You Are My Life

Back to School Party

For the next two days, all Mallorie could think about was Damon. He haunted her dreams. She'd daydream about him in class. She even caught herself doodling his name in the middle of a lecture. All she wanted was for the weekend to come so she could forget the Salvatores even existed.

"You're coming to the party tonight, right?" Caroline's voice caused Mallorie to jump.

"Holy crap, Caroline." Mallorie clutched her chest. "I gotta put a bell on you."

"Well?" Caroline asked as she opened her locker.

"I don't know. I've been kind of stressed this week. I just want to go home and take a bath. Fall asleep reading a good book..."

"BORING!" Caroline rolled her eyes. "Since when are you my grandma? You're coming to the party. I'll pick you up at six."

"Isn't the party at seven?" Mallorie asked.

"Yeah, but I gotta help set up." Caroline shut her locker. "Do you need a ride home?"

"No, I think I'm going to walk today." Mallorie shoved one last book into her bag. "I need to clear my head."

"You sure?" Caroline asked.

"Yeah, see you at six." Mallorie smiled.

"Wear that top we got a few weeks ago," Caroline said as she walked out the main entrance.

Mallorie giggled as she shut her locker and walked toward the door. Her walk home was peaceful until she got about fifty feet from her driveway.

A caw from a crow caught her attention. Up on the street lamp sat the dark bird.

"You're kinda creepy." Mallorie took a step toward it.

The bird looked right at her and cawed louder. Mallorie jumped. The bird flew toward her house. As she watched it, Mallorie realized a fog was beginning to spread across the road. She dashed into the murky air and prayed she wouldn't miss her driveway.

She stuck to the right side of the road and waited for the gravel to appear. When she was steps away from it, the crow cawed again. The sound seemed to echo in the trees. Mallorie didn't look up until she was inside her house.

With a thumping heart and sweaty palms, Mallorie leaned against the front door. She gasped for air.

"What...the hell...was that?" She asked. "It was all coincidence, right?"

She shook her head and walked up to her room. With the few hours between school and the party, Mallorie finished some homework and read a few pages of the book she was in the middle of. Around five, she began freshening up. When she returned to her room to change, a loud thump at the window startled her.

Mallorie cautiously looked out to the roof. Sitting on the edge of one of the peaks was a crow. It rustled its feathers and started cleaning itself. Mallorie gasped as it locked eyes with her again.

She ripped open the window. "Quit following me ya stupid bird!"

The bird cawed one last time as it flew away. Mallorie watched it fly a little west then dive down into the trees. A horn honk ripped her from her thoughts.

"Let's go, Mal!" Caroline shouted.

Mallorie grabbed her bag and raced downstairs.

"Where are you going?" Her foster mom asked.

"Out. Be back sometime." With that, Mallorie ran to Caroline's car and jumped in the passenger side.

"Ready to have some fun?" Caroline asked.