Holt started off to swim class, not planning on handing it off to Jackson any time soon. He didn't care if the dweeb was supposed to be in that class now, Holt was going to attempt to stay anyway.

Also unsure if he could change.

Remembering before class. That strange pain.

He still had a headache and it was a good excuse to push nerd-time off til later. Even normie flavored, Holt figured he could still get away with his usual activities.

Party no matter what.

Or at least try to have fun.

Heath kept ignoring him last period though, and Mr. Hack seemed very against the idea of the two of them leaving class early unsupervised.

He had spent the free time in his class just feeling pent up. Only outlet the invisible dude who kept ignoring his texts.

And the only other person who knew of his icky situation.

Speaking of which.

Holt grinned seeing InvisiBilly's familar face making his way through the crowd towards him.

He waved with a loud "Yo!"

About to start dashing towards him in greeting before a debilitating migraine slapped into his skull.

The sharp white flash from before class returned nearly knocking him unconscious.

He opened his eyes to see the school's ceiling, the whir of a crowded hallway still buzzing around him.

Fuzzy vision coming into better (but not perfect) focus, to a light blue face, and adjacent green female staring down at him with concern. He thought he could almost see through the blue one.

Scarah. InvisiBilly. He rocked up on his own holding his head, and quickly wiping a sleeve at Jackson's stupid watery face. "Uh! How long was I out?"

"Like three seconds." InvisiBilly tried helping him to his feet, getting shrugged off again as Holt did it on his own. "Literally"

Right. It was still passing period. The hallway sounding louder and sharper, especially without the buffer of his headphones. Though he was against the wall now, either having moved there in his fall or the couple drug him there.

"S-sorry…" a soft Irish voice became his focus. Squinting at Scarah as she handed him Jackson's glasses.

He reached out to receive them, then flinched his hand away as a softer but still painful white flash hit him again, along with vertigo. He held his head.

Holt seemed to glare at her.

"Sorry for what…?" he grumbled. Genuinely asking but part of him knew.

"Scarah-" InvisiBilly began to warn.

"Sorry for the migraine." She bit her lip lightly.

"You're doing this?!" Holt snapped backing away a bit.

This was the first time he really saw her today.

InvisiBilly said otherwise.

Part of his body said otherwise.

It was like he wanted to run.

He didn't want to touch her or look at her actually.

"Well I was trying to call out for you but it seems like…" She stepped back looking nervous "Maybe your mind is still sensitive."

"Ya think?" Holt rubbed his head with a frown, messing up his hair a bit. "So like… you were trying to …"

"Just contact you... I'm so sorry it's just habit." her face was kind of scrunched up with empathy "I always talk to people mentally I didn't think it'd hurt you again."

Right.

Again.

She was the reason he was all messed up before class. And well also the reason his migraine had come back possibly worse than before.

Well now he probably definitely couldn't transform through this headache.

Scarah suddenly looked worried "What do you mean by that?"

Holt stiffened up. Feeling like his privacy was invaded.

He opened his mouth to speak but instead rubbed his head and started walking towards Swim.

Scarah and InvisiBilly scurried after him.

"No seriously! Holt! Er-" Scarah looked anxiously around the halls "Jackson. You thought something about transforming" she grabbed his elbow.

Holt immediately shoved her off, flinching.

"Don't touch me!"

he growled, head pounding.

Scarah slowed down but InvisiBilly sped up. "Hey what's the big idea?!" he asked dragging her after Holt's quick gait.

Holt's face felt hot. His head felt hot. His headache hurt. Fun guy, or not he still got angry, especially when freakin' telepaths invaded his brain. And hurt him. This stupid migraine not subsiding, wondering if maybe he wasn't around Scarah it'd go away again, but he had a feeling it wasn't because of that.

"The big idea." he nearly shouted back "Is your stupid girlfriend…! Messed me up or something!" he almost tripped over another white flash.

Continuing.

"I don't know what you did at lunch. I don't-" he grimaced "Can't remember." slowing down a bit looking around the hallway for people he might know, incase they saw his outburst.

Though it was pretty much empty at this point, closer to the pool.

"I just know. I woke up on the ground hurting, and didn't know why." which while wasn't super uncommon in his life, this time had been different "I thought maybe the idiot got us beat up again or something but no it was you." he looked at Scarah who looked hurt but more concerned than anything.

Another white flash but this time he didn't stumble just went to rest against a locker a moment. "According to the Invisible Man here, trying to 'fix us'" he air quoted "Without even asking me, I might add."

He kicked the locker a little "Suddenly both of you guys know about this… stupidness and I can't-" he stopped there abruptly.

Not like he wanted to transform or anything, but whatever the potion did to them wasn't helped by whatever Scarah did to them. Or refreshed whatever that was.

He crossed his arms looking to Scarah for maybe more apologies.

She opened her mouth pausing, then move a little closer "I'm still… so sorry Holt…" she said his name quieter "I didn't want to hurt either of you it was just sort of a side effect…"

"Yeah it's not her fault. I made her do it" InvisiBilly started "I thought if it was just screwed up in your brain maybe she could help." he shrugged. "And hey it was getting better. Until-"

Scarah kicked her boyfriend's leg.

Yeah whatever… Holt avoided eye contact with Scarah. If you could call it that. Her pupiless eyes kind of weirded him out.

She looked at him oddly, then went to briefly touch his arm, that he wildy flinched away, scooting down the locker. Holt made a face vaguely confused by his jumpiness.

"I think I may have done something…" Scarah added "You seem."

"I'm not afraid of you." Holt huffed. Scarah grabbed both his arms, holding him still. As Holt felt extremely uncomfortable. Just something about being around her was making his skin crawl.

"I know you don't remember but during lunch today I was in there." she explained to him calmly. "I tried my best to fix you but I may have just ... " she gave a light laugh "For lack of better word traumatized you?"

"Cute." Holt shifted away from her grip. "Doesn't matter anyway I don't remember whatever you-"

"You wouldn't have to lad. It's more of a… subconscious thing" she looked at InvisiBilly briefly maybe for support "I think I just kind of touched some of the wrong places, and part of you still remembers. And doesn't like it. That's why you're so uncomfortable around me right now."

Holt wondered if there was a word for negative familiarity you couldn't remember.

"I'm used to having feelings about people I don't remember it's ok." he retorted flatly. Then jerked a hand away from her, running it up his dumb floppy bangs, wanting hair gel or something.

The warning bell rang, but he didn't care if he was late for swim.

Then cleared his throat forcing a smile, or more of a sarcastic sneer at this point "Was there a reason you were brain blasting me down the hall or?"

Scarah looked embarrassed finally letting him go as he shuffled at a slower pace off towards his next class, considering skipping again.

"Oh uh ironically I was hoping I could give you a check up and see if you had…" she hissed "Recovered?"

Holt actually chuckled at that.

"I think you just made it worse" he heard whispered.

"Yes I'm aware of that InvisiBilly thank you."

Being able to hear people whispering was weird.

"Don't think you can just walk off though." a sharper tone directed at him.

Holt looked back at the couple, raising an eyebrow "Aren't you two supposed to be getting to your own class or something?"

"Don't change the subject." Scarah folded her arms "What was that about not transforming?"

Holt smiled "Ah, mon amie~"

"I'm Irish."

"Figure of speech." he continued "I think you screwed us up more than you thought" he started to walk backwards, looking at her as he sarcastically straightened his bowtie "So like I said. Woke up, still looking like my ugly evil twin, everything hurts. Don't know why. So of course I try to just let said evil twin take the wheel buuut." he shrugged "It hurt too much or something; I couldn't stand listening to the music." he then suddenly frowned "That sounded really wrong to say."

Holt dramatically kissed one of his headphones "Jacklyn's lameness must be infecting me~"

Scarah looked really worried "I… It's probably just the headache. That went away, I'm sure transforming will come back." she seemed concerned though "How'd you change into you then?"

Holt shrugged "Maybe it's easier to go from him to me" then nearly sang "I aaaam the "good one" now, right~?" Going back to walking forward before ended up tripping over a gremlin or something. "Guess we'll see~"

"Holt I'm still worried though." the halls were empty she had no fear of using his name, her boyfriend seemed to have disappeared even...

"Don't be."

"No really, please let me take another look at you later?"

"Naw I'm alright." he winked. The pool entrance was at the end of this hall. "Unless you actually CAN fix this dealio? But if that was your best shot."

"It was." Scarah sighed looking at a clock they passed by. She did need to get to her own classes.

"Then I don't need you in there any more than necessary kapeesh?" he pushed open a double door that had a mermaid icon printed on it. "No offense." he smiled with a face that wasn't his, then ran off.

Leaving Scarah alone at the end of the hall.

Well not really.

She grabbed an invisible hand and started towards her own classes as the final bell rang. Tardy for sure. Devising a plan to sneak into class unnoticed. Not hard for either of them with their powers.

"Why'd you disappear on me?"

"I didn't know what else to add…" InvisiBilly sheepishly replied. Then added "I hope he was only using that voice because we knew it was really him."

"He'd better not be forgetting, they're both idiots…" Scarah mused, then facepalmed "I forgot to warn him about Frankie! Shoot!" she looked back worriedly towards the pool doors that they were quiet aways away from now.

"I'm sure he'll be fine. When's the next time he's gonna see her anyway? Cleo's party?"

"I forgot to check for that too…" she made a face thinking about how Frankie was possibly even more on his trail now "I'll shoot him a quick text or something." then stopped at a hallway they had to take in different directions, leaning up to kiss solid air. Feeling his arms around her shoulders, she smiled pulling off. "See you after school." she smiled "Good luck on sneaking into class."

InvisiBilly visified and saluted "I'm an expert don't worry. Same with you."

"Helps when you know when the teacher's looking at the door." she held her hand up to her temple for emphasis. Then with a quick wave ran off to her own class.

"Wow! Jackson! I didn't know you had this class!"

Holt turned from his position in the damp locker room to give an amused look.

He was dressing out for swim, having given a quick wave to Lagoona before she could yell at him for being in the wrong class. Nearby a cloth boy slowly unbuttoned his makeshift varsity jacket and watched Holt confusedly.

Holt coughed "Um yeah Hoodude. Don't you know? I'm standing in for Holt."

Hoodude seemed legitimately concerned by this "Oh no is he sick or something?! Is that why Frankie took him to the nurse yesterday…?"

Holt squinted making a face, then just shook his head untying his bowtie. "I'll just wait for you to work on that one…"

By the time he'd sat down on the locker room bench and had finished unbuttoning Jackson's bloody yellow shirt a loud

"OH RIGHT YOU'RE THE SAME PERSON!" Rang out through the locker room.

Holt smiled letting his sleeves fall down off his arms, shaking off his dorkwear. "Well. More accurately we have the same body~"

"Oh yeah, I can tell!" Hoodude sang. Holt turned to see his cloth friend staring at his shirtless form. It didn't bother him though, he just smiled still amused by the airheadedness. Hoodude continued to run his mouth, taking off his own single article of clothing. "Sorry about that! I guess I just forget sometimes or something. Head full of fluff after all~"

Holt pulled on his red tank top with checkerboard flaming skull, looking down, somehow it just didn't match him as well in this form…

"So why did you come to swim today?" Hoodude asked curiously pulling on his own pair of black swim trunks, rimmed with their school's colors of magenta.

Holt took off his pants "Uhhh." he squinted feeling like telling him he had a headache would just incite more questions of why, and further pestering "Holt was tired." he shrugged, pulling on his gray board shorts, looking at the orange flames lining up the sides.

"Holt gets tired?"

"I guess so…" Holt topped off his awesome fashion choices by replacing Jackson's dorky glasses with his smokin' hot awesome neon orange flaming ones. Appropriately called sunglasses.

He turned around to Hoodude, smiling with a show-off sort of stance "What do you think~?"

Holt asked for fashion advice.

Hoodude stood up and cocked his head, looking him over from head to toe.

"Umm…" he pushed grey fingers through his blue strips of cloth that he considered hair. "The shades might be over doing it…"

"What. No." Holt pushed them up his nose "You just don't know what's obviously hot. I thought you were good at this fashion junk."

"I am. You can't pull those off."

"I can pull anything off!" Holt crossed his arms "It's like 90% confidence right?"

"Holt might be able to pull off almost everything but even he couldn't work those glasses.." Hoodude shrugged "Which reminds me… I've been meaning to have a talk with him about his pants…"

Holt tried to ignore that comment because his pants were awesome.

"Whatever I don't know why I'm listening to the guy who only wears a jacket to school…" Holt stuffed all their stuff in his locker, closing it before hearing the whirr of his phone vibrating inside.

Hoodude looked too.

"I'll get it later, too much trouble…" Holt rolled his eyes nabbing his flame print towel as he lead the way out to the pool.

Their conversation had landed them as somewhat late among the class, all the girls crowded around the pool mingling in their swim wear. The leniency of this class and the school's dress code showing through with everyone favoring personal swim suits over any sort of uniform. Which was optional save for Fridays when they were required to atleast get in the pool, to maintain the qualifications for this class to exist.

Remedial Swimming, or as Holt put it: blow-off-pool-party-class, consisted of a handful of female students who probably didn't belong in the water like Rochelle's nonbuoyant form. With just him and Hoodude to make up the male populus. Though he wasn't even sure if he could count Hoodude in that department, on account of him being innocent Frankie's boyfriend pillow brought to life.

And the entirety of said small class suddenly quieted to look at Holt.

Venus started coughing, and kicked at Lagoona who was already pool bound.

She turned making a face "Jackson…"

Holt tried to maintain his confidence, getting closer and scratching his hair "Yeah?" he asked nonchalant like he couldn't see what the problem was.

"Where's Holt, love?" she asked starting to pull herself up to the pool's edge.

Holt shrugged "Maybe you should call him or something?"

Lagoona gave a flat laugh "You know what I mean, Mister. You aren't exactly signed up for this class."

Holt chuckled at the bizarreness of his new situation "Yeah I am I just used my stage name to register~" well not entirely untrue.

He suddenly straightened up alert to a surprised "Wow." hearing the familiar voice.

Frankie emerging from the small class group looking at him with second-hand embarrassment "Jackson…?" she looked at him with confusion. Scratching at the layers of electrical tape hiding her bolts, or keeping her head on. "Why are you here… and wearing… that? Exactly?"

"It's my swim wear." he smiled without shame. It wasn't his clothes making him feel the edge of anxiety but his pale skin. Holt could pull off anything, but he wasn't sure anyone could pull off "normie".

Lagoona heaved herself out of the water, standing up, and crossing her arms "When I asked you to go change in the locker rooms I didn't mean your clothes."

Was that what she yelled at him when he came in?

"You guysss give him a break!" Hoodude cut in, holding onto Holt's bicep protectively. Then held a hand up to his mouth like he was telling a secret "Holt's tired today." he explained like it was hush hush for some reason.

Lagoona and Frankie exchanged looks. His other green classmate came over closer to listen to the discussion, Venus finger combing her pink hair distractedly. "Umm Holt doesn't get tired… everyone knows that…" she pointed out, sharp teeth chewing at her lip as she looked Holt over in a oddly angry way. Maybe she wasn't fond of humans.

"Yeah he ...can." Holt shot back defensively. She had a point though he never let the party die unless he was transformed back, everyone fell asleep, or he passed out after too much funny punch at a party.

"You're all just stuck with me today because I'm not changing"

As another sharp pang to the brain reminded him why he didn't want to try for the moment.

"Jackson." Lagoona started.

Holt scoffed "Oh come on, Lagoona. We don't even wear uniforms, I think you can let me have this."

Frankie cut in "That's not the point Jackson…" she had her arms crossed "This is Holt's class period, and he's our friend. I know you have your issues but you can't just steal his time like this."

"Who said he even wants to be here…" He answered a little too quickly. "Look, just continue like normal, pretend I'm not even here."

"We do not have to pretend…" a French accent spoke up from behind him, he turned to see Rochelle holding his portable stereo they usually used when Holt got in the water.

"No one asked you, Rochelle…" he growled back. Before listening to a quiet.

"See what I mean…?"

He turned to Frankie's quiet voice, but she looked up like she wasn't expecting him to hear her.

Lagoona was looking straight at him with a worried expression.

Geez, the whole class was like mobbing him, Iris leaving the poolside to see what the commotion was, eyeing his get up and joining Venus's side. He got why everyone else wanted the Holtster back. He was awesome after all. But Iris never seemed to like him either way. Frowning distorted her green freckles, as she was quietly filled in by Venus as to what was going on.

Holt didn't see what the big deal was, but in a way it was nice that his friends had his back. Guess his parties really were jammin' enough to make everyone prefer his face over Jackson's. Just not the best time for that, his head pounding, and feeling uneasy still.

Frankie took his arm and pulled him away from the group to talk to him privately, while he heard faint voices of what sounded like the class debating on whether or not they should let him stay.

"Jackson…"

"What?" Holt pushed his sunglasses to his head, feeling a little tingly just from being around her, though the damp room and Frankie's DIY insulation seemed to prevent her literal buzz.

"Are you ok?"

Holt scoffed "How many times are you going to ask me that, Frankie~?" he grinned. Only causing her expression to deepen. He stopped smiling.

"Where were you during lunch?"

Huh.

Where was he during lunch. Thinking back to it instinctively, only earned him another sharp white flash. He suppressed the grunt of pain, but Frankie seemed to notice his subtle flinch.

Right.

He'd just even had a whole argument with the girl about this.

Scarah…

Though hey he wasn't lying if he just said

"I don't remember actually." he shrugged "Wasn't my time I guess." Then smiled remembering before lunch. Leaning in.

"If I recall correctly, that was your fault Miss Stein~"

Glad he had muffins in that class. Whatever Jackson did with InvisiBilly and his mystery crew hadn't seemed to have supplemented his belly at all. Alter egos skipping meals had to be one of the more annoying parts of his condition.

She bit a fingernail, looking at the pool like she was thinking. Holt distracted by how pretty her blueish face was in here, illuminated by the water.

Opening his mouth to mention how she should remember to transform him back if she was going to talk to the other side briefly, but then stopped himself.

If he ever got out of this situation, her slipping up and leaving him out was usually to his advantage.

"Frankie!" Holt waited for her to look back up in attention. He smiled sweetly "How about you and me go convince Lagoona into letting me stay? Pretty please~?"

Frankie grimaced "Eehhh. Listen…"

Aw man.

Well he couldn't blame her choosing his beautiful face over the nerd's…

She got in close putting her hand on his forearm "Don't take it personally but I think the rest of the class is right. Doesn't Holt only have like 3 classes?"

Two actually but lunch kind of counted.

Two and a half.

"If it's about fairness to you" he started thinking fast to his morning "I didn't come out today until second period" he pointed out.

"What? Really?"

"Yeah don't you remember in…" he was blanking on Jackson's 2nd period class name "Math, this morning? I only came in when he was avoiding you. He totally stole first period today. Doesn't it seem only fair that I get to pool party today in exchange?" That sounded solid.

"You do actually kind of have a point there…" Frankie mumbled before Lagoona broke in with Rochelle by her side.

"Yeah except it's still Holt's class, mate."

"My classmate?"

Rochelle corrected "Proper time and place for him. No?"

"Now hurry up, we should have started laps 10 minutes ago." Lagoona cut back in. "I swear sometimes…" she was holding the stereo, now fiddling on it for the switch to turn it on.

Holt's eyes widened.

Looking at Rochelle flaring her wings.

Puffing up like she was daring him to steal the radio.

"Haha sorry Frankie!" he quipped before making a break for it.

Flat out running away as fast as he possibly could in flip flops.

Unknowingly cutting this class for the second time.

He sped up hearing Lagoona's shrill whistle cut through his still tender mind.

Commotion from his peers.

And a dreadful sound on the chase.

Crap.

A hard heavy clack clack clack.

His heart quadrupled in speed as he beelined for the door. Hearing his shades jostle off and hit the floor.

"Jackson Jekyll!" yelled Rochelle a few yards behind "No! Running! By! The! Pool!"

He squeaked around a bunch of life jackets. Sandals sliding on the wet floor. His hands hit the tile but he pushed himself up.

The door was literally 20 feet away.

He totally would have made it.

If he wasn't hit by the supernatural sensation of being kicked in the stomach.

"Oof!" he stumbled, slowing enough that he was suddenly tackled by a surmountable amount of living stone.

Not rolling but straight out slamming into the hard ground.

"Jackson, are you ok?"

Pain.

He couldn't see anything.

Someone rolled him over.

"Ughh…" he held his head where he hit the pool tile.

"I may have overdone it…I do not know my own weight sometimes…"

"Jackson are you ok?"

"My name's…" he began to correct "Ow…"

Venus's voice "Did he say his name was ow?"

Oh his eyes were closed.

He opened them to see Frankie's beautiful angelic face staring down at him.

"I'm really sorry about this…"

He flinched picking up on the sound of a beat. Migraine and new suspected concussion getting worse.

"Nnghn…!" he curled up holding his head as it was suddenly turned up enough to overwhelm him.

Stomach turning.

Chills taking over.

A fever crawling up his back.

He heard voices over the music but at the moment he couldn't fully comprehend.

"S-stop!" he tried to beg. Everything tingling in the worst way. He swallowed down the ache trying to overcome it. Shaking more instead.

"Ah!" his skin erupted in flames. Not subsiding yet. Feeling too hot. As he tried his best to give into it. Being painfully more aware than usual of his body changing.

Groggily holding a hand in front of his face to watch.