MAN: For over a century, I have lived in secret...
...hiding in the shadows, alone in the world...
...until now.
I am a vampire...
...and this is my story.
MAN: An hour's drive to hear that crap.
You know, it wasn't even a band. A guy with a guitar. An hour each way.
-He wasn't that bad. -He sounded like James Blunt.
What's wrong with that?
Already have a James Blunt. One's all we need.
-So why did you come? -Because I love you.
Nicely done.
BROOKE: What's with the fog? -It'll clear in a sec.
Watch out!
[PANTING]
-Are you okay? -We just hit someone. Oh, my God.
Call for help.
Come on, come on.
Please be alive.
Oh, my God.
There's no signal.
Darren?
[SCREAMING]
STEFAN: I shouldn't have come home.
I know the risk.
But I had no choice.
I have to know her.
ELENA: Dear diary, today will be different.
It has to be.
I will smile, and it will be believable.
My smile will say:
"I'm fine, thank you.
Yes, I feel much better."
I will no longer be the sad little girl who lost her parents.
I will start fresh, be someone new.
It's the only way I'll make it through.
Toast. I can make toast.
It's all about the coffee, Aunt Jenna.
Is there coffee?
Your first day of school, and I'm totally unprepared.
-Lunch money? -I'm okay.
Anything else? A Number 2 pencil?
What am I missing?
Don't you have a big presentation today?
I'm meeting with my thesis advisor at.... Now.
-Crap. -Then go. We'll be fine.
You okay?
Don't start.
So Grams is telling me I'm psychic.
Our ancestors were from Salem, witches and all that.
I know, crazy, but she's going on and on about it.
I'm like, "Put this woman in a home already."
But I start thinking, I predicted Obama, and I predicted Heath Ledger.
And I still think Florida will break off and turn into little resort islands.
Elena, back in the car.
I did it again, didn't I? I'm sorry, Bonnie.
-You were telling me that-- -That I'm psychic now.
Right, okay, then predict something about me.
[SIGHS]
I see--
[BOTH GASP]
What was that?
Oh, my God.
-Elena, are you okay? -It's okay. I'm fine.
It was a bird or something. It came out of nowhere.
Really, I can't be freaked out by cars for the rest of my life.
I predict this year is going to be kick-ass.
And I predict all the sad and dark times are over.
And you are going to be beyond happy.
Major lack of male real estate.
Look at the shower curtain on Kelly Beech.
She looks a hot-- Can I still say "tranny mess"?
No, that's over.
Ugh. Find a man and coin a phrase. It's a busy year.
He hates me.
That's not hate. That's, "You dumped me, but I'm too cool to show it...
...but secretly I'm listening to Air Supply's greatest hits."
Elena. Oh, my God.
How are you? Oh, it's so good to see you.
How is she? Is she good?
Caroline, I'm right here.
And I'm fine, thank you.
-Really? -Yes, much better.
-Oh, you poor thing. -Okay, Caroline.
[SIGHS]
-Okay, see you guys later? -Okay, yeah.
Bye.
No comment. I'm not gonna say anything.
Don't take more than two in a six-hour window.
Hey, Vicki, I knew I'd find you here with the crack heads.
Hey.
-Pete Wentz wants his nail polish back. -Pete Wentz, huh?
How old-school TRL of you. Carson Daly fan?
Whoa, Ty, be nice. Be nice. That's Elena's little brother.
I know who he is. I'll still kick his ass.
Hold up. Who's this?
ELENA: All I see is back.
It's a hot back.
SECRETARY: Your records are incomplete.
You're missing immunization records, and we do insist on transcripts.
Please look again.
I'm sure everything you need is there.
Oh, you're right.
So it is.
I'm sensing Seattle, and he plays the guitar.
You're gonna run this psychic thing into the ground, huh?
-Pretty much. MAN: Jeremy, good batch.
I'll be right back.
Please be hot.
Whoa! Next down, chick.
Great. It's the first day of school, and you're stoned.
-No, I'm not. -Where is it?
-Is it on you? -Stop. Chill yourself, all right?
Chill myself? What is that, stoner talk?
-Dude, you are so cool. -Look, stop.
-I don't have anything. Are you crazy? -You haven't seen crazy, Jeremy.
I gave you a summer pass.
But I am done watching you destroy yourself.
No, you know what? Go ahead, keep it up.
Just know that I am going to be there to ruin your buzz every time, you got it?
[TOILET FLUSHING]
Jeremy, I know who you are, and it's not this person.
So don't be this person.
I don't need this.
STEFAN: Thank you. SECRETARY: You're welcome.
Uh-- Pardon me.
Um....
Is this the men's room?
[STAMMERING] Yes. I was just....
I was just....
It's a long story.
Just....
Thank you.
Once our home state of Virginia joined Confederacy in 1861...
...it created a tremendous amount of tension within the state.
[VOICE FADING] People in Virginia's Northwest had different ideas...
...from those of the traditional deep South.
And Virginia divided....
[CELL PHONE VIBRATES]
[CROW CAWS]
ELENA: Dear diary, I made it through the day.
I must have said, "I'm fine, thanks," at least 37 times.
And I didn't mean it once.
But no one noticed.
When someone asks, "How are you?" they really don't want an answer.
[CROW CAWING]
Okay. Hi, bird.
That's not creepy or anything.
[SIGHS]
[CROW CAWING]
Shoo!
That's what I thought.
[CAWING]
[PANTING]
You okay?
[SIGHS]
Were you following me?
No, I just-- I saw you fall.
Uh-huh. And you just happened to be hanging out in a cemetery.
I'm visiting. I have, uh, family here.
Oh.
Wow, tactless.
I'm sorry.
It's the fog. It's making me foggy.
Then back there, there was this bird.
And it was all very Hitchcock for a second.
That is the bird movie, right? The Hitchcock...?
I'm Elena.
I'm Stefan.
I know. We have history together.
And English and French.
Right.
Thanks.
-Nice ring. -Oh.
Uh.... It's a family ring. Yeah. Kind of stuck with it.
-It's weird, huh? -No.
It's just-- I mean, there are rings, and then there's that.
-Did you hurt yourself? -Hmm?
-Did you hurt yourself? -Oh, uh....
I don't know.
Oh, would you look at that?
That is not pretty.
Are you okay?
You should go.
-Take care of that. -Really, it's nothing.
STEFAN: I lost control today.
Everything I've kept buried inside came rushing to the surface.
I am simply not able to resist her.
-Hey. -Working.
-Thanks, Vick. -Do you need another refill?
I'd love one.
Tell me you're not hooking up with my sister.
I'm not hooking up with your sister.
You're such a dick.
What's your deal?
Summer you act one way, school starts, and you can't be bothered.
I appreciate the pharmaceuticals...
...but you can't keep following like a lost puppy.
You had sex with a puppy?
Keep it down. I don't wanna tell the world I deflowered Elena's brother.
And deflowered and deflowered.
We hooked up a few times in a drug haze. It's over.
Back off before you ruin things between me and Tyler.
Come on, the guy's a total douche.
He only wants you for your ass.
Yeah? What do you want me for?
[SIGHS]
His name is Stefan Salvatore.
He lives with his uncle at the Salvatore boarding house.
He hasn't lived here since he was a kid. Military family. They moved around a lot.
He's a Gemini, and his favorite color is blue.
You got all of that in one day?
I got all that between third and fourth period.
We're planning a June wedding.
-I'm meeting Bonnie at the Grill. -Have fun.
Wait. I got this.
Don't stay out late. It's a school night.
[ELENA CHUCKLES]
Well done, Aunt Jenna.
[GASPS]
-Oh. -Sorry. I was about to knock.
I wanted to apologize for my disappearing act earlier.
I know it was strange.
No worries.
I get it. Blood makes you squeamish.
Something like that.
How's your leg?
Oh, it's fine. Just a scratch, barely.
How did you know where I lived?
It's a small town. I asked the first person I saw.
I thought you might want this back.
I must have dropped it. I--
Thank you.
Don't worry. I didn't read it.
No?
Why not? Most people would have.
Well, I wouldn't want anyone to read mine.
You keep a journal?
Yeah, if I don't write it down, I forget it.
Memories are too important.
Yeah.
I'm just gonna....
You don't have to stay out there.
I'm fine.
Sorry, were you going somewhere?
Yeah, I'm meeting a friend.
Do you wanna come?
How's Elena doing?
Her mom and dad died. How do you think?
She's putting on a good face. It's only been four months.
-Has she said anything about me? -Oh, no.
So not getting in the middle. You call her.
I feel weird calling her. She broke up with me.
Give it more time, Matt.
[DOOR OPENS]
More time, huh?
-Hey, I'm Matt. Nice to meet you. -Hi. Stefan.
-Hey. -Hey.
-So you were born in Mystic Falls? -Mm-hm.
I moved when I was still young.
Parents?
My parents passed away.
I'm sorry.
Any siblings?
None that I talk to.
I live with my uncle.
So, Stefan, if you're new, you don't know about the party tomorrow.
It's a back-to-school thing at the falls.
-Are you going? -Of course she is.
[DOOR OPENS]
You promised.
This was an animal attack.
Don't give me that. I know the game.
You tear them up, they suspect an animal attack.
-You said you had it under control. -And I do.
Please, Uncle Stefan, Mystic Falls is a different place now.
It's been quiet for years.
But there are people who still remember.
And you being here...
-...it's just gonna stir things up. -That's not my intention.
Why did you come back after all this time?
I don't have to explain myself.
I know that you can't change what you are.
But you don't belong here anymore.
Where do I belong?
I can't tell you what to do.
But coming back here was a mistake.
The Battle of Willow Creek took place at the end of the war...
...in our very own Mystic Falls.
How many casualties resulted in this battle?
Miss Bennett?
Um.... A lot?
I'm not sure. But, like, a whole lot.
Cute becomes dumb in an instant, Miss Bennett.
Mr. Donovan.
Would you like to take this opportunity to overcome your jock stereotype?
It's okay, Mr. Tanner. I'm cool with it.
[ALL CHUCKLING]
Elena?
Surely you can enlighten us about one of the town's most historical events.
I'm sorry, I don't know.
I was willing to be lenient last year for obvious reasons, Elena.
But the personal excuses ended with summer break.
There were 346 casualties, unless you're counting the local civilians.
That's correct, Mr...?
-Salvatore. -Salvatore.
Any relation to the original settlers here at Mystic Falls?
-Distant. -Well, very good.
Except, of course, there were no civilian casualties in this battle.
STEFAN: Actually, there were 27, sir.
Confederate soldiers fired on the church, believing it to be housing weapons.
And they were wrong. It was a night of great loss.
The founder's archives are in Civil Hall if you'd like to brush up on your facts...
...Mr. Tanner.
[PEOPLE CHATTERING]
WOMAN 1: Who are you waiting for? Who's your date?
MAN 1: What do you mean, we never hooked up?
MAN 2: Searching?
WOMAN 2: I mean, people look up to me. I have to set a good example.
BONNIE: Just admit it, Elena.
ELENA: Okay, so he's a little pretty.
He has that romance-novel stare.
BONNIE: "Stefan looked deep into her eyes, piercing her very soul."
[ELENA AND BONNIE LAUGH]
Hey, you made it.
-I did. -Well, let's get you a drink.
-Well, I'm-- -Oh, come on.
-So where is he? -I don't know.
You tell me. You're the psychic one.
Right, I forgot.
Okay, so give me a sec. Grams says I have to concentrate.
Wait. You need a crystal ball.
Uh....
Ta-da.
-What? -That was weird.
When I touched you, I saw a crow.
-What? -A crow.
There was fog, a man.
I'm drunk. It's the drinking. There's nothing psychic about it.
Yeah? Okay, I'm gonna get a refill.
Okay.
Bonnie?
Hi.
[CHUCKLES]
Hi.
I did it again, didn't I?
-Yeah. -I'm sorry.
-You're upset about something. -Oh, uh....
No, it's just Bonnie, she's....
You know what? Never mind.
You're here.
I'm here.
You know, you're kind of the talk of the town.
-Am I? -Mm-hm.
Mysterious new guy, oh, yeah.
Well, you have the mysterious thing going too.
Twinged in sadness.
What makes you think that I'm sad?
Well, we did meet in a graveyard.
Right.
No, technically, we met in the men's room.
You don't wanna know.
It's not exactly party chitchat.
STEFAN: Well, I've never really been very good at chitchat.
Last spring...
...my parents' car drove off of a bridge into the lake.
And I was in the back seat, and I survived...
...but they didn't.
So that's my story.
You won't be sad forever, Elena.
[CHUCKLES]
No, Ty, I'm not having sex against a tree.
-Come on, it will be hot. -For who?
No, it's not gonna happen. It's not gonna happen.
Not here. Not like this.
No. I said no.
I said no. Ow. That hurts.
JEREMY: Hey, leave her alone.
You're starting to get on my nerves.
-Go, Tyler. Get the hell away from me. TYLER: Wow.
Vicki Donovan says no. That's a first.
-I didn't need your help. -Seems like you did.
-He was just drunk. -I'm drunk.
-Am I throwing myself at you? -You're worse.
You wanna talk to me, get to know me...
...see into my soul, and screw and screw and screw until you're done with me.
-Is that what you think? -That's what I know.
STEFAN: Bonnie is a good friend. -Best friend in the world.
Matt can't seem to take his eyes off of us.
Matt's that friend since childhood that you start dating...
...because you owe it to yourselves to see if you can be more.
And?
And then my parents died.
And everything changes.
Anyway, Matt and I, together, we just....
I don't know, it wasn't....
It wasn't....
Passionate.
No.
No, it wasn't passionate.
Hey, are you okay?
-Your eye, it's just-- It's.... -Oh. Um....
Yeah. No, it's nothing.
Are you thirsty? I'm gonna get us a drink.
Jeremy?
Is that you?
Jeremy?
[VICKI SCREAMS]
Looking for someone?
Hey.
When you broke up with me, you said you needed some time alone.
You don't look so alone to me.
Matt, you don't understand. It's--
It's okay, Elena. You do what you have to do.
I just wanna let you know that I still believe in us.
And I'm not giving up on that.
Matt.
CAROLINE: Hey, there you are.
Have you been down to the falls yet? Because they are really cool at night.
And I can show you if you want.
-I think you've had too much to drink. -Well, of course I have.
-So.... -Caroline.
You and me, it's not gonna happen.
I'm sorry.
I was wondering who abducted you, but now I know.
She like that with all the guys?
No. You're fresh meat.
She'll back off eventually.
[BOTTLES CLATTERING]
-Oh, God, you gotta be kidding me. STEFAN: What is it?
ELENA: My brother. STEFAN: The drunk one?
That would be the one. Excuse me.
-Need some help? -You're not gonna wanna witness this.
Jeremy.
-Jeremy, where the hell are you going? -I don't wanna hear it. Uhn!
Vicki? No.
-Oh, my God, it's Vicki. -Oh, my God.
JEREMY: No.
Somebody help!
Vicki? Vicki, what the hell?
-What happened? -Call an ambulance.
-Everybody back up. Give her space. -It's her neck.
Something bit her. She's losing a lot of blood.
MATT: Vicki, come on, open your eyes. Look at me.
What's going on?
Someone was attacked tonight, Zach, and it wasn't me.
[CROW CAWS]
Damon.
Hello, brother.
[CAWS]
The crow's a bit much, don't you think?
[CROW CAWS]
Wait till you see what I can do with the fog.
When did you get here?
Well, I couldn't miss your first day of school.
Your hair's different. I like it.
It's been 15 years, Damon.
Thank God. I couldn't take another day of the '90s.
That horrible grunge look...
...did not suit you.
Remember, Stefan, it's important to stay away from fads.
Why are you here?
-I missed my brother. -You hate small towns.
It's boring. There's nothing for you to do.
I've managed to keep myself busy.
You know, you left that girl alive tonight.
That's very clumsy of you.
That could be a problem...
...for you.
Why are you here now?
I could ask you the same question.
However, I'm fairly certain...
...your answer can be summed up all into one little word:
Elena.
MAN: Okay.
[SIREN WAILS]
Hey, we're gonna go mainline coffee and wait for news.
I gotta take Jeremy home.
Elena, there's no way I'm psychic.
I know that.
But whatever I saw, or I think I saw...
...I have this feeling--
Bonnie, what?
--that it's just the beginning.
DAMON: She took my breath away.
Elena.
She's a dead ringer for Katherine.
Is it working, Stefan? Being around her? Being in her world?
-Does it make you feel alive? -She's not Katherine.
Well, let's hope not. We both know how that ended.
Tell me, when's the last time you had something stronger than a squirrel?
I know what you're doing, Damon.
Yeah? Don't you crave a little?
-Stop it. -Let's do it together.
I saw a couple girls out there. Or just-- Let's just cut to the chase.
Let's just go straight for Elena.
-Stop it! -Imagine what her blood tastes like.
I can.
I said stop!
[GROWLS]
[GROANS]
I was impressed.
I give it a six. You missed on style, but I was pleasantly surprised.
Very good with the whole face--
[GROWLS]
--thing. It was good.
Yeah, it's all fun and games, Damon, huh?
But wherever you go, people die.
-That's a given. -Not here.
I won't allow it.
-I take that as an invitation. -Damon, please.
After all these years, can't we just give it a rest?
I promised you an eternity of misery, so I'm just keeping my word.
Just stay away from Elena.
Where's your ring?
Oh, yeah, the sun's coming up in a couple hours...
...and, poof, ashes to ashes.
[CHUCKLES]
Relax.
It's right here.
You should know better than to think you're stronger than me.
You lost that fight when you stopped feeding on people.
I wouldn't try it again.
[THUMP]
I think we woke Zach up.
Sorry, Zach.
[DAMON WHISTLING]
You okay?
I called Jenna. She's on her way.
Those people in uniforms?
Last time I checked, they're the police.
People are gonna stop giving you breaks, Jer.
They just don't care anymore.
They don't remember that our parents are dead.
They've got their own lives to deal with.
The rest of the world has moved on.
You should try too.
I've seen you in the cemetery writing in your diary.
Is that supposed to be you moving on?
Mom and Dad wouldn't have wanted this.
Are you sober yet?
Nope.
Keep drinking. I gotta get you home. I gotta get me home.
Why didn't he go for me?
How come the guys that I want never want me?
-I'm not touching that. -I'm inappropriate.
I always say the wrong thing.
And Elena always says the right thing.
Ugh. She doesn't even try.
And he just picks her. And she's always the one that everyone picks...
...for everything.
And I try so hard...
...and I'm never the one that....
It's not a competition, Caroline.
Yeah, it is.
Hey.
Hey. It's okay.
-You're gonna be okay. Shh. -Matt--
Hey, don't try to talk, okay? You're fine.
Vampire.
ELENA: Dear diary...
...I couldn't have been more wrong.
I thought that I could smile and nod my way through it.
Pretend like it would all be okay.
STEFAN: I had a plan.
I wanted to change who I was.
Create a life as someone new.
Someone without the past.
ELENA: Without the pain.
ELENA AND STEFAN: Someone alive.
ELENA: But it's not that easy.
The bad things stay with you.
STEFAN: They follow you.
You can't escape them...
...as much as you want to.
ELENA: All you can do is be ready for the good...
...so when it comes, you invite it in because you need it.
I need it.
I know it's late...
...but I needed to know that you were okay.
You know, for months, that's all anyone's wondered about me...
...if I'll be okay.
What do you tell them?
That I'll be fine.
Do you ever mean it?
Ask me tomorrow.
It's warmer in the house. We can talk.
Would you like to come in?
Yes. you like to come in?