Chapter One
It had been almost four months to the day by the time I returned to Mystic Falls. I drove round the side of the house to the sheltered driveway that led into the backyard and saw that Elena had acquired a car to replace the one I had taken. An oversized black SUV sat next to Jenna's Mini Cooper and as I parked on the street, neatly blocking both cars in, I couldn't help but wonder how much of her trust fund she had blown on the vehicle as well as feel a little envious. The only cars I'd ever driven weren't new – only new to me. Even the Mercedes I was currently in possession of had been our dad's car before he had given it to Elena and I.
I got out of the car, opening the back gate and entering the yard. It was jarringly unkempt. When Mom was alive, she would keep every shrub, every tulip pruned to perfection. Now the grass had grown long enough to come halfway up my shin. The hedges had obviously been trimmed at some point, but now they were becoming overgrown again. Mom's prized flower beds were riddled with weeds.
I climbed the stairs onto the porch, which seemed to be the only neat part of the back yard. Elena's journal lay on the swing seat next to an uncapped fountain pen. I picked them up and nudged open the back door with my foot.
Jenna was in the kitchen, brewing some coffee. Her back was to me and she didn't notice my presence until I awkwardly coughed. She jumped and gave a small shriek, whipping around to stare at me.
"Danny?" she gasped, one hand over her heart as she tried to catch her breath.
"Hey." I dropped Elena's journal and her pen on the counter.
She managed to recollect herself enough to ask, "Where have you been?"
"Around. I think. It's all a little blurry. Pennsylvania, for a while, and then... Salem? Salem, I think." I gave a jerky nod.
"Salem?" Jenna repeated, "Danny, we've been so worried about you."
"I know," I bit my lip, "I got the messages. I ignored them. I'm the worst. I'm sorry."
"It's okay." she pulled me into a hug, relief overcoming anger, "You're home now, and you're safe."
I gripped her tightly, "I'm so sorry, Jenna." I repeated.
"Hush." she rubbed my back before releasing me, "You should go see Elena. She's in her room. Jeremy should be back soon, too."
"Think she's gonna hit me?" I asked, managing a small smile.
"Probably." Jenna flashed me a bright grin, "How about I order pizza? That'll soften the blow, right?"
"Right." I gave a quick nod and scooped up her journal before hurrying upstairs.
I rapped sharply on Elena's bedroom door, waited for her yell of assent and took a deep breath before pushing it open.
"You left this outside." I said nervously.
She dropped the book she was holding and it hit the oak floors with a dull thud.
"Danielle Renata Gilbert – Where have you been?" she exclaimed, storming over with her hands on her hips.
"Do you really want an answ-"
"We needed you!" she choked. She wasn't crying yet, but her eyes were overbright, "We had to organise the funeral all on our own! We had to do it on our own!"
"Jenna's ordering pizza!"
"What?!" she rubbed furiously at her eyes, "I don't – I missed you!" she flung her arms around me.
I hugged her back with equal ferocity. Elena could be conceited and stubborn and judgemental, but she was my twin sister and I knew her better than I knew myself. I had missed her, too.
"I missed you, too." I pulled away, and pecked her on the cheek, "What happened after I left?"
She bit down on her lower lip and sank down onto her bed, pulling me to sit next to her, "I was in the hospital for a few days – nothing serious. Minor whiplash, oxygen deprivation. We all knew I'd heal in time, but everyone was so worried about you. You weren't answering your phone, no one had seen you in days. Sheriff Forbes filed a missing persons report. You were on the news."
"Will the fame change me, do you think?"
She gave a small, appreciative smile before continuing, "The funeral was a week later. It was beautiful, Danny. Everyone spoke about how they were such good people, and how much they'd be missed."
"And how about Jer?"
"I… Danny, he hasn't coped well. He's been hanging around with the junkies, and I think he's been doing pot. He hardly comes out of his room, or even speaks to us. Maybe he'll be different now you're home. You always got the most out of him."
"I'll talk to him, if you want me to. Though I don't know if he'll even want to see me."
"Of course, he will. He's missed you, too."
"Jer's a lot less forgiving than you. And I ran away, remember?"
"Guess we're about to find out." Elena said to the sound of the front door opening.
"Danny? Jenna is Danny here? Her car-" he broke off and thundered up the stairs, by the sounds of it taking them two at a time.
He stopped dead in the hall, seeing me sat on Elena's bed. Then, without another word, he walked to his room and slammed the door.
Several hours later, I still couldn't get Jeremy to speak to me. All my attempts at knocking on his door were met by blaring rock music that somehow translated to silence. I left pizza outside his door that sat there cold until an apologetic Jenna took it away.
"Leave him to stew for a while." Elena advised, "I've called Care and Bonnie – we're meeting at the Grill in fifteen."
I threw one last look at the door and gave a short nod, "Alright. Your car or mine?"
"Mine. I only got it last month, I'm still breaking it in."
The drive to the Grill was one I'd taken millions of times before, first as an infant and last the day before my parent's death. The Grill was the largest restaurant in Mystic Falls and one of only three besides. It was a popular meeting place for people of all ages and provided most of the weekend jobs kids in my year held.
It was late summer, and the place was full of people enjoying their final days of summer break. It seemed there was a familiar face in every cluster of people and I could see dozens of questions that I didn't want to answer on their faces so I was glad when Elena led me towards a quiet booth near the back of the room.
"Danny!" Caroline jumped up and wrapped her arms around me, "Oh my god, I've missed you so much, how could you leave me all summer? What about our plans? Are you feeling better? What about-"
"Enough, Care!" Bonnie laughed, "Let her breathe."
I slid onto a seat and grabbed hold of a menu. They were the same ones they'd always been, red leather with gilt edges and gold lettering; "MYSTIC GRILL".
"I'm assuming they still do the cheesy fries?" I said, trying to keep my voice light, "I can't remember the last time they changed the menu."
"'01." Bonnie replied smoothly, "There was local outrage. It was front page news in 'The Mystic Falls Daily' and 'The Mystic Falls Courier'."
Caroline buried her face in her hands, "Remind me again, why do you know this?"
"Grams gets drunk and rages about it sometimes. I guess she really misses marmite toast sandwiches."
"Why was that on the menu in the first place?" Elena wrinkled her nose.
"Mystic Falls in the '90's was a weird place." Caroline shrugged, "Everyone wore denim-on-denim and back-combed their hair."
I smiled and leant back in my seat. I had missed this. Carefree conversation with friends about nothing. Smiling. As we ordered food it was as if nothing had changed in our lives. As if when I got home my Mom would be carefully tending her garden and my Dad would be badgering Jeremy about his homework.
But it wasn't real. Everything had changed. Mom and Dad were in the Gilbert family grave plot along with dozens of our ancestors. It felt as if I had aged a decade over the summer, like the heat had burned me up until I was old and wrinkled and struggling on aching joints.
I caught sight of myself in the reflection on a napkin dispenser. My seventeen-year-old face blinked at me.