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He seems so isolated, so lonely. Even though it's his own choice. He's made quite a hit on the<br />
football team, but he doesn't hang around with any of the guys, except maybe Matt. Matt's the only<br />
one he talks to. He doesn't hang around with any girls, either, that I can see, so maybe the narc<br />
rumor is doing some good. But it's more like he's avoiding other people than they're avoiding him.<br />
He disappears in between classes and after football practice, and I've never once seen him in the<br />
cafeteria. He's never invited anybody to his room at the boarding house. He never visits the coffee<br />
shop after school.<br />
So how can I ever get him someplace where he can't run from me? This is the real problem<br />
with Plan B. Bonnie says, "Why not get stuck in a thunderstorm with him, so you have to huddle<br />
together to conserve body warmth?" And Meredith suggested that my car could break down in<br />
front of the boarding house. But neither of those ideas is practical, and I'm going insane trying to<br />
come up with something better.<br />
Every day it's getting worse for me. I feel as if I were a clock or something, winding up tighter<br />
and tighter. If I don't find something to do soon, I'll –<br />
I was going to say "die."<br />
The solution came to her quite suddenly and simply.<br />
She felt sorry about Matt; she knew he'd been hurt by the Jean-Claude rumor. He'd hardly spoken to<br />
her since the story had broken, usually passing her with a quick nod. And when she ran into him one<br />
day in an empty hall outside of Creative Writing, he wouldn't meet her eyes.<br />
"Matt – " she began. She wanted to tell him that it wasn't true, that she would never have started<br />
seeing another boy without telling him first. She wanted to tell him that she'd never meant to hurt him,<br />
and that she felt terrible now. But she didn't know how to begin. Finally, she just blurted out, "I'm<br />
sorry!" and turned to go in to class.<br />
"Elena," he said, and she turned back. He was looking at her now, at least, his eyes lingering on her<br />
lips, her hair. Then he shook his head as if to say the joke was on him. "Is this French guy for real?"<br />
he finally demanded.<br />
"No," said Elena immediately and without hesitation. "I made him up," she added simply, "to show<br />
everybody I wasn't upset about – " She broke off.<br />
"About Stefan. I get it." Matt nodded, looking both grimmer and somewhat more understanding.<br />
"Look, Elena, that waspretty lousy of him. But I don't think he meant it personally. He's that way with<br />
everybody – "<br />
"Except you."<br />
"No. He talks to me, sometimes, but not about anything personal. He never says anything about his<br />
family or what he does outside of school. It's like – like there's a wall around him that I can't get<br />
through. I don't think he'll ever let anybody get through that wall. Which is a damn shame, because I<br />
think that behind it he's miserable."<br />
Elena pondered this, fascinated by a view of Stefan she'd never considered before. He always<br />
seemed so controlled, so calm and undisturbed. But then, she knew she seemed that way herself to<br />
other people. Was it possible that underneath he was as confused and unhappy as she was?<br />
It was then that the idea came, and it was ridiculously simple. No complicated schemes, no<br />
thunderstorms or cars breaking down.