Let’s be honest: Melissa (Jessica Parker Kennedy) hasn’t really been herself since Nick (Louis Hunter) was killed earlier this season on The Secret Circle. “Melissa is on a journey of, for lack of a better term, finding herself,” Jessica tells us, adding that — believe it or not — Melissa’s heartbreak is far from over. “Before she finds her groove, she’s going to go through a bunch of stuff.”

Naturally, I had to ask her if this “stuff” could potentially include a new love interest for the down-trodden witch.

“I think it’s possible,” she teases. “We haven’t gone there with the script yet, but I hope so.”

I second that.

Read on for my full interview with Jessica…

How does your head feel after last week’s episode?

“I had a stunt double come in so she could properly conk her head. It was funny, because when we were laying there and the mystery man comes in to save us with his boots, the smoke was so thick. You couldn’t tell by watching it, but we could barely see our hands in front of our faces. I don’t understand how the camera caught anything. One of our wardrobe people was like, ‘God, this reminds me of the ice capades back in the ’80s.’ It was like being at some crazy party.”

Like a rave… in the bathroom.

“…After I passed out.”

What’s it like for you, as an actress, to see your character so lost?

“When I was filming last week’s episode, I had a really hard time finding my groove. I was talking to the director, and he was like, ‘Yeah, of course you are. Melissa’s not really comfortable in her shoes right now, so why would you feel comfortable?’ It was a shift that was unexpected for Melissa, so I’m feeling a little in-between, and not sure of where I am.”

What about Melissa’s family? Any chance we’ll meet more of them?

“It’s quite mysterious. Right now I know Melissa’s father is alive, and she also has a stepmother. I certainly hope we’ll meet more people, though. Anytime you get to act with people who are supposed to be your family, it really influences your backstory and makes character development a lot easier. It would help me [as an actress] inform my character. I hope I have that opportunity.”

And what about Melissa’s friendship with Faye? Will that change now that Faye is the circle’s new pariah?

“She is the circle’s new pariah, but I remember when we filmed the scene where we all scream at Faye in the parking lot, I was like, ‘Cassie’s done so much bad stuff too! Why are we beating up on Faye?’ One of the reasons I love Faye so much is because she can be so brutal, but the look Phoebe is able to put on her face when she realizes she made a huge mistake is so heartfelt. The character is really struggling. But it’s like any friendship. It’ll get wild, then settle down, and it’ll all happen again.

I know you don’t know who the other Blackwell child is, but do you have a theory?

“I don’t have a theory, but I think it would be really fun if it was Diana. She’s such a good girl, so I think it’d be interesting if her character had some crazy shift. But at the same time, this Blackwell character is so dark, so maybe it’ll be Faye. I think it’d be neat to see Diana sort of go to the dark side.”

As long as it’s not Jake. That’d be kind of gross.

“A little bit.”

What are your hopes for Melissa in the future? How would you like to see her end up?

“I want to see Melissa standing on her own two feet, which she’s starting to do. And I want to see her happy and in love. I loved the scenes with Louis Hunter, when they really started to care for each other — which was, unfortunately, right before he died. She’s such a passionate character. I know she’s going to take a bit of a journey before she gets there, but that’s understandable before her boyfriend died and her friend is a psycho. And on top of that, she’s going through puberty. She’s a teenager and she’s trying to get good grades.”

Oh right, grades. I feel like we never see these kids doing homework.

“Right? We don’t have time for that. But I think we’re all doing OK. I think Melissa’s maintaining a mid-70s range. That’s what I like to say. School’s not too difficult for her.”

So… average student, but above-average witch?

“Absolutely! Exactly.”

OK, now that you know what Jessica wants for Melissa’s future, tell me what YOU want to see happen to the circle’s saddest witch. Do you hope she moves on from Nick? Maybe gets some crazy new powers? Anything can happen on this show, so drop me a comment with your wildest wish!

— Andy Swift

Follow Andy on Twitter for more One Tree Hill scoop

Fans of The Secret Circle are still grieving the loss of Nick (Louis Hunter) after last week’s game-changing episode, and while the surviving circle members will certainly be in mourning this week, there’s a new force in town who’s bound to shake things up even more. HollywoodLife.com chatted with Jessica Parker Kennedy (aka Nick’s “widow” Melissa) for the scoop on Chris Zylka, who makes his debut Oct. 20 as Chance Harbor’s newest bad boy.

“Jake is a really great character,” Jessica told us. “He’s mysterious and sexy and cool and he’s a bad boy.

Those are four pretty solid adjectives, but they could also be used to describe Melissa’s dearly departed hook-up buddy, Nick. Does that mean sparks will fly between Melissa and Jake — who also happens to be Faye’s (Phoebe Tonkin) ex-boyfriend – as well?

“That’s definitely Melissa’s type,” Jessica admitted. “But it’s any girl’s type, really. Who doesn’t love sexy, cool bad boys?”

And it sounds like Jessica is having just as much fun working with Chris as Melissa is with Jake.

“Chris is one of the most delightful gentlemen I’ve ever met,” she told us. “He’s really a sweetheart — very mature, very kind, and very passionate about his work. He’s very, very good at what he does. We’re all very excited to work with him.”

And I think I speak for all Secret Circle when I say we’re excited to meet him!

— Andy Swift

Follow Andy on Twitter for more Secret Circle scoop

Well, kids, just because we knew it was going to happen, that doesn’t make it any less sad. Nick (Louis Hunter) met his untimely end at the hands of Charles (Gale Harold) on the Oct. 13 episode of The Secret Circle, after absorbing the demon that was possessing Melissa (Jessica Parker Kennedy.) Remember when Jessica told HollywoodLife.com the episode would be “very telling about [Melissa's] feelings for Nick?” She wasn’t kidding.

I think the fact that his body was willing to accept the demon serves as proof that Nick really does — uh, did – care about Melissa. It sucks that he’s dead now, especially because I was really starting to like the two of them as a couple, but something tells me we haven’t seen the last of him. He may be head, but this show is about magic, people. Just look at all those “dead” Vampire Diaries characters we thought we’d never see again!

Oh, the other major upset on this week’s episode? Cassie (Britt Robertson) came clean to her grandma! You know, about the whole witchcraft thing. Her exact words were “I’m a witch and I need your help,” which made me giggle, since it was totally reminiscent of how bluntly Faye (Phoebe Tonkin) dropped the same bombshell on Cassie just four episodes ago.

And this wouldn’t be a thorough review of a Secret Circle episode if I didn’t touch on everyone’s favorite love triangle between Adam (Thomas Dekker), Diana (Shelley Hennig) and Cassie. This is my first Secret Circle recap, having taken over for the lovely Lorena O’Neil, so I should probably admit this right off the bat: I just don’t get it.

Diana and Adam seem perfect for each other, and this episode was a solid reminder of that. Whether it was their crazy-hot sex romp — the one tragically cut short by all those panicked text messages from the other circlers — or their sad, quiet moment following Nick’s death, the couple’s chemistry was off the charts this week. It’ll be interesting to see what happens as the show progresses, but for now, I’m totally Team Diana.

So what did YOU think of this week’s episode? Are you mad that Nick is dead, or do you think it was exactly the game-changer this show needed? And where do you stand on the Adam-Diana-Cassie love triangle after this week’s very Adam/Diana-heavy hour? Drop a comment with your thoughts!

— Andy Swift

Follow Andy on Twitter for more Secret Circle

It doesn’t take a psychic to know the Oct. 13 episode of The Secret Circle is going to suck for Melissa (Jessica Parker Kennedy.) Now that she’s possessed by Heather’s little demon, it’s up to the remaining five circlers to yank it out of her without doing too much damage. But Jessica tells HollywoodLife.com that this week’s episode will change everything, including Melissa’s future with Nick (Louis Hunter.) That’s assuming, of course, they even have a future to speak of.

“Melissa’s about to go through a bunch of crap,” Jessica admits. “It’s a big test for her, and there’s a good arc for her character. … I think the way she handles the situation is surprising. It’s very telling in terms of her feelings for Nick.”

Yeah, let’s talk about Nick. Jessica jokes that Nick has a “James Dean image,” but it turns out the two might have more in common than just their pouty looks and shared affinity for leather jackets. Fans are abuzz with speculation that Nick will be [POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT] killed off during this week’s episode, based on this new promo image in which Nick is replaced by Chris Zylka‘s Jake, who makes his first appearance on the Oct. 20 episode, suspiciously titled “Wake.”

CLICK HERE for a recap of the Oct. 13 episode, “Wake!”

If things do end up going south for Nick — and by “south,” I mean literally six feet under — it sounds like Melissa will be able to count on her ol’ buddy Faye (Phoebe Tonkin) for support. I know what you’re thinking: Faye’s a total bitch, and a terrible friend to Melissa. I agree. But Jessica tells us that despite their differences, Melissa and Faye have a real connection.

“They have a really innate bond,” Jessica says of her and Phoebe’s characters. “They’re best friends, and though they often don’t see eye-to-eye, she’s her dearest friend. You’ll see a push and pull between them, with Melissa trying to pull rank, but I feel in my heart that they’re going to be friends for life.”

So what do YOU think will happen tonight? Will Nick live to see another day, or will the circle be in need of serious repair come Friday morning? Watch this preview of tonight’s episode, then drop your thoughts in the comments section below:

Click here to view the embedded video.

— Andy Swift, with reporting by Lorena O’Neil

Follow Andy on Twitter for more Secret Circle scoop