The Struggle by L. J. Smith

That makes it doubly hard. Can we hear from the person who actually found the body? Is Bonnie here?” He looked around.
    Bonnie raised her hand slowly, then stood. “I
guess
I discovered the body,” she said. “I mean, I was the first person who knew that he was really dead, and not just faking.”
    Alaric Saltzman looked slightly startled. “Not just faking? Did he often fake being dead?” There were titters, and he flashed that boyish smile again. Elena turned and glanced at Stefan, who was frowning.
    “No—no,” said Bonnie. “You see, he was a sacrifice. At the Haunted House. So he was covered with blood anyway, only it was fake blood. And that was partly my fault, because he didn’t want to put it on, and I told him he had to do it.He was supposed to be a Bloody Corpse. But he kept saying it was too messy, and it wasn’t until Stefan came and argued with him—” She stopped. “I mean, we talked to him and he finally agreed to do it, and then the Haunted House started. And a little while later I noticed that he wasn’t sitting up and scaring the kids like he was supposed to, and I went over and asked him what was wrong. And he didn’t answer. He just—he just kept staring at the ceiling. And then I touched him and he—it was terrible. His head just sort of
flopped.”
Bonnie’s voice wavered and gave out. She gulped.
    Elena was standing up, and so were Stefan and Matt and a few other people. Elena reached over to Bonnie.
    “Bonnie, it’s okay. Bonnie, don’t; it’s okay.”
    “And blood got all over my hands. There was blood everywhere, so much blood …” She sniffed hysterically.
    “Okay, time out,” Alaric Saltzman said. “I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to distress you so much. But I think you need to work through these feelings sometime in the future. It’s clear that this has been a pretty devastating experience.”
    He stood up and paced around the center of the circle, his hands opening and shutting nervously. Bonnie was still sniffling softly.
    “I know,” he said, the boyish smile coming back full force. “I’d like to get our student- teacher relationship off to a good start, away from this whole atmosphere. How about if you all come around to my place this evening, and we can all talk informally? Maybe just get to know each other, maybe talk about what happened. You can even bring a friend if you want. How about it?”
    There was another thirty seconds or so of staring. Then someone said, “Your place?”
    “Yes … oh, I’m forgetting. Stupid of me. I’m staying at the Ramsey house, on Magnolia Avenue.” He wrote the address on the board. “The Ramseys are friends of mine, and they loaned me the house while they’re on vacation. I come from Charlottesville, and your principal called me Friday to ask me if I could take over here. I jumped at the chance. This is my first real teaching job.”
    “Oh, that explains it,” said Elena under her breath.
    “Does it?” said Stefan.
    “Anyway, what do you think? Is it a plan?” Alaric Saltzman looked around at them.
    No one had the heart to refuse. There were scattered “yeses” and “sures.”
    “Great, then it’s settled. I’ll provide the refreshments, and we’ll all get to know each other. Oh, by the way …” He opened a grade book and scanned it. “In this class, participation makes up half your final grade.” He glanced up and smiled. “You can go now.”
    “The nerve of him,” somebody muttered as Elena went out the door. Bonnie was behind her, but Alaric Saltzman’s voice called her back.
    “Would the students who shared with us please stay behind for a minute?”
    Stefan had to leave, too. “I’d better go check about football practice,” he said. “It’s probably canceled, but I’d better make sure.”
    Elena was concerned. “If it’s not canceled, do you think you’re feeling up to it?”
    “I’ll be fine,” he said evasively. But she noticed that his face still looked drawn, and he moved