The Vampire Diaries: The Struggle Chapter Ten

The bell rang. There was no time to go seat to the cafeteria and tell beautiful and Meredith. Elena set off for her next class, past the averted faces and contrasted eyes that were becoming all too familiar these days. It was hard, in history class, non to stare at Carolean, not to let Caroline k presently she knew. Alaric asked roughly Matt and Stefan being absent for the second day in a row, and Elena shrugged, feeling exposed and on display. She didnt trust this man with the boyish smile and the filbert eyes and the thirst for k directledge ab fall out(predicate) Mr. Tanners death. And Bonnie, who simply gazed at Alaric soulfully, was no help at all.After class she caught a scrap of Sue Carsons conversation. hes on vacation from college I for bump ex arrangely whereElena had had enough of discreet silence. She spun somewhat and spoke directly to Sue and the girl Sue was talking to, bursting uninvited into their discussion.If I were you, she state to Sue, I would keep aw ay from Damon. I mean that.There was startled, embarrassed laughter. Sue was superstar of the hardly a(prenominal) people at school who hadnt shunned Elena, and now she was looking as if she wished she had.You mean, utter the other girl hesitantly, beca enjoyment hes yours, too? Or Elenas own laughter was harsh. I mean because hesdangerous , she said. And Im not joking.They moreover looked at her. Elena relieve them the further embarrassment of having to reply or to progress to tactfully groupies and headed for Merediths locker.Where are we going? I thought we were going to talk to Caroline.Not anymore, Elena said. Wait until we get home. Then Ill tell you why.I cant believe it, said Bonnie an hour later. I mean, I believe it, still I cantbelieve it. Not even of Caroline.Its Tyler, Elena said. Hes the one with the big plans. So much for men not being interested in diaries. Actually, we should thank him, said Meredith. Because of him at least we have until Founders Day to do some subject rough it.Why did you say it was supposed to be on Founders Day, Elena?Tyler has something against the Fells.But theyre all dead, said Bonnie.Well, that doesnt seem to matter to Tyler. I remember him talking about it in the graveyard, too, when we were looking at their tomb. He thinks they stole his ancestors rightful place as the townsfolks founders or something.Elena, Meredith said seriously, is in that respect anything else in the diary that could hurt Stefan? Besides the thing about the old man, I mean.Isnt that enough? With those steady, dark eyes on her, Elena felt discomfort flutter between her ribs. What was Meredith asking?Enough to get Stefan ravel out out of town equal they said, agreed Bonnie.Enough that we have to get the diary patronise from Caroline, Elena said. The only question is, how?Caroline said she had it hidden somewhere safe. That probably means her signal. Meredith chewed her lip thoughtfully. Shes got only when the one brother in eighth grade, right? And her mom doesnt realize, but she goes shopping in Roanoke a lot. Do they still have a maid?Why? said Bonnie. What difference does it make?Well, we dont want anybody walking in while were burglarizing the house.While werewhat ? Bonnies voice come up to a squeak. You cant be seriousWhat are we supposed to do, just sit back and wait until Founders Day, and let her read Elenas diary in bird-scarer of the town?She stole it from your house. Weve just got to steal it back, Meredith said, maddeningly sedate.Well get caught. Well get expelled from school if we dont end up going to jail. Bonnie saturnine to Elena in appeal. Tell her, Elena.Besides, it seemed such a aviolation , to go into someones house when they were not there, to search their possessions. She would hate it if someone did that to her.But, of course, someone had. Caroline had violated Bonnies house, and right now had Elenas most private possession in her hands.Lets do it, Elena said quietly. But lets b e careful.Cant we talk about this? said Bonnie weakly, looking from Merediths determined face to Elenas.Theres zippo to talk about. Youre coming, Meredith told her. You promised, she added, as Bonnie took a breath to object afresh. And she held up her index finger.The blood oath was only to help Elenaget Stefan Bonnie cried.Think again, said Meredith. You swore you would do whatever Elena asked in relation to Stefan.There wasnt anything about a time limit or about only until Elena gets him. Bonnies mouth dropped open. She looked at Elena, who was almost laughing in bitterness of herself. Its true, Elena said solemnly. And you said it yourself Swearing with blood means you have to stick to your oath no matter what happens. Bonnie shut her mouth and thrust her bring up out. Right, she said grimly. Now Im stuck for the rest of my life doing whatever Elena wants me to do about Stefan. Wonderful.This is the net thing Ill ever ask, Elena said. And I promise that. I swear Dont said Me redith, suddenly serious. Dont, Elena. You might be sorry later.Now youre taking up prophecy, too? Elena said. And then she asked, So how are we going to get hold of Carolines house key for an hour or so?November9,SaturdayDear Diary,Im sorry its been so long. Lately Ive been too busy or too depressed or both to write you.Besides, with everything thats happened Im almost afraid to keep a diary at all anymore. But I need someone to turn to, because right now theres not a single human being, not a single person on earth, that Im not keeping something from.Bonnie and Meredith cant know the truth about Stefan. Stefan cant know the truth about Damon. Aunt Judith cant know about anything. Bonnie and Meredith know about Caroline and the diary Stefan doesnt.Stefan knows about the vervain I use every day now, Bonnie and Meredith dont. Even My life is full of lies right now, and I need someoneto be completely honest with. Im going to hide this diary under the loose floorboard in the closet, so that no one will find it even if I drop dead and they clean out my room. Maybe one of Margarets grandchildren will be playing in there someday, and will pry up the board and pull it out, but until then, nobody. This diary is my last secret.I dont know why Im thinking about death and dying. Thats Bonnies craze shes the one who thinks it would be so romantic. I know what its really like there was nothing romantic about it when Mom and Dad died. Just the worst feelings in the world. I want to live for a good long time, hook up with Stefan, and be happy. And theres no reason why I cant, once all these problems are behind us.Except that there are times when I get scared and I dont believe that. And there are little things that shouldnt matter, but they bother me. Like why Stefan still wears Catherines ring around his neck, even though I know he loves me. Like why hes neer said he loves me, even though I know its true.It doesnt matter. Everything will work out. It has to work out. An d then well be together and be happy. Theres no reason why we cant. Theres no reason why we cant. Theres no reason.Elena stopped writing, trying to keep the letter on the page in focus. But they only blurred further, and she shut the book before a betraying teardrop could fall on the ink. Then she went oer to the closet, pried up the loose board with a nail file, and typeset the diary there. She had the nail file in her pocket a week later as the three of them, she and Bonnie and Meredith, stood outside Carolines back door.Hurry up, hissed Bonnie in agony, looking around the yard as if she expected something to jump out at them. Come on, MeredithThere, said Meredith, as the key finally went the right way into the dead bolt lock and the doorknob yielded to her turning fingers. Were in.Are you suretheyre not in? Elena, what if they come back early? Why couldnt we do this in the daytime, at least?Bonnie, will you getinside ? Weve been through all this. The maids always here in the day time. And they wont be back early tonight unless somebody gets sick at Chez Louis. Now, come on said Elena.Nobody would dare to get sick at Mr. Forbess natal day dinner, Meredith said comfortingly to Bonnie as the smaller girl stepped in. Were safe.If theyve got enough money to go to expensive restaurants, youd think they could afford to leave a few lights on, said Bonnie, refusing to be comforted.Privately, Elena agreed with this. It was strange and disconcerting to be wandering through someone elses house in the dark, and her heart pounded chokingly as they went up the stairs. Her palm, clutching Its got to be in her bedroom, she said.Carolines window faced the street, which meant they had to be even more careful not to show a light there. Elena swung the tiny beam of the flashlight around with a feeling of dismay. It was one thing to plan to search someones room, to picture efficiently and methodically going through drawers. It was another thing really to be standing here, surro unded by what seemed like thousands of places to hide something, and feeling afraid to touch anything in case Caroline noticed it had been disturbed.The other two girls were in any case standing still.Maybe we should just go home, Bonnie said quietly. And Meredith did not contradict her.We have to try. At least try, said Elena, hearing how tinny and hollow out her voice sounded. She eased open a drawer on the highboy and shone the light onto dainty piles of lacy underwear. A significations poking through them assure her there was nothing like a book there. She straightened the piles and shut the drawer again. Then she let out her breath.Its not that hard, she said. What we need to do is ramify up the room and then searcheverything in our section, every drawer, every piece of furniture, every object big enough to hide a diary in.She appoint herself the closet, and the first thing she did was prod at the floorboards with her nail file. But Carolines boards all seemed to be secur e and the walls of the closet sounded solid. Rummaging through Carolines clothes she found several things shed add the other girl last year. She was tempted to take them back, but of course she couldnt. A search of Carolines shoes and purses revealed nothing, even when she dragged a chair oer so that she could analyse the top shelf of the closet thoroughly.Meredith was sitting on the floor examining a pile of stuffed animals that had been relegated to a chest with other childish mementos. She ran her long sensitive fingers over each, checking for slits in the material. When she reached a fluffy poodle, she paused.I gave this to her, she whispered. I think for her tenth birthday. I thought shed thrown it away.Elena couldnt see her eyes Merediths own flashlight was turned on the poodle. But she knew how Meredith was feeling.I tried to make up with her, she said softly. I did, Meredith, at the Haunted House. But she as good as told me she would never forgive me for taking Stefan from her. I wish things could be different, but she wont let them be.So now its war.So now its war, said Elena, flat and final. She watched as Meredith put the poodle aside and picked up the next animal. Then she turned back to her own search.But she had no better luck with the dresser than she had with the closet. And with every moment that passed she felt more uneasy, more certain that they were about to hear a car pulling into the Forbes driveway.Ive got it. Elena, its a diary Relief swooped through Elena then, and she felt like a crumpled piece of paper being straightened and smoothed. She could move again. Breathing was wonderful. Shed known, shed known all along that nothingreally terrible could happen to Stefan. Life couldnt be that cruel, not to Elena Gilbert. They were all safe now.But Merediths voice was puzzled. Its a diary. But its car park, not blue. Its the wrong one.What? Elena snatched the little book, shining her light on it, trying to make the emerald green of the cov er change into sapphire blue. It didnt work. This diary was almost exactly like hers, but it wasnt hers. Its Carolines, she said stupidly, still not wanting to believe it.Bonnie and Meredith displace close. They all looked at the closed book, and then at one another.There might be clues, said Elena slowly.Its only fair, agreed Meredith. But it was Bonnie who actually took the diary and opened it.Elena peered over her shoulder at Carolines spiky back-slanted writing, so different from the block letters of the purple notes. At first her eyes wouldnt focus, but then a name leapt out at her.Elena. Wait, whats that?Bonnie, who was the only one actually in a position to read more than one or two words, was silent a moment, her lips moving. Then she snorted.Listen to this, she said, and read Elenas the most selfish person Ive ever known. Everyone thinks shes so together, but its really just coldness. Its skanky the way people suck up to her, never realizing that she doesnt give a damn a bout anyone or anything except Elena. Carolinesays that? She should talk But Elena could feel hotness in her face. It was, practically, what Matt had said about her when she was after Stefan.Go on, theres more, said Meredith, poking at Bonnie, who continued in an offended voice. Bonnies almost as bounteous these days, always trying to make herself important. The newest thing is pretending shes psychic so people will pay attention to her. If she wasreally psychic shed figure out that Elena is just using her.There was a heavy pause, and then Elena said, Is that all? No, theres a bit about Meredith. Meredith doesnt do anything to stop it. In fact, Meredith doesntdo anything she just watches. Its as if she cant act she can onlyreact to things. Besides, Ive heard my parents talking about her family no wonder she never mentions them. Whats that supposed to mean?Try around October eighteenth. That was when it was stolen, said Elena, putting her questions aside. Shed ask Meredith about it later.There was no entry for October eighteenth or the weekend after in fact, there were only a few entries for the following weeks. None of them mentioned the diary.Well, thats it then, said Meredith, sitting back. This book is useless. Unless we want to blackmailher with it. You know, like we wont show hers if she wont show yours.It was a tempting idea, but Bonnie spotted the flaw. Theres nothing bad about Caroline in here its all just complaints about other people. Mostly us. Ill bet Caroline wouldlove to have it read out loud in front of the whole school. Itd make her day.So what do we do with it?Put it back, said Elena tiredly. She swung her light around the room, which seemed to her eyes to be filled with subtle differences from when theyd come in. Well just have to keep on pretending we dont know she has my diary, and hope for another chance.All right, said Bonnie, but she went on thumbing through the little book, occasionally freehanded vent to an indignant snort or hiss. Will you listen to this she exclaimed.There isnt time, Elena said. She would have said something else, but at that moment Meredith spoke, her tone commanding everyones speedy attention.A car.It took only a second to ascertain that the vehicle was pulling up into the Forbes driveway. Bonnies eyes and mouth were wide and round and she seemed to be paralyzed, kneeling by the bed.Go Go on, said Elena, snatching the di-ary from her. Turn the flashlights off and get out the back door.They were already moving, Meredith urging Bonnie forward. Elena dropped to her knees and lifted the bedspread, pulling up at Carolines mattress. With her other hand she pushed the diary forward, wedging it between the mattress and the dust ruffle. The thinly covered box springs bit into her arm from below, but even worse was the weight of the queen-sized mattress bearing down from above. She gave the book a few more nudges with her fingertips and then pulled her arm out, tugging the bedspread back in place. She gave one wild glance back at the room as she left there was no time to fix anything more now. As she moved swiftly and silently toward the stairs, she heard a key in the front door.What followed was a sort of dreadful game of tag. Elena knew they were not deliberately chasing her, but the Forbes family seemed determined to corner her in their house. She turned back the way she had come as voices and lights materialized in the hall as they headed up the stairs. She fled from them into the last doorway down the hall, and they seemed to follow. They moved across the landing they were right outside the master bedroom. She turned toward the adjoining bathroom, but then saw lights spring to life She was trapped. At any moment Carolines parents might come in. She saw the french windows leading to a balcony and made her decision in that same instant.Outside, the air was cool, and her panting breath showed faintly. Yellow light burst forth from the room beside her, and she huddle toget her even farther to the left, keeping out of its path. Then, the sound she had been dreading came with terrible clarity the snick of a door handle, followed by a billowing of curtains inward as the french windows opened.She looked around frantically. It was too far to jump to the ground, and there was nothing to grab hold of to climb down. That left only the roof, but there was nothing to climb up, either. Still, some instinct made her try, and she was on the balcony railing and groping for a handhold above even as a shadow appeared on the sheer curtains. A hand parted them, a figure began to emerge, and then Elena felt something clasping her own hand, locking on her wrist and hauling her upwards. Automatically, she boosted with her feet and felt herself scrambling onto the shingled roof. Trying to calm her ragged breath, she looked over gratefully to see who her rescuer was and froze.