A/N: Hello fellow Klaroline lovers! I published a short drabble entitled And The Winner Is a few days ago, and it was such a joy to write all around fluffy Klaroline that I decided to start up an entire drabble/one-shot series. This whole thing is a prequel to the aforementioned drabble and centres around how Klaus and Caroline got to where they were in that particular story (in other words, it is all about their "firsts"). You don't have to read that to understand this, but if you want to, I'm not stopping you.

These will be quick chapters. Less than three-thousand words each. That's my goal, at least. I have over fifteen one-shot ideas for this, and I am very excited to get them to you once a week, most likely every Friday.

The chapter titles will be pretty self-explanatory, so don't worry, this will be the longest author's note. Also, there will always be mistakes. I have no beta, and it shows.

Anyway, I do hope you enjoy and look forward to starting this happy journey with all of you.

Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries or any of its characters/settings/storylines. Nor do I own Fall Out Boy. Well, I do own all of their music, but I don't really think that counts.

"Are we growing up, or just going down?

It's just a matter of time until we're all found out."

Sophomore Slump or Comeback of the Year | Fall Out Boy (From Under the Cork Tree)

Now You See Me (AKA: first sighting)

High school was hell. Burning, all-consuming hell. Caroline I-wanna-write-novels-when-I-grow-up Forbes had no other words to describe it. Freshman year had sucked the life out of her, leaving her dry and dismantled by the end.

Summer offered little to no consolation as Bonnie and Elena both went out of town for the whole three months. Elena went off to Paris, of course. Bonnie got stuck with Ohio.

Now, here she was, nearly fifteen and starting her sophomore year. The only bright thought in her mind at the moment was the knowledge that she was only three years away from leaving this godforsaken place.

As the school bus approached Mystic Falls High, the blond-haired beauty sighed to herself and thought about how lucky she'd be by the middle of winter. She could barely wait to get her learner's permit, the thing that would get her another step closer to disappearing from Mystic Falls altogether.

It wasn't that Mystic Falls was bad. To think of it, the only problem she even had with the small town she'd spent her whole life in was with the high school and all of its snobby students. Mystic Falls itself was great. Caroline's mind was full of absolutely wonderful memories she'd carry around with her for the rest of her life.

She'd tell her kids one day about the time she broke her arm falling off a tree when she was twelve, and about the other time last year when Matt pushed her into the deepest part of the creek after she'd announced, rather stupidly, that rarely anything startled her. About how it got so cold in the winter, but the minute summer rolled around the humidity swelled into your lungs and made it nearly impossible to breathe.

Caroline didn't have any true difficulties with her town. She loved it...but she craved more. She craved life and culture and majesty. The wooded area surrounding this part of Virginia had it moments, but really it was stock full of beauty queen wannabes and gunslinging racists.

The dangers of living in the south, she laughed to herself.

The bus rolled into its prescribed spot; the sound of the doors squeaking open sent shivers of fear down Caroline's slouched spine. She ripped her earbuds out. Coiling them around her iPod and tucking the forbidden device in her new black backpack, she stood up, examining herself in the smudged window by her seat one last time before shuffling behind Matt Donovan.

.1.

"Oh my goodness, can you freaking believe it! We're sophomores!" Elena greeted her with all the enthusiasm of an entire cheerleading squad when she got inside the school building.

All around Caroline people were running up to one another, wrapping their arms around the shoulders of people they'd only know until the end of senior year, and who they'd never truly know at all. The fakeness of this particular high school ritual made her blood boil.

"We're just sophomores, Elena. It's not that exciting," Caroline grumbled, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a folded piece of paper. She scanned its contents and found her locker assignment at the top of the page.

Elena's hand gripped hers tightly as they started heading in the direction of Caroline's locker. "What are you talking about? It's so fucking amazing! I mean, we're going to be invited to all the cool parties, boys will start noticing us more…"

The tall brunette babbled about the amazingness that was going to be their sophomore year, but Caroline was barely listening. She focused on scanning the numbers above the locker doors instead and let it run through her mind that maybe Elena was becoming a bit too "boy-obsessed," a word Bonnie had used close to the end of last year when they attended the It's-Fucking-Summer party by the ravine.

"…And I was really hoping Damon might ask me out this year, finally. I've been waiting for his balls to drop on the matter, but he's been playing hard to get…"

Here she goes again with her Damon-crazed mind, was all Caroline allowed herself to think on the very insignificant matter of Elena's non-existent relationship with the older, darker Salvatore brother.

Finally, they reached Caroline's locker. The grayish-yellowish tint to its metal only added to her distressed mind. At least they were full-length in the sophomore section. Freshman year was not made any better by having a lower-level locker below one of the girls' who'd bullied her most during junior high.

Caroline was vaguely aware of Elena still chattering as she emptied the contents of her backpack into the small space. Grabbing the essentials for her first and second period classes (Algebra 2 and A.P. British Lit. respectively), Caroline placed her bag on the hook, slamming the door and successfully shocking Elena out of her impassioned speech about getting Damon's attention at lunch.

Apparently she'd checked in with Stefan, Damon's younger brother, earlier in the day and found out the raven-haired senior had the same lunch as them.

What was the point in pursuing someone who was so near graduation? It made no sense to her.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Elena shrieked, despite Caroline being right next to her. "You have an admirer!"

What? An admirer? Who?

Muted excitement slunk to Caroline's stomach. "Who is it?"

Elena leaned in close; Caroline could see the fine lines of kohl drawn expertly around her eyes. She held her breath.

"Tyler Lockwood."

"The Tyler Lockwood?" Caroline asked stupidly.

"No, the other one."

"Well, I don't know. That's some shocking news you've just thrown at me, Elena. Excuse me if I'm a bit flustered"

Oh, Tyler Lockwood. The junior was Mystic Falls High's newest quarterback. Tall, dark, and definitely good-looking.

Secretly, Caroline had been crushing on him since the fifth grade. Thinking it would never go anywhere, of course. Believing it never would. Or could.

Tyler was into the girls like Elena. The ones who exuded confidence and breathed sex like it was oxygen. There was no way he'd be interested in her. She was the sherif's daughter. People didn't even invite her to parties because they were too afraid Liz Forbes would come rushing in to ruin all their lives.

But Elena was explaining herself, and Caroline couldn't help it—she had to listen. "He's been talking to Stefan about it all summer long. Stefan said he wouldn't shut up about how sexy you are."

Sexy? No one had ever called her sexy before. Not that she'd ever actually wanted them to. In fact, she found herself growing uncomfortable with the idea of that word being bestowed upon her. They were young teenagers, barely done with puberty yet. They weren't high fashion lingerie models.

"Why are you not freaking out right now!" Elena looked very confused, like she didn't recognise Caroline as the girl who'd accompanied her to the nurses' station back in the first grade when a boy had thrown a rock into Elena's face and broken the skin.

"Because…" she said, not really sure why. Last year she would have gone crazy with excitement that a boy finally admitted he liked her. She would have passed out if that same boy had been Tyler Lockwood. Here, though, now...it just didn't sit right in her stomach. "I don't know. He's not my…type."

Elena scoffed. "You're fifteen, Caroline. Everyone is your type. Beggars can't be choosers, you know."

"I'm not begging," the blond defended, gripping her books to her chest. "The bell's about to ring, Elena. You need to get to your locker."

Sighing, Elena smiled at Caroline like she was a lost dog in need of food and shelter. "Okay, I'll drop it. For now."

For good, please. Boys aren't as important as books. At least they shouldn't be. Not now.

"Thank you, Elena," Caroline whispered as Elena walked away.

Caroline exhaled a long breath, the tension rolling away from her in waves of pure bliss. Talking to Elena was like talking to a brick wall. She was probably avoiding her locker at all costs, busy finding Tyler so she could play matchmaker.

As she turned with the full intent of going to her first class, Caroline felt the sudden urge to look behind her. It was like something was forcing her head around, some invisible entity that left no room for argument.

She obliged unwillingly—she really needed to get to class—and twisted her chin over her shoulder, not quite sure what she was looking for, but looking all the same. And then her eyes landed on a boy. A lean, scruffy-haired, beautifully handsome boy struggling to open the locker two away from hers. She turned all the way around.

He jerked his head up suddenly, like he'd just been woken from a nightmare. Thinking he might need help, Caroline was tempted to step forward. But the minute he shifted and stared directly at her, she scratched that idea.

She was too far away to really see what he looked like, but she could already tell that he'd be breathtaking up close. The boy continued gazing at her for a moment longer (long enough to make her pale skin turn pink) before returning his attention to his locker. He tried the combination again, only this time the locker clicked open.

Caroline scampered away immediately, feeling strangely embarrassed. Her heart jittered in her chest. Her skin felt as if it were on fire.

She frowned the entire way to Math.

Who was that?

Niklaus hadn't wanted to move. England was home, it always had been. His grandparents were there, his older brother. The queen! What more of a reason did his mother need?

"We're moving, Niklaus. That's the end of it."

She'd said that to him multiple times over the summer. Each time he complained, she would say those eight words and nothing more.

Of course, he knew why they were leaving. Mikael, his father, had finally been put in jail for embezzlement. His company had officially sunk to the bottom of the atlantic. It was time for the remaining Mikaelson's to start up life somewhere new. Somewhere they wouldn't be laughed at or shouted at.

Why America, though? He didn't understand that part. And why Virginia, of all places? Humid in the summer and freezing in the winter. Home to black widow spiders and copperhead snakes. Not exactly Niklaus' wildest dream.

The houses were larger, he admitted. And he'd explored the woods around his new place without being attacked by a bear. But he didn't have much hope for school.

He'd been at a very prestigious private school back in London, back when they had the type of money to afford such a place. In Virginia, in Mystic Falls, it was as if everyone went to public school. Students dressed in whatever they wanted and talked however they pleased.

Niklaus wasn't a snob. He wasn't posh. He was new, though. And newness in high school spread quicker than a wildfire. Or so the guidance counsellor had told him at orientation just the other week.

She'd told him that people would automatically approach him because of his looks and stick around because of his accent. Americans loved exotic accents, she said.

Exotic? He'd questioned in his head. Who would ever consider this accent exotic?

He wasn't exactly looking forward to the attention. He'd already made two friends during his first month in Virginia, he didn't need any more.

But the minute he entered the school halls, everyone seemed to stare at him for a second too long. Their eyes followed him like he was some mysterious creature on display at the zoo. Girls flashed him shy smiles with too much desperation and the boys set to work on sizing him up.

High school was going to be hell.

"Klaus, hey! Wait there!" Stefan Salvatore, one of Niklaus' friends whom he'd met at the local music store, weaved through the mass of adolescents to get to him. "Whoa, what are all these people staring at?"

Niklaus wanted to say me, but decided that sounded just a smidge too egotistical. "I don't know," he said instead. Shocked faces turned in his direction when he spoke.

"Really?" Stefan eyed him incredulously. "Because I think they're staring at you."

"Well, you may be right about that."

The other boy laughed, a hearty sound that eased Niklaus' worries just the slightest bit. "Do you know your locker assignment yet?"

Niklaus looked at the piece of paper in his hand. "Yes. I was just about to head there now."

"Lemme see that." Stefan took the paper and examined it top to bottom. He scowled. "Damn, we're at completely different ends of the school."

His heart sunk. He already knew Jeremy Gilbert was in the Freshman wing, whatever that meant. "Oh, that's fine. We're on the same bus, at least."

"Yeah, and it looks like we've got a couple of classes together. Gym and history. Now we can always buddy up when we do team sports. And we've got the same lunch period."

"Sounds dreamy," Niklaus said drily.

Stefan bunched his eyebrows for a second until he picked up on the thinly veiled sarcasm. "Ha, yeah, I guess it's not that exciting."

Niklaus nodded, but really, it was comforting knowing that he already had someone on his side.

"Right, well, I need to run really fast to get to my locker in time for first period, so I'll see you at eleven for lunch."

"See you," Niklaus agreed.

Stefan took off running, his long legs carrying him away. Niklaus watched until his friends' figure disappeared and went in the opposite direction, keeping his eyes glued to the numbers above the dusty, mustard-coloured locker doors.

The damn thing wouldn't open. He'd tried his combination four times, but the lock wouldn't budge.

He contemplated punching it, but figured that wouldn't really do anything except call even more attention to himself. That idea was quickly thrown away.

As he was about to start on his fifth attempt, he got the strange feeling that someone was watching him. His scalp prickled and he shifted around. His eyes scanned the crowd quickly. No one appeared to be staring, and he was about to turn back to try his combination again when a sparkle of blue and blond froze his every muscle.

She was standing several feet away from him, her body bathed in light from an overhead fixture. Jeans covered her spindly legs while a pale blue t-shirt wrapped loosely over her torso and chest and shoulders. She looked like the epitome of an angel, her blond hair acting as a halo.

He didn't know how long he'd been leering, probably openmouthed, at this girl, but it was long enough that he'd gotten an embarrassingly uncomfortable sensation in his trousers. If he didn't look away now, he could have a very big problem on his hands.

Forcing himself to look away, Niklaus tried thinking of all the horrible things he could. He distracted himself further by fiddling with his locker again, turning the dial this way and that without really paying attention until he heard a sharp tick. He blinked in surprise and pulled the lock, successfully swinging his locker door open.

He shoved in all of his books and his backpack as fast as he could.

When he looked up again moments later, the girl was gone.

A/N 2: What did you think? Good, bad? Totally awful?

Either way, I'm excited and I really hope you are too.

And next week, they speak!

-LoveIsATemple