Author's Note: With the other story I realized that Sarah was kind of a Mary Sue. So, I wanted to change the main character in a way. I didn't really like the whole teenage girl with religious father who doesn't except her great power...too cheesy.

BTW―I know that Alaric Saltzman doesn't come in until History Repeating but I don't care it doesn't suit my plan that way.

I don't own the vampire diaries...blah, blah...

Dear diary,

This is ridiculous.

I've never kept a diary before, because I always regret what I've written later. So, instead of a diary I usually end up with good material for a fire.

I won't even write everything in this, since, should this diary fall into the wrong hands my secrets would be known. Actually, after this time, I probably will never write in this again.

I will say this much...

Lately, I feel as if I am going through life like a ghost. Everyone sees me, but I don't think they care what they are seeing. I am starting to believe that my relatives were gravely mistaken when they told me that I was pretty all those years when I was a kid. I am not fully a ginger; I'm just some blond whose genetics said that they should have a little red thrown in there to mix things up.

To top it all off I'll be eighteen soon. What do I want to do for this "monumental" day? ―nothing. I still want a cake, it's not like I hate my birthday now or anything. It's just that the last birthday that I celebrated with people, I found myself pretending to be happy. Really I just wanted to be alone. I guess all of those years of being alone while my parents were working must have made being alone into the best times of my day.

If you are alone, there are no rules. No one you have to consider or even listen to, if only for the most fleeting moment. If I didn't like the company of others sometimes to distract me, I might never leave the house.

That's it, all that I can think of to write in here without giving away too many of my secrets.

I've also realized that I was wrong―I really; really hate doing this and I might burn this too after my last sentence. So much for keeping a diary―

―Amelia Jane Cardwell

Amelia sighed and flicked off the light by her bed. She had left it on all night again. Her reading book was open lying in the bunching of sheets at the end of her bed. Amelia rose from bed blinking her eyes to shut out the sunlight.

"Honey, it's already 7 o'clock. You need to get ready for school" her mother, Annette called from the kitchen downstairs.

"Alright, mum" Amelia replied.

It took Amelia all of 30 minutes to get dressed and ready for school. Less than most girls because Amelia never wore make-up and her naturally straight hair couldn't be styled.

"That was quick," Annette joked when Amelia finally came down stairs.

"Yeah, well―I couldn't decide what to wear" Amelia said, filling a bowl with bland cereal.

"What is there to decide? Should you wear the black shirt―or the black shirt?" Annette said passing Amelia the milk.

"It's not my fault that you gave me this hair that I can't wear anything with" Amelia said shaking her spoon at her mother.

"You could wear a lot of different colours if you wanted to―but you don't" Annette told her daughter.

"Black is universally comfortable for everyone, and it just so happens that I feel the most comfortable in black than any other colour" Amelia said.

"Is that because it makes you look dead?" Annette said.

"Just because I don't find the outside interesting, doesn't mean that I am dead looking. I'll have you know that pale skin was a sign of the aristocracy" Amelia said putting her now empty bowl in the sink.

"The key word was that paleness WAS the sign of wealth" Annette said.

"Don't squash my creativity mum" Amelia said with a smile, that was more a smirk.

"Just go to school―dead daughter" Annette said, waving Amelia out the door.

"Mystic Falls High―another day, more work" Amelia said, when she arrived at her first class of the day, history.

The history teacher was Mr. Alaric Saltzman, an improvement from the last teacher in Amelia's opinion. Mr. Tanner liked to single out students just to ridicule them in front of their classmates. Amelia was good with specific parts of history, but remembering important dates and years―forget it.

"I want each of you to complete an essay on one of the names from the original Founders' Ball of Mystic Falls" Mr. Saltzman said. Many people were excited by this Caroline Forbes, Elena Gilbert and Stefan Salvatore in particular. Amelia guessed that it was because each of them was from the founding families, so it would be easy for them.

"There is a catch―I will be giving you the name randomly and no one can do their own family" Mr. Saltzman said.

Amelia noticed that Elena and Stefan exchanged a worried glance. The strange thing was that they looked more alarmed than they should have about a simple school assignment. Amelia tuned out Mr. Saltzman, trying to figure out what Elena and Stefan's problem was.

"Miss. Cardwell, are you still here?" Mr. Saltzman joked, making the class laugh as Amelia snapped out of her thoughts.

"Yes, Mr. Saltzman" Amelia said.

"Well, then―there are two names left, but since they were brothers. You will be doing your report on Stefan and Damon Salvatore―the original Stefan Salvatore I mean" Mr. Saltzman said.

The bell rang sometime later and Amelia was happy for it.

"Excuse me, Stefan―Elena?" Amelia said, walking up to them in the hallway.

Elena and Stefan stopped and turned to face her.

"Sorry, I know that we aren't formally introduced. I'm Amelia by the way―I just really could use a good grade on this essay. So, I was wondering Stefan, if you knew of any way that I could find out stuff about your ancestors―I figured that you would be more of a help than a library computer" Amelia said politely.

"I'm not sure what help I could be for you" Stefan said in a guarded tone.

"No, way Stefan―he would be happy to help" Elena said.

"I would?" Stefan said questioning his girl friend.

"Yes, you would―besides Amelia could get bad information and might bring up some family secrets that are untrue" Elena said, but something in her tone made Amelia believe that there might be more to what Elena was saying than just her words.

"I would love to help you Amelia―there are some family archives at the boarding house that might be useful" Stefan said.

"We're heading there after school; she could just come with us Stefan" Elena said.

"I don't know if that is a good idea Elena, my brother is visiting still" Stefan said warily.

"I don't want to be an imposition" Amelia said, noting the tension.

"Its fine, you'll be there too Stefan" Elena said, calming Stefan down a bit.

"Thank you so much―I'll see you later then" Amelia said.

"You're welcome" Stefan said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

Amelia walked away feeling that she would get what she needed and then leave to finish the essay after school.

"Amelia over here" Elena called to her from across the parking lot after school.

"Oh, Elena―there you are. I've been looking all over for you and Stefan" Amelia said.

"We're going to go in my car, Amelia if you're ready" Elena said.

"Definitely," Amelia said, following Elena to the car where Stefan was already waiting.

It was a short ride from the school to the Salvatore boarding house. Amelia was silent in the back of the car, while Stefan and Elena spoke casually back and forth to each other.

"I really appreciate this Stefan, especially since you don't know me that well and you're letting me into your house" Amelia said as they walked to the front door.

"It's fine; you're not going to kill me in my sleep are you?" Stefan joked.

"No, I don't think so―why? Do you think I should?" Amelia joked back.

"No," Stefan said looking at her strangely, as he opened the door.

Amelia wondered if her response was wrong, but Elena seemed to see her confusion and provided a reassuring smile.

"Oh my god―this is amazing. You live here?" Amelia said in awe of the imposing interior of the boarding house.

"You like old fashioned things?" Elena asked.

"Oh, yeah―If I could have lived in past I would have just to have all of this fantastic wood panelling―You must be proud to live here" Amelia said not taking her eyes off of the rooms.

"Yes, I am. Thank you" Stefan said, giving a genuine smile.

"Well, I guess I better get to those records before I never leave here" Amelia joked.

"Alright, just follow me" Stefan said, leading the girls to the massive book shelves in the great room of the house.

"You have so many books" Amelia said.

"I had a similar reaction to this place when I first came here" Elena said.

"Who wouldn't?" Amelia said.

"This should be everything that you need" Stefan said handing Amelia, a thin but large paged leather bound book from the shelf.

"Thank you―May I just take some notes from this and then this book won't have to leave the house?" Amelia asked.

"Alright―would you excuse me though? I have to see if my brother is here" Stefan said.

"By all means―it's your house, I'm only a guest" Amelia said with a small smile.

"I'll come with you Stefan, Amelia will be fine alone for a little bit" Elena said, following him upstairs.

"Right―Stefan and Damon Salvatore" Amelia said sitting down on the sofa with the book.

Amelia found the page that she was looking for the one about the deaths of the two brothers.

"Damon and Stefan Salvatore were killed in the attempt to stop the travesty of the burning of the old Fell's Church by rebel soldiers. They heroically fell when Stefan was but seventeen years of age" Amelia read aloud.

"Sounds like a load of bull, someone obviously wanted to cover up how they really died" Amelia said.

"You're smart for a trespasser" a velvet voice said from behind Amelia.

"Oh," Amelia exclaimed when she stood up and turned to face the owner of the voice.

He was the best looking man that she had ever seen, maybe that was he was a man and not the dumb boys she was used to seeing. His light eyes were similar to her own except while her eyes were the colour of a tepid lake, his were like blue ice―chilling to the bone. His hair was almost black, and Amelia noticed that he had some similarities to Stefan. He looked like he could get anyone to do anything with that body and face. He bore a cocky smirk on his lips that immediately halted any fantasy that Amelia may have been thinking about.

"If I was trespassing why would I be sitting down on the couch reading?" Amelia challenged.

"Maybe you decided to snoop around the books for something of value" he said.

"So, how would I get in here without being let in?" Amelia said back with the same sparing tone as the mystery guy.

"We leave the door unlocked" he said.

"Well that is not very smart. I have another question―if I was trespassing why would I choose a book of records when I simply could have found the inhabitants killed them and stole everything else?" Amelia said.

"You would kill someone?" he said seeming satisfied with the response.

"Why would I tell you? In any case, since you are still alive―I must not be trespassing or maybe I'm just feeling particularly generous today" Amelia said with a mischievous smile.

"Touché, Miss?" he said with a smile that mirrored Amelia's.

"Cardwell" Amelia said.

"Miss Cardwell, do I get a first name?" he said.

"Do I get yours?" Amelia said raising a challenging eyebrow.

"Damon Salvatore" he replied.

"Really...I'm Amelia" she told him.

"Tell me, what are you doing in my house?" Damon asked walking around the couch, so there was no longer couch between them.

"A girl doesn't reveal her secrets to anyone. Besides that is for me to know and you to―well you get the idea" Amelia said.

"You don't want to anger me little girl" Damon said taking a step towards her.

"Really" Amelia said taking a step closer to him, even though every rational thought in her head said to run and don't look back.

"Stefan" Damon said turning to the direction of doorway.

"Stefan―Elena" Amelia said when they stopped a few feet from her and Damon.

"I think we should go, Amelia. Did you get everything that you needed?" Elena said.

"Not really, I got the feeling that the records did not have the whole story. I want to thank you, for letting me have a look at your records Stefan" Amelia said.

"It's no problem. I'm sorry that you could not find what you were looking for" Stefan said. He seemed very tense to Amelia and he was watching Damon like something could happen at any moment.

"Thank you just the same. I'll just walk home Elena" Amelia said walking around Damon, picking up her stuff. She turned around when she was just passed Damon.

"See you at school Amelia" Elena said.

"Bye Stefan. Nice to meet you, Mr. Salvatore" she said smirking at Damon. It wasn't until Amelia left that she felt the tension in that room leave her.

"We have a problem don't we?" Elena said once Amelia had left the boarding house.