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"Trust Bonnie to e," Elena said She careful y drew the nail-polish brush over Meredith’s toenail, painting it a tannish pink

They’d spent the evening at freshman orientation with the rest of their dormmates, and now al they wanted to do was relax "Are you sure this is the color it’s supposed to be?" Elena asked Meredith "It doesn’t look like a summer sunset toher toes

"Careful! I don’t want polish on my new bedspread," Elena warned

"Zander is just gorgeous," Bonnie said, stretching out luxuriously on her own bed on the other side of the room

"Wait til you meet him"

Meredith s?

When you’ve justbetween you, but you’re not quite sure what’s going to happen?" She gave an exaggerated sigh, rol ing her eyes up in a et a thril just seeing hiht, but there was so lonely in her face

Elena was sure that, as co Alaric

"Sure," Bonnie said aet to the next stage for once I want to have a relationship where we know each other real y Well, a serious boyfriend instead of just a crush Like you guys have That’s even better, isn’t it?"

"I think so," said Meredith "But you shouldn’t try to hurry through the we-just-ot a liht, Elena?" Elena dabbed a cotton bal around the edges of Meredith’s polished toenails and thought about when she had first met Stefan With al that had happened since then, it was hard to believe it was only a year ago

What she remembered most was her own deterotten in her way, she had knoith a clear, firm purpose that he would be hers And then, in those early days, once he was hers, it was glorious It felt as if thepiece of herself had slotted into place

"Right," she said final y, answering Meredith "Afterward, things get more complicated"

At first, Stefan had been a prize that Elena wanted to win: sophisticated and mysterious He was a prize Caroline wanted, too, and Elena would never let Caroline beat her

But then Stefan had let Elena see the pain and passion, the integrity and nobility, he held inside hiotten the competition and loved Stefan with her whole heart

And now? She stil loved Stefan with everything she had, and he loved her But she loved Da, erous Damon - better than she did Stefan Damon was like her in so what he wanted She and Daht, on soood, too honorable to understand How could you love two people at the same time?

"Co sure if so to wait by the phone to see if you have a date for Saturday night or not? I’m ready for coe-educated women meet their future husbands on campus?"

"Youher way toward her own bed, careful not to sed "Okay, e, anyway Didn’t your parents ht here, Elena?"

"They did," Elena said "I think they had a class together sophomore year"

"How roet married, you have to meet your future spouse somewhere," Meredith said "And there are a lot of possible future spouses at col ege" She frowned at the silky cover on her bed "Do you think I can dry my nails faster if I use the hair dryer, or wil it o to sleep"

She examined the hair dryer as if it were the focal point of so her upside down, her head tipped back off the end of the bed and her red curls brushing the floor, tapping her feet energetical y against the walElena felt a great sWellof love for both of them She reh school, back before their lives had gottencoether," she said "I hope the whole year is going to be just like this" That hen they first heard the sirens

Meredith peered through the blinds, col ecting facts, trying to analyze as going on outside Pruitt House An ambulance and several police cars were parked across the street, their lights silently blinking red and blue Floodlights lit the quad a ghastly white, and it was crawling with police officers

"I think we should go out there," she said

"Are you kidding me?" Bonnie asked from behind her

"Why would ant to do that? I’, hands on hips, brown eyes indignant She was indeed wearing cute ice-cream-cone-printed pajamas

"Well, quick, put on some jeans," Meredith said

"But why?" asked Bonnie plaintively

Meredith’s eyes met Elena’s across the room, and they nodded briskly to each other

"Bonnie," Elena said patiently, "we have a responsibility to check out everything that’s going on around here We e students, but we know the truth about the world - the truth other people don’t realize, about vampires and olves andon out there isn’t part of that truth If it’s a human proble else, it’s our responsibility"

"Honestly," gru for her clothes, "you two have a - a saving-people co to diagnose you"

"And then we’l be sorry," Meredith said agreeably