standing in the doorway of her room, Venus let out an ear-piercing screech. “What is going on? This is definitely not acceptable behavior!”
“Vhy are you yelling?” Blanche Van Sangre said, stifling a yawn.
“Gee, I don’t know. Maybe because you and your weird sister are sleeping in my bed!”
“Vhat? Ve are gypsies. Ve don’t like to stay in the same place more than a few nights,” Rose explained while slowly peeling herself from the covers.
“Plus, it’s not like you vere using the bed at the moment,” Blanche added as she slipped on her black velvet cape.
“That doesn’t mean it’s okay for you to use it as some sort of gypsy-vampire day care where you come to take naps!”
“Fine, next time ve vill sleep in Rochelle’s bed,” Blanche said indignantly.
“In case I haven’t made myself clear, there’s not going to be a next time. Now, will you guys get out of here? I have somewhere I need to be,” Venus grumbled while shooing them out of the room.
“If we put monsters first, the world will no longer be cursed,” the twins sang quietly as they flounced out the door with Venus directly behind them.
“Mr. D’eath!” Robecca howled with delight. “You look even better than the bee’s knees!”
“I have to agree. You look pretty sharp,” Venus said before winking at the still gloomy-faced man; after all, a suit can only change so much.
“You look like a fine middle-aged monster,” Rochelle said in her usual blunt manner. “And remember you must compliment Miss Flapper on her appearance, pull out her chair, and, above all else, do not tell her about your regret list! Unless, of course, you want to add this date to the list.”
“Yes, yes, I understand,” Mr. D’eath mumbled before releasing his trademark sigh.
“And maybe try not to sigh quite so much,” Venus added.
Robecca shook her head.
“What? Not everyone digs the sigh. It was just a suggestion.”
“Bonsoir et bon chance, Monsieur D’eath,” Rochelle said, squeezing his arm sweetly.
“Ouch!” Mr. D’eath squeaked before shooting the gray girl an annoyed look.
“Sorry,” Rochelle said, embarrassed. “Sometimes I don’t realize my own strength.”
After escorting Mr. D’eath to Miss Flapper’s classroom, the girls headed back toward the dormitory. However, they had made it only halfway through the main corridor when Venus noticed the troll with the red nose staring at her intently, his eyes bulging with nervous energy. As the creature motioned for her to follow him, Venus immediately felt ill at ease, unsure what to do. Although she was tempted to ignore the unattractive little beast, her curiosity got the better of her. Simply put, she wanted to know what the little thing was trying to tell her, even if it was absolute rubbish.
“Hey, I’ll meet you guys upstairs. I forgot my Mad Science book in the lab,” she said to her roomies.
“You are welcome to share mine,” Robecca offered kindly.
“Thanks, but I wasn’t socialized properly as a seedling, so sharing isn’t really my strong suit,” Venus fibbed awkwardly before ducking around the corner.
Standing in front of a row of pink coffin-shaped lockers next to the Absolutely Deranged Scientist Laboratory was the small and grubby red-nosed creature.
“I warn you! Now too late!” he muttered, his eyes darting anxiously around the purple-floored corridor.
“Warned me about what?” she asked.
“You no listen! Now too late. School dead,” he grunted fearfully.
“I still don’t understand. Can you please explain it to me again?” Venus pleaded.
“Too late,” the troll grumbled before wobbling off at record speed, an act that greatly belied his stocky frame and advanced age.
“Wait! Wait,” Venus said, running after him.
“Monster Advancement League League! Miss Snapper!” he hissed.
“You mean Miss Flapper? The dragon whisperer?”
“No dragon whisperer. Monster whisperer,” the troll said with terror emanating from every pore. “She have all trolls but me. Soon she have all of you,” he pronounced grimly, then scurried away.
Venus walked back to the dorm, her brain working overtime to comprehend what she had just heard. As she nervously twisted a vine around her finger, she went over the troll’s words in her head. The truth had finally been revealed. Miss Flapper wasn’t a dragon whisperer; she was a monster whisperer. It all suddenly seemed so obvious. She hadn’t any of the burns or marks associated with dragon whispering. Plus, everyone around her seemed to be under an impenetrable spell. Friendly students such as Frankie Stein were now cold, lacking in social skills, and completely obsessed with Miss Flapper.
This begged one question: What was Miss Flapper after? What did she seek to gain from controlling Monster High?
While Venus was making her way to the dorm, Robecca took Penny down to the maze for a spin, a feeble attempt to cheer up her grumpy pet penguin. Apparently, Chewlian had bitten Penny’s wing earlier in the day after mistaking it for a cookie. But Robecca’s best efforts came to a rather disappointing end when she promptly misplaced Penny in the maze.
“Deary me! Penny is going to kill me,” Robecca moaned, steam pouring out of her ears as she began a frantic search for her friend. After flipping on her rocket boots and performing an aerial sweep of the maze, Robecca returned to the ground, unsure where to look next.
“Hi, Robecca,” Cy Clops said softly as he emerged from the shadows with Penny in hand. “I hope I didn’t scare you.”
“You found Penny! Thank you! Jeez Louise, you really are the most helpful boy on campus!”
“I don’t know about that….”
“No, it’s true. Whether I’m asking for the time or looking for my penguin, you always seem to be there, ready to help.” Cy looked up at Robecca with his large green eye and smiled. She was suddenly struck by what an innocent and compassionate face the boy had. He seemed entirely incapable of anything dubious or underhanded.
“I’m glad I’ve been able to help you,” he said before breaking into a shy smile.
“Do you mind if I ask—are you helping others on campus as well?” she inquired.
“No, just you.” He blushed.
“Does that mean you’ve been following me on purpose?”
“I just wanted to make sure you were safe.” Cy swallowed audibly, clearly overwhelmed by conversing with Robecca. After months of imagining such a moment, having it transpire felt downright surreal. Plus, she was even more beautiful up close than he had ever thought possible. And though she often sported frizzy hair and a steam-drenched face, he considered her absolutely perfect.
“At first I just thought you were pretty, and I liked looking at you. But as time passed and things around here started getting stranger, I guess I wanted to protect you. To be there in case anything happened.”
“But what could happen?” she wondered. “We’re at school.”
“Something isn’t right at Monster High,” Cy said quietly, looking around to make sure they were alone.
“You mean the food? I admit, it’s not the best I’ve had, but what can we expect? It’s Creepateria food.”
“Not the food. Actually, I don’t mind what they serve here; it’s a lot better than what my mom makes at home,” Cy said with a slight grin. “I was referring to the meetings.”
“What meetings?”
“The MALL meetings. Miss Flapper holds them in the dungeon.”
“School clubs are hardly illegal!” Robecca laughed.
“One day I forgot my bag after detention…”
“You had detention?” Robecca asked with genuine surprise.
“I fell a little behind in my homework while following you around. Anyway, I went back to the dungeon to find my book and…” Cy trailed off.
“Good golly, Miss Molly! Don’t leave me hanging! What did you see?”
“A room full of people whispering to one anot
her. It was like a thousand snakes hissing at once! I know it sounds ridiculous, but if you had seen it, you would have gotten the—”
“Heebie-jeebies?” Robecca interjected.
“I was going to say ‘creeps,’ but that works too.” “To tell you the truth, I’ve never liked whispering,” Robecca explained as she racked her brain for a logical explanation for what Cy had described.
“My mother always says that if you have to whisper it, you probably shouldn’t be saying it,” Cy offered.
“Exactly!” Robecca responded emphatically.
“Might I walk you home now?” Cy asked shyly. “I should probably check on Henry.”
monsieur D’eath, there you are! I have been looking for you for days,” Rochelle called out dramatically as she entered the Libury.
“Why were you looking for me?” Mr. D’eath asked, crossing his arms and narrowing his bloodshot eyes at Rochelle.
“I wanted to check in and see how your date with Miss Flapper went.”
“She is going to save us all, keep us on the straight and narrow, and make sure we reach our destiny,” Mr. D’eath said mechanically.
“Pardonnez-moi, but I am a bit confused. You are speaking of Miss Flapper like she is your life coach, not your ghoulfriend. What happened?”
“Is that some sort of dig? A dead man with a life coach?” Mr. D’eath snapped.
“Not at all. I just meant that Miss Flapper doesn’t sound like your date so much as your guru.”
“Do not find fault with the Flap,” Mr. D’eath admonished coldly.
“The Flap? Is that your nickname for her?” Rochelle asked, confused.
“That is how she is now formally referred to at Monster High,” he announced. “Anyone speaking ill of her or calling her by her former name shall be met with detention.”
‘I’m sorry. I wasn’t aware of the name change or the policy change regarding free speech,” Rochelle huffed.
“The Flap had a feeling you were trying to undermine her, to turn us against her work,” Mr. D’eath continued, his eyes growing wide with paranoia.
“Monsieur D’eath, I haven’t a clue what you are talking about.”
“She said you’d say that,” Mr. D’eath grumbled before releasing his trademark sigh.
“I think I’d best be going.” Rochelle turned toward the door.
“Not too far now. The Flap is going to want to talk to you and your friends,” Mr. D’eath said calmly, sending a chill up Rochelle’s stony spine.
Feeling both unnerved and hurt by Mr. D’eath’s behavior, Rochelle quickly exited the Libury and darted into the corridor. As she hurried back to the dormitory and the comfort of her room, she felt the familiar tickle of tears in her eyes. It wasn’t so much what Mr. D’eath had said that upset Rochelle; it was the manner in which he had said it. There was a distinct lack of personality in his voice, something she had never heard before.
“Though I lack a medical degree, I believe my diagnosis to be accurate. Monsieur D’eath has gone mad! Complètement fou! He’s lost all touch with reality. And perhaps worst of all, he seems very ill-tempered!” the normally rational Rochelle cried upon bursting into the Chamber of Gore and Lore.
“Forget about Mr. D’eath!” Robecca replied hysterically. “Miss Flapper is holding strange whispering sessions at her MALL meetings. They hiss at one another like snakes! What in the name of the flea’s sneeze do you make of that?”
“I’d say we’re dealing with a monster whisperer,” Venus stated firmly as she entered the room, carefully locking the door behind her.
“A monster whisperer! What does that even mean?” Robecca squealed.
“It means Miss Flapper’s able to use her voice to hypnotize monsters,” Venus explained.
“But why would she want to do such a thing?” Rochelle gasped. “Monsieur D’eath! Ah! She must have gotten to him already!”
“What in the foul owl are we going to do?” Robecca asked nervously.
“Robecca, there is no need to grind your gears! All we need to do is notify Headmistress Bloodgood of the situation, and she’ll take care of everything,” Rochelle stated calmly, trying her best to ease Robecca’s frazzled nerves. “But can the headmistress handle a situation like this? She’s so scattered right now. And yes, I realize that I’m the pot calling the kettle black,” Robecca exclaimed.
“You’re right—Headmistress Bloodgood is too spaced out,” Venus declared. “We’ll go straight to Miss Sue Nami instead. She’s rude and pushy, but she gets things done.”
“The sooner we act, the better. The situation is already seriously out of control,” Rochelle added, nervously tapping her fingers against Roux’s back.
“Okay, let’s do this! We’ve got a damp woman to find,” Venus said as she threw open the door.
After checking in the main office, the threesome headed straight to the graveyard, having heard that Miss Sue Nami was investigating a possible gardening infraction. The planting of unregulated greenery was a serious offense, as the cross-pollination of the wrong plants could have dire consequences. As they turned the corner to the graveyard, they were met with a most frightening scene just beyond the cemetery’s spindly metal gate. Miss Flapper, dressed in a lush, red velvet dress, was engaged in hushed conversation with a student. However, this was not just any student: It was Deuce Gorgon.
Rochelle instantly gasped, throwing her small stony hands over her mouth.
“In the name of the bee’s bonnet, what do we do?” Robecca mumbled, looking to Venus for a plan.
“Nothing,” the vine-draped girl replied as she watched Miss Flapper’s perfect pout pressed close to Deuce’s ear. “It’s too late.”
Deuce’s face went blank before morphing back to normal, just as the other students’ faces had earlier, in the school’s main corridor.
“Deuce!” Rochelle called out in a futile attempt to override Miss Flapper’s voice.
Unfortunately, all Rochelle managed to do was attract the attention of the deranged teacher. Her face ablaze with wild excitement, Miss Flapper charged straight for the trio.
“Ghouls! I must speak with you!” the stylish dragon called out. Venus, Robecca, and Rochelle exchanged tense looks before turning and racing away.
After rounding two corners and dashing across the courtyard, they were stopped in their tracks by a hoarse voice.
“Becca? Benus? Bochelle?” a troll grunted with a rather pronounced lisp.
“How do you know our names?” Rochelle questioned the troll, her stone heart pounding nervously.
Venus snorted. “Well, they aren’t exactly our names, unless you’ve changed yours to Bochelle.”
“Venus, now is not the time for humor!” Rochelle snapped.
“The Flap want see you now!” the troll barked, spraying all three with thick balls of spittle.
Venus slowly stepped away from the grotesque little creature. “I’m sorry, but we don’t speak Trollish.”
“No leave! The Flap see you now!” the troll screamed louder.
“Pardonnez-moi? Monsieur Troll, I am so sorry, but my English is not very good,” Rochelle said as she and Robecca quickly followed a fast-retreating Venus.
“No run! Stop!”
“We need to get out of here! Now!” Venus hollered as the three girls broke into an all-out sprint.
And though Rochelle’s stone legs moved more slowly than the others’, she was still far faster than the pigeon-toed troll. In fact, so slow was the oily little creature that he couldn’t even pass the rogue bullfrog bouncing next to him down the hall. This was, of course, a disheartening situation for the troll, one that he would keep to himself for fear of ridicule.
“Deary me! I don’t think I can handle any more excitement! I might blow a gasket!” Robecca blurted out as steam exploded from both her ears.
“Cool your gaskets! I hear the sound of sloshing,” Venus said triumphantly. “Miss Sue Nami!” she cried upon spotting the thick, damp wall of a woman. “We need to
speak with you! It’s an emergency.”
“You have thirty seconds, nonadult entity. I am in the middle of a plant crisis in the graveyard.”
“Miss Flapper has put the campus under a spell! We’re not sure why, but she’s definitely done it!” Robecca explained, steam dripping from her metal forehead.
“That is the craziest thing I have ever heard,” Miss Sue Nami barked incredulously.
“I know, but it’s true,” Rochelle pleaded with the stern-faced woman.
“I never said it wasn’t true. I just said it was the craziest thing I had ever heard,” Miss Sue Nami retorted in her usual no-nonsense manner. “I must admit, I’ve had suspicions about Miss Flapper since day one! I don’t trust popular people. I never have, and I never will.”
“Thank heavens for your unhappy school years,” Venus mumbled to herself.
“You needn’t worry. I am going to handle this situation immediately,” Miss Sue Nami said confidently. “Might I suggest you go to your room and stay out of the fray?”
“I think that is a very sound idea,” Rochelle immediately piped up.
“I should have known something like this would happen. What kind of a self-respecting teacher gives herself a nickname?” And with that, Miss Sue Nami marched off, her feet pounding loudly against the ground.
no sooner had the threesome returned to the Chamber of Gore and Lore than they heard a light, almost inaudible knock at the door.
“I swear, if that’s the twins coming back for another nap, I am going to go mental on them!” Venus announced as she stood to get the door.
“What if it’s a troll?” Robecca inquired anxiously. “Sent to drag us back to Miss Flapper’s heavily perfumed lair?”
“Who is it?” Venus grunted aggressively through the door.
“It’s Cy Clops. You may not remember me, but I’m in a few of your classes. I’m the guy with one big eye. I live in the dorm with Henry Hunchback,” Cy babbled as Venus opened the door in a fit of giggles.
“We know who you are, Cy,” Venus said sweetly, gesturing for him to enter.