A/N: Hey guys! So this is something I came up with a few days ago and I wondered a lot before posting it since I'm not entirely sure where I'm going with the whole thing. I plan to make it short, like a few chapters. I would really appreciate your reviews and opinions on it, cause I'm not sure if I should even continue. This first chapter is a bit short since it's kind of a prologue more than an actual chapter. Anyway, hope you enjoy it. ((:

Stefan's POV

I entered our small house which only light comes from the kitchen window and hurry to toss my sneakers somewhere in the corner of the narrow hallway leading to the messy living room. I'm late, God, too late and mom and Damon would probably be asleep by now, but I just couldn't stop practicing and before I knew it, it was already 10 in the evening. It took me more than an hour to get to our stinky little neighborhood since the buses were very irregular and my brother has taken the truck with him to work today. As usually, actually, I don't remember him letting me drive this thing alone for months, he was such an ass when it came to that old stupid crappy truck, but he was protecting it as if it was the most expensive thing we would ever own. Ok, on second thoughts, it could be actually the most valuable thing we have..except for the house.

"Stefan" my brother granted me a light smile as he surprisingly went out of the living room and and joined me in the hallway. He has put one of those faded black t-shirts again, which matched his dark hair and his whole usual mood actually. He loved wearing black stuff, I doubt that he had a cloth with a different color. I guess he was about to go out with his co-workers again "Come on, mum is pissed you weren't home for dinner." he said while desperately trying to find his jacket in the mess of sweaters and coats before us.

"You going out?" I ask casually, trying to avoid him asking about the real reason why I was so late.

"Oh yeah. You bet I am, I worked my ass out today." he finally got the jacket out and turned towards the mirror while putting it on. "How was school?"

"Oh, please don't start." I respond pretty annoyed as I finally put my own jacket down and stretch to get it on the hanger. He prevents me, though because he manages to notice the bruises on my knuckles and tightens his grip around my wrist angrily. For a moment we stare at each other without either of us letting a single word out. I notice that his eyes are bloody and there are big dark circles around them which makes me furrow my eyebrows even more.

"Please tell me that you haven't been fighting again?" he whispers through his teeth, afraid that mother would hear us talk. I pulled myself away and tried to turn away, but this time he put his hand on my shoulder and once again we stood against one another. "Goddamit Stefan, you have to stop doing this."

"I just fell at basketball practice today" I mumble while avoiding his look.

"Yeah, right. Try to find a better excuse in front of mom, cause she'll be pissed off."

"I'll be pissed off about what?" our mother came out of the living room. Her tired, sad smile always present on her face. She never fails to give it to me, even when she's angry that I'm late for dinner, as usually. I pull myself away from Damon again and try to hide my hands.

"Nothing." I respond vaguely and try to change the subject, but I'm not sure she believes me because she looks up towards my brother, who for my sake, avoids her glance "What's there for dinner?"

"Almost nothing cause your brother ate half of the stuff in the fridge" she said with her typical judgy voice, which makes my brother hurry up and put his shoes on so he could finally disappear from the house "Come on" she tries to smooth my messy hair to the right, which she loved doing to both Damon and me when we were kids. I always waited for her to finish and then shook my head around so it can get back to its initial position. We heard Damon tossing the door and I let a big sigh out. I sincerely hoped that he won't get drunk tonight like he did last week when I had to go to the bar and drag him back home.

He didn't use to drink so much, but something inside him just broke this year. Maybe it was due to the fact that he got fired a couple of times and it was hard for him to find a job. Or maybe it was just because that's who he was-he always liked to party, get drunk, even leave for a few days without telling us and mom usually got out of her mind while he kept repeating that he's a grown man in his twenties and he knows what he's doing. But we worried, we always did, he was a stubborn one. And lately he was scaring me. I knew he scared mom as well, but she tried to never show it.

I got inside the kitchen and tossed my bag on the shabby couch where Damon and I usually watched sports. There was a big hole on my right sock but above all my feet stank like hell so mother started scolding me that I should always wash first. I was just beyond hungry, though and couldn't wait to put something in my mouth so I turned my back on her and ate whatever I could find out in the fridge on the kitchen plot. I didn't want to sit down on the table, cause she would notice my hands just like my brother did and I knew she was tired like hell and that we would start fighting again about how I am the most selfish bastard to exist who just doesn't give a shit what he's doing with his life and so on and so on and I just had no power for that now. I've spent the whole day in school, then I had a long basketball practice with the shitiest coach on earth, who had no idea what he was doing and then I had to stay and wait for the cheerleaders to finish their stupid practice so I could continue playing by myself. Honestly- playing basketball was the only thing I had any desire to do. As a whole I was a social-awkward loner without any friends, playing in the worst team in the school who hasn't won a single game since the beginning of the school year. On top of that, I was failing whichever class we had and I was on the verge of hitting rock bottom pretty soon unless I started doing something about it.

My mom had no idea about that of course-she knew I wasn't the perfect student and that the only thing I cared about was play, but she probably hoped that at least one of her sons will go to college instead of filling another place in the working-class society. I think she would probably remain disappointed in both of us. Even if that's not at all what I would want.

My mother-she is a good woman, she has taken care of us all our life, since father has died when both Damon and me were pretty young. She was patient and strong and she worked a lot so we could be fine all those years. Now Damon and me were trying to pay her back for everything that she has ever done for us. She often fought with us, because we had the tendency to lose our path on numerous occasions. As every mother she had her hopes and dreams about both of us. She really wanted Damon to find his soul mate and start a family, but my brother was a reckless person who only enjoyed one-night stands and honestly, I couldn't really imagine him with a wife and a family of his own, but who knows…maybe one day he would get there. I wouldn't be more happy if it happens. For me…oh well, I really think she would want me to get a scholarship and go to college. I had the tendency to disappoint her and even though she never really showed it, I knew I had done it. Once I got in high school everything with me just turned upside down, for many unknown to me reasons- I stopped studying, I stopped going out that much, I fought a lot and a few times she was just beyond pissed off with me, because they expelled me and oh well..let's say I completely hit whatever bottom there was, just like I was about to do now again. She was pretty angry with me for quite some time and so I called my uncle Zach in Boston and asked him to take me to Boston for the summer so I could work with him. My brother went to work away as well and we left her here completely alone, which as I now realize was pretty stupid. I just couldn't bear watching her feel all bad because of me. I saw her struggling with both mine and my brother's behavior so I thought it would be just better if I get out of her sight and stop disappointing her, for the summer at least.

"How's school?" she asked and I turned around with my mouth full. She was sewing something again while she stared at one of her favorite shows on the TV again. I realized that she looked pretty tired as well. She has always been like that, but lately something wasn't exactly right, though I couldn't pinpoint what it was. I often heard her wake up at nigh, coming here to the kitchen, watching whatever was on, because she couldn't sleep, which only made me guilty…because I believed that me and Damon were the reason for it. She was the quiet observant of us ruining our lives.

"Shitty." I finally answered after I've realized that it took me some time to respond

"Stefan!" she furrowed her eyebrows again and shook her head. "When is the game?"

"Friday." I responded and went to the sink so I could wash my hands. My whole body hurt from running up and down that stupid old gym the whole day. But it was a nice kind of pain, it meant that I was doing at least one thing right. "But you shouldn't come, you are nightshift."

"I'm not missing your game." she stood up and came closer so she would help me with clean the plates, though I never wanted her to do so.

"It's fine, mom, we'll probably just lose like we do every time. "

"You won't. You've been training too much lately and I need that to finally start paying off because I haven't really seen my son properly in weeks." I let a deep sigh out. That's kind of true, I avoided coming home early home at all costs. "You fine, Stefan?" she asks as she puts her hands on my shoulder, just like my brother did not long ago.

"Yeah, mom, I'm great." I smile to assure her and move away so she could let me go. I don't want her to treat me like a child, not right now. I had this problem with people, that whenever they got too close to me I just pulled away. Always. That was like my rule. I never opened to anyone, I didn't want to, sometimes I was even rude on purpose so I could scare people away. I didn't need anyone, I was all fine by myself. And my mother? She was nice and she was probably the only thing in my life that mattered right now, but I wasn't a kid anymore. "I'm just tired" I add and turn my back to her, with which I wanted to tell her that I'm heading to bed.

She didn't miss her opportunity to remind me to shower first and I unwillingly headed to the bathroom. I was beyond tired and I knew I would just get up early tomorrow to get to the gym before anyone has the opportunity to take it. I loved playing on my own, in the silent empty place. I think to some extend it represented my own life-this whole empty space that wasn't going anywhere, a space that wasn't about to change in any way. Just a gym that no one will care enough to fix or make better. An old as my soul place full of dust that filled my lungs. A place that held both the past, the present and the future and they were as empty as I ever will be.

A lonely place, I thought to myself as I finally hit the bed and my wet hair stuck on the pillow.

A lonely one.

Elena's POV

It was six in the morning and the basketball gym was the emptiest place I've ever seen. It was even a little scary as I now think about it, but then again, I'm scared of a lot of things that represent the persistent stubbornness of people to not change anything around them.

I wasn't like that. I liked to move forward, to keep going in every way possible. I was the best student in the school, I had friends, I had my awesome family. I should be glad and satisfied of life. And I honestly would be if I wasn't failing me P.E class. Which leads me to the reason why I'm here so early and why I was definitely alone. Not that there wasn't anyone to ask for help-my friend Matt, who I guess was also a bit into me, would love to give me a hand and that was the reason why I didn't want him to-he was just too helpful and polite. That's the best way a boy could be actually, but for some unknown to me reason it only pissed me off-he was just too perfect that it didn't seem real. Not that I was anything else-I was probably an absolute female copy of him. With the exception that he was in the football team and he was a perfect athlete while I was a complete walking talking disaster who couldn't even throw a ball. I had such a hard time running let alone trying to aim at something and now what? I was suddenly failing? When did this come from? There's no possible way I'm going to fail something. I am Elena Gilbert-I never fail. In anything!

I notice that there are a few balls piled up in the right corner near one of the exits and I sheepishly lean down to take one of them. Even that small effort causes a light pain in my back. Ok-I guess I really am studying quite too much. My brother spent the other evening laughing at my inability to reach the top cupboard where my mother kept the wine glasses and now I guess…he had a point. How am I going to throw this thing? I take a few steps towards the basket, as close as I can actually-and try to push every muscle I have in the single effort to at least touch the ring of this stupid basket.

Before the ball could even fall down and make its usual thud I make a slight scared jump as I hear someone opening the other doors and silently curse. God, why? There wasn't supposed to be anyone here? Who has got up so early anyway?

I make the mistake to turn around. Why? What pushed me to? The only thing that I craved to do ever since I got in this gym was to fucking get out of it two minutes later.

I let a deep sigh out as I realize who the person is-ok, it's not that bad. I think it was one of the boys from the basketball team, but I'm not sure who exactly. As he enters he stops abruptly, obviously quite surprised that there was another human being here so early, let alone-a girl. For a moment he stares at me very uncomfortably, but then he obviously finds the courage he needs and dares the come closer to me.

"What on earth are you doing here?" he asks, surprise evident in his voice "The gym is reserved for training in the morning."

"Oh yeah?" for unknown to myself reasons I suddenly felt bold. Maybe it's because of the way he's dressed-he's put an old white shirt with shabby sleeves on and some faded blue shorts with the number 7 on the side, his left trainer has a hole on the place where the thumb is and his hair is beyond messy, which somehow suits him as I now dare to make this realization. He has big dark circles under his eyes, but that doesn't make him look weak at all-on the contrary, his whole facial expression is somehow determined. I wonder if it's like that only here, in the gym, because I've seen him in class and usually-he slept through most of it. If I remember correctly-he's failing everything. I doubt he'll make it to the end of the year. I remember Caroline-my best friend, telling me something about how he has a very hot big brother, but besides that-I had no idea who he was. I've seen him in the school hallways, but alone-always alone. I'm not sure he had friends, I don't think he seemed like a person who wants friends in the first place. And with that look-he's definitely not getting any. "I didn't know that."

God…what was his name?

"Well now you do." he says through teeth as if he's trying to scare me away. But I'm not a person to get easily rid off. He's just not smart to know that.

"Well good. I'm still staying, I need to practice."

"No way. I have to train here. I don't need some skinny girls tripping all over the place." ok, he's rude.

"I'm not skinny!"

"Oh yeah? You can't even throw the ball right! Who on earth gave you that one? You can break a bone or something and I'm not joking around here." he was though, because his voice was very sarcastic. He was still trying to send me off.

"You're an ass" I spit out and he shrugs playfully.

"So I've been told. Now would you please leave so I could start."

"No way! I haven't got up so early and come here only to leave after ten minutes of doing nothing." he stared at me for quite some time, trying to figure out what to do with me. Obviously I was the first one who he had problems getting rid of. I stubbornly stared as well, I wanted to make myself clear-I'm not a girl who can be easily told what she should do. I might be silent, skinny and practically a nerd, but he couldn't treat me like that. He avoided my look for a moment, then turned abruptly around and fooled around with his ball, obviously trying to figure out what to do with me. Then he looked back up and I saw him struggling with the decision he should make-he was obviously pretty stubborn as well and having a girl in the only place where he could be completely alone made him nervous so I tried to make it easier, for the sake of both of us. "I'll just stay at this part of the playground if that's ok with you? I won't take long anyway." I changed the tone of my voice and smiled at him. His expression suddenly changed as well, though only for a short moment, and his face became somehow lighter, even though he hurried to hide it behind his stern look. God, this boy was the most stubborn human being I've ever met. I cursed myself again for my inability to remember what his name was. I think we had Math together…maybe?

"Fine…I'll be there" he added, still quite confused and maybe even surprised by himself and the fact that he was going to let a girl tell him what to do here. He walked away from me to the other basket and started warming up. All the time I tried to concentrate and do my own thing, but I kept throwing glances in his direction and I definitely took longer than I expected, because when the first bell ran we were still both where we were in the beginning-each of us in their own part. He never moved anywhere near me, as if I was going to do something to him even with my presence here. I think that at some point he completely forgot about my presence, because at the end I just stopped at sat down on the floor, pretending to be fixing my shoelace when I was actually staring at him and what he was doing. He was just so consumed by what his game that it was honestly quite beautiful to observe. I hated sports and anything related to it, but he seemed like he's not just playing or fooling around-it was like he was living it, every single move-every step, every throw-it was interesting to watch. For the first time I didn't think that basketball was complete and total bullshit.

I wonder how I never really noticed him before. Was he really that invisible? Ok, he's a little messy and his attitude is questionable, but I don't think he's bad. No one who can play so innocently and with such enthusiasm can be bad, right?

And still…what on earth was his name?