When Frankie got to school and ran over to tell Isi about Zappit escaping again, Isi laughed and said, “I know.”

“What do you mean, you know?” Frankie asked.

“When I got up this morning to greet the sunrise and stretch my legs, I found Zappit curled up in the little den I helped her build on the edge of the forest. It seems she’s comfortable there.”

“I think you’re right,” Frankie said, nodding her head. “About that…”

Isi quickly said, “I’m really sorry, Frankie. I didn’t realize she would fall in love with that den, or I wouldn’t have helped her build it. It’s just that when she came to me the other night and wouldn’t follow me out of the forest, I wanted to do whatever I could to make her feel comfortable and at home until I could return her to you. Only now I think she might think that den is her home.”

Frankie nodded again. “I’m so glad you did what you did when you found her alone in the woods! And, Isi, I’m beginning to wonder something.…” Frankie paused. She thought back to the conversation she’d had with her parents last night—about how Isi and Twyla were a perfect match for each other, even though Frankie had been assigned as Isi’s buddy—and how she’d been working on building a pet for Isi to make her feel more comfortable during the time she was at Monster High. Then she thought about her connection with Watzit, and the way Isi and Zappit seemed to have a similar connection. Suddenly, she knew exactly what she had to do to be a good friend. “I was wondering if maybe you want to care for Zappit,” Frankie asked Isi. “For a while… or forever?”

“Are you serious?” Isi asked, her eyes wide. “I would love to take care of her! But I know how much you love her, and I don’t know if I could take her away from you!” From the way her eyes shone, Frankie could tell she wanted to accept. Then Isi shook her head. “No, I couldn’t take her from you. Zappit is your new pet! You created her. I’m sure there must be some way for us to help her learn that your house is her home.”

In that moment, Frankie was absolutely certain that this was what she was supposed to do. She didn’t know animals as well as Isi did, but she could tell when someone needed a friend and some comfort. She could tell that Zappit was just the friend Isi needed… and Isi was the right person to help care for Zappit in the way she most needed to be cared for. “Please, will you take care of her?” Frankie asked, placing a hand on Isi’s arm. “It’s what I want. And I think she’s just what you need. You are the perfect pair!”

Isi threw her arms around Frankie and cried, “Of course I will. Oh, thank you, Frankie!” She pulled away, and Frankie could see there were tears in her eyes. Zappit was just what Isi needed to make her feel perfectly at home during her Monster Exchange. Just like Frankie, Isi longed to be surrounded by family—and Zappit could be her family while she was away from home. “But please, will you let me do something for you too? To thank you for welcoming me to Monster High, and for sharing Zappit with me?”

“I don’t need anything!” Frankie said with a smile. “Knowing you’re happy here at Monster High is enough for me!”

“Please,” Isi said. “I insist.”

“What do you have in mind?”

“Come to the woods tonight,” Isi said, beaming. “I want to show all of you what a harvest moon celebration is like! And you can give Zappit a hug. I’m sure she would love to show you her den.”

Frankie buzzed through the rest of the day feeling more electrified than she had in days. She couldn’t wait to go to Isi’s party that night. Isi had invited everyone who wanted to come—including Watzit!—and they were all going to meet at moonrise in the clearing near the edge of the woods.

When school was out, Frankie rushed home to tell her parents about the party and to grab Watzit. Watzit was just as excited as Frankie about the outing and trotted along happily by her side as they made their way toward the forest. When they arrived at the clearing in the forest, Frankie could see that a big bonfire was roaring. All her ghoulfriends were already fanging out, relaxing on rocks and tree stumps. It was a voltageous party!

As soon as she saw her approaching, Isi pulled Frankie into the circle. Frankie looked around at the group and saw the smiling faces of all her ghoulfriends—Clawdeen, Draculaura, Lagoona, Cleo, Ghoulia, Batsy, Venus, Kjersti, and, of course, Twyla. Zappit, who stuck close to Isi’s side, poked her snout out and greeted Watzit timidly. The two sniffed each other curiously, then Zappit returned to Isi’s side.

“Tonight,” Isi announced to everyone, “we are having a harvest moon dance party in Frankie’s honor!” Isi turned on some music. Spinning and dancing to the music, Isi took Frankie’s hands in her own. “On the day we met,” Isi said as they twirled through the firelight together, “you mentioned something to me about wishing you had a big family like me or a pack like Clawdeen. I’ve been thinking about what you said, and here’s what I’ve realized: Even though you don’t have any brothers and sisters, you do have a pack.” She gestured around at the crowd of Frankie’s ghoulfriends. “All of us. We’re your pack. You bring us all together, like a family.”

Frankie grinned happily. Isi was right, of course. Frankie had been wishing for a pack of her own, and here she’d had it all along.

Isi wrapped her arm around Frankie’s shoulders and went on, “This week, the Monster High family—and you, especially—made me feel at home. Of course I miss my family back in Boo Hexico, but with a family of friends surrounding me—and now Zappit!—I know I’ll be just fine during my Monster Exchange. Thank you so much for being such a good ghoulfriend!”

Frankie pulled her in for a hug. “Oh, Isi, that’s just so sweet of you to say. And you’re right. These ghouls really are my pack! The best pack ever.” She squeezed her new friend tighter. “And I’m so glad you’re a part of it now.”

“You know,” Isi said, swaying beside her, “Zappit’s still going to need a charge every once in a while.”

“Oh!” Frankie gasped. “I almost forgot about that!”

“Here’s what I was thinking…” She looked over at Zappit and Watzit, who were curled up happily on opposite sides of the fire. “Maybe she and I could come over once a week for a charge… and to fang out? I think I could get her to leave the woods every once in a while, as long as I promised to bring her back to her den to sleep!”

“I would love that,” Frankie replied.

Zappit ran over then and nuzzled against Isi’s leg. Frankie reached down to scratch her. Then she looked back at Isi and said, “The two of you are so well matched; it’s almost as if she was made for you.”

Isi smiled in the moonlight. “You’re such a good friend, Frankie Stein, that I wonder if maybe somewhere deep down, you knew I was coming and would need a friend. So you created her—just for me.”

Twyla suddenly approached the two ghouls from out of the shadows. She wasn’t dancing with abandon like everyone else, but she was swaying a bit to the beat of the music. “Will you come join the group?” she asked, smiling shyly at Frankie and Isi. Frankie and Isi happily danced back over to where everyone else was. The whole gang spent the rest of the night talking and dancing and having a voltageous time under the harvest moon. With a pack like this, Frankie had a feeling this was going to be the best scaremester ever!