🎵

It's the summer time now, June 22, Elena's birthday. She finally turns 18, while I'm still 15.

"Wake up Ash!" Elena opens the blinds to the window, letting all the sunlight in. Elena has been helping me cope.

At first, I would always say I was fine. But in reality, I would stay in bed, same clothes everyday, and I wouldn't go to sleep. Then Elena would do different kinds of activity with me everyday to keep my body active. I can admit it now. Im still definitely not ok. Her death traumatized me, especially since it happened right in-front of me. I get night terrors now and nightmares. But, I don't want to worry people, so I just act fine.

"Really, Lena? Happy birthday." I smile, which Elena smiles back and walks downstairs. I change into flare leggings and a pink shirt. I find a claw clip to put in my hair and I walk downstairs.

—

Me and Alaric see Elena scoff while on the phone. Alaric has been staying here, he's like a parental guardian to us.

"Was that, uh, Stefan news?" Alaric asks.

"Could be more Klaus victims." Elena says.

"If Stefan even with him?" I ask and Alaric shrugs. We have no idea where Stefan is, especially if he's with Klaus.

"Easy to be certain when the alternative is that he's dead. Are you sure you're still ok on the couch?" Elena asks Alaric.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm good." Alaric says.

"Because you spent half the summer on it. If you need your own bedroom..." Elena says, but Alaric interrupts.

"And sleep in your dead parents' room or my dead girlfriend's room..." Alaric says and I look down.

"Right." Elena awkwardly says, and hands him a cup of coffee.

"Hey, Elena. Happy birthday." Alaric says.

"Ash I'm going to Damon's, want to come?" Elena asks and I shake my head.

"I'll go to help set up for the party later. I'm really hungry." I respond which makes Elena chuckle whole walking out the door.

—

"I feel like I have to fight Damon every single time we get a lead on Stefan." Elena says, annoyed.

"Maybe he doesn't want to find him." Tyler mentions, while picking up a box of beers.

"Tyler!" Caroline shouts.

"What?" Tyler asks. "He's into you. Isn't he?"

"The only reason Stefan left with Klaus was so that he could save Damon's life. I mean, trust me, Damon wants to find him." Elena tells us.

"But you kissed him. Probably screwed with his head." Tyler says.

"How do you know about that?" Caroline asks and they all look at me.

"That's all I told him, everything else was Caroline." I reply. "Sorry Elena."

"Ash, don't worry about it. Look, yes, I kissed him, but it was a— it was a good-bye kiss. I thought he was going to die." Elena says. "Oh, I just missed a call from Bonnie. I'll be right back." Elena leaves the room and me and Caroline look at Tyler.

"Just because I tell you things doesn't mean you're allowed to know them!" Caroline tells Tyler.

"Sorry." Tyler replies. "I've got to run if I'm going to change and pick up Sophie in time." Tyler says which makes me furrow my eyebrows.

"You're really bringing Sophie... as your date?" I ask, totally judging him.

"Hey, it's been kind of slow in that department. At least I have a date." Tyler says which makes me laugh, and roll my eyes.

"Ouch." I say, jokingly.

"Really, slutty Sophie?" Caroline asks.

"Like i said. That department is going really slow. And... I am horny all the time now." Tyler says which makes me cringe.

"Yeah, tell me about it. Sometimes I feel like I'm going to explode. It's, um, a vampire thing. You know, our emotions are heightened and we're on overdrive, so..." I see Caroline's cheeks become a pink color, which makes me focus on their conversation.

"It's a werewolf thing, too. It's like I can't turn it off. I'll see you two later." Tyler says walking out the door.

"It's so obvious, Care. You stuttering and you blushing? You like him." I say and she cracks out a smile from her lips, accidentally. "I knew it."

"Let's just— take these." Caroline says, handing me a bag of red cups.

—

🎵

I was in the room I stayed in before everything with the sacrifice happened, when the boarding house was a safe house for me and Elena.

"Why aren't you dressed yet?" Elena asks, as she walked into me fidgeting with the necklace my mom gave me.

"Sorry, I was just—" I begin to say, but Elena cuts you off since she saw you were struggling.

"It's ok, Ash. I understand. You don't need to dress up. Damon probably won't even let you go downstairs." Elena says, which makes me laugh.

"You might be right. You look pretty though, and your hair is curled. Ready?" I ask and Elena nods and we head downstairs.

—

I walk to the balcony and see Damon and Alaric talking. "Why are you here?" Damon asks.

"Too many people. And it's too loud and I thought about asking where you guys went today." I knew they were hiding something. My instincts have been getting stronger and stronger.

"What do you mean?" Alaric asks, playing stupid.

"I know you're hiding something from me and Elena. Tell me." I cross my arms and Damon sighs.

"Fine. Me and Alaric went to Tennessee and saw people dead, decapitated. It's how Stefan kills people." Damon explains. "All these kills are Stefan's."

"Oh my god. Can't imagine Stefan being like that. I still can't believe it's been months since we all saw him." I say as Elena walks in and Damon glares at me to shut up.

"Hello, birthday girl." Damon smirks.

"Drink." Elena takes Damon's drink out of his hands and drinks it herself. "Jeremy's smoking again."

"Is his stash any good?" Damon jokes.

"You're an ass." Elena replies. "Talk to him, please. He looks up to you." Elena says, walking away.

"You're screwed." Damon says to Alaric.

"Why haven't you guys kicked me out of your house, Ashley?" Alaric asks. "I thought you would want—"

"You gone. I did, at first. But my mom also meant something to you so I feel bad. You can thank Elena for letting you stay in the house though." I say walking away.

I find Elena upstairs away from everyone.

"Elena, I need to tell you something." I say and she furrows her eyebrows.

"So you know how I get those huntress away instincts, right?"

"Yeah, what did you find out?" Elena asks.

"Damon and Alaric went to Tennessee today. I knew they were hiding something, but—" I say but Elena interrupts me.

"But what?" Elena asks and I sigh.

"These killings in Tennessee, and around there, they apparently aren't Klaus, they are Stefan's kills. Good news, he's alive, bad news, he has gone crazy." I explain and Elena gets mad.

"I can't believe didn't tell me!" Elena shouts. "Thank you for telling me, Ash. I need to talk to him." Elena says walking out the room.

—

🎵

Me and Elena get home after her and Damon had a big argument. Elena goes up the stairs and I see Alaric packing.

"Where are you going?" I ask.

"I'm not going to stay here anymore." Alaric says.

"Alaric, when I said I felt bad, it didn't mean I didn't want you staying here." I tell him.

"I know that. But, I'm not a role model. You know, I drink too much, I say the wrong things, I encourage bad behavior. At school I can pull it together, but in my own life... the way I miss Jenna, it's just, I'm really not any good to anybody right now."

"So you're leaving cause you miss my mom?" I ask and he nods. "Do you see me giving up and calling quits? If I quit, I would still be wearing the same clothes for weeks, and getting no sleep, I would be crying every minute of every day."

"Look, i miss my mom more than everyone in this house. I think of her every-time I'm not busy, and when I go to sleep I'm scared to close my eyes wondering if I'll get a night terror. And I still need some type of role model."

"You have Elena and Jeremy. Way better than me." Alaric says.

"If you think about it, not really. Jeremy is smoking now, apparently and Elena gets mad at every single thing. I'll pull the I'm 15 card out."

"I'm sorry Ashley." Alaric walks out of the house and I sigh. I walk upstairs and see Elena and I could tell she was panicking In her head.

"What happened?" I ask.

"Stefan. It was him, he called me." Elena says.

"He did?" I ask and Elena nods. "What did he say?" I ask.

"Well, he said nothing. But I'm 100% sure it was him. I felt like it was him." Elena says.

"I believe you." I say, smiling.