Chapter One - No One Like I've Ever Known

I walked down the long hallway with my best friends, Bonnie and Caroline. Summer was over (sadly) and we were back to school. We spent all summer with our friends, swimming at the lake with Matt and Tyler, having sleepovers together. The only bad thing? Elena wasn't there.

Elena and I were so close...it's not even funny. But now her position as my bestest friend has been compromised by Caroline. Her and I hung out almost EVERY day of summer. We connect so well.

The four of us girls, had been the best of friends since we were little. We did everything together...and I think it was pretty safe to say that, since Elena left that summer, things have definately changed. I didn't want things to change the way they did. Everything was so...perfect.

We saw Elena across the hall at her locker. At that moment, we felt horrible for her. We knew about her parents accident, and we KNEW that she was pretending to be happy. How? Well, we're best friends. We can READ each other. Being at school right now was torture for Elena.

I know how it felt, to have a loved one die. My father died last year. Cause of death? No one knows...still. The Mystic Falls Police Department just sucks.

I sighed, looking at Elena. I walked up to her, Bonnie and Caroline following. I wanted to comfort her, like they comforted me. Like SHE comforted me.

"Elena." I said, as soon as I stepped in front of her.

She smiled. But it was fake. "Hey Eden."

I smiled back...yeah, she was fake smiling, but I didn't want to talk about this kind of thing in front of the school...i'm guessing she didn't either. Especially in front of our "followers".

God, how i hated them. They needed to get their own life, and stop trying to leech off of ours. They would never leave us alone!

Caroline smiled big. "Did you have a good trip?" she asked.

She obviously didn't know what was going on.

Elena nodded. "It was okay...i guess. What did i miss over the summer? Hopefully not too much."

I smiled a little, as Caroline and Bonnie giggled at me.

"Ooooohhh can I tell her, pleaaassseee?" Caroline asked. She LOVED gossip.

I sighed. "Finee." i smiled.

"She's going out with TYLER!"

I widened my eyes...our "followers" were right. there.

They all squealed. Ughhhhhh.

Elena laughed. "I'm sorry, what? I thought you hated Tyler? 'Tyler Lockwood is a big fat meanie, who needs to lay off the GUMMY WORRMMMSSS!' Remember?" She smiled.

"Okay, that was the SECOND grade, and yeah...but it turns out, he's really romantic."

Bonnie's face went into terror. "Uhh...yeah, he's totally romantic."

I furrowed my eyebrows and looked where she was looking.

My heart sank.

There he was, leaning against a locker smirking at HER. He was flirting with Vicki Donovan. VICKI DONOVAN! She gets high every three minutes with Elena's little brother!

Oh hell no.

"Eden?" Caroline said. "Calm down, he's just a..."

I was already half-way down the hallway.

But...the person who walked down the hallway at that moment, changed my life forever.

I bumped into someone, someone strong. Damn, they felt like a wall.

My books fell to the ground, and so did their sunglasses.

I sighed, and shook my head to clear my thoughts. We both crouched down to get our stuff.

Without even looking at him, I spoke up. "I'm sorry..I was angry, I don't see anything really when I'm mad."

"It's err, alright..." replied the velvety voice.

I widened my eyes and looked up. Never in my life, had I heard someone, not a BOY, talk as smooth as he did.

As soon as I looked up, I saw the most gorgeous face ever.

He had these forest-green eyes...and this, silky light brown hair. His face was structured perfectly, like one of those Abercrombie & Fitch models. Hell, he looked better than all of them.

Something about him...i don't know what it was, was enchanting. He glowed with youth.

He gave one of those cute half smiles guys do...and handed me my books. After that? Straight up walked away.

I stood up in disappointment. I followed him, desperate to know this guy. Just one look and i KNEW he was different than all the guys here.

I walked by the office and stopped...he was inside. I quickly backed up, hiding behind the wall beside the door.

I felt something..or someone, behind me. What the...?

I turned around, to see Caroline. What in the world ?

"Caroline what the-" I whispered, but got interrupted.

"Shh! I'm trying to hear."

"You like him too?" I whisper-yelled.

"Are you serious right now? How could I NOT?" She asked, with a smile.

I should have known.

I felt stupid...no, not just for not knowing, but because I had a boyfriend. And Caroline, my best friend, wanted him. I can't take that from her. Plus...Caroline does NOT give up when it comes to guys.

I smiled at her. "Good luck, girl. Oh, and don't forget - bonfire tonight!"

She smiled back, "How could I forget?"

I giggled and walked away, to start the school day.

Later on, I found out that the "cute" guy is in my history class, along with Elena and Bonnie.

He outsmarted the teacher...which was quite impressive.

After school, I walked home. Well, I ALMOST got to the street in front of the school, before I felt a pair of warm arms around me. He kissed my cheek, "Babe, where are you going? Thought we were hanging out today?"

I sighed, Tyler. I just wanted to slap him. But when he turned me around, and looked me in the eyes...ALL of that faded away, along with my anger.

Maybe he wasn't flirting with Vicki?

I smiled. "Yeah, totally."

He gave a half smile, and placed an arm around me. We walked together all the way to the graveyard.

"The Graveyard, Ty? How romantic." I said sarcastically.

"No, we're taking the shortcut to the lake." He smiled.

I smirked. "Allow me to make this shortcut faster." I threw my bag to the ground, and started running. He laughed, and ran after me.

I kept giggling. "Ty, you're never gonna catch me." I yelled.

"I'm on the football team, of course I will."

And he did...well, actually he tackled me to the ground.

I smiled up at him, and looked in his eyes. He smashed his lips to mine, his hand on my waist.

I smiled into the kiss. He was so perfect...i loved him so much.

He pulled away, and got up, picking me up. My back hit the tree, and my legs were wrapped around his hips. He held my leg up, kissing my neck.

I laughed. "Tyler, no."

"Come on, babe. We've been going out all summer."

"Tyler, i'm not having sex with you."

He sighed, and looked me in the eyes. "Fine."

I smiled. "You're so stubborn...but you always listen to me."

"Yeah, you have a big effect on me." He smirked.

I scoffed playfully.

In the corner of my eye, i could see a dark shadow...probably just a bird.

"I'm gonna go get our bags, so I can walk you home." He lifted me down.

I nodded. He walked off into the distance. I could still kind of see him, but it was far.

I sighed and leaned against the tree as I waited. The fog started rolling in out of nowhere, and this annoying...crow thing was flying above my head.

"Stupid bird." I mumbled to myself.

The same shadow was standing behind a tall grave, taller than me. I squinted my eyes...it was a person.

"Ty!" I yelled.

The shadow stepped closer.

"TY!" I screamed, freaked out.

I felt a cold hand on my shoulder.

I screamed, and turned around. It was Tyler. He bursted out laughing.

"Don't scare me like that!" I yelled, hitting him.

"Hey!" He said, once I started to hit his face. "Hey!" He grabbed my wrists, and looked me in the eyes, and smiled.

I smiled back, my anger fading. "You bastard."

"What'd you think I was?"

Then I remembered. "That thing!" I turned around, and it was gone. So was the fog...and that annoying bird was gone too.

What the...?

"There was someone here, Tyler."

He snorted. "It was me, Babe."

I swallowed hard...Tyler would just call me crazy. I sighed, "Yeah, okay. Let's just go home."

He walked me home, and when we reached my house, he kissed me goodbye and walked to his house. I walked inside, greeting my mom.

"Hey mom...I was out with Ty."

She looked up from her cookie dough, and smiled. "You two are so cute together."

I laughed. "Yeah, that's us."

I grabbed one of the done cookies, and walked upstairs to get ready for the bonfire.

Once I was done, I smiled at myself in the mirror. I made sure to wear my most flattering lip gloss, and mascara.

And, just in case me and my friends were going night swimming in the lake, I wore my swimsuit underneath my outfit.

Tonight, was gonna be the NIGHT.

My doorbell rang, and I walked downstairs to answer the door. It was Caroline.

I smiled, "Caroline, I knew you wouldn't forget."

"HOW could I? Stefan's coming!"

"Who?" I asked.

"The new boy...now come on, we've got a bonfire to go to!" She pulled me out the door and closed it, pulling me to her mom's car.

I laughed, "Caroline, you're so crazy."

Once we got there, we soon realized that almost everyone in our grade was there. The fire was in the middle of the party, and some good 3OH!3 music was playing. it was amazing.

I smiled once I saw Tyler...but he was with Vicki.

He grabbed her hand, and took her into the woods with a smirk on his face.

I swallowed hard. I walked fast towards where they were going. Pretty soon, I spotted them, and I hid behind a tree. He held her up against the tree...like he did with me.

I held back tears. He kissed her neck, and she giggled. "I'm not having sex against a tree!"

Tyler smiled, "Come on, we've done it so many times before."

I gasped a little, and ran off into a random direction. I didn't want to be here anymore. I hated him...no wonder he was so okay with not having sex.

I sniffled, and sat down on the ground as the tears fell down. I noticed I ran towards the way of the party, and the party was a few yards in the distance from me.

This was the perfect place to let my feelings out. When I was ready to go back to the party, I could just walk a little bit and I'd be with my friends again. But right now, I needed to be alone.

When I met Tyler, it was true, I did hate him. He was stuck up, and stupid...but then I found out that the whole time, from the second grade to now, he actually liked me. And everyday, that love got stronger. How did we get here? How could he play me like this?

I was stupid...I was naive to think Tyler loved me. He obviously doesn't. Not if he apparently had sex with Vicki repeatedly.

I sighed, and tears flowed down. I loved Ty.

He didn't love me.