Today was a checklist.
As Holt ignored Jackson's earlier warning to let him have passing period, he hustled down the hall to imaginary music.
Checking off classes. Counting down minutes.
He waved at Frankie who was splintering off from her friend group.
Clearing his throat and mumbling a few Jackson-like phrases to himself to get in character, before skipping off to her.
"Where you headin'~?" he asked sweetly joining her stride.
Frankie gave him a weird smile "Home Ick?" she angled her head confused.
Holt didn't get the question her voice, until he remembered Jackson's next class.
"Right. We have that together!" he nearly shouted. "Haha I'm dumb, sorry."
"Considering we're partners you should be" she rolled her eyes leading the way at this point, as Holt ambled along unsure corridors.
"Partners." He blinked.
"For class?" Frankie nodded, knitting her brow "Are you sleep deprived or something, Jackson?" she asked looking concerned but not sure how Holt and him 'slept' "Did Holt stay up really late or something?"
Awww, why did everyone always blame him?! "Nawww it doesn't work that way." he scratched his head smiling from being around Frankie. All attention on her, as she tugged him out of the way of tripping on a squished slippery jelly eye on the ground. Or maybe an actual eyeball. His cheeks felt hot.
Holt could not resist "So did you wake up looking this cute or did you stitch on an angel's face this morning~?" he grinned.
Frankie almost choked suddenly giggling, putting her hand over her mouth as her bolts spritzed some electricity, looking at him with smiling eyes.
Then shoved him playfully.
"Oh youuu~" she laughed "Did Holt teach you that one?" she asked stifling herself, trying to regain her composure.
Holt chuckled back nervously "You could say that~"
"Well it's sweet, thanks. I was actually thinking my hair was a rat's nest today. And my hand just fell off last period when I was writing something on the board, in front of the whole class!" she smacked her forehead. Then led them into their classroom taking a seat at a counter while setting her books down. Then pulling out a needle and thread.
"Actually if you don't mind, could you tighten, Righty? I have a hard time left handed." she smiled sweetly and sort of desperately "B-but if that's too gross…" she started insecurely, then shut up, as Holt took the needle and thread, slipping the thick cord through the eye.
Then taking Frankie's clammy hand in his and poking through her wrist, and circling around, both weirdly silent as the rest of their classmate's chattered amongst themselves.
"T-thanks." she mumbled putting her head down, not meaning it to get so intimate.
"I'm sure you'd help me if my headphones were broken or… " wait that didn't make any sense if he was Jackson, unless he wanted to be his usual self, but Jackson wouldn't care about headphones? Or… ugh this was confusing. "...if I needed... Today's Clawculus notes?" he actually perked up remembering she was in that class.
"Oh yeah!" she squeaked "I'm sorry for distracting you! That was all my fault. If Mr. Rotter gives you detention just tell him it was me the whole time!" Keeping her wrist on the table as Holt continued to sew, she flipped through the books she left on the counter, sliding him a folder.
Holt tied it off and snipped it with scissors she quickly handed him. Then snapped a couple photos of her notes so Jackson wasn't distracted by math when he was trying to cure them.
Drumming the scissors to his mental music he smiled at Frankie. He really wanted to listen to his iCoffin right now. But people kept calling him out on not being very Jackson like; he didn't think Jackson listened to his music in class. Plus Frankie was watching.
"How's your day been?" he asked Frankie as the class was slowly getting set up.
Frankie shrugged "I'm always falling apart, it's just how my day goes." she smiled, like it didn't bother her.
"Doing anything this weekend?" he asked in a way that didn't suggest he was making plans, just was interested.
She shrugged "Other than Cleo's party not really. I was thinking about marathoning some spooky normie movies but- Oh. Sorry!" she hunched her head down.
"About what?"
"Oh I wasn't sure if that was offensive or not to humans…" Frankie sat up straight with political correctness.
Holt blinked. Unsure how he kept forgetting who he was today. "It's not. Sides." he spoke up nearly quoting Jackson's diary that he'd recently leafed through "If I wasn't a monster why would I go here~?"
He pushed himself against the counter though. Suddenly feeling kind of flushed. Not just because of Frankie, but it felt hot in there.
"So Holt could get an education?" she raised her eyebrows, smiling politely.
"Because normies don't shapeshift." he winked "I just look human."
"And have every quality of a normie until you're at a party." she pointed out "I know your dad is a monster but-"
"I don't have powers? Neither does Holt." saying his own name felt weird. He felt weird. Holt made a face as his stomach started cramping. "Heck, the most popular girl in school, Cleo. Name a power she has."
Frankie paused, uncertain because 'Jackson' seemed to be getting defensive "She's undead?"
"She could pass at a normie school." Holt scoffed back. "I can't. Not forever anyway" He learned that the hard way. But he didn't really like thinking about last Halloween. He tried to ignore his upset stomach. Probably the 3 donuts he ate last night. But it was putting him in a bad mood.
"I thought you were all about normie pride?" Frankie asked lowering her voice as Ms. Kindergrubber gave out instructions "You didn't even know about Holt until I showed up."
"Once a vampire is turned are they a normie anymore?" Holt was getting weirdly into this argument. Even if it was kind of Jackson's fight. Maybe he just felt bad because he was human at the moment. And he didn't like it. Stomach aching another cramp.
"No…"
"So once I found out about Holt, it was like I was bitten. Or something" he told her eyes flickering. He grimaced clenching the table.
"Are you ok?" Frankie asked suddenly, noticing he was greenish, and not in the good way.
"Fine, Stein." he grunted. Wow ok no, that wasn't true. "Um." Dangit he really wanted to flirt with her today. He had a class with her and everything. But now he just felt. Sick.
He looked at her "I think J-uh- Holt ate something weird. Uhhh, tell teach, I went to nurse ok?" he winced before running out of class.
Holt barely made it to the restroom, to empty last night and the morning's contents into a toilet.
Making a face and wiping his mouth with toilet paper.
This was why he made Jackson drink it instead of him.
That potion looked nasty. And now he felt nastier
Though 3 donuts, some sodas and waffles probably weren't the best stomach settler.
"I am not dealing with this." he grunted. Locking the bathroom door. Then popped his marker out of his pocket writing on the toilet seat.
i knew it d make us sick
u deal with it
He felt all gross and shakey as their stomach gurgled. Turning up the beats and pulling it up to his ears. Holt rested against the toilet paper cover as he easily checked out.