A chorus of locker doors slammed shut as the warning bell rang and students began to scatter to their homerooms. Mystic Falls High's first day was already drumming up to being one of the best. As a group dispersed from the backside of the building, the impossibly-notorious odor of weed floated behind them. The Stoner Pit, which was located between the dumpsters and the cafeteria's truck dock, was home to a group of kids that were—inevitably –stoners. They hoarded together and shared stashes, came to class bleary-eyed, and by the end of the day were coercing to sit in the Old Wood to smoke more until dark. Every school year showed up new members who were a mixture of outcasts, rejects, and black sheep who found comfort in their own kind and in a joint. This year, as they disappeared into different rooms for their first class of the semester, Elena Gilbert spotted her younger brother, Jeremy, dragging behind. He was the last one in the door. It slammed shut behind him, and he saw her too. For a split second he thought about making something up to satisfy her, but in reality he could care less. This past summer had sucked and the Pit was his escape from the overhang it left behind. Elena had been breathing down his neck about his new posse, but he did his best to ignore her. Besides, she had more things to worry about than him. The building began to fall quiet as people vacated the halls, and he made it a point to skip out to the bathroom. Down the hall, Caroline Forbes babbled about her summer to a group of girls, and even further down the school jocks clustered next to the gym doors, waiting for the last bell. One girl hummed cheerily as she sorted through her locker, trying to stay the positive one for today.
"First day of sophomore year. One year closer to graduation. This is a /great/ day," Bonnie Bennett chimed as she leaned against her locker door to close it. "I mean, we get out at noon. How great is that?" Beside her, Elena Gilbert picked fresh notebooks out of her backpack and laid them on the shelf in her locker just beside her. She was distracted, as she had been for the past two months, but she was slowly coming back to her old self. Bonnie just had to try sometimes to get it out of her.
"I think we should go back to my place for lunch," Elena decided to smile. "Jenna tried her hand at cooking last night and, I'm scared to jinx it, but it wasn't that bad." She shifted her bag onto her shoulder and popped the door closed, glancing in the direction of her homeroom. The clock hung over the door was showing 5 minutes until the bell. She should go, she thought. Get a decent seat. It /was/ economics. And she was awful in it. "Closer to the front, closer to knowledge." Or something along those lines. Again, more of Jenna's attempt to parent. Elena didn't rag her about it, but she was doing good to just be thrown into a house with two teenagers and no clue what the hell she was doing. All their lives had been turned upside down this summer. It was hard.
"Ahem," Bonnie coughed. Elena blinked, turning her attention to her best friend.
"I'm sorry, what did you say, Bon?"
"/I said/ hottie at three o'clock. Principal's office, front desk. He's wearing /leather/," Bonnie purred a little, darting hazel-green eyes at the door just across the hall from them. Elena followed her gaze to the figure standing there. She wasn't lying. He was tall and slender, from what she could tell. His back was to them, but it wasn't hard to see that he was broad shouldered.
"That is one hot back," Bonnie observed beside her, butting her shoulder to her friend's. "Go talk to him." Elena's eyes bulged. She opened her mouth to say "not now" because class was starting. As a matter of fact, the bell was ringing as she made herself stop staring and turn to Bonnie, but then she stopped. The back door of the high school building was slamming closed, a series of kids filing down the hall. She didn't need the accompanying smell to verify what they'd been doing as their early morning pick-me-up. But what made her angry, made her see a tinge of red, was her brother. He was mussed, looking half a mess; nothing like he normally would a few months ago. The entire summer he'd become a recluse and lately had begun delving himself into the drug scene: something Elena disproved wholeheartedly in favor of their parents.
Elena shoved her backpack into Bonnie's arms, grinding her teeth as she made a beeline for the bathroom her brother thought he would escape from her in. But he was mistaken to think Elena wouldn't come after him. She stormed down the hallway, past the open door of the class she was supposed to be attending and into the men's bathroom. She pushed past another guy as he was leaving, slinging open the stall where Jeremy had his head thrown back, letting drops from a bottle of Visine fall into his eyes. She jerked his head down into the light, seeing the whites of his eyes were instead pink with intoxication.
"On the first day of school? Really, Jeremy?!" she spat, letting him go as he swatted her away.
"How about you mind your own business?" He blinked away the excess liquid from his eyes, rubbing them as he tucked away his drops. He didn't look at her because he knew the look he was getting. She was huffed up, lips pursed in disappointment and eyes shooting daggers. "I'll see you at home," he said simply, and brushed past her out the door.
Elena pinched the bridge of her nose, breathing as she started to go out the door herself. She was tired of Jeremy being such an ass. She knew that right now it was crap, and she knew he was partially mad at her, but he was a jerk almost around the clock. He never socialized with her or Jenna, and trying to talk to him about what was going on was like trying to pull teeth. And she was just tired. Now late for her first class, she pulled open the door to hurry. But she almost slammed into what felt like a wall. Some stout, old cologne filled her nostrils and she stumbled back, seeing the guy with the hot back there. Elena felt her face flush as she stumbled to apologize.
"Isn't this the men's room?" he asked as he squinted at the sign above her head. He was incredibly handsome was her first thought. Bright green eyes watched her, and it was…a little hypnotic.
"I was…My—long story that's way too complicated." The guy nodded, then offered to step aside, but so did she.
"Sorry," Elena muttered, and they both side stepped again in the same direction. She let out a nervous laugh, the guy gently taking her shoulders, one in each hand, and guiding her past him.
"See you around," he chuckled, giving her a smile. She gave one back, but had trouble tearing her gaze away from him as she walked back down the hall to her class.

Dear Diary,

I really don't know if I can do this. It's only the first day, and Jeremy's pressing me with his new 'hobby.' Bonnie is my constant cheerleader, but really, I think I need more time. I want to move past it, but I didn't think it would be this hard. I was so sure about this yesterday. How can it feel so wrong so quick—

"Elena."

I tore my attention from the journal on my desk, quickly snapping it closed. At the front of the class, Coach Tanner was glaring at me. Obviously I'd missed a conversation or a question, because he was awaiting a response.

"I'm sorry—"

"You weren't paying attention. I noticed," he snapped. He didn't hesitate in moving on to the next person. I blew out a breath, already more than ready to leave here. A few moments later, the bell rang and people scattered to put their books away. I stacked mine, grabbed my purse and exited out the door in the back of the class with a few others before Tanner could call me back for /any/ reason.

"Wanna go to the Grill with Care and me?" Bonnie rounded about the corner of the hallway. "I'm really craving some of their fries, and Caroline's buying," she tempted with a sing-song tone. I laughed a little, but quickly shook my head. I had other plans.

"No thanks, Bon."

"Lane!" she huffed. "Come on. Get your mind off things. Girl's night."

"I'll see you tomorrow morning." I went on, dropping off my books at my locker. "We'll take my car this time?" Bonnie looked really downtrodden I'd said no, but she curled her nose and waved me away.
"Alright alright. I'll see you then."

Contrary to her beliefs I wasn't becoming a recluse. She wanted to think I was, and she worked damn hard to try and pull me out of the shell that was my bedroom. In reality, I was really just trying to cope. Four months had passed, but I still had nightmares that woke me up at night and left the accident a fresh imprint on my mind. I felt like, every day, it had just happened. I could hear the squeal of tires on tarmac, the impact of the car against the barriers on the bridge as it sailed off. And then, sometimes, I honestly expected to open my eyes and find it just a nightmare. Others, I waited to see a drab room surround me in the Mystic Falls General Hospital, where I'd magically transported after the wreck, and where my life would fall apart all over again. But every day passed, and I didn't go without making a point to sit with my parents in their final resting place in the town cemetery—where I felt I should be. Jenna told me to think about going only a time or two a week, but I couldn't make myself do it. Not yet. Maybe tomorrow I'd take Caroline up on her offer, after cheer practice, which I'd skipped all summer. Something to take my mind away from them. But today, I walked the path I'd worn between rows and rows of buried people. And near my grandparents, in the same Gilbert lot, where two plots were just beginning to cover with ripe new grass, I sat in the middle and began to rifle through my bag to finish my diary entry that Tanner had interrupted. I felt my heart sink when, after dumping it out on the ground, that the green leather book wasn't there. I rifled through pens and handouts, but nothing. /Oh god./

"No no no. I /just/ had it," I mumbled. I hadn't put it in my locker. It was just my textbook I dropped in there. /Wasn't it?/ Getting to my feet, I jammed the contents back into the canvas bag and strung it back onto my should. I just prayed no one was low enough to actually open and read my diary. As I started back towards the way I'd come, I saw a figure near the gates. He stood at the brick column, almost as if he were trying to stay hidden. But when he realized I'd seen him, he almost reluctantly drug himself out of hiding. Even in the rather-warm weather, he was still in his black leather jacket, and he started my way. I felt a little uneasy because, why was he here? And had he been watching me?

"Can I help you?" I said a little flatly, but I tried to stay friendly. He stepped closer to meet me.

"You come here often?" I felt a little offended, and I bit my tongue.

"Daily," I said smartly before going on. "Were you watching me?" I prodded, holding up a hand to shield my eyes from the shining sun.

"I was, but I was trying to be sure I wasn't intruding or anything." I cocked my head at him. I couldn't decide if he was being sincere or cynical, but I was suddenly reminded of the whole reason I was leaving. The school closed in 30 minutes, and I needed to find my diary.
"Look, I don't have time to do this. Maybe later," I brushed him off, putting a tombstone between him and myself as I started to leave.

"I think you lost this?" I turned, and he had a green leather book upheld in his hand. The embossed 'E' on the corner shone at me, and I was suddenly so relieved. But then I tensed, and he must have sensed it because he chuckled.

"Don't worry. I didn't read it. I…keep one, too. I know how personal they are." He gingerly laid the book back into my hands.

"/You/ keep a diary?" I rose a brow. He shrugged.

"Journal is a preferable term, but yes. I like to write down my memories. So I won't ever forget." I smiled a little. How often was it you met a man who was sentimental like that?

"I'm Stefan, by the way. I know you from the men's room but—"
"Elena. Elena Gilbert," I laughed, cutting him off. "I promise that's not a regular thing." He laughed, waving a dismissive hand.
"Not worried. I assumed by the pissed look on the guy's face that came out before you, it was a dispute."

"My little brother. He's a jerk sometimes, and I try to set him straight. Key word, /try./" I tucked my diary away and hoisted my bag back up onto my shoulder, deciding to change the subject. Jeremy wasn't on my list of things to worry about. If he wasn't worried, why should I be? "Anyways. I should probably go. I've got homework to do." Stefan nodded, glancing towards the sun that was starting to hang low in the sky.

"May I walk you?"

"Oh, you don't have to. I live just a few blocks away," I said, pointing a thumb over my shoulder. "Will you be at school tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I will," he nodded. I smiled.

"So see you then, maybe?" I said it hopefully, because to be honest, I was kind of interested in this guy. Much to my pleasure, he smiled back at me.

"Yeah. Sure I will. See you then."

I really didn't mean to let her rope me in like that, but I did. I was so sure she was Katherine, preying on some poor humans or just making the most of her time in Mystic Falls for some unknown reason, but she was already proving me wrong. I'd spent time reading, delving into records. She was a real person. A human being. A replica of Katherine Pierce that was so near identical, it was astounding. But I could tell, within a few conversations, there wasn't a chance this was some divine sham. She was different and beautiful, and I scolded myself about lingering around her. If she was a human, let her be. But I couldn't. I wanted to know more about her. Even if it were just for a little while, I was okay with that. Because while part of me wanted to do what was best for her, another part just wanted to /know./ That's why a few days later, I found myself asking her out. I couldn't help it. And with her acceptance, I was going to get what I wanted. Just give me a taste, and I'd let her be.