No Time For Chit Chat

I rushed to the high school where I knew Elena would be having lunch. I opened the door to the school to find Alaric leaving in a huff, "Alaric? Where you going?" He looked up at me and frowned continuing to walk away. I kept walking into the school and passed the many classrooms. "Cafeteria, where are you?" A small, boney teenager passed by me. I grabbed his arm and asked him where the cafeteria was, and he pointed to the room three doors down. I rushed to the cafeteria door, opened it and stepped inside. There must have been over one hundred students gobbling down sandwiches and talking with their mouths full. I looked around for Elena but only saw Bonnie. I walked over to her table and asked, "Bonnie, where's Elena?" She looked up at me, surprised by my sudden entrance.

Caroline was staring intently at Julie Eddington.

Julie was known to be a meth addict, but about a year ago she'd gone to rehab and had seemed clean ever since.

She didn't look clean today, however, eating her food in the cafeteria robotically with a glazed, faraway look in her eyes.

Bonnie wouldn't answer so I turned my gaze towards Caroline, "Caroline, where's Elena?" I glanced over at the girl next to Caroline, who was a supposed meth addict (as rumors had it). Her hands gripped the sandwich in her hand as she stared at something or someone far off in the distance, "What's wrong with her?" I whispered to Caroline.

"After she had the kid she made a big show about how she wanted to get clean and be a good mom," replied Caroline, "but it looks like she's back on. I hope I'm wrong. I hope she's just got the flu or something."

I gave a worried glance towards the girl. Even though I was short on time, I kept glancing over at the poor girl who's eyes were bloodshot and glassy. "I hope so, too." I whispered. Unbeknownst to me, I was rubbing the back of my neck. What was the deal with that? Then, I remembered the reason I came here: Elena and her whereabouts. It seems that she wasn't here in the cafeteria with her friends since Bonnie wasn't even moving her mouth. I asked once again, "Do you know where Elena is?"

I watched as Caroline stared deeply into Julie's eyes. 'Smart move, Caroline.' I thought. Although I was intrigued with this situation, I had to find Elena. I could stick around for a little bit longer just to make sure Julie is okay. I walked over to where Caroline was now standing, "So, is she still on the, ahem, "stuff", or is she just sick?" I asked while glancing down at the glassy-eyed Julie who was now back to sluggishly eating her sandwich.