The Number Of Six

Chapter 4

Finally, it was Monday and I couldn't be locked up in the house anymore. As soon as I saw Caroline at school, I pulled her to the side and looked around to see if anybody was listening.
''What's up with your Sherlock attitude?'' She asked.
''I really need to tell you something.'' I said, but not a second later, the bell had rung. 
''No!'' I screamed in frustration. 
''Lunch time, fountain. Be there.'' 
''Promise. You do make me curious, Salvatore. I've never seen you so excited about anything, not even when we got that A+ for chemistry.'' She tapped her finger to her chin and narrowed her eyes, as if Caroline Forbes would ever think.  And just like that, the thinking stopped and her eyes went wide. ''No, no, no! I have math, with that annoying teacher, you know, the one who has al these disciplines, he will kill me...'' and off she was. I crossed my fingers that she wouldn't get detention. 

The four hours between first period and lunch break felt like four days. I even got weird looks from other students, my impatience so obvious. I think the teacher thought his lesson was going too slow for me because all of a sudden, he asked me advanced questions, which I of course could answer, to his astonishment and annoyance.  At least, there had been a little distraction from looking at how slow the minutes went. It was after second period, I was walking with Jenna towards our next class until all of a sudden, Matt turns around the corner and bumps into us. Jenna started blushing and mumbling these apologies but it was nothing coherent. Matt just mirrored her awkward behaviour and I stood on the side, enjoying the show.  

So, it was finally lunch time and I immediately sought out Caroline. The fountain was only a couple of feet away but she was nowhere to be seen. Had she forgotten? But then I saw her blond hair, waving in the wind and I just knew it was her. As if she could feel my eyes burning in her back, she turned around, gasped and looked at her watch before she ran over. It was more speed-walking, but I appreciated the gesture. 

''I am so sorry. Our class ended earlier, so I kind of lost track of time. I didn't forget though.'' Caroline looked apologetically but I waved it away.
''You know I was grounded, right?''
''Yeah, but I still don't know why. ''
''Neither do I, to be honest, but-'' I looked around before speaking again,
'' I went outside and met someone, a boy.''
''Wait, what? A boy? You talk to boys? Your brothers didn't kill him?''
''Let me finish! '' I said and was interrupted by a shy ''Hi'' from behind. Jenna stood next to us, fidgeting with her shirt. 

''Hi, Jenna. Is it okay if we meet up later?'' I politely asked. But I still felt bad for sending her away like this.
''Ow, okay.'' Jenna walked away, her pride obviously hurt. Damn it. I wanted to make her feel involved and a part of our little group but this was supernatural stuff.
''I feel bad for her.''
''Yeah me too. I'll make it up to her.''
''Now go on, a boy. Who? What? Where?''
I had told Caroline everything, except for the wolf part. I had yet to get there. But would she want to here that? She didn't react so well to vampires, but maybe she felt more for animals? There's only one way of knowwing.
''There is this little thing I didn't tell you...'' I hesitated but went on, ''...it's something supernatural. '' 

Caroline sighed. ''I'll have to get used to it. So why not start now?'' As she said this, I saw some acceptance starting to take form.  
''He is a wolf. I've never really had a decent conversation for longer than ten minutes with one and he told me something about wolves that Elijah hasn't. ''
''What was it?''
''He said you had to kill someone to become a wolf. '' Caroline looked shocked.
''So you basically met a murderer. Did you ask...?''
''Of course not! I was shocked and just wanted to forget about it, honestly. Asking him how or who he had killed was the last thing on my mind.'' And for not caring then, I had been sure caring a lot ever since. I regretted now that I hadn't pried further.
The only words I remembered him saying were: ''it wasn't my fault''. Did that really take away the responsibility of murdering someone?