I do NOT own Vampire Diaries or Any of the Show or Book Characters. I do however own any original Character I have created!

Tyler Lockwood threw some of the coolest parties, or so I was told. I was too new to Mystic Falls to really know what the best parties were yet. My cousins Elena and Jeremy Gilbert, were forcing me to join them at his start of the school year slash end of the summer party.

I would be spending my senior year at Mystic High, because my parents thought a small town would keep me out of trouble and get my grades up, as supposed to LA were I skipped class and failed school. Our Aunt Jenna had taken me in, along with Elena and Jeremy, whose parents had recently died.

"C'mon Rora, the party won't wait," Elena called using my kid name. Before my parents had moved me to the west coast, Elena and I had been best friends. Our friendship had not dwindled in the years we had been apart.

"I'm almost ready, Lena," I said using her kid nickname. Elena was excited because the new kid, Stefan Salvatore, was going to be there, and she already had a thing for him.

"Can I hitch a ride with you two?" Jeremy asked poking his head into my room.

"Sure," I said just as Elena said, "No."

"Why not?" He asked.

"Because if we drive you it will be an excuse for you to get too drunk to function," Elena said. This was a sibling battle I would have to stay out of.

"I'm going to start the car," I said picking up my keys and heading downstairs. "Goodnight Jenna, don't wait up!"

"Good night Aurora, be responsible and safe," She called after me.

Jeremy and Elena finally joined me in the car. It looked like Jeremy had won, because he was climbing in the backseat of my car.

"Caroline and Bonny are already there," Elena told me reading a text message. "And so is Stefan!" She blushed lightly.

"I bet Caroline is trying to be seen by him," I said stepping harder onto the gas peddle. I liked Caroline, but Stefan was reserved for Elena, I had already decided that.

"I hope not," Elena said looking at her lap.

"Is Vicky Donovan going to be there?" Jeremy asked.

"When does Vicky Donovan not go to a party," Elena asked with a little laugh.

"You don't even know her!" Jeremy said loudly.

"No, I don't, because I was only best friends with her brother since birth, and I only dated her brother for about a year," Elena said sarcastically.

"That doesn't mean you know anything about who she really is," Jeremy said under his breath. Elena chose to ignore the comment.

"Where do I park?" I asked as we came into view of several drunk students. We were in the right place!

"Somewhere off to the side," Elena said. I stopped to let my passengers out and then went to find my own parking space.

By the time I got to the party, Matt Donovan was glaring daggers at Stefan who was chatting in a romantic and private setting with Elena. Jeremy was trying to flirt with Vicky while Vicky was trying to flirt with Tyler. Caroline was also staring at Stefan and Elena while talking and drinking with Bonnie. This was so not my scene.

I got myself a drink and stood on the porch overlooking the party. I drank slowly, and just watched people interact with each other. It was more fun than interacting. I was distracted by a crow in a tree that was staring at me with such intensity, I almost thought it was actually seeing me.

The crow cawed at me and then flapped into the trees. I saw it look back, like it wanted me to follow it. I did. I began picking my way through the trees looking for the crow, but instead of a bird, I ran straight into the muscled chest of a man.

I looked up, because he was a decent bit taller than me, and from the light of the party in the distance I could make out his face.

His pale skin was accented by his raven black hair, and his blue eyes were nearly glowing with brightness. The shape of his face and the curve of his mouth made him undeniably attractive. His chest was clad in a black v-neck shirt that clung to his muscles. He was wearing black jeans, black biker boots, and a black leather jacket, and black was a flattering color for him.

"H...hi," I said with a small stutter. He was intoxicating, his looks, his smell, the way he smirked, and the way his hair was messy yet still perfect.

"Hello," He said in a deep voice that had me practically entranced.

"I didn't mean to run into you," I whispered as I realized our proximity was still very close, rather inappropriately close for strangers.

"No worries," He said smoothly. I tried to look away from his eyes and found that I couldn't.

"Were you at the party?" I asked. There was something about his intense stare that was familiar.

"Party?" He asked cocking his head at me with clear interest in his face. "What are you doing all alone in the woods?" He asked his eyes brightening in...hunger?

"I was...well...have you seen a crow fly through here?" I asked. The man looked at me for a long moment.

"A crow?" He asked.

"I was following one, and then I ran into you," I said. He chuckled softly, more to himself, and shook his head.

"I have not seen a crow," He said more seriously.

"Oh." I paused, and the silence between us was not uncomfortable, simply silent. "Are you from around here?" I asked taking a step back finally, we had still been standing so close we'd almost been touching.

"I live in the area," He said with a shrug. I was curious as to why he hadn't moved once since I had run into him.

We were soon joined by a third person, someone I recognized.

"Stefan?" I asked taking in my cousin's crush curiously. The dark man turned to look at Stefan.

"Stefan Salvatore," He said in a deep, almost threatening tone.

"Damon Salvatore," Stefan responded with irony in his voice. The look they were sharing was somewhat scary. I had the sudden urge to be elsewhere.

"What are you doing here?" The man, Damon, asked.

"Looking for you," Stefan said. "What are you doing here, brother?" He asked. They were brothers? I could see some resemblance, but Damon was darker in many ways.

"You always did like to spoil my fun," Damon said rolling his eyes.

"Aurora, get out of here," Stefan said suddenly turning to me. "Go back to the party and don't look back." I wanted to argue, but the look he gave me, backed by the tone in his voice, made me begin to walk away.

"It was nice running into you, Damon," I said softly. He said nothing in return, but he stiffened so I knew he heard me.

As I went back to the party, I tripped over something solid on the ground. When I fell I came face to face with Vicky Donovan. Her eyes stared widely at nothing, and her throat was torn out, blood everywhere. I stood up and gave a trembling sigh before she started breathing.

"Vicky?" I asked.

"Vam...vampire..." She managed to breathe before passing out again. I took her arms and began to drag her towards the party.

"Matt!" I shouted as I neared the party. "Matt, Vicky is hurt," I called. Suddenly I was surrounded by a bunch of high school students.

I backed away as everyone began to fuss and fret over the girl's torn open throat. She was losing a lot of blood, and nothing ended a party quicker than someone getting hurt, especially when the police were called.

I found Jeremy and Elena waiting by the car.

"We are ready to go," Elena said glaring at Jeremy who was clearly intoxicated.

"Hop in," I said getting into the driver's seat and starting the car. "You okay, Lena?" I asked as we drove. She looked unhappy.

"Stefan vanished in the middle of the party with no explanation," Elena said coolly, but I could tell she was hurt.

"Oh, I saw him," I said. "I ran into his brother in the woods, and Stefan came to talk to him," I said leaving out the mystery of the encounter.

"He has a brother?" Elena asked.

"Yes, and let me tell you, there is some serious family tension," I said shrugging.

"Great," Elena said looking moody.

"Don't worry about it," I said. "Stefan is great," I assured her.

When I got home I shed my clothing and changed to pajamas. I went to bed, but tossed and turned all night with dreams of Damon Salvatore, the mysterious, attractive man in the woods.