Sunday, March 1, 2009

Dear Diary,

Kissing my boyfriend is like kissing my brother. No, not that gross, I guess. More like kissing a mannequin. Not good, not bad. Just sort of there.


Monday, March 2, 2009

Dear Diary,

So, the big spring dance is coming up, and guess who put herself in charge of it? If you said Caroline Forbes, you're right! She decided that this year's theme is going to be "paparazzi." You're supposed to come as your favorite celebrity.

"'Cause, like, then you could be really outrageous if you wanted to, like you could do Lady Gaga, but you could also just wear everyday clothes. Like a guy could just wear a T-shirt and pants and be John Mayer."

She wants to have a red carpet laid out at the entrance to the gym, and have all the yearbook photographers lined up. And someone will be there with a video camera and a microphone to interview everyone as they walk in. It could be fun.


Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Dear Diary,

Caroline ran her ideas past Ms. Jessups, and she wholeheartedly agreed. So, Bonnie, Matt, Tyler and I have been finagled into spending the next three weeks setting up the whole thing.


Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Dear Diary,

We had cheering practice outside today, while the football team practiced at the other end of the field. Afterwards, I walked to Matt's car to wait for him. He was about to cross the parking lot, and then I saw Caroline call him, and then he turned around and both of them started searching the ground for something. Then Caroline picked up something and they sort of laughed. When he got to the car he told me she had lost her earring. We drove home with the windows rolled down and the radio turned up.


Thursday, March 5, 2009

Dear Diary,

Matt and I went to The Grill for dinner. He's really obsessing about Monday's game against Washington. He's also obsessing about his grades, and obsessing about that incident in ninth grade that he intended-as-a-joke-but-Mr. Shelby-didn't-see-it-that-way.

The only chance he has of going to college is to get a full scholarship.

I've always kind of seen my family like my house: Jeremy and I are the top floor, which is supported by the bottom floor (Mom and Dad). But Matt's house has one floor and a basement. So he and Vicki are the main level, and their Mom's somewhere in their dark and dingy basement, not knowing or caring very much about what's going on upstairs.


Saturday, March 7, 2009

Dear Diary,

Bonnie and I hung out at Caroline's house for a while. Caroline's obsessed about the dance and who she's going to go with. She was lying on her side, on her bed, with her hair hanging over her face, and she said, "It must be nice to have a steady boyfriend."

As Mom always tells me, she's not really jealous, she's just insecure.


Sunday, March 8, 2009

Dear Diary,

Aunt Jenna was in town today. She came over for dinner and entertained us all with stories about Life in the Big City. Whenever Jeremy or I say that we want to leave Mystic Falls someday, Mom and Dad laugh and say, "Oh, when I was your age, I thought that too, but when you're older..."

But Jenna left, didn't she? As soon as she had the opportunity, and she has no intentions of ever moving back.


Monday, March 9, 2009

Dear Diary,

We didn't have cheering practice today, but the guys had football practice, so Bonnie, Caroline, Darcy Quain and I sat on the bleachers to watch. Gee, Mr. Tanner really is worse on the field than he is in the classroom. He seems to be under the impression that those big tough football players should be able to handle it, or that he's really making men out of them, or something. Darcy said, "If he yelled at me like that, I think I'd start crying," and Bonnie said, "If he yelled at me like that, I'd set him on fire with my eyes."

Which she's apparently under the impression that she could do.


Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Dear Diary,

I just got home from the game against Washington, which, by the way, we lost. The phrase "bad mood" doesn't begin to describe Matt's unhappiness. On the bright side, cheering went really well. During halftime, I did a perfect basket toss.


Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Dear Diary,

Mom texted me after school and told me she'd be late and asked me to make dinner. She'd left cube steaks in the fridge to thaw, and there were potatoes to mash, so what could possibly go wrong?

Well, Elena's lack of culinary skills found a way to make things go wrong. Let's just say the fire alarm went off when I cooked the stakes. And let's just say that the potatoes were too salty to eat. And let's also say that Mom got home at the same time the guy arrived with the pizza.


Thursday, March 12, 2009

Dear Diary,

Today we had a test in English, and in the middle of it, my phone vibrated. It was Bonnie, from two desks behind. Miss Thomas was looking down at her desk so I snuck my phone out of my purse. She'd written, BUG N YR HAIR. I involuntarily said, "What?" and semi-freaked out. I stood up and dropped my phone and everyone was looking at me. Bonnie said, "It's just a little lady bug," and she got up from her desk to get it out.

So, the bug flew away, and Bonnie and I had to show Miss Thomas all of our texts to make sure we hadn't been "sharing answers." I told Bonnie that if that ever happens again, be specific and say LDYBUG, so I don't picture some giant fanged insect.


Friday, March 13, 2009

Dear Diary,

Matt and I drove to the Falls after school. We stood on the bridge and listened to the water. Tiny wet droplets splashed onto my skin, and it smelled nice and naturey. Then I noticed an empty soda can floating in the water. It really made me sick, so I climbed down under the bridge to get it. Matt shouted, "Elena, be careful!" just as I slipped off a rock and fell on my face. My clothes were soaked and Matt, ever the gallant knight, didn't want me to get back in his car. So I walked around in a sunbeam for a while until my clothes dried.

Happy Friday the 13th!


Saturday, March 14, 2009

Dear Diary,

Matt came over, and he was all apologetic about yesterday. He and Dad are currently in the garage, fiddling with the Camaro. Maybe guys should just admit that their cars are their true loves, and their girlfriends are more like their mistresses.


Sunday, March 15, 2009

Dear Diary,

Caroline actually called me today, to talk about the dance. She's going as Taylor Swift. She's borrowing Blake Weston's guitar, and she's going to have it strapped onto her back all night. That might make dancing a little bit difficult. I thought maybe Matt and I could be Luke and Leia, and she said, "No, those are characters, not celebrities."

She suggested Britney and K-Fed, but then we'd have to wear wigs all night, which doesn't appeal to me. So Caroline said, "I know, you be Kevin and Matt can be Britney!"

I think wigs might be easier than making Matt wear certain prosthetic body parts.


Monday, March 16, 2009

Dear Diary,

Bonnie's going to the dance with Marcus Holcomb, as friends. They're dressing as Beyonce and Jay-Z. So that just leaves Caroline without a date. I asked Matt who Tyler was taking, and it turns out Tyler's going to be out of town with his parents all weekend. So now I must help Caroline find a date, without making her feel pathetic. This is the beginning of Elena's Attempt to Help and Save Caroline Forbes.


Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Dear Diary,

This morning on the way to school I told Bonnie that my mom asked me why I wasn't wearing green today, and I told her, "Because I'm not the world's biggest geek." At that second, we pulled into the parking lot to see Caroline dressed in green from head to toe, with one of those springy shamrock headbands on. Bonnie muttered, "Speaking of the world's biggest geek."

I was going to suggest to Rob Villiers that if he asked her to the dance she might say yes. But I decided to wait until tomorrow.


Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Dear Diary,

It wouldn't really be fair for Caroline to have to go to the dance by herself, would it? The theme was her idea and she's made posters and hung them all over the school, and…

After cheering practice, the football players were gathering their equipment, and I suggested that she just go talk to Rob. She asked, "What would I say?" and I had to stop myself from answering, "Tell him you dropped your earring."


Thursday, March 19, 2009

Dear Diary,

I've come up with the perfect costumes for Matt and me: Prince William and Kate Middleton. I only have today and tomorrow to put it together.

I saw Rob Villiers in the hall this morning, so I asked him if he's going to the dance. He shrugged and said, "I dunno." So I told him that if he needs a date, he should ask Caroline. Then I got nervous and started talking really fast and said, "She didn't tell me to tell you that or anything, but she doesn't have a date and I just thought maybe you could ask her, and I'm sure she'd say yes if you did."

He shrugged again and said, "Well, maybe." Then I had to find Caroline and tell her that it might be a good idea if she happened to bump into him at some point today.


Friday, March 20, 2009

Dear Diary,

Genius matchmaker Elena has made things good for Caroline Forbes. Rob asked her to the dance and she accepted. He's going to dress as Joe Jonas. Caroline told him to just wear jeans and a T-shirt and a jacket over it, and she's going to some junk jewelry store to find something that could pass as a purity ring. At first he was somewhat resistant to that idea, but she told him it's supposed to be funny.

I wanted Matt to dress in an RAF uniform, but I've given up on finding one. I googled William and Kate and found some pictures of polo matches, so Matt can wear a red shirt and white pants and some of his football equipment. The most important thing for me seems to be knee-high boots over jeans (and speaking in a British accent all night).


Sunday, March 22, 2009

Dear Diary,

Caroline, Bonnie and I got to the gym yesterday to set everything up. Bonnie brought a red carpet and her dad laid it at the door to the gym. Caroline wanted to have so many photographers that all the flashes would make it hard to see, just like they do for real live celebrities. Once the tables and chairs were set up, she allowed everyone to go home to get ready.

So, I got dressed and Matt picked me up. He gave me a rose which he insisted is called an "English rose." We drove to school, and it really was kind of fun walking down the red carpet with all the cameras flashing. At the door to the gym, Hunter Flynn and James Hughes had a video camera and a microphone, and they asked us who we were. I said, "William and Kate," and James asked, "William and Kate who?" Ignorant American!

Almost every blonde girl was Lady Gaga, and almost every brunette was Katy Perry. Most of the guys just wore suits, and if you asked them who they were they said "Jay Leno" or "Barack Obama" or something.

Matt and Rob and Marcus would only dance to the slow dances, so Bonnie and Caroline and I danced a lot by ourselves. Caroline's guitar kept hitting her in the back. She couldn't take it off because she didn't have anywhere to put it to keep it safe.

After the dance, everyone drove to the Grill. We stayed until they closed, and then Matt and I drove around alone for a while. We just didn't feel like going home.


Monday, March 23, 2009

Dear Diary,

During free period today, while Caroline and I were crushing soda cans, she kept talking about Rob. "Do you think he just asked me because he didn't have anyone to go with?" and "Do you think he'll ask me out again?"

I told her that if she wants to go out with him again, she should ask him. If he wants to he'll say yes, and if he doesn't he'll say no. She said, "No, no, I couldn't do that."

No matter how bad I feel, I can always be thankful that I'm not as insecure as Caroline Forbes.


Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Dear Diary,

In biology, we're talking about genes and DNA and eye color. Ms. Norman said that brown eyes dominate green and blue, and green dominates blue. That surprised everyone, because you seem to see more people with blue eyes than green eyes. I told her that my dad's eyes are blue and my mom's are brown, but mine are a much darker brown. She said, "It could be a mutation," and everyone laughed.

Now I'm going to spend the rest of the school year being called a mutant. I just know it.


Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Dear Diary,

In the school library today, Bonnie, Caroline and I were neglecting our studies in order to whisper about our romantic lives (or lack thereof). Sometimes I feel like I should just say to Caroline, "Okay, you can have Matt. He's yours, if it means that much to you."


Thursday, March 26, 2009

Dear Diary,

Mom just came upstairs and said, "You know, Elena, your eyes aren't that much darker than mine."

I was like, oh yeah, we were talking about that. Then she said, "They just seem darker because your hair's darker. You have your father's hair."

Then she left the room.


Friday, March 27, 2009

Dear Diary,

I was supposed to go out with Matt tonight, but he's too sore from practice. Jeremy's friend Ethan came over, and I watched some stupid body-functions-jokes movie with them until I couldn't take it anymore and had to leave the room.


Saturday, March 28, 2009

Dear Diary,

Dad dropped me off at Matt's house on the way to work. The path to the front door was all cracked and muddy, and when I got to the door I noticed that paint was peeling off the house and the porch itself was kind of unsteady. I knocked and waited, and Matt finally came to the door. He stepped outside and closed the door behind him. This smell had already wafted out and was clinging to his clothes. I've been to enough drunken-after-game parties to recognize the odor of regurgitated alcohol. Whether it was his mom or Vicki who had caused it, I don't know.

He stood kind of far away from me and pretended to be glad that I was there. I told him that I'd just come by to see how he was, and he talked about his sore muscles for a while. Then I told him I'd be going, and he offered to drive me, but I didn't think he really wanted to. So I told him I could walk home, and I did.


Sunday, March 29, 2009

Dear Diary,

Mom said that when I see Matt tomorrow, I just shouldn't mention what happened yesterday. She said, "If he wants to talk about it, talk about it. But if he doesn't, just act normal."

I'm not sure if that would make things better, or worse. Sometimes it's weird not to talk about something you know everyone is thinking about.


Monday, March 30, 2009

Dear Diary,

I saw Matt in the hall this morning, and took Mom's advice. Then, before lunch, he met me by the cafeteria doors and asked me if I wanted to sit in his car to eat. So we walked to the parking lot and rolled down the windows and shared my lunch.

There was no one else around, and he started talking about his mom. He was getting really emotional, and tears came into his eyes. I leaned over and hugged him, pressing my face into the warmth of his neck and his shoulder. He whispered, "I love you." Then we pulled away slightly and looked into each other's eyes. Then we kissed until the bell rang.


Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Dear Diary,

I told Bonnie that Matt actually said those three little words to me, and she immediately exclaimed, "Did you say it back?"

No, I didn't. And Bonnie wanted to know, "Why not?!"

Because I'm not going to say it if I don't feel it, that's why not.