It was becoming jarring to come out to music. Loud music too. He felt like Holt made it unnecessarily loud. Unless it was just his preferred volume to come out dancing to. Jackson didn't jump. He didn't sing.

He cringed coming out to the flames and beats.

Disorienting to be mid stride but they were both used to coming out in the middle of actions. Walking was a whole lot less confusing than coming out in the middle of eating something, or that time the power went out while Holt was in the shower.

Both boys forever thankful that they came out at all and the other hadn't stolen the whole day or skipped turns. One big long life of tug-o-war with time. Things were easier when the trigger was a nice consistant night and day thing. Maybe it'd turn into something like sleep later on. But music worked ok for now. Well atleast it did until Jackson realised how difficult it was to stay in a music bubble. He was halfway to lunch and had gotten what? Half an hour this whole day? With spotty notes too.

He sighed, brushing past the buzz of students on their way to classes, not turning down the volume since for the moment he'd rather listen to that then the morning gossip that probably included his image face-planted by the entrance of the catacombs. He hadn't heard alternative songs like these at their proper volume in a while after all. However forced to constantly hear it was getting annoying.

Jackson veered off to a nook by the lockers changing the playlist to something slightly more upbeat while looking at the video Holt took, then grumbling because if he pressed play it tended to pause his music in favor of the new sound application. He'd need an external source to keep him, him before he could even check if Holt hadn't just zoomed in on Frankie the whole time like a creep.

He still had time to get to English, considering taking the same strategy of holding out as Holt as long as he could before the teacher shot him down. Pulling out Holt's note for Clawculus he noticed, while there were some numbers on the page they didn't necessarily make much sense and it was mostly doodles of himself, and what appeared to be a carefully thought out picture of deuce with overly detailed snakes.
Jackson squinted at what else he'd left on the page

Song lyrics? Then Holt had used the lined paper as a music staff and had been possibly writing out a melody.

While more productive than Jackson expected, it still wasn't math notes. Hopefully the video was salvageable because he wasn't doing so great understanding differentials and had wanted to get clarification today.

He looked at his blue hand, still frustrated by the situation, a sense of dread sweeping over him as he started to lose some hope of getting an antidote fixed. Just really hoping it'd be something that'd wear off.

Then standing up straight as he realised students were giving him concerned or sympathetic looks as he was wilting in the hallway. Walking at a hunched sad slant.

He picked up his demeanor, forcing a smile. Trying to walk to the beat.

Looking out for students he knew in the crowd, knowing most everyone with their small community but friends especially were a frightful thought right now, he didn't want to have anyone talking to him when he wasn't sure how to pull off Holt quite right.

Avoiding InvisiBilly who was actually visible near the end of the hallway, probably because he was talking to Scarah.
Not making eye contact with Clawdeen having a growl-off with her sister over a scarf.

And giving a nod of greeting at Deuce escorting his queen to class.

He wanted to talk to them, they'd probably greet him a bit easier in this form, but his personality remained the same, and Holt socially awkward…? Was somehow worse than being his shy self. If only because it was more jarring for friends to recognise.

English didn't take long to get to, remembering there were a few extra empty seats in that class, he changed his usual seating arrangement to the chair directly behind where Slow Moe usually sat. Hoping he could hide behind the incredibly tall zombie once he arrived, at the expense of flies landing on his work.

There was a reason that seat was empty after all.

Pulling out the book the class had been reading he pulled his headphones down to his shoulders again and minimized the volume. It still clinking some amount of staticy sounds to the silent classroom but he couldn't go any quieter. It was a medical condition…

Not the first one there, Ghoulia somehow already seated before faster students arrived. She groaned a greeting that had slight surprise to it towards Jackson.

Jackson just shrugged not knowing how else to explain Holt's perfect student behavior. Opening the book they were reading, just trying to get ahead of the class before it was group read. Wishing the teacher had passed out the analysis worksheets before the bell rang so he could get some work done.

Ghoulia sat next to Slow Moe usually, so was very close to Jackson, turning to look at him.

Jackson looked up slowly to her still staring dead eyes.

She moaned and pointed slowly at the book.

"Uhh I'm on page 150?" he answered.

She cocked her head pointing behind him, then at him making a noise that sounded like a yawn. Wow Jackson needed to brush up on his zombese.

But it sounded more confused and interested than accusatory.

"Um… Jackson's making me read it, he's already finished it?" he lied, hushed classroom voice trying to sound deeper like Holt's. He was pretty sure she had asked him if they were both that far along in the reading or just Jackson was.

Jackson knew it was common information that they shared some amount of knowledge but not necessarily memories.

Ghoulia smiled like she was happy he was actually doing the reading then asked something in a voice that was quiet and really obscure.

Jackson squinted the music getting in the way.
"I-I'm sorry?" he pointed at his headphones.

Ghoulia was speaking up but the bell rang loudly and they both shifted back to their seats attentively.

Jackson got an alert noise piling over the music, and he looked down at his iCoffin.

You should show up to class more often. c:

Oh, from Ghoulia! Jackson smirked. Feeling wanted, until he realised she was more or less asking for Holt to take up Jackson's usual class time.
But for the moment she thought Holt was trying to be a good student.
Which Jackson wouldn't have minded either.

Someone needed to pull his weight after all…

Slow Moe was… conveniently absent or incredibly late for class.

Texting back to Ghoulia quickly hoping the teacher would assume he was changing his playlist or something.

I would but

He started the text before.

"Music off, Holt." the teacher spoke up sharply but nonchalantly. He hadn't done anything wrong, they were just assuming he was taking time away from Jackson. Holt didn't have a history of being in there to get a good grade for his smart half.

He looked at Ghoulia making a 'You see?' sort of face before sending the half written conveniently written text.

Before exiting out the music app and taking his own leave, making a very Jackson sigh on his way out.

Holt flinched, restraining himself after the last time he came out in the middle of class. Heart beating fast as he resisted yelling something. Smiling though, tapping his finger on the desk, looking around to assess his surroundings. This class had a window overlooking one of the sports fields so he kept straining to see that, glasses making it easier.

He flicked his piercing for 3 minutes while the teacher explained something about symbolism and Holt pulled his music app back up, then bit his lip looking at their charge for the day. He still needed it up in case Jackson needed it… Exiting out.

Then slouched in his chair pulling the book up to himself on a random page to look like he was reading it. Kicking back. He didn't know what page they were on. Had they already announced that? He leaned over to look at Ghoulia's book. She angled it towards him till he saw the page number and Holt slowly flipped there.

Following along with the student reader. Or trying to. His eyes kept going to different spots on the page, and he didn't know who any of these characters were.

He'd only read one book series because Jackson made him, and it really messed him up. He didn't want to get attached to any old wizards who were killed by their trusted spies. He got so angry after that book he stopped reading. Briefly wondering how the story ended as it did get a lot of praise, he recalled.

Without the music though he found himself tapping his pencil to the desk, trying to stare at the book, but it was hard to focus without a beat keeping his brain in sync. The class kept reading but the teacher ambled his way slowly down his row. And Holt stopped jittering looking at the third person to stand over him today.
It was starting to give him anxiety or something…
"What's up?" he asked raising his eyebrows, barely moving from his slouch.

"Just checking on you, are you alright?" they asked quietly as the class continued to read the teacher leaning over and keeping this private.

"Why?" Holt wasn't used to talking to authority figures this much.

"I think you're distracting your peers with your.. fidgeting." the teacher made a face but it was more of concern.

Holt kept being oblivious to just how much he was moving around, but apparently it was noticeable. "Naw, uhh. We were…"

He tried to think of a lie. Energy drink overdose? Did they ever have this problem before. Well there was that one time that…

"Trying some medication for Holt." he explained lying through his teeth, having a hard time keeping his voice down for the class's sake, "Uh yeah and it just makes me all over the place. Probably won't do that again, woo. Quite the doozy."

The teacher gave them a sympathetic smile "As long as you get your work done." he said patting them on the shoulder and checking on another student who had passed out on their propped up hand.

Wait was that due today? Holt looked at the page passed out on his desk. Heart beat picking up with dread as he read Classwork written across the top. Shooot.

Writing Jackson's name at the top of the page he looked over the confusing character names. What was an allegory…? Literary Elements, ok those seemed familiar he remembered taking a class that involved words like that before..

Was this stuff from the previous chapter?

He looked up at the teacher who was discussing a question the student had while another classmate read outloud from the next page, everyone flipping synchronized.

There was a ruffle of paper on his desk, and he looked up to see Ghoulia's hand retreating to her own book silently. Her worksheet on his desk.

He blinked then quickly wrote everything down trying not to use word for word, copying off her. Then slowly slid the page back without notice.

Surprised she did that, he kept looking at her, but she never turned around, looking at her phone subtly.

You two seem to be having an off day.

The iCoffin bleeped quietly for only his ears, headphones always plugged in.

Holt didn't thank her, but he didn't question it either. Going back to drumming his fingers on the desk, his last download's tune still stuck in his head.