A/N: So this is a little Elena forward, but I hope I balanced it out.

"So apparently I'm a witch," Bonnie said grabbing her history book out of her locker.

"Crazier things have happened."

Kai was leaning against her locker waiting for her to grab what she needed so they could head back over to the courtyard. It was the first day of their junior year and Bonnie wanted to make sure she had everything before starting the day. Kai couldn't care less—it was just school. The only reason he was even there was to be near her.

"But this is just plain lunacy, Kai. My Grams really needs to stop drinking."

"I don't know, she might be on to something. There's always been something magical about you." He leaned back on the locker next to her and flashed her the smile that always made her feel weak in the knees.

"Now you're being ridiculous," she said laughing. Her laughter stopped when her phone buzzed in her pocket. Looking at her phone her smile faded. "It's Elena."

Kai groaned rolling his eyes. "Let her wait, it's my time with you," he whined.

"C'mon, she needs me. What would you do if your parents died?"

"Send whoever did it a thank you note."

"Stop it, you don't mean that."

"Oh, but I really do."

"You know sometimes you can really be an ass." She slammed her locker closed and left him holding her books for the next class.

"She'll be back."

"Alright, you can do this. It's just school. Nothing bad can happen here," Elena repeated to herself standing at the front steps of Mystic Falls High School. She knew it was ridiculous, it was just school, not a car or a body of water—but lately she had felt terrified of everything.

She declined a ride from Bonnie opting to walk instead—it felt like a bad omen to be in another car. It had taken her weeks to finally take a shower and even then, she was in and out as fast as possible. If she stayed any longer, she'd have a panic attack visualizing herself drowning again—watching her parents panic as they tried to save her.

Now there was school where she would be forced to act normal lest she let everyone know how much of a freak she had turned into. She broke up with Matt specifically so she wouldn't have to face that and Bonnie—she couldn't hide how she was feeling from Bonnie. The girl was too perceptive and persistent—she never left her side even after she told her to leave.

She didn't know why she didn't want Bonnie to know how anxious she'd been lately. She'd never judge her like Caroline, she wouldn't pity her like her family, she'd just understand because that was Bonnie. She just didn't want to burden the girl that way. She had enough things going on in her life she didn't want to add herself to that list, but sometimes you need a friend which is why she called her a few blocks away when her anxiety started creeping in.

Apparently, she wasn't only terrified but also paranoid because she could have sworn a crow was following her. Not literally, but everywhere she went she saw a crow. For some reason she had a feeling it was the same crow which was crazy because there were a lot of crows in the world why would one be following her. But the feeling wouldn't go away especially since there was one sitting on the roof of the building staring right at her.

She felt the urge to back away and run back home, but that was when Bonnie came through the double doors and a small bit of relief set in.

"Elena," she said in her usual bubbly voice. She hugged her and Elena let her comfort wash over her. She felt her heart decelerating and her breathing going back to normal.

All was great until the damn crow swooped down squawking nearly hitting both Bonnie and her. That was it. She was done with this day.

"I can't do it. This is too much," Elena said backing away from Bonnie.

"Crows maybe bad omens, but they don't have to defeat you."

"It's not just the crow, it's everything. It's not being able to shower for more than two minutes. It's having to walk because I can't stand being in a car without feeling like I'm drowning. It's the overwhelming feeling that something bad is going to happen and there being nothing in my control to stop it. It's all too much, Bonnie, and now school where I have to pretend like none of that's bothering me."

"Don't pretend. You lost your parents Elena, and you nearly died with them. No one's expecting you to be fine."

"Exactly! And now I'm just the sad girl everyone pities. I don't want that either."

"I know. That's why you need to come with me. How do you think it's going to look when you're not here? Jeremy's here, stoned out of his mind, and you're absent. What do you think they're going to say then? Come with me so you can control some of the narrative. Don't let a bad omen make that decision for you."

Elena looked at her apprehensively. She knew Bonnie was right. People would talk, they always talked and now was the first opportunity she had to take over the narrative. To show them that yes, she is fine, and no, I don't need you, but it was sweet to offer. "But what if something bad happens?"

"Then something bad happens. It can't be worse than what you've already been through. Besides, I happen to know that this is going to be a kick ass year."

"And how do you know that?" Elena said amused.

"Because I'm psychic, silly." Elena laughed. "Now are we going to keep standing here or are you going to come to class with me. We have first period together."

"Thank you, Bonnie."

"What are best friends for?"

Bonnie held out her hand to take. When Elena grabbed Bonnie pulled her into her linking their arms together.

"See, this isn't so bad." They were standing at Elena's locker while she organized everything how she liked.

"No, but school technically hasn't even started yet. It can definitely get worse—especially in first period."

"Hey, think positively. Today will be a great day. It's the first day of junior year and before we know it, it'll be graduation. However, I will give you first period. Mr. Tanner first thing in the morning for an entire year is not ideal, but it's manageable."

"You say that now, but what about when he hands out a pop quiz that no one has the answers to because it's on reading he did not assign?"

"Ugh, don't remind me. I swear, he just wants everyone to look dumber than him. Which is like dude, we're teenagers, chill out, no one is going to know more than you. No one is going to care to know more than you. We just want to pass and make our way to graduation."

"I honestly don't know how he still has a job. His student pass rates must be really low."

"Probably too cheap to get a new football coach. A job he also sucks at since we haven't gotten to play offs in like ten years.

"Speaking of football, I spy with my little eye the face of a broken-hearted jock burning a hole in the back of your head." At a locker across the hallway Matt Donavan stood staring at the girls pensively.

"He hates me, doesn't he?"

"No just misses you."

"Hey, ladies," Caroline said cheerily approaching them.

"Hey Caroline," they said in unison.

It's not that they didn't like Caroline, it's just that she was always so intense. A type-A personality that burned you more often than it helped.

"Oh my God, Elena, I'm so glad to see you." She pulled Elena into an awkward hug. "How is she? Is she alright?" she asked Bonnie.

"You know I'm right here Caroline, and I'm fine."

"Really?" she asked pulling away from her to gage her expression.

"Yeah much better."

Caroline pulled her back in and turned her head to Bonnie mouthing "really," to get confirmation. Bonnie nodded in response.

She pulled away again releasing Elena from her arms and patted her on the shoulder her. "You poor thing," was all she said before leaving.

Elena gave Bonnie a tight-lipped smile before deciding to let it go. That was just a taste of what she would have to deal with, no sense in checking out early. "Come on, let's head to class."

Closing her locker, they head toward history when Bonnie noticed someone stopping them in their track.

"Who is that?" She was staring at a boy who was in the front office.

"All I see is back," Elena commented.

"A hot back."

"You have a boyfriend," she said amused.

"But you don't," she said singing the words. "You are the recently single Elena Gilbert, and completely free to hit that."

"I meant what I told Matt; I need time. I'm not getting involved with him or anyone else until I can get my shit together."

"I get it, but you don't need to long term date him like you did with Matt. He could just be a fling, a rebound, something to pass the time in between freak outs."

"Bonnie," she protested. "I meant what I said, no boys."

"So, girls are on the table."

"Why? Are you offering?"

"Elena, I have a boyfriend I love very much, even if he's an ass sometimes and afraid to meet my Grams. But I'm very sure I can find some very eligible lesbians if that's what floats your boat."

"Pass, no girls either. I'm not bringing anyone into the mess that is me right now."

"Fair enough, but I still hold you could at least hit that once because who knows when the next time, you'll have sex again. We both know it's going to be a while before your head is straight."

"I know and I'm willing to wait as long as it takes—it just needs to happen." I hope it happens she thought sadly.

The warning bell rang signaling they had three minutes left to get to class. Bonnie felt like she was missing something and didn't realize what until they got to their classroom and Kai was leaning against the door.

"Forgetting something," he said smirking at her bad memory.

"No, that's why I have you," she replied reaching up on her tippy toes and pecking him on the lips.

"The things I do for love." He handed her history book to her simultaneously reaching down and giving her a real kiss. She got lost in his touch, and had it not been for Elena interrupting she would have been pressed against the wall without a care for who was watching, but that wasn't how she wanted to be remembered for the rest of the semester.

"See you between classes?"

"Don't insult me."

Elena was right; first period with Mr. Tanner was absolute hell. He specifically called on Bonnie to make her look stupid. Luckily, "hot back" who they learned was named Stefan Salvatore, came to her rescue. Unfortunately, that resulted in a 10,000-word essay due the next day. When they left class, Bonnie approached him.

"Stefan, right?"

"Um, yeah," he said looking around as though there was some other Stefan she was talking to.

"Thank you-"

"You're welcome," he said quickly before she could finish.

"Thank you, but, if you want to survive the year with Mr. Tanner, I suggest refraining from humiliating him. As satisfying as that was to watch he's got the ego the size of planet, and insecurity just as large. Just wait until he starts the pop quizzes."

"Good to know. I'll keep that in mind next time-" He let the sentence sit in the air.

"Bonnie, Bonnie Bennett." She held out her hand for him to shake. He takes it tentatively staring at her intently creeping her out for a moment before she snapped out of it. When she was about to take her hand, back Kai snuck up from behind her grabbing her by the waist and kissing the side of her face.

"Miss me," he said staring directly at Stefan.

"40 minutes of Mr. Tanner, I missed more than just you."

"I feel so special, Bon."

"Anything for you babe." She mockingly kissed his cheek.

"Who's this?" he said turning his attention back to Stefan.

"Stefan Salvatore. He's new."

"Nice to meet you, man," he held out his hand for him to shake. "You coming to the bonfire tonight?" he said shaking the Salvatore's hand.

"What bonfire?"

"It's at the falls. We have it every year to celebrate the first day of school."

"I would go, but I have an essay to write tonight."

"Oh, trust me, no one's writing that. He pulls crap like that all time; we've learned if no one turns it in it doesn't dock anyone's grade. He's an asshole, but luckily grades on a curve."

He looked at her skeptically.

"Don't believe me? Elena!" She turned to her friend who was leaning against some lockers close by. "Is any one going to do the homework tonight?"

She snorted. "No, everyone's going to be too drunk tonight."

"See, nothing to worry about. You're completely free tonight, so you want to come?"

She waited for answer but he looked dumbstruck staring in Elena's direction.

"Elena, can you come here a second?"

She walked over begrudgingly. She knew where this was going, not that she didn't appreciate the gesture, but she just wasn't ready to date yet.

"I see you have a thing for doe eyed, brunette's," Kai said coyly to Stefan.

Bonnie smacked him. "Don't be rude."

"I'm not I'm just making an observation."

"What?" Stefan said interrupting the bickering couple.

"Don't deny it. I saw you checking her out," Kai said eager to get this guy away from his girlfriend.

"You know she's single," Bonnie chimed in.

"Voluntarily," Elena chimed in.

"Which is code for she doesn't want anything serious. Why don't you come to the bonfire tonight and explore that?"

"I don't need you guys to pimp me out. I can get my own dates."

"Same, but thanks for the offer." He grimaced before walking away to his next class.

Elena smacked her across the arm. "What was that?"

"I said it would be a kick ass year, so I'm making sure of it."

"By pimping me out?"

"No, by putting you on his radar. What happens next is up to the both of you."

"I'm not letting you walk alone at night. Don't be a white girl in a horror movie," Bonnie shouted through the phone.

"But I am a white girl."

"No need to be a dumb one. At least wait for me and Kai to walk with you."

"I don't want you guys to walk miles just because of my stupid fear."

"It's not stupid! What's stupid is walking alone in the middle of the night and not fearing that!"

"It's Mystic Falls, nothing ever happens."

"Until one day it does. You've seen Murder She Wrote, that small little Maine town got more murders a year than people that lived there."

"It was also fictional."

"So! They base those off of real life."

"Bonnie you're being ridiculous."

"I don't care. Don't go anywhere until we get there."

Bonnie hung up the phone and turned to her boyfriend who was sporting an unhappy face.

"No."

"Come on, she needs us."

"Don't you think you're overreacting?"

"No, I think I'm reacting the appropriate amount as someone who thinks their friend will be in danger."

"Not about that. I know I'm not the most intuitive when it comes to people, but I know you, this isn't normal."

"It's just, I have a bad feeling something will happen if we don't and Elena's-"

"Like a sister to me," he finishes for her.

"Don't patronize me!"

"I'm not, it's just you say that a lot."

"Because it's true! She's been there for me for everything. When my mom left me, she spent the night for a week straight, even sneaking out of her house just so I would feel like one person wouldn't abandon me. In middle school, I had this racist bully, but not the blatant kind, just really passive aggressive. She, along with Caroline got her to admit out loud what she was on camera and got her expelled. When there was a rumor going around that I was a slut and people thought it was okay to treat me anyway they wanted she got in a literal fight with a football player who was harassing me, and now it's my turn to be there for her."

"Okay, that was a lot. I didn't need your whole like story, but-"

"God, you're so insensitive!"

"BUT," he shouted, "Those all sound like sucky situations, actually worse, but she was there when you needed her, not every waking moment. And even if she was, what would that mean about this entire summer. I seem to recall not getting to spend as much time with my girlfriend because of how 'there' you were for her, so calm down. You're not going to lose her."

"She could still be in danger."

"Oh, I don't doubt that. She has terrible instincts. We're obviously the smart people in the horror movie. We don't just rush in to a dark scary place without a plan."

"Of course not, we don't know what lurks in the shadows," she said in that tone of voice that turned him on.

"Like me, for example," he said leaning in close to her in a predatory fashion.

"Or me, I am a witch after all."

He playfully jumped on her tickling her sides while she tried to wiggle her way out. Gaining the advantaging using skills she learned in a self defense class she flipped them over so that she was on top with his hands pinned above his head. He could easily break from the hold, but he didn't want to.

"We've got 2 whole hours to ourselves, what do you suggest we in that time?" she asked seductively.

"You're going to kill me one day with your libido."

"And you'll love every second of it."

"There's no better way to die."

As promised, they showed up at Elena's ready to walk the two miles to the Falls. Well, Bonnie did, Kai refused to go anywhere without his car and decided to follow them close by while they walked the whole distance. Bonnie would have been more annoyed if his car didn't provide the perfect place to carry their things. It took them an hour to make it, but it was worth it.

Since her parent's death, Elena had been taking it easy on her party girl ways, but tonight that was going to change. She needed people to see that she was the same old Elena, even though she wasn't, but they didn't need to know that. She headed straight for the Lockwood special. She wanted to be drunk fast and that shit could knock out an elephant let alone a 110-pound girl.

Bonnie stayed close by in case she was needed, but out of the way, she knew Elena needed to do what she needed to do.

"You know, you don't need to stay sober too," she said to her boyfriend.

"What's the point of getting drunk with a bunch of high school kids without you?"

"To have fun?"

"I'm never having fun if it's not with you."

"You know you really freak me out when you say stuff like that."

"Why? It's true."

"I know, and that's what's scary. It's like I'm your entire world and that's a lot to live up to."

"Well, you," he started leaning in close to her, "don't have to live up to anything, just stay being you." He closed the space between them kissing her softly against a tree.

While she loved his more feral side, she had to admit she was a sucker for this sweet side of him. It was like he could transport her to cloud nine making her feel light as air. He removed his lips from hers and was about to ask to move things to his car when Bonnie's attention was pulled to a black crow.

Instinctively Bonnie looked for her friend who was nowhere near where she last saw her and panic set in. Making her way through the flock of students she found the person she was looking for talking to Caroline.

"Matt!"

"Hey, Bonnie," he said gloomily.

"Where's Elena?"

"Why would I know? I've been talking to Caroline all night."

"Because you've done nothing but watch her like a hawk since this morning, and don't try to deny it."

"I haven't seen her since she went to make out with the new kid in his car," he said bitterly.

"I said, don't be the white girl in the horror movie," Bonnie whispered to herself, only her boyfriend hearing her.

"I say, let nature take it's course," Kai chimed in beside her.

"I know this is new to you, since you don't have friends, but I care enough about mine to not want them to get murdered."

"No, Kai's right. What's the problem with Elena going to have fun? He may be completely out of her league, but who knows how long she has until she'll get another opportunity like this."

"Caroline, I don't have time for your rivalry bullshit right now. Elena's missing and I need to find her before something bad happens."

"Like she might get pregnant? Seriously Bonnie, I think you're freaking out over nothing. She went off to make out with a hot boy. That's progress in my book."

"Not to agree with blondie, but she's right," Kai said.

"What?" Bonnie snapped at him.

"You wanted her to have fun. Literally pushed her toward him this morning, and now she's following your advice. I think it's time we do the same and go have fun ourselves."

Bonnie wanted to protest, but he was right. It didn't stop the terrible feeling she had, but she couldn't freak out over a feeling when all evidence pointed to nothing being wrong. "Fine, but will you at least watch out for her with me."

"Of course." He pulled her close to him and gave her a comforting shoulder rub. It was a little out of character for him, but from what he'd observed from her other interactions things like seemed to make her feel better.

They eventually found themselves sitting on the displaced couch next to the bonfire snuggled next to each other. Kai felt an unfamiliar warm feeling that definitely wasn't from the fire and wondered how someone like him could find a soulmate.

Bonnie was tucked into his side asleep when Vicki Donovan came running out of the woods panicked.

"Someone call the cops!" she shouted waking Bonnie up from her nap. "There's a body in the woods."

That was the last thing she heard before the foreboding feeling came back and she felt her stomach drop.

A/N: So it will be a hot minute before the next chapter. This one was like 2k in when I posted the last chapter so I only had to finish it. Next chapter is more from scratch, but I know what it will consist of (expect more Demily!) and my whole life schedule just opened up.