Jack fell asleep on Cecilia's legs again, because apparently his room was next to his parents' room and he couldn't sleep, so he decided to sleep on Cecilia's legs.

Alex and Dylan walked up, with Dylan wearing a black long-sleeved shirt and a black denim vest, which he usually wore at gigs. Dylan looked happy.

"Damn dude, you look happy," replied Cecilia. "Did you just get laid?"

"What? No," replied Dylan. "My dad and I got in another fight and he grounded me."

"And that's something that you're happy about?" asked Cecilia incredulously.

Alex looked surprised, "Why did he ground you?"

"My dad went through my notebooks because my teachers sent him an email saying that I'm not doing any schoolwork and I'm not doing any homework and...I don't know," replied Dylan. "So I got mad at him for going through my stuff and he was arguing about how I need to start doing schoolwork and how I have to go to college unlike him."

"Why aren't you doing any work?" asked Alex sounding alarmed.

"I...don't know," Dylan admitted. "I just...don't know," he shrugged.

"And you're happy about all of this?" asked Cecilia.

"Are you still allowed to go to the gig tonight?" asked Alex.

"Yeah to both," replied Dylan. He started smirking, "But he's going to make sure I do my homework tonight, so in a way, I'm finally spending time with him."

"That's a genius move," Cecilia said.

"Except I'm not that smart to plan something out like that in advance," replied Dylan.

"Why are you wearing that anyway? What happened to your jacket?" Cecilia asked.

"Laundry day," replied Dylan. "My dad decided to wash it."

"World War II ended in...anyone got anything? Miss Juan?" asked Mr. Tanner. "Miss Juan?" He looked at Jack, "How about you, future rock star?"

"No," replied Jack.

"You're not going to make anything out of yourself if you don't pay attention like your friend," said Mr. Tanner, looking over at Dylan, who seemed to enter some kind of funk and was staring at his desk.

Jack looked Mr. Tanner up and down and arched an eyebrow, "Did you really pick out that shirt to go with that blazer?"

Mr. Tanner looked at Dylan, "How about you Mr. 'I'm-Too-Cool-To-Even-Pay-Attention?'"

"The war ended in 1945," replied Dylan monotonously. Mr. Tanner stared at Dylan's arm. Dylan's sleeve had ridden up a little revealing part of Dylan's wrist. Dylan seemed to notice and pulled his sleeve down. Mr. Tanner went back to the front and turned to face the class, "How about when Pearl Harbor started?" asked Mr. Tanner, writing something down on a piece of paper.

"It was 1941," replied Dylan.

Mr. Tanner handed the piece of paper to Dylan, who looked at it. Cecilia couldn't be sure what Mr. Tanner was whispering to Dylan, but her friend must've gotten pissed at what Mr. Tanner told him, because she never saw Dylan grab his things so angrily before. Dylan left the classroom.

It was a shock to Cecilia, because as far as she could remember, Mr. Tanner never sent anyone out of his class before. Even with Jack making snide remarks about Mr. Tanner's wardrobe. She and Jack looked at each other.

"Why are you sending him out? Didn't he answer it correctly?" asked a girl.

"That is none of your business, Miss Costello, and if you're so interested in talking, can you tell me the day that Pearl Harbor started?" Mr. Tanner said.

"No," replied the girl.

"Elena?" asked Mr. Tanner.

"Um..." started Elena.

"December 7th," replied Stefan.

"Thank you...Elena," Mr. Tanner said.

"Anytime," replied Stefan.

"Very well," replied Mr. Tanner, "What year did the Berlin Wall fall?"

"1989," Stefan said. "I'm good with dates, sir."

"Are you? How good? Keep it to the year. Civil Rights Act," Mr. Tanner quizzed.

Jack kept giving Cecilia looks and she leaned over to hear what he wanted to talk about. Jack whispered, "Do you know why he sent Dylan out?"

"No," Cecilia whispered back. "You're the one who happens to knows things, you tell me."

"You know that it doesn't work like that," whispered Jack.

"I doubt even you know how it works," replied Cecilia.

"Got that right," replied Jack.

Alex met up with them in the hallway after class was over.

"Where's Dylan?" Alex asked confused.

"He got sent out of the classroom," Cecilia said.

"Why?" Alex asked confused.

"He wasn't paying attention." replied Jack, "Even though he did answer Mr. Tanner's questions."

Alex looked troubled and Cecilia was reminded of whatever it was that he and Dylan talked about.

So she said, "Yesterday you were saying that you and Dylan got to talking, but you never told me."

"I'll tell you later," Alex said and they headed into different directions.

At lunch, Dylan met up with them.

"Where were you?" Alex asked.

"Mr. Tanner sent me to the school psychiatrist and I bet everything that Jack owns, my dad got a phone call and that'll start a whole other shit-fest, and my dad will be even more stressed about his fuck-up of a son," replied Dylan.

"You're not a fuck-up," Alex said to Dylan.

Dylan smiled at him, "Thanks."

"Why did he send you there anyway?" Jack asked.

"He grew tired of me spacing out and sent me out," replied Dylan with a shrug. "Don't know what he was hoping to accomplish by sending me out to see the school psychiatrist."

Jack looked at him, like he didn't believe Dylan, but he nodded, "Right."

"Are you going to the football game, tomorrow?" Elena asked Cecilia.

"Why?" Cecilia asked as she got her guitar case. She double-checked to see if she had everything.

Elena picked up a framed picture that was on Cecilia's desk. "Stefan is on the football team and I thought it would be nice if we all went to support him."

"Oh, maybe, I don't know yet," replied Cecilia.

"I just noticed that Jack has that mole right there on his face," said Elena.

"What about it?" Cecilia asked confused.

"It makes him adorable," replied Elena. "It makes him cute."

"Probably why he has girls asking him out," replied Cecilia.

"Besides that whole bad-boy persona," replied Elena. "To be honestly, I was kind of jealous of you."

Cecilia was surprised, "Jealous of what?" She had been jealous that Elena had more friends than her and how Elena seemed to be more popular than her. It didn't mean that Cecilia didn't enjoy her friendship with Jack. She just wanted more friends.

"I meant that I once had a crush on him," replied Elena. "I mean, he was so cute back then, and...then you easily befriended him and that one day he kissed you—"

"Because some girl wouldn't take no for an answer," Cecilia said.

"I know that now, but at the time I was pissed at you for it," replied Elena, "And jealous too."

"So that's why you didn't talk to me for four days?" asked Cecilia, amused.

"Yeah, because I wanted it to be me," replied Elena. "But I'm over him now. I just happen to think this picture makes him look cute."

Cecilia looked at the picture, "Oh. Yeah. I told him he was adorable, but he got bitchy and told me that he was a creature of darkness. His mom took the picture, so I got a copy of it. He won't admit it, but I know he has the original picture in his room."

"Moving on," Elena said, setting the picture back down. "I know you invited Stefan to your gig at the Black Rose."

"And you have that dinner thing with Bonnie, so I understand that he won't make it," Cecilia said.

"Oh, about that, Bonnie, Stefan, and I agreed that we would come watch you perform a few songs before we leave," Elena said. "I just have to prepare the meal."

"You got it store bought, didn't you?" asked Cecilia.

"How do you know?" asked Elena innocently.

"Jack isn't the only one who knows things," replied Cecilia. "Plus your cooking skills could use a lot of work."

"Do any of you want to play The Trials at the gig?" asked Alex.

"You already changed the set list three times already," Dylan said, annoyed.

"Just because you can't sleep doesn't mean you can take your shit out on everyone else," Alex said.

"Not this shit again," replied Jack annoyed.

They had to put up with Alex and Dylan arguing, which eventually started sounding like a couple bickering, and then Jack snarled, 'just kiss already' and then bam, the two were kissing and then they were dating.

"Right," replied Dylan. "Sorry."

Alex gave Dylan a strange look. "All right then..."

"I'm just tired of arguing with you," replied Dylan.

Cecilia asked, "How about we play Black Magic?"

"No!" replied Alex. He looked at Dylan as if expecting him to agree with him.

"It'll be fine with me," replied Dylan with a shrug.

Alex looked at Dylan, "Really?"

Dylan nodded, "I'd rather not argue with anyone before this gig."

Alex stayed silent, staring at Dylan for about a minute, until he said, "Fine."

"What say you, are you guilty of witchcraft, of which you are suspected or not?" Dylan asked Cecilia.

"No sir, I say before God, before whom I stand, that I know nothing about witchcraft," Cecilia replied.

It was a minor drum solo from Jack and holding some notes on the bass to build up anticipation and adrenaline for the breakdown.

"Hang her as a witch!" the audience shouted in place of Dylan screaming that.

The audience wasn't supposed to be shouting that for The Trials, but after the fourth time they performed that song, the audience shouted it. It, admittedly, made Cecilia tear up because they finally had an audience participation song, even if it was just one sentence.

After the gig, they stayed around to talk to their audience, although one girl was clearly hitting on Dylan, who didn't even seem interested.

"Sorry, I'm in a committed relationship with life right now. It's currently fucking me," Dylan told the girl.

The girl nodded, "Same, bro, same."

Jack set a bottle of water down in front of Cecilia, "Here you go. Your face-paint is terrible, by the way."

"Thanks," replied Cecilia, knowing that he was referring to the skull make-up that she put on. "It can't be worse than Dylan's."

Cecilia and Jack looked over. Dylan was now just staring blankly in front of him. The girl took off.

"Yours is worse," Jack said.

"Thanks, bitch," replied Cecilia.

"You're welcome, asshole," replied Jack with a smile.

Cecilia looked in her The Nightmare Before Christmas shoulder bag for makeup removal wipes. Jack had gotten the bag for her birthday.

Alex came up to them. He looked excited. "Here's your money." He passed them envelopes that had money in it. Cecilia took hers and put it in her bag. "Claudia said that we can perform here again next week."

Cecilia smiled widely, "That's amazing!"

Alex turned to Dylan, who was now looking at a woman, who was talkin to him about something.

Cecilia took out a packet of makeup remover wipes. "I'm going to go wipe this face paint off."

"Even though it's an upgrade from your normal face," replied Jack.

"Come on, man, that's a little harsh," Alex said.

Cecilia was confused, because she wasn't offended, since that's how they normally talked to each other.

"Its fine, Alex," Cecilia said to him. "Besides, his face-paint is just his normal face."

Alex turned to Dylan, who was now looking at a woman. She walked away and Dylan put something in his jeans pocket. Alex went over to Dylan.

Cecilia went to the restroom to wipe the face-paint off.

Jack dropped Dylan off first, who ended up falling asleep on Alex's knee. Alex just patted Dylan on the head until they got to the apartment building that Dylan lived in.

Dylan's dad, Rob, was waiting outside for them. Cecilia smiled and waved at him. Alex had to pull Dylan out of the car and carry him bridal style over to John, who took Dylan. Rob seemed to frown as he got Dylan.

Alex and Rob spoke to each other briefly before he got back in the car.

"What was that about?" Cecilia asked Alex.

"He's losing weight," Alex said. "His dad noticed when he got Dylan."

"That's really worrying," Cecilia said.

"Rob told me that he was going to have a serious talk with Dylan about whatever is going on with him," Alex said.

"Sounds very serious," replied Jack.

"No shit, Sherlock," replied Cecilia.

"I didn't ask for your attitude, Watson," grumbled Jack as he drove on.

They dropped Alex off and Jack decided that he'd rather stay the night at Cecilia's home instead.

Cecilia couldn't sleep, because she was thinking about Christmas songs, because Christmas was approaching and for some reason her mind went to Christmas songs...and there was one question that was kind of plaguing her right now. She rolled over in bed and shook Jack.

Jack groaned and rolled over too look at Cecilia, "What?"

"Okay, so like, if Santa knows who's bad and who's good, right..." Cecilia started.

"Yeah?" asked Jack.

"So, why didn't he know that the other reindeer were being assholes to Rudolph?" Cecilia asked. "Maybe the reindeer are immune to Santa's powers, man."

"Dude," replied Jack, dragging the word out. "It's..." He looked at the alarm clock, "three in the morning. Go to sleep."

Alex couldn't make it to the game and Jack of course had to work at the bookshop. She asked Dylan, but he was still grounded so he couldn't make it. Cecilia wasn't sure if he and Rob had that serious talk yet.

Stefan came up to Cecilia, "Have you seen Elena? I wanted to give her something."

"I saw her over there," Cecilia said, motioning to where she last saw Elena.

"Okay," replied Stefan. "Oh, by the way, I'm sorry that I couldn't watch the entire show with your band, but from the three songs I listened too, I think you are really good."

Cecilia smiled at him. "Thanks. I know we're not really that good yet, but we'll get there. Eventually."

Stefan nodded, "What made you guys choose the band name, anyway?"

"It's actually a tribute to all the victims of the witch trials, from the ones in England to the Salem Witch Trials, to what happened by the Witch Burial Ground," Cecilia explained. "It was Jack's idea, since he's into that stuff."

"There you are," Elena said, coming up to them.

Cecilia took that as her cue to leave.

Cecilia sat down with Jeremy at the bleachers.

"How has life been treating you?" Cecilia asked Jeremy.

"It sucks," replied Jeremy.

"Dylan couldn't have said it better, 'I'm in a committed with life right now, because it's currently fucking me,'" Cecilia said.

"That's one way to put it," replied Jeremy.

Mr. Tanner was talking about Stefan.

"Is it just me or does Mr. Tanner sounds like he has a crush on Stefan?" Cecilia joked.

"Probably wants in his pants," replied Jeremy.

Cecilia shrugged, "Probably. Probably explains why he keeps going after Jack and Dylan."

"Maybe," replied Jeremy. "I certainly don't know if he's dating a girl or something."

"Judging from everyone's reaction, I wouldn't be surprised if he has a crush on Jennifer" replied Cecilia. Jennifer was the name of Jack's mother.

"Everyone has a crush on Jennifer. She's hot," replied Jeremy. He added, "Hotter than even Vicki." He paused, "Don't tell her I said that."

"It's okay," replied Cecilia. "Tyler said that he would screw Jennifer."

"That's disgusting," replied Jeremy. "Although to be honest, I would as well."

Cecilia jokingly smacked Jeremy on the shoulder, but started laughing. Jeremy just started laughing.

Tyler came up to them, looking not happy.

"What are you laughing at, Gilbert? I still have Vicki, so don't worry, you can have her when I'm done with her," Lockwood taunted.

"Go away, Lockwood, I'm tired of your bullshit," replied Jeremy.

Lockwood turned to Cecilia. "Where's your three boyfriends? Or are you here to shag half the football team?"

Cecilia really couldn't be offended, because she had heard worse than that from the other girls in the locker room when she befriended Alex and Dylan.

Jeremy didn't seem to like the insinuation because he actually punched Lockwood.

It was the reaction that Lockwood wanted, because he grabbed the front of Jeremy's shirt and pushed him backwards into the bleachers.

Cecilia got up and tried to pry Lockwood's hands off of Jeremy's shirt.

"Get out of here, Lockwood. Why are you such an ass?" Cecilia asked.

"How about you butt out of everyone's life?" asked Lockwood.

Jeremy took Lockwood's distraction and grabbed his shoulders, throwing Lockwood to the ground. Cecilia had to step backwards to avoid getting into the fray. Lockwood managed to flip Jeremy over onto the ground and punched him in the face.

Cecilia went over and grabbed onto Lockwood's shoulder. "Get off of him!" Lockwood shoved her backwards and slapped her in the face, taking Cecilia off guard. She grabbed her cheek.

Everything went quiet and for a moment, Lockwood looked angry and then grew horrified at the realization that he just slapped a girl. Or maybe he was horrified at the idea of Cecilia's three male friends ganging up on him for hitting her.

Stefan was suddenly right in front of Lockwood, and Cecilia had never seen someone look so murderous before and she was close friends with Jack.

Stefan had the front of Lockwood's jersey. "Apologize to Cecilia! Right now before you make me do something that I will really regret!" Lockwood looked terrified. Stefan ordered, "Now!"

Lockwood looked at Cecilia, "Sorry. Didn't mean to hit you."

"Apology noted. And it's pending," replied Cecilia. She helped Jeremy up off the ground.

The crowd started dispersing, murmuring among themselves. Some of the crowd-goers looked disgusted at Lockwood, who slouched off with Stefan glaring at him.

"Are you okay?" Bonnie asked Cecilia.

"Yeah," replied Cecilia. "I had been slapped harder."

"What the hell, Jeremy?" Elena said to Jeremy.

"He called Celia a slut," said Jeremy, "Just because she's friends with Alex, Dylan, and Jack."

"He did?" asked Elena, looking at Cecilia.

Cecilia nodded, "It was more of an insinuation. I've heard worse from other girls in the locker room."

"What an ass," muttered Bonnie.

"He was just trying to get a reaction from Jeremy and it worked. Did any of you seen how pissed Stefan looked when Lockwood slapped me?" Cecilia said.

"He looked like he was going to shed Lockwood's blood," Jeremy said. "I was going to myself."

"It'll be nothing once word gets back to Jack," Elena said.

"I'll get you both some ice," Bonnie told them.

"Jeremy needs ice more than me," Cecilia said.

"I'll go help you Bonnie," Elena said to Bonnie.

The two wondered off and Cecilia looked at Jeremy. "What was that about? Telling Lockwood that you were done with his shit, I mean?"

"Just some things that Dylan talked to me about," replied Jeremy. "He found me out at the bleachers when I went out there to smoke pot yesterday after he got done with the school psychiatrist. He told me some stuff that helped me realize some things."

Cecilia nodded and wondered what conversation they had that helped Jeremy out.

Vicki found Mr. Tanner's body, which had to be horrifying for the girl to find. It just seemed odd.

Bonnie looked horrified, so Cecilia went to talk to her, "Are you okay, Bonnie?"

"I had these numbers in my head all day yesterday. Eight, fourteen, and twenty-two," Bonnie said. "What was that Jack told me?"

"That you're a witch," replied Cecilia. She nudged Bonnie. "Come on, Bonnie. He said that it was cool."

Bonnie shook her head, "I can't deal with this right now."

"You're always welcome to hang out with me and my friends, if you feel like you're an outcast," Cecilia told her brightly.

Bonnie looked at her, "I'll keep that in mind."

Cecilia took that as a 'hell no.' "Well, the offer still stands. Just what kind of animal comes out of the woods and attacks people in the middle of town?"

"I don't know," replied Bonnie.

"Didn't you say that this was only the beginning?" Cecilia asked Bonnie.

"Yeah," replied Bonnie.

"The beginning of what?" prompted Cecilia.

Bonnie shrugged. "I don't know."

Cecilia nodded and they stayed silent for a moment before she asked, "Who's going to teach history now?"