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"Bonnie, you can't seriously be thinking about leaving Mystic Falls. I mean, it wouldn't be the same without you. You can't just go." Caroline tried to change my mind for the umpteenth time. I sighed and gave her a sad smile.

"Is it really that hard to believe, Care? What am I really going to miss? Yeah, I'll miss you guys, but other than that all this town has to offer is heartache and bad memories. It's time for me to move on." I told her. Caroline looked like her head was going to explode.

"You can't just miss a senior year!" She argued. I shrugged. "Where are you gonna go, anyway?"

"You'll survive a senior year without me, Care."

"Elena's a vampire. Jeremy's dead. Tyler's gone. You're telling me that you're just going to leave, too?!" Caroline was bordering hysterical.

"Caroline, it'll be fine if I miss the rest of the school year here. I just… I can't take it. I can't take being here. I look around and all I see is death. How much more do I have to give this godforsaken town, before it's enough? I can't be here anymore, Care. I hope you can respect that." I confessed, as my voice broke and I tried to ignore the stinging in my nose and the tears welling in my eyes. Caroline's face fell and she wrapped her arms around me and let me cry.

"I don't like it, Bon. I don't like it, but I get it." She assured me. I nodded and tried to get my crying under control. "Where are you gonna go?" She asked me, again. I sniffled and pulled away from her. I pulled down my sleeve to mop up my face and took a deep breath.

"Actually, it won't just be me. Carol Lockwood, was married before she married Tyler's dad. She was Tyler's step-mom. After Richard died, she got back in touch with her ex-husband. It turns out that they have a daughter together. She wanted to keep Lydia away from the Mystic Falls drama, so she never brought her here. She wants to try and rekindle things with her first husband. She and Grams had a mutual friend in Beacon Hills. That's where her other family lives. Carol's friend name is Deaton and I've talked to him. He said that he's more than willing to help mentor me with my magic. It'll give me some time away and Carol said that I can stay with her. I love you, so much, Care. I just need to do this… for me."

"I get it. Come on – I'll even help you pack."

Two hours later and Caroline had decided that nothing I owned was okay to take with me, for my fresh start.

"You know what you need? Two words," Caroline told me, excitedly. She help up two fingers. "Retail therapy," she practically oozed excitement. I looked at her, hesitantly.

"And how do you expect me to pay for this?" I asked her. She gave me a knowing, devious smile.

"I've got that covered." She assured me. I barely had time to grab my purse, before she was pulling out the door.

I was surprised when I saw Damon waiting for us at the mall. I looked at Caroline, completely confused. She shrugged and just beamed at him. Damon looked at us and looked like he really didn't want to be there. Caroline crossed her arms in front of her chest and tapped her floor.

"Fine, Barbie," Damon gritted out. "Look Judgy, I know that we haven't always gotten along." Damon sighed. I snorted at him.

"That's an understatement." I agreed.

"I know that all the shit that has gone down in the past couple of years here, since my brother and I have been back hasn't been easy on you. We use you when we need you and we know that you won't say no. You got the shit end of the stick. We've noticed – we were just too preoccupied to do anything about it. I know that this doesn't make up for anything that you've lost helping us, or because we were trying to save Elena, but it's something. It was Stefan's idea and he wanted to be here, but he's busy making sure that Elena doesn't go on a rampage for kicks." Damon explained. I stared at him, still not quite understanding what he was trying to say. "Barbie told us that you need a new wardrobe for your new life, so we're footing the bill. You can get whatever you want and for what it's worth… I am sorry about your mom, Bonnie." Damon finished talking and eyed me warily. I cracked a small smile.

"Thank you, Damon. That… means a lot."

To say that Caroline takes shopping seriously would be the understatement of the century. By the time we were finished, I never wanted to step foot into another store for the rest of my life. Damon kept his complaining to a minimum and even offered suggestions. I didn't even mind that most of them were perverted. As much as it pains me to admit, I'll miss the banter between us. It was nice having one more day with Caroline. True to her word, she helped me pack everything up and into my car.

She offered to stay over, but I told her that I needed to get some sleep. It wasn't a lie… but I knew that it would be harder to say goodbye in the morning. I doubt I'll be able to sleep tonight. Things feel so… uncertain. It has me on edge.

The drive itself didn't take as long as I expected it to take. We made pretty good time, despite the three days it took us to get from Virginia to California. Carol and I drove her car and the movers followed us with my car and the moving truck.

Carol left the house for Tyler but put it in Matt's name. She wanted him taken care of, but didn't want any unwanted house guests to be able to sneak up on him.

Beacon Hills wasn't at all what I was expecting. Of course, the only thing I really know about California is that it has beaches and warm weather. Beacon Hills was surprisingly green. Even more surprising, was the mystic energy I could feel pulling me into town. Something tells me that there's more going on here than Carol let on.