A/N: My first Kennett fic! wooop! this is totally AU because I wanna have fun and not worry about OOC and such! review please so I know people are reading and if I should continue. Also they may be a lot of mistakes and i apologize i'm trying to write present continuous and i suck at it LOL.

Prologue – A Guiding Light

"We trust that we will be the change we wish to see in the world. My colleagues and I will move steadfast strong, we are proud to be your NYU graduating class of 2010!"

I look out at the crowd, thousands of emotion capturing me at once. This was the beginning; nothing will be the same after this moment. I am three minutes away from being a college graduate. Everything was going according to plan and in a few years I'll be exactly where I've always wanted to be.

I watch as the school's president takes the podium, ready to announce those few words that will mark our freedom.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, the New York University graduating class of 2010!"

Everyone cheers. This is a different experience from my high school graduation, which I'd rather not relive thank you very much. My best friend, Rebekah Mikaelson, stands beside me, with a smile so cheesy I might have punched her if I wasn't so happy.

"Bonnie," she says in her wonderful Australian accent, "We are graduates, like what the actual hell?!"

"It's a little scary, when you think about it, now we are entering the 'real world'," replies Anna to my left, "is this real life?"

Rebekah promptly rolls her eyes, to say she's not a fan of Anna would be an understatement, they got into a brawl freshman year over some dude who was as scummy as he was ugly. They never got along and I'm pretty sure the only reasons why they are friends, is me.

"Can we just go to the bar already?" I say amusingly as I drape my arms around my two best friends.

"You're not even old enough to go legally as yet, Bonnie," Rebekah laughs, "investing in that fake ID freshman year had to have been the best plan I had ever had."

So I'm a few years younger than my entire graduating class, let's just say I couldn't wait to graduate high school and even though the average age of my class is over twenty-two, there's me, the five months short of being twenty-one year old.

"Just because you're older, just means you'll die first," I reply with a wink.

We move fast to get to our parents and avoid the rush of students greeting each other. We approach my father and step mother first. They held their arms out, bearing gifts of all sorts. I accept them and give them a smile, telling them how lovely it is to see them. My step mother moves forward with her protruding stomach, and asks if I'll be home for the fourth of July, I knew she was really asking if I was going to come for the birth of the baby, I lie and say yes. We say our goodbyes and find Anna's family. Her mother smiles at us and congratulates us. Anna decides to stay with them and tells us she'll meet up with us later at the bar.

"Good riddance," Rebekah says with a malicious tone, these girls really need to sort out their issues.

She grabs my hands as she spots her parents and runs towards them. They embrace her in a cocoon and I stand by awkwardly amused by the exchange. Her mother soon acknowledges me and I'm pulled into the big family hug as well. We all chatted for a while and discussed future plans and such, Rebekah hated talking about her future, like hated. She has a job secured for her though, if she ever decides to take it.

"Kol sends his apologies for not being here, something about discussing a merger for some firm," Elijah, Rebekah's eldest brother says.

Rebekah frowns slightly and nods. I've never met Kol; circumstances never allowed that we meet. Rebekah doesn't speak much about him but she loves her siblings. Apparently after the divorce, Finn, Kol and Henrik went with their father Mikael while Rebekah, Niklaus and Elijah stayed with Esther. Niklaus is currently out of states working in England I think, he is pleasant, not as pleasant as Elijah but no one could ever be.

We leave shortly after and head to our apartment in upper Manhattan. I know expensive right? Don't worry Rebekah pays like seventy-five percent of the money. I'm not as well off as she is, but she can't cook or clean so I guess I work of my debt? We enter the apartment and check the messages a couple are for me and the last two Rebekah's.

"Hey Bex, sorry I wasn't able to come to your graduation, I have good news though I'll be in NYC later tonight and I must see you to tell you in person, I will be here a couple of days before I head back to Cali, we have to speak, love always Kol."

Rebekah hit the callback button and received his voice mail she quickly left a message, stating that we were going to be at a club in the city and she'll stop by tomorrow. We got dressed and left the apartment, ready to celebrate our new status as college graduates.

The club is bumping, banging really. I am a little wasted, okay, I am a lot wasted. We pre-gamed at the bar then headed to this hot new club who is having its Grand Opening tonight. I stumble a little while walking to bar, my intention to get some water, or I would have the mother of all hangovers tomorrow. I find the stool and sit on it gesturing to the bartender, who was aptly ignoring me, motherfucker. I sigh frustratingly as a man comes up beside me.

"What do you want?" his voice gives me chill down my spine and I feel it end in my womb. It had to have been the most gorgeous sound I've ever heard and I swear if I turn around and his face doesn't look as divine, I will cut someone. I move slowly and gasp when I see his face.

His face is perfect. He has short unruly hair and a heart chin, usually I find this as a huge turn off but with him it works. His eyes are blue and his eye brows make them look so intense. I vaguely register that he looks very familiar but I cannot pinpoint why.

"Well?" he asks, snapping me from my trance.

Shoot, what had he asked me? I look at him again and he smiles, raising an eye brow. Come on Bonnie, you do not find this attractive, you are clearly drunk, "Water!" I gasp.

"Yo, Matt! A water for the beautiful lady please," he says in that orgasmic accent again. Matt nods and reaches for a bottle then slides it to me.

"Thanks ," I mumble softly. I take a gulp and settle my nerves. I have no idea why I did what I'm about to do but I grab his arm and pulled him unto the dance floor.

He moves behind me and we start grinding. He rakes his hands across my hips and I feel like I'm on fire. I grind my butt into his front and the erection is unmistakable. He wants me and I want him, why are we still clothed? I turn myself and put my arms around his neck bringing his lips to mine. The feeling is simply explosive. He kisses me with such passion that I've never felt in all my twenty years of life. I've had one, one night stand before and that didn't end well. He grips my ass and brings me closer to him, my skin burns. Fuck it! Bonnie's getting the D tonight.

I break away from his lips and ask the one question that would determine the outcome of tonight, "Your place or mine?"

He looks up at me with lust in his eyes. He shakes his head and replies neither then leaves. I stare at him walking away, this is good, and this is what I needed. I tried to rationalize even though disappointment flooded my insides. It's a good thing he isn't the type to take advantage of a drunken girl. I sigh and send Rebekah a text then head towards my apartment.