"Vicki Donovan was attacked by an animal last night," Caroline whispered to her two best friends, Bonnie and Elena. It was a Friday afternoon and they were sitting on the bleachers watching the boys at football practice. At least Bonnie was. Elena and Caroline were taking the time to go over their study notes. Although Caroline was the smartest person in their grade, she was still jealous of Elena's work ethic and felt as if she was slacking whenever Elena was hard at work. Although Elena hadn't seemed to be working all that hard, Caroline noticed. I suppose it's only the first week of school… I deserve this break!
"Third attack this week," Elena replied, pushing her highlighters and post-its aside. "Do you think I should call Matt? He might need someone to talk to?"
"You think he wants to talk to his ex-girlfriend?" Caroline scoffed. Bonnie hit Caroline's arm and Caroline looked shot Elena an apologetic look. "Sorry, you know what I mean."
Elena shrugged and let out a sigh. "Yeah, I know."
"Besides," Bonnie began. "I've seen the looks lingering between you and New Guy."
"His name is Stefan."
"I know his name," Bonnie said. "I just enjoy how defensive you get."
Although Caroline was jealous of the sudden friendship forming between Elena and Stefan, she couldn't help but perk up at the first sign of gossip. "Spill!"
"There's nothing to spill," Elena assured her friends. "We've only hung out a couple times."
Caroline let out a dramatic groan. "What's the use of all the hotties fawning over you when you don't take advantage of it," Caroline whined. "At least send a couple my way!"
"I'll keep that in mind, Care," Elena said sarcastically. She loved Caroline. They had been best friends since the first grade. But the girl had a way of hitting Elena's last nerve.
"Since Elena is being boring," Bonnie spoke up, ignoring the glare Elena shot her way. "What has been going on with all of these attacks lately?"
"My mom thinks it's a V-A-M-P." When Sherriff Forbes told her daughter about the existence of vampires on her sixteenth birthday, Caroline's Twilight-obsession had grown in magnitude and she had taken a sudden interest in her mother's work. "Mom said Vicki wasn't drained of blood like those two campers last weekend, but she had lost a lot of blood. I heard that she was waiting in the woods for Tyler Lockwood—he apparently found her after hearing her scream."
"Luckily the town has a large stock of vervain," Elena said upon hearing the V-word. The girls were always careful when speaking about the supernatural in public. Only the Founding families knew about the existence of vampires, each family taking the time to reveal their secret underbelly to their children when they turned sixteen.
"Yeah, at least our precious Founder's are safe." Bonnie's voice was quiet, but she knew Elena and Caroline heard her. She hated bringing the topic up to her friends, but she hated the elitism that reigned in Mystic Falls even more. "You two are safe because you come from Founding families. The rest of this town is livestock."
"What are we supposed to do Bonnie?" Caroline asked. "Tell the town that vampires exist and that they need to carry around a special herb to stay safe? They'd think we'd gone mad!"
"It's just not fair is all," Bonnie sighed. "I don't need vervain because I'm a witch and can't be compelled, but what about everyone else? They have no idea what's out there."
Elena put her hand on Bonnie's. "I know. Some of the Founders were thinking of putting vervain in the water supply but it's not exactly an easy thing to do. Everyone would question why their water tastes and smells strange. Can you imagine?"
"The best we can do is try and keep each other safe," Caroline added. "Besides, if we scare all the vampires away, how else will I find my very own Edward Cullen?"
Elena and Bonnie rolled their eyes at their friend. In the corner of her eye, Elena saw Stefan leaning against his car. She hadn't had much time to hang out with him since their time in the cemetery four days previous, but they had been paired up for a new history project. Elena was excited that Stefan was her partner. He seemed to know a lot about history, particularly the history of Mystic Falls, having corrected their new history teacher, Mr Saltzman, the day before. Besides, Elena really liked Stefan.
"I need to go," Elena told her friends. "Stefan and I agreed to meet up after school to work on our history project."
"Yeah-huh. 'History project.'" Caroline used air quotes when she spoke. Elena ignored her and ran off to see Stefan. As she drew closer, she noticed he was studying his phone with great interest. "Boo," she said as she drew near.
Stefan looked up at her a tentative smiled. Elena almost asked him if anything was wrong, but he said hi and pulled her into a quick hug.
"Are you ready to start this project?" Elena asked. Stefan look confused for a second, then snapped his fingers. "Yes, the project. Did you pick a time period?"
"I was thinking the Civil War?"
A secret smile graced Stefan's lips. "Sure, do you want to start it tonight?"
"Yes," Elena groaned. "The sooner, the better, please!"
Stefan laughed. "Not a fan of history?"
"I like it well enough, but when your history teacher is dating your aunt and constantly talks about it at the dinner table, it gets old!" Elena joked.
"Lucky for you, I'm a history buff," said Stefan. "We're going to get top marks, I'm sure of it."
"Great! Wanna do this at your place?"
Stefan hesitated. Ever since Damon made an appearance on Monday night, Stefan didn't feel comfortable having Elena at the boarding house.
"Oh, come on, please!" Elena begged. "I've always wanted to see inside that mansion."
Stefan rolled his eyes and laughed. "It's a boarding house, it's supposed to be big."
"Puh-lease," Elena drawled. "That place hasn't been used as a boarding house since before I was born."
Damon did say he would be hunting tonight. Stefan tried not to cringe as he imagined Damon's definition of 'hunting'. "Sure, okay," Stefan smiled. "We can do the project at my house. I have a bigger library anyway."
"A library?" Elena's eyes grew at the thought. Would it be like that scene in Beauty and the Beast?
"Want to ride with me?"
Shaking her head, Elena motioned toward her car parked not far from Stefan's. "I'll meet you there."
"That works out great, actually. I have something to do beforehand," Stefan said, suddenly thinking about how desperately he needed to hunt before spending one-on-one time with Elena. "Swing by around at 6."
By 5:30, Elena's leg was bouncing. She was intrigued by what Stefan's library looked like. Maybe, if Stefan wasn't there, Zach might let her see it. Surely, he won't mind if I'm a little early?
At 5:45, Elena pulled up at the Salvatore boarding house. She remembered passing the house as a kid. It looked so grand for a small town like Mystic Falls. She often wondered how Zach lived there alone. Her parents had told her the place shut down as a boarding house in the nineties when a few of the kids living there were attacked by wild animals. The real kind, not the vampire kind. Apparently, Zach had been distraught that the children in his care had come to such harm and decided to retire. "He always wanted children," Elena remembered her mother saying. "But when the attacks occurred, he shut himself away and swore off having a family."
At least he has Stefan now, Elena thought has she reached the front door of the boarding house. The door was tall and wide and made of a dark wood. She knocked on the door but jumped back in fright as it easily swung open at her touch. Elena had seen enough scary movies that the action made her pause, if only for a second.
"Stefan!" Elena called out. She pushed open the door further. "Stefan?" She called out again, stepping inside this time. When she entered, she found herself in a small foyer. In front of her was a tall staircase that must have connected to the second and third levels of the house. Beyond the staircase was a wide archway with a stack of short steps that flowed down to a large, expansive living room.
Elena remained in the foyer but called Stefan's name again. It was quiet. Eerily so. She began to regret arriving early when the door creaked behind her. She turned and ran into the man standing in the doorway.
I have got to stop running into people, Elena thought as she looked up at the man's face. She couldn't believe it.
"You must be Elena," he smirked. "I'm—"
"Damon," Elena breathed.
Damon raised his eyebrows, his smile growing wider. "I see my brother has been talking about me."
Elena saw a hint of tooth and the sight thrilled her. He was as attractive as she remembered him being: thick, black hair and startling blue eyes. He wore a leather jacket that covered wide-set shoulders she that, in the past four months, she had dreamed about hold onto as he sped them both away into the night. His appearance screamed bad boy.
Wrapping up her appreciative glance, Elena settled for staring into Damon's eyes. They sparkled with mischief. Passion. Adventure. Danger.
"Actually," Elena said, raising her forearm to show Damon the hemp bracelet that hung on her wrist. "I wear vervain," she said simply. "My parents gave it to me for my sixteenth birthday when they told me about vampires."
Damon took a step back, looking at her quizzically but seeming to catch on. Stefan never mentioned this. To learn more, Damon decided to played the fool. "I don't understand."
"You mean, you don't remember?" Elena fake pouted, stepping forward so their chests were almost touching. He was tall enough that she had to crane her neck a little to look him in the eye. Never had she felt more powerful than when she flirted with Damon. "Four months ago. Abandoned road. You tried to compel me."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh yeah?" Elena asked, before putting on a deep, mocking voice. "Passion. Adventure. Danger."
Saying those words out loud instead of having them floating around in her head constantly was freeing. Though, Elena hesitated as Damon's features grew dark. Her heart quickened, and she wasn't entirely sure if it was because she was scared or because her attraction to him grew with each passing second.
"Don't worry," she assured him quickly, her face turning somewhat serious. "I didn't tell anyone about you. Well, I told Bonnie and Caroline but they're fine with vampires. Oh, and Stefan, but I didn't tell him your name. Wait… Why are you in Stefan's house?"
Damon remained silent for too long when Elena spoke up, "I know you're the strong, silent type but it gets kinda creepy after a while."
"Elena?" Elena peered around Damon's shoulder to see Stefan standing on the porch, his eyes fixated on Damon.
"Stefan!" she said happily. "This is the guy I told you about. From last summer. Damon. Though, I'm guessing you know him seeing as though he's in your house." She gave an awkward laugh as the tension between the two men began to dawn on her.
Damon remained where he stood, looking at Elena curiously. He had expected this meeting to go much differently and he didn't like how familiar she seemed with him. But by Jove, she looks just like Katherine…
Stefan manoeuvred his way around Damon's body and came into the foyer where Elena and Damon seemed determined not to break eye contact. He stood in front of Damon in a way that Elena was behind him, separating her from his brother.
Elena noticed Stefan's stance and asked in a wavering voice, "Stefan? What's going on?"
Damon's eyes shot to Stefan. When he addressed his brother, his words were harsh. "Yes, brother. What is going on?"
"Brother?" Elena questioned. "Stefan, you didn't mention that your brother was a vampire… In fact," she pushed his shoulder casually and stepping up beside him, not liking how he was acting so territorial around her, "you never told me you had a brother at all."
The two men ignored her.
"How did she resist my compulsion. Did you give her that bracelet?"
"The Founders Council has changed since we here last. They've started telling their heirs at sixteen. She's had the bracelet since before I knew her."
Elena's eyes darting back and forth between Stefan and Damon as they both ignored her presence. "Hello, I'm still here."
Damon had not expected her to remember him. He had planned to flirt with her a little, get under her skin, as a way to get at his brother. He was going to use her as a distraction until his Katherine found her way back to him. Her remembering their first encounter threw a wrench into his plans.
"I… I need to go," he said, turning away.
"Wait," said Elena. "You're not going to just disappear on me again, are you?"
Damon could hear the fear and worry in Elena's voice. Katherine had seldom spoken to him so softly. Then again, he loved her rough passion. How can they look so similar yet be so different?
Quickly, Damon forced the errant thought from his mind and shot his brother a withering look. "Deal with her," he spat.
"Deal with me?!" Elena yelled. "I don't know who you think you are, but just you wait, Damon—"
Damon vanished before she could finish her threat. When she had registered that he had gone, Elena's fiery eyes shot to Stefan. "What the heck was that?"
Stefan sighed. "Okay, come with me," he said, gesturing to the staircase. "We have a lot to discuss."