Holt dried himself off after his shower, briefly remembering Jackson's jab about how he didn't want to see Holt's naked body.
Holt rolled his eyes.
It was the same body, genius.
Brushing his bangs downward, inwardly sighing as he looked at the red strands of hair in their shared brush.
He rested his elbows on the counter and looked at the blurry Jackson behind the fog, streaking a clawing mark around his eye's reflection. Then getting up and drying his hair primping his new body for the school day. Upset Jackson wouldn't let him do his own style, especially as he pulled on a different signature yellow button down and a slightly different sweater vest. Looking at the blue bow tie left on the counter he made a face. On one hand it was the dorkiest accessory on the planet. On the other hand. He really missed seeing that color.
Tying it proved to be slightly more difficult than he imagined, but the skewed knotted mess only made Holt feel more like it was really him in there.
Then placing on, if only for Mom's belief… Jackson's dorky glasses.
Just about ready to go, post-breakfast, and after a lazy laundry job of mostly dumping Jackson's clothes on their bed and stuffing his own into his drawers and respective places.
He had no idea laundry was so boring when he didn't have something to jam out to.
He found himself always tapping on something nervously, and had been singing stifled in the shower. Practicing Jackson's voice for a good while in there.
Ready to face his mother and the school day, gathering up Jackson's homework, following his sticky note instructions on what supplies they needed that day.
Finally catching his Mom before she ran off to work, in the kitchen drinking coffee silently, still waking up.
"Hey Mom." he smiled heart pounding whenever he was around her like she'd see through them immediately. And actually wanting to tell her, so he could complain to someone.
This however was something he had been looking forward to as soon as he thought about it last night in the laundry room.
A failsafe Jackson never thought he was going to crack, and had clearly forgotten about for Holt's sake.
"Off to class, can I have my car keys?" he smiled containing himself.
She reached nonchalantly into her pocket and handed them off, glancing at him once, deeming he passed the test.
He wanted to jump up on the table and scream happiness to the heavens, then do a guitar solo running off to the car. But instead he had to stifle a nod and walk briskly to Jackson's car.
Laughing as he could unlock it and sit down. Recalling the old times of Jackson trying to hide their keys and their brain having enough information to lead Holt to them. Finally leaving them in the trusty hands of his mother and her lockbox every night.
Holt wasn't allowed to drive the car. They had had... Too many incidents.
From scratches, to people going too slow, to the speed limit suggesting something too slow, to Jackson suddenly getting pulled over and having no memory as to why, but he had transform back if only because it was Jackson's ugly mug on the driver's license.
He didn't know why Jackson cared though, any tickets or damage were paid off with Holt's DJ money after all.
Though it could have had to do with the fact that Jackson had a license… and technically Holt didn't. But they were the same person so that didn't matter right?
Holt revved up the car plugging his iCoffin into the converter and setting it to Jackson's music on full blast. Sure he didn't have his own tunes to listen to but Jackson had a few epic soundtrack stuff that didn't set him off.
Trying to jam out to what he could get he squealed out of their driveway and off to school.
A couple of students raised their eyebrows at what sounded like the thumping of a subwoofer or something coming from an incoming car that screeched diagonally into two parking spaces. The volume shutting off and "Jackson" emerging, though no one really noticed or cared. Maybe if people had a reason to be suspicious they may have but most monsters were already getting to class.
Holt hop skipped over half the steps to lead to the main hall, sort of keeping his usual strut without thinking about it. He knew Jackson's schedule… he just wasn't used to it.
Reaaaally wanting to use the spare time to catch up with people, but the less interactions the better until he could get Jackson the chemicals he needed. Luckily Jackson was fairly unpopular, and no one really expected to speak to Holt till he was supposed to come out later in the day.
Whistling to sort of nullify the headache he was getting from glasses and lack of music. Holt didn't have much practice getting to G-ogre-phy, usually getting passing period not, before school time.
He knew Jackson had it though.
He checked his iCoffin for the time.
Holt had 8 minutes to figure out where this class was, the halls slowly vacating as students hurried off to class. Him only late because of his shower, but according to their mother Holt smelt like an ashtray that morning.
But, so did the bathroom, and he had a feeling a candle would just make that worse.
Wandering down the hall he kept getting distracted by everyone's little mini conversations, wanting to eaves drop now that he kept hearing things. He went around in a circle and kept passing identical looking rooms. This was slightly harder than he thought it was going to be.
Whilst peeking in a classroom to see if anything was jogging his memory as to which class it was exactly, he noticed everything was suddenly shadier.
Looking up to see a shadow looming over him.
Seeing Manny Taur didn't immediately strike fear into his heart like it did with Jackson. He knew Jackson had issues with him, but whenever he and Holt hung out he seemed like an ok guy.
Still he looked around "Uhm what's up?" he asked in Jackson's meek voice.
"You're in my hallway." the minotaur huffed sounding like he was having a bad morning already.
Holt opened his mouth noticing the threatening demeanor. "I thought this was the social studies hallway." he answered dumbly.
Wrong answer apparently because before he knew it he was getting flung over Manny's shoulder.
"Woah woah hey dude what are you doing?!" he squealed normal voice leaking in, though no one noticed, heck the halls seemed to be relatively empty. Guess everyone had scurried off to class.
Manny huffed at Holt struggling, like he wasn't used to it.
"What do you think I'm doing?" his uneven voice ran out.
Holt was surprised Manny was even listening to him. Though noticed Manny was holding him against his shoulder as practically as possible.
"Looks like you're squeezing my butt, gaywad!" Holt shot back snickering, hoping to maybe get flung off him so he could scurry off and escape, maybe just skip the first class and scribble song lyrics in the library. But Manny seemed to only speed up, gaining momentum as suddenly Holt was flung into a coffin.. er locker. Well big enough that he could stand, but was still trapped. It being relatively empty, almost like its purpose was to be stood in. As the door shut in his face and he was in a dark place. He kicked the locker loudly trying to make a ruckus.
"What's the big deal Manny!"
"The big deal is you're going to regret talking to me today normie!" he huffed before stalking off. Leaving Holt to stew.
Well someone was overcompensating.
He kicked the locker taking out his pent up energy for like 5 minutes, just making noise. But at that point the bell was ringing and he was late for class. And no one was in the hallway.
Didn't stop him from kicking more. He would have yelled, but he didn't know how to yell in Jackson's voice without it coming out like he was announcing the next song. Kicking was louder anyway.
Man! He felt like he was taking punishment for something Jackson did. Holt never did anything wrong to Manny after all, and he was fine with him. Well besides insulting him… just now.
He pushed against the locker in a mad bashing fit for 5 minutes, remembering their lockers had external skeleton locks not internal ones he could mess with.
Then started kicking again.
No locker can hold Holt Hyde!
Not giving up. Almost willing to sit through this prison just so he didn't have to ask Jackson for help but then again, being a nerd was his expertise.
Tapping his fingers and testing every which way he could think of he realised he was still stuck in a locker.
Grumbling he pulled a common method of communication out, sticking a sticky note on the wall of this cramped space and a marker, he could barely move his elbows and the sticky note was barely readable in this darkness but he was more concerned about running their iCoffin low by using a typing app, versus just using it as a faint light to read.
Not that he cared whether or not Jackson got his time out normally but today they needed him out, and he couldn't have him running out of batteries. Plus it was kind of hard to switch between that and the music app.
this a common day for u?
He wrote smugly before pulling his headphones up and pressing play, whining again with want as he heard the music start up, feeling more like it was rocking him to sweet sleep with it's lullabies rather than forcing him out like silence did.
Holt woke up to silence again, a second note on top of the first, holding up the paused playlist to the sticky note.
omg what did you say to Manny?
Holt rolled his eyes, what did HE do to Manny?! What did Jackson do?! Clearly he was a target more than just his normieness, maybe Manny was just mad he was deprived of Holt's awesomeness whenever Jackson was around~
The marker was still uncapped. He took the time to add crude drawings to the inside of what he assumed was Manny's empty locker. Before writing again on a new slapped on sticky note.
y u blamin me for evrythin? how do u uslly get out?
Music again. Aw man that was the song that had been stuck in his head all morning too, he wanted to listennn!
Holt blinked looking at the new note.
did you try calling or texting someone for help?
Oh heck no. Holt was too prideful to even ask Jackson for help much less letting friends know he was in a locker. No wonder Jackson's reputation was so low.
r u stupid?
i asked u for help
now help genius.
A new note appeared as Holt was getting slightly tired of constant transformations. Wanting to solve the problem faster.
Pride isn't worth missing first period.
Just call Frankie I think she's in this hallway.
no way dude!
u have to have another way out
try melting it with my powers
You don't have any powers. You know that.
well not as a normie!
that y we in here
Holt on a good day you can melt hard plastic
and this isn't a good day
Holt banged his head against the locker again having half a mind to make Jackson wait it out, but he didn't know how to force him to listen to music. Versus taking away the music to hyde. He sighed pulling out another note
any other ideas?
Try kicking the bottom shelf, like the wall behind you. 5 times
Holt cocked his head confused by that one. It wouldn't really help them. The confusion possibly throwing him off enough that he didn't think as to why Jackson asked him to do it, rather than doing it himself.
Kicking the bottom shelf 5 times loudly.
Well that was dumb. Jackson must have just liked making him feel stup-
"WOAH" he shouted as a tentacle wrapped around his ankle and flipped the back trap door Holt getting sent flying backwards into darkness. Before he knew it he was getting thrown into water with a splash. Gasping as he tread water grabbing for the stoney bricks of land. Looking behind him he saw multiple tentacles flailing in the catacombs. Running off before any could grab him again. Sneakers squeaking as he was sopping wet.
Running wildly into the catacombs was not normally a good idea, but he'd been down here a few times making tunes with Operetta, and had immediately recognized a familiar staircase that led back up to the school.
He pushed his bangs to the side so gross water wouldn't get in his face as much. Rolling his eyes as he was actually running off to class, when he had every right to skip.
Jackson was...
As much as he didn't want to admit it.
...Right
They couldn't bring any more attention to themselves and skipping a class as Jackson was the first way to do that. Though he could always blame it on 'the blackouts' codeword for, an awesome DJ decided to skip snooze town and really learn something.
Maybe not on the first day though.
Finally making it up to the hallways he immediately slipped on the tile. Hitting his chin on the floor. Glancing around to make sure no one saw that he thought he saw a greenish glow and a camera snap.
Rolling his eyes, he ran off to class, an image of Jackson splat on the ground on the Ghostly Gossip crossing his mind.
Then snickering to himself.
That's right, he was in Jackson's body. Jackson being a clutz on a gossip blog was the kind of publicity he liked.
Squeaking off to class his shoes slid on the tile, swinging open the door to G-ogre-phy, panting as he made something of a dramatic entrance in.
Barely anyone looked up though.
The teacher just pointed at an empty spot in the classroom as Holt struggled to climb there plopping down and catching his breath.
A few students scooted away from him but that was most likely because he was Jackson right now.
Or breathing heavily and sopping wet with weird smelling water.
He was too distracted by the events to focus on anything the teacher was saying, too wet to pull out an equally wet notebook and take notes.
He tapped his foot counting down the minutes until class was over, trying to remember the next song that'd be playing on his playlist right now if he could only have his music back. Considering putting it on a low enough volume to listen to, but he had a feeling with so many people and a teacher 'd be frowned upon. He made a mental note to do that privately at lunch.
Too distracted to realize he'd "remembered" where his class was in the panic mad rush to get there. Despite never setting foot in there before.