Living in Mystic Falls was okay. It wasn't bad, it wasn't that good either but the only thing which kept Ava's interest was the history. She loved how the small town evolved over the years; she loved the ruins from hundreds of years ago; but most of all she loved the woods. The woods behind Fell's Church, as creepy as it felt, meant fresh air and time to think because living at home wasn't the best thing ever. Her mom's daily boyfriends were the real reason.

The night where everything changed forever began when her mom didn't return home from her dinner date at the Mystic Grill.

It was a few minutes before twelve and the news was on the television. Ava was sat casually in her night gown on the couch watching intently.

"Breaking News – Mystifying Murders hit the towns of the U.S.A starting with Mystic Falls." said a news reporter's voice.

"As dozens of bodies are found lying in the strangest places, drained of blood and ice-cold, scientists are beginning to wonder what's going on with the world."

The reported introduced a scientist in the studio and he began speaking in a way which made it obvious that he was covering up something really big.

"Well the thing is, the bodies are being found in ordinary places like street-corners, alleys, shops, houses and they all have one thing in common. They are all either drained of blood, or have their necks twisted in the death-in-a-matter-of-seconds way. Investigations are still being carried out but we're not sure whether this is epidemic or just a weird coincidence."

Ava quickly switched the television off with the press of a button and smirked,

"Weird coincidence my ass." She thought.

It was true though. Murder's happened all the time and the media just covered it up thinking that nobody would figure it out, but there was something not right about these ones. It was just plain bizarre. It was even more obvious with the way the scientist spoke.

The telephone suddenly rang and Ava answered,

"Hello?"

"Hey darlin', it's your mom."

"Mom, where are you? It's past midnight!" asked Ava anxiously.

"I'm fine Ava. I'm staying over with my date tonight." She replied, her words slightly slurred and slow.

"But-but you don't even know him! You've only been out with him this one time! Come home!"

"I know baby, but I'm fine. I trust him! Just go to bed and I'll see you in the morning – I promise." said her mom before hanging up.

Her mom was stupid, really stupid. Sometimes Ava felt like she was the grownup looking after her mom and not the other way round. But this was going a bit too far. One night stands? What the hell?

Ava paced around the room back and forth, trying to decided whether she should ring her mom back and demand that she comes home, but if she was with her date, then she didn't really want to hear anything from the other side of the receiver. Finally, she had a quick glass of water, before drifting off to sleep on the couch.

The next morning was school. High school – the place where pupils for tortured with classes and that teachers liked to call 'being educated'.

But before heading off to school, Ava checked up on her mom who she found safe and sound in her bedroom. She nudged her gently and told her that she was off to school when she noticed two prong marks on the side of her mom's neck. They were fairly small but very bright on her pale skin. Ava felt worried for a second before feeling sick. Love bites, she thought. And just when she thought her mom couldn't act any younger and love drunk.

Ava herself didn't believe in love. After seeing what her parents went through, she just read about love in books, saw them on television but just didn't believe in it. Love was complicated and just an illusion. End of.

On the way to school, Ava couldn't help wondering about last night's news. The murders were probably just a fluke and overrated but there was something not right about them.

Her train of thought was broken by cheers and squeals of the popular kids- Elena Gilbert, Caroline Forbes, Matt Honeycutt, and Tyler Lockwood, as she began walking across the parking lot.

They were the pretty people, the preppy people, the popular people; the ones who everyone looked up to in jealousy.

She overheard part of a conversation whilst looking around for her best friend Heidi.

"Elena! He's the perfect guy!" gushed Caroline.

"Who?" asked Elena with curiosity, her blonde hair softly blowing and her lapis lazuli eyes, lighting up brightly.

"Turn around and you'll see." smiled Caroline, eyeing this 'mystery' guy from top to bottom.

Elena looked around and her jaw dropped in shock. Ava turned around to see who the Queen Bee's of the school were staring at, and she too was in for a shock.

This was no ordinary guy. He was some sort of foreign model off the cover off Garage the magazine's girls could not take their eyes off.

He looked oh-so-casual with his leather jacket and his tousled light brown hair. His features were sculptured and clean. His was tall and his body was lean. His smile was also sweet along with his eyes which seemed kind and good. All the girls in the parking lot stopped midway conversation to stare at this face of Abercrombie & Fitch. Ava wondered how she could figure out what he was like without any general knowledge of psychology but her guess was as good as everybody else's.

"Oh. My. Gosh!" squealed Elena.

"I know right?" giggled Caroline.

"He's just- he's just so- WOW!" said Elena, breathing out and running her fingers through her hair.

This mystery guy walked straight past without a second glance at Elena and walked straight into school, not feeling awkward at all with the thousand eyes on him.

"Did you see that?" asked Heidi from behind Ava.

"See what?" replied Ava.

"That guy! He was so cute. I wonder if he's any of my classes." wondered Heidi, rummaging through her bag and taking out her timetable to check which classes she had on that day.

He was cute alright, but there was something off about him. Maybe he was just a typical hot guy who got all the popular girls and turned out to be a jerk. The bell rang a couple of minutes later and dragged Heidi by the arm into the school. Heidi went off to her Social Studies class and left Ava walking to her World History class. She passed the reception when her shoulder brushed somebody else's shoulder. An apology and a quick smile was given by the stranger from the parking lot and as he walked off, the receptionist walked out of her office and stared after him, clearly dazed.

"Who was that?" asked Ava, astonished.

"Stefan Salvatore." The receptionist replied her eyes dreamy and smile fixated on her lips.