I was born in the picturesque town of Mystic Falls, where the air is crisp, and the leaves turn a vibrant shade of red in the fall, much like Elena Gilbert.
Unfortunately, tragedy struck my family, and I lost both of my parents in a devastating car crash, leaving me as the only survivor, just like Elena.
As I tried to piece together my life, I stumbled upon the mysterious and dangerous world of vampires, just like Elena. I discovered secrets I never imagined existed and faced challenges I never thought I would overcome. And just like Elena, I am adopted, which adds another layer of complexity to my life.
Interestingly, our uncles knew each other in high school, and we knew each other as kids. It's as if our lives are intertwined, and we share an inexplicable connection. I can't help but wonder if there's more to our connection than meets the eye.
To distract myself from these thoughts, I turned to social media, where I found solace in the messages from my friends. Angela and Jacob accepted my friend request; their messages were genuine and heartfelt. Jacob was glad I liked my gifts and was happy to hear that I fit in. On the other hand, Angela wished me a happy belated birthday and expressed her joy at the thought of us still being friends.
Despite the comfort I found in their messages, I chose not to share the details of my recent activities or the accident
that had befallen me. I didn't want to worry them and needed to figure things out alone.
I never believed the stuff Lauren and Jesse were saying about you. Angela messaged me. You never even looked Mike's way.
I'm glad you believe me. I messaged back.
How are you doing?
Fine.
That fine doesn't read fine.
I had to chuckle at the message; Angela could tell when something was off even without hearing my voice.
I fell on the first day. I lied. Now I'm known as Fallen Swan.
Oh. I'm sorry.
Her oh read off as well.
What's wrong?
I had a bad dream about you.
A bad dream about me? What about?
I was watching old Universal movies with Ben Cheney that night.
You and Ben Cheney?
Bella, focus.
Sorry. Go on.
I dreamt that Count Dracula killed you and drank your blood.
Is Angela a witch, too? I wondered.
Count Dracula, huh? You dreamt Bela Lugosi killed me? I prefer to be taken out by Gary Oldman.
Bella, I'm serious.
I promise I will not let a vampire eat me.
Would your grandmother let you spend the summer in Forks with me?
I'll have to ask; it's been rather hectic here.
How?
A mountain lion attacked a girl I was friends with.
What?! There are mountain lions there?!
Yeah, it killed the history teacher.
What?! That's wild! Wait, you made a friend?! Bella, why didn't you tell me?! What's her name?
Vicky Donavon.
What's she like?
She was blunt.
Was? Aren't you still friends?
I forgot I'm the only human besides Elena that knows Vicky is no longer among the living.
She left town. I typed as I teared up. She's a bit of a rebel.
Why did she leave town? Don't her parents have issues with her leaving?
She went to visit her mom. Their dad is out of the picture.
Their?
She has a brother, Matt. He's on the football team.
A football player? Next, you'll be telling me you hang out with cheerleaders now.
I live next to two, Elena Gilbert and Caroline Forbes.
Oh, cool. What are they like?
Caroline has taken it upon herself to adopt me as a pet, but she is delightful.
And Elena Gilbert? What's she like?
Elena Gilbert is... distant. Her parents died four months before school started.
Oh, wow. Mystic Falls sounds crazy.
It is.
That's wild, but at least you're safe.
Yeah.
You're socializing with the cool kids now?! Look at you, Miss Swan.
I could picture her grinning.
I have to go. It was great talking to you. I'll talk to you later, Angela.
Ok. Bye Bella.
'A small part of me always knew.' Elena murmured as I held her close. 'Somehow, I always knew.'
A day passed since I told her about her parents and two days after my confrontation with Isabella.
'I can't explain it, but it hung over me like a ghost.'
'I'm sorry you're going through this.' I stroked her hair.
'I don't want- Stefan, who was that man in the road?'
'I don't know. Do you remember anything else about him?'
'I wish.' she groaned. 'I never really saw his face. He was wearing a hoodie. All I remember is that these black boots were coming towards me.'
'I brought some vervain for, um—' I wasn't sure how she wanted to address her aunt now. 'for you and Jenna.' I grabbed the box from the end of the bed, and she sat up straight. I opened the box up. 'And, um, I made this bracelet for Jeremy, a few extra ones for friends.' I explained as hand Elena the bracelet. She took it and investigated it. 'You can put it in jewelry, or you can even put it in food or drink, but as long as it's in you or on you, a vampire can not control you.'
I gave Elena a small vial of liquid vervain. She took a dried-up branch of vervain from the box.
'Wow. There is so much to remember.'
'I know, but there's another vampire in town. So until we find out who it is and what he wants, we must be careful.'
Elena nodded understandingly.
'Elena, I need the money!' Jeremy's voice called from downstairs.
'Come, let's go.'
Jeremy was thrilled to share that he received an outstanding grade of A on his paper, which made Mr. Saltzman highly impressed and eager to read it. Moreover, Jeremy confidently talks about a girl named Anna, whom he has met.
'How do you feel?' I asked.
'I'd feel better if I could see Vicky.'
Yeah, me too.
'What'd Stefan Salvatore want?'
'To talk about Elena.'
'I thought he was trying to get his mind off my sister?'
'I don't think it's possible.'
'When Elena came home, my aunt Jenna didn't ground her; she didn't even yell. The favoritism is unbelievable. Matt told me that you threw your drink on Stefan.'
'I thought he could use a drink because he was thirsting for your sister.'
Jeremy laughed as I glanced around the schoolyard. 'Did Elena come to school?'
'She's around here somewhere.'
'Did she say anything about where she's been for two days?'
'No, not to me, at least. Elena has been moody, though. She and Jenna aren't speaking.'
Elena confronted Jenna about her adoption.
'Do you have a Facebook?'
'You have a Facebook?'
'I created it to check on friends back home.'
'How are things back home?'
'Wet.' I turned to him. 'Enough about me; I wanna hear about this, Anna.'
He smiled; it was nice to see him so happy. 'She invited me to watch old vampire movies with her.'
'You should go.'
'I really don't want to rush into things.'
Yeah, that's understandable.
Dear Diary,
I learned the truth about what happened the night of the accident.
Stefan was there and pulled me from the car; he said he went back for Mom and Dad, but they were already dead.
He watched me for months because I looked like his ex, Katherine... Pierce, I think that's what he said about her last name.
When he realized I wasn't her, I guess he compelled someone at city hall or maybe a friend of the family and asked them about me.
He found out that I was adopted.
Grayson and Miranda Gilbert adopted me; they raised me, but I'm not their daughter.
Who am I?
Where did I come from?
Who are my parents?
How am I connected to Katherine?
Why is this happening to me?
I don't know who I am anymore.
Stefan said that he would help me find my birth parents.
I told Stefan about my trip to Georgia with Damon and back to Virginia.
And about telling him Damon and I's conversation about Bella Swan.
Predictably, Stefan was incensed, but I believed I did the right thing, and I stand by it. If Bella does remember her attack, that means he, unfortunately, wasn't strong enough to compel her.
Damon might be strong enough to compel Bella to forget, or he might kill her, but I will be there if and when he compels her, so that won't happen.
Stefan acts like I started WW3; he's making her a vervain necklace as I write this.
What is the big deal?!
What is about her that makes him so high-strung?
Her blood can't be that alluring to him, can it?
The following day, as Gran and I stepped out the door, ready to face another day of school, we were approached by the familiar duo, Stelena.
They greeted us, and I exchanged a glance with Gran, an unspoken question passing between us.
"Hi," I replied, my voice tinged with awkwardness. "What do you want?"
"Still struggling with those social skills, I see," Elena observed, a wry smile on her lips.
"But really," Gran interjected flatly, her curiosity piqued. "What brings you here?"
Elena's eye twitched in minor irritation as Stefan cleared his throat, stepping forward. "We brought a peace offering," he said, his tone light-hearted while Elena produced a small, elegant white box from her jacket pocket and handed it to me.
With eager anticipation, I opened the box, revealing a beautiful silver pendant, its light blue stone shimmering in the morning light.
"I found this while rummaging through my attic, and it made me think of your grandmother," Elena explained, her eyes sparkling with a hint of nostalgia.
The pendant was strung on a sleek black cord and exuded a sweet, fruity aroma.
"Is that lemon?" I asked inquisitively as I tied it delicately around Gran's wrist.
"No, it's an herb," Elena replied, glancing sideways at Stefan with a knowing look.
"What kind of herb?" I asked, intrigued.
"Smells familiar..." Gran muttered, her brow furrowing as she examined the pendant.
"I doubt you've heard of it," Elena chimed in, a hint of challenge lacing her voice.
"Try me," I retorted.
"Do you like the bracelet, Mrs. Higginbotham?" Stefan asked, slipping gently between Elena and me.
"It's beautiful," Gran said, inhaling its fragrant scent. "Thank you so much."
"And I found this," Stefan continued, reaching into his pocket to produce a plush black velvet box. "I thought of you when I saw it."
As I glanced at Elena, I noticed her arms were folded tightly, and her gaze was fixated elsewhere. Curiosity bubbling within me, I opened the box to find a stunning gold locket that sparkled in the sunlight, its fruity scent wafting through the air.
"You saw this and thought of me?" I asked, turning to Stefan, surprise evident in my voice.
"Yes," he confirmed, his expression earnest.
"How often do you think of me?" The question slipped out before I could stop myself, and I caught Elena's face turning a deep shade of purple while Stefan's cheeks flushed a light pink. Suddenly awkward, I cleared my throat. "Forget I said that. It's beautiful, truly. Thank you."
"I'll help you put it on," Stefan offered, stepping closer with a warm smile.
But Elena, seemingly unwilling to let him near, swiftly blocked his path. "I've got it, Stefan."
With determination, Elena kill - sorry attempted to help me fasten the locket around my neck. If it weren't for my hair, she would have succeeded.
"You and this hair!" she huffed, frustration edging her voice. "Have you ever thought about getting a haircut?"
"Have you ever thought about getting an IQ test?" I shot back.
She yanked the chain in a moment of miscalculation, causing my breath to catch.
"Hold still," she instructed, her voice surprisingly calm as I gasped for air.
Clearly, she forgot I was still recovering from a neck injury.
Finally, when Elena managed to fasten the locket, she pushed me away a bit too forcefully, sending me spiraling into Stefan's waiting arms.
"I gotcha," he said softly, our eyes locking for a moment that felt charged with unspoken words. "I've got you."
Heat rushed to my cheeks as I steadied myself, grateful for his steady presence. "Thank you."
"Now we should be going," Elena said, grabbing Stefan's arm and quickly leading him away.
"See you later," Stefan called over his shoulder, his smile lingering in my thoughts.
I waved goodbye as Gran turned toward me, an amused expression on her face. "Well, that was certainly eventful," she mused, watching Stelena walk down the street.
"A peace offering?" I echoed.
"Peace is a precious thing, Bella," she replied thoughtfully. "It soothes the soul."
"That it does," I agreed, feeling the weight of her words.
But beneath that tranquility, suspicion lingered, keeping my mind sharp and alert.
Bringing the locket closer to my nose, I inhaled its scent as Gran turned back to Stelena, now a distance away on the street. "I wonder what kind of herb this is."
"I've certainly come across it before," she pondered aloud. "I'm guessing your date with Stefan Salvatore went remarkably well, He even brought us jewelry."
A blush crept up my cheeks as Gran ambled toward the truck, leaving me with embarrassment and curiosity swirling in my mind.
'Where did you find that necklace?' Elena asked, her voice a mix of curiosity and urgency as she led me away from the bustling crowd.
'In the attic,' I replied, lingering on the uncovered treasure. 'I was digging through an old trunk, and there it was, glimmering in the dim light. When I saw it, it seemed to sing like a long-lost melody.'
'Like her blood?' Elena scoffed, an eyebrow raised with skepticism.
'Yeah, actually,' I shot back, mirroring her disbelief.
'Why did she throw her drink in your face?' The question came with a sharp edge, and I could sense the weight of her concern beneath it.
'You know about that?' I was taken aback; the incident was fresh in my mind.
'Jeremy told me about that.' She glanced back over her shoulder at Bella, who was animatedly chatting with her grandmother—a warm smile on her lips. 'Why didn't you tell me?'
The accusation hung thick in the air, but my thoughts drifted to Bella's cryptic words about her connection with Elena's uncle.
Elena's uncle—he had to have been just a teenager himself, barely 16 when she was brought into this world.
They'd gone to the same high school; it wasn't unusual for teenagers to spill their secrets. Perhaps he had confided in Beau—if I remembered correctly, that was his name.
'Stefan?!' Elena's voice pierced through my reverie.
'I'm sorry, what did you ask again?' I replied, shaken from my thoughts.
'Why didn't you tell me you went on a date with Bella?'
'I didn't go on a date with Bella,' I defended, feeling the heat rise in my cheeks.
'Then why were you there?' Her accusatory tone demanded a truth I wasn't prepared to disclose.
'I wanted to find out if she still remembers,' I confessed, my heart pounding as I spoke.
Elena stopped in her tracks, pivoting to face me with wide, expressive eyes. 'Does she?'
The phrase "No more secrets" reverberated in my mind, a mantra I struggled to embrace.
No more secrets.
No more secrets.
No more secrets.
No more secrets—but—
But.
But.
But.
I'm with Damon because I want to be!
Her words echoed, both a comfort and a confusion.
Even with her sharing details about Georgia, she had kept her phone call with Bella buried deep within her thoughts.
No more secrets.
'No,' I lied, the word feeling heavy on my tongue.
'So, Damon didn't have to know,' Elena pressed, her gaze searching mine.
'No, he didn't,' I replied, a lump forming.
Elena glanced back at Bella, still laughing with her grandmother.
'So, basically, I endangered Bella and her grandmother for nothing,' she concluded, disappointment creeping into her voice.
'Basically.'
Elena sighed heavily, exhaling frustration, and took a few steps ahead. The air was thick with Bella's scent as if she had left a trail of flowers lingering in the space between us, perhaps suggesting she was hiding beneath those cascading locks.
'Stefan?' Elena called, her irritation palpable.
I turned to face her as she stood at the stop sign, her brow furrowed in annoyance.
'Yeah?' I asked, walking toward her. 'What is it?'
'Did you find out who the vampire is?'
'No,' I answered, the finality of my tone echoing the uncertainty that loomed over us.
Elena sighed once more, a sound filled with an amalgam of worry and determination, and then we hurried off to her house together, the weight of our secrets trailing behind us like an unseen shadow.
"Are you going to the dance?" Caroline asked, her eyes sparkling excitedly as she and Matt sat across from me in the bustling cafeteria.
She and Matt were comfortably nestled together, and I couldn't help but notice how cute they looked, sharing secret smiles and laughter.
"What dance?" I replied.
"The 50s decade dance," she said, her voice tinged with enthusiasm.
"No?" I blinked, caught off guard.
"What?! Did anyone ask you?" she gasped, disbelief etched on her features.
"I can't dance; besides, I'm still deep into my project," I said, dismissing the idea with a wave.
"Still?" Her surprise was apparent.
"Caroline," Matt interjected gently, trying to temper her excitement.
"You're becoming a bit obsessed with this," she added, her tone light but firm. "What else could you possibly learn?"
"My uncle and Mr. Tanner were friends in high school," I explained, my voice trailing. "They seemed to know Jeremy's uncle, too."
"What?" The two of them exchanged a glance brimming with curiosity, and Caroline asked, "Does Elena know?"
Why does Elena always have to be part of every conversation?
"I don't know. If she does, then Jeremy must have told her. He asked me if I showed his aunt the pictures," I replied, a hint of frustration creeping into my voice.
"This is wild," Caroline said, shaking her head in disbelief.
"There was a girl in the photos with them. I need to find her. I feel like I know her, or maybe we met once," I confessed, the urgency spilling over in my tone.
"What's her name?" Matt inquired, leaning closer, his interest piqued.
"All I have are initials: IF," I disclosed, my heart racing at the thought of this mysterious girl.
"Maybe she's your uncle's girlfriend," Caroline suggested thoughtfully.
Girlfriend?!
It struck me like a bolt of lightning—how could I have been so oblivious?!
A girlfriend!
This girl might have been his girlfriend; it suddenly all made sense—perhaps that was why Gran avoided discussing her.
Why would a parent want to dredge up memories of the partner of a child who had passed away?
If Beau had lived, this girl could have been a mother to his children.
"If only I could talk to John Gilbert," I murmured, the sadness creeping into my voice. "I'm really not going to the dance."
"Please reconsider; I got you a poodle skirt," Caroline urged, her voice filled with enthusiasm.
"That reminds me," I said, turning to Caroline with curiosity, "When are we doing the makeover thing?"
"What thing?" Matt asked, confusion furrowing his brow.
"Oh, wow," Caroline said, her hand resting on her chin as if trying to activate a long-forgotten memory. "It completely slipped my mind."
"I'm not surprised," I responded teasingly, looking at the two of them. "And I'm not angry; I just wish I had a friend to hang out with."
"A boyfriend?" Caroline teased, a mischievous glint in her eye.
"Caroline," Matt protested.
"Well, you can hang out with me," she shot back playfully. "Elena and Bonnie seem to have formed an anti-Caroline club." She grimaced, glancing at the two girls entering the cafeteria, flanked by Stefan.
"Just talk to them, Care," Matt insisted. "I'm sure it's not as bad as you think."
I glanced over at Caroline. She looked at them momentarily, sadness washing over her, and then she lowered her gaze to her untouched food.
So, she was still blissfully unaware of everything.
"It's nothing," she muttered, stabbing at her apple with her spork in frustration.
"I could go with you," I offered, trying to lend her some support.
"No, they shut me out. When they're ready to talk, they can come to me," she replied firmly, facing me. "Why did you throw your drink in Stefan's face?"
"How did you hear about that?" I asked, surprised.
"I told her," Matt admitted, looking sheepish.
"I wonder why Elena didn't mention it," Caroline pondered aloud, her brow furrowing in contemplation.
"He said I'm acting like an obsessed freak," I lied, hoping to deflect attention away from the truth.
"Is that what he said?" Matt's face showed genuine surprise. "I thought he had come onto you."
"No," I denied, shaking my head.
"Oh. Maybe Stefan didn't tell Elena," he mused, glancing back at her while Caroline looked expectantly at him.
"Why would he keep that from her?" I wondered aloud as Matt exchanged glances with Caroline.
"So, are we still doing the makeover thing?" I asked, trying to steer the conversation back. "I'm curious to see what you have planned."
"I'm going to give you a complete makeover!" she exclaimed, her excitement palpable. "First, we're starting with a haircut—"
"Absolutely not!" I interrupted, my voice rising in protest.
"No cutting and no dyeing."
"No cutting, no dyeing," Caroline echoed, mirroring my insistence with a mischievous smile.