Work Text:
As the bell rang, Porter was one of the first out of his class.
It wasn’t like he hated math but- okay, who was he kidding? He despised the subject. It was so strict, so rigid. There was no room for creativity or freedom, it was just right or wrong with no middle ground. For an artist such as himself, it was difficult to thrive in such an environment.
Still, he did his best to make the most of it. It was what he’d been doing for years back at Haunted High and he wasn’t about to stop now just because he’d transferred schools.
While Haunted High had been far from the best school, Porter still found himself missing it. There, he’d been somebody notable, the Paintergeist that stood up to the horrible headmistress and the hall moanitors. Here, he wasn’t really anybody. Sure, people were friendly enough but nobody really seemed to care about his art the same way that they’d cared back at Haunted High.
Though it wasn’t really the lack of attention that Porter cared about, it was the fact that he wasn’t needed here. Not like he’d been needed back at his old school. After you’ve spent years fulfilling a certain role, it was hard to figure out where you belonged when you no longer had to play that role.
Porter floated through the hallways, lost in thought. A few students cried out in shock and disgust as he floated through them.
Porter paid them no heed.
He found himself thinking about Haunted High more and more these days. It hadn’t been too long since he’d been there, only a few weeks, but it was still on his mind more often than not. Still, even if he missed some of his fellow ghosts from back at his old school, there was one ghoul here that made it all worth it.
Spectra caught his eye as she floated out from one of the classrooms, eyes glued to her notebook. A small smile appeared on Porter’s face as he watched her.
Porter might not like writing all that much and Spectra might not enjoy painting like Porter did but they both understood each other in a way that only two artists could.
He watched her for a few more seconds before he began to move, treasuring the sight of her when she was just being herself.
With a mischevious smile ghosting his features, Porter approached her from behind. He followed her down the hall for a moment, doing his best to remain silent.
He needn’t have bothered. Spectra was too caught up in her writing to even notice him.
If it had been anyone else, Porter may have been offended but with Spectra? He found it endearing.
They were so similar, both of them getting lost in their work. Sneaking up behind her, Porter tapped her on the shoulder, producing a startled shriek from her before she turned around and saw who it was.
“Porter!” she scolded. “You really shouldn’t scare a ghoul like that.”
Though her words sounded upset, Porter saw through the stern expression to see the smile she was trying to hide.
“How’s my favourite ghoul doing?” he asked, swooping in to dip her in a sudden bow, twirling around before letting her go.
They were largely ignored by the rest of the students below them as they hurried towards their next class. Spectra blushed, turning away from him.
Porter just smiled. “Aw, am I embarrassing you darling?”
Spectra stammered a response as Porter wrapped his arms around her shoulders, resting his head beside hers as he peered over her shoulder to see her notebook. “What are you working on?”
As she explained the story she was currently working on, telling him all the ins and outs of it, he just smiled.
The bell rang all of a sudden, cutting her off. A look of panic came over her face before she rushed off to her next class. Porter drifted behind her, not feeling all that rushed.
A dazed sort of smile was stuck on his face as he watched her leave. He may still be searching for his place here at Monster High but for now, he was content for it to be by her side.