Elena Slowly opened her eyes her alarm clock still beeping, she reached over and switched it off. Herded pounded the same headache she'd had since the accident. Elena sat her self up in bed massaging her sore head before reaching to her bed side table and grabbing her Diary.

Dear Diary,

Today will be different . It has to be. I will smile and it will be believable. My smile will say I'm fine thank you. Yes I feel much better. I will no longer be the sad little girl who lost her parents. I will start fresh. Be someone new. Its the Only way i'll make it through.

Elena closed her diary and put in back in its place behind a picture on her wall, she always kept it there when she left the house, she couldn't stand the thought of anyone reading her private thoughts and memories.

Elena walked to her dresser picking out some clothes and laying them out on her bed, she then made her way to the bathroom which was conjoined to both her room and Jeremy's room. Her brother.

Elena stood and looked at herself in the mirror she wanted to feel like everything was normal she wanted to go to school and tell everyone she was okay. She wanted to mean it, but the truth hurts and the truth was that Elena was barley holding it together.

Elena opened up the medicine cabinet and took out a bottle of pills she took two with a glass of water and waited for them to kick in. Maybe she was just Imagining the headache so she had a reason to take the pills, to help her forget. It had been 3 months now, but it still felt so fresh to her.

Elena got dressed and made her way downstairs, she skipped breakfast as usually and just made a cup of coffee. She sipped it slowly staring off into space, letting her mind wander.

"Morning" Aunt Jenna said rushing downstairs grabbing her bag and messily shoving her hair up into a bun.

"Morning Aunt Jenna, Late again?" Elena said smiling to herself, Jenna was always late.

"Yeah I was trying to get your brother out of bed..again please make sure he goes to school today, Ive left some money for you both on the counter" Jenna said offering a smile to Elena.

"Thanks Jenna and believe me i'll make sure he goes don't worry, I'm getting sick of the way he's acting" Elena said shaking her head and the fact the Jeremy had kept this behaviour up all summer.

Jenna nodded in agreement and smiled before rushing out the door in a Hurry.

Elena continued to sit there for a minute before she decided to go check on her brother otherwise they would both be late for school. Plus Bonnie would be there soon to pick her up.

"Jeremy" Elena called marching up stairs. "Jeremy" She called again this time pushing open his bedroom door, he was still in bed with headphones on blasting loud music out.

"Jeremy get up now and get dressed" Elena said ripping off his headphones and throwing back the covers off his bed.

"Elena go away. Go take some more pills and leave me alone" Jeremy said back not in the mood to have this conversation with his sister.

Elena was slightly taken back by the fact that Jeremy knew about the pills but she choose to ignore it for the time being and continue lecturing Jeremy.

"Jeremy just get dressed you know this is not what mum and dad would have wanted, if they could see you now" Elena said shaking her head in disappointment.

"Oh don't give me that crap if they could see you they would be equally ashamed, the pills, the way your stringing Matt along the way you lie to your friends when you don't want to go out , I've seen you moping around there grave when you tell Jenna your with Bonnie, So don't come in here Lecturing me" Jeremy said standing up defending himself, now feeling a little guilty about what he had just said.

Elena was hurt by this, she may have been handling her grief differently but Jeremy's words hurt, especially coming from her own brother.

Elena was now mad she gripped the headphones in her hand before throwing them at Jeremy "Get up and get to school" Elena yelled turning her back to Jeremy so he couldn't see the small tear she had let escape partially because she knew he was right and partially because his words had really hurt.

Elena grabbed her cheerleading uniform and her pills she quickly slipped them into her school bag and walked outside to greet her best friend Bonnie they always drove to school together. Elena got in the passenger side and buckled her seat belt she sighed and slouched back into the seat and Bonnie instantly knew something was up.

"Jeremy again?" Bonnie asked knowing this had become a regular occurrence.

"Yeah wouldn't get out of bed again plus he's benign having around with the stoners all summer, I'm pretty sure he's on drugs too" Elena said sighing again.

"Oh Elena I'm so sorry" Bonnie said sympathising with her friend.

They pulled up at the school and Elena hesitated getting out of the car.

"You know you don't have to come back today, I'm sure everyone would understand?" Bonnie asked worried about her friend.

"Bonnie I'm fine" Elena said lying. "I just needed a minute to take it all in, so weird knowing that I'm going to go home today and my parents won't be there" Elena added taking a big breath in fighting back the tears that threatened to fall.

"Its okay I'm here for you and so is Matt and Caroline, there all waiting for you also don't tell Caroline I told you this but she's throw you a welcome back party" Bonnie said with a small laugh.

Elena laughed back rolling her eyes at her friends predictability. "Lets get to class" Elena said now getting out of the car and walking towards the school entrance.

Elena was greeted by people she didn't know offering there condolences and telling her how sorry they were for her loss. The thing she despised the most. Mystic Falls was such a small town that anything that happened everyone found out about. Elena made her way through the school offering fake smiles to everyone she bumped into.

Elena eventually made it to the safety of her locker where no-one else could ask her how she was. She turned around and was greeted bubbly Caroline and by her Ex Matt Donovan who awkwardly smiled at her from across the hall hoping that he would get another chance. Elena smiled back trying to make it as least awkward as she could.

"Oh my god Elena, how are you? Its so good to see you" Caroline said squeezing Elena into a massive hug.

"Im fine Caroline really much better" Elena said just like she had practiced in the mirror.

"Okay good I missed you so much,I'm going to head to english you guy's coming?" Caroline asked.

"Im going to head to the Bathroom i'll meet you guys there" Elena said grabbing her books from her locker and the pills from her bag, discreetly slipping them into her back pocket.

"Okay" Caroline said walking to class with Bonnie.

Elena glanced at the time she had 5 minutes before class started, so she hurried to the bathroom and quickly went into one of the stalls. She sat down on the toilet seat removing the pills from her pocket, she glanced at the label:

Miss Elena Gilbert take 2 tablets every 6 hours as needed for pain.

Elena knew she had only just taken the last dose an hour ago but she couldn't help herself she needed some relief, she needed this pain to stop and she wasn't talking about the headache. Jeremy words clouded her mind, she was no better than him if she took these pills but the urge was too strong.

Elena poured another two pills out into her palm rolling them around in her hand hesitating whether to take them or not. Elena exited the cubicle and walked towards the wash basin she looked at her reflection in the mirror. "What am I doing?" She asked herself before taking the pills with some tap water.

The bell rang snapping Elena out of her trance, she rushed out of the bathroom not looking where she was going, accidentally knocking into someone she fell to the ground dropping her books and landing awkwardly on her wrist.

"Im so sorry" The stranger said offering Elena a hand up.

Elena looked up and saw the most handsome boy she had ever laid eyes on he was wearing a leather jacket with his sun glasses folded into his shirt. His hair was a dirty blonde brown colour and his eyes were piercing green, Elena felt like she could get lost in them. There was something about him that made Elena feel drawn to the mysterious stranger.

"Wow" Elena mumbled out. Elena realising how stupid she looked quickly accepted his hand, gently rubbing her wrist she had forgotten about the pain when she was looking into his eyes.

"Im sorry I'm such an Idiot, I wasn't looking where I was going" Elena said bending down to pick up her belongings.

"Here let me help you" The mysterious boy said picking up Elena's bag and handing it to her.

"Thank you" Elena said trying to stop her jaw from gaping open.

"Is your wrist okay?" He asked noticing Elena rubbing her wrist again.

"Yeah its fine , I just fell awkwardly, probably just a sprain" Elena said getting lost in his eyes again.

"Let me take a look" he said gently taking Elena's hand in his.

Elena flinched at his touch his hands were so cold.

"Sorry cold hands" He said almost as if he knew that was the reason Elena pulled away. He examined her hand and wrist carefully before gently letting go "Looks like a sprain just be carful with it" He said his voice sounding like velvet. Elena thought the way he spoke was just magical it was like he was from another time, she was just consumed by him.

"Thanks well I better get to class I'm already so late and I think I'm running out of excuses" Elena said jokingly.

"Let me help you, don't want you hurting your wrist anymore" He said taking Elena's books from her.

Elena gladly excepted although she felt like she didn't have a choice in the matter. " I never got your name?" Elena asked being forward.

"Stefan.. Stefan Salvatore" Stefan said flashing a small smile .

END