a/n: Serena's outfit for the first day of school is on the left and the outfit for the second day of school is on the right!

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"Nana, have you seen my black snickers?!"

Serena's voice rang throughout the house as she bent down, looking for her shoes under the bed. A frustrated huff leaving her lips when she found nothing. Her bedroom was a mess, clothes hanging on every pointed thing, pizza leftovers on the floor, and crumpled bubblegum wrappers on every horizontal surface.

"No, honey, I haven't," Izadora called back, passing by her granddaughter's room as her eyebrows wrinkled in distaste, "What is this, Serena...This can't be a lady's room."

The brunette teenager rolled her eyes, standing back up, "Nana, I really don't have time for this..." She took a look at her room before shrugging her shoulders, "It looks fine to me."

"That's because of your disoriented point of view," Her grandmother retorted, scrunching her nose up, "I am too disgusted to even clean it for you."

Serena picked her bag up, shoving in a few empty copybooks, "Please don't, I like it that way."

"It's a jungle, not a bedroom."

"Nana, I love you but don't touch my room, please," Serena smiled sweetly, leaning down to press a kiss on her Nana's cheek before rushing down the stairs.

"Fine but take your sister with you, sweetheart. I have to go see Sheila," Izadora stated, descending down the stairs as she adjusted Cassie's school bag on her shoulders, "Take of yourselves, okay?"

"It's the only thing we are both good get," Serena chuckled, running her hand through her little sister's hair before picking her up in her arms, "Right, Cass?"

"Right, Seerie!" Cassie giggled, replying.

Nana Izzie passed both of her granddaughters a content smile, "Yeah, you two are not to be messed with. Now go before you are late."

"Alright, alright, we know when we are not wanted," Serena chuckled, making her way to the door before picking up an apple from the small bowl of fruits on the dining table, "We will see you at lunch, Nana!"

"Drive safely!"

"Will do!"

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Serena adjusted her bag on her shoulder, walking through the school's corridor before turning to James, "Look, I understand you need the pitch but you could have worded it better."

"Better how?" James sighed, rolling his eyes as they both stopped in front of the Bernard girl's locker.

"Well, telling the girl's football team captain that sport shouldn't matter to girls and you just really need the pitch just makes me wanna punch you instead of help you, James," Serena pursed her lips together as she opened the locker, "But I won't punch you though, it's not worth it."

"Serena Bernard walking away from a fight, well that's a sight you don't see every day."

She chuckled, closing her locker shut, "I like to be fair. I take on people my own size," The brunette gave him a look, finishing, "And you are not nearly there. I will see you in History."

Serena moved past him and through the corridor as he called out, "Are we taking the pitch, though? Bernard!"

"In your dreams, James! The girls and I will be there at 4 and if I even smell that cheap cologne near the pitch—"

"What? What are you going to do, Serena?" He interjected, asking challengingly.

Serena shrugged her shoulders, "Cut something you will miss off? Make you wish you were never born? Something memorable," She smirked before turning around and walking into her class as half of the students in the hall were laughing at their little spat.

She cleared her throat, noticing that she walked in the middle of an ongoing session before turning to Miss Webbers, "Sorry...I was picking out my dog from—"

"Take your seat, Miss Bernard."

"Mhm, okay, sorry," Serena pursed her lips together, passing by Tyler who rolled his eyes at her with a smile before she took a seat.

"As I was saying before the interruption," Miss Webbers cleared her throat, resuming, "It's the first day of school but that doesn't mean that we are going easy. Get your textbooks out and open page 5."

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The school day went by quicker than expected as Serena drove home with Caroline with her on the phone. She had her phone in Cassie's hand as it was on speaker, "Wait...How did I miss a new presumably hot guy?"

"Uh, because you were too busy with your lame practice and showing off how rude you could be to defenseless boys."

"Okay but James is not defenseless, he is just stupid," Serena chuckled, rolling her eyes before taking a turn, "And my practice is not lame. Cheerleading is. I mean...why do you do this to your body? Just jump around and do some moves to impress who?"

"You know what," Caroline huffed and Serena could almost hear her eye-roll on the other side, "We are not going to fight over this. Just get here as soon as possible."

"I said I will try. I didn't exactly promise to," The brunette Bernard chuckled, shaking her head at herself.

"Go where, Seerie?" Cassie questioned, raising her eyebrows.

Caroline took the chance to answer as though it was decided, "We are just going to hang out a little at the Mystic Grill, Cass."

"Can I come, too?" She asked as Serena pursed her lips together, turning to her sister, "I promise I will just take a milkshake and sit next to you."

 "Cassie—"

"Please, I have nothing to do at home with Nana, we just watch TV for hours and she won't turn on Tom and Jerry," Cassie's lips formed a pout, looking up at her sister and Serena held her breath.

"Fine, whatever. We will try to come, Care."

"Not try, you mean you are coming—"

Serena took her eyes off the road for a second, taking the phone from Cassie and hanging up, "That's...rude."

"It's what you do when your cute and amazing friends start blabbering in your ear and you gotta focus on the road."

"Because you are so responsible, huh," Cassie giggled aloud, shaking her head at her older sister.

"Say that again and you are staying at home."

"Hmph..."

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"His name is Stefan Salvatore. He lives with uncle up at the old Salvatore Boarding House," Caroline revealed as Serena helped Cassie up on a chair and raised her hand to order the usual, "He hasn't lived here since he was a kid. Military family, so they moved around a lot. He's a Gemini, and his favorite color is blue."

"You got all of that in one day?"

"Oh, please, I got all that between third and fourth period," Caroline waved that off, rolling her eyes before a smile made its way onto her face, "We're planning a June wedding."

"Does he even know your name?" Serena chuckled, asking with a raised eyebrow.

"He will."

"Okay but like can we talk about the fact that this is way too soon," The Bernard girl said, shrugging her shoulders, "I mean what happened to living our lives as single juniors?"

"Single?" Caroline raised an eyebrow, "Uh, what happened to you and Tyler?"

Serena ran her tongue over her bottom lip, "We don't talk about that."

"Since when was Vicki Donovan proclaimed as better than you?" The Forbes scoffed out, shaking her head, "I swear there's something wrong with Tyler if he wants to be with her and leave you."

"Caroline, I don't care what he wants now. We are currently on a break so...he could hit on whoever he wants to hit on."

Bonnie raised an eyebrow, cutting in, "Is that break like...not together but would kill each other if any of you attempted to be with someone else?"

"Kind of."

"That's just sick, Serena."

"So are a lot of things, Bonnie," She shrugged her shoulders, sucking in a deep breath, "Like I said, let's not talk about that."

A while had passed when they all eventually moved to play pool. Cassie sat by the bags as Serena chuckled, beating Tyler in yet another game, "I think you should retire."

"Shut up, I was just letting you win to be a gentleman."

"No, you just couldn't handle it. It's okay to admit that," Serena grinned, stating as Tyler shook his head at her.

"Oh, look at that.."

Serena furrowed her eyebrows, listening to Caroline along with Tyler as they both looked at the Mystic Grill's entrance door. Elena had just walked in with a stranger but Serena assumed he could be the new student before Matt walked up to them.

The tension was rising as the Bernard girl asked, "Am I the only one waiting for a punch to be thrown?"

"That would be gold."

However, much to their dismay, Matt pulled out his hand and greeted Stefan before introducing himself.

"That's a bummer, why does Matt have to be a nice human being?"

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"I am Serena Bernard," She started, introducing herself, "That's Bonnie," Serena pointed over at her petite friend a few inches beside her before turning to the blonde girl, "And there you have got Caroline."

"And I am Cassie," Cassie spoke up, choosing to introduce herself as she raised her hand out to Stefan who nodded with a small smile, shaking her hand.

"Bernard?"

"Yeah, know anyone by the name? Like...family friends?" Serena raised her eyebrows, asking when he stopped upon her last name.

The Salvatore shook his head, claiming, "No, I just don't hear that name much."

"Tell that to my Nana. She and her sister, Charlotte, were convinced we are pretty known for...I don't even know what reason," She blabbered out, chuckling before noticing his expression change for a few seconds. It was questionable but Serena chose to pretend she didn't notice it.

"So, you were born in Mystic Falls?" Caroline asked after a few quiet moments.

"Mm-Hmm. And moved when I was still young."

Bonnie raised an eyebrow, "Parents?"

"My parents passed away," Stefan answered, sighing.

"I'm sorry," Elena apologized, the two of them exchanging a look before she rubbed the back of her neck nervously, "Any siblings?"

"None that I talk to," He answered before revealing, "I live with my uncle."

"So, Stefan...," Caroline cut in, giving the Salvatore one of her...looks, "If you're new, then you don't know about the party tomorrow."

Bonnie explained, noticing his confusion, "It's a back-to-school thing at the falls."

"Are you going?" He turned to Elena, asking.

"Of course she is."

Serena took in a deep breath as Caroline's smile dropped, "We all are going, actually..."

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"The Battle of Willow Creek took place right at the end of the war in our very own Mystic Falls," Mr. Tanner started before asking, "How many casualties resulted in this battle?"

Serena folded another paper as Mr. Tanner chose, "Ms. Bennett?"

"Um...a lot? I'm not sure. Like a whole lot."

"Cute becomes dumb in an instant, Ms. Bennett," He commented as Bonnie sighed.

"Mr. Donovan? Would you like to take this opportunity to overcome your embedded jock stereotype?"

Matt shook his head, not phased by the expression, "It's okay, Mr. Tanner, I'm cool with it."

"Ms. Bernard?" He called out as Serena rolled down a paper and he repeated, "Ms. Bernard?"

Bonnie made a psst sound with her lips, making Serena look up from the mess of her papers, "Uh, I am sorry...What was the question?"

"Would you enlighten us about one of the town's most significantly historical events? How many casualties resulted in the Battle of Willow Creek?"

Serena pursed her lips together, "Um, uh...Am...am I supposed to know this?"

"It was part of the lesson you were asked to revise yesterday but it seems like you didn't, did you, Ms. Bernard?" Tanner raised an eyebrow, asking.

"No."

"And why is that?"

"I had other things to do," She answered, folding her arms over the desk, "And revising a History lesson didn't make the top of my list."

Muffled laughs were heard through the classroom as Mr. Tanner cleared his throat, "Serena, I will not tolerate this behavior in my classroom. I was willing to be lenient, considering your condition but the lack of respect—"

"There were 346 casualties. Unless you're counting local civilians."

Tanner furrowed his eyebrows together, turning to the student that answered, "That's correct. Mister...?"

"Salvatore."

"Salvatore. Any relation to the original settlers here at Mystic Falls?"

Stefan shrugged it off, "Distant."

"Well, very good. Except, of course, there were no civilian casualties in this battle," Tanner corrected, turning around.

The Salvatore shook his head, claiming, "Actually, there were 27, sir. Confederate soldiers, they fired on the church, believing it to be housing weapons. They were wrong."

"It was a night of great loss. The founder's archives are, uh, stored in the civil hall if you'd like to brush up on your facts, Mr. Tanner."

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Serena folded her arms together, tightening her jacket around herself as Caroline sighed, "Tanner is an ass for bringing that up. I mean your grandmother only told the school just in case but he acts like you are taking it as an excuse."

"ADHD isn't an excuse for me to slack, okay? I didn't ask to inherit it from my Dad and a bunch of other grandparents," She rolled her eyes, pulling the cap off a beer.

"Look, I understand. He doesn't so just calm down."

"I am calm," Serena claimed, shaking her head.

Caroline's attention was taken off of the Bernard as Stefan Salvatore arrived, "Wait, he's here!"

"Caroline, seriously...He is not that hot."

"Uh, yes, he is," She rolled her eyes at Serena's words, walking past the brunette and straight to the Salvatore boy.

"Ugh, not hot enough to leave me standing by myself."

She downed another mouthful of her beer, folding her arms together and leaning against a wooden bar, "This is lame."

Serena huffed out before stopping a senior and handing him her beer. She pulled her car keys out of her back pocket and walked out, forgetting that she would surely need to explain to her friends what made her leave so early but after Tanner's rough comment, the whole day was done for her.

She couldn't even remember what made her agree to come after finishing the school day.

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okay but why did I have so much fun doing this-