Tangled emotions
1228 Words
Elena's POV
Another day, another chapter of being the girl who doesn’t belong. Everyone else had their place: the werewolves, vampires, sirens, and warlocks, each with their own people, their own paths. But me? I didn’t have that luxury. I was a girl stuck somewhere in between, unsure of my origin. I knew my powers, but I had never met anyone like me.
My life had always been one of secrecy and hiding. My mom, the woman who took me in, knew about my powers. She had saved me and protected me my whole life. Whenever I made a mistake and exposed even a fraction of my abilities, we'd move to a new place, a new neighborhood, a new life.
I rubbed my eyes, trying to shake the remnants of a strange dream. I heard my mom’s voice as she stood at the door.
“The usual?” she asked, her voice soft.
I yawned and shook my head. “No, I’m fine.” I got out of bed, still feeling off.
She didn’t seem convinced. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“Just a weird dream,” I said, offering her a weak smile. “I’ll be okay.”
She took my hand gently, her worry clear. “If you ever need anything, I’m always here.”
“I know,” I whispered, nodding, before she walked away, her footsteps fading down the hall.
---
I grabbed my backpack and made my way downstairs, but the familiar angry voices stopped me in my tracks. I knew exactly who they were—Julia and her mom. Their arguments had become a daily routine, and today was no different.
“You’ve been skipping class again, Julia,” her mom was shouting. “This time, I’m going to talk to the dean myself.”
Julia scoffed loudly. “Yeah, sure. But maybe you should ask your precious daughter why she’s always around boys at school.”
My heart sank as her mother’s eyes shot up at me. “What’s going on here?” she demanded.
I didn’t need to hear more. I rushed down the stairs. “You know their fights have nothing to do with me. Stop twisting things just because you hate me.”
Julia’s glare was venomous. “That’s right. At least you got one thing right—I hate you. I wish you were never here.”
The words hit harder than I expected, and I couldn’t stop the tears that started spilling from my eyes. I wanted to say something, to make her understand, but nothing came out.
Then, a loud slap echoed in the room.
I looked up, heart racing, to see Julia’s hand on her cheek, her eyes wide with rage. Her mother had given her a resounding slap.
“You know what?” she hissed, “I wish you weren’t my mother.”
The words cut through me like a knife. My mom, standing in front of me, was furious but calm. “I am your mother, and as long as I am, you will not disrespect me in my own house. You’re grounded.”
Julia stormed off, crying. The silence in the room felt suffocating.
I turned to face my mom, still in shock from what I had just witnessed. “Who’s Stefan?” she asked, her gaze gentle yet piercing.
My throat tightened. I swallowed hard. “I don’t like him.”
Mom gave me a long look. “Stay away from him, then. I only let you have a boyfriend because I wanted you to focus on something other than your powers. But I’m starting to think it wasn’t a good idea.”
---
The rest of the day felt like a blur. My mind was consumed by everything happening around me. I sat in my seat, waiting for Molly and Tyson, but they were nowhere in sight. And then I felt it—Stefan’s presence. He was walking into the classroom, and I could feel the pull before I even saw him.
Stefan and his brother, Aaron, entered together. Aaron barely spoke and was always distant, but Stefan—Stefan had a way of drawing attention without even trying.
“You’re alone today,” Stefan’s voice was a low whisper, his lavender-vanilla scent wrapping around me. I froze, inhaling the familiar fragrance that had haunted my thoughts ever since I met him.
He leaned in, close enough that I could feel his breath on my neck, and I could hear him take a deep breath. “You smell nice,” he murmured, and my heart fluttered against my ribs.
Before I knew what was happening, his hand was on my chin, turning my face towards his. His lips captured mine in a slow, possessive kiss. I was too stunned to pull away at first, and before I knew it, I was responding, my body betraying me.
The kiss was intense, lingering in my mind long after it had ended. It felt so real—so right.
“What are you doing?” He asked, and I snapped my eyes open. My lips were inches apart from mine and my cheeks flushed crimson red.
But I quickly shook my head, realizing what I was imagining. The kiss, the pull I felt toward him—it was all in my mind. It wasn’t real.
“Oh God,” I muttered, rubbing my face in frustration and ran out of the class.
---
I locked myself in the girls’ bathroom, leaning against the sink, trying to calm my racing heart.
“Ellie, are you okay? Come on, open the door,” Molly’s voice drifted through the door.
“Go away, Molly. I need to be alone.”
“Nope, I know you don’t feel right. Open the door, or I’ll break it down.”
“Yeah, sure, that’s an empty threat,” I said, though I knew she wasn’t bluffing. “I’ll open the door. Just give me a minute.”
I took a deep breath and opened the door, and stepped out, Molly immedaitely close the distance between us, wrapping her arm around me in a comforting gesture.
“I think I’m obsessed, Molly,” I whispered, my voice breaking.
She didn’t say anything at first. Her eyes softened as she looked at me. “How... how do you know?”
“I can’t think about anything else. All I can think about is him. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’m obsessed with him. It’s like I can’t stop it. I keep imagining things—like kissing him—and it drives me crazy.” I paused, tears threatening to spill again. “But I know it’s a mistake.”
Molly’s eyes softened, and she gently rubbed my arm. “Don’t be afraid of feeling this way. It’s okay to have feelings, Ellie. But you need to be careful with this obsession. Don’t let it take control of you.”
I shook my head, my voice barely above a whisper. “You don’t understand. I can’t be obsessed with him. I just can’t. It’s wrong.”
She hugged me tightly, her voice quiet but reassuring. “It’s okay. But, Ellie… who is it?”
I pulled back, meeting her eyes. “It’s Stefan. I can’t stop thinking about him. I’m obsessed with Stefan Brown.”
- Writer
