Adventure Pending...

Chpt. 1

"Jackson, Holt! I'm driving you to school, get down here!" Lily Howell called from the bottom of the stairs, leading her children to peek around the corner.

"We got it, ma," Jackson answered, before heading back from the staircase to grab a few more items. It was their first day at a new high school, one that was (supposedly) meant to be ~super accepting~ of all Monsters and their freaky flaws.

"I ain't got all day, kid," Lily called, "You don't need your entire room, you're just going to a few classes," Jackson rolled their eyes at the comment, returning to the stairs and heading down them this time, two backpacks in hand.

"Yeah but Holt and I need different stuff, so I was making sure our bags were packed," they reasoned, heading past their mother and towards the door, "You comin'?" they grinned, watching her roll her eyes with a smile and walk out of the house behind them.

The door locked with a click, and the car unlocked with a beep, Jackson tossing their bags into the backseat and flopping into the front, "You said this is where Heath goes?" they inquired as their mother took the driver's seat, "I can't tell if that's a good thing or not,"

'Agreed, Heath's a moron,' Holt nodded, and Jackson covered up a snort with a faux cough.

"Think of it as a good thing," she nodded, turning the car on and beginning the drive, "You'll know someone, and he knows the school, try and find him to show you around," Jackson hummed in acknowledgment, in acceptance, "I'm sure you'll like it here, Jackson,"

The ride was boring, with nothing but trees and buildings to be seen until they arrived at the massive castle-like school made of grey bricks with purple hues. Students milled about the front and Jackson spotted students with eyeballs for heads, students with purple skin, and ones who were floating off the ground.

But that was stuff they were used to, they'd met plenty of Monsters before; going from school to school, home to home growing up. They reached into the back, tugging their backpacks through to the front and throwing open the passenger door. They raised a brow as their mother also got out of the car, "You're coming in?"

'Oh, yeah, that'll be great. Thanks ma for starting our year off with our mother walking us inside,' Holt commented sarcastically, and Jackson rolled their eyes.

"Yep, I'm walking you to Bloodgood's office," the hybrid nodded, closing her door, "She's only spoken with me briefly, I need to make sure everything is in order for you and your brother-er," she grinned nervously, "sibling,"

'You'd think she'd finally stop stumblin' over it after three months,'

Jackson nodded to their ma, resisting the urge to hiss a response at Holt. They'd finally figured out internal communication, but it was only one-sided internal communication, meaning whoever wasn't internal had to actually verbalize their response. Which they quickly realized was an embarrassing thing to do around others.

"Aight, cmon kids," she clapped a hand on their shoulder, leading them into the school. Neither mother nor children managed to ignore the way conversations seemed to pause as they walked past, or how they turned into whispers and lingering eyes.

Hybrids weren't widely accepted in the Monster world, after all. And beyond that, this was a visible hybrid guiding what appeared to be a Normie into a school for Monsters.

A strange sight to see, for sure.

The school was like a maze once they'd gotten inside, and many students seemed to part for them. Which was fair, Lily Howell was quite tall and menacing, despite the cowering Normie beside her.

'Too bad you look too dumb to use this in your favor, J,' Holt commented, and Jackson's face turned into a scowl, 'Sorry, too normal,' Jackson could practically feel Holt's grin, and their expression did not let up.