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Stefan stood on the free-throw line of the empty basketbal court, mechanical y dribbling and throwing the bal through the net. He felt empty inside, an automaton making perfect identical shots.

He didn't real y love basketbal . For him, it lacked both the satisfying contact of footbal and the mathematical precision of pool. But it was something to do. He'd been up al night and al morning, and he couldn't stand the endless pacing of his own feet around the campus, or the sight of the four wal s of his room.

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What was he going to do now? There didn't seem to be much point to going to school without Elena beside him. He tried to block out his memories of the centuries of wandering the world alone, without her, without Damon, that preceded his coming to Fel 's Church. He was shutting down his emotions as hard as he could, forcing himself numb, but he couldn't help dimly wondering if centuries of loneliness were in store for him again.

"Quite a talent you got there," a shadow said, stepping away from the bleachers. "We should have recruited you for the basketbal team, too."

"Matt," Stefan acknowledged, making another basket, then tossing the bal to him.

Matt lined up careful y to the basket and shot, and it circled the rim before dropping through.

Stefan waited while Matt ran to get the bal , then turned to him. "Were you looking for me?" he asked, careful y not asking if Elena had sent him.

Looking surprised, Matt shook his head. "Nah. I like to shoot baskets when I've got some thinking to do. You know."

"What's going on?" Stefan asked.

Matt rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed. "There was this girl who I kind of liked, who I've been thinking about for a while, wanting to ask out. And, uh, it turns out she already has a boyfriend."

"Oh." After a few minutes, Stefan realized he ought to respond with something more. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"Yeah." Matt sighed. "She's real y special. I thought - I don't know, it would be nice to have something like what you and Elena have. Someone to love."

Stefan winced. It felt like Matt had twisted a knife in his gut. He flung the bal at the basket, not aiming this time, and it bounced back at them hard off the backboard. Matt jumped to catch it, then moved toward him, holding out a hand. "Hey, hey, Stefan. Take it easy. What is it?"

"Elena and I aren't seeing each other anymore," Stefan said flatly, trying to ignore the stab of pain from saying the words. "She - I saw her kissing Damon."

Matt looked at Stefan silently for what felt like a long time, his pale blue eyes steady and compassionate. Stefan was struck sharply by the memory that Matt had loved Elena, too, and that they had been together before Stefan came into the picture.

"Look," Matt said final y. "You can't control Elena. If there's one thing I know about her - and I've known her for our whole lives - it's that she's always going to do what she wants to do, no matter what gets in her way. You can't stop her." Stefan began to nod, hot tears burning behind his eyes. "But," Matt added, "I also know that, in the end, you're the one for her. She's never felt the way she does about you for anyone else. And, y'know, I'm starting to discover that there are other girls out there, but I don't think you're going to. Whatever's going on with Damon, Elena wil come back to you. And you'd be an idiot not to let her, because she's the only one for you."

Stefan rubbed the bridge of his nose. He felt breakable, like his bones were made of glass. "I don't know, Matt," he said tiredly.

Matt grinned sympathetical y. "Yeah, but I do." He tossed Stefan the bal and Stefan caught it automatical y.

"Want to play Horse?"

He was tired and heartsick, but, as he dribbled the bal , thinking that he'd have to take it a tiny bit easy to give Matt a chance, Stefan felt a stirring of hope. Maybe Matt was right.

"Are you crazy?" Bonnie shouted. She had always thought that "seeing red" was just a metaphor, but she was so angry that she actual y was seeing the faintest scarlet touch on everything, as if the whole room had been dipped in blood-tinged water.

Meredith and Elena exchanged glances. "We're not saying there is anything wrong with Zander," Meredith said gently. "It's just that we want you to be careful."

"Careful?" Bonnie gave a mean, bitter little laugh and shoved past them to grab a duffel bag out of her closet.

"You're just jealous," she said without looking at them. She unzipped the bag and started to dump in some clothes.

"Jealous of what, Bonnie?" Elena asked. "I don't want Zander."

"Jealous because I'm final y the one who has a boyfriend," Bonnie retorted. "Alaric is back in Fel 's Church, and you broke up with both your boyfriends, and you don't like seeing me happy when you're miserable." Elena shut her mouth tightly, white spots showing on her cheekbones, and turned away. Eyeing Bonnie careful y, Meredith said, "I told you what I saw, Bonnie. It's nothing definite, but I'm afraid that the person who attacked that girl might have been Zander. Can you tel me where he was after you two left the party last night?" Focusing on stuffing her favorite jeans into what was already starting to seem like an overcrowded bag, Bonnie didn't answer. She could feel an annoying tel tale flush spreading up her neck and over her face. Fine, this was probably enough clothes. She could grab her toothbrush and moisturizer from the bathroom on her way down the hal .

Meredith came toward her, hands open and outstretched placatingly. "Bonnie," she said gently, "we do want you to be happy. We real y do. But we want you to be safe, too, and we're worried that Zander might not be everything you think he is. Maybe you could stay away from him, just for a little while? While we check things out?" Bonnie zipped up her bag, threw it over her shoulder, and headed for the door, brushing past Meredith without a glance. She was planning to just walk out but, at the last minute, wheeled around in the doorway to face them again, unable to bite back what she was thinking.

"What's kil ing me here," she said, "is what hypocrites you two are. Don't you remember when Mr. Tanner was murdered? Or the tramp who was almost kil ed under Wickery Bridge?" She was actual y shaking with fury.

"Everyone in the whole town thought Stefan was responsible. Al the evidence pointed at him. But Meredith and I didn't think so, because Elena told us she knew Stefan couldn't have done it, that he wouldn't have done it.

And we believed you, even though you didn't have any proof to give us," she said, staring at Elena, who dropped her eyes to the floor. "I would have thought you could trust me the same way." She looked back and forth between them. "The fact that you're suspecting Zander even though I'm standing here, tel ing you he would never hurt anybody, makes it clear that you don't respect me," she said coldly.

"Maybe you never did."

Bonnie stomped out of the room, hitching the strap of the duffel bag higher on her shoulder.

"Bonnie" she heard behind her and turned to look back one more time. Meredith and Elena were both reaching after her, identical expressions of frustration on their faces.

"I'm going to Zander's," Bonnie told them curtly. That would show them what she thought about their suspicions of him.

She slammed the door behind her. pqdm.com