Elena feels her shoulders tense as she stands in line for coffee at the Starbucks. Normally she doesn’t do this off campus, but desperate times call for desperate measures, and today is one of those days. She’s supposed to be on her way to an off-campus clinic for some of her family medicine training. Instead, she’s wedged between blessed coffee and her boyfriend’s ex.
She’s really getting too old for this shit.
Still, she turns to face her with a small smile, trying to be as pleasant as possible. “Yeah, that’s me. And you’re Melody?”
“I am.” The blond brushes her hair over her shoulder, squaring her shoulders. In another life, this could have been Caroline Forbes. She recognizes that mean girl stance intimately, and she doesn’t want to turn this into a confrontation. “I was hoping I’d get the chance to talk to you. Alone.”
Elena makes a face as the line inches forward. “I’d like that, but unfortunately, I don’t really have a lot o time. I have an appointment that I need to keep.”
“Don’t worry. It won’t take long.” She takes another step in, resting one arm on Elena’s gently. “I just want to make sure you understand what you’re getting into with Ben. How he really isn’t who he says he is.”
Elena shakes her head. “Ben told me about what he did. I really don’t want to rehash it with you.”
“So you say you don’t care about the actual injured party in all of this?”
“Injured party?” Elena can’t help the edge of a laugh as she repeats the statement. “Your high school boyfriend dumped you before he went to college because he wasn’t into you anymore. I’m not a lawyer, but I’m pretty sure that’s not grounds for legal action.”
Melody seems taken aback by hearing her situation broken down so plainly. “How do you know? You weren’t there.”
“No, I wasn’t, you’re right. And I’m sorry that his choice hurt you, but it’s been five years. You need to move on.”
“Right. I’m sure you know a lot about that. You seem like the type of girl who’s been through real hardships.”
The sarcasm gets under her skin, even though it shouldn’t. Melody couldn’t possibly know the things that Elena’s been through. Most people weren’t even aware of half the supernatural beings that spent their time plaguing her high school and college years, of the things she lost. To her, Elena was just another girl who had the misfortune of sweeping in and taking her place.
Elena wishes that her life was that simple. Only problem is, it never would be.
“Can I take your order?”
The barista’s voice bursts through the haze of anger, and Elena swallows hard, before turning to place her order for her coffee. Once that’s done and she’s paid for her drink, she steps to the side to let Melody do the same. She counts down the seconds to tamp down on the anger and pain threatening to bubble to the surface of all the things she’s lost over the years.
“Look,” Elena sighs when Melody steps away, finally resuming the conversation. “I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt that you don’t mean any actual harm and you’re just hurting. Now that Ben’s back in town, I’m a convenient punching back. Maybe you think that if you scare me off, you might get what you want. But that will not happen. I’ve faced scarier things than an ex-cheerleader.”
Melody’s eyes widen, and Elena doesn’t give her a chance to respond before she continues.
“Melody, I’ve been where you are. I’ve woken up one day and realized that the life I thought I was going to have for myself wasn’t real and won’t happen. And I know how much that hurt. But…you have to move on. Otherwise you’re just going to keep stewing in this bitterness forever and you won’t have any happiness for yourself.” She reaches over to give the other woman’s arm a squeeze. “Just think about it, okay?”
“Americano for Elena?”
Elena reaches over to pick up her coffee, flashing the barista a smile before hustling out the door and to her car. Sliding into the driver’s seat, she takes a deep breath and rests her forehead against the steering wheel to catch her breath, and shuffling all those old feelings back into place. She has a job to do and she can’t let terrible memories impede her future.
As she looks up and prepares to start her car, she sees Melody storming out of the Starbucks in a huff, clearly not ready to let things go. Elena sighs. She should have known that the other woman wasn’t ready to listen.
Too bad for Melody, she has zero interest in giving up the guy.
the world doesn't end, it just feels like it does ~ salvatore school ~ 806
Elena feels her shoulders tense as she stands in line for coffee at the Starbucks. Normally she doesn’t do this off campus, but desperate times call for desperate measures, and today is one of those days. She’s supposed to be on her way to an off-campus clinic for some of her family medicine training. Instead, she’s wedged between blessed coffee and her boyfriend’s ex.
She’s really getting too old for this shit.
Still, she turns to face her with a small smile, trying to be as pleasant as possible. “Yeah, that’s me. And you’re Melody?”
“I am.” The blond brushes her hair over her shoulder, squaring her shoulders. In another life, this could have been Caroline Forbes. She recognizes that mean girl stance intimately, and she doesn’t want to turn this into a confrontation. “I was hoping I’d get the chance to talk to you. Alone.”
Elena makes a face as the line inches forward. “I’d like that, but unfortunately, I don’t really have a lot o time. I have an appointment that I need to keep.”
“Don’t worry. It won’t take long.” She takes another step in, resting one arm on Elena’s gently. “I just want to make sure you understand what you’re getting into with Ben. How he really isn’t who he says he is.”
Elena shakes her head. “Ben told me about what he did. I really don’t want to rehash it with you.”
“So you say you don’t care about the actual injured party in all of this?”
“Injured party?” Elena can’t help the edge of a laugh as she repeats the statement. “Your high school boyfriend dumped you before he went to college because he wasn’t into you anymore. I’m not a lawyer, but I’m pretty sure that’s not grounds for legal action.”
Melody seems taken aback by hearing her situation broken down so plainly. “How do you know? You weren’t there.”
“No, I wasn’t, you’re right. And I’m sorry that his choice hurt you, but it’s been five years. You need to move on.”
“Right. I’m sure you know a lot about that. You seem like the type of girl who’s been through real hardships.”
The sarcasm gets under her skin, even though it shouldn’t. Melody couldn’t possibly know the things that Elena’s been through. Most people weren’t even aware of half the supernatural beings that spent their time plaguing her high school and college years, of the things she lost. To her, Elena was just another girl who had the misfortune of sweeping in and taking her place.
Elena wishes that her life was that simple. Only problem is, it never would be.
“Can I take your order?”
The barista’s voice bursts through the haze of anger, and Elena swallows hard, before turning to place her order for her coffee. Once that’s done and she’s paid for her drink, she steps to the side to let Melody do the same. She counts down the seconds to tamp down on the anger and pain threatening to bubble to the surface of all the things she’s lost over the years.
“Look,” Elena sighs when Melody steps away, finally resuming the conversation. “I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt that you don’t mean any actual harm and you’re just hurting. Now that Ben’s back in town, I’m a convenient punching back. Maybe you think that if you scare me off, you might get what you want. But that will not happen. I’ve faced scarier things than an ex-cheerleader.”
Melody’s eyes widen, and Elena doesn’t give her a chance to respond before she continues.
“Melody, I’ve been where you are. I’ve woken up one day and realized that the life I thought I was going to have for myself wasn’t real and won’t happen. And I know how much that hurt. But…you have to move on. Otherwise you’re just going to keep stewing in this bitterness forever and you won’t have any happiness for yourself.” She reaches over to give the other woman’s arm a squeeze. “Just think about it, okay?”
“Americano for Elena?”
Elena reaches over to pick up her coffee, flashing the barista a smile before hustling out the door and to her car. Sliding into the driver’s seat, she takes a deep breath and rests her forehead against the steering wheel to catch her breath, and shuffling all those old feelings back into place. She has a job to do and she can’t let terrible memories impede her future.
As she looks up and prepares to start her car, she sees Melody storming out of the Starbucks in a huff, clearly not ready to let things go. Elena sighs. She should have known that the other woman wasn’t ready to listen.
Too bad for Melody, she has zero interest in giving up the guy.