The Struggle by L. J. Smith Page A

as if he were in pain. “Meet you at your locker,” he said.
    She nodded. When she got to her locker, she saw Caroline nearby talking to two other girls. Three pairs of eyes followed Elena’s every move as she put away her books, but when Elena glanced up, two of them suddenly looked away. Only Caroline remained staring at her, head slightly cocked as she whispered something to the other girls.
    Elena had had enough. Slamming her locker, she walked straight toward the group. “Hello, Becky; hello, Sheila,” she said. Then, with heavy emphasis: “Hello, Caroline.”
    Becky and Sheila mumbled “hello” and added something about having to leave. Elena didn’t even turn to watch them slink away. She kept her eyes on Caroline’s.
    “What’s going on?” she demanded.
    “Going on?” Caroline was obviously enjoying this, trying to draw it out as long as possible. “Going on with who?”
    “With you, Caroline. With everybody. Don’t pretend you’re not up to something, because I know you are. People have been avoiding me all day as if I had the plague, and you look like you just won the lottery. What have you done?”
    Caroline’s expression of innocent inquiry slipped, and she smiled a feline smile. “I told you when school started that things were going to be different this year, Elena,” she said. “I warned you your time on the throne might be running out. But it isn’t
my
doing. What’s happening is simply natural selection. The law of the jungle.”
    “And just what
is
happening?”
    “Well, let’s just say that going out with a murderer can put a cramp in your social life.”
    Elena’s chest tightened as if Caroline had hit her. For a moment, the desire to hit Caroline back was almost irresistible. Then, with the blood pounding in her ears, she said through clenched teeth, “That isn’t true. Stefan hasn’t done anything. The police questioned him, and he was cleared.”
    Caroline shrugged. Her smile now was patronizing. “Elena, I’ve known you since kindergarten,” she said, “so I’ll give you some advice for old times’ sake: drop Stefan. If you do it right now you might just avoid being a complete social leper. Otherwise you might as well buy yourself a little bell to ring in the street.”
    Rage held Elena hostage as Caroline turnedand walked away, her auburn hair moving like liquid under the lights. Then Elena found her tongue.
    “Caroline.” The other girl turned back. “Are you going to go to that party at the Ramsey house tonight?”
    “I suppose so. Why?”
    “Because I’ll be there. With Stefan. See you in the jungle.” This time Elena was the one to turn away.
    The dignity of her exit was slightly marred when she saw a slim, shadowed figure at the far end of the hallway. Her step faltered for an instant, but as she drew closer she recognized Stefan.
    She knew the smile she gave him looked forced, and he glanced back toward the lockers as they walked side by side out of the school.
    “So football practice was canceled?” she said.
    He nodded. “What was that all about?” he said quietly.
    “Nothing. I asked Caroline if she was going to the party tonight.” Elena tilted back her head to look at the gray and dismal sky.
    “And that’s what you were talking about?”
    She remembered what he had told her in his room. He could see better than a human, and hear better, too. Well enough to catch words spoken down forty feet of corridor?
    “Yes,” she said defiantly, still inspecting the clouds.
    “And that’s what made you so angry?”
    “Yes,” she said again, in the same tone.
    She could feel his eyes on her. “Elena, that’s not true.”
    “Well, if you can read my mind, you don’t need to ask me questions, do you?”
    They were facing each other now. Stefan was tense, his mouth set in a grim line. “You know I wouldn’t do that. But I thought you were the one who was so big on honesty in relationships.”
    “All right. Caroline was being her usual bitchy