A/N : Before I let you guys read, I just wanna say THANK YOU SO MUCH for following this story! It just reached 100 follows and I'm, obviously, really glad and ecstatic! As an appreciation, I made this chapter Jelsa-filled, sweet (hope so), and long for you all to enjoy :)
Chapter 14 - You're Not One
After recess break, not once did Elsa even caught a glimpse of her crush. She was hanging with Punzie and Belle, who were too busy with the play to even notice her anxiety, while she frantically turned in every nook and corner; hoping to at least see a tall, white-haired, charming guy. But no matter how hard she searched, Jack was still nowhere to be seen. Elsa started to get more concerned about Jack's whereabouts and his well being. Where is he?
It's understandable why he stormed off earlier. If someone as obsessed like Olivia Orson kept linking you two together when there's absolutely nothing going on, you'll get pissed and tired of it. Best way to handle it is by showing anger and simply telling them to stop. The glare and bitter language is acceptable too, though it may have hurt the other person— which is something not needed to be worried about considering how numb Olivia is.
The day passed by like wild fire. Elsa went to each one of her classes alone. Only then did she realize that without Jack's accompaniment, it's still confusing on which room is which and the possibility of getting lost is higher than average. Plus it's lonesome. Luckily, Jack's absence—a popular and attentive student—was oblivious to each teacher and no one asked Elsa, not even her female classmates who are Jack's fangirls.
Finally, classes ended. Elsa skipped her way towards the cafe and spotted Hiccup and Astrid already sitting at the 'Big Five Table'. "Guys!" Elsa hurried towards them and sat down beside Astrid. She placed her textbooks on the desk, the loud sound made Hiccup look up from his Statistics notebook.
"Oh hey, Elsa! 'Sup?" Astrid smiled.
Hiccup looked at Elsa cautiously, "Why are you panting?"
Elsa waved her hand dismissively at him, gesturing it's nothing. "H-have you guys seen Jack?" her voice sounded more concerned than she intended it to be.
"Umm, no. We haven't" Astrid shook her head. "He's not with you?"
Elsa sighed. "No, I can't find him anywhere since English Lit."
"Why? Did something happened?"
Elsa caught her breath and sighed loudly, "Olivia. Olivia happened" The couple looked at her anxiously, "She must've gone too far or else Jack wouldn't have disappeared like that"
"Yeah, obviously. He's always so calm about it though, maybe she pushed him too far this time" Hiccup said with his brilliant voice. He turned to Elsa, "What did Olivia say?"
That's when Elsa told them everything. She began with the play practice and how physically close she and Jack were. She prevented herself from blushing and gawking at the flashback of memories or else she'd blow her cover. She didn't get into too much detail unlike how she wanted to, she went directly to the point and told them what Olivia said, how two of the Mojos tried reasoning their way out of their own selfish act, how the cheerleaders defended the group and the lead actors in particular. How Olivia said offensive words to Elsa and how Jack threw the tan girl off. She also punctuated the rare moment where Maria, the oldest Orson, sided with Punzie's opinion with keeping the whole commotion a secret instead of turning it into a rumor mill and eventually start World War III in Highland Arts Academy, since that's what the insane Mojos would have most likely done according to Ariel.
"You think he snuck in the dorm?" Astrid turned to Hiccup.
"Nah, they lock the dorm gates when classes start and only open them when it officially ends. Plus there are guards by the gates during class hours, Jack couldn't have possibly gone away" Hiccup answered while placing his stuffs back in his bag.
"How come on the first and second day that wasn't implemented?" Elsa asked in pure curiosity.
"Oh, they only do it once the students have comfortably settled in" Astrid said.
"Come on, Jack is probably in the dorm now" Hiccup stood up and carried Astrid's bag for her. Elsa instantly remembered how Jack does that too and how she terribly misses the gentleman gesture. Of course, she wouldn't ask Hiccup to do it! Truth be told, Jack is the only guy she wants to see do that for her.
She tagged along with the couple and made their way up the dorm. For a dismissal period, the corridors were surprisingly empty. People might've gotten in their rooms early, or they were still busy doing work in the library, or maybe most people were hanging out all over campus, or eating at the cafe. Another thing Elsa was used to at a time like this are girls drooling over Jack and, figuratively speaking, kissing the ground he walks on.
She doesn't mind seeing other girls admire him too—now she definitely sees what others like about him, she may even see pass through all that since Jack rarely entertains his fangirls so they know almost nothing about him. Take Olivia for example.
What does Elsa know about Jack? She knows he's passionate about basketball. He sometimes is a total slacker, but he can be extremely serious and dedicated when he puts his mind into a certain task. He often looks occupied but he actually listens to his surroundings. He likes looking out at the mountain view, like he misses the outside. He can be bumptious but knows how to apologize. He's sarcastic and funny. He's easy-going and fun to be with it. He's very helpful. He's comfortable to open up to, plus a very keen listener. He's a gentleman with an attractive face, body and smile. His uniforms are all perfectly ironed, not once did she saw a wrinkle on his blazer. His hair is always proper, and his eyes...mesmerizing. One more thing: he inexplicably resembles Jackson, the mystery guy Elsa danced with that memorable night.
Elsa did some rethinking while Hiccup and Astrid chat about their Statistics quiz. She isn't completely positive but there's a high chance that Jackson and Jack are just the same person. Obviously, Punzie invited Jack to her party, he's one of her closest friends! And Jack, being an 'all-about-fun' person, couldn't possibly turn down a party invitation even if it's imperative that he wears an exaggerated mask over his face. What if he really was the same guy she kissed?
She barely knows 'Jackson' and vaguely remembers his exact facial features. All she knows is that they have the same tall height, body shape, figure, posture and...voice. She doesn't know Jack's natural hair color, maybe if his white hair dye fades off then Elsa can judge properly. She prayed that she wasn't being demented over this, just because Jack's her crush doesn't mean she assumes into thinking he's the same guy she had a wonderful experience with once. She mentally noted that if she's wrong about this, she'll forever remember that even though two people look identically similar, that doesn't mean they are the same person in general.
"Hello? Earth to Elsa?" Astrid snapped her fingers in front of her friend's eyes, completely breaking Elsa's train of thoughts.
"Uhh-umm, what?" Elsa looked at them with wide eyes.
"Are you okay?" Hiccup asked worriedly.
"Yeah, I'm fine" Elsa smiled. "I was just thinking about the play and everything..."
"Alright, well we're here" Hiccup unlocked the door to his and Jack's dorm. When he opened it, they didn't saw anyone in there. The light to the bathroom isn't even on. From Hiccup's perspective, the room hasn't changed at all since he and Jack left this morning. "He's not here..." Hiccup slowly strode inside and set his and Astrid's bag on the couch.
"Basketball practice?" Astrid suggested.
"Probably? But I don't think his foot is completely healed yet..."
Elsa sighed, "Just let me know when you see him, okay?"
"Umm sure." Astrid slowly turned to her, "Aren't you going to hang with us for a little bit?"
"No, I'm sorry. I have a Chemistry homework" she held the textbook along with the notebook up, "and a quiz on History that I have to memorize" she then raised the second textbook.
"Wow. You're...responsible" Astrid complimented politely.
"Heh, thanks. I'll just be in my dorm now" she waved at the two and closed the door behind her on the way out.
"Hmm...she's a lot like you, Hiccup" Astrid remarked.
"What do you mean?"
"Too un-stubborn to ditch homework" the statement only made Hiccup laugh.
[ Elsa ]
As I went in my dorm, I couldn't help but worry even more for Jack. I know he's just around somewhere on campus, but if that's the case then I would have at least seen him once. Then again this place is huge, I barely had the time to get a tour from an old student or even from an admin of the school. I haven't even seen the gymnasium, auditorium, or heck- the library!
I lit the lights and locked the door behind me. I sat on my bed and did my usual routine: take shoes and socks off, head to the bathroom and shower, get into more comfortable clothes and tie my hair up into a messy bun when it's completely dried, eat some healthy snacks from our mini fridge and watch some TV while I'm at it. And then finally, hit the books.
I'm glad I got this side of the dorm since the wall behind my desk has a window, letting me see what's going on outside and what's left of the sunlight will serve as my desk lamp. I'd be lying if I say that I am completely focused on understanding covalent bonds, no matter how hard I try to do it—I always marvel the grassy view from outside, that and I just can't stop wondering about Jack's whereabouts.
What if while cutting classes earlier, he got caught and got in trouble for it? What if he's on detention and/or is being punished for his defiant actions? Ugh, Jack. I can't get you out of my head! Darn it, where the heck are you?!
Instead of reading more in advance, I just did the actual homework. I decided to only copy off a few important details from the book and jot it down on the notebook. I heard the door creak open, Anna's back, but I didn't turn around to acknowledge her. I just let my ears get filled with the sounds from the TV and my sight fully focused on the task at hand while my brain get mixed up with everything that's going on.
It felt like hours when it's only been minutes, seconds even! I never thought I'd see the day where I actually get bored trying to understand all this unnecessary bonds that I honestly think will have absolutely no point or use in my future life. My occupation is already set after all! And I don't think a kid will randomly come up to the Queen and ask her what's the difference between covalent and ionic bond. I sighed tiredly and rolled my pen on the surface. I perched my arms up on the desk and rested my head on top of it. This is going to be a long night.
"Hey...I heard" Anna muttered and lowered the volume of the TV.
I rolled my eyes and continue to ignore her.
She sighed, "Don't let Olivia get to you, Elsa. She's just a female dog who is insecure of every girl who's prettier than her and, apparently, close to Jack."
I shifted in my seat a bit, letting her know that I'm listening but I still kept my silence.
"Anyway, I also wanna say I'm sorry for...for not telling you...t-that" she stuttered. "I know, it's wrong to keep a secret about you from you, but we just wanted to protect you-
"Protect me?" I sat up and turned the spinning chair to her direction. Her red hair was in two braids, like it always is, and she's still in her uniform minus the blazer. Her shoes and socks were by her bed and her feet were nicely tucked under her. "How is that protecting me, Anna?"
"We wanna protect you from freaking out and feeling unsafe to go around campus" she explained. "We didn't want you to get all anxious about the Mojos so we thought of just dealing with the problem ourselves, that way you won't have to worry about it"
"Oh yeah?" I crossed my arms and raised an eyebrow, "How's that plan coming for you all? Olivia still has a devilish tongue to say unpleasant words to me"
"I know, and I'm sorry about that. But at least she can't lay a finger on you anymore"
"Since Jack's now my 'friend'?" I guessed.
"Yeah, that was our plan- to get him to befriend you so Olivia won't hurt you again..." she looked down at my exposed, bandaged arm. "I'm glad to see it's working"
What she said suddenly hit me in the head. Is Jack only befriending me because they told him to? The thought made my heart melt. No, what we have now is obviously friendship! I know he isn't evil to fake all of this. I already told myself that this is how Jack mingles naturally. The way he treats me is the same way he treats Punzie, only he is slightly more delicate with me since I had a bad encounter with his obsessed fangirl.
"Elsa..." Anna slowly held my hand. "I'm really sorry, I hope you can forgive me...us"
I just smiled and hugged her, "It's okay Anna. I understand, you just had to tell and explain it to me in the first place so I wouldn't have to be a snub to you. Told you that now for future reference, no more secrets okay?"
I felt her smile against my shoulder, she hugged me back and nodded. "Promise, sis"
I managed to finally finish my homework. Anna kept chatting with me while I was doing so, she told me how close her and Kristoff's anniversary are and asked me to give her suggestions on what she should give him or what can she do for the special day. I just told her to give him something nice, nothing specific since I'm not a professional when it comes to this certain topic. I've never had a boyfriend before so I can't suggest her anything either. Yep, NBSB.
Dinner time arrived and I chose not to come. I was still full from the veggie snacks I ate earlier, plus I still have a History quiz to review. Luckily, Anna understood and she took off without me. I turned the TV off and looked through my flash-cards; memorizing every definition, places, dates and what each important person had done that affected that era.
"Scipio Africanus - the general that lead Rome into invading the Carthaginians in Europe" I said out loud in order to memorize it easier. The door suddenly opened and I didn't bother to greet Anna on her way in. She got out only a few minutes ago and she's already back? I just continued reciting what I remembered from the flashcard I was holding behind me. "The war in Zama, now known as Algeria-
"Ended the Second Punic War wherein the Romans won"
I turned around only to see a tall guy in shorts and a blue shirt standing in the middle of the room. His hair is as white as ever and his sight never left mine. He held a Styrofoam box in one hand and a bottle of Sprite on the other. "Jack!" I exclaimed and abruptly stood up. He looked at me with a raised eyebrow, I exhaled all the excitement out and spoke in a normal voice, "Look who finally decided to show up"
He chuckled and placed the food down on my bedside table, "Don't let me interrupt you, I came here to find out why you're not downstairs. Glad to see you're not there for a good reason"
"Well, you did interrupt me" I placed my hands on my hips.
"If I didn't, I wouldn't have caught your attention, Ms. Stiletto" Jack turned to me and smirked.
I shook my head indignantly, "Where were you, Jack?"
"Why? Did ya' miss me?" he smiled charmingly.
"You had me worried, okay? I thought you got detention or something"
"Me? Detention? Pfft—no way" he sat on my bed.
"So where were you then? I mean, you just disappeared" I shrugged.
"Well, I'm here now, aren't I? And you" he pointed his finger at me, "need to eat dinner" he gestured to the stuff he brought with him.
"I'm still full" I reasoned.
"Aww, come on. It's your favorite" he took the Styrofoam and opened it, revealing the scrumptious looking chocolate cake inside. It made my stomach growl despite the fact that I still feel full. "See, your stomach is giving you away, Els" Jack snickered.
I rolled my eyes, "I'm not eating that unless you tell me"
"Well, I'm not gonna tell you unless you put that flashcard down and eat this"
Is he always going to play this game? I rolled my eyes, placed the card down on the desk and sat beside him. "Good girl" he praised and patted my back playfully. He gave me the plastic fork and the Styrofoam. "It's a bit unhealthy but you must be having a sweet tooth craving by now since all you ever eat are salads"
"Because those are healthier, Jack" I said before I took a slice and ate some cake. I have to admit, HAA doesn't go wrong with serving delicious foods.
"That or it's that weird...girly diet thing you females do" Jack brushed his hair. "Some starve themselves while others make themselves throw up what they ate"
"You mean the Anorexics and the Bulimics?" I swallowed the first piece and sliced another one. As soon as I lifted the utensil, Jack barged in my personal space and bit the cake off the fork.
I looked at him with utter shock, "Is that what it's called?" He said in between chews.
"Yes! And why did you do that?!" I whined.
"What? This?" he pointed to his chewing mouth. I nodded. "Well, duh! 'Cause I'm hungry!" he gulped the cake down, "What? You didn't think that cake is all yours now is it?"
"Well, sorry but I thought it was" I shrugged and sliced another piece, "Did you ditch dinner?"
"Yeah, cause you're too responsible to ditch homework" he rolled his eyes playfully.
"Really? You didn't eat dinner because you wanted to see me?" my eyes widened upon my mention of the entire sentence. Crap! I was supposed to only think about that!
His pale face suddenly reddened. "Well...yeah, I guess" Aww, really? "I thought Olivia got you again, and I have to look out for you, right?" he teased. Wow, way to kill the moment Jack!
I ate the cake on the fork and chewed it slowly, "S-so...does that mean we're friends now? Like, real friends" I suggested.
"Yeah, of course. I mean...I know we had a bad meeting and all but, I thought we could just forget about that" he said hopefully.
I nodded in agreement. I sliced another piece and fed it to him. Relief washed over me when he, thankfully, just ate it and didn't tease me for it.
We spent the next few minutes talking about random things like the shows on TV, upcoming movies and our annoying teachers. We shared the cake equally and finished it. I threw the box away in the trash bin and drank the Sprite.
I badly wanna talk to Jack about what happened earlier. Not the Olivia part, rather, the 'we're-so-close-earlier-it-almost-looks-like-you-were-really-going-to-kiss-me' part. I just wanna ask him directly and right away if he was planning on kissing me then. Not that I would mind anyway...but I will obviously tell him the opposite! I'm afraid of getting disappointed at him or he'll just end up laughing at my face. I can't even brace myself if he ever says, "Ha! I can't believe you actually thought I was gonna kiss you! You?!" or, he'll react badly about it and say: "That was acting, Elsa! What's gotten into you?! Did you thought I like you or something?!"
Instead of asking about that, I just asked him the thing that made me worry all day. "So Jack, I already ate. Now, you have to do your part of the deal" I faced him. He lay down on my bed in pure comfort, like he forgot it's my bed and not his.
"Mhm, why do you even wanna know?" he placed his hands behind his head.
"Do I have to keep repeating myself?"
"Yes" he smirked.
"I was worried...really worried" I bit my lip.
He sighed exasperatedly, "I was just out, okay? I needed fresh air and distance from that Mojo" he rolled his eyes.
"Funny, I thought you already got used with her constant obsession by now..." I sat on what's left of the bed's space.
"Yeah...but it's not her assuming of us being together that threw me off"
I turned and faced him, "What was it then?" I asked with a soft voice.
"You" his voice transitioned from a careless, light tone to a serious one.
"I'm sorry?" my eyes slightly dilated.
He never broke eye contact as he slowly sat up—our body merely inches away, his shoulder brushing against mine. "She called you the B word...and you're not one, it angered me..."
I slowly nodded and gave him a weak smile, "Thank You for thinking so..." I looked down and let his words seep in, that was really sweet. The fact that I was called something so informal already offended him is really heartwarming. Does it mean that he cares?
"Sorry, this is all my fault" I felt arms wrap around me from behind. I felt electricity zap through my entire body. Is he seriously HUGGING ME?! "You got involved in Olivia's wrath just because we're close, I'm sorry" he whispered.
"J-Jack" I kept stuttering and swallowing my saliva. Oh gosh, I've never been hugged by a boy before (except my Dad), what should I do?! I know I should calm down, I don't want him to pull away just yet, this feels so...warm. The kind of warmth I've never felt before.
Moments of silence passed and we didn't pull away from each other, not even one bit. "Hey, it's okay" I finally managed to talk straight. "None of this is your fault. All her actions were based on her way of thinking. I just ignore her, and I think that's what you should do too"
"I'm trying, but it's easier said than done with her always bickering and following me around"
I pressed my back against his chest, "Try harder"
"Well" he chuckled softly, "I guess now I have a reason to" I felt his arms slightly tighten around me.
"And what is that?"
"Now a what...a who" his cool breath blew against my neck.
"Okay, Jack...who?"
"It's—
The door suddenly opened. We quickly separated from each other, I abruptly stood up from the bed and he leaned back on the wall with his arms over his stretched legs, like nothing happened. Because nothing did! Anna and Hiccup stood by the door, their expressions bore utter shock and embarrassment. "Oh—I'm sorry, we-were we...?" Anna stammered.
"No!" Jack and I said at the same time.
"Umm...okay?" Anna slowly stepped in the dorm while Hiccup remained standing by the doorway. "Guess, I'll just...go do my homework now then, yep..." my sister awkwardly neared us and sat on her desk chair which is inches away from my desk and bed space.
Hiccup whistled, Jack looked at his direction. "Dude, History" the brunette reminded him.
"Oh yeah..." Jack leaned his head on the wall and closed his eyes in annoyance. "Ugh, damn Punic Wars" he got off my bed and sauntered towards the door.
I stood where I was, not moving a muscle. I wanna sit down, but my feet felt like they were glued to the ground. Only my eyes moved; they followed Jack towards the door. I watched him grab the doorknob and slowly close it, until he stopped and turned to me. "Night, Els" he smiled that ardent smile I came to grow accustomed to.
"Goodnight" I responded with a little voice, a faint blush crept up on my cheeks.
His smile didn't dissipate as he closed the door and he was out of my sight. Only then did I realize to ask myself...what was that all about? I sat back down on the bed and saw Anna smirking at me wittily. "What?"
"Oh, nothing!" she beamed, "Nothing at all" she shook her head and went back to work.