Chapter One: Iris

Jack Frost flew around in the windy and snow filled Wyoming air. He loved this time of year, many kids come out and call for Jack to come play. Since the fight with Pitch, Jack had become more believed in. It started slow; Jamie and his friends told a lot of their fellow classmates. When they started to get older some stopped believing, but Jamie never forgot. He went on to publish a children's book telling of his adventure. Now, just as many children believe in Jack as the other Guardians. It's been years since then, many years in fact. Jack will never forget the day he outlived his best friend. The thought saddened him and he drifted down towards a small dinged up wooden shed. He landed on the roof gracefully, cane in hand he crouched down to look at the small town. It was quaint, not too many people, and it had a way of calming him. He visited this town often, but he could never find all the hidden secrets of the town. It was like a black hole, but it kept him entertained when he wanted time to himself. He glanced down the hill the shed was sitting a top and noticed the elementary school below had let out for Recess. He smiled to himself wondering what fun he and the kids would have today. A sudden flick invaded his ears and he instantly went on the alert. He looked below him in the shed through the many open wall panels and what he saw stunned him for a moment. A young woman was sitting on an abandoned wooden box holding a pipe to her lips and inhaling whatever it was she lit with her lighter. She breathed a huge cloud of smoke in Jack's direction and he coughed slightly. It smelled...different. He couldn't process much more of a thought because the woman toppled over the box at the sound of his coughing.

"Mother fucker!" she sighed as she spilled the remainder of what was in the pipe.

She produced a backpack from behind the box and stuffed her pipe in a purse in the biggest pocket. She then took a bottle of perfume out and sprayed herself twice then stood up and slung the backpack onto her shoulder. Her deep brown eyes went straight to Jack a stern glare on her otherwise soft features.

"You scared me half to death, you don't sneak up on a person doing that. It's something illegal here." Her voice was sharp, but somehow still melodic.

Jack only stared quizzically. Her. She could see him. Nobody her age believed in him. She scoffed and rolled her eyes walking out one of the walls and to the dirt road beside the shed. He had to talk to her, find out why she could feel him. Somehow. Jack quickly willed the wind to take him in her direction. She was walking down the path towards a paved road and sidewalk which turned into a neighborhood and on the opposite side went past a high school. He drifted down to her eye level and stopped her in her tracks.

"Where you going little piece of heaven?" he attempted to be flirty to at least get her attention somehow.

"Go home." She put bluntly and continued her path around the frost spirit.

He followed her on a soft breeze and smirked calling,

"I don't want to go home right now!"

She turned around and shrugged her shoulders, her waist length brown hair loosely shifting around her body.

"Too bad. Leave me alone."

She turned on her heel and stepped onto the sidewalk and making her way towards the school. Jack wasn't going to give up that easily, all he seemed to want was this brief moment. The fire, the LIFE in her was interesting, and nobody his age -well appearance wise- was able to see him. He wanted to enjoy it, breathe it in before it went out like a candle in the short passage of time. It would all be over sooner or later.

He's still following her, and it's irritating. Being oogled at by people was not something she enjoyed. She wished the world couldn't see her anymore. Nobody understood here; spirits, however, have been good confidantes for many years to her. Maybe she should indulge the the boy and once he's done he'll get off her case and she can finish smoking her bowl in peace.

'He just wants to know who I am' she thought slowing down and biting her lip, the marijuana clouding her vision slightly.

Jack lazily drifted down in front of her for she stopped, seemingly deep in thought. She looked up at him and searched his face, contemplating whether or not to talk to him.

"May I ask you name? Maybe then I won't have to call you heaven" Jack chuckled giving up on trying to flirt.

She shrugged again and held out her hand to shake his,

"Nikkita Selene. Call me Nikki."

"Different"

"Yeah..." She took her hand back after he shook it and tucked it into the pocket of her black leather jacket.

They stood there in silence for a moment before Jack piped up again,

"So? Tell me."

"Tell you what?"

"How can you see me?" Jack leaned on his cane.

"Um..." Nikki trailed off.

The memories were too painful to talk about. Not now. He looked at her concerned, she hadn't noticed her eyes were filled with tears.

"It's just-from the book about you and the Guardians..." Nikki lied.

She looked away from him to her right; a few tears fell from her face. However, she suddenly perked up and wiped her face hoping he wasn't at least looking straight at her. Jack didn't want to pry since it seemed to bother her. He stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to do. Nikki turned back to him and smiled at him. She motioned for him to follow her, it was still early, she could walk and smoke a cigarette, and after he left, she could go home and get ready for the party tonight. She pulled out her Marlboro Black cigarettes and her lighter; proceeding to put a cigarette to her lips and lighting it. Nikki knew smoking would take about six minutes off her life for each cancer stick, but she wanted to torture herself in a way...

'Yeah, you bleed just to know you're alive.' She thought wryly pulling up the hood of her black jacket underneath her leather one.

The thought of staying home crossed her mind as she dreamily looked at the clouds. The world seemed almost too big for her, it didn't understand...However, she affirmed to go see Sky and Tess at the party. Her Dad would get on her case as soon as she got home, and that always led to bad things. She inhaled a puff of her cigarette absentmindedly.

Jack didn't know whether or not he offended her. She obviously had problems with the subject, but he was just so curious about her. They were walking down the sidewalk and he couldn't help but stare. She lazily looked around and smoked her cigarette then pulled up her hood. Yeah, he definitely offended her. He was mentally kicking himself when she looked up at him shyly. She spoke softly, the sound ringing in Jack's ears,

"When we get to my house, do you mind waiting outside while I change?"

"Uh, yeah, sure" Jack's voice faltered.

She smiled walking across the street they came up to, then turned right into a neighborhood. Jack followed her on a gust of wind and landed in front of her. Nikki accidentally bumped into him and looked up into his blue eyes.

"Sorry if I upset you."

"Oh it's fine," she said half-heartedly. "We're coming up to my house."

She gestured to a small white house with a neat yard, covered in snow. It almost looked like it belonged on the front of a Christmas card. Jack followed her as she walked to the house and up to the door. He politely leaned on the garage door as she walked inside after flashing him a quick smile. His eyes looked around the neighborhood looking at the cookie cutter houses. It was still early, but the clouds darkened making it seem like late afternoon. A car suddenly drove up and parked across the street. It was violently purple and obviously a sports car like model. The driver seemed to be waiting. Ten minutes later, Nikki walked out the door looking very dark against the pale snow. She wore a black underbust corset with a long sleeve grey button up shirt, bleached blue shorts and black legging with black boots and black fishnet gloves. In her hair she wore fake black dreadlocks that contrasted with her light brown hair. Her look was topped off with a full face of gothic looking makeup. Jack watched as she strode up to the purple car and waited for the driver to to roll down his window. They exchanged words and Nikki walked back over to Jack.

"I was going to a party, and I still need to pick up some friends. Do you want to come with?" She asked, the words tumbling out of her mouth.

"Sure," He said looking over to the car. "Do you have a seat in the car?"

"Yeah." She said her cheeks flushing as the wind picked up again.

Nikki took his hand and walked him over to the car. He noticed a spark of emotion flood through his body as she took him over to the, now music blaring, vehicle. The driver was a man, no older than twenty, with a beanie over his dark black curls. Nikki opened the backseat door for Jack to get in. The driver nodded at him. It seemed to be his way of greeting. Before Jack could question the man, Nikki got into the passenger side and complained loudly.

"Paramore? Really?" She said.

"What do you suggest then, your highness?" He drawled smirking at her.

She punched him on the shoulder roughly and he didn't flinch. Then, she reached down into his lap and plucked his phone from his left hand and scrolled through the screen and picked a song. A soft guitar picked up and she placed the phone back where it was then turned to buckle her seatbelt. The driver watched her out of the corner of his green eyes. Once she was done, he shifted the car in gear and took off speeding down the road.

"And you were getting on my case. This is really old school." the driver chuckled at Nikki.

"Shut up, I have a soft spot for this band, Brendan." Nikki countered.

Jack stayed quite silent. They were playfully bantering and he didn't want to interrupt. They eventually got onto the highway when Jack could hear Nikki just barely singing to the end of the song.

"I just want you to know who I am." She sang over and over in time with the song.

Jack felt as if she was speaking to him because he looked up at the mirror and noticed her piercing eyes upon his reflection. Deep down he felt a small flutter, and for a fleeting second he thought he knew her from somewhere. But he ignored it and smirked at her, internally breathing a sigh of relief when she smiled back.