"So are you sure about this Jean-Claude thing?"

Cassie was sprawled across Elena's bed, dressed in her pajamas, watching with narrowed eyes as her sister brushed her hair in the mirror. Her head turned, giving Cassie one of her looks, before turning back, her hair slightly frizzy from the smooth strokes of the brush.

"It's working. Everyone in school thinks I'm over Stefan," Elena said, confidently in the mirror, head tilting up.

Cassie groaned, pushing her head back into the softness of the bed.

"But how is it working? And you're not over Stefan. Everything about Jean Claude is a lie, and you're happy that you've made everyone think he's real?" she said, staring up at the roof, confused out of her mind.

Elena put down her hairbrush carefully, then sat on the bed next to Cassie. Her eyes met, violet against chocolate, before stroking through Cassie's hair softly with her fingers, a frown on her face.

"You don't understand, Cassie. Nobody does. I don't even understand it," Elena spoke smoothly, but Cassie could detect the hidden confusion underneath- confusion that Elena didn't want to show. She always had to appear strong and know what she wanted, but this time, she didn't.

"I just, I just-"

"You want him," Cassie said simply, sighing and sitting up onto her hands. Elena's lips turned up in a small smile- lying to Cassie had never been easy, and she always saw through everything anyway. Even Elena herself couldn't explain why she wanted Stefan so badly, she had never felt this way over a boy before. But he was a challenge, something that she had to work for, and that seemed to entice her. His green eyes were so gorgeous, and his wavy, soft-looking hair could make girls fall to their knees...

"I want him. And I'm-"

"-not going to rest till you get him, yeah, yeah," Cassie finished, making Elena laugh shortly. "He is rather heroic though, saving me from Justin."

That made Elena's eyes, which had been looking out of the window, look sharply to hers again. When she spoke, her question was more like a command- a soldier demanding answers.

"When did this happen?"

"Frowning causes lines you know," Cassie touched Elena's frowning eyebrows before continuing, "The first day of school. Justin was being a donkey as always, he got a bit... violent," Elena's growl/gasp could be heard from the next room, "and Stefan was there to tell him to get lost."

Elena stared at Cassie through her eyelashes, watching as her sister's gaze flickered all around the room- anywhere but Elena. She was feeling guilty about not having told Elena about what happened with Stefan, as her older sister was Stefan-obsessed.

There was silence in the room for half a minute, Elena staring at Cassie and Cassie looking everywhere but at her. Finally, when Elena spoke, she could detect the hurt lurking underneath, though her sister spoke calmly but coolly, and also anger mixed with worry.

"Why didn't you tell me about this?"

"Because I want to cut Justin out of my life! I don't want anything more to do with him, ever. And I felt like, if I told you, then I was letting him win," she erupted, standing up swiftly to pace the room. Clearing her mind of Justin wasn't easy, considering that each time she saw him all she could think about was his betrayal. She walked over to Elena's dressing table and stared down at everything on there to avoid looking at her.

Elena watched Cassie carefully, the frown slowly disappearing from her face and replaced with a look of sadness.

"I'm sorry, Cassie, I should have thought," she said quietly.

Cassie turned around, managing a small, detached smile.

"It's okay, you didn't know. I should have told you though."

Elena smiled, but the expression on her face told Cassie that her mind was somewhere else.

"What is it?"

"What was, er, Stefan like?" Elena asked hesitantly, looking down from Cassie's face, then looking up again.

"What? Oh, he was heroic. God knows what Justin would've done if he hadn't shown up. And then in Biology, he was embarrassed when I thanked him again and- wait," she stopped, and looked at Elena with a shocked and horrified expression on her face, "you're more interested in Stefan than me getting attacked by Justin?"

"No, Cassie, of course I-" but Cassie could see some guilt on her face.

"I can't believe you would sink that low, Elena," she sighed angrily, plonking herself down onto the bed again.

"I want to go out," she said suddenly.

"What?! You're not going out. We have to stay inside, remember? After what happened to Rhonda's granddad?" Elena cried furiously, grabbing Cassie's arm when she tried to get up. "And anyway, you're in your pyjamas."

"I'll get dressed. And you know that the paranoia about that attack has passed, so you can't stop me," Cassie replied, still angry over Elena's insensitivity.

"Just, please, Cassie, don't go out. For me. I have a really bad feeling about it," Elena pleaded, and Cassie was shocked at her urgency.

"Fine, I won't go out," she said slowly, her voice showing her confusion. She sat down next to Elena, who had now crossed her legs on the bed. "What's up?"

"What?"

"What's got you so against going outside?"

"Because-" Elena began, but then she sighed, looking away and trying to find the right words, "to get to Braxton's, and I know that's where you'd go, you'd have to go past the cemetery."

"Oh, Elena, there's been no more attacks, is that what you're worried about?"

"It's not just that. On the day that the the old man was attacked, I had gone to see Mom and Dad. Bonnie and Meredith were there. And there was something about the place... and I don't mean just the attack."

***

The next day, Elena finally broke Matt's heart to full extent.

Cassie was walking through the halls with Braxton after first period, laughing about something to do with bananas. The halls were bustling with lots of students and teachers, jocks and cheerleaders flirting with each other against the walls. The past few days had been hectic, and now Cassie expected them to calm down. Elena had been announced Homecoming Queen the day before, and an extremely large number of the guys in the school said that Cassie should have entered because they had wanted her to win.

Elena hadn't talked that much to her this morning, but Cassie knew it wasn't about the Homecoming Queen thing- she wasn't even that bothered about it, which was not like Elena. Ordinarily, she would have coolly thanked everyone who said congratulations, but today she had just nodded. Cassie had a suspicion that the continuing silence was due to Stefan.

And she was proved to be right.

Because as Braxton took folders out of his locker, ranting about how much homework he had, Cassie heard Elena's voice clearly, even through the bustling corridor.

"...wanted you to get him to come to the Homecoming Dance next week," Elena was saying.

The smile on Cassie's face disappeared slowly as she turned and saw Matt's odd looking expression. Oh, Matt- Cassie thought sadly. You don't deserve any of this.

"You just want him at the dance?" she heard Matt ask. How he could be so nice about this was a complete mystery to her. If Elena were a guy and dumped Cassie for another girl, she would be giving his private area a right kicking.

"All right, I'm pretty sure he'll be there. And Elena... there really isn't anybody but you I want to take."

Cassie's heart was breaking at the sight of Matt's face. How could Elena do this to such a nice guy? And Matt still wanted to take Elena to the dance, after all she'd done.

Don't do this to him, Elena. Don't do this.

"All right," Elena said, after pausing," and, well, thank you."

Christ, Elena, how can you do this? Braxton had turned around, pausing in a confused mid-sentence at why Cassie was staring in Elena's direction, but one he realized what was happening, he was silent as the exchange finished up.

"Don't thank me, Elena. It's nothing... really," and with that Matt turned to walk down the hall.

Elena was staring after him with a confused expression, and Cassie fought the urge to poke her roughly in the ribs as she ran to catch up with Matt. He's taking you to the dance because he loves you, you doorknob. And he said it was nothing because that's what it means to you... nothing.

Cassie patted Braxton on his arm, with the hidden message 'wait a minute', before rushing off after Matt. His blonde head was among the crowd of the students, but unlike the rest, it was bent over.

She dashed through them to catch him up, grabbing his arm. He turned around, confused and slightly alarmed. When he saw it was Cassie, he gave a sad smile. And when he spoke, he sounded completely drained.

"Hey."

"Hey," Cassie replied, watching him carefully. "I saw what happened back there," she pointed over her shoulder to where Elena and Matt had once stood. "You okay?"

"I'm fine."

Cassie narrowed her eyes at him, giving him a pointed look.

"Matthew Honeycutt, I know when you're upset. We used to share a sand pit. Elena's too... absorbed to notice how much she's hurting everyone around her."

Matt gave a small laugh, but it sounded half-hearted and pained.

"I don't know why she's doing this to you, you don't deserve it," Cassie sighed sadly, looking up at him with her sad brown eyes.

"Oh, don't do that look, Cassie, it's too cute. Besides, I'm coping," Matt said, touching her chin affectionately and smiling at her- but it still looked strained.

Looking at him, Cassie decided that actions were better than words. And besides, there were no words that she could say to Matt that could make him feel better.

She stepped forward, ignoring the fact that the corridors were emptying fast and they would probably be late to their next class, and wrapped her arms around Matt's neck. He immediately put his arms around her, giving her a tight hug. Matt smelled nice, Cassie found, something she'd never noticed before. Sweet and warm. Like Matt's personality.

"Justin's an idiot," he said into her hair. Cassie froze slightly at the mention of Justin, and Matt pulled back a little, arms still around each other but face to face.

"He is, Cassie," he said seriously, looking at her urgently, wanting her to believe him.

And she noticed something. Everyone else who told Cassie how sorry they were, they didn't seem half as serious as Matt was.

"You're the sweetest girl ever, and you deserve the best," he added, placing his forehead against hers for a second.

Cassie smiled, her brown eyes warm, and pulled back, giving Matt a quick kiss on the cheek.

As she walked away, she turned around, walking backwards for a few steps as she called out Matt's name.

"Yeah?" he turned around as he walked down the opposite end of the hall.

"If you ever need a rebound girl..." Cassie pointed both of her index fingers at herself, smiling teasingly.

Matt laughed, happiness finally reaching his whole face.

"You'll be the only one I turn to."

Long chapter, by my usual lengths anyway! Please review! =-)