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Elena revolved slowly before the full-length aret sat at the foot of the big four-poster bed, her blue eyes large and solemn with admiration
"I wish I had a dress like that for trick-or-treat," she said
"I like you best as a little white cat," said Elena, dropping a kiss between the white velvet ears attached to Margaret’s headband Then she turned to her aunt, who stood by the door with needle and thread ready "It’s perfect," she said warirl in the mirror could have stepped out of one of Elena’s books on the Italian Renaissance Her throat and shoulders were bare, and the tight bodice of the ice-blue dress showed off her tiny waist The long, full sleeves were slashed so that the white silk of the che skirt just brushed the floor all around her It was a beautiful dress, and the pale clear blue seehten the darker blue of Elena’s eyes
As she turned away, Elena’s gaze fell on the old-fashioned pendulum clock above the dresser "Oh, no-it’s almost seven Stefan will be here any minute"
"That’s his car now," said Aunt Judith, glancing out the"I’ll go down and let hiht," said Elena briefly "I’ll !" She hurried down the stairs
Here goes, she thought As she reached for the doorknob, she was reo nohen she’d stepped directly into Stefan’s path in European History class She’d had this sa of anticipation, of excitement and tension
I just hope this turns out better than that plan did, she thought For the last week and a half, she’d pinned her hopes to this ether tonight, they never would
The door swung open, and she stepped back with her eyes down, feeling almost shy, afraid to see Stefan’s face But when she heard his sharp indrawn breath, she looked up quickly-and felt her heart go cold
He was staring at her in wonder, yes But it was not the wondering joy she’d seen in his eyes that first night in his roo closer to shock
"You don’t like it," she whispered, horrified at the stinging in her eyes
He recovered swiftly, as always, blinking and shaking his head "No, no, it’s beautiful You’re beautiful"
Then why are you standing there looking as if you’d seen a ghost? she thought Why don’t you hold !
"You look wonderful," she said quietly And it was true; he was sleek and handsome in the tux and cape he’d donned for his part She was surprised he’d agreed to it, but when she’delse Just now, he looked elegant and comfortable, as if such clothes were as natural as his usual jeans
"We’d better go," he said, equally quiet and serious
Elena nodded and ith hier merely cold; it was ice He was further away froet hih school, and Elena glanced out of the car ith dull dish it hadn’t actually begun to rain yet The air had a charged, electric feel, and the sullen purple thunderheads gave the sky a nightmarish look It was a perfect at and otherworldly, but it woke only dread in Elena Since that night at Bonnie’s, she’d lost her appreciation for the eerie and uncanny
Her diary had never turned up, although they’d searched Bonnie’s house top to bottoone, and the idea of a stranger reading her hts made her feel wild inside Because, of course, it had been stolen; what other explanation was there? More than one door had been open that night at the McCullough house; someone could have just walked in She wanted tokill whoever had done it
A vision of dark eyes rose before her That boy, the boy she’d aliven in to at Bonnie’s house, the boy who’d et Stefan Was he the one?
She roused herself as they pulled up to the school and forced herself to syanized chaos In the hour since Elena had left, everything had changed Then, the place had been full of seniors: Student Councilthe finishing touches on props and scenery Noas full of strangers, most of them not even hu skulls visible through the rotting flesh of their faces A grotesquely defor with a corpse with livid white skin and hollow eyes Fro muzzle covered with blood, and a dark and dramatic witch
Elena realized, with a jolt, that she couldn’t recognize half these people in their costuown, announcing problems that had developed already Elena waved the dark hair flowed down the back of a tight-fitting black dress
"What is it, Meredith?" she said
"Coach Lyot Tanner to substitute"
"MrTanner ?" Elena was horrified
"Yes, and he’strouble already Poor Bonnie’s just about had it You’d better get over there"
Elena sighed and nodded, thenroute of the Haunted House tour As she passed through the grisly Torture Chaht they had alht
The Druid Rooe had been constructed But the pretty little druid priestess who stood a white robes and an oak-leaf garland looked ready to burst into tears
"But you’vegot to wear the blood," she was saying pleadingly "It’s part of the scene; you’re a sacrifice"
"Wearing these ridiculous robes is bad enough," replied Tanner shortly "No one infor to have to set onyou ," said Bonnie "It’s just on the robes and on the altar You’re a sacrifice," she repeated, as if somehow this would convince hiust,
"the accuracy of this whole setup is highly suspect Contrary to popular belief, the druids didnot build Stonehenge; it was built by a Bronze Age culture that-"
Elena stepped forward "Mr Tanner, that isn’t really the point"
"No, it wouldn’t be, to you," he said "Which is why you and your neurotic friend here are both failing history"
"That’s uncalled for," said a voice, and Elena looked quickly over her shoulder at Stefan
"Mister Salvatore," said Tanner, pronouncing the words as if they meant Now my day is complete"I suppose you have soive aze traveled over Stefan, who stood there, unconsciously elegant in his perfectly tailored tux, and Elena felt a sudden shock of insight
Tanner isn’t really that ht He looks old because of that receding hairline, but I’ll bet he’s in his twenties Then, for so, in his cheap and shiny suit that didn’t fit well
I’ll bet he never even ht And, for the first ti like syh he stepped right up to the littleface-to-face with him, his voice was quiet "No, I’ blown out of proportion Why don’t" Elena couldn’t hear the rest, but he was speaking in low, cal She glanced back at the crowd that had gathered behind her: four or five ghouls, the olf, a gorilla, and a hunchback
"All right, everything’s under control," she said, and they dispersed Stefan was taking care of things, although she was not sure how, since she could see only the back of his head
The back of his headFor an instant, an ie flashed before her of the first day of school Of how Stefan had stood in the office talking to Mrs Clarke, the secretary, and of how oddly Mrs Clarke had acted Sure enough, when Elena looked at Mr Tanner now, he wore the sahtly dazed expression Elena felt a slow ripple of disquiet
"Coo up front"
They cut straight through the Alien Landing Roo between the partitions, coreeted by a olf The olf had taken his head off and was talking to a couple of yptian princess
Elena had to adood as Cleopatra, the lines of that bronzed body frankly visible through the sheer linen sheath she wore Matt, the olf, could hardly be bla doard fro here?" said Elena with forced lightness
Matt started slightly, then turned toward her and Bonnie Elena had scarcely seen hi, and she knew that he and Stefan had drawn apart, too Because of her And though Matt could hardly be blamed forthat , either, she could tell how ’s fine," said Matt, looking uncomfortable
"When Stefan finishes with Tanner, I think I’ll send hi people in"
Matt lifted one shoulder indifferently Then he said, "Finishes ith Tanner?" Elena looked at him in surprise She could have sworn he’d been in the Druid Rooo to see it She explained
Outside, thunder ruht the night sky There was another, louder clap of thunder a few seconds later
"I hope it doesn’t rain," Bonnie said
"Yes," said Caroline, who had been standing silent while Elena spoke to Matt "It would be such apity if nobody calanced at her sharply and saw open hatred in Caroline’s narrow, catlike eyes
"Caroline," she said impulsively, "look Can’t you and I call it quits? Can’t we forget what’s happened and start over?"
Under the cobra on her forehead, Caroline’s eyes widened and then slitted again Her mouth twisted, and she stepped closer to Elena
"I willnever forget," she said, and then she turned and left
There was a silence, Bonnie and Matt looking at the floor Elena stepped over to the doorway to feel cool air on her cheeks Outside she could see the field and the tossing branches of the oak trees beyond, and once again she was overcoht’s the night, she thought wretchedly Tonight’s the night when it all happens But what "it" was, she had no idea
A voice sounded through the transforht, they’re about to let the line in frolooroans and hed and turned
"Better get ready to start herding theh," she told Bonnie quietly Bonnie nodded and disappeared into the darkness Matt had donned his olf head, and was turning on a tape deck that added eerie music to the cacophony
Stefan ca into the darkness Only his white shirtfront showed up clearly "Everything worked out with Tanner," he said "Is there anything else I can do?"
"Well, you could work here, with Matt, bringing people in" Elena’s voice trailed off Matt was bent over the tape deck,up Elena looked at Stefan and saw his face was tight and blank "Or you could go into the boys’ locker roos for the workers," she finished tiredly
"I’ll go to the locker roo in his step
"Stefan? Are you all right?"