The Third Salvatore (TVD Season 1)

Chapter 23

Emma's pov:

"Mr Saltzman's wife might have been your mother?" I ask shutting my locker with a bang.

Elena sighs. "It can't be true, right? I mean, the coincidence alone is just crazy." She holds up a post-it note in front of my face. "I have the address for her friend Trudie."

I nod. "You should go talk to her. You gonna talk to her right?"

"I don't know. I...I--I don't know. If it's true and they are the same person, that means that my birth mother is dead, and I don't know if I could handle that." She says nervously.

I put hand on her arm. "I'd have gone if I were you." I say and she gives me a sad knowing smile. I speak before she starts. "I'll come with you, okay?"

"No, no. I want to do it alone." She says.

"You sure?"

"Yeah." She says making up her mind. I smile at her encouraging. Just then Stefan joins us and I quickly walk away from the love circle.

"Stop there, bitch!"

I close my eyes and turn around biting my lip. Caroline stands there fuming, hands on her hips.

"Care, Hey, Care." I wave weakly. I'm so dead. She marches up to me.

"You have been ignoring me this whole week and now you've the audacity to 'hey' me?" She snaps. A bunch of guys laugh walking by. She glares at them.

"Babe, I'm sorry, I've been sick, you know. Everything going on right now in my life... it's just too much." I sigh.
Caroline stares at my face and her hard look comes off slowly.

"I got you, okay?" She hugs me. "Since when you stopped running up to me, away from your dirty deeds, huh?" She slaps the back of my head.

"Ow! Stop." I chuckle and we walk up to the Cafeteria together. My eyes instantly meet Hardin's. Ofcourse. He's sitting on the table, more like sprawled on the table with multiple jocks and girls sitting around on the chairs.

He eyes rake down my body and he winks at me. Caroline drags me to him.

"Hey, Hardin. How you doin?" She smiles. "Getting bored. Feed me gossip." He says and everyone laughs.

I spot Laura, who is sitting just opposite to Hardin hits her coffee so that it drips on me. I back away instantly pulling Care with me.

"Oops! I'm so clumsy!" Laura laughs smirking at me. Hardin rolls his eyes. "Go bring them coffees." He stares in her eyes and she stands and walks away.

"Damn, Salvatore. They listen to you like slaves, man!" One of the jocks say in surprise mixed admiration.

"Not all of them." He says looking at me. I find myself grinning.

"Seriously, Hardin. Chairs can make you comfortable, you know?" I tell him even though I myself sit on tables often. "This is more comfortable." He grins leaning back on his muscled arms. Just then someone calls Care from behind.

"Oh, here comes the holy water." Hardin says and everyone roars with laughter. We turn to see Matt. Care glares at Hardin walks away with Matt.

"Hardin, bye." I wave and walk away from the jocks to find myself a table. As soon as I sit Hardin's sitting infront  of me. "What? You don't have a Jocks Assembly to attend?" I laugh.

"Come on, you know I'm not one of them. Boredom. It makes you barmy." He says. Laura comes up and sets two coffee cups in front of us.

"Now walk way before I throw them in your face." I snap at her. She scowls and walks away stomping her heels. Hardin looks at her and turns to me laughing. "You wicked little thing."