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said it to herself again.
"Tonight anyone you want will be yours," Bonnie was saying soothingly. "And, listen, when you get
rid of Matt, can I take him off and comfort him?"
Meredith snorted. "What's Raymond going to think?"
"Oh, you can comfort him. But, really, Elena, I like Matt. And once you home in on Stefan, your
threesome is going to get a little crowded. So…"
"Oh, do whatever you want. Matt deserves some consideration." He's certainly not getting it from
me, Elena thought. She still couldn't exactly believe what she was doing to him. But just now she
couldn't afford to second-guess herself; she needed all her strength and concentration.
"There." Meredith put the last pin in Elena's hair. "Now look at us, the Homecoming Queen and her
court – or part of it, anyway. We're beautiful."
"Is that the royal 'we'?" Elena said mockingly, but it was true. They were beautiful. Meredith's dress
was a pure sweep of burgundy satin, gathered tight at the waist and pouring into folds from the hips.
Her dark hair hung loose down her back. And Bonnie, as she stood up and joined the others in front of
the mirror, was like a shimmering party favor in pink taffeta and black sequins.
As for herself… Elena scanned her image with an experienced eye and thought again, The dress is
all right. The only other phrase that came to mind was crystallized violets. Her grandmother had kept
a little jar of them, real flowers dipped in crystallized sugar and frozen.
They went downstairs together, as they had for every dance since the seventh grade – except that
before, Caroline had always been with them. Elena realized with faint surprise that she didn't even
know who Caroline was going with tonight.
Aunt Judith and Robert – soon to be Uncle Robert – were in the living room, along with Margaret in
her pajamas.
"Oh, you girls all look lovely," said Aunt Judith, as fluttery and excited as if she were going to the
dance herself. She kissed Elena, and Margaret held up her arms for a hug.
"You're pretty," she said with four-year-old simplicity.
Robert was looking at Elena, too. He blinked, opened his mouth, and closed it again.
"What's the matter, Bob?"
"On." He looked at Aunt Judith, seeming embarrassed. "Well, actually, it just occurred to me that
Elena is a form of the name Helen. And for some reason I was thinking of Helen of Troy."
"Beautiful and doomed," said Bonnie happily.
"Well, yes," said Robert, not looking happy at all. Elena said nothing.
The doorbell rang. Matt was on the step, in his familiar blue sports coat. With him were Ed Goff,
Meredith's date, and Raymond Hernandez, Bonnie's. Elena looked for Stefan.
"He's probably already there," said Matt, interpreting her glance. "Listen, Elena – "
But whatever he had been about to say was cut off in the chatter from the other couples. Bonnie and
Raymond went with them in Matt's car, and kept up a constant stream of witticisms all the way to the
school.
Music drifted out the open doors of the auditorium. As Elena stepped out of the car, a curious
certainty rushed over her. Something was going to happen, she realized, looking at the square bulk of
the school building. The peaceful low gear of the last few weeks was about to slip into high.
I'm ready, she thought. And hoped it was true.
Inside, it was a kaleidoscope of color and activity. She and Matt were mobbed the instant they came