"You sure you wanna do this?" Violet asked as she, Astrid, and Elsa headed down to breakfast.
Much to everyone's dismay, the day before they had agreed on what would prove to be the greatest mistake they had ever made so far: Jack and Elsa were going to switch places for an entire week. The day had barely begun and the girls were dreading such agreement already.
Elsa sighed, smoothing the front of her jacket as she walked. "It's not really like I have a choice. God knows how insufferable Frost will be if I back down now."
"Like he isn't a big ass already," Astrid grumbled, shaking her head, and Elsa hummed in agreement.
"Hold on, doesn't trashing your counterpart go against the boyfriend-girlfriend pact?" Violet asked absently.
"So I should start lying instead?" Elsa laughed, and she was quickly joined by the other girls.
"Never mind then." Violet snorted, and as they continued walking, she pointed to the refectory's doors, where a very familiar trio awaited. "Somebody is eager to get this bet rolling…"
And as soon as he heard them approaching, Jack turned on his heels and bowed in front of them. "Good morning, ladies."
"How kind of you to wait for us, Frost," said Elsa.
"You know me, Your Majesty." Jack smiled from ear to ear as he straightened up. "A true gentleman through and through."
"Of course you are."
Putting his hands on his hips, he grumbled, "If I didn't know you, I'd think that you were mocking me."
Elsa rolled her eyes playfully. "I would never."
"See, there's that tone again—"
"So are we doing this or not?" Though Andy's voice was harsh, there was no looking past the smirk on his lips. He pointed to the doors behind him with his thumb. "Some of us would rather be in there eating right now."
"I second that," Hiccup agreed, pushing himself off the wall.
"Lead the way then," Astrid said, shoving him forth and the group proceeded together to the doors.
"Last chance, beautiful," Jack said, tugging on the cuff of her blazer to keep her with him as the others entered. He leaned over her, eyes glistening with mischief.
An eyebrow raised, the blonde smiled back, "I hope you're prepared to lose, Jack."
He smirked, looping an arm around her waist and pulling her toward him. "I hope you are prepared to have a blast this week—"
"I think that's enough," Violet grumbled, forcefully squeezing herself between the couple and pushing them apart.
"Do you mind?" Jack growled, eyes hard on the girl.
Violet shrugged, completely unfazed by his animosity. "I do, actually. You two can make googly eyes at each other later. Hopefully, when I'm not around to watch."
"Let's just go," Elsa sighed, taking Violet's arm and leading her inside the refectory.
There were very few people still perusing the food counters, but they saw that Wilbur and Hiro had joined the rest of their group at the end of the line.
Wilbur, particularly, beamed with his arms crossed smugly. "Well, if it isn't the man—and the lady"—he winked at Elsa—"of the hour!"
Jack narrowed his eyes, and his gaze shifted between the two boys suspiciously. "What could you possibly be talking about, William?"
"A little bird told us that Arendelle here will be our new acting leader for the next week."
"Little bird, huh?" Elsa mumbled as she slid her breakfast tray over the rail.
"Please allow me to carry that for you, Elsa," Hiro said, taking her tray before she could decline the offer.
Jack's hands gripped his own tray a little tighter at that interaction. "You making a move on my girlfriend, Hamada?"
"Don't be silly, Jackson," Hiro replied but didn't bother giving any further explanation after that.
"Can I get you anything to drink, Elsa?" Wilbur offered as if it was the most natural thing in the world. "Juice? Coffee?"
"Uh…" She looked around for help, but everyone—sans one specific person—seemed to be having fun with the situation. Smiling politely at the boy, she said, "Tea, please."
"Lovely." He nodded and proceeded to pour her a cup. "Milk and sugar?"
"A little bit of honey would be nice…"
"You got it."
"What the fuck do you idiots think you're doing?!" Jack snarled.
"Just showing some hospitality." Wilbur's smile was sickly sweet and anything but sincere. "It's not always that we have guests to entertain, much less of the caliber of one Elsa Arendelle."
"Shall we escort you to your table, Elsa?" Hiro asked with a smirk.
"You certainly shall." Elsa chuckled behind her hand and gave the silverhead an apologetic look.
"Now hold on a second—"
"Don't worry, Frost. We'll take good care of your girlfriend." Wilbur winked from over his shoulder before following after the other two to their table.
"I'm gonna kill those two," Jack grumbled, rubbing a hand down his face in exasperation.
"You brought this on yourself, dumbass," Astrid said, flicking a hand across the back of his head.
"This is only day one, you guys. Chill." With a sigh, Hiccup picked up his meal and motioned with his head to the direction the others had gone. "I'll go with them to make sure Elsa is alright. You coming, Andy?"
"Nah, I think someone has to keep an eye on this side too." He made a circle with his forefinger encompassing Jack and the girls.
"What's that supposed to mean, Davis?"
In a rare moment of mutual agreement, the three glared at Andy with matching looks of annoyance on their faces.
"Good call." Hiccup laughed awkwardly before squirming away.
Turning to the still fuming trio behind him, Andy said, "Come on, Schuyler sisters."
"Who are you calling—"
"Get moving." Andy silenced them with a pointed glare. "You don't want to be late for class."
"Hey, Jack!"
Anna's voice caught his attention as he drifted through the hallways between classroom changes, but he pretended not to hear it.
"Jack!" The calls were getting louder, and he could see the girl rushing through the crowd even without seeing her. Not ready to deal with Anna's upbeat energy yet, he prayed silently that his lack of reaction would be enough to keep her away...
"JACKSON OVERLAND FROST!"
He was yanked back by talon-like hands grasping onto his upper arm and felt Anna's scream ringing inside his skull. He scowled, trying unsuccessfully to untangle himself from the girl. "Hello, princess."
"Didn't you hear me calling?" she chided with a frown.
"Sorry, had other things on my mind."
His apology was half-hearted at best, but it still seemed to appease Anna somehow. She let go of his arm so she could join him on his walk. "Astrid said you're gonna be the Student Council's errand boy for a whole week."
"Astrid happens to be a big fat liar."
"But you're volunteering to help the Student Council as part of some kind of twisted game you're playing with my sister, aren't you?"
Jack breathed in through his nose and exhaled through his mouth slowly. "I am."
Anna giggled, poking him with her finger. "How did you get Elsa to agree to it?"
"It's hard to say no to me," he replied with a flirtatious wink that made her groan.
"I can't believe you're corrupting my sister."
He rolled his eyes. Ever since his relationship with Elsa had become public, more times than he could count, by a multitude of people, and with varying degrees of offensiveness, he was called a bad influence on his girlfriend, and apparently, some people still had thoughts on the matter that begged to be shared. "Why does everyone keep saying that?"
"Gee, I wonder why," Anna teased, crossing her arms and staring at him with an arched eyebrow.
"Ever occurred to you that Elsa has a predisposition to cause trouble in her own right?"
"I'm not denying that. My sister's sass is unparalleled…" Anna was chewing her lower lip, and he could hear the unspoken but in the sentence.
"What?" he snarled.
"I didn't say anything!" she said defensively.
"I can hear the cogs turning in your head."
She hummed, bumping on his shoulder with hers. "You're good to her. In a way."
"You could've just left the last part out, you know."
"Aw, don't pout." Grinning, she patted him on the cheek.
"I don't pout," he grumbled. "I never pout."
She nodded, patronizing. "Sure you don't, Jack."
"Whatever happened to the respect around here…"
Anna cleared her throat, hands folding behind her back as she grinned at him.
"So anyway, drop by the Student Council later so we can give you some special assignments."
He hissed through gritted teeth, "Fine."
"Sorry, I can't hear you. What was that?"
"I SAID FINE!"
"Sheesh, no need to shout." Anna rolled her eyes. "Oh, Jack. This is gonna be so much fun!"
Elsa was anxious. She knew she had no reason to be, but there was no stopping her palms from sweating and her throat from constricting as she walked alongside Hiccup to wherever the hell they were supposed to be meeting the rest of the boys at.
"Don't worry, we're not as bad as we make everyone think we are," Hiccup said warmly as if sensing her apprehension.
"In theory, I'm aware of that."
"Hey, it's gonna be alright." He put a comforting hand on her shoulder and smiled. "And you can tell them to fuck off any time they start to annoy you."
Elsa chuckled. "You're so sweet, Hiccup."
Hiccup laughed too and directed the girl's attention to a figure approaching. "Your boyfriend is coming this way."
"Hmmm…" She frowned, worried about what the encounter would entail, and watched the boy sauntering over with a pile of boxes as tall as himself in his arms.
"Hey there," The silverhead greeted, a little short of breath but still as charming as ever.
"Hey yourself, handsome." Hiccup grinned, stepping in front of Elsa and hiding her smaller frame from the other guy's view, which in turn made Jack glower with palpable fury. Doe-eyed and confused, Hiccup tilted his head to the side. "Something wrong, Jack?"
"Other than you?" the silverhead grumbled, rolling his eyes, then thrust his boxes into Hiccup's arms.
"Whoa, what—"
"Hold these for me, will ya?"
And before Hiccup could protest, Jack was taking Elsa by the wrist and Leading her behind a column.
"Somebody looks agitated," Elsa mocked.
"Give me a break," he grumbled, trapping her against the stone and slipping his arms around her waist. "Your sister is working me like a dog."
"I take it you're having fun with your day then." With an arched eyebrow, she laced her fingers behind his head and let her thumbs stroke the nape of his neck.
"I swear, I'm this close to murdering her," he grunted, irate, but still allowed his eyes to slide closed and grudgingly leaned into her touch.
"Bold of you to admit that to me so openly."
Jack rolled his eyes. "What about you? Where you headed?"
Her nose wrinkled as her eyes focused on fixing his crooked tie. "We're going to a briefing meeting, whatever that is."
"Those jerks are having a fucking briefing without me?!"
"I don't think you have the right to be mad here," she said casually as she played with the flimsy strip of fabric between her fingers.
"Oh, I'll show you just how mad I am—"
"Hey, you two naughty kids making out behind the pillar!" Hiccup shouted right before he appeared with Jack's pile of boxes and a huge grin splattered on his face. "I hate to interrupt, but there's been a change of plans."
"Why? What happened?" Jack asked as Elsa hastily stepped away from him and his hands slid back to his sides.
Hiccup shrugged. "Just switching classrooms. Which is none of your concern, I'm afraid."
"Fuck you, Haddock."
"So we better get going, Elsa."
"Okay." Elsa nodded and took a moment to throw a sympathetic smile Jack's way. "I guess I'll see you later."
Jack threw his head back with a loud snort. "Yeah, if I don't die first."
"You're being dramatic."
"I wish!"
"Oh, there you are!" Another voice shouted, and a flurry of blonde hair came rushing in their direction. With her cheeks flushed and eyes wide, Rapunzel pointed threateningly at the silverhead. "I've been looking all over for you!"
"You found me now." Jack forced a smile as he took the boxes back from Hiccup. "So what can I do for you, sweetheart?"
His smooth wink made Rapunzel blush a deep shade of red that immediately triggered Elsa's protectiveness. Scowling, she warned, "Stop harassing my protégee."
Jack chuckled, cocking his weight to one side. "Jealous?"
Elsa rolled her eyes, then turned back to the younger girl. "Please do not let this idiot intimidate you, Rapunzel."
"Y-you got it, Elsa." Rapunzel nodded eagerly, though she still seemed a bit dazed, and to Jack, she added, "You were supposed to take that equipment to the computer lab."
"Sorry, got side-tracked," Jack mumbled, sheepish.
"I see that." The girl crossed her arms, eyes shifting between the three seniors intrigued. "But we gotta get moving. Mr. Pine is expecting us. And we still need to bring those signed files to Ms. Mirage later…"
As Rapunzel's instructions continued, Elsa and Hiccup exchanged quick glances and nodded at each other in agreement. Putting a hand on Jack's back, she leaned closer to whisper, "Good luck."
"You too…"
"Do you think he's gonna be okay?" Hiccup asked as he and Elsa turned around the corner.
She laughed. "Honestly, I would be more surprised if he wasn't."
"So you think he's gonna be okay?" Hiccup repeated, more amused.
"Hiccup. If carrying a few boxes and filling out some paperwork was all it took to defeat an idiot like Jack, I would've agreed to this bet years ago..."
"Hey, North, wanted to see me?" Jack didn't bother knocking as he pushed the double doors open and let himself inside the headmaster's office.
Not looking up from the paper he was reading, North beckoned the boy with the flicker of his pen. "Shut the door, Mr. Frost. And have a seat."
"Don't mind if I do," he mumbled, dropping himself on the seat across from the headmaster's, and as North's very expensive and very comfortable leather chair hugged him snugly, he noticed for the first time how stiff his muscles were. He couldn't help but let out a tired moan as his body sagged.
"Can I offer you something to drink?" North asked, still not looking at him.
"I'm good, thanks." Jack tapped his fingers on his knees, surreptitiously looking around the room as he tried to recall anything he had done lately that could've earned him a trip to the headmaster's office, but came out empty. "... Been a while since I was here, huh?"
That gave the man pause. North carefully put his pen aside so he could fold his burly hands in front of him. "Indeed. I believe this to be a personal record, is it not?"
"What can I say? I've been so good you'd be surprised."
The headmaster smoothed his tie to cover a chuckle. "Oh, I can assure you that I am."
Smirking, Jack folded his hands over his stomach. "I don't wanna sound crass, North, but… what exactly am I here for?"
"Some rumors have come to my attention recently," North said somberly.
"What kind of rumors?"
"About a bet between you and one of my most esteemed students currently enrolled in the Academy."
Jack leaned forward with his forearms on his thighs and narrowed his eyes. "Are you telling me I am not one of your most esteemed students?"
"There are many other adjectives I would rather use to describe you, Mr. Frost," North declared with a laugh. "Would you care to tell me more about this bet?"
"So you heard about it…"
"Very little happens in this school without my knowledge."
The teen nodded, eyes focusing on the nameplate on the headmaster's desk. "Hmmm…"
"Should I be concerned about your extracurricular activities, Jack?"
Jack shrugged, nonchalant. "I don't think so, sir."
North's eyebrows knit the tiniest bit closer before returning to their resting permanent scowling face. "Can you give me your word that I will not have to call you back to my office by the end of the week?"
"Well, Mr. Headmaster, if you know about the bet, you probably know that I'm supposed to play the part of the good guy this week. Thus, you should be having this conversation with your most esteemed student instead."
"That is another matter that concerns me." North stood up and walked to the espresso machine in the corner of the room. He pressed a few buttons and it didn't take long for the nice aroma of freshly brewed coffee to permeate the air. "It is the first time Miss Arendelle is involved in this kind of event as far as I can recall."
Carefully, the man carried a cup in each hand back to the desk and placed one of them in front of the silverhead. After taking a sip of his own beverage, he locked eyes with Jack again and asked, "Any idea why now of all times?"
Taken aback by the question, Jack completely lost the timing to mention that North knew exactly how much sugar he liked in his coffee. Instead of making fun of their long acquaintanceship, he blurted out, "Are you saying that it's my fault? Because that's kinda rude towards me, don't you think?"
"Apologies, that was not my intention." North drank from his coffee thoughtfully. "I am merely trying to put the puzzle pieces together, and since you two are spending more time together, it seemed like a plausible assumption."
"I don't think it does the headmaster any good to be heeding the idle gossip he hears going on around campus."
"It is not gossip if I happen to see it with my own eyes." The headmaster puts his cup down and his smile is evident even behind his thick beard. "I must say, you make an intriguing couple."
Jack clanked his cup down on the table and pointed a finger at the burly man. He could feel the back of his neck heating up and his blood started to boil. "Okay. This is not a conversation we are having, North. Ever."
"There is no need to get so flustered, Jack," North tried to appease him with a chuckle.
"I'm out of here—"
"Sit down, Mr. Frost." As an unusual show of pettiness, the headmaster rolled his eyes and motioned to the chair Jack had just jumped up from. "I give you my word that I will not probe into your relationship as long as you continue to behave properly. Do we have a deal?"
Jack collapsed back into the chair and huffed, blowing his bangs out of his face. Crossing his arms like a stubborn brat, he grumbled, "Yeah, yeah. I'll be a real angel, sir…"