For those who doesn't know, Nightlight isn't an OC. It's a character from 'The Guardians of Children' books that I gender swapped.
First Night
Jack glanced up at the huge building before him, its large courtyard already filled with students getting ready for yet another grueling day of school. He sighed wearily and ran a hand through his hair. Being the new student all over again was not the most enjoyable thought, but there was really nothing he could have done about it anyways so he might as well just get on with it.
A great amount of movement off to the side draws his attention and he turns to see a relatively short girl crowded by a bunch of students who were throwing something over her head. It was apparent that they had taken something from the girl and started a game of monkey in the middle. However, by the smile on her face, it was clear that the girl was not being bullied and that she was having fun.
"Come on Nightlight! Try to get it for real!" One of the boys shouted before he tossed the item to one of his friends.
The girl laughed. "Alright, but remember, you guys have to bring back hot chocolate for me before lunch is over!" Suddenly the girl crouched down, but when she sprang into the air, high above the groups' heads. With a flip at the pinnacle of her jump, the girl then landed in a graceful crouch.
"Damn it," another of the group said with mock disappointment. "You're still able to jump such crazy heights. How do you even do that Nightlight?"
The girl laughed. "I guess I'm just weird like that."
"Why don't you just come with us when we go out for lunch?" The first boy to speak invited.
Nightlight shook her head. "Got things to do fellas! And you know my policy." She winked at the group.
By this point, Jack had grown bored of the situation and continued on his way to the office to check in.
"Here you go deary," the office lady replied, handing over his schedule and a map of the school. "I've looked to see who has a schedule that comes close to matching yours and was lucky to find that you have most- if not all- with Nicole Black. Go find her and I'm sure she'll show you around and help you get settled in. She'll probably still be outside, surrounded by people."
Jack nodded and thanked the woman, then headed back out to find the other student. Once outside, he looked around and realized that the office woman had failed to give him a better description of what the student looked like. The boy sighed again and looked around for someone who he could ask. Spotting the girl from earlier, he gave a shrug and walked over.
"Hey, do you know where Nicole Black-" It was only due to his sharp reflexes that Jack was able to block the girl's attack.
The girl blinked, obviously having attacked out of instinct, but then smiled excitedly and sent another. Jack would never really know why, but he didn't put up a verbal argument and followed through with the according defensive maneuvers to counter the girl.
Suddenly she stopped with a huge smile. "Wow! You're really good! No one's ever been able to last that long against me before and you didn't even take a single hit!"
Jack rolled his eyes. "Yeah, thanks. Because I love starting my first day at a new school getting beaten up by a girl half my size."
The girl giggled, unoffended by his sarcastic words. Instead, she smiled and grabbed the boy's hand. "You're really cool and unique! You're going to be my best friend!"
"Wait. What!" Jack spluttered. That wasn't what he had been expecting at all.
The girl continued to smile. "I'm sorry about that first attempt to hit you though. It was just a reflexive habit I haven't seemed to get rid of yet."
To this, Jack raised an eyebrow. "That's something you probably should get under control."
The girl laughed. "But then where would all my fun go!"
Jack sighed and shook his head. "Look, I was told to find this person to help me find my classes, a Nicole Black."
The girl placed her hands on her hips and nodded. "That's my name, so don't wear it out! Well, not that anyone calls me that anyways. Everyone calls me Nightlight."
Jack stared at the girl, debating whether or not he wanted to ask why. "You're…not exactly normal…are you?..."
"Not in the slightest!" Nightlight said with a dramatic shake of her head. "Well my fine un-feathered friend! What are your classes? I shall show you to them at once! By the way, what's your name?"
"Jackson Overland, but you can just call me Jack," the teen replied cautiously as he handed over his schedule with some reluctance.
The girl gasped, a wide smile spreading over her face. "My new best friend and I have all our classes together!"
Jack couldn't hold back a sigh as he watched the girl dance around with joy. After spending most of his life being ignored, it was a culture shock to have someone hanging all over him, not to mention that this Nightlight girl was like a ball of bouncing energy on crack mixed with coffee extract.
"Come on!" The girl said with a tug, having linked her arm with the other teenager's. "You're one of the lucky few who has classes taught by Santa, Sandman, Mother Goose, a wizard, and the Tooth Fairy!"
"What?" Jack inquired blankly.
The girl giggled. "You'll see what I mean in a moment. But these three don't usually teach here. They're only doing a few special classes for a select group of upperclassmen and then they're going to go back to just their regular jobs."
Jack glanced down and read the names on his list:
Gans*, Katherine
Zauberer*, Ombric
Peri*, Dingle
North, Nicholas St.
Thephṭhidā*, Toothiana
Man-Snoozy, Sanderson
Smith, Robin J.
He raised an eyebrow. He supposed he could see a small reason why the girl called a few of them what she did, but it couldn't just be their names alone. The boy shrugged to himself, he supposed he would see soon enough.
"So why do you dye your hair brown?" The girl questioned abruptly.
Jack jumped a little, not expecting anyone to be able to notice. "What makes you think I dye it?"
The girl smiled knowingly, looking wiser than the boy had first assumed. "Because you're too special for something like that. Besides, it wouldn't compliment your blue eyes completely."
Jack narrowed his eyes slightly, finally taking time to study the girl. She had a pixie like figure with white-blonde hair and gold eyes. No, wait. Not just gold…He blinked. She was heterochromatic. Her left eye a warm golden tone and the right a silvery gray, though she had bangs sweeping over the latter halfway, giving an almost golden tone to match. The more he studied her though, the more he realized why everyone had nicknamed the girl Nightlight. It was almost like her hair and eyes were giving off a light of their own.
The girl gave a slight tug, pulling the boy out of his thoughts, and smiled. "Let's hurry up, I don't want to miss Advanced Literature with Mother Goose!"
As it turned out, 'Mother Goose' was a regular looking woman with a kind face and an obsession of…well, geese. According to Nightlight, the woman was even raising a baby goose. The brown haired woman had greeted the girl upon entering and gave Jack a warm smile when she spotted him.
"Luckily for you, we were about to change seats!" Mrs. Gans informed the two. She turned her attention to the beaming Nightlight. "Where do you think would be the best spot for you two to sit?"
The white-blonde girl hummed in thought. "Well, why not the front of the back section in the middle? That way, I can help Jack with anything he doesn't know and not disturb your class?"
The only reason Jack chose not to protest was because the girl had chosen a spot where he wouldn't draw a lot of attention either. He wasn't too happy that someone had decided for him, but he guessed he could live with it. He just couldn't wrap his head around the fact that someone was actually willing to hang around him. But seclusion and loneliness had a way of getting to people. She would probably lose interest in him soon enough anyways.
The class turned out to be more like a story telling session, one that the teen found himself deeply interested in. Jack was actually disappointed when the bell rang, signaling the end of class.
Nightlight giggled. "Don't worry. Everyone feels that way about these classes. You and I are just part of the lucky few that has all the special classes, so you'll be feeling that way a few more times." The girl winked and hitched her bag over her shoulder.
The next class Jack found himself overwhelmed. For such an old man, he was rather... eccentric… White hair sticking out and up, circular glasses hanging onto the bridge of his pointed nose, and the energy of a firecracker. Jack could see exactly why his student guide called this man a wizard. He certainly fit the bill. Either that or a mad scientist considering the class he was teaching.
The next class Jack wasn't sure what to make of the small, small…small man before him. Mister Peri obviously liked the color red and seemed to have an obsession with bells, considering how many were dangling off him. He was also rather…odd in the head. What was even more unusual was the fact that the man seemed to have an uncanny ability to get himself electrocuted and the students appeared to be used to this. Strange considering this was a math class.
Jack assumed that the fourth class of the day was going to feel like the longest, but that was because it was the class right before their nice hour-long lunch break. However, when he walked into the art room it was like he was transported to another world. There weren't just paper and easels, but wood carvings, glass creations, clay pieces, and so much more. Everything was finely made and anyone could see the care and love that went into the creations.
"This is a class for the most advanced art students. As such, the age of the students doesn't really matter, just the ability," Nightlight informed the other teen. "As long as the student is talented enough, it doesn't matter what grade they are in. Papa takes them all."
"Papa?" Jack inquired.
"Is that you Nightlight?" An accented baritone voice called out.
Nightlight whirled around with a smile and jumped onto the large man. "Papa! I missed you!"
The bearded man laughed. "I just saw you yesterday at my store!"
The girl looked up with a cheeky smile. "But Papa, that was a whole 15 hours ago."
The man shook his head, but gave another hearty laugh. His eyes brightened when he spotted the young man his favorite student had walked in with. "And who might this be?"
"Like you don't know," the blond girl mock chastised. "This is hmmm… I don't want to call you Jackson Overland."
By this point, Jack had already started to grow used to the girl's sudden changes of topics, so he merely raised an eyebrow in question.
"I got it!" Nightlight clapped a fist atop her palm. "You're Jack Frost!"
"Oh? The mischievous winter spirit who brings fun around with his snow?" North asked. "Are you sure he's the one?"
The girl nodded confidently. "Definitely."
"Well then, if you're sure. Welcome to the family my boy!" The large man pulled the teen into a bone crushing hug.
Nightlight smiled brightly. "Jack, this is Santa Clause, but everyone calls him North. I call him Papa since he's like a grandfather to me!"
"Ah, I see," Jack grumbled, still trying to realign the pieces of his spine.
Nightlight didn't pay the boy any mind, knowing that he wasn't upset with her or the old man. To give the brunet time to right himself, she turned her attention back to the large Russian teacher. "Hey Papa, can Jack and I use the glass station today?"
"It's been a while since you've requested something like that," North commented, looking thoughtful and a little bit nostalgic. "Any particular reason why you've decided to take up that art again?"
"Well, it's not so much for me, but for Jack!"
"Huh?" The brunet looked around, confusion etched over his features. "Why me?"
The girl gave the other teen a knowing smile. "Something tells me that, despite your looks, you would be really great with materials as delicate as glass. And I want to be the very first person to see it! I'm sure you'd be just as great with pottery and painting too, so we can give those a go later on this week! So what do you say Gramps?"
North stroked his beard between his thumb and index, studying the boy to see if he could find what the girl had apparently found, ignoring the fact that the boy was growing uncomfortable under his steady gaze. Eventually he broke out into another wide grin and nodded. "If our little Nightlight says he will be good, then who am I to argue! Just make sure that I am the second person to see his work!"
The blond saluted the older man, then grabbed the other teen's elbow and dragging him off. She smiled at the resigned look on the other's face. "Come on! North and I are really excited to see your work!"
"I don't even think I'm all that great at arts and crafts sort of thing," Jack argued. "Besides, how would you know? We've never met before today!"
Nightlight stopped walking abruptly and placed a finger to her chin in thought. "Hmm. I'm just good at reading people! You'll see!" The girl started moving forward again, pulling the boy along. "Now let's get started already! Before you know it, the first half of class will be over and then we get to eat lunch with the Easter Bunny!"
Gans is German for goose
Zauberer is German for wizard
Peri is supposed to be Indonesian for elf
Thephṭhidā (เทพธิดา) is supposed to be Thai for goddess, fairy, angel, fay, queen
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