For What You Are

"So Kara," Kara heard a voice say from behind her. "What's the story with you changing grades and all?"

Caroline Forbes waited expectantly for an answer, and after finishing her sentence, Kara turned around and spoke to her. "I was held back at my old school because I wanted to coast. Now it seems coasting isn't going to keep me held back and so I am now at the correct grade for my age."

"Right," Caroline said. "So where'd you come from?"

"I was in LA for a while," Kara said, turning back to her book and glancing up at the board. "But I was born in Croydon."

"That's in England right?"

"Yeah," Kara said with an inner smile. "It is."

"You're from Croydon?" a voice she'd never heard came from behind Caroline.

"Yes," Kara replied, trying to look around Caroline to see who it was. Slowly, she recognised Stefan Salvatore, the annoying Damon Salvatore's brother. "Why?"

"I used to know a guy, he lived on Scarbrook Road."

"So did I," Kara replied with a smile. "What was his name?"

"Nathaniel," he replied. "He'd be long gone now though."

"Nathaniel Henning?" Kara said. "He used to tutor me."

Stefan's expression grew confused and even Kara found that memory confusing. She could remember Nathaniel Henning's face...she remembered them sitting and reading books, doing arithmetic in the afternoon sun...but instead of the emotionless memories Kara seemed to be having of late, she found herself with a sea of emotions welling up inside her at seeing Nathaniel's face in her mind. And yet...memories of him were hesitant, blurry even. As if maybe they were just her imagination.

"Or at least," she rectified quickly. "From what my mother told me, I used to imagine he did."
And although Kara had no idea who Nathaniel Henning was ten minutes ago, she now found herself seeing his face in her mind and trying to figure out who he was...and what he was to her.

Stefan nodded although his expression still seemed miles away. Kara turned back to her work, Caroline Forbes forgotten, and finished copying the notes from the board. When the bell rang, she found herself walking out of the class second last, Stefan followed behind her.
"Kara," he said. "You've been hanging around with Damon right?"

Kara scoffed, "If you can call his uncanny ability to turn up wherever I am hanging out, then yes."

"It might be better if you don't go near him."

"Why?" she asked curiously. I mean, Damon was weird, but he didn't seem dangerous. Unstable maybe, but not dangerous.

"You seem like a nice girl...and I’d hate to see Damon mess you up. It's what he tends to do."

"Well, he hasn't tried to make a move. And I’m pretty sure that when he does, I’ll shoot him down pretty hard."

"Er...just don't make him angry."

"I won't. Funnily enough I figured that out already."

"Right," Stefan said as they walked into the corridor. "Well, I’d better go," I saw him incline his head towards Elena who stood a couple of metres away talking to Bonnie. "See you later."

"Okay," Kara replied as he went over to them. "Wait," she called. "How did you know Nathaniel Henning?"

"His family did my family a favour a while back."

"Oh," Kara said. "Right."

He walked off and she did too. Seeing Kale in the distance, she made her way towards him, all the while remembering the look in Stefan's eyes.

The look that said he wasn't delivering the whole truth.