Waking up this morning, I promised myself that this year will be different. This year is bringing something new, learning to trust and learn to be okay. I will not be the sad girl who lost her parents and was abused by her ex-boyfriend. This is my year to move on now that I am a survivor.
I get out of bed and go through the bathroom shared by my twin sister and me to take a shower. Once getting out, wrapped in a towel and brushed my teeth. I went to choose an outfit.
Walking into the kitchen, I hear Aunt Jenna "Toast. I can make toast."
I and Elena both said at the same time, "it's all about the coffee, Aunt Jenna."
Jeremy walks in behind me, asking, "is their coffee?"
As Aunt Jenna walked around getting her stuff together for her big presentation, while we were drinking our coffee, she was trying to make sure we were good. Elena reassured her we were going to be okay. Jenna leaves since she was going to be late.
Elena looks at me and Jeremy. "Are you both okay?" I simply nodded at her as Jer rolled his eyes and said, "don't start."
~~
Bonnie came to pick up both me and Elena to go to school. Elena rode shotgun while I was in the backseat. Bonnie explained how she could be psychic. "So Grams is telling me I'm psychic. Our ancestors were from Salem, witches and all that, I know, crazy, but she's going on and on about it, and I'm like, put this woman in a home already! But then I started thinking, I predicted Obama, and I predicted Heath Ledger, and I still think Florida will break off and turn into little resort islands... Elena! Ruby! Back in the car." Elena and I both looked at each other. Elena completely zoned out while I was listening, but was not responsive.
Elena and I spoke up at the same time. "We did it again, didn't we? We're sorry, Bonnie." Elena continued. "You were telling us that..."
"That I'm psychic now." Bonnie finishes.
"Right. Ok, then predict something. About me." Elena questioned.
"I see-" a bird hitting her windshield and her car drifting cut Bonnie off. "What was that?! Oh, my god! Elena, Ruby, are you both ok?"
"It's ok. We're fine." Elena and I assured Bonnie at the same time, trying to catch our breath.
"It was like a bird or something. It came out of nowhere." Bonnie tried to explain.
"Really, we can't be freaked out by cars for the rest of our lives," Elena explained for both me and her.
Bonnie exhaled and looked at both of us, continuing with her prediction, "I predict this year is going to be kick-ass. And I predict all the sad and dark times are over and you both are going to be beyond happy."
Once Bonnie gave us her speech, we continued our journey to school.
~~
I, Bonnie, and Elena are walking, as Bonnie exemplified, "major lack of male real estate. Look at the shower curtain on Kelly Beach. She looks a hot- can I still say 'Tranny mess'?"
"No, that's over." Elena joked as we got to Bonnie's locker.
"Ahh, find a man, coin a phrase. It's a busy year." Bonnie said as she was opening her locker, then both I and her looked at her before looking past Elena at Matt. Elena turned around and attempted to wave at him, yet he ignored her.
Elena sighed before saying, "he hates me."
"That not hate. That's 'you dumped me, but I'm too cool to show it, but I'm listening to air supply's greatest hits." Bonnie said bluntly, causing me to burst into laughter.
"Elena, Ruby. Oh, my god." Caroline expresses as she pulls both me and Elena in a hug. "How are both of you? Oh, it's so good to see you. How are they? Are they good?"
I answered for both me and Elena since I hated when people acted like we couldn't answer for ourselves. "Caroline, we're right here. And we're fine. Thank you."
"Really?" Care asked as if she didn't believe me.
"Yes. Much better." Elena assured her.
"Oh, you poor things," Caroline said, pulling us into another bone-crushing hug and then walked away after saying she was going to see us later.
We both looked at Bonnie, saying, "no comment."
"I'm not going to say anything," Bonnie replied as we walked away.
~~
"Hold up. Who's this?" Bonnie stopped us while, looking into the school office.
"All I see is back," Elena replied.
"It's a hot back." Bonnie retaliate. "I'm sensing, and he plays the guitar."
I scoff, replying with, "you're really going to run this whole psychic thing into the ground, huh?"
"Pretty much," Bonnie said, shrugging her shoulders.
Elena and I look up when we hear someone say, "Jeremy, good batch, man." Seeing our brother walk into the men's bathroom.
"We'll be right back," I and Elena tell Bonnie as we walk away, going into the men's bathroom after our brother.
When we walk in, I almost run into one boy walking out as Elena grabs Jeremy's face to check if he's high.
"Great. It's the first day of school, and you're stoned." Elena says aggravated
"No, I'm not," Jer tells us lying.
"Where is it? Is it on you?" Elena says as I walk up to search his pockets for anything.
"Stop, all right?! You both need to chill yourselves, all right?" Jeremy tells us pissed off.
"Chill ourselves? What is that, stoner talk? Dude, you are so cool." I said, clearly just as pissed off.
"Look, stop! I don't have anything on me. Are you two crazy?" Jer yells at us as we continue to search his pockets.
"You haven't seen crazy, Jeremy! We gave you a summer pass, which you should be grateful for, but we are done watching you destroy yourself." I said with the same tone he gave us, and then he tried to walk away, but I pushed him back down, not finished with him. "No, no, no, you know what? Go ahead. Keep it up. But just know that we are going to be there to ruin your buzz every time, you got that?" I threatened him.
"Jeremy, we know who you are. And it's not this person. So don't be this person." Elena tried with him.
"I don't need this," Jer told us as he walks away, leaving us alone in the men's bathroom.
I turned to Elena and told her, "I am so not done with him as soon as we get home he better watch out because he's going to shut up and listen to what I have to say or today is the day he will meet crazy." And with that, I walked out, going to find Bonnie.
I walked past the new guy as I was walking towards Bonnie, and may I say he was smoking hot, but just not my type.
~~
"Once our home state of Virginia joined the confederacy in 1861, it created a tremendous amount of tension within the state. People in Virginia's northwest region had different ideals than those from the traditional deep south. Then Virginia divided in 1863 with the northwest region joining the union." Mr. Tanner explained, thou not like I was listening when writing a song that I will never sing is more important.
~~
Elena went to the cemetery to write in her diary as I went home to finish what started at school before heading to work at the grill. I always wanted to make a way for myself.
~~
"Hey Vic, what tables are there?" I asked as soon I get in. As she told me I got straight to work, not worried about who I see.
As I see my sister walk in with the new guy, she waves me over. "Umm, Ruby Stefan Salvatore, Stefan my twin sister Ruby." We shook hands, and they went to the table with Bonnie and Caroline.
~~
"The Battle of Willow Creek took place right at the end of the war in our very own Mystic Falls. How many casualties resulted in this battle? Ms. Bennett?" Mr. tanner asked Bonnie.
"Umm... A lot? I'm not sure. Like a whole lot." Bonnie answered.
"Cute becomes dumb in an instant, Ms. Bennett. Mr. Donovan? Would you like to take this opportunity to overcome your embedded jock stereotype?" Mr. Tanner tried.
"It's okay, Mr. Tanner, I'm cool with it." Matt expressed trying to be cool.
"Hmm. Elena? Surely you can enlighten us about one of the town's most significantly historical events?" Mr. Tanner asked now being a smartass.
"I'm sorry, I-I don't know," Elena confessed.
"I was willing to be lenient last year for obvious reasons, Elena. But the personal excuses ended with summer break." Mr. Tanner resorted. Before I could step up for my sister, Stefan spoke up.
"There were 346 casualties. Unless you're counting local civilians."
"That's correct. Mister...?" Mr. Tanner questioned Stefan, not knowing who he is.
"Salvatore," Stefan replied
"Salvatore. Any relation to the original settlers here at Mystic Falls?" Questioned Stefan again now interested in him.
"Distant." Stefan simply replied.
"Well, very good. Except, of course, there were no civilian casualties in this battle." Mr. Tanner tried to say as if Stefan was wrong.
"Actually, there were 27, sir. Confederate soldiers, they, fired on the church, believing it to be housing weapons. They were wrong. It was a night of great loss. The founder's archives are, uh, stored in civil hall if you'd like to brush up on your facts, Mr. Tanner." Stefan corrected him.
"Hmm." Mr. Tanner commented not impressed.
~~
After school, both I and Elena rushed upstairs to find an outfit for the bonfire. Elena wanted to wear a skirt, while I wanted to wear shorts. After completing Elena's look, I went to my room looking into my closet. Looking for shorts that go with my leather jacket.
~~
"Just admit it, Elena," Bonnie told her as I was smirking.
"Oh, ok, so he's a little pretty," Elena confessed causing me to smile at my sister.
"He has that romance novel stare." Bonnie expresses.
"Stefan looked deep into her eyes, piercing her very soul." I joked going with what Bonnie said.
"So where is he?" Bonnie questioned.
"I don't know. You tell me, you're the psychic one." Elena replied.
"You tell me he ditched my sister and I will go look for him just to kick his ass," I mumbled seriously.
"Right, I forgot. Ok, so give me a sec. Grams says I have to concentrate." Bonnie told Elena and me, but Elena stopped her coming up with something that might be useful.
"Wait, you need a crystal ball. Ahh. Ta-da," Elena says holding an empty beer bottle. When Bonnie touched the bottle, she had gotten this scared look and I was worried about her. "What?" Elena questioned her.
"That was weird. When I touched you, I saw a crow." Bonnie tells Elena seriously.
"What?" Both me and Elena questioned at the same time.
"A crow. There was fog, a man. I'm drunk. It's the drinking. There's nothing psychic about it. Yeah? Ok, I'm gonna get a refill." Bonnie explained as she walked away with the beer bottle Elena was holding.
Seeing Stefan I look towards my sister "I am going to take a walk and have fun." Before walking away I send my sister a wink.
Walking back I see my sister alone I start to go up to her as I see Jeremy walking into the woods drunk.
"Jeremy! Jeremy!" I and Elena yell for our brother as we walked into the woods after him.
"Jeremy, where the hell are you going?" Elena asked him as he kept walking away from us
"I don't want to hear it!" Jeremy yells at us.
"Yeah, well, too bad!" I yell back at him. He will not do this not tonight I am done with his bull. Jeremy trips onto someone.
"Vicki? No! Oh, my god, it's Vicki!" Jer tells us panicked.
"Oh, my god!" Elena and I say at the same time.
"No!" Jer yells and picks her up taking her out of the woods.
"Somebody help!" Elena yells making us known to others
"Vicki? Vicki, what the hell?!" Matt yells worried about his sister and runs up to us as Jer put Vicki on the nearest table.
"What happened to her?" Tyler asked worried about his girlfriend.
"Somebody, call an ambulance!" Matt begged, so his sister could get some help.
"Everybody back up, give her some space!" Tyler yelled so that we have to check out Vicki.
"It's her neck. Something bit her. She's losing a lot of blood." I tell them.
"Put this on her neck." Some guy gave me something, and I applied pressure to her wound to try to stop the bleeding.
"Vicki, Vicki, come on, open your eyes, look at me," Matt begged his sister, worried for her.
When the ambulance got here, they took Vicki, and Matt went with her. I just looked at my hands with Vicki's blood on them in a state of shock I didn't notice when Bonnie walked up to talk to Elena, I just looked at my hands it was all I could do. Hell, I didn't know when she walked away.
Elena took my hands and started to wipe the blood away, that's when I snapped out of my little trance. "Thanks." She looked at me and gave me a small smile, replying. "You were total badass back there." I took the towel my sister held and finished cleaning my hands.
We walked over to Jeremy who held a beer he was drinking and I took it from him taking a swig before giving it back to him. "You okay? I called Jenna, she's on her way. Those people in uniforms, last time I checked, they're the police. People are going to stop giving you breaks, Jer. They just don't care anymore. They don't remember that our parents are dead because they've got their own lives to deal with. The rest of the world has moved on. You should try, too." Elena tries to tell Jeremy.
"I've seen you in the cemetery writing in your diary. Is that- is that supposed to be you moving on? How about you Ruby you write songs you're never going to sing." Jer asked us.
"Mom and dad wouldn't have wanted this." I and Elena told him.
~~
Once getting home I changed into something comfortable and went to my desk trying to finish my song, but Jer's words still struck me. I know the actual way to move on is to talk instead of keeping everything bottled up, but there's always this part of me who wants everyone not to worry about me. Eventually, I can talk to someone about what happened in that room, but I can't.