So Human

As soon as Matt Donovan entered the Mystic Falls High School on the first day of his Senior year, he thought it would have been cool to pretend everything was exactly like the first day of the past one. For example, he thought, he could have pretended the only thing he had to be worried about was how to get back together with Elena Gilbert. Or, maybe, he could have pretended he didn’t care if his sister Vicky Donovan was getting high on the school rooftop with Jeremy Gilbert.
Yes, he could have, but that was as easy to say, as very hard to do.

In just one year a lot of things changed, and just one guy had to be blamed: Stefan Salvatore.
Matt never liked him that much in the first place, even less when he got together with his ex girlfriend. Then, when Vicky got killed in some mysterious way and Stefan was involved, he should have thought something was wrong with him. Only now that he remembered everything, he should have realized from the start that someone like Stefan Salvatore was dangerous for everybody. Matt thought that falling in love with Caroline Forbes was the best way to start all over again, because she was…normal. But then, no: he lost her as well, always because of Stefan and his evil brother, Damon Salvatore. Every time his life was getting better, something bad happened, and guess what, the Salvatore brothers were always there.
No matter what, they were always in the middle.

Matt would have done everything to get back to his Sophomore year, when finally Elena decided to be his girlfriend, when his sister was alive, when his mother was home, and most of all when Stefan and Damon weren’t in town. Troubles started when they got in Mystic Falls, and it seemed like no one agreed. Everyone seemed too busy to stop for a minute and listen to him.

Well, not that he really wanted to get into that mess again. He had too much to think about and the last thing he needed was another vampire drama going around him. He didn’t want to be involved again: more than once that happened, without him even asking, and he always felt like useless. Every time he talked to Bonnie, he knew what she thought of him, he could read it in her brown eyes: she thought he was stupid to think he could have brought Vicky back without consequences. Every time he saw Caroline and his mate Tyler Lockwood together, he knew they were meant for each other: they both had something in common. She was a vampire, he was a werewolf, and Matt was nothing in comparison. He was just a guy who had to deal with bills he had to pay all by himself with that minimum wage he got from his job at the Mystic Grill; he was just a normal guy who was overcome by the events.

At the beginning he was really curious, but every time he got involved, someone was there, ready to erase his memory, leaving him out of what was happening to his friends. Now that he remembered, now that he knew everything, he thought it was better to be left out: Matt actually didn’t have this urge to help them, he really didn’t want to get killed, but those people were his friends after all and he felt lonely without them. It was sad to be the only one who didn’t have something special inside, the only human left, and because of that, most of the times he felt alone, from the moment he woke up in a lonely house, to the moment he closed his blue eyes before falling asleep. They always had secrets they shared and even if he knew everything, he always felt a step back, like he was just following their path. This didn’t mean he wanted to be an actual part of it: he just wanted them to know he was there if they needed him. Now he knew how to face all that new world of vampires, werewolf, witched and ghosts: he wasn’t scared, not anymore.

“Hey mate” Matt heard his friend’s voice and turned to face him. Tyler seemed very happy in the last days, probably things with Caroline were going great, and Matt was happy about it after all.
He was a bit jealous of the blonde hyperactive vampire, but if that sort of new union with his werewolf friend was a success, he was happy for both of them.

“Hey dude, what’s up?”

“I’m great man. Are you headed to Professor Saltzman class?”

“Yes, what about you?”

“Same. They are going to kill us with boredom on the first day uh?” Matt laughed.

“Aren’t you hungry of knowledge as I am?”

“Hell yeah man, I was so looking forward to this”

They kept on walking and talking like the old times, until they entered the class. They took their seats one next to the other, like always. Then, they both looked to the door to see who was coming in. First, it was Elena, the same beautiful girl he knew since kindergarten, with that long straight brown hair of hers, followed by Caroline and Bonnie. Those three were as united as Matt could ever remember. Then it was Stefan, with a new grin on his face and a weird spark into his eyes. The two guys looked at each others for a second, but then Stefan looked back at Elena, taking seat next to her, thing she didn’t seem happy about. Matt didn’t know a lot about what was happening between them: he just knew Stefan changed because of an original vampire named Klaus, and that he was gone for the whole summer. Matt remembered the sad look on Elena’s face every time he saw her entering the Mystic Grill in the past three months, he couldn’t deny he still cared about the girl and in some way he hoped Stefan never showed up again, at least not in school, acting like nothing happened.

Professor Saltzman got into the class and started explaining what he had planned for their last year of history class. Before he could start with the proper lesson, a new blonde girl made her way to an empty seat in the first row: Matt never saw her before, but by everyone else’s look, she wasn’t good news.

“Who are you, if I may ask?” Alaric asked her.

“Rebecca” she replied, knowing that fear was spreading around the class because of her.

Matt looked around him, seeing Stefan still grinning and Elena as scared as ever. A part of him wanted to know what was going on with that girl, but the other part was telling him to mind his own business. As always, as much as he wanted to be helpful, he knew it was better to step aside.
The only one he could talk to about it, was Bonnie. She helped him a lot in the past weeks, and he owed her so much for helping him seeing Vicky again, even if he screwed up by trying to get her back for good.

“Bonnie!”

The witch turned to him and smiled “Hey Matt, what’s up”

“Can I ask you something?” Bonnie nodded “I was wondering who that new girl was… you all seemed to know her back in class”

At that question, Bonnie stood still and looked like she saw a ghost: that was when Matt realized they were frightened by the new Barbie in town.

“Matt it’s not safe to talk about this here” it sounded like an excuse, and Matt didn’t like it.
Every time he asked something they all answered like they were trying to protect him, but actually they were just keeping secrets and he didn’t need that. He had to know what was happening so he could be safe and he could stay away from danger.

“It never is when I ask something”

“Don’t get mad”

“I’m not getting mad Bonnie. I just want to know what’s going on”

Bonnie sighed and took him by the arm, walking fast until they found a quiet corner where to talk.

“What do you want to know?”

“I told you”

“Well, you want to know who that girl is, right? Her name’s Rebecca, she’s Klaus’s sister. She’s an original as well and she’s looking for Elena’s necklace, which was hers back in time, but duh- Katherine stole it. But the worst part in this is that now Klaus disappeared and left her here”

“Looks like you all have to deal with a lot of stuff”

“You can tell”

“Is there something I can do?” Bonnie shook her head “Are you sure?”

“Yes, Matt, I am. You don’t need to get through this” Matt nodded. He knew she was right after all.

“If you need anything, just ask”

“Thanks. Just please, stay out of trouble. If she gets near you, act like she’s just a girl and not a vampire, like you don’t know anything about this”

“Well I did this once with Caroline, I can do it twice”

“Thank you” she smiled “See you later” and walked to the other side of the corridor.

Matt sighed and thought that the only thing he could do for his friends was not getting in trouble, that Bonnie was damn right about that. They had a lot going on and they didn’t have to save him again. It was something helpful after all.

The rest of the day at school was boring and all Matt could think of was how bad he missed his old life. Especially when he got home, looking at the frames on the wall, looking to his mother and sister’s happy faces in the pictures. He missed everything about it.
Matt’s days were very busy: as soon as he finished his homework, it was time for him to get to work. That job at The Mystic Grill wasn’t what he ever wanted, but it was useful and it helped him to think as less as possible, or at least that was what he thought. Funny thing was that since when Jeremy started working there as well, every effort was pointless. Every time they talked, Matt thought of Vicky, and then thought of Jeremy seeing dead people, when at the beginning he was just like him: human and not aware of what was happening around him.
At the beginning the only thing Jeremy did was going around his sister and smoke weed just to forget about the bad accident that caused his parents’ death.
Then, after being killed, after being brought back from Bonnie, he was able to see ghosts.

“Hey man, how are you doing?” Elena’s brother walked into the changing room with the usual smile on his face. After everything he had been through, in some way he still knew how to be happy. He was stronger than Matt could ever think, even stronger than what he thought he was.

“I’d rather stay home and watch a football match right now, but I’m good”

“I know how you feel; I’d rather go out with Bonnie, even if she won’t talk to me”

“Something bad happened between you two?”

“She’s kinda mad because I’m talking to Anna”

“Your new power looks like a curse, more than a gift”

“I guess we’re all somehow cursed by living here”

“Couldn’t have said it better” the two guys laughed and started settling the restaurant, waiting for it to open. Matt thought Jeremy was right. Being human or a vampire, it didn’t matter once you lived in Mystic Falls: in one way or another, you could have been dead in a second.