"I was mature for my age," Bonnie told Aunt Judith merrily. "I was boy crazy way before any of my friends were."
Aunt Judith laughed and waved Margaret over toward their table. "We'd better order before the stage show starts," she said.
Elena, eyes wide, mouthed, Stage show? at Bonnie, who smirked and shrugged.
"Do you girls know what you want?" Aunt Judith asked.
"Do they have anything besides pizza?" Elena asked.
"Chicken fingers," answered Margaret, climbing into her chair. "And hot dogs."
Elena grinned at her sister's tousled hair and expression of delight. "What are you going to have, bunny?" she asked.
"Pizza!" Margaret answered. "Pizza, pizza, pizza."
"I'l have pizza, too, then," Elena decided.
"It's the best thing here," Margaret confided. "The hot dogs are weird-tasting." She squirmed in her chair. "Elena, are you coming to my dance recital?" she asked.
"When is it?" Elena asked.
Margaret frowned. "The day after tomorrow," she said.
"You know that."
Elena glanced quickly at Bonnie, whose eyes were wide.
"I wouldn't miss it for the world," she told Margaret affectionately, and her sister nodded firmly and stood up on her chair to reach the popcorn.
Under cover of Aunt Judith's scolding and the semimelodious sound of their singing waiter approaching, Bonnie and Elena exchanged a smile.
Dance recitals. Singing waiters. Pizza.
It was good to live in this kind of world for a change.
Chapter 6
The next morning was clear and hot again, another beautiful summer day. Elena stretched lazily in her comfy bed, then pul ed on a T-shirt and shorts and padded down to the kitchen for a bowl of cereal.
Aunt Judith was braiding Margaret's hair at the table.
"Morning," Elena said, pouring milk into her bowl.
"Hi, sleepyhead," said Aunt Judith, and Margaret gave her a big smile and a finger-wiggling wave. "Keep stil , Margaret. We're about to leave for the market," she told Elena. "What are you doing today?"
Elena swal owed her mouthful of cereal. "We're going to pick up Alaric and his friend at the train station and just hang out and catch up," she said.
"Who?" Aunt Judith asked, her eyes narrowing. Elena's mind spun. "Oh, uh, you remember, he subbed for Mr. Tanner teaching history last year," she said, wondering if that was in fact true in this world. Aunt Judith frowned. "Isn't he a little old to be socializing with high school girls?"
Elena rol ed her eyes. "We're not in high school anymore, Aunt Judith. And he's only about six years older than us. And it's not just girls. Matt and Stefan are coming, too."
If this was Aunt Judith's reaction to the news of their spending time with Alaric, Elena could tel why Meredith was hesitant to tel people about their relationship. It made sense to wait a couple of years, until people thought of her as a grown-up. Since no one here knew al that Meredith had seen and done, she seemed like any other eighteenyear-old to them. It's a good thing Aunt Judith doesn't know Stefan's five hundred years older than I am, Elena thought with a secret smirk. She thinks Alaric's too old.
The doorbel rang.
"That's Matt and everybody," Elena said, rising to put her bowl in the sink. "See you guys tonight."
Margaret widened her eyes at Elena in silent appeal, and Elena detoured on her way to the door to squeeze the little girl's shoulder. Was Margaret stil worried Elena wouldn't come back?