Disclaimer: This is a complete work of fiction, there's no resemblance to actual persons or events or places. If so it is utterly not intended. I do NOT own Monster High or anything to do with it, thank you.

A / n: Mind. Blown. You guys are just fangtastic ;D I adore you all so much for taking the time to review, read, favorite, alert – whatever you're doing, thank you, thank you! Here's the next chapter my lovelies. Enjoy it to the fullest!

Cast In Stone

Chapter Nineteen

The bell rang loud and clear. Just as it did Jackson finished up with his entry that he would hand in to Hack and he'd soon find out his reaction. "Be prepared, I was detailed." He told him in all honesty. The last thing he wanted to do was leave anything out, especially when he was very comfortable in telling Mr. Hackington things before. He didn't feel the need to hold back as he did with anyone else. It was so natural. He was thankful to have some kind of release. Perhaps he'd get into this whole writing thing?

Hack nodded, "Thank you. I'll read it in my own time. Now, while you were gone," he bit down on his lip harshly, poor choice of words there. "we assigned new lab partners."

Jackson let out a groan, Hackington chuckling in response. He already knew something Jackson had no idea about. Knowing the young male as he did - he would not be thrilled about it. But that was what made it so unintentionally entertaining. "Seriously? Why can't people pick their shit right the first time?" His eyes widened, then narrowed. "Hack… who's my lab partner? You know I prefer to be alone."

Squirming a little, Hack grinned. "You'll see, just have a seat at your usual section. Don't worry too much, he's no where near as bad as the pairing you got last year."

Jackson gave a nod, "Damn well better be. I can't depend on anyone but myself – especially when it comes to my grades. I can't afford for some stupid, moronic, idiotic, bimbo, asshole -"

"Hi partner!" Deuce Gorgon greeted happily.

Jackson almost fainted.

"Excuse me? Aha, no. No, no, no. Hack, this isn't happening. Tell me it's not." He more or less pleaded to get out of this new partnering.

Mr. Hackington shook his head, "Sorry Jackson, this is final. No exchanges, no refunds, no bursts of anger – you're dealing with it entirely. Got it?"

Jackson wanted to smack Deuce with a beaker, but that definitely would get him a 'Needs Improvement' near the 'works with others well' on his next progress report. He looked at Deuce somewhat angrily, "Sit."

Deuce hesitantly did as he was told, setting his books and pens down. "So, this is good."

"No, it's not. Why do you have pens with you, Deuce?" He asked, not impressed in the slightest.

The other male blushed, "Well… I carry pens because, I kinda always use pens… and stuff."

He took his glasses off momentarily, pinching the bridge of his nose for few seconds but moving his hand up to run his fingers through his soft, two toned hair. "Alright, first of all – you don't use pens in this class. Not for labs anyway, you make mistakes. Neatness does count in marks y'know. A paper with white out everywhere looks disgusting."

Deuce listened and opened up his binder, flipping to pages that were scattered, some weren't even attached but just lying there.

It looked so... pitiful.

Jackson put his glasses back on and stopped on a page in Deuce's binder. "See? See how you only got a C on that? That's because there's white out everywhere. I mean, your answers aren't 'wrong' – it's observation. You just have to back up why your hypothesis was or wasn't correct. It was being sloppy that cost you marks on this lab report."

Deuce gave an understanding nod. "Makes sense."

There was silence between them. There was still a good five minutes before the class would really start filling up so they had time to chit chat, but he was so nervous around Jackson he swore he could feel his heart racing at double the pace it was supposed to be at. Was this normal? Wait, at Monster High - what was considered normal?

Jackson was focusing on making sure his own binder was organized and neat enough to his liking. Until he felt a slight wet sensation on his face. Thinking it was imagination, he ignored it, only for it to become more plentiful. He glanced to the side and realized that Deuce's snakes, were oh – so – happily … licking him? "What the hell?!" He cursed and moved away from Deuce a little.

He blushed madly, scolding the snakes. "Sorry, I guess they really like you." He chuckled but cleared his throat when he noticed Jackson's completely peeved look.

"Great. Just damn perfect. The snakes like me, that's just wonderful." He cursed, leaning on his cheek within his palm. This would be an eventful class for damn sure.

Mr. Hackington finally began the lesson as the classroom had been filled and everyone was accounted for. "Alright, we'll be taking a new note today guys, then you'll be given a worksheet to complete. Tomorrow we'll be having a final unit test on what we've done so far, then we're moving on to the next unit. How thrilling I know, but please… contain yourselves from jumping up and down ecstatically." He told the very still students. "The faster we get through the stuff I have to teach you, we can do experiments for fun. So let's get going."

Jackson rolled his eyes as he watched Deuce shuffle through his binder trying to look for a spare piece of paper. Before he could use the back of something, Jackson flipped to the back of his own binder and gave Deuce a decent stack of lined paper. "Thanks." He mumbled sheepishly.

"Mhm." Jackson replied, sighing and beginning this new note as Hack was writing it upon the board. "Seriously Deuce, you need to get that binder fixed. How can you even study for the test tomorrow properly? Even if it was an open book test, you'd be so lost."

Deuce shrugged, "I tend to make it through, maybe just by my tailbone, but I usually end up scraping by."

Jackson shook his head, "No, no more of that. You're getting that binder taken care of even if I have to do it myself."

Deuce perked up and gave a smile, "So tonight, at your place after school?"

Jackson nodded quickly, "Sure."

Deuce smirked, knowingly having scored a first date with Jackson.

"Wait," Jackson began, his eyes widening. "what was that you said?"

Jackson opened his locker roughly; he'd just spent the last two periods of the day with Deuce Gorgon and wasn't highly impressed about it. Since Deuce explained to Jackson that he 'couldn't get out of it no matter what' he told the monster to bring all of his binders and they'd sort through them.

Unbeknownst to Deuce, he'd be studying for all of his subjects without even noticing. Re – writing notes was a good way to actually read through the information that was copied down, instead of just copying it down and trying to decipher it later. "Hey cousin, what's up?" Heath appeared next to Jackson as the normie brought all of his subjects out, trying to arrange them in his book bag neatly.

"Oh nothing much, I'd rather attempt suicide than-"

"Hi Heath, did Jackson tell you I'm coming over after school?" Deuce had a smirk upon his face, his backpack slung over his shoulder, casually leaning up against the locker.

Heath shared a moment of a smirk with Deuce, but then looked to Jackson seriously, "No, no he didn't."

Jackson glared up at Deuce, "Do you just have impeccable timing or do you just enjoy torturing me?"

Deuce glanced down at his wrist watch. "Well my timing can be a little premature," he said, trying to use slightly bigger words than he normally would to try and impress Jackson. "but y'know how it is."

Now Jackson Jekyll had a smirk on his face as he tossed his backpack over his shoulder, shutting and locking his locker. "I bet there's something else you prematurely do as well."

Heath couldn't contain his laughter as Deuce blushed heavily. As a matter of fact, keeping it just between them wasn't possible. "HEY ABBEY! YOU'LL NEVER GUESS WHAT JACKSON JUST SAID TO DEUCE!"

Well here's the next chapter!

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