Author's Note

Some background on this story:

I started writing a Klaroline Christmas story earlier this year set a few years into the future (never posted it). I liked the back story about her and her friends so much that I decided I would write the "back story" first and keep the Klaroline Christmas fic for the sequel. Well, as I started writing this new story, I wasn't getting very far. I realized that this was not the story I wanted to tell.

I read a few books, most recently The Maze Runner, where stuff has happened prior to the book starting and the characters keep referencing things as if you're already supposed to know, and eventually you catch on or it gets explained somehow (although in The Maze Runner, the main character, Thomas was as clueless as the reader). I decided to take a similar approach to this fic. So (not to make things confusing) I decided to start in the middle of the original back story. It will be told in real time with certain things being recalled via flashback, so if that's confusing, I apologize. I'm also not even sure if this is even going to be the same story I started off writing.

It's sort of already developed a mind of it's own and things I didn't originally intend to happen are happening and I'm only four chapters in. Right now, it's written in 3rd person, but following Elena. I may change it up later depending on what's going on. If there's something specific you'd like to see in the flashbacks, let me know in the reviews. If it's not already in my plans to recap, I'll mention you when I add it in. Finally, I'm rating it T, although some themes may be more mature (such as teen drug use-no details, just that it happens- and who knows what else, since like I said this story has developed a life of its own). If you guys feel like I should change the rating, let me know. I love reading reviews. When I have a lot of good reviews, it a) reminds me to post chapters that I've already written and b) encourages me to write more.

Also, in this story, Elena and Katherine are twins and Isobel is their mother. Their last name is Flemming.

Enjoy!

Summary

AU/All Human. Elena is starting back to school after being away for nearly a year and half. No one truly knows everything that happened before she left and while she was gone. Not even Elena.

Chapter 1

"Good morning!" Elena announced as she appeared in the kitchen. Elena headed straight for the refrigerator and grabbed the orange juice. When she turned back around, her family was giving her strange looks. "What?" Elena asked, confused.

"Nothing," her mother, Isobel, said as she shook her head slightly and stood up from the table. Her step-father, Alaric, turned back to the newspaper he was reading, and her twin sister, Katherine, turned back to continue cutting up the pancakes in front of her to give to the nearly two year-old in the high chair. "It's just, this is your first day back at school and-"

"Yeah, Mom. And it's Kat's first day too. Senior year- woot!" Elena pumped her fist in the air for good measure. She grabbed the extra cup that was sitting on the counter for her.

Isobel gave an exasperated sigh. "You know that's not what I mean."

"I know." Elena said as she poured the juice, then began to screw the lid back on. "I just wish you would stop making this a bigger deal than it actually is. I had a break down a year and a half ago."

"It wasn't just a breakdown, Elena. You almost died!"

"And it was over a year ago! It's in the past. It's been dealt with, and I've been fine for months. You don't have to treat me with kid gloves! I'm fine."

"You've been using that word 'fine' a lot."

"Because I am!"

A cry came from upstairs, and Isobel sighed. "Now your sister's awake."

"I'll get her." Alaric said as he stood from the table.

"Thank you, baby." Isobel said and turned to give Alaric a quick kiss before he headed upstairs.

"Kat and I should go. Don't want to be late for the first day of senior year." Elena took a gulp of juice and walked to the door and grabbed her book bag.

"Elena!" Isobel called before she appeared in the room. Elena sighed and looked at her mother. "I love you."

"I love you too, Mom."

Katherine appeared around the corner carrying the little girl she had been feeding.

"Okay, Bri. Go to Momo." Isobel held her hands out for the little girl who happily went to her. Katherine grabbed her things and followed Elena out the door.

"So," Katherine started once they were already on their way to school. "I know you kind of shot Mom down before, but are you sure you're ready?"

Elena let out the breath she had been holding. "Honestly? No. But if I don't go back now, I don't think I ever will. And, I mean, it's our senior year. Even though a lot of shit has happened since Freshman year, the one thing I always knew is that we would spend Senior year together."

Katherine smiled at her sister from the driver's seat. They pulled into the parking lot and Elena looked up at the school. It seemed so foreign yet so familiar.

"Hey look," Katherine said as she turned to glance out the window. "It's Caroline!"

"Alright, girls. Do you have everything?" Isobel asked her daughters from the driver's seat. "Books? Pens?" She paused and lowered her voice. "Tampons?"

"Mom!" Elena and Katherine both yelled.

"I'm sorry! I just want to make sure that you're prepared. It's your first day of high school."

"We're fine, Mom." Elena told her.

"Hey look! It's Caroline!" Katherine jumped out. "Bye!" She said quickly before running away from the car. "Hey, Care! Wait up!"

Isobel sighed. "I love you."

"Love you too, Mom." Elena smiled and closed the door, then ran to catch up with her sister.

"It was so amazing!" Elena heard Caroline say as she approached them.

"What was amazing?"

"What took you so long, slowpoke?" Katherine asked.

Elena rolled her eyes and decided she wouldn't answer. Caroline understood what that eye-roll meant and answered Elena's question. "I was just telling Katherine about my trip to the Bahamas. My dad rented a room at the Atlantis for the entire summer!"

"Daddy buying your affection again?" Katherine joked.

Caroline shrugged. "At least he's making the attempt."

"Speaking of father figures making attempts..." Elena started.

"Remember that Ric guy, mom started dating last year?" Katherine finished her sister's thought.

"Yeah." Caroline said slowly unsure of where this was headed.

"He took us on a date." Katherine said, almost disgusted.

"What?!" Caroline exclaimed.

"It wasn't a date!" Elena countered as she rolled her eyes.

"Oh yeah? What do you call dinner and a movie?" Katherine asked her sister.

"I call it spending time with his girlfriend's daughters." She said to Katherine then turned to Caroline, "It looks like he and Mom are getting pretty serious, and I think it's sweet that he's trying to get to know us."

"What you call 'sweet' I call 'weird and creepy'."

"Obviously, we don't agree on the matter." Elena told Caroline.

"I can see that." Caroline began walking inside and the twins followed her.

"This is it, guys" Katherine said as they stepped inside the school.

"The first day of the rest of our lives." Elena added.

"The first day of the rest of our lives." Elena mumbled.

"What?" Katherine asked.

Elena shook herself out of her thoughts ."What?"

"You said something."

"I did? Sorry. I was just thinking about the first day of Freshman year."

"Wow, that seems so long ago."

"I know. Like a lifetime ago."

"You mean a Lifetime movie ago."

"Try like four Lifetime movies." The two girls giggled. "I've missed this." Elena said.

"Me too. I'm glad you're finally back."

Katherine squeezed her sister's hand and smiled. They heard tapping on the window and looked up.

"Guys!" Caroline yelled, "Hurry up! We'll be late!" Caroline gave Elena a huge hug when she got out of the car. "Oh my gosh! I've missed you so much! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Care."

"That's good. Katherine, how are Bri and Hilly?"

"They're both growing up way too fast."

"Why didn't you ask me about Hillarie?" Elena asked suddenly. Hurt was evident in her voice.

"What?" Caroline asked. She knew exactly what Elena had said, but she was a little embarrassed that Elena had called her out.

"I mean, she's my sister too."

"I-" Caroline stuttered. "I just...you haven't lived with her as long as Katherine has. I didn't think-"

Elena forced a smile. "It's fine. I get it, Care." Elena walked ahead of the other two and into the school.

The school hadn't changed a whole lot. One difference that caught her eye though was a large frame. In large letters at the top was written: "We Will Never Forget". Eleven black ribbons were underneath with gold writing on them.

Gunshots rang out. Screams filled her ears. Elena was ducked underneath a table in the library. She could hear someone calling her name, but she was too afraid to respond.

"Elena! Elena!"

"Elena!" Katherine called.

Elena jerked out of her thoughts.

"Why are there 11?" She asked as she motioned to the frame. "They only killed 9."

"Lena-" Katherine started sadly.

"Why are there 11?!" Elena yelled causing a few kids to stop and turn their heads.

Katherine gave the nosy kids a look and pulled Elena to the side. She took a deep breath before starting, "They may have killed 9 people, but they died too, Elena."

"And we're memorializing them?"

"The Lockwoods were the ones who had the frame commissioned. Of course they were going to recognize their son." Elena's breathing became rapid. "Are you okay?" Katherine asked her.

Elena shook her head. "Mom was right. I can't be here."

Elena turned and ran toward the door. Just as she was almost outside, she nearly ran into someone. Whoever it was grabbed her shoulders.

"Whoa! Wait...Elena?"

Elena looked up, tears streaming down her face. "Stefan?"

"Are you okay?"

"Let me go, Stefan." Elena struggled against him. "I have to get out of here."

"Elena, calm down."

"I said let me go!" Elena gave one final push hard enough to knock Stefan off balance so that she could get away.

She just started running with no clear direction on where she was headed. The other students were giving her strange looks, but Elena didn't care. She headed into the wooded area near the school, and ran far enough that she was engulfed by trees and there was no obvious way out. Suddenly, her foot caught on a fallen branch and she tripped. Elena eased herself up to a sitting position and fell back against a tree as painful sobs escaped her chest. She wasn't sure how long she had been sitting there, when she heard it.

"Elena? Elena Flemming?" A voice she'd never expected to hear in Mystic Falls called out.

Elena looked up, caught by surprise and positive that she was mistaken, but sure enough there stood Rebekah Mikaelson.