The first day of school was already here; Caroline told me about prank day, so I was weary since I got out of bed. Gran drove me to school; I told her I would bum a ride home with Caroline.

I didn't see her, Jeremy, or anyone.

I heard a voice call. 'Bella.'

I saw Rosalie approaching; she wore a long grey shirt, white jeans, and black boots. She looked stunning, as always.

'Rosalie, hello. When did you get back?'

'Last night. How was your summer?'

I shrugged. 'So-so, and you, how was your summer?'

'Ugh. My grandparents are still racist.'

'That's... Uh...' How do you respond to that? 'OK?'

'Were you in a hurry this morning?'

'What?!'

'Your outfit screams, 'I was in a hurry."

I wore a blue plaid shirt over a white camisole and black sneakers.

'Yeah, apparently.'

'So-'

'I think she looks delicious.' said a female-accented voice behind us.

'Excuse me?!'

Rosalie and I turned to see a beautiful and handsome woman with natural light blonde hair, light blue eyes, full lips, and pale light skin with a slight dusting of freckles across her cheeks and nose. She looked about 16 or 17 years old.

She wore a grey top, jeans and boots.

'She looks delicious.'

Rosalie and I exchange a glance, then look at her.

'Uh... Thanks.' I stammered.

'I'm Rebekah Mikaelson.'

We exchanged another glance, and then Rosalie cleared her throat. 'Rosalie.'

'Bella.'

'We have to get class.' Rosalie grabbed my arm. 'Nice meeting you.'

We power walked away from Rebekah Mikaelson and into the school, Rosalie looking back as we did.

'I think you gained a new admirer.' She whispered.

'Great.' I sighed. 'Just what I need.'

'At least she's closer to your age.'

'Hello, ladies.'

The Saltman was standing behind us, he tried to meet my gaze, but I turned away.

'Good morning, Mr. Saltzman.' We groaned.

'Isobel- I mean Bella-' he began.

'I'm sorry I can't talk now; Jeremy asked me to meet up.'

'Ok.'

Rosalie and I rushed towards the stoner pit; when we got outside, Rosalie asked, 'What did Jeremy want?'

'Nothing. I just didn't want to talk to him.'

'Why not?'

'Because I'm - I'll explain one day, but-'

'He didn't do anything to you, did he?'

'No. No. It's honestly not as simple as that.'

Rosalie frowned. 'Tell me something.'

'I'm... adopted.'

'What does that have to do with him?' She asked, then her jaw dropped. 'Is he your-'

'Oh, not exactly... I can't explain, not here, at least.'

Rosalie nodded. 'Fine.'

'Look at you being all fit.' Stefan said.' Hey, are you going to the bonfire tonight? Sounds like fun, right?'

We were on the field, and Caroline, Bonnie, and the other cheerleaders were preparing for practice. Tyler was with the team, Rebekah was stalking us, and Stefan was on the track following me.

'Seriously, Stefan,' I scoffed, 'Leave me alone.'

I turned and ran in the opposite direction, but he ran backward with me.

'You think I'm annoying now?' he teased. 'Wait till homecoming. Hey, who are you bringing, by the way? I don't want to be weird.'

A guy bumps into me accidentally. 'I'm sorry.' The guy said stefan shoving him on his back.

'Watch it, dick.'

'Who are you?!'

This was not the man I loved.

'I'm the guy assigned to protect a human blood bag. I mean, no offense or anything.' I stormed away. 'What?!'

Stefan called after me. I rushed into the school, stood outside of the girls' room, and silently cried until I heard some footsteps. I hid in one of the stalls as two people entered the bathroom.

'Ok, could have sworn I saw someone come in here.'

That was Rosalie Hale.

'Your stalker into Caroline now. Poor Caroline.'

'Caroline can more than handle Rebekah Mikaelson.'

Bella.

'She seemed more into Tyler Lockwood.'

'Caroline or Rebekah?'

'Both, but I thought she was dating Matt Donavan.'

'They broke up.'

'Damn, how do you know that?'

'Caroline told me.'

'Oh, but I guess his sister's death took a toll on their relationship.'

'I wouldn't know anything about that,' Bella said quietly, 'I don't have any siblings.'

The statement stung more than I believed it would; how dare she!

'You- you said that you were adopted...'

'Yeah?'

'What about them? Don't they have any kids?'

'I met my birth mother's mother.'

'What's she like?'

'She's great. I wish I had met her before her daughter's passing. She's what her daughter could have been if she'd had the chance to grow old.'

'Is she racist?'

'Holy cow, you really hate your grandparents, don't you?'

'I don't hate them,' Rosalie insisted, 'I just the fact that I'm related to them.'

'I know the feeling.' Bella mumbled as I quietly stood on the toilet.

'Did you notice Stefan Salvatore shove that guy?'

Their voices and footsteps got closer.

'I noticed.'

'What do you think is going there?'

'Elena's aunt and uncle are dead, maybe-'

'Isabella?'

That was Stefan's voice.'

This is the girls' room.' Rosalie flared.

'Yeah... Rosalie, could we have a moment alone?'

'What?!'

'Stefan-'

'Rosalie-'

'I'm not going-'

'Rosalie, tell Bella you will see her later and leave.'

'I'll see you later, Bella.'

The door opens and closes.

'Stefan! What-'

'You and I need to chat.' Bella was silent for a while, then mumbled. 'What about?'

'Your sister.'

'Stefan-'

'Are you going to the bonfire?'

'No.'

'Why not?'

'What does this have with-'

'Good, I have to babysit Elena, Rebekah, and Tyler, and I don't need you to beguile me.'

'What?'

'I said that you're seductive, and I don't you-'

'Why would you need to babysit Elena and Tyler?' Bella sidesteps his remark.

'Well,-'

'And how long have you been back?'

'Bella-'

'And how do you know Rebekah?'

'One question at a time, Isabella.'

There was a long silence before Bella murmured, 'How do you know Rebekah?'

'She's Klaus' sister.'

'What? Is she an original, too?'

'Didn't anyone tell you?'

'No.'

'Hmm.'

'That would explain the yummy comment.'

Yummy comment?

'Do you need a ride home?'

'Sure...'

'Let's go.'

I heard Bella complain as they left; I unlocked the stall and rushed after them.

'Check it out,' Rosalie nudged me, 'look who wants to be a cheerleader.'

I saw Rebekah standing next to Caroline, who looked visibly was over, and I wanted to speak to Caroline, but when I told Rosalie I wanted to walk around the track, and she insisted on walking with me to stalk the new sports reporter.

'Caroline can handle Rebekah.'

I looked up ahead and saw Elena and stefan.

When did Stefan get back?

A guy bumped into Elena and was promptly shoved to the ground by Stefan. Elena stormed off as Stefan turned to me; Rosalie grabbed my arm.

'Did you see that?'

'Yeah, I did.'

'Trouble in paradise, perhaps?'

'Yeah...'

'What's the story there?'

'Let's go; I don't want anyone to hear us talking.'

We went inside the school to an empty girls' room, at least I thought it was.

'Could have sworn I saw someone come in here.' Rosalie looked at the stalls. 'Your stalker into Caroline now.' she turned to me. 'Poor Caroline.'

'Caroline can more than handle Rebekah.'

Rosalie arched an eyebrow, then went back to looking at the stalls. 'She seemed more into Tyler Lockwood.'

'Caroline or Rebekah?'

'Both, but I thought she was dating Matt Donavan.'

'They broke up.'

Rosalie turned to me. 'Damn, how do you know that?'

'Caroline told me.'

'Oh,' again, she turned back to the stalls, 'but I guess his sister's death took a toll on their relationship.'

'I wouldn't know anything about that,' I said quietly, 'I don't have any siblings.'

'You- you said that you were adopted...'

'Yeah?'

'What about them? Don't they have any kids?'

'I met my birth mother's mother.'

'What's she like?'

'She's great. I wish I had met her before her daughter's passing. She's what her daughter could have been if she'd had the chance to grow old.'

'Is she racist?'

'Holy cow, you really hate your grandparents, don't you?'

'I don't hate them,' Rosalie insisted with a grin, 'I just the fact that I'm related to them.' She pointed to the second to last stall, and I saw a pair of Chuck Taylors disappear, presumably to stand on the toilet. 'Did you see Stefan Salvatore shove that guy?'

We inched closer to the stall.

'I noticed.'

'What do you think is going there?'

'Elena's aunt and uncle are dead, maybe-'

'Isabella?'

His voice made us both jump for different reasons; Stefan Salvatore approached us, his eyes never leaving me.

'This is the girls' room.' Rosalie flared as she turned to him.

'Rosalie, could we have a moment alone?' Stefan said in a silky voice.

'What?!'

'Stefan-' I began.

'Rosalie-'

'I'm not going-' Rosalie huffed.

'Rosalie,' he grabbed her by the arm and stared into her eyes, 'tell Bella you will see her later and leave.'

She turned to me and stated in a robotic voice, 'I'll see you later, Bella.' Rosalie left us alone.

'What?! Stefan-' I stared again.

'You and I need to chat.'

My knees felt like jelly under his gaze, and I couldn't find words for a moment.

'What about?'

'Your sister.'

'Stefan-'

'Are you going to the bonfire?'

'No.'

'Why not?'

'What does this have with-'

'Good, I have to babysit Elena, Rebekah, and Tyler, and I don't need you to beguile me.'

Beguile him?

'What?'

He smirked. 'I said that,' he stepped closer, 'you're seductive, and I don't you-'

'Why would you need to babysit Elena and Tyler?' I demanded, sensing that he was trying to divert me from what he was saying even if I did like what he said, I would not back down.

'Well,-'

'And how long have you been back?'

'Bella-'

'And how do you know Rebekah?'

'One question at a time, Isabella.'

His tongue seemed to caress each letter of my name; why did he have to say my name like that?

'How do you know Rebekah?'

'She's Klaus' sister.'

'What? Is she an original, too?'

'Didn't anyone tell you?'

'No.'

'Hmm.'

'That would explain the yummy comment.'

He raised an eyebrow. 'Do you need a ride home?'

'Sure...' He roughly seized me by the arm and dragged me out. 'Hey, what are you doing?! 'We practically flew outside to his car, and he threw me in the car. He didn't stop driving until we reached my house. 'Elena was in there with you.'

'What?'

'Elena was eavesdropping on you and Rosalie's conversation.'

I was angry but not surprised.

'And I bet everyone will try to justify it somehow.' I turned to him. 'What's going on with Tyler?'

'He's a hybrid now, the first successful one.'

'What happened to the others?'

'Dead.'

'Oh. Wait, how did Tyler become a hybrid?'

'When Klaus killed him.'

'I'm sorry, what?!' I choked. 'When did this happen?!'

'Bella, Bella,' he held my face, 'it's okay. I have Tyler talk to you later.'

'Wait, wasn't Elena supposed to die for the curse to work?'

'No, that was bullshit. All hybrids must complete the transition by drinking the doppelganger's blood.'

'So she's essentially a human blood bag now?'

'Essentially.'

'How do you feel about that?'

He shrugged. 'Am I supposed to?'

'You don't fool me.'

'You really are out of the loop, Isabella. Didn't anybody tell you? I'm with Klaus now.'

'Keeping the peace?'

He turned away. 'Do you think about it?'

'Think about what?'

'Us. Making out in your bed.'

Yes.

'It hasn't crossed my mind.'

'You're a bad liar.'

'Am I?' I breathed as he ran his fingers through my hair. 'Why are you on Klaus' side?'

'Ugh,' he turned away, 'I don't want to talk about that.'

'What do you want to talk about?'

'I want to do many things to you,' he turned to me, wearing a devilish grin, 'but none involve talking.'

'You probably want to eat me.'

'Not in the way you think.'

'Yeah, right.'

'Why do you doubt that?'

'Doubt what?'

'Doubt yourself. You turn heads, Bella.'

'It's called being an awkward weirdo.'

'No, it's called being hot.'

'I doubt-'

'You're sexy when you blush.'

'You can't say stuff like that! Not- Not when you're with Elena.'

'That didn't stop you from kissing me.'

'I was... was... I shouldn't have done that to you. Besides, Elena wouldn't do that to you!'

'You really think Elena's been living like a nun since I've been gone?'

The question caught me off guard.

'She's- She's been looking for you the whole summer!'

'With Damon.'

'Well, she needed protection from what was out there.'

'There's a lot of vampires and werewolves that want to get in Klaus' good graces; no one would touch her.'

'What about your Katherine?'

'She's more scared of Klaus than anyone.'

'Of course, Damon has been putting the moves on her; that's just the type of guy he is, but I don't think she would do that to you.'

'What do you know?'

'You can't truly believe that.'

'We got company.'

Banging on my window made me jump; I turned to see Caroline, Jeremy, Elena, Damon, and Mr. Saltzman standing outside the car.

'Bella!' Caroline called.

'Let her go.' demanded Mr. Saltzman.

'I think Elena told them I abducted you.'

I sighed and unbuckled my seatbelt. 'I don't want to deal with them and their badgering questions.'

'Call your grandmother.'

'Why?'

'Just do it, I have a plan.' I did as I was told and gave Stefan the phone. 'Hello, Mrs. Higginbotham, it's Stefan Salvatore. Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am, I gave Isabella a ride home, we're outside. Bella told me she was uncomfortable, and everyone hovering around my car isn't helping her. Yes. Yes, ma'am, we can wait.'

'Did you have to tell her that?'

'Give it a minute.'

They sat in the car, and Caroline wondered aloud what Stefan would do with her?

Was he feeding off her?

Was Bella in danger?

'Maybe we should get Bella's grandmother involved.' Caroline suggested.

Naturally, Jeremy agreed, but everyone else thought it would be better to just hover around the car and raise her anxiety.

All the better to badger her till she gives them what they want.

Thus guaranteeing that Bella wouldn't be sharing anything anytime soon.

'Get away from her!' Called the voice of an angry Mrs. Higginbotham as her cane clicked towards them. She hobbled over to them as Stefan exited the car and walked over to Bella's side. Stefan weaponized Mrs. Higginbotham and her concern for Bella against them, and Caroline felt her heart sink.

if Stefan were his usual self, he'd never do this to them, her, or Bella.

'Mrs Higginbotham-' Jeremy and Caroline began before Stefan cut them off.

'Bella is alright, it's just today is the anniversary of Vicky's attack,' Caroline noticed Jeremy balking, 'and with the anniversaries of Mr. Tanner's death and her own attack,' he threw an accusatory glance at Caroline, shattering her self forgiveness, 'it all got to be too much.'

He stood between the door and them, allowing to reach them and open it.

'Bella?!' Mrs. Higginbotham half sobbed, half sighed.

'I'm fine. I'm fine.' Bella insisted as she edged away Elena, Mr. Saltzman, and Damon. 'I just get away from the crowd.'

'I want to talk-' Elena began before Stefan cut her off.

'That's too bad.'

'Maybe you should lie down.' Jeremy offered. He turned to Mrs. Higginbotham. 'Maybe if Bella were in her room, she'd feel safe.'

Caroline got what Jeremy was saying; as far as she knew, Bella hadn't invited any vampires into her home, herself included. As far as they knew...

As far as they knew...

Could Stefan and Klaus have met up with Bella before they turned Tyler and convinced her to invite them in?

No, Bella would-

No, she wouldn't.

No, she wouldn't let Klaus anywhere near her, but Stefan...

The man she dreams of marrying.

Damon said he killed that woman he was dating on Elena's birthday; what if Stefan had come to Bella right after or right before he saw Damon?

Oh no.

Caroline watched in horror as Stefan walked inside the house.

'Wait, Stefan, going inside Bella's house?!' Jeremy turned to them. 'Wasn't she compelled-' he stopped. 'When did Bella invite Stefan into her home?'

'Maybe Damon wasn't the only person Stefan came to see when he returned?' Caroline heard herself say.