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"What’s taking so long?" Bonnie asked, bouncing on the bal s of her feet "Stop being so hyper," Meredith said absently, craning her neck to see over the crowd outside McAl ister There was some kind of bottleneck by the entrance to the dor everyone down She shivered in her thin top; it was starting to get cold at night
"Security’s at the door," Bonnie said as they got closer to the entrance "Are they carding people to get in?" Her voice was shril with outrage
"They’re just checking that you have a student ID," someone in the crowd told her, "to make sure you’re not a crazed kil er from off campus"
"Yeah," his friend said "Only on-cahed nervously Bonnie fel silent, biting her lip, and Meredith shivered again, this ti to do with the cold
When they final y got to the front of the line, the security guards glanced quickly at their IDs and waved the, but no one real y seeroups, talking in undertones and glancing around nervously The presence of the security guards had re unseen on campus Anyone could be responsible, even someone in the rooht about that, Meredith’s view of the roo from innocent to sinister That curly-headed frat boy in the corner - was he eyeing his pretty co ers twisted viciously, and Meredith took a deep breath, calain
Sa toward her, a red plastic cup in her hand "Here," she said, handing Meredith a soda
"Everyone’s on edge tonight, it’s creepy We’d better stay alert and not drink," she said, already on the sath as Meredith
Bonnie squeezed Meredith’s arm in fareWelland took off into the crowd to look for Zander Meredith sipped her drink and warily eyed the strangers surrounding her
Despite the generalover the party, some people were so wrapped up in each other that they were ood time anyway She watched a couple kiss, as ful y focused on each other as if there was no one else in the world whoabout the attacks and disappearances on ca of envy Shethat stayed with her, even when she wasn’t consciously thinking about hiht here at this party," Samantha said unhappily "Shouldn’t we be able to sense so?
How can we protect anyone if we don’t knoe’re up against?"
"I know," said Meredith The crowd parted, and she saw a face she hadn’t expected: Stefan, leaning against the far walHis eyes lit up when he saw her, and he glanced past her with a hopeful half suy No ht about Elena’s decision to take a break - and, for the record, Meredith thought that Elena was doing the right thing; her entanglement with both Salvatore brothersfor trouble - she couldn’t help pitying hi the sa of loneliness and desire as Meredith did when she thought of Alaric It must be worse for him, because Elena was so close and because she chose to separate herself froainst his wishes
"Excuse me for a second," she said to Sareeted her politely and asked about her classes and her hunter training, although she could tel that he was burning to talk about Elena He had such good manners, always
"She’s not here yet, but she’s definitely co one of his pleasantries "She had sorateful relief, and then he frowned
"Elena’s co here alone?" he asked "After al the attacks?"
"No," Meredith reassured hiht of this, and she didn’t think she should tel him Elena ith Da and was glad that her answer seemed to satisfy hiri Damon to the party
Matt spotted Chloe froh playing around, enough exchanging glances and gentle, platonic hugs and hand squeezes He wanted to know if she felt the sa between the to sonized froht frohed, the way she listened to what the guy was saying, attentive and involved, her face focused