Ever since the news spread about the death of Vicki Donovans body behing found, Linkin had made it a point to stay away from Jeremy and avoided Matt at all costs. Whenever he would see them in the halls at school he'd duck into an empty classroom or hide in the bathrooms. He didn't want to risk saying something to them, his stomake felt like it was behing ripped dozen from the guilt.

Linkin had killed Vicky. He had sent the snapped plank of wood through her chest and pierced her heart.

He only hoped they wern't showing up to the founders kick off party. Not that he wanted to go, but the house would be full of towns people so his dad wouldn't try anything. That an Carol was away on some ridiculous spar retreat. Linkin thought it was a waste knowing it wouldn't do her any good. He reckoned she'd somehow make the mud baths look dirtier.

After convincing himself, as well as a quick call with Bonnie. Linkin pulled his keys from the ignition and exited the old car.

People looked at him suprised that he was there. Or Maybe it had to do with the fact that he just wore some basic ripped skinny jeans with a red t but he couldn't care less.

Making his way through crowds he had to go through the main hall and past the room full of people dancing to the latest hits.

"Well hello." Said a familiar voice.

Linkin turned around to see a surprisingly smirky Salvatore. "Hey Stefan." The smell of whisky ran up his nose making him blink.

"Where have you been hiding? I havn't seen you for a few days." Stefan said.

Linkin gave him a small smile. "I haven't been hiding. Just been at Bonnz is all. But I kind of need to go." He said turning away.

"No wait." Stefan said with an undertone of urgency.

Linkin turned back and swore he caught a glimpse of worry before it changed back into the smirk and charm. "Stefan. Are, are you okay?"

"Not really." He admitted.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No. But you know what would make me feel better." The Vampire replied before his smirk widened into a a smile.

"Uh, a squirrel?" Linkin half joked.

"A dance."

"I don-"

"To bad." Stefan interupted pulling him by his arm onto the dance floor. "Because I'm not taking no for an answer." He twirled him out before pulling him back in.

"How much have you had to drink?" Linkin asked fighting to keep the smile off his face.

"Enough to do this." Stefan said in to his ear in a wisper.

The sound of people cheering and clapping brought the attention of Elena Gilbert and Damon Salvatore out of there conversation by the bar. The Gilbert girl fished her eyes through the crowd only for her brows to nearly raise off of her head.

"Well I'll be dammed." Damon said suprised. "Little Lockwood can dance." He remarked taking a sip from his bourbon.

Elena watched all the people smiling and cheering her boyfriend and friend on as they did some very eccentric and unconventional moves that Stefan never did with her. A bitter taste filled her mouth that even her sweet drink couldn't wash away as she downed the rest of it. "At least someone's having fun." She said bitterly.

Damon scoffed amused. "Don't sound to jealous."

"I'm not jealous." Elena defended.

"And im Buffy the vampire slayer." Damon sassed.

Stefan finally stopped dancing and pulled Linkin out of the room and down the hall.

"That was so much fun." Linkin said with a laugh.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it." Stefan told him.

Linkin had suddenly become aware that his an Stefan's hands were still intertwined. He gently pulled away. "Thank you."

"For what?" Stefan asked cocking his head tot he side bemused and confused.

"I've honestly been dreading coming here for the last few days. You took my mind off where I am so, thanks." Linkin admitted.

Stefan just gave him a smile. "Any time." He said gazing into his eyes.

A moment later a small group of people left the dance room and Linkin looked away. "I should probably go do what I came here for." He said turning away.

"Anything I can help with?"

"Nah." Linkin said over his shoulder. "Just packing. Go have fun and give Elena a dance."

Stefan chuckled. He watched until Linkin turned the corner and down another hall before going back to the other room in search for his girlfriend.

...

Linkin had packed a bag and a few boxes, managing to take them to his car without catching any unwanted attention. He was mid way through stuffing his bag in the trunk when someone cleared there throat behind him.

"Wanna dance." Drake snarked as Linkin turned around, bottle of whisky in hand.

"You seriously have nothing better to do, do you Drake." Linkin remarked dryly.

That seemed to anger Drake as he stormed up into Linkins face. "Watch you're mouth Lockwood. Or I might have to put something in there to shut you the-"

"Get off me." Linkin growled trying to push back.

"No one's going to help you this time." Drake said darkly as he gripped onto the hem of the other boys shirt. He sued the other to pull Linkins hand over his crotch.

"Motus!" Linkin howled throwing his free hand forward sending Drake several feet away as he slammed into the gravel.

The bottle of whisky shattered on the ground as Drake looked up and over to the boy afraid. "What the..."

Linkin raised a hand at Drake. The amber crystal glowing a feint orange colour giving him power.

Drake tried to scramble back but found that he couldn't move as his head started to throb. "Hel-" But he suddenly had no air in his lungs.

Linkin watched as his face had gone bright red. "Impatu-"

There was a whoosh of air and Damon was in-between them. "Linkin stop." He said staring at the boy. He went to grab him but only howled in pain as his wrist snapped.

"Don't touch me!" Linkin bellowed, his eyes red with rage and tears.

"You're going to kill him." Damon said seeing the other kids face starting to turn purple.

"He deserves it." He growld.

"And you don't need that on you're conscious." Damon said shaking his hand as the bone healed, clicking back into place. He hardened his gaze as his blue eyes met hazel. "Stop it." He said firmly.

"You can't compel me Damon." Link scoffed.

"I'm not trying to compel you." The Vampire snided. "Take it from someone who has killed a lot, an I mean hundreds of people. This." He said gesturing to the faint looking flesh sack of tomatoe red behind him. "Killing won't help you."

Linkin was so caught off guard by Damon's seriousness he let go of the spell and a loud set of ghasp's filled the air.

"What the hell are you?!" Drake squawked clutching his throat before going into a coughing fit.

"Go." Damon told him.

Linkin stood there, gazing at the ground. Not because it intrigued him. But because he didn't have to look up and see what he was about to do.

Damon reached forward slowly testing the waters and coming through without another broken wrist as he clasped the boys shoulder.

"I'll deal with this. Go back inside and go be a teenager or something." He suggested back in his normal care free tone.

Linkin shrugged off Damon's hand. He didn't utter a word or even look at him and simply went back inside the mansion.

Damon waited until Link had walked far enough away before he turned to the boy who was scrambling to his feet.

"I'm gonna kill him." He wheezed.

Damon using his vampire speed grabbed the boy and pinned him to a tree away from anyone who might wonder to close.

"What are you?" He said riddled with fear.

"I don't know who you are. But you seem to have a way of getting under Linkins skin in a way that even I don't compare." Damon said curiously.

"Let me go you freak!"

Damon's grip just tightened around the squirming boy as he gazed deep into his eyes. "You're going to tell me everything about you and what you did to pass off little Lockwood back there. Now." He growled and Drakes stopped fighting back as his arms fell to his side and the compulsion set in.

...

Linkin was doing rounds of the house as he focused his mind on the search, suppressing what had just happened and shoving it into the vast at the back of his mind. That was when he walked through a growl of gossips and heard about how his brother decided to make out with Matt's mother. "Sorry." Linkin chimmed from behind the group.

There eyes widened in suprise. Like a dear caught in headlights they all stood there quietly with fear of being heard.

"You would'nt of happened to see where my father went would any of you?" He asked.

He got a mix of "ums" and "ahs" before one of them actually spoke a coherent sentence. "I think I heard him say something about his study." A man said.

"Thanks." He said befor heading off. It only took him a minute to walk in to the room just in time to watch his father back hand his brother.

"That is the last time you embarrass this family. Understood." He growld at Tyler who was cupping his jaw with his hand looked up at him afraid.

"I think you do enough of that yourself."

"Excuse m-" Richard Lockwood didn't get the chance to finish his sentence as a fist met his face mid turn.

"Wow that felt good." Linkin said shaking off his hand with a smile.

"How dare you." His father growled now holding a bleeding nose. "You are out of my house!" He yelled.

"Oh don't worry dad." Linkin drawled as a small crowd grew by the open doors of the study. "While you were pretending not to be a child beater and a down right fuck stick, I packed my stuff in my car. I'm moving out. I figured I should tell you. Now you can stop pretending to care by sending the Sheriff to bring me home." He turned heading for the door. "Oh and you might want to get you're nose checked. I'm not an expert but I think its broken." He said pushing gawkers aside as he walked through the crowd and heading for the door.

He didn't care about the looks or wispers. For the first time he walked out of the house unashamed or covered in longs sleeve shirts or thick jumpers to hide the bandages and bruises.

Getting into his car he puts the keys in the ignition and the car roared to life. AC/DC was playing on the radio and he turned up the volume before skidding out the driveway. He made sure to run over the freshly planted daisy's Carol had gotten added to the side of the driveway.

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