The image on the screen jostled back and forth as Cleo hurried down the hall. At last, she came to a closed door. “Ta-da!” Cleo said as she opened it… to reveal a bare dorm room.
“I know it doesn’t look like much right now,” Cleo said, “but just you wait. As soon as you’re ready, Lagoona and I want to help you decorate it. We’ll make your new room just the way you want it! And don’t worry, Twyla; we’ll hold it for you. No rush, okay? Bye for now!”
Then Draculaura appeared on the screen again. “So that’s Monster High,” she said. “It’s still a work in progress, but we’re pretty proud of it, and we’re pretty excited about what’s happening next. We’re just up the Hill, so come visit anytime! After all, at Monster High… everyone is welcome!”
The screen faded to black. Draculaura glanced anxiously at her ghoulfriends. “Well?” she asked. “What do we think?”
“It’s perfect,” Frankie declared.
“I love it!” added Lagoona.
“If that doesn’t make Twyla reconsider, noth- ing will,” Cleo said. “Go on, Draculaura, send it!”
Draculaura took a deep breath. “Okay then,” she replied. “Here goes nothing!” She uploaded the video to her phone and sent it to Twyla.
For several moments, no one said anything as they stared at Draculaura’s phone. Then, all of a sudden, Draculaura started to laugh. “This is silly,” she said. “It’s not like Twyla’s going to watch it and respond right away. She might not respond for days… actually, she might not respond at all…”
Ping!
“I got a text!” Draculaura cried. Then she gasped. “It’s from Twyla! Maybe she did watch it right away!”
Hey, ghouls. It’s Twyla. Thanks for sending the video. Monster High looks pretty clawesome. I’ll keep thinking about it.
“That’s promising!” Draculaura said after she read Twyla’s text out loud.
“Totally,” agreed Clawdeen. “Knowing everything we know about Twyla, we couldn’t really ask for more than that.”
Frankie smiled, but she didn’t say anything.
Twyla’s text had given her an idea.
CHAPTER 11
A little while later, Frankie slipped away from the group and started walking toward the Boogey Mansion. When she arrived, Frankie would knock on the front door; that much she had already decided. But after that? Frankie wasn’t sure what she was going to do.
She had a feeling she’d figure it out, though.
Before she knew it, Frankie was standing on the Boogey Mansion’s doorstep again. The front door was firmly closed—just like the first time she’d knocked on it. Frankie knocked again, knowing that this time, she wouldn’t enter the Mansion without an actual invitation.
Frankie waited for a few minutes. No one opened the door. She listened carefully, but she couldn’t even hear footsteps. Frankie’s heart sank a little. Maybe it was time to leave the Boogey Mansion alone.
She was halfway down the front steps when she heard the door creak open. Remembering her first visit to Boogey Mansion, Frankie didn’t expect to see anyone when she turned around.
To her surprise, though, Twyla was standing in the doorway!
“Hey,” Twyla said shyly. “You’re Frankie, right? Want to come in?”
“If you’re sure you don’t mind,” Frankie replied.
“No, I don’t mind,” Twyla told her. “I should’ve come out to say hi before, when everybody was here. I was just a little…”
“Overwhelmed?” Frankie guessed. She followed Twyla into the hall.
Twyla nodded, blushing.
“That’s why I came back by myself,” Frankie continued. “We didn’t think it through before—that maybe a big group of total strangers was not exactly what you needed today. We’re all really sorry about that.”
“You don’t need to apologize,” Twyla began. “I owe you ghouls an apology. I never meant to send you my video diary! I feel so silly.”
That’s when everything started to make sense to Frankie. “The video was just for you, not for Draculaura,” she realized.
Twyla nodded. “Exactly. I feel bad that you ghouls went to so much trouble to find me,” she said.
“It was no trouble!” Frankie replied. “And we meant every word we said in the video. We’d love you to join us at Monster High… whenever you feel ready.”
Twyla managed a smile. “I appreciate that. Part of me really wants to go,” she confided. “Then the rest of me gets kind of nervous and thinks about how much I love the peace and quiet here. Just me and my dad, like it’s always been.”
“Change is hard,” Frankie said sympathetically. “Trying new things—and meeting new people—can be even harder. The first time I knocked on Draculaura’s door, my heart was pounding so loud I could feel it in my stitches!”
“I know that feeling, kind of!” Twyla exclaimed.
“Believe me, ghoulfriend: We’ve all been there,” Frankie assured her. “I’m so glad I took a chance on Monster High. I can’t even imagine my life without it—or without my best ghoulfriends.”
Twyla bit her lip. “If I wanted to try Monster High…” she began, “how would I tell my dad?”
“We could tell him together,” Frankie suggested.
“You mean it?” Twyla said, her eyes lighting up.
Frankie nodded happily. If Twyla wanted her to be there, it was the least Frankie could do.
“Thanks! He’s this way.”
Twyla led Frankie through the twisting and turning corridors of the Boogey Mansion. To Frankie, it felt more like a maze than ever, but Twyla clearly knew her way around. She didn’t miss a beat!
“My dad fangs out in our libury a lot,” Twyla said. “I bet that’s where he is right now.”
Sure enough, they found the Boogey Man sitting in a shadowy corner of the libury, his face buried in a thick book.
“Dad?” Twyla said. “We have a visitor.”
The Boogey Man stood up—but instead of coming forward, he slunk further back into the shadows!
“It’s okay. She’s really nice,” Twyla continued. “Her name is Frankie Stein.”
“Hi, Mr. Boogey,” Frankie said with a little wave.
The Boogey Man took a few steps forward. He smiled back at Frankie, but she could still see the nervousness in his eyes. He reminded Frankie of her own dad a little bit. Then she smiled to herself at the thought. How could the Normies find the Boogey Man scary?
“Hello, Frankie,” he said at last. “It’s nice to meet you. What brings you to the Boogey Mansion?”
Frankie glanced over at Twyla. You can do it, Twyla! she thought.
Twyla took a deep breath. “You know the house up the Hill? Where Dracula lives?” she began.
The Boogey Man nodded. “I’ve always had a lot of respect for Dracula. He’s a fine monster… even though I never made it to any of those parties he used to throw before the great monster Fright Flight. They always seemed a little too crowded for me.”
“Well, he’s turned his house into a school—Monster High,” Twyla said. “I think… I might like to go there.”
If the Boogey Man was surprised, he didn’t show it. In fact, he seemed a little bit pleased.
“Monster High is a place where everyone can be who they really are,” Frankie spoke up. “No matter who they are!”
“I can tell you’ve thought about this a lot,” the Boogey Man said to Twyla. “We’re not the most social monsters, you know. Are you sure you want to be around lots of other monsters all the time?”
Twyla shrugged. “I don’t know… and I won’t know for sure unless I try,” she replied.
The Boogey Man smiled at his daughter. “Trying new things is important for monsters—especially young monsters,” he said. “Sometimes I forget that. Maybe you are ready to try something new, Twyla. Maybe Monster High will be a great thing for you.”
“So you think I should go, Dad?” Twyla asked.
“Yes,” the Boogey Man replied. “On one c
ondition…”
Frankie held her breath nervously. But then the Boogey Man’s face softened.
“… that you never forget there will always be a shadow for you here at home.”
Twyla beamed at her dad. “How could I forget that?” she asked as she gave him a big hug.
Frankie helped Twyla pack an overnight bag. Then the two ghouls walked up the Hill toward Monster High. “The other ghouls are going to be so excited to see you!” Frankie said. She was so happy she couldn’t stop talking. “Do you like Mummy Mochas? There’s a machine in the Creepeteria that makes them. It can also make coffinchinos, if you like those better.”
“I like them both,” Twyla said.
“I can’t wait for you to meet everybody!” Frankie continued. She held open the heavy door for Twyla. “You’re going to love Draculaura, she’s scary-sweet! And Lagoona is always upbeat and ready for an adventure. And Clawdeen is so creative—Cleo is a ton of fun—and of course, Mr. D. is the headmaster; he’s great. Clawdeen’s mom teaches art if you’re into art—but whatever you’re into, you’ll find it at Monster High! Oh! I almost forgot—Clawdeen’s little brothers, the wolf pups! There’s a whole pack of them living here now! They’re adorable. I always wanted a brother or sister—do you have any siblings? Twyla?”
Frankie turned around just in time to see Twyla retreating into one of the shadowy corners in Monster High’s foyer. “Thanks for bringing me here, Frankie,” she said. Twyla’s voice sounded like it was fading into the shadows. “I’m just going to take a couple minutes… to get used to it…”
“Oh! Of course! Take your time!” Frankie replied, hiding her smile. She realized she had probably been talking a little too much for Twyla… but that was okay. In time, Frankie knew, they’d get to know each other and become great ghoulfriends. After all, Twyla had only been at Monster High for a couple minutes, and she’d already found a shadowy corner where she could fang out. There truly was a place for everyone at Monster High—because everyone was welcome!
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Monster High: Monster Rescue: Track Down Twyla! Page 7
