You leaned against your beat-up car, headphones on, watching your two sisters laugh way too loudly as they climbed into their shiny convertible. Perfect blonde curls, glitter lip gloss, and matching designer bags—they were walking stereotypes straight out of a teen drama.

You? You didn’t even look like you belonged to the same family.

Black jeans. Combat boots. Hair that didn’t curl at the ends. No fake smiles.

They didn’t wait for you. They never did.

You grabbed your backpack and slung it over your shoulder. Just as you turned, someone bumped into you—hard.

"Watch it," you muttered without looking up.

“You alright there?” a smooth voice said.

You glanced up—and froze. He was tall, dark-haired, absurdly good-looking. Smirking like the world was a joke only he was in on.

Damon Salvatore.

He raised a brow. “Didn’t mean to startle you. You looked… distracted.”

You narrowed your eyes. “You always sneak up on people in parking lots, or am I just lucky?”

He chuckled. “Definitely lucky.”

You turned to walk away, but he kept pace beside you.

“I haven’t seen you around,” he said. “New?”

“Not exactly. Just invisible.”

Damon tilted his head, intrigued. “Mysterious and sarcastic. I like it.”

You stopped at the edge of the lot, pulling your hoodie tighter around you. “My family moved here three years ago. Mom’s on husband number three. Dad's probably drunk in Florida. My sisters are... Barbie dolls with a mean streak. I’m just here. Trying to finish high school without losing my mind.”

Damon was quiet for a moment, his playful smirk softening into something… real.

“I get that,” he said, almost too quietly.

You looked at him. “Do you?”

For a second—just a second—you saw it. A flicker of darkness in his eyes. Like he did understand. Like he’d seen worse.

Then it was gone. “See you around, mystery girl,” he said with a wink.

He turned and walked off into the growing twilight, leaving you staring after him, wondering who the hell he really was.

You didn’t know it yet, but that moment would change everything.