Sincerely Yours [Stefan Salvatore]

[01. New Year, New Guy]

[1x01; Pilot]

If there was one thing Lucy Gilbert knew about the first day of school it would be that first impressions were important. And, after the summer she had, she needed to make a good impression. One that said, 'My parents are dead but I'm fine, thanks for asking.'

Lucy didn't think there was such an outfit for that, though, so she settled with the type of clothes she would normally wear. If anything, that would give the impression that she was back to normal.

She only wished she was back to normal. A summer's worth of grief and yet she still didn't feel like herself, like the person she was before her family's SUV ran off Wickery Bridge. But that was fine; her parents were dead; she was allowed to not be all right. If it took her longer than four months to grieve, that was her business and her business alone.

Still, a carefully crafted mask and outfit would have to work for now.

Lucy quickly pulled on her clothes and checked her hair, her lips quirking in satisfaction when her brunette curls bounced perfectly in place. She fixed her moonstone locket against her breastbone and left the bathroom that she shared with her brother, heading straight into her room.

After gathering her school supplies and bag, Lucy wandered downstairs. The closer she walked to the kitchen, the louder the voices coming from it were. She perked up when she heard her older brother's voice playfully arguing with her aunt, Jenna, and older sister, Elena. Joel had just started his sophomore year at Whitmore, so she didn't expect to see him.

"I can make toast," Jenna proclaimed, shutting the refrigerator door as Lucy walked into the room.

"The last time I saw you use the toaster, you almost burnt down the house, Jenna," Joel teased his aunt from his seat at the island. He picked up a doughnut from the white cardboard box in front of him, and put it on a napkin, pushing it over to her.

"Besides, it's all about the coffee," Elena added, pouring some coffee into her usual purple mug.

"Is there coffee?"

Lucy, who had been silently watching her family interact, jumped as her younger brother, Jeremy, pushed past her and walked over to Elena, taking the coffee mug from her hands. Elena scoffed and turned, grabbing another mug to fill up.

"It's your first day of school and I'm totally unprepared," Jenna sighed. She wandered over to the dining table where her purse was sitting and rummaged through it, pulling out three five-dollar bills. "Lunch money?"

She held out two of the bills for Elena and Jeremy to take and looked over at Lucy, smiling as she held out the other bill. Lucy grinned back and took the money.

"Thanks," she mumbled, slipping the money into the small pocket on the front of her purse.

"I'm good," Elena denied, pouring cream into her coffee.