CHAPTER ONE
THE CROW
| "Iris!" Bonnie Bennett's voice drifted up the stairs to her twin sister. "Are you ready or am I leaving your ass here? We have to pick Elena up!"
The youngest Bennett sighed, taking one last look at herself in the mirror before she approached her bedroom door, poking her head out of it. "I'll be down in a minute!" She called softly, the delicacy instantly recognizable as Iris Bennett's voice as she grabbed her bag for school, adjusting her gold cross necklace around her neck and running a brush thorough her curly brown locks once more, pushing it back to get it out of her face.
The Bennett twins were identical and would often confuse people with which one they were, even sometimes their Grams couldn't tell them apart! Although, it you looked close enough, you'd see that Iris' hair was a darker chocolate color and it was longer than her sister's, going just down to her lower back, whilst Bonnie's was just below her shoulders and a light chocolate color with less curls.
Besides their looks, the two twins were closer than ever and often each other's shoulders to lean on. When Iris got her heart broken by Matt Donovan, Bonnie was there to help her heal the entire way through, especially when Matt moved onto their best friend, Elena. When Bonnie had fallen from a tree and broke two fingers, Iris was there every second of the way. They were each other's rocks, through thick and thin.
"Sorry," Iris mumbled to her sister, grabbing a protein bar off the counter. "I just... lost track of time." Bonnie looked up from her car keys, shrugging.
"I doubt Elena is in too much of a hurry to get to school today, anyways." A smile graced her big sister's face as she said that. "C'mon, let's get going."
The drive over to Elena's was fairly quiet besides the quiet sound of the radio playing. Iris sat in the passenger seat of her sister's silver Prius, looking outside her window as the scenery passed. It was a particularly dull morning in the small town of Mystic Falls, which wasn't abnormal. At least to Iris it wasn't.
Iris' brown eyes watched as parents lead their kids to bus stops or piling up into a carpool to get to school. She remembered Elena's mother always carpooling the group of girls. Caroline, Elena, Bonnie, and herself all chatting about their weekend or something... Iris missed that. She missed Miranda and Grayson, she missed cheery Elena, she missed going to parties, cheerleading, etc., she missed everything that used to make her happy.
Before Iris could get lost in her thoughts, her eyes caught a large black bird perching on a fencepost, staring at her with curious eyes. Tilting her head, she stared at the bird, snapping out of the trance she was in when the bird "cawed" and flew off. Shaking her head, Iris passed it off as some nerves for this morning. It was completely normal... at least she hoped it was.
"Good morning, Elena." Iris greeted with a smile, slipping into the backseat for Elena to sit in the passenger. Elena smiled at the two Bennett girls, buckling herself in before Bonnie began driving to school. Iris frowned. Where was Jeremy? "Is Jeremy not coming today?" Iris questioned, frowning.
Elena sighed, shaking her head. "He's just going through a stage right now," she looked back at Iris, hope in her eyes. "Maybe you could talk to him? Get through to him? You and Jeremy used to be really close..."
Iris shrugged. "I could try," she replied. "I mean, there really isn't much to say." Elena nodded.
"Better then the arguments going on in our house."
With that, the car was silent for a few minutes before Iris spoke again. "Did Bonnie tell you?" Elena looked at her, shaking her head, confused. "Bonnie! How could you not?"
Bonnie winced at her sister's scolding. "I just forgot, okay?!" Iris shook her head, scoffing whilst Elena sat besides Bonnie, unable to stop herself from staring at the graveyard as they passed by on their way to school.
"So, Grams tells us how we're psychic, right? And apparently, out ancestors are from Salem. Like, witches and all that," Iris recalled her grandmother's drunken rambles in a tone of disbelief, unable to stop the scoff that left her lips. "I know, right?" She retorted with a skeptic chuckle. "But she was just going on and on about it. And I'm like, Geez, put this woman in a home already! But then, I remembered our uncanny accuracy... We predicted Obama, Heath Ledger, Britney's comeback, and I still think Florida will break off into little resort islands..." squinting her eyes at the girl in the passenger seat, who was starting to daze off, she called out sternly, but not without a smile. "El! Hello? Back in the car!"
The brunette girl jumped, momentarily frightened by the interruption. Elena snapped out of her daze, an apologetic smile on her face. "I did it again, didn't I?" She muttered, sending her friend an apologetic glance. "I'm sorry, Iris. You were saying...?"
Iris smiled again, glancing at her sister who smiled back, both girls having this understanding not to display the overwhelming amount of pity they felt for their friend on their face. "That we're psychic now."
Elena chuckled, her lips curling into a smirk. "Okay, so if you're really psychic, why don't you predict something?" She proposed, a teasing smirk on her face. "About us all."
Iris looked at Bonnie, raising a perfectly waxed brow. "Should we do it together?" The older twin nodded, both girls taking a deep breath before relaxing their muscles, pretending to focus. It almost scared Elena how in-sync they were sometimes. "Hm, well, I see..." but before Bonnie or Iris could complete their prediction, something slammed into the windshield, the raven-haired girl jerked the steering wheel to the side and slammed on the breaks, causing the car to skid across the road and come to a full stop. "Oh, my G-d!" Iris breathed out, placing a hand over her heart. "What the hell was that?"
Bonnie swallowed, calming her own breathing before the two girls looked at Elena in worry, given the circumstances. "Are you okay, El? We're so sorry," the two twins spoke simultaneously, worry etched into their features.
Elena sent her friends a reassuring smile. "I'm fine, okay? No need to worry about me."
"It was, like, a bird or something," Bonnie said, trying to make sense of the situation. "It just... it came out of nowhere."
Furrowing her eyebrows, Iris glanced at the windshield, spotting a lone black feather. "I actually think it was a crow," she muttered under her breath, which went unheard by the two other girls.
Elena rolled her eyes, chidingly at her friend's concern. "It's okay, Bon. Really, I can't be freaked out by cars my entire life."
Bonnie nodded. "Good."
Iris smiled at the two girls, deciding to lighten the mood, she decided to finish her prediction. "I predict this year is going to be kick-ass, for all of us. The sad and dark times are over, and we're going to be beyond happy. Plus, hot guys might just be in the mix."
"I'll hold you to that," Elena grinned, all the girls letting out a laugh and smiling, feeling the tension from earlier slowly lifting as they continued on their way to school.
As soon as they arrived, the girls were met with bustling students who were rushing through the halls of Mystic Falls High School, all eager to greet and catch up with the friends they haven't seen all summer. Meanwhile, Bonnie, Elena, and Iris were strutting down the hallway, observing their old classmates and the newcomers.
Glancing around the hallways, Bonnie furrowed her eyebrows, commenting, "Major lack of male real estate." Spotting a girl in a very unappealing dress, she cringed slightly. "Look at the shower curtain on Kelly Beech. She looks like a - can I still say "tranny mess"?" Bonnie questioned, stopping to lean by the metal lockers as the three girls looked at the dress, cringing.
Iris rolled her eyes, letting out a small laugh. "Bon-Bon, that's been over for awhile," she teased.
Beginning to open her locker, Bonnie muttered, jovially, "Ah, find a man, coin a phrase... it's a busy year!"
Spotting Matt Donovan, her ex-boyfriend, Elena sent the blonde-haired boy a small smile and faint wave, but he just shook his head and walked away, obviously still very bitter about their break-up. Sighing in defeat, the brown-eyed girl turned to Iris and Bonnie, slouching her shoulders in disappointment. "He hates me!"
Iris sent her friend a reassuring smile, even if underneath she was slightly enjoying the cold shoulder Elena was getting from Matt. Even if it was middle school when Matt had dumped her for Elena, it was still wrong by the best friend code to go after your best friend's boyfriend. "That's not hate," she chuckled. "That's "You dumped me, but I'm too cool to show it, but secretly, I'm listening to Air Supply's Greatest Hits"."
Bonnie nodded. "He doesn't hate you, he's just bitter." Elena sighed, nodding.
"I guess..." but before the brunette could say anymore, a high-pitched and ever-so loud voice came from the one and only, Caroline Forbes: blonde, over-achiever, and typical bitch - but only when she wanted to. Which was, like, always.
"Elena? Oh, my G-d!" Elena stumbled back from the force of her friend's hug, patting Caroline on the back, awkwardly with a tense smile spreading across her face. "How are you?" Caroline asked, once she had released her tight grip on her. She smiled, a look of concern washing over her features. "Oh, it's so good to see you." Turning to Iris and Bonnie, she whispered. "How is she? Is she good?"
Elena rolled her eyes. "Caroline, I'm right here," she spoke through gritted teeth. "And I'm fine, really. Thank you."
Caroline frowned, eyeing the girl, skeptically. "Really?"
"Yes," Elena nodded. "Much better." Even if it sounded forced, it was better than nothing.
Wrapping her friend in another hug, the blonde couldn't help herself as she muttered under her breath, "Oh, you poor thing."
"Okay, Caroline," Elena breathed out, beginning to get even more agitated than what she already was.
Clapping her hands together, Caroline turned towards to the other girls with a large grin planted onto her pretty features. "Okay, see you guys later!" Before spinning on her heel, she turned to Iris. "Remember, meet me at the Grill after school today."
Iris nodded, her lips curving into a small smile. "I work today, so I'll be there."
Caroline nodded, cheerfully as she pivoted and walked off to the other direction of the hallway, leaving the three listen to the loud sound of her heels clicking against the linoleum floor, watching as her curls bounced in the air as she walked away.
"No comment," Elena said, making sure the blonde was far enough away not to hear them.
"I wasn't going to say anything," the twin grinned, mischievously as they spoke simultaneously, bumping hips with each other as they followed Elena.
Continuing through the halls, Iris couldn't prevent herself from halting in her steps, eyeing a guy clad in a leather jacket that looked to be designer, who was standing at the front desk in the main office. "Hold up." She narrowed her eyes, trying to place him - but having no such luck. "Who's this?"
Elena's eyebrows furrowed, shrugging. "All I see is back."
"And what a well-sculpted back, that is." Bonnie added, licking her lips slightly. Iris whacked her sister's shoulder, laughing.
"Down, doggy."
Iris then turned back to the man, tilting her head. "I'm sensing... Italian," she commented. "And he cooks!"
Elena and Bonnie let out a laugh, shaking their heads. "You're really going to run this whole psychic thing into the ground, aren't you?" Elena teased, chuckling to herself.
Iris tapped her chin for a moment, before nodding. "Pretty much."
Seeing movement out of the corner of her eye, Elena's gaze followed a figure swaying their way into the boy's bathroom. She let out a frustrated sigh, muttering in disappointment. "Jeremy, of course."
Iris gave her friend a sad smile. "Take care of that, hot Italian guy will still be here."
With a thankful smile, the brunette rushed off to the bathroom's to take care of her little brother, leaving the two Bennett twins to stare at the leather clad man.
"I say Seattle," Bonnie muttered, not tearing her eyes off the man's back. "And he plays the guitar."
Iris scoffed. "Uh, no. Italian and he cooks."
"Whatever," Bonnie muttered. "I still say Seattle."
"If it makes you feel better, Bon-Bon."
The two girls held their breaths as the man turned around and they got a look at the man's face, even with his sunglasses on, you could see he was extremely gorgeous with a sculpted face, forest green eyes, and perfectly styled fawn-colored hair. He was stunning, elegant-looking, and all around hot. They watched as he walked past them, giving a curt nod as a greeting and Iris couldn't help but get a weird feeling, a feeling of death off the man.
A slight gasp escaped Iris' lips as she felt inexplainable emotions wash over her, closing her eyes and trying to get rid of the bad feeling. It was like death, self-loathing, and depression all in one emotion and Iris could barely handle it. Grabbing her sister's arm, she opened her eyes to see a concerned looking Bonnie. "I'll be okay, just don't feel good."
Bonnie went to say something, but before she could, her sister had already taken off down the hallway, almost running. What in the hell just happened?
As she walked down the hallway, Iris' heeled boots made a slight clicking sound against the floors. What in the hell was that? And why did she feel that way? Iris ran a hand through her brown curls, letting out a breath of exhaustion. She'd have to ask her Grams about this, maybe she would have an answer? A squeak left her lips as a hand shot out a classroom door, dragging her into the room and shutting the door.
"Jeremy?" Iris frowned, looking at the youngest Gilbert. "What the hell?"
The brown-haired boy, that seemed to be going through a goth stage, smiled sheepishly. "I wanted to talk..." Iris nodded, slowly as she stared at him, suspiciously.
"Class starts in a few, Jer," she swallowed, looking up at the boy who seemed to tower over her. Since when had Jeremy Gilbert gotten so tall? "Y-You should really be on time."
Jeremy chuckled, successfully pressing the girl between himself and the desk. "You didn't seem to mind be late to work this summer," he retorted, remembering the past summer adventures they had done in more than just one place. Truth be told, no girl would ever measure up to the elusive Iris Elizabeth Bennett.
Iris' breath caught in her throat, shivering as Jeremy's lips grazed her ear slightly, almost tempting her to close her eyes. "W-We really shouldn't..."
"Shouldn't what?" Jeremy whispered against her neck, pressing chaste kisses here and there. "I shouldn't kiss you? I shouldn't recall every time I made you moan my name? I guess that means I really shouldn't think about all the screams that you could barely cover in my bed."
And before Iris could react, Jeremy's lips are upon her's and he places a hand splayed across the small of her back, intensifying the kiss as he pulls her as close to his body as he can. His other hand holds Iris' cheek as he kisses her, slowly getting deeper and deeper, and just as Jeremy goes to slip his tongue into her mouth, the bell rings and ruins the moment.
Iris let out a laugh once they had pulled away, Jeremy's forehead leaning against hers. "Saved by the bell," she teased, biting her lip slightly. Jeremy chuckled, rolling his eyes before placing a chaste kiss against her forehead.
"I'll see you later, okay?" Iris nodded, leaning up and kissing Jeremy one last time before she slipped out of the classroom, knowing that Jeremy would leave that same classroom with a happy attitude and a hop in his step to his class. Shaking her head, Iris still felt the emotions that had poured out of him, passion, love, and adoration. Since when had she been able to feel other's emotions?