Chapter 1

The bright, morning sunlight streamed in through the make-shift curtains, settling near the top of the bed. But that's not what woke up Gwen. No, instead of the gentle, warm light, she had been awoken by her uncle's blaring '80's rock music — and at six a.m. no less. Groaning, she tried to block out the noise with her pillow. It was a wasted effort, however. Her uncle was soon drumming along the walls as he walked down the hall, throwing the door open as he reached her door.

"Rise and shine!" he bellowed into her room.

She threw the pillow at him, which he caught, and sat up to glare at him. "We don't have to do this every first day of school, you know," she complained. "I'm capable of getting up and getting to school on my own."

Ric chuckled, a rare occurrence these days. "It's our first day at a new school, I have to make sure we both make a good first impression."

"Except I'm not going in with you, remember? I'm walking."

Ric rolled his eyes. "Get up and come eat. I'm making a full, real breakfast today."

"Feeling guilty about making me switch schools a month into my junior year?"

"Never," he said dramatically. He started to walk downstairs but paused, "I won't insist on an outfit check today, but remember the shirt and jeans I keep stored in the car."

"Oh god, it was one time! And I was making a statement!"

Still amused, Ric managed to sound slightly authoritarian with his request. "No statements today. It'll be a bad start for me if I can't even control my niece."

"Whatever," Gwen muttered, pushing off her sheet and comforter. "Go make me breakfast."

Ric mock-saluted as he closed the door behind him. Once she was sure he had taken his jam session downstairs, Gwen got up and walked over to her phone, which was currently housed on her desk. They had only been in the house a few days and Gwen was still figuring out how she wanted her room set up. She obviously needed to rearrange so the phone could be plugged in and left on the nightstand.

A feeling of disappointment settled over her as she saw she had no new messages. She'd only been gone a week, but she guessed that was enough time for her friends to forget about her. Taking a deep breath, she pushed the feelings of abandonment aside. Today was a new start, and it wouldn't do her any favors to pout about crappy friends. Setting her phone back on the desk, Gwen moved on to getting dressed.

Gwen had moved in with her uncle Ric after her mom died from cancer. The transition from Philadelphia to Boston had been rough, but Gwen's hadn't had much of a choice since she was a minor and Ric was her only living family. Well, her dad may have been alive, but he had been out of the picture since she two, so who really knew. So, she moved in with her recently-widowed uncle. For the first month, it was as if two ghosts occupied his apartment. Then came the dress code violation. It hadn't been that big of a deal, not really. But Gwen had been looking for a fight, somewhere to release her anger, and the administrator bitching about her skirt length when she was wearing leggings was the perfect target. Until she was facing suspension.

Ric snapped back to reality after that. He enrolled her in kickboxing classes to give her an outlet for her anger, and became much more involved in her life, encouraging her to join the yearbook staff and instituting an outfit check every morning. Gwen had hated him; she just wanted to be left alone. Eventually, she stopped being angry all time. She wasn't back to her old self; but she was better, and a little stronger now. Begrudgingly, she could admit some of that was due to her uncle, though only to herself.

Then he got a job in Mystic Falls, Virginia, and uprooted her from everything. Gwen tried to not be too upset with him. It was his first position out of graduate school. However, she couldn't help but wish he had found a job in Boston. Now, she was on her third high school in as many years. Gwen was tired of starting over.

She surveyed the small sampling of clothes she'd managed to unpack. Gwen wanted to look nice but not make a statement that potentially aligned herself with a clique. She settled on a fitted, black and grey plaid skirt that stopped just above her knees, a light-blue band tee, and knee-high black boots.

"Pancakes will be ready in ten minutes!" Ric hollered up the stairwell. Sighing, Gwen made her way to bathroom to finish.

Her tired, pale face greeted her when she entered the small bathroom she shared with her uncle. She could make out the beginning of a breakout along her hair line and was suffering from serious bedhead. Gwen pulled her long, dirty blonde hair into a ponytail so she could wash her face. Her makeup process was fast — a quick application of foundation and a little eyeliner and eyeshadow — but her hair took a little longer. Gwen had never been adept at using the curling iron. By the time she managed to get the loose curls, it was seven and Ric had been yelling about breakfast for fifteen minutes.

"All right, I'm coming," she yelled, walking down the stairs.

Navigating the main level was a challenge with boxes piled everywhere, but she eventually made her way to the kitchen. Ric had made a feast of pancakes, bacon, and scrambled eggs. He was definitely feeling guilty.

"I have to head out, make sure everything is ready," he said as she sat down to eat. "You need to leave here by seven thirty and be in the office by seven forty-five for your orientation. Got it?"

"Got it."

He watched with some concern as she all but drowned her pancakes in syrup. "Go easy. I don't want you crashing by second period."

"Take your coffee and go," Gwen said, growing annoyed with the never-ending instructions. She knew he was nervous, but he needed to focus that nervous energy elsewhere. Sensing her mood, he held up his hands in surrender.

"See you in fourth period," he said, grabbing his things and heading for the door. "Don't forget to lock up!"

Gwen rolled her eyes, choosing not to respond.

The house was too quiet with Ric gone, so Gwen turned on the TV. She really couldn't handle silence. She always needed some sort of background noise. It drove Ric crazy, but they'd worked it out, each taking turns using headphones. The TV had been left on the local news station, which was running a report about a drug deal gone bad. Gwen was shocked by the violence of it. She never would have guessed something like that could happen in a small town like Mystic Falls.

She finished her breakfast with just enough time to brush her teeth and do one last backpack check. Walking to school wasn't her first choice but Gwen didn't have car or want to go in early with Ric. Though they lived in an older, not as well-kept part of town, the house was only a fifteen-minute walk from the school. Currently the weather was mild enough that walking wasn't so bad; it was actually nice that morning. But the first rain storm or hint of cold and she would be miserable. Maybe she could finally convince Ric to use some of the money from her mom for a car. She had her driver's license now, after all.

Too soon she reached the school, having barely started the fourth song on her iPod. It was an old one-story, brick building that had been built onto as the student population grew, giving it a sprawling look. Despite its physical size, this would be the smallest school Gwen had ever attended. Back in Boston and Philadelphia, she could have named around fifty people in her class. She had a feeling that everyone knew everyone in Mystic Falls. Gwen wondered when the last time was that they had a new student.

Gwen found the main office easily enough. The small office was empty except for the assistant at the front desk. The woman was engrossed in the newspaper she was reading and hadn't noticed Gwen enter the room. Awkwardly, Gwen cleared her throat."

"Good morning, I'm Gwen Ashwood," she said, affecting her most pleasant tone. "I'm here to pick up my schedule?"

The woman smiled warmly at her. "Oh, yes, Mr. Saltzman's niece. We're so happy to have you both. Let me see, I have your things ... right … here!"

She located Gwen's paperwork on top of a metal filing rack in the corner of her desk. Gwen had expected her schedule and a copy of the student handbook. She was more than a little surprised by the thick, red folder handed to her.

"On the left side of the folder, you'll find your schedule, a map of the school, and the student handbook," the assistant explained. "On the right, is a list of events and clubs for the school. We've arranged for you to have a guide today, but Miss Forbes seems to be running a little late. You can a seat over there."

Gwen thanked her and sat in one of the straight-backed, thinly-cushioned seats along the white cinderblock wall. Ric hadn't said anything about a tour guide. That was more embarrassing than everyone finding out he was her uncle, which was inevitable. Gwen hadn't thought anything about his 'fourth period' quip earlier, but it appeared she would see him in her last class before lunch. He wasn't a history teacher, but the history teacher. It was going to be a long year.

"I'm sorry I'm late," a blonde girl said as she hurried into the office. "Is she here?"

"Right over there, Miss Forbes," the assistant said with air of slight amusement as she pointed at Gwen. Gwen gathered her things and stood up to meet the girl.

"Hi, I'm Gwen — "

"Gwen Ashwood," the girl interrupted. "I'm Caroline Forbes. We have almost all the same classes, so I'll be with you most of the day. Including lunch, if you want to sit with me and my friends. I promise we're not at all weird. Cute outfit by the way."

Caroline said all this very quickly as she led them through the crowded hall to first period English. She was a little overwhelming and very bubbly, but Gwen could see herself hanging out with the girl. She reminded her of friend she'd had in Philadelphia in middle school.

"Where did you move from?"

"Boston. I live my uncle and he just got a job here."

"Ugh, I'm so sorry. Mystic Falls probably feels like the middle of nowhere to you, but I promise we're not boring. There's plenty to do around here. Why do you live with your uncle?"

"My mom died about a year ago from cancer. My dad walked out when I was little."

"I know how that is," Caroline said sympathetically. "The absent parent, not the dead parent. Oh God, I'm so sorry! I always put my foot in my mouth!"

"No, it's ok," Gwen said with a small laugh. Caroline still looked upset, so she added, "Really, that was not at all offensive and so much better than the "I'm sorry for loss" response which is always awkward."

"Thanks," Caroline said, her confidence returning. "So were you involved in anything at your old school."

"Sort of, I took photos for the yearbook staff. Outside of school I did kickboxing but that doesn't seem to exist here. My uncle's been stocking up on at-home instructional videos but it's not the same."

They'd finally reached the classroom, Caroline leading them to a couple of seats in the back. Gwen usually sat more toward the middle, but she was enjoying having someone to talk to and not being the awkward new kid who didn't know anyone.

"Yeah, the kickboxing phase skipped us, but yoga seems to be taking root," Caroline commented. "I've even started adding it to our cheerleader practices. I'm the captain, by the way."

"Congrats," Gwen said, trying to keep all sarcasm out of her voice — and failing. "Are you dating the football star, too?"

Caroline looked so offended; Gwen had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing. "Ew, no. He's a …. Well he's not really the star anymore. But no, no football players for me. Plus, I just got of this complicated relationship with this creep. I probably need to 'find myself', or whatever. What about you? Break any hearts when you left Boston?"

Gwen blushed slightly, more out of embarrassment than anything. "Can't say I did, but he broke mine at the beginning of the summer. He wanted to 'explore his options.' Honestly, not having to see him anymore is the best part of the move."

The final bell rang, signaling the start of class and the end of their conversation. Gwen had English, Algebra II, and Virginia History with Caroline but was on her own for third-period French. She found she was actually a little ahead in most of her classes, which was a relief. All too soon, it was time for class with Ric.

She entered the classroom to find Ric bent over his desk, pretending to review his lesson plan, and Caroline waving at her. She took the empty seat on the left of Caroline, who immediately started talking.

"So, this is Bonnie," she said, indicating the pretty girl on her right with long, dark curls who was busy texting. Pointing to the two people in front of them, she continued, "And that's Elena and her boyfriend Stefan. He's new here, too. You'll get to meet them all at lunch."

Gwen was glad they were all busy with their own conversations. She wasn't looking forward to being put on the spot more today. At least Ric wouldn't do the new student routine her other teachers had, or so she hoped.

"You're not the only new person today," Caroline said. "The history teacher is new, too. Our last one was killed by a wild animal at a football game a few weeks ago."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, it was pretty horrible. The guy was terrible, though. This new one is already an improvement. He's pretty cute for a teacher."

Gwen fought the urge to gag. She knew the other teacher had died, but assumed it was from an illness, not an animal attack. What kind of animal would have wondered near a loud, crowded stadium and attacked someone? Did that kind of thing happen regularly here?

Ric started class before she could ask Caroline any of her questions.

As a way of introduction, Ric explained the origin of his name. He even went as far as to make a joke of his first name. Gwen only half-listened, having heard this spiel already. Name origins were of particular interest to her uncle for some reason; she'd grown up hearing him tell anecdotes at holidays. She rolled her eyes at the half-hearted laughter given by some of her classmates. Sadly, he didn't stop there.

"Unlike my parents, my sister was kind when naming her child. Gwen Ashwood is not only my niece but your new classmate. Say 'hi' Gwen."

Blushing furiously, Gwen slid down in her seat. Caroline and a few other students stared at her with slight surprise and a few laughed, but that was the extent of the reactions to her uncle's announcement. Gwen still planned to kill him later.

The class proceed without another incident, though Gwen refused to acknowledge Ric as she followed Caroline to lunch. As soon as they were outside of the classroom, Caroline rounded on her.

"Why didn't you say the new history teacher was your uncle?"

"Because," Gwen said between gritted teeth, "I didn't want anyone to know. God, he's so embarrassing."

"It wasn't that bad," Caroline said sympathetically. "At least he's not the town sheriff."

"Is that your dad?"

"Worse, my mom. She's a total buzzkill."

The cafeteria was packed full of students who were all talking at once. Gwen could barely hear Caroline over the noise, so she silently followed her through the lunch line. She was relieved when Caroline led them outside, where it was noticeably quieter, to a bench that was occupied by some of the people from history class.

Plopping her tray down, Caroline said, "All right, this is Gwen. Gwen this is Bonnie, Elena, and Stefan."

Gwen muttered self-conscious hellos at them and sat beside Caroline, feeling a little out of place next to her model-like friends. Stefan, in particular, looked like he belonged in a magazine or on some teen TV soap as opposed to a high school courtyard. Despite his looks, there was something off about him. Maybe it was the intense stare he was giving her, as if he was trying to x-ray her mind.

"You just moved here?" he asked.

"Yeah, we got here last Tuesday and have been unpacking ever since." Gwen lowered her gaze to avoid his, picking the lettuce and red onions off her burger as a distraction.

"That's fast," Elena commented, her long, brown hair falling over her shoulder as leaned forward. "Weren't you in school already?"

It was a dumb question since they were almost at the end of October, but Gwen kept the annoyance out of her voice. "I was, but my uncle just finished his graduate degree and needed a job. This was the first offer he got."

"Well, he would have to be desperate to come here," Caroline said disparagingly.

"Are you kidding? An old town like this is a dream for him. I had a private Mystic Falls history lesson on the drive down."

The others laughed, and Gwen began to feel a little comfortable around them. However, she was thankful when Caroline changed the conversation to that of the Halloween party on Friday. Elena and Stefan were noncommittal, but Bonnie was onboard instantly for whatever Caroline's group costume idea would be, happy to let Caroline figure it out.

"What about you, Gwen?" Caroline asked, turning to her. "You in?"

"Sure." It wasn't an enthusiastic response, but Caroline took it as one. Gwen knew she would have to check with Ric first, but she was confident he would let her go. He wanted her to fit in and have friends. Going to school dances with people her own age was a step to all of that.

The rest of the day passed quickly. After classes, Gwen met up with Caroline who took her to the yearbook room. Gwen was introduced to the editor, a senior named Claire, and welcomed on as a new staff photographer. The school didn't have enough resources to produce an actual paper, so the yearbook staff compromised with a weekly newsletter. Usually, it was photo-heavy, but they'd been struggling to fill it as the current photographer was unreliable. Claire was very clear about the expectations for remaining on staff. Gwen assured her they wouldn't have any problems and was welcomed to stay for the staff meeting. Waving good-bye to Caroline, who had to get to cheerleading practice, Gwen took a seat at the rectangular folding table with the other staff members.

Two hours later, Gwen was walking to the Grill to meet Ric for dinner. Though the walk wasn't long, Gwen grew chilled as she walked to the center of town. She hadn't planned for the cooler temps of the evening when she'd picked out her outfit that morning and was paying for it now. Fortunately, Ric would drive them home after dinner.

It was a moderately busy night at the Grill with about half of the tables occupied and the game area full of middle and high school kids who needed a break from their parents. Gwen scanned the room and quickly found Ric hulled in a booth. Navigating the maze of tables and oblivious fellow patrons, she joined in the somewhat isolated booth.

"I ate without you," he said without preamble, handing her a menu. "I take it you had a good first day?"

Gwen hummed in agreement as she perused the menu. "Except for fourth period. My teacher's a bit of an ass."

"I'm sure your teacher is a perfectly intelligent and kind, and you are just being a sensitive teenager," Ric said while wearing a slight smirk.

"Whatever," Gwen muttered, rolling her eyes.

One of the waiters came to take her order. He was blond and muscular; Gwen was sure he had been in one of classes earlier that day but couldn't place him. Her suspicions were confirmed when Ric thanked him by name — Matt — after she placed her order for a hamburger and fries.

"He's in your class, by the way."

"It's only the first day, I can't be expected to remember everyone already."

"You always have an excuse," Ric teased. "Besides fourth period, how did today go?"

Taking a sip of her water, Gwen thought over the question. "Not horrible. It was kind of nice to have Caroline around, especially at lunch."

"Think she could be a possible friend?"

Gwen shrugged noncommittally. "Maybe."

Ric rolled his eyes at her teenage, blasé attitude but didn't comment on it. "And yearbook? How was that?"

"The editor's pretty intense. She has a lot of goals, but their resources are nowhere near what we had at my old school. I don't think it's going to be much work."

"You'll have other ways to build your portfolio that don't involve awkward sport photos," Ric consoled her, both cringing inwardly at the memory of boys' wrestling. "Speaking of work," Ric said as he slid a piece of paper toward, "I took the liberty of picking this up for you. The manager needs the paper filled out, but you're basically hired. He's had a lot of staff skip town recently."

The paper was an application for a server position at the Grill. Ric had been on her for a year to get a job, swearing it was just as important as extracurriculars. She'd been able to pacify him with babysitting and dog walking while they were in Boston. Apparently, that was over.

"Gee thanks," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "I see you've already filled out most of it, too."

Ric grinned. "Just trying to be helpful."

"Do I have to?" she whined, pushing the paper away from her.

"Give it a chance, you might enjoy it. It's probably one of the better places to work, right Matt?"

Matt had returned with Gwen's dinner in the middle of Ric's pitch. Gwen's face flushed red with embarrassment as he handed her meal.

"Yeah, it's one of the top ten places to work in Mystic Falls," Matt quipped, earning a laugh from Ric — and probably a better tip. Gwen rolled her eyes, thanking Matt for the food.

"I hate you," Gwen said after Matt left to see to other tables.

"I'll live. Will you at least give it a try?"

"It's not like I have a choice," she muttered.

"Give it a month. If you hate it, I'll let you quit," Ric bargained. Mouth full of burger, Gwen could only nod her agreement. It'd be nice to have some extra cash, anyway.

"Do you know that woman?" she asked between bites, indicating the strawberry-blonde sitting diagonally from them. She was eating with a young teen who Gwen didn't know. Subtly, Ric looked behind him.

"No, but that's Jeremy Gilbert sitting with her. I think that's his aunt; I know he and Elena live with her since their parents died." Gwen stared at him, surprised. "Teachers like to gossip. I keep telling you this."

"Whatever," Gwen said with a wave of her hand. "She's pretty and has been checking you out since I sat down. You should go over and talk to her."

It was Ric's turn to be surprised. "Are you really giving me dating advice?" he asked in disbelief.

"Yes, now go."

Gwen finished her meal alone, completing the application as she ate. Ric and Jeremy's aunt were still talking when she was ready to go. Despite their headbutting, Gwen did want her uncle to be happy again. He'd been so miserable since Isabelle's death. So even though she really didn't want to walk home, she didn't want to interrupt him even more. Taking a scratch sheet of paper out of his bag, she wrote a quick note for him. She also grabbed some cash from his wallet to pay for their meals. Then she quietly slipped out of the Grill and into the cool, autumn night.

The cool night air shocked her system. Pulling her jacket tighter, Gwen set off across the parking lot. Even though it was only eight, it was already quiet out — almost eerily so. Gwen didn't think she could ever remember a night this quite in Philadelphia or Boston, even at two or three in the morning. Gwen found herself missing the sounds of the city, suddenly feeling exposed as she walked the deserted street toward her new home.

As she walked, she couldn't stop herself from jumping at unfamiliar sounds and turning around to identify them. Gwen picked up her pace, telling herself it was because of the cold and not because she felt as though she was being followed. Finally, she turned the corner to her street and was met with an unusual sight: Fog was literally rolling in, making her street look like something out of a horror movie. Though cold, she fumbled with the camera bag, wanting to get a shot of the spooky scene. Just as she was about to get the camera out, a drawling voice from behind startled her so badly she actually squealed in surprise.

"Are you all right, miss? I didn't mean to scare you."

Embarrassed, Gwen turned around. The voice belonged to an attractive, dark-haired, sharp-jawed man. Judging by how held himself, he knew and was very confident about his looks. He looked young, but she could tell he was a few years older.

Collecting herself, she quipped, "If that was true, you wouldn't have been walking behind me in the dark."

The man smirked, sauntering closer. Gwen let the camera fall back into the bag, clenching the strap in case she needed to use the camera as a weapon. Ric could always buy the school a new one. Eyes narrowed, she studied him as he came closer and could have sworn his smirk grew deeper.

"I truly didn't mean to scare you," he said. He meant it to sound sincere, but Gwen could hear the sarcasm underneath. "I thought you needed help."

"I don't. I was trying to get the camera out to take a picture of the fog — " She went to gesture behind her, but noticed it was all gone. "Weird, it was just coming in. I've never seen fog dissipate that fast before."

Gwen noticed the man observing her and stopped talking. She probably sounded crazy to him.

"So, you stopped on a dark street to take a picture of fog? I didn't peg you for the goth type," he said drily.

"I'm a photographer," she said defensively. "It'd have been a cool shot for my portfolio if I hadn't been interrupted."

"Sorry for ruining it. You'll get another chance for your not-emo shot. Mystic Falls gets more than its fair share of fog."

Gwen rolled her eyes, repositioning her bag on her shoulder. Part of her wanted to explain that it wasn't just the fog that made the shot, but she knew it was pointless. Plus, now that the shock of the man's appearance had worn off, she remembered how cold she was.

"Great, well, have a good night." As she turned away from him, he stepped into her path. She took a step back to put some space between them as heart-pounding, sweaty-palm panic flooded her senses. Their conversation had put Gwen at ease, but now she remembered she was alone at night, on a deserted street with some random guy, who could easily overpower her. The house was only a block away, but she didn't think she could outrun him.

"Can I help you?" she asked, growing more unnerved by his intense, ice-blue gaze.

"Why don't I walk you home? You never know what kind of people are out here."

It was an offer, but it also wasn't. There was something in his voice that made Gwen think it was more a demand than anything. She took another step back from him, shaking her head.

"That's all right. I'm not far."

His demeanor changed instantly. Instead of an almost creepy cockiness, he was taken aback — like he hadn't been told no before. Gwen felt her irritation return, especially as he resumed his intense stare. This time, the stare was more skeptical than seductive. Gwen decided to use his sudden hesitancy to her advantage.

"Well, see you around," she said awkwardly. Successfully turning around and walking away without being stopped. However, she had only made it a few steps when he spoke.

"I forgot my manners," he said, still standing where she'd left him but looking more confident. "You're obviously new to town. What's your name?"

She hesitated. It was clearly a stupid idea to answer him, but he wasn't being creepy anymore. Maybe he was just socially awkward. Over her shoulder, she said, "Gwen Ashwood."

"Welcome to Mystic Falls, maybe I'll see you around some time, Gwen." He turned to head back toward town.

"You didn't tell me your name," she called after his retreating figure.

"Damon Salvatore," he yelled before disappearing into the dark.