3

*Five years later*

Elena groans, turning in her sleep once again, finding it hard to get comfortable. "Elena!" A voice shrieks and she groans once more, pulling the blanket over her head. The person yanks it away from her, "Aren't you supposed to be at the hospital?"

"No, not until..." She looks at her alarm clock, her eyes going wide when she sees that she is two hours late. "Shit!" Elena whispers under her breath while running into the bathroom.

"I'll call Jo and let her know you are on your way!" Caroline yells after her as she throws her scrubs on her friend's bed. "She owes me for her wedding anyway..." She mumbles, knowing that she is milking the wedding card more than she should. Caroline took care of everything, and Jo was amazed. She made the mistake of telling Caroline to "never hesitate to ask for anything", and Caroline has taken that literally.

Elena rushes out of the bathroom, throwing her hair up in a quick ponytail, and trying to get dressed as quickly as possible. She throws her bag over her shoulder, grabs her keys from the nightstand, and makes her way toward the door. She stops, raising an eyebrow at Caroline, who has the door open for her.

"Why are you so eager to get rid of me?"

"You're super late, and you are worried about me? We can talk later. Go!" Caroline tries to direct the conversation back to Elena, but she knows that neither of her best friends will let this go. They all live in a three-bedroom apartment at a halfway point between Mystic Falls and Whitmore campus. If it wasn't for their very 'persuasive' best friend, it would have been far too expensive.

Caroline has been acting strange. Even for her. She pushes her friends out at random times and always comes home super late. Elena and Bonnie suspect that she has a boyfriend, but they haven't been able to confirm their theory.

Elena pulls, dangerously, into the parking lot. It's times like these that she wishes she had her vampire speed back. Running to the door, she hopes Jo doesn't mention anything and lets her slip by.

"Woah, Woah!" She hears a male voice as he holds his arms out to stop her from crashing into him. Her body nearly goes into shock as she freezes under his touch, feeling it radiate throughout her entire body like a chill. "You need any help?"

Elena slowly meets his green eyes and her stomach twirls. There is something familiar about him. His mesmerizing eyes and his compassionate smile. Tom felt her gaze peer through him—like she was trying her best to study every little feature before he disappeared. He moved his hands back to his sides and stared at the ground for a moment in a lame attempt to shake away the heat that raced through his body. "Uh...no. I'm an assistant volunteer here. With Jo Saltzman?"

"Oh," He held out the word, and a smile appeared on his lips. Elena wanted to groan as she knew what follows that word. People in the hospital have come to connect her with her tardiness as she always needs direction on where Jo is. "So you are the girl who is constantly late?"

"Not constantly," Elena grumbles, avoiding eye contact in embarrassment. She knows it has been more frequent than she cares to admit. She strives to be more like her father—punctual, endearing, respectable—but every day, the possibility of carrying on his legacy seems to be slipping away from her.

"Don't worry about it. I was the worst med student ever, and I managed to make it." He tries to reassure, knowing that every word isn't exactly true.

A small smile appears faintly on her lips as she makes brief eye contact with him again, "Well, I don't think I am the worst. I do have to get going though." Elena steps to the right, but he touches her arm, and she halts. Her breath catches in her throat, and she tries her best to ignore the goosebumps that are forming on her arms.

"Wait, can I get your name?" His eyes are kind. She finds herself getting lost in them, not understanding the sense of comfort that builds within her. The sound of a phone ringing at the receptionist's desk allows her to snap out of it, blinking away before realizing that she still hasn't answered his question.

She finally smiles, gaining some confidence as she makes direct eye contact without losing herself—well, almost, considering she stole a few glances at his lips. Which he took note of. It is difficult not to notice a girl like her. Her eyes alone were enchanting, mesmerizing, kind. The kind that draws a person in, and he felt like he couldn't look away. "I'm Elena."

"I'm Tom. I hope to see you around."

His hand is gone, but his touch lingers as she walks down the hall, unintentionally holding onto the feeling that being around him was like a ghost passing through her—cold, yet exhilarating.