though, Silas sucked the cure out of her shortly after, only for her to get sick and currently on her death bed.

We hear indistinct talking from the parlor, so we head there, only to see Damon, Matt, and Jeremy taking shots.

"Seriously guys?" I scoffed and they all turn to us. Damon slowly turns back around when he spots Elena. "I know she was horrible, but Jesus."

"Hey, we are just going over the greatest memories of her." Damon protested.

"Hey, then I'm in." I sit on the armchair next to Matt, watching Elena and Damon share a silent moment. I let out a fake cough, making Elena look away from him and to Jeremy.

"You're cut off." She points to him, before grabbing a shot Damon poured, "And if anyone is drinking to Katherine's last days, it's gonna be me." She held up the shot, "She impersonated me repeatedly" She chugged it, "... Made Aunt Jenna stab herself in the stomach and cut off Uncle John's fingers-"

"He might have deserved that." Jeremy laughs lightly and we all shrug.

"My grams died trying to close a tomb she wasn't in." Bonnie says and takes her shot.

"Tyler's werewolf curse got triggered because of her." Caroline said and we all nod, watching her drink.

"My turn." I state, grabbing a glass, "Okay, so technically my dad is dead because of her because when isn't anything because of her." I say, sadly, "Group shot." We all down our drink.

"Klaus followed her to Mystic Falls, and because of that, we lost Jenna-"

"And Alaric." Damon intervenes, taking another glass and drinking it.

Feeling tipsy, after many rounds, I stand up, "I need some air."

"Yeah, and we're gonna need more booze." Matt stands up along with me, though he walks to the cellar as I going outside. I felt like the room was caving in on me as I mentioned my dad. She technically did kill my dad.

I let out a huff and decide to take a walk, needing space. Involuntarily, tears escape until I'm hiccuping into a fit. I stop when I realized I'm in the woods, far from the boarding house. I sit on a tree trunk beside me and wipe violently at my tears, trying to get my breathing to subside.

My breathing calms down soon before I get a call from Caroline. "Hello?"

"Hey, Matt is missing." Was her first words to me before she explained.

"I'll start looking." I said and hang up, wiping my eyes once more. I wish I wasn't in things like this at times. I wish I was home, not drunk. Just home, reading a classic bestseller book.

I wish I was still hating my dad than grieving his death. I wish I fawning over Ryan Gosling than deal with whatever is going on between me and Klaus.

I just wish for anything that isn't reality.

I put my hands in my pocket, still walking around, looking for Matt, though distracted. I stop in my track when I see a certain light brown haired guy that I fell for.

"Hello Rowan." Klaus greets.

"Speak of the devil and he shall come." I mumbled, seeing him smile. "What are you- you know what? I don't even care. Matt's buried alive somewhere. So, no time to chat."

I turn on my heels, though he sped in front of me, now closer to me, "You're not even the least bit curious as to why I'm here?" He asked and I scoffed.

"If you didn't hear me the first time, oh well. I'm not repeating it." I groaned slightly, snapping at him, though I didn't intend to. I haven't spoken to Klaus in what felt like forever. And it's sort of true. The last that I've seen of him was graduation.

"Were you crying?" He asked me. I just sighed pushing past him, "Damon informed me that Katerina Petrova has taken a tragic turn."

"Glad to know you care about her dying." I keep walking, hearing him trail behind. "Matt! Matt!" I call out, before seeing Klaus beside me.

"I don't understand why you're mad." He states and speeds in front of me again, only for me to collide into his chest. He holds my waist, reluctantly, to keep me steady as I hold his arms. "What's wrong?"

I look down, retracting my arms and stepping away, "Nothing, just reminiscing the dead is all." I run my hands through my hair, feeling a hot tear slide down my cheek, "Don't you want to go see Katherine in her last moments? I know you would love to watch her life end, then to see me cry."

"Though I do love to watch that, I'd rather be here and comfort you." He shrugs and I ball my hands into a fist.

"Well, I don't need to be comforted." I snap, "And you… you can't do this to me. You can't just show up, toy with my feelings, and then leave. You also can't come and distract me while my friend is in danger. And you definitely can't show up here again when I told you I want you to find happiness."

I let out a shaky breath, looking up at him. His expression was blank and unexpressive, so I clench my jaw, "And you also can't stand there and say nothing after I rant to you." My words soften at the end and become mumbled, my anger vanishing within seconds.

I frown when only silence fills in the space between us. I regain my posture, however, and walk away, wiping my tears. I'm so stupid. A stupid Banshee.

"You know, while you've been ranting and snapping at me, I heard Matt's distant and desperate screams." He spoke and I stop suddenly.

I turn to him, my eyes glaring at him, "And you didn't tell me." I growled, "Where is he?"

"Don't worry, sweetheart. I've got it covered. Trust me, he'll be quite happy with his rescuer." He said simply.

"And how is that?"

"My little ol' sister."

•
•

"So the quarterback has been saved. What now?" Klaus spoke as I started walking back to the boarding house.

"Don't you have a dying girl to laugh at for all of her sins?" I roll my eyes as he follows me again.

"I do, but I won't for you." Klaus dismissed and I only chuckle.

"Please, don't stop on my pity account." I start walking slowly, seeing as I don't remember where the house was.

"I won't." He states and I look around, not seeing a specific place I remember to get me walking again. "I just need one thing from you."

"Yeah, and what would that be?" I turn my attention to him and he's taken aback by it, but doesn't try to show it.

"I want your confession." Was all he said and I raise an eyebrow.

"Confession? Confession for what?"

"About me. About us. As soon as we're done here, I'm gonna walk away, and I'm never coming back. You'll never again have to look me in the eye and cover whatever we have with hostility and confusion." He tells me, though continues, "You'll never have to loathe the parts of yourself that care for me in spite of all I've done. I will be gone, and you will be free. I just... Want you to be honest with me."

"What do you mean 'free'? How can someone just be 'free' of the big, bad, Klaus Mikaelson?" I gritted, "I could have been free of you long ago, Klaus. But guess what? I didn't want to be, because you and your accent and your soft side kept bringing me back in, and I let it.

"You want my confession? Well, I'm building a life for myself. I'm in college, I'm seeing a guy that I don't even have feelings for because I don't know how to feel about you and I. I have plans for myself in the future, and to be honest, I don't want you in it." I breath out, watching him press his lips into a thing line.

I turn from him, guilt falling on me for exploding, "I see."

"No." I laugh dryly, "No you don't. I go tell you to be happy, so I could be happy. These last couple months have been hell for me, but I'm going through it, because when haven't I?" These words felt like I was just talking to myself since i forgot for a second he was near me. I let out a huff, turning to him, "There, my confession. So do like you promised. Walk away, Klaus, and never come back."

"Okay," He mumbled, "I'll leave and never come back. Thank you for being honest." He looked sad and I know I did too when he sped away, because I wanted to cry at my words. Like always, I always lie.