"TONIGHT, night of the comet! Would you like a program?" Bonnie asked, handing a flyer to a passing group of strangers as she, Raven, and Caroline strolled down the sidewalk. She turned to Raven, who was scanning the flyer. Why did they even need it? It was all anyone had talked about for the past week. "He didn't call, huh?"

"If by him you mean Stefan, then yes," Raven confirmed. They hadn't spoken all day either. She wasn't sure why she was disappointed. Sure, they hit it off, but that didn't mean they had something. He was her friend, and she was delusional. "And I was wondering why until I realized that during our eight-hour talk session, I never even gave him my number."

"That's an important milestone in any relationship."

"Well, you know me. I'm not a milestone kind of person."

Bonnie laughed. "What are you talking about? You used to document everything. Like that time you taped weed against one of the pages in your scrapbook?"

"I did that?" Raven asked, frowning. All the time in the trauma center must have screwed with a few of her memories. If she only she could forget the memories of the center.

"You don't remember? Your parents freaked!" Bonnie exclaimed, and they giggled, but soon her smile faded. "Look. Caroline and I are worried about you. Ever since you've come back, you've been acting... not like yourself."

"What do you mean?"

"It's just..." Bonnie sighed. "I've never even seen you pick up a sketchbook until yesterday. You love to cook, I remember we used to try out different recipes all the time even though you were terrible at it. And you and Vicki always fought when you were sober, but at the end of the day, you two were good friends."

"What are you saying?"

"That you've changed." Bonnie confessed, giving her a sad smile. "Raven...what happened to you?"

"Nothing happened," She said with a shrug, but noted that it didn't alleviate her friend's concern the way she hoped it would. "I mean it. Nothing happened, okay?"

"Alright," Bonnie replied reluctantly. "But if you ever need someone to talk to, we're all here for you."

"I know," Raven responded gently, giving her a fond smile. Bonnie happily returned the gesture and grabbed Raven's shoulder comfortingly. Raven smiled and passed out another flyer, hardly noticing how quickly Bonnie snatched her hand away, as if she'd touched the steam from a kettle.

Raven noticed Caroline across the lawn, a flirtatious grin on her face as she stalked towards someone. She followed the determined blonde's gaze but frowned when she realized no one was there---at least no one that seemed to be interested or even aware. She glanced back at Caroline, who appeared to be as puzzled as her. What the-?

"Care, you alright?"

"What?" Caroline's head snapped in her direction. She blinked into reality and faked a smile before joining the pair. "Yeah, I'm fine. So what are you two going on about?"

"I have to go," Bonnie blurted out. Before either girl could say anything, she spun around and rushed away, stealing a frightened look at Raven as she did so. Raven frowned. What was that all about?

Caroline faced the black-haired girl, furrowing her eyebrows. "What's going on with her?"

"I'm not sure." Bonnie seemed...afraid of her. But she had no reason to be, right? What she had done to her? Unless...unless she saw something. What if she really was a witch? What if she had psychic powers and could see into Raven's head? But...no. That was absurd. Just because her ancestors were from Salem didn't mean she was psychic. Bonnie's reaction could be due to a number of factors, factors which didn't even include her. It wasn't personal. It surely felt personal...but feelings weren't always the best judgment. It wasn't like Bonnie was the most forthcoming about her home life.

Within seconds, Caroline confused expression flipped into a dazzling smile. "So I was thinking, since tonight's a very special night and Stefan's going to be there, I should do your hair and makeup."

"Caroline, I am not going to let you come anywhere near me with a curling iron."

"But-"

"Last time, you almost burned my eyebrow off!"

"I was seven!" Caroline exclaimed, and Raven shook her head. "Fine! But at least let me pick out your outfit."

Raven opened her mouth to protest but quickly snapped it back shut. It'll be our first one-on-one since I came back, she thought. And it's a step towards normalcy.

Caroline stared at her with anticipation. Raven looked into her wide, excited eyes and sighed. "I have two conditions," She decided. "The first is I will not look like anything between the lines of prom queen and hooker."

"Done!" Caroline declared. "And the second?"

"The jacket stays."

Raven extended her hand. Smiling, Caroline gave it a light shake. "Deal."

◇◇◇

Raven threw herself on the cloud-like blankets, sinking in the refreshing fluff. She was wearing nothing but a bra and shorts, and her body felt so much lighter. It'd been a while since she visited the Forbes household but God, had she missed it. She suddenly remembered the secret to their sleepovers; Raven had the best movies and Bonnie had the best snacks, but Caroline had the best blankets.

"How's this?" Caroline asked, holding up a yellow sundress. They were currently in her bedroom, picking out an outfit for Raven. Unfortunately, Raven wasn't making it very easy. Over the past hour, Raven's complaints had been that the dresses were too flashy, too short, too long, too spotty---the last one was "too sporty." Caroline didn't even know what that meant!

Raven pulled herself from bed heaven and stared at the dress in front of her. It was pretty...for a cowgirl living on the countryside, maybe. She shook her head. "Too bright."

Caroline sighed exasperatedly. "Okay, really?" Raven had always been rather difficult to dress, but this was just ridiculous. It was one dress! For one night!

"What?" Raven asked with an innocent laugh. Caroline rolled her eyes and stuffed the dress back between a million others.

Raven peered into the closet, inspecting the array of fabrics and colors. It was like a shopping mall in there. Or the rainbow Dorothy sang about. Suddenly she frowned, catching a glimpse of black silk. "Wait is that my jumpsuit? I've been looking all over for that!"

Caroline raised an eyebrow, giving her a judgmental stare. "You wanna wear that with a leather jacket?"

"Fine, how about that?" Raven pointed at a small blue, black, and white checkered dress. It was subtle, casual, short but not too short, and it mixed well with leather.

"Plaid?" Caroline asked skeptically. She'd never known Raven to wear plaid. In fact, that was one of the few things only she and Bonnie had in common. Caroline was pretty sure she'd borrowed that dress from Bonnie junior year.

"Would you rather have me wear the jumpsuit?"

"Plaid it is," Caroline replied instantly and pulled it off the rack. Raven took it from her hands and pulled it on. Caroline sized her up and down as she smoothed out the mild wrinkles. "Hm...It's missing something."

Caroline beelined for her drawer. After a minute of rummaging through her belongings, she came across what she was looking for: a pair of golden hoops. "Here."

Raven rubbed them between her fingers, inspecting them carefully. They were hard spirals. Probably not too tough. Made of cheap nickel or aluminum. Just like the ones...

"Raven?"

Just like the ones her mother used to wear. She smiled, raising her head to meet Caroline's concerned eyes. "They're beautiful. Thanks, Care."

Caroline returned the smile, unaware of the context, but knowing there was something deeper going on. Knock knock. "Ugh Mom, I have company!" She shouted at the door, rolling her eyes. The door was gently pushed open to reveal none other than Sheriff Forbes. She was still in uniform---Raven couldn't recall ever seeing her without it. When she saw Raven, her eyebrows quirked in surprise.

"Raven," She greeted merrily, a light smile gracing her lips. "I thought I heard you...I didn't know you were stopping by."

Raven nodded cordially. "Caroline's just helping me get ready for the festival."

"Oh..." Sheriff Forbes seemed to ponder something for a moment.

"Do you need something?" Caroline snapped. It was no secret that Caroline and her mother didn't get along. Ever since her dad left them after coming out, all Caroline had was her mom...but it seemed like all Sheriff Forbes had was her job.

Sheriff Forbes cleared her throat. "Well, since you're here, do you mind if I speak with you for a moment?"

Raven's heart thumped. Speak with her? About what? She'd already gone to the police station the morning after Vicki's attack. She'd told Sheriff Forbes everything she knew...well, everything she knew at the time.

"Really, Mom?"

Raven forced a smile. It would look worse if she didn't cooperate. Plus, she'd known Sheriff Forbes almost her whole life. Raven couldn't say she was trustworthy for sure, but they did have history. "It's okay, Caroline. I'll be back in a minute."

Caroline groaned. "Fine, whatever, just hurry up!"

"I will, I promise," Raven said, holding out her pinky finger. Caroline scoffed but interlocked pinkies. Sheriff Forbes glowed at their interaction. Caroline crossed her arms as her mom and best friend walked out.

"Let's go to the kitchen," Sheriff Forbes suggested. Raven followed after her, glancing around the hall. Everything looked the same. Polished wooden floors. Olive green walls. Darker than Holly's eyes but full of charm and life. The doors were made of glass panels and white frames.

Raven remembered summers spent in this home, looking at her reflection in the panels as she compared heights with Bonnie and Caroline. The fridge that she and the girls raided one night in July before sneaking up to Caroline's room and dividing the ice cream and gummy bears. Sheriff Forbes had hidden it there, hoping the girls wouldn't see it until the following afternoon, but Raven noticed everything---and she was quick to spill.

"Do you want anything to eat?"

Raven snapped out of the memory. "No. Thank you."

She sat down at the table. Sheriff Forbes sat across from her, observing her with empathy and uncertainty. "You're a good kid, Raven," Sheriff Forbes began. "And you and Caroline are such great friends, which is why I don't want to haul you all the way to the station."

Raven shifted in her seat and set her clasped hands on the table. "What's going on?"

"After the animal attack on Vicki Donovan, we scoured the woods to find whatever it was that bit her," Sheriff Forbes explained carefully, studying her reaction. Okay...animal attack...Vicki...what did any of this have to do with her? "And we found a body instead. Ryder Duran."

Raven stared.

Every function in her body ceased. Her heart. Her brain. Her lungs. For a moment, she didn't even know where she was, like she'd forgotten she existed. She didn't even know she was crying until the teardrops trickled on her hands and slid against the table. Then it hit.

Ryder was...he was gone.

"So it was him," She whispered. She blinked, meeting the sheriff's eyes. "I saw him...at the bonfire. I didn't want to believe..."

"I'm sorry, Raven." Sheriff Forbes reached for her hands and pat them tenderly.

Raven sniffled and wiped the tears. Now was not the time to lose her composure. "How did he die?"

"We're still waiting on the autopsy," Sheriff Forbes replied. "We don't know really anything about him, except that he was good friends with you. In fact, we wouldn't even have ID'd him if it wasn't for the cell we found in his back pocket."

"I don't know if I can help you."

The sheriff smiled reassuringly. "Anything information is helpful, Raven. Just tell me about your relationship. Were you two close?"

Close, Raven wanted to scoff. The last time they spoke, it was because he sold her brother drugs. She'd called him an asshole...that was the last word she'd said to him. He hadn't heard it but it didn't matter. That was her last thought of him...that he was an asshole undeserving of her affection. All because he hung up on her to talk to some stranger. What if the person who had interrupted their final conversation killed him?

"Raven?"

"We weren't best friends or anything," Raven finally responded. Sheriff Forbes brought her hands back. "We'd only known each other three months but...we got along."

"How did you two meet?"

Raven smiled. Oh, she could never forget the day she met Ryder Duran. She'd been scared out of her wits; he was the only person to ever put the fear of God in her. But she couldn't say that. She had to stick with the plan. Her story was ready. All she had to do was be convincing. She couldn't show weakness.

"When my parents died, I was sent to Coral City's Trauma Center," Raven recounted. She'd practiced this with Holly so many times just to be safe, but never thought it'd be necessary. "Ryder and I had the same schedule. So during meal hours, we talked. He didn't tell me much about his home life, except that he was adopted and he had a sister."

Sheriff Forbes nodded thoughtfully. "Do you know where she is now?"

"His entire family passed away in a fire," Raven said flatly. The sheriff blinked. "I think I was his only friend." To think the last time they spoke, she blew him off.

"Can you tell me more about the center?"

Raven glanced at the wall behind her. Green. Like soft moss or pond water. "What do you want to know?"

Sheriff Forbes narrowed her eyes at her. "Did you like it there?"

Raven allowed herself to scoff. "Away from my friends, family, and everything I love? Of course not. We had no contact with the outside world, the only thing I had to keep me sane were my journals, sketchbooks, and the nurses."

"That sounds like a prison," Sheriff Forbes remarked. The uncertainty was back. Perhaps Raven should've maintained eye contact...but how could she look someone in the eye and hide the horrors she'd been through? Of all the things she'd seen and experienced, that was the most impossible. But the best lie had a semblance of truth.

"It felt like one." She and the other patients had a word for it: purgatory. But none of them dared say it in the presence of the doctors and outsiders. Raven cleared her throat. "Is that all? I should go, Caroline's waiting on me."

"Of course." Sheriff Forbes rose to her feet and offered a hand. "Thank you for your help, Raven." Raven gave it a firm shake and stood, forcing a smile. "I'll let you know as soon as we find something."

"Thanks," She said gratefully. "And do you mind if we keep this between us? I just don't want...you know..."

Sheriff Forbes smiled with understanding. "Your secret's safe with me."

When Raven returned to Caroline's bedroom, her mind had drifted to all sorts of hell. But with her best friend present, she couldn't break. She'd already cracked before Sheriff Forbes. That was a mistake. She couldn't make it again.

Caroline, who'd been standing by the window, turned when she heard Raven enter. "What was that all about?"

"Nothing," Raven sighed, and plopped on the bed. "She was just asking me questions about the animal attack."

"I told her she needs to stop hounding people!" Caroline exclaimed. She plucked a tube of lipstick from her dresser and gestured wildly with her hands. "It's not like any of us saw anything and even if someone did, they were probably too wasted to remember."

Raven arched an eyebrow at the tube. "Um, what is that?"

"It's called lipstick," Caroline responded slowly, as if speaking to a child. "Made in 1884, the thing people apply to their lips when they want to look nice."

Raven rolled her eyes. "Alright, smartass, I know what it is. I'm not wearing that."

"But-"

"Don't push it."

◇◇◇

A few hours later, they were standing outside of the Grill, where the festival was taking place, with more than half of the town joining them.

"Do you see Bonnie anywhere?" Caroline asked loudly, standing on her tip-toes as she surveyed the bustling mass. Raven shook her head and she sighed. "Stay here, I'm going inside to call her."

"Alright," Raven said and Caroline smiled quickly before strutting away. Raven fixed the collar of her leather jacket and looked around for familiar faces, wishing her friend stayed beside her as she awkwardly shuffled through the scrummage. A relieved smile tugged at her lips when she noticed Matt walking in her direction. "Hey."

"Hey," He greeted softly and tilted his candle forwards. The flames hit the ends of her stem, lighting it up. She stared down at the flame for a bit, almost tempted to feel the alluring heat of it.

But then she looked up at him with a smile and he couldn't help but notice the mischievous gleam sparkling in her eyes. He hadn't seen that in months. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," He replied, returning the smile. Raven turned to the person beside her to light there. She had no intention of looking up at them until she saw the hand grasping the candle, or rather the ring locked around one of the fingers.

"Thank you." Frowning, she lifted her head to meet Stefan's gaze. He smiled, slighting leaning forwards as he spoke. "Hi."

"H-Hi," She stuttered and quickly turned, not ready to face him just yet. She wasn't sure if he caught on to her advances, but if he didn't know about her feelings, her burning cheeks were a dead giveaway.

"You know, that comet..." He began to say, approaching her from behind. His hot breath caressed her neck. She tensed at their proximity, but every nerve in her body screamed for her to stay still. "It's been traveling across space for thousands of years. All alone."

When did 17-year-olds become so deep? she thought, raising an eyebrow. "So Bonnie says it's a harbinger of evil, but you think it's just ice, dust, loneliness?"

"Yes," Stefan confirmed and she glanced at him as he watched the passing comet. He was serious. "It's a ball of snow and ice, trapped on a path that it can't escape. And once every one hundred and forty five years, it gets to come home."

"Really?" Raven asked, squinting. "All I see is a comet."

Stefan smiled. She was trying to be funny, but she'd never thought of something so...beautiful and poetic. How many times had she walked by nature, unaware of the depth and loneliness that lived within?

The shine in Stefan eyes faltered. Raven could feel the shift in his approach---things were about to get serious. "I'm sorry about yesterday. I wasn't myself."

"It's okay, I get it," She said, shaking her head. She turned to face him. "Family makes you cranky. If it makes you feel any better, half of the time I wanna murder my own brother."

"You mean the junkie?"

"That would be the one," She affirmed with a chuckle, but could still see the grave look in Stefan's eyes. She stopped smiling. "Look, your brother told me about your ex, Katherine."

She could practically feel his heart stop. She didn't know what the big deal was---everyone had exes, so what made Katherine so different?---but clearly, she'd gotten his full attention, which was evident by his deep frown and contemplative silence. "What did he say?"

"That she broke your heart."

"...That was a long time ago."

Raven nodded. "Okay. And even if it wasn't, you don't owe me anything. We all have our heartbreaks or things of the past that we just don't talk about. I don't expect you to tell me everything and just...us? I'm sorry, I don't know what I was thinking."

"What do you mean?" Stefan asked, frowning. She couldn't help but scoff. He didn't know what she was, what she was capable of. No one did. No one except Ryder and Holly. And she wanted to tell him, to let him know why they couldn't be together since he seemed to be interested in her, but she couldn't. So she had to put it the best way she knew how.

"You're looking at the queen of dead weight," She explained, smiling on the outside but breaking on the inside. "And being with me means...well, it means carrying that too. It was selfish of me to pursue you, I wasn't thinking, and I'm sorry."

"Raven..."

"I'm gonna go find Bonnie," She interrupted. Don't let him speak, just walk away. Walk away like you always do. "It was nice talking to you Stefan. Enjoy the festival."

She offered him a forced smile before turning and walking away. So much for going back to normal, she thought, deciding to go inside for a drink. If she styled her hair a certain way, perhaps the bartender would let her age slide and hook her up.

"Oh there you are!" Caroline exclaimed, grabbing Raven's elbow. Bonnie was at her hip, and she could barely look at Raven. "We were just saying how...what's wrong with you?"

"It's nothing, Caroline." She shrugged out of her grasp.

Caroline crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow as she gave her a disbelieving expression. "It doesn't look like nothing."

Normally, she wasn't one to care or really notice if something was wrong. Raven had always been a master at concealing her emotions. And there was no way in hell she could be losing her edge now, not when she needed it the most.

"Just drop it," Raven replied dismissively, realizing that even if she couldn't lie, she could still avoid the subject.

"So did you talk to Stefan?"

"Yeah it went great," She deadpanned. "The skies parted and we flew into space."

"That bad, huh?" Bonnie asked gently.

"Yep. And I think I may have made things worse."

Bonnie gave her a sympathetic half-smile. "Are you okay?" She questioned tenderly, gently tossing her arm over her friend's shoulders, even though it pained her to do so.

"Great," Raven lied with a tight lipped smile. "I don't really want to talk about it. Can we go inside? Did you guys light your candles yet?"

"Yep. Caroline basically dragged me through the place in search of Sexy Bar Guy but he's a no-show."

"Well, then I have spectacular news," Raven announced with a joyous grin. "It turns out that our mystery guy is actually Stefan's older brother. His name is Damon."

"Oh my god!" Caroline exclaimed with widened eyes. "The leather, the eyes, the hair...It all makes sense!"

"How?" Bonnie asked. "From what you described they don't look anything alike."

Raven nodded. "They really don't. I'm thinking one is adopted. That would explain all the tension."

The friends gave a chorus of agreement as they approached Matt and Tyler, who were sitting at a table silently. Raven took the seat next to Tyler, deciding it best to avoid Matt so he wouldn't pick up the wrong vibe from her, and the former watched as she sat beside him.

"Gilbert," He greeted nonchalantly before taking a sip of his drink.

She forced a smile. "Lockwood."

Ever since they shared a drunken kiss (and much more) at a party a couple months ago, they'd had quite a fragile relationship. Of course, that didn't stop him from picking on her brother when given the chance, but their history was wild enough for him to know not to screw up in front of her.

"Hey, has anyone seen Vicki?" Jeremy suddenly asked as he entered the building. Even while he approached the table, his eyes darted elsewhere in search of his...friend. Raven tensed. She'd thought they'd stop hanging out after...well, after their inappropriate "fling" to put it lightly.

Tyler looked at him with narrowed eyes, seemingly unbothered by his girlfriend's disappearance. "You're her stalker, you tell us," He commented bitterly.

Raven rolled her eyes and glanced at her brother. "Come on, Jer, you know how she is." Vicki Donovan was a lot of things, and much like her mother, she had a tendency to disappear. Raven wished that she would disappear from Jeremy's mind, but that seemed to be a work in progress. Oh, well. If Vicki wanted to mess around, fine, but she was well aware that Raven didn't pull her punches.

"She probably found somebody else to party with," Tyler added. "Sorry, pill pusher, I guess you've been replaced."

Raven frowned. "What?"

"She's never going to go for you," Tyler continued, ignoring Raven's confusion.

"Hold on... "

"She already did," Jeremy responded, practically spitting his words as fury blazed in his eyes. "Over and over and over again."

Tyler scoffed. "Yeah, right."

"You slept with Vicki Donovan?" Caroline asked, giving a scoff-like chuckle as if it were the most amusing story she'd heard all year. "I mean, Vicki Donovan slept with you?"

"There's no way," Tyler said, shaking his head with disbelief. If only he knew.

Jeremy leaned down with cold, hard eyes. "And I didn't even have to force her into it."

"What the hell is he talking about, Ty?" Matt asked. A scarily wide smile lingered on his face, but he seemed more pissed off than surprised.

"Nothing man, just ignore him, he's a punk."

"Don't talk about my brother like that," Raven snapped. Tyler should've known better too. Raven thought he would've but it seemed like he needed to be taught twice.

But Tyler didn't seemed fazed. With an arrogant smile, he slightly leaned forwards. "Yeah? And what are you gonna do about it?"

"Keep talking and you'll find out."

Matt set his drink on the table, gentler than a slam but loud enough to get their attention. "You know what, how about all of you shut up and help me find my sister?"

Caroline laughed, nodding in agreement. "Yeah we don't want Ty's nose to get broken again. It was hardly a good look the first time."

"We'll check the back," Bonnie offered, already getting off the stool. Everyone has silently and simultaneously agreed to ignore Caroline's statement, except a snickering Raven, remembering how that well-deserved hit damaged Tyler's reputation when they were kids. It had been a dark time for him.

"I'll check the square," Matt announced to the group.

"I'll come with you," Jeremy offered.

"No, you're won't," Raven spoke up. "Matt, go. Jeremy stays with me."

Matt nodded. He recognized the look on her face---everyone did. She was the pure embodiment of calm before the storm. So with that being said, the teens dispersed with hopes of finding their sort-of missing friend.

"Really?" Jeremy asked irritably as he watched them go. He turned to his sister. "You wanna do this right now?"

"You said it only happened once, Jeremy."

"It did," He scoffed. "Then again. And again."

Hot rage flashed in her eyes. Jeremy deserved better than this. Vicki was too old and quite frankly, too messed up to ever be with him. "Have you lost your mind?" She seethed. "It's bad enough that you're taking drugs but you're selling them too? And don't get me started on whatever the hell is going on with you and Vicki. She's eighteen, Jeremy, and legally you are a minor. Would you like me to spell it for you? M-I-N-O-R. Meaning underage, child, adolescence, kiddie-"

Jeremy rolled his eyes. "I know what a minor is."

"What you're doing is wrong. And insane."

"Says the one that got sent to a mental institution," He snapped, not missing the brief surprise on her features. She stopped her jaw from hanging open. "Yeah, do you honestly think that what you did to her just slipped my mind?"

"I think that losing yourself isn't going to bring Mom and Dad back. I think you're ruining your life by making stupid decisions and if you keep going at this rate, you'll get an early grave right next to theirs."

"Good. Then I won't be your problem anymore."

He started to turn, but Raven gripped his arm, forcing him to face her. "Why won't you talk to me?"

"You won't talk to me."

"But I'm talking to someone," She pointed out. "I'm dealing with this in a healthy way-"

Jeremy scoffed. "Yeah right."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"I see you. Every day writing in the cemetery. You call that healthy? What, is that supposed to be you moving on? Huh?"

Raven stayed silent...She tried. She really did. She never asked him to move on. She never asked him to forget. All she wanted was for him to heal. For him to be better than she was. But Jeremy, oblivious to the full damage behind his words, scoffed at her sudden paralysis. "That's what I thought. I'll see you at home."

And with that, he walked away, leaving her to stand by herself. She contemplated going after him, to apologize or lend a helping hand with the search, but after a moment of consideration she decided the best thing to do was to head home.

◇◇◇

When Raven stepped into her house, the last thing she expected was to see her aunt imitating a burglar.

But alas there Jenna was, rummaging through Jeremy's things and tossing it around as if she were completely and utterly done with life. She hadn't broken yet, but the crack alone indicated mass damage.

"Jenna?" Raven called out, frowning as her aunt flipped through a bunch of porno magazines. She internally grimaced, wondering how she'd react when she found the light saber she'd bought for him with their mom's stolen credit card.

Jenna didn't look up and instead bitterly replied, "Yep it's me, the hypocrite patrol."

She tossed the magazines in the basket where she'd found them but didn't bother to cover it back up with the layers of clothing that were scattered on the floor. "Remind me to burn those later."

Raven smiled uneasily. It was from her aunt that she adopted her sense of humor, but now she looked like a flimsy yarn sweater that someone harshly tugged the string on. "You're not having a psychotic break, are you?"

"Surprisingly, no," Jenna answered, finally glancing up at her concerned niece as she stood up.

"What happened?"

"Your ass-hat of a history teacher shamed me good yesterday."

"Damn. You got Tannered," Raven commented, saying a phrase former students had coined to describe their teacher's manipulative and crude techniques. "Don't worry, it happens to the best of us."

"'Discover the impossible, Ms. Sommers.'," Jenna quoted, her voice picking up the more she spoke. It sounded like she was trying to get the words out before she choked on them. "Got it. Thanks. Like I didn't know I was screwing up."

"You're not," Raven assured her gently, grabbing her hand and leading her to Jeremy's bed. They both sat down, facing each other.

"Yes, I am. And you know why? Because I'm not her."

Her. Miranda Gilbert. Raven's mother and Jenna's sister. It was hard enough being the crackhead example that could never do anything right, the screw-up who was constantly being compared to her older, more perfect sister who excelled in every aspect of her life. And now she had to dive into parenthood, the one thing she most definitely couldn't do.

Five months ago, she could barely get her own life on track. And now she had to take care of not one, but two human beings that hadn't fully developed? That could pick up her habits, that she could screw up mentally with just a single move?

"She made everything look so easy," Jenna went on, exhausted. Raven couldn't tell if it was because she was tired of life or because she was using every bit of resistance to fight her tears. Perhaps it was both. "You know, high school, marriage...having you. I can't do it. I'm gonna say or do the wrong thing, and he's gonna get worse, and it's gonna be my fault. It's impossible."

Raven sighed. She was never really one to comfort people in times of crisis, but now she said the things that she wished someone had said to her; maybe if they had, she wouldn't be so broken and scarred.

"Hard...but not impossible. I know you're scared, tackling a new life. But this is new for all of us. We're all going through this together and it might feel like you're alone but you're not. You're just the only one being honest with yourself."

"How am I supposed to do this?" Jenna lamented, her beautiful emeralds reflecting sadness as she thought of Miranda, the woman who could do it all. "How am I supposed to be a parent?"

"I don't know, Aunt Jenna," Raven admitted. "But what I do know is that as a kid, I looked up to you. You were my idol, my favorite person in the entire world. I used to talk about you like you were a superhero. Remember that one time I dressed up as you for Halloween and I had to convince everyone I wasn't a sexy version of Daphne Blake?"

Jenna burst into laughter and grinned widely as she reminisced the look on Miranda's face when Raven darted downstairs, dripping with sparkles and diamonds and of course, revealed skin to really get into character. "I remember that. Your mother was absolutely horrified---she didn't talk to me for a month after that."

"She could be like that sometimes, yeah." At the time Raven, had been slightly offended, but the things she'd do to see her mother in such a disturbed condition again. The last memory she had of her mother was her screams rippling through the river as she was being submerged with their car. She took a deep breath, switching off the memory and refocusing on Jenna.

"There's a reason I held you in such high esteem. It's not because of the things you did, it's because you always had the strength and courage to do them even if you doubted yourself. When Mom and Dad died, you stepped up. Even though you didn't know the first thing about being a parent. We were all scared out of our minds and you got us through that. And I know you didn't get the chance to grieve properly or the luxury of falling apart because you were so hell-bent on keeping Jer and I together but...you're brave. And you're strong. And I'm extremely grateful for that, but it's okay to be vulnerable too."

It's okay to be vulnerable too. Those were the words she'd needed to hear. Even now she felt...wrong when any emotion ripped through her. But they were validated. They were hers. She had the right to feel. Turning it off helped her survive, but letting them exist made her feel alive.

"So be vulnerable," Raven urged softly. "Let your guard down, go watch Titanic a million times and cry your eyes out until you fall asleep."

Jenna sniffled. "But it's a school night."

Raven fought back a grin. "Go, Jenna. Jeremy will be here soon, I'll make sure he doesn't get into anything."

Jenna looked into her niece's eyes and for once, it was almost like she could really see her. Everything she'd been through, the things she turned into because of it. But within a moment, the perception dispensed. "I love you, Raven."

"I love you too, Aunt Jenna," Raven said, pulling her relative into a warm embrace. Jenna smiled and pressed her lips against Raven's forehead in a motherly gesture, before rising to her feet and strutting out.

Raven exhaled. Close call, she thought with relief. The moment Jenna, the strongest woman she knew, broke, was the moment Raven was entirely done for. The teen waited a few minutes to stand, entangled in her wild thoughts of Jenna, Holly, the trauma center, and how everything seemed to interconnect in some way.

But her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a faint chime. She pulled her phone out of her pocket, expecting to see news about Vicki, but instead found herself looking at an unknown number flashing across her screen with a message underneath.

UNKNOWN
Hi.

RAVEN
hi...who is this?

STEFAN
Hot back guy.

A swarm of butterflies erupted in her stomach. It was Stefan!

RAVEN
how did u get my number?

STEFAN
Bonnie gave it me. She told me you were big on texting.

Raven didn't think it was possible that her smile could grow any wider, but the mention of her friend was enough to make her look like that the cheshire cat. Bonnie, God bless your soul, you are the greatest wingwoman of all time.

RAVEN
I am.

There was a pause. Her grin faded...was he typing? Thinking about what he'd say next? Regretting ever texting her in the first place?

STEFAN
Raven?

RAVEN
yeah?

STEFAN
I don't think you're selfish. And for the record, I like you too.

Raven bit her lip, struggling to hold back another smile, but found she couldn't stop herself from the small expression of happiness. She didn't want to.

RAVEN
good night Stefan :)

STEFAN
Good night, Raven.

Raven slipped her phone into her pocket and laughed giddily before heading to her bedroom, trapped in a lovestruck trance with a dopey grin plastered on her face to prove it. Romantically, she'd never felt so strongly for anyone, not even Matt. It was something new and exciting.

Singing to herself, Raven wandered into her room, ready to plop into bed and have pleasant dreams for once. But once she saw the silhouette by the balcony window, her breath caught in her throat.

He's here, she thought. Her heart raced, threatening to pump straight through her skin. She took a small breath and flipped on the lights, expecting to see a slender, innocent-looking man with curious, murderous eyes. But her eyebrows flew up when she realized who she was looking at and a multitude of questions sprinted through her mind.

"Bonnie?"

Bonnie grimaced, a pool of tears in her eyes. "I know, Raven," She admitted in a broken whisper. Raven's heart plummeted to her feet. She shook her head and leaned against the doorway entrance for support, hoping this was all a dream.

"No..." Not her---anyone but her. Anyone but her best friend.

A stray tear rolled down Bonnie's face. It was almost as if just talking about it hurt her. And Raven understood---it hurt her too. Every day. "I know what you did."

This can't be happening! Raven wanted to scream. Suddenly, she wished he'd come. Anything was better than this. Anything was better than her knowing. But she didn't say that. Instead the next words that slipped out of her mouth were, "You can't tell Caroline."

_______

Sorry for the extremely late update, hope y'all enjoyed! I've been carried away with school and such but glad to say my life is back on track.

Special thanks to 1-800-HEROINE for creating this gorgeous cover! Please check her out and give her a follow guys, she's incredibly talented and extremely kind ❤

I'll be returning to weekly updates if my schedule allows it so let's see how that goes. Thanks for reading!

- Jess