The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening Chapter Two

Elena was surrounded the instant she stepped into the high school parking lot. Every adept was in that location, the whole advertise she hadnt supposen since late June, plus four or five h fretfulnesss-on who hoped to gain popularity by association. One by iodine she accepted the welcoming hugs of her own group. Carolean had grown at least an inch and was slinkier and more than resembling aVogue personate than ever. She greeted Elena coolly and stepped back up again with her chiliad eyeb totally narrowed bid a cats.Bonnie hadnt grown at all, and her curly red interrogation barely came up to Elenas chin as she flung her arms near Elena. clasp a minute-curls? thought Elena. She pushed the smaller runty lady friend back.Bonnie What did you do to your tomentum cerebri?Do you alike it? I conceive of it makes me olfactory perception taller. Bonnie fluffed up the al give fluffy bangs and smiled, her brown eyeball sparkling with excitement, her little simple bet aligh t.Elena moved on. Meredith. You havent changed at all. This hug was equally warm on both sides. She had missed Meredith more than allone, Elena thought, looking at the tall girl. Meredith neer wore rough(prenominal) makeup more everyplace indeed(prenominal), with perfect olive skin and weighed elaborate black lashes, she didnt need any. Right like a shot she had one elegant supercilium raised as she studied Elena.Well, your hair is both shades luminousness from the sun nevertheless wheres your tan? I thought you were living it up on the cut Riviera.You know I neer tan. Elena held up her hand for her own inspection. The skin was flawless, like porcelain, merely al about as reasonably and translucent as Bonnies.Just a minute that reminds me, Bonnie interjected, snatching one of Elenas hands. Guess what I learned from my cousin this summer? Before anyone could speak, she conscious them exultantly Palm readingThere were groans, and some laughter.Laugh composition y ou can, verbalise Bonnie, not at all disturbed. My cousin told me Im psychic. Now, allow me becharm She peered into Elenas palm.Hurry up or were dismissal to be late, state Elena a bit impatiently.All accountability, all right. Now, this is your life line-or is it your heart line? In the crowd, someone snickered. Quiet Im reaching into the void. I see I see All at once, Bonnies present went blank, as if she were startled. Her brown eyes widened, but she no longer seemed to be staring at Elenas hand. It was as if she were lookingthrough it-at something frightening.You bequeath meet a tall, dark stranger, Meredith murmured from behind her. There was a fuddle of giggles.Dark, yes, and a stranger but not tall. Bonnies voice was hushed and far aside.Although, she move after a moment, looking puzzled, he was tall, once. Her wide brown eyes lifted to Elenas in be uncivilisederment. solely thats impossible isnt it? She dropped Elenas hand, almost flinging it away. I dont necessita te to see any more.Okay, shows over. Lets go, Elena told the others, vaguely irritated. Shed eternally felt psychic tricks were only when that-tricks. So why was she annoyed? Just because that morning shed almost freaked prohibited herselfThe girls started toward the school building, but the roar of a finely tuned motor stop them all in their tracks.Well, now, Caroline express, staring. Quite a car.Quite a Porsche, Meredith corrected dryly.The sleek black 911 Turbo purred through the parking lot, searching for a s stones throw, moving as lazily as a panther shuck prey.When the car came to a stop, the door o writeed, and they glimpsed the driver. Oh, my God, Caroline whispered.You can vocalise that again, unvoiced Bonnie.From where she stood, Elena could see he had a lean, flat-muscled be. Faded jeans he probably had to shin off at night, tight T-shirt, and a slash jacket of extraordinary cut. His hair was wavy-and dark.He wasnt tall, though. Just average height.Elena let off her breath.Whois that cloak man? utter Meredith. And the re level was apt-dark dark furnish completely covered the sons eyes, screen his face like a mask.That maskedstranger , someone else verbalize, and a babble of voices move up up.Do you see that jacket? Thats Italian, as in Roma.How would you know? Youve never been farther than Rome, New York, in your lifeUh-oh. Elenas got that look again. The hunting look.Short-Dark-and-Handsome had get around be careful.He isnt short hes perfectThrough the chatter, Carolines voice unawares rang out. Oh, come on, Elena. Youve al reach got Matt. What more do you privation? What can you do with two that you cant do with one?The same thing-only longer, drawled Meredith, and the group dissolved into laughter.The son had locked his car and was walking toward school. Casually, Elena started after him, the other girls right behind her in a close-knit pack. For an instant, annoyance bubbled up inside her. Couldnt she goanywhere without a bound on her heels? But Meredith caught her eye, and she smiled in spite of herself.Noblesse oblige, Meredith said softly.What?If youre going to be queen of the school, you have to put up with the consequences.Elena frowned at this as they entered the building. A long corridor stretched before them, and a figure in jeans and leather jacket was disappearing through the office doorway up ahead. Elena slowed her pace as she walked up to the office, finally stopping to glance thoughtfully at the messages on the cork bulletin board by the door. There was a large window here, through which the entire office was visible.The other girls were openly gazing through the window, and giggling. Nice rear view. That isdefinitely an Armani jacket. You think hes from out of state?Elena was straining her ears for the boys address. There seemed to be some kind of trouble in there Mrs. Clarke, the admissions secretary, was looking at a list and shaking her head. The boy said something, and Mrs. Clarke lifted her hands in a What can I say? gesture. She ran a finger down the list and shook her head again, conclusively. The boy started to turn away, then turned back. And when Mrs. Clarke looked up at him, her expression changed.The boys dark glasses were now in his hand. Mrs. Clarke seemed startled by something Elena could see her blink some(prenominal) times. Her lips opened and closed as if she were trying to speak.Elena wished she could see more than the back of the boys head. Mrs. Clarke was fumbling through piles of paper now, looking dazed. At decision she found a form of some kind and wrote on it, then turned it around and pushed it toward the boy.The boy wrote briefly on the form-signing it, probably-and returned it. Mrs. Clarke stared at it a second, then fumbled through a crude pile of papers, finally handing what looked like a categorize schedule to him. Her eyes never left the boy as he took it, inclined his head in thanks, and turned to the door.Elena was wi ld with curiosity by now. What had but happened in there? And what did this strangers face look like? But as he emerged from the office, he was settling his sunglasses in place again. Disappointment coursed through her.Still, she could see the rest of his face as he paused in the doorway. The dark curly hair frame in features so fine that they might have been taken from an old Roman coin or medallion. High cheekbones, classical straight nose and a mouth to keep you awake at night, Elena thought. The upper lip was attractively sculpted, a little sensitive, a whole lot sensual. The chatter of the girls in the hallway had stopped as if someone had thrown a switch. intimately of them were turning away from the boy now, looking anywhere but at him. Elena held her place by the window and gave a little toss to her head, force the ribbon out of her hair so that it fell loose around her shoulders.Without looking to either side, the boy moved on down the hallway. A chorus of sighs and w hispers flared up the moment he was out of earshot.Elena didnt hear any of it.Hed walked right by her, she thought, dazed. Right by without a glance.Dimly, she realized the gong was ringing. Meredith was tugging her arm.What?I said heres your schedule. Weve got trig on the second floor right now. Come onElena allowed Meredith to propel her down the corridor, up a trajectory of stairs, and into a class means. She slid into an empty seat automatically and fixed her eyes on the teacher at the front without really seeing her. The shock console hadnt worn off.Hed walked right by. Without a glance. She couldnt opine how long it had been since a boy had done that. They all looked, at least. some whistled. Some stopped to blab. Some just stared.And that had always been fine with Elena. After all, what was more important than boys? They were the mark of how popular you were, of how beautiful you were. And they could be useful for all sorts of things. Sometimes they were exciting, but u sually that didnt last long. Sometimes they were creeps from the beginning.Most boys, Elena reflected, were like puppies. loveable in their place, but expendable. A very few could be more than that, could become real friends. Like Matt.Oh, Matt. Last year shed hoped that he was the one she was looking for, the boy who could make her feel well, something more. More than the rush of triumph at devising a conquest, the pride in showing your new acquisition off to the other girls. And shehad come to feel a quick affection for Matt. But over the summer, when shed had time to think, shed realized it was the affection of a cousin or sister.Ms. Halpern was passing out trigonometry books. Elena took hers mechanically and wrote her name inside, still wrapped in thought.She liked Matt more than any other boy shed cognize. And that was why she was going to have to tell him it was over.She hadnt known how to tell him in a letter. She didnt know how to tell him now. It wasnt that she was afra id hed shiver up a fuss he just wouldnt realize. She didnt really understand herself.It was as if she were always reaching for something. Only, when she thought shed got it, it wasnt there. Not with Matt, not with any of the boys shed had.And then she had to start all over again. Fortunately, there was always clean material. No boy had ever resisted her successfully, and no boy had ever ignored her. Until now.Until now. Remembering that moment in the hall, Elena found that her fingers were clenched on the pen she held. She still couldnt believe hed brushed by her that way.The bell rang and everyone flooded out of the classroom, but Elena paused in the doorway. She bit her lip, scanning the river of students flowing through the hall. thus she spotted one of the hangers-on from the parking lot.Frances Come here.Frances came eagerly, her plain face brightening.Listen, Frances, you remember that boy this morning?With the Porsche and the-er-assets? How could I forget?Well, I want his class schedule. Get it from the office if you can, or copy it from him if you have to. But do itFrances looked impress for a moment, then grinned and nodded. Okay, Elena. Ill try. Ill meet you at lunch if I can get it.Thanks. Elena watched the girl go. You know, you really are crazy, Merediths voice said in her ear.Whats the use of being queen of the school if you cant pull a little rank sometimes? returned Elena calmly. Where do I go now?General Business. Here, take it yourself. Meredith thrust a schedule at her. Ive got to guide on for chemistry. LaterGeneral Business and the rest of the morning passed in a blur. Elena had hoped to catch another glimpse of the new student, but he was in none of her classes. Mattwas in one, and she felt a pang as his dark-skinned eyes met hers with a smile.At the lunch bell, she nodded greetings right and left as she walked to the cafeteria. Caroline was outside, posed casually against a wall with chin up, shoulders back, hips forward. The two boys she was talking to fell silent and nudged each other as Elena approached.Hi, Elena said briefly to the boys and to Caroline Ready to go in and eat?Carolines green eyes barely flickered toward Elena, and she pushed glossy auburn hair out of her face. What, at theroyal table ? she said.Elena was taken aback. She and Caroline had been friends since kindergarten, and they had always competed with each other good-naturedly. But lately something had happened to Caroline. Shed begun to take the rivalry more and more seriously. And now Elena was surprised at the bitterness in the other girls voice.Well, its hardly as if you were a commoner, she said lightly.Oh, youre so right about that, said Caroline, turning to face Elena fully. Those green cat-eyes were slitted and smoky, and Elena was shocked by the hostility she axiom there. The two boys smiled uneasily and edged away.Caroline didnt seem to notice. A lot of things changed while you were departed this summer, Elena, she continued . And just maybe your time on the throne is running out.Elena had violent she could feel it. She struggled to keep her voice steady. Maybe, she said. But I wouldnt buy a scepter just yet if I were you, Caroline. She turned and went into the lunchroom.It was a residual to see Meredith and Bonnie, and Frances beside them. Elena felt her cheeks cool as she selected her lunch and went to join them. She wouldnt let Caroline upset her she wouldnt think of Caroline at all.I got it, said Frances, waving a piece of paper as Elena sit down down.And I have some good stuff, said Bonnie importantly. Elena, listen to this. Hes in my biology class, and I sit right across from him. And his name is Stefan, Stefan Salvatore, and hes from Italy, and hes boarding with old Mrs. Flowers on the edge of town. She sighed. He isso romantic. Caroline dropped her books, and he picked them up for her.Elena made a wry face. How clumsy of Caroline. What else happened? Well, thats all. He didnt really talk to her. Hes ver-r-ry mysterious, you see. Mrs. Endicott, my biology teacher, tried to get him to take off his glasses, but he wouldnt. He has a medical condition.What kind of medical condition?I dont know. Maybe its terminal and his solar daylights are numbered. Wouldnt that be romantic?Oh, very, said Meredith.Elena was looking over Francess sheet of paper, biting her lip. Hes in my s levelth utmost, news report of Europe. Anybody else have that class?I do, said Bonnie. And I think Caroline does, too. Oh, and maybe Matt he said something yesterday about how it was just his luck, getting Mr. Tanner.Marvelous, Elena thought, picking up a fork and stabbing at her mashed potatoes. It looked as if seventh period was going to beextremely interesting.Stefan was glad the school day was almost over. He wanted to get out of these crowded room and corridors, just for a few minutes.So many minds. The pressure of so many thought patterns, so many mental voices surrounding him, was making him d izzy. It had been years since he had been in a swarm of people like this.One mind in particular stood out from the others. She had been among those watching him in the main corridor of the school building. He didnt know what she looked like, but her personality was powerful. He felt sure hed recognize it again.So far, at least, hed survived the first day of the masquerade. Hed used the Powers only twice, and then sparingly. But he was tired, and, he admitted ruefully, hungry. The mouse hare hadnt been enough.Worry about that later. He found his last classroom and sat down. And immediately he felt the presence of that mind again.It glowed at the edge of his consciousness, a golden light, soft and yet vibrant. And, for the first time, he could ensconce the girl it was coming from. She was seated right in front of him. pull down as he thought it, she turned around and he saw her face. It was all he could do not to gasp in shock.Katherine But of course it couldnt be. Katherine was dea d no one knew that better than he did.Still, the similitude was uncanny. That pale golden hair, so jolly it almost seemed to shimmer. That creamy skin, which had always made him think of swans, or alabaster, flushing faintly pink over the cheekbones. And the eyes Katherines eyes had been a color he had never seen before darker than alternate blue, as rich as the lapis lazuli in her jeweled headband. This girl had those same eyes.And they were fixed directly on his as she smiled. He looked down from the smile apace. Of all things, he did not want to think about Katherine. He didnt want to look at this girl who reminded him of her, and he didnt want to feel her presence any longer. He kept his eyes on the desk, blocking his mind as strongly as he knew how. And at last, slowly, she turned around again.She was hurt. Even through the blocks, he could feel that. He didnt care. In fact, he was glad of it, and he hoped it would keep her away from him. another(prenominal) than that, he had no feelings about her at all.He kept sexual intercourse himself this as he sat, the droning voice of the teacher pouring over him unheard. But he could smell a subtle hint of some perfume-violets, he thought. And her slender white neck was bowed over her book, the fair hair falling on either side of it.In anger and frustration he recognized the seductive feeling in his teeth-more a tickling or a tingling than an ache. It was hunger, a specific hunger. And not one he was about to indulge.The teacher was pacing about the room like a ferret, asking questions, and Stefan deliberately fixed his management on the man. At first he was puzzled, for although none of the students knew the answers, the questions kept coming. Then he realized that that was the mans purpose. To shame the students with what they didnt know.Just now hed found another victim, a small girl with clusters of red curls and a heart-shaped face. Stefan watched in detestation as the teacher badgered her with questi ons. She looked wretched as he turned away from her to address the entire class.You see what I mean? You think youre evenhandedly hot stuff youre seniors now, ready to graduate. Well, let me tell you, some of you arent ready to graduate kindergarten. Like this He gestured toward the red-haired girl. No idea about the French Revolution. Thinks Marie Antoinette was a silent film star.Students all around Stefan were shifting uncomfortably. He could feel the resentment in their minds, and the humiliation. And the fear. They were all afraid of this thin little man with eyes like a weasel, even the husky boys who were taller than he was.All right, lets try another era. The teacher swung back to the same girl hed been questioning. During the Renaissance- He broke off. Youdo know what the Renaissance is, dont you? The period between the 13th and seventeenth centuries, in which Europe rediscovered the great ideas of ancient Greece and Rome? The period that produced so many of Europes great est artists and thinkers? When the girl nodded confusedly, he continued. During the Renaissance, what would students your age be doing at school? Well? Any idea at all? Any guesses?The girl swallowed hard. With a weak smile she said, Playing football?At the ensuing laughter, the teachers face darkened. Hardly he snapped, and the classroom cool ited. You think this is a joke? Well, in those days, students your age would already be undecomposed in several languages. They would also have mastered logic, mathematics, astronomy, philosophy, and grammar. They would be ready to go on to a university, in which every course was taught in Latin. Football would be absolutely the last thing on-Excuse me.The quiet voice stopped the teacher in midharangue. Everyone turned to stare at Stefan. What? What did you say?I said, excuse me, Stefan repeated, removing his glasses and standing up. But youre wrong. Students in the Renaissance were encouraged to participate in games. They were taught that a healthy body goes with a healthy mind. And they certainly played team sports, like cricket, tennis-and even football. He turned to the red-haired girl and smiled, and she smiled back gratefully. To the teacher, he added, But the most important things they learned were good manners and courtesy. Im sure your book forget tell you that.Students were grinning. The teachers face was red with blood, and he was sputtering. But Stefan continued to guide his eyes, and after another minute it was the teacher who looked away.The bell rang.Stefan put his glasses on quickly and gathered his books. Hed already drawn more attention to himself than he should, and he didnt want to have to look at the fair girl again. Besides, he needed to get out of here quickly there was a familiar burning sensation in his veins.As he reached the door, someone shouted, Hey Did they really play football back then?He couldnt help throwing a grin over his shoulder. Oh, yes. Sometimes with the separate heads of pr isoners of war.Elena watched him as he went. Hed deliberately turned away from her. Hed snubbed her on purpose, and in front of Caroline, whod been watching like a hawk. Tears burned-over in her eyes, but at that moment only one thought burned in her mind.Shed have him, even if it killed her. If it killed both of them, shed have him.