Here you go!

Chapter 2: Jump

I could've laughed.

I actually think I did. There was a time maybe in eigth grade I would have jumped for the opportunity to even speak to Stefan Salvatore because, who wouldn't?

Today, however? Did I look like the type of girl who rode on the back of motorcycles with delinquents? My life was beginning to get a little to movie cliché for my tastes. Despite the fact that the Harley did look kind of tempting, it just wasn't my style. If I even had a style anymore. Plus, if I did do this, I could tick off something on my bucket list which has yet to be done to this day.

I can't even believe that I'm considering this.

"No thank you," wise Elena said confidently. "My car is here and I actually don't feel to well today, so..." Which is all true. It's not like I'm lying or anything. I waited for him to respond but he just sort paused for a moment before biting on his lip.

He nodded in a sort of smug way before he gave quick smile, "I get it. I didn't really expect you to."

Hold the fucking phone.

He grabbed his leather satchel thing that was full of unused books and brand new paper and dropped it on his shoulders .

"What exactly do you mean by that?" Instead of being surprised by the fact that I was still holding a conversation with him, Stefan merely smiled that panty dropping smile of pearly white teeth and full lips and let out a chuckle.

"You don't exactly seem like the type to ride a motorcycle." He saw my look of shock and hurriedly held his hands out in defense. "It isn't a bad thing. I actually like that about you."

Somehow I got the feeling he didn't. For some reason, I think that he thinks that I'm too...vanilla, or something. I'm not. I've done plenty of amazing out-of-this-world things that he wouldn't know about be cause he does not know me. I scowled at him and crossed my arms at my chest.

He just kept smiling like an idiot which was very cute and irritating at the same time. I took a glance at the bike and at him before I stomped my foot, "I would go on a ride with you, okay? I just have to get home." I tried to explain in frustration.

He pretended to think it over before he made a big gesture of having an idea. Insert scowl here. "Do you have any friends who can drive, but can't?"

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion and I nodded, "Bonnie's car is in the shop. She gets rides with Caroline." He probably didn't know who either of them was but still nodded all the same.

"I'll take you home and then Bonnie can drive your car. Fair enough?" He smiled again cheekily before removing his satchel.

I pulled my keys from my pocket and took a deep breath over the fact that I might actually be doing this.

"Let me go give these keys to Bonnie."

I started to walk toward the school but he reached a hand out to stop me. "Just put them in the car with the car unlocked and text her."

I stared at him blankly, not understanding what he was saying at all. He casually slung a leg over his bike and raised his eyebrows at me.

"I'm not going to do that. That's so unsafe. Someone is going to steal my car."

I heard a loud snort and was surprised it came from him. "You live in Lewiston. I highly doubt some one is going to steal your car in a school parking lot." Sick of his sarcastic tone I threw him another glare.

"But hey, do what you want."

I muttered and grumbled under my breath as I put the car keys in the glove compartment and slamming the door. I pulled out my phone and sent out a quick text to Bonnie telling her she's won a car for the day.

I approached the car with the ignorance of a new born baby, which apparently he found pretty funny because he laughed and patted the seat behind him.

I tried, with little to no flourish, to get my leg across. Finally it did and I was seated behind him and it was pretty uncomfortable and comfortable all at once.

"Hold on to me," he directed. Don't have to tell me twice. I grabbed on to his sides eagerly, gripping him tightly, feeling but not dwelling on his hard chest. Before he started this thing up, he handed me the helmet. When I reached out to grab the helmet from him, he didn't let go. I peered up at him and he looked down into my eyes like he was trying to see if I would break.

"I'm not trying to make you do anything you don't want to do. If you don't feel comfortable, you don't have to do this."

Now that I have a beautiful escape route, deciding would have been easy but it wasn't. I think I did want to do this. Like actually have a desire to want to ride a bike with Stefan Salvatore.

Things change.

"No, I'm okay. Thank you." I pulled the helmet over my head, buckling it by my chin.

He smiled, but this time it was gentle and soft and just for me. He never looked more beautiful.

When he started the bike I closed my eyes and shuddered. The vibrations ran through my body and I yelped a little bit. I could feel him shaking of laughter and I nudged him with my knee trying not to move.

"Relax."

He peeled off forward and made a sharp turn to exit the parking lot. My heart started beating fast and my palms began to sweat before I opened my eyes. The whole word was just sitting there. He turned into the street and I could feel a smile starting on my face as he went faster and faster.

It wasn't nearly as scary as I would've assumed.

Pure adrenaline was buzzing through my veins and my smile turned to a full on laugh at the open air and beauty of everything around me. My grip loosened on his sides, not too much, and I could see him smiling at me.

"You better be keeping your eyes on the road!" I yelled over the loud purr of the engine. He laughed and shrugged. "Do you even know where you're going?"

He didn't answer me but took another left which I knew was not going in the direction of my house but I was too riled up to be bothered. Besides, the theory of him possibly being a psycho murderer was so seven minutes ago.

I just didn't care anymore. This was the most relaxed I'd felt in...forever. I don't think it was just the bike that made me feel this way, either.

We passed the park where kids were all playing, and one came and screamed at us while we drove by. We passed by the elementary school and the fire station and Stefan made a show of speeding up when we got to the police station. We made our way through the entire town but I didn't want to stop feeling this euphoric feeling of freedom. Ever. This was a bliss I may never feel again.

I'm not going to waste it.

We didn't talk a lot, which was more than okay, because we did laugh a lot. Well, more him laughing at me, but laughing all the same.

Finally, Stefan pulled around to the opening of my street, stopping at the side, not bothering to pull into the driveway.

I sat still behind him still holding onto his sides. I slowly adjusted myself so that I could lift my legs off the bike. When I walked a bit they felt like jelly and I stumbled, yanking the helmet off my head.

I looked up and Stefan stared at me with a timid smile. "Thank you," I muttered. He nodded and took the helmet from me.

I stood awkwardly staring at him, not sure what it was I was waiting for him to do. "So I guess I'll see you at school tomorrow?"

He shook his head, "No, you wont."

I wasn't really shocked. "I forgot, you have that rebel image to uphold." I taunted him, crossing my arms over my chest. He shook his head again, this time with a breathless laugh. Then he sobered up and looked at me very seriously.

"I'm not a bad guy," he struggled to say. He looked up like he was thinking of something to say and then back down at me. "I do bad things sometimes, but I'm not a bad guy. That's not what I've been trying to sell to people either. I know I'm not bad."

It sounded more like he was trying to convince himself rather than me but I dropped it instantly.

"Why aren't you coming to school?"

"There's no point," he answered flatly. "Plus, I'm going out of town tomorrow."

"Where?"

"Everywhere." I studied him dubiously and frowned.

"You know graduation is in 3 months, right?"

"I might be back for that." His blasé attitude toward the subject made me want to run upstairs and grab my valedectorian speech and rip it to shreds so I could jump on the bandwagon.

"You might want to come to school and get your attendance in tact so you can graduate on time, you know?" He shrugged and pointed to my house.

"You have a nice house. It looks homey."

"Thank you," I said, eager to get back on topic, "You can't just leave everything here to go on an adventure."

"Jealous?" He joked before pulling on his hair. "My parents left me a lot of money. I've been saving up for this trip too, you know? Like since 6th grade. Now is the perfect time, I think. I think I'm going south first." I nearly laughed at how he didn't even know where he was going first and tried not to dwell on the jealousy comment.

"I...have fun." I gave in, getting that feeling that I felt when I was at school earlier with Bonnie. He watched me intensely before he grinned.

"Would you like to come with me?" He asked me, tilting his head. I shook my head immediately in disgust at the thought but doing back flips that he even asked.

"I have graduation and," I pointed toward myself, "valedectorian. Can't miss that. Plus, I don't know you."

He nodded thoughtfully, "You did just ride a motorcycle with me though." I glared at him but he only laughed.

"You should come. If you want to. No pressure, Elena." Already having a final answer, I just smiled. "Goodnight, Stefan."

"Sleep on it, Elena."

I nodded and started walking toward my house, hearing his engine roar behind me. I opened the door to my house and cut on the light.

"Who's that hottie?" I jumped and held my chest. Jenna laid on the couch, her sock covered feet raised high in the air. "He could get it."

I squinted my eyes at her. "Cougar. That's Stefan Salvatore. You know my history teacher? His brother."

"I see the sexy resemblance."

I rolled my eyes and started up the steps. "You've been moody. But you're glowing. God, I hate teenagers. They're so fickle." I touched my face and realized I still had a stupid smile on my face.

"I had a good day today."

I flew up the steps to ignore more of her insane inquisition and dropped everything to my floor. I laid down on my comfy bed and looked down at the mess of papers.

My fellow students

what does it mean to graduate?

I shouldn't be valedectorian. I haven't lived enough to know what it means to graduate or to live. I can't give advice to my classmates when I don't even have any advice for myself.

Looking down at it now, I realized how stupid I sounded. It was only 5 now and I could probably finish it...

Then the tiredness hit me of only 3 hours of sleep. This ridiculous, ridiculous, speech. Tiredly, I picked up a the orange scissors on my nightstand. Furious over my failure at this, I picked up one piece and cut it in half. The beginnings of a smile hinted on my face and I continued cutting each piece until I was sick of the scissors and used my hands. I pulled and tugged until they were tiny pieces of nothings.

This paper wasn't going to make me stress anymore.

I pushed the pieces off my bed and to the floor, a big chunk of stress off my back. I laid down and closed my eyes, dreaming of mesmerizing green eyes and a motorcycle. For a moment, I let myself dream of us together in Georgia or something and then Arizona or California or Vegas. Maybe he would take me to Washington. I dreamed further and imagined us in Italy or something, sipping champagne and eating pasta.

I would feel that euphoric feeling every day.

I wouldn't have to stress about college or graduation or anything here because none of it would matter.

I would kill for that. I would kill to be able to let everything in this stupid town go and just leave and he was so, so right. Because I'm jealous. I want to be able to have the lady balls to leave this town with no regrets but the truth is I'm vanilla.

I'm the epitome of everything he is not.

Soon, my body was enveloped in the darkness and I could feel myself falling into a deep sleep of Palm Springs with Stefan Salvatore.

When I woke up it was from my alarm clock shrilling in my ear. Did I just sleep the rest of yesterday away?

I laid in my bed for a long time, letting the sunlight beam down on my body. I slowly pulled myself up, brushing the hair out of my eyes and letting out a big yawn.

I dragged my feet to the bathroom and removed my clothes before hopping in the shower.

My body was on autopilot the rest of the morning, grabbing my granola bar from Jenna and brushing my teeth. I dressed pretty nicely as opposed to yesterday but was still pretty tired.

On the way out, I gave Jenna a kiss on the cheek and opened the door. I locked it behind me and looked out in the driveway.

A familiar looking Harley was parked on the side, still too lazy to just pull in. I tried not to smile and put a hand on my forehead to see in the sunlight. He was still seated on the bike, with a happy grin on his face.

He was waiting for me.