we're being punked pedro

I wake up in Hopes bed, already noticing the lack of her being with me. I slowly crawl out of her bed, grabbing a pair of jeans, and a Salvatore sweater from her closet before walking out. Alaric is walking past me, stopping. "Your sister is doing community service, your mom is in the library."

"What?" I ask. He doesn't answer me, so I head to the memorial library.

I walk in and see my mom, wearing a dress that looks like it could be from the fifty's. "Annie!" She flies down from the top shelf, smiling. "Alaric and I decided it would be good if I'm here." She hums, cupping my cheek. "Now, get to class, Hope will be back tonight."

"Mom, if you're here cause you're worried me and Hope are going to drag ourselves into trouble-"

"Oh, I know you will." She chirps. "Now, run along to class! I'll see you in gym!"

With a roll of my eyes, I walk out into the hall. "Hey, mixbreed" I look over to see a bunch of werewolves. "I heard your werewolf boyfriend and his buddy left town." He chuckles.

"Bite me, Dylan." I growl.

He chuckles. "Maybe I will." Suddenly he flings in my direction and my eyes change color as I jump at him as well. We fly to the floor as we toss punches left and right. He kicks me in the gut, causing me to fly into the wall. I snap my head up, looking directly at him.

I guess that's the moment he realized he fucked up.

I lift my whole body into the air before I fly into his chest, sending us both into the wall. I scream as I punch him again and again. I grip his collar, pulling him close to my face.

I'm just about ready to rip his face off when someone interrupts. "Annie!" Alaric shouts from upstairs. I feel my eyes change back to their normal color, snapping my head at the staircase. I let out a loud growl before zooming out of town.

The first place I wander into is the forest, seeing...

"Raf? Landon?"

"Annie?" All of us say at once

I run up to Raf, who hugs me tightly. Landon jogs over, giving me a hug as well. "What are you doing out here?" Rafi asks, concerned. "You should be at the school."

"So should you." I state. I peer up at Landon. "Both of you."

Landon shakes his head. "Annie, you know-"

"No, Landon." I snap. "I know Hope and Mr. Saltzman and basically everyone at school treated you like shit, but I at least was there! Hell, I could have screamed bloody murder when you told me to come with you, but I didn't. I went with you. It is so easy for me to quite literally rip you apart with one hand, and I didn't!" I shout. "I've been treated like a rabid dog ever since I came to Mystic Falls. I was locked up for two years Landon. Two years! So don't tell me that you don't deserve to be at The Salvatore School cause you do! You have to have some supernatural ability and it's about time we figure it out."

The two look at each other before back at me. "So," I sigh. "What are you guys doing?"

Landon shuffled through money in his hand. "Uh, well we just finished eating." He looks up, Rafael sitting back down, eating some fries. I look up as well, seeing Hope. It's almost like she doesn't know who I am. Like she doesn't see me. "Hope?" Landon says, slowly standing up. I watch as he looks at her astonished, my sister giving him a smile before disappearing. I furrow my brow before hearing Landon's voice again. "We should get out of here." Landon says. "All of us." He suddenly starts grabbing things.

"What's going on?" I ask, standing up from my spot.

Landon continues to pick. "Let's go, guys, come on." He urged, extremely paranoid.

Rafi begins to chuckle. "Why?" He asks, his mouth full of food. "This is a perfectly good spot, bro." He says. They two of them stand up and I look around. I hear breathing, that isn't ours, but I don't know where it's coming from.

"We should keep moving." Labdon says as he tosses the backpack over his shoulder. He begins to walk away, not giving me or Rafael an explanation.

Raf stares at me befor jogging after his friend. "Mm. Nah." I hold my hand up, holding Landon in place as Rafi walks up to him, me following behind. "I'm not going anywhere, until you tell me and Anne what's up." I release Landon from my clutch, all three of us knowing he's not going to try to storm off again.

Landon looks around, avoiding our eye conact before turning back. Suddenly, a needle flies into his neck, and he instantly collapses. "Landon!" I shout.

"Lan. Lan." The werewolf says, capturing his friend. I look around, trying to see where the shot came from. And then suddenly it hits Rafi too.

"No!" I squeak. My eyes shift color as I let out a growl, looking around me. "Show yourself or so help me-" Suddenly another tranquilizer comes flying at me, hitting me in the shoulder. I growl, ripping it out of my arm. "That was a bad mistake." My ears practically perk at the sound of a fast-paced heartbeat. My feet carry me to the man, who's preparing another injection. He shanks it into my leg and I fall to the ground. I yell in pain as he runs to round up my friends. He uses chains to tie them to trees.

"You bloody bastard!" I shout in pain, feeling the drug through my body. I rip the needle out once again, stumbling to my feet. I storm towards the man, who's grabbing a gun. I tilt my head to the side. "No need. You'll be sleeping for a long-" Suddenly an arrow flies through the hunters chest. I look around. "Again!? What's with you ninjas!?"

Then, somehow, Jeremy Gilbert, one I had only met once or twice because of Mr. Saltzman, approaches out of the brush. "I know better than to shoot you." He chuckles.

My eyes grow wide. "Jeremy." I rush up to him, hugging him. "You piece of trash, you made me think we were all doomed."

"With your family history? Wouldn't be surprised." I roll my eyes as he grabs the two boys. "You gonna help me or what, Annie?"

♚

After a hot minute, the two of them wake up, grunting and groaning. "Raf?" Landon asks. The werewolf looks over at his friend.

"Lan." They look around.

"Wheres Annie?" Landon asks.

"I don't know." Rafi mutters. "Are you okay?"

Landon looks up. "I don't think either of us are." He partly jokes.

"Were better off than him." Landon looks over to see the man Jeremy attacked moments ago. "We have to find Annie."

"Right." Lan agrees.

They're cut off guard by Jeremy walking over with his hood up. "Relax." He says when they tense up. "Both of you. I'm not here to hurt you."

"Wheres Annie!?" Rafi shouts. Jeremy sighs, waving his hand. I jump from my spot in the trees, my hair flowing behind me.

"You two thought some random person could easily kidnap me?" I smirk.

Landon looks at Jeremy. "Who are you?" He questions.

"Your new best friend." The Gilbert boy says bluntly. He looks over at me. "I'll take them to school, Ric said-"

I open my mouth to protest. "No! I'm not-" Suddenly, my chest burns where my necklace usually rests. I grunt in pain, looking up at the three. "Okay, maybe I should." I mumble.

And that's how I end up in The Salvatore School where there is an apparent GARGOYLE TRYING TO MURDER US.

♚

I slam open the doors to the school, Hope and Josie apparently just walking in as well. "Annie?" Hope asks. "You're supposed to be-"

"Yeah and I was busy saving some stupid newbies, my necklace is here somewhere and it says somethings wrong." I tell them.

Josie looks over at me. "I can say the same." She sighs. "My stomach was practically ripped apart, meaning Lizzie is in trouble."

"Then let's stop the chit chat and go save her." Hope says. We all nod, pacing through the school. "I'll check the library."

"Josie?" I whisper, she looks back at me. "Do you want me to go with you?" I ask.

She almost grimaces. "Go with Hope, Stasia." She whispers. My heart sinks a little, but I nod, running after Hope.

"Hope, I have to find my mom." I say. "I don't know where she is."

"We will find her and everyone else, Annie, just-"

"What are you two doing here?" Hope and I jump, spinning around to see Alaric Saltzman.

Hope let's put a breath. "You scared me." She says.

"Dorian was supposed to keep you away." Alaric's glares at her. "And where were you?" I shrug, an innocent smile on my face.

Hope looks away. "Dorian tried and he lost." She says. "But here."Hope hands him a book, "Killing Gargoyles 101. He thought you could translate it."

"Wait, we're attacking a gargoyle?" I question. "As in the ones from like France?" I groan. "I should've stayed in the cellar."

Ric flips through it. "Gaulish. Son of a..." He sucks in a breath and Hope raises an impatient brow. He looks back at the paper, flipping through the book.

"So are we on our own; or did the Gauls provide clear instruction?" Hope asks. She is very rushed these days.

Alaric slams the book shut, looking up. "In a nutshell, it says hit us hard, repeat as needed." Suddenly we hear a very loud roar.

"Don't tell me-"

I'm cut off. "Yeah." Ric sighs. "Listen, it poisoned Lizzie. I'm guessing to get my attention. Then it attacked me and took the knife." He explains.

Hopes eyes widen. "The knife? The dragon knife?"

"And you're still breathing?" I sputter out.

"I have a theory about that." Ric adds.

"Well, save it,  because we had to take down that containment spell to get inside the school." Hope says. "Meaning our monster can get out."

Ric looks up. "A containment spell?" He questions. "Lizzie wanted to make sure whatever attacked her didn't escape into the world. Good girl." He says. The headmaster goes into action, taking weapons off the walls. "All right, well, guess we better find it..." He grunts. "before it makes the evening news." She looks at Hope. "So how'd you take the containment spell down?"

"She didn't." We turn around to see Josie, who's stalking over. "I did." She snaps before taking the axe out of her dads hand. "And I have questions."

I huff, crossing my arms. "I should snap some popcorns in. This is about to be good." I hum.

"Right now, lets go save Lizzie." Hope says. I nod when Alaric grabs my hand, putting the familiar silver metal in my palm. I smirk, sliding it in my pocket before the four of us make our way to the library.

Insert bad ass music.

We walk in, peering around the seemingly empty room. "Emma? Emma." Ric calls out. Emma opens a door, holding her finger to her lips. That's when we hear loud thumps and growling. We turn around slowly as Emma shuts the doors again.

The Gargoyle roars, spreading his stone wings out. He then flies down the stairs, hitting Hope. "Hope!" I scream, jumping towards her.

"No!" Ric shouts, pushing me out of the way.

"Dad!" Josie screams in terror.

Alaric jumps in front of the gargoyle, "No!" The Gargoyle suddenly freezes. I furrow my brow in shock. It didn't kill him. I pull Hope up, both of us panting. We spring into action.

Josie slings an axe, cutting off one of the Gargoyles wings. It screams in pain, ready to stab Josie. "No!" I shout, swinging my weapon as well.

"Fluctus inpulsa." Hope yells, causing the stone creature to drop his weapon. Josie and I grab onto my sister, repeating the spell.

The Gargoyle lets out a final shriek before exploding into pieces.

Hope sighs, looking at the Saltzman girl. "Nice job."

However, Josie ignores her, turning to Ric. "How could you jump in front of them like that?" She asks, her eyes watery. "You could have died, Dad."

"Honey, I knew it wouldn't kill me, because my research said..." Josie just walks away, not wanting to hear it.

I sigh, "Josie, wait." I call out, jogging after her.

♚

I sit in the main hall, curled up on a couch doodling when someone sits by me. I look up to see Josie. "Hey." I whisper. "How's Lizzie?"

"She's okay." She hums. "Look, I know my dad jumping in to save you and Hope isn't your fault." We both stand up, heading to her bedroom. "But we always feel like Hope is his number one. Like you two are better than us."

I grab Josie's hand, looking up. "Jo, I never want you to feel like that around me. We're friends. Best friends." She bites her lip. "Let's go make sure Liz is okay." I kiss Josie's cheek, hopping up the stairs.

After a while, I stand next to the Saltzman girls. "If you'd asked me a week ago, I would have told you I knew the difference between myth and fact. I would have says that supernaturals were limited to the species under this roof. I would have said that folklore and fairy tailed were just stories." Alaric Saltzman takes slow steps forward. "But I can no longer say that any of thats true." Lizzie looks at me and I gently smile. "Cause just a few days ago, we were confronted by the existence of a dragon." The class begins to murmur, and I stare at my shoes. "And then, today, our campus was terrorized by a gargoyle come to life." This all almost begins to sound like a dream. My mom stands by Emma, giving me a sad stare. "Some of us, were forced to fight. We won. This time. They were drawn here by a knife that went missing earlier this week."

Landon Kirby.

"And for whatever reason, these creatures consider us to be the enemy. In their minds, we're the villains because we won't give them what they want. We don't even know why they want it." Ric looks around. "But we're gonna find out. I can't say for sure what their true intentions are. I can't say there won't be more attacks. That's why I'm telling you this." I fiddle with the bracelet in my hand as Mom steps up the stairs, her long blue dress trailing behind her as she stands next to Mr. Saltzman.
"To warn you."

My mom stands confidently, looking around. "We are asking you to look out for each other. To do what's best for one another."

"Because we're more than just a school. We're a family." Alaric links arms with my mom. "And we will stand together, we will fight together, and we will win or lose this battle together, no matter what comes next."

After the meeting Hope and I walk through the halls, and we see Landon and Rafi once again. "Landon!" I scream in excitement, running up as he holds me tightly, Rafi hugging me as well before walking away. Landon looks behind me, seeing Hope standing there, shoulders slumped.

She only walks away.

I sigh, looking up. "You two will make up. I know it."

Landon sighs, shaking his head. "I'm not sure."