CHAPTER II ―

ALL THE WRONG QUESTIONS!

"𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐇, 𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐀 𝐈𝐍𝐕𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐌𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐆𝐎 𝐓𝐎 𝐌𝐄𝐄𝐓 𝐔𝐏 𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐄 𝐓𝐎𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓," Colby explained into her cellphone that evening, rummaging through the pantry for a snack. "Apparently we're supposed to meet up in like an hour. Are you coming?"

There was a brief shuffle on the other side of the phone and a "cut it out!" before Diana replied, "Sure! Sorry about that, my little brother is being a total prick." There was another sound on the other side of the phone and an high-pitched squeal. "That's what I thought, you little twerp!" Colby chuckled. "Alright, I'm back."

"Sounds like such a loving relationship between you and your brother," Colby teased. This was a normal for Diana and her sibling.

"Until mom gets home from work in... a half hour, I'm stuck watching the twerp and he's getting on my last nerve."

In someways, Colby yearned to have a sibling. Someone that she could count on... someone that her parents could harp on besides her. "Well, do you need a ride to the Grille?" Colby offered, humming to herself when she found a granola bar.

"Mm-hmm, pick me up in a half hour? Mom should be home by then."

"Sure, see you then." There was a brief bye on the other end of the phone before a click, and Colby walked to her bedroom upstairs, munching on her granola bar as she checked her notifications.

A front door opening brought Colby out of her stupor. "Colby!" Her mother's voice rang throughout the large house. "Colby, honey? Can you come downstairs real quick?"

Quickly padding down the carpet covered stairs, Colby found her mom in the kitchen, putting groceries away. "There you are!" Georgina pressed a kiss to her daughter's forehead, smiling fondly as she pushed back one of her curls. "How was your day?"

Colby shrugged, walking over to the counter and beginning to help her mom. "Like every other day of school, I guess."

"Well, that's good," her mother hummed. "How do you like your classes? How's Elena? Is Diana back from her trip?"

Putting a can of peas away, Colby sighed. "Classes were fine, Mom. Elena's..." she grimaced. "healing. I can tell she's not the Elena she used to be, but she's trying. Jeremy, on the other hand, is as stubborn as always. Elena told me he's into drugs, really bad, too." Her mom gave her a weak smile.

"It's saddening what happened to the Gilbert family, I couldn't imagine it. All we can do is be there for them."

"Yes, Diana's back from her trip. I'm actually going to pick her up to go to the Grille tonight, if that's alright?"

"If you're back before eleven, I have no problems with it." Colby grinned, quickly kissing her mom's cheek with a squealed thank you as she trotted out. "Remember that your Aunt is coming to town sometime in the next week! Your dad doesn't exactly know when, but she said anytime." Georgina called to her daughter.

"Okay, Mom!" Quickly grabbing her bag and car keys, making sure her phone and everything was on her. "Love you, bye Mom!"

And before her mom could reply, the door to the garage slammed shut and Georgina sighed. "That girl..." she chuckled, shaking her head.

...

"And then he has the nerve to tell mom I was picking on him!" Diana complained, walking next to Colby as they entered the Grille. "He's such a shit sometimes."

Colby shook her head with a smile and just as she was going to reply, a familiar voice called out her name. "Colby, over here!" Sitting in the center of the room, Elena stood, waving her over with a smiling, Caroline, Bonnie, and the new guy, Stefan sitting at the table and pausing their conversation to turn their heads.

Sheepishly smiling, Colby ducked her head and grabbed Diana's hand, pulling her along as she put on her breaks. "I didn't agree to hanging out with Barbie!" Diana hissed, trying to nonchalantly pull her arm out of her friends grasp. "This was not the deal!"

"You're in this with me," Colby muttered back, smiling brightly when she reached their table. "Hey!"

Elena smiled, pulling out a chair next to her and Bonnie. "Guys this is Colby," the curly haired brunette gave small wave in return. "And Diana."

With a sigh, Diana gave an annoyed wave, sitting down next to Stefan and Bonnie, across from Caroline. She narrowed her eyes, just as Caroline did the same... and here you had two queen-bees, sitting face-to-face.

"Hey," Bonnie smiled. "It's nice seeing you again, Colby. Diana." Caroline pursed her lips, forming a tight smile as a greeting that wasn't exactly welcoming.

Stefan, noticing the sudden tense atmosphere, smiled brightly. "You're the Montenegro girl, right?" Colby nodded with a small smile. "Elena told me about you."

Elena chuckled, nervously. "Yeah, I kinda told him about all of you on the way over."

"Well, it's nice to meet you." Diana gave him a small smile, accompanied by a shrug. Stefan nodded back with a smile.

Caroline's eyes narrowed at the action, and she smiled again, folding her menu back up and propping her chin up on her folded hands. "So, Stefan," she probed. "I heard that you were born here in Mystic Falls?"

Stefan looked a little taken aback, but was quick to reply with an affirmative, "My family- er, moved here when I was three."

Caroline frowned. "Parents?" she asked next, rapid-fire.

"My parents passed away," Stefan answered uncomfortably, glancing quickly at Elena. He knew.

"I'm sorry," Elena finally muttered, glancing back up at Stefan. "How about your siblings? Any brothers? Sisters?"

"None that I talk to," Stefan muttered. "I'm living with my Uncle Zach at the old Salvatore Boarding House. It's nice."

Colby frowned. None that he talked to? Then why was his brother at the school earlier that afternoon? "Uh," all the attention suddenly turned to the curly-haired girl. She swallowed as she nervously brushed back a curl. "Is your brother's name Damon, by chance?"

Stefan's stance quickly changed as he lunged forward in his seat, his attention purely on Colby. "Wh-What did he say to you?" He demanded. Damon was dangerous, by every aspect.

Colby swallowed again, shrinking back into her seat as everyone else frowned. "He-He saw me trip and asked if I was okay. He, uh, also said he was there to pick you up, but that's all." Stefan's jaw tensed.

"My brother's bad news, Colby. Stay away from him, please. He's... not good."

There was a stiffness in their air that no one seemed to know how to break until the waitress came over with tonight's special. "Hi, welcome to the Mystic Grille. I'm Neva," she introduced herself with a smack of her gum. "Are you ready to order? Tonight's special is our deep-dished pizza."

It was her uncaring attitude that broke the awkward atmosphere... thank god.

...

A sudden bang brought Colby out of the light trance of sleep she felt herself slipping into. She winced as she opened her eyes, her lamp next to her bed shining in her eyes as she rubbed them clear of sleep. She groaned as she got out of bed, jumping lightly when she heard another bang.

"Mom?" She called out, stepping into the hallway. "Dad?" When she received no answer, Colby began to walk down the stairs and shivered when she found the front door open. "Mom?"

Quickly walking over, Colby shut the front door, a few leaves crunching under her feet from the wind slipping them into the house. A sudden gust of wind past her made Colby jump. "Hello?" She called out, swallowing harshly. "Is somebody here?"

Stepping towards the kitchen, Colby frowned to see the patio doors open, too. What the hell?! Something was seriously going on here. As she rushed forward to shut the door, a gust of wind nearly knocked her over and she squeaked lightly. "Who's there?!" She called out again, her heart pumping.

Receiving no answer, Colby quickly lunged for a knife. "Ah, ah, ah. I wouldn't do that." A scream escaped Colby's lungs as she jumped to see a dark shadow standing in the corner of the room.

Colby pressed herself into the counter. "W-Who are you?" The voice was familiar, she just couldn't pin-point it.

"Oh, c'mon, Colby. You know me." The voice was taunting.

"Come out of the shadow." Colby swallowed down her fear as best she could. "Now."

"If you say so," a familiar man's voice answered. Colby swallowed harshly, squinting her eyes. With stunning and sudden clarity, she suddenly realized who it was — Damon, the man who she'd met in the school parking lot... only... it wasn't. Deep, rich red dripped from his mouth, pulled back around sharp white fangs, and spilled across his white shirt and luxurious leather jacket. His eyes had been stained yellow and inky black stretched through the veins on his face; he was terrifying.

Colby gasped in horrified awe and stumbled back a few steps; he matched her step-for-step. "Damon..." she trailed, swallowing. "W-What happened to you?"

"Oh, Colby..." he shook his head, a cruel smirk growing on his beautiful face. "You're asking all the wrong questions." That smirk continued to tug at his lips. "What am I, Colby?"

"V-Vamp-" Damon didn't wait for her to finish as he lunged for her with an animalistic snarl, seizing her roughly by the shoulders and embedding his sharp teeth into her neck.

...

Colby woke screaming in terror, sweat, and tears streaming down her face as she shook in fear. Her chest rose and fell with harsh thumps as she tried to regain her bearings, her door bursting open. "Colby!" It was her parents. She was having a panic attack she realized.

"Colby, honey, breathe." Her Mom.

"I got you, I got you." She was being rocked. Her father. "Everything's going to be just fine."

"Just breathe, honey."

With pants coming out of her mouth like fluttering sheets of paper, Colby held onto her father like an anchor. They weren't real... they couldn't be. It was a nightmare, that's all. It was just a figment of her imagination.. it wasn't true... it couldn't be. He couldn't be.

If she would've seen the crow perched on her open window, sitting on the sill, she would've realized they she was in more danger than she'd ever been her entire life...

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