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By the ti off and the lu to dissolve into tears But she wouldn’t cry at school, she told herself, shewouldn’tAfter closing her locker, she made for thehoht after the last bell, and alone Aunt Judith wouldn’t be able to cope But when Elena reached her house, Aunt Judith’s car was not in the driveway; she and Margaret one out to the market The house was still and peaceful as Elena let herself in

She was glad for that stillness; she wanted to be alone right now But, on the other hand, she didn’t exactly knohat to do with herself

Now that she finallycould cry, she found that tears wouldn’t co to the floor in the front hall and walked slowly into the living room

It was a handsome, impressive room, the only part of the house besides Elena’s bedrooinal structure That first house had been built before 1861, and had been almost completely burned in the Civil War All that could be saved was this roo, and the big bedroorandfather had built a new house, and Gilberts had lived in it ever since

Elena turned to look out of one of the ceiling-to-floor s The glass was so old that it was thick and wavery, and everything outside was distorted, looking slightly tipsy She remembered the first tilass, when she had been younger than Margaret was now

The fullness in her throat was back, but still no tears would co inside her was contradictory She didn’t want coly lonely Shedid want to think, but now that she was trying to, her thoughts eluded her likebird flesh eater crow, she thought "Biggest crow I’ve ever seen," Matt had said

Her eyes stung again Poor Matt She’d hurt him, but he’d been so nice about it He’d even been nice to Stefan

StefanHer heart thudded once, hard, squeezing two hot tears out of her eyes There, she was crying at last She was crying with anger and humiliation and frustration-and what else?

What had she really lost today? What did she really feel for this stranger, this Stefan Salvatore? He was a challenge, yes, and that

Funny, that hat guys had sometimes told Elena she was And later she heard from them, or fro out with her, how their palot sweaty and their stomachs were full of butterflies Elena had always found such stories a No boy she’d ever met in her life had made her nervous

But when she’d spoken to Stefan today, her pulse had been racing, her knees weak Her palms had been wet And there hadn’t been butterflies in her stouy because he ood reason, Elena, she told herself In fact, a very bad reason

But there was also that mouth That sculptedentirely different than nervousness And that night-dark hair-her fingers itched to weave themselves into its softness That lithe, flat-s and thatvoiceIt was his voice that had decided her yesterday,her absolutely determined to have hi to Mr Tanner, but strangely coht-dark as well, and hoould sound saying her na her name

"Elena!"

Elena jumped, her reverie shattered But it wasn’t Stefan Salvatore calling her, it was Aunt Judith rattling the front door open

"Elena? Elena!" And that was Margaret, her voice shrill and piping "Are you holanced around the kitchen She couldn’t face her aunt’s worried questions or Margaret’s innocent cheerfulness right now Not with her eyelashes wet and new tears threatening anydecision and quietly slipped out the back door as the front door banged shut

Once off the back porch and into the yard, she hesitated She didn’t want to run into anyone she knew But where could she go to be alone?

The answer cao see Moe of town, but over the last three years it had becoe and climbed up the hill, past the ruined church, then down into the little valley below

This part of the cemetery ell-kept; it was the old section that was allowed to run slightly wild Here, the grass was neatly triht color Elena sat down by the big marble headstone with "Gilbert" carved into the front

"Hi, Mom Hi, Dad," she whispered She leaned over to place a purple i the way in front of the s under her and just sat

She’d coaret had been only one at the time of the car crash; she didn’t really remember theh memories, and the lump in her throat swelled, and the tears ca and beautiful, and Father, with a smile that crinkled up his eyes

She was lucky to have Aunt Judith, of course It wasn’t every aunt ould quit her job and move back into a little town to take care of two orphaned nieces And Robert, Aunt Judith’s fianc��¦, was aret than an uncle-to-be by ht after the funeral, she had co so stupid as to get themselves killed That hen she hadn’t known Aunt Judith very well, and had felt there was nowhere on earth she belonged any now? she wondered The easy ansas, here, in Fell’s Church, where she’d lived all her life But lately the easy answer see else out there for her, sonize at once and call home

A shadow fell over her, and she looked up, startled For an instant, the two figures standing over her were alien, unfa She stared, frozen

"Elena," said the sure fussily, hands on hips, "sometimes I worry about you, I really do"

Elena blinked and then laughed shortly It was Bonnie and Meredith "What does a person have to do to get a little privacy around here?" she said as they sat down

"Tell us to go away," suggested Meredith, but Elena just shrugged Meredith and Bonnie had often come out here to find her in the lad about that, and grateful to theed with the friends who cared about her She didn’t , and she accepted the crumpled tissue Bonnie offered her and wiped her eyes The three of the the wind ruffle the stand of oak trees at the edge of the cemetery

"I’m sorry about what happened," Bonnie said at last, in a soft voice "That was really terrible"

"And your middle name is ’Tact,’ " said Meredith "It couldn’t have been that bad, Elena"

"You weren’t there" Elena felt herself go hot all over again at the memory "Itwas terrible But I don’t care anymore," she added flatly, defiantly "I’m finished with him I don’t want him anyway"

"Elena!"

"I don’t, Bonnie He obviously thinks he’s too good for-for Alasses and"

There were snorts of laughter froirls Elena wiped her nose and shook her head "So," she said to Bonnie, deter the subject, "at least Tanner seemed in a better mood today"

Bonnie looked n up to be the very first one to giveto do mine on the druids, and-"

"On the what?"

"Droo-ids The weird old guys who built Stonehenge and did land I’m descended from them, and that’s why I’m psychic"

Meredith snorted, but Elena frowned at the blade of grass she irling between her fingers "Bonnie, did you really see so yesterday in my palm?" she asked abruptly

Bonnie hesitated "I don’t know," she said at last "I-Ithought I did then But soination runs aith me"

"She knew you were here," said Meredith unexpectedly "I thought of looking at the coffee shop, but Bonnie said, ’She’s at the cemetery’ "

"Did I?" Bonnie looked faintly surprised but ih has the second sight and so do I It always skips a generation"

"And you’re descended from the druids," Meredith said solemnly

"Well, it’s true! In Scotland they keep up the old traditions You wouldn’t believe sorand to oing to die early"

"Bonnie!"

"She did I’ and beautiful in my coffin Don’t you think that’s rousting," said Elena The shadoere getting longer, and the wind had a chill to it now

"So who are you going to marry, Bonnie?" Meredith put in deftly

"I don’t know My grand out, but I never tried it Of course"-Bonnie struck a sophisticated pose-"he has to be outrageously rich and totally gorgeous Like our er, for example Particularly if nobody else wants hilance at Elena