C came into the living room Friday afternoon. I was writing an essay for my history class. (I know: homework on a Friday is lame.) She had just come from her bedroom and she was wearing her cheer uniform. She even had her pompoms.

Oh my goodness! Could that skirt be any shorter? How can the school let them get away with showing that much leg? Haven't they ever heard of leaving something to the imagination?

"What do you think?" she asked, placing her pompomed hands on her hips.

"You look great," I lied. "Can't you just do one of your cheers here, now, so I can skip the forced school spirit of tonight?"

"No way. You need to see me cheer at a game; that is when I'm truly in my cheer element."

"I'm sorry, but 'cheer element'?"

"The excitement of cheering for the team, as they're playing — especially if they're winning; the rush that comes from the team's passion and effort; the energy that comes from the crowd. You know, they cheer me on, just as much as I cheer the team on."

"Wow. So sorry I asked."

She swatted me with a pompom.

C left over an hour before the football game started, citing something about needing to warm up or get ready or get in the mind set as some of her reasons. No offense to C, but I stopped listening when she started talking about cheering. Or football. Or any other concepts that went over my head anyway.

I was just starting to think that I should probably drag myself down to the high school to watch this stupid game — the sooner it starts, the sooner it will be over — when someone knocked on the front door. I opened it and found Klaus standing there.

"Hello."

"Hi," I said, more in shock than in greeting. I hadn't seen Klaus all day; he wasn't there to walk with me to school or home from it. I hadn't seen him since he dropped me off last night when we got back from the beach. I figured he wanted to have some space and time away from me.

"Shall we?" he asked. "We don't want to get there too late and have nowhere to sit."

"Oh." It took me a few seconds to realize that he was talking about the football game. "You seriously don't have to go the game tonight. We shouldn't both have to suffer."

"It might be more bearable for you to have me there."

"That's probably true."

"We could drive to your school, if you'd like." He gestured to his SUV, which was parked in front of the house.

I shook my head. "I'd rather walk."

Klaus offered his arm to me as we began walking, but I didn't take it. Klaus didn't seem offended at my slight rebuff.

He broke the silence. "You make it sound like this is torture for you, having to watch a football game."

"You're right; this is nothing like torture. I need a better perspective on some things."

"No, I didn't mean it that way. You just sound like you're absolutely dreading tonight."

"I am."

"But you said you wanted to go to a game."

"No. C is forcing me to go tonight. She's using emotional blackmail."

"You once told me that part of the reason why you willingly stick around this mundane town is because you might want to go to a football game, or watch your cousin cheer."

"I said that? Are you sure? That does not sound like me."

"Yes, I'm sure. I was telling you to leave here and see the world, but you kept insisting that you wanted to stay here and finish school."

"Oh, I did say that. You remember everything."

"No, I only remember the things that are important to me."

The rest of the walk was silent. I still didn't know what to think about Klaus.

We arrived at Mystic High's football field shortly after the game had begun — on purpose, so as to avoid any awkward pre-game audience-boosting activities. We found a spot to sit near the top of the bleachers. Klaus and I easily stood out in the sea of red, black, and white.

Ugh, team spirit.

We sat down. C smiled and sent over a small wave when she saw me in the stands. I waved back. Her eyes shifted to my left and when she saw Klaus, her smile faded into a frown. I rolled my eyes.

Klaus seemed surprised by what he saw on the field. "What is this?" he asked, disgust lacing his voice.

"I thought you said you liked football."

"I do. This isn't football."

"Oh, were you expecting European Football? I wish. At least that is a sport I understand."

"Why is football in America a different sport than football in almost every other country?"

I laughed. He did have a point. "Does this mean you cannot explain the rules of the game to me?"

"Afraid not, love."

I was ready to leave before we even got to half-time. The game was boring, despite all the cheering everyone else seemed to be doing. Football is just one of those sports that I do not, and maybe cannot, understand. The ball is at the centre. One team has it and they pass it to another team member. Then half of the players end up on top of each other. A ref blows the whistle and the teams form the starting position again.

What?!

It just does not make sense to me. I gave up trying to understand.

Klaus seemed to share my annoyance and boredom with the game. He had a furrowed look on his face. He caught me looking at him.

"This is boring."

"I agree. Do you want to leave?" he asked.

"Yes, but I'd better not. I'm afraid if I leave, C will make me come back to another game. But you can go."

"I'm not going to leave you here, alone and bored. That would be very rude of me."

"Well, thank you for suffering along with me, then."

Klaus went back to contemplating the game for a moment before he spoke again. "I fail to see how this is a sport; they're not doing much of anything."

"I know! I think that's why I've never been able to understand football."

Klaus turned away from the game, apparently turning his attentions to me. "You said Caroline was emotionally blackmailing you into coming here. How so?"

I blushed. "I have to watch my mouth around you, if you're going to remember every word I say." He smirked but didn't say anything; I guess he was waiting for an answer to his question.

Ugh!

"C and I kept having this circular argument — you know, the kind where neither side will make any concessions and the argument never goes anywhere." Klaus nodded. "It was frustrating and annoying. So I suggested we agree to disagree. At least for now. To stop the arguing. C agreed, but somehow took 'agree to disagree' to mean that I had to make it up to her. And watching her cheer was how I have to make it up to her. Hence my forced presence here," I finished by gesturing around me.

"What have you agreed to disagree over?"

I wish he hadn't asked. I should have kept my mouth shut.

"It's complicated and I'd rather not talk about it." As I spoke, I felt my cheeks getting warmer.

He leaned closer and whispered into my ear. "You're blushing, Riley." I ducked my chin down, and was about to give in, when Klaus spoke again. "Let me guess: Caroline wants you to have nothing to do with me. And since you two were arguing, you obviously want to spend time with me." He said that last part with a huge grin on his face.

"You can stop smirking; you already knew that I like spending time with you."

"It's nice to hear, nonetheless."

"I like spending time with you, Klaus." I didn't mean to, but it came out as a whisper.

"I enjoy spending time with you as well. But she's not wrong, you know. Caroline. I am most likely guilty of every wrong she accuses me of. But I'm not sorry; I did what I had to do, at that moment."

"I'm not expecting you to be sorry. I'm not even expecting you to explain. I don't know. I just—" I sighed. "I just like hanging out with you." He smirked again and I rolled my eyes at him.

When the game was over — the Timberwolves won — Klaus and I descended from the bleachers and walked over to the cheerleaders. C broke away from the pack to greet us. Well, greet isn't the appropriate word.

"I didn't realize you were bringing a guest, Ri," she said as she glared at Klaus.

" 'A guest'? C, this wasn't something I had to RSVP for."

"Maybe you should have."

"No, it was good that Klaus came; he's a big fan of football," I said as I nudged him in the ribs.

"Hilarious," he replied, dryly.

"Good for him," C said, equally dry.

I rolled my eyes at the both of them.

Klaus turned to C. "Caroline," he greeted her. "Lovely to see you, as always." She just glared at him.

When Bekah came over with a "Hey, I'm surprised to see you two here," C had apparently had her fill of Originals. She scoffed and walked away.

I looked at Bekah and Klaus, said "Please excuse me," and followed C. "C, wait up." She stopped walking and I stepped in front of her to face her. "You were great out there tonight. You were peppy and… full of spirit and… very cheerleader-y." She finally broke into her sunshine-filled smile and laughed. "Thank you for forcing me to come. I could have done without the football part, but it was nice to watch you cheer. I like seeing you do something you obviously enjoy so much."

"Thanks, Ri. And thank you for coming; I'm glad you're here. Though, I could have done without the Klaus part."

"Then I guess we're even."

As I walked back over to where Klaus and Rebekah were standing, I could hear Rebekah speaking. "It's about time you came to watch me cheer, Nik; I've only been asking you to come to every game there's been."

"It wasn't my idea to come here, Rebekah."

"I should have known that I just needed to ask Riley to come."

"She wouldn't have come willingly either," Klaus pointed out.

A/N: This chapter was originally longer, and included what happens after Riley and Klaus leave the football field, but that after part is nearly the length of this chapter, and it's still in point-form notes; I had to stop it somewhere. So the next chapter will continue right where this one left off.

And to ash88: since you review as a guest I cannot reply, and I can't message you either, but I wanted to let you know that you don't have to wait long for Klaus to do that. :-D
Plus, who wouldn't feel inferior to Caroline?!