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Chapter Seven<br />
Bonnie was on the dance floor, eyes shut, letting the music flow through her. When she opened her<br />
eyes for an instant, Meredith was beckoning from the sidelines. Bonnie thrust her chin out mutinously,<br />
but as the gestures became more insistent she rolled her eyes up at Raymond and obeyed. Raymond<br />
followed.<br />
Matt and Ed were behind Meredith. Matt was scowling. Ed was looking uncomfortable.<br />
"Elena just left," said Meredith.<br />
"It's a free country," said Bonnie.<br />
"She went with Tyler Smallwood," said Meredith. "Matt, are you sure you didn't hear where they<br />
were going?"<br />
Matt shook his head. "I'd say she deserves whatever happens – but it's my fault, too, in a way," he<br />
said bleakly. "I guess we ought to go after her."<br />
"Leave the dance?" Bonnie said. She looked at Meredith, who mouthed the words you promised. "I<br />
don't believe this," she muttered savagely.<br />
"I don't know how we'll find her," said Meredith, "but we've got to try." Then she added, in a<br />
strangely hesitant voice, "Bonnie, you don't happen to know where she is, do you?"<br />
"What? No, of course not; I've been dancing. You've heard of that, haven't you: what you go to a<br />
dance for?"<br />
"You and Ray stay here," Matt said to Ed. "If she comes back, tell her we're out looking."<br />
"And if we're going, we'd better go now," Bonnie put in ungraciously. She turned and promptly ran<br />
into a dark blazer.<br />
"Well, excuse me," she snapped, looking up and seeing Stefan Salvatore. He said nothing as she and<br />
Meredith and Matt headed for the door, leaving an unhappy-looking Raymond and Ed behind.<br />
The stars were distant and ice-bright in the cloudless sky. Elena felt just like them. Part of her was<br />
laughing and shouting with Dick and Vickie and Tyler over the roar of the wind, but part of her was<br />
watching from far away.<br />
Tyler parked halfway up the hill to the ruined church, leaving his headlights on as they all got out.<br />
Although there had been several cars behind them when they left the school, they appeared to be the<br />
only ones who'd made it all the way to the cemetery.<br />
Tyler opened the trunk and pulled out a six-pack. "All the more for us." He offered a beer to Elena,<br />
who shook her head, trying to ignore the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. She felt all wrong<br />
being here – but there was no way she was going to admit that now.<br />
They climbed the flagstone path, the girls staggering in their high heels and leaning on the boys.<br />
When they reached the top, Elena gasped and Vickie gave a little scream.<br />
Something huge and red was hovering just above the horizon. It took Elena a moment to realize it<br />
was actually the moon. It was as large and unrealistic as a prop in a science-fiction movie, and its<br />
bloated mass glowed dully with an unwholesome light.<br />
"Like a big rotten pumpkin," said Tyler, and lobbed a stone at it. Elena made herself smile<br />
brilliantly up at him.