World So Cold

I pulled up to the school seeing all the cars in the parking lot and lined up on the street. It was Founder’s Day. I decided to go in the back way to school. I wanted to find Stefan. It was as I was going in that I suddenly stopped short. Just exiting the building was Damon.

I stopped and backed away moving so that he couldn’t see me. It’s what he wanted, wasn’t it? A minute later Elena also exited the building. She was angry and upset as she came up to Damon. She moved until she was only a foot or so away from him, her eyes searching his face.

There was a long moment of silence and then she spoke. “Why?”

“I thought you’d be more interested in how.” He patted his jacket significantly. “I got invited in for coffee this morning after scraping up an acquaintance last week.”

“But why?”

He shrugged, and just for an instant something like concern flickered across his finely drawn features. It seemed that he himself didn’t know why—or didn’t want to admit it. “For my own purposes,” he said.

“I don’t think so. I don’t think that’s the reason at all.”

There was a dangerous glimmer in his dark eyes. “Don’t push me, Elena.”

She moved closer, so that she was almost touching him, and looked at him. “I think,” she said, “that maybe you need to be pushed.” His face was inches away from hers but before anything could or might have happened they were interrupted.

“You did manage to make it after all! I’m so glad!” It was Elena’s aunt. “And so you got to hear Elena read,” continued Aunt Judith happily as Elena took a step back. “You did a beautiful job, Elena, but I don’t know what was going on with Caroline. The girls in this town are all acting bewitched lately.”

“Nerves,” suggested Damon.

“And where is Stefan?” asked Elena.

Her aunt’s face showed disapproval. “I haven’t seen him,” she said briefly. Then she smiled fondly, “But I have an idea; why don’t you come to dinner with us, Damon? Then afterwards perhaps you and Elena could—”

“Stop it!” said Elena to Damon. I was glad she did before I said something. Damon looked politely inquiring.

“What?” said her aunt.

“Stop it!” Elena said to Damon again. “You know what. Just stop it right now!”

“Elena, you’re being rude!” said her aunt angrily. “You’re too old for this kind of behavior.”

“It’s not rudeness! You don’t understand—”

“I understand perfectly. You’re acting just the way you did when Damon came to dinner. Don’t you think a guest deserves a little more consideration?” I felt like laughing at Elena’s frustration. If I can’t make her life miserable at least Damon seemed to be doing a good job of it.

“You don’t even know what you’re talking about,” said Elena.

“Elena!” A mottled flush was creeping up her aunt’s cheeks. “I’m shocked at you! And I have to say that this childish behavior only started since you’ve been going out with that boy.”

“Oh, ‘that boy.’” Elena glared at Damon. I felt like laughing. I could see Elena’s frustration beginning to make her shake.

“Yes, that boy!” her aunt answered. “Ever since you lost your head over him you’ve been a different person. Irresponsible, secretive—and defiant! He’s been a bad influence from the start, and I won’t tolerate it anymore.”

“Oh really?” said Elena. Elena looked back and forth between her aunt and Damon. “Well, that’s too bad because you’re going to have to tolerate it. I am never going to give Stefan up, not for anyone. Certainly not for you!”

“That’s enough!” the man with her aunt snapped. He’d appeared with Elena’s younger sister, Margaret. “Young lady, if this is how that boy encourages you to speak to your aunt—”

“He’s not ‘that boy’!” Elena took another step back, so that she could face all of them. Everyone in the courtyard was looking at her. I could hear her heart pounding from where I stood. “He’s not ‘that boy.’” she said again, her voice deadly cold. “He’s Stefan and he’s all I care about. And I happen to be engaged to him.”

“Oh, don’t be ridiculous!” the guy thundered. It was the last straw.

“It this ridiculous?” she held up her hand, the ring toward them. It was a lapis lazuli stone. Katherine’s ring. I knew Stefan had kept it. “We’re going to get married!”

“You are not going to get married,” Robert began. Everyone was furious. Damon grabbed her hand and stared at the ring, then turned abruptly and strode away, every step full of barely leashed savagery.

“Elena, I absolutely forbid you—”

“You’re not my mother!” Elena cried. Tears were pooling in her eyes. “If Stefan asks, tell him I’ll be at the boarding house!” she added and then broke away through the crowd. She made her way towards the parking lot and nobody followed her.

Quietly I followed her making sure not to stop her until nobody was watching. The parking lot was full of cars but almost empty of people. “Matt! Are you leaving?” Elena asked him. She approached him and the battered Ford sedan.

“Huh? No, I’ve got to help Coach Lyman take the tables down. I was just putting this away.” He tossed a placard into the front seat. “Hey, are you okay?” he asked getting a better look at her.

“Yes—no. I will be if I can just get out of here. Look, can I take your car? Just for a little while?”

“Well…sure, but…I know, why don’t you let me drive you? I’ll go tell Coach Lyman.”

“No! I just want to be alone…Oh, please don’t ask any questions. I’ll bring it back soon, I promise. Or Stefan will. If you see Stefan, tell him I’m at the boarding house. And thanks.” She slammed the door on his protests and revved the engine.

Quickly I moved over there and got into the passenger seat. Neither Matt nor her realized I was in the seat until she had already driven out of the parking lot and down the road. Her gaze was focused on the road ahead without really seeing it.

“Elena,” I said. Her eyes quickly flew to me and she jerked the steering wheel. Quickly righting it she slammed on the breaks, stopping the car and pulling over to the side of the road. Her eyes were wide and terrified. “I’m not going to hurt you,” I said.

And slowly she unclenched her hands from the steering wheel. Still she looked nervously around. “I just want to tell you that what you did, it was very brave. To stand up to your family for the person you love…it’s something I should have done myself a long time ago. I hope you and Stefan can be happy,” I said.

In a blur of movement I got out of the car and seemingly disappeared down the road into the mist and fog on the deserted road. Now I had another task I had to take care of.