CHAPTER SIX; YOU'RE DEAD TO ME

❝ once you have eliminated the impossible whatever remains, however improbable, must be true ❞

˚ ༘ ·˚꒰𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘𝒔, 𝒋. 𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒆꒱ ₊

˚ˑ1:35 ━━━●───── 3:47

↻ ◁ II ▷ ↺

↠ⁿᵉˣᵗ ˢᵒⁿᵍ ↺ ʳᵉᵖᵉᵃᵗ ⊜ ᵖᵃᵘˢᵉ

volυмe : ▁▂▃▄▅▆▇▉

･ ｡ﾟ☆

❝ the high school ❞

"OH MAYA," his menacing voice rang out as she ran across the schools floor searching for the best spot to hide. The exit was on the other side and she was certain he would reach her before she'd make it that far. She had no weapon so fighting was out, that left hiding as her only sane option.

As best she could the brunette tried to calm her ragged breath. She felt as if she had been running forever, her legs had grown sore and weak. With great effort she refused to give him the satisfaction dying easily. Her legs pushed off the ground running throughout the halls of the high school in search of safety. Her eyes landed on the supply closet that appeared much more like Church for the lost than ever before.

The second she was on the other side her hands desperately found themselves trying to wipe off the blood she knew was on her. Her blood. Elena's blood. "Come out come out wherever you are," he called out to her his voice drawing closer. In an instant Maya's hand clamped over her mouth her sister's blood bordering her mouth as she smothered herself. Maya closed her eyes as hard as she could praying when they opened she'd be safe, but she was still in the closet. Worse was the shadow that peaked from underneath the door.

He had found her.

All sense of sanctuary had abandoned her and left her with only the sight of a hammer laying near a tool box. Not only that but there was bleach that could buy her seconds, and seconds were precious now. With one swift movement Maya  stepped forward undoing the top of the bleach leaving it in one hand while gripping the hammer with her dominant one.

"Let's make a deal little Gilbert. If you come out now, I'll end your life quickly. If I find you, let's just say you wish you were your sister."

At the sound of his words Maya felt her entire body want to shut down. Death was coming for her in a new form, punishment for escaping it the first time. Though there was no mystery coming to save her, only whatever she could do for herself mattered now.

"Deal," he questioned as he began turning the nob.

MJ gripped the hammer as tightly as she possibly could -- there was no turning back. "Deal," she breathed out as the light of the hall shined against his body making him hard to fully see.

At least until he stepped forward allowing just enough light to show those familiar blue eyes she'd grown to loathe, "Good choice."

Before he moved closer, Maya used the false security she offered as a chance to throw the bleach in his face. The splash burning his eyes made him cover them. As quick as she had been to throw it, Maya had been even quicker to shove him face down into the shelves.

The pure stun of it all had bought her the time she wanted to escape out the closet and towards freedom again. Hammer still in had when she made it to the empty classroom Maya locked it behind her just in time to see him on the other side.

His eyes red not only from bleach, but from the bloodlust that surged through him urging him to finish the feast he started. Locked on his trail of sight, MJ followed it to the other door and her heart sank. She didn't bother to look back at him, she pushed her legs as hard as she could.

By the time she reached the door, he was pushing it open and flinging Maya to the floor with the force of his movement. All her life there had been this rebellious refusal to die that was the last thing she was clinging to but in the face of him? She had never felt so weak and bound for her own demise.

He pounced on top of Maya who cried out under the force of his teeth tearing at her flesh. Wherever the hammer had gone in the struggle gave Maya the only option of using her hands to push him off. But it was as if the man was made of stone -- he could not be moved. The only time he did move was to pull up for a breath of fresh air ad to delight in his kill.

In his pause, Maya turned her head seeing the hammer hadn't moved far at all. It had only slipped from her grasp -- moving so fast it seemed as if she glitched through the air, but she grabbed hold of it. She swung it at his jaw the force pushing him against the shelves. Whatever she it Maya was certain she cracked the bones she made contact with.

Yet, she didn't run. No, this time she instead towered over him and began swinging the hammer down against his face over and over again. The volume of blood splattering her face grew and grew until Maya was forced to wipe her eyes. And all that was left was the mangled torn open canvas that had once been Damon Salvatore.

She had smashed his face in to the point she couldn't even see his eyes anymore, only the bones that once held together his face. The taste of his blood was vivid as the feeling of her own rushing through her veins. And the second the realization clicked, Mayas hands shook as she stared with dilated eyes.

Her ragged uneven breaths overlapped the sounds of Damon's bones healing slowly. She hadn't known he was capable of such a feat until his frame was sitting up lunging at her. His face was still hardly put together as Maya fell back with a shout, yet as she rose again this time she was not in the class but sitting straight up from her own bed. She was safe. Damon hadn't hurt her -- Maya wasn't sure why her mind would tell her he had. But lately she knew whatever reason her mind had, it wasn't wrong. Damon Salvatore was a threat, and she needed to figure out why.

The sudden knocking on her door nearly made her come out of her skin, "What," Maya hissed too quickly to stop herself.

Her friends voice was gentle enough to remind Maya to watch her tone, "Bad dream?" Much to relief, standing n her doorway was Caroline. Maya had forgotten they were going to school together that morning. Granted it was something they decided over text late last night.

Maya didn't say anything, instead she nodded resting her head in her hands. Shutting the door behind her as she entered the blonde sat on the edge of her friends bed. "Same one," Caroline wondered if it had been the same one May had called her about throughout the summer.

The one where she was under the water drowning, first Maya's scared, then when she realizes what drowning means she becomes very unnaturally calm. Letting the water fill her lungs means dying and she lets it happen every time. There were some different one here and there but that one was the most common.

Shaking her head Maya replied, "A new one. Small thanks I suppose." There was an plainly seen uneasiness to the blonde as she twisted the ends of her hair. "What is it," Maya urged using her foot to poke her friends leg under he blanket she sat on top of.

Caroline's mouth went dry her words leaving her. However under her best friends earnest gaze she felt compelled to admit, "Did it have something to do with the man...the man I set you up with hurting you, would it?" The brunette wanted to tell her no and spare the pain but the truth was written on her face too clearly to ignore.

Scooting down to the end of her bed instead, the Gilbert girl promised, "Whatever that man did to me, had nothing to do with you." Grabbing her shoulders she forced Caroline to meet her eye. "Seriously, hear me when I say this isn't your fault. If you believe anything, believe that. If me getting hurt by him frees you from him I would suffer it ten times over."

There were tears that wanted to spill from the blonde but she wouldn't let them. Not when her friend was right before it, it felt selfish of her to ever have this much be said. "I should've warned you but--but it's like he wouldn't let me think anything that would ever get him in trouble."

"And it's over," interjected Maya, "He can't hurt us anymore." There was a lack of joy in Caroline's eyes that left her friend feeling ill. It wasn't normal for her friend to lack such spirit.

Forcing a smile Caroline swore, "I won't let him hurt us again."

Though the role of protector wasn't her typical one, it felt only natural to try it for Maya. Actually, Maya was the only one she even attempted to dawn the role for. Caroline couldn't really explain why either, she just wanted to be whatever version of a person Maya needed. The older they were getting the harder it was becoming to ignore how differently she treated Maya to everyone.

Wrapping her arms around her without hesitation that most would've had she was met with the same affection in return. Older they got it was becoming increasingly impossible for Maya to ignore how she was softer around Caroline than anyone else in the world. Though these were things the pair of best friends were content to ignore.

How could they not when they were with each other hearing they weren't hated by the other. Caroline hadn't been so obsessed with Damon she thought Maya took him away; Maya hadn't believed Caroline was at fault for sending her with her torturer. They were just two best friends laughing as they held each other close.

·͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙

❝ maya's secret meadow ❞

School had done just what it had always done but worse, exhausted Maya. Caroline had attempted to keep them annoyingly positive all day but that stopped working five minutes into it. She didn't have the heart to tell her so she simply endured until she could sneak away. There was only one spot she could think to go, her little secret spot.

Decently deep into the woods, far beyond the ears of town there was an open meadow of flowers. Most of the year it was filled with cardinal petals, milkweeds that brought butterflies, and at the base of grand willow planted decades ago, Stargazer lilies. The place was to die for, and no one had ever found her there.

Well, no one other than her father, he found her wherever she went. He was the one who had suggested hanging a target from a branch of a willow to practice shooting with. Grayson understood she needed her private place for when she inevitably ran off, and she also like shooting when she was angry.

That wasn't all she used it for either, most days she used it to just sit and write. After her parents died she used it everyday as a place to talk to them. She didn't want to go to the cemetery, there was no life, no beauty there. She had already seen enough of her parents and death to last a lifetime.

Maya wanted somewhere beautiful she could still see their faces and her meadow was it for it. There were enough of other trees around the willow so the sun was blocked out enough to where it didn't blind her. Further from the field, in the distance there were the ruins of an old run down house. Maya assumed from around the times of the founding families and they had planted the lilies.

Granted the flowers were wildflowers for her state but the way they grew at the base of the willow in clumps she could tell. She had to pass the house every time she wanted to reach her meadow but there wasn't much left of it. It was large in size, and despite its run down condition it still held beauty in its walls.

She traced her hand along the house until it was gone and she had reached the willow in the center of the field. Setting down her bag she sat alongside her things bring out her little book. She called it her book simply because she used it for more than just Diary entries.

Some pages were scrapbook like and dedicated to how she felt that day, the movie she'd been thinking about all week, or even people she knew. Other pages were deemed to have sections of some short stories told. And a bulk of it was simple writing the mixture of it all making it her book.

Dear Diary,

It's been a while I know, but I didn't have much left to say. My mind is continuously flooded with thoughts, and most of them aren't happy. My mind is made of glass that someone else dropped and left shattered beyond repair.

Before I was just dealing with my parents yelling at me for doing whatever I wanted without care of others. Being pushed beyond her what she thought were her physical limits by her fathers training. Fighting that thing inside me that is always angry and always craving something more. But now?

Now I know only the endlessness of paranoia and the guilt of my constant survival. What is the point of death threating me if it won't take my life in the end? I wish it would. If Death is so determined to love me, why can't he just finally take me away. Stop making me trade my loved ones lives for my own.

"Maya," someone's puzzled voice called out, making her jump up closing her book in the process. When she looked up she saw Stefan standing there looking down at her. "What are you doing here," he wondered with narrow eyes fixed on her.

He hadn't seen her since she left walking home from school, or at least Stefan thought that had been where she went. Instead they ended up in the one place May never expected to be found.

Maya matched the look on the Salvatore's face crossing her legs as she sat up, "I could ask you the same thing -- literally no one has ever found me here."

Stefan took a cautious step forward towards, "I knew about this place when I first lived here," he explained. Suddenly Maya felt guilty because odds were he was telling the truth. Not even her paranoid mind could think anything bad of Stefan. 

Which was strange to her but a good kind of strange, the kind a person couldn't get enough of. It didn't help how beautiful she found him, May desperately wished her mind would stop noticing as much as it did.

"Oh," was all she could say with a slight laugh. As the silence was returning to them she noticed he was lingering instead of sitting, "Well do you wanna sit with me? I need o hear more about my new friend."

Maya offered it with a slight smile he was returning as he said, "What would you like to know?"

The Salvatore boy was taking his seat as she asked her first question, "So how'd you find this place?"

Stefan's hand fiddled with the petals of the lily's answering, "When I was younger my brother took me here, back then there weren't any lilies, just the willow." There was a way about how he said it that made Maya believe he missed that period of his life. His stare wasn't just on the ground, but years back in his memory. "It was my favorite place here, it was so peaceful and quiet."

Maya clenched her jaw at the mention of his brother, she didn't mean to, it just happened. "I know how you feel about Damon, but you should know he wasn't always bad." His words were hard to find him and even harder to come out. "I think you would've liked him if you knew him. I'm sorry I didn't warn you, I didn't think he was capable of that. Especially to you."

"It's not your fault," Maya insisted with him. She didn't have the heart to blame anyone but Damon or herself. Her mouth twisted as she admitted, "I didn't think he was that kinda guy either."

Her statement made him finally meet her eye. Maya nodded continuing to tell him, "I wish I knew the version of Damon you did. Maybe you're right and I would've liked that version, and maybe one day I'll learn to forgive him, but I'll never be his friend."

There was nothing more he could ask of her, not that he was planning to ask this much at all. He hadn't even wanted to bring his brother up, at least not on the surface. Beneath it all he was just a little brother, that was why he was there after all. Pointing around the meadow he wondered, "How did you find it?"

The memory instantly brought laughter to the Gilbert. She felt like a cliche but the truth was what it was. "Promise not to laugh," she pleaded sheepishly.

"No promises Gilbert," he joked with the girl.

Maya rolled her eyes sitting up, "It was back in fresh— no eighth grade, wait— I'm lying, it was freshman year." Stefan shook his examining every inch of her adorable focus, "Tyler and I had just started dating when I caught him flirting with some girl and we got in a huge fight. Our first fight, as a couple, we'd really had about 1,000 others before that but as a couple, it was a pretty important milestone."

"Of course," Stefan agreed his hands leaning back in the grass propping him up.

"Right," Maya beamed excitedly making the two laughed. "Anyways he threatened to leave me and I was so...sad and pissed off I just spent all night walking. Eventually I came across this place and ended up sleeping here weirdly enough."

Stefan looked at the Gilbert girl, "I don't understand."

"Understand what? It seemed pretty straight forward," Maya laughed at him not sure why he was confused.

"Understand how Tyler was so stupid to fight with you all the time and waste moments," the Salvatore teenager found himself saying. Instantly Maya's cheeks turned a bright red as she looked down. Stefan didn't want to feel what he was feeling for Maya. Not when she had her face. Being around Elena was hard, but Maya?

Maya was pulling the knife Samara placed in him so many years ago without realizing it. Every thoughtless instinct Maya had was the exact opposite of Samara and it made the distinction that much greater. May was her own person, and an amazing one at that.

"Well now it looks like our private place has been disturbed by the other then," he added, changing the subject.

The Gilbert twin nodded confirming, "I guess so, Salvatore."

"So how about," Stefan began sitting up fully, "This becomes our private place...that we share. We could still come alone but if we need to we can come with each other, or if we think someone shouldn't be alone."

Maya couldn't help but allow her smile to creep back up. Which was the exact opposite she would've thought she'd feel when someone eventually found her meadow. Stefan had that odd ability to make her feel positive she'd ignored for so long. A way that she couldn't explain but wouldn't change, for once she felt alive. That had been something no one had been able to do since her parents died.

Stefan had made Maya Jane Gilbert feel alive.

"I like that, it'll be our safe place," she agreed stunning him. "With beautiful lilies and wildflowers all around us to decorate it," Maya leaned back for one of the lily's but instead lost full balance. Attempting to stop herself she stuck her hand out tearing some of her skin.

She broke just enough skin for it to sting and a small bit of blood to pool. "Fucker," Maya cried looking at her not worrisome cut.

"You okay," Stefan asked her as she licked the blood off her hand stopping the worse of it.

Maya was nodding when their eyes met and it almost seemed as if veins were surrounding his under eyes. "I'm fine," she answered, still staring at him, "Are you ok? Your eyes."

Quickly Stefan turned around rubbing his eyes taking what seemed to be deep breaths. When he turned back around there was nothing there which made Maya laugh at herself, "I must be seeing things," she joked mainly trying to convince herself of her words.

The Salvatore boy laughed, "Probably you are crazy so," he joked back. In response Maya pushed him slightly which he returned, "I gotta meet my uncle so we can do something, do you wanna walk home with me?"

Maya nodded as Stefan stood up, and he held his hand out for her to take. Gladly she took it and they began to take the path out of their hidden passage, "This remains our secret, this place is for us and us only. Elena doesn't even know where this place is," Maya verified.

"Promise?"

Maya smiled with a small nod, "Promise."

The two walked out of the woods side by side until they reached the streets where Stefan stood closer to the curb they walked along. "So tell me more about yourself Salvatore," Maya demanded playfully.

"Well I am an avid reader, love the classics, Great Gatsby, all of them. But not a snob, I love TV, I love Lucy the best, what else do you wanna know Gilbert," he returned as they rounded a corner.

Maya thought for a moment before she responded, "I don't know your likes, dislikes, your past." In truth she was doing what any sister would, snooping. Elena certainly had a crush on him and since he was the only boy in town they hadn't grown up around, she needed to know more.

"You mean Samara or Katherine," Stefan figured. She gave him a guilty look showing off a sheepish smile that made Stefan smile, "It's okay. I figured Damon had been whispering things about either of them into Elena's ear and she might tell you."

"Yeah, I'm sorry you don't have to talk about either of them if you don't want to," she told him honestly. As curious as she was she didn't wanna upset him, she knew it was a sore subject for both brothers.

Stefan shook his head keeping his eyes forward as he said, "It's okay, you're curious. Mara was one of the most beautiful girls I'd ever met. Her smile made you smile, along with her laugh made you laugh." Whatever longing he had for her died out as he remembered the truth of it. "But in truth Mara was cruel, and liked to play mind games. She didn't know how to be a real person by the time I met her."

"Mind games? What do you mean?"

"Katherine was with Damon, and me. Mara helped her hide it, then she used it for herself. Made the secrets a bond we shared instead of the burden it was." Maya looked at him surprised by this as he continued, "They caused a lot of problems between us and it was our fault too -- that was what we deserved for treating love like that."

She couldn't help but wonder, "Like what?"

"Like a game," Stefan answered with an honesty most people wouldn't have, Maya knew it.

Called her jaded but, Maya understood that people lied. For the most part she didn't fault them for it, in fact she only faulted them for it when their lies betrayed their love ones. If a friend had told Maya's secrets because they 'couldn't lie,' what were they worth to her? But if the lied? How could she fault them?

There was discernment when it came to lying and what that could turn into as far as MJ was concern. Making light as to not worsen the visble guilt of the Salvatore Maya winced, "Who know the Salvatore's were such magnets for trouble," she teased nudging his arm with her elbow.

Stefan chuckled admitting, "Our mother. She used to tease that the two of us were nothing but trouble together." His mouth broke into a small smile muttering, "Suppose she was right."

"She may have been right about him but the jury is still out on you," offered Maya as the arrived at the gate of her house. Gesturing to the house she said, "Well, this is me, but as for those sisters? Human beings aren't in the wrong for falling in love, and neither were you. No matter the ending."

As she opened the gate to let herself in Stefan was trying to find the words for a response. After a moment, before she could do little more than shut it he said, "Thank you, May."

She never said it, but she secretly liked it most when people called her that. Or rather when certain people did, not everyone could. Yet she allowed the Salvatore boy, "My pleasure."

She was about to turn again Stefan called out, "Wait." She spun on her feet to face him once again. He swallowed hard before he began, "Seeing you I let myself get carried away and avoid what I should've been saying to you before anything else."

The start of his statement brought a racing to her heart. "What is it," she asked closing what little distance she put between them.

"My brother won't ever hurt you, or Caroline again," said Stefan each word spoken like oaths of old. When she didn't immediately stop the conversation he swiftly wrapped up, "And I am sorry he hurt you. You are the very last person that should have to suffer him."

Maya wanted to say something in return but in truth she had wanted to pretend it didn't happen. Everyone else had allowed her to pretend, and he had too for a moment. But her ache was written across her sunken and tired eyes and he couldn't ignore it anymore.

Rather than pressure her to say anything at all Stefan said, "I'll see you around, Gilbert."

She was finally able to force out, "See you, Salvatore."

·͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙

❝ mystic grill [ interior ] ❞

"And there's Vicki, all nonchalant in the bathroom like it's no big deal that they're hooking up," Elena told Matt as they played pool.

Maya, who had been speeding around working and stopping by from time to time, said, "Matt I love you, but that's disgusting."

After making his shot the blue eyed boy stood up straight hesitant but ultimately admitting, "yeah, I'm not gonna lie. Your brother and my sister, that's weird."

Raising her brow Maya returned, "You think? He's 15 and she's on her way out of high school."

The Donovan boy wasn't sure what to say, so he opted for saying nothing at all. Instead he noticed Elena looking at the time on her phone asking, "How late is he?"

"Nice deflection," muttered a bitter Maya swiping the dishes left behind by other customers. Matt offered a shameful glance while she returned to behind the double set of doors to the kitchen.

After dropping off the dishes she was making her way back onto the floor when she heard, "Hey, you."

Turning her head to where she'd been called from she saw, in all his town star glory was Tyler. Not only him but in his hands was her favorite drink of all, the smoothies Tyler made her. He never told her how he made them but, he made the best strawberry banana smoothies she ever tasted.

She could tell it what the drink without him saying because he always brought it in the same bottle. It was a tall purple cold metallic cup he bought especially for him to bring her in the morning. Before getting their own cars they walked to school together, and after getting them they still carpooled with Tyler always making the drink.

"Is that for me," she asked asked closing the distance.

Assuming as she had for years by then, Maya reached out for it until Tyler pulled it away at the last second. "On one condition," he countered earning her raised brow.

Keeping her eyes on the drink debating on just taking it Maya urged, "What is it?"

"My car be one you personally make sure they don't scratch in the car wash," offered the Lockwood boy half as a joke. He knew that as always she and Caroline would be leading the fundraiser.

It may have shocked some that Maya liked being on decorating committees and more but not Tyler. Not only had she loved creating art but truthfully put? She liked being in charge and her and Caroline loved working together. He understood without question she was in charge of the fundraiser the football team was being told to work.

The best thing about being the mayor's son was being able to get out of that. "Does that mean I get to drive your car in," Maya challenged knowing he would have to avoid the school. He rarely helped with certain projects, and she never cared to force him.

Holding up his car keys, "I could give you these or you could stay the night, take it in the morning," he offered. The Gilbert twisted her lips, she could feel the jaws of his trap springing but she hadn't cared much. 

"Fine, but only if you stay with me here," returned Maya taking the smoothie from his hands with ease. The jaws of his trap had gripped her up but to care about that she would've had to have wanted something more than feeling anything at all.

Gesturing over to his school bag in the corner booth he'd always sat in when he waited for her Tyler said, "Already waiting."

This was there pattern, he was water eroding her shores and she couldn't fight. Water always won and the earth always let it. The two were still chatting, planning their evening when the alarm of someone called Maya's eyes up, "I know you. My god."

Her distraction made Tyler follow suit noticing Tiki's elderly uncle in a daze and starring at Stefan. It seemed that he had finally shown up and was with Elena asking, "I'm sorry?"

"I know you," he repeated to him drawing Matt's attention to things now. The wrinkled man was dumbfounded at the boy, "How can it be?"

As she lingered Maya couldn't help but see how Stefan's eyes darted between the old man and them. Nevertheless he was even breath as he assured the man, "I think you have the wrong person, sir."

Despite his disease eating at his mind, Tiki's grandfather continued to insist, "You haven't aged a day." 

There wasn't long enough for anyone to question anything further before Tiki herself was returning from the bathroom. Noticing how he drifted from the door she left him by she pushed her way over to him. Tiki gingerly took him by his arm leading him away from everyone.

"That was weird," remarked Tyler his words reminding Maya he was still beside her. Try as she might Maya couldn't move her eyes from the scene of Stefan trying to speak with Elena.

All his efforts we swiftly ended when Elena shut the conversation down makin her way for the door. Maya was swift to excuse herself leaving Tyler before he had a chance to say anything.

The Lockwood boy was left to watch as Maya began, "An hour late and keeping secrets Salvatore?"

Stefan released a sigh, "Right," he hated to admit.

Taking pity on the boy, Maya shook her head telling him, "Elena knows you're hiding something, I can tell you're hiding something, that chair over can tell." Seeing his mouth attempt to lie Maya raised her hand silencing him, "It's okay Stefan, but whatever it is I don't think you're as good at keeping the secret as you like to think."

"I can't tell her. Not yet," said Stefan and this much she knew wasn't a lie. There wasn't any real reason for it just something inside her willing to believe in him.

Secrets were hard to tell once lying to protect them was all you knew. Taking a step closer to him she gave up the idea, "Then tell her everything else that you can. Do it whatever way you think is best, but tell her. Tell her now while she's home alone for a bit anyways."

"Thank you," replied Stefan his feet stuck for a moment before Maya was pushing him towards the door.

Whatever crush she had for the briefest seconds on Stefan compared to what she had with Tyler anyway, she could lose him if Elena gained him. When he was finally gone Maya was on her way back Tyler answering his puzzled face, "Elena won't be calling asking where I am tonight now either."

Tyler chuckled at the Gilbert, she was a helpful girl but that never stopped her from noticing dual purposes of her actions. She trace her finger playfully across his face before returning to shift once and for all. Never once letting it slip just how much she was fixed on knowing why Tiki's uncle thought he knew Stefan.

·͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙

❝mystic falls high school parking lot [ next afternoon ]❞

"Your car will be ready within the hour Ma'am," Maya told the woman as she walked away. The second she was gone the Gilbert was dropping fake smile and putting the money in the collection box.

The part she hated most about fundraising was having to feel like she was at work. She was there to help them raise money not clock in at the grill. But her suffering was short lived when Elena came rushing up yelling, "May! May!"

Lifting her head up Maya questioned, "I thought you were with Stefan?"

Taking the seat beside her Elena answered, "I was, I am, but I needed to ask you if you still had key card access with that internship you did at the station."

Raising a brow Maya replied, "You mean the summer Dad forced me to work in the news archives?"

Nodding her sister repeated, "Yes, that station."

"Yes, what do you need from there," Maya wondered with a lowered voice.

Elena didn't know what to tell her sister, all she could muster up was, "Something that Damon said."

Tilting her head her sister groaned, "Damon? Not exactly making me want to help, Elena." Elena was silenced as Tiki's uncle approached and her sister began taking care of him. It wasn't long before she was saying, "That'll be $20." 

He was handing it over when Elena realized he was her greatest chance of telling her sister, without saying what she needed. Before he walked away the older sister stood asking him, "I saw you last night. You were talking to a friend of mine, At the grill?"

The old man furrowed his brows before it came back to him, "Well, i--i thought it was somebody I knew."

"Stefan Salvatore," Elena said loud enough for Maya to hear. 

"Nah, it can't be. It's just my mind playing tricks on me," insisted the old man his mind trying to tell him otherwise.

Remembering her thoughts from the night before Maya spoke up asking him, "Where did you think you'd seen him before?"

"When I first moved here, I stayed at the Salvatore boarding house. Stefan was just passing through to visit his uncle. I mean, none of us knew he was even here until the attack."

"The attack," Elena questioned.

For a man whose mind supposedly was long gone, his answers were quick, "His uncle got killed. Mauled by an animal in the woods." 

Leaving only confusion for the oldest Gilbert who asked him, "His uncle, Zach?" That part of the story had brought Maya up from her seat and over to them,

He shook his head correcting, "Joseph."

Elena looked to her sister for confirmation. "Sir, we're not familiar we only knew about his uncle Zach," Maya explained.

The man looked at her amused as he continued, "Oh, how could you? I mean, this happened years ago."

Tiki suddenly, and inconvenient as ever, came over stopping the man from answering more questions, "Grandpa, you gotta go. Mom wants you home. Ok?" The old man seemed to lose himself again but Tiki turned to the twins, "He wasn't bugging you, was he? He's a little alzy-heimer."

Maya smiled friendly at her, "No, he was sweet." The brunette quickly followed after the old man before he could walk far at all, "Hey, sir, I'm sorry. Um, are you sure that the man that you saw, that you knew, his name was Stefan Salvatore?"

"Yes. I remember his ring and his brother," he attempted to say but Maya cut him off before he finished, "Damon?"

He nodded confirming for the girls, "Yeah. Stefan and Damon Salvatore."

How many Damon and Stefan Salvatore's had been born in their family, Maya thought, and how many looked like the one she knew too? Coming up beside her Elena finished asking, "When was this?"

He thought for a moment his mind traveling back until it finally came up with, "It was early June, 1953. Yeah. June, 1953." Finally he was taken away for good and the twins were left alone. Neither of them willing to say what they both knew they were thinking.

Instead May simply said, "Grab the keys."

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The whole way driving to the station Maya thought about what they had just heard. It couldn't be Stefan that the man knew, right? Stefan was 17 and he couldn't have been alive in 1953.

That was just outside the realm of possibilities she was willing to accept, but then again that world seemed to be expanding. The gaps in her memory, the 'animal' attacks on her, and Vicki. Damon attacked her and Caroline. Nothing was making sense to her anymore, and now she was living in fear.

"What exactly was the year he said," Maya inquired sitting at the computer desk waiting to type.

"1953, if it even happened-- at the old Salvatore boarding house," Elena answered pacing behind her.

It wasn't long before the video was pulled from the computer and waiting to be watched. "I have it," Maya announced pulling out the seat beside her for Elena.

And before their eyes, just like the old man said was the beginning of the report. A man dawned in older clothes Maya no longer knew much of other than to call it a suit as he said, "This is Michael Fell reporting to you from the Salvatore boarding house, where a brutal animal attack has ended in tragedy. Ok, they're bringing out the bodies. See if you can get closer. Is that the nephew?

"Oh my god," Elena mumbled in a whisper, before her very eyes was Stefan Salvatore. Clear as day it was him, Stefan knew there was no question about it. "Tha-Thats Stefan... Stefan. How is that possible," she repeated as Maya stood up.

"He never gets hurt," Maya began her mind thinking back to when he was supposed to be cut and wasn't. The calmness of her voice silenced Elena, "He never gets old, clearly," Maya added gesturing to the screen. "He doesn't like blood, but there have been girls bitten and bodies drained of it all around town."

"So what are you saying," Elena said unable to say what she knew.

Maya eyes landed on the computer again, and it all clicked like stars that aligned. In a flash she was crossing the room downloading the file to the flash drive on her keychain. Once it had finished she deleted it from their records -- for better or worse she didn't want the world to find out about Stefan.

"We're going to see Stefan," Maya insisted grabbing Elena by her hand not waiting for her to answer.

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❝ salavtore boarding house [ driveway ] ❞

Maya and Elena had nearly leapt from the car racing to his door. Neither of them knew what they were going to do once he admitted the truth, not that they cared enough when they reach the door.

But they hadn't needed to knock because Stefan was on the other side opening it. It was just then Maya realized the error in their judgement and pulled Elena behind her. Stefan was stopped in his path as the words, "What are you," were flying from Maya's mouth.

maya's outfit next chapter