The end of the week found Jack Frost sitting among the trees, deep in thought. He had discovered this clearing years ago when exploring the woods that bordered the town and it was somewhere to go when he needed to think.
Although Jack had at one time been a teenager (and he would always be frozen in time as one regardless) he didn't really remember all that much about it. It was over 300 years ago, besides, so it wasn't like whatever he remembered was actually relevant to the situation he had gotten himself into. He had just never realized how cruel teenagers and people in general were. He's not completely unaware, obviously, but for most of his existence Jack had preferred the company of kids over anyone else. He spent most of his time observing and interacting with them, partly because it was something that would be in his job description, if he in fact had one.
As a result, Jack had never really understood adults. Kids he understood. It wasn't that they were simple but they were open and honest and most children just didn't have it in them to be intentionally mean. There wasn't really much to fight about anyways, besides small fights over toys or being left behind. Forgiveness was given readily and there was no sort of ulterior motive or expectations or anything as complicated as that.
Jack had watched and observed all week and he had come to the conclusion that teenagers liked to remember the strangest things and hold on to them for future torment as long as possible. Especially when it came to Jamie.
Jack suspected that if he in fact actually had many memories of his, quote, "mortal" life he probably would have something similar to compare it to. It figures he would be the only Guardian to have only the foggiest memories of his life. Maybe one day they would come flooding back, but for now he was laughably unprepared.
He poked moodily at an intrepid little sapling that had poked itself out of the blanket of snow and watched as it's branches were covered in a layer of ice that gleamed in the afternoon sunlight. He exhaled loudly which practically echoed in the empty clearing.
He needed to think and calm down but it was hard. Jack hadn't realized what exactly he had been getting himself in to but it was clear that he was probably already in too deep. Everything that he had seen, that had happened only served to make it worse.
The snow had muffled all the usual noise so it was in near complete silence that he sat, knees bent and recalled the week's events.
[[[[[
Jack had walked into the school building on Monday morning not knowing quite what to expect. He had watched from a distance as the school opened and students started trickling in. As the morning went on more and more people arrived and walked through the school's main entrance or sat in the parking lot and waited for their friends. Eventually when it seemed the bulk of people were going inside, Jack joined the crowd. He had walked to the administration office using the signs along the wall for assistance and came out a few minutes later, newly printed schedule in hand.
At first, Jack had no idea how he was supposed to be a high school student because although he didn't know much about the whole process he was sure that you needed some kind of papers or documents to join a new school. That was pretty much the extent of his knowledge and he had no idea what he needed. He was close to giving in and asking someone for help when he remembered something that the tooth fairy had told him a few years back.
"So what happens if one of you gets seen?"
She had frowned slightly. "What do you mean, Jack?"
"Well no one ever sees Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny or the Tooth Fairy right? So what are you guys supposed to do if one of the kids… I don't know, wakes up or catches one of your fairies?" He scratched his head. "I mean, not all of them are as young as Jamie's little sister and I doubt Sandy always goes around knocking kids out every single time something like that happens."
"Oh, I see! Well I don't think anyone has told you this yet, but when you become a Guardian you get magic and certain abilities of course but you also are able to use your magic to, well, to convince people of certain things."
Now it was his turn to frown. "What does that mean, exactly?"
Seeing the expression on his face she said quickly, "It's not very strong or useful in emergency situations but essentially you can sort of persuade people to believe certain truths. It doesn't always work and it's most definitely not foolproof but it can help when you are seen accidently or something happens that cannot normally be explained."
He had opened his mouth to ask her another question when a few fairies came flitting up to her like little hummingbirds and she was whisked away. Jack had been left to wonder at her words.
At this memory, Jack winced slightly. He knew that the way he had used this magical skill was not at all what it was meant for and he knew that he was in fact breaking the rules just by revealing himself to adults. Even kids weren't supposed to see him and he knew he was breaking way too many Guardian rules. He ignored the uneasy feeling that was building in his stomach. What he was doing was more important.
He had stood in the hallway outside the administration office trying to decipher the schedule that the secretary had handed him. She had asked if he had needed help but he had laughed nervously and told her he would be fine. No need to draw any more attention to his confusion. Now he was regretting that decision, especially as the bell rang and he had no idea where his class was.
Fifteen minutes of running later he was able to locate the classroom on the second floor. He stared at the unremarkable door and hesitated. He had watched Jamie for years but always from a distance. Once he opened the door there was no going back. Once again he squashed all his many misgivings. What was the worst that could happen?
This question unwittingly conjured about a thousand different scenarios in Jack's head but his hand was already on the door handle and he tumbled into the room.
Originally, this scene had gone a lot better in his head.
His eyes swept over the room. A few people had snapped their heads up from their desk and some were blinking sleepily, confused by the sudden spike in noise. A few were giggling or staring, not even bothering to hide their curiosity. Most of them quickly returned to what they had been doing after dismissing the interruption, absorbed in their own group of friends.
One person's eyes however had not left him since he walked in the room.
Jamie.
It was actually a bit unnerving. While most of the room had seem somewhat stunned by his entrance, Jamie just looked unimpressed. The only change is his expression was his eyes widening slightly. Jack avoided his eyes for as long as he could. He knew what he would see, the lack of recognition, his face no longer lighting up with a grin when he saw him. Jack couldn't bear to confirm what he already knew: Jamie didn't remember him, had tried hard to forget and, eventually, had succeeded.
When he finally met his stare, Jamie seemed to remember himself and Jack saw his cheeks color. For a few seconds Jack could feel himself mirroring the action which was pretty impressive, considering he was a winter spirit.
After settling himself in, he realized all at once that he had no plan. At all. What did he think was going to happen, he would come in and introduce himself to Jamie as the figment of his imagination that had turned him into a social outcast, and then they would all get together and go sledding? He cringed mentally at how that would go.
What would happen if Jamie actually remembered him on his own? How would he explain that he had basically ignored Jamie for seven years when he really needed him? How would he explain that he had been there, watching as he was teased and beaten and otherwise ignored by everyone including the people who were supposed to love him the most? He felt his mood darken. He didn't bother to pay attention to whatever had been dropped on his desk.
He was pulled out of his thoughts (which were starting to go in circles and repeat themselves mercilessly) by a sudden change of mood in the room. He glanced around and saw people poking each other and whispering and making little snorts of laughter behind their hands. He followed the direction of the hilarity to the corner where Jamie sat, his back to the rest of the class. What happened next made Jack furious.
He saw Jamie staring at his desk, his whole form tense, his shoulders hunched. Jack watched as he ignored the snickers and the stares, the insults. The only indication at all that he was even listening was the subtle tightening of his shoulders as he glared at his desk. Jack knew what the others wanted was just what Jamie was trying to avoid giving them: a reaction.
Jack felt an increasing sense of anger, second only to the intense guilt and concern that threatened to choke him. What made him feel the worst, what really hit him hard, was when it was clear that Jamie was used to this, like it wasn't anything new or surprising. Just something that happened, and Jack knew he shut down in order to protect himself. He was simply ignoring it.
Jack felt cold on the inside, once again an unfamiliar feeling. He should have stopped this sooner- he should have said something, no matter what the Guardians said.
A few years ago, Jack was forbidden by the Guardians to see Jamie or even to be in the same place as him after they had caught him spending too much time checking up on him. They told him it was for the best, and for a little while he believed them. Eventually, though, North called off the team of elves he had keeping an eye on him around the clock and Jack felt anxious. He hadn't seen Jamie for at least two months and it was making him jittery. Even though he wasn't being watched every hour of every day, it was still to early to try and sneak back to check up on Jamie. He had recalled how kids' memories were stored in their teeth, usually big memories that were important or milestones in a kid's life. Something that shaped who they were.
There was no way they were going to give them the box, so he did the only thing he could think of. He stole it. Surprisingly easy, considering how valuable they were to the Guardians. He supposed it also helped to have baby tooth as a friend.
Once he was positive he had the correct box he had asked baby tooth to open it for him. She had chattered nervously and clutched her hands to her chest but he had begged her until she sighed and opened it for him, scolding him as she did so. The box glowed gold and the world melted away as he found himself in the middle of Jamie's memories. Just like the last time.
He should have done something when he saw that first memory. He almost did. What stopped him?
4 Years Earlier
Jamie walked down the hallway slowly, dragging his feet. He didn't like going to the principle's office. He had been very nice and had even let Jamie have a snack size bag of skittles from his secret candy stash, but he knew that his parents would be upset. He chewed on the candy thoughtfully as he walked. He still didn't really understand what he had done wrong, but that the teacher had told the principle things and that she had given him Jamie's English essay (he could recognize his handwriting on the desk).
He had thought it was a good essay and his teacher had agreed, telling him how good of a storyteller he was and how creative he had to be to come up with such an interesting fiction. He had puffed up with pride until he registered what she had said. "Storytelling?"
She had asked him to present it to the class and it was there that he decided to clear up the misunderstanding. He had only read half of it before she made him sit down! It was pretty annoying that she wouldn't let him finish his story and she made him go to the office. He crossed his arms. Well, it wasn't like he had actually done anything wrong, maybe his teacher had it out for him. How was he supposed to know?
He headed for the doors that led him outside to the recess area. On one side of the field was a square of black asphalt surrounded by a chain link fence that had a basketball court and a few other things like foursquare and hopscotch markings. He smiled. His friends were usually outside around this time and he felt his mood lift when he spotted them on the far side of the fence with jump ropes and a red rubber ball that they were bouncing back and forth. He picked up his pace, walking a little faster. As soon as his tennis shoes were on the court he felt something fly by his side and heard the fence rattle behind him. He saw a basketball roll by his feet.
He looked up, startled. That was really close to hitting him. A group of boys were all standing under the basketball hoop, snickering. Some were his age but a few of them might have been a grade or two older. A boy with short blond hair was standing in front of the group with a grin. He picked up the ball and said:
"Better watch out, weirdo. For someone who tells everyone he fought magical fairytales, you have really slow reflexes"
Jamie froze. Had he heard him right? He barely knew this kid outside of class, so why would he say something like that to him? Maybe it was a joke.
A boy behind the first snorted. "Apparently that's not the only thing that's slow. Not the brightest is he?"
The blond laughed. "Obviously. Didn't you hear his story? He actually is stupid enough to still believe in Santa Claus. Little liar is tellin' everyone that he saved everyone with magic. Like he's some kind of hero or something." Jamie said nothing. He directed his next question at Jamie. "What is wrong with you? I mean, besides the obvious, there has to be something wrong with your brain like some kind of disease or somethin'." When he still didn't get a response he snapped, "Hey! I know you can hear me, you little freak. You gonna answer or what?"
Jamie's eyes stung. He didn't know what to say, couldn't get his feet to move. In an attempt to get some help he glanced at his friends who were still absorbed in their games and obviously not paying any attention to Jamie's plight. He bit his lip and said quietly, "I am not a freak." His voice broke slightly on the last word.
The leader of the group turned slightly to look back at his friends. "Did you hear that, guys?" He looked at Jamie." I think he might cry" This was met by a few laughs and jeers. He gave a feral sort of grin.
The next thing Jamie knew he was sprawled out on the ground, totally unprepared for something that slammed into his chest. Hard. Spots danced in his vision and he felt a wave of nausea wash over him. The air had been completely knocked out of him and he gasped trying to regain his breath for a few seconds, too stunned to cry or do anything but lay there.
By the time he had regained enough breath to feel the full force of his injuries, the group had gathered around him in a little semicircle, laughing.
"Some hero. Even basketballs can take him down."
"It's almost sad really, you'd think he'd have learned…"
"Yeah well s'not like he had anyone to teach him."
Jamie felt his eyes and nose sting but still he refused to give them the satisfaction of seeing him cry. He was scared though, more than he wanted to admit and everything really hurt. They didn't look like they were going to leave him alone anytime soon and were rather enjoying having something new to play with. Wait. Surely his friends had noticed by now!
He turned his head carefully to the right and saw through a few sets of legs that his friends had definitely noticed. He saw them all silent and still watching, the toys and games abandoned. He stared at them, his cheek pressed to the cool asphalt.
Why weren't they doing anything?
A sudden kick to his ribcage. "Hey! Pay attention. Don't you want us to figure out what's wrong with you? We may need to get some serious help."
"Why won't you leave me alone?" Jamie said this softly, wincing when it hurt to breathe. "Didn' do anything…"
This must have been the wrong thing to say because he saw the anger flash in the boy's eyes.
"Stand up." When Jamie didn't respond he nodded to his friends on either side. "Come on, get him up."
Rather reluctantly, two of them grabbed him underneath his arms and pulled him until he was more or less standing up, his back to the fence. Distantly he registered that a small crowd had started to gather on the court, not even bothering to pretend they were doing anything but watching and waiting for what they were going to do. The air was practically humming with anticipation and it was very quiet. He kept his gaze on the ground.
He had been bothered before, teased and made fun of by a few kids who thought it was funny that some kid believed in things he should have outgrown years ago. They called him a liar, crazy, said he was having hallucinations, a weirdo and a loser. Up until this point it was more in passing and other than a few small incidents, Jamie hadn't even noticed it. He remembered when people would tell him to laugh it off and make fun of those kids right back. Jamie had been confident, and for a while it didn't bother him. It was always the same five or six kids in his class who got bored and found someone easy to bug during the day. They weren't people who mattered.
But this was different. Everyone was looking at him, watching but not bothering to help. It was more than a few kids now.
"You're a danger to normal people, kid. It was cute three years ago but it's time for a little reality check, ya know? You think you're so smart, that magic is real and Santa Claus will save you or whatever." His voice took on a malicious edge. "Someone should remind you what is real, that we don' mess around here." At this there was a murmur of assent from the growing crowd and some people shouted out encouragement or agreement. They wanted to see something happen. They were bored.
"So maybe after today, you'll learn to shut up when people tell you to. Stop pretending to be somethin' that you're not, you little freak. Didn't your parents teach you not to lie?"
Jamie suddenly felt a burst of hot anger and humiliation. The boy had hit a nerve so sharply that Jamie was completely unprepared for his own reaction. He snapped his head up. There was no stopping what happened next and the regret he felt after the words left his mouth was instant and complete.
"Shut up! You don't know what you're talking about! You're a moron and I'll bet that without your friends here you wouldn't even be able to take on someone half your size! You're a coward and no one likes you, not even your stupid friends! At least I have people who actually care about me, you have no one! You're the liar!" Once he was finished, the sudden spike of adrenalin faded and all that was left was the icy feeling of panic when he saw the twisted grin on the face of his captor.
There was a pause, an unbearable silence. It was broken by the sound of knuckles connecting with bone, a sickening crunch There was a surge of noise from the audience, yells and cheers and chants.
Jamie couldn't hold back the noise he made when he felt his nose break. It hurt so much. It felt like his face was on fire and a few seconds later he couldn't breathe as his nose filled up with blood. He felt it stream down his face and fill his mouth with a thick metallic taste as he gasped for breath. He was a barely given any time before he felt another punch right in his stomach and he cried out. It was in the exact same place that the ball had hit earlier and the pain was almost overwhelming. He desperately didn't want to cry, but he felt silent tears trickle down his cheeks.
He heard laughter.
"Aw I think he's crying." He fisted his hand in Jamie's hair and yanked his head back. "Yeah, yeah look at him. Pathetic."
A boy standing next to him cleared his throat. "Hey Connor, don't you think that's enough? You're gonna get us in a lot of trouble."
Connor snorted. "Relax genius. I don't see anyone comin'. Teacher's gone somewhere." No sooner had he said this when the crowd fell silent. Jamie saw someone with dark hair and glasses walking towards and the crowd of students parted to let him through. He was tall and looked older, maybe two or three years older than Jamie. Besides his height, he wasn't particularly large or intimidating, but he had a certain feeling about him that commanded attention and respect. Everyone eyes followed him as he approached Connor who looked nervous.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" The stranger's voice was full of contempt but his face betrayed no emotion.
Connor swallowed. "What does it look like I'm doing? Just makin' a point, that's all. Don't worry about it."
The dark haired teenager didn't blink. "I think you've made it. Why don't you go do something else before you get yourself into more trouble than you can handle?" He said this quietly, but there was no mistaking the warning in his voice.
Connor glanced around at the crowd and then his eyes flicked back to Jamie. "I think I'm doin' just fine. Mind your own business." Just to make his point, he tightened his grip in Jamie's hair and tugged roughly, causing him to let out a little whimper. At this, the older boy's expression darkened and before Jamie could even register the movement, Connor was splayed out on the ground, his right hand covering his face where blood was already beginning to seep through his fingers.
The stranger flexed his right hand which was blooming a dark purple and then shoved it in his pocket with a grimace before turning around. People were standing faces frozen in shock.
"All of you standing there, and no one thought to help? To go get someone, to stop this? You saw someone get their nose broken and you just…. watched." At least they had the decency to look ashamed.
"Get the fuck out of here, all of you." His tone left no room for argument and the majority of people were already feeling more than a little guilty. The mass of people gradually dispersed, some faster than others, and a few cast curious glances back at the scene as they walked away.
The dark haired teen walked over to Jamie who had been watching with a mixture of relief and disbelief. Just who was this person? It was ridiculous, someone he didn't even know actually bothering to defend him like a knight in shining armor or something equally laughable.
He studied Jamie intently, ignoring Connor's muttered comments from the ground behind him. Jamie wiped some of the blood off his face with the back of his hand and stared back.
"You ok?" Jamie shrugged and then winced when he tried to stand up to his full height. His ribs, his stomach and nose all hurt like crazy and he knew there was going to be a huge bruise. Tears were still trickling down his face, despite all efforts to stop. The crying was only making the pain in his nose worse.
"Yeah, I thought so. Come on, let's go to the nurse." He reached out, presumably to help Jamie to his feet, but Jamie scowled and pulled back despite his entire body protesting the movement.
"Look," Jamie said, his voice rough and shaky, "Thanks for helping me I really appreciate it and all that, but I don't need someone to babysit me, now. I can get there on my own and everything." This statement was weakened somewhat by his obvious pain and the fact that he hadn't moved in three minute, but Jamie didn't want someone taking pity on him and walking him places, like a lost kindergartner.
The stranger looked mildly amused underneath all his concern. He pushed his glasses further up on the bridge of his nose. "Nah, it's not like that. You'd let your friends take you, yeah?"
"We're not friends." Jamie sounded like he had a cold. The remark stung more than he cared to admit, likely because he didn't think he had any friends at the moment.
"Well, I think we're acquaintances, which I'm told is the first step." He smiled and moved again to wrap his arm around Jamie, who gave in. It wasn't like he was going anywhere otherwise.
"I'm glad this is all so funny to you." They started to slowly walk towards the school building.
"I don't think this is funny in the slightest." His voice was quiet. There was a few seconds of silence.
Jamie suddenly felt awkward and a need to break the silence, despite it hurting a little to talk. "Well, don't you think I should know your name then?"
"Sure. My name's Alexander but everyone calls me Alex."
"Alex?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks."
The sudden flashback to this particular memory caused Jack's emotions to run wild and the boy that had stood up slipped on a patch of ice that had sprung up out of nowhere and fell. Jack felt momentarily guilty, but he glanced over at Jamie and he had visibly relaxed as the attention was directed off of him.
It could have been worse. At that moment, he was thinking that that boy had gotten off easy. He felt some sort of dark satisfaction at causing him pain. It was a brief feeling and he didn't really feel like dwelling on it.
Jack had sat there for the next hour, thinking. The bell rang harshly, signaling the end of the class period and there was a flurry of movement as everyone shoved everything into their bags and walked out, the halls filling with the sound of lockers slamming and people shuffling to their next class. Jamie waited until everyone had filed out before attempting to stalk out of class as fast as possible his eyes staring straight ahead and Jack let his eyes track the movement before following him out.
Jack wasn't stupid enough to try and actually talk to Jamie, at least not yet. He needed some time to...regroup. Or something like that. Whatever he had expected it had not been this, but he should have known.
{{{{{
Over the next few days Jack discovered that Jamie had a routine. He spent his class periods in the same few seats, ignoring the same people. Jack had made it so he had all but one of his classes with Jamie (he felt like all might be a little bit overkill). In each class on the first day he was acknowledged by the teachers as a new student and made to introduce himself in some way. After the first class, Jamie pointedly ignored Jack's continued appearances in his classes, although he thought he saw Jamie scoff at Jack's clumsy attempts to make up a plausible backstory. Canada seemed like a safe bet, plus it was one of his favorite countries. Practically year round winter and while rather despised by adults, kids still appreciated snow days now and then up north.
Every day at lunch Jamie sat outside against the brick wall of the building his backpack up against the wall next to him, knees bent, and earbuds in. It was shockingly cold outside and sometimes little flurries of snow fell from the sky. As a result, the group of people that ventured outdoors was small and scattered, making it a perfect place for solitude. Most days, the winter weather bleached all the color out of the world and Jack had never felt so depressed about the winter season before.
Jamie always had a book of some kind, and he usually spent his lunch reading out in the cold. IT was one of those things that struck Jack as melancholy, reminding him of when Jamie used to read the brightly colored pictured books detailing all the great myths and legends. Despite the fact that Jamie clearly wanted to be alone, occasionally a person or two would come sit by him against the wall and Jamie would pull out his earbuds and talk to them for a while before returning to his book. He did have friends, then.
On the first day, Jack was already outside, the snow and cold air doing wonders for the tangled thoughts zinging around his head like ribbons. He was lying on his back on one of the benches, watching lone flakes drift gently from the sky. He hadn't been outside for five minutes when he heard the squeak and subsequent slam of the door and the thump of something being dropped on to the ground. He sat up suddenly, only to meet the cool gaze of Jamie, sitting just a few feet away from him against the wall.
Neither of them said anything for a few seconds. Jamie smirked and dropped his gaze to rummage in his bag for his notebook and a pen. He was unwinding his headphones from his jacket pocket when he said casually, "You know, you don't really strike me as the loner type."
For a few seconds Jack tried to work through the surprise that he was being addressed at all, and before he could gather his thoughts Jamie added, "You have no idea the damage you're doing to your reputation," He emphasized with thinly veiled contempt, "just by being this close to me anyways." He said this dryly and without a hint of bitterness, and Jack was momentarily tempted to laugh at the exaggerated expression of horror on his face.
Jack swallowed. "I'm not even sure what that means." Better to stick with the truth. He reached his arm back and scratched the back of his neck nervously out of habit.
Jamie rolled his eyes. "Alright, sure." He had pulled his bag off the dingy concrete and onto his lap and was digging intently for something. After a few seconds he pulled out a small box and something smaller and thinner. He flipped open the top and Jack was shocked to note that it was half full of something he recognized: cigarettes.
Jamie tugged one free and tapped one end against the carton before sticking it in between his lips and holding the lighter to the end until it glowed red. He sighed and exhaled a grey cloud into the thin winter air. He seemed amused at the expression on Jack's face.
"Those are supposed to be terrible for your health," he managed.
Jamie examined the burning cigarette in between his fingers. "So the experts say."
Before Jack could think of a response, he had stuck his earbuds back in his ears and pulled his book onto his lap. And so the conversation was over, then. Jack seriously doubted he would be successful in starting another one and so he had simply watched until the bell rang and the little company they had filed inside. Jamie hadn't bothered to acknowledge him again after that.
The elementary school got out about fifteen minutes after the high school so Jamie would wait out front for his little sister on a bench near the parking lot and she would come running out, her lime green backpack bouncing as she sprinted out of the school. She still had so much energy and joy, Jack noted with a hint of sadness. Not a whole lot had changed with her. The most interesting thing, though, was Jamie's face when he saw Sophie, his whole expression lighting up with a smile as she ran towards him chattering about one thing or another.
That smile… it reminded Jack so much of Jamie seven years ago.
Jack couldn't help but feel a little, well, creepy just lurking in the shadows. He wasn't visible at the moment to anyone, elementary kids included, but it was getting hard to stay that way. The more people he let see him, the harder it was to just melt back into the air again like he was used to.
Eventually he drew the line at following him home. He wanted to, felt an intense feeling to make sure he was home, safe and that both he and Sophie were ok, but knowing that he was more likely to be seen presented a problem. At the end of the week he was frustrated and angry and guilty and he could only use these for excuses as to what happened next.
{{{{
Jack had been walking the halls during the lunch period, looking for something to pass the time. Jamie wasn't in his usual spot outside and since winter spirits didn't eat lunch anyways he had to avoid the cafeteria if at all possible until his next class. A lot of the kids skipped lunch anyways so the hallways were by no means empty. He was in the middle of trying to find the school library, when he noticed that there was some sort of commotion coming from the end of the hallway. People were chattering excitedly as they approached the growing crowd around the corner. Curious, Jack followed them feeling a growing sense of dread as he got close.
As he got to the edge of the mass of people he still couldn't see what was going on and while he was not short by any means he still couldn't see over the tops of everyone's heads and he was not nearly big enough to successfully shove his way through the crowd.
"Hey!" He raised his voice trying to be heard, "What's going on?" He could barely hear himself over the din but then a girl next to him, glancing down at the phone in her hand said in a bored tone, "I dunno, something to do with Anderson getting himself all worked up again. I swear he just loves to show off doesn't he?" She hummed to herself and without bothering to wait for a response, sauntered off. Jack was still trying to think why that name sounded familiar. Anderson…. Wait wasn't he the boy… Suddenly Jack was shoving through the crowd, size be damned, people grumbling as they were jostled aside. Jack felt a jolt when he reached the front and his worst fears were confirmed.
Anderson was standing with his back to the crowd holding someone up against the lockers and as he shifted, Jack got a glimpse of Jamie inexplicably smirking with an already darkening bruise on the left side of his face as he was pinned to the lockers by an arm on his chest. At the sight of the bruise, Jack felt a ragged white-hot burst of anger. It was only fueled by the fact that as he glanced around at the group of excited teenagers clamoring for a fight, he noticed that more than half of them were holding up cell phones with their fingers pressed on the record button. It didn't seem like any of them were attempting to stop it and even those who didn't seem to enjoy it were still just watching or ignoring it entirely.
This scene was all too familiar.
"Say it again." Anderson growled through gritted teeth.
Despite the fact that Anderson's face was growing increasingly red and it was clear that it would not end well for Jamie either way he just looked vaguely amused, despite his injuries.
"I'm sorry," he said his voice raspy, "You'll have to be more specific." He smirked again and leaned his head back against the lockers. "I'm surprised you'd want me to repeat any of that, really… I think it pissed you off the first time. I dunno maybe you just like being close to me. What is it fourth time this year?" At this Anderson' face took on a sort of purplish quality and he drove his fist into Jamie's stomach, which made him double over coughing. Jack felt another spike of anger and this time he didn't bother to control it. Before he knew it he was standing in between Jamie and Anderson, the latter having been shoved out of the way. At this, the noise level climbed impossibly high in the hall.
The blond looked momentarily stunned. The look vanished as quickly as it came and was replaced by a triumphant grin.
"Guess your boyfriend got a little jealous?" He drawled the words mockingly, lazily, in the manner of a person who knows they have the upper hand.
Jamie didn't reply, still bent over one arm hugging his midsection. Jack a surge of magic chill the air and it took him a few seconds to realize where it had come from. He had a moment of panic and frustration (Why was his magic suddenly uncontrollable now of all times-were his fingers turning blue?) but he took a breath to steady himself.
"I'm not his-"Jack cut himself off at the widening smirk on the larger boy's face. He cleared his throat and glanced at Jamie who was watching the exchange with narrowed eyes. "Is there a reason you won't leave him alone? Can you just-stop?" His voice sounded childish even to his own ears and for the hundredth time that week, he regretted that he didn't understand more about teenagers.
Anderson clicked his tongue a few times. "Aww, I knew the loser was pathetic but even his friends won't admit he's alive. Jesus, there are times when even I feel bad for you."
Jamie, who Jack had been watching out of the corner of his eye, stiffened at this. The temperature in the room dropped even further. Some of the people standing closest were visibly shivering and even the crowd grew hushed.
"What did you call him?" Slowly. Quietly.
Anderson moved even closer, until he was right in Jack's face, their noses practically touching. "I called him a loser. You know… pathetic, weirdo, waste of space." He's still wearing that infuriating smirk. "Because that's what he is. A freak."
Jack didn't know how to justify his next actions. Maybe it was because he's frustrated, because he didn't know what to do, because he has no plan. Maybe it has to do with the magic underneath his skin, a sensation so cold its burning him from the inside out. Maybe it has to do with his desperation, the fierce need to protect Jamie, despite the fact that Jamie wants nothing more than to be left alone. But most likely it is because that word conjures up memories so unpleasant, memories that aren't even his own, and he's drowning in guilt and misplaced anger.
All he knows, is that one moment both of them were standing upright and the next both were sprawled across the linoleum floor, Jack on top of the bigger boy, his eye already beginning to swell where Jack must have hit him and his lips are blue and Jack noticed from where he held the other boy's wrists that his fingers were purple and black. Frostbite.
Jack would like to pretend he would have stopped even if he hadn't been roughly yanked up and off the (now) defenseless teenager whimpering on the floor by who he guessed was a teacher. He wanted to pretend that he hadn't seen the faces of the silent group of students behind him, a mixture of disgust and shock. A second teacher rushed in to help Anderson off the ground, glaring at Jack over her shoulder as she does so. The first teacher, the one who pulled him off Anderson, had his back to him, yelling at the crowd to leave unless they wanted to get in trouble as well.
Jack had been staring at the floor up to this point, not trusting himself to look up. He does, eventually, and finds himself meeting Jamie's stare and feels an unpleasant falling sensation in his stomach. He doesn't know what he expected but all he sees in Jamie's face is pure resentment and anger.
Jack's spent years playing with cold and frost, manipulating the smallest winds into the fiercest blizzards and never been the slightest bit affected by the cold, never really remembered what it was like to be cold, but now he does. Because in that moment, all he felt was numb.
A/N: Interestingly enough, I had a chapter written about a week after the previous chapter, but I re-read it, hated it, and in a fit of frustration, deleted the whole thing. It kind of got shoved in the back corners of my mind and to be honest editing may or may not occur in the future. I don't know why I wrote so many "fight scenes", but there you go that's out of my system now and next chapter will have actual-well- interaction between the characters. But for now, I would love to hear your thoughts! Ideas, comments, suggestions, etc. Thanks for reading!
Oh and just to have this on record in case it isn't obvious, this story lacks a beta or any outside editing. Sadly.