For those who've already read 'Rising from the Ashes' this chapter will be familiar. For those that didn't, enjoy! Hope you like it!

CHAPTER 1

FRESH MEAT

Blair Gilbert's life had been perfect. Well…that wasn't true. No life could be perfect, not truly. She had liked to pretend that it was, though; it was an effective way to deceive herself in thinking she had control over it, which was an essential thing for her state of mind. She couldn't have control all the time, she knew that – there would always be things she couldn't control, as much as she might have wished otherwise – but that was a detail she had been happy to ignore.

Blair Gilbert was seventeen when the illusion of her perfect life fell at the bottom of a lake.

Before that night, before the accident that killed her parents, Blair's life had been pretty great. Not perfect, like she used to pretend, but happy, carefree.

Blair lived in a small town in Virginia called Mystic Falls. She was the doted-upon, older daughter of Grayson and Miranda Gilbert. She had a sister, who was close to her in age – only 16 months separating them – called Elena.

Her parents had been amazing. They had loved and spoiled her and even though Blair had gotten into trouble more than once and she was much more difficult to 'manage' than Elena was, they had loved her and Elena equally.

Her relationship with Elena was the most difficult one. There were only two possible outcomes of two girls the same age forced to live in the same house. One, they would become the best of friends. Two…well…that they would clash terribly.

That was because Blair and Elena shared one thing in common above all: they were self-centered and self-absorbed. They loved being the center of attention – and they hated when they had to share that attention with someone else.

Blair loved her sister, deep, deep down. But they were the kind of sisters that would always bicker with each other, the kind that would compete with each other about everything and could never agree on anything.

Blair ruled the school. She was the most popular girl, the captain of the cheerleader's team, student body president, the queen bee and all that – well, more like queen bitch. Elena could be as selfish and self-centered as Blair was, she had just been better at hiding it (because Blair had never bothered to hide it); she was almost as popular as Blair was, and as concerned with popularity. Or she used to be, at least, before their parents died.

Blair was prettier than Elena – no, she wasn't arrogant or conceited, it was just the plain truth – but Elena was always so nice while Blair just wasn't; she was a lot of things: selfish, self-centered, vain, callous, spoiled, mean, sarcastic, a perfectionist, a complete control freak, but never nice – that everyone just loved Elena more. Elena was universally liked, Blair was universally feared. Elena was the 'good girl' and Blair was the 'bad girl', the 'party girl'. It was just the way of things.

When their parents died, neither of them took it well – well, obviously…who would respond well to such a thing? But while Elena reacted by locking herself up in the house all summer, refusing to see anyone, Blair's reaction was typical Blair.

Because Blair would never show to the world how much her parents' death had devasted her. Blair wasn't – couldn't be – like Elena, playing the part of the sad girl, spending her days and nights crying in her room, avoiding life and every person in it. Blair couldn't cry (what would crying change anyway?). Blair kept on living as if nothing had happened. She simply found another way to cope with her loss.

Throughout the long, summer months, Blair would sneak out of her bedroom window almost every night. She would take the night shuttle to a club in Charlottesville and – armed with a fake ID – she would spend her nights dancing, drinking, getting high and having sex with strangers in public bathrooms or in the dark corners of the dance floor (always protected sex – she wasn't stupid) – all so she wouldn't have to deal with her pain.

Blair wasn't good with pain. Blair wasn't good with feelings, period. She hated being vulnerable or being perceived as such. Better people thought that she couldn't feel, than realize her feelings could be hurt, that she could be hurt. She couldn't allow other people to have so much power over her. There was a reason at school they called her 'Ice Queen'.

Not even Caroline knew what Blair had been up to all summer. As far as Caroline was aware, Blair was the same as always. She would show up in time for cheer practice during the summer months, they would meet at the Grill and at the Founders' events, go shopping together – business as usual. Blair was the same fun girl that she'd always been. Caroline hadn't noticed. Nobody had noticed. And Blair was more than okay with it.

Caroline Forbes was Blair's best friend since kindergarten, since Caroline had decided to share her crayons with her. Blair still remembered the box, it was hot pink, and inside, a veritable rainbow of colors. Blair had stared at it, fascinated. As soon as Blair returned home that day, she asked her father to buy her the very same one, but green like her eyes.

There wasn't much that Blair would ask and she wouldn't get. Her parents had spoiled her, she knew. The fact that they could afford to spoil her certainly didn't hurt. They were Gilberts, they were descended from one of the families that founded Mystic Falls. Jonathan Gilbert, one of Mystic Falls' founders, whose name had been signed in the registry, had been their ancestor. And the Gilberts, like all the other Founding Families, were considered almost like royalty in this town. They were also the richer families in town. Nobody was as rich as the Lockwoods, but the Gilberts came pretty damn close.

Blair was fascinated by history. Maybe it wasn't a 'cool' subject, but nobody would ever dare tell her that – well, not to her face at least. Mystic Falls had so much history. She would often do researches on her own for extra credits; Mr. Tanner adored her for that and she wasn't ashamed to admit she would suck up to him.

Mr. Tanner hated everybody but he adored her. Well, it had probably something to do with the fact that he would really love for her to…suck something else, but as long as he kept his hands to himself, eating her with his eyes only, it was okay. Creepy but okay. Couldn't blame the guy really, it only showed he had good taste.

Today was her first day of junior year. Blair was intent on getting back to normal – no pretend-normal like she did all summer, but real normal. Blair was going to be the same straight As student she's always been and, in two years' time, she would make valedictorian. She would then go to Harvard, become a history major, attend law school, before becoming a lawyer at a prestigious law firm in New York and perhaps make partner before the age of 35.

That was her plan for the future, it had been so since she was ten years old, since she had seen the movie Legally Blonde for the first time – she wanted to be like Elle Woods, except real and without dressing only in pink (pink was always Caroline's color anyway, she preferred red and black, – in honor of two favorite characters of hers, Daenerys Targaryen and Spike – and green – it brought out the color of her eyes); nobody would interfere with her plan, not even herself.

In the meantime, she would get back at her ex-boyfriend, Tyler Lockwood, for spreading the rumor that he cheated on her with Vicki Donovan of all people (now they were 'together' – more like she thought they were together but Tyler was only using Vicki for sex). Tyler told everyone that was the reason she broke up with him but it was a blatant lie.

He told her he loved her but she couldn't return his feelings. She thought she was being kind, not stringing him along, breaking things off – a clean break – but clearly not. (The joke was on her for trying to be nice – being nice didn't suit her anyway).

Yesterday night, before going to bed, she had chosen the outfit that she would wear today. While Elena's style was more 'girl-next-door' which really worked for her, unfortunately, and Caroline's was cute and pink like a barbie, and Bonnie's (Elena's best friend and Blair's friend by proximity and habit) was…well, she wasn't exactly sure what Bonnie's style was, – 'just got out of bed and wore the first thing I saw' style probably – Blair's style was more…well, slutty. Not trashy-trailer-slut like Vicky Donovan's, more like…sophisticated slut. She liked to refer to her style as sexy and provocative.

Nothing too exaggerated, like thongs peeking out of jeans or white, almost transparent pants, because that was gross, not sexy. But her skirts were always mini-skirts (often high-waisted), her tops were either sheer, low cut or very tight (or both), often showing off her midriff (but not her belly button, which was always covered by either skirts or shorts or jeans), shorts and stockings, skinny jeans and pants which looked painted on her skin they were so tight, short, casual dresses, leather jackets, and heels – always heels (you couldn't be intimidating while wearing flats, could you?).

Since she was twelve and her boobs started to show, Blair had developed two specific routines, one for the mornings and one for the nights.

Blair always had trouble falling asleep at night, ever since she was a child. She always felt restless and full of energy – unable to turn her brain off, her thoughts spinning out of control.

She would spend most nights at the gym, doing one hour of cardio and one of kick-boxing to tire herself out. The owner of the gym knew her, since she had done kick-boxing since she was five. He allowed her use of the gym when no one else was in (which was how she preferred it) and had even let her keep a copy of the key – so long as she remembered to lock up once she left, she was free to come and go as she pleased.

She would return home, soak in the tub for a long, half-hour bath and then study for three hours. She would then do her half-hour skin care routine – for her face: double cleanser, toner, essence, beauty water, eye cream, moisturizer or night cream; and for her body, which was the same as the morning one but with the addition of waxing twice a week, including a full Brazilian, because she was the kind of fastidious person that hated having body hair; she would do a mani-pedi, prepare her schoolbag, choose the outfit for the next day, and then drink chamomile tea with milk (no sugar) before going to bed.

She would masturbate for half an hour, (sometimes with her hand, most often with toys, – the third drawer of her bedside table was reserved for those – it depended on how horny she was or if she had had sex that day) which would serve to relax her, and consequently sleep better, more deeply. She wouldn't think about anything in particular, letting her mind go blank – in a way it was almost like meditating, except with orgasms.

She would then fall asleep at about 1 in the morning. In the mornings, she would get up at five, run an hour in the woods and return at six. She would then dry-brush her body, shower using a body cleanser (and exfoliating thrice a week), wash and blow-dry her hair every other day using an indecent amount of specific products to tame it because her hair, neither straight nor curly, had the unfortunate tendency to become frizzy at the slightest amount of humidity. She would apply moisturizing lotion on her skin to make it as smooth as that of a newborn baby, then do her 15 minutes face skincare and make-up routine (cleanser, toner, spot cream, exfoliator twice a week, serum, eye cream, moisturizer, oil, sunscreen, lip scrub thrice a week, lip balm, primer, foundation, concealer, powder, bronzer then blusher, eyeshadow, eyeliner, mascara and finally brows). She would get dressed and have breakfast – Greek yogurt, a slice of whole wheat toasted bread with one teaspoon of peanut butter, and an apple. Never coffee – it would stain her teeth. She would then leave home at 7:00, picked up Caroline and drive to school.

Since she suffered from Short Sleeper Syndrome, sleeping from 1 to 5 every night didn't bother her.

This was her usual routine from Monday to Friday (or rather, Sunday night to Friday morning) during the school year. In the summer (especially last summer) and the weekends, it would change – there was always a party or some other event she had to attend during the weekends; she would never return home earlier than midnight and she would get up later the next morning – usually at 9 am.

She would forego her 5am morning run for her 10am to 12am swimming practice, Saturday and Sunday morning. Cheerleading practice would be every Monday, Wednesday and Friday (4pm to 6pm) – with debate Tuesday and Thursday, 3pm to 4pm, and swimming practice again, 4pm to 6pm – and then 3pm to 5pm Saturday afternoon. Every Sunday afternoon she would do some volunteer work to boost her college credits. She never studied during the weekends – she never needed to; 15 hours of study per week were enough for her.

Blair was methodical in everything she did and fixated on following her daily routines with religious precision – a control freak if there ever was one. She hated going off-script. It was a way to keep order and control in her life and, as already established, Blair was obsessed with control.

Blair was also conceited and shallow, she had no problem admitting it. She cared about her appearance, a lot. She loved being desired and admired – and envied – wherever she went, she loved being the center of attention every time she would enter a room. Sometimes she would even use her beauty as a weapon, to manipulate people and get what she wanted out of them. She was terrified of time passing, she was terrified of growing old and not being considered beautiful anymore. Perhaps it was a foolish fear, she was barely eighteen after all, but it was a constant worry in her mind. Reason why she was so concerned with her beauty routines, why she practiced many sports to maintain a perfect body. She was naturally blessed but beauty required hard work nonetheless and she wanted her beauty to last as long as possible.

That had been the plan for today: wake up at 5, do her usual morning run, then get ready for school.

This particular morning, however, started off on the wrong foot. Strange, violent nightmares had plagued her all night. She'd dreamt of blood and death; she'd dreamt of a monstrous face, blue eyes turning black, sharp teeth. She probably shouldn't have spent the night before reading Jonathan Gilbert's journal from 1865, those tales of vampires had messed with her mind. And yet, it had been so damn fascinating. Terrifying but fascinating.

Blair had known of the existence of vampires since she was 10 – how could she not, when she had discovered that she came from a family of witches? That she herself was a witch? Though not a normal witch, her mother had told her that she was what it was commonly known as a siphoner: a witch born without the ability to produce magic on her own, but only capable of using magic by siphoning it off from another source. That meant that Blair was powerless most of the time. She made a rather poor witch because of that.

Her mother had been the one to teach her magic – it was their thing, and their little secret, only between the two of them – and she had also told her about the existence of vampires. She knew her mother had told her about vampires to warn her, to protect her, but Blair had always found vampires fascinating, though she had never met one in person. She guessed she would be already dead if she did.

Anyway, if the nightmares alone hadn't been bad enough, her alarm didn't go off. She had missed her morning run – and she'd never miss it, not even if it was raining or snowing.

Blair cursed when she noticed the time: it was already ten past 6. She bolted from her bed and rushed to the bathroom. She thanked the fact that Elena never got up earlier than a quarter to seven.

She took off her sleepwear – a short, silk and lace nightgown, because, even at night, she wanted to feel sexy – and then her bra (she didn't wear panties for bed but she did wear a wireless bra – strictly lace – because she didn't want to have saggy boobs by the time she'd turn 35; she had really big boobs – we're talking 32F big – so it was a reasonable fear) before jumping in the shower.

She tried to ignore the panic at the idea of skipping her morning run – she could already feel her boobs sagging and the cellulitis creeping in (yes, she was being dramatic). She would do an extra half-hour at the gym that night, to compensate.

She went through her usual morning routine, adding an extra layer of concealer to hide the ugly shadows under her eyes; by a quarter to seven, she was ready.

Her outfit for today consisted of a red, short-sleeved, wrap crop top with a low V-neck, – a red, lace, push-up bra underneath and a matching red, lace, Brazilian thong – a high-waisted, pleated mini black jean skirt, and a pair of black plateau pumps, paired with a black, leather jacket.

At 6:50, Blair descended the stairs towards the kitchen. Aunt Jo was there, sipping her coffee and looking deep in thought.

"'Morning, Aunt Jo."

"Morning Blair, aren't you behind on your usual schedule today?"

"A little." Blair put a slice of bread in the toaster and took the yogurt from the fridge. She took a teaspoon from the first drawer and started to eat, first the yogurt and then the toast with peanut butter. She would eat the apple in the car.

"Ready for the first day? Nervous?"

"I don't get nervous, aunt Jo," Blair replied in a flat tone.

Jo rolled her blue eyes at Blair in dramatic fashion. "Of course, you don't. Ah, to be popular and in high school again."

"Funny you would say that because I can't wait to finish high school and get out of this little town, see the world. There must be more to life than Mystic Falls, right?"

"So people say. Sometimes I'm not so sure." Jo sighed before changing the subject. "You're going to see Tyler again today, with Vicki. They're not even hiding it anymore, are they? Are you going to be okay?"

It was Blair's turn to roll her eyes. "Don't tell me you believe the rumor Tyler spread? Nobody cheats on me. I dumped him and then he slept with Vicki, to get back at me for breaking up with him."

Jo furrowed her eyebrows. "I thought you really liked him. Why would you break up with him?"

Blair shrugged. "I did like him. But he told me he loved me and I didn't feel the same way, so I broke up with him."

Jo sighed, a frown on her face. "Blair, sooner or later, you'll have to stop running."

"Running? Who's running?"

"You are. You're running from love, you're running from even the possibility of it. Every time a relationship becomes the slightest bit serious, you crash it. Alright, so, maybe Tyler wasn't the One, but it's a pattern with you."

Irritation pricked her skin. She was feeling defensive but she didn't want to admit it. "So what? Am I supposed to be like Elena, who strung along that poor Matt Donovan for months, even if she clearly wasn't into him as he was into her? Is that it?"

"No. I just wish you'd be more open to the idea of falling in love and yes, have your heart broken because that's just part of the deal. You're young, you're supposed to fall in and out of love every other week. I just want you to be happy."

"I am happy. And I'm having fun. What's wrong with that?"

Jo raised her arms in the air. "Okay, parenting time over. Just as long as you're careful…"

"I'm always careful. I have no intention of falling pregnant and ruin my life forever. I'm not stupid."

"No, you're not. I know that."

Silence descended over the kitchen for long seconds. At last, Blair rolled her eyes and said, "If I haven't said this before, I'll say it now. Thank you for being here, putting your life on hold to take care of us. Maybe we don't always show it – I mean, perhaps I don't always show it, Elena is trying a little too much – but we are grateful, you know that, right?"

Jo smiled at her. "I know. And it's not a sacrifice for me, I assure you."

Blair shrugged, uncomfortable in showing that much of her feelings but it needed to be said. "Yeah, well, thanks anyway." She checked the time – more as an excuse to escape a conversation that was becoming too mushy for her tastes – and said, "gotta go. Care's surely waiting for me by now."

At ten past seven, she was driving to Caroline's house. She was forced to use the flat iron and hair spray that morning (which she disapproved of because they would ruin her hair in the long run) since she didn't have time for her usual hair routine. Other than that, she looked as perfect as she did every other day of the week.

Caroline didn't realize anything was wrong when she climbed into Blair's car, only commenting on the fact that Blair was a few minutes late – as a way to tease her, since Blair was a stick for punctuality.

"Guess what?" Caroline asked her, all cheerfulness and bright smile.

"What?" Blair sent her a smirk. "Did you find me a new boyfriend? I need to show the school that I'm completely over Tyler – which I am, of course, but you know how people are. Even my aunt Jo believed the rumor Tyler spread, can you believe it?"

Caroline shrugged. "If you want me to help you find a new boyfriend, I will. But my news was about the fact that dad bought me a car, since he didn't buy me one for my sweet sixteen. I guess he's trying to make up for the fact that he divorced mom and left town with another man. Which, I'm totally cool with, I just wish he stayed here. But mom would never have allowed it. I mean, I get it, you're pissed off and hurt and whatever, but he's still my dad and I want him here.

"But, back to the car, I can drive you around now too, how cool is that? And about the boyfriend thing, what about Matt? I mean, he is Vicki's brother, he's cute and hot and sweet and a quarterback, he's popular. And he's, coincidentally, Tyler's best friend. Perfect, right? Elena broke up with him last summer after all. He's not off-limits anymore."

Blair grimaced. "Donovan? No way. First of all, he's still mooning over my sister, the poor idiot. And second of all, even if he wasn't, I don't want Elena's sloppy seconds."

"Well, that's not very nice," Caroline said but at Blair's raised eyebrow, she giggled, "sorry, forgot who I was talking to for a second."

"Anyway, Matt is so…vanilla. Elena was his first, did you know? And he was hers, of course – our little miss perfect was a virgin until last year. He looks like the missionary type anyway. I bet that's one of the reasons Elena broke up with him. My sister may look like a good girl but she has an adventurous side, I bet she likes a little spice in her meals, if you know what I mean. Didn't you ever wonder why I stayed with Tyler for that long? I mean, he is a douche but the sex was great. Really great. I trained him well, trust me. Alas, I got bored of his clinginess, possessiveness and daddy issues," Blair said, finishing with a shiver of disgust for good measure.

Caroline giggled again. "I wouldn't mind a ride with Matt. At least, I know he would treat me right."

Blair shrugged. "Well, if you want him, go for it. I would get bored with him in a day. No, what I need is fresh meat. Someone older, even. But this is Mystic Falls, who is ever going to move here voluntarily?"

Caroline nodded along. "So true."

"Like I was expecting…" Blair sighed, looking around at the boys in the school hallway, Caroline by her side. Said boys looked at them as they passed but they ignored them, not being worth their time. "Too many pretty girls and too few hot guys. Tragic. How am I going to find a revenge boytoy here? I might rethink your Matt suggestion."

Caroline grinned at her. "You don't really mean that."

"No, I don't. Matt is much more your type than mine anyway. You know I have a thing for the bad boys."

Caroline smirked. "That you do. Luckily, there's not one guy in this school who wouldn't jump at the chance to be with you – some teachers I won't name included. Just choose one."

"Speaking of said teacher, maybe I should give him a chance," Blair said contemplatively. "He's not bad looking, he's older – that means he's experienced, and the whole forbidden thing could be exciting."

"I thought the whole point was to show off in front of Tyler. With him, you won't be able to."

Blair nodded. "True. I wasn't really serious anyway."

"Hey, look, that's Elena and Bonnie," Caroline said, pointing at the end of the hallway where the two girls had just crossed the school entrance. "How is she anyway?"

Blair snorted. "She's Elena. She spent the whole summer locked up in her room crying and then, two weeks ago, she snapped out of it. She's been pretending to be the 'strong one' for the rest of the family ever since. She has the whole martyr thing going, trying to pretend she's still not moping around in grief when all she does is wander around Mystic Falls' cemetery, writing in her diary and talking with our dead parents. So, I'll say…not good at all."

Caroline grimaced. "She didn't work at all this summer on the cheer routines. She's going to be a disaster."

"We'll just put her in the back, I guess. If she doesn't just decide to drop cheerleading altogether."

"Do you think she would do that?"

"I think we should start to think of possible replacements. We should have tryouts soon. The football season is about to start. Maybe this year we could have a chance at Nationals."

"You think we're ready?"

"With some work. Our routines were looking really good this summer. Luckily Elena is not a flyer. That role would be difficult to replace on such short notice."

"I think I'll go talk to them. Want to come?"

"Nah. You know I have some flirting to do this morning. I bet he's expecting me. It became our tradition since freshman year."

Caroline giggled. "I bet. Do you think he's just waiting for you to finish high school to make a move?"

Blair smirked. "Probably. Catch you later."

"Have fun!"

Blair walked away to the sound of Caroline's laughter. It was good to be back to normal.

Blair was good at compartmentalizing and pretending that everything was just fine and dandy. She would never show how much she was hurting, not even to Caroline, the person she cared about most in the world now.

She knew that Elena would alternatively worry for her because she hadn't broken down crying in a heap on the floor when their parents died – like Elena had done – and become furious and resentful with her because Blair seemingly didn't care.

Blair hadn't even spilled a tear at her parents' funeral. It was like there was something inside her screaming that if she gave in to her emotions, it would only make things worse. That wearing her heart on her sleeve was dangerous, both for her and for others. That it made her weak, something others could use against her. It didn't make much sense but it was an instinct she couldn't ignore.

Instead, she had found other methods to cope. Perhaps they weren't the healthiest ones but they worked, she was better now. She felt less like she was drowning and more like she was short of breath.

Pretending she didn't feel didn't mean that she didn't, but compartmentalizing her emotions, dissecting them to deal with on her own time gave her a sense of control that she couldn't do without.

Blair checked her make-up in the hand mirror she kept in her bag (making sure her red lipstick didn't smudge on her teeth), mussing her hair a little to give them more volume (stupid flat iron, her hair that morning was practically stuck to her face, she could have been Elena) and then rearrange her top so that it was showing a little more cleavage. Satisfied with her appearance at last, she knocked on the door of the history classroom.

Mr. Tanner's smile when he saw her was blinding. Tanner's admiration for her was rather pathetic and certainly inappropriate but it did wonders to her self-esteem (not that she had self-esteem issues but…).

"Blair!" He said, rising to his feet in greeting like they were at a dinner table in the Regency era. She half expected him to bow but, luckily, he restrained himself. "How wonderful to see you. How are you after…?" He trailed off awkwardly.

Blair brushed the question off like usual. She hated being asked that. "Oh, you know. Getting better. How was your summer?"

Mr. Tanner smiled at her, sitting back at his desk when Blair reached his side – to get a better view of her figure she was sure – and answered, "very pleasant. I traveled abroad. After spending ten months every year teaching students who couldn't care less about what I teach – company excluded, of course. Getting away from this town was exactly what I needed to recharge. Europe is filled with historical sites, especially Italy. You would have loved it, I'm sure."

Blair's eyes sparkled, and she wasn't even faking. "Italy. Oh, how I would love to go there some day. I spent the last three years learning Italian just at the idea of visiting there one day."

"You're still young. I'm sure one day you'll be able to travel, see the world. And maybe share the experience with someone special, eh?" He winked at her.

Blair forced herself to blush in embarrassment – though the slight uncomfortable feeling in her chest wasn't a lie. Not because of Tanner's clear hint but more at the idea of being able to share something like that with a boyfriend – because that was Tanner's clear meaning. Somehow, she really couldn't see it. A friend was one thing, a friend with benefits perhaps, but a…a lover, as in, someone she loved? She felt somehow stunted in that particular area. No boy – or man – had ever touched her heart in that way. Maybe she simply wasn't capable of loving someone like that. Maybe those that called her 'Ice Queen' were right after all.

"I don't know about that. I don't feel much like looking for someone special at the moment."

Tanner nodded. "Ah, yes. I heard you and Mr. Lockwood broke up. I've always thought he wasn't worthy of you, if you don't mind me saying so. You need someone more…mature…not necessarily older than you, of course, but emotionally and mentally at your level. Tyler is still a child in a lot of ways. And really, someone who would cheat on you, and with Vicki Donovan of all people, is a complete fool. Well, perhaps I shouldn't speak in a such a way of two of my students but..."

Blair blinked, surprised at Tanner's unusual boldness – that was new. Usually, Blair was the more forward one. Was it because she had just turned eighteen?

Tanner's meaning couldn't have been more obvious if he had spelled it out for her but…he wasn't exactly wrong about Tyler, was he? He was still a child in a lot of ways. Though, Blair had to concede, with a father like that, how could Tyler not have issues?

"Blair…" Tanner's voice brought her out of her thoughts.

"Yes, forgive me. I'd just prefer not to talk about it if you don't mind. It's still a sore subject for me."

"Of course. I should be the one to ask for forgiveness. I shouldn't have brought it up."

Blair shook her head. "Never mind that. I was wondering if I could do a new project this year. I need as many credits as possible for Harvard. And what better subject than history for that?"

"What did you have in mind?"

"Well…" Blair leaned a little on Tanner's desk, to give him a better view of her generous bosom. "I was thinking of 'Mystic Falls during the American Civil War'. If I'm not much mistaken, it's part of the program this year and I would be able to find so much information here. Between the Founding Families' journals and artifacts, and the Historical Archives…"

"As usual, I admire your enthusiasm, Blair. Bring me a detailed outline of your project by the end of October and we'll talk about it more thoroughly, alright?"

Blair sent him a dazzling smile. "Of course, Mr. Tanner. Thank you."

The doorbell rang, signaling the beginning of class. Blair went to her seat, her short skirt caressing her thighs with every step. She could feel Tanner's gaze on her legs and smirked to herself. He was just so easy. If she were to decide to seduce him, he would be like putty in her hands.

Caroline entered the classroom a few minutes later and bounced to her side. She looked like an excited puppy – or the cat that got the cream.

"What is it?" Blair asked her with a grin. Blair knew the look on Caroline's face. Her friend had gossip she couldn't wait to share.

Caroline sat down next to her, while the class started to fill up. "We have a new student. Transferred. A junior…"

Blair smirked. "Hum…a hot one too, from the expression on your face."

Caroline nodded. "Oh yes. So hot. Look, there he is." Caroline surreptitiously tilted her head in the new guy's direction. Blair turned her head slightly to look at him, watching him walking to a free seat a few desks away from her own. He was tall, but not too tall, with sandy brown hair combed in a sort of Edward Cullen's style but less messy – point for tidiness or minus one point for trying to look like a sparkly vampire? – with a strong jaw, low brows and a broody expression in his hazel green eyes. He looked muscled, well-built, like someone who played sport regularly. All in all, a very handsome view.

"Wanna call dibs?" Blair asked Caroline. That was the first rule of their friendship. Never let a guy come between them. If one of them was interested in a guy, then the other would back off, no questions asked.

Caroline shook her head. "I think…I think I want to try with Matt. Just, you know, slowly. You can have the new guy. Careful though, it looks like he has his sights set on Elena already."

Blair rolled her eyes. "Typical. The charm of the sweet girl next door never fails, does it? Especially now that she's the sad girl as well. Brings out men's protective instincts or something."

Caroline opened her mouth to say something else but Tanner started class and all the students fell quiet.

"Once our home state of Virginia joined confederacy in 1861, it created a tremendous amount of tension within the state. People in Virginia's northwest region had different ideals than those from the traditional deep south. Then Virginia divided in 1863 with the northwest region joining the union," Tanner was saying but for the first time in her life, Blair wasn't paying attention to his lecture. Instead, all her attention had been captured by the exchange of glances between her sister and the new guy. Blair frowned. So, Caroline had been right. Well, no matter. She still hadn't played any of her cards. The fact that Elena was also interested in him made it all the more intriguing.

"So, what do you know of him?" Blair asked Caroline as they entered the Grill. Bonnie and Elena were supposed to join them later – Elena's routine stop at their parents' grave something Blair and Bonnie knew about – and now Caroline – but no one would dare bring up to her.

"His name is Stefan Salvatore. He lives with uncle up at the old Salvatore Boarding House. He hasn't lived here since he was a kid. Military family, so they moved around a lot. He's a Gemini, and his favorite color is blue."

"Impressive. I knew I could count on you."

"Always," Caroline said with a curtsy and a giggle.

"Oh, look. A certain someone's working today. Why don't you go talk to him?" Blair encouraged Caroline, tilting her head in Matt's direction. "If you're so intent on him, why not start now?"

"You think I should?" Caroline asked, looking a little uncertain.

"It's just a chat. You aren't going to ask the guy to marry you, are you?"

Caroline nodded, putting on her resolve face. "Right." Blair watched her go, her back to the entrance, reason why Tyler Lockwood managed to sneak up on her.

"Well, look who's here. The Ice Queen graces us with her presence. What an honor, your Majesty."

Blair turned around with an eyebrow raised in mocking. "You didn't call me Ice Queen when I would suck your cock, Tyler. I remember how much you enjoyed it. Tell me, is Vicki as good at giving head? Or are you bored of her already?"

"Jealousy doesn't suit you, B," Tyler said with his usual cocky smirk.

"Me? Jealous? You're delusional. Tell me, does Vicki know that you're in love with me? That she's only a rebound? I bet she wouldn't sleep with you anymore if she knew."

"You should know I didn't really mean it. When a guy tells you 'I love you' after fucking, it just means he loved fucking you." The tone in Tyler's voice was flat, indifferent, but the look in his eyes was very telling.

"Who you're trying to convince? Me or yourself?" Tyler frowned and said nothing. Vicki waved at him and Tyler walked away to join her after a last look in Blair's direction.

Blair kept her face impassive but her chest was stinging. She shook her head, ignoring the strange feeling. Tyler didn't matter, but the new guy did. Stefan Salvatore would be hers and both Tyler and Elena would seethe in jealousy.

Caroline rejoined her side and they sat at a table. Bonnie entered the Grill and made her way to Matt. Blair observed her chatting with him before turning back to Caroline.

"So, how did it go with Donovan?"

Caroline shrugged. "Don't know. He asked about Elena at first, but then we talked about the party at the Falls tomorrow and things went better, I think."

"Ah, so you're going with him? Feels like improvement to me."

"We just said we'll meet there."

Blair nodded. "Still, feels a bit like a date, doesn't it?"

"I don't think he sees it that way."

"Well, that's just because men never know what they want. You just have to show him."

Caroline nodded but she didn't seem convinced.

"Care, you want him, right? Just go after what you want. It's that simple. Want. Take. Have."

"Please, don't quote Buffy to me – especially not if your point of reference is Faith. She made all the wrong choices."

Blair shrugged. "Perhaps, but she was a badass. And she was so hot."

"Well, obviously," Caroline replied. They burst out laughing.

The laughter died in her throat when Blair saw Elena entering the Grill with the new guy – Stefan – at her side. Damn, but she moved fast.

She saw Elena introducing Stefan to Matt and Bonnie, Matt glaring at him like he would have much liked to kill him with his eyes alone.

Elena, Stefan and Bonnie made their way towards them and Blair turned towards Caroline, asking in a whisper, "how do I look?"

"Gorgeous, as you very well know."

"Just checking. I hate my hair today."

Finally, they were standing at Blair and Caroline's table and Elena made the introductions. "Stefan, this is Blair, my sister, and Caroline, my other friend. Blair, Caroline, this is Stefan Salvatore."

"Very nice to meet you, Stefan," she purred at him with hooded eyes – a look she had perfected in the mirror when she was thirteen.

Stefan swallowed. "Likewise," he said, his gaze drifting to her lips.

Soon, they were all asking him questions in turn. "So, you were born in Mystic Falls?" Caroline asked.

"Mm-Hmm. And moved when I was still young."

"Parents?" Bonnie asked this time.

"My parents passed away."

"I'm sorry. Any siblings?" Elena asked.

"None that I talk to. I live with my uncle."

"So, Stefan," Blair said, with deliberate slowness, caressing his name with her tongue – Stefan fidgeted a little in his seat. "If you're new, then you don't know about the party tomorrow."

"It's a back to school thing at the falls," Bonnie explained.

Stefan turned to look at Elena and Blair frowned. "Are you going?"

"Of course, she is," Bonnie answered for Elena.

"We all are," Blair interjected. "You should definitely join us."

"I think I'll do that, thanks. I'm not usually one for parties but…"

"Oh, I'm sure we can find a way to make it enjoyable for you," Blair sent him a suggestive smirk. "The loner look has its own appeal, but better not overdo it, right?"

Stefan nodded, desire and confusion flittering across his eyes before disappearing. He shook his head, dazed – it looked like he was fighting against a trance. He turned to look at Elena, determination settling on his face – a man on a mission.

Blair didn't know what Stefan's deal with Elena was, but she wasn't ready to give up the fight just yet.