Rebekah tucked her long and intricate golden fish-braid while having a deep breath, as she followed the old woman inside of the classroom she avoided glancing around the crowded room and focused on the rather handsome teacher instead.

After a quick word with the ever sweet Mr. Johnson he looked at Rebekah.

She forced a smile, coming across as hostile during a very first meeting was rude.

"Ok dear… enjoy your first day at Mystic Falls High." Mrs. Johnson padded Rebekah's arm gently before leaving to her affairs.

"Listen up class, we have a new student." The teacher addressed the noisy crowd before turning to Rebekah. "I'm Alaric Salztman and you are..." he skimmed through the file that Mrs. Johnson just handed him."... Rebekah Mikaelson." he shot his head back at her. "As in the old Mikaelson family?" He didn't hide his awe. "That lineage goes way back to the very origin of this town."

Rebekah nodded. "Yes, we were part of the founding families."

Alaric shook his head with wide eyes. "Forgive my awkward enthusiasm but I'm passionate about the history of our beloved town and it's overwhelming to know someone with such a rich heritage."

Rebekah started to wander her eyes across the room to search for an empty chair.

"Right..." he took the hint with a smile. "Enough with my embarrassing glee and on with the history class." he turned to his desk so that he could put her student file inside of his bag.

Rebekah walked slowly while feeling all curious eyes on her, she heard the first mean comments from a group that she assumed to be the popular one and scolding them she occupied one of the empty chairs in the back row.

Instantly a pretty girl with straight long brown hair smiled hugely at her. "Hi."

The easy greeting made Rebekah feel comfortable enough to smile back with honesty but without stretching it into a verbal reply, instead she opened her book and looked for a pen frowning when she noticed that she forgot to bring along something so mundane for her school adventure.

"It looks like you could use one of these." A girl with olive skin and green eyes offered her a bright pink pen.

"Thank you..." Rebekah reached out for the pen with another smile for the beautiful girl.

"I'm Bonnie, and that's Elena." She pointed at the other one with the long silky hair.

During the introductions there was another girl arriving and by the looks of it not too bothered about being late.

"I see that Miss Forbes has finally decided to grace us all with her presence." Alaric said loudly without taking his eyes away from the board in front of him.

The blonde with ivory skin and a lot of attitude rolled her light-blue eyes and smiled at Bonnie and Elena, she sat next to Rebekah and dropped her brown bag on the table with a loud thud. "Whatever Rick..." she mumbled, it earned her a look from Bonnie but she simply shrugged and looked at Rebekah. "So… who are you?"

"She's the new girl and her name is Rebekah." Elena moved her chair closer to them.

Alaric turned away from the board. "Please form groups of 4, I'll be assigning a year to each group and your assignment is to do research on everything historically relevant about that year." he managed to explain before his classroom turned into a loud rumble of moving chairs and tables.

Rebekah found herself as part of a group when Bonnie turned her chair around to close the circle.

"I'm Caroline." the blonde introduced herself after carelessly dropping her bag on the floor, she folded her arms inspecting her thoroughly. "So what's your story, why are you moving to our wonderful pea-sized town?"

"My brothers and I have decided that we all needed a fresh start, my parents died last spring and it's just the four of us now." She conveyed an easy sadness.

Caroline glanced at Elena

"I'm sorry to hear that." Bonnie said sweetly.

"It's nothing to mourn about." She quickly dismissed the doe eyes and sympathy.

Caroline lifted an eyebrow with a chuckle. "Ok then..."

"I meant to say that I have three very supportive brothers and that we've overcome the terrible loss together…" Rebekah sort of clarified.

"I'm not judging you." Caroline lifted her hands. "I'd get over it really fast if I lost my parents as well."

"Care..." Elena shook her head. "Don't say that.

"Yeah… I would suddenly miss my absent mother and my gay with another family father." She huffed.

"You'd still miss them." Bonnie added while writing a message on her phone.

When Alaric arrived to the girls' side he handed them the assignment but they all ignored it and kept on talking like he was invisible, defeated he left without even trying to speak to them, honesty the trio would be the very death of his teaching career.

"Had you ever been to Mystic Falls before?" Elena sweetly asked Rebekah.

"Once, but that was a very long time ago..." Rebekah answered while reading the paper that the attractive teacher had left for them.

"Don't worry about the assignment, none of us actually takes him serious." Bonnie explained.

"So I deduce that you are the really popular and mean girls?" Rebekah eyed them curious.

Caroline laughed. "Depends on the days, the mean part that is not the popular one."

Elena nodded towards a table where 4 cheerleaders were talking cheerfully. "We used to sit with them."

"What happened?" Rebekah looked at the red squad.

Bonnie had a nostalgic voice as she answered. "Mystic Falls happened."

And with that everyone started getting up, it happened seconds before the bell rang and already on their way to the door Elena waved at Rebekah.

As the three girls left laughing and talking about some party she realized that she still had the pink pen in her hand, she looked after the girls but she was left in the classroom with the teacher and just two other boys so she shrugged putting the pen away.

"Rebekah… are you coming to school alone?" Alaric asked her from his desk. "In your file it says that you have a brother who is just a year older."

She looked at the teacher sitting on the edge of his table. "His name is Kol." She picked up her bag. "We're all still settling in and he's helping with the move." she headed for the door.

"I see... so will the entire family be living in Mystic Falls then?"

Something about Alaric's curiosity caught Rebekah's attention. "Where one goes, all follow." she said facing the teacher.

"I hope to meet them soon." he said with a hint of a smile.

Rebekah nodded and left the classroom clutching her bag, she knew this feeling well, he knew who they were.

She tried to find her way to the next classroom when she realized that she was missing part of the school map, she struggled with the piece of paper in her hand, it wasn't like Mystic Falls High was a enormous building but instead of the staircase she kept going back to the lockers.

"Are you lost?"

She turned around fast to find a pair of deep blue eyes staring at her. "Yes..." when the boy smiled she raised her eyebrow a little, this school was getting better by the second.

He smiled wider. "I'm Matt Donovan."

"Rebekah Mikaelson." she replied with a longer gaze at his beautiful features.

"Wow... Mikaelson, that's a heavy rare uncommon name right there." he chuckled.

She started twiddling the end part of her braid between two fingers. "I know... it's very ancient."

Matt pointed at the paper in her hand. "So is Mrs. Johnson, she forgets a lot of stuff including that the school has a new floor since 1990."

Rebekah crumbled the map. "This is useless... can you tell me where 249 is? I have English in there."

Matt nodded. "I'll do better than that, I'll take you there. I have to meet with Bonnie and she's upstairs in the cafeteria, which is another place that doesn't exist on that map."

Rebekah's smile grew. "That is majorly nice of you."

As they headed upstairs to another floor they talked a bit and during that short conversation Rebekah found out that he was the quarterback of the Football team.

Elena welcomed them at the top of the stairs. "Matt offered to give you the tour..."

Matt parted his arms. "I found her with an old map and I couldn't resist."

Elena smiled at Rebekah. "I was going to find you downstairs to tell you where our Classroom is."

"Is everyone else in this town this helpful?" Rebekah asked with a suspicious expression.

"No one is as nice as Elena is." Matt answered while dodging a fierce punch on his arm from Elena.

"That is such a nasty thing to say when there are so many other nice people in town." she complained.

Matt made a long pause, then he shook his head. "Not really."

Elena gave up by turning her back on him and started walking to class followed closely by a smiling Rebekah.

[XXXXX]

"Was it really necessary to acquire such a lavished manor?" Kol asked while carrying yet another box inside.

Elijah smiled. "It was bestowed to us by Niklaus and in all honesty, the bigger the house lesser are the chances that we will run into each other." he focused on the paintings, trying to choose which one would be on this precise wall.

"I see that there are warm and pleasant feelings resurfacing." Kol dropped with a cutting smile.

Elijah chuckled. "This will be the first time we will all be living under the same roof, therefore we are basically an enormous ticking bomb ready to explode."

Kol sat lazily on top of the boxes he had left gathered on the floor. "Come on Elijah, we'll end up murdering each other. It will be fun."

Elijah sighed. "Who do you think will be the first one to break?"

"Bekah for sure." He stated. "Free for the first time, unrestricted and without one of us telling her what not to do?" he rolled his eyes. "I give her a week to go on a spontaneous killing spree and to annoy Nik enough to dagger her into sleep."

Elijah pursed his lips agreeing with him. "You should try to get on his good side Kol, we can't afford any mistakes this time around... also, I know that there are boxes still outside and those aren't going to move themselves inside, are they Kol?" he dropped his voice knowingly.

"I am not the family slave and I don't understand why we don't have compelled people to do this for us. Not to mention how askew it is that am I the one in charge of all the heavy work while all you do is hang his ridiculously expensive art." Kol protested with a scowl.

"I have good taste." Elijah simply replied and moved to the next room with a Van Gogh in his hand.

Kol narrowed his eyes angrily, he was stuck with this task but he wasn't going to be joyful about it and before returning outside to pick the rest of the boxes he intentionally knocked two of them to the ground, hopefully Elijah would run out of things to hang soon.

[XXXXX]

Rebekah sat alone in the cafeteria enjoying a break from her long slow first day, her one demand when she knew that they were returning to Mystic Falls had been to attend high-school, it was her chance to aim at a normal life for once and she was trying not to ruin it.

She was thrown into the midst of a large number of kids with vivacious energy and life, their rich blood was taunting her, urging her to taste them all but she was resilient thus far, she was trying to focus on something else when Caroline sat in front of her with a warm smile.

"Hi!"

"Hello..." Rebekah countered slowly.

"How's the first day working out for you?" Caroline asked before sipping on her soda.

Rebekah lingered her eyes on the other blonde. "It's turning out rather long."

"Maybe you need to get away from here."

"You reckon?" the other asked with a squint.

"It's your first day and you're not missing much anyway." she stood up. "It's time that I introduce you to the only remotely cool place we have in town."

Rebekah easily followed her with a smile, it sounded good and she could use the change of scenario.

[XXXXXX]

Caroline parked in front of the Pub and opened her arms. "Ta-da, I present you with The Grill!"

Rebekah frowned, from the outside the place looked uninteresting and minuscule.

"Look, I said that it was remotely cool." Caroline reminded her.

"Truthfully I've been to worst venues." Rebekah admitted before looking at Caroline. "But I'm curious to know why you really brought me here."

"I mentioned a drink before…" Caroline narrowed her eyes playfully.

"I'm naturally suspicious whenever I'm sitting by myself and someone I hardly know offers their time and money without a seeming reason."

A tall handsome man appeared out of nowhere behind Rebekah.

"Hello Nik." Rebekah greeted him without turning around to face him.

"You asked for me, sister?" he stopped next to her.

"A handful of students have been extremely nice to me today." She replied with a smile for him.

"Evidently they are eager to make new friends and we just so happen to be irresistible." he smiled delectably at Caroline.

She knew that she was busted even before she tried to keep a straight face, she was by far the worst liar out of the girls. "Ok... so deal is that we all know what and who you are."

"Allow me to introduce myself regardless of it. I'm Klaus Mikaelson." He widened his smile.

It only made Caroline uncomfortable. "I know..." she still replied with a brave little spunk.

Klaus couldn't help the chuckle that left him. "As usual my reputation precedes me."

"Please..." she scoffed. "I just happen to have a very obsessed teacher and Alaric isn't only obsessed with the supernatural, he is obsessed with everything regarding the town's history. And if there is one thing that this town has, is a lot of history."

Rebekah eyed Caroline trying to understand if she was a friend or a foe at such an early stage. "How well informed are you about my family?"

Caroline knew that Rebekah was about to confront her physically and she prepared for the move but she didn't expect the strength that the other had when she pinned her to the car behind them, Caroline tried to break away from the firm grip on her throat but Rebekah's hand was crushing her so Caroline's fangs came out and her eyes turned red before she shoved Rebekah away with a snarl.

"You are a vampire." Rebekah was surprised by that.

"Yes." Caroline said retracting her fangs. "And I know that everyone in your family is one as well. Alaric calls you The Originals."

"Impressive." Rebekah replied with an uninterested grumble.

"Alaric speaks of your family like you're the forthcoming salvation or something, he's been waiting for all of you for a long time." Caroline guided her curls behind her ear. "We all have."

"She lost me there..." Rebekah glanced at Klaus.

"Elena… the girl with the long straight hair?" Caroline said. "She's a doppelgänger and we've been protecting her from someone that really wants her dead."

"What does that have to do with us?" Klaus asked as confused as his sister was.

"I don't exactly know all the details but Alaric thinks that it's all connected to your family somehow." Caroline met his eyes, gazing at him more than necessary. "And out of nowhere a really ancient vampire decides to attend high school when everyone else is running away from it? I'd be stupid not to ask her for a drink."

"Keep your friends close and your enemies closer?" Rebekah asked disappointed.

"I don't know if Alaric is right but I'm willing to do a lot of things to keep Elena safe..." Caroline answered unwavering.

Klaus was amused with the girl's confidence because it was refreshing for a change.

Rebekah however had nothing but sting on her end. "Why did you bring me here Caroline?"

"I was honest about the drink, you know... I could use one and honestly so did you, I could tell that you were already picking people out at school by blood type." She answered honestly.

"From the lot I met today, who else is a vampire?"

"That would be only me." Caroline lifted her hand. "Bonnie is a witch and Matt is a regular human." She sighed. "Rebekah... I was just being cautious and looking out for my friends. We are each other's family and I'm just doing my part to protect them." her gaze unwillingly drifted to the man with dark-sandy curls, as he locked his piercing blue eyes with hers she couldn't help but to take in his perfect stubble before her eyes lowered to his lips, when Alaric talked about the Originals and how they were the first known vampires she imagined them to be old and creepy like a desiccated version of Bram Stoker's Dracula, not like a frigging Calvin Klein model with raspberry lips.

"All I wanted was a normal life for a change, I waited so long for this..." Rebekah spoke up miserably.

"I have no idea what you are going on about or what Alaric wants out of this encounter but I'll stay out of your way if you stay out of mine." Caroline suggested and when they looked at her serious she nodded at both of them. "As long as you don't hurt any of my friends."

"I won't slay you languorously if you don't try to harm someone from my family." Klaus responded with a smile.

Caroline smiled as well and the two of them were able to reach some sort of first compromise which was interesting. "It was nice meeting you Klaus, I'm Caroline by the way and as the reigning Miss Mystic Falls I welcome you and your family to our town. I hope that you enjoy your stay in our beautiful little cozy forsaken home." she turned away shaking her cascade curls on her way to the inside of the pub.

Klaus licked his lips watching the swing of her hips, she had an attitude and she was drop dead gorgeous, jarringly and all of a sudden Mystic Falls seemed awfully attractive.

"Do you need a bib Nik?" Rebekah asked him with a cocked eyebrow.

Klaus smirked before answering verbally. "I like her and it will be an awful shame if I have to dismember her."

Rebekah ignored him and walked over to his car weighed down by her day.

[XXXXXX]

She slumped on the sofa with a sulk, it had been a very frustrating chain of events but she was happy to see Elijah walking in with a smile for her.

"How was your first day?" Elijah warmly asked as he took a seat closely to her.

"It was all right but the girls I wanted to befriend are erroneously nice and full of mean intentions."

"Usually, small town people are as so." he replied.

"They know who we are." she looked at the huge mantel in the room, it was still unfinished.

"Do we need to worry?" he asked calmly.

"I really want to stay here so I will try to find you an answer soon." She hugged one of the pillows lying on the sofa. "Consequently Nik is not worried at all, he reckons that they are nothing but a group of scared children."

Elijah nodded quietly. "Maybe they are."

"Or perhaps he just wants to stay here as well." she smiled sadly. "Will we ever be able to just settle down without looking over our shoulders Elijah?"

"I wish that I had the right reply little sister, and I wholeheartedly wish that I could assure you of that as much as you need me to but that wouldn't be truthful of me." he offered her a warm smile.

"I know... but still, can't you lie to me? Just this once Elijah." she pleaded hoping that he would.

Only that Elijah was too noble for that, he took her hand and kissed the back of it and with that he made her smile without sadness, when he exited the room she rested on the sofa wishing to go back to the beginning of her day, when everyone was nice to her and she felt good about it, she played with the pink pen in her hand and wished for that normal life that always seemed so unattainable.

[XXXXXX]

Soundtrack:

Can't find my way home - Blind Faith