The Walk to School

Eleven Years Old


Pippa pulled the scarf up over her nose further so now only her grey eyes poked through the gap between her hat and scarf. She was bundled up in a coat, gloves, boots - the whole shebang - as she walked down the block towards her elementary school. Last night had brought a blizzard and the store fronts and sidewalks were piled high with brilliantly white, fluffy snow. A cold wind blew, sometimes dragging a fine mist of fallen snow across the road. Pippa shivered even under her many layers, wanting to get to school as quickly as she could.

It had been well over a year since she had been rescued from the lake by Jack Frost and she had not seen him since. She was missing him dearly and was slowly starting to question if he remembered her.

No, Pippa thought determinedly, he promised. Jack Frost promised he would come see me again.

Pippa kicked at the bank of snow that had been piled up against the sidewalk, looking up and stopping at a street light. She watched the cars go by, waiting for the red hand on the other side of the street to turn to the funny looking grey man so she could walk. Suddenly a large, cold gust of wind came up, plucking her hat right from her curly head of hair.

"Hey! My hat!" Pippa cried out, making fruitless grabs towards it.

The hat traveled higher and higher and Pippa's eyes followed it up until it finally stopped, resting on a curved staff.

"Jack Frost!" Pippa cried out happily, jumping up and down on her toes. Jack was sitting on the street light, just above the red-handed 'Don't Walk' sign. His staff swung teasingly with Pippa's hat hooked on the end.

Jack grinned, one side of his mouth curling up higher than the other, "How are you Pipsqueak?" he asked, jumping down from the light post, landing lightly.

Pippa coudn't stop bouncing as he handed over her hat, setting it on her head crookedly, "You came back!"

"'Course I did. I said I would, didn't I?" Jack asked, spinning the staff around in his hand and resting it on his shoulder.

Pippa threw her arms around his waist, muttering something into his sweatshirt. Jack looked down at her, perplexed, as he was still getting use to the idea of a child believing in him. Finally Jack awkwardly patted her back, overwhelmed by her small gesture and unsure of how to react. Pippa looked up and pulled away, smiling.

"Where are you headed?" Jack asked.

Pippa turned and crossed the street, "School! I'm in the fifth grade now."

Jack raised his eyebrows as he walked with her, "No way. I can't really call you Pipsqueak then, can I?"

Pippa shook her head, "Mom says I've grown taller too," she added.

Jack chuckled, watching Pippa walk with a little bounce in her step. He couldn't believe it had been a whole year since he had seen her last. He also couldn't believe that she still had faith in him. When he left, Jack had his doubts that she would forget. Pippa had happily proven him wrong for the second time.

Jack brought the staff and laid it across his shoulders, resting his forearms on either side, listening as Pippa rambled off about her summer. Seemingly out of nowhere, a snowball flew through the air, catching Pippa in the back of the head. She stumbled forwards and looked over her shoulder. Jack looked too, grinning, in hopes of a snowball fight.

"Who are you talking too Pippa?" A dark haired girl, the one who threw the snowball, snickered as she and her assembly of friends caught up to them, "Your imaginary friend? Aren't you a little old for that?"

Jack's brows furled as he looked at Pippa and the other girls belittling her. Pippa stole a glance at Jack, her grey eyes large and fearful and brimming with tears. Jack's chest fell; the girls couldn't see him. They walked right through him like everyone else. That is, everyone else but Pippa.

"Hey now, cut it out," Jack said, though the girls just ignored him. To them, his words were nothing but a chilly breeze passing by.

The dark haired girl's taunts continued, "So who is then Pippa?"

Pippa's eyes flickered between the band of girls and Jack. She muttered something into her scarf.

"I didn't hear you."

"Jack Frost," Pippa said louder.

The girl screeched in laughter, clutching their stomachs.

"Jack Frost?"

"There's not such thing!"

"Freak!"

At the last comment the girls burst into another fit of scornful giggles at Pippa's expense. They walked off, one of them pulling Pippa's red hair as she passed, making Pippa cry out in pain.

Jack looked at the girls, now a few feet ahead of them. Beside him, Pippa quietly sniffled into her scarf. For a moment, Jack considered throwing one of his "special" snowballs towards the girls faces. Apart from the the satisfaction of smacking the girls in the face, he knew that the snow did something to them. He wasn't sure exactly what it did, but he did know that whatever it was, it made children happy. He looked at Pippa again. No, this called for something different.

"Pippa, do you know those girls?" Jack asked and Pippa nodded, "Do they always do that?"

Pippa hesitated, "No. Sometimes they just throw a snowball and run off," she whispered between sniffs.

Jack sighed. Teasing, especially towards Pippa, did not sit well with him.

"Hey Pipsqueak, watch this," Jack said gently, crouching so that he was her height. Pippa ran her arm across her nose and nodded.

Jack rotated the staff across his shoulders and set the tip on the concrete in front of them. A long stream of frost and ice trailed from the stick, running up the sidewalk like a slithering snake towards the girls. Pippa watched with bright eyes. The ice curled up the side of a store building, into the snow on the slanted roof, and disappeared. The snow quivered and slipped off the store front, landing on top of the girls and burying them in white powder. They screeched from the cold, slapping at the snow to get it off, and scrambling to get out of the pile.

It was Pippa's and Jack's turn to laugh as they watched the girls run off. Still crouching, Jack turned to Pippa, putting his hand on her shoulder.

"Now listen here Pippa," Jack said, his voice gentle but firm, "It's your turn to make me a promise. No matter what people say or try to tell you, I will always be here. I need you to always believe in me. Understand?"

Pippa wipped her nose and nodded. She looked into Jack's blue eyes. She liked looking at them, they reminded her of the sea or the sky; appearing as through they went on forever.

"Promise me Pippa. Promise me you won't let anyone sway you."

"I promise Jack," she said softly.

Jack smiled and stood up as they continued their walk to school, twirling his staff as they went.

"How come they can't see you?"

Jack looked down at her, "Because they don't believe I exist," he said, "When kids don't believe in me, they don't see me," he added, trying to keep his explanations simple again.

"I see you. I believe you," Pippa said softly.

Jack grinned and ruffled her hair playfully, "That's right and that's why you're my favorite," he teased.

"Am I the only one that can see you?"

Jack hesitated before answering, "Yes."

They walked towards the school, Pippa finishing telling Jack about how her summer went. Jack listened, happy to have some company and someone to talk to, even if she was eight years younger than him. They walked through the small town, passing people as they brushed snow off the front porch steps of their stores or put signs in the window. Jack liked the town, it was small and quaint but busy enough so that you didn't feel trapped. A few people waved hello t Pippa, who was happy to return the gesture. Grey skies hung in the air, curtsey of Jack, but apart from the wind, the weather was nice. Jack swung his staff as he walked, causing a light flurry of snow to fall, adding yet another layer to the towns already covered buildings.

Pippa smiled, watching the snowflakes as they fell, "I like it when you make it snow Jack," she said.

"Yeah? Me too Pipsqueak. Me too," Jack sighed with a lopsided smile.


Authors Note: Uh, saw it. Loved it! Such a great movie. Rise of the Guardians totally exceeded my expectations :)

I must thank these lovely people for writing such wonderful reviews: Paper Lilly Webs, DreamWalker18, angelrider13, DoctorsCompanion000 and FALLING-ANGEL24, you guys keep me going! Thanks also to everyone else who favored and followed. There are so many Jackx0Cs that I was beginning to wonder if my story would be interesting enough. I'm very happy with the response I've gotten. Thanks!

Secondly, if you guys would like to see any one-shots or have any ideas either shoot me a PM or just say so on your review! If it fits, I'll happily write it. I'd love to hear some input. I will generally try and keep the chapters in chronological order. Thanks again readers!

I listened to Joe Purdy singing Wash Away while writing this chapter :) Link is on my profile!