Life sucks. No, don't get me wrong, I love my older cousin a lot, but I loved my dad more than anybody I've ever known. The cancer came so quick, and I didn't know what to do. I had no mother to cry to, and I had no friends to talk to. At least I'd have Tyler now that I'm back in Mystic Falls. In New York City, I was a loner. I didn't like opening up or any of that crap. Also, I had bigger worries than "how my hair isn't the perfect shade like Selena Gomez" or "I don't look like a Victoria's Secret model" Who the hell cares? I'll tell you who. Not me.
Maybe I was just bitter. Maybe I was lonely and sad even before my dad was gone. My mom died at a young age, and I wasn't bothered to make new friends when I moved into the city. But I had a record for changing all my unhappy emotions into anger and rage.
And I was still in utter shock. Sure, my dad was getting worse and worse and the doctors were preparing me for the heartbreak, but I had already lost one parent. How bad could my luck be? Sadly, my luck was bad, and I sat in my house for over a month. I didn't talk to anyone-not that I had somebody I trusted enough-and I lost the only person who was always there for me. I did my schoolwork as I knew my dad would want me to keep m perfect grades, but other than that, I did nothing. I refused to leave the apartment, but I was a minor. My dad had written in his will that he wanted me sent to his sister's. I knew why. He knew that starting over again would only make me worse. I would never talk to anybody, so by sending me to my hometown, I at least had my old friends and my cousin.
So I packed up all my stuff when the two months were up. Before I left, I had found out there was a terrible fire in Mystic Falls. It killed a lot of people including my uncle. I never really knew him that well, but I felt the pain for Tyler. But at least he had his mom to help him through the hard time. I just spent the past two months alone.
"Daniela, we've missed you so much! I haven't seen you since you were seven. Look at you nine years later! Tyler is upstairs. The funeral is tomorrow. We've been through a lot, but you have too. I'm sorry about your dad. He was a great person and my favorite sibling," Aunt Carol said to me. I smiled weakly as I have since the day he died. I was sick of hearing people who didn't even know me say 'I'm sorry for your loss.' I wasn't a pity case.
"Mom, who's this?" Tyler ran down the stairs looking rather distraught. His father's death must have taken a toll on him. We hadn't ever talked since I moved away. I've never seen Tyler in the flesh after than either. He looked the same, just older and buffer. Plus, only Aunt Carol was able to make it to the funeral. She came just for the day and asked if I wanted to leave yet. But I couldn't.
"Tyler, Tsk, tsk, how could you forget your favorite cousin?," I pretend to scowl.
"Danni!" Tyler ran down the stairs, opening his arms to hug me. "What happened to the buck teeth, croaked nose, blonde hair, bushy eyebrows?"
"Umm…braces, I broke my nose skateboarding so they fixed it, my hair darkened like my mom's, and I got my eyebrows waxed. Anymore questions?"
"How have you been?" he asked me.
"Well," I started. "my dad died of cancer."
"Oh my god, Danni. I forgot. I'm so sorry," Tyler said, but I shrugged.
"I'm doing all right. Hard without having my mom though. I had to leave the big apple. Wasn't fond of it… You know me. I'd rather be playing sports or breathing in the fresh air."
We chatted for a while and caught up on each other's lives until I put my things away in the guest bedroom. I looked around, and it was rather big. After, this place was a mansion. It had a bed between two windows, a white-painted wood desk with a matching dresser, and its own bathroom. I dropped my one suitcase to the ground and placed my duffel bag on my bed. I started dumping it out, and I saw a picture of my mom and dad that was taken before I was born. I let a delicate teardrop fall on the frame before putting it down.
"Mom, how I wished you were here. I miss you and dad," I whispered. "I hope you're both in a better place."
"Do you want a hug?"
I smiled at my (eavesdropping) cousin who pulled me in for a gigantic hug. How I missed having friends and family. What ever happened? Oh yeah, my dad moved us to New York. "At least your dad wasn't a dick," Tyler laughed.
"Yeah, that only makes the pain worse," I replied, wiping my eyes.
"Hey, I'm meeting some friends later. You remember Matt, Jeremy, Elena, and Bonnie? Wanna' make bets on who will recognize you first?"
"You're on!" I laughed, trying to get over my pain. "They'll take forever. We're not seven anymore."
"Yeah, but you still look like a seven-year-old."
I grinned sheepishly and play punch my Tyler on the arm. "I'm going to say Jeremy or Bonnie," I said. "I would have said Caroline, but you didn't mention her. Did she move?"
"No, uh, she's in the hospital, but she'll be all right," Tyler added the last part quickly after seeing my face. "I promise. and yeah, true. I remember Jeremy having a huge crush on you."I blushed, staring down at the floor. "…or was it the other way around? No, he liked you. But, I'm going to say Elena or Bonnie. You and Elena were close."
"Okie, I got Jeremy and Matt, and you have Elena and Bonnie." We nod in agreement. "Twenty bucks."
"Deal."
Yes, this is my relationship with my cousin.
I walk into the Mystic Grill, and town square was exactly as I remember it. I giggled to myself, thinking of the distant memories as I saw all my old friends, grown up at a table. They all looked so different. Tyler and I sat down, and nobody recognized me. "Sorry to sound rude, but who are you?" Bonnie eventually asked after moments of awkward silence.
"Nobody remembers me?" They shook their heads, and I let out a smile. "Shame." We were all good friends, but they had a point. I looked nothing like I did as a kid.
After a few seconds, Jeremy said out loud, "Ella, I've missed you!" He got out of the seat and picked me up into a hug. I hugged him back, and everyone finally caught on. I smiled happily. Nobody had called me Ella in nine years. Well, Jeremy was the only one to ever have had. "Nine years has it been? Too long, that's for sure."
"Danni, I'm sorry for the rude reintroduction," Bonnie apologized. "We've all been through a lot. Caroline's in the hospital along with Elena's uncle. Tyler lost his dad," Tyler and I shot each other sympathetic faces. "The wake is today."
"Danni's been through a lot recently too," Tyler said. "Her dad just died of cancer." Jeremy let go of me and gave me a sympathetic look. Everyone told me they were sorry for my lost, but I didn't want sorry's. Sorry wasn't going to bring my dad back. My dad was all I really had.
"I'm getting by. It's been two months, but there was a lot to do. All I want now is to breathe fresh air and start over. By the way, Tyler, I think you owe me some money."
"Why does Tyler owe you money" Elena asked curiously.
"We had bets on who'd notice me first," I responded then turned to Jeremy. "How did you recognize me?"
"The eyes," he responded.
"Awe, how cute," Elena teased, making me blush.
"Shut up," I mumbled. "Well, I'm going to see Caroline. I haven't seen her in ages."
"You haven't seen any of us in ages," Matt said.
"Yes, but she's the one in a hospital bed," I smirked, leaving.
"Hey, sleepy head," I joked, walking into the hospital room. Caroline looked at me and squinted her eyes.
"Who are you?"
"Take a guess," I laughed.
"Oh my god, is that you, Danni?" Caroline gasped.
"Flesh and bones," I replied. I gave her a hug and asked, "How have you been?"
"Fine before the car crash. Did you here that Matt and I are dating?"
"Get out!" I said and added a laugh. "Weren't he and Elena all flirty as kids? Doesn't matter. I'm happy for you two."
"Thanks, and Elena and Matt did go out. They broke up last summer. Now, she's dating a new kid, Stefan. Besides, Elena and Matt weren't all flirty. You and Jeremy were," Caroline smirked.
"If one more person says that to me today..." I half said to myself.
"They say I'm healing really quick. It's almost a miracle," Caroline said before Matt and Bonnie walked in.
"Hey, Jersey Shore's on," Caroline smiled, hugging Bonnie. "Careful! I'm still a little sore." We laughed, and I caught up with Caroline because she knew everything that has happened with Mystic Falls since I left.
I was talking to Tyler at the wake before we saw a car appear. Not just anyone's car, but the one and only, Mason Lockwood. "So the black sheep returns," Tyler crosses his arms. Tyler and Mason had a fallout because of Mason's lack of ability to visit. Mason was fun to have around when we were little. Even though I was related to him though Tyler, we were close. He always brought the party. Like me, he lived carefree.
"Tyler?" Mason asked, then turned to me. "Danni? What happen to you two?"
"Last time you saw me, I was twelve years old, but that's two years older than the time before that," Tyler said.
"Tyler..." I warned him, but like all boys, they hugged it out and we went inside.
"Good to see you, Mason," I smiled.
"Same, Danni. Will it always be like this? Last time I saw you it was at a funeral. How has your father been since your mother died? I hope he found somebody. Good man," Mason said.
"Dead. Two months ago. Cancer's a bitch," I said. Mason shot me a sympathetically glance but, thankfully, didn't say anything else on the subject. Truth was, after my mom died, my dad never got back in the dating world. His love life was as empty as mine. He really cared for my mom, and now, they're both dead. I needed to stop thinking about it.
To get my mind off of things, I found Elena. "Hey, Elena, glad you could stop by," I said, and she barely smiled. Rude much, I thought but shrugged it off.
Tyler came out and said, "Hey, Elena. Come in." She walked in, completely ignoring us.
I roll my eyes to find somebody nice that I knew. First day back. Making new friends wasn't my main priority. I found Bonnie walking towards Elena. "Damon's driving me crazy," she complained. "He's walking around like he's some kind of hero for saving Caroline when it's all his fault this happened in the first place."
"Who's Damon and how did he save Caroline?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. Bonnie only turned towards me. She seemed shocked, and I assumed I heard something I wasn't supposed to.
"Oh, Danni, I didn't see you there. Damon is Elena's boyfriend's brother. It's nothing. Trust me," Bonnie smiled, and I shrugged.
"Okay," I put my arms up defensively. "Leave me out of the loop." I chuckled and was about to leave when I wanted to add something. "By the way, Elena, your hair looks pretty curled like that," I complimented. I pace around the house for a few minutes, trying to remember the place. I spent a lot of time over here when I was little, but all my memories were a blur. I was thinking about a time when Tyler and I were playing tag when I heard a thump from the room behind me. I barged in the room to see Elena holding Bonnie against the wall. I shrieked upon seeing Elena's eyes and fangs erupted from her mouth. Terror took over me as I couldn't move. Another person walked into the room, but Elena still had Bonnie gripped in her hands. They looked at me as the doors automatically opened.
"Katherine," a guy about my age said, walking in.
"Katherine?" I asked, taking a step back. I ran away before anything else could happen. I slammed the door to the bathroom shut and fell to the floor. I wrapped my arms around my legs, my body shaking. Elena's eyes...she was a monster, but that guy called her Katherine. It was clearly Elena...was it not?
I pulled myself off the floor, knowing I had to put myself together. I quietly opened the bathroom door but stopped when I heard Bonnie's voice. I left it creaked and listened to the conversation.
"Stefan, we have to find her. She saw Katherine with her fangs. God knows what's she's going to do! What if she ran to the sheriff?" Bonnie's panicked voice echoed in my ears. I stayed hidden. I couldn't talk to anybody. That image of Elena stayed in my head, burning in my memory. The fangs...it was almost as if...she was a vampire. But that was impossible. Things like that aren't real; they're make belief.
When I was sure Bonnie and the guy, Stefan were gone, I sneaked out of the bathroom. I walked hesitantly, on my guard for the two. Maybe I should have fled, but I couldn't do that to Tyler. Then again, these circumstances weren't really normal.
I kept walking until I hit somebody. I turned around and jumped. It was Elena, but the curly hair I complimented on was now straight again. "Hey, Danni. What's wrong? You seem spooked," Elena said to me, touching my arm. I backed up from her, my eyes wide.
"Elena? What just happened between you and Bonnie? You-you were wearing something completely different. And you-you hand fangs and these murderous eyes," I blurted out. Elena looked at me and gasped. It was like she knew what I was talking about.
"Danni, listen to me," Elena said, but I took another step back, shaking my head.
"St-stay away from me," I told her, scampering off. What was with everyone? It was like there was some big secret nobody was telling me. I sighed and walked off into the yard. I stomp far off and saw...Elena and whom I'm guessing to be Stefan? Yes, it definitely was Elena wearing the same clothes I saw her wearing earlier. It couldn't be Elena. No, there was two Elena's. How was that even possible. I stayed hidden by a tree and watched her talk to Stefan. Didn't Caroline say that way Elena's boyfriend?
Well, Stefan kept talking to this Elena. He was getting closer to her face, but I stayed hidden. I don't know why, but I wanted answers. Which this was pointless, considering, I couldn't hear them. And that's when the biggest shock of the evening came. Elena took the candle holder from the ground and pelted it into Stefan's gut. I clamped my hand over my mouth to stop from screaming. I took a step back and instinctively, fled. This just couldn't be happening. This must have been a dream. Elena wasn't a murderer...but she had the face of a monster earlier. But I wasn't never one to believe in the supernatural. Hell, I never even believed in Santa Claus. How could I, in anyway, explain Elena having fangs or there being two of her?
When I reached the house, nobody I knew was in sight. Bonnie must have still been looking for me. She knew something was up, but confronting her wasn't the smartest idea. Instead, I found an empty room and huddled on the floor under a table. I stayed their, fearing somebody would find me. Elena's eyes with her veins all dark. She was murderous; I should be scared.
"Ella?" a voice broke me from my thoughts. I looked up and Jeremy sat on the floor next to me. "Why are you hiding?"
"Y-you'll think I'm crazy," I mumbled, my face pressed against my jeans.
"Try me," Jeremy replied, and I cautiously picked up my head.
"Something's going on in this town, and your sister has something to do with it," I started.
"Ella, I can explain," Jeremy started, but I interrupted him.
"You-you have something to do with it too, don't you?" I asked. Jeremy didn't reply, and I shoved him out of my way. "G-get away from me!" I ran out of the room and closed the door. That was when I started to cry. Fear took over, and I didn't know what to do.
"Danni," Bonnie found me outside on the porch. I jumped up, backing away from her. "Danni, please, listen."
"What's been going on here?" But before she could answer I added, "And don't lie. Today, I saw Elena push you against the wall, showing her...fangs. Then, I saw Elena wearing different clothes about minutes later coming through the door. I also saw Elena stab Stefan with a metal candle holder! Somethings up-something terrible!"
Bonnie sighed and looked to her left. I saw the guy Elena was with earlier. Not Stefan, another guy. "Damon, I need your help," Bonnie said.
"What now?" the guy, Damon responded.
"Make her forget."
"Make me what?" I exclaimed.
"I don't want to drag her into this. Now, make her forget," Bonnie said, ignoring my comment.
"Fine," Damon said, grabbing my arm. He looked me in the eyes, and it felt like I was under a trance, but I heard his every word completely. "Don't remember anything that happened at this wake. Everything was normal. You did not see two Elena's today or anything like that," he said. I nodded, and he broke eye contact, pulling me into reality. Suddenly, I felt ten times happier. I don't know what it was, but I felt perfect.
"Bonnie?" I asked. "Is everything all right?"
"Peachy," she replied. "By the way, this is Tyler's cousin, Danni. Danni, this is Damon." I smiled, and shook the guy's hand.
"So uh, I can't remember what I've done since the wake started. I don't know why," I told Bonnie. It was as if there was an empty gap in my memory. Bonnie told me it was nothing, and she was probably right. I talked to my friends and caught up more on life. Though, I had a weird conversation with Jeremy. He kept saying that he could explain, but I kept replying I had no clue what he meant. Eventually, Bonnie pulled him aside, and he seemed okay. Other than that, everything was fine.
I was about to go to bed when I walked in on Tyler trying to tear his dad's work space. "Tyler!" I yelled as his mom walked in.
"What are you doing?" Aunt Carol asked.
"I hate him," Tyler answered in his rage. He rampaged on Aunt Carol, and Mason walked in. Mason tackled Tyler to the floor, leaving me there to watch. They fought before Mason settled Tyler down. I sighed, relieved.
"I got this," I said to Aunt Carol and Mason as they walked out. I sat with Tyler on the couch and wrapped my arm around his shoulder. "When my dad died, I didn't know what to do. Everyone thought I'd cry, but instead, I went out on my skateboard and nearly got killed. When I woke up in the hospital, the first thing I said was, "Where's my dad?" They reminded me he died, and I broke down in tears. It's okay. Nobody handles pain the same." Tyler cried on my shoulder, and I rubbed his back. I told him to go to bed, and I did the same.
As I was sitting in my bed, I grabbed my phone realizing I didn't get a good chance to talk with Jeremy. I wanted to hear about his life since we were best friends as kids. I wanted to know that he's been having a good life while mine sucked in New York. I dialed his number (I had all their numbers from the grill) but it went straight to voice mail. I shrugged, pulling up my covers. I went to bed, calm and peaceful, but when I woke up in the morning, I remembered everything. The "two" Elena's. How hypnotizing it felt when Damon told me to forget. I remembered how I did forget. But in the morning, I remembered.
Notes: Notes: I do not own TVD, and all credit goes to the producers, writers, etc. I do not own the picture as well, and the title is inspired by Britt Nicole's The Lost Get Found. Actress portraying Danni: Emily Browning