Three days, it's been three days since Damon has even looked at me. I, on the other hand, for the last three days have done nothing but stare at him. Classes with him in it are just pure torture, I can't think of anything other than him. Well, it's more of me trying to figure out why I can't stop thinking about him. Then I decide I am not going to notice him, and then all I can concentrate on is not thinking about him. This is getting ridiculous. I don't even like him!

  I really don't, he is exactly the self conceited pervert I thought he was when I first saw him. I don't want him to talk to me, I don't want him to look at me, or to even think about me. At least, that's what I keep telling myself. Yet, for some reason, even now my eyes are scanning the grounds outside of school trying to find him.

  As usual, he is around with some girl hanging on to him; he sure has moved around fast. Another reason I don't like him, who could hop between girls like that? Today's girl is one I don't recognize, must be a younger grade. She is cute though, with her name brand jeans and t-shirt. She is also wearing a matching scarf, I've noticed that scarves have become very popular amongst the girls. Still think it's kind of funny how fast they came into style, but it doesn't really matter. My eyes linger on Damon, he looks so relaxed so care free.

  "Fine, ignore me," I am suddenly made aware that someone has been talking to me.

  It takes a real effort for me to tear my eyes away from Damon, but when I do, I know I've been caught staring. Zeke is standing next to me, well more accurately over me considering I am sitting on the grass. The shady spot under the big tree has become a normal meeting place for us, Elena and Stefan included.

  So when the last bell rang, and Zeke said he had to do something real quick, we didn't even have to discuss meeting up later. I just walked straight here, Elena and Stefan joined me moments later. After a quick greeting they settled into cuddling with each other next to the tree. One thing I enjoy about them is they don't get uncomfortable by silence. It's not that we have nothing to say to each other, but they can just sit without needing to always be talking about something. On the other hand, silence gives me time to think, and recently that has proven to be no good for me.

  "Oh when did you get here?" I look up at Zeke innocently, like I was just zoning out rather than staring intently at someone I shouldn't even be noticing.

  "Reza, he has been talking to us, then to you, for like five minutes now," Stefan teases, making me gawk at the group.

  "No way! How did I not notice?" I deny even as I know it to be true.

  Elena catches my eye, momentarily distracting me from my shock. She is staring at me with such concern it sends shivers down me entire body. What is that all about? Elena's entire demeanor quickly changes having my eyes on her, in a second she looks completely comfortable, uncaring.

  "Too busy looking for something to notice?" Elena teases as well, but it makes my heart drop.

  If Zeke hadn't noticed me staring, Elena did. I feel my cheeks start burning as I quickly look away from her, I have no idea how I am supposed to respond to that! Returning my attention to Zeke my blush only gets stronger. For the first time I realize there is someone I don't know standing just behind him!

  He is tall, so tall in fact, that I can see him clearly right over Zeke's head. A thin guy, just a hair away from seeming gangly. His unkept dirty blond hair lays wild around his face, half covering his dark chocolate eyes. Eyes, that I now realize, are staring right at me! My gaze shoot back to Zeke, sending him a glare he will understand instantly. Who is this guy? Why is he here?

  "As I was saying," Zeke makes a big deal of having to continue, or rather re-say what he already had. "This is Leo," he pauses to emphasize his point by stepping to the side so I am fully able to see him. "He just started here today. Since we have started a collection of new students I figured we can add him to the bunch," Zeke explains while he plops down next to Elena, also leaning against the tree.

  I stare at him in astonishment, sure we now have Elena and Stefan that we hang out with, but I discussed with him before inviting them. How could he just bring some stranger that I know nothing about!

  "Two is hardly a collection," I mumble not caring to hide my annoyance.

  "But three can be," Zeke sticks his tongue out at me, which only makes me more mad. He knows I am upset, why is he being like this?

  "Ummm, Leo we are just sitting around, why don't you join us?" Stefan, being the ever nice guy he is, tries to lighten the mood.

  Leo smiles at him and takes a seat much closer than I would like him to be. OK maybe he isn't that close, about a foot over. But he is under my tree, and that means he is too close.

  "So what brings you here?" Stefan asks trying to get a conversation going.

  Leo sits calmly, as though he was completely welcomed with open arms. He shows no sign of noticing my looks, or how uncomfortable the mood is.

  "Well my parents just got a divorce. I am with my dad, and he decided we needed a new start. So here we are," He smiles kindly, his full lips almost forming a pout.

  On anyone else this may look feminine, but combined with his sharp features it seems to balance his face. When he speaks, he does so to the entire group, but his eyes keep darting over to me. I suppose it's probably due to me glaring at him, but still, something about him makes me weary. His eyes lock with mine and he tilts his head ever so slightly as he continues to smile. As I look at him I find him very hard to read. He doesn't look mischievous, but he doesn't look nice either. It's almost as if he is studying me. I shake my head slightly, I'm just being weird. He is just looking at me like that because I am studying him!

  "In our little slice of paradise," Zeke chimes in giddily as he waves his arms at the surrounding area, as though to display our school.

  I do a mental eye roll before zoning them out again. I can hear them talking, asking questions and getting to know each other but I don't care. I am not in the mood to deal with some guy I don't know. Without meaning to, my eyes find Damon again. He is leading his girl to his car, I don't even want to know what they are up to. He walks with such confidence, like he completely owns this town. Like he can do anything he wanted. He probably could to. Every girl has a thing for him, well except me of course. I am pretty sure Elena even used to like him, before she wound up with Stefan that is.

  "What about you?" Leo is looking intensely at me, making my relentless blush return. Getting caught not listening to them twice, so close to each other, definitely no good.

  "Sorry, what was that?" I try to once again pull off that I was innocently spacing out, but as before, I don't believe anyone was fooled.

  Elena is looking at me awkwardly again, leaving me feeling very uneasy. I don't know what is going on in her mind, and I don't think I want to.

  "Well, if you would really like to know," Zeke says overly dramatic, it's obvious he is getting annoyed with having to repeat things for me, "we were telling Leo about the coffee shop. Thinking about heading down there for a while."

  As he finishes he pulls himself up using the tree to balance himself and swings his bag over his shoulder. At mention of the coffee shop my mind buzzes with memories from the last time we were there. My body flushes as I think about Damon being so close to me, how his knee brushed against mine. The events that followed my return home, it was all too much. My mind is going through so many things I don't even realize I haven't answered till everyone is standing, looking down at me.

  "Umm no, I need to get home to Dad," I answer, but in truth I just need to get away from everyone.

  I need to just clear my head. Get away from the unwanted person next to me, Leo, and forget about the unwanted presence in my mind, Damon. I stand as well, but just turn and start walking away from everyone.

 "See ya!" I call over my shoulder without stopping to look back. I know Zeke is going to be annoyed, but well, I am annoyed with him so we are even!

  I storm off, going as fast as I can without actually running, it takes mere seconds to leave the school grounds. I glance at the street heading to my home and shake my head, no, Dad is not what I need now. Silence, I need to be able to just sit in silence. I see the forest at the edge of town and now I can easily disappear and hide out in it until I am actually ready to go home. I am about to be safe within the brush when I feel a hand clasp onto my arm.

  A scream escapes me as a chill runs over my body, my heart freezes with panic. Without a moments hesitation my hand balls into a fist and I spin around swinging.

  "Careful slugger," a voice chuckles as his hand reaches up to catch the fist that was aimed directly at him.

  As soon as my head stops spinning I am able to focus my eyes on the one in front of me, and as I do my heart falls into my stomach. My cheeks burn with anger and I automatically glare up into the dark eyes of Leo. Realizing his hand is still on me I jerk away, out of his reach.

"What the hell!" I shriek at him, my heart still pounding and every instinct in me still screaming to fight or flee.

  "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," his voice is soothing as he holds up his hands in front of him defensively. "I really am, I just didn't know what else to do. I was calling your name and you wouldn't stop."

  I examine him closely, he really did seem genuinely sorry. Thinking back, I don't remember hearing anything, but then again I was really focused on getting away. Speaking of that...

  "Well maybe I just didn't want to talk to you," I spit out. I know I am being mean, and really he has done nothing to deserve it. Still, I can't help just wanting to get far away from him.

  "Ouch," He mumbles reaching one arm up and rubbing his neck nervously. "I just wanted to say I was sorry."

  "Huh?" This makes me stop in my tacks.

  The only thing he really needed to apologize for was scaring me, be he wouldn't have done that if he didn't already need to talk to me. So what is it he feels he did wrong? I stand there looking up at him confused, my urge to run momentarily drowned out by my curiosity.

  "Well," he lets his arm fall away from his face and he shoves both hands in his pocket. Looking down to the ground he aimlessly starts to move some dirt with his foot.

 "I know how it feels," he shrugs and my heart stops. What is he talking about?

  "I mean, I know what it's like to have someone invade your space," he continues, guilt washing over me. "Zeke invited me over to meet you, he said that he thought we would get along. But I could tell right away you didn't want me there. I should have just left."

  He slowly brings his eyes to meet mine. He looks so hurt that I can feel my heart breaking. He seemed to not care at all back at school.

 "I am new and Zeke was nice to me, but I understand, you have your group of friends. I just wanted to let you know you don't have to worry. I will find someone else to hang out with," His eyes linger on mine for a moment and I feel my mouth drop open.

   I really have been acting far too mean to him. Now I'm just as bad as those people who judge me without a second thought.

  He slowly turns away from me, and my body jerks forward on its own. Without thinking about it I grab onto his shoulder, just as he had done to me. He stops and looks back at me with the same hurt eyes, but this time with a hint of confusion.

  "Don't go?" the words slip out before I know they are even there.

  My voice is soft, just above a whisper. I would have thought they got carried away with the wind if he hadn't slowly turned back to me. Without saying anything I turn back to the woods and start walking again. Leo walks quietly next to me, but I can feel him there. We walk side by side without a word for a long while, it wasn't awkward but it certainly wasn't comfortable either.

  "I thought you were getting coffee," I finally break the silence. I know it's not the best response to everything he had said, but it's the best I can do.

  Leo chuckles softly to himself as he takes the lead and steers us over to a tree with big thick roots jutting out of the ground "I had something to take care of," he watches me as he sits down on one of the roots.

  Carefully, I join him. His eyes still hold a hint of pain, but otherwise he seems to be the casual guy he was at school. He smiles at me again before he turns and takes in the surrounding forest. I keep my eyes on him, studying him as though I can figure out who he is just by how he sits there.

  "I only live with my dad too," I blurt out. I know I am blushing but I just feel like he needs to know he isn't alone in a sad situation. "My mom died when I was a baby, so it's just him and me." Once the words start, I am unable to stop. "Dad didn't handle it well, I pretty much raised myself. Even now, I tend to take care of him more than he takes care of me."

  I don't know what has gotten into me. Zeke has always known the situation so I never need to talked about it with him. Elena and Stefan haven't come over, I have been keeping them away from dad the best I can. So as far as I know, they have no idea how it is. This is the first time I have actually said anything about how it's like. I don't talk to people about dad, ever! But something about the pain I see in Leo's eyes, I know he would understand.

  Leo nods but keeps his gaze forward. "Mom is in her own world. Sometimes I actually wonder if she knows what reality even is. Dad is always working. There were days I never saw him. Growing up I always wondered if they would even notice if I just disappeared."

  Slowly he turns to me and our eyes lock. In that moment I know why looking at him bothers me. He is scared, just as I am. His eyes are a mirror of the pain I feel inside. He smiles at me, a sad pathetic smile, and I return it without a second thought. Suddenly I am happy Zeke invited him to our tree. Zeke saw that we were one in the same, and he knew we would connect. Connect only as two broken people can.