CHAPTER 3
Bad Hair Day
The glow of the comet was reflected in the De Niles’ fancy swimming pool. Ramses de Nile, father of Egyptian princesses Cleo and Nefera, was peering through a telescope up at the sky.
“The long wait has come to its end,” he said out loud, pleased. “After thirteen hundred years, it is time.” With a swirl of his magnificent white robes, he swept past tall pillars rimmed with hieroglyphics and a magnificent peacock throne and marched back into his palatial mansion.
Cleo’s older sister, Nefera, was curled up in a chair reading when he came in.
“Nefera, my daughter,” commanded Ramses, “summon your sister, Cleo, and pack your bags. We travel to meet our dynastic destiny to Boo York City.”
Nefera was thrilled at the thought of a trip. “Boo York City! Clawesome!” she shrieked, but then she realized her younger sister was coming too. “Does Cleo have to come?” she whined.
“Nefera de Nile!” Ramses scolded her. Having two Egyptian princesses in one palace could be a lot of work sometimes.
Cleo was thrilled about the upcoming trip. It was all she could talk about the next day in school. She downloaded all her favorite photos of the city’s hot spots and kept pulling out her iCoffin to show everyone where she was headed. “That’s right. I’m going to Boo York City!” she kept explaining. “I’m so excited I’m about to burst through my bandages.”
Walking through the hallway of Monster High, her arm linked through Deuce’s, she kept flipping through the images without looking up. Kids jumped out of her way to avoid collisions, and she didn’t even notice.
Deuce Gorgon, Cleo’s boyfriend, was happy for her, and he grinned. “Sounds pretty sweet, Cleo. What’s the occasion?”
“Daddy’s taking us to a very exclusive gala opening at the Boo York Museum of Unnatural History,” she gushed.
Deuce scratched one of the snakes on his head. “Uh, okay, cool?”
Cleo couldn’t believe he didn’t know what she was talking about! “Oh, Deuce,” she sighed. “It’s the first public showing of the most important Egyptian artifact ever—the comet crystal!”
The bell rang, and Cleo was still talking nonstop about the big event when they settled into their desks in the classroom. She handed Deuce her iCoffin, which now displayed a picture of the famous comet crystal. “It’s a little stone that fell from the comet thirty-nine hundred years ago, three thingies, you know, when it circles around?”
Ghoulia Yelps, who was sitting behind Deuce, leaned forward to check out the crystal. She moaned.
Cleo nodded her head at her brainy zombie ghoulfriend. “Okay, circumgyrations. Whatevs. When the pyramids were young. They say the crystal gains magical powers when the original comet passes overhead!”
“Uh…” Deuce gulped, still not sure what to say. “Okay, cool?”
That afternoon at the Casketball game, Cleo was still talking about Boo York while she sat next to Deuce on the bleachers. Clawd Wolf, Clawdeen’s brother, was on the court dribbling the ball and being pursued by a giant Cyclops.
“Go, Clawd!” shouted Draculaura.
Cleo did not appreciate being interrupted. “Anyway, so the original comet is on its way back toward Earth, so they’re finally unveiling the comet crystal.”
The ref blew his whistle just as Clawd dropped the Casketball through the hoop. The crowd cheered, except for Cleo, who was too preoccupied with her thoughts of Boo York.
“You haven’t heard the best part,” she confided to her boyfriend as they headed to their lockers after the game was over. “You are coming with me, Deuce!”
Deuce stopped in his tracks and gulped again. He couldn’t believe it. “For reals?”
Cleo tossed her highlighted hair. Her gold jewelry jangled. “Oh. My. Ra! You are going to love it! We get to go to his big fancy gala at the museum, get all dressed up, rub wrapped elbows with all of the Egyptian dignitaries!” She grinned happily at the thought.
Deuce tried to hide how uneasy he felt. He adjusted the sunglasses he always wore so he wouldn’t turn his fellow monsters into stone. “I don’t really do big and fancy,” he said.
“Oh, Deuce!” Cleo giggled, touching him affectionately on the arm as if he were joking with her. “And at midnight we all go up on the roof of the museum and watch the great comet shoot across the sky! I want you looking clawesome.” She swiped off his sunglasses, and Deuce quickly shut his eyes. Cleo pulled out a pair of designer shades and slipped them on his face. “Booci sunglasses,” she said.
Deuce grinned. “All right!”
“And,” said Cleo, clapping her hands delightedly, “I got this for you to wear in Boo York!” She opened up her locker and pulled out a beard made of solid gold, just like the best mummies in Egypt wore, with a braid down the center.
Deuce cocked a single eyebrow, uncertain. Cool shades were one thing. A heavy fake beard was another. “All… right?” he said tentatively.
Cleo held it up to Deuce’s face and stuck it on to his chin. All the twisting green snakes of Deuce’s gorgon hair began to hiss. “Oh, Deucy! You look so high class! We’re going to one of the most fashionable cities in the world, and I want my manster looking freaky fabulous!”
The snakes were hissing and trying to reach down and pull off the beard.
Cleo felt a moment of worry but shrugged it off. “Here,” she said. “I’ll just hang on to this for you until we get to Boo York.” She pulled the beard off Deuce’s chin and tucked it back into her backpack.
Deuce rubbed his face. “I don’t know, Cleo. Dressing up, fancy galas, solid gold Egyptian beardy things. I don’t know anything about that rich people stuff. I mean, your dad already doesn’t think I’m good enough for you. What if we get there and I embarrass you?”
Cleo took Deuce’s hand and smiled. “You? Embarrass me?” she said sincerely. “Look at me. We belong together. We’re Cleo and Deuce, and nothing changes that.” She stood on her tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek.
But Deuce wasn’t so sure. It was one thing to be Cleo’s boyfriend at Monster High and another altogether to go with her royal family on a fancy trip to Boo York. How would he manage? How would he cope with that beard? He’d have to think of something.