Chapter one-

Ashton's POV

I opened my eyes as I felt the breeze from my open window hit me. I sat up and went to close it as someone knocked on my door. I inhaled a deep breath then let it out.

"What?" I questioned.

"Wake up and get dressed." Elena's voice answered and I sighed groaning inwardly and went into the bathroom and got dressed. A while later I came downstairs to Aunt Jenna freaking out and Jeremy sipping coffee.

"Don't you have a big presentation today?" Elena questioned as I took her cup of coffee and sipped it as she sighed and went to make another one.

"I'm meeting with my thesis advisor at... now. Crap!" She started to panic as she rushed and grabbed her bags.

"Then go. We'll be fine." She smiled at aunt Jenna as she rushed out the door.

"You guys okay?" She turned to Jeremy and me.

"Don't start." We spoke at the same time as Jeremy went outside and caught a ride with one of his stoner friends as I just watched the news. Them talking about a couple named Brooke and Darren.

* In Bonnie's car*

"Hey, Bonnie." Elena smiled.

"Hey 'Lena." She smiled then slowly looked into her rearview mirror and looked at me. "Hi, Ash." She spoke in a low tone and I nodded at her.

"So, tell me, what's been going on?" Elena looked at Bonnie who smiled.

"So, Grams is telling me I'm psychic. Our ancestors were from Salem, witches and all that, I know, crazy, but she's going on and on about it, and I'm like, put this woman in a home already! But then I started thinking, I predicted Obama and I predicted Heath Ledger, and I still think Florida will break off and turn into little resort islands... Elena! Ash! Back in the car." She frowned a bit as she looked to Elena.

"We did it again, didn't we? I-I'm sorry, Bonnie. You were telling us that..." Elena spoke as I looked out of the car and watched as a black figure came hurtling towards the car. I couldn't tell what it was until it's wing slapped against the windshield and the car jerked to a stop, but something was holding me to the seat. I took a deep breath as my heart started pounding.

"What was that?! Oh, my god! Elena, Ash, are you okay?" She questioned looking from Elena to me.

"It's okay, I'm fine." She answered.

"All good back here," I responded putting my thumbs up and Bonnie sighed nodding.

"It was like a bird or something. It came out of nowhere." She responded.

"It was a crow," I responded, but how did I know that? All I saw was that it was a wing and that it would've been a bird because of its wing.

"Really, we can't be freaked out by cars for the rest of our lives," Elena reassured her.

"Okay, you know what? I predict this year is going to be kick ass. And I predict all the sad and dark times are over and you are going to be beyond happy." Bonnie smiled at Elena. If it was towards me, then I already knew it would've been a complete lie. Nothing good has happened to me since mum and dad died. Then... Chance. I looked up as we started to drive again and seen the crow on top of a road sign.

*At the high school*

I looked over and seen Matt looking this way and we shared a nod. Elena waved to him and he looked away ignoring her.

"He hates me." Elena pouted. She dumped him over the summer. It wasn't a clean one either. It was pretty sad.

"Oh, Elena, That's not hate. 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 said and Elena just smiled at her and I rolled my eyes as Caroline walked over. So, I walked away and into the boy's bathroom. I walked in and took a joint out of my book bag, then I lit it. I smoked it for a while and I could barely remember much by the time I finished it. Good thing the stall that I was in had an open next to it. The bathroom would've been seriously foggy. The smell, however... After a while, I left the stall and Jeremy walked in.

"Dude, you're so gone." Jeremy laughed as I started to laugh with him. I looked in the mirror and seen my blood red eyes as I took the eye drops from Jeremy and popped in a few drops as Elena came storming into the bathroom. She stormed over to us and grabbed our faces and looked into our eyes.

"Great, it's the first day of school and you two are stoned. Come on Ash, you're supposed to help me on this." She crossed her arms.

"We're not stoned," Jeremy spoke for us. I can't teen right now.

"Where is it?" She started body searching us. "Is it on you?" She questioned.

"Hey, back off!" I shouted.

"You need to chill yourself, all right?" Jeremy spoke starting to get mad.

"Chill myself? What is that, stoner talk? Dude, you guys are so cool." She finished doing the body search on Jeremy and made her way over to me.

"Look, get lost! We don't have anything on us. Are you insane?" I yelled at her and she turned red.

"You haven't insane! Jeremy, Ashton, I gave you both a summer pass, but I'm done watching you destroy yourselves. Ashton, I thought you were better than this. No, no, no, you know what? Go ahead. Keep it up. But just know that I am going to be there to ruin your buzz ever time, you boys got that? Guys, I know who you are. And it's not who you're being right now. So, don't be this person." She went to hug me and I pushed her away from me.

"We don't need this," Jeremy told her as he nodded his head to the door and we walked out.

*History class*

"Once, our home state of Virginia joined confederacy in 1861, it created a tremendous amount of tension within the state. People in Virginia's northwest region had different ideas than those from the traditional deep south. Then Virginia divided in 1863 with the northwest region joining the union." He kept talking, but I zoned out. I didn't care what was being said anymore.

*At the Cemetery*

I sat staring at the name engraved into the stone of who was once my best friend. I sat there staring, drinking our favorite. Bourbon mixed with a little bit of whiskey.

"Hey, bud, it's been a while. How've you been? Me, I've just been... being alive. Something... you aren't. I sniffed and leaned back as I took another sip of our drink. "I really miss you, man," I spoke. "Remember when we were thirteen and we snuck out to go to that party. You got laid, man. You lost your virginity to that girl. You told me her breath smelled like cheap vodka." I chuckled. "Then, the party was busted and we both got caught by our parents because we were idiots and forgot they checked in on us when they got tired and were heading to bed." I sniffed and blinked back the tears.

"Remember that Red mustang your dad gave you before he passed away? I got 'er all fixed up buddy... we were supposed to drive her together." I went silent after that. I watched as Elena wrote into her diary from afar. I blinked as a crow landed on top of Chance's tomb as a fog I didn't notice before started to get thicker. The crow and I started at each other as my red eyes just slowly blinked as I held out the drink the bird and it made a noise and flew away as I heard Elena scream. I got up and went to grab my bag when... it wasn't anywhere near me. I walked over two tombstones down and grabbed it. I turned around and a man with black hair and blue eyes stood right behind me.

"Ah, dude, you almost scared me," I told him as he just smiled at me.

"Jackson? Thought you were dead." He spoke looking me over. "Nice look, you really tried to blend in." He looked into my eyes.

"What? Dude, how stoned are you. My name is Ashton... Ashton, not Jackson." I shook my head at the guy and started to walk away. But, I turned around and handed the drink to the man. "If you're already stoned then enjoy." I looked to Chance's grave. "I know he did," I answered as the guy looked to Chance's grave and I walked away as the fog started to disappear and I heard a scream right next to my ear.

"God, Ash, you scared me." She sighed placing a hand over her heart. "Hey, Stefan this is... where did he go?" She looked around. I was thinking about saying something, but then I decided against my terrible judgment and just shook my head and started to walk home.

"Ash, wait!" Elena tried to catch up with me.

*At the Mystic Grill*

I walked into the Mystic Grill after I finally got rid of Elena... after she scolded me for drinking. I looked over and seen Jeremy talking to Vicky. Poor kid, he really likes her. He needs to move on. She´s just a quickie for everyone to pass around apparently. I spotted Tyler and Matt and walked over to their table sitting next to Matt as they were talking.

¨Please, tell me you´re not hooking up with my sister." Matt spoke as he nodded at me.

¨I´m not hooking up with your sister." Tyler smirked and I rolled my eyes.

¨You´re such a dick.¨ Matt and I spoke at the same time.

¨What´s up middle Gilbert." Tyler nodded at me and I returned it.

¨Dude, you reek of alcohol." Matt looked at me.

¨Yeah, it´s nothing.¨ I told him and nodded. I looked over and watched as Bonnie and Caroline entered the Grill. They were talking intently about something... or someone. After a while, I asked Vicky for a Bourbon and she winked at me and told me that she´d be right back with my drink.

¨How´s Elena doing?" Matt asked me. I know he still cared.

¨Our mum and dad died... how do you think? She´s putting on a good face, but it´s only been four months." I spoke.

¨Has she said anything about me?¨ He questioned as Tyler left the grill.

¨I never care enough to listen to much of what she has to say to me anymore. So, sorry dude, you gotta man up and talk to her."I responded and he signed.

¨I´ll feel weird calling her. She broke up with me." Matt told me and I shrugged as Caroline finally spotted me.

¨Oh, my god! Ashton!" She rushed over and Matt quickly left.

¨Hey, Caroline."I patted her back as she hugged me.

¨How´ve you been? Are you okay?" She questioned.

¨I´m the same way I´ve always been Caroline." I responded and she held me closer than the first time.

¨You poor thing."She rubbed my back as I looked at Bonnie who shrugged her shoulders and gave an apologetic look. As she pulled away Vicky gave me the drink and I quickly downed it as I smiled at her as she took the drink away.

¨I don´t think you need any more of anything to drink but water Ash,΅ Bonnie told me and I just looked away from her. I watched as Elena and some guy walked in and Matt had a hurt look on his face before he quickly covered it up. That´s my boy.

¨Elena!¨ Caroline waved her over. Crap, I thought I got rid of her. She came over with the guy and they sat down as I was now crammed against the wall. Matt walked over.

¨Hey, I´m Matt, nice to meet you.¨ He responded and Elena slowly looked at him.

¨Hi, Stefan.¨ He introduced himself.

¨So, you´re the imaginary friend that I thought Elena had made up that day in the woods.¨ I blew out a breath as he looked at me with slightly wide eyes.

¨Y-yeah, that´s me. I´m 100% real."He spoke.

¨Hi...¨ Matt spoke to Elena as she awkwardly said it back.

¨So, you were born in Mystic Falls?¨ Caroline started her game of questions like she always does with guys that she knows she wants to bang. God, she´s annoying.

¨Mm-hmm. And I moved when I was still young." Stefan answered with a calm facial expression the entire time.

¨Parents?" Bonnie questioned.

¨My parents passed away." He said with the same facial expression as before.

¨I´m sorry.¨ Elena rubbed his shoulder as he smiled at her. ¨Any siblings?" Elena questioned. What the hell is this? Twenty-one questions?

¨None that I talk to. I live with my uncle.¨ He responded.

¨So, Stefan, if you´re new. Then, you don´t know about the party tomorrow." Caroline began.

¨It´s a back to school thing at the falls.¨ Bonnie told him.

¨Are you going?" Stefan questioned Elena who I knew was going to answer no.

¨Of course she is."Bonnie widened her eyes at Elena who did the same then turned to Stefan.

¨Yeah, I guess so." She smiled at him. ¨Ash?¨ She questioned.

¨Why even ask him? You know he´s going." Caroline bit her lip as she looked at me. Party? Hell yeah! Time to get laid!