Monster High

by Perdita Finn

  “Cool!” Clawdeen was impressed.

  “Wow,” whispered Draculaura, awed.

  “That’s clever,” agreed Frankie.

  Dracula beckoned them to come closer. “In ages past, monsters used the Mapalogue to locate one another. But when the humans turned against us during the great Fright Flight, our kind all went into hiding for our protection. After that, there really didn’t seem to be a use for this thing anymore.”

  “Until now!” Draculaura gasped.

  Frankie’s brow was furrowed. “So how does it work?”

  “First, you place your fingers gently on the Skullette,” Dracula instructed.

  Very carefully, the ghouls touched their fingertips to the tiny skull.

  “Now,” continued Dracula, “you say the name of the monster you’re trying to reach.”

  Draculaura pulled out her iCoffin and scrolled to her e-mail. She looked at the first monster who had contacted her. “First up…Cleo. But she says she’s a bit tied up. What now?”

  Dracula looked from Frankie to Clawdeen to Draculaura. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

  “Totes!”

  “Yes!”

  “Obviously,” said Clawdeen.

  Dracula took a deep breath. “Okay. Say the magic words. Exsto monstrum. So all together…”

  “Cleo! Exsto monstrum!”

  Nothing happened.

  Frankie picked up the skull. She shook it. “This thing doesn’t even work.” She was about to turn it over to see if there was a switch when…Poof!

  The ghouls vanished from the library.

  They opened their eyes and blinked. The ghouls were hovering in the air above a vast stretch of desert! They gasped and flopped into the sand, spluttering.

  “Oof!”

  “Owww!”

  Clawdeen touched her helmet. “Guess these things come in handy after all!”

  “The Mapalogue worked!” exclaimed Frankie. “Where are we?”

  “Ghouls!” Draculaura pointed behind them. They were standing right in front of an enormous Egyptian pyramid.

  Draculaura grinned. Right in front of them was a door.

  Chapter 8

  A Royal Recruit

  Inside, the pyramid was dark and musty. The walls were covered in ancient hieroglyphics.

  Draculaura loved it. “Fangtastic!” she exclaimed as the ghouls walked down the narrow passageway.

  All around them were doors leading to the undiscovered tombs of mummies.

  Which one led to Cleo?

  “We’re going to have to explore all these tombs,” Frankie realized.

  Draculaura casually pushed on one door to open it. Screams and moans echoed from inside. Light blasted out of the darkness and singed Draculaura’s hair. She slammed the door shut.

  Her face white, she shuddered. “It’s not that one.”

  Clawdeen’s wolf ears twitched. She was listening to something. She walked over to the entranceway of another tomb. It was encrusted with glowing jewels. From far away the ghouls could hear soft angelic voices singing. “I’ve got a feelin’ it might be this one,” whispered Clawdeen.

  The ghouls nodded to one another. They approached the door. A ray of sunlight from far above them had found its way through a crack. It lit up a jeweled scarab. Inside of the scarab was a handprint. Should the ghouls place their hands on the handprint? Was it safe?

  Draculaura knew what she had to do. She touched the scarab. It pulsed with light. Gears clanked somewhere in the pyramid. Smoke billowed all around them so that they could barely see. The door slid open. Stone steps led up, up, up.

  Standing on the topmost step, a pile of bandages at her feet, was a very trendy young Egyptian princess.

  Her dark-brown hair was streaked with gold. She had bandages wrapped around her arms and legs. She was wearing lots of gold jewelry.

  She clapped her hands, delighted. “You’re here!”

  She skipped elegantly down the steps and hugged each of the ghouls dramatically.

  “You must be Cleo,” said Draculaura a little shyly.

  “The one and only Cleo de Nile.” The mummy princess smiled.

  “I’m Draculaura, this is Frankie, and that over there is Clawdeen,” Draculaura explained. “We’re your Monster High student outreach committee. Anything we can help with, just ask!”

  “Oh fabulous!” exclaimed Cleo. “It’s been a millennium since I had help. My luggage is over there. Do be careful carrying them. Those jewels are on loan from the pharaoh.”

  The ghouls looked up the stairs and saw trunk after heavy trunk overflowing with jewels and gems.

  Frankie cleared her throat. “I’m afraid there won’t be room for those at the Monster High dorms. But don’t worry, we’ve got all the basics.”

  Cleo let out a sigh of relief. “A personal chef?”

  “There’s a great Creepateria,” Draculaura explained apologetically.

  “A royal masseuse?” asked Cleo.

  The ghouls shook their heads.

  Cleo was trying not to appear alarmed. “Ruby-encrusted lounging throne?”

  The ghouls looked down at their feet, clearly embarrassed. But Cleo surprised them. “At least I finally have friends,” she said.

  “That’s right!” said Frankie, breathing a sigh of relief.

  And with that, the ghouls made their way back to Draculaura’s house.

  No one got any sleep that night! The ghouls were up late giggling and laughing and getting to know one another. None of them had ever been to a slumber party before. There were secrets to share. There were snacks to eat. They all had their first pillow fight!

  “Hey, Drac, you forgot your pillow!” said Clawdeen, and whomped her in the face.

  “What’s going on up there?” shouted Dracula from downstairs. “Go to sleep!”

  The ghouls turned off the light, but it was a long time before they stopped giggling.

  Cleo was the last to fall asleep. She might not have her jewels or her luggage or her throne, but this was a lot better than being all alone in a sandy old pyramid. Thank goodness for Monster High.

  Chapter 9

  Creature Feature

  Now that the ghouls had the Mapalogue, finding other monsters was a snap. After painting one another’s nails, the ghouls were ready to go the next night. They put on their helmets. They placed their fancy fingertips on the Skullette.

  “Lagoona! Exsto monstrum!” they announced together.

  Poof!

  “Ow!”

  “Oh!”

  “Oof”

  Wherever they were, it was wet. A wave broke over their heads. Cleo spit out a mouthful of seaweed. Clawdeen shook the water out of her hair. Frankie brushed the sand off her hands. Draculaura looked up and saw a sporty ghoul on a surfboard headed right toward them.

  Her blond hair, streaked with the color of sea foam, wafted behind her. She leaped into the air as the wave curled, flipped off her board, and landed lightly on the beach. Her board hurled toward shore and drove into the sand.

  “Oy, mates!” she said to the ghouls. She had an Australian accent!

  “Lagoona Blue!” Draculaura guessed it must be her.

  “Nice to meet you!”

  “We’re from Monster High.”

  “Awesome skills,” complemented Frankie.

  “G’day, roomie,” said Lagoona to Cleo. Cleo laughed nervously. She’d never had a roommate before.

  Lagoona whipped out a phone shaped like a clamshell and snapped a photo. Cleo smiled for the camera. Whatever differences she might have with these ghouls, they were all monsters. They were better off together than they were alone.

  Soon there were enough students to have classes at Monster High—and the first teacher was Draculaura’s dad. On the first day of class, everyone was nervous. Especially Draculaura.

  “Dad’s late,” she worried.

  “Can’t wait to start learning stuff!” barked one of the pups.

  “So what’s this first class
about?” Clawdeen wondered.

  Frankie looked into her book bag. “I think I brought enough school supplies.”

  Cleo sniffed, staring at the Wolf pups. “I didn’t know they allowed pets in the classroom.”

  When they weren’t in class, the ghouls were hunting for more students. They headed to a tropical swamp filled with man-eating flowers, three-eyed frogs, and other beasties. Inside of a beautiful, thorny blossom was a tiny, very sleepy swamp monster—Marshall. His hair was colorful and thorny.

  He was adorable, and all the ghouls wanted to pet him. Except for Frankie, who was almost swallowed whole by a giant Venus flytrap. Luckily, the ghouls rescued her just in time and whisked her back to Monster High with Marshall. Recruiting students could be dangerous!

  On another trip, they headed over to Greece. In addition to their helmets, they wore protective goggles. This monster turned anyone who met his eyes into stone! He was a mythic gorgon. His hair was made out of hissing snakes. When they discovered him, he was standing in a garden surrounded by the sculptures of soldiers, their swords raised. When the ghouls handed him a pair of cool shades, the soldiers came back to life—and charged the ghouls and Deuce Gorgon. Again, they got away just in time. Monster High had another student!

  Deuce Gorgon high-fived Marshall when he arrived in class.

  A few days later, the ghouls found themselves in another back alley looking into another dumpster. Inside of this one was a round, bloated goblin named Gob. Spit dribbled from his mouth as he tossed day-old donuts and slimy wrappers into his mouth. His breath was bad, his face was greasy, but he was a monster and that was that.

  The moment Gob saw Cleo, he leaped into her arms. She tried to hide her disgust as he slobbered on a mold-covered cookie. The other ghouls tried to hide their laughter. Phew! Was she ever relieved when they left him to get settled in his dorm room!

  The ghouls’ next trip was to the Arctic. Trapped in a giant block of ice was a prehistoric mammoth beastie standing next to an ice sprite. They were both holding their iCoffins. What had frozen them in the midst of reaching out to Draculaura?

  Luckily, Clawdeen had a hair dryer and Frankie superpowered it with a jolt of electricity. The ice was melted in no time. Woolee hugged Draculaura. Crystal hugged Cleo—and Cleo was instantly encased in her own ice block. Uh-oh! Crystal had to learn how to use her magic if she was going to come to Monster High.

  Not all the students came to Monster High with the help of the Mapalogue. As word spread, some monsters had themselves mailed to the new school. One box full of bones arrived with an instruction manual.

  Draculaura scratched her head as she looked at the complicated diagrams. With the help of the other ghouls, she began assembling two skeletons. When their skulls were attached, Skelly and his brother, Bonesy, rattled their bones happily.

  The monsters loved the Coffin Kiosk and hung out after their class, catching up. Gob’s favorite was the Green Coffin Shake. Woolee often let Crystal sit on her tusk while they both slurped mocha lattes. Lagoona made a sign for the hangout, and Frankie electrified it so it flashed and sparkled invitingly.

  Dracula’s classes were now so full they were in the auditorium. There was only one empty seat left, and it was Gob’s. The goblin with the jelly belly squeezed down the row and plopped into it happily.

  Clawdeen’s mom was teaching art. Her art studio was decorated with picture of all the monsters’ families—the vampires, the werewolves, the yetis, the swamp things, and all different kinds of beasties.

  “Art is your soul flowing onto the canvas,” explained Mrs. Wolf, walking around the room as the students worked at their easels. The model in the front of the class struck a pose. It was Skelly!

  “Try to capture the essence of Skelly.” She looked at Cleo’s drawing. “I like where that is going.” She smiled at Frankie’s. “Oh, that’s nice!” She removed a drawing from Gob’s mouth. “Don’t eat the paper,” she warned him.

  When she got to Clawdeen’s work, Mrs. Wolf shook her head. Her daughter had drawn Skelly, pretty much perfectly, but over him she had added an absolutely fabulous outfit.

  “Clawdeen!” reprimanded her mother. “This is not fashion camp. This is art class!”

  Clawdeen rolled her eyes. “Fashion is art, Mom.”

  A latecomer peeked into the studio. He was tall and handsome and wraith-thin. He had a shock of silver-white hair. He glanced at Clawdeen’s drawing admiringly. “I for one think your design is sick.”

  “I don’t remember asking for your opinion, Rayth,” answered Clawdeen defensively.

  “I am sure he means that as a compliment!” Draculaura whispered to her friend.

  Clawdeen blushed. “Oh! Well, I guess it is sick!”

  The bell rang.

  “Remember, tomorrow we have a very special guest model! Invisible Dan!” Mrs. Wolf announced happily.

  “How are we supposed to draw him if he’s invisible?” Cleo wondered.

  Out in the hall, monsters were putting away their books in their coffin-shaped lockers before lunch. Woolee towered over all the other students. Crystal took a sip at the drinking fountain—and froze it.

  A giant beastie with tons of tentacles managed the Creepateria—serving food, ringing up the register, collecting trays, cleaning up spills.

  “So what’s on the menu today?” Clawdeen asked as she got into line.

  “Mash,” said the lunch lady. “Everybody gets the mash.”

  Clawdeen’s nose wrinkled as the lady plopped a gray spoonful onto her tray.

  “Is the lunch lady okay?” Frankie wondered.

  “The food’s not,” whispered Clawdeen.

  Lagoona used her tray as a surfboard and skidded down the banister to her table. The lunch lady gave her a thumbs-up from one of her tentacles. The Wolf pups cheered.

  Frankie put her tray away and went over to the dessert case. All that was left were crumbs. “Where’s all the dessert?” she asked the lunch lady.

  A tentacle pointed across the Creepateria to Gob. He was covered in icing and crumbs. He reached into his own bloated belly, pulled out a gnawed-on donut, and gobbled it up again. Yuck!

  “I did not need to see that.” Clawdeen shuddered.

  “Keep away!” agreed another monster.

  Draculaura looked around the chaotic scene. The food needed to be better. They needed more teachers. They needed a few rules at least. “This school is getting crazy,” she said.

  “How about a student body council?” Frankie suggested. “Draculaura for student body president!”

  Draculaura’s eyes brightened. “How about we all run together? As a team?

  Lagoona shook her head. “Oh, I wish I could, but I already volunteered to be captain of the new swim team. And we need all the help we can get.”

  Lagoona thought about the team’s first practice at the pool. Gob showed up wearing water wings. He cannonballed from the diving board—and all the water in the pool sloshed out.

  Draculaura turned to Cleo. “What about you?”

  “Thanks, but I’m already royalty,” she answered. “And besides, I’ve got my hands full trying to get my grade up in science class.”

  She tried not to think about her chemistry catastrophe earlier in the day. Frankie’s tubes and flasks were all filled with a swirling purple liquid while Cleo’s overflowed with molten gold. Even worse, the gold exploded!

  Clawdeen was too busy to help out as well. “You know I would help you, but I’m just getting into my groove at the gardening club.”

  It wasn’t the planting that Clawdeen enjoyed as much as the pruning. She loved turning ordinary bushes into high-fashion designs. And she was really good at it—as long as Rayth didn’t startle her and make her give one of her topiary trees a buzz cut.

  Still, Draculaura was sure she’d find the right ghoul for the job, and there was only one more to ask—Frankie.

  She smiled at Draculaura. “Look no further, ghoulfriend. I’ll run for student council with you!�
��

  “You will?”

  “Sure,” said Frankie. “I’ve got a lot of time on my hands now.”

  Frankie reached out to shake Draculaura’s hand—and shocked her.

  But Draculaura just laughed. “Put it there, partner.”

  Together, she and Frankie had found students for Monster High. Now they had to organize those students so Monster High could be the best school ever. How hard could that be?

  Chapter 10

  A Creeperific Campaign

  Draculaura was back on her vlog to get the word out. Frankie was sitting beside her. The other ghouls were offering support and waving flags and cheering for their ghoulfriends.

  “That’s right,” announced Frankie, “we’re running for Monster High’s very first president.”

  “Copresidents,” explained Draculaura. “And a vote for Frankie and Drac is a vote for monsters everywhere!”

  Frankie nodded in agreement. “We bring to you our vision of a world in which monsters can finally live peacefully side by side with the human world. I know you’re skeptical, but it can happen. And with our dedication and determination, it will!”

  “And we promise to celebrate with our first-ever school dance, planned by Miss Cleo de Nile herself. Dancing the Fright Away!” Draculaura smiled at the camera.

  “So remember,” added Frankie. “Vote for Frankie and Drac, ’cause these monsters got yo’ back.”

  “Plus, we’re the only ones running.” Draculaura shrugged apologetically as she turned off the webcam.

  “I think that went well,” decided Frankie.

  The other ghouls agreed. What could possibly go wrong?

  Frankie and Draculaura were enjoying their campaign. They passed out chocolate pops in the shape of their faces to the students lounging outside the Creepateria.

  “Vote for Drac and Frankie!” announced Frankie. “Help monsters come out of the dark!”

  “Vote for Frankie and Draculaura!” exclaimed Draculaura. “And we’ll have megastar Tash come to our school dance!”