CHAPTER TWO.                     Pilot

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"THE BATTLE OF WILLOW CREEK took place right at the end of the war in our very own Mystic Falls." Mr. Tanner explains. Hazel Greenwood grudgingly looks down at her notebook, scribbling down her notes as she listened to her history teacher drone on. "How many casualties resulted in this battle? Ms. Bennett?"

Bonnie Bennett looked up, surprised. "Um...a lot?" She shrugs. "I'm not sure. Like a whole lot." The class giggles, including Sadie McCullough in the row next to her.

"Cute becomes dumb in an instant, Ms. Bennett." Tanner hums. Hazel's smile drops in annoyance, side eyeing her friend before looking down. "Mr. Donovan. Would you like to take this opportunity to overcome your embedded jock stereotype?"

Matt shrugs, "It's ok, Mr. Tanner, I'm cool with it." He retorts.

The teacher hums in response, looking around the classroom before staring at Hazel. "What about you, Ms. Greenwood? As your father owns the local library, I'm sure you know plenty," He hummed.

Hazel looked at him, her eyes wide. "I'm more of a fantasy reader." She said awkwardly. Sadie couldn't help but giggle, looking away.

Mr. Tanner clenched his jaw, looking at the Gilbert. "Elena? Surely you can enlighten us about one of the town's most significant historical events?" He asks.

Elena looks up, rubbing her arm. "I'm sorry, I don't know." She confesses.

Mr. Tanner looks down at Elena, his eyes not softening or remotely amused. "I was willing to be lenient last year for obvious reasons, Elena. But the personal excuses ended with summer break." Hazel's mouth parted in surprise, the scoff escaping her lips as she looked in Elena's direction. Hazel was bad at emotions, especially sad ones, but she still tried to have sympathy, especially for someone like Elena. The fact the teacher had not only been so cold, but had also been so bold made her look between them with an absolutely flabbergasted expression. Sadie, who was also bad at handling emotions, narrowed her eyes at the teacher, as if silently saying what the hell is wrong with this man?

"There were 346 casualties unless you're counting local civilians."

The voice came from the seat in front of Hazel. Stefan. The mysterious new boy. The new boy who Hazel and Sadie had easily befriended in their various classes, and had joined them at lunch the day before.

"That's correct. Mister," Tanner hums, trying to remember.

"Salvatore."

The history teacher nods. "Salvatore. Any relation to the original settlers here at Mystic Falls?" He asks. Sadie looked at Hazel for verification, who nodded slowly.

"Distant," Stefan replies.

"Well, very good. Except, of course, there were no civilian casualties in this battle." Tanner explains, moving behind his desk. Hazel noticed a small confederate flag sitting in the teacher's pencil cup, and she was hoping he merely had it for educational purposes.

Stefan looks up, "Actually, there were 27, sir. Confederate soldiers, they fired on the church, believing it to be housing weapons. They were wrong." He explains, "It was a night of great loss." Sadie and Hazel share a look, impressed by Stefan's knowledge. "The founder's archives are, uh, stored in civil hall if you'd like to brush up on your facts. Mr. Tanner." The two girls' jaws drop, the rest of the class giggling and gasping in surprise.

When the bell rang, Hazel and Sadie walked out together. "Can you believe it?" Sadie asked in shock. "I'm sorry, but I would have cried from embarrassment."

"That was the best class ever." Hazel gushed. Her eyes trailed through the sea of people before landing on a familiar figure. "Stefan!"

Stefan Salvatore turned at the sound of his name. He could see red hair before anything else, knowing immediately it was the girls he met his first day. He had already noticed when there was one, the other was always there. He slowed down, letting people weave around him as the two girls caught up. They'd already deemed him as a new friend. He liked that. How effortlessly they let him into their world. Hazel was an over sharer. She told him just about everything he needed to know about her and Sadie. He knew they'd been best friends for years, neither were from Mystic Falls, and that they were basically family. He knew that, despite having their own friend group, they were always tied to each other. He found that special. Finding a platonic soulmate so young in life and already knowing no matter how your life pans out, your best friend is there with you. He knew what that was like, in his own way.

"How did you know all of that?" Sadie asked.

Stefan gave an awkward grin. "I read a lot, wanted to know a little about the town." He explained loosely. His eyes wandered to Hazel. "Your dad owns the library?"

"Oh, yeah! And he works in Civil Hall to work on the archives and all of that fancy stuff. He knows just about everything there is to know about the town." Hazel looked at Stefan, remembering his last name again. "If you ever wanna learn more about the Salvatore's and their impact on Mystic Falls, I can introduce you to my dad. He's a bit of a weirdo, but he's cool."

Stefan nodded. "Thank you, Hazel." He looked between the girls. He had asked Elena about them last night, when he saw them in their own corner of the grill. I don't know them very well, she had said, shrugging. Hazels dad worked with my parents, and Sadie is Tyler's cousin. They weren't connected to Elena, not in the way everyone else was. And though he had his own mysteries to discover with the Gilbert girl, something about the redhead and the brunette pair intrigued him. They reminded him of his own past. They made him feel nostalgic. "Are you guys going to that party?"

"Duh." Sadie beamed. "I'm never turning down the opportunity to get drunk." She winked. The warning bell before next period rang, causing them all to look around. "See you there?"

"Of course," Stefan said, sounding more formal than the girls. The three parted ways, each heading a different direction. But Stefan looked back anyways, wondering what was it about them that was different than almost everyone else in the town.

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SHE WAS IN A PHASE. A reading, writing, and drawing phase. Hazel had always loved creativity, but she cycled through her interests quicker than anyone else did. Some people had passions. Her dad loved history, her stepdad loved construction, her classmates loved sports or a certain subject. Hazel's mind changed on a nearly weekly basis. She had too many thoughts, too many interests. And it seemed changing it up between writing, painting, drawing, or reading slowed them down. She hated when her brain moved too fast.

Her door was cracked open, letting her dog and cat both come and go as they pleased. Her cat slept on the edge of her bed whilst she sat in her chair, journaling about her day at school and what she was looking forward to for the upcoming few days. It organized her thoughts, tucking them into pages and words that she tried to write in ways that sounded more poetic than reality was. Her dad stepped into the doorframe, pushing open the door more to see the entirety of his daughter's room.

"You heading somewhere?" He asked as he looked at the outfit sprawled out on Hazel's bed. A green cargo skirt and a cool-toned pink shirt with lace on the collar.

Hazel fiddled with the ribbon bookmark attached to her journal. She put it in the crook of the pages, looking up. "Yeah. That party at the falls." She explained, reminding her dad of the party that happened nearly every year.

James clenched his jaw with uncertainty. "Didn't I just tell you to not stay out too late?" He asked.

"I'm not staying out late, I'm going to be with the entire school. And Sadie." Hazel explained as she stood up slowly. "I'm not an idiot. Plus, I hate nature."

Her father watches as she put her book down on her bed, picking up her clothes to look at them again. He swallowed thickly. "Alright. Be home by ten, please."

"Okay," Her tone was laced in annoyance, even if she logically knew he was just being a dad. But it was the first party of the school year, and a selfish sixteen year old should have that right to be a selfish sixteen year old. Hazel looked up, "Also, have you talked to Zach recently?"

James pressed his lips together, shaking his head. "No, why?"

"His nephew moved to town. Stefan? He's new at school, and I told him if he wanted to know more about his family that I can introduce him to you." Hazel explained as she started moving to her closet, trying to dig out a pair of shoes for the night. James started walking to the door, listening to her talk.

"Stefan Salvatore." James said lowly, his eyes lost in thought. "I've heard that name somewhere. I'll have to mention it to Zach next time I see him." He looked back, smiling at his daughter. "Text me when you get there, and when you're on your way home."

Hazel smiled, nodding. When her dad shut her door, Hazel moved quickly to get dressed. She had put on her converses again after all, wearing a black zip up sweatshirt instead of her leather jacket, knowing Sadie was going to want it instead.

And that was true. When the two girls reunited, Sadie had taken the jacket and added it to her look. However, instead of boots like Hazel suggested, Sadie had gone for knee high converses, adding yet another edge to her look (much like she usually did).

The Falls were filled with teenagers. Some where drinking, some where smoking, some were doing both, and some were doing neither. Hazel and Sadie had grabbed their own drinks, keeping to themselves and their small circle of friends as the night continued on.

Tyler Lockwood pushed past Hazel, causing the redhead to glare. Tyler barely acknowledged her, continuing to move to get closer to Vicki Donovan. Hazel glared, "Your cousins a dick." She commented, looking back at Sadie.

Sadie scoffed. "No kidding." She turned her head, watching people passing by. She could see Elena and Bonnie talking by the fire. She could see Matt Donovan glumly walking into the scene. "Oh my god, Mikey's here."

Hazel's head snapped, looking to see Matt talking to Mikey Manson. Her step brother. Her mom remarried shortly after the divorce. Along with Joe, came Mikey. A boy the same age as her, and whilst they got along as much as siblings could, Hazel still scoffed when she saw him across the gazebo. She shifted on her feet, "Oh my, God." She muttered in annoyance. "Why am I even surprised? He's on the football team, and he's a douche bag. He probably loves gigs like this."

"Should we hide? You know your mom will freak if she hears your dad let you come to this." Sadie suggested. She was right. Hazel's overprotective mom would throw a fit if she heard about her daughter being at a party with alcohol in the middle of the woods. Hell, Rachel would probably kill someone.

"And out himself? Not a chance." Hazel scoffed. Though Rachel's wrath would be worse on her own daughter, Mikey would still have to deal with his dad. He was all bark and no bite, but Joseph Manson was scary to deal with. "Mikey's not that big of an idiot." She pulled away from her friend group, Sadie following close behind.

Stefan Salvatore walked onto the scene, listening in on Bonnie and Elena's conversation before a perky redhead and brunette duo stood in front of him. He hadn't even noticed them call out his name. "Sadie. Hazel. Hi."

"Wanna get a drink?" Hazel held up her empty cup, gesturing Stefan along. He smiled, nodding. "How's your first couple days been?"

"Good. Everyone's been nice."

"Oh yeah? Like Elena Gilbert?" Hazel teased. Sadie sent a warning look at Hazel, but the redhead girl was oblivious. "You two seemed to get along very well at the Grill last night."

Stefan knew that Hazel was more of a gossiper between the two, it was obvious. Granted, she was pushing for information, but not in a malicious was or even in a flirtatious way. She was just a bit nosy, a bit clueless, and a bit forward. It was a little admiring, knowing the girl was speaking her mind rather than circling around it. Maybe that was hypocritical, when he himself had done that plenty since moving to town.

     But he couldn't hide the amused smile on his face as he nodded. "She's a nice girl."

"And pretty." Sadie pointed out, grabbing herself a beer. "You should talk to her." Her attempt to be a wing-woman, one of her best skills. She had gotten Tyler his first girlfriend when they were younger, and she had hyped up her other friends plenty of times to help them talk to their crushes.

Hazel stands up, holding two bottles of beer. She sticks her arm out towards Stefan, letting him take one. "Yeah! She's talking to Bonnie, but considering how she's been looking at you in history and french class, something tells me she likes you." Stefan tried to not blush when Hazel poked at his chest, smirking at him. "Now, don't be too mysterious, and give her that cute little smile of yours and go woo little miss girl next door!" Stefan couldn't help but chuckle as Sadie and Hazel grabbed his jacket, pulling and pushing him in the direction they had seen Elena. The two girls stood next to each other, watching with amused looks as he walked down the gazebo steps and towards the girl.

     Once again, Stefan had grown a liking for them both. They reminded him much of his own friends. People he's known and lost over the years. They didn't even know him all that well, and here they were, pushing him to talk to a pretty girl and giving him thumbs ups and girly grins as he walked away.

Sadie's eyes trailed to Vicki and Tyler, who were heading off into the woods. Her eyebrows knitted together, "Ew." She muttered in disgust.

     Vicki Donovan was...complicated. She was a senior, and the older sister of Matt. The Donovan siblings had been doomed. Daddy left when Matt was a baby. Mom wasn't around as soon as they were old enough to be home alone (which, was debatable. The first time she left Vicki was only ten and Matt was nine). They barely could keep a roof over their heads. The looming abandonment issues and the years of built up trauma and anger caused Vicki to turn to drugs and to men that never treated her right. She had her fair share of shitty boyfriends and sex-buddies. Tyler, while complicated and had his own shitty traits, still had been the best one out of all of them. And he was Matt's best friend.

     Matt was both luckier and the unlucky one. He pushed himself harder in school (though he wasn't all that good at it). He made the football team. He got popular. He dated Elena Gilbert. He stayed on the straight and narrow, drug-free path. His entire life was starting to look up, be this cliche story where he gets the girl and they get married, have kids, and live their lives in a suburban house at the end of a cul-de-sac. Then his sister became a drug addict, who he often had to baby sit. Then his girlfriend's parents died. And now he felt more alone than ever.

Hazel looked at Tyler and Vicki, scrunching her nose. "Super ew. She's gonna get diseases." She turned her head and saw a grumpy Jeremy Gilbert on the other side of the gazebo. The cogs in her head started turning. Hazel snapped her head between Jeremy and Vicki. "Oh my god." She smacked Sadie's arm, who shouted in pain. "I'll be right back." Sadie looked over in confusion, stuttering as her friend pushed through the people to get to Jeremy.

Sadie sighed, her shoulders slouching. "Sadie?" Her name caught her attention, causing her to turn. A tall figure with dark hair and blue eyes stood a few feed away, looking at her with a surprised, almost amused expression.

"Mikey!" She shouted in realization, louder than she meant. Hazel's step brother, who was just a bit older than her, walked closer. Sadie looked around. "What are you doing here?"

"I should be asking you the same thing." He chuckled. He looked around, pursing his lips in thought. "Where's Hazel?"

She tried to come up with a lie. She shifted on her feet, crossing her arms over her chest. "How do you know she's here?" She asked in attempt to play coy. She sipped her beer, looking away awkwardly.

Mikey smirked, "Because you never would come to a party without her." He told her. Sadie slouched, knowing he was right. "Want a drink? I brought my own case." He held up a small case of beer, causing Sadie to look at him in surprise.

"Do I have to pay you?" She asked. She knew how these worked. Most times, to get the really good stuff, she had to pay someone back. That's why everyone brought the normal brands and nothing fancy like Mikey.

Mikey scoffed, shaking his head. "You're special tonight, McCullough." He held out the case. Sadie pursed her lips, trying to hide her smile as she reached for a drink.

Meanwhile, Hazel walked up to a sad looking Jeremy. She held out another bottle of beer, raising a brow. "Trouble in paradise?" She asked. She looked in the direction Tyler and Vicki ran off. "Or Azkaban, whichever."

Jeremy looked at her, "I don't know what you're talking about." He lied.

"Look, you don't have to tell me nothing, but I am far more observant than you'd think." She sipped her beer, gesturing between Jeremy and Vicki's direction. "But sitting here and moping about a girl isn't the way you should spend your first party. Especially a senior."

"You don't know me."

"Maybe not. But I see you." The redheaded girl shrugged as she looked Jeremy over, studying his dark attire and spiked hair. She had assessed a lot about him in mere moments, things she knew he'd get mad at if she said it out loud. "You should at least try and get the girl. And if it doesn't work out, then go cry to Radiohead and chug another beer."

Jeremy watched in confusion as the redhead girl walked back through the crowd, approaching a girl he recognized as Sadie McCullough and another boy. He looked back towards the woods, scrounging up the courage to go speak to Vicki.

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SADIE MCCULLOUGH WAS SIMPLE. She liked alcohol, she liked the occasional drunken kiss, and she liked dancing to music with her friends. Which was exactly what she did as she spun around with Clara, one of her friends. Hazel was near by, talking to a girl named Emily, all of them doing their own things and having fun.

Hazel had long forgotten about getting into other people's business. After multiple drinks, she had stopped trying to pay attention to Matt Donovan's breakup blues, Jeremy Gilbert's rejections, Tyler Lockwood's mood swings, and Caroline Forbes's attempt to flirt with most of the guys at the party.

She laughed at a joke, turning her head to see her step brother making out with a cheerleader. She scrunched her nose in disgust, "Mikey!" She shouted, catching his attention abruptly. "Get a room!" Mikey flipped her off, causing Tyler Lockwood and their friends to laugh. Hazel huffed, looking around. "Sadie, where's Tyler's girlfriend?"

Sadie stopped talking to Clara, looking around. "Um, I don't know." She confessed. Sadie excused herself from her conversation, ignoring Mikey, and walked to her cousin. "Hey, here's Vicki?"

Tyler looked over, clenching his jaw. "Who cares?" He muttered. Sadie glared at him. Rolling his eyes, he gestured to the woods. "She stormed off in there."

Sadie's eyes widened. She had one rule when she was out, don't leave girls, or anyone really, but especially girls, alone at a party. "You left a drunk girl out in the woods alone?" Her tone came out harsh, surprised, and she gawked at her cousin like he was an idiot (he was). She smacked his chest, "You're such a prick!" Sadie turned away, not bothering to even look at Tyler or anyone else. She was now a girl on a mission. "Hazel, let's go!" Hazel jumped off the table, waving goodbye as she trotted after her friend. She barely noticed Stefan, who was walking towards Elena himself.

The woods were dark, especially when they got far enough from the party. The alcohol still obviously in her system, Hazel squeaked and complained every time she stumbled over the uneven ground or tripped over a stick. Hazel and Sadie trudged through the path, looking around for any sign of the girl. Hazel pulled her jacket around her tighter. "Are we sure she's gonna wanna see us? She doesn't even know our names." She muttered.

"She knows me. I'm the only one of Tyler's family members that doesn't look at her like she's a talking cockroach." Sadie muttered as she stepped over a large branch. "Besides, I don't care how drunk she is, I will drag her ass back to my car."

Hazel snickered, "Look at you, acting all motherly." She teased, nudging her friend. She huffed as she jumped over a branch. "What do you think happened between them?"

"I don't know, probably some stupid drunk fight." Sadie shrugged, letting her friend go a few steps ahead.

"You know, if it weren't for the fact that it's pitch black out there, I'd actually enjoy myself." Hazel did a quick spin, enjoying the cool weather. "It's like the intro of a horror movie. Two teenage girls split from a party and get lost in the woods with no service. Then they slashed by the masked killer, who's either their best friend or their boyfriend. Except we have no friends and no boyfriends, so."

Sadie rolled her eyes, "Maybe we'll find Billy and Stu." She added playfully.

Hazel gasped, walking backwards. "At least we'll die together." Just as she turns forwards, Hazel's foot hit something, causing her to fall to the ground in a heap. Her hands and knees catch her fall, causing her to gasp out in pain. She suddenly wished she was wearing jeans, feeling her knees dig into the dirt. Her hands stung from the fall, causing her to look down.

Below her, was Vicki Donovan.

Hazel let out a scream as she pulled herself to her feet, Sadie pulling her back as they look down. They held on to each other, staring at the Donovan girl. She was unconscious, blood staining her jacket from her neck. Hazel and Sadie were frozen. They were terrified. She wasn't moving. They couldn't even tell if she was breathing.

"Oh my, God," Sadie gasped in horror. "Is she—"

Before Hazel could answer, Vicki's eyes shot open and she let out a gasp. Sadie and Hazel scream in terror, before processing she was, in fact, alive. Vicki choked out, maybe in attempt to scream, but her consciousness quickly slipping. Hazel and Sadie quickly knelt to the ground, their bare knees digging into the dirt.

     "Vicki? Vicki, hey," Sadie ushered Hazel, the two of them looking for any other wounds. "Vicki, what happened?" As Vicki's head lolled to the side, she croaked out one word.

     "Vampire"

     Hazel blinked. She looked at Sadie, wondering if she'd heard it wrong. Sadie looked just as confused. "What do we do?" Hazel asked. They were in the middle of the woods, a good distance away from the party, with zero service. But they couldn't just leave her here. They had to get her to the others. Especially to her brother, Matt.

Sadie looked around in panic. "Come on," She and Hazel moved, each of them grabbing hold of the unconscious Vicki. Neither girl had been exceptional in gym class, and maybe it was the sudden need to help Vicki, but somehow the two of them managed to get Vicki up, carrying her awkwardly back towards the party.

Hazel looked down repeatedly, "Oh my, God." She muttered at the blood. "What the hell is that?" She groaned in disgust.

"A bite, Hazel."

"A bite from what!?" The redhead shouted, looking over at Sadie with wide, terrified eyes. "Look at it! That's no mountain lion, or coyote, or whatever the hell else is out here!"

Sadie took another glance at the wound on Vicki's neck. And Hazel was right, though she couldn't tell what it was, it didn't seem...animalistic enough. It was bad, and Vicki was quickly losing blood, but this wasn't something she'd see from a mountain lion. Not like this. The word vampire had crossed their minds, but that didn't explain what actually had hurt Vicki.

When they finally crossed through the tree line, both of them started screaming. "Somebody help!" Sadie shouted, her eyes panicked.

"Vicki?" Matt saw his sister, pushing through classmates. "Vicki, what the hell!" Elena turned away from her brother, running to see the older Donovan. Jeremy was quickly behind, along with Tyler and Bonnie from various directions.

Matt scooped up his sister, laying her on a picnic table. "What happened?" Tyler asked, looking up.

"I don't know. Something bit her." Sadie said over the crowd.

"Bonnie, call an ambulance!" Matt said.

Tyler turned around, "Everybody back up, give her some space!"

"It's her neck. She's losing a lot of blood. It's bad!" Elena shouted as she looked up from Vicki's wound. "Where did you guys find her?"

Hazel spoke up, shaking her head. "Deep into the woods. She was already passed out." She looked up, listening to Bonnie on the phone. Matt was talking to his sister, trying to get any sign of consciousness. Elena was trying to figure out how bad the wound is. Tyler was yelling at Sadie for not telling him where she was going. Mikey was on the phone with the police. But as Hazel looked over the fire, her eyes landed on Stefan.

Stefan stood there, an expression on his face that caught her off guard. He looked...panicked. He looked worried. But he didn't know Vicki. He hadn't even spoken to her. So why did he look almost guilty? Hazel stood up straighter as Stefan turned from the crowd, disappearing into the night. A feeling crept up her sound. The Hazel Senses, is what her and Sadie called them. Something was off. She couldn't think about it now. She looked down at Vicki, trying to keep her responsive until an ambulance arrived.

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STEFAN HAD NEVER felt such a rush as he ran into his home. His uncle (or that's what he called him) Zach looked up from his office. "What's going on?" He asked, recognizing the worry on the boys face.

     Stefan shook his head, looking at the news paper article on the table. The same article Zach yelled at him about. "Someone else was attacked tonight, Zach, and it wasn't me." Stefan deadpanned, rushing to the stairs. Zach didn't say a word, knowing that could only mean one thing.

     Stefan stormed into his room, looking around as he tried to come up with a plan. A crow cawed at him as it flew in slowly, landing above him. Stefan clenched his jaw, knowing that only meant one thing.

     When he turned around, a figure stood in front of him that hadn't been there moments before. Dark raven-black hair, all black clothing, piercing blue eyes, and a devious smirk. Stefan knew that face. He knew that person better than anyone else.

     "Damon."

     The man blinked as he saw the expression on Stefan's face. His smirk grew as he spoke. "Hello, brother,"

     Stefan looked at the bird, which now flew past them again, "The crows a bit much, don't you think?"

     "Wait till you see what I can do with the fog,"

     Stefan ignored the statement, "When did you get here?"

     Damon Salvatore, the elder brother of Stefan by a few years, started to walk towards the bookshelf as he spoke. "Well, I couldn't miss your first day of school," He reasoned, as if that could ever be his true intentions. "Your hairs different. I like it,"

     "It's been fifteen years, Damon."

     "Thank god. I couldn't take another day of the nineties." Damon raised a brow as he recalled it as if it were yesterday. "That horrible grunge look?" He let out a breathy laugh. He walked by his brother. "It did not suit you. Remember, Stefan, it's important to stay away from fads."

     The younger brother straightened his posture. He was beginning to lose his patience. "Why are you here?" He asked. This time, it was louder, more stern.

     Damon looked back, "I miss my little brother." He said simply.

     "You hate small towns. It's boring. There's nothing for you to do." Stefan listed off, quoting Damon from one of the previous times they spoke.

     "I've managed to keep myself busy." Damon said with a wink. The attacks, he meant.

     "You know, you left that girl alive tonight. That's very clumsy of you."

     Damon let out a slight wince as he looked around. "That might be a problem. For you." Damon finished his statement with another mischievous smirk.He leaned against a table, tilting his head.

     Stefan didn't know what that meant, not yet. "Why are you here now?"

     "I could ask you the same question." Damon countered. He stood up straight, walking towards his brother. "However, I'm fairly certain your answer can be summed up all into a one little word." Damon was now close to his brother, "Elena."

     Her name coming off his brothers tongue made Stefan's blood run cold. Colder than it already did. He stiffened up uncomfortably as he watched his brothers expression. He didn't say anything. He couldn't say anything. He didn't want Damon to know about this girl. He didn't want Damon to know about anyone. That was his worst case scenario. It was also his reality.

     "She took my breath away. Elena. She's a dead ringer for Katherine." That name. That name made Stefan's skin crawl. He didn't say anything. "Is it working, Stefan?" Damon asked, walking around the room again as he continued to mock and taunt his baby brother. "Bring around her, bring in her world, does it make you feel alive?"

     Stefan shook his head. "Elena's not Katherine." He stated harshly.

     "Well, let's hope not. We both know how that ended." Damon added. He was standing in front of Stefan, now, "Tell me something, when's the last time you had something stronger than a squirrel."

     Stefan looked at his brother, "I know what you're doing, Damon. It's not gonna work." He scoffed as he turned to walk away.

     "Yeah, come on," Damon smacked Stefan's shoulder, forcing him to turn. "Don't you crave a little?"

     "Stop it," Stefan warned.

     "Let's do it. Together. I saw a couple girls out there." He smacked Stefan again. "Or just, let's just cut to the chase. Let's just go straight for Elena!"

     Stefan shoved his brother back. "Stop it!" He shouted.

     "Imagine what her blood tastes like!" Damon shot back. Stefan sucked in a breath as he looked away. Veins began to grow under his eyes and around them became red. His hunger. "I can."

     "I said stop!" Stefan yelled. This time, Damon could see his brothers fangs before he charged at him. The both of them fly through a window, landing on the pavement.

     Stefan grunted as he looked around. He started pulling himself up, noticing no sign of his brother. He looked back up at the window, realizing he'd have to get that fixed later.

     "I was impressed." Damon's voice caused Stefan to look over. Damon was already up, recovered from the fall, and leaning against the house. "I give it a six. Missing style, but I was pleasantly surprised. Very good with the whole face—" Damon started making mocking growling and ridiculous expressions. "Thing. It was good."

     "You know, it's all fun and games, Damon, huh?" Stefan scolded. "But wherever you go, people die."

     Damon shrugged. "That's a given." He said, as if it was obvious.

     "Not here. I won't allow it."

     Damon narrowed his eyes in curiosity, "I take that as an invitation." He hummed.

     "Damon, please. After all these years, can't we just give it a rest?" Snapped Stefan.

     "I promised you an eternity of misery. So I'm just keeping my word."

     "Just stay away from them."

     Damon looks down at his brothers hand. "Where's your ring?" Stefan looks down, noticing it was gone. "Oh yeah, the suns coming up in a couple hours and, poof, ashes to ashes." Stefan didn't say anything. What was there to say? He'd be dead by morning if he didn't get it back. Damon started to chuckle, "Relax. It's right here." Damon took a few steps forward, holding out his brothers ring.

     Stefan looked at Damon. The memories of the last many years reminding him just how badly the two of them detested each other. Stefan slowly reached for his ring. As soon as he has it on his finger, his brothers hand was around his throat. This time, it was Damon with the veins and the red eyes as he threw his brother into a wall with ease. Stefan let out a painful shout and groan as he rolled back to his brothers feet with such force:

     "You should know better than to think you're stronger than me." Damon scolded. "You lost that fight when you stopped feeding on people. I wouldn't try it again." Stefan breathes heavily, trying to get past the pain he feels. The lights in the house begin to turn on followed by the sounds of doors. "I think we woke Zach up. Sorry, Zach." Damon hummed. He stared to walk towards the house, leaving his younger brother on the ground.

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HAZEL STOOD UNDER THE GAZEBO, most people had left by now, but her dad demanded he came and picked her up. So, she stood there, arms crossed, looking around with pressed lips.

She looked to her right. A few feet away were the Gilbert siblings. Elena and Jeremy. They were talking. They were broken. They were orphans, taken in by their young aunt who was definitely never planning on becoming a parent. But life does that. Reality is dark like that.  She leaned her head forward, watching them fall into a small silence. Hazel pushed her lips into a line, pushing off the gazebo, taking a few steps forward.

The siblings looked at her when she approached. Her long red hair was slightly disheveled. Her knees were scraped and dirty, same with her hands. She had kind eyes that danced between them both. "Are you guys okay?"

"We're fine." Elena said softly. She was lying. All three of them knew that. They'd never say it out loud. She looked at Hazel. "What about you? You're the one that found her."

Hazel shrugged, "I've been better." She said lightheartedly. She was honest. Elena liked that. She wished she had that ability. She smiled faintly. "I'm Hazel, by the way. We've had a few classes together."

Elena nodded. "Yeah, you're Stefan's friend." She said, a gentle smile spreading. Hazel raised a brow, surprised. "He talked about you and Sadie. Said you two were the first people that were actually nice to him." She explained. That statement made Hazel happy, even if the image of Stefan running off was still burned into her brain.

"Well, if you need anything, or any of your friends, um, let me know." Hazel said softly, smiling. "Literally anything. Well, maybe not to hide a dead body, or to pull of a bank robbery, and definitely not to drive you anywhere, but you get it." Elena and Jeremy shared looks, amused by Hazel's antics. "I just want you guys to know that you're not alone. Some of us still care."

Elena's face softened. She smiled again, nodding. "Thanks, Hazel."

When a car honking caused them to look back, seeing James Greenwood's car pull up to the scene, Hazel muttered a goodbye as she started jogging to her dad. Elena looked back at her brother, patting his back gently. At least somebody noticed, she thought.

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NAT SPEAKS !

hey y'all! its nat!! i wanted to introduce myself, talk a little more about this story, the usual things.

like i said in the introduction chapter, hazel and sadie are old oc's of mine from a teen wolf fic from 2021, but they've always been my some of my favorites because of how they're funny, quirky, and very random. like, hazel is the type to call EVERYONE hot and flirt with them, make funny jokes, make dark jokes, sarcasm. think like...stiles stilinski vibes but if he was a girl. yeah...she's wild.

and i think that's very apparent in just the first couple chapters but it'll be more obvious as we continue on and we meet more characters and she's like "ya knowwww...klaus might be evil, but at least he's hot" like that's literally her. she's all of us.

i also know it's a little different that the oc's aren't really friends with the main characters right away. i didn't think it'd be realistic for them, so only really sadie knows them, hazel knows of them, but they have a tendency to stick their nose in business they have no need to be in (that's very obvious in the next chapters). but i think they're fun, especially in such a dark universe like season 1 & 2 of the vampire diaries. im so excited for them to find their place and see where they go.

i have a rough idea of what i want to happen, which is just random bullet point moments i want to happen in certain seasons. but im very much a "i'll figure it out along the way" type of writer which MIGHT NOT HE THE BEST but we'll manage. if sadie and hazel date the entire cast, don't judge! you know you'd date most of them, too. they're literally based on a dream i had of me and my friend in teen wolf, and yes we'd be extremely chaotic and nosey and we'd 100% talk about how hot everyone is. so yeah<3 i hope yall enjoy!

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