SHE'S SPECIAL | 6

STEFAN

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LAST NIGHT I tried to comfort Elena but I'm not the best at that sort of stuff. I knew I wasn't the best at it but I still followed her into the woods. She probably thinks I'm some creep now. After we left the woods I came straight back to the cabin. It's only been two days and I like her. Maybe avoiding her or getting with someone else will do the trick? I don't know what to do, I just need to try and stop feeling like this.

I turned around to see if Elena was awake yet. I was asleep when she got back so I don't know how late she went to bed. She was still asleep. I looked at my phone to check the time and decided it was time to get up. I got the clothes I was going to wear today and grabbed my towel to have a shower.

"Elena." I walked over to her bed. I shook her softly.

"What?" she groaned.

"It's time to get up." Yesterday I didn't wake her up and she had implied for me to wake her up next time. So here I am. She sat up.

"What time is it?"

"Quarter past seven, we have forty-five minutes till breakfast." Breakfast was at eight in the morning so that everyone could be finished by eight-thirty and ready for their first activity of the day by nine. Today our group was kayaking which was a full-day thing. We were set to travel to a small island in the middle of the lake to kayak and have lunch there. It seemed like fun. I love kayaking.

"Okay, I'm up." Elena yawned.

Even her yawns were cute. I gotta get out of here. I have to leave.

"You're not waiting for me?" I stopped at the door.

"Oh. sure, I'll wait." I turned and waited for her at the door. Well, that plan failed.

"Thanks for waking me up." She smiled.

"No worries." I smiled back. I could watch her smile all day.

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ELENA

I WAS going to ask Stefan to join us for breakfast but I didn't know how the others would feel about it. I don't know why but I liked being around him. I got along with him so easily—as though we were old friends, even though we met just a few days ago.

Matt didn't sit with us at breakfast. I had asked Klaus how he was going but he said he had barely seen him as well. We were now getting ready to go kayaking, which I was not too keen about. I'm not the best at balancing in the water.

"You'll be fine Elena." Bonnie said seeing how nervous I was.

"I'm likely going to fall out."

"I hope you do," Stefan said coming to stand with us.

"If I fall out I'm taking you with me," I said playfully.

"You can certainly try," he smirked.

"Well, no one is pushing me in." Bonnie said.

"We'll see." Everyone got in their kayaks and started to head offshore. I was a bit shaky at first but I started to get the hang of it. Stefan was paddling beside me and Bonnie was up ahead trying to catch up to some boy.

"Thank you for last night." I said to Stefan. "You did cheer me up." Stefan smiled.

"Bonnie seems to be having some luck over there." I looked back to Bonnie. The boy she was talking to was smiling and laughing.

I chuckled. "Of course, she is." Bonnie was someone who seemed to be able to pick up almost any boy when she tried.

"Race you." I started paddling faster.

"You got a head start, that's cheating." He chuckled. It wasn't long before he passed me. Of course, he is good at this as well. The only thing I knew he wasn't the best at was comforting someone and yet he still managed to make me feel better.

After a couple of hours, we made it to the island we were meant to have lunch. It was a small spot of land with a few trees that give you some shade.

I tried to steady the kayak as I stood up, but as I went to step out, I fell. I closed my eyes bracing myself for the impact of the cold water. But I never felt it. Someone had grabbed me before I hit the water. I looked up to see who had caught me. It was Stefan.

"You always seem to be at the right place at the right time lately." He smiled, helping me to my feet.

"I won."

"Won what?" I asked.

"The race," he smirked and walked off. Bonnie came over to me.

"You two seem to be close."

"Yeah, we're getting along really well." I smiled. "He's nice. You should give him a chance."

"I don't know." Bonnie said.

"Please."

"Fine." Bonnie agreed reluctantly, as we walked to where they were handing out lunch.

"Good, because I'm going to ask him to come to sit with us." I started towards Stefan.

"Wait that's not what I meant." Bonnie shouted to me but I ignored her.

"Stefan you're sitting with us," I stated. I wasn't asking.

"I'm fine, but thank you."

"You have to. I'm trying to prove something to Bonnie."

"Prove what?" He seemed confused.

"I'll tell you later. Come on." We got our lunches and went and sat where Bonnie was.

Lunch lasted for about an hour, and at first, it was rather awkward, but after a while, it got better. I could tell Bonnie was warming up to Stefan, although not as much as me.

I got back from dinner and Stefan was already in the cabin. "So what did you have to prove to Bonnie?" He asked, sitting up in his bed.

"Just that you're not like what we thought you were." That didn't sound right.

"What did you think I was like?" He asked and I didn't know if I should be honest or make something up.

"Honestly, I thought you were someone who had everything given to them. Someone that you got away with everything because of your family and popularity." He sat there for a moment, quiet.

"Stefan?"

He sighed, "that's probably what I would've thought too."

"Well, you're nothing like that. Not that I know of yet," I smirked playfully.

"You'll just have to wait and see." He smiled back.

"Well, goodnight, tomorrow is the last day of activities and then we head back home the next day."

"Rock climbing, I can't wait."

"I am steering clear of that." Heights weren't exactly my thing.

"Why not?"

"I'm afraid of heights."

"Ah yes, I remember."

"You remember? What does that mean?" What does he remember about me being afraid of heights? I only just told him.

"Uh, nothing. Goodnight." He quickly turned over so his back was facing me.

I'm confused. Maybe he just meant that he thought I would be afraid of heights? I don't know. I rolled over and dozed off to sleep.