The rest of the morning passed in a blur. Stefan was in none of her early classes, thank God, although she knew she’d see him in history that afternoon. She couldn’t stop herself from looking for him in the halls. She didn’t see him, but she had a constant, exultant awareness that he was here—and alive.
She tried to make plans, but she was constantly distracted. Everyone wanted Elena’s attention: Boys flirted with her; girls curried her favor with scraps of gossip. She had forgotten what it was like to be the queen of school. Matt was in one of her morning classes, and she met his smile with quiet panic. She didn’t know what to do with Matt yet. Her friend was going to have to get his heart broken … again.
By lunchtime, she was sick of acting like she cared about the popularity, and she slipped down toward the cafeteria alone. Caroline was outside, posed casually against a wall in a model’s slouch. The two boys she was talking to nudged each other as Elena came toward them.
Elena wanted to just walk on by. She remembered this, too, and all the awful things Caroline had done later. She had plotted to destroy Elena, for no reason, out of jealousy and pure spite.
But Caroline’s chin was tilted up, and her eyes staring deliberately past Elena, as if the other girl was beneath her notice. Every line of her body broadcast pure hostility. Her hatred would only increase. If Elena didn’t deal with her now, it was bound to be worse later.
“Hi,” Elena said briefly to the boys. To Caroline she asked, “Want to get lunch?”
Caroline barely glanced at Elena as she pushed her glossy auburn hair back. “What, at the royal table?” she asked scathingly.
Elena suppressed an urge to roll her eyes and instead forced a smile. “Please come,” she said gently. “I want to hear about your summer. I missed you.” It was true, sort of. She’d known Caroline since kindergarten; they’d been good friends until this moment. Maybe she could change things here, too. Maybe this was a chance to fix everything she regretted.
Elena kept going into the cafeteria, not giving Caroline a chance to snap back an answer. Caroline followed but, a few steps in, her fingers fastened hard on Elena’s arm. “A lot of things changed while you were gone this summer, Elena,” she hissed warningly. “And just maybe your time on the throne is running out.”
“You’d make a better queen than I do. Take it,” Elena said agreeably, scanning the crowd as Caroline stood dumfounded. “Are you getting hot lunch?” It was a relief to see Meredith and Bonnie already sitting at their table. Caroline, temporarily silenced, followed as Elena got her lunch and went to join them.
“That new boy is in my biology class,” Bonnie announced. “I sit right across from him. And his name is Stefan—Stefan Salvatore—and he’s from Italy. He’s boarding with old Mrs. Flowers on the edge of town. He picked up your books when you dropped them, didn’t he, Caroline? Did he say anything?”
“Not much,” said Caroline shortly. She was still watching Elena from the corner of her eyes, her forehead slightly creased.
“There he is,” Meredith said, looking across the lunchroom.
Elena’s head shot up. There Stefan was, hesitating at the door of the cafeteria, and then crossing it with long, smooth strides, heading for the hall that led toward the other side of the school. He wouldn’t eat, of course. He had probably fed on the blood of a bird or small animal before school.
Stefan glanced toward their table, and Elena felt his eyes slide over her as viscerally as if he’d touched her. And then he passed by, his jaw tight. Elena swallowed and looked away.
Caroline was still watching him. She had the slightest hint of a smirk on her lovely face.
Caroline wanted Stefan, Elena knew. A few days after this, they’d started hanging out during lunch, had gone to Homecoming together. And then Elena and Stefan had come together, and he’d forgotten Caroline completely. No wonder she’d hated Elena more and more.
On an impulse, Elena nudged her. “You should talk to him,” she said.
It was the last thing she wanted, really. But Caroline’s fury over Elena taking Stefan had led to so much horror. And if Stefan was out of the way, in Caroline’s orbit, it would be easier for Elena to focus on Damon.
Besides, Stefan would never love Caroline. He’d be perfectly safe with her.
Caroline flicked a glance at Elena. “Who says I want to talk to him?” she said cooly.
But a moment later, Caroline was staring at the door Stefan had gone through. Elena took a long drink of her water. She’d set something in motion.
It might be necessary, but that didn’t mean she had to like it.
7
“Aunt Judith wants me home right after school today,” Elena lied. “I have to hear all about Margaret’s first day of nursery school, I guess.” She was leaning against her locker, Matt looking down at her with his honest blue eyes. They ignored the people streaming past, all eager to get home now that the first day was over.
“I can give you a ride home at least,” Matt said, reaching for her hand.
“That’s okay, I want to walk,” Elena said, gently disentangling her fingers from his. “I’ve got some thinking to do. And you’ve got to get ready for practice, don’t you?” She kissed him gently on the cheek, like a sister might instead of a girlfriend, and walked away.
Matt didn’t object, but Elena could feel his puzzled gaze following her all the way down the hall toward the school doors.
Poor Matt, she thought, sighing. They’d been good friends for so long. Junior year, she’d hoped that he was the boy for her. The one who could be more to her than a trophy or an accessory. And he had been in so many ways—but she hadn’t been in love with him, and she hadn’t been able to see then how much he loved her.