Adelaide made her way through the entrance of the grill, her eyes scanning the room for a familiar face. She quickly spotted Matt, who was engrossed in conversation with Bonnie, so she headed towards their table.
" Hey, guys." Adelaide called out with a warm smile as she approached them. Matt turned in his chair uopn hearing her voice, and a bittersweet smile formed on his face. Adelaide couldn´t help but notice the sadness in his eyes. She reached out and gently queezed his shoulder before taking a seat across from Bonnie.
" How´s Elena doing?" Matt, asked, concern evident in his voice.
Bonnie turned to look at Adelaide before turning back to matt, her expression filled with sympathy. " Her mom and dad died. How do you think she´s doing?" Bonnie´s voice carried a sense of weariness." She´s trying her best to put on a brave face, but it´s only been five months." She added, her tone filled with understanding.
Adelaide nodded in agreement, her gaze fixed on a distant point." She´s still trying to cope with losing our parents, and i know she blames herself for what happened to me." Adelaide´svoice trembled slightly as she spoke." It´s been rough, but she´s doing her best." She continued, her voice filled with empathy.
Curious about his own position in Elena´s life, Matt asked tentatively." Has she said anything about me?"
Adelaide shook her head, her expression filled with mixed emotions." I´m not going to get in the middle of this, Matt." She sighed, looking him squarely in the eyes. " You´re my friend, but Elena is my sister, if you want to know, you will have to ask her yourself." She concluded, her voice offering a sense of finality.
Felling uncertain, Matt fidgeted in his seat." I feel weird calling her." He admitted, his voice tinged with vulnerability." She broke up with me."
Adelaide´s eyes softended as she reached across the table to touch his hand."Give her some time, Matt." She advised gently." She´s going through a lot right now."
Matt nodded, taking in her words before noticing Bonnie´s gaze was fixed on the entrance of the grill. Following her line of sight, he saw Elena enter with Stefan Salavtore.
"More time, huh?" Matt muttered, his voice thick with disappoinment as he stood abruptly and walked away from the table, leaving Adelaide and Bonnie behind.
Later that night, as the restaurant had settel down and the chatter subsided, the sisters found themselves seated at a table with their friends, as well the enigmatic newcomer to Mystic falls- Stefan Salavtore. Adelaide couldn´t shake the feeling that there was something oddly familiar about him, despite having never seen him before today.
Caroline, always the inquisitive one, directed her attention on Stefan, a mischievous smile playing on her lips." Som you were born in Mystic falls?" She asked, her curiosity evident in her tone.
Stefan nodded his head." Mm-hmm." But i moved away when i was younger." he replied, his voice soft.
Bonnie chimed in, her eyes shining with interest." Parents?" she queried, eager to learn more about the new arrival.
Stefan smiled faltered for a moment before he responded quickly. "they passed away." Adelaide´s heart went out to him, and offered a sympathetic look." I´m sorry to hear that. Do you have any siblings?" She asked, her voice tinged with genuine concern.
Stefan shook his head slightly." None that i talk to. I love with my uncle." He explained, his voice tinged with resignation.
Caroline, always in the loop with town event, couldn´t resist sharing the upcoming news." So, Stefan, if you´re new to town, you probably don´t know about the party tomorrow." She teased, a mischievous glint in her eye. Bonnie joined in." It´s a back-to-school event at the falls."
Stefan´s gaze shifted from Caroline to Adelaide, and finally settled on Elena." Will you be going?" He asked Elena, his interest evident.
"Of course she is!" Adelaide exclaimed before Elena could respond, a playful smile spreading across her face.
Adelaide had changed into a part of hotpants and an old t-shirt that had once belonged to her dad. She sighed as she pulled her long hair out of a bun, she shook her head, causing her hair to fall down her back. Exhausted, she threw tired body onto her warm bed and she closed her eyes, seeking some respite.
Just as she had began to drift off, a gentle knock on her bedroom interrupted her peace." Come in!" She called out, sitting up to see who it was. The door swung open, revealing her aunt Jenna standing there.
"How was your first day back?" Jenna questioned, concern evident in her voice.
Adelaide shrugged her shoulders." It was fine.."
" Elena told me about the headaches." Jenna said, her face filled with worry.
Adelaide rolled her eyes, dismissing the concern." It was nothing i couldn´t handle.
Jenna walked over and sat down on Adelaide´s bed, reaching her hand out to brush some hair away from Adelaide´s face. Searched her niece´s eyes for any sign of pain. "Maybe we should have you checked out by a doctor." Jenna suggested tentatively.
"Aunt Jenna, I´m fine." Adelaide reassured her, taking Jenna´s hand." I said it before and i will say it again. I will comem for you if it´s gets worse.
"We just worry about you." Jenna admitted, placing a soft kiss against the back of Adelaide´s hand. "I don´t knowwhat we would have done of we lost you, too." Her voice trembled as she remembered that fateful night she had been told about the accident. Adelaide´s parents had been killed, and although Elena had survived, Adelaide´s body had been founda few meters down the river from the car had crashed. Jenna wiped away the tears, a mixture of grief and relief flooding her heart. " Losing your parents was already devastating, but losing you..." She trailed off, unable to articulate the depth of her emotions.
"But you didn´t." Adelaideinterjected, pulling her aunt into a tight hug." I´m still here. I´m not going anywhere, Okay?"
"Okay." Jenna replied, managing a soft smile." Goodnight, honey."
As Jenna stood up to leave, Adelaide called out." Aunt Jenna."
Jenna turned back to face her niece." Yea?"
"I love you." Adelaide said sincerely, her eyes shimmering with emotion.
Jenna´s voice filled with warmth." I love you more." She replied, her voice cracking slightly. With one last glance, she turned and walked out of Adelaide´s bedroom.
Adelaide laid back down on her bed, her eyes growing heavy with sleep. It didn´t take long for her to succumb to the peaceful embrace of slumber, not knowing that tonight would be diffrent. Tonight, the recurring nightmare that had plagued her for weeks would be replaced with a vivid memory from another lifetime.
In her dream, the air was crisp and filled with a sweet scent of pin. Adelaide found herself standing against an oak tree, her back pressed against is rough bark. The moon cast a soft glow upon the forest clearing, illuminating the scene before her.
"You never catch me!" Adelaide heard her own voice ring out in a mischeivous challenge.
"You sure about that?" A deep voice replied, sending shivers down Adelaide´s spin. She turned her head, her heart skipping a beat as she locked eyes with a man standing a few feet away from her. His eyes held a glint of mischief, matching her own.
Adelaide´s confident smile vanished, replaced by a mixture of curiosity and caution. Who was this man? And what did he want with her.
" I wouldn´t do that." The man teased, his voice laced with a magnetic charm that made Adelaide´s breath catch in her throat.
Adelaide pushed herself away from the tree and took off, her bare feet sinking into the damp grass, she ran with wild abandon, the wind tangled her hair as she waved through the labyrinth of trees. But it wasn´t long befor a hand wrapped around her waist, ,pulling her to a sudden halt.
Adelaide let out a startled scream, bit it quickly turned into laughter as she realized who had caught her." You got me." She said, turning around in the man´s arms. Her playfulness came to life as she linked her arms around his neck." What do you want?" She asked, arching an eyebrow.
The man´s eyes glittered with amusement as he leaned in, his nose brushing against hers." You know what i want." He whispered, his voice low and seductive.
Adelaide breath hitched as she heard her own voice whisper his name-Elijah. The memory of their love began to flood her mind, overwhelming her senses. She felt Elijah´s lips trail slow, open-mouth kisses along her neck, causing a shiver of desire to course through her body
"Just say yes." Elijah murmured, his lips grazing over her skin.
Adelaide´s hesitation melted away as she gave into the intensity of their connection. "Yes, i will be your wife." She sighed, her voice filled with conviction.
Elijah´s face lit up with a wide smile, his eyes brimming with happines." We will marry as soon as possible." He declared, his voice filled with joy.
With that, Elijah effortlessy lifted Adelaide off the ground, her legs instinctively wrapping around his waist. Their lips met in a passionate kiss.
End of dream.
Adelaide gasped as she sat up in her bed, her heart pounding in her chest. she looked around her bedroom, disoriented and confused." That was new." She whispered to herself, running a hand through her tousled hair. She couldn´t shake off the feeling of deja vu, as if something had happened, something important.
As she laid back down on her bed, trying to catch her breath, Adelaide couldn´t shake off the vivid memory of the dream she had woken from. It felt so real, so intense. she touched her lips lightly, still feeling the lingering warmth of the man´s kiss. "You´re going insane." She muttered to herself, but deep down, she couldn´t ignor the strange allure of the dream.
As Adelaide tried to fall back to sleep, a sudden noise broke the silence of her room. It was a distince sound, one that sent shivers down her spine-the sound of twigs being snapped. Her eyes flew wide open, her senses heigthened, and she quickly got out of her bed. with a sense of urgency, she made her way towards her bedroom window, her heart racing in her chest.
Adelaide swung the window open and leaned out, her eyes scanning the darkened backyard. A chill swept though the air, causing goosebumps to rise on her skin. Her eyes landed on shadowy figur standing underneath the mable tree, it´s branches swaying gently in the breeze. She squinted, unable to make out any distinct features of the figure, but her gaze remained locked it´s presence.
Rubbing her eyes in disbelief, Adelaide blinked a few times, hoping that what she was seeing was merely a trick of her own imagination. When she looked back, the figure was gone. Panic welled up inside of her, and she let out a shaky breath." Yep, I´m definitely going insane." She mumbled, her voice barely a whisper.
Closing the window hastily, Adelaide took a step back, feeling a surge of unease wash over her. She climbed back into her bed, pulling the covers tightly around her trembling body. Sleep eluded her, replaced by a restlessness coursed though her venis.
Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Adelaide, the shadowy figure had quietly returned, standing once again under the comforting embrace of the mable tree. It gaze fixated on Adelaide´s bedroom window. There was a familiarity in it´s gaze, an intensity that burned brightly with a purpose.
"The battle of Willow Creek took place at the end of the war in our very own town Mystic falls." Mister Tanner, the history teacher, stood in front of the class room, his eyes scanning the faces of his students. He cleared his throat before asking. "How many casualties do you think occurred in this battle, Miss Bennett?"
Bonnie, caught of guard, looked up from her notebook with wide eyes." Um... A lot?" She stammered, unsure of the correct answer. She glanced at Mr. Tanner, hoping he would provide some direction.
Tanner stared hard at Bonnie." Cute become dumb in an instant, Miss Bennett." He said curtly. He shifted his gaze to Matt." Mr. Donovan, would you like to take this opportunity to overcome your embedded jock stereotype?"
Matt shuckled and replied." It´s okay, Mr. Tanner. I´m cool."
Tanner shook his head in disappointment before turning to his next victim." Miss Gilbert." He called out, pointing at Elena." What do you think?"
Elena shook her head nervously." I´m sorry. I..I don´t know." She admitted, feeling a wave of embarrassment wash over her.
"I was willing to be lenient last year for obvious reasons, Elena." Mr. Tanner said, his voice tinged with irritation."But personal excuses ended with summer break."
As tension filled the class room, Adelaide attemped to push her chair away from her desk, only to find herself stuck. Confused, she turned in her chair and saw Matt´s foot resing on the back of her chair. Rasing her eyebrow, as she looked up at him, but he shook his head, warning her not to retaliate.
"Mr. Donovan, Miss Gilbert, do i need to separate the two of you again?" Mr. Tanner threatened, his eyes darting between Adelaide and Matt.
"No, sir." Adelaide said, briefly glancing at Matt before she turned back to face Mr. Tanner." But, you don´t need to be such an..." She began, but before she could finish her sentence, Stefan sopke up.
"There was 346 casualties." Stefan stated confidently, capturing the attention of the entire class." Unless, of course you´re counting local civilians."
Mr. Tanner nodded his head, impressed by Stefan´s knowledge." That´s correct." He admitted as he looked at Stefan intently and pointed his finger at him."And your name is?"
" Salvatore." Stefan replied.
Mr. Tanner raised an eyebrow, intrigued." Any relation to the original settlers here in Mystic falls?"
Stefan hesitated for a moment before nodding his head." Distant." He answered.
"Well, wery good." Mr. Tanner said, turning towards his desk." Except, of course, there was no civilian casualties in the battle."
Stefan didn´t back down." Actually, there were 27, sir." He corrected."Confederate soldiers fired upon a cchurch, Beliving it housed weapons. It was a night of great loss." Stefan said as he looked at Mr. Tanner defiantly." The founder´s Archives are stored in City Hall of you would like to brush up on yoyr facts." He suggested.
Embarrassed, Mr. Tanner smiled awkwardly and mumbled somethinng under his breath before retreating to his desk. The whole class couldn´t help bu laugh, relieved that someone had finally proving him wrong. Last year, Adelaide had been the only one who had challenged him, and it cost her a week´s worth of detention.
As the bell rang, signaling the end of class, students quickly rose from their chairs, eager to escape. Adelaide pushed her way though the crowd, determind to catch up to Stefan.
"Stefan!" She called out, spotting him in the hallway. She hurried towards him, a grateful smile on her face.
Stefan turned, his eyes lighting up when he saw Adelaide." I just want to thank you for what you did back there. She said, feeling sincere gratitude in her voice.
Stefan shook his head modestly." It was nothing." He responded.
Adelaide shook her, insistent." No, it meant a lot to me, and i know it meant a lot to Elena."
Stefan smiled warmly and nodded." You´re welcome." He said.
Adelaide was about to say something when someone took her by the arm. She turned to see who it was, and her eyes hardened when she saw it was Tyler.
"What?" She asked, her voice filled with annoyance.
"We need to talk." Tyler said, his tone serious, as he began to drag her down the hallway.
"Let go of her." Stefan said, stepping forward and glowering at Tyler.
"This doesn´t concern you." Tyler spat, tightening his grip on Adelaide´s arm.
"I will see you at the party!" Adelaide yelled over her shoulder, hoping to dismiss Stefan.
Adelaide stumbled as Tyler pushed her into an empty classroom, closing the door behind him.
"What the hell is your problem?" She demanded, trying to free herself from Tyler´s grasp.
"You!" Tyler growled, pushing her up against the wall." What is it with you Gilbert´s and new guys, huh?"
Confusion replaced Adelaide annoyance, and she furrowed her brows." What?"
Tyler´s anger momentarily faltered, and his expression soften." How many times do i have to tell you I´m sorry before you let me fix things between us?"
Adelaide´s fear bubbled up, and her heart pounded in her chest." You enver said you were sorry." She told him, her voice shaking.
"What?" Tyler´s confusion mirrored Adelaide´s earlier one.
"You ever said you were sorry." Adelaide repeated, her words tumbling out." You gave me every other excuse in the book, but you never said you were sorry. You..."
Before Adelaide could finish her sentence, Tyler leaned in and kissed her. Shocked, she pushed him away.
"Don´t." She whispered, her voice trembling." Don´t ever do that again."
" Adelaide, please." Tyler pleaded, reaching out to touch her face.
"Don´t touch me!" Adelaide yelled, her voice echoing through the empty classroom. With a sudden burst of strenght, she pushed him hard, causing Tyler to stumbled backwards. Adelaide quickly turned and ran out of the classroom, her heart pounding in her chest.
once the sun had settled in the small town, all the teenagers gathered in the woods by the falls. Adelaide stood with her sister and Bonnie, watching the flames of the fire dance against the night sky. Adelaide had relucantly agreed to attend the party, despite her enconter with Tyler.
"I can´t belive you dragged me here." Adelaide mumbled, her tone dripping with annoyance. All she wanted was to curl up with a pin of ice-cream and escape into the pages of her favorite book.
"Wha´s going on?" Bonnie questioned, her gaze shifting between the sisters.
"Tyler made her cry." Elena explained, her voice filled with sympathy.
" What did he do?" Bonnie asked, her face clouded with anger.
Adelaide sighed, not wanthing do dwell on the memory." I don´t want to talk about Tyler. Can we talk about something else?"
"Sure." Bonnie replied, turning her attention on Elena." Just admit it , Elena."
Elena shuckled-" Oh, okay. He´s pretty."
" Are we talking about Stefan?" Adelaide interjected, her curiosity piqued as she glanced between Elena and Bonnie.
"Yeah." Bonnie confirmed." He has that romance novel star quality. Stefan looked deep into her eyes, piercing her soul."
Elena rolled her eyes at their romantic musing, but eventually, she couldn´t resist joining in their laughter. The trio laughed until they couldn´t catch their breath.
As the laughter subsided, Bonnie scanned the crowd, her eyes searching for Stefan." Where is he?"
"I don´t know. You tell me. You´re the psychic one." Elena teased.
Adelaide couldn´t help but interject with a playful comment."Oh, nice one."
Ignoring the banter, Bonnie closed her eyes and focused her psychic abilites." Okay, give me a second. Grams says i have to concentrate."
Adelaide, ever the resourceful one, scanned the dark woods and found an empty beer bottle lying around. She picked it up and handed it to Bonnie, a mischievous glimt in her eye." Wait! You need a crystal ball."
Bonnie took the bottle, a smile tugging at her lips, however, as their fingertips brushed during the exchange, a strange sensation washed over her. Bonnie found herself pulled into a trance, her eyes locked onto Adelaide.
"Bonnie!" Elena called out in concern as she witnessed Bonnie´s odd behavior.
Shaking off the trance, Bonnie turned to Elena." That was weird."
"What?" The sisters asked simultaneously, their curiousity piqued.
"When i touch you, i saw you surrounded by birds. It was as if they were trying to protect you. Then, it switched to you running through the woods, dressed in cloths from the 15th or 16th century. Tears streamed down your face, and a man was chasing after you. It seemed like you were trying to escape from him...
Adelaide took a step back, her eyes widened in surprise." Okay, honey. You´re officially cut off." She swiftly took the cup from Bonnie´s hand and emptied it.
"You´re right." Bonnie laughed nervously, attributing her visions to the alcohal." I´m drunk. It´s the drinking. There´s nothing pyschic about it."
"Yeah." Adelaide said as she looked around the crowd of teenagers, her eyes scanning until she spotted her brother." Hey, I´m going to hang with Jeremy for a bit." She called out to her sister and friend before walking towards him. Their arms linked, the siblings began to walk towards the woods, seeking solance in the quiet nature.
Jeremy sensed something was amiss after they had been walking in silence for a few minutes." Is everything okay?" He asked, concern etched on his face.
Adelaide paused, wanting to find the right words." Maybe i just want to spend some time with my brother." She finally replied, her voice soft.
Curiosity pipued, Jeremy pulled them to a stop." What´s going on Addy?" He questioned gently.
Adelaide took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts. " You need to let go of all the anger you have build up inside. It´s destructive, Jeremy. It´s hurting you and those around you." She said, her voice filled with concern.
"I don´t need to listen to this." Jeremy snapped, feeling defensive. He turned to walk away, but Adelaide grabbed him firmly by the arm.
" Don´t make me lose you as well." She pleaded, a single tear slipped down her cheek.
Jeremy´s face softened, his anger dissipating as he saw the pain in Adelaide´s eyes." You´re never going to lose me." He assured her, pulling her into a tight embrace." I will try, for you."
"Then please be careful." Adelaide whispered, her voice filled with both relief and worry.
After their heart-to-heart, Adelaide felt a waight shifting around her. She decided it was time to leave the party, heading towards her car. But just as she was about to reach it, she heard her sisters voice screaming for help.
"Elena!" Adelaide yelled, her heart pounding in her chest. She knew she had to act fast. Running towards the commotion, she saw her sister emerge from the woods, with Jeremy close behind, carefully cradling a limp Vicki Donovan in his arms.
" Vicki!" Matt whispered in shock, rushing towards them. His eyes filled with both fear and desperation." What happened?"
Adelaide, not an admire of Vicki Donovan, put her feelings aside and approached the sene. " Someone call an ambulance!" she urged, assessing the situation. Kneeling beside Vicki´s motionless body, she quickly realized the severity of the situation." It´s her neck." Adelaide said, her voice steady but urgent." Something bit her neck, she´s losing a lot of blood.
Adelaide swiftly removed her scarf and pressed it against the wound, desperately trying to stem the bleeding.
" Vicki, come one." Matt pleaded, his voice fraught with emotion." Open your eyes and look at me, Vicki."
Twenty agonizing minutes later, Adelaide and Elena watched as Vicki was loaded into the back of the ambulance, the wailing sirens fading into the distance.
"Hey." Bonnie said, appearing beside them" We´re going to the mainline for coffee. Wait for news, okay?"
Adelaide nodded her head, her eyes heavy with exhaustion and concern. Turning to Bonnie, she mustered a weak smile." We´re going to take Jeremy home." she said.
Bonnie nooded her head in acknowlegment before her face grew serious. "There´s no way that I´m a pyschic, i know that." She sighed, her gaze shifting between Adelaide and Elena. " But i saw what i saw. And whatever i saw, or i think i saw, i have a feeling..."
"What?" Adelaide prompted, a mix of anticipation and apprehension filling her.
"That´s this is only the beginning." Bonnie said cryptically, her eyes fixed on the ambulance disappearing into the distance.
As the all stood there, comtemplating Bonnie´s words, a chilling sense of foreboding settled upon them. Littel did they know that the event of the night were just the tip of the iceberg.