Elena Gilbert and her brother Jeremy come to terms with the death of their parents. Elena is popular amongst her peers and the perfect straight A student, but has difficulties hiding her grief from the world. Meanwhile, Jeremy treads on a dangerous path of using drugs to ease his pain. The arrival of new student Stefan Salvatore, however, makes Elena think about romantic possibilities.

As Mystic Falls gets ready for a festival to celebrate the passing of a comet, Vicki continues to recover in the hospital following Damon's attack. Stefan heads to the hospital to try to use his abilities to make Vicki forget who attacked her, but his efforts are cut short by Matt. Meanwhile, at a parent/teacher conference Mr. Tanner tells Aunt Jenna that Jeremy is in trouble and needs immediate intervention.

As Elena tries to ignore Bonnie's warnings about Stefan, Tyler tries to embarrass Stefan by throwing a ball at him. However, his effortless catch and football skills impress everyone, leading Mr. Tanner to let him join the football team. Meanwhile, Elena invites Stefan and Bonnie to dinner in order to try to get the two to know each other, but the night ends up backfiring. Finally, the town is shocked by an act of violence.