June, 2003

Stefan took the train, and went to have his usual spot, looking at the time in his watch. And when she came, her eyes glowed looking in his direction, and his concentration was already locked in her direction. A wide grin spread on her face, mirrored by the goofy smile on his lips.

She walked straight to the place he was sitting, saving a seat for her on his right.

"How is the preparation?" she asked while taking the seat beside him.

"Done. But it's the most difficult course. Hope I will crack the test."

"You will. You were so good in studies, I am sure you still are." For some reason, the nervousness inside him started to evaporate.

"Hope so."

The time never looked lingering when she was around him nowadays. And so, they never realized when the station came. Stefan smiled to himself, feeling lucky to have a friend like her. He was in her own thoughts when he bumped into her and his backpack fell on the ground.

"Lost somewhere?" she questioned.

"Something like that." He put the books back in the bag, and zipped it up. With a goodbye, he started walking fast.

Luckily, he wasn't late, and Lexi had already kept one seat for him.

"You are late." She whispered when he took the chair beside her.

"I am not."

"You are, five minutes late."

"That is so not being late, Lexi." He pointed out and she narrowed her eyes.

"Who takes summer classes, and on top of it gives exams for it."

"Me, and you are taking it as well."

"You dragged me into this, Stefan."

"Well, you can thank me later." He winked at her. However, the rest of their conversation was abruptly came to stop when the professor distributed the test papers.

The time went in a blur, and the exam looked pretty easy to him. Maybe he was worrying for nothing.

"So you are going to be the high achiever again, aren't you?" Lexi asked.

"We will see. But right now, I want to relax, and so I am heading to the gym."

Lexi was on her way to the cafeteria, when she heard someone taking Stefan's name. A yellow colored sundress, and with a small handbag, the girl was asking someone for the medical department.

"Hey, are you looking for the medical department?" Lexi approached the girl.

"Yeah, actually I was looking for Stefan, Stefan Salvatore." With the face she had, and her golden locks, it wasn't hard for Lexi to guess that it was none other than Caroline Forbes.

"I can take you to him."

"Thanks." Caroline smiled at her.

"I am Lexi, by the way."

"You are Stefan's best friend!" Caroline smiled in astonishment. "I have heard so much about you."

"So have I."

"You did?" Caroline was shocked to hear that Stefan discussed about her with his best-friend, and couldn't help but smile.

"Yeah, he told me about how you guys met again, and everything." On their way, the whole time Lexi was observing her, and there was a smug on her face. "Anyways, what brings you here today?"

"Oh, yeah, he forgot is journal in the morning." She pulled out the brown leather cover journal from her purse. "I thought, with his exams and everything, these might be his notes, and missing notes can never do any good." The light laughter came out of her mouth.

"Oh, this isn't his notes, but his journal. The one in which he writes about his private thoughts. You should read it." There was faint smile on Lexi's face when she walked in front of her, but it made Caroline's mind go wild. She was being tempted to open and see if there is anything about her. But, the other half of her mind was saying that even if she peeked inside it which will be wrong. Her thoughts were broke in the middle when she saw Stefan coming out of the gym with his duffel bag.

Stefan was confused a little when he saw Lexi coming on his way, but then, his confusion was gone away when Caroline was in clear view.

"Caroline! Hey."

"Hey."

There was some awkward silence maybe because of the way he was looking freshly out of the shower, or maybe because she was there just to meet him.

"Well, Caroline was looking for you, so I thought I will bring her here." Lexi was the first one to break the silence.

"Oh, you were?" Stefan questioned Caroline.

"Yeah, you forgot this." She handed him the diary, and for a second he felt like someone hit him with a bush.

"Uh, you didn't read it. Did you?"

"Why? What's so secret Stefan?" Lexi asked him raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing." He mumbled, but Caroline didn't pushed him.

"I should go now. My break is almost over."

His eyes followed her walking steps, going away from them.

"Hmm!" Lexi sighed loudly, and Stefan's sighs came in exhaustion.

"What?" he asked tiredly.

"I didn't say anything. It's just… I was wondering why are you so happy, not being the broody one, and funnier these days. I was wondering what changed. But, now I can see the reason."

Stefan shook his head. Lexi always used to tease him, so he never took the teasing part so seriously. "Lexi, when will you ever stop?"

"I am just telling you what I am seeing."

Stefan's eyes were concentrating on the ground. "What?"

"What if Elena was the one for me? And I have lost her now."

"Maybe she was, and maybe she wasn't. The truth is we have multiple soulmates, but you can only get to know the other one, when you let the old love go."

Lexi didn't point it towards Caroline, but she wished that he get it sooner.

Stefan was on his way to his apartment, when he crashed into something. After a second he realized, that it was the girl, who was now on the ground.

He should really stop bumping into people.

"I am sorry. Are you all right?" he helped her to get up.

"Yeah, I am fine. My head was somewhere else."

"Are you new to the place?"

"Yeah I moved in today." The girl smiled at her.

"Well, I live right across the hallway. If you need any help, you can ask."

"Sure. Thanks."

"I am Stefan, by the way."

"It's so stupid of me, that I didn't introduced myself." Stefan chuckled lightly. "I am Ivy."