Life hasn't been the same for Elena since the tragic death of her parents, but she tries to pick up the pieces and provide support for her troubled younger brother, Jeremy. On her first day back at Mystic Falls High School, Elena meets the mysterious new guy, Stefan, and the two seeming lost souls form an instant connection. What Elena doesn't know, however, is that Stefan is a vampire, constantly resisting the urge to taste her blood. But Stefan, it seems, has a greater evil to deal with when his dangerous older brother, Damon, shows up to wreak havoc on the town of Mystic Falls — and claim Elena for himself.