RAVEN E. GILBERT was a force to be reckoned with.

When she was one, she took her first steps despite being told that a critical injury would permanently hinder her ability to walk.

When she was two, she ate an entire bowl of broccoli without a single complaint, and her mother even managed to throw in a few brussels sprouts.

When she was three, her mother got pregnant and gave birth to a baby boy named Jeremy. He soon became the obstacle to her reign, but certainly not the end of it.

When she was four, she accidentally locked herself in a storage closet. Her parents didn't find her until two hours later since they'd been tending to the child who stole her attention.

At five, she won her first participation trophy. At six, she earned second place in the school spelling bee. At seven, she befriended Bonnie Bennett and Caroline Forbes. At eight, she developed her first... but he purposefully rejected her in front of the entire school, so she broke his nose. That was the first time she'd been sent to the principal's office.

At nine, she stole a pair of earrings from the shopping mall because she thought they looked nice. The officers called her parents, and she was grounded for a month. That was just the beginning of what would be an extensive rap sheet.

By the time Raven was fourteen years old, she started high school and aced every class. When she was fifteen, she fell into the wrong crowd and was introduced to the twisted world of sex, drugs, alcohol, and peer pressure. But despite her flaws and addictions, she started to date the nice guy known as Matt Donovan. To the outside world, they were the perfect couple. But behind closed doors, they were a hurricane of issues.

And when she was sixteen...

When she was sixteen, the life she knew shattered to pieces.

Dear Diary,

I can't believe I still write in this thing. Today is the first day of 11th grade. Yay.

It's been about three months since the accident. Holly says that writing my thoughts and feelings may provide some sort of consolation, but all I feel is grief and guilt. I know I can never tell anyone what happened, and the secrecy is killing me inside. Maybe I deserve it.

For the first time since school ended, I'm going to see Bonnie and Caroline. I haven't spoken to either of them over the summer because I was in rehab. They don't know that. They don't know anything.

But after staying there for quite some time, I've learned to master the art of saying "I'm fine" and actually looking like I mean it.

But enough of that. Today is the day I put on yet another mask and hope no one is able to see right through it. Wish me luck.

Raven sighed. She closed her journal and tucked it under her pillow with her favorite pen. She hopped off the edge of her bed and reviewed herself in her vanity mirror.

Her dark hair was tied in a ponytail. Her red blouse showed enough of her boobs to elicit bullying, but not enough to get dress-coded by a dean. To be safe, Raven wore a white tank top underneath. Her jeans were the perfect fit: tight at the waist and baggy at the thighs.

It wasn't until Raven heard her Aunt Jenna blasting Taylor Swift music did she run downstairs, just in time to shout the lyrics "And I was crying on the staircase, begging you please don't go!" in unison with her favorite relative. Jenna looked at her, her eyes glistening as they screamed the rest of the song in an off-key manner that was sure to wake up any neighbors in a three-block radius.

When their performance was over, the two burst into giggles. Raven felt nostalgia hit her like a train as she reminisced the fun times she shared with her aunt and mother whenever Jenna would come to visit. They hadn't had fun like this in months, not since Raven's return home.

"Turn that garbage off!" Jeremy shouted, running down the steps as Here We Go came on next. Jenna tapped the stop button on her phone and Raven scoffed, rolling her eyes at her younger brother once she surveyed his outfit.

"Don't be a hater," She commented, walking over to the counter to pour herself a nice steaming cup of coffee. "You're just mad because Kearney's more emo than you---and he doesn't have to try so hard."

Jeremy rolled his eyes and looked at their aunt for backup. "Jenna, are you just gonna let her talk to me like that?"

She scoffed. "You just insulted Mat Kearney. Of course I am."

Raven laughed victoriously and looked to see Jeremy roll his eyes once again like the moody teenager he was, but she could've sworn she saw him fighting back a smile---the first one she'd seen since she'd gotten back. And though it was brief, it was their first real family moment.

"I made toast!" Jenna suddenly announced as Raven tasted her coffee and grimaced at the bitterness.

Bing! Two slices of scorched bread popped up. Jeremy wrinkled his nose at the smell.

Raven leaned her head slightly to the side, forcing herself not to laugh as she asked, "Is it supposed to be black?"

A disappointed crease formed in Jenna's forehead as she frowned and shook her head.

"No, it is not," She replied dryly. "It's your first day of school and I'm totally unprepared.

She gave her niece a look as if to say Go ahead and laugh. I dare you. But Raven, out of the narrow, lingering goodness of her heart, bit back her amusement and offered a reassuring smile.

"You're doing great, Jenna," She said encouragingly, wrinkling her nose as she got closer to her aunt's side. She picked up the inedible toast with her fingers and tossed it in the bin beside the counter. "I mean, raising two kids isn't exactly a cakewalk."

Jenna smiled. "And this is why you're my favorite niece."

"I'm your only niece."

"Exactly, which automatically makes you my favorite," Jenna reasoned. She held up a five-dollar bill. "Lunch money?"

Jeremy looked at Raven. She chuckled softly, shaking her head. "I'm good."

He took it and shoved it in his pocket. With her free hand, Jenna handed Raven a bottle of coffee creamer.

"Anything else?" Jenna asked, shoving her wallet into her purse. "A number two pencil?"

"Nope," Raven and Jeremy said in unison.

Jenna wasn't just her aunt---she was her legal guardian. As the sister of Miranda Gilbert, Raven's mother, it'd been her responsibility to step up and take the kids in. Otherwise, they would've ended up in the foster system under the care of whoever fate appointed.

But Jenna wasn't exactly a parent. At best, she was a college kid at heart, relatively young and looking to have a good time, so she was struggling with her new role as an almost-mother. But she still tried the best she could, and that was all that mattered.

"By the way, you're late to your presentation," Raven mentioned nonchalantly as she stirred sugar into her drink.

"No I'm-" Jenna started to say, frowning as she looked down at her wristwatch. "Crap! Will you be able to hold down the fort while I'm gone?"

"Of course," Raven replied and released the spoon. She could see Jenna's eyes hastily darting across the kitchen, muttering the words I'm late incessantly as if that'd somehow stop time. Her repetition of words was one of the many things she did whenever she was nervous or panicking, and lately, it happened more often than not.

So, to prevent inflating her stress levels, Raven refrained from saying Oh Jenna in that amused/sneering manner that everyone she'd ever come across was painfully used to. Instead, she picked up a ring of keys on the counter and extended them, not even looking up to see the relieved look on Jenna's face as she grabbed it.

"Thanks, I love you, have a good day at school!" Jenna shouted hurriedly as she dashed out, barely giving the teens time to process what she was saying. It seemed that since she took them in, she stopped prioritizing her own needs, granting her practically no time to process her grief or in this case, make it to work in good time on an important day.

"Good look with your presentation!" Raven yelled back just before the door slammed shut. She went back to stirring her sugar, and once she was satisfied, she turned to enjoy the coffee as the TV played in the background.

The most recent news about a missing couple named Darren Malloy and Brooke Fenton immediately grabbed her attention. Raven sat down at a stool by the table and turned up the volume.

"The sheriff's office do not suspect foul play at this time. In light of their deaths, police are asking anyone with new information to step up and call the number flashing on your screen," The reporter was saying as images of the pair were displayed on the screen. "Anything that may be deemed useful in this investigation will be heavily appreciated. Thank you."

"Damn," Raven mumbled as she brought the mug to her lips. The town of Mystic Falls wasn't an interesting place. It had an extremely low crime rate, and most misdemeanors were committed by intoxicated teenagers. Even accidental fires were a rarity. Animal attacks just didn't happen.

Deciding to avoid the perturbing thoughts that would undoubtedly resurface because of the tragic news, Raven finished her drink and started to think of happy things. Needless to say, she didn't get very far.

But as she went to go wash out her mug, she noticed Jeremy hunched over as he sipped his coffee, a troubled look in his baggy eyes. He hadn't slept. Of course, he hadn't slept. It was the first first day of school since their parents died. And though it didn't quite compare to the agony of holidays, it was an anniversary and therefore difficult to endure.

"Hey," Raven said, poking at him after she cleaned her dish and left it out to dry. "Mat Kearney wannabe, you good?"

Even though she knew the answer and how much the question annoyed him, she couldn't help but ask. Ever since their parents' death, he took on the appearance of a punk rock emo kid---and he had the black nail polish to prove it.

Jeremy lowered the mug and scoffed. "Don't start," He answered crabbily, reminding Raven why he needed his morning coffee. He was usually a lot meaner than this, but now he looked too exhausted to even try to hurt her feelings. Not that he could anyways...he seemed to think she didn't have any.

Raven opened her mouth to respond when a car honked outside. She flinched at the sudden noise and went to the kitchen window, peering outside to see a pale blue Toyota Prius hanging in the driveway.

Frowning, she let go of the blinds and turned back around. "Jeremy, there's someone in the driveway."

"Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you," He began, though the leveled tone of his voice let her know that wasn't the case. "I called Bonnie to pick you up. Since you don't have a car and you two haven't spoken all summer."

Raven raised an eyebrow. She wasn't mad, just...surprised. Much like her, Jeremy seemed too wrapped up in his own personal issues to give anyone else's a second thought. That's how things had been the past season, so the random act of kindness brought a smile to her lips.

Without saying a word, she pulled him into a hug. He flinched immediately and tried to back away, but his sister maintained a firm grasp.

"Woah, what are you doing?" He asked, eyeing her like she was about to go skinny dipping in front of the paparazzi.

"I'm hugging you," She replied simply. "I thought that was obvious."

Jeremy rolled his eyes but gave a weak attempt (if you could even call it that) at returning the gesture. Raven smiled with satisfactory. She and her brother weren't very affectionate. He had this unspoken law of hiding their vulnerability instead of shamelessly broadcasting his issues to the world. At least when alcohol and drugs weren't involved.

So, them doing something as simple yet meaningful as hugging was a rare, significant moment-

A moment that was interrupted by the car horn blasting in the driveway.

Raven laughed, recalling Bonnie's impatience when it came to her, and pulled apart from her brother before ruffling his hair just to irritate him. He scowled at her and slapped her hand away, eliciting yet another giggle from her.

"Don't leave the house too late," Raven instructed. Just like old times when her father had to rush to the clinic and her mother was too busy organizing some big charity event to send them off. She was driving him to school before she even got her permit.

Jeremy nodded, checking his reflection in the refrigerator door, and Raven rolled her eyes before walking out, hoping that he'd lock the door behind her.

Raven rushed to greet her best friend, the remarkable and irreplaceable Bonnie Bennett. She'd known Bonnie since childhood but they'd lost contact over the summer. And what lost contact really meant was that Raven suddenly stopped returning her calls. Then, an unexpected ghosting session soon blurred into a full-blown disappearing act with zero explanation.

But as far as bad blood went, there seemed to be none between the two. Raven was glad, although she suspected her other best friend might take a little longer to forgive her.

"So, how have you been?" Raven asked after they hugged, and she got settled inside the small car.

"Great," Bonnie replied as she pulled out of the driveway. "Caroline and I missed you."

Caroline Forbes, their other best friend that wasn't exactly the forgiving type, but was the missing third in their blissful friendship, as questionable as she could be.

"On a scale of one to ten, how mad was she?"

"Enraged. You should've seen the steam coming out of her ears---she looked like she was going to burn Godzilla to death. With her eyes."

Raven couldn't help but laugh at the thought of her petite blonde friend doing that. For some reason, the picture was unusually vivid in her mind, and she wondered for a moment if Caroline would actually commit given the chance. Probably.

"I'm sorry I didn't keep in touch over summer break," Raven said sincerely, knowing full well that an apology was in order. "I was sent to this place to find peace and thought it'd be easier to deal if I did it alone."

Raven wished Bonnie would've said something along the lines of You still could've at least had the decency to call, but instead she smiled reassuringly and the words that tumbled out of her mouth were, "Don't sweat it. I'm just glad you're okay."

Raven pursed her lips together, almost frustrated with her friend's understanding nature. She needed someone to be mad at her, to scream at her and tell her she was a horrible friend for ditching one of the few people that firmly stood by her side no matter how many times she screwed up. And what did she do? She abandoned them. No warning, no explanation. That called for some sort of repercussions.

"How's your Grams doing?" Raven asked coolly.

Don't think too much, don't quiet too long or they'll know. They'll know something's wrong, they'll find out what really happened. And then it will be all my fault.

"Glad you asked," Bonnie cheerfully responded, snapping her out of the invasive train of thoughts. "So Grams is telling me that I'm psychic. Our ancestors were from Salem, witches, and all that-"

"Wait, seriously?"

"Yeah!" Bonnie said energetically, grinning at the surprised look on her friend's face. "I know, crazy, but she's going on and on about it and I'm like- put this woman in a home already!"

Raven laughed as she watched Bonnie, who was unable to keep a straight face as she spoke dramatically. The only thing she was missing was a couple of hand gestures to add emphasis.

"But then I started thinking," She continued. "I predicted Obama and I predicted Heath Ledger, and I still think Florida will break off and turn into little resort islands."

"Yeah, but if that happens, the parts without water are probably going to turn into a series of mental institutions."

Perhaps you shouldn't be making jokes like that, seeing as you-

"Oh my god, you're right!" Bonnie agreed, laughing.

"So about this psychic thing. Think it could actually be true?"

"Totally."

"Let's test it," Raven suggested. She knew Bonnie didn't really believe she was psychic, but figured it was worth exploring. At least to her, it was.

"You want me to predict something?"

"Yep."

Bonnie chuckled. "Really? Last I checked, you scoffed at anything supernatural."

"That's not true!"

"Um, yeah, it is, Rae," Bonnie giggled. "You avoided my Grams like the plague. And you forced me and Care to play with that ouija board just to prove it wasn't real. I still have nightmares!"

Bonnie seemed to be amused, but Raven felt...she wasn't sure what. Had she really been that much of an asshole?

She cleared her throat. "I'm not the same girl I was. What's in my future? Am I gonna die an old, lonely, psychotic cat lady, or will I find love?" Bonnie burst into laughter, struggling to keep her eyes on the road. Raven couldn't help but grin. "I'm serious! Come on, it'll be fun."

"Alright, fine," Bonnie said once she composed herself, but a bright smile still lingered on her face. "I see..."

A beak crashed into the windshield and zoomed past. Raven nearly jumped out of her skin and Bonnie instinctively slammed on the brakes. Black feathers drifted onto the hood of Bonnie's car.

"What was that?" Bonnie gasped, turning to see Raven clutching her chest in an attempt to tame her palpitating heart. "Raven, are you okay?"

Raven faced the window, closing her eyes and quietly counting by threes. When that didn't work, she started to use a breathing technique she learned in the asyl---recovery center.

"I'm so sorry, I think that was a bird or something, it came out of nowhere."

Raven looked at Bonnie and smiled. "It's okay," She replied nonchalantly. She didn't even have to turn her head to see the persisting worried frown on her face. "I'm fine, really. I mean, I can't be freaked out by cars forever, right?"

There was a slight pause. But when Raven looked into her friend's eyes, it wasn't pity she saw---it was silent, sparkling support and encouragement, pride even. "I predict this year is going to be kickass," Bonnie said, continuing their conversation from earlier. "And I predict all the sad and dark times will be over, and you are going to be beyond happy."

A real smile tugged at Raven's lips. "I hope so."

Bonnie nodded with an even bigger smile. And when she returned her eyes to the road, she wasn't too quick to drive. Instead, she counted down from five to one before continuing down the busy street.

In order to ease the tension and calm Raven's nerves, she turned the knob on the radio and raised the volume. Moments later, they were shamelessly screaming the lyrics to Avril Lavigne's Girlfriend at the top of their lungs, even rolling down the windows so the entire town could hear their chaotic harmony.

◇◇◇

When the small blue car rolled past the school's sign, that might as well have said,'Welcome to Hell. Enjoy your stay!' Raven knew she was in for a bumpy ride.

Going back to school wasn't as glamorous as everyone tried to convince her it was. Sure, it was an opportunity to reunite with friends. But it