Chapter 2

"What's going on? Is it safe enough now to be able to tell me what's going on?" I ask as I carry my bagged lunch side by side with Elena and Stefan to a picnic table for lunch. I'm a sophmore and Elena and Stefan are both seniors so I didn't have any classes with either of them. I had a really hard time focusing on any of my classes anyways. Everytime I attempted to focus on what the teacher was explaining, my mind would begin to wander…to Damon.

I barely know him, so why am I so transfixed on him? Was it how he was so unwilling to listen to Stefan and Elena? Or maybe it was his immediate interest in me. Perhapse it could be that he may be possibly the hottest, sexiest man I've ever laid my eyes upon. Oh! And his eyes! Those eyes; how they are this amazing dark, stormy, mysterious, blue. When you look into them, you feel like you're just going to fall right into them and you'll just keep on falling, forever.

"Emma!" I hear Elena's voice shout at me. I snap back to attention.

"Sorry. I was…day dreaming, you could say." I look over at Stefan's worried expression. "I'm fine. Really, I am!"

"So, do you or don't you want an explination for our strange behavior or what?"

"That would be correct."

"What do you think Stefan? Is it safe to tell her yet? Are we going to tell her at all?" Elena looks over to Stefan for help. He looks at her, telling her something with his eyes. She looks back over to me with an almost immediate understanding.

"We're just nervous for your safety." Stefan explains. It's now my turn to look worried. "It's mainly my brother. He's a bit irresponsible and we don't want to see you get hurt."

"That's so sweet! Thanks guys!" I say as I begin eating my bagged lunch. "So, my birthday is next weekend. Would you guys like to come to my party?"

"Where is it going to be held?"

"My house of course."

"I don't think that I'll be able to attend." Stefan looks down at his food and stabs at his salad with his fork.

"Please? You and Elena are my only friends here at the moment."

"Elena can go, but…I just can't."

"Come on Stefan! You can even bring Damon with you!"

"No, I'm not letting him anywhere near your party."

"Look, my mom is a whack job. If I don't have more than one person at my party next Friday, she will explode. Then I'll have to clean it off of the walls; wich I really do not want to do. If you don't come, I am inviting Damon."

A weary smile finds its way to his lips. He seems quite reluctant to answer me. I don't get the big deal. It's just a sixteenth birthday party at my new home. Nothing too extravagant. This seems not the veiw that Stefan sees. His expression is of someone who is weighing their options. "Alright, I'll go." He finally says. A huge smile stretches onto my face as the words leave his mouth.

"Thank you Stefan!" I bat my eyelashes jokingly. He smiles at me before continueing to eat his lunch in silence.

"Hi! Hi!" The overly perky voice of Caroline cheers bouncing into the seat right across from me. "How's your first day at Mystic Falls High school been?" I sigh and internally roll my eyes.

"Great. I've learned absolutely nothing all day." I admit as I sip at my juice box.

"Really? I saw your scheadual and you had all of the best tenth grade teachers. Why were you so bored in your classes?" She asks leaning over the table at me.

"No reason." I lie standing up and walking toward the trash cans. Elena and Caroline follow me. "I guess I was just too tired to pay attention."

"Uh huh." Elena says like she isn't quite buying it. I throw away my trash and walk back to my seat. This time Caroline takes Elena's old place right next to me and Elena sits next to Stefan.

"What's his name?" Caroline says right away.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"It's not Stefan, is it?" Elena blurts with a voice full of worry.

"No, don't worry. I'm not after your man." I say, I smile politely in Stefan's direction. "I'm not after anyone." I throw in the lie.

"Did you meet him your math class?" Caroline asks now brain storming. "Or is it a teacher? Ooh! Is that why you won't tell us who it is?"

"Why do you assume that there is a guy involved?" I ask in a defensive tone. Stefan looks up at me with his green eyes peeking out at me through his long eyelashes. He focus' hard on me and I watch his pupils dialate big to small over and over again.

A warm smokey haze fills my mind, making it hard to think.

"Stefan…" I hear Elena's worried voice. "Her necklace…"

"It's not working." He says not moving his dialating eyes from me. "I don't get why though."

"What necklace?" Caroline asks searching my neckline for any sort of jewerly. Everyone else at the table's eyes follow her gaze to my bare neck.

"Why aren't you wearing the necklace that we got you?" Stefan asks with frustration clear in his voice. There is a strain also in his voice that sounds almost as if he is trying hard to be able to talk.

"I had to take it off for gym class. I forgot to put it back on." I offer up automatically, fighting through the fog and confusion in my brain.

"Put it back on." Stefan commands me nicely. I automatically reach into the pocket of my bag and take out the necklace. I put it on and right as I let the charm bounce against my chest the mist is gone. I shake my head from the sudden change. My ears start ringing and I go light headed.

"Are you alright?" Caroline puts a comforting hand on my back as I hold my forehead and set my elbows on the table.

"Yeah, it's just my head. I'm a little dizzy." I mumble. I rub my temples in order to make the uneasiness go away. I look up at Stefan who is mimicking my actions. "Stefan, are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." He picks his head up and is suddenly fine.

"Your eyes," I plainly state. He looks at me now more alert than before. "They were dialating like crazy. How did you do that?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." He says not making eye contact with me. He always tries to make eye contact with me.

"You guys saw it too right?" I turn to Elena and Caroline for their support. They look at eachother before looking down just as Stefan had. "I know what I saw!" They all continue to nibble at their food in silence. I stand up and make my way to a different table without making a sound.

"Emma, come back!" A voice calls after me. I roll my eyes. Shut the fuck up Caroline! I spot a table that is located next to a big shady tree. I hurry over to it before another group of kids that are late for lunch snag it. I flop down at the table and notice that at the center of the table is perched the prettiest crow I have ever seen.

Though the bird is the classic black that every crow is, there is something very unique about this bird. The sunlight that filters through the leaves of the tree over head bounces off of the bird's feathers, desplaying a rainbow of colors.

"Hey there little guy." I say smiling. I love animals of all kinds, even creepy birds that sit around waiting for someone to drop a piece of their food for them to eat.

"Emma, get away from there!" I here Elena scream her voice frantic now. I look up at her with a crease in my forehead.

"Some people really need to chill out." I say to the bird that is hopping towards me in curiosity. I've never seen a wild bird this friendly before. I hold out my hand and let it rub its head against my palm. The feathers are soft, like rabbit fur. "You are so cute." The bird makes a quiet, content 'Caw.'

The next second and a half comes as a blur. All I know for sure is that Stefan somehow got over here so quickly and quietly that I didn't see him coming, he shooed the bird away, and slammed my back against the tree with a firm grip on my wrists.

"Ow!" I yelp in annoyence. "Get off of me Stefan!" He looks me square in the face.

"You really don't understand Emma." Stefan says with an exasperated voice.

"Yeah, I understand that you and the rest of your friends are acting like a bunch of freaks." I say shaking Stefan's hands from my wrists. "Until you can give me an explination, stay away from me." I walk around Stefan and head straight into the school for the final three class periods of the school day.

I take a couple of deep breaths right as I walk through the doorway of the school from the courtyard. 'Okay, you've managed to gain and lose your new friends within four hours. That has to be a record.' I think to myself as I pace back and forth. 'Maybe I should apologize for my behavior. They were only thinking of my safety after all. But, what about that thing that Stefan did with his eyes. That really was very creepy.'

"Emma." I hear Stefan's voice behind me. I jump in fright before turning to face him. "Sorry, I didn't mean to sneak up on you."

"It's okay." I say running my fingers through my shoulder length chocolate brown hair. "Are you gunna let me in on what's going on here?"

Stefan stares at me hard in the face. He wants to tell me what's up. I can tell by his body language. But, there seems to be something that's holding it inside of him. "No, not yet."

"Will you ever?"

"Maybe, if it has to come to it depending on someone's safety.

"'Maybe' isn't my favorite answer." I smile at him while taking a few swingy steps in his direction. He smiles back at me. I don't know why there are people who don't like this guy. He's nice, smart, considerate, totally hott, and a gentleman. I really like Elena too but, she had better watch out! It seems as though I am forming quite a kiddy-crush on her man. Not that I'd ever stab her in the back like that.

"Is everything okay?" I hear Elena's voice peeps in through the door Stefan and I had to go through to get back into the school. I take a few steps back from Stefan instinctively. The last thing I want is Elena thinking that I'm trying to steal Stefan from her.

"I think it will be." I sigh in a surrendering manner. "I'm sorry for running off like that and giving you guys a scare."

"No need to apologize Em." Elena says warmly. I like the way she just shortened my name down to 'Em.' It makes me feel more like Im becoming a good friend of hers now. "We're the ones that are acting strange. Even stranger than normal."

"If that's even possible." Stefan adds humorously. I chuckle at them and shake my head.

"It's fine guys." I lie. The warning bell for students eating lunch in the courtyard rings loudly, to which Elena and I both surpress a groan in unison.

"I really do not want to go to my last three classes." Elena moans as a vast crowd of full, now energized teens flood through the glass courtyard door and filter around us.

"I would agree to ditching for the rest of the day but, it's Emma's first day at Mystic Falls high school and I don't want her to start things off on the wrong foot with her teachers."

"I have two study halls and band." I point out. "I don't have my flute with me either so I can't play anyways."

"Yeah, she can't play anyways Stefan!" Elena repeats my words, rushing to his side and gripping his arm pleadingly. "Honey, can we please blow school off for the rest of today?" Stefan sighs and rubbs the back of his neck, on the breaking point. "For me?"

"Fine, I'll go…talk to the attendance woman." Stefan says quickly rushing to the office.

"What is he going to do?" I ask following Elena's gaze after her boyfriend. She smiles widely as she turns to me.

"He's going to convince Mrs. Rudger to put us into the computer as being in class even though we won't be. That way we won't get caught."

"How's he gunna do that?" I scrunch my eyebrows in as I look up at her.

"He's a very convincing person when he wants to be. Much like at lunch today with your necklace."

I nod my head in understanding. Stefan walks out of the office, looking a little dizzy. Like when he was in the office he had spun himself in circles really fast before trying to leave. I rush over to him with Elena in concern.

"Are you alright?" We ask together. Elena and I look up into eachothers eyes before laughing lightly at how alike or minds seem to be.

"I'm fine. I just need to sit down for a moment."

"Okay." I say trying to tug him towards a hallway bench. Neither of them budge even a little. "What?"

"If we stop to sit now we'll get caught. He's going to have to wait until we get into his car." She explains as the three of us walk out the front door of the school and into the student parking lot. Elena points to a black covertable in the front of the parking lot. We rush to the car swiftly. We all hop in. I'm in the back seat, Elena's in the passanger seat, and Stefan's in the diver's seat.

"Is he in any condition to be driving us anywhere?" I ask staring at his spinning head.

"Trust me, he could be on his death bed and he'd be a better driver than me." Elena laughs at some inward joke that I haven't been let in on yet. I nod my head slowly, like I understand, but I really don't.

"Alright, I'm ready. Let's go." Stefan says sitting up in his seat, suddenly feeling much better. Just as he had acted at lunch today after he did that weird eye thing…interesting… "I live in the shut down boarding house at the center of town." He explains looking at me through the rear view mirror as he pulls out onto the road. I nod my head in pretend understanding again.

A boarding house? He sounds like an OLD man, not a seventeen year old boy! Why doesn't he just call it a motel? Aren't thoughs the same thing? Either way, it's weird to hear him say that word.

"We renavated it a tad bit though. So, it no longer looks like a boarding house." He continues.

"Yeah, now it's as luxiurious as any estate or mannor." Elena says in a flirty voice, leaning in and kissing Stefan right smack on the mouth. Stefan kisses her back with a longing that could only belong to thoughs who are most definitely in love. I marvel at them like their kiss is part of a movie that is being played out for me. I watch him lift one of his hands away from the steering wheel and hold her face in his hand.

It's then that I realize that Stefan in driving the car with one hand, his eyes off of the road, and at an incredibly fast speed. "STEFAN! THE ROAD!" I screech in terror. I curl up into a ball and slam my eyes shut. The car decelerates to the speed limit and I sit up. Stefan is back to driving without a trace of his and Elena's kiss happening, besides the adorable goofy smile on his face.

"Sorry…" He mumbles through his smile. He's acting like a little boy whose has just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar before dinner, only he got to still eat the cookie. I stare out the window in astonishment as Stefan pulls up to a huge building.

"This is your house?"

"Uh huh." He says getting out and opening both our doors like the gentleman that he is. "I know it's a bit much but you get used to it after a while." I slowly approach the historic-looking building. It's actually kind of…intimidating… "Are you alright Emma?"

"Do you know that I've been asked that more times today than I think I have in my entire life?" I say with a giggle. Stefan smiles, takes Elena's hand, and they lead the way into the house. I notice something move in one of the large upstairs windows. Stefan's father maybe… "Is your father home?"

"No, I live on my own…well and my brother. Why?"

"Because I…" Will they believe me anyway if I try to tell them? "…I just wanted to meet him is all."

"Oh, well it's just me and Damon."

Does he know that either Damon's home right now or someone broke ito their house?I shrug it off as we walk into the Salvatore boarding house.