Problem Child

Aidan kept her forhead against the window as her brother Lucas sped down the long, desolate stretch of road before them. It was nearing the end of summer and Aidan dreaded having to begin the school year at Mystic Falls High.

Aidan remembered Mystic Falls very well, though she had tried many times to forget. Every summer since she was nine, her father would make sure that Aidan came to visit her cousin Elena, because the girls were so close in age even though they could hardly stand each other.

"It won't be so bad, you get along with Jeremy, don't you?" Without acknowledging her brother's words, Aidan pulled her iPod from her pocket, placing the earphones into her ears, and blasted a random song. She knew exactly why she was going to stay with Jenna; because her brother didn't feel like dealing with her. She was just being passed off to the nearest relative.

The scenery didn't seem as though it would change, and Aidan feared that it probably wouldn't until they actually arrived in Mystic Falls. Lucas wanted her to stay out of trouble and moving her to a small, one-horse town like Mystic Falls would be perfect. The closest the town got to 'excitement' was the thousands of Founders events they held each year.

Closing her eyes, Aidan decided to attempt sleep to pass the time. The lyrics from The Killers' Mr. Brightside began to drift through her ears. She could find some kind of fun in Mystic Falls, hopefully. She needed to be occupied, anything to keep her mind off of her father.

Aidan gave a jump as there was a thud and the car swerved a bit. She quickly pulled out her earphones, turning around to see what it was her brother had hit.

"What the hell? I thought you could drive!" She yelled at Lucas, grabbing the head rest on her seat as she examined the road behind them.

"It was some bird!" Lucas sounded even more panicked than Aidan as he tried to look through the rearview mirror, "All I saw was this big, black thing!" Aidan couldn't see anything, no feathers, nothing.

"God, whatever." Rolling her eyes, Aidan replaced her earphones and rested her head back against the window. What a dumb ass she thought, shaking her head at her brother.

Not long after the bird incident, the two pulled into Mystic Falls and Aidan's heart sank as they drove through the small town with all eyes on them. Finally, Lucas pulled his little Nissan Altima into the parking lot of their uncle Grayson and aunt Miranda's home, only they wouldn't be home. It was as if everyone was dying these days.

Shoving her iPod into her pocket, Aidan stepped out of the car and followed Lucas up the steps to the front door. It was Elena who answered.

"Lucas, Aidan, come on in." She bore a fake smile, it had to have been, she'd just lost both of her parents. No one smiles when their parents die.

Lucas walked in first and as Aidan began to follow behind him, there was a loud caw from behind her. A huge, black crow was perched in Elena's front yard tree. Aidan stopped and watched the bird as its head jerked from left to right, before cocking it slightly and staring at her. Raising an eyebrow in slight confusion, Aidan turned back around to walk into the house, but not before giving the bird a final glance. Its eyes never left her.

Hugs were being exchanged between Jenna and Lucas as Aidan closed the door behind her. Elena stood silent just in front of the stairway, trying desperately to not make eye contact with anyone.

"Where am I crashing?" Aidan asked, crossing her arms. She noticed Elena's expression change to slightly annoyed. Aunt Jenna smiled awkwardly, rubbing her hands on the back of her jeans.

"In the guest room. I took-" She stopped as Aidan had already begun walking up the stairs.

"You don't need to be rude." Elena stated, blocking Aidan's path. Aidan smiled, rolling her eyes.

"Move or be moved cuz." Aidan gently replied. Elena shook her head, stepping aside though clearly not impressed by Aidan's empty threat. They both knew Aidan would never hurt her, for the simple fact that Elena was family.

The guest bedroom was at the end of the hall across from Jeremy's room. Jeremy's door was closed but Aidan could hear his loud music drifting through the door. It was true; she and Jeremy had gotten along well as children, but that was a long time ago. Things change, people change, and for all Aidan knew, she and Jeremy might hate each other now.

Making sure to lock her door behind her, Aidan took little time to observe the room. Whenever she, Lucas, and her father would visit Mystic Falls, this was the room her father would sleep in. Aidan would stay in Elena's room, and Lucas in Jeremy's. Placing her earphones into her ears, Aidan collapsed onto her new bed, but not before hearing a tap at her window.

The black crow was perched on her window pane, and immidiately stopped tapping as Aidan turned to face it. She was becomming annoyed at her new stalker. Walking over to the window, Aidan smacked her hand loudly against the glass.

"Scram!" The crow didn't budge, but continued to look at her. "Fine." Flipping the crow the finger, Aidan closed the blinds and almost immidiately the tapping began again. Giving a frustrated growl, Aidan placed her earphones back into her ears and turned her music up as loud as it would go to drown out the tapping. As she lay down in her bed, Aidan couldn't help but to think how badly her stay in Mystic Falls was beginning. "Fucking bird." She grumbled.