Jackson wanted to turn off this music. It was making him anxious. He jogged to the library even though there didn't seem to be anyone checking for hall passes. Jackson silently slipped into the library. Well, silently was the wrong word, his headphones were always giving him a small buffer of staticy beats to anyone within 10 feet of him really. He quickly put on the headphones properly and lowered the volume now that it was on his ears.

The volume gauge beeped over the music as he tried his best to put it at a manageable level. Wincing with a minor whimper as he was hitting the transformation barrier again. Quick chills running over his back.

Pumping the volume back up twice more. Comfortable, but messing up his brain. He couldn't think straight and it was getting frustrating. The reality of his situation hitting him again.

He found a table behind some shelves where he sat down for a moment, anxiety welling in his throat. Frankie had noticed. Who else had noticed? What had they noticed?! No one could be coming to the conclusions of the truth… Frankie just thought he was hurt in the head after all.

His hands were singing the wood of the table he was gripping so he put them in his lap. Holt's "powers" were cool, but now wasn't the time for that. As much as he'd always wanted to do anything close to Dad…

Jackson took a moment to cool off, looking at his blue hands.

Besides it not being his life, everyone thinking he was acting oddly. And perpetual fear of Bloodgood expelling him for stealing chemicals.

This was what he had kind of always wanted.

He'd always been exposed to monsters. Dad used to show him his hair and hands lighting up, or melt marshmallows for him when he was younger. And Jackson had always hoped that maybe he'd get something come puberty. That it just hadn't shown up yet. Even though younger Heath had been setting the curtains on fire since the first time Jackson visited the monster side of the family. Well, back when he thought only one side of the family were monsters…

Exhaling he tried to focus on heating up, or catching fire or… at least his hands heating as he pushed a thumb against the table, then curiously lifted. Blank. Maybe it was just strong emotions after all. Holt sucked at being a monster.

Maybe if Bloodgood expelled him they'd have to move again and no one would know him. Then he could just be the cool monster side and Holt would be stuck being the loser.

Then perked back up remembering Monster High was one of a kind.

If he was expelled it'd be back to normie school.

He didn't want to go back to normie school as Holt.

Or in general, with his condition. Recalling the joy of stepping into New Salem's halls, before he remembered why he was sent to Monster High.

This was the safest place to be, he had to remember why they stayed out of trouble... As he skipped class for the second time today, dangit. Maybe if he went back Lagoona wouldn't mention it to anyone. She was nice though, he probably wouldn't get reported no matter what…

He looked at the time on his iCoffin while changing the playlist to something less anxious. Out of curiousity pressing a playlist titled Personal. Wasn't too bad at first, about to stand up before he heard what was definitely Holt's singing.

It wasn't that it was bad, but something distinctive about hearing his voice irked him and gave Jackson second hand embarrassment. Like hearing your parent singing karaoke or something. Changing it in a hurry as an Operetta accompaniment came in.

Trying to forget that, frosting over it with music he used to listen to in middle school, he started pacing through the library looking for Mad Science books on anything helpful to his situation. Or possibly helpful. Pulling a potion guide he hadn't seen before into a small pile of other chemistry books. Looking for reassurance that recreating the potion would fix this.

Walking fast to see if the human researched chemistry section could factor into anything. He turned a corner too fast and immediately hit someone tall and sturdy, getting knocked back to his butt. One side of his head phones slipping off his ear as he managed to hold onto his books.

A block of ice thudded in front of him. "Oh! You surprised Abbey!'

He heard the thick accented girl exclaim.

Jackson looked at the block of ice realising it was her own books, he couldn't make out the titles through the sheet she had accidentally covered them in. Something about yaks, said one of the larger bold titles, the others were obscured with smaller script.

She scooped up the ice block with a frown on her pink lips, small tusks poking through pressing against her upper lip worriedly. Then offered a claw to Jackson who took it out of courtesy, her helping him up.

He tried not to whip his hand away too fast, but she was freezing. "T-thanks." he mumbled out awkwardly.

"Not a problem. Did not know anyone else in here. Did not expect to see loud one in such quiet place."

Jackson grinned, at least he didn't have to be Holt's usual volume in here or get kicked out. "Yeaaah, don't tell anyone but I'm actually a giant nerd" he joked. Even though it was the truth.

Abbey cracked a smile "Abbey already know this. But usually you wear yellow. And glasses. And change color."

Her attempt at a joke was strangely adorable. "Hey I have classes too~" Jackson attempted at Holt's suaveness. Something about Abbey making him more at ease. She seemed less judgemental somehow. Maybe because it was just the two of them, and it felt more secretive like he could act out of character and it'd be something Holt'd honestly do.

Like Holt ever came into the library…

"Yaks do not wear thick coat all year." Abbey seemed to try and relate, starting to lead him over to a table where she placed her block of books down.

"I don't…" Jackson started confused.

Abbey reiterated "No one same way. All the time, yes?" she set her bag down on the table too.

"Oh." Jackson got it, feeling even more comfortable feeling like she understood in a way "Well that's especially true in my strange case."

"Yes but." she seemed to be thinking as she started looking in her bag for something. "Even two sides, have more sides."

Jackson was getting what she meant but she was just phrasing everything so oddly it felt like it was having a harder time than usual penetrating his brain. Especially over his music.

"Well I can't be loooud in here anyway~" practicing Holt's voice was hard and especially the most annoying part of this situation.

"True. But I mean why you being here? With these books." she motioned at Jackson's advanced literature.

"Hey you don't know who these are for."

"Could be for quiet one yes. But I know you dislike him."

"We have the same grade." Jackson shrugged trying to sound uncaring.

"Ah. Ok, that explains more." then sighed giving up looking in her bag. Then made a spiked hand motion over her head indicating Jackson's current hair style "You have the flame hair. Can you melt..?" she asked pointing at her ice block hopefully.

Jackson made a sympathetic face since he was the one that had caused her to freeze it. "Sorry I can't really control it."

"Understood. Heath cannot control it either. Will find hair gun."

Jackson sat down on the table staring at the block, wishing he could help.

"How are you and Heath, by the way?"

Abbey made a deep rolling sigh sitting at the chair at the table "It is complicated. We are very different. But it work out ok." she was making snowflakey swirls on the table with her finger.

"If you don't mind me asking. Fire elementals aren't usually, great at the cold." so he was learning today "Like can survive it better than most monsters but …"

"Yes I know I am uncomfortable to touch." Abbey seemed disheartened by this. "Heath say he does not mind, but I know he does." Then smiled possibly remembering him saying things like that to her. "He also only one I can freeze and not be worry too much. He is strong. Like spring grass. Always pop back."

Jackson curiously touched the frozen books it practically "burning" his finger in temperature, but his hand only seemed to heat up more in response melting it slightly but not nearly enough to help. Just make the table wetter.

"Sorry we don't have more ice monsters down here."

Abbey flicked her wrist nonchalantly "Eh. Do not need sorry. Before coming down from mountain. Never… never seen fire before. Yeti do not need fire. We are strong, like mountain and ice. Heath remind Abbey of sun after storm. Good, but bad if too much." then smiled eyes glazing in memory again "Heath try very hard not to be "too much". Yeti do not care. Yeti boy do not try so hard. Heath make me think, maybe… better than yeti boy? Maybe. Maybe not." she shrugged "Do not know. But. If Abbey down here for long time. Then Abbey will not see yeti boy anyway."

As sweet as that was "Yeah but Heath?"

"He makes me laugh. You cannot see. Family see different." she smiled, noting him trying to melt the books anyway. Even if he was making little leeway with just a higher body temperature that didn't cool down as easily as human. Mostly just getting the table wet.

Jackson noted his progress, excited as it was the first useful thing he'd been able to do with monster powers, and saw a plain sight metaphor. Fire elemental + ice =

"So why don't you feel like you're… incompatible?"

"Why don't you?" she countered.

Jackson blinked.

"You be saying, fire and ice too opposite to work." Abbey explained "Loud and quiet… same thing."

Jackson slid down off the table "Well. We don't." looking uncomfortable that that'd been brought up. "Work, that is."

Abbey pulled her partially melted ice block back towards her.

"You will need to." she paused possibly trying to make her words sound less deep and more practical pointing at his books as he picked them back up "Same grade in gradebooks."

The bell for the period to end rang then ending their conversation.

"Was pleasure talking." Abbey smiled hoisting her ice block up and heading towards the checkout desk to, probably to explain the book damage.

"Yeah."

Jackson looked at the puddle left on the table. Before exiting the library to Holt's next and final class.