Dear Mom and Dad,

I am extremely anxious today. Granted, I've been anxious before and after the accident. Usually it comes and goes, but lately, it seems like all day I've been filled with anxiety. I don't know how to get rid of it. I think it has something to do with the accident. Have I apologized for it? If not, I'm sorry.

I'm worried about Jeremy. He hasn't been taken it well. He keeps giving me strange looks lately. I think he blames me. It's all right. I blame myself, too. He's been smoking weed and drinking a lot. I just wish he would talk to me again. I want to help him, but I think he needs some time alone. Vicki tried to 'help' but I don't think she was helping him. Jeremy seems to be obsessed with her; but I know that she made up her mind to date Tyler 'The Douche' Lockwood.

Elena...is Elena. She broke up with Matt for some reason. She's trying to deal with it. She keeps asking if I'm okay, and I keep telling her I'm fine. I don't want her to worry anymore. I allowed her to brush my hair yesterday and put eyeliner on me. She seemed happy to do that, which I'm glad for.

Aunt Jenna's trying. I know that. She's distracted lately, but I made cookies with her yesterday too. She seemed happy. I tried to discuss something with her, but she was distracted by something, again, but she's trying, that's all I can say.

Jeremy...I can't say a lot about him. I tried talking to him but he closed his door in my face.

Also, my pills is running low. Elena and I suspect Jeremy's selling them. I need to have a talk with him about that.

How are you guys doing, by the way? I'm sorry for going on about the B.S. in my life that I forgot to ask about your day. I imagine that you're playing your favorite songs on the radio and dancing in the kitchen as you make your favorite pasta. I miss watching you two.

I hope Elena's been telling you all about her day. I know Jeremy hasn't been by. I think he can't bring himself to it. I should bring him by. I bet you miss him.

It's been hard for me to visit, but it's getting easier for me.

I hope you enjoyed the candles that I lit up for you. It's apple-cinnamon. For some reason it reminds me of Christmas. It brings up a lot of memories of us watching How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Olive, the Other Reindeer. I still chuckle at how Jeremy dragged me down to open our Christmas presents early to take a peek and got gag gifts instead. You both were so amused by catching us like that.

Sorry, but Elena just texted me that it's time for me to get home.

I'll come by tomorrow and give you an update on what's up.

Love you both,

Juliana

Juliana closed her red, spiral-bound hardcover notebook and stood up. She undid the twist-lock and capped her pen and put her notebook and pen in her blue canvas backpack. It had white polka-dots on it and two side compartments, white the front compartment that had black and white cats on the front. She closed and locked her bag and opened her owl-shaped shoulder bag. She picked up the candle she had lit and blew out the fire. She put the lid on the jar and stuck it in her shoulder bag. She closed the flap and got up from where she was sitting on her jacket. She grabbed her jacket and put her messenger bag over on shoulder and put her owl shoulder bag over her other shoulder, which she knew looked obnoxious.

"See you tomorrow, Mom and Dad," she said to the headstone. She started walking to leave the cemetery.

A crow cawed and Juliana looked over her shoulder at the trees.

"Hey, what are you laughing at!" she called to where the crow was at and continued walking. She started feeling anxious again. Her hands were starting to shake and she picked up her pace.

"Hey, Adrienne!" a guy called.

Juliana continued walking and looked over her shoulder again to see if maybe Adrienne was around or if the guy was confusing her for Adrienne, but no one was there.

She turned around and nearly walked into someone.

The guy was tall, at least compared to her. She was 5'5.

The guy was looking down at her. No, he wasn't looking at her; he seemed to be scrutinizing her. It was extremely awkward to say. Well, he was good-looking, but he was far too old for her. He was probably in his mid-twenties.

"Going somewhere, Adrienne?" the guy asked, seeming amused.

Juliana was confused, "Huh? I'm not Adrienne. You're confusing me for someone else." She really looked at the guy. "I'm Juliana, you must be new here." She stuck out her hand and the man seemed to examine it. Juliana lowered her hand, glancing down at her hand. She wore a silver ring that had a pink butterfly on it. "Right, you better go before someone sees you talking to the residential basket case."

"You're the residential basket-case?" questioned the guy, sounding curious and even more amused.

"Yes," replied Juliana. "Well, before you hear it from everyone else, I went to a mental hospital for three months because I was telling people I was a witch and I nearly burned down a building for accidentally leaving a lit candle behind. You must've been here for probably two minutes if you didn't hear the rumors. I better get going so my crazy doesn't rub off on you." Maybe that was why her brother didn't want to be around her anymore.

She started walking away and to her surprise and slight annoyance the guy started following her.

"What is it now?" she asked.

"I don't mind hanging out with crazy," replied the man.

"I'm fifteen," replied Juliana. "You don't want to end up on some kind of list."

"I'm not going to end up on a list just for talking to someone. You happen to remind me of someone who was like a little sister to me and my brother," replied the man.

That was...extremely awkward to hear. Juliana said, "I don't even know your name."

"It's Damon," replied the man, who now had a name.

"Okay," replied Juliana. "Isn't that supposed to be the Anti-Christ's name?"

"It's Damien and I believe that a name has no bearing on a person's personality," replied Damon.

"Okay," replied Juliana. She had the thought of hitting him upside the head with her owl shoulder bag and running away from him.

But...all they were having is a conversation, which isn't creepy or illegal.

"So, does the town basket-case always hang around the cemetery?" asked Damon.

"I'm just visiting my parents," said Juliana, pointing in the direction of the headstone. "Besides, I have nowhere to go. No one wants to be seen with me in fear that I'll rub off on them and I don't have any friends."

"So you thought you were a witch?" asked Damon.

How did they get back to that topic? It was mentioned a few minutes ago.

Juliana cringed at that, "Yeah. I don't know why I was claiming that."

"I believe you," said Damon.

"Then you must be crazy too," accused Juliana.

"I believe that are a lot of things out there that people don't know about," said Damon. "Besides, we crazies have to stick together after all."

"Well, they do say that birds of a feather are dicks together," said Juliana.

Damon did a laugh. "No one says that."

"I do," replied Juliana.

"You really do remind me of..." Damon started but trailed off. He had a hint of sadness in his voice.

"That one girl, Adrienne?" asked Juliana out of curiosity.

"Yeah," said Damon. He sounded a little sad.

"What happened to her?" Juliana asked.

"Lia!" called a girl.

Juliana turned around.

"Lia!" a different girl called.

Juliana turned around to look. She spotted Elena and Bonnie. They were running and looking worried. Oops.

"Over here!" called Juliana.

She turned to look at Damon, but he was gone. She frowned. Where did he go? Did she hallucinate that encounter? It would make sense. No one, besides her sister and aunt, would dare to be seen in her presence.

"Oh, my god," said Elena. "We thought that something bad happened. Jeremy's going out of his mind with worry."

Jeremy? Worried about her? He was to busy getting high to even pay attention to anything. Elena tried acting like everything was okay and Juliana's emotions shut down, leaving her feeling numb, except for anxiety.

"Have you been here all this time?" demanded Elena.

"I...guess I just lost track of time," replied Juliana slightly annoyed. That was good, right? Feeling annoyed?

"Yeah, let's go," said Bonnie. "Elena was beginning to think..."

"What? I've been kidnapped? Who wants to kidnap the basket case?" replied Juliana.

"Wasn't it once said that the best people are crazy?" asked Elena.

Juliana heard and read that quote many times. "Stop quoting Alice in Wonderland."

"You love that movie and book," Elena replied.

Juliana nodded, "I know. I do." She looked at Bonnie, who was looking at her, in an almost contemplative manner.

"I'm thinking of trying out for the volleyball team," said Juliana.

Elena seemed to brighten, "That's wonderful. It'll be good for you to branch out. It'll be a new start."

Juliana nodded, "Thanks. I've been thinking of dyeing some purple streaks in my hair. Start off the school year as a different person. My delusional days are over."

Again, Bonnie was giving her that strange look. "Sure..."

"I'm not lying," replied Juliana.

"I'm not saying that you are," replied Bonnie.

Juliana figured that it would be better to stay silent instead of getting into an argument.