Bring Me To Life [Tyler Lockwood FF] Book 1

One.

There were two things I had always known for sure. One, no one had ever loved me and no one ever would. And two, I would always be alone.

I, Devon Bailey Bradford, was an orphan. Bouncing from group homes to foster homes all across the east coast from Florida to New York, I had never felt at home. I had finally been adopted almost a year ago by the Bradford's of Mystic Falls, Virginia, but I still didn't feel at home.

Being adopted hadn't changed a thing. I was still alone.

I had never been good at making friends either. I was shy and awkward and being a bookworm never helped me at all. I could read anything and everything and always had my nose in a book. If I wasn't reading, I was listening to music and daydreaming.

When I moved to Mystic Falls the only person I became friends with was Vicki Donovan. We were complete opposites but she had always been nice to me. We hung out a for a short while and she introduced me to a whole new bad side of myself I didn't know existed before. We drank and partied. We talked about cute boys and got high together. She taught me about makeup and how pretty I actually could be.

The fun lasted for a little while before she became scarce and eventually left town. I honestly knew it wouldn't last. I was back to being alone and invisible.

Even after all that time, the only person who acknowledged my sad existence was the librarian and my adopted little brother, Cody. Cody was only 11 years old and obsessed with his little league baseball and boy scouts, so needless to say we weren't exactly close. I didn't blame him, he was outgoing and had lots of friends. To him I was just his 16 year old adopted, loner sister who locked herself in her room most of the time.

My adopted parents had even stopped encouraging me to get out of the house and make friends. They stopped asking about school, too. I had decent enough grades so I guess that kept them happy.

The seemingly high mortality rate of Mystic Falls scared me just a bit, too. Random animal attacks and people who disappeared was a little much for me. Just another reason to stay in my room and bury myself in the fantasy world of my books.

My alarm clock buzzed in the early morning of a Wednesday, waking me up. I snaked my hand out from under my pillow to slap the snooze button.

"Ugh..." I moaned into the pillow.

I had been having a wonderful dream about stumbling upon a beautiful pack of wolves in the forest. For some reason I hadn't been scared at all, and the wolves weren't threatened by me either. We just walked happily through the trees until one very large white wolf nudged my hand. It's fur was thick and wiry but soft under my fingers. It's greenish grey eyes stared at me like it was trying to tell me something just before I woke. I chalked it all up to the fantasy books I read.

I tossed the huge fluffy comforter aside and ran a hand through my long blonde hair. Sitting up I pulled my long white nightshirt down before stretching my arms up above my head.

Releasing a huge yawn, I finally stood. I was still tired since I had stayed up way too late reading the latest book in my favorite series about Mercedes Thompson the were-coyote.

I made my way to the bathroom down the hall. My bare feet cold against the hardwood floors. I rubbed my eyes with one hand as I heard the disapproving tone of my adopted mother, Christine.

"Devon, how many times do I have to tell you to not come out of your bedroom half dressed? What if Cody sees you like that?"

I give her a half shrug before closing the bathroom door behind me.

I quickly brush the tangles out of my hair while using the toilet. Then, I brush my teeth and apply a thin layer of mascara and black eyeliner. I purse my lips at my reflection in the mirror and stare into my dark brown eyes. Wishing I was prettier and had less freckles, I scowl at myself before leaving the bathroom.

Back in my bedroom, I reach in my dresser and grab a pair of flaired blue jeans and and a black v neck tshirt. I slip on my favorite pair of black skechers and grab my jacket and backpack.

Heading down the stairs, I hear Christine calling from the kitchen. "Devon, do you want breakfast?"

"No! I'll get something at school." I call back.

"Alright. I'll see you later, honey."

I hated when she called me that. She wasn't my real mother, and hated that she thought I was her actual daughter. Cody was her biological son and I was just a replacement for the daughter she could never have.

I drove to school in the old Honda civic my adoptive parents let me drive. They were loaded and it never made sense to me why they didn't have a better second car. But the minivan they drove daily was a lot nicer but, who am I to say anything. I knew I was kind of lucky just to have anything to drive at all.

After parking in the lot behind the high school, I headed inside to my locker to grab my biology textbook. I hated anything science related, but my lab partner was Jeremy Gilbert and the quiet, but slightly boring boy was much better than me at the class. He was friendly enough in class but we never talked about anything other than mitosis or dissection. I knew Vicki used to have a thing for him anyway but it always seemed a bit awkward between us ever since she left town. I never knew what to say and he was coping better with her absence than I had.

Closing my locker, I ran right into the solid chest of another student and I dropped my books.

"I'm so sorry." I mumbled, expecting whoever I had run into would just keep walking like most people tend to do.

"I wasn't paying attention, it's my fault. Let me help you." A deep, and not to mention cute, male voice said surprising the hell out of me.

He instantly squatted down and started to pick up my blue spiral notebook and went to hand it to me.

I blushed furiously and peeked up at the boy who was holding my notebook out to me.

My hair fell out from behind my left ear and hung in my face a bit as our eyes met. There in front of me was one of the most popular boys in school. I didn't know his name, but I recognized the black, spiky hair and handsome face from the hallways. He always had lots of people around him and pretty girls hanging on his arm.

He smiled and his dark eyes seem to sparkle. "Are you new here? I'm Tyler Lockwood."

I blushed even deeper as I shook my head, no. My stomach was doing somersaults and I couldn't remember how to speak. I couldn't believe that someone was actually talking to me and I honestly couldn't even remember how to function.

"How come I've never seen you around before, then? Are you a freshman?" His deep voice made my insides turn to jelly.

He grinned and helped me to my feet. I gulped when his hand gently touched my elbow.

"Are you alright?" He asked with a breathy laugh.

I nodded furiously making my hair bob. I probably looked like a crazy person. I didn't know why he was still standing there staring at me with that adorable smile on his face.

"What's your name?" He asked.

I cleared my clogged up throat to try and salvage my crazy nerves. "Uhm.... Devon." I spoke barely above a whisper.

"Really? I thought that was a guys name." He grinned cockily at me making something flutter inside my ribs.

"I guess..." Is all I am able to get out.

"Are you sure your not new?"

"I've been here for about a year." I gulped trying to push my nerves down again.

"No way! How have I never seen you before?" He asks incredulously.

I just shrug and feel my cheeks start burning. First bell rings, making me jump in surprise, signaling that there was 10 more minutes to get to class.

Someone from the other end of the hallway calls out Tyler's name and he finally looks away from me. He waves at whoever called to him and turns back to me.

"Well, I guess I'll see you around Devon." He smiles brightly at me and heads back down the hallway.

I release the breath I didn't realize I was holding and stand there staring down the quickly emptying hall. Taking a deep breath, I start to head to biology and still can't believe someone actually talked to me. And a very cute someone at that.