Mother of Pearl: A Floyd Leech x OC Fanfiction

Chapter 62

We stood there baffled at the situation Headmaster Crowley presented us with. The school was magically heated by fire faeries fed firewood every day, but the kitchen ghost in charge went back to the underworld to see his first ghost grandchild.

"...A ghost's first grandchild?" Yuu asked for clarification once more.

"Consider it a miracle of love. Don't think too much into it," Crowley poorly dismissed the question.

"I need a fantasy health class..." I rambled as I scratched my braids.

"Anyway, if you want to be warm during winter break then it is a must.," Crowley got us back on track.

"Well, if it's to secure us food..." Yuu weighed the benefits.

"If you put wood in the fireplace every day, then you don't need to worry about the cold or food," Crowley gave his closing remarks. "Isn't it like killing two birds with one stone? What a great deal!"

"That's true! This is a lot more reasonable than the other jobs you had us do," Grim looked content at the requirements.

"I know right? When you look at it, I am so kind," Crowley soaked up Grim's minute praise.

"Sweeping the cobblestone path was the best one so far," Yuu muttered.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot! I will be gone for a while so I will give you these," Crowley reached into a pocket and pulled out two small, black rectangular screens.

"Smartphones," Ace identified.

"In case of emergencies, please contact me with this phone," Crowley instructed us. Yuu and I examined our new gadgets as he went on, "This phone is for emergencies only. Don't let me catch you using MagiCam or anything."

"We don't know how to use MagiCam, so don't worry," I assured.

"Well then, I must go supervise and see the student off. I'll leave the rest to you two," Crowley left us, muttering things, and smiling to himself.

"Nyaha! This holiday we are going to eat so much food and treats!" Grim celebrated.

"I feel like he was just trying to get rid of you," Ace mentioned.

"If he wants to get rid of us, maybe he should find a way to send us home," Yuu scoffed.

"Okay, okay! Can you guys stop standing in the middle of the road? Move it! Move it!" Ruggie's iconic voice pushed past us.

"Ruggie! It's been a while," I happily greeted.

"Bucchi...Why do you have so many luggages?" Deuce looked at all of the bags Ruggie carried with wide eyes. There was a backpack, three totes, and one rolling cooler following behind him.

"Oh this? Shishishi! I got all the food that's about to expire from the cafeteria and school shop," Ruggie was smug as he shifted one of the bags on his shoulder. "Every time I go on break, I always get all this for free."

"Eh? There's no way you can eat all that!" Ace looked at the hyena upperclassman with suspicion.

"What are you talking about?" Ruggie raised an eyebrow. "When I go home, I always give food to the neighborhood hooligans. I have to make sure my grandma eats well during the holidays. Oops, the frozen food is gonna melt. Well then, see you all next year!"

With that, Ruggie hopped in the mirror. He was gone in a flash leaving the Adeuce combo confused. "I wonder what he meant by 'neighborhood hooligans'," Deuce pondered out loud.

"I was assuming kids," I offered my opinion. "That's what my family calls them anyways."

"You'd be right," a deep, gruff voice came from behind us. I looked up to see the stoic werewolf boy Jack. His arms were filled with pots of succulants and a duffle bag hung across his shoulders. "There are a lot of families in poverty in Ruggie's hometown. That's why every vacation, he brings back a lot of food so that the neighborhood kids can eat."

"That's so sweet of him," Yuu cooed at the new information.

"Jack...why are you carrying so many plants? Are you going to start gardening?" Ace questioned at the sight of him.

Jack tucked them closer to his chest, "These are cacti I grow as a hobby. If I don't water them during the holidays they'll die."

"Oh, my ma does that too! Although, she has to ask my dad for help most of the time. She's not exactly a green thumb," I excitedly shared. "It's such a gentle hobby."

"...Don't mind me..." Jack tried to turn his face away from the others.

Yuu gave him a pat on the back, "Good to see you Jack."

"It's surprising to see a guy like Ruggie sharing food with others. What a good guy," Grim complimented the absent party.

"Capture the prey and then give to the weak without discrimination. That's the way of the hyenas. That is how Ruggie was raised," Jack furthered explained.

"Hmph, just thinking about giving food to a bunch of little runts makes me sick," another Savanaclaw student inserted themselves into the conversation. "One annoying kid is enough."

"Ah, Leona, are you not going home?" Jack acknowledged his dorm leader's entrance.

"I wish. If I don't go home, they're not going to let me hear the end of it. I'm going home because of that," Leona growled. "Ugh, how annoying."

"Aw, admit that you can't wait to see you darling nephew," I teased. When Leona shot me a glare I ducked behind Jack and Yuu with a cheeky grin.

"But you don't have anything with you," Jack grew concerned.

Leona looked back at him, puzzled. "Huh? All I need is my wallet and phone. I have enough clothes at home."

"And here we have the other side of the extreme," Grim sunk in on himself as he jumped to perch on Yuu's shoulder.

"He's not even taking his homework with him," Ace noticed.

Leona smirked, "You can do your homework when break is almost over. Isn't it your job during the holidays to relax? See ya, herbivore." He strode through the mirror with a single wave of his hand.

"He can do anything as long as he puts his mind to it...so why doesn't he?" Jack sighed. "I'm going to finish mine properly. You guys don't slack off. See you."

"We won't. See you soon Jack," Yuu waved goodbye.

"Be safe!" I got on my tiptoes to give him a pat on the head. "See you later!" Jack tilted his head down slightly so I could reach it better before giving me a nod.

As he went through the mirror, two more familiar faces passed us on their way home. Cater teasingly wagged his finger at us, "Now listen here freshies~, that is not the type of upperclassman to look up to."

Trey gave us a friendly warning, "If any of you don't do you homework, Riddle will have your head."

"Ha! I'm going to study and practice so hard over break that Riddle will be shocked at my improvement at our first tutoring session of the new year!" I declared.

"Vivi, you're adorable!" Cater cooed before he got all gloomy. "Ha~ I'm really dreading going home~"

As Cater went on about his older sisters putting him to work when he got back, my mind wondered to my own family.

I wonder if they know I'm gone...Are they worried for me? If it's the holiday season back home, are they still going to do the family traditions without me? It would be my first time missing them...

I watched as Riddle joined us. He looked out of it with his luggage. I caught enough of the conversation to know it had something to do with his overbearing mom.

I wasn't here when he overblotted, so I just know what Yuu told me and the little crumbs of info he shared during tutoring...I really don't know much of the guys from Heartslabyul other than Ace and Deuce...Yu looked at ease with the dorm members. More so than with any of the ones from Savanaclaw. They talked so easily with them and encouraged the cherry-red headed dorm leader. Oh yeah, Yuu had a month or so head start on me when it comes to making friends and getting to know people here. While they say names, I have no idea who it is, they already have a history with them...

I started to get pulled into a mess of thoughts as I smiled at the group of chattering friends.