Chapter 4.
xxx
Elena's POV
The words, 'Stay away', repeated in my head as I blankly stared at the hallway floor while leaning against the locker next to Caroline's. What did mean when he told me to stay away? It couldn't have anything to do with Stefan right? I mean, so what if things got tense when they saw each other, it could've meant anything, but despite of my thoughts, I can't help but wonder if his words had everything to do with Stefan. There is a possibility that Stefan had a past with as much as the possibility of saying words that have no meaning.
"Elena?" Caroline snapped, bringing me out of my thoughts. "Have you heard nothing?" she asked disapprovingly. "Sorry." I apologized. "You've been apologizing a lot lately." Caroline stated, her expression softening. "I just have a lot on my mind right now." I replied truthfully. "I'm sure that homecoming will take your mind off of your stress." She assured, trying to cover a hopeful tone. "Right, there's homecoming." I said, not really excited for the upcoming dance. "You are going right?" Caroline asked in a serious tone. "Yes Caroline, I am." I answered, maintaining my not so excited tone. "Good, because if you said no, I would've given you a lecture and wasted both of our times…" she trailed off as she dumbly stared at something behind me.
Frowning, I turn around and I see him. He's just walking down the hallway as if he always attended the school. Meeting my eyes, he smiles with his eyes as I stare back into his. Walking towards me, I feel myself get pulled out of my daze and start to panic as he continues making his way towards me. Turning back around, I try to gain Caroline's attention but she slightly gasps and I can feel his presence behind me. "Hello Elena." He greeted quietly. Turning around, I feel my mouth slightly open as I look into his green eyes. I've seen them before but never in the actual light. His eyes were an indescribable shade of emerald and they had this gold spark in them. Blinking rapidly, I kick myself as I realize that this is the second time I have swooned over him. "Hi," I replied, trying not to sound ecstatic to see him. "What are you doing here?" I questioned, realizing he's never gone here. "I'm actually enrolling to this school." He explained, gesturing to the main office at the end of the hallway. Great, now I have to see him five times a week.
"Well, good luck I guess." I said awkwardly while walking away from him and the still dazed Caroline. "She did not just do that." I heard Caroline mutter. I almost make it to my classroom when I hear footsteps behind me. Assuming it's Caroline, I sigh and am about to protest against whatever she was about to say but stop when he's standing in front of me. "Elena, can we talk?" Stefan asked, the sign of desperation present in his voice. "There's really nothing to talk about Stefan." I replied with a neutral tone as I tried to get past him. Blocking my path by putting his hand against the wall, I let out a small frustrated sigh before I tell him, "You don't have to say anything Stefan. You never had to hang out with me and you never had to let me stay overnight. It was just me trying to move on in life but failing miserably. So excuse me please." Pushing his arm away, I walk into the classroom, ignoring the scene that I just caused.
xxx
"Hey Elena." I heard a husky voice call behind me as I was walking down the hallway, headed for the front door. Turning around, I give a small smile as I see Tyler approach me. "Hi Tyler." I greeted, not really interested in what he had to say or what anyone had to say. "I wanted to apologize for what I put you through on Halloween." He stated. "Its fine Tyler, I'm still alive so it's really nothing." I accepted his apology, wanting to get out of here. "I was just really drunk that night and I was practically forcing you to trespass and I shouldn't have so I'm sorry." He apologized again. "It's okay Tyler, like I said, as long as I'm alive right?" I assured him. "I have to go, I'm sorry." I stated, ending our conversation.
Walking down the hallway, I feel my vision blur as I stumble and use the lockers for support. Seeing flashes of a man's silhouette in front of me, I shake my head consistently to regain my sanity. All of this went away when I felt strong yet gentle hands grab my shoulders before hearing his husky and melodic voice call out to me. "Elena?" he called out. Looking up, I could've have sworn that lightning just struck me twice. His green eyes were blazing into my brown ones with concern. "Are you okay?" he asks with a worried voice. Taking in my surroundings, I'm almost to the front door as I notice people are staring at me and who wouldn't? I'm just some girl who lost her parents and she's practically losing the last bit of her sanity in school. Something just tells me that I was at the wrong place at the wrong time.
"I'm fine." I harshly state as I gently but roughly remove his hands from my shoulders. With my head lowered in embarrassment, I continue to walk out of the school building. Opening the door, I feel the warmth of the dying sun and feel a light that I never knew I was craving.
xxx
"This one?" Bonnie asked, clearly on the verge of giving up on trying to satisfy Caroline's needs for the perfect dress for homecoming. "I'm looking for a cream color Bonnie." She stated, repeating her words for the millionth time. "This is a cream color Caroline." Bonnie whined. "That's a pink." Caroline protested. "I think you'd look good in anything Caroline. As long as you feel good then you're pretty much set." I stated after getting up from the floor, sick of watching Bonnie and Caroline find a dress. Walking off to another part of the store, I lose myself in multiple racks of dresses that have dresses that all seem the same.
Continuing to aimlessly walk around, I stop in front of one dress that seems to stand out from all the other ones. Picking it off of the rack, I look at it with adoration. It's a floor length dress with a golden color and the material moves as if it was a feather in the wind. "Wow." Caroline said in awe. "It's perfect for you Elena." Bonnie stated. "It's as if this thing was made for you." She continued. Flustering at their comments, I question, "You really think so?"
Taking it out of my hands, Caroline leads me in front of the long mirror and places the dress in front of me. "It's perfect." She stated while smiling at me.
"So what happened between you and that new guy?" Caroline asked as we sat down in a coffee shop. "Caroline," Bonnie said in a warning tone. "That was Stefan." I stated, hearing Caroline practically choke on her drink. "That hot new guy is Stefan Salvatore? The one you were with on Halloween night?" Caroline asked, shocked with her discovery. "Yes Caroline." I simply replied. "And you walked away from him?" Bonnie asked as if I were some crazy person. "How can you walk away from a person that real?" Caroline exclaimed. "I don't want to risk the crushed feeling I'll get later in the long run." I replied sadly.
xxx
"You're back already?" Jenna asked as she met me at the front door. "I expected you to take longer." She continued. "Yeah, Caroline picked out a dress that's close to her dream one and Bonnie picked whatever dress that seemed decent for a high school dance and I just sort of stumbled upon my dress." I explained. Nodding, a smile forms on her face. "What?" I ask with a light chuckle. "It's just good to see my niece and nephew start to lead their normal lives again." She explains with a teary voice. "Jenna," I started, not wanting to cry over the fact that I'm going to some high school dance. "No, I'm not going to make you cry. This isn't even a wedding just ignore what I said." She stuttered. "Its fine Jenna, it's nice to be able to live my normal boring life again." I admitted. "Your parents would be proud to see you being so strong for everyone." She commented. "I can't exactly fall apart at a time like this." I replied, trying to lighten the mood.
"So how's Alaric? He wasn't in class today." I ask, remembering his words. "Oh, he's stable but he decided to take a break for a couple of weeks." Jenna replied with a glee tone but I can sense her concern. "That's good I guess. It seems like he's stressed considering the way he just passed out on the concrete like that." I said. "Did he say anything to you after I left the hospital?" I questioned, trying to receive some information. "No, we just had a light conversation and he dozed off a few times. Why?" she replied. "Nothing, he just seemed a bit tense when he saw me and my friend at the grill." I lied. Getting up from the couch, I'm about to make my way up the stairs when Jenna says, "He did say something to me."
"What did he say?" I asked, worried with what I'm about to hear. "He said and I quote, 'Keep her away from him.'" She said in a deeper voice with a confused expression on her face. "He's probably lost his mind from all the sleeping drugs he had to take." she teased. "I think I'm going to go to my room." I stated as a blank expression grew on my face. Walking upstairs, I feel my head get filled with even more questions that will probably keep me up all night.
xxx
Stefan's POV
Maybe this was a mistake. I probably shouldn't have talked to her. In fact, I shouldn't have followed her while she was in my house. She's damaged enough. I'm only making it worse by being around her. And as much as I want to leave this place I can't, because Damon clearly made it that she could possibly end up dead because of the fact that the Salvatore brothers are in town. 'Brothers' I think to myself, dryly chuckling at this once common word that was now foreign to me. "What's so funny?" Damon asked me as I stopped walking down the corridor and turned around to see him standing there, smiling at me, and making a mockery of me. "Why are you always smiling?" I ask him with annoyance. "I'm just happy." He replies. "And why is that?" I continued. "Because I'm dead little brother. Which means that I have pure freedom." He said blissfully. "Freedom? Are you delusional? Death is not and will never be freedom Damon." I started. "How is not being able to be with the one you love called freedom? How is watching the world you once lived on freedom? Death is nothing but an empty waste of space. And if you think any different then you're just an idiot." I stated firmly.
"I've always wondered why you never wanted to be a speaker or a presenter." He teased. "Do you have to make a joke out of everything?" I questioned while crossing my arms. "It lightens the eerie mood this house always had." He stated. "By the way, don't you have some homework to do?" he asked. "You think that you could protect her don't you?" he pressed on. "It's a promise." I replied. "Let's get one thing straight little brother, she will be dead by the next irrelevant snow storm." He said, his deadly words piercing my heart. "It's the way this town works Stefan. Each year, someone dies and each year, they all blame it on the snow and each year, everyone is too blind to see that something is wrong with this town. So if she dies, it's on the town's hands not yours or anyone's." he finished as he slowly disappeared into the darkness. So there I stood, questioning how else I could save this already destroyed beauty.
xxx
Hope you enjoyed. By the way, I'm thinking about making a cover for this story, any suggestions?