CHAPTER NINE; 162 CANDLES

❝ magic is all around you child, you need only look ❞

･ ｡ﾟ☆

❝ the sheriff's department ❞

"YES," MAYA ANSWERED the sheriff's questions with as little details as possible, it was better for everyone that way. Due to Vicki Donovan's sudden disappearance the twins, Jeremy, Matt, and Stefan were called down to the station. "Vicki found me last night like she told Matt she wanted to." An innocent act of a brother trying to find his older sister that had landed Maya, who otherwise hadn't been seen with the Donovan in interrogation.

Sheriff Forbes hardly lifted her head from the paper she was filling out with Maya's statement, "Do you remember the last thing Vicki said to you? It may help find out where she went." Maya thought back thinking about what was the last thing Vicki said to her, so much hatred was leaking out of her. For the last four nights it, along with a few other things had been keeping Maya up at night. The question that tormented her most was, had that been the vampire in Vicki wanting to torture her victim before killing her? Or, as Maya believed, was that the truth of what was on her heart the whole time they had known each other.

Not wanting to give anything away she maintained, "She blamed me for Tyler never choosing her, and for Jeremy listening to me about her. She said I took everything from her..." A flickering of raged flooded Maya and once it took root she was forced to say, "She got Tyler to cheat on me, stole him once my parents died, got my brother hooked on drugs more than he every needed her help doing, but I took from her? Vicki is a taker." These were words she hadn't been able to talk to anyone about.

Though Jeremy seemed unburdened, his sisters were the furthest thing from it. Maya couldn't be in the room with Elena without poking at her, after all it was her who had decided to rob Jeremy of his memories. It made the younger twin wonder if Stefan hadn't given her the necklace would Elena had erased her sisters memories too. It was simple enough to imagine. Elena wanted to spare Jeremy pain and if there was one thing Maya understood about her sister, she would spare people rather than giving them the hard truth. Matt himself had known it all to well, and if he ever learned about his sister, he would see the full extent of what sparing someone looked like. Damon was out of the question to speak to, as were her friends who didn't know vampires lurked around every corner. That pretty much left her with Stefan alone, and him with only her.

Stefan hadn't been the one to compel her brother, nor even suggest it. He hadn't tried killing her for a meal, in fact he was one of the main reasons she still lived. Better yet, he knew the truth about their world, but it had been a few days since they spoke last. It seemed the covering up of the Donovan girl had fractured every fragile thing around her. "So you believe that Vicki left town?"

"Yes," Maya answered with no hesitation.

With nothing left to ask the blonde woman stood up from behind her desk and said, "Well thank you for coming down today Maya, you're free to go." Not needing to be told twice Maya swiped her bag from the floor and slipped out from the office. As soon as she had the waiting faces of her siblings and Jenna sprung up to their feet to greet her. They barely made it out of the building before they saw Stefan waiting for them. Elena barely allowed Stefan to do anything other than confirm she was okay before she slipped away. She had been in such a rush she hadn't noticed how her sister lingered behind with Stefan.

The twisted pain was clear across his face but he still managed to fix himself enough to say, "Are you doing okay?" He was gesturing to her wound remembering his blood could save her but more than likely was too weak to remove soreness.

Maya shrugged, "I'll live. Thanks to you."

"You didn't exactly do nothing. You survived for a while before I got there," reminded the Salvatore unable to forget the sounds of her grunting and clawing for survival. The irony of which had been lost on Maya. She, a girl who had barely kept herself with a will to live, fought with everything in her to stay alive.

With a slight grin she joked, "I just wanted to make you feel like you did something."

"Oh thank you for that. I needed some kind of accomplishment this week," Stefan replied. Saving Maya's life was more than just this weeks mere accomplishment, they both knew it. Saving someone's life was never a simple act. In all honesty knowing how much he had done had only compelled Maya to look for Stefan in every crowd now. She didn't mean to but she felt connected to him, but there was nothing like watching him watch Elena to remind her how wrong that feeling was.

Burying the feeling again, Maya forced a believable smile assuring him, "She'll forgive you." Her words brought his attention back to her, "Elena will forgive you just give her time."

"I hope so," was all he could bring himself to say before Jenna honking for Maya forced her to say goodbye. Though her headphones seemed to be blasting music, Maya couldn't ignore how her sister looked at her in the rear view mirror. A thousand things were on the older twins mind and none of them could be spoke about while they sat there, much to MJ's relief.

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

❝ the gilbert's house ❞

The only good thing that had come from Elena's choice to compel their brother was his sudden interest in recovering his grades. He had come to his sister begging for help catching up with his work and she couldn't help but stay with him. Even though after the station she had planned to avoid the house, and thus their sister. Luckily she had snuck up to her room and had hardly left since -- Maya hadn't had it in her to let Elena see her enjoying the change in their brother. The change wasn't organic and Maya couldn't help but wonder if force healing wouldn't be as full proof as they thought.

They were almost finished when her sister did finally come down for snacks, only briefly making eye contact with Maya. "What's all this," wondered Elena as she opened the fridge gesturing to the table of laid out books.

"Homework." Maya's response was short yet undoubtedly sharp much to the notice of each sibling. Jeremy briefly looked to Elena hoping she'd offer some explanation but she simply shook her head her eyes telling him to leave it alone. Perhaps it was years of being their brother but Jeremy felt compelled to leave their argument, whatever it may be, alone.

Instead he elaborated for them, "May is just helping me play catch up."

Maya could feel Elena closing in behind her urging her to check her phone for the time. Ease filled her as the time offered the perfect excuse to leave. "Which is over for today," she announced shutting the books before her, "At least I'm done, you can keep going Jer. I have to get finished for work."

Their sister resembled a rabbit the way she had fled upstairs to her room forgetting her headphones and her pencil case in her wake. "Is she okay," asked Jeremy watching as she vanishing up the staircase.

Elena offered him a small smile picking up her sisters things, "Yeah, she'll be okay. Keep studying." The young boy was forced to watch puzzledly as his sisters fled from him. Usually when they argued Maya couldn't resist poking at Elena every second, not just then. Instead she only wanted to flee and Elena as always followed Maya's lead. Which lead her upstairs to where her sister was throwing her work clothes hurriedly into a bag.

"You forgot these," Elena proclaimed making her sister shoot a look her way.

"Thank you," she grumbled snatching them from her, "And you didn't have to compel me to feel grateful either." There it was. Elena knew the pause in her poking had only been caused by Jeremy's presence. He was the only one MJ protected more than Elena. Had she not known otherwise Elena might believe they were the true twins in the family. The girls were close but Jeremy and Maya? They were two sides of the same coins. Everything she did he wanted to follow suit with, not that Elena could blame him for it, it was her sin too. Their sister hadn't known it yet, but in the times she felt worth nothing, to the two of them she was a diamond. Not just any diamond, but the most valuable one in the bunch. Siblings did tend to feel such about each other but May was someone who hadn't believed it happened, nor she deserved it.

Nevertheless her siblings felt compelled to be like her, perhaps it was their parents unwavering attention she captured than brought it. Or rather the way she commanded a room of people who refused to listen. Whatever it was, they both wanted it.

The older twin tilted her head, "Are you ever going to let me explain or just continue with petty remarks?"

Walking backwards Maya replied with a shrug, "I don't know, what are you going to allow Damon to let me remember?" That was another edge of the sword that cut Maya deeper than anything. Elena used the man who tried killing her, compelled her mind and probably still did, he was whom Elena trusted. Damon had nearly torn them apart more violently than that car crash ever could was whom her sister trusted. Maybe that angered her more than what she robbed Jeremy of.

"I didn't think there was much of a choice," replied Elena shutting the door to ensure their brother wouldn't hear their carrying voices. Though her twin looked tired and worn down, Maya still couldn't help but poke.

Almost slamming her bag on the bed she snapped, "The choice was allowing him to choose!" The sudden shouting made her sister flinch but Maya hadn't cared to notice it at all. She only turned her attention fully away from her task, "You didn't even ask Jeremy if truly forgetting was what he wanted did you? You didn't even ask me if I thought it was a good idea? You just did what you thought was best."

"As if you would've done differently," there it was. The point were Elena would finally start to poke back had arrived, "Pretend all you want but I know you, the moment you saw the same look I did in his eyes you would have--"

Maya didn't allow for room for her sister disagreement, "I would have asked! I know above everyone in this house you don't get to chose someone else's mental load. Mom and dad tried that." The younger twin hadn't mentioned what they tried with her in some time. They didn't want to lock her away or medicate her any further than they already tried, but they pushed too hard. In trying to remove the darkness they only added to it. "You can't heal people before they are ready to be healed and you did exactly that. So congrats, they may be dead but you are every bit Miranda and Grayson's daughter you always wanted to be."

The next moment had been a blur for Elena, one second she was starring at her sister, the next she was slapping her across her face. In the brief moment of pause it created Elena swallowed hard before trying to turn away. Their physical fights were never something she tried to look for. Elena wasn't weak, but she wasn't stronger than the girl with enough rage to fill the town. Before Elena made it far Maya was grabbing her hair dragging her back to the ground causing a thud that shook the room.

Before Elena could bother to try and recover her sister was sitting on her forcing her to stay down. "Don't ever to-" before the shouting finished Jenna came rushing in with Jeremy whom lifted Maya clean off his oldest sister. Jenna did her best to lift Elena up as Maya broke free lunging for her again.

"Alright what the fuck is going on," shouted Jenna as Jeremy clung to his sister. More often than not Jenna would let the girls figure things out on their own. Having been their mothers sister she remembered what having a sister so close in age was like, but violence was her cut off. Looking between the two piece of stone that wouldn't speak she repeated, "I asked a question!"

Pushing out of her brothers arms Maya shouted, "Little miss perfect started shit she couldn't finish!"

When Maya tried for her sister again Jenna was forced to shove her back with as much measured strength as she could. "Well I am finishing it!" Even this made Maya laugh, it was hard for her to feel threated by anyone not her parents. Even her mother was hard to feel threatened by. Her father had known and seen Maya more than anyone, and he was the only one whom she would've cared to listen to. "I'm serious. The two of you are going to figure this out because I for one am not raising cage fighters!"

"It was my fault Jenna," Elena attempted taking the blame that did belong with her.

Snapping her head at the older twin the red head shouted, "I don't give a damn whose fault it is! I want this over with, now."

Clapping dramatic as ever Maya mocked, "Wonderful display of authority Jenna, unfortunately, I have work and I am not sticking around here another second." The brunette snatched her bag and car keys ignoring how her brother pleaded with her to stop. "Because I for one am tired of having to deal with her soap box along with my own." Maya didn't allow for anyone to stop her as she pushed through rushing out the door more than an 45 minutes early for work.

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

❝ the salvatore boarding house ❞

Driving through town in a rage had quickly become driving to the only person Maya could think to talk to, Stefan. He was the only one in whom she trusted at the moment. How could she not? Everything that had happened since she bumped into him in the hall served only to make her trust him more. Trust she had assumed was mutual, which is why they have that saying. Don't assume or make an ass out of yourself or whatever it was.

She had half messily parked her before getting out and waiting hardly a full knock before entering. After all, who could Stefan have inside other than Damon? He had never mentioned friends but the moment she saw a blonde, half naked and in a towel clutching it close upon seeing her that she questioned her comfort level. Perhaps she hadn't known Stefan as well as she thought because nearly 48 hours after Elena dumped him here he was with another, equally beautiful girl before her.

The blonde was left almost, if not more stunned by Maya's presence, "Oh my GOD!" She sized every inch of Maya to the point thought she wasn't the one in the towel, Maya felt like she was. "Ho-How...who are," everything she said was a trailed off question of the last.

Finishing the question for her Maya replied, "I-I am Maya, Stefan's...friend." That part came out more like a question than she meant for it to. Nevertheless she asked, "Who are you?"

"Lexi," she answered as Maya pressed her lips together, "A friend of Stefan's."

Glancing around the room the brunette questioned, "Is he here?"

"He's in the shower, do you want to wait?"

Starting to back away from the blonde and towards the door Maya answered, "No, uh, you don't even have to tell him I was here. It was stupid actually." It was truly only upon seeing that woman that she realized how inappropriate going to him was in the first place. He was Elena's boyfriend not hers -- why was she even there?

"I'll tell him you stopped by," Lexi yelled out to Maya as she ran to the door.

"That's okay," Maya insisted slamming the door shut behind her.

As soon as she hears Maya get in her car and drive away the blonde took off in a flash upstairs. Before seeing her friend she stopped into his room grabbing his most treasured possession, a photo of the two most alluring women, twins than condemned the Salvatore's to death. Just as Stefan was exiting the shower buttoning his shirt the blonde was shouting at him, "Are you out of your freaking mind!?"

"What are you talking about," Stefan replied with furrowed brows.

Lexi grabbed the picture of Samara and Katerina that Stefan kept on his desk holding it up to him, "I've just met Maya, you have some serious explaining to do."

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

❝ the mystic grill ❞

Despite Bonnie's best efforts to make Elena come the older twin wouldn't dare follow her sister to work. Soon after their fight, Bonnie had come over practically beaming with exciting news for the twins, only to find Elena alone under her blanket and sulking. For whatever reason, Elena had slapped Maya resulting in a near full blown fight had the rest of their family not come in. Perplexing still was what had triggered the argument, even after Bonnie had told Elena her secret, she still wouldn't say what they fought about.

So Bonnie did what she could, tracked down MJ at work which wasn't all that hard, but with two goals in mind. Find out what was wrong with her friends, and tell Maya exactly what she had been dying to all morning. No one had a sense or love for mythical things like Maya, her favorite movies and shows had always consisted of fantasy. Time and time again she moaned about how they had been born in the wrong reality with no mysticism. 'Ironic for a place named Mystic Falls,' was what she would always finish with.

Maya was the one person who would be more excited about her newfound abilities than Bonnie was for herself. Yet all her exhilaration went spilling out of her body like a cup having been knocked over the moment Bonnie laid eyes on her friend. The brunette appeared focused as ever as she scrubbed a table clean, so clean Bonnie began to wonder if Maya was wearing away the coating. Nevertheless she crossed the restaurant attempting to make joke, "Are you trying to clean it or break the table?"

The suddenness of her voice snapped Maya's head up but she had forced a fake smile believing it was a customer before she realized it was Bonnie. Her face returned to normal as she replied, "Its better than breaking Elena." Maya couldn't help but feel like she wanted another round, hers had been cut short.

"It can't be that bad," Bonnie said following after Maya who grabbed the bucket of dishes she'd collected. In order to stay and talk with her friend, she began to wash the smallest cups in the bar's sink. "Not that I know what happened. Neither of you will tell me anything."

Maya forced a strong smile, one she often gave customers, "Good, at least she remembered to keep her mouth shut." The last thing they needed was Bonnie learning of their newfound other life and getting pulled into it too. "We can't tell because it doesn't involve just us and just like I would protect your secrets too," insisted the brunette. She couldn't tell her the truth but she could at least tell her enough information so she would understand. Plus, Caroline and the other often got lost in their own drama they wouldn't notice most things, but Bonnie saw everything.

Her words reminded her friend the second thing she'd come there for and the exact reason she'd known she was safe to come to her. Maya was a vault. Once secrets were spoken they never left her lips again, unless someone was in danger. In that occurrence even she understood secrets were no longer sacred. Whatever had happened was truly a secret that wouldn't be shared. "Well if you're not going to tell me the least you can do is talk to Elena -- without dragging her down by her hair, and her without the slapping."

The Gilbert gnawed on her lip wanting to argue with her, but she had a point. One way or another, they would need to talk again. The longer they fought the greater the risk of everything being exposed, and she couldn't handle seeing that look in Jeremy's eyes. Or even Matt's when he found out about his sister. "Fine, since I know you'll text her anyway, warn her if she swings again I will do worse than dragging her."

Bonnie chuckled, they were sisters and watching them fight was sometimes the funniest thing. The two them used to have legendary arguments about this epic red sweater that had been bought for one of them, which one had long been forgotten. Just before she slipped into the back with the tray trying to finish before Caroline's party, Bonnie shouted, "Wait, can you step outside?"

Maya furrowed her brows and was about to deny her when the look of desperation made her switch tracks. Placing the tray down she told her manager she was taking her break slipping out the side with her friend and into the alley. "Is everything alright? You already had my attention inside," Maya joked seeing how her friend tapped her fingers against her palm. "Bonnie? You're freaking me out a little," she said forcing out a laugh to ease the tension.

The girl said nothing, instead she pulled from her pocket a sapphire not made to be put in jewelry but rather sit on a shelf. "I'm about to show you something, I came by to show you and Elena earlier but you weren't there." Casting one last look over her shoulder to ensure no one was there Bonnie held the gem up, "Palmam lucis." Before Maya could understand anything light appeared. Not from a flashlight, but from, what seemed to be within Bonnie. Shinning through it were a dozen or so reflective beams of a dozen shades of sapphire.

Breath escaped from Maya's lungs as the lights danced across their bodies and the walls surrounding them. "W-wha? How? What is this," fumbled out Maya turning around with her mouth a gape and fighting the smile it wanted so desperately to show.

Saying the words that she'd been waiting for Bonnie declared, "Grams was right. I am a witch." A person would assume their friend would recoil, but Maya wasn't like most friends. A squeal escaped her lips as she threw her arms around the Bennett cutting off her spell when she did. The taller girl smashed her tinier friend into the tightest hug she could muster. This meant when they could tell Bonnie the truth she would understand, better yet, she'd be able to keep herself safe from Damon. Becoming a witch virtually made her untouchable to him, and Maya needed to know at least one of them was safe. "You're crushing me," laughed Bonnie earning her immediate release for the most part.

With her hands still holding onto her friends she said, "Thank you, for telling me. You didn't have to." The sentiment seemed to leave the witch with furrowed brows, whom else would she want to share this with. She wasn't close with her father and her mother had long since gone, Grams was the one who told her, but the twins? They were her favorite people in the world, telling them was the only thing she was certain of.

The effortless to her honestly kicked Maya right in the gut. There Bonnie was practically spilling out her deepest darkest secret the moment she discovered it, yet Maya wouldn't tell her anything about her life now. As much as it pained her, any interest to tell was marred with those annoyingly soft green eyes reminding her why she couldn't. "Who else was I gonna tell," reasoned the witch with an eased smile.

Maya shrugged offering, "Just Elena, no one at all. Point is you didn't have to tell me so know I take that seriously and no one will hear about this from me unless you say they're okay." The instant vow, without request, was enough to make Bonnie want to cry. She had known MJ was the right person to come to, yet her response was more beautiful than that entire sapphire or its reflective light. Once more the girls embraced but this time it was Bonnie who initiated it without thought for how her friend didn't always liked to be touched. However for this occasion it was hardly a thought to the Gilbert who welcome the embrace.

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

"You know it's not a crime to join the party," a voice began from behind Maya forcing her to flinch. Her mind half expected to see Damon, but instead she saw Tyler. "Since when were you so jumpy at parties," he questioned not realizing how easily the answer could be figured out without words. At least until he saw the pointed look of his ex. "Right, sorry. Dumb question," he muttered resembling a hurt animal with his slumped shoulders.

Taking notice of the double drinks in his hands she asked, "Whose that for?" Vicki had just gone ( at least to his memory ) was he moving on already? Who was the new girl catching his eye? All questions Maya knew she had no right to ask him such a thing, but old habits died hard.

While her eyes scanned the floor he couldn't help but smirk, "You," he answered as if it were obvious. In his defense he had walked up to speak to her directly so he wasn't lying. Maya raised a brow to him questioningly, "It's just coke. Figured I could always give you my flask if you wanted to party that hard." Tyler was an idiot but he did notice the two of them, parties, and alcohol tended to be the storm for their worst nights. Probably one of the many reasons teenagers weren't supposed to drink like adults trying to forget woes they'd suffered.

Taking the cup from him she replied, "Thank you." Once she took the cup he joined her fully at her side returning a sense of normalcy she hadn't realized he still possessed. Perhaps the other night had brought it back to the surface. The thought of him being killed because of their mistakes and losing him forever terrified her. Tyler wasn't perfect, sometimes he wasn't even good, but neither was she. Just today she had wanted, and somewhat still wanted to fight, no, hurt her sister. What kind of person wanted to hurt their sister? What kind of person was capable of actually doing it? She saw the look of certain fear in her sisters eyes after she'd did what she did, that was horror for her own actions. The look Elena had when she was on the ground? That was fear of Maya herself -- fear earned perhaps.

Not even the time she'd thrown a vase at the floor by him had he even looked upon her with fear, just pity. Which happened to make her angrier, nevertheless they endured. "How are you doing with Vicki gone," she had to ask him. Maybe he didn't care for Vicki the same way he did Maya, but he did care. How little was the questioned that remained.

But it was her question that had thrown him off. He thought she'd be thrilled with her gone, but perhaps that was more callous of him to assume than anything. It was just they hadn't been friends since they were young, Maya hated the idea of Vicki, 18, being with her 15 year old brother. Especially when all she did was drag him further down paths Maya had done everything to remind him weren't for him. Jeremy had promise and in Maya's mind, their parents dying and Vicki had robbed him of it. She could hate herself and punish herself for them dying, but that meant punishing Vicki was left to his sister. That was justice to Maya.

Avoiding her eyes looking out to the crowd he said, "She did what she always talked about and ran away. We all knew she'd do it someday." Given what he believed happened Maya didn't know how to feel about his answer. If anything it was fair, neutral even. But was it real?

"Is that all," Maya pushed and in an instant she knew she'd crossed a line by how he snapped his head towards her.

"What do you care? You didn't even like her," Tyler snapped at her gaining some attention from the crowd. There he was, the Tyler she knew better than anyone. She hadn't even flinched like the others around her had. The version she wondered if his father would be proud of, or horrified of. After all he was the spitting image of him in moments like him. It often made Maya wonder if she looked like a young Carol Lockwood. No one knew what her name used to be before they married. After they married she was only ever Carol Lockwood.

Instead of leaving like a piece of her knew to, Maya reached for his arm, "I don't but you--"

This only enraged him more, "You haven't cared about me for months! You were too wrapped up in yourself."

Wrapped up in herself? Those words like a snap of fingers made her see red. One second she was asking him if he was okay the next her breath was quickening as she began to shout, "Fuck you!" And there she was Tyler thought bitterly. The version of Maya he known better than anyone. The quick to shouting, throwing things, and leaving. Her favorite thing to do was leave. "I wasn't wrapped up in myself Tyler, my parents are fucking dead! I know you wish your dad was dead but I didn't! Maybe he wasn't great or innocent but he was my dad! He saved my life...I was wrapped up in remembering him punching at glass before I thought I died! So fuck you!"

How far had the two of them fallen? Once on the track to childhood loves to lifetime sweethearts and whom the other would rot in the ground beside now was whom they screamed at most.

"And you forgot about everyone else who was alive," a shouted truth no one had dared to utter in such a callous matter.

Had words ever been responsible for such sorrow in someone? Maya didn't know. Silence fell over the party luckily still in its early arrival stages, Caroline wasn't even there yet. Not that she wanted her to bare witness to this. "No, I just forgot about the fucker that was supposed to drive me home instead of my dad was but too drunk and busy cheating to do it," those had been the unspoken words Tyler knew were lying in wait within her. She held off saying them longer than he thought -- it also hurt more than he imagined it would.

Suddenly the music had begun to loudly play again just before Stefan stood between them looking to Maya, "Everything good here?"

In an instant Maya had wiped her tears away not wanting him to see the result of the conversation. "We were talking," Tyler tried once more.

"No, we were just finishing," Maya insisted using the timing to walk away knowing with Stefan there and their own track record Tyler would think twice before following suit. There was some truth to her forgetting about everyone else, but how could she not? She was trying but she wasn't sure if she could ever be that girl he had known and loved again, or that he would get over her dying on him. In that regard she couldn't hate him, he had loved that girl more than anyone.

It wasn't much longer before she felt Stefan's hand on the back on her shoulder asking, "Are you okay?"

Gesturing over to where she once stood across the restaurant she replied, "You heard it didn't you?" The tight lipped smile told her the answer. "I didn't want to say that to him, but he just.. pushes my buttons like no other. I don't blame him anymore than I blame myself, not anymore anyways. I just--" Trying to form words made her want to scream because she just couldn't form the right ones.

Seeing her frustration as she gnawed on her lip and clenched her fist in her pause Stefan tried, "Hey, I get it. It's a lot. You two have history and sometimes that just...complicates everything more than it would if he were a stranger or a simple friend. He was much more than that for you."

Maya could see Tyler disappearing to the pool tables where Matt waved his hand assuring he'd keep him away. With her attention subtly returned to Stefan she said, "I don't think he and I will ever be okay again..."

Shaking his head the vampire insisted, "You don't know that. Time changes people and things, just give the two of you time." Maya appreciated the belief but she had so much doubt she couldn't see through to his imagination.

Instead of arguing with it, she asked, "Why are you here?" Hearing the question out loud coming out more sharply than she meant for it to. She didn't mean to insinuate anything however Stefan didn't seem like to type to enjoy parties, let alone ones he hardly knew people at.

Stefan's whole body went somewhat stiff as he admitted, "Well, it's -- it's my birthday and my friend wanted to go out."

The blonde, Maya instantly thought. "Oh, right, the blonde towel girl," Maya remarked pointedly.

Stefan didn't seem to understand her for a moment before the image of Lexi running into his room with the photo in hand replayed in his mind. He didn't mean to, but instantly a laugh escaped his lips. A real one. "No, no. Lexi is the furthest thing from that kind of friend," he insisted pointing down to the dance floor at the blonde dawned in black twirling amongst the crowd of people. Her long blonde hair was effortlessly flowing in a way a princess in a movie often seemed to move like. She didn't think anyone could be lucky enough to have real hair like that, yet there she danced. While her attention was still turned he added, "She came to visit for my birthday."

His words snapped her heads towards him her face twisted with guilt, "I didn't know," she admitted her chin dipping in towards her chest. "Happy birthday," Maya added her eyes giving way to the question that was most curious to her. With a lowered voice she asked, "So are you 120..140 I'm not sure of the math on how long ago the 1860's were."

The corners of Stefan's mouth tugged up to a smile, "162." The whistle that escaped her lips urged him to reply, "Alright no need to be mean about it."

Holding up her hands Maya teased, "Actually there's every reason to be mean. Should I even be friends with someone so old?" The brunette tapped her almond red nails against her mouth, "Matter of fact, should I be calling you a cab? Someone your age can't be trusted to find his way home -- might forget who you are one day Stefan."

Nodding along Stefan replied, "Best part about that will be forgetting you."

Her mouth fell open, "I know you don't mean that Salvatore," she returned crossing her arms.

"After that I kinda do," he said neither of noticing how Damon had begun to close in on the pair. From the moment he walked in he couldn't help but zero in on them, he had to once he Stefan's joy he had to. 

His voice was high and joyous as Damon announced himself by saying, "Stefan smiles, alert the media!" Their heads snapped in his direction both of their grins fading almost instantaneously making the older brothers grin only grow. 

Scowling so deeply one may believe she could actually harm him with a simple stare, "Being related you is all the reason needed to never smile again."

Starring to his brother he remarked, "She's so quickly defensive of you. Kind of like the first one no?" The mention of who Maya assumed had to be either Katherine or Samara had stiffened Stefan's jaw. 

Rolling her eyes Maya sighed, "It's certainly something you've forgotten how to do."

"I've done it longer than you," tried the Salvatore hos height looming over her.

"And I revert back to my original statement -- you've forgotten," Maya replied never once pretending she had known Stefan longer than his brother. Having the storm for the evening robbed from her, the brunette looked to Stefan telling him, "I can't stay. I'll make it up to you, happy birthday, Stefan."

As much as he wanted her to stay, Stefan wouldn't force her to when he knew what had happened to her all day. Fighting with Elena, Tyler, pretending to be a happy waitress all day, then seeing the person she hated most was enough to just exhaust her. Instead he nodded watching her make her way out not without shooting another look at Damon as she left. She was just taking her keys out of her bag when she heard, "May! May wait up, please!"

She sped up not wanting another round of them, but he was fairly fast for a girl only walking. Cutting her off by standing in her path he pleaded, "Please I needed to tell you--"

Maya interjected him holding up her hand, "Tell me what Tyler? I feel like you were pretty clear back there."

She attempted to walk around him only to have him grab her upper arm to pull her back, "No, I wasn't." When she snatched her arm from him he held up his hands to say, "I needed you to know, you were right." His words relaxed her shoulders as she waited for him to finish, "I was supposed to be your ride home and what I realized what it cost you I couldn't handle it. After I saw what the accident did to you I couldn't help but know I did it to you." Maya couldn't look at him, if she had her eyes might have betrayed her. "I hate my dad, but you didn't always hate yours. Same thing with your mom, you loved them. You loved them and I took them from you--"

"No you didn't," Maya finally admitted not to him, but herself. When her chin lifted up from the ground tears were fighting to spill but she wouldn't allow them to fall. Her words stole all breath from his lungs, they were too good to be true but nevertheless she'd said them. "I called them. I left to be with you when I was grounded. I blamed you...because it was easier than blaming myself. I did turn away from the living, you were right. But I did it because for y-years I thought I was this messy, horrid, angry thing but my parents? They said I wasn't all darkness. Yet me? Their precious daughter -- I called them to get me because I was too drunk and pissed at you to get home alone. My dad was yelling at me when he--"

Tyler didn't allow her to finish, instead he pulled her into his embrace. With most others she would've shoved them back, the vulnerability would have been too much. However she had craved his embrace more than she had ever wanted to admit since they had died. "I Killed them, Ty, not you. It was me, it was me!"

Rubbing her head muffling her cries Tyler repeated, "Nobody killed them, it was an accident. It was a horrible accident." Maya had prayed they accident had taken her for months. Pleaded with gods for the water to return to her lungs, she'd gone as far as allowing herself to nearly drown under her bathwater. Each time she had been alone, expect for that night. That night Tyler, for all his faults, was there when she needed him.