3rd POV
In the familiar forest of Mystic Falls, a man and a woman were camping, unaware of the fog descending around their tent.
"Hey, did you hear that?" The woman had quite a keen ear.
"Hear what?" The man besides her asked.
"I hear thunder."
"There's no thunder."
"Are you sure?" The woman insisted. "Because if it rains, then we won't be able to see the comet."
"It's not gonna rain." The man rolled his eyes but still kissed the top of her head. "Listen... I got you a little something. It's in the back of the car. Don't you move."
As he stood up, the woman spoke up. "Stay dry."
The man chuckled as he walked out the tent. "It's not gonna rain."
After a while, a dripping noise could be heard against the top of the tent and the woman smiled in triumph.
"I knew it! I told you it was gonna rain."
Walking outside, she failed to see the man and panic slightly arose in her. The dripping sound was heard once again, and lifting her eyes, she saw her boyfriend up in a tree, his blood dripping on the tent.
With a frightened scream, she ran to the car, her heart nearly beating out of her chest. "Open! No! Please!"
The car beeped as the doors unlocked, not the doing of the woman, if shown by how she nervously looked around.
All of a sudden, someone dropped from the trees and killed her, draining her of her blood.
Somewhere in the Gilbert's residence, Sarah Gilbert gasped awake, having just experienced the scene through the woman's eyes. She turned around, making sure she didn't wake her little brother and got herself a blood bag.
"Fucking vampire." She muttered, her expression comically murderous.
When she found the rogue vampire, there would be hell to pay—or a kick in the nuts as her face expressed.
~•0•~
Sarah's POV
"Dear diary, this morning is... different. There is change. I can sense it, feel it."
Putting the finishing touches on my outfit, the sound of my sister writing in her diary and speaking out loud drifted into my ears.
Obviously Elena could sense the change happening as she was falling in lurve with Stefan Salvatore—and I didn't even want to know why that knowledge annoyed me.
"For once, I don't regret the day before it begins." Elena continued to mutter.
"Because I know... I will see him again. For the first time in a long time, I feel good."
I sighed, looking at my reflection in my vanity, reminding myself I was the one who asked the universe for more excitement in this town. Well done, Sarah, well done.
••••••••
"Do I look adult? As in respectfully parental?" Jenna asked my twin and I as the three of us were in the kitchen.
"Depends on where you're going." Elena replied as I lifted my eyes from my huge breakfast and looked at my aunt.
"Jeremy's parent-teacher conference." She replied, gathering locks of her hair. "Hair up or down?"
"Sexy stewardess." I chimed in as I looked at her hair up.
Jenna put it back down and Elena replied. "Boozy housewife."
"Up it is." Jenna chuckled before nodding at Elena. "In a good mood?"
"I feel good, which is rare." Elena said. "So I've decided to with it. Fly free, walk on the sunshine and all that stuff. Where is Jeremy?"
At that, I carefully avoided their eyes as Jenna replied. "He left early. Something about getting to wood shop early to finish a birdhouse."
At the pregnant pause—my brother was most definitely in the hospital, checking on Vicki—, Jenna caught on. "There is no wood shop, is there?"
"No." Elena replied on a frustrated sigh.
Well, time to erase myself from this conversation—and this kitchen.
•••••••••
"I'm confused. Are you psychic or clairvoyant?" Care asked Bonnie as we were leaving our first class.
Bonnie had listened to me... well kinda. She had talked to Gram's but she didn't listen.
"Technically, Gram's says I'm a witch." Bonnie told our blonde friend. "My ancestors were these really cool Salem witch chicks or something. Gram's tried to explain it all but she was looped on the liquor so I kinda tuned out. Crazy family, yes. Witches? I don't think so."
I heaved a small sigh, Bonnie was so going to get the shock of her life... but I would be there every second for my best friend.
"Yeah, well, feel free to conjure up the name and number of that guy from last night." Caroline sighed.
"Mystic mysterious guy?" I asked a nodding Care, referring to the hot guy she apparently 'made eyes' witch at the Grill the night before.
"I didn't see him, you did." Bonnie said. "Why didn't you just talk to him?"
"Yeah it's not like you to get shy." I told our blondie.
"I don't know. I was drunk."
"Yeah, right." I mocked my friend. "More like Mrs.McShy in front of hot guys."
With Bonnie's laughter ringing in the hallway, Caroline ran after me with her bag, acting like an old lady with a thief.
••••••••
Two hours later, I was in one of the school's field with my twin and Matt, the latter updating us on his sister.
"They're keeping her overnight to make sure there's no infection, but she should be able to come home tomorrow." Matt said, the hand in mine squeezing for comfort.
"That's good news." Elena said, seated on his other side.
"Yeah."
"Did you get in touch with your mom?" I asked, though I already knew Kelly would be a no show.
As expected, Matt shook his head. "Called and left a message. She's in Virginia Beach with her boyfriend so... we'll see how long it takes her to come rushing home."
I squeezed his hand in comfort, I couldn't comprehend his struggle since mom and dad had been the best parents I could ever ask for but Matt knew he could always count on me.
"Vicki's lucky that she's ok." Elena sighed in relief.
"I know." Matt sighed. "And now there's talk of some missing campers."
I stiffened a bit at the mention of the campers, remembering my vision and the fucking vampire—that I had yet to find—who was making all this noise. I swear to god, the minute I knew who it was, I was gonna break his neck.
"Did she say what kind of animal it was that attacked her?" I asked, emphasis on 'animal' to steer clear of suspicions.
Matt furrowed his brow. "She said it was a vampire."
My hand in his spasmed a bit. "What?"
"Yeah, she wakes up last night and mutters 'vampire' and then passes out." It was obvious that Matt didn't believe his sister's words for a second.
"Ok, that is weird." Elena hummed.
"I think she was drunk." Matt then changed the subject, looking at Elena. "So what's with you and the new guy?"
Elena's face revealed a guilty expression. "Matt, the last thing that I want to do is hurt you."
Matt squeezed my hand and released it. "You know, I'm...I'm actually gonna go back to the hospital. I want to be there when Vicki wakes up, get the real story about last night."
Sensing something, I hummed and turned to them. "And I also have to go. See you later, Matt, sis'!"
I walked in the direction the feeling was stronger and came face to face with dear Stefan. Reckon he'd been listening to the conversation.
"You heard?" I asked nonetheless.
He sighed and nodded his head. "I'm gonna take care of it."
"Well do it fast, Stefan." I warned him. "Because if I get involved, I'm gonna kill this new vampire. Do you know who it is?"
"I have a clue." Stefan opted for truth, which I liked. "But I'm not sure either."
My eyes fluttered over his stiff and tired face and I sighed. "Okay, I'm gonna leave you to it."
He took my hand and squeezed it for a bit. "Thanks, Sarah." Before he rushed off.
•••••••
"Well, I was talking to Gram's and she said the comet is a sign of impending doom." Bonnie told our table as we were at the Grill after school. "The last time it passed over Mystic Falls, there was lots of death. So much blood and carnage, it created a bed of paranormal activity."
I was probably the only one listening intently to what Gram's said as I could literally feel the 'impending doom'. And call me twisted, but I couldn't wait for it, man, I wasn't bored anymore and that was a feat.
"Yeah, and then you poured Grams another shot and she told you about the aliens." Care was even less believing of Gram's sayings than Bonnie. "So then what?" She asked Elena.
"So then nothing." My twin, sitting next to me, answered.
"You and Stefan talked all night?" Care's face was full of disbelief. "There was no sloppy first kiss or touchy feely of any kind?"
"Nope. We didn't go there." Elena said.
"And I can vouch for that, I would have heard them otherwise." I chimed in. "If only I wasn't sure that Stefan was a vanilla kinda guy, I would have been all up on that." I made lewd faces with Bonnie snickering and Elena glaring at me.
"Not even a handshake?" Caroline was still not giving up. "I mean, Elena, we're your friends, ok? You are supposed to share the smut."
"We just talked for hours." Elena replied.
'Talked' I mouthed at Bonnie, the both of us rolling our eyes at my goody-two-shoes sister.
"Ok, what is with the blockage?" My thoughts exactly, Care. "Just jump his bones already! Ok, it's easy. Boy likes girl, girl likes boy, sex!"
"Profound." Elena said with a small smile while Bonnie and I were cracking up.
As we were still laughing, Elena stood up with a determined expression.
"Oh no, I know that face." I pointed at her. "That's the face that got us suspended in 3rd grade."
Elena rolled her eyes. "That night was your idea, Sarah."
Oh yeah, I forgot. I snickered.
"Where are you going?" Bonnie asked.
"Caroline's right. It is easy." Elena said, surprising even Care. "If I sit here long enough, I'll end up talking myself out of it instead of doing what I started the day saying I would do."
"Go, twin!" I cheered. Finally, we had corrupted her to our ways.
•••••••
"Tell me again, why am I here?"
I'd followed Elena's car with my own while we weaves through the woods and finally arrived before a magnificent residence; the Salvatore Boarding House.
"Back up." Elena said, trying—failing—to calm her nerves in front of the door.
"For what?" I insisted, still confused. "I'll admit that Stefan is hot but he's way too soft for me. And I'd prefer to not be in the vicinity of my twin having sex, thank you very much." I sassed.
"Shut up." She laughed, finally knocking on the door.
The door was slightly ajar and opened on its own, making me shrug and enter someone else's house nonetheless.
"Stefan? Stefan?" Elena called out as we walked further into the home.
A crow flew into the house, making the two of us turn around—and into a McHottie with blue eyes.
Damon Salvatore. Whispers only I could hear. So this was Stefan's brother, huh. And probably the sonovabich who didn't know how to feed discreetly.
"I...I'm sorry we barged in." Elena was as startled as I was. Was that a blush on her cheeks? "The door was... open."
Yeah, and now it was closed, just like my favorite horror movies.
McHottie smirked. "You must be Elena and Sarah. I'm Damon, Stefan's brother."
"He didn't tell me he had a brother." Elena furrowed her brows.
"'None that I talk to.'" I quoted Stefan, —proving to Elena that he indeed told us he had siblings— and eyeing Damon.
Damon seemed to eye me back, probably thinking I wanted to sleep with him—if the smirk getting bigger was any indication—while I was just thinking of the easiest way to bust his balls without my sister seeing.
"Well, Stefan's not one to brag." Damon said before he ushered us further into the living room. "Please, come. I'm sure Stefan will be along any minute."
Elena released an awed sound. "Wow. This is your living room?"
"Living room, parlor, Sotheby's auction." Damon shrugged. "It's a little kitschy for my taste." Damon eyed Elena with a knowing glint. "I see why my brother's so smitten. It's about time. For awhile there, I never thought he'd get over the last one. Nearly destroyed him."
I rolled my eyes but with a little smirk of my own. Damon was a shit steerer, now we were talking.
"The last one?" Elena fell into his trap.
"Yeah. Katherine, his girlfriend? Oh, you two haven't had the awkward exes conversation yet."
Katherine. I didn't know why, but all I felt with this name was bad. Nothing good at all and a myriad of confusing emotions. Anger, betrayal, love and resentment.
What was that? I didn't even know the girl.
"Nope." Elena's voice brought me back to the present conversation.
"Oops. Well, I'm sure it'll come up now." Damon was such a sly devil, I loved it. "Or maybe he didn't want to tell you because he didn't want you to think he was on the rebound." Well now, that's all Elena would think about. "We all know how those relationships end."
"You say it like every relationship is doomed to end." Elena said, not deterred one bit from Stefan.
"I'm a fatalist." Damon replied before looking behind us. "Hello, Stefan."
Immediately, the tension in the room was high, and most of it coming from Stefan.
"Elena, Sarah. I didn't know you were coming over."
"You and me both." I sassed, lightening the atmosphere.
"I know I should have called." Elena tried for a smile. "I just..."
"Oh, don't be silly." Damon interrupted. "You're welcome any time. Both of you. Aren't they, Stefan?" He smirked at his stiff as a board brother. "You know, I should break out the family photo albums or some home movies. But... I have to warn you, he wasn't always such a looker."
I chuckled, enjoying the little chaos Damon was creating and wondering if something was not right with me.
"Thank you for stopping by, Elena, Sarah. Nice to see you." Stefan said instead.
"Yeah, we should probably go." Elena told me, but I could feel the flash of hurt in her eyes. "It was nice to meet you, Damon."
"Great meeting you too, Elena." Damon nodded at her before stopping in front of me, looking down at me. "Sarah."
In a playful mode, I winked at him, a little of my vampire veins showing. "Damon."
Leaving a stunned Damon behind, I hurried after my sister out the door and into our respective cars.
Hmm. This town just got a helluva lot more interesting.
•••••••••
"He's on the rebound and has raging family issues." Elena bitterly told our aunt as the three of us were snacking on my cooking in the kitchen.
"Well, at least it's an ex-girlfriend. Wait 'till you date a guy with mommy issues or cheating issues. Or amphetamine issues."
"Way to put things into perspective, aunt Jenna." I snickered, avoiding the ponytail holder she sent my way.
Our laughter was cut short by Jeremy coming home.
"Jeremy? Jeremy! Where were you?" Aunt Jenna asked.
"More stoner stories?" Jer sighed. "Look, Jenna, I get it, you were cool. And so that's ...that's cool."
Jer began climbing the stairs when Jenna lost her calm.
"Oh, no, no, no, no!" She cried, throwing the apple she was eating at his head.
"Ow!" Jer cradled the back of his head. "Why did you do that?"
"Listen up." Jenna was firm. "Quit ditching class, or you're grounded. No discussion."
Jer snorted. "Parental authority, I like it. Sleep tight."
Seeing my aunt's frustrated face, I sighed. "I'll talk to him."
~
Without knocking, I entered Jer's room and threw myself on top of him in his bed.
"Oof, sis, are you getting fat?"
I mock-gasped. "Oh, you're on." I was on him faster than he could react and began tickling him. "Mad tickles from Hell, beware!"
Jer was laughing madly, nearly wheezing. "You psycho!"
I stopped tickling him as he hugged me, his face in my neck. "I miss you, Jer."
I could feel him rolling his eyes. "We live together, doofus."
"No, Jer, I miss you." Damn, I was pretty sure he heard the crack in my voice and I didn't want to cry.
There was a slight lull before he hugged me even tighter.
"I'll stop ditching classes." He muttered. "... and I'll be done soon... with the drugs."
My sigh of relief was audible. "Thanks, Jer-bear."
"I love you."
"To the moon and back."
•••••••
The next day, Mystic Falls Town Square
Elena, Bonnie and I were in the Square, distributing pamphlets for the upcoming for the comet viewing.
"Tonight, night of the comet, would you like a program." Bonnie turned to me. "He didn't call, huh."
I shook my head. "She's been moping all day."
"I'm not moping." Elena denied. "So, he didn't call... or text. But I realized we never even exchanged that stuff. We've never gotten to the texting part."
"Because you've known each other for five minutes." I chimed in.
Bonnie shushed me. "That's an important milestone in any relationship."
"Isn't it?" Elena agreed. "The timing is wrong anyways."
"When is it ever right?" Bonnie was not wrong.
"Bonnie's not wrong." I repeated my thoughts. In a town like Mystic Falls, you had to grab life by the balls.
"Girls... I'm not ready." Elena sighed.
"Who is?"
"At least I put myself out there." Elena defended.
I raised my brow in skepticism as Bonnie asked. "Is that what you're calling it?"
"What do you mean?"
"All I'm hearing is reasons why you can't." Bonnie told my twin.
I lightly slapped Elena with the pamphlets. "Food for thoughts, sister."
~
"Hey, I got some candles."
Night was already upon us and I heard Care give candles to Elena and Bonnie—I already had my own lit up.
I was looking around when I came face to face with Stefan, stopping for a moment before I lit his candle.
"Thank you."
I showed my sister with my head. "Time to grovel."
Stefan stared a second too long into my eyes, looking he wasn't moving before my sister's call startled him.
"Later?" I don't know why he worded it as a question. And don't look so hopeful Mr. Salvatore, you're my sister's.
"Later." I lied, knowing I would disappear from the Square the first chance I got.
After all, I had a —bloody and sexy—date with a lucky jock on our school's team. Youpi.
•••••••
After a little diner with the jock, I joined my friend in the Grill, satisfied and full.
"Hey, has anyone seen Vicki?" Jer asked the table I'd just arrived at.
"You're stalker. You tell us." Tyler replied, while also evading my fists.
I loved Tyler so much but his little animosity with my brother got on my nerves. All that for a girl. And damn, Vicki was Matt's sister and Matt was my people, but I could never get behind Vicki. She wasn't all that and a bag of chips. Jer and Tyler deserved better.
"I can't find her." Jer replied.
"She probably found somebody else to party with." Tyler said. "Sorry, pill pusher, I guess you've been replaced."
"What's with the pill pusher?" Elena was finally interested in the conversation.
"Ask him." Tyler told on my little brother. Sometimes I wonder if they weren't the same age. Stupid.
"You wanna do this right now?" Jer asked Elena, frustrated as she raised a brow.
"Are you dealing?"
"She's never gonna go for you. Ow!" This time Tyler hadn't been fast enough and I managed to wank him on the head.
"She already did." Jer replied. "Over and over and over again."
I made a gagging sound, lightening the mood as Jer playfully pushed me with his shoulder.
"You slept with Vicki Donovan?" Care was in disbelief. "I mean, Vicki Donovan slept with you?"
"There's no way." Tyler denied.
"And I didn't even have to force her into it." Jer replied, his eyes drilling into Tyler.
At that Matt's temper stirred, eyes locking on his best friend. "What the hell is he talking about, Ty?"
Tyler shook his head. "Nothing man, just ignore him, he's a punk."
"And also my brother." I said, kicking Tyler in the shin. "Now all of you shut the fuck up so we can go look for her."
"I second that." Matt sent me a grateful look as we began to all disperse.
"We'll check the back." Bonnie said, taking Care with her.
"I'll check the Square." Matt informed.
"I'm coming with you." Jer said but before he could go any further, Elena tucked him between us.
"Oh, no, no! You are coming with us. So that's your game now, dealing?"
"Not the time, Elena." I warned.
"This is so the time." She snapped back.
Jer put himself in front of me. "Don't snap at Sarah."
I sighed as I maneuvered Jer to my other side, away from Elena and an impending fight. Siblings.
"I'm not dealing." Jer finally said.
I believed him. He may have given a few pulls to Vicki, but he never made money from it and never dealt.
"Look, I'm sick of the tough love speech, Jer. It's clearly having no impact."
"Elena." I sighed as Jer put his arm around my shoulder and tucked me into his side, as though protecting me from my own twin.
It was cute but I also knew all their talk was getting to him. He was coping, in a weird sense, but he was coping.
"You and Jenna. Between the two of you, enough already!" Jer snapped.
"We can stop if you want." Elena snapped. "Send you to a therapist where you'll be forced to deal with it or to rehab where you'll sit in a group and tell some stranger how you let your life fall apart."
"Over my dead body." My voice booked no argument as I looked at my twin. If only she was willing to truly listen to our little brother, maybe he wouldn't be closing himself up everytime she was worried about him.
"Or you could talk to me." Elena proposed.
"He's already talking to me, Lena." I sighed. "And he is coping. Just like us."
Before she could reply, Jer kissed my temple and walked away. "I vote for none of your options, Elena."
Seeing him go, Elena looked at me as if it was my fault. "Do something!"
"Like what, Elena?"
"I don't know!" She snapped. "Be a sister for once instead of the 'cool' with anything thing you have going on."
Realizing she'd gone too far, Elena tried to apologize but I shook my head.
"Save it, Elena. Me and my none sisterly ways are out."
•••••••
"I'm glad you found her, Matt." Matt had just called me to tell me they'd found his sister so I rushed home and was now in my bedroom.
"Yeah. I... I don't know what to do with her, seriously." Matt sighed as I put on my sleepwear.
"Siblings." I chuckled into the phone. "You love them but you also want to choke them sometimes."
"Elena said she was stupid for what she said to you... forgive her, yeah?"
"Don't... just don't, Matt. Before you were her boyfriend, you were my friend. It's your duty to agree with me when I'm pissed at someone."
"I know, S... it's just... I miss her so much but I feel like she's slipping away from me. I don't think I have a chance anymore."
I sighed, settling in the couch near my window for this.
"You fall in love more than once, Matt." I told him. "It will happen again. It will be just as amazing and as extraordinary as the first time and maybe just as painful. But it'll happen again. I promise."
There was a long silence on the other hand, but I could tell my words were a soothing balm on his heart.
"Time to move on?" He whispered.
"Time to move on, babe." I whispered back, heart aching for one of my closest friends.
"... thanks, S. You know that I love you right?"
"To the moon and back." I smiled. "Now go rein in your little sister."
After hanging up, I looked through the window, not really seeing anything.
I was the best at ditching amazing advice, but I longed for that kind of love too—the kind that would sweep me off my feet, his passion matching mine, and turn me upside down.
Soon, my child, soon.
