Author's Note:

Hey everyone! Here's the next chapter. I hope you enjoy. I'll post the next chapter when this gets to at least 40 reviews, so please leave what you guys think. Thank you so much for reading!


To all of you who've wronged me.
I am, I am a zombie.
Again, again, you want me to fall on my head.

Chapter Seven – One Wrong Move

Halloween used to be my favorite holiday. Just like school used to not feel like a prison cell where I was locked to think about my life. That was my biggest problem. Sitting in a classroom, all my thoughts surfaced into my brain and I over-thought everything. One of my downfalls.

The bell rang and I walked to my first class, I saw Matt at his locker so began my stride to him. Tyler walked up to him and leaned against the locker beside his. Matt continued stuffing books into his locker, not even glancing towards Tyler. I swallowed hard and stopped in my tracks. You can do this, Malina. It's been over a month since the incident.

I swatted my brown hair over my shoulder and strutted over to them. "What are my two favorite guys up to?" I slouched against the locker on the other side of Matt. I stared over at the two of them and pulled on the strap of my schoolbag.

Tyler looked at Matt, "I heard they were putting together a search party for Vicki."

Matt looked up at him for a millisecond, "She just called. She's okay."

"Well good, that's great." Tyler nodded his head repeatedly and never looked my way once. It was like I wasn't even standing there. Neither made an effort to talk to me, or even acknowledge me for that matter. "I figured you must've been going out of your mind."

Matt had no expression on his face, he was unreadable. I've never seen Matt like this, a statue. I didn't know where he head was at, he hasn't talked to me for a while. Not like we used to. "A little bit, yeah."

Tyler's face strained, "I was just gonna offer. You know, if there's anything I could do."

I touched Matt's arm when he didn't respond. He exhaled and turned to look at Ty, "I appreciate it." He turned towards me and smiled lightly, "How have you been?"

Tyler cleared his throat, "It's been a while, Mali."

I snickered and an eye roll followed, "Yeah. Since the Founder's Celebration. Too bad it couldn't have been longer." It came out harsher than I expected, I wasn't even sure I was the one saying it for a second. But by the way Tyler face drained of color, I knew I said it out loud.

He stepped towards me, maneuvering his way around Matt. "Can we please talk?"

I wanted to say no. I opened my mouth to neglect his offer, but then it flashed through me. His bloody hands. His plea for my help. I swallowed hard and tensed a shoulder, "Sure."

We walked through the crowd of people huddled in the hallway before first period. We walked into Mr. Mac's classroom, I trailed my hand along a desk in the front of the room. Scratched into the wooden desk were initials. M.G. + T.L. I snapped my eyelids shut until white speckles were forcing their way into the corners of my eyes. I looked over at him, "Nice room selection, Ty." His face hardened and I bit the inside of my cheek, "I'm sorry." He nodded his head forward in a quick movement and I jumped on top of the desk with our initials carved into it. My usual routine for when we snuck into this classroom to be alone. "So you wanted to talk?"

He kept his distance, a lot more distance than usual. It was like he was afraid that if he got too close, he was going to hurt me. His eyes weren't meeting mine. "I never apologized about that night. What I did to you," He rubbed his head over his mouth and kept staring at the floor.

I crossed my arms, "I really don't want to talk about it. I definitely don't want to think about it."

"We need to."

I shook my head furiously, "We shouldn't be having a conversation like this. This shouldn't have been a thing that happened. You almost raped me, Tyler!" My voice heightened the more we talked about it.

He looked around the room, his guilt was eating at his nerves. Paranoia running in his head like there were people around us, listening to us. "Can we not say that word out loud?"

I laughed mechanically, I didn't know where it came from. "You can't even sat the word out loud, but you expect me to forgive you for it? Smooth, Ty. Real smooth," I pushed myself off of the desk and stormed past him. Bumping into his shoulder with my own.

He grabbed my wrist but I freed myself angrily from his grip. "I don't want to say it because that's how horrible it was. I know I don't deserve your forgiveness, but I need it. I can't keep living like this."

I tightened my jaw, scared that if I didn't think about what I would say, I wouldn't be able to control myself. My mom always told me to think before I spoke. I had an act for saying things I shouldn't. "Are you scared whenever you're in a room full of strangers? Paranoia that someone is going to attack you." He looked away, proving my point. "I didn't think so."

Tyler opened his mouth, but let his jaw hang open. Not knowing what to say, I wasn't even sure there was something he could say. "You snapped me out of it, you know. Out of the rage that I've been getting recently. I'm always so angry. But you snapped me back to reality. I don't know why I keep blacking out when I get pissed, but I do. I can't stop it. I don't want to be this way, Malina."

I nodded, "You should probably get help then."

He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, his nervous action. The glint in his eye, "Can we please just move forward from all of this. You can continue hating me, but I need you in my life. I don't want to play this stranger game."

His eyes were lighter than last time I really looked into them. When he was attacking me, his eyes were almost black. Now the yellow iris was back and shining in the shitty classroom light. I looked around the room, "I guess so. We can move forward, as friends."

He nodded his head and extended his hand, "Friends."

I didn't take his hand and he pulled his away awkwardly before stuffing it into his pockets. I gulped and looked away, "Are you going to the Haunted House tonight?" He gave me a pointed look, "Of course you are."

He smiled, "Hopefully I will see you there. We can make our debut as friends."

I laughed, "Like Ross and Rachel." I closed my mouth the moment the words left my throat. I rubbed my forehead, "Maybe not exactly like them."

He joined it, lightening the air. "I'm definitely more of a Joey anyway. Who are you going to dress as this year?"

I shrugged, "Care and Bonnie are going as witches. Elena will probably end up using hers from last year. I didn't plan on going, but Caroline talked me into it. I guess I could rummage an outfit together last minute though."

He tilted his head to the side and his eyes lit up, "Wear plaid and be a Winchester. Every time we watched the pilot, you always said you could be a Winchester. You'd make a pretty awesome Sammy Winchester."

I pushed my hair away from my face, "Great idea! I am so doing it."

The classroom door opened and Mr. Mac walked into the room. When he saw us, his face immediately turned into a crooked frown. He crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes on the two of us, "Mister Lockwood and Miss Gilbert. When will you dwindle-minded, hormonal teenagers understand that this room is not for your own personal time? Did you two learn your lesson last year or should we repeat it once again?"

I shook my head and grabbed Tyler's arm, "We were just leaving, Mr. Mac. No worries and no need for detention!" I flashed a smile before we ducked out of the room in a fit of laughter and walked to our first period together, like old times.


I stood with Bonnie and Caroline, both dressed as witches. I had a plaid shirt on with my sleeves rolled up and a blank tank top underneath. A pair of jeans and a pair of brown combat boots to match. I had a toy gun in the back of my jeans.

Caroline kept staring at my outfit, "I don't get it at all."

I rolled my eyes and huffed out a breath, "How are we even best friends?" I inhaled, getting ready to explain why I dressed in all plaid. Tyler interrupted me before I could begin, "She's a Winchester. From her favorite show, Supernatural. I guess she only tortures her boyfriends into watching it."

"Shut up, you know you loved it," I hit his stomach without looked at him, but only felt his bare skin. I turned to look at him and he looked ridiculous. He was shirtless with a cape tied around his neck, "What on earth are you supposed to be?"

He held out two glasses, "Cider for the ladies. It's a Lockwood special," He narrowed his eyes.

Bonnie shook her head, "Oh, no way. Last year, I was hung over until Thanksgiving."

Caroline and I stepped forward at the same time, both taking a drink out of his hands. "Lightweight," We mocked in unison then began to laugh. Caroline looked at me, "I am going to drink until someone is hot enough to make out with."

Tyler nodded, "Sounds like a plan." They clinked their cups together, "What about you?" He looked my way and grinned like a child, "Saving people, hunting things?"

I smirked, "Sorry. I can't talk family business outside the workplace."

Caroline rolled her eyes, "Can you two be any more obvious? Get a room and make out already."

I shook my head and pulled the cup to my lips to take a sip, "Believe me. I have done my share of making out this past month to last a lifetime. I am being good tonight. Enjoying it with my friends," I looked at Tyler and he clinked his cup against my and we both took a gulp.

I glanced around the room and Caroline spoke up, "Has anyone seen Elena?" She grumbled and stomped her feet obnoxiously. "She told us that she would meet us here. No more mourning from the Gilbert clan."

I shot her a dirty look, "I can't find Matt, either. He hasn't texted me back all night."

Tyler stiffened when I mentioned Matt's name. I forgot how much that hurt him. My time with Matt felt so far in the past that sometimes I forget that it even happened. We stopped hooking up shortly after the car wash and went back to just being best friends. "He's been avoiding me. Still pissed about," Tyler dragged off and Caroline jerked her head back and forth, "About?"

I pulled on her arm, "it's nothing important, Care."

She crossed her arms, being her stubborn and nosy self. "Well apparently it is," She insisted noticing how tense this conversation made Tyler. "So spill," She darted her eyes back and forth between Tyler and I. Bonnie wasn't as persistent as Caroline, but her facial expressions mirrored Caroline's curiosity.

He rubbed the back of his neck and I touched his side lightly, trying to make him relax. "I'm not really comfortable talking about it."

I rolled my eyes and decided to lie. My past two months have been full of nothing but lies and betrayal, might as well add some more to the pile while I'm at it. "We hooked up after the Council Party and Matt got jealous. He got an attachment," I pinched my fingers together like quotation marks. "He's still bitter about it to Tyler," Tyler furrowed his eyebrows together in confusion but I shot him a look.

Bonnie placed her hands on her hips, "You two hooked up again?"

Matt walked over and his jaw dropped, "What?"

I spun around on my heel and bulged out my eyes, "Just agree!" I mouthed to him and he nodded his head slightly that you could barely tell. Caroline shrugged a shoulder, "Malina is getting around. Am I next?" She winked towards me and I laughed and looked away from her, "I'm definitely next."

I slung my arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer to me. "You bet your sweet ass, you are."

Tyler nudged my ribs with his elbow, "Don't sleep with her though, Care. Or else you're as good as dead." I whispered in Caroline's ear, "More Supernatural jokes that you wouldn't understand. I think our cups are calling for a refill."

Tyler grinned at me, "I have the Lockwood special in my pocket when you get back." He turned towards Matt and Bonnie and they erupted into a conversation of their own. It felt like things were going back to normal. Slowly, but surely.

We walked over to the caldron of fruit punch in the center of the gymnasium. I picked up the spoon and pour the juice into Caroline's cup. She cleared her throat and straightened up, "So you and Tyler, or you and Matt?" I looked up and gave her a blank glare. "I just want to know what's going on in my best friend's mind."

I shoved my right hand into my pocket, "It's not like that with either of them. Okay?" I snapped, I didn't mean to. "I'm sorry, but I'm just not in the mood to talk about it."

She shook my arm, "I just want to know." I shook my head, "You don't tell me anything anymore. I had to learn about you sleeping with Matt through Bonnie. Do you know how humiliating that is, learning something that freaking important from someone else? And now Tyler, a month later? When did you start keeping so many secrets?"

The day my parents died. I shoved that thought away, back into the darkest parts of my mind. I needed to earn her trust back, I needed her on my side. I huffed out, "It's complicated and I just don't want to drag you into it. So please, can we drop it." I looked over and saw Damon standing a few feet away, eyeing me up. "I have to be somewhere."

She flailed her arm in front of her, "Fine."

I saw Damon walking away, down a hallway. I dashed away from Caroline to catch up with him. I stood behind him in a matter of seconds. For a vampire, he's not a very fast one. Or he was waiting for me, because he stopped when I was right behind him. Like he knew that I would follow him. "Warrior Princess, nice to see you."

I pulled my gun out of the back of my jeans and held it against the back of his head, "Don't move or I'll shoot you," I smirked.

He turned around quickly and dismantled the gun out of my grasp and placed it in the back of his pants. I frowned, "Nice try, but next time. Use a real gun, sweet heart. And aim for the heart."

I held out my hand for the gun, "Hand it over, Damon." I took in his appearance. It was definitely something he pulled out of the back of his closet. Shaggy hair, leather jacket. He looked like a greaser. "What's with the greaser look, Pony Boy?"

"Ha ha, and what are you supposed to be? Hunters don't dress like that in the real world. But by all means, think you're in Supernatural. Although, dead man's blood has no effect on us."

I scoffed, "You know Supernatural?"

He shrugged lightly, "Everyone has an itch they need to be scratched. That just happens to be mine. But," His voice turned into his usual flirty tone and his eyebrows raised and his eyes narrowed, "We both know about yours."

I looked up, rolling my eyes into the back of my head. "Will you ever give up on that? You compelled it out of me for your own vicious gain so you could ridicule me with it!"

His lips turned into a side smirk, "Perhaps. I can't really get the truth out of you anymore." He tapped on the necklace that was wrapped around my neck, "Since I decided to be the good guy for once and protect you."

I swallowed hard and touched the necklace when he hand drifted away. I could still feel the warmth of his touch on my skin. "Still don't know why you did that." His eyes diverted to the ground quickly and I chuckled, "That is unless you share the attraction."

He leaned forward and growled in my ear lowly, "If I wanted to taste you, I'd have a different way to do it." He snapped his teeth together and I flinched. He pulled away laughing and ran a finger through my hair, "Though both thoughts do sound quite tempting."

We both stared at one another, flicking our eyes from each other's eyes to lips. He licked his lips slowly, indicating what he wanted to do next. Which I was totally up for. Kissing Damon was different, consuming in a sense. I lost myself but at the same time, I felt in complete control.

I leaned forward, our lips centimeters apart when I heard his phone start to ring. He groaned and pulled out his phone from his pocket, "Steffy. You know the best times to interrupt." His stance changed and he nodded his head, "Yeah. Okay. I'll be right there." I gave him an odd look and he sighed, "Sadly, this night has to be cut short. Although, I think we both knew where it would end," He wiggled his eyebrows. "Stefan needs me. You should go home. They'll need you there."

I touched his arm, "Why what happened?" He didn't answer. "Damon, give me an answer. What happened?"

He vanished right in front of my eyes and I spun around. He was nowhere. I stormed down the hallway and Matt ran into me, "Have you seen my sister?" I shrugged my shoulders, glancing around the room. There were too many people at the haunted house to find one person. Which made my search cease from importance. "She bailed on me."

I touched his face with my hand, "Everything will be fine. I promise, Matt. If I see her, I'll let you know." I stepped away from him, knowing I just lied. Again. Vicki is missing. Again. Damon's random disappearance. Again. Elena's banning Jeremy from seeing Vicki. Again. Something went terribly wrong. Again.

Tyler ran up to me, "Hey! You aren't leaving already, are you?"

I ran my hand up my arm, "I need to go. But um," I closed my eyes tightly before continuing. "How drunk are you?" He shook his head, saying he wasn't drunk at all. I breathed in a mild breath, "Would it be any trouble if I asked for a ride? Could you drive me home?"

He ran his hand down my arm, "Yeah. Yeah, okay. No problem. I just gotta get my keys out of my locker. Want to walk with me? Tell me what's going on?"

I agreed and we walked down the hallway, crowded with people dressed in different costumes. Superheroes, anime characters, the cast of the Jersey Shore. I kept my eyes glued in front of me, "This whole friend thing. How's it working out for you?"

I snuck a peak at him, but his eyes were already studying me. "It's weird, just talking to you as a friend. I thought it would be easier, but the more I thought about it. We were never friends to begin with. We were pushed together in the sixth grade by our parents. Who thought this is where we'd end up?"

He stopped in front of his locker and plugged in his combination. My birthday. His football number. How many rocks were skipped at Caroline's lake house our first visit as a couple. 22-1-9.

"I don't mean to bring up old times but we were a power couple. You had the beauty and the brains and I had the strength and the ego for the both of us." I laughed at him, "I do miss it sometimes."

I breathed out, "So do I." I blinked a few times, "Thinks were just easier. We had plans and dreams. Yale and moving in together. Getting a puppy and naming him Tobias."

He grabbed his keys and a jacket and held it under his arm and shut his locker, "Sometimes I wish things stayed on track."

"We should get going."

We walked to his car in silence. I climbed into the passenger seat, like I've done thousands of times before. I slumped against the seat and stared out the window. He handed me his jacket and I held it closely against my chest, it smelled like him. He started the car and looked over at me, "What's the emergency anyway?"

I turned towards him and jolted my shoulders, "I have no idea. Damon left a very vague message." He made a sour face when I mentioned Damon. No one knew I even talked to Damon before, especially not kissed him. And wished to kiss him again. He turned left at the corner of the Grill and muttered quietly to himself, "Damon."

We arrived out front of my house and he parked against the curb in his usual parking space. Stefan was standing on the porch, leaning his back against the stone wall. I climbed out of the car, mumbled a quick thank you and ran to Stefan. "What's wrong? Where's Elena?" He didn't flinch at her name so I relaxed. "Jeremy?"

He sighed, "Vicki's dead. I had to stake her, she tried to kill Elena." I blinked a few times – not processing what I was just told. Vicki Donovan could not be dead. My best friend's sister could not be dead. "Jeremy is upstairs in his room, talking to Elena. You might want to talk to him too."

I ran inside and up the stairs, taking three steps at a time. I ran into Jeremy's room and he was crying. Elena sitting in front of him, trying to comfort him. I sat behind him and wrapped my arms around his shoulders and held him close. "I mean, I know what I saw but I don't understand."

Elena rubbed his arm, "She was going to kill me."

Jeremy kept crying, tears running down his cheeks. He was shaking back and forth slowly. I rubbed his shoulders and leaned my forehead on his back, "And now she's dead. Vicki's dead."

"I'm so sorry, Jeremy." Elena went to pull him into her embrace, but he pushed her off of him. He shook his head and Elena gave me a look, wondering why it's okay that I comfort him, but not her.

He looked up at her for a few moments, "Make it stop. It hurts." He placed his face in the hook of his elbow. His arms were folded around his bent knees. I rubbed his arms, "Sh. It's okay, Jer. It's okay." He looked up at Elena then glanced back towards me.

"Why does everyone have to die on me?" He asked innocently. Elena pulled him into a hug and I leaned my head against him. She ran her hand through his hair, trying to help him calm down.

"You have us, Jeremy." He began to sob into Lena's shoulder. "You will always have us."

Elena stood up and walked down the stairs to rejoin Stefan outside. I took Elena's spot to sit in front of Jeremy. "I just want to be happy, Mali."

I played with the top of his hair, "I know, Jeremy. I know what you're going through way too well." I felt tears welling in my eyes, "We're too young to be going through all of this. We're supposed to be making mistakes and learning from them."

He sniffled, "Thank you for not leaving me this summer. I wouldn't have been able to handle it."

I felt like I just got punched in the stomach. All the wind got shoved out of me like a vacuum. I almost forgot about my break down when I almost took my own life. I swallowed hard and took Jeremy's hand. "I'm never leaving. Okay? You're stuck with me and Elena forever."

He looked up and stopped crying so hard, "I love you."

The door opened and Damon walked into the room. I stood up immediately, out of instinct, and placed myself between the two of them. I knew what Damon was capable of and I knew how fragile Jeremy was feeling right now. I had to take part as the middle man. "What the hell do you think you are doing in here?"

He motioned for me to get out of the way so I folded my arms across my chest and stood my ground. "Malina, move. I need to speak with the Little Gilbert."

I shook my head furiously, "Uh-uh. No, I know why you're here and you are not doing it. He needs to move on."

He pushed me out of the way, "That's what I'm trying to help him do." I fought him off of me, "Don't make me compel you too."

I pulled on my necklace, "Vervein that you supplied me with. Remember?"

He grabbed the back of my neck and forced me to look up at him, "I gave it to you, so how do you know it's not a fake? How do you know that I only made you believe that it was vervein to earn your trust?"

"Because you wouldn't be telling me that right now. You're smart, Damon. I know you better than that. So please, don't erase his memories. Don't listen to Elena," I pleaded.

He turned around and zoomed to Jeremy, taking his head in his hands. "Jeremy, you will listen closely," He started rattling off a lie that Elena surely fed him with. Once he was done, he walked out of the bedroom and into the hallway. I followed him out. I pushed him so he would face me and slapped him across the face. Hurting my hand more than his cheek, "I told you not to!"

He grabbed my arms and pushed me against the wall forcefully, "I had to. I had no other choice, Elena needed him to forget. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to choose between two bickering Gilbert's? It was either you or Elena."

I nodded my head and bit my lower lip, "And it's always going to be Elena."

I shrugged him off of me and took a step backwards talking down the hallway and towards the staircase. I felt his hand grab mine and his touch was strong enough to get me to stop walking. "I never said that," He spoke solemnly.

I turned my head enough just so I could look at him. I swallowed hard, "Yeah. Well you said enough."