1993 — Mystic Falls, Virginia

   Florence took a careful step back, opening and closing her hands by her side. She could feel the beat of her heart right at her throat, as if she were ready to somehow spit it out. Her mouth opened and closed with her hands, inaudible words escaping. She searched for the words to say to the snake, but nothing came to her mouth or in her mind. 

   "Should we run?" Cher asked besides her. "I think we should run."

   Gerard Gilbert slapped his hand on Damon's back, laughing loudly as he held a beer on the other hand. "I think that was on purpose," he said, loud enough for almost everyone to hear. 

   "Yeah," Damon nodded. "It appears as if it was on purpose."

   "No!" Florence quickly said. If she could spit out her heart, it would already be laying in front of her. "I-I swear, it's not! I..." She trailed off as she saw the unreadable expression on Damon's face. "I, uh, meant to throw it at Stefan..." She spoke slowly, as if she were speaking to an animal, afraid that any sudden movement would cause an erratic behaviour. 

   Damon laughed, loud, a bit forced. "I know, Flo. Accidents tend to happen." The quirked smile made her feel like itching, as if there were insects beginning to crawl all around her. She knew that his words meant something else, a double meaning. 

   "We've got to go change," Cher suddenly said, grabbing her hand. "This wet clothes are making me itchy." She pulled her best friend back to the house, carefully treading across the kitchen and towards the stairs. 

   Florence stared at her best friends with slightly squinted eyes. Normally, her best friend would say something sarcastic and laugh it off, but she was hesitant. Cher Gaines was never hesitant, not even when it came to answering test questions, it was why she was both a genius and stupidly reckless. 

   "Cher, stop," she said as soon as they entered her bedroom. "Stop. Okay, what's going on?" 

   The blonde girl began to pace back and forth, arms crossed, face looking troubled. "I was going to tell you the night of the play, but it sounds so stupid and childish!" She stopped pacing and turned to face her. "Damon... I know I said Damon was a good guy, but he's a monster."

    Florence took a step forward and stared at her best friend. "What did he do to you?"

   "Me, nothing," she said, quickly shrugging her shoulders. "He didn't do anything to me, Flo. But... Do you remember Amy Kennedy? We had geography and English with her in the ninth grade."

   "What does she have to do with Damon, Cher?"

   "While you were sick, Hannah came over," she began, glancing to the door. She sighed and closed it, then turned back to her friend. "She wanted to see Mystic Falls, so I took her downtown. We had dinner at The Grill, then we went to ice cream shop to get that amazing mango and lemon ice cream. I forgot my cash in the car, so I went back to get it when I heard a scream. You know that small tunnel just outside The Grill, the one that we were terrified of when we were little? I saw Amy Kennedy there, with Damon."

   Florence nodded. "Okay..." She didn't know what else to say, because part of her already knew. 

   "They weren't kissing," Cher said, making a face. "Well, I'm sure they weren't. He was biting her neck..."

   The young Gilbert girl swallowed hard. "Maybe he's kinky..."

   "Then he's a pervert because who the hell has a blood kink, Florence?" Cher moved closer to her and shook her head, an obvious look of fright on her face. "I mean, yeah, it's hot in some sense, but... Listen to me, he was biting her neck and drinking her blood."

   Florence took a step back and swallowed hard, shaking her head. She knew that Damon and Stefan were vampires, came to know it during a terrible accident. She knew she was in predicament with her knowing, but this was Cher. The young Gilbert felt better when it was only her that knew about the secret, when it was only her that was in danger. Now, she felt like throwing up. She began to pace back and forth, shaking her head. 

   "Oh my, God," she breathed. She stopped pacing and turned to the blonde girl. "Okay, did he see you?"

   "No!" Cher shook her head. "I ran back to the ice cream shop as fast as I could. Like hell would I want to be his next victim."

   Florence nodded and splayed her hands towards her. "Don't freak out, okay?"

   Cher laughed. "Don't freak out? I'm not freaking out, Florence. I'm terrified!"

   "I know," the Gilbert girl nodded. "I know. But, right now, I need you to take several deep breaths for what I'm about to do." It was her that actually took the deep breaths. She was nervous and scared, a few shivers running up her spine. "Stefan, I need you up here."

   "What?" Cher crossed her arms and stared at her friend in disbelief. "Flo, I tell you this and you ask Stefan to—oh my, God!"

   Stefan was standing besides the young Gilbert girl, eyes wide and mouth slightly open in surprise. "Cher, please don't be scared."

   "Scared?" Cher let out a laugh and began to pace. "I-I'm not scared. I just want to know what the hell is going on! How did you get up here so fast, how did you hear her, and what the hell is happening right now?"

   Stefan stepped forward, his hands in front of him to show that he meant no danger to the blonde girl. "I will explain everything, but I need you to calm down, okay?"

   In several minutes, Stefan had explained that he and Damon were vampires. Cher reacted different than Florence did. She nodded and listened carefully, asking questions as if she were interviewing him. It surprised the Gilbert girl to see that Cher was calm as Stefan told her that the things they thought to be myths actually existed. Florence still had to wrap her head around the fact that vampires and witches, and probably everything else, existed.

   Cher let out a sigh and ran a hand through her hair. "This is too much," she said as she shook her head. "I can't... How? How is this real?"

   Florence shrugged her shoulders. "I don't even know how to answer that."

   "I'll get you something with vervain," Stefan told the blonde. "That way my brother won't be able to compel you."

   "Does Florence have one?" she asked, quickly glancing at her best friend. 

   Florence touched the necklace around her neck, the one Stefan had given her. She hadn't taken it off since that day in the car. "Right here," she said, letting her hand fall to her side.

   Cher nodded and took several deep breaths. "Okay, fine. So, am I supposed to act as if I saw nothing?"

   "Yes," Stefan quickly said. "Damon's dangerous. He won't do anything to Florence, but if he knew that you know about us..."

   "Why won't he do anything to Florence?" Cher glanced between the vampire and her best friend. 

   Stefan took a glance at the Gilbert girl. "Because he doesn't want me to hate him. He knows that if he hurts Flo, I'll hate him."

   Florence felt the heat rise on her cheeks, a small smile that she wanted to hide appear on her lips. It was weird that hose words meant a lot to her, that knowing that he cared about her to the point where he'd hate his brother. She knew Damon was a terrible person, a man that deserved hate for all of the things he's done. There were times where she wondered how the hell could he still smirk when he has killed so many, when he continues to torture people into being his meal. 

   "We should get changed," Florence spoke up. "We've been up here for an hour. I wouldn't be surprised if Damon already heard everything..."

   "I doubt it," Stefan said. "He's been drinking with your dad and brother. Your dad is teaching him how to barbecue, because apparently every man should know how to make a good barbecue."

   Florence let out a soft groan and rolled her eyes. "Teach a vampire how to barbecue, that wouldn't give him new ideas on how to take his blood. Would you like it rare or well-done?"

   Stefan laughed and shook his head, smiling down at her. Once again, her heart skipped a beat and heat rose on her cheeks. It was the usual thing to happen whenever he laughed, whenever he smiled. She couldn't help but return the smile. 

   "This is weird," Cher commented, pointing at the two. "A vampire and a human who have feelings for each other but neither want to admit it." She glanced between the two, a teasing grin on her lips. "This is seriously Romeo and Juliet."

   It was Cher that pushed Stefan out of the room so they could get changed. As soon as he left, the blond turned to her and let out a sigh. She mumbled about all of this being impossible, about vampires being stories, about how it was impossible that Damon could be a hottie with a blood kink. In a way, she refused to call him a vampire and decided that he was some human with a strange blood kink.

   Florence pulled on her favourite overalls—the one with the sunflowers stitched on the pants—and then pulled on her sneakers while staring at her best friend. There was a part of her that couldn't believe that her best friend knew about Damon and Stefan being vampires. For a few weeks, she had been okay with only her knowing that secret, protecting that secret, protecting her friends. Now that Cher knew, there was a part of her that was full of worry.

   "It's weird," she heard Cher say from across the room. "How aren't you freaked out by this?"

   "I am," Florence quietly responded with a small sigh. "I'm freaked out, terrified, and I still can't believe that this is real." She shook her head and ran a hand through her hair, brows furrowed and chest heavy. "It was Damon that killed Rachelle Watson, Cher. That night, I saw his face go from normal to as if some demon was possessing him."

   Cher quickly turned back to her. "There were like black veins underneath his eyes, right?" she asked, walking up to her. "And the whites of his eyes were red!"

   Florence nodded and scratched her arm, looking down at the floor. "I also saw Stefan with the same face," she mumbled. "Every time I'm with him, I see that face again." She felt a hand on top of her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. When she looked up, Cher stood in front of her with a small smile.

   "You two can probably get through it," the blonde said with a small smile. "Maybe you'll turn into a vampire and spend eternity with him. Or maybe he'll find some cure and spend the rest of his mortal life with you." She leaned back and let out a small laugh. "Either way, I can guarantee you that you two will be together. All you have to do is admit that you have feelings for him." She pointed to her eyes with two fingers, the pointed down at her. "I see the looks exchanged between of you, the secret smiles, the—Stefan's probably listening to this so I should say that he should grow some ball and confess that he has feelings for you."

   "Oh my, God," Florence groaned, rubbing her temples. "Shut up, Cher. Stop. Let's go downstairs. I'm starving."

   Gerard and Constance Gilbert had prepared a grand meal that could be served at a grand ball. There were different kinds of meats that were barbecued, all types of broiled and boiled vegetables, and a table full of sweets. Burgers, ribs, steaks, chicken legs and thighs, chicken wings, all flavours of sauces. Florence, who was terribly hungry from swimming in the morning and the balloon fight, decided to fill her plate with as much as food as possible. She took a seat on one of the tables her parents had rented and put in the backyard, a deep sigh escaping her chest.

   "Before any of you say anything, all I've eaten so far has been several carrots and an apple," she said, glancing at her friends with a distasteful look. "So, I'm going to eat."

   Cher and Bob raised their hands up in defence, laughing.

   "I wasn't going to say anything," Cher said, then pointed to the corner of her lip. "Except that you have a bit of barbecue sauce here."

   Florence quickly wiped away the sauce with her thumb, then smiled over at her friends innocently. When she looked at Stefan, she noticed that he was looking a bit troubled. His was smiling softly, small, just like he had that day at the dock. It made her chest ache, her stomach squeeze. That sad smile caused her hunger to cease. She decided that the food could wait later on. 

   "You okay?" she quietly asked.

   Stefan looked up and nodded, the small smile widening only a bit. "I'm fine," he said, then took a deep breath. "I'm just deep in thought."

   Florence nodded slowly, brows furrowed. She didn't believe him. 

   After eating the food, they all went to the front yard. There were kids running around with sparklers in their hands, glow sticks of all colours as bracelets and necklaces, the American flag stuck on the front lawns of almost every house. The scent of barbecue was all over the front, a few people still eating. 

   Florence stood with a sparkler in her hand, a glow stick necklace on her head as some headband. There was a big grin on her lips as Cher stood in front of her, a disposable camera in her hands. The flash went off, making her blink several times and stumble back. 

   "Why are you taking so many pictures?" she asked, gently twirling the sparkler in front of her. 

   "Memories," Cher grinned. "I like taking memories and pausing them forever in time."

   "That's deep for just taking a picture," Bob mumbled, letting out a sarcastic laugh. 

   Cher glared at him. "Says the guy who wants to be a maths teacher," she scoffed.

   Florence glanced between her friends, laughter bubbling at her throat. When her eyes landed on Stefan, her smile began to disappear. He was staring at her with a barely there smile, one that appeared like his lips were set in a straight line in the dark. He turned from her and walked away, leaving her confused. 

   She quickly turned to her friends and smiled. "I'll be right back." Before she could hear a response, she jogged after Stefan. He was walking away from the house, hands in his pockets. "Stefan, wait!"

   He stopped and turned to her, shaking his head. "I can't do this anymore," he said.

   "Do what?" She crossed her arms and shrugged her shoulders. "Come to my parent's parties? Because I completely understand. I also don't like them, but..."

   "No, not that," he interjected. "Flo, I can't be by you anymore. I can't act like I'm human when all I want to do is dig my teeth into your jugular."

   Florence reached for her neck to cover it, but then she quickly played it off as if she were rubbing it. She wanted to find the words to say, but nothing came out. "Stefan, no..." She shook her head and took a step forward. "If you wanted to kill me, or eat me, you would have already done it."

   "I held myself back," he simply said.

   "And you can keep doing that!" Florence took another step forward, her chests just inches away from his. Her heart was beating fast and hard, but not out of fright like when she was by Damon. She wanted to reach out for his hand and hold it tightly, just like they had done for the play. "Stefan, please, don't walk away from me..."

   "I heard you, Flo." A small and sarcastic smile spread on his lips as he shook his head. "When you look at me, this is not the face you see. You see a monster!"

   "I see you." She pointed at his chest, tears threatening to fall from her cheeks. "Stefan, when I look at you, I see you. Yeah, sometimes a small image of what I saw that night appears, but then it's just you. I don't care what you are, not anymore, because I know that you can't change."

   He laid his hands on her shoulders and shook his head. "Florence, you're terrified of me."

   The young Gilbert girl nodded. "You're right, I am terrified of you." She swallowed hard and looked away, her chest aching. "You can't blame me for being terrified of you after growing up with stories of vampires being monsters. But, other than being terrified..." She took a deep breath and finally looked over at him. "Stefan, I like you. I really, really like you and I don't know what to do about that because you're basically immortal and I'm not."

   Stefan stared at her for several seconds, mouth slightly open in shock. Florence was also in shock. She was never straightforward with her feelings, never allowed anyone to see what she was truly feeling unless it was happiness. But, Stefan brought out the side of her that allowed everything to come out. She wondered if it was because he had been alive for so long that he knew how to manipulate others into telling them how they truly felt.

   The boy with summer in his eyes shook his head. "Florence, you shouldn't like me," he said, swallowing. "You can't like me."

   "But, I do!" She spread her arms and shrugged her shoulders, letting out a small laugh. For a moment, she felt liberated. "So, if you want me to stop feeling something for you, then compel me."

   The sound of clapping made them both turn around. Damon stood a few feet away from them, that same smirk on his lips. "So romantic," he sarcastically breathed. "It appears that Florence was the one that actually grew some balls instead of you, brother."

   Stefan took a protective stance besides the Gilbert girl. "What do you want, Damon?"

   The older Salvatore shrugged his shoulders. "Eternity of misery. I promised you that a long, long time ago."

   When Florence blinked, she was no longer besides Stefan. She stood in front of him, cold hands on her shoulders. The beating of her heart quickened, her hands began to tremble, and her breathing accelerated. Damon had his cold hands on her shoulders, his face close to hers. 

   "Damon, stop!" Stefan reached for her, but quickly stopped when his brother held her tighter to his body. "Please, Damon, stop."

   "What better misery than to kill her?" Damon questioned, his voice low and slithering with poison.

   Stefan shook his head. "Damon, no. Please, stop it. I'm begging you to let her go."

   Their voices came and went to Florence, her breathing getting caught in her throat. She was terrified of Damon, of even the slightest movement of his hand or body. When his cold fingers brushed against her neck, moving her hair back, she shut her eyes as tight as she could and tightened every muscle. She was expecting to feel pain on her neck, to see her life flash before her eyes, but all she felt was the strong anticipation to die. When she opened her eyes, she saw that Stefan was staring at her with wide eyes. 

   "Maybe a bite," Damon said from behind her, his lips close to her ear. "She does smell pretty good, doesn't she, Stefan?"

   "What do you want, Damon?" Stefan asked, throwing his hands to the side.

   "I want you to remember who we are, what you are!" Damon yelled, pulling her back by the hair. Florence let out a yelp and held on to her head, feeling a headache begin. "Your choice of lifestyle has left you weak, brother. Human blood can give you a whole lot more power than those bunnies you've been feeding on."

   "Why?" Stefan asked, glancing from his brother to her. "Do you want me to feed again? Do you want me to kill? Do you want me to remember how it felt to be brothers again? If you touch her, if you do anything to her, I won't remember being your brother at all, Damon."

   Florence felt Damon stand rigid behind her, the hold on her hair losing. Slowly, she began to try and move away from his hold, but it suddenly tightened. Damon pulled her back to him, his hold around her tighter. She could feel the anger; it made her shiver with fright, made the tears fall from her cheeks, made a soft cry escape her mouth.

   "Then, maybe I should give you a little reminder of what it's like to be a vampire, Stef."

   The Gilbert girl stared at the boy, her heart on her throat and her breathing unsteady. Something covered the breath leaving her mouth, a wrist. An iron-like taste covered her tongue, as if she had been sucking on a penny. The subtle metallic taste as if she were drinking tap water from a rusty drain. It took her a second to realise that Damon was giving her his blood. She tried to push his wrist away from her mouth, but he pulled it back harder. She tried to spit out his blood, but it was all over her mouth to the point where she had to take a big gulp. After a few seconds, Damon pushed her towards his brother.

   "Oops."