CHAPTER TWO

Stefan stepped into the halls of Mystic Falls on the first day of school with Elena in tow. He half wondered if Damon had ordered her to babysit him, not that she wouldn't have anyway. He didn't mind, if only because she knew as well as he did what watching a parent die was like. Even still, she was watching him with a concerned eye as everyone came up to him with their condolences, all the girls treating him like he was a lost puppy. He turned to Elena when they were alone after a moment, muttering, "Guess I won't have trouble getting laid this year if I want a distraction."

She laughed a little, but her face looked more empathetic as she said it than amused. "This part does suck, but as horrible as it is, they're all going to forget after a week. And in a weird way it sort of makes it easier."

"I'll take your word for it." He responded.

And that's when he caught sight of perfectly blonde curls and a heart shaped face he hadn't seen before. He watched her walk by and into the office, as everyone in the halls did. Hardly anyone ever moved to Mystic Falls, and the people who did never looked quite that good. There was instant buzzing, everyone whispering to each other and even though Stefan was sure no one had said a word to her previously, the rumors started to fly. Elena turned to him, grinning, "Well there you go, Stefan. The universe is handing you your distraction."

He stood awkwardly waiting with Elena in plain view of the office before the girl came back out. She glanced at them, Stefan catching sight of her chocolate brown eyes, and smiled briefly. You could instantaneously see that she was different from every girl here. She looked so confident and sure of herself in a school of awkward teenagers, and Stefan immediately walked after her without realizing what he was doing till he had tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around, looking a little surprised, and Stefan's stomach clenched. What the hell was he doing? "Uh, sorry, I guess I thought you were someone else." He said, lamely.

She smiled at him, looking as though she was trying not to laugh. "Don't worry about it. I'm Caroline, by the way."

"Stefan." He replied, his breath not completely even. He was making a complete ass of himself. He had never been as confident with girls like Damon.

"Nice to meet you." The girl, Caroline, responded. She was still smiling, her reddened lips looking soft and sweet, until she kind of shifted and Stefan realized with horror that he was staring. He felt himself flush and he quickly said, "Yeah, sorry. I'll see you around."

He walked away, cursing himself over and over as the bell rang and he went to history.

Everyone had convened at the Mystic Falls Grill after school and dinner like they always did. It was a small town and there wasn't much to do anyway. Damon and Stefan were currently sitting at the bar like usual. Matt's sister Vicki, a waitress here, had always had a thing for Damon and would spike their drinks when the owner wasn't looking. Tyler and Matt were over by the pool table, laughing. Elena was busy gossiping with Bonnie Bennett at another table not to far off, and she and Damon would steal glances every now and then. Stefan's eyes helplessly went to the door as he scanned the room, hoping that Caroline would show up. Damon seemed to catch on as he said, "Waiting for someone, Stefan?"

Stefan opened his mouth to reply as the door opened and as if on cue, Caroline came in, looking just as good as she had at school earlier. She was dressed in a simple yellow sun dress, a nice half cardigan covering her shoulders. Her curly blonde hair was falling down her shoulders, but more than anything she was wearing, it was her signature smile that set her apart. Damon made an appreciative sound that he wouldn't have if Elena was near, asking, "Who is she?"

"Caroline Forbes." Stefan answered, having gotten all the details from Elena and Bonnie earlier. "Just moved here with her mom, the newly appointed Sheriff. She's a Capricorn and her favorite color is yellow."

"You got all of that in one day, huh?" Damon asked, looking mildly impressed.

Stefan shook his head. "Come on man, I have skills. I got that before third period. We're planning a June wedding."

The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them, and he tried to play it off as a joke but Damon saw right through him and began laughing. "Yes, you did say that. That's my little brother, in touch with all his emotions. What is it with you and blondes, by the way?"

"For the last time, Damon, Lexi and I were just friends." Stefan replied, rolling his eyes. "She's completely in love with her boyfriend Lee."

Damon shrugged, then pointed past Stefan to where Tyler and Matt were talking to Caroline at a table. "Better go claim your territory, dude."

Stefan opened his mouth, but not before Damon shoved him off his stool and motioned in the opposite direction. It was the worst possible circumstance, and Stefan wished more than anything that his older brother wasn't here to watch him, but he still walked over to them. "Hey."

Both Caroline and Matt smiled at him, but Tyler was watching Caroline. Matt pulled another chair from a nearby table over, and Stefan sat down.

"So, what made you to move to Mystic Falls?" Tyler asked, and Stefan could tell immediately that he had competition. Tyler didn't take an interest in a girl like this if he wasn't serious. Stefan quickly looked back to Carolyn to both judge her reaction and hear her answer.

"My mom did, actually." She replied, looking a little more serious than she had this morning. "She found a job here; I think she wanted to be closer to where my Dad is buried."

Stefan's stomach dropped, and he felt so completely empathetic for her that he had to say, "I'm so sorry."

She nodded once and began to look lost in thought as she watched him. Matt gave a knowing glance to Stefan, noticing the connection. Tyler interrupted, "Well if you're new here, you don't know about the party tomorrow night."

Caroline's eyes brightened a little and she shook her head, the smile returning to her face. Matt chimed in, saying, "It's just a back to school thing at the falls. Everyone usually goes."

"Will you be there?" Caroline asked Stefan directly, a look in her warm brown eyes that made him immensely proud of himself. Before he could answer Matt had, "Of course he will, he's the football captain."

Stefan glanced at Matt who was grinning, glad to have a wing man and that Matt had chosen his side. Tyler was looking rather sour, but Caroline didn't seem to notice. She was watching Stefan, that perfect half smile on her face as she said, "Well I'll see you then. It was nice talking to you Matt, Tyler. Stefan."

She got up from the table, giving a short wave as she walked away. Stefan sort of relaxed in his seat, at least until Damon strolled over the table. Tyler muttered something about needing to go home and they all said goodbye before Damon sat down in his seat, wiggling his eyebrows at Stefan and humming the wedding march. Stefan threw a glare at him as Matt started laughing. Damon grinned, "Oh, come on, little brother. I was watching. She wasn't giving either of these two the time of day till you walked up. That's the power of the Salvatore charm."

"Really? Cause the Salvatore charm seemed a lot more like stubborn desperation in your case." Elena teased Damon, coming up from behind Stefan who laughed.

"Oh, please." Damon replied dubiously, getting up and wrapping an arm around Elena. "Tell Stefan I'm right."

She sighed heavily, as if it was the last thing she wanted to do, but grinned at Stefan as she admitted, "Yeah, he's right. She's into you."

"Totally." Matt agreed, nodding.

"All you have to do is withhold your probably already forming marriage proposal in your head before you get her number tomorrow." Damon laughed. "Although, now that I think about it, that probably means you're screwed."

Elena hit Damon in the arm as he and Matt laughed. Stefan knew he was known for being overly romantic, especially ever since Damon had read one of Stefan's journals over the intercom the first week of freshman year. It had been absolutely humiliating at the time until Elena, angry at Damon for being mean, had told him she thought it was sweet and kissed him on the cheek. That was when the last vestiges of his crush on Elena were still starting to dissipate and therefore it made more of an impact than the resulting jokes thrown at him since. Instead he smiled, responding, "You're sure quick to think about proposing, Damon. Got something you want to tell us- or Elena, I mean?"

Damon frowned and spat, "No," as Elena turned red. Then Damon caught sight of Elena's embarrassment and reached over and hit Stefan across the head. "We're going home. Don't stay out too late."

Stefan laughed in return as they walked away, turning back to Matt. "Mind if I stay at your place? I'd rather not get in the middle of that."

Matt chuckled, looking pleased. "Yeah, no problem."

Ever since Matt's mom had gone MIA for what had to have been the nineteenth time he had been angry, especially with Vicki following the same route. But even more than that, Stefan guessed, he was lonely. After his own father's death, Stefan had felt the same way. Damon was around, but not always, and being alone in that big old boarding house just wasn't comfortable. Matt and Stefan spent the majority of those lonely nights at Matt's house, Matt losing by default on account of his house not being the setting of a terrible tragedy. Stefan would always con Matt into making grocery runs, Stefan buying loads of food under the excuse of being starving, leaving most of it for Matt to eat the rest of the week. Stefan and Damon's father had left them with plenty of money and inheritance to get by. Matt wasn't nearly as fortunate.

"You got pizza at home?" Stefan asked, and Matt nodded. "Yeah, we still have some from last week."

"Sweet. I'm ready if you are."

Matt nodded and they both got up, leaving the grill. Stefan caught Bonnie watching them leave, and smiled. That was interesting. They piled into Matt's red truck, Stefan having rode over with Damon, and as soon as Matt started driving Stefan turned to him. "So... you and Bonnie?"

"What?" He asked frowning. "No."

"Okay, okay. She was watching you leave though. Like she wanted to come with."

Matt's eyes turned a little dark and he shook his head. "I don't have time for a girlfriend. I've got school and work and bills- I'd just weigh the person down. Bonnie knows that."

Stefan shrugged. "Didn't look like she cared."

"Just drop it, Stefan." Matt snapped, and he complied.

One of the reasons they had become even better friends the past summer was the fact they didn't fall into the normal brand of teenager. They didn't have parents telling them what to do and instead of relishing in that, they hated it. They were on their own, blindly trying to take care of each other and make sense of everything. It wasn't fair, especially at times like this, and Stefan had to wonder if he was foolish for trying to get with Caroline when he had all this darkness and guilt boiling up inside him.