CHAPTER 2

When I opened my eyes next morning, I was a little disoriented at first. It was like a repeat of yesterday's morning. I was slowly discovering again exactly what kind of a predicament I had landed in.

When I had pulled myself together, gotten dressed, done my make-up and hair, I was finally ready to face the world, starting with Jenna.

"Do I look adult? As in respectfully parental?" She asked me when we met outside of my room.

I chuckled in surprise, "Um, what's this about?"

"Jeremy's parent-teacher conference. Hair up or down?"

"Up, definitely. Up when it's official, down when it's personal matters."

Jenna smiled, "Up it is, then."

"Okay, so I'm go and grab some coffee in the kitchen." I said, smiling back.

I was already on the stairs, when Jenna asked, "You know, Elena, yesterday and today, you have been unusually chipper. Is there any special reason for that?"

"No. I haven't even noticed that I was different."

"Well, you are, but good for you. It means you are healing, getting better."

I pressed my lips into a thin line so as not to say the wrong thing and then I just nodded and turned around and finally headed downstairs for coffee.

"They're keeping her overnight to make sure there's no infection, but she should be able to come home tomorrow." Matt told me as we walked the school yard.

"That's good. Did she say anything about what kind of animal attacked her?"

"She said it was vampire."

I stopped walking and he did too and I just stared at Matt in obvious shock.

"Yeah, she wakes up last night and mutters "vampire" and then passes out."

I nervously continued to walk, "I bet she was just high and saw some hallucinations."

"Yeah, that's probably it. So what's up with you and the new guy?"

"What do you mean?"

"Oh come on, even a blind person can see that he's totally into you, but you seem uncertain and unwilling. What's up with that?"

"It's complicated, Matt."

"Well, then uncomplicate it."

"I can't. I'm sorry, I have to go."

I turned around and left, hoping that he would let this go. Luckily, he didn't try to stop me.

"Well, I was talking to Grams, and she said the comet is a sign of impending doom. The last time it passed over Mystic Falls, there was lots of death. So much blood and carnage, it created a bed of paranormal activity." Bonnie told us what she knew about the Comet that was seen across the sky the next day

"Yeah, and then you poured Grams another shot and she told you about the aliens." Past-Caroline told Bonnie and then she turned to me. "Ok, Elena, what is it with the blockage? He likes you, I know you like him, what is stopping you, Elena?"

"It's complicated, Caroline."
"How?"

"I'm not ready, I'm still reeling from my parents' death. It's still all I think about every day. I can't get into a relationship like that."

Bonnie and Past-Caroline exchanged a glance and now they thought that I was just scared of getting hurt. I let them think that. As long as they stopped asking why I didn't want to start a relationship with Stefan while lying to him, then it was all good in my book.

I was just in the middle of lighting other people's candles at the Comet Watching Event at the park, when suddenly I looked up and saw that I had just lit Stefan's candle.

"You know, that comet...it's been traveling across space for thousands of years. All alone." Stefan told me as we watched the comet.

"Yeah, Bonnie's Grams had told her that it's a harbinger of evil."

"I think it's just a ball of...snow and ice, trapped on a path that it can't escape. And once every about 150 years, it gets to come home. So how was your day, I barely saw you at school?"

"Stefan, if you want to be friends, we can be friends, but I don't think I'm ready for something else right now." I told him maybe too directly for someone like Elena.

He nodded and he seemed so sad, I wanted to hug him and tell him it was all going to be okay. But I didn't even know it was going to be okay, when I was actively changing the past.

So, I blew out the candle and turned to leave the scene

When I got home, I found Jenna frantically searching through Jeremy's room.

"Hey, what are you doing here?"

"I've become my worst nightmare. The authority figure who has to violate a 15-year-old's privacy." Jenna found a bag of weed in one of Jeremy's shoes, "Jackpot. I see the hiding places haven't gotten any more creative."

"What happened to make you do that?"

"Your ass-hat of a history teacher shamed me good today."

"Right, Tanner is the strictest teacher at school, but don't take it too seriously. He doesn't know everything."

"But I know that I'm screwing up. You know how? Because I'm not her. She made everything look so easy. You know, high school, marriage, having you. I can't do it. I'm gonna say or do the wrong thing, and he's gonna get worse, and it's gonna be my fault. It's impossible."

My phone than beeped and I quickly looked at it.

"Hey, I didn't like how we left things. I need to see you, so please text or call me "

I turned my attention to Jenna again. "You're a little scared, that's all. We all are. But I have to go do something. Are you going to be ok?"

Jenna smiled at me sweetly and nodded.

I went over to the Salvatore Boarding House and before I could knock on the door, the door opened and it was Stefan on the other side.

"Can we talk?"

"Yeah, come on inside."

"Okay," I went inside and sat down on the couch and he sat next to me, maybe too close for my liking.

"I wanted to address you telling me that you are not ready for more than friendship. Elena," He took my hand in his, "If that is what you want, then I'll be your friend, but tonight I got the idea, that you were afraid of getting hurt." He leaned closer to be, "But I'm ready to wait as long as it takes."

Then it happened, he leaned in and captured my lips. At first I kissed him back, but when he murmured Elena's name in between kissing me, I froze and pulled away. I got up and told him, "I'm sorry, I can't do this. This is so wrong."

Then I practically ran out of there, to my car and I drove off.

While driving home, I tried to think what to do. I had done high school already, so maybe it wasn't that unreasonable to just pack my bags and just leave town completely.

"I just don't get it, why did they gave me Elena's identity. If it was to make me learn about life while walking a mile in my best friend's shoes, then it is succeeding. I also had to push away the one person that had made Elena feel alive back in the day and who definitely have brightened my days too while stuck living Elena's life." I rambled while talking. "But it would be wrong for me to date him and lie to him. Sooner or later he would understand that something was really wrong and I would be cast out for good.

When I got home, I started packing, but then I started to think that I was just afraid of what might happen if anyone learned the truth. I also started to think that my supernatural friends, like Stefan and Bonnie, would understand what was happening and not send me anywhere.

So in frustration, I picked the bag off the floor and started to unpack again. I didn't know what to do about Past-Caroline who right about now would start her fling with Damon. I felt I could do nothing about that. I remembered that Stefan had managed to imprison him at the Founder's Party and I decided to focus on that. On how to save Past-Caroline from Damon's clutches. How to get Damon to behave before he had the real chance to truly hurt someone.