The Mystic Falls High School football team had a reputation for losing. Week after week, year after year, the team was beat in ruthless competition. It had been at least a decade since they'd made it to the playoffs, and even longer since they were crowned as champions, yet school spirit hadn't dwindled.
Abigail put on a brave face as she took back her place as an officer on the Student Council, going through the motions as she planned spirit week. Everything around her moved faster than she could see it as they hung posters and good luck banners across town, so on Thursday morning when Bonnie looked at Elena and said, "I'm not saying don't date the guy. I'm just saying take it slow." Abigail was inclined to agree.
"You were the one who said to go for it." Elena turned to Abigail. "And you haven't said a word."
Bonnie didn't take her eyes off of the sidewalk. "Now I'm saying take it slow."
"Why the about-face?" Elana asked.
"It's not an about-face." Bonnie stopped in her tracks. "You're single for the first time in your entire high school career. It's the perfect time to play the field."
"Oh," Abigail chimed in, "because she's so that girl."
Elena let herself laugh. "Seriously, what are you not saying?"
Bonnie shook her head, casting her eyes to the pavement. "It's stupid."
"Just spit it out," Elena prompted.
"I accidentally touched Stefan." Bonnie looked up at Elena. "And I got a really bad feeling."
Skeptically, Abigail asked, "Is this the whole witch mojo thing again?"
Bonnie rolled her eyes, pushing past her without a word.
"Bonnie, wait!"
"It was bad, bad!" Bonnie spun around, clutching to the strap of her bag with one hand. "And you know what? I'm just concerned. This is me expressing concern about my best friend's new boyfriend."
"And I love you for it, I do, but I feel good." Elena meant it, it was actually easy to tell. "It's been a hard year, and I'm starting to kind of feel like things are getting back to normal again. And you know what? Stefan is a big part of that."
He appeared at her side with a smile. "Good morning!"
"Hey." Bonnie was already taking a step away from them. "Um, I gotta find Caroline. She's not answering her phone. I'll see you guys later."
Stefan's voice pulled Abigail's attention back to them with, "She doesn't like me very much."
"She's my best friend. She's just looking out for me." Elena sighed. "She doesn't know you, but when she does, she will love you. So, here's what we're going to do. Are you free tonight?"
He thought for a moment. "Yes."
"Perfect. Dinner, our house. Eight o'clock." It sounded like she already had it planned, and she probably did. "We will spend some quality time together and she'll get to see what a great guy you are. Mission accomplished."
A football was flying toward them before Abigail even realized it, but Stefan caught it as if it were thrown right to him. He smirked as he threw it back across the school's front lawn to Tyler, sparking questions as to if he was the one who could put an end to the football team's losing streak. By the time they settled into class, the consensus seemed to have been made.
"World War II ended in..." The silence was painful as Tanner waited for someone, anyone, to answer the question that followed his lecture. "Anyone got anything? Three, two-"
"1945," Abigail called out. "It was 1945."
"Pearl Harbor?" He searched the class for someone to call on, settling on one of the two very distracted students in the room. "Miss Elena Gilbert? Pearl Harbor?"
Stefan's voice sounded, "December 7, 1941."
"Thank you," Tanner droned. "Miss Elena Gilbert."
"Anytime."
"Very well. The fall of the Berlin Wall?"
"1989. I'm good with dates, sir."
"Are you? How good?" He leaned against his desk, crossing his arms over his chest. "Keep it to the year. Civil Rights Act."
"1964."
"John F. Kennedy assassination."
"1963."
"Martin Luther King."
"'68."
Tanner had become frantic, his eyes trained on Stefan in a menacing glare. "Lincoln."
"1865."
"Roe vs. Wade."
"1973."
"Brown vs. Board."
"1954."
"The Battle of Gettysburg."
More confident than before, Stefan said, "1863."
"Korean war."
"1950 to 1953."
"Ha!" Tanner couldn't contain himself. "It ended in '52!"
"Uh, actually, sir, it was '53."
"Look it up, somebody." The sound of rustling pages filled the room as the whole class took to their books. "Quickly!"
"It was 1953," Abigail said. "I don't have to look it up."
Tanner looked at her with the same angry eyes he'd used on Stefan. "Somebody find it."
A few seconds later, someone in the back of the classroom said, "It was 19...53."
When Abigail looked over the shocked faces in the class, only one was looking back at her. Stefan's eyes bore into hers, asking a silent question. It was like she knew something about him, something he didn't want anyone else to know, but nothing came to mind.
Abigail stood at the kitchen island with Bonnie and Elena attempting to make the take out they got for their dinner with Stefan look more presentable. She knew the efforts wouldn't get them very far, yet she encouraged them. It was better than what they could have made; much better.
"You explain it," Bonnie started, "Last night, I'm watching Nine-o, a commercial break comes on and I'm like, I bet it's that phone commercial. And sure enough, it's that guy and the girl with the bench, he flies to Paris and he flies back. They take a picture."
Abigail scoffed. "That commercial's on a constant loop."
"Fine," Bonnie sighed. "Well, how about this? Today I'm obsessed with numbers. Three numbers. I keep seeing eight, fourteen, and twenty-two. How weird is that?"
"Maybe we should play the lottery, you-"
"Have you talked to your Grams?" Elena cut her off with a question.
"No, Elena, I haven't. Because she's just gonna say I'm a witch. I don't want to be a witch." Bonnie looked between them. "Do you want to be a witch?"
Elena's answer was fast, "I don't want to be a witch."
"No, thank you." The last of the food made it into one of the bowls they only used on Thanksgiving. "Putting it in a nice bowl isn't fooling anybody."
Elena ignored Abigail, opening and closing several drawers without taking anything out. "Serving spoons... Where are the serving spoons?"
Bonnie was the one to answer, "Middle drawer on your left."
Elena dropped the spoons on the countertop. "You've been in this kitchen like a thousand times."
Nodding slowly, Bonnie reluctantly agreed, "Yeah, that's it."
The doorbell rang throughout the otherwise quiet house. "Okay, he's here. Don't be nervous."
"Okay, Abigail," Bonnie sighed. "Birthday candles."
Slowly, she opened a cabinet, took something into her hand, and held up a small, forgotten pack of birthday candles.
Dinner conversation did not come easily. There had been too much said away from the table, to say anything at the table. And that kind of silence, that kind of silence is hard to break.
"Did Tanner give you a hard time at tryouts?" Abigail asked.
Stefan shrugged. "Well, he let me on the team, so I must have done something right."
"I've never seen him as mad as he was today." She sank into her chair. "And now... Well, now, he's never going to let you live it down."
Elena looked toward Bonnie. "Why don't you tell Stefan about your family?"
Bonnie was tense, Abigail realized, so tense her voice did not sound like her own as she said, "Um, divorced. No mom. Live with my dad."
"No, about the witches!" Elena laughed. "Bonnie's family has a lineage of witches. It's really cool."
"Cool isn't the word I'd use."
"Well, it's certainly interesting," Stefan said. "I'm not too versed, but I do know that there's a history of Celtic druids that migrated here in the 1800s."
"Well..." A soft smile fell onto Bonnie's face. "My family came by way of Salem."
"Really? Salem witches? I would say that's pretty cool." He smiled encouragingly, like he wanted her smile to become full. "Salem witches are heroic examples of individualism and nonconformity."
Bonnie's smile grew. "Yeah, they are."
The doorbell rang again, giving Abigail an escape from the table. She opened the door, surprised to see a couple standing on the other side. Caroline was smiling, wearing a scarf Abigail had never seen, with her arm wrapped around a man she had never met. He was obviously older than them, had dark hair and light eyes, was dressed head to toe in black, and more familiar looking than Abigail would have liked to admit.
It wasn't until he waved at her that she saw the same big, blue stone ring that Stefan had. And she knew then who he was: Stefan's estranged brother, Damon.
"Surprise!" Caroline yelled, drawing the rest of their guests to the entryway. "Bonnie said you were doing dinner, so we brought dessert."
Damon raised a brow. "Hope you don't mind."
From behind her, Stefan asked, "What are you doing here?"
Damon smirked. "Waiting for Abigail to invite me in."
"Oh, yeah, sorry." She moved out of the doorway. "You can-"
"No, no, no." Stefan cut her off. "He can't, uh, he can't stay. Can you, Damon?"
Caroline motioned for him to join them from next to Bonnie. "Get in here!"
Stefan pushed to the front of the group. "We're just finishing up."
"It's fine, Stefan." Elena laughed. "Damon, just come on in."
Caroline seemed more talkative than normal, harsher than normal, as they gathered in the living room after dessert. She shared a slightly oversized armchair with Damon, his arm around her and her hand on his knee. Stefan and Elena sat on the couch, his arm around her as she sipped coffee. Abigail sat on the couch, too, right next to her sister with furrowed eyebrows. Bonnie, however, stood.
"I cannot believe that Coach Tanner let you on the team," Caroline went on. "Tyler must be seething, but good for you. Go for it."
"That's what I always tell him. You have to engage. You can't just sit there and wait for life to come to you," Damon said. "You have to go get it."
"Yeah, Elena wasn't so lucky today. It's only because you missed summer camp. God, I don't know how you're ever going to learn the routines." Caroline turned toward her. "I guess we can always put you in the back."
Abigail jumped to her sister's defense, "If you actually cared as much you say you do, you would help her."
"You know, you don't seem like the cheerleader type, Elena." Damon leaned forward in his seat. "And you, Abigail, don't seem like the type to say something like that."
"Oh, it's just 'cause their parents died," Caroline quipped. "Yeah, I mean, she's just totally going through a blah phase. She used to be way more fun."
"Which one?"
"Both of them, really." Caroline's expression fell only slightly. "And I say that with complete sensitivity."
Abigail's chest tightened as her thoughts picked up their pace. She could decipher them, each laced with emotions that contradicted each other. There was no deciphering them.
Her hands shook, fighting against the fist she made. She blinked rapidly, tears burning her eyes. Her chest heaved, resisting the way she breathed.
The room stilled, and then she wasn't there at all.
"I'm sorry," Damon said. "I know what it's like to lose both your parents. In fact, Stefan and I have watched almost every single person we've ever cared about die."
Stefan slowly said, "We don't need to get into that right now, Damon."
"Oh, you're right, Stef. I'm sorry." He shook his head. "The last thing I wanted to do was bring her up."
Abigail and Elena did the dishes in silence. They wouldn't say anything to each other, not until they were alone. And even though that was what they had always done, it didn't seem like the right thing to do anymore.
Damon entered the kitchen, holding up a glass. "One more."
"Oh, thank you." Abigail took the glass from him, but it slipped out of her grasp almost immediately; however, he caught it before it could hit the ground. "Nice save."
"Quick reflexes." He took a few short steps toward Elena. "I like you. You make Stefan smile, which is something I haven't seen in a very long time."
"Earlier, did you mean Katherine?"
Abigail placed the name quickly, Stefan's ex-girlfriend.
Damon quickly looked to the floor, appearing vulnerable for the first time since they met him. "Mm-hmm."
Elena shifted her weight from one leg to another. "How did she die?"
"In a fire," he said slowly. "A tragic fire."
"Recently?"
"It seems like it was yesterday."
Abigail grew uncomfortable as Elena, unable to hold back her curiosity, asked another question, "What was she like?"
"She was beautiful. A lot like you in that department." He smiled sadly. "She was also very complicated and selfish and at times not very kind, but very sexy and seductive."
Another, "So, which one of you dated her first?"
"Nicely deduced. Ask Stefan. I'm sure his answer differs from mine." His guard was back up but as he turned to leave, he looked over his shoulder. "I'd quit cheerleading if I were you."
And another, "Why do you say that?"
"Oh, I saw you at practice. You looked miserable." When she didn't respond, he asked, "Am I wrong?"
"I used to love it. It was fun." She shrugged. "Things are different this year. Everything that used to matter doesn't anymore."
"So, don't let it." He sounded so sure of the answer, like it was right in front of them. "Quit, move on. Problem solved. Ta-da."
It was Abigail who said, "Some things could matter again."
He took in her broken expression without mercy. "That seems a little unrealistic to me."
Game day was the same as it had always been, a riled up crowd making it impossible not to join in the cheers and boos. There was still something looming in the background like a predator in the night. Abigail waited for it to attack, to take her down with it before the game even started, but with Elena by her side, she felt like she could fight it a little longer.
"We've got some great new talent tonight starting on the offense, and I'm gonna tell you right now, it has been a long time since I have seen a kid like this with hands like these. Let's give it up for Stefan Salvatore!" The crowd roared. "I have only one thing to say to you: Your Timberwolves are hungry. And the Central High Lions are what's for dinner!"
They followed the last of the crowd toward the stands. "Are you okay?"
Abigail nodded, just then noticing the antique necklace gracing her sister's neck. "Wow. Where did you get that?"
Elena took the silver talisman into her hand. "Stefan gave it to me, he said he has never wanted to give it to anyone until now."
"So, this is getting serious?"
"I think so."
Spirit filled yells were a given, but the tone of the ones that pulled their attention to the bottom of the bleachers were filled with rage. A crowd had already formed around the scene, blocking the view of the fist fight that had begun. They peeked through their classmates, making out Stefan, Tyler, and Jeremy.
Tyler staggered backwards. Jeremy swung a broken bottle at him. He ducked just in time, but Stefan, the only person doing anything to break up the fight, was slashed across the palm of his hand.
"What the hell!" They rushed toward the scene, pushing their way to the front of the crowd. "Jeremy!"
"Put your head up, you're bleeding. A lot." Abigail searched for the source of Jeremy's bleeding, but she quickly realized it wasn't coming from any one place. "Are you okay?"
He struggled against her. "I'm fine!"
She took a step back as Elena took a step forward. "Yeah, you smell fine."
"Just stop, okay?"
Abigail watched Jeremy walk away, catching sight of Matt as he ushered Tyler down the dimly lit path to the locker room. She was angry with him. More angry with him than she could ever remember, but when she saw Vicki, standing just around the corner with a hand resting against the bandage on her neck, her shoulders slumped. And then she remembered to check on the other person involved in the fight.
"Oh, my God. Stefan, your hand." Abigail turned back to them. "Is it okay?"
There was blood on his hand, yet his skin was unbroken. "Yeah. It's fine."
"But I-I saw it." She blinked rapidly, giving her eyes a test they passed. "It was-"
"He missed." He wiped his hand on his pant leg. "It's not my blood. See? I'm fine."
Elena shook her head. "No, no. I saw it, too."
"The glass cut your hand. It was-"
"It's okay. I'm okay." He gave them half of a smile. "It's almost kick-off time, all right? So, um, I'll, uh, I'll see you guys after the game."
Bonnie skipped into Abigail's view by the concession stand. Bonnie's smile was bright, her pompoms reflected the lights, and the way she called her name was lively. But she was so heavy.
"Bonnie!" She froze. "Bonnie!"
"Abigail!" Bonnie stopped right in front of her. "Hey!"
She swallowed hard, but the lump in her throat remained whole. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Of course!" Bonnie's smile faltered. "What is it?"
"When you touched Stefan and you had that..." She scratched the side of her neck. "Reaction?"
"Forget I said that." Bonnie raised her hands, pom poms shaking. "It's-"
"No, Bonnie, seriously." She grabbed onto Bonnie's shoulders. "What was it?"
"It wasn't clear like a picture. Like today, I keep seeing those same numbers I told you about..." She waited for a group of freshmen to pass them. "Eight, fourteen, twenty-two."
"Yeah?"
"When I touched Stefan, it was a feeling. And it vibrated through me, and it was cold, and it..."
"And what?"
"It was death," she said slowly. "It's what I imagine death to be like."
The world around them went silent.
"Somebody help!"
Abigail identified her parents' bodies at the morgue the night they died. It was the worst moment of her life, one she would never forget. So, when she caught sight of Tanner's motionless body on the ground in a small pool of blood, she knew he was dead.
They stood frozen as the police arrived, unable to peel their eyes from the scene. Bonnie's face was twisted up in fear, and as her grip on Abigail's arm tightened, she knew why. Building number eight. The license plate of a car, FHT 14. The parking spot where Tanner's body had been, twenty-two.
Eight. Fourteen. Twenty-two.