Two more days went by quietly. Nothing big happened. School was normal—classes, homework, and sometimes talking with Caroline and Elena.For Leo, this time was a peaceful time.
He spent much of his free time over those two days searching for information about his family. He looked through old online archives and local historical records. The process was slow, and the details were sparse. The only clear connection he could find was from several generations back. His great-grandparents had known the Gilbert family. They had been neighbors, and there were a few records of them attending the same town events. That was all. It was just a small, ordinary connection to the town's past.
When the bell for lunch rang, the sharp sound cut through his thoughts. He closed the browser on his phone, stood up from the quiet corner of the library where he'd been reading, and joined the flow of students heading toward the cafeteria.
Leo reached the busy cafeteria, the noise of students and clattering trays filling the air. He quickly spotted Caroline already in the food line, studying the day's options with her usual focused energy. He picked up an empty tray and moved to join her, falling into line just behind her.
"Hi, Caroline," he said, asking her casually. "I didn't see you this morning. Is everything okay?"
Caroline turned at the sound of his voice, her expression softening for just a second at his tone. "Leo, hey!" she said, her smile returning quickly. "Ugh, don't even ask about this morning. It was a whole thing. My mom was stressed about work, and then our neighbor's dog got into our yard, and I was just... everywhere. A total disaster. But it's fine now!"
Leo just listened, giving a slow nod as the whirlwind of her story settled.
They moved down the line, filling their plates with slices of pizza,pasta,Fries and some juice. As they walked toward an empty bench, Caroline's eyes lit up with fresh excitement.
She placed her tray on the cafeteria table and slid onto the bench, leaning forward with her hands clasped together. Her eyes were bright with excitement.
"Okay, but more importantly," she said, her voice dropping into a confidential, eager tone. "Tonight is the Founder's Party. At the Lockwood mansion." She paused for a second, a playful, expectant smile on her face. "So. Are we going together? I mean, it just makes sense. We are the most beautiful looking together and it'll be fun."
Leo looked at her. Logically, he had already said yes. If this question had been asked days ago, when the party was just a vague entry on a calendar, his answer would have been simple. But as she asked the question now, with the event just hours away, a different, clearer image flashed in his mind: Elena Gilbert, standing quietly in the school yard two days prior, her books held tight to her chest, the late afternoon sun catching her hair. The thought of going with Elena instead simply appeared.He didn't analyze the reason—whether it was curiosity, a pull he didn't understand, or just a quiet preference. He just knew, at that moment, that he wanted to go with her.
He opened his mouth to answer Caroline. His face kept a polite, neutral expression, meant to soften the blow.
"N—" he began.
He never got to finish the word.
Caroline heard the first sound. Her bright, expectant smile froze in place for a split second. Then it vanished completely. A flash of pure, hot anger shot through her chest. It was the same sharp sting from that Vicki's incident night—the feeling of being rejected, of not being chosen.
But Caroline Forbes did not do messy, public anger. Instead, her mind clicked into fast logical thinking.She remembered their conversation by the lockers perfectly. You owe me one for that.
Her frozen expression melted away, replaced by something even brighter and more cheerful than before. It was a brilliant, cheerful smile that didn't quite reach her slightly narrowed eyes.
"You know what?" she said, her voice suddenly airy and light, as if she'd just been struck by a wonderful, whimsical idea. She picked up a french fry from her tray, examining it with feigned casual interest. "It's totally fine. Really, Leo. Don't even worry about it." She gave a little laugh, a light, tinkling sound meant to convey absolute ease.
She took a small, delicate bite of the fry, waving her other hand in a dismissive flutter. Then she leaned in again, her voice dropping back into that sweet, confidential whisper she'd used before. But this time, there was a firm, unyielding edge underneath the honeyed tone, like steel wrapped in silk.
"Because we both remember," she said slowly, her blue eyes locked on his, "that you owe me one. From the other day. When you left me all alone after, you know, the traumatic animal-attack-party incident?" She let the reminder hang in the air between them for a moment, her gaze unblinking.
"So, here's how this is going to work," she continued, her voice becoming sweetly logical, as if explaining something obvious. "You are going with me. It settles the debt.Simple and Clear".
She finally leaned back, her bright, dazzling smile returning to its full, blinding power. She picked up her juice and took a long sip, watching him steadily over the rim of the plastic cup. Her expression was one of cheerful, unshakeable finality.
"And honestly, Leo?" she said, her voice softening again, but with a core of absolute confidence. "It's not like you're suffering here. You'll be there with me. I know every single person on the council, their husbands, their wives, which kids are headed to which Ivy League school, and who had scandalous affairs three generations back. I will make sure you meet the right people. I will ensure you're in the right conversations." She gave a little, self-assured shrug, a flicker of genuine amusement in her eyes. "And, let's be real, you will be seen arriving with the girl who is going to be, objectively, the most beautiful one there. My dress is literally flawless. So we'll have the right kind of fun. It's the best solution for everyone.So," she concluded, setting her cup down with a definitive tap. "Do we have a deal?"
Leo looked at her. He hadn't expected her to be so sharp and calculative. The bright, bubbly girl was suddenly someone who kept score and called in debts. It changed his view of her completely at that moment. A part of him wanted to refuse, to take back the agreement and follow his own quiet desire to find Elena instead. But he had given his vague word days ago, and she had now framed it as a debt to be paid. Backing out of a promise, even a loose one, wasn't something he did. He had given his word, so he would follow through.
"Yes," he said simply, his voice flat. He picked up his fork and began to eat his hot pasta, looking down at his plate. He didn't want to talk anymore. This side of Caroline—strategic, insistent, and transactional—had drained his interest in the conversation.
Across the table, Caroline instantly felt a wave of bright, triumphant happiness. He hadn't fought her. He hadn't tried to weasel out of it. He was a man of his word, and that mattered to her. But her happiness quickly tempered as she watched him. His head was down, his focus entirely on his food. The easy charm from earlier was gone, replaced by a quiet, closed-off energy. She knew he was annoyed. Maybe even a little angry at her for being so forceful.
A tiny pinch of guilt tugged at her, but she swiftly buried it under a pile of justification. What was I supposed to do? she thought, pushing a piece of pasta around her plate. Let him say no? Let him go with someone else and have everyone see me get rejected? The idea was intolerable. More than just pride, though, was a simpler truth: she liked him. If she didn't go with him, who would he go with? The thought of him walking into the ballroom with some other girl, made her stomach clench.This was the only way to guarantee her place beside him.
Seeing his silent displeasure, she understood that pushing any more conversation would be a mistake. She had won the battle; now she needed to let the tension settle. So she, too, stopped talking. She ate her lunch quietly, the noisy cafeteria feeling strangely hollow around their silent table. She stole occasional glances at his downcast face, her victory feeling slightly less sweet than she'd imagined, but still absolutely necessary.
***