"One night and one more time
Thanks for the memories
Even though they weren't so great
'He tastes like you only sweeter,'
One night, yeah, and one more time
Thanks for the memories, thanks for the memories
"See, he tastes like you only sweeter." I hear Fall Out Boy which makes me open my eyes and I sit up look around and I rub my eyes seeing that I'm not in my room. I stand up and follow the music down hardwood floors. The cool wood waking me up with each step, "Been looking forward to the future
But my eyesight is going bad
And this crystal ball
Is always cloudy except for (except for)
When you look into the past (look into the past)
One night stand (one night stand off)" I look around and I see that the house I'm in is Zach's house. I hear the music getting louder as something around me is whooshing like something is speeding by me. I try to follow it, but all I get is slammed against a wall with a hand at my throat and I see ice blue eyes staring at me.
"Well aren't you a curious one? Very appealing, but why is my brother so interested in keeping you safe?" He asks as I trace his finger down my face with his hand still at my throat.
"Because I'm a friend. Now let go of me, my back is actually starting cramp up from you slamming me against it." I say sassily as his hand squeezes and I try not to bite my lip.
"One night and one more time
Thanks for the memories
Even though they weren't so great
"He tastes like you only sweeter."
One night, yeah, and one more time
Thanks for the memories, thanks for the memories
"See, he tastes like you only sweeter." He smirks as I feel my blood rushing a bit but I stay calm and he leans in to my neck smelling my neck. I tilt my head away slightly and he chuckles.
"Well whoever you are little one. Sorry, but I'm starving." He says looking at me and his eyes change from ice blue to black and red. "Run please, I like the chase." I do as he says and I break off into a sprint my heart beating so fast that I think it's going to run faster than me. I turn around to see him not there and then I get stopped by some hands. "Caught you." He growls and before I can scream I feel my throat being ripped into by his teeth. I scream as loud as I can and I feel the entire house shake.
My body shakes and I open my eyes to see Markus holding me against his chest with my ear over his heart to ground me to him. My hair being pet like you would to calm a crying person and he looks at me in my tear filled eyes. "Rayen, are you okay?" He asks holding my face in his hands and he wipes my tears. I take a deep breath and I feel everything stop shaking slowly.
"It was just nightmare. I'm fine." I say hoarsely and he rubs my cheekbones before giving me some water. "Go back to bed."
"Are you sure?" He asks with slight fear in his eyes and I nod after taking a sip of the water. I wave him off and he leaves me with a worried look on his face. "You should take those sleeping pills like the doctor said to."
"Fine just go back to bed I'll be fine." I say softly as I grab my pills from my dice box on my inn table and I take one before taking a large gulp of water. I lay my head back down and look up at my ceiling which my mother, Zach, and I painted to look like the sky on a full moon night. I close my eyes and my body relaxes happily.
"Ray."
"Rayen."
"Miss Harjo-Maxwell?"
"Psst. Ray."
"Miss Harjo-Maxwell!" an angry voice yells and my eyes shoot widen open throwing the thing in my head at the source of the voice which effectively did snap me out of my daze.
I blink furiously as I see that I'm in history class and the entire class is silent. I move the hair out of my face and see what I threw at Mr. Tanner were my very sharp twin black and gold hair picks. I growl as I rub my temple and I stand up before walking over to him retrieving my picks from the wall that they landed in.
"Sorry sir, my sleeping pills must have still had my mind in a haze may you repeat the question?" I ask as I sit down and put my picks back in my hair bun.
"As I was just telling Miss Gilbert, I was willing to be lenient last year, for obvious reasons, but the personal excuses ended with summer break." Tanner says flatly and completely unsympathetically. I glare up at him and I dig my nails into the desk. He had gone for the one thing I don't talk to anyone about and I would give him a tongue lashing, but my body is just starting to kick the sleeping pills effects.
"There were 346 casualties." Stefan says making me turn my head to look at him and the class to turn their attention to him. "Unless you're counting local civilians, of course."
Tanner seemed surprised which makes me smile as I take a couple deep breaths. "That's correct. Mister..?"
"Salvatore." Stefan replies as he looks at me making sure I'm okay.
"Salvatore? Any relation to the original settlers here at Mystic Falls?" Tanner asks curiously.
"Distant." Stefan replies after some thought and I raise an eyebrow.
"Well, very good Mr. Salvatore. Except, of course, there were no civilian casualties in this battle." Tanner says to the class almost smugly.
"Actually, there were 27, sir." Stefan and I point out at the same time.
"Confederate soldiers, they fired on the church, believing it to be housing weapons. They were wrong. It was a night of great loss." Stefan says with a hint of sadness in his words which it makes Tanner looking murderous.
"The founder's archives are, uh, stored in Civil Hall if you'd like to brush up on your facts. Mr. Tanner." We both say as politely as we can. The class is sniggering, with the same thought going through everyone's minds: finally someone was able to one up Tanner. I catch Stefan's eye and smiles before mouthing thanks. He smiles back and nods to me. Just then, the bell rings signaling the end of class which makes me happier. I breathe a sigh of relief before grabbing my sketch pad and notebooks with my pens clipped attached. Bonnie's voice snaps me out of my thoughts and I look up, I notice that her, Caroline, and Elena are standing in front of me and Caroline was waving her hand in my face trying to get my attention.
"Hellooooo? Anybody home Ray?" Caroline says snapping her fingers in my face and I lick her hand.
"Yes, I hear you Care." I say as she wipes her hand on her shirt.
"Good." Caroline says as I stand up while I look at my outfit that I'm wearing. I see that I'm wearing black skinny jeans, a red harry potter shirt under my jacket, and red high heeled boots. "Because in case you missed it, you are totally going to help me accessorize for the party tonight. I want to be looking my very absolute Caroline Forbes best." She announces cheerfully.
"Care, I'm sure you won't need my help accessorizing." I say laughing. "Plus I have dinner plans with Mark and Zach."
"Hm. Good point." She said tapping her chin deep in thought. "But the next event you have to help me." After reassuring her that I would help the next time, she gives me a hugs me and quickly departs with Elena while Bonnie stays with me.
"You blacked out again didn't you?" Bonnie says looking at me worriedly.
"Bon I'm sure it's nothing serious. The sleeping pills just have a bad effect on my body." I say as we walk to my locker and of course Bonnie, being the friend she is, really isn't buying it.
"Ray it's been a while since you've had to use those pills. You should go talk to someone. I.e. my Grams." Bonnie argues as I put my stuff in my backpack while Stefan walks up to us.
"Fine." I say before pouting and she hugs me. "I'll go talk to your Grams when I'm able to. I promise."
"Thanks Ray."
She leaves as Stefan walks up next to me, "Are you okay? You never mentioned that you were taking pills to sleep?" He asks worriedly.
"Because they're only for the nightmares that I can't wake up from on my own. I have to let them play out." I say softly letting him walk me our science class and he even helps me into my chair. The rest of the day my body seems to be even more energized and both Matt and Ty make sure to keep an eye on me. Apparently the girls told them about my little faze out during class and they literally walk me to every class that they can. Even in PE Tyler stays by my side during our cardio and even before our game of soccer. After my photography class Stefan is waiting for me and we walk out the school with him looking at my latest project that I have to do.
He opens my door to his car and I slide in before buckling up then we put our backpacks in his backseat before we start heading to my house. "Can't you get like tea or something to help you sleep?"
"I've tried some of the teas but all they give me is even weirder dreams. These pills help me sleep, but I fully wake up the next day in class or at my studio fully rested and in different clothes." I say as I let my hair out of its messy bun and I play with my picks twirling them like knives.
"Maybe my uncle Zach has something to help you out." He says as he pats my hand.
"Thanks, but I'd rather deal with the nightmares." I say softly as we get to my driveway and we jump out before walking up the stairway. I let my hand drag on the leaves and I let out a soft sigh as I feel a certain lightness in my body with a fuzzy feeling in my fingertips as I walk closer to home. I open the door and I turn around, "Come on in, make yourself at home Zach and Markus are probably out back talking about sports and making the chicken."
He walks in hesitantly, "Thanks Ray. Where do you want to set up?" He asks as I take my boots off putting them on the coat rack next to the lamp in the living room.
"We can stay in the living room or we can set up in my bedroom?" I say as I put my jacket in the closet next to the door and he looks down at me smiling.
"I never knew you were so short Ray." He says trying to hold in a chuckle with a smile and I glare up at him playfully.
"Well that's why I wear heels Steffie." I tease back and sling my back pack over my shoulder before sticking my tongue out at him.
"Steffie? Really?" He says as he motions up the stairs and I lead him up to my room. I see him look at the pictures that are of my mom and I at different events from Pow-wow's in California to the Founder's Events here.
"Hey I coulda called you Rapunzel." I say as I open my room and set my bag on the floor next to my trunk before sitting down on my floor. "Let's get started Steffie."
He smirks and sits down in front of me. "Let's get to it, Belle."
"Belle?" I say as we get our homework out and he points to the rose that I have sketched on the corner of every paper from my backpack. "I like it."
We get to work listening to my songs along with some songs that he put on and we get side-tracked talking about my sketches that he found sticking out from under my bed. I give him the ones of Zach and my mother doing goofball stuff and I also give him this one that I drew of a silhouette of a man holding a flame illuminating his face that has a smile on his lips. At the moment I'm laying down on the floor my head on his leg while watch Glory and he's brushing my hair with his fingers. Surprising that I feel more at peace with him than I do some of the people I have grown up with and that includes my cousins.
"Kids foods done!" I hear Zach yell up the stairs and I groan as I get up.
"You head down there cause by the time we eat it'll be time to head out to the Falls for the bonfire." I say and he nods while I pull my top off and head over to my closet to grab a new shirt. I grab a red knit sweater that shows my shoulders and I brush my hair, surprisingly not tugging on any knots which makes my head happy. I braid my hair quickly before quietly coming down the stairs seeing the three of them whispering intensely and I try to listen in, but it's nothing but murmurs. I walk in as quietly as I can and I try to catch Stefan off guard but he grabs my wrists spinning me to his chest. "That's cheating Steffie." I say as I try to get out of his arms and he hugs me tighter to his chest.
"It's not cheating when you were sneaking up Belle." He says holding my arms in front of me as my cousin makes me a plate with some chicken, rice, and homemade fries and I smile as I bite Stefan's bicep playfully before he lets go.
"Want a soda Steffie?" I ask while I try to stifle giggle as I try to grab a beer from the fridge but it gets stolen by Zach.
"Yes please Belle." Stefan says while he makes his plate and Zach puts some barbecue sauce on the chicken letting it rest.
"Nice try little one. You're underage." I growl at him and grab a soda instead. I open it up with a pout and the boys' just chuckle at my pouting face.
"Okay next time you want me to make you a White Russian. I'm gonna say nope… I'm underage." I say as Stefan chuckles while he sits down at the table and I toss him a soda while I sit down next to him. The three of us eat and Zach keeps giving Stefan a worried and apprehensive look in his eye. "So Steffie, why would you want to come to Mystic Falls?"
"I wanted to be with my family for my last two years of high school." He says as he cuts into his chicken breast and I take a bite out of chicken.
"Nice, you got any siblings?" Markus asks as he passes me the barbecue sauce for my French fries and I quickly put some on my plate.
"Yeah, but I haven't talked to him in a very long time." He says with a bit of a strained voice and I look at the clock to see that we have plenty of time.
"That sucks. I wish I had siblings, but all I have is Mark and he's a muggle." I say with a smile as he throws a fry at me and I dodge it before I take a drink of my soda. The sun starts to set as we continue talking and teasing each other. After I finish my food, I rinse the plate before pulling on my black knee high wedges and I quickly curl the edges of my hair. I walk back down the stairs feeling something build up in me and I drag my nails on the wall feeling the wood under them making me smile. I look up to see Stefan staring at me with a look of surprise on his face and in his eyes. "Why you starin' Steffie?" I ask as I look up at him and I grab my house keys before he walks out with his hand on the small of my back.
"I was staring cause I have a very beautiful girl as a friend." He says as we get into his car and start heading to the falls and my mood dims a little as he totally just friend-zoned me.
"Thanks Steffie." I say softly as we get closer and I fluff my hair letting the curls lay over my left shoulder.
"Is this the place?" He asks as he looks around the space we've had for this party for a long time and I smile.
"Yes it is. Thanks for the ride. I'll meet you back here when and if you want to leave." I say kissing his cheek before jumping out of his car and head towards the jocks. Simply because I know they'll have the good booze and not the cheap go-straight-through-you kid stuff the rest will be drinking.
"I'm on a money makin' mission
But I party like a rock star
I'm flyin' down twenty, lookin' good in my hot car
You know them hos be at my show
Worried 'bout where my chain go
I'm tryin' to rubba hold my pants
But these hos won't let my thang go
I do it like I do it
'Cause you know them hos be tryin' us
Ho, don't you know I fuck wit' fine diamonds
That look like Pamela
They fine and they hot, brah
When I'm in the spot, brah
I party like a rock star!" I take a deep breath in and I smile as I smell the forest while the music echoes through-out the trees and dancing drunken teenagers. I close my eyes as the breeze moves my hair.
"Ray! You're here!" I hear Ty's drunken voice say as I am suddenly engulfed in a hug and picked up off the ground. I open my eyes and giggle as I try to slide out of his arms, but he puts me on his shoulder and we walk over to where they parked their cars.
"Party like a rock...
Party like a rock star
Party like a rock...
Party like a rock star
Party like a rock...
Party like a rock star
Party like a rock star
Totally, dude!
Party like a rock star
Do it wit' the black and the white like a cop car
Me and my band, man, on the yacht with Marylin Manson, gettin' a tan, man
You know me, wit' a skull belt and wallet chain
Shop Boyz, rocks stars, yeah, we 'bout to change the game, change the game? uh oh
They know that I'm a star; I make it rain from the center of my guitar,"
"Ray's here!" He yells and everyone cheers over the music before I get dropped on Matt's lap and I hear him grunt.
"Hey Ray." He gives me a hug around my waist before make me slide next to him and I smile at everyone.
"I'm here boys. Now where's my Tequila or will I have to shake someone down for some?" I ask playfully before giving Matt a kiss on the cheek and he does the same to me. We chat, sing, and dance for a little bit before Armando, a guy with brown and blonde hair with brown almost black onyx eyes, he's also on the football team with Ty and Matt. Matt stiffens and wraps his arm around my waist pulling me closer. Armando is the only guy that I have turned down that won't take a damn hint and we've been at this ever since I started showing more womanly curves and him being the stubborn, stupid, wanna-be alpha male. I usually end up give him a tongue lashing, but he's been getting grabbier so I have had to up my tongue lashing with some hits.
"My My My, little Ray you look absolutely delicious." He says as his eyes rake over my curves and so much that I can practically feel them on my body.
"Why Armando you look absolutely sleazy and you can call me Rayen." I say icily as Ty passes me a tequila bottle I know that he stole from his father and I smile as I take a swig of it. The burn warming my body as Armando chuckles.
"Why don't you and I go find us a cave where we can have some real fun?" He says getting in my bubble about to kiss me and I reach behind me grabbing a hard plastic water bottle. People hear what he asked me despite the loud music. They try to look at us discreetly because he and I butt heads all the damn time. I think he thinks its cause I'm playing hard to get (I'm not) since I'm always denying him and plenty other guys offers of meaningless sex. I throw the bottle at his face, hitting him right in the nose all the while I'm drinking straight from the tequila bottle. I smile as I see that where I hit him it's starting to bleed and I wipe the little spill from my chin. "You bitch!" I jump down from the tailgate and I pull his face down to my very short height, so my mouth is near his ear.
"I may be a bitch, but I'm the one bitch you won't get the pleasure of being with me in the bedroom or anywhere else. If I was you I'd lose the attitude and rethink your life choices." I whisper in a dark tone and I quickly use my elbow to hit him across the face pushing him into the dirt. Everyone cheers and I smile as I walk back to the boys drinking from the bottle happily as he goes to nurse his ego and his possible nose.
We all keep drinking happily while Ty and Vicki go off into the woods probably for doing the dirty deed while Matt, Chad, Dana, and I are all dancing like idiots while I sing to Avril Lavigne's Girlfriend. I roll my eyes as I finish the bottle noticing that they're bringing out the scotch bottle. The last time I messed around with some Jack Daniels, I ended up with lipstick all over my face after making out with a guy from the Varsity soccer team. I head towards the falls enjoying my very nice floating feeling from the alcohol. I get to the cliffs near the falls and I sit down letting the empty bottle roll off the cliffs. I lean against the tree trunk and play with the grass and flowers near the bottom of it. As I close my eyes letting my buzz take the edge I usually have off completely and I get pulled back by my hair hard not in the nice way. Then my jaw starts hurting almost immediately as my head gets thrown to side into the trunk. 'Oh fuck. Someone just sucker punched me.' I start using my legs to hurt whoever did it as best I can. I hear a deep growl as my left foot hits something and I yell out as I claw the person that's hurting me. Just as my jaw and my scalp start throbbing painfully I feel my ribs getting jackhammered by fists. I look up to see that it's Armando and I see that I sliced down his jaw and to the bottom of his neck. I feel the chain on my necklace break and it slides from my neck to the ground underneath me. He breaks my wrist and I start crying as it hurts like a bitch. I start to taste blood in my mouth and I quickly let it pool as much as I can get in my mouth without letting him know I have collected it.
"This is what you get for turning me down in front of everyone, you whore." He growls looking at me while one of my eyes start swelling shut and I spit all my blood on him. It coats his entire face and even gets on his shirt. He gets grossed out as he tries to clean up all the blood with his shirt and hands. I turn on my side quickly and look towards the firelight.
"TYLER!" I scream out as loud as I possibly can and I get thanked by getting my head slammed against the uprooted roots my vision going black almost immediately.
No One's POV:
Not only does Tyler hear Rayen's scream for help, but everyone that didn't stay after they found Vicki with her throat bleeding, hears her blood curling scream. Not only do her friends run, but even over the leftover paramedics and cops run with them as fast as they can. Everyone's blood runs cold as they see Armando punching her across her face and her not moving at all. Matt gasps as Tyler's blood begins to boil making his face go beet red. Tyler growls as Matt holds him back as best he can while Armando keeps his assault on Rayen going. Bonnie and Caroline scream as they see what he is doing to the youngest in their group, but that doesn't faze him in the slightest.
He keeps punching her as the nice calm Matt yells, "Sheriff!" Sheriff Forbes quickly runs over as Tyler is struggling to keep his anger in check at the sight of his best girl friend getting beaten up.
Tyler yells out in complete rage his face looking like a feral animal protecting its young, "Armando, I'm gonna kill you!"
Armando stops looking up in fear with his bloody knuckles raised poised to hit again and his eyes widen in shock. Both Matt and Tyler get even angrier as they see his face and part of his shirt still red with blood and quickly rush him. As they get him off her unconscious and tackle him to the ground Sheriff Forbes checks on the young girl putting her hands on her pulse point.
"Oh god. Is that Ray?" it switching off with, "Armando beat her for embarrassing him earlier." to concern, "Oh crap hope she's okay." And last but not least, "His scholarship to UCLA is so gone." These and other things fly from everyone's mouths while the boys try not to beat Armando into an early grave while they keep him against the tree and they keep their eyes on the youngest person in their little group.
"Little Maxwell, please be okay." She whispers with fear gripping her heart making it work in overtime. She licks her lips before moving her fingers slightly to feels a pulse barely moves under her fingers and she sighs with a relieved smile on her face. "Deputy Anderson, get over here. Quickly and gently pick Rayen up and take her to the hospital and stat she has a very faint pulse." She stands up and one of her deputies gently picks her up her body curling into the heat as best she can letting out little whimpers of pain.
"Oh thank god." Tyler and Matt whisper while Armando's eyes glare at the unconscious girl in the deputy's arms. Her head lolls to the side and her blood drips to the forest floor as he does as Sheriff Forbes walks over to the teen boy covered in blood.
"Armando Lopez, you are under arrest for the assault of Rayen Maxwell." She cuffs the boy ignoring his shout of pain. While she cuffs him, no one is paying attention to where her body was the ground soaked up her blood and created new grass along with some flower buds of some California flowers that wrap around the roots that have her blood on them.
"The little whore deserved the beating. No one says No to me." He says while Tyler and Matt are too focused on getting to the hospital to be there for Vicki and Rayen.
"Well trust me when I say this, you will not be getting out in time for your scholarship to UCLA. Hell, I doubt that they'll accept you now." She whispers in his ear as she makes him walk to her cop car and that makes him try to fight against her hold.
"Bonnie get Ray's phone Markus needs to know what happened and where to go." Caroline shakily says as she follows her mom. Matt and Tyler talk about switching off between them since they'll be in the same hospital. Bonnie walks over to where it happened and takes her phone before quickly dialing Markus. After two rings he answers the house phone and she tells him what happened to Ray which makes him drop a plate in shock and making it shatter on the floor. He grabs his keys and drives as fast as he possibly can all the while Stefan makes sure their house is locked up.
Time Jump
Rayen has been in the hospital for a month so far since Armando attacked her. After they stabilized her and wash her wounds it was a wonder how she was able to spray her blood at him and manage to claw his face while being hit so hard. Her injuries included black eye, broken jaw, some broken ribs, a broken wrist, along with some internal bleeding. They had to put her into a coma or else her pain would be unbearable. The hit to her head that caused her to lose consciousness lodged some of the wood into her cheekbone and temple, so they had to carefully extract it through surgery.
They continue to keep her under to make sure she would be able to heal and while she did her friends and family came to visit. Stefan tried to feed her some of his blood, but for some reason her body kept rejecting it. He just brought her vervain flowers to protect her from Damon's stupid mind games. Markus made sure that Armando could never get out and once they took the skin from under her nails along with the testimonies, mixed with her blood all over his face and shirt they were able to use it all as evidence for putting Armando in jail. Markus also rescheduled all of the appointments that he wasn't do and while no one else is around he calls the Patriarch of the Harjo line. He informs him that the flowers around her body and the trees outside just keep growing. The plant life keeps growing and just seems to be getting closer and closer to her. As she has been sleeping peacefully, her body has changed drastically. Her once pudgy hourglass body is now toned, her hair instead of being natural raven black it's now a deep emerald green, and her nails are longer and sharper looking, almost like claws. Her tan skin is clearer and as she heals natural her wounds barely scar though if you look close enough you can tell she put up a fight.
This fight sparked something in her biology that accelerated her powers and that's why the flowers and grass started growing where her blood landed back in the forest along with plants around her room are growing unnaturally. The Harjo females that are born into the family line are blessed with the gift to be Nature Manipulators back in the old days their people called them Nunnehi's to honor the warrior nature spirits. When these women hit the age of 18 their powers kick in and slowly change them. Their powers included creating any plants with a wave and a thought, grow or destroy anything having to do with nature, and since they are both creator and destroyer they take in enormous amount of energy. If they don't release that energy somehow they can either die or destroy everything around them like a nuke. Their history has never been recorded by one who practiced in her blood craft instead they were observed and brought into legend.
But today the last legendary Nunnehi's eyes open wide sending a burst of her power through the plants and out through-out the town causing the vampire's to get a chill down their spine, the witches to shiver from the intensity from it, and the wolves to feel more in control. Her mismatched eyes open looking up at the ceiling as the machines start beeping loudly and in her eyes a gold glow the same that pulsed through the ground.