A dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work. -Colin Powell

Caroline was tired. And not in the, 'man, school's a bitch' kind of way or 'I want to die!' kind of way either. She was honest of God tired out of her mind because she hadn't been getting any sleep these past few days and teachers had been piling them up with so much schoolwork it should be illegal.

Ever since a few months ago, she'd been plagued with these nightmares with unwashed people shouting at her to burn in hell and then actually being burned in the dream like her skin had really been set on fire. She'd end up waking up after that bathed in perspiration and unable to sleep again lest she want a replay of the nightmare.

She wasn't sure what brought on the nightmares, influenced by some movie she watched or a result of some traumatic psychological thingy but she really had no time to go consult the school shrink about it because she had more important things to deal with like her responsibilities with her various commitees and making sure neither Tiki nor Dana could steal her position as cheerleading captain.

Sleep be damned if the latter should happen.

Caroline was in the middle of plotting Tiki's coldblooded murder as the darker girl criticized the routine she had come up with, calling it 'boring' and 'uninspired'. She was about to show just how 'uninspired' she was by punching the bitch's face in when Bonnie pulled her back.

"Go cool off." Her friend whispered to her wisely and Caroline left her in charge before leaving to go get some water.

The lack of sleep was really doing something for her temper, her patience and how little it was had been shot almost to the brink of death. She needed to get some sleep even a short cat nap would do.

But then again, the nightmares…

Sighing to herself, she grabbed one of the water bottles in the icebox, uncapping it and splashing some of the water on the sides of her sweat-covered neck. It was unusually hot that day, the sun beating down on them almost punishingly and cheerleading practice had gotten her all sticky and gross.

She needed a shower. Badly.

But she couldn't have one till practice was over and she needed to get back there and show Tiki who was boss before she drove Bonnie to insanity. Why did cheerleaders have to be so annoying?

"Hey Forbes!" She turned to see Tyler Lockwood running towards her, clad in his football uniform. He took his helmet off as he reached her, not wearing one of those bandanas he liked to wear during practice. He wasn't free from the wrath of the sun though and was sweater than she was.

"Hey Tyler," She greeted him half-heartedly, idly wondering to herself what he wanted now. Tyler and Caroline had never been friends, forced playmates when they were younger and friends of friends and the people they dated but as real friends go, it wasn't them.

She never dreamed of ever being friends with him anyway, side from the fact they had little in common, he could be a real dick when he wanted to be.

"What do you want?" She asked patiently after a while. Much to her ire, he was too busy at her semi-wet tank top to form any sentence of substance. "Lockwood, eyes up here!"

His brown eyes finally looked up to greet her own blue ones, a guiltless grin blooming on his face as she gave him a glare in return. "Well?" She persisted.

Something was almost playful with the way he stared at her. "Could I have one?" He gestured to her water bottle and baffled, she bent down to get another from the ice box. She grabbed a bottle as soon as she could, feeling his eyes on her and honestly, it quite unnerved her.

"Here!" She practically thrust the bottle to him, causing him to take a step back with the force she put on his chest. "Now you can leave." She made a shooing motion with her hand but he just continued to stand there, grinning at her like she was a particularly funny puppy that was about to do some tricks for him.

"Don't you still have practice?" She urged, wanting him to really go away now. She wasn't in the mood to deal with any horny jocks and their pathetic advances. She had much better things to do and did she already mention her volatile temper?

He still didn't budge. "Tyler." She said warningly now and this seemed to excite him somewhat as if he was wondering what she'd do now. "Leave." She was reduced to one word sentences now. Great.

"Do you really want me to?" He asked like she was a little girl, unable to understand something very complex. And eww, was he trying to look sexy?

"Yes, Tyler." She hissed out, considering clogging him in the head if he didn't disappear right then.

He smiled at her one last time and it ominously felt like a promise. "Okay." And with that, he turned and ran back to where the team was practicing.

Caroline was left standing there, water bottle in hand and staring at Tyler Lockwood in confusion and disbelief. What was up with him?

But she didn't dwell on that too long and walked back to where the cheerleading team was practicing and relieved Bonnie of having to murder Tiki to shut her up. She didn't think of Tyler Lockwood again.

Until that night, as she lay fast asleep, her mind consumed in a word of dark shadows and soft whispers.

"Do you want me to leave, Caroline?" Tyler's voice was like a melody to her ears, his arm a possessive brand around her waist as he pulled her to him, encompassing her in the heat he gave off.

She stared into dark pools of chocolate, losing herself in them and falling, falling down a dark abyss until all she could focus on was Tyler, Tyler, Tyler. "No." She was able to stay before he captured her lips with his own.

She woke up in a cold sweat, her heart thumping in her chest like it was about to burst out, strands of her hair sticking to her skin and her hand reached up to wipe the beads of perspiration of her forehead. The dream felt so vivid, so real, like she was almost touching him, feeling all that suffocating warmth from him.

And that's what scared her the most.

She looked up to see the full moon shining at her from her bedroom window as if greeting her hello, she stared into it mystified as if it was calling to her…or someone was calling to her. Who was calling her?

She didn't get too ponder on that too much before the window's curtains caught fire.

New Forwood fic! Yay!

So, some notes to ponder while reading:

Forget the show, all of what happened there.

Bonnie's not a witch.

Matt never becomes interested in Caroline.

And yeah, that's it.

Here's the trailer and TV Spot I made, cause I'm awesome:

http:/ www. you tube .com/watch?v=rP-xdnRDpsg

http:/ www. you tube. com/watch?v=mnBof4Et77c