Disclaimer: See prologue
...
Well, I don't know what I've been told,
You never slow down, you never grow old,
Tired of screwin' up, tired of goin' down
Tired of myself, tired of this town
... ... ...
Kenzie walked into school that day and made a beeline for her locker, grabbing her books before turning and spying Elena at her locker with a girl she hadn't seen yet.
"Where's Bonnie?" She demanded to know as she stopped in front of them.
"I'm Bonnie." The other girl said, looking confused.
"Really? I'm Kenzie," She pulled the ring off her finger, dropping it into Bonnie's hand who looked down at it before glancing at Elena then back at Kenzie, a confused smile on her face.
"Kenzie? New cheerleader Kenzie? I missed your tryout but I heard it was awesome."
"Of course, I'm the one who led my last squad to state champions."
The other 2 girls looked at each other before Bonnie finally nodded, motioning to the ring in her hand "Is there a reason you gave this to me?"
"Yes, everyone is so damn obsessed with that stupid ring and Elena so kindly pointed out that you can research more about it. So have at it."
She abruptly turned and left for her first class, deciding to put the whole idea out of her mind for the time being. She didn't see Bonnie and Elena again until science but did her best to ignore them while the teacher instructed them on the experiment they were to do that day. When he called everyone to get their supplies, Kenzie's lab partner went to go get them and Kenzie looked over her notes. Something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye and when she turned to look, she saw Elena kneeling down beside her bag.
"What are you doing?" She hissed.
Elena looked up in surprise, her face heating up. "I um, dropped my pencil," She held it up. "here it is."
Kenzie watched suspiciously as she backed away holding the pencil up, one hand behind her back. She finally turned back to the front, thinking nothing of it. Really what could Elena have been doing?
… … …
After cheerleading practice, Kenzie was rooting through her bag, cursing because she couldn't find her hair brush. She was so sure it was in her bag, she had used it before class this morning. At least she thought it was this morning, maybe she was getting her days mixed up or something.
"What's wrong?" Caroline asked, coming up behind her, already done getting ready.
"I can't find my brush and my hair's gonna look like a rats nest when it dries." She replied with a small pout.
"Here, use mine." The blonde held out her brush and Kenzie gratefully took it with a smile, taking her towel off her head and running a brush through her wet curls.
"So I overheard Bonnie and Elena talking earlier, I didn't hear much but I heard them mention your name and Damon's together."
Kenzie pulled a face at that. "You know him too? What a complete and utter asshole." She contemplated mentioning what had transpired that morning but just thinking about it made her sound absolutely crazy even in her own head and who would anyone believe? Elena or the new girl.
She almost missed the look of relief flutter across Caroline's face but she caught it and turned to look at the other girl better.
"That's good you feel that way. I dated him for a while and he was a complete and utter asshole, I wouldn't recommend getting caught up in him."
"As if." She replied with a huff, handing the brush back. "Thanks for letting me use it."
"No problem. I'm supposed to go meet Matt, so I'll see you later."
With a small wave, the perky blonde left and Kenzie added some product to her hair to keep her curls tamed before gathering her stuff up and leaving the locker room, noticing she was the last one to leave.
She was well on her way home, wrinkling her nose as she tried to shake the feeling she was being watched. She glanced around her, seeing no one was there and continued on her way, trying to ignore it but it only grew and she glanced around again, first looking to the left, then the right. She shrugged and went to continue walking when she stopped, letting out a small eep of surprise before she scowled.
"Will you stop doing that?" She snapped.
Damon smirked. "But it's oh so much fun."
"I told Elena to tell you to stay the hell away from me."
He rolled his eyes. "And I don't do what Elena tells me to. Hell, I don't do anything anyone tells me to, I'm my own man."
"Leave me alone." She hissed.
"aw, I feel like we got off on the wrong foot Mackenzie, let me make it up to you."
"Sure, how about you do that by leaving me alone."
He took a step towards her and she couldn't help but step back, inwardly cursing as she did so.
"Personal space much?" She griped.
"I just want to see your pretty little ring again, it's just so fascinating."
She rolled her eyes before looking to see if there were any cars coming and crossing the street, letting out a small sigh of annoyance at seeing he was still following her.
"No." she simply replied.
He moved so he was standing in front of her again. "Not many people say no to me." He warned her.
"I just did and I'd gladly do it again, besides, I don't have it anymore, so piss off."
He only grinned. "You know, I can't figure out why I haven't killed you yet but something about you just makes me want to hold off a little bit longer."
"Enough for me to call the police?"
"Again, they wouldn't believe you."
"I'm willing to risk it." Came her scathing reply.
"So where is it?"
"Bonnie has it. Elena says she could figure out more about it."
"You gave it to the witch?"
She glared at him. "Really, should you of all people be calling someone names?"
Another smirk. "I'm really not, I can't believe you're still not believing all this."
"Believe what?" She turned on him, her fists now clenched in anger.
"Hey, are you okay?"
The two turned to see a teenager a bit younger than Kenzie running towards them. She smiled at him while Damon rolled his eyes.
"we're fine, now leave."
"Better yet, how about I leave?" The redhead asked, moving away from the annoying Damon and towards the new guy.
"Don't worry about him." The new guy told her, "he's just… intense."
"Or rather, super rude, annoying, pain in the ass." She looked behind her to see Damon still standing there with a smirk. "I'm Kenzie."
"I know." The guy replied. "You were at my place for dinner but I was busy with some things. I'm Jeremy."
"Elena's brother?" She guessed as she continued her walk home, him beside her.
"Yup, I was hoping to run into you eventually."
"Me? Why?"
He smiled at her. "My sister said you were interested in the town's history and that she was giving you an ancestor's journal. I recently became interested in the history so wanted to offer you some help and maybe exchange any information either of us come across."
She shrugged. "Sure, everyone's just been pushing the whole missing Miller family and thinking maybe I'm the lost link that it's all a little crazy. I mean, this paper Mr. Saltzman wants me to write? It's for me and me alone because it's important I learn about this town.
He gave her a small smile. "It would probably be something big If another founding family has returned to Mystic Falls. Besides that, how are you liking it here so far."
Kenzie shrugged, gracing him with a small smile. "It's okay I guess, besides the extremely creepy guy following me and being all creepy like."
They stopped in front of her house and Jeremy put his hands in his pockets with a small shrug. "Just be careful and my word of advice, don't walk alone after dark."
"I didn't think there was a high crime rate here. I mean, I'm from LA, there's a lot of sketchy places there."
"There's just been a lot of disappearances here lately."
"Great city choice here, Dad." She mumbled to herself.
"It's usually not so bad, I promise. Just be careful and I'll see you around."
He left and Kenzie watched him go before rushing into her house and closing the door. The disappearances struck something in her and she rushed upstairs pulling out the paper that had been left at her door a few nights ago and the diary Elena had given her before leaving her house after dinner. She opened the book, frowning when she saw the first page was missing but looking at the sheet of paper she held, she realized it fit in there and she couldn't help but think Stefan had something to do with it again. Why else would she get a missing page the day before she received the book it came from? She sat down on her bed, curled up against the headboard and began to read.
Hours later, her doorbell rang and she jumped, sending the book flying as she clutched at her heart with wide eyes, willing her racing heart to calm down. After a few moments, it finally started settling down when her doorbell rang again. She ran out of her bedroom and down the stairs, stopping in front of the door as she looked around for a weapon. All she could see was an umbrella but she still picked it up, moving to the door and opening it up a crack, sighing in relief when she saw it was Elena and Bonnie before stopping again when she remembered what she had read earlier.
"What do you want?" She cautiously asked.
"Can we talk to you?" Elena pleaded with her. "Please? It's important."
She paused momentarily, contemplating what to do before she finally stepped back and opened the door wider, not inviting them in but waiting for them to enter of their own volition. They glanced at each other but entered, following a relieved looking Kenzie into the living room.
"I should give this back to you." Elena hesitantly said, holding up her hairbrush.
Kenzie's jaw dropped before reaching over and snatching it out of the taller girls hand. "What are you doing with my hairbrush?"
"I took it, during science, we needed your hair."
"Please don't get mad at Elena. I asked her too and she feels awful which is why we're here." Bonnie explained. "I need to tell you something but you have to swear to never tell a soul."
"You're a witch." Kenzie dully replied.
The other two girls exchanged another look.
"How do you know that?" Bonnie asked.
"That journal you gave me was really informative." Kenzie quietly replied.
Bonnie looked at Elena who looked completely puzzled. "There was nothing on that in the book I gave you, I made sure of that. Can I see that journal?"
Kenzie nodded before rushing upstairs to grab the journal and returning to the girls handing it to Elena. She took it, looking through it, a frown of puzzlement filling her features.
"This isn't the journal I gave you."
"What are you talking about? That's what you gave me, I took it off my desk when I got home and have been reading it since."
"But this isn't the one I gave you." Elena whispered, looking up at Bonnie with panic in her eyes. "I've never seen this one before in my life."
Bonnie moved over to look at it over her shoulder.
"I need to call Stefan." Elena handed her the book and moved off into the kitchen to call. Bonnie glanced through the book before looking up at Kenzie.
"I know this is a lot to deal with but please, you can't tell anyone about me or-or about any of this really."
"Like anyone would believe me? I don't even believe me." Kenzie shot back.
"Believe it, it's real." Bonnie whispered.
Her doorbell rang again and with a slight shake of her head, Kenzie went to answer it, raising an eyebrow at seeing Stefan and Damon there.
"Hi Kenzie, Elena called me, can I come in?" Stefan asked with a smile.
The redhead only raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "I don't know, can you?"
"Oh, so now you believe it?" Damon asked. "Do you finally understand what we are?"
"Are you going to kill me?" She asked.
"No." Stefan assured her.
"Maybe." Damon said at the same time. "At least not yet. For some reason that I have yet to figure out why, you amuse me."
"Gee, I feel so blessed."
"So about letting us in…" Damon began.
"Do you really think I'm going to let you in?" Kenzie asked. "So what you're telling was the truth, fine, that still doesn't change the fact that you're completely insane."
"Stefan is here to help." Elena told her. "You can invite him in."
"And the psychopath?"
"You calling me names is only turning me on." Damon told her, wiggling his eyebrows.
"Stefan, you can come in."
The taller brother stepped through the doorway and moved to talk to the other two girls, leaving Kenzie and Damon alone.
"Very mature." He told her.
She shrugged. "right, because most people let someone in that's threatened to kill them how much now?"
"You can only resist my charms for so long." He told her.
"What charms?" she asked with a humorless laugh.
"You think I don't know you already find me completely irresistible?"
Kenzie stepped towards him without thinking as she sent him a glare. "You repulse me."
Damon smirked, also stepping forward. "I don't think I do. I bet you want me to grab you and kiss you senseless right now."
"What don't you get?" she asked, stepping forward again to poke him in the chest. The next thing she knew, she was on her porch facing her doorway, trying to figure out how she got there, then Stefan appeared and too fast for her eye to see, he was standing in front of her and Damon was sailing off the porch and into the yard while she was pushed sideways landing on her side
She landed heavily and was back up in a flash, ready to do something, anything to make Damon hurt. Stefan grabbed her, not wanting her to get hurt.
"I'm gonna kill you." She screeched.
"already dead." Damon called and she could hear the smugness in his voice.
"Okay, I'm trying my damndest not to freak out right now. Why did he try and bite me?"
"To see if you had vervain in your system." Damon said from the lawn, clutching his head as Bonnie stood on the porch glaring down at him.
"That's the thing that stops the mind thingy right?" Kenzie asked, having read about it in the journal.
"Yes." Stefan confirmed with a small smile at her wording.
"and biting me was the only way to find out?"
"Yes." Damon petulantly replied just as his brother said no.
"Well you wouldn't have liked the taste of me." She shot back, sounding just as petulant.
Damon grinned at her before turning to Bonnie. "So why can't she be compelled?"
"Why do you think Elena and I are here?" Bonnie snapped.
"Thanks, for saving me." Kenzie quietly told Stefan who gave her a small smile in return.
"I'm sorry my brother scared you."
Her eyes flared up in anger "Not as sorry as he's gonna be when I get through with him."
"And what are you gonna do about it, Redbird?" Damon asked with a smirk. "Cheerlead me to death?"
She stood up, ready to stomp over and punch him or do something to make him hurt when Stefan wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her into the house.
"You can't go against my brother." He told her.
"Oh but I will."
"What he did today was nothing compared to what he is capable of."
Kenzie stopped and scowled at him. "So he's going to just get away with almost biting me?"
"I'll deal with him." Stefan promised.
"You wish." They all heard Damon yell from the yard.
Kenzie just shook her head, it was still spinning from all the information she had received and wanted nothing more than to be alone.
"Can everyone please just leave? I need to be alone."
"But Kenzie-"
"Please?" She interrupted Elena.
It was silent before finally they all murmured their goodbyes leaving Kenzie huddled up in her living room, trying to wrap her mind around everything.
Minutes later, her doorbell was ringing and she ignored it but whomever it was, was persistent and she groaned as she stood up and answered it.
"Did one of you forget something?" She asked.
The next thing she was aware of, she was on her front lawn screaming. There was pain in her neck and a wrist was being held to her mouth. Her eyes widened as she struggled against it but to no avail, whomever was holding her was far too strong. She had no choice but to open her mouth and let the metallic tasting liquid fill it. Finally the person let her go and she pulled away, scooting back across the grass from whomever had her.
"What the hell?" she screeched.
"Look, it wasn't-"
"Like hell it wasn't. Were you waiting for everyone to leave before you tried again?"
"Actually I came back because I heard you screaming."
"I didn't start screaming until you bit me." She snapped.
Damon sighed and rolled his eyes, "I didn't do it, I saved you. You have no idea who was here before me?"
She shook her head, slowly getting to her feet before backing towards her house.
"Then you can be compelled."
"Is that what you did to me?" She asked.
"It wasn't me."
She ran for her front door, slamming it shut and locking both locks as she leaned against it, trying to catch her breath. She pulled out her phone dialing Elena and quickly explained everything that happened to her that she remembered. Elena tried to soothe her, then the girl was gone and replaced by a male voice.
"I'll deal with him but I don't think it was my brother who did it." Stefan told her.
"What? Hello, big gaping wound in my neck, blood in my mouth."
"If he bit you, he wouldn't have fed you his blood and he wouldn't have tried to hide it. I know my brother, trust me he wouldn't have."
"Then who was it?" She asked.
Stefan sighed. "I think there might be a new vampire around who can't really control themselves. Just try and get some sleep and don't open the door for anyone."
"Like I would." She muttered before saying her goodbyes and turning off her phone, dragging her weary body up to her bed.
…. … …