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Chapter Six<br />
September 26<br />
Dear Diary,<br />
I'm sorry it's been so long, and I can't really explain why I haven't written – except that there are<br />
so many things I feel frightened to talk about, even to you.<br />
First, the most terrible thing happened. The day that Bonnie and Meredith and I were at the<br />
cemetery, an old man was attacked there, and almost killed. The police still haven't found the<br />
person who did it. People think the old man was crazy, because when he woke up he started raving<br />
about "eyes in the dark" and oak trees and things. But I remember what happened t us that night,<br />
and I wonder. It scares me.<br />
Everyone was scared for a while, and all the kids had to stay inside after dark or go out in<br />
groups. But it's been about three weeks now, and no more attacks, so the excitement is dying down.<br />
Aunt Judith says it must have been another vagrant that did it. Tyler Smallwood's father even<br />
suggested that the old man might have done it to himself – though I would like to see somebody<br />
bite himself in the throat.<br />
But mostly what I've been busy with is Plan B. As far as it goes, it's been going well. I've gotten<br />
several letters and a bouquet of red roses from "Jean-Claude" (Meredith's uncle is a florist), and<br />
everybody seems to have forgotten that I was ever interested in Stefan. So my social position's<br />
secure. Even Caroline hasn't been making any trouble.<br />
In fact, I don't know what Caroline is doing these days, and I don't care. I never see her at lunch<br />
or after school anymore; she seems to have drawn away from her old crowd completely.<br />
There's only one thing I do care about right now. Stefan.<br />
Even Bonnie and Meredith don't realize how important he is to me. I'm afraid to tell them; I'm<br />
afraid they'll think I'm crazy. At school I wear a mask of calm and control, but on the inside – well,<br />
every day it just gets worse.<br />
Aunt Judith has started to worry about me. She says I don't eat enough these days, and she's<br />
right. I can't seem to concentrate on my classes, or even on anything fun like the Haunted House<br />
fund-raiser. I can't concentrate on anything but him. And I don't even understand why.<br />
He hasn't spoken to me since that horrible afternoon. But I'll tell you something strange. Last<br />
week in history class, I glanced up and caught him looking at me. We were sitting a few seats<br />
apart, and he was turned completely sideways in his desk, just looking. For a moment I felt almost<br />
frightened, and my heart started pounding, and we just stared at each other – and then he looked<br />
away. But since then it's happened twice more, and each time I felt his eyes on me before I saw<br />
them. This is the literal truth. I know it's not my imagination.<br />
He isn't like any boy I've ever known.