CHAPTER 6. FIRST DAY BACK

Elena Gilbert has always been a popular girl. Being a cheerleader, one of the A-graders and part of the pretty-girl group has always ensured admiring and even envious onlookers wherever she went. It was nothing new and yet today it was.

As she walked through the halls towards her locker, the speculative looks of the student body felt like tiny pinpricks of tangible discomfort assaulting her skin. Today these eyes wanted to dissect her, her pain, her loss, her grief and most importantly, her frail recovery. She knew this would happen. Of course she did. This was exactly what she had been preparing herself for this morning. She was going to smile a believable smile and answer every callously intrusive and painful question with a gentle affirmation. She was going to make it through.

"Elena? Are you listening?" Bonnie's question snapped Elena out of her mind and into the present.

"Yeah, I ..er y..you were saying you need to buy a shower curtain?" she tried. Bonnie looked back at her with such confused exasperation that she knew she guessed wrong.

"No, I meant her dress, anyway," she continued, changing the topic at her replying blank look with a shake of her hand, "you good? I am so sorry about the car, I swear I was trying to be careful but the crow just came out of nowhere and before .."

"Bonnie, its okay." Elena reassured with a smile. Bonnie had been shooting her looks of apology and concern throughout the ride after their little altercation and she couldn't listen to another unnecessary apology. It wasn't needed. She was fine and frankly the look of guilt and concern in her friend's eyes was only succeeding in making her feel guilty. She didn't want to burden Bonnie with her own issues. She was fine.

As she rummaged through her locker for her books, the sight of Matt out of the corner of her eye made her stop. She turned to wave at him. She hadn't really talked to her ex-boyfriend after her release from the hospital when she had restated their break up. He had been to her house a few times after that but she had avoided that meeting with every excuse in the book. She didn't know what to say to him. The accident hadn't changed the fact that they had broken up and even if a part of her wanted to cling onto the familiar safety of his arm around her during the turmoil of the past few months, she knew she couldn't do that to him. He was still her friend after all. But when he ignored her and walked away in anger she started to wonder if she had lost a friend as well.

"He hates me." She said to Bonnie as they started to move towards their first class.

"That's not hate. That's 'you dumped me but I am too cool to show it but I am secretly listening to Air supply's greatest hits'"

She knew Bonnie was trying to make her feel better but the exaggerated deep voice and grave expressions managed to bring a real smile on her face.

"Wait a minute, who's that?" Elena stopped at Bonnie's question to look at what had caught her attention. At the front desk, a boy stood talking with Mrs. Fallows, the receptionist. She could see why he might have caught Bonnie's attention. Mystic Falls rarely had new faces and this tall broad-backed hunk of a male was definitely eye catching.

"All I see is a back," she said,

"It's a hot back," Bonnie replied wistfully and Elena had to agree. The way the brown leather stretched over his shoulders and the denim clad jeans hugged his legs was hot.

As they were admiring the art piece of a guy, a rushed blond streak of sunshine they knew as Caroline approached the guy.

"And there goes a perfectly nice guy never to recover again from Caroline's sunshine." Bonnie came out of her stupor with a sigh, once again moving towards their class, the hot back long forgotten. Elena knew what Bonnie meant. There was hardly anyone who could resist the force that was Caroline Forbes and if by some miracle they did, then a bright smile was all it took to color them yellow. Even so, as she followed Bonnie, Elena couldn't help but give in to the pull in her chest and take one more glance back and the bright smile and dazed look was all she could see.

"Ah… you are right, Mr. Salvatore, I have all the documents needed." The receptionist said, snapping out of her trance and rummaging through the drawers, "I'll hand you your schedule and then someone from the student council will show you your classrooms, just a moment"

"Take your time miss" he replied back politely with a patient smile. The rustling of documents was interrupted with approaching rhythmic footsteps followed with a sweet scent and an even sweeter voice.

"You called for me Mrs. Fallows?" Caroline asked once she reached the front desk.

"Ah yes, Caroline we have a new addition to our school and as he is in your year I was hoping you could show him around." Mrs. Fallows informed brightly as the boy turned around and Caroline let out a soft gasp of recognition at the sight of sandy blond hair, green eyes and kind smile.

"Hello Caroline,"

"It's you, the new guy" she replied with a smile.

"Oh! You guys know each other? Brilliant! Here is your schedule Mr. Salvatore." Mrs. Fallows said, handing over the sheet of paper, "Have a nice day both of you."

"You as well," they both greeted back and started towards the quickly emptying hallway.

"I am glad it's you who is showing me around. How are you today?" Stefan asked as Caroline went through the sheet to locate his classes for the morning. She looked up to see him watching her with a warm and curious expression. "I'm sure it's nice to have a familiar face. I can only imagine the first day jitters" she responded, not wanting to read too much into the words.

He had left soon after their meeting on that day in the library and she had found herself unable to concentrate on her next assignment leading to her actually opening the book which had seemed to spook him. It was the weirdest thing ever. Nothing and no one has been able to deter her from her plans and yet one meeting with this guy and a fictitious novel sat half-read on her desk.

"It helps that the face was as beautiful as yours," he replied with an amused smile, gently guiding her away from a rushing student with a gentle hand on her back and Caroline snapped her eyes back at the sheet to avoid looking into his. He was making her flustered. She didn't like that. No one made Caroline Forbes flustered.

"You have history with Mr. Tanner first. It's right down this hallway to the left. He isn't really well with change so I suggest laying low in his class." Caroline decided to ignore his last words and focused on directing him towards his classes. After telling him the way to all his classes and what he could expect from all his teachers, she handed the sheet back to him. "The boy's washroom is at the opposite end of the hallway to the right and you can just follow the rest to reach the cafeteria during lunch, though I have to warn you not everything on the menu is edible."

"Thanks for the heads up" he said with a chuckle, as they reached his first class. "Do I have you to guide me through this as well?" he pointed towards the class with a hopeful expression and she shook her head in refusal, "no I have my first period free, but I'll see you in chemistry."

"Oh, okay," he replied with a hint of dejection in his voice as he stood before her before the expectant smile made its way back on his lips. "Then I'll see you in chemistry."

"Sure," she hummed in agreement, "I'll see you in chemistry."

She stood before him, waiting for him to move towards his class but when it became obvious he didn't plan to do so on his own, she awkwardly pointed behind her in the direction of the gym, "I'll get going, cheer duty calls" she said as began turning around, "All the best with Tanner."

"Can I have your number?" Stefan suddenly exclaimed and she looked back to see him holding his phone out with an almost shy expression, "in case I need any help finding my other classes." He continued as an explanation and it made sense. He was new and even though Mystic High had a moderately small building, the puzzling hallways were confusing. "Sure," she took the offered phone after some deliberation, entering her number before handing it back. He took with a pleased smile, the touch of his fingers lingering a second too long.

As he made his way to the door, Caroline also turned back towards her destination as well, handing fisting to shake off the burn of his cool touch. She could still feel his intense gaze as she rounded the corner of the hallway but she continued on without a pause.

Note:-

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Please keep commenting to let me know your thoughts and response to the story as we are finally picking pace with the show. :)