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Chapter 2
Night of the Comet
"Elouise," mum calls as I make my way to the door. I hesitate at the handle wondering if I could just pretend that I hadn't heard her.
I drop my hand again realizing I could never do that and turn to face her, "Yeah," I say in an oddly cheerful tone that I used to try and hide my annoyance.
"You'll come straight home right?" she questions me sounding more like the sheriff she was, than my actual mother.
"Yes, I know grounded for a week," I reply, a sour taste appearing in my mouth over the fact I actually had to say it.
Mum looks like she wants to continue but ultimately decides it's a bad idea, "Have a good day," she says smiling again.
"Sure," I murmur, my hand reappearing on the handle as I make my way out. I couldn't understand the way mum was acting; she was displaying an excessive need to protect me, which meant rules enforced that just didn't make sense.
"Hey Forbes," Daniel calls running up to walk beside me. I smiled at the welcome distraction, Daniel and me had walked to school for as long as I could remember and the only reason we didn't walk home together is that Daniel preferred to study at the Grill, away from his busy family.
"Forbes?" I question lightly wondering what had inspired the nickname.
"I was watching a cop show, but it works right?" he explains to me.
I laugh, "No it doesn't," I argue almost rolling my eyes. My laughter is forced to a stop, when my eyes catch something I didn't want to see.
I grab Daniels arm, "Look over there," I instruct him pointing to the crow standing peacefully on someone's fence.
"It's a crow," Daniel deadpans looking from me to it.
I glare at him, "It's the crow," I tell him something inside of me telling me it was the same crow from the other day, "I think it's stalking me," I decide completely serious, until of course I realized what I had said.
Daniel turns to look at me, "I hate to break it to you Forbes but crows don't stalk people," he informs desperately trying to keep himself from laughing.
I let go of his arm reluctantly crossing mine together, "Fine its not stalking me," I agree, "stop calling me Forbes," I demand hoping to divert his attention from how I made a fool of myself.
The laugh Daniel has been holding back explodes out causing me to flinch, "Sorry Elouise," he says conceding to my last demand.
"Hey," Elena calls cheerfully to me from where she stands with Stefan across the corridor.
I was planning to wave and walk past, until my eyes catch sight of what she's holding in her hands, "Is that Wuthering Heights?" I question walking over to them. The book itself wasn't enough to make me talk but the copy of it was, it was old and I loved anything old.
"Yeah, Stefan's letting me borrow it," Elena explains.
"How'd you get it?" I ask intrigued, "I mean I've done hours of book shopping looking for a copy this old of any of the classics."
Stefan shifts almost uncomfortably, "Uh it was passed down through the family," he explains, and I wondered if he just had family issues.
"Cool, I wish our family handed down something like this, would you believe they are not avid readers?" I ask sarcastically wondering why I felt so comfortable around Stefan, strangers normally declared me mute.
Elena laughs, "Somehow yes."
"I have lots of books, if you'd like to borrow some," Stefan offers me and I almost consider it.
"No its okay, my entire room is filled with my books and I think mum would probably die if I brought home another one even if it was to borrow," I tell him.
Elena smiles, "Unfortunately I can back her up on that one, I've been in her room and you can't even walk without running into a book," she says causing me to wonder when Elena had last stepped foot in my room, it must have been years ago.
Stefan nods looking from me to Elena as if knows something we don't, "What?" I ask him, my curiosity building up.
"Nothing," he answers me, and I almost believe he's telling the truth he says it so sincerely.
"Fine well, I should go," I say to them walking away to find myself running straight into Bonnie. I make a side step to walk around her but she grabs my wrist to stop me giving me the oddest look.
"Bonnie is there something wrong?" I ask confused as to what she was doing.
Bonnie shakes her head as if clearing it of some unpleasant memory, "That thing at the party I just wanted to apologize if it freaked you out," she tells me releasing my arm.
"Oh no it didn't I just thought you may have noticed the rising population of crows," I joke lightly.
"What?" Bonnie asks me looking alarmed.
I scramble quickly for something to say regretting that I had made the joke in the first place, "I just mean I've seen more crows around than usual," I explain.
Bonnie nods, "Yeah its weird right," she agrees, "anyway I should go."
"Bye Bonnie," I call as she walks away trying to figure out the strange conversation in my head. The more Bonnie seemed to be trying to convince me what she said to Elena was nothing, the more it convinced me it was something.
"You have to let me go to the comet," I beg mum as we sit down for dinner, the first actual dinner we had with all three of us here in ages. Which is surprising since I assumed mum would be busy with what happened to Vicki. Sure I knew it was animal but I thought there might be papers or forms or something.
"Why would you want to go anyway?" Caroline questions me in a bored tone.
"Because its an important astronomical event," I snap at her, how was it that I did one bad thing and I was grounded, whereas Caroline could get away with murder.
"One that you can watch here," mum tells me her tone ordering me to finish the conversation. I wanted to argue that Daniel and I had wanted to go together to this thing years ago when we first figured out it was coming, but I knew it was futile.
"Just let her go, its one night and I think that party was probably the first and last bad thing she would ever do," Caroline tells mum, and my eyes widen in shock. Caroline never stood up for me, I mean she never had a reason to, but she hated me.
Mum seems surprised by her words to, Caroline shrugs, "What its important to her, she killing my sleep by talking to Daniel about it all night."
I frown at this, I didn't think we were that loud or count on the fact Caroline would even notice what we were talking about.
"Fine," mum says her resolve breaking down at Caroline unexpected act of kindness.
I squeal pulling her into a hug, "Thank you, thank you, best mum in the world," I declare. Then turning halfway to Caroline I mouth a thank you which she purposely ignores.
"I'm so excited," I say to Daniel turning my pamphlet around him my hand.
"I know right these opportunities don't come round very often," he agrees, one of the few things we do agree on.
Something in the distance catches his eyes and he shakes his head, "I'll be back in a sec," Daniel informs me and I look to see his sister. I shrug unsure why it was so urgent that he see her, but my phone going distracts me from protesting. Unfortunately it was just a text from mum reminding me that I had to be home at a decent hour. I reply with a yes and another thank you as it only seems fair before deciding to turn back to my pamphlet, which to make great distress is gone. I search for it in desperation, of course I could just get another one but that required to much effort.
"Looking for this," a voice I'd never heard before says and I look up to see a guy I'd never seen before holding my pamphlet.
I take it cautiously, "Yeah I must have dropped it," I murmur.
"I'm looking for my brother you haven't seen him have you?" the stranger questions, I look at him oddly why would I know the brother of someone I'd never met.
He laughs, "Right we haven't met, I'm Damon Salvatore," he says holding out one hand to me.
The name clicks in my head and I take his hand, "Stefan's brother, I see. Well I haven't seen Stefan around sorry but he's bound to show up," I inform him looking over at Elena.
Damon follows my gaze, "Right to see Elena the new girlfriend," Damon says, pronouncing the word new as if it was almost a bad thing.
"New?" I question unable to stop myself from repeating the word.
"Ah well Stefan has a rocky relationship past," Damon tells me.
"Oh," I mutter, I wanted to ask more but decided against it.
"Hey Elouise," Daniel calls coming back to join me.
Damon smirks at me and I'm not sure why, "Nice to meet you Elouise," he says but something about his tone puts me off, like he meant it but in a sinister way. I turn to face Daniel to see if he felt it but he showed no signs and by the time I turned back Damon was out of sight.
"Where'd he go?" I question Daniel.
Daniel shrugs, "I don't know he walked away."
"What the hell was that?" Caroline snaps grabbing my wrist and pulling me away from Daniel.
"What was what?" I ask confused at her harsh tone and squirming to get out of her grip.
"Why were you talking to him, he's mine," she declares as if I was meant to see an invisible mark on him.
"He asked me a question geez I'm sorry I didn't realize," I defend myself, still unsure why I had to.
"Just don't do it again," Caroline snaps before marching away.
"Sure thing," I mutter to her back.
I wave to Stefan as he passes me making my way to Daniel for my ride home, figuring that if I stayed any later mum may kill me, if she was even home. Stefan waves back but he seems flustered like something bad just happened.
"Are you alright?" I question him, feeling the need to repay the friendliness Stefan always seemed to show to me.
Stefan looks surprised by my words, "Yeah fine, just looking for Elena have you seen her?"
"Um no, but Caroline and Bonnie are at the Grill and they would know," I say glad that I was actually of some help this once, "speaking of your brother was looking for you earlier," recalling my earlier experience.
"Damon?" Stefan questions.
I laugh, "Unless there's more Salvatores around here," I joke looking around me.
Stefan smiles, "No just me and him," he tells me and I can see him open his mouth as if he wants to say more but isn't quite sure if he should. I assume it's because they're not the closest of brothers but I didn't want to say it just in case I was wrong.
"Well I have to go, I hope you can find Elena," I say because even though I didn't really know either of them, they kind of seemed perfect.
"Wait Elouise, I got you this," Stefan says pulling a book out of his jacket pocket; it was small, red and most importantly old. I took it carefully without thinking and grin when I see what it is the three musketeers by Alexandre Dumas.
"This is amazing," I declare, "but I don't understand," I admit after all it wasn't exactly normal to give people you hardly meet presents.
"You seemed so excited when we were talking about books and Elena said you were collecting copies of this book and I happened to have a spare," he explains as if its no big deal. I couldn't remember telling Elena that but obviously I had and it kind of touched my heart that she remembered and that he had given me one.
"Thank you so much, I'll add it to my collection and considering its so small mum won't even notice," I beam, clutching it to my chest.
Stefan smiles, "I'm glad you like it."
"Oh and I mean it about you finding Elena, I know this is weird but I love you two together," I admit, wondering if I had gone a bit too far.
"I figured you might say something like that, see you later Elouise," Stefan says causing me to wonder on his words. In the end I just let it pass after all maybe he just figured I was that kind of person.
As soon as I get home I begin reading my new book it was sad I know but I loved to see the subtle differences in each new copy. It also allowed my mind to stray from the fact mum wasn't home even though she was supposed to make sure I came home at a decent hour, I guess some things never changed. The house was silent until I hear the unmistakable sound of the door and the giggle of Caroline and a voice of another guy, that guy being Damon. I groaned Caroline had got her guy, leaving me in the most awkward position ever.
"What's going on?" Daniel asks me as he answers the phone.
"Save me Caroline brought a guy home and I just can't stand the awkwardness of you know hearing them," I beg Daniel in desperation.
"Aren't you grounded?" he questions me.
"Yes but just you know pick me up for a few hours until their asleep," I plead with him.
"I'm tired," Daniel protests.
"Please," I add knowing he would eventually break.
"Fine, I'll be there soon," he promises.
"Thank you," I say happily glad that I didn't have to stay and as long as I got home before mum she would be none the wiser.
