tucked away in the corner of the coffee shop, just behind Three-Headed Freddie, was the delightfully green Frankie Stein. Instead of sporting her usual warm smile, though, the girl appeared quite serious—almost forlorn, even. This marked change in expression did little to ease Rochelle’s nerves about requesting a favor.

“Pardonnez-moi, Frankie. I am most sorry to impose upon your time, especially when you are… uh, actually, what is it exactly that everyone is doing here?”

“We’re soaking up Miss Flapper’s aura, of course,” Frankie said flatly, as if it were the most obvious answer in the world.

“Oh, well, I certainly do not wish to interrupt, but I was wondering if I might ask you something.”

“Miss Flapper says one monster’s question is another monster’s answer,” Frankie stated robotically, as though reciting a line from a script.

“I do not wish to bore you with the intricacies of the Gargoyle Code of Ethics, but we do not believe in asking for favors unless absolutely necessary. Therefore, with that in mind, I present myself today having already attempted and failed at this request with my own two hands,” Rochelle stated seriously, greatly amusing both Venus and Robecca.

“Rochelle, take it down a notch,” Venus murmured quietly. “She’s going to think you’re asking for a kidney.”

“But gargoyles do not have kidneys,” Rochelle corrected Venus.

“I think what Venus meant is that this doesn’t have to be such a formal affair,” Robecca said with a giggle.

Rochelle then quickly returned her gaze to the green girl. “Frankie Stein, I shall now get to the point. I need your help sewing something. You see, I have these sharp claws that snag everything I touch. And as you know, it’s awfully arduous to sew without touching the fabric.”

“Miss Flapper says there is no greater mission than helping monsters get ahead, especially in this world that caters so much to normies,” Frankie declared mechanically.

“Does that mean you’ll do it?” Venus interrupted, clearly bewildered by the girl’s strange behavior.

“Of course I will. What do you need sewn?”

“Can you keep a secret?” Rochelle asked seriously.

“Miss Flapper says one monster’s secret is every monster’s secret.”

“Who knew Miss Flapper was so quotable?” Venus mumbled to Robecca.

“It’s a new suit for Monsieur D’eath. I’m hoping that after a few renovations to his exterior, I might be able to find him a date. The man is desperately in need of some happiness.”

“That certainly is kind of you,” Frankie replied in a flat, emotionless tone. “And as this is a special occasion, I shall enlist the help of Clawdeen Wolf. She is, after all, a very talented designer.”

“That would be fangtastique!” Rochelle exclaimed, clasping her stone hands together excitedly.

Back on campus and en route to dinner, Rochelle and her roommates stopped quickly at the post room, where each checked her mini crypt-box for mail. Much to Venus’s delight, she already had a stack of letters from her younger brothers, all faithfully written on recycled paper. Ever the helpful friend, Robecca steamed open Venus’s letters as Rochelle noted her own empty crypt. She had yet to receive even one letter from Garrott. She wondered if perhaps he had fallen for a new gargoyle, one with a more delicate touch. And though devastated at the mere idea of losing Garrott, his lack of correspondence also eased her burgeoning guilt over her crush on Deuce. Ever since she had seen the boy’s eyes, she simply couldn’t stop thinking about him!

At Rochelle’s insistence, the threesome joined Mr. D’eath, the on-call faculty member, for dinner in the Creepateria. Over mashed potatoes and formaldehyde gravy, Rochelle, Robecca, and Venus desperately tried to engage their morose teacher in small talk.

“Monsieur D’eath, where do you originate from?” Rochelle asked between bites.

“The land of gray clouds and black souls,” he warbled, looking down at his food despondently.

“Sounds like a real hot spot,” Venus replied drily.

“How long have you been at Monster High?” Robecca piped up.

“Who knows? I can’t even remember how long I’ve been dead,” Mr. D’eath moaned before looking down at Rochelle’s food. “Aren’t you going to finish your formaldehyde gravy?”

“I haven’t a taste or need for formaldehyde, seeing as I’m crafted from stone.”

“Must be nice to be made of stone. Bones can be rather brittle and easy to break,” Mr. D’eath replied with an epic sigh.

The following day, at Frankie’s request, Venus, Robecca, and Rochelle headed to Miss Flapper’s classroom at lunchtime. Small golden cages, each containing a miniature dragon or lizard, lined the walls of the room. Dragon whispering was an ancient technique based on the idea that by reaching a certain octave, one could hypnotize a dragon into submission. But because it was rather dangerous, teachers often started students on lizards to minimize the risk of crispy skin spots or fried fur.

“Well, at least the trolls are good with someone,” Venus said as she watched two greasy beasts brush a miniature dragon’s teeth. Fire-breathing often left the mouth covered in a smoky residue.

“I still cannot believe Clawdeen and Frankie finished the suit in twenty-four hours,” Rochelle said, genuinely impressed.

“Especially since it took you almost forty-eight hours just to destroy the fabric,” Robecca said before realizing how her comment sounded. “Wait, that didn’t come out right.”

“Boo la la! It’s creeperific!” Rochelle squealed when she saw Clawdeen and Frankie approaching with their creation, a stunning goblin-green suit with silver stitches.

“That is seriously fang-tastic,” Venus seconded as Frankie and Clawdeen held up the beautiful garment.

“Merci boo-coup! It’s perfect,” Rochelle gushed, clapping her hands in delight. And though she longed to run her thin gray fingers against the suit and feel the fabric, she didn’t dare—not after what had happened last time.

“Miss Flapper says the beauty of the suit lies in our own beauty. That is our talent,” Clawdeen pronounced in a startlingly serious and monotone manner.

“Have you had a chance to join MALL yet?” Frankie demanded bluntly.

“No, but we plan to this afternoon,” Venus poorly covered. “We’ve just been so caught up with this Mr. D’eath thing and schoolwork that we haven’t had time.”

“Miss Flapper has an idea regarding your Mr. D’eath thing,” Frankie stated while staring Rochelle directly in the eye. “She would like us to arrange a date for the two of them.”

“No offense to Rochelle’s pet project, but Miss Flapper is very pretty,” Venus said candidly. “She’d really want to go on a date with a bony guy suffering from depression?”

“Miss Flapper says that one is always to start with a monster’s heart,” Clawdeen asserted authoritatively.

“She must keep you guys really busy memorizing everything she says,” Venus grumbled sarcastically.

Just then Miss Flapper swept into the room, bringing with her an intoxicating wave of rose perfume. “Hello again,” she said smoothly. “Have the ghouls told you of my idea?”

“Yes, they did. And I must say, I’m most thrilled,” Rochelle exclaimed. “A date is just what Monsieur D’eath needs!”

“But what about you? What do you need, Rochelle?” Miss Flapper asked as she leaned in, bringing her pristine features into sharper focus.

“I do not need anything, Miss Flapper, but thank you for asking.”

“The world is not built for us; it’s built for the normies. That is why I do hope you’ll join MALL soon.”

“I don’t know if we’re MALL material. I mean, we can barely get our homework done and keep track of our pets,” Venus joked.

“A monster cannot conquer the world without other monsters’ support.”

“True, but that’s why I have these two,” Venus said uncomfortably while pointing to Rochelle and Robecca.

Miss Flapper stared coldly at Venus, her intensity increasing exponentially by the second.

“What pretty earrings you are wearing. Might I take a closer look?” Miss Flapper asked Venus, prompting the girl’s leaves to stand on end, though she couldn’t say why.

“Um, of course. But they’re not very special. They are not even real gold. Actually, they might even be plastic.”

As Miss Flapper leaned closer, all the while maintaining eye contact with Venus, a sudden burst of wetness washed over the room. Headmistress Bloodgood, accompanied by Miss Sue Nami, was fast approaching.

“Miss Flapper, I am terribly sorry for my absence yesterday, but, you see, I left my head in the maze, and it took Miss Sue Nami ages to find it.”

While the headmistress spoke, Venus, Rochelle, and Robecca quickly slipped out of the room, leaving Miss Flapper visibly displeased.