The first few nights at the boarding house were awkward. People didn't really know what to say to me. Jeremy and Elena took turns staying with me during the night, I tended to have nightmares and would wake up screaming so they wanted to be there to calm me down. Even Damon stayed with me one of the nights. I was surprised but thankful at the same time. I didn't want to be alone for those first few days and I was just happy someone was there with me.

Carol showed up on the 5th day to speak with me. She asked if she could talk to me alone but I told her it was fine if anyone wanted to stay. Jeremy, Elena, Stefan, and Damon all crowded around the living room with me.

"So...Sheriff, any leads on what happened to the Peyton's?" Damon asked right away.

"Well...no, not exactly."

"Not exactly? What does that mean?" Jeremy responded.

"Well we have some ideas but nothing is set in stone yet. Violet, honey...are you sure you can't remember anything else?" she asked.

"No, I've told you everything I know. Have you spoken with anyone else? My dad's friends at work?"

"Well...that's the other news I came to tell you." she didn't look happy.

"Well...what is it?" I urged.

"Two of the men your father worked with on his last day of work...they were murdered last night. Much in the same way your parents were."

"Oh my god." Stefan replied.

"What does that even mean? So there's some sort of connection, right?" I was getting annoyed.

"Well...it seems that way." she seemed flustered.

"What do you mean it 'seems that way'? Why do I feel like there's something you're not telling me?"

"Violet, hey..." Elena spoke up "She's doing the best she can, she'd tell you if she knew something. Right Sheriff Forbes?"

"She's right, Violet. I'm sorry I know this is hard on you. We're doing the best we can. I know you're upset, and you have every right to be. I just came here to tell you that and check in on you. I've gotta get going now. If you can remember anything else, please call me, ok?"

After the first week I started feeling like I needed time to myself. With five people living under one roof and constantly asking how I was doing and worrying about me, I needed time alone. It took another week of convincing everyone that I was fine and ready to go back before they finally agreed.

Stefan seemed to be giving me the hardest time about it all. He wanted someone to be with me every night. I told him that would be exactly the same as me being here...which was what I was trying to get away from. In the end he reluctantly agreed and with everyone finally agreeing two days later and I loaded up my car with my things.

"Thanks for helping me with everything, Elena. I really appreciate it." I told her as we drove from the boarding house back to my parents house...err, well it would now be considered my house, I guess. I had no other family left...it was only me. That was kind of scary to think...so I stopped myself from doing it and just focused on what was going on now...which was Elena talking back to me.

"Anytime. That's what I'm here for. And seriously if you need to talk or just want someone to be around you call ANY of us, ok?"

I agreed although I wasn't even sure who I would call. These people were barely my friends, and I had only spoken to a handful of my old friends from back home. Most of them didn't even know what to say, they were just as shocked as I was about the entire situation.

We all gathered in front of the house and hauled everything back in. They stayed for about an hour before I finally started kicking people out.

"Ok guys, you can go now. I want to kick back and relax and not have to worry about looking fancy in front of all of you anymore, okay?" I cracked a smile...first time in a while.

"You could have been as unfancy as you wanted if it meant you wore this around the house!" Damon commented as he held up a pair of black underwear out of one of my boxes.

"Damon put that down! Oh my god we can't take you anywhere!" Elena's face turned bright red.

"I'm so sorry, Vi. He really doesn't know how to speak to other human beings sometimes." she sighed.

"Well I don't have to deal with them on a daily basis most days." he smiled.

"Damon I swear...okay I think it's time we go." Elena shoved Damon towards the door. "And I'm serious, Vi...if you need ANYTHING you call us, ok?"

"I swear I will. Don't worry about me I'm a big girl, remember?" I smiled and hugged her.

Elena, Stefan, and Damon walked out together and back into their cars. I hadn't even noticed Jeremy had stuck around until he said something.

"Can we talk for a few minutes now that everyone is gone?" he asked.

I knew this was coming. It had been weeks now since that night of the party and he owed me some kind of explanation. He and Bonnie had been almost inseperable ever since. I wonder if he even told her.

"Yeah...let's go sit down in the kitchen." I led the way.

We sat down and he didn't say anything for a few moments. Awkward silence hung in the air and I wasn't going to be the one to break it. It was all on him.

"Look..." he started "These past few weeks have been crazy. I still can't believe it all happened. How are you? Are you ok? I know what it's like to lose both parents at once...I thought I was gonna go nuts at one point."

He hit the nail on the head. I felt that way almost on a daily basis. My mother really was my best friend and it was so hard not to be able to call her every day and hear her voice. And my father...we were close too. The funeral hadn't even been a week ago and still it all felt like it happened so fast.

"I'm...doing as good as I can. I still cry a lot...most of the day. But it's getting better as the days go by." I replied. Not exactly what I thought we were going to talk about.

"Listen, I'm here if you ever want to talk. Elena can be, well, a flake at times. She seems like she's more interested in which Salvatore brother she wants to hook up with than her friends or family sometimes. So she's not really the best person to talk with. But really...if you need someone..."

"I want to talk about the night of the party...and not the part about my parents. The part before...with me and you." I cut him off "I know you were drunk, I might have been a little too...but you slept with me WHILE you had a girlfriend! And you never even told me!" my voice was raising and he looked surprised.

"Well...technically Bonnie and I weren't together then. I didn't...I really didn't mean to hurt you. Bonnie and I had a fight...and you were being so nice and sweet and...like you said, I was kind of drunk..." he rambled on and finally stopped himself and looked up at me.

"Oh god I'm so sorry, Vi. I never meant to hurt you. Please forgive me. Please say we can be friends? I really do like you...you're one of the sweetest people I know and I don't want to lose you." he had actual tears in his eyes.

I didn't really know what to say. He hurt me...he hurt me bad and I couldn't shake the feeling of being pissed at him.

"Does Bonnie know?" I asked, looking him dead in the eyes.

"No...please don't tell her! She'd never forgive me. It was a stupid mistake, I swear. I never do shit like that. Trust me, you can ask Tyler or Matt...I tell them everything and they know I would never..."

"Wait you tell them everything? You didn't tell them about us, did you?" That's all I needed. Gossip around the town about the new girl, who's parents died, who is also a big slut and slept with a guy who had a girlfriend. That would surely make my life in Mystic Falls even better!

"No! No I didn't tell anyone. Please don't tell Bonnie. I love her and it would kill her."

He loved her...he had a funny way of showing it. And still...the words stung to hear. I thought he really might have had feelings for me but I was wrong. But I didn't want to lose him as a friend. He was one of the nicest people to me when I lived here before and now.

"No...I won't tell her or anyone else. Your secret is safe with me."

"Thank you!" He shot up from the chair and gave me a huge hug "I swear someday I'll make it up to you. I don't know how but I will!"

"Yeah I'll hold you to that." I tried joking to mask the pain I was in.

"Listen I've gotta get going. Elena's right though, you can call any one of us and we'll be here, in a heartbeat. I will always be here for you, ok?"

"Yeah, ok. Thanks." he kissed my forehead and with that he left.

There I was standing in the middle of this big house that was nothing more than a stranger to me. I only had about a week to get used to it before my parents were taken. Now I'd have to get used to it on my own. I'd never lived by myself, never even thought about it. But I guess things change.