ELEANOR ENDED UP NOT BEING MUCH HELP WITH EXPLAINING TO ELENA. The Chetwood girl had kept to herself for most of the time that they were there, and the stories that she had to contribute would not be of much help. It was mostly memories of Adelaide or playing croquet in the courtyard. However, it was the first time that Eleanor had really spoken to Elena, and it was an odd experience, to say the least. She looked so much like Katherine that it was creepy.

They took her to the ruins of the hold buildings, and Eleanor watched as he acted everything out with her. Reliving the experience was both nostalgic and painful, remembering how blindly she had followed Katherine around. She had done everything that she asked her to without question, and it was extremely embarrassing.

At school a few days later, she was walking down the hall, and she passed Caroline, who stopped her, grabbing her arm and pulling her back. She asked curiously, "Ellie, what are you going to be for Halloween?"

"Oh, I don't think I'm dressing up," Eleanor told her. She really loved Halloween, but she just had not given it much thought with everything going on. Plus, she had lived through so many that it was kind of just another day to her.

"What do you mean, you're not dressing up? Of course, you are. There's a Halloween party and everything," the blonde girl responded, freaking out. Before the brunette could answer, she announced, "I'm finding you a costume. Maybe a sexy zombie. You'd look good in green. I'll look for something after school."

Eleanor just laughed and nodded in agreement as they began to walk down the hall together. She would wear whatever Caroline picked out. She was more interested in something else that the girl had. "Hey, whatever happened to that ugly necklace that Damon got you?"

"Oh, I gave it to Bonnie. She can wear it or toss it," the Forbes girl answered, waving her off. Eleanor winced, not sure if that was good or bad. She needed both the Talisman and the Bennetts, but she was doubtful that they would help her. "I don't care. I just wanted it gone."

"What happens when Damon finds out?" she asked, but she was not worried about the Salvatore man. She would be able to handle him in case he lost his temper and decided to take it out on Caroline.

She shrugged. "Don't know, don't care. I'm done with him." She turned into her classroom, waving goodbye, and the Chetwood girl continued down the hallway until Stefan stepped in her way, pulling her over to the side of the hallway so that they could talk.

"We have a problem," he informed her.

They always had a problem, and that was the second time he had asked her for help in the past few days. She was just trying to live her life, and she had a side quest that she was slowly working on in her free time. "You're always coming to me with your problems."

"Yeah, well this one involves you too because you compelled Vicki Donovan that night on the roof," he said, and she furrowed her eyebrows at him. All three of the vampires in town had compelled people, so why did hers matter? Vicki was one of the very few people that she had compelled since she got into town. Mind control wasn't really her style.

"Why does this matter?" she questioned, but then realization set in. There could only be one reason why it would matter, and it was really not good. She had no doubt that it was Damon's fault as well. "You're kidding me."

Vicki was a vampire. He sighed, "I wish I was."

"What do you need me to do?" she breathed out, running a hand through her hair. She was not about to be on Vicki watch for the day when his brother was the one who turned her, but she was willing to provide some assistance because she might need his in the future.

"I think I have her under control for the time being, but I just need you to let me know if you see her here or anywhere," he responded, and she nodded. She could do that. "I'm pretty sure she's going to try and find Jeremy or Matt."

She agreed, "Yeah, all right." He thanked her just as the warning bell rang, and she had to get to class. Why couldn't she just have a normal day?

《❂》

IT WAS TIME FOR THE HALLOWEEN CARNIVAL. Eleanor had ended up going with Caroline and Bonnie, and the three of them walked into the party in their costumes. Caroline had decided to go as a vampire, and she had given the Bennett girl a witch costume, which wasn't ironic at all. She had also gotten Eleanor a Robin Hood costume, which the Chetwood girl actually really loved. It was also kind of scary how close Caroline was getting with these costumes.

Caroline had been unable to find a bow and arrow, but it was all right. The vampire had a lot of old items in her storage room, and one of them happened to be a very old but very durable bow that she had used in the 1500s, back during her human life. In fact, it was the only artifact that she had from her past life, and it had been spelled by a witch to always come back to her.

She had contemplated bringing an actual weapon to a school event, but what the hell? They approached the drink table, and Tyler offered them each a cup. "Cider for the ladies. It's a Lockwood special."

"No way. Last year I was hung over until Thanksgiving," Bonnie responded, shaking her head with a disgusted expression, as if remembering the traumatizing time. That scared Eleanor. What the hell was he putting in those drinks?

Caroline rolled her eyes and was quick to accept the drink. She sighed, "Lightweight. I am going to drink until someone is hot enough to make out with." Eleanor smiled at that, and she and Bonnie shared a look, knowing they were going to have to keep an eye on the girl.

"Sounds like a plan," Tyler laughed out before turning to the brunette girl with raised eyebrows. "Eleanor?"

"Yeah, I don't trust anything you've touched," she told him. She had heard enough stories about him to be very wary of everything he offered her, and he was a dick. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of taking his drink.

He shrugged, not very offended by that. "Fair enough."

And so they got to partying. Eleanor found a drink that wasn't Lockwood cider, and she danced with Caroline and Bonnie, letting herself go a little bit. The Chetwood girl was looking for the bathroom in the decorated school when Elena ran up to her with a nervous expression on her face.

"Eleanor, have you seen Vicki?" she asked, panicking. She was looking around frantically even as she asked, meaning that finding her was fairly urgent.

"No, I haven't." This was not good. Chances were that wherever the Donovan girl was, she was with Jeremy and/or Matt, so they really needed to find them before she hurt them. "You need help finding her?"

Elena just nodded, and the two of them began searching every classroom and every corner that Vicki could possibly be in. They finally made their way to the end of the school and looked outside where the buses were. Elena's eyes widened when she saw that Vicki was on top of her brother, attacking him.

Eleanor quickly sped over to them, knocking Vicki off of him. She then grabbed Jeremy and sped him over to Elena. When she turned around, however, Vicki was gone. She pushed the two toward the door, ordering, "Go. get inside. Go!" She wouldn't be able to take the Donovan girl out if she was worried about them.

She heard a scream, and she whipped around to see her in front of the siblings. Elena pushed her brother behind her, and Vicki was about to bite her. The Chetwood grabbed her bow and strung an arrow within a second. She took a deep breath, muttering, "Etre fidèle." Be true.

Then, she released the wooden arrow, and it landed right in Vicki's heart.

"Vicki! Vicki! Vicki! Vicki!" Jeremy shrieked as the girl froze in place, her skin turning gray before crumpling to the ground. He tried to reach for her, but Eleanor stepped in his way, holding him back as he cried.

She turned back to Elena while opening the door. "Stay with her. I'll bring him inside and call Damon. He'll come to deal with the body."