CHAPTER ONE
❝ROMAN HOLIDAY❞

Dear Diary,
    Here I am at 5:30 in the morning, awake and scared. I keep telling myself it's just that I'm all messed up from the time difference between Colorado and here. But that doesn't explain why I feel so scared. So lost.

    The day before yesterday, while Aunt Jenna, Jeremy, Elena and I were driving back from the airport, I had such a strange feeling. When we turned onto our street I suddenly thought, "Mom and Dad are waiting for us at home. I bet they'll be on the front porch or in the living room looking out the window. They must have missed me so much."

    I know. That sounds totally crazy. My parents have been dead since last spring.

    But even when I saw the house and the empty front porch I still felt that way. I ran up the steps and I tried the door and knocked with the knocker. And when Aunt Jenna unlocked the door, I burst inside and just stood in the foyer listening, expecting to hear Mom coming down the stairs or Dad calling from the den.

     Just then Aunt Jenna let a suitcase crash down on the floor behind me and sighed a huge sigh and said, "We're home." And Jeremy scoffed. And the most horrible feeling I've ever felt in my life came over me. I've never felt so utterly and completely lost.

    Home. I'm home. Why does that sound like a lie?

    I was born here in Mystic Falls. I've always lived in this house, always. This is my same old bedroom, with the scorch marks on the floorboards where Caroline, Elena, and I tried to sneak in cigarettes in 5th grade and nearly choked ourselves. I can look out the window and see the big quince tree Matt and the guys climbed up to crash mine and Elena's birthday slumber party two years ago. This is my bed, my chair, my dresser.

    But right now everything looks strange to me, as if I don't belong here. It's me that's out of place. And the worst thing is that I feel there's somewhere I do belong, but just can't find it.

    -Elektra Gilbert

    I stopped writing. I stared at the last line I had written and then shook my head, pen hovering over the small book with the green velvet cover. Then, with sudden gesture, I lifted my head and threw the pen and book at the big bay window, where they bounced off harmlessly and landed on the upholstered window seat.

    It was all so completely ridiculous.

    I stood up and angrily thrust my arms into a red silk kimono. I didn't even glance at the elaborate Victorian mirror above the cherry wood dresser; I knew what I'd see. Elektra Gilbert, cool and burnet and slender. Who just now had an unaccustomed scowl on her face and a pinch to her mouth.

    A hot bath and some coffee and I'll calm down, I thought. The morning ritual of washing and dressing was soothing, and I dawdled over it, sorting through my new outfits. I finally chose a pale rose top and white linen shorts combo that made me look like a raspberry sundae. Good enough to eat, I thought, and the mirror showed a girl with a secret smile. My earlier fears had melted away, forgotten.

    I ran the brush one more time through my silky hair and made sure there were no flyaway hairs sticking up. Then I grabbed my backpack and went down the stairs.

    In the kitchen, my twin sister, Elena, was setting her brown leather jacket onto the dark wooden kitchen table before she made her way over to the coffee pot, and Aunt Jenna was sifting through the food-stocked fridge. Aunt Jenna was the sort of woman who always looked vaguely flustered; she had a thin, mild face and light blond flyaway hair pushed back untidily. I landed a peck on her cheek.

    "Toast—I can make toast." Jenna announced, turning to look at Elena and I.

    Elena glanced over her left shoulder as she poured herself a cup of coffee. "It's all about the coffee, Aunt Jenna." Elena sighed. I rolled my eyes, and moved past her to the coffee maker and poured myself a cup.

    "Is there coffee?" Jeremy's voice chirped as he entered the kitchen, approaching Elena and I from behind looking around the room. He strolled up to me and snatched the mug from my hands. My mouth opened, but no words came out. I sighed, before turning to fill up another mug.

    "It's your first day of school, and I am totally unprepared..." Jenna murmured; zoning off, searching through her purse, "Lunch money?" She asked, walking over to the three of us with a twenty dollar bill in hand.

    "I'm okay." Elena answered with a slight shrug of her shoulders.

    "Yeah, I'm fine too. Thanks anyways." I smiled softly.

    Jeremy yanked the bill out of Aunt Jenna's extended hand while he continued to pour the whole-milk into his coffee, before adding—precisely—six spoon-full's of sugar.

    I scoffed, "Want any coffee with your sugar?"

    He shook his head with irritation and took a sip from the mug.

    "Anything else? A number 2 pencil?" Jenna suggested with a semi-shrug while putting things into her purse. "What am I missing?"

    "Don't you have a big presentation today?" I furrowed my brows, slightly confused.

    "I'm meeting with my thesis adviser at—" Jenna glanced down at the watch on her wrist. "Now. Huh, crap." She said taking her hair out of the bun it was in, letting her golden blond hair to cascade across her shoulders.

    "Then go." Elena commanded softly.

    "Yeah, we'll be fine." I nodded, reassuring her.

    A few minutes later, I told Elena that I was going to wait for Bonnie out on the front porch. I stepped through the front door and closed it behind me. All the bad feelings of the morning rushed over me again. The anxiety, the fear. And the certainty that something terrible was about to happen.

    Maple Street was deserted. The tall Victorian houses looked strange and silent, as it they might all be empty inside, like the houses on an abandoned movie set. They looked as if they were empty of people, but full of strange things; watching things.

    That was it; something was watching me. The sky overhead was not blue but milky and opaque, like a giant bowl turned upside down.

    The air was stifling, and I felt sure that there were eyes on me.

I caught sight of something dark in the branched of the old quince tree in front of the house. It was a crow, sitting as still as the yellow-tinged leaves around it. And it was the thing watching me.

    I tried to tell myself that this was ridiculous, but somehow I knew. It was the biggest crow I had ever seen, plump and sleek, with rainbows shining in its black feathers. I could see every detail of it clearly: the greedy dark claws, the sharp beak, the glittering black eyes.

    It was so motionless that it might have been a wax model of a bird sitting there. But as I stared at it, I felt myself flush slowly, heat coming in waves up my throat and cheeks. Because if was...looking at me. Looking the way boys looked at me when I wore a bathing suit or a sheer blouse. As if it were undressing me with its eyes.

    Before I realized what I was doing, I had dropped my backpack and picked up a stone from beside the driveway. "Get out of here," I said, and I could hear the shaking of anger in my own voice. "Go on! Get away!" With the last word, I threw the stone.

    There was an explosion of leaves, but the crow soared up unharmed. Its wings were huge, and they made enough racket for a whole flock of crows. I crouched, suddenly panicked as it flapped directly over my head, the wind of its wings ruffling my hair.

    But it swooped up again and circled, a black silhouette against the paper-white sky. Then, with one harsh croak, it wheeled away toward the woods.

    I straightened up slowly, then glanced around, self-conscious. I couldn't believe what I had just done. But now that the bird was gone, the sky felt ordinary again. A little wind made the leaves flutter, and I took a deep breath.

    The front door opened behind me, causing my shoulders to flinch slightly just as Bonnie's silver Toyota pulled into the driveway.

    Elena gave my shoulder an assuring squeeze before she skipped along the driveway and into the front seat of Bonnie's car. I smiled at them, and took another breath, relief sweeping through me like sunlight. How could I have been so silly? This was a beautiful day, full of promise, and nothing bad was going to happen.

    Nothing bad was going to happen—except that we were going to be late getting to school if I didn't hurry up and get in the car with my sister and Bonnie.

The crow crashed through the top of the massive oak, and Stefan's head jerked up reflexively. When he saw it was only a bird, he relaxed.

    His eyes dropped to the limp white form in his hands, and he felt his face twist in regret. He hadn't meant to kill it. He would have hunted something larger than a rabbit if he'd known how hungry he was. But, of course, that was the very thing that frightened him: never knowing how strong the hunger would be, or what he might have to do to satisfy it. He was lucky this time he'd killed only a rabbit.

    He stood beneath the ancient oak trees, sunlight filtering down onto his dark hair. In jeans and T-shirt, Stefan Salvatore looked exactly like a normal high school student.

    He wasn't.

    Deep in the woods, where no one would see him, he'd come to feed. Now he licked at his gums and lips painstakingly, to make sure there was no stain on them. He didn't want to take any chances. This masquerade was going to be hard enough to pull off as it was.

    For a moment he wondered, again, if he should just give it all up. Perhaps he should go back to Italy, back to his hiding place. What made him think he could rejoin the world of daylight?

    But he was tired of living in shadows. He was tired of the darkness, and of the things that lived in it. Most of all, he was tired of being alone.

    He'd never be accepted completely, of course. A bitter smile curved his lips at the idea. He knew better than to hope for that. There would never be a place where he could belong completely, where he could truly be himself.

    Unless he chose to belong to the shadows...

    He slapped the thought away. He'd renounced the darkness; he'd left the shadows behind him. He was blotting all those long years out and starting afresh, today.

    Stefan realized he was still holding the rabbit. Gently, he laid it down on the bed of brown oak leaves. Far away, too far for human ears to pick up, he recognized the noises of a fox.

    Come along, brother hunter, he thought sadly. Your breakfast is waiting.

    As he slung his jacket over his shoulder, he noticed the crow that had disturbed him earlier. It was still perched in the oak tree, and it seemed to be watching him. There was a wrongness about it.

    He started to send a probing thought toward it, to examine the bird, and stopped himself. Remember your promise, he thought. You don't use the powers unless it is absolutely necessary. Not unless there is no other choice.

    Moving almost silently among the dead leaves and dry twigs, he made his way toward the edge of the woods. He glanced back, once, and saw that the crow had left the branches and dropped down on the rabbit.

    There was something sinister in the way it spread its wings over the limp white body, something sinister and triumphant. Stefan's throat tightened, and he almost strode back to chase the bird away. Still, it had as much right to eat as the fox did, he told himself.

    As mush right as he did.

    If he encountered the bird again, he'd look into its mind, he decided. Just now, he tore his eyes from the sight of it and hurried through the woods, jaw set. He didn't want to be late arriving at Mystic Falls High School.

The car ride was silent—too silent. Normally Elena and I were overly eager to engage in conversation with our best friend, Bonnie. But, this car ride was different.

    I still felt slightly unhinged—psychologically from the whole 'crow incident' from earlier.

    This time last year, Elena and I were all smiling faces as our mother drove us to Matt Donovan's house to take him to school. The beginning of sophomore year. In my mind, it felt like a life time ago. So much has changed—I've changed.

    My eyes were fixed on the buildings and cars and people that past by as we sped down the road.

    "So, Grams is telling me I'm psychic. Our ancestors were from Salem, witches and all that. I know, crazy. And she is going on and on about it. And I'm like, 'put this woman in a home already'. But then again, I started thinking, I predicted Obama and I predicted Heath Ledger. And I still think Florida will break off and turn into little resort islands." Bonnie finally took a pause, and glanced back and forth between me and Elena, "Elena, Elektra! Back in the car."

    Elena snapped her head towards Bonnie and I did the same.

    "Sorry, Bon." Elena apologized with a solemn expression, as I took a deep breath.

    "I did it again. I'm sorry, Bonnie, but you were telling us that—" I trailed off.

    "That I'm psychic now." Bonnie finished, nodding her head smiling.

    "Right, then predict something about me and Lena." I giggled as my eyes peered in Bonnie's direction.

    "I see–" Bonnie began but was cut off by her windshield being hit by a large crow. I looked at Elena with wide eyes. We had both been in the car when our parent's car went off of Wickery Bridge. We were both still a little shaky on the whole car thing.

    The car's tires screeched as Bonnie pulled the car to a halt. She looked stunned and worried.

    "What was that?" Bonnie asked frantically, as mine and Elena's large long breaths filled the car.

    "A crow," I choked out and gulped largely afterwards.

    "Oh, my God, guys are you okay?" Bonnie asked quickly, sounding worried and upset.

    "It's okay, I'm fine." Elena spoke breathlessly as her chest rose and fell rapidly from the anxiety of sudden scare.

    "I can't be freaked out by cars for the rest of my life." I confessed shakily looking at Bonnie.

    Bonnie nodded her head unconvinced.

    "I predict this year is going to be kick ass and I predict all the sad and dark times are over and you two are going to be beyond happy." Bonnie said smiling boldly.

    Elena and I were surrounded the instant we stepped into the high school parking lot. Everyone was there, the whole crowd I hadn't seen since late June. One by one they pledged their condolences and I accepted their welcoming hugs.

    "Major lack of male real estate," Bonnie mused bitterly, looking around the halls of Mystic Falls High.

    "Yeah, look at the shower curtain on Kelly Beech." I scrunched my brows as I looked at Kelly as she walked a few feet in front of us. Bonnie and Elena just giggled.

    "She looks a hot—can I still say 'trannie mess'?" Bonnie furrowed her brows at the both of us.

    I emptily stared up at the ceiling for a moment. "Nah, that's over."

    "Find a man, coin a phrase—it's a busy year."

    We approached our lockers and Bonnie turned to look at us, but was really looking past us, we followed her gaze. She was looking at Matt Donovan and Tyler Lockwood.

    Matt was Elena's boyfriend and best friend but they broke up because she needed time after our parents death. Now Tyler, he was my mistake. He was my boyfriend, but we broke up because it just wasn't right. He was a real jerk and douche, and it took my Mom and Dad's death to realize that.

    I just waved at Matt, but he didn't wave back.

    Elena lifted her hand in a waving gesture toward Matt; he just turned back to his locker and slammed it, causing Elena to let out an annoyed and frustrated sigh.

    "He hates me." Elena stated sadly.

    "That's not hate. That's, 'you dumped me, and I'm too cool to show it, but secretly I am listening to Air Supply's greatest hits.'" I said trying to lighten to mood.

    "Elena, Elektra!" I heard a high-pitched female voice call.

    Suddenly, Elena and I were wrapped in a tight hug by Caroline Forbes.

    "Oh, my God," she whispered as she let us go. "How are you guys? It's so good to see you two." Caroline announced to us before she turned to Bonnie, "How are they? Are they good?"

    "Um, Caroline, we're right here." I muttered annoyed while I waved my hand in the air; showing her I was there. "And I'm fine, thanks. What about you, Elena?"

    Everyone's attention was turned to Elena.

    "I'm fine, too." Elena gave me a hidden glare.

    "Really?" Caroline arched a blond eyebrow.

    "Much better," Elena nodded in reassurance.

    "Oh, you poor thing," Caroline gasped dramatically as she engulfed Elena in another hug, her glare hardened at me over Caroline's shoulder. I shrugged and giggled.

    Elena mumbled something to Caroline and then she let go. "See you three later." Caroline smiled to us and turned on her heel and walked away.

    "No comment." Elena grumbled as she shook her head.

    "I'm not going to say anything." Bonnie and I replied simultaneously.

    After we dropped our things off in our lockers, we continued to walk down the crowded hallways when Bonnie randomly stopped us. I raised a brow at her.

    "Hold up. Who's this?" Bonnie asked staring into the office.

    From where I stood, I could see he had a lean, flat-muscled body. Faded jeans that he probably had to peel off at night, tight T-shirt, and a leather jacket of unusual cut. His hair was wavy and dark.

    He wasn't tall, though. Just average height.

    I let out a breath.

"All I see is back." I said, Elena giggled.

    "That's a hot back." Bonnie's eyes surveyed him, lustfully checking the guy out. I rolled my eyes at her, Elena chuckled at me.

    "Who is that masked man?" said Elena. And the remark was apt-dark sunglasses completely covered the boy's eyes, shielding his face like a mask.

    "That masked stranger," someone else said, and a babble of voices rose up.

    "Do you see that jacket? That's Italian, as in Roma."

    "How would you know? You've never been further than Rome, New York, in your life!"

    "Uh-oh. Elektra's got that look again. The hunting look."

    "Short-Dark-and-Handsome had better be careful."

    "He isn't short; he's perfect!"

    Through the chatter behind me, Bonnie's voice suddenly rang out. "I'm sensing Seattle, and he plays the guitar."

    Elena and I exchanged looks, and then looked at Bonnie.

    "You're really going to run this whole psychic thing into the ground, huh?" I asked, trying to hold back my laugh.

    "Pretty much," Bonnie responded simply.

    I was straining my ears for the boy's name. There seemed to be some kind of trouble in there: Mrs. Clarke, the admissions secretary, was looking at a list and shaking her head. The boy said something, and Mrs. Clarke lifted her hands in a 'What can I say?' gesture. She ran a finger down the list and shook her head again, conclusively. The boy started to turn away, and then turned back. And when Mrs. Clarke looked up at him, her expression changed.

    The boy's sunglasses were now in his hand. Mrs. Clarke seemed startled by something; I could see her blink several times. Her lips opened and closed as if she were trying to speak.

    I wish I could see more than the back of the boy's head. Mrs. Clarke was fumbling through piles of paper now, looking dazed. At last she found a form of some kind and wrote on it, then turned it around and pushed it toward the boy.

    The boy wrote briefly on the form—signing it, probably—and returned it. Mrs. Clarke stared at it a second, then fumbled through a new pile of papers, finally handing what looked like a class schedule to him. Her eyes never left the boy as he took it, inclined his head in thanks.

    I was wild with curiosity by now. What had just happened in there? And what did this stranger's face look like?

    That's when I noticed Jeremy walking towards the men's room. I couldn't exactly tell what flipped in my mind that told me to follow after him; but, there definitely was something wrong.

"We'll be right back. Come on, Elena." I spoke firmly, grabbing her arm and dragging her along with me.

    "Where are we going?" she asked.

    "To our troublesome brother," I announced pulling her into the Men's room.

    "Woah! Next door down, chicks!" some guy in the bathroom said as he passed by us.

    There Jeremy was putting eye drops in his eyes, in front of the mirror. I rolled my eyes, and stood there as Elena had no hesitation and walked up to him. She grabbed his face, and looked into his eyes.

    "Great, it's the first day of school and you're already stoned." Elena scowled as she slightly pushed his face away and out of her grasp.

    "No, I'm not." Jeremy argued trying to keep eye contact but wasn't able.

    "Where is it, is it on you?" Elena questioned as her hands searched his jacket.

    "Stop! Stop! Alright you need to chill yourself, all right?" Jeremy snapped, throwing Elena's hands off of him.

    "Chill myself? What is this stoner talk? Dude, you are so cool." Elena taunted; continuing to search him.

    "Stop, I don't have anything on me! Are you crazy?"

    "You haven't seen crazy Jeremy, I gave you a summer's pass, but I am done watching you destroy yourself." Jeremy tried to get up but Elena pushed him back down onto the sink. "No, no, no go ahead. But I will be there to ruin your buzz every time. You got it?"

    "Okay, Elena enough." I intervened; she rolled her eyes and leaned against a nearby wall as she crossed her arms over her chest—annoyed.

    "Jer..." I started but Jeremy cut me off.

    "Don't you start too!" he growled as his eyes narrowed.

    "I don't want to fight; I just want you to know I'm there for you. If you need help, need questions answered, or someone to talk to I'm there for you, Jer. That's all. No yelling or fighting." I said taking a step back from him. He nodded and quickly exited the bathroom, leaving me to stare in the mirror.

    I shook my head in disbelief as I turned on my heels and headed for the door out of the bathroom. My eyes were focused on the floor as I began to proceed through the exit, only to run into something solid. My brown orbs traveled up a guy's body, and stopped when they reached his face, his green eyes lit up slightly as they searched my face.

    The dark hair framed features so fine that they might have been taken from an Old Roman coin or medallion. High cheekbones, classical straight now...and a mouth to keep you awake at night, I thought. The upper lip was beautifully sculpted, a little sensitive, a whole lot sensual. The chatter of the girls in the hallway had stopped as if someone had thrown a switch.

    "Uh, pardon me." he apologized as my mouth became agape. "Um," his brows furrowed as he glanced at the door Elena and I just exited through. "Is this the men's room?"

    My eyes widened slightly, "Yes, um—I was just, um, I was just..." I shook my head at my stupid stammering, "It's a long story."

    He smiled softly as I took a small step with my left foot to try to pass him; he took a step with his right foot and landed himself right in front of me.

    "Just," I whispered as I took another step, but with my right foot this time only for him to take a step with his left foot. He chuckled lightly and turned his body to let me pass, I smiled gratefully up at him. "Thank you."

    I shook my head with furrowed brows as Elena and I turned a corner.

    "Who was that?" Elena smirked as her brows rose up slightly.

    "I don't know." I whispered; dazed.

✥ ✥ ✥

"Once our home state of Virginia joined Confederacy in 1861, it created a tremendous amount of tension within the state. People in Virginia's Northwest had different ideas from those of the tradition deep south. Then Virginia divided in 1863 with the northwest region joining the union." Tanner lectured.

    I was ignoring most of it while I doodled mindlessly in my notebook. I glanced up to see that Elena was sneaking looks to the hot new kid who also happened to be the same guy I awkwardly ran into outside the men's room.

    I looked over at Bonnie and mouthed 'OMG'. She tried to stifle her giggle and mouthed back 'I KNOW'. Bonnie began to type on her phone before she placed it casually on her desk. Elena and I slightly flinched when our phones vibrated suddenly in our pockets. We both pulled out our phones and opened the text.

TO: ELENAAA 💁🏻, ELEKT(RIC)A💃🏻
FROM: BASHFUL BONNIE🙈
hawt-ee staring @ the sexy gilbert twins!

    I reread the message several times before I briefly glanced over my shoulder to see that he was, in fact, staring at us. The corner of my lips tugged upward slightly as I began twirling my hair with my pointer finger.

    At the lunch bell, Elena and I nodded greeting right and left as we walked to the cafeteria. Caroline was outside, posed casually against a wall with chin up, shoulders back, hips forward. The two boys she was talking to fell silent and nudged each other as Elena and I approached.

    "Hi," Elena said briefly to the boys; and to Caroline: "Ready to go in and eat?"

    Caroline's blue eyes barely flickered toward Elena, and she pushed glossy blond hair out of her face. "What, at the royal table?" she said.

    I was taken aback. Elena, Caroline, and I had been friends since kindergarten, and we had always competed with each other good-naturally. But lately something had happened to Caroline. She'd begun to take the rivalry more and more seriously. And now I was surprised at the bitterness in the other girl's voice.

    "Well, it's hardly as if you were a commoner," I said lightly.

    "Oh, you're so right about that," said Caroline, turning to face us fully. Those blue eyes were slit and smoky, and I was shocked by the hostility I saw there. The two boys smiled uneasily and edged away.

    Caroline didn't seem to notice. "A lot of things changed while you two were gone this summer, Elektra," she continued. "And just maybe your time on the throne is running out."

    I had flushed; I could feel it. I struggled to keep my voice steady. "Maybe," I said. "But I wouldn't buy a scepter just yet if I were you, Caroline." I turned and went into the lunchroom.

    It was a relief to see Bonnie and Margaret. I felt my cheeks cool as Elena and I selected our lunches and went to join them. I wouldn't let Caroline upset me; I wouldn't think of Caroline at all.

    "I have some good stuff," said Margaret importantly. "Elektra, listen to this. He's in my physics class, and I sit right across from him. And his name is Stefan, Stefan Salvatore, and he's from Italy, and he's boarding with his Uncle at the old Salvatore Boarding House on the edge of town." She sighed. "He is so romantic. Caroline dropped her books, and he picked them up for her."

    Elena made a wry face at the thought of Caroline. "How clumsy of Caroline. What else happened?"

    "Well, that's all. He didn't really talk to her. He's very mysterious, you see."

    Marvelous, I thought, picking up a fork and stabbing at my mashed potatoes.

The bottom of my sandals scraped annoyingly against the concrete sidewalk as I lazily followed behind Elena.

    I felt a sharp stinging sensation in the tip of my finger. My eyes widened as I glanced down to see a small trail of blood dripping down the length of my ring finger. My eyes flickered between my finger and the thorns of the stem of the rose—I hadn't realized that I was gripping it that hard. Great, I thought. I wanted to bring them a nice rose, but now it's covered in my blood.

    It was a fairly long walk, almost to the edge of town, but over the last three months it had become familiar to me.

    This part of the cemetery was well-kept; it was the old section that was allowed to run slightly wild. Here, the grass was neatly trimmed, and bouquets of flowers made splashes of bright color.

    "Come on, Elektra!" Elena called as she led me to our parent's grave. I casually cleaned off the red liquid with my tongue and slightly jogged to catch up with my sister.

    GRAYSON GILBERT AND MIRANDA GILBERT is what the headstone read, Elena sat down and leaned against our parent's headstone and started to write in her diary.

    I'd come here often after the accident. I let my mind leaf back through memories, and the lump in my throat swelled. I missed them so much, still. Mother, so young and beautiful, and Father, with a smile that crinkled up his eyes.

    I was lucky to have Aunt Jenna, of course. It wasn't every aunt who would put her whole life on pause and move back into a little town to take care of two nieces and one nephew—who were now orphans.

    Sometimes, right after the funeral, I had come out here to rage at them, angry with them for being so stupid as to get themselves killed—and allowing Elena and myself to live with this guilt.

    I pulled my diary out of my bag and unlatched the opening and turned to a new page.

Dear Diary,
    I made it through the day. I must have said, 'I'm fine, thanks' at least thirty-seven times. And I didn't mean it once. But no one noticed. When someone asks 'how are you?', they really don't want an answer...

    I continued to write until a crow's caw sounded and my head immediately snapped up.

    "Okay, hi bird." I said, giggling to myself as I shut my diary.

    "Yeah, that's not creepy or anything." Elena said closing her diary.

    I looked around the cemetery and there was fog forming around us. It sent chills up my spine so I stood up, slightly freaked out.

    My heart began to beat faster. I tried to ignore it, but my whole skin was tingling with awareness and the fine hairs on my arms were standing up. Between the gusts of wind, every sound seemed horribly magnified; the crunching of our feet on the leaf-strewn ground was deafening.

    Some of the tombstones themselves were unnerving, like the one with the cherub that looked like a real baby, expect that its head had fallen off and had been carefully placed by its body. The wide granite eyes of the head were blank. I couldn't look away from it, and my heart began to pound.

    I walked over to the crow and slightly shouted, "Shoo!" waving my hand at it trying to scare it.

    I turned around again to see Elena standing up and then a caw came from on top of my parent's headstone. I saw the same crow; I took a step back, my eyes never leaving the crow.

    Elena grabbed her bag and started running away. I was shocked; I looked across the grave yard and saw an outline of a man standing behind a large headstone. That drew the line; I turned and ran after Elena.

    My feet pounded as I quickly ran through the graveyard. I quickly caught up to Elena, my eyes peered back over my shoulder, I looked back forward only to trip over a large root from a nearby tree. My whole body went tumbling down the small hill, until it stopped and reached a clearing.

    "Elektra," Elena called out as she cautiously jogged down the side of the hill. "Are you all right?"

    Elena slightly panted as we both looked towards the direction of which we came, or in my case—fell. My head pounded as my chest slowly began to rise and fall at a normal rate. I shook my head and turned around, but gasped as I noticed Stefan Salvatore standing there.

    I felt a strange—hand-like force almost—push me towards Stefan. I couldn't deny that he's constantly been on my mind since we ran into each other earlier.

    "You okay?" he asked quietly, he must have seen me fall; how embarrassing.

    I sighed and nodded before I spoke. "Were you following us?"

    "No," he denied with a shake of his head, "I just—I saw you fall."

    Elena nodded breathlessly, "Uh-huh."

    "And you just happened to be hanging out in a cemetery." I stated skeptically but chuckled to try and lighten the tension.

    "I'm visiting," he corrected, "I have, uh, family here."

    "Oh," I groaned inwardly, "wow, tactless."

    "We're sorry," Elena spoke for the both of us as she smiled softly at him, which he returned.

    I gestured to the fog around our feet, "It's the fog, it's making me foggy. And then back there, there was this bird, and it was all very Hitchcock for a second. That is the bird movie, right? The Hitchcock?" I paused myself from continuing my rambling, "I'm Elektra and this is my sister Elena."

    He nodded while a slight smile tugged at the corner of his lips, "I'm Stefan."

    "I know," I confirmed, "we have history together."

    Stefan pursed his lips, "And English and French."

    "Right," I said and nodded my head. Stefan then reached forward and pulled a tiny twig out of my now tangled locks. He smiled as he gestured to the twig before he tossed it to the ground carelessly.

    I smiled gratefully, "Thanks."

    "Nice ring," Elena complimented suddenly, I furrowed my brows but noticed a large ring rested upon his middle finger on his right hand.

    "Oh," he mused as he twisted the ring back and forth on his finger, "Uh, it's a family ring. Yeah, kind of stuck with it." he chuckled dryly as he looked up, his green eyes glistened in the sunlight as he glanced between Elena and I before they rested upon me, "It's weird, huh?"

    "No," I denied with a shake of my head, "it's just—I mean, there's rings, and then there's..." my eyes flickered down to the ring before back up at him, "that."

    Stefan's expression then became serious as his brows furrowed while his eyes looked down at my ankle, "Did you hurt yourself?"

    "Hmm?" I glanced down at my feet.

    "Did you hurt yourself?" he repeated.

    "Oh, uh—I don't know." I stuttered as I lifted my left foot up and rested it upon a large rock. My hands sprung forward and slowly rolled my pant leg up to reveal a bleeding cut, "Oh, would you look at that? That is not pretty." I chuckled and looked up to see that Stefan had turned away from us.

    "Are you okay?" Elena piped up from beside me.

    "You should go." Stefan breathed out, "Take care of that."

    I quickly unrolled my pant leg and stood up right, "Really, it's nothing." My eyes widened when I realized that no one was standing there, it was just Elena and I.

"We're meeting Bonnie at the grill," I called out to Aunt Jenna as Elena and I prepared to go out and meet Bonnie at the grill.

    "Okay, have fun," she replied. "Wait, I got this. Don't stay out late, it's a school night."

    "Well done, Aunt Jenna," I grinned and opened the door, seeing Stefan standing at the threshold. "Oh, hi."

    "Sorry, I was about to knock," Stefan apologized as he gestured to the door. "I wanted to apologize for my disappearing act earlier. I know it was strange."

    I nodded my head before saying: "No worries. I get it, blood makes you squeamish."

    He chuckled, "Something like that." his eyes glanced down to my leg then back up to my face, "How's your leg?"

    "Oh, it's fine." I assured with a shake of my head, "Just a scratch, barely."

    "How did you know where we lived?" Elena piped with furrowed brows.

    "It's a small town. I asked the first person I saw." Stefan informed us, he reached inside his leather jacket and began to pull something out, "I thought you might want this back."

    Elena gasped as Stefan handed her back her diary, "I must have dropped it. I—thank you."

    Stefan shook his head, "Don't worry, I didn't read it."

    "No?" Elena quipped with scrunched up brows, "Why not? Most people would have."

    "Well, I wouldn't want anyone to read mine." Stefan admitted.

    Elena's expression then turned into a shocked one, "You keep a journal?"

    He nodded, "Yeah, if I don't write it down, I forget it. Memories are too important."

    "Yeah," Elena sighed with a short nod.

    "Sorry, are you two going somewhere?" Stefan pondered as he looked at us.

    "Yeah, we're meeting a friend, do you want to come?" I asked Stefan cautiously. Stefan nodded, and we left.

Elena was up even earlier than usual that morning. She could hear Aunt Jenna pottering about in her room, getting ready for her shower. Elektra was blow drying her hair in her bathroom. Elena passed her younger brother's half-open door noiselessly and continued down the hallway to let herself out of the house.

    Elena had—for some reason—decided to walk to school this morning.

    The air was fresh and clear this morning, the quince tree was inhabited only by the usual jays and sparrows.

    She'd promised to meet Matt before school, and though she wasn't looking forward to it, she was sure it was going to be all right.

    Matt lived only two streets away from the high school. It was a simple frame house, like all the others on that street, except that maybe the swing on the porch was a little shabbier, the pain a little more peeled. Matt was already outside.

    He was good-looking. There was no doubt about that. Not in the stunning, almost disturbing way that some people were, but in a healthy American way. Matt Donovan was all-American. His blond hair was cropped short for the football season, and his skin was sunburnt from working outdoors on his grandparents' farm. His blue eyes were honest and straightforward. And just today, as he held out his arms to hug her gently, they were a little sad.

    "You want to come inside?"

    "No. Let's just walk," Elena said.

    They went side-by-side without touching. Maples and black walnut trees like this street, and the air still had a morning hush. Elena watched her feet on the wet sidewalk, feeling suddenly uncertain. She didn't know how to start after all.

    "So you still haven't told me about Colorado," he said.

    "Oh, it was great," She said. Elena glanced sideways at him. He was looking at the sidewalk, too. "Everything about it was great," she continued, trying put some enthusiasm in her voice. "The people, the food, everything. It was really..." Her voice trailed off, and she laughed nervously.

    "Yeah, I know. Great," he finished for her. He stopped and stood looking down at his scuffed tennis shoes. Elena recognized them from last year. Matt's family barely got by; maybe he hadn't been able to afford new shoes. She looked up to find those steady blue eyes on her face.

    "You know, you look pretty great right now," he said.

    Elena opened her mouth in dismay, but he was speaking again.

    "And I guess you have something to tell me." she stared at him, and he smiled, a crooked, rueful smile. Then he held out his arms again.

    "Oh, Matt," she said, hugging him hard. She stepped back to look into his eyes. "Matt, you are the nicest guy I've ever met. I didn't deserve you."

    "Oh, so that's why you dumped me," said Matt as they started walking again. "Because I was too good for you. I should have realized that before."

    She punched him in the arm. "No, that isn't why, and I didn't dump you. We're going to be friends, right?"

    "Oh, sure. Oh, absolutely."

    "Because that's what I've realized we are." She stopped, looking up at him again. "Good friends. To be honest, now, Matt, isn't that how you really feel about me?"

    He looked at her, then rolled his eyes heavenward. "Can I take the Fifth on that?" he asked. As Elena's face fell, he added, "It doesn't have anything to do with that new guy, does it?"

    "No," Elena said after a moment of hesitation.

    He put an arm around her and gently turned her. "Come on, let's head toward school. If we have time, I'll even buy you a doughnut."

    As they walked, something thrashed in the walnut tree above them. Matt whistled and pointed. "Look at that! Biggest crow I've ever seen."

    Elena looked, but it was already gone.

When I arrived for World History class that afternoon, I was greeted by a low whistle in the hall. Steven Carter and Don Wood were loitering there. A couple of prize jerks, I thought, ignoring the whistle and their staring. They thought being tackle and safety on the varsity football team made them hot stuff. I kept an eye on them as I loitered in the corridor myself, refreshing my lip gloss and fiddling with my compact.

    Stefan was suddenly beside me, and I snapped the compact shut as he passed. I meant to stop him and thank him again, but something happened before I could. Stefan tensed or, at least, there was something about him that seemed wary all at once. Just then Steven and Don stepped in front of the door to the classroom – blocking the way.

    World-class jerks, I thought. Fuming, I glared at them over Stefan's shoulder.

    "Excuse me." It was the same tone he'd used with Mr. Tanner yesterday. Quiet, detached.

    Steven and Don looked at each other, then all around, as if hearing spirit voices.

    "Scoozi?" Don said in falsetto. "Scoozi me? Me scoozi? Jacuzzi?" They both laughed.

    I watched the muscles tighten under the T-shirt in front of me. This was completely unfair; they were both taller than Stefan, and Don was about twice as broad.

    "Is there a problem here?" I was as startled as the boys were at the new voice behind me. I turned to see Matt. His blues eyes were hard.

    I bit my lips on a smile as Don and Steven moved slowly, resentfully out of the way. Good old Matt, I thought. But now good old Matt was walking into class beside Stefan, and I was left following them, staring at the backs of two T-shirts. When they sat down, I slid into my usually seat next to Elena.

    "The Battle of Willow Creek, took place at the end of the war in our very own Mystic Falls." Mr. Tanner lectured as his eyes surveyed over all the students in the classroom, "How many casualties resulted in this battle? Miss Bennett." Mr. Tanner called out suddenly, causing Bonnie to jump slightly in her seat.

    Bonnie's eyes wondered for a moment before they landed back on Mr. Tanner, "Um, a lot?" she paused, smiling before she continued, "I'm not sure. But, like, a whole lot."

    Mr. Tanner took a few threatening steps forward, "Cute, becomes dumb in an instant, Miss Bennett."

    Bonnie sighed and sunk down in her seat slightly.

    "Mister Donovan," Matt looked up from the pen he was twirling around in his fingers sheepishly, "would you like to take this opportunity to overcome your embedded jock stereotype?"

    "It's okay, Mister Tanner, I'm cool with it." Matt smiled boldly, causing everyone one in the class to chuckle lightly.

    Mr. Tanner then looked over to me, "Elektra? Surely you can enlighten us about one of the town's most historical events."

    My shoulders instantly became stiff and rigid, "I'm sorry, I don't know."

    "I was willing to me lenient last year for obvious reasons, Elektra." Mr. Tanner informed me with a pointed look, "But the personal excused ended with summer break."

    "There were three-hundred and forty-six casualties, unless you're counting the local civilians." Stefan's voice piped up from the desk close to mine.

    "That's correct, Mister...?" Mr. Tanner mentally asked Stefan for his last name.

    "Salvatore," Stefan answered quickly.

    "Salvatore," Mr. Tanner repeated, almost seeing how the word tasted on his tongue, "any relation to the original settlers here at Mystic Falls?"

    Stefan pursed his lips, "Distant."

    "Well, very good." Mr. Tanner mused with a short nod, "Except, of course, there were no civilian casualties in this battle."

    "Actually, there were twenty-seven, sir." Stefan corrected, all eyes were now on Stefan as he continued to speak, "Confederate soldiers fired on the church, believing it to be housing weapons. And they were wrong; it was a night of great loss." Mr. Tanner let his head hang before Stefan spoke again, "The founder's archives are in Civil Hall if you'd like to brush up on your facts, Mr. Tanner."

Elena and I had just walked about a quarter of a mile into the woods for a back to school bon fire. Stray, dead leaves crunched under the pressure of mine and Elena's steps. I tucked my hair behind my ears as we approached Bonnie; we all stopped and kind of huddled around each other.

    "Just admit it, Elena." I pressed Elena with a pointed look.

    "Okay, so he is a little pretty." Elena admitted, blushing slightly.

    "He has a romance novel stare." I added with a giggle as I picture Stefan in my mind. "Stefan gazed into her eyes, piercing her very soul."

    "So, where is he?" Bonnie asked as her eyes scanned the area around us.

    "I don't know. You tell me, you're the psychic one." I said, shrugging.

    "Oh yeah, I forgot. Okay, so give me a sec, Grams said I have to concentrate." Bonnie joked, smiling and closing her eyes.

    "Wait, you need a crystal ball." I quipped giggling, I bent down and picked up an empty beer bottle off the ground, "Um, how about this?"

    "Perfect," Elena smiled as she took the bottle from me.

    Bonnie touched it and all at once, her face went blank, as if she were startled. Her brown eyes widened, but she no longer seemed to be staring at Elena. It was as if she were looking through Elena – at something frightening.

    "That was weird. When I touched you, I saw a crow." Bonnie admitted staring wide eyed.

    "What?" I chirped slightly scared, I looked over to Elena who seemed to have the same reaction.

    "A crow, there was fog, and a man." She stopped because she saw the scared expressions on mine and Elena's face, "I'm drunk, it's the drinking. Nothing psychic about it, yeah, okay? I'm going to go get a refill."

    I shook my head, trying to push away the feeling as Bonnie walked away. When Elena and I turned around, there stood Stefan, "Hey." He said smiling at Elena.

    "Hi." Elena greeted with her flirty face, I rolled my eyes.

    "Well, I am going to find Jeremy." I informed aloud to no one in particular, walking away allowing Elena to talk to Stefan.

    I saw Jeremy sitting on a log watching Vicki and Tyler sneaking off together. I walked over to him and grabbed his beer and took a swig of it, "Sorry, I needed that." I laughed lightly.

    "Don't worry, I do too. Why do you think I have it?" he asked, I just shrugged.

    "I miss being close to you, Jer." I spoke after a few moments of silence.

    "You are so dramatic." Jeremy rolled his eyes, taking another drink.

    I felt him tense up next to me, and then seconds later he was walking towards the woods. I then heard Tyler yell, "You're starting to get on my nerves Gilbert!"

    I immediately stood up, and walked into the woods. Where I saw Jeremy, Vicki, and Tyler all in a heated argument.

    "Vicki Donovan says no, that's a first." Tyler said, then he saw me and I saw a hint of sadness in his eyes but it vanished quickly. He just turned around and walked back to the fire.

    I decided not to listen to Jeremy and Vicki's conversation, so I leaned against a tree and took a sip of Jeremy's/my beer. After Vicki stormed off, I walked over to Jeremy.

    "Jer, it will be okay, you'll get her don't worry." I stated, hugging him, I could tell he needed that.

    I felt him nod slightly against my shoulder. We made our way back to the party and sat on a log, I could tell he was worried about Vicki still being out in the woods.

    "Where is she?" Jeremy asked me.

    "I don't know Jer, I'm sure she's fine." I said.

    "I'm going to look for her." He insisted—standing up, and began to make his way towards the edge of the woods.

    "Jeremy!" I shouted. He ignored my calls and walked deeper into the dense woods, so I followed him. "Jeremy!"

    That's when I saw Jeremy trip over something. I gasped and ran forward and I looked down to see what it was but Jeremy answered quicker: "Vicki?" Jeremy gasped out softly.

    "Oh, my God, it's Vicki." He said turning back to me.

    "Oh, my God," I whispered.

    Jeremy crawled back over to her and tried to feel for a pulse but Vicki's eyes snapped open as she gasped for breath. Vicki began coughing and choking, my breath caught in my throat when I saw a large bite mark on the side of her neck that was convulsively bleeding.

    "Somebody help!" I yelled as Jeremy and I carried Vicki out of the woods. I looked across the area to see Matt come running towards us.

    "What happened?" someone asked from the crowd.

    "Call an ambulance!" Matt yelled, I noticed Tyler also there, trying to push everyone back.

    "Everyone back, give her some space!" Tyler yelled.

    "It's her neck. Something bit her; she's losing a lot of blood." I countered in a frantic tone as I pressed a hand onto her wound. I looked up to see Stefan staring in shock and then he slowly backed up leaving the party area.

    "Vicki, come on, open your eyes. Look at me." Matt pleaded his unconscious sister.

    "Hey, we're gonna go mainline coffee and wait for news." Bonnie announced, approached Elena and I as we watched the ambulance drive away with Vicki.

    I nodded and looked over at Jeremy, "We gotta take Jeremy home."

    "Elektra, Elena—there's no way I'm psychic." Bonnie confirmed, an uneasiness in her tone. "I know that. But whatever I saw, or I think I saw...I have this feeling—"

    Elena furrowed her brows in confusion at Bonnie's sudden pause. "Bonnie, what?"

    "—that it's just the beginning."

Dear Diary,
    I couldn't have been more wrong. I thought that I could just smile and nod my way through it. Pretend like it would all be okay. I had a plan. I wanted to change who I was. Create a like as someone new. Someone without the past, without the pain, someone alive – but it's not that easy. The bad things stay with you, they follow you, you can't escape them as much as you want to. All you can do is be ready for the good, so when it comes, you invite it in because you need it. I need it.

—Elektra Gilbert

Stefan arrived back home, at the boarding house and walked upstairs to his bedroom. He heard a crow's caw coming from his open window; he turned to see a crow perched on the railing of the balcony attached to his window, staring at him.

    The bird flew across the room and landed on one of the bookshelves, Stefan turned around to where his window was. There was standing a man in all black, dark hair, and piercing blue eyes.

    "Damon," Stefan said, Damon smirked at Stefan.

    "Hello, brother." Damon answered.

    "Crows a bit much, don't you think?" Stefan questioned Damon, who was standing there still smirking deviously.

    "Just wait till you see what I can do with the fog." Damon countered. Stefan was annoyed with Damon already.

    "When did you get here?" Stefan continued to question Damon.

    "Well, I couldn't miss your first day of school." Damon admitted as he walked over to Stefan's bookshelf, "Your hair's different. I like it." Damon complemented with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

    "It's been fifteen years, Damon." Stefan confessed, ignoring Damon's last comment.

    "Thank God, couldn't take another day of the 90's that horrible grunge look did not suit you." Damon commented smiling and chuckling slightly at the end. Damon walked away from one bookshelf to another, "Remember Stefan, it's important to stay away from fads."

    Stefan yet again ignored Damon's comment, "Why are you here?"

    "I missed my little brother." Damon answered raising an eyebrow at Stefan.

    "You hate small towns, they're boring, there's nothing for you to do." Stefan stated a fact to Damon.

    Damon scoffed slightly, "I've managed to keep myself busy."

    "You know, you left that girl alive tonight? Very clumsy of you." Stefan said trying to somehow reveal what Damon was up to.

    "Ah, that could be a problem—for you." Damon replied smirking.

    "Why are you here now?"

    "I could ask you the same question, all though I'm certain your answer can be summed up into two names." Damon quipped taking a short little pause; a malicious smirk grew on his face as he continued: "Elena and Elektra." Damon suggested as his blue irises cascaded over Stefan's features; watching for his reaction, "Took my breath away, Elena, but Elektra is even more breath taking." Damon said enjoying Stefan's brooding look on his face, "Their both dead ringers for Katherine and Beatrice." Damon strolled around Stefan's room, "Is it working, Stefan? Being around them? Being in their world, does it make you feel alive?"

    "They're not Beatrice or Katherine." Stefan denied shaking his head slightly.

    "Well, let's hope not. We all know how that ended." Damon then walked in front of Stefan, "Tell me, when's the last time you've had something stronger than a squirrel?"

    "I know what you're doing, Damon, and it's not going to work." Stefan said turning away. But Damon hit Stefan on the left side of his chest causing him to face Damon again.

    "Come on, don't you crave a little?" Damon pressed; Stefan's breathing was getting heavier.

    "Stop it." Stefan protested.

    Damon pushed Stefan again, "Let's do it...together. I saw a couple of girls out there." Damon said hitting Stefan yet again, just to anger him, "Or? Let's just cut to the chase, let's just go straight for Elena and Elektra? No, you can have Elena, I want Elektra all to myself." Damon corrected, hitting Stefan upside the head.

    Stefan pushed Damon back before he yelled, "Stop it!"

    "Just imagine what their blood tastes like!" Damon shouted at Stefan. Stefan turned away his face changing, veins appearing under his eyes, his eyes becoming blood red around the irises, and fangs elongating, "I can!"

    "I said stop!" Stefan said growling, springing at Damon sending him flying out the window. When he landed, Stefan got up, and realized Damon wasn't with him. He lifted his eyes up towards the window, and then he heard Damon's voice.

    "I was impressed." He was leaning against a row of bushes casually, his arms crossed against his chest. Stefan stood up right and stared at him, "I'll give it a six, missing style, but pleasantly surprised." He smirked, "Very good with the face and the..." he made roaring sounds and laughed, "But it was good."

    "You think this is all fun and games, huh, Damon?" Stefan asked annoyed and angry, "Where ever you go, people die."

    "That's a given." Damon answered, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

    "Not here." Stefan responded. "I won't allow it."

    Damon looked at his younger brother and said, "I take that as an invitation."

    "Damon, please." Stefan's voice was pleading, "After all these years, can we just give it a rest?"

    "I promised you an eternity of misery." Damon pointed out, "I'm just keeping my promise."

    "Just stay away from Elena and Elektra."

    Damon looked taken aback, but then ignored the request altogether, "Where's your ring?" he asked. Stefan looked down, and noticed that the lapis lazuli ring he always wore on his middle finger wasn't there anymore. His head shot up as realization crossed his face that Damon had taken it, "Sun's coming up in a couple of hours." Damon paused, "Poof! Ashes to ashes," Stefan stared at Damon, until Damon started laughing sarcastically, "Relax." He said, walking towards him, "It's right here." He opened his palm to reveal the antique ring in the center of his palm.

    Stefan took it carefully, and put it on, but as soon as he did, Damon gripped his neck tightly, his porcelain fangs shining in the moonlight, dark purple veins under his eyes; showing what a true monster looked like, and threw Stefan across the yard and into a wall. He then came rolling back in front of Damon, groaning.

    "You should have known better than to think you're stronger than me. You lost that fight when you stopped feeding on people. I wouldn't try it again." He then looked up as he heard something from inside. "Oh, look." He began, staring down at his brother with a smirk, "I think we woke Zach up." He turned away and began walking back to the house, "Sorry, Zach." He then started whistling, leaving Stefan on the concrete pathway.

✥ ✥ ✥

not edited.

ANYTHING YOU RECOGNIZE FROM THE SHOW AND THE BOOK, I DO NOT OWN!