Jack ran into the art room and jumped into his usual chair, sending it sliding along the floor behind the long desk. He smiled brightly at North who just chuckled and shook his head. "Have to give entrance. . . 6 out of 10." North said. "You're starting to slip Jack."
"Well someone took away the chair with the wheels so I can't slide as well." Jack quipped back playfully. Of course he didn't mention that said chair belonged to North.
"When you become teacher, you get big chair." North laughed before going back to his work while the students were filing in. This was why Jack liked North best. First because the man refused to let anyone call him Mr.. Clausen. He was just North. Second because none of the other teachers had the great sense of humor and fun that North had. It was so refreshing to have a class be this relaxed. Not that the relaxed atmosphere made the work any easier. North had definite standards that he didn't tend to deviate from. Jack leaned back in his chair, using the empty one next to him as a foot-rest. Jack was the only student with his own table. He didn't mind it though, he wasn't lonely. And he had plenty of room to make a mess with his projects. Jack just watched as the flow of people slowed down, waving at his buddy Jaime as he came in. Once the bell rang everyone got themselves settled. North got up and set a bucket with paper scraps in it on one of the desks. Just as he was about to start explaining their new project there was a gentle knock on the door. North sighed and went to see who it was.
"Ah, you must be Pitch. They said you'd be little late." Jack looked up, this must be the new student Tia mentioned. The boy was tall, taller than Aster witch Jack hadn't really thought anyone their age could be taller than that. Jack wondered in passing if the new student had to shop somewhere special to find pants that long. Jack also saw what Sandy must have meant when he said the new guy was scary looking. Dressed in all black, with a black eye and a split lip, Pitch looked like he might have gotten into fights often. North directed Pitch to the only open seat which was right next to Jack. The boy gave a friendly smile and wave to Pitch. The other just gave Jack a bit of side-eye without saying anything and facing the front. Jack shrugged and turned back to the front and noticed how many of the students were taking quick, nervous glances towards Pitch. In fact the whole atmosphere of the room had changed, everyone was more quiet and tense. Were they scared of Pitch? Jack sighed, he hated how many peopled judged others by appearances. Hell most people thought he was a delinquent with his white hair. He rolled his eyes and focused back on North.
"Alright, we begin new project. In bucket are pieces of paper. Each slip has one word. You are to base project on what that word means to you." North said as he started to pass the bucket around. "And you remember from last week, project must be done in monochrome. Any color you choose. Can be done with paint, pencil, marker whatever."
"Oooh this sounds like so much fun." Jack said, smiling at Pitch again. The other just shrugged but still didn't say anything. Jack really hadn't been expecting his new deskmate to be this quiet. But that wasn't going to stop him from trying. If he was going to go through the rest of the year with Pitch then come hell or high water he was going to get to know him. North finally came around to their desk and Jack happily pulled out a slip of paper. "Perfect!" He beamed as he opened it up. "I got Fun!" Jack already had way too many ideas of what he could make with this. He watched as his new desk-mate picked out a slip. Opening it up Pitch kind of scoffed a little and rolled his good, not bruised, eye. "What did you get Pitch?" Jack asked, trying again to get some conversation going. Pitch just set the paper down where Jack could read it. 'Fear.'
"Figures." Pitch muttered quietly enough to where Jack barely heard it. Well. . . At least he knew his desk-mate wasn't mute. The thought had been niggling at the back of Jack's head and he was glad to find out it wasn't true. It also gave Jack another opportunity to try once more.
"What do you mean? I figure there's a lot of ways you could make a project out of that. My friend Tia is terrified of cicadas. She says they are too big to just be bugs and insists they're aliens." Jack laughed. "I love finding their skins and hooking them to her locker door. She freaks out so much." The teen trailed off when he noticed how Pitch was kind of glaring at him. "S-Sorry I tend to ramble. . . Didn't mean to bother you." He said quietly and turning back to the front. Jeez did this guy ever define the word 'brooding.' By that time North was back up and the front and told everyone to get started on their new project. Jack, along with many others, got up to get some paper from the supply closet so they could start. When he came back he saw that Pitch had pulled a sketchbook from some where and was flipping to a new page. "Oh you don't have to use your own." Jack said trying to be helpful. "There's a closet there full of different sizes and types of paper for. . ." He trailed off after Pitch shot him another wordless glare. Jack huffed and gave up trying for today and just focused on his new project. Maybe Pitch was just nervous since it was his first day at a new school. Jack mentally kicked himself for being so over-bearing to Pitch on his first day. Jack decided he would just back off for now and give Pitch some space. The rest of class was spent with most of the other students chatting happily with each other as they worked.
"Alright five minutes till bell, get to stopping point and set projects aside." North called out. Jack groaned, he was just getting into the zone. He got his supplies put away and the beginnings of his project in the little cubby with his name on it. He noticed that North already got Pitch's name put on the cubby next to his own.
"U-Um. . . S-sorry to bother you." Jack said softly when he got back to the desk. "But. . . There's a cubby over there with your name if you want to leave your supplies in it. That way you don't have to carry them around all the time." Pitch glanced over to where Jack indicated and stood.
"Thanks." Pitch said quietly, going and putting his things away. Jack smiled, glad to have finally gotten a reply from his new classmate. Jack wanted to try and talk some more but the bell rang and he watched Pitch rush out the door.
"Oh well maybe tomorrow." Jack said to himself as he started off towards his next class too.
