As NiKlaus walked toward his motorcycle, adjusting his leather jacket, he heard a voice call out behind him.
"Niklaus!"
He turned to see Alex jogging toward him, clutching her backpack tightly. She looked slightly out of breath, as if she'd debated calling out to him before finally deciding to go through with it.
"Can you come to my house at 4 PM to work on the project?" she asked, pushing her glasses up.
NiKlaus gave her a small smirk. "First, call me Klaus. Second, sure, I can come. We can start designing the model... you just have to give me your address." He kept his tone casual, pretending not to know exactly where she lived.
Alex pulled a paper. "I can just text it for you"
As he looked at the paper , he said"Wait a second.., it seems we're neighbors."
Alex blinked in surprise. "Wait, you're the new neighbor Haley was talking about? The one she already knew?"
Klaus nodded. "That would be me. And you must be the sister she mentioned."
Alex scoffed. "Great. That means Haley has already given you a completely inaccurate picture of me."
Klaus smirked. "Depends. If she said you're super smart and slightly terrifying when it comes to academics, then she was pretty accurate."
Alex rolled her eyes but didn't argue. Instead, she crossed her arms and studied him for a second. "Alright, Klaus. Since you're literally next door, it makes things easier. Just come over at four, and we'll get started."
Klaus nodded. "Sounds like a plan. See you then, Dunphy."
As she turned to leave, Klaus got on his motorcycle, smirking to himself. His new life was already proving to be interesting.
Alex POV
As Alex walked toward her mother's car, she was still processing her conversation with Niklaus—or Klaus, as he preferred. She had heard Haley mention an old school friend moving into the neighborhood, but she hadn't expected him to be in her grade, let alone her new biology partner.
She reached the car and pulled open the door, sliding into the backseat. Her mother, Claire, turned around in the driver's seat, smiling. "Hey, sweetie! How was your first day?"
Before Alex could answer, Haley, who was sitting in the passenger seat, spoke up. "Ugh, Mom, you won't believe who moved in next door."
Claire frowned slightly. "Who?"
Alex crossed her arms and glanced at Haley. "Let me guess... you're talking about Klaus?"
Haley turned to her, eyes widening. "Wait—you know Klaus?"
Alex sighed. "He's in my biology class. We got paired for a project."
Haley let out a dramatic groan. "Lucky you. He's actually kind of cool."
Alex scoffed. "You only think that because he rides a motorcycle."
"And because he's hot," Haley added with a grin.
Alex rolled her eyes. "Right. Well, I wouldn't know. We were too busy getting assigned a project on the brain."
Claire, who had been listening to the conversation with growing interest, glanced at Alex in the rearview mirror. "So, what do you think of him?"
Alex hesitated. She wasn't sure yet. Klaus was different from most people at school. He was quiet but observant, and there was something about the way he spoke—like he was always a step ahead in a conversation.
She shrugged. "I don't know. He seems... interesting."
Haley smirked. "Careful, Alex. You almost sound like you like him."
Alex scoffed. "Please. He's just my project partner. That's it."
Haley didn't look convinced, but Claire started the car, pulling out of the school parking lot.
As they drove out of the school parking lot, Alex casually said, "Mom, Klaus is coming over later to work on our biology project."
Claire glanced at her through the rearview mirror. "That's fine, as long as you two work in the living room. I'm not letting you be alone with a boy in your room."
Alex groaned. "Mom, seriously? It's just a school project."
Haley smirked. "Uh-huh, sure. Next thing you know, you'll be gazing into each other's eyes over a 3D brain model."
Alex shot her a glare. "We're literally studying neuroscience, Haley. The only thing I'll be gazing at is how many points this project will add to my GPA."
Haley laughed. "You keep telling yourself that."
Claire sighed. "Haley, stop teasing your sister. And Alex, if he's coming over, at least make sure the living room is somewhat presentable. We still have boxes lying around."
Alex crossed her arms. "Fine. But if he sees the mess, I'm blaming Haley."
Haley gasped dramatically. "Excuse me? My stuff is organized chaos—it has a system."
Alex smirked. "More like a natural disaster."
Claire shook her head as the sisters continued bickering.
Alex leaned back, staring out the window. She didn't know Klaus well, but there was something different about him. It wasn't just the motorcycle or the quiet confidence—he carried himself like someone who saw the world differently.
She wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing yet, but she had a feeling this project was going to be more interesting than she expected.
At 4 p.m Alex heard the door bell rang. So she went downstairs guessing that it was klaus.Alex paused for a moment on the stairs, watching as her dad opened the door. Klaus stood there, dressed in a white linen shirt and cream trousers, looking effortlessly put together. The outfit somehow made him look even more handsome, and she hated that Haley might actually have a point with her teasing.
Before Phil could say anything, Klaus gave a polite nod. "Good evening, Mr. Dunphy. I'm Klaus. I'm here to work on the biology project with Alex."
Phil smiled brightly, always eager to meet new people. "Klaus! Welcome! Come on in. You know, I once had a project partner back in college, and we—"
Alex hurried down the stairs, cutting him off before he could launch into one of his long-winded stories. "Hey, Klaus. Come on, let's get started."
Phil gave her a knowing look. "Alright, alright, I get it. No embarrassing dad stories." He stepped aside, letting Klaus in. "You two will be working in the living room. House rules."
Klaus chuckled. "Of course, sir."
As Alex led him toward the living room, she could feel Haley's gaze from the kitchen. She didn't even need to look to know that her sister was smirking.
"Wow, Alex, you never told me your project partner was a model." Haley teased, leaning against the counter with a mischievous grin.
Alex rolled her eyes. "Ignore her. She's incapable of functioning without making unnecessary comments."
Klaus just smirked. "Noted."
Alex sat down at the coffee table and motioned for Klaus to do the same. "Let's just get started."
After some minutes Klaus said"Why don't we add some colour?"
Alex nodded thoughtfully. "That could actually work. Using different colors to highlight sections like the nerves, cerebrum, and brainstem would make it easier to understand."
Klaus leaned back slightly, his fingers tapping against the table. "Exactly. If we make it too plain, it'll just look like any other project. But with color, we can make it more engaging and easier to differentiate each part."
Alex pulled out her notebook and started jotting things down. "Alright, so we'll need to pick colors for each section. The cerebrum should stand out the most since it's the largest. Maybe blue?"
Klaus nodded. "Blue works. And for the cerebellum, something like green or yellow? It's smaller but still important."
"Green sounds good. And the nerves… maybe red? That way, they'll pop against the other sections."
Klaus smirked. "Red for nerves. A little dramatic, but I like it."
Alex glanced up, slightly surprised. "You know, for someone who had to repeat a year, you seem pretty smart."
Klaus just chuckled. "I have my moments."
Haley, who had been eavesdropping from the kitchen, leaned in with a smirk. "Wow, Alex. Is this what flirting looks like for you? Nerd talk and brain models?"
Alex shot her a glare. "Go away, Haley."
Klaus, on the other hand, just laughed. "Hey, science can be romantic. Ever heard of chemistry?"
Alex groaned. "Let's just get back to work."
Despite herself, she found that working with Klaus was… surprisingly easy. Maybe this project wouldn't be so bad after all.
After about an hour of working on the 3D model, Alex looked up from the project and stretched. "Why don't we take a break?"
Klaus glanced at her, nodding. "Sure. Want to ask some questions about ourselves?"
Alex raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the suggestion. "Okay, sounds fun. You start."
Klaus leaned back in his chair, clearly comfortable. "Alright. You seem like a straight shooter, so I'll ask—why are you so focused on school? It's clear you're smart, but you're not like... obsessed with grades, right?"
Alex, slightly caught off guard, sat back and thought for a moment before answering. "Well, I guess I want to be different from Luke and Haley. I don't want to follow in their footsteps, you know? They're not exactly the academic type. And with my intelligence, there's always this expectation that I'll do something big—like, I have to make my parents proud. I feel like I can't afford to mess up, because they believe in me, and I don't want to let them down."
Klaus nodded, his expression understanding. "Yeah, I get that. It's tough when people put expectations on you, especially when you're just trying to figure things out for yourself."
Alex sighed a little, feeling the weight of her words. "Exactly. It's like everyone else can just coast through life, but I have to keep proving myself all the time."
Klaus smiled softly. "I hear you. It's not easy to carry that weight."
Alex smiled back, relieved to have someone who understood. "Thanks for understanding. Now, your turn."
Klaus paused for a moment, then asked, "Why are you repeating the year? You seem really smart and capable."
Alex, a bit hesitant, decided to ask the question that had been on her mind. "You seem to have it all together, so why repeat the year? What happened?"
Klaus let out a quiet sigh and leaned back, his tone becoming more serious. "Ah, you're really going straight for it, huh? I like that. Well… it's a long story, but the short version is my mom passed away right before high school. After that, I just… wasn't interested in school anymore. Everything just kind of fell apart."
Alex's eyes widened, a mix of surprise and sympathy filling her. "Oh, Klaus, I'm so sorry. I didn't know."
Klaus gave her a small smile. "It's okay, really. I'm getting through it. Just one of those things that happens."
Alex, feeling guilty for asking such a personal question, quickly shifted the topic. "You're really strong, you know that? It can't be easy."
Klaus gave a short, grateful nod. "Thanks. Your turn again."
Alex, trying to lighten the mood, asked, "So, you seem to be good at art, music, and even school stuff. Did your mom teach you all of that? Or did you just… learn on your own?"
Klaus looked down at the table for a moment, a thoughtful expression on his face. "It was mostly my mom. She was big on pushing me to explore everything. Art, music, and chess. She thought I needed a well-rounded life. But after she passed, I just kept doing it all. Kind of like a way to keep her memory alive."
Alex nodded slowly, feeling a deep sense of empathy for Klaus. "I get that. My mom's not exactly the same, but I understand what you mean. It's like you don't want to forget."
Klaus smiled faintly, meeting her gaze. "Exactly."
Alex gave him an encouraging nod. "That's actually really inspiring."
Klaus chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Thanks, Alex. Now, it's your turn. What's your passion? What's the one thing you would do if you could just drop everything and follow your heart?"
Alex hesitated for a second, thinking carefully. "I think I'd want to do something in science, like research. Maybe neuroscience or something related to the brain. I like solving puzzles, and the brain is basically the ultimate puzzle, right?"
Klaus looked impressed. "That's really cool. The brain is like a world of its own. I bet you'd be amazing at it."
Alex smiled, her cheeks flushing a bit. "Thanks. I guess you could say I'm sort of obsessed with it."
Klaus grinned. "Hey, obsession can lead to great things. It's how we push ourselves."
They continued chatting, sharing their thoughts and ideas. Even though they had just met, the conversation felt easy, as if they had been friends for much longer than they really had.
Alex askedquestion. "So, how can you even be friends with Haley? You don't seem anything like her friends at all."
Klaus smirked, leaning back in his chair a little. "Well, we can't say we're exactly close friends. We're more like acquaintances, really." He paused for a moment, a distant look crossing his face. "During my… bad phase, I went to a lot of parties, trying to distract myself. That's where I met her. She was at a party, and we just kind of hit it off. It wasn't anything serious, just some casual conversations here and there."
Alex seemed curious. "So, she's not the type of person you usually hang out with?"
Klaus chuckled. "Not at all, but sometimes, you meet people in unexpected places, you know?" He shrugged casually, as though the connection didn't matter much to him anymore.
Alex processed his words thoughtfully. "That's surprising. I wouldn't have pegged you for a party person."
Klaus gave her a small grin. "Well, sometimes people change, or they do things they wouldn't normally do. We all go through phases."
Alex nodded, feeling like she was starting to understand him better. "I guess. Everyone has their moments."
Klaus gave a light chuckle. "Exactly. But hey, now I'm just focused on things that actually matter." He gave her a small, sincere smile. "Anyway, enough about me. Let's finish this project, shall we?"
Alex smiled back, feeling more comfortable with him. "Yeah, let's get back to it."
At 7 o'clock, Claire called from the kitchen, her voice carrying through the house. "Niklaus, won't your parents be worried? It's getting late."
Klaus paused for a moment, glancing toward the kitchen before looking back at Alex. "Nah, my father's deployed in the Pacific Ocean right now, so I don't think he'll mind," he replied casually, as if being left alone wasn't a big deal.
Alex looked up at him, surprised by his response. "Oh, I didn't realize. That must be tough, having your dad away like that."
Klaus shrugged lightly, his expression unreadable. "It's been like that for a while. You get used to it." His voice didn't hold any trace of bitterness; it was just a simple fact of life for him.
Claire, from the kitchen, seemed satisfied with the answer. "Alright then. Just making sure." She returned to what she was doing, leaving the two of them to continue their work.
As Klaus and Alex continued their work, Claire's voice suddenly called out from the kitchen again, more casually this time. "Why don't you stay for dinner, Klaus? It's getting late, and we're having spaghetti tonight."
Klaus glanced at Alex, who shrugged, as if to say it was up to him. He hesitated for just a moment, but then smiled, a bit of warmth creeping into his expression. "Sure, why not? I've got nothing else planned."
Claire, pleased with his answer, called out again. "Great! It'll just be a few minutes, so make yourselves comfortable."
Klaus gave Alex a small nod, silently signaling that they should continue working while they waited. As he sat back down, he felt a strange sense of normalcy settle over him. It was a reminder that, despite the new world he was in and the strange circumstances of his life, sometimes the simplest things—like a family dinner—could feel comforting.