CHAPTER 14
Fright Night
Deuce slouched as he walked down the street. He was so depressed he didn’t even notice all the televisions in an electronic store he passed, each one showing a vampire dressed up in a giant, foam comet costume.
“Hey, Boo Yorker!” shouted the vampire retailer on the screens. “Have you got comet fever? I know I do! Crazy Deady here with a deal so good it only comes around once every thirteen hundred years.” He laughed maniacally.
High above the street, Catty and Pharaoh were talking about music. They loved all of the same artists—Mummyford and Sons, Scaryanna Groan-day, Casta and the Spells.
Pharaoh gazed at Catty with wonder. “I can’t remember the last time I got to spend any time with a real music lover like you.”
“Your friends don’t like music?” Catty asked.
“No. And my family can’t stand it. They only like the oldies. Like from when Tut was young. They think my rapping is a waste of time.”
Catty shook her head. “That’s terrible.”
“Hey,” said Pharaoh, an idea coming to him. “If you like music, I’ve got a place you are really going to love.”
An hour later, Pharaoh led Catty up a staircase, through a green hatch, and onto a green-hued balcony way above the city. The wind blew through Catty’s pink-hued hair.
“Oh my ghoul!” she gushed as she took in the amazing view. “Where are we?”
Pharaoh held his finger to his lips. “Close your eyes and listen.”
Catty listened, but she didn’t know what she was supposed to hear. “All I hear is city noise.”
“Ah,” grinned Pharaoh, “but you’re not really listening.” He closed his eyes and began to bop to a hidden beat.
Catty shut her eyes, trying to feel it too. From far below in the city, she heard a train go by. She heard children, laughing and playing on a playground. She heard cars honking. She heard the bounce of a basketball. The city had its own rhythm. The city had its own beat. The city had its own song. “I hear music!” exclaimed Catty. She opened her eyes. “I’ve found my music!”
The lights of the city blinked softly, the strains of music floated upward. Catty and Pharaoh were falling in love, and they both knew it. Pharaoh felt like he could be himself with Catty. Catty felt a fluttering of excitement deep in her heart that she had never felt before. Catty began singing in tune with the music below, and Pharaoh joined her, rapping, sweetly professing his love. Their voices rose to the stars. There they were, singing their duet, nestled in the very crown of the Monster of Liberty.
Back in the hotel, the strains of orchestral music wafted through the open window of the ghouls’ room. They were zipping up their dresses and curling their hair. They were putting on lipstick and spritzing perfume. Frankie carefully drew a line of blue shadow on her eyelid, just like an Egyptian. Clawdeen added another hot roller to her voluptuous mane. Operetta helped Draculaura with her lip gloss because Draculaura, being a vampire, couldn’t see herself in the mirror. All dressed up at last, the ghouls spun and twirled in their ball gowns like they were on the runway.
Across town in a small, spare apartment, Luna was also getting dressed. Her wings fluttered with excitement. Mouscedes was picking out shoes at her elegant home on the Upper Beast Side. Elle was putting some last touches to her makeup and buffing her steel robot cheeks until they shone. Everyone was gearing up for the big night, the gala, the night of the comet. Boo York hadn’t seen a night like this in 1,300 years!
The ghouls finished getting ready long before the limos were set to pick them up. They were just so excited.
Clawdeen checked her watch. “We still have like half an hour before we have to head down.”
“So what do we do now?” Frankie wondered.
“More gala gown strutting?” Operetta suggested, and all the ghouls thought that was a perfect idea.
Alone in her suite, Cleo was not ready to go, however. Her ball gown hung in the corner. Tears stained her cheeks.
Nefera marched into her room, alarmed. “Cleo! What are you doing? Why aren’t you dressed for the gala?”
“I’m too upset about Deuce,” Cleo explained between sobs. “Who cares about galas? I’m not going.”
Nefera wrung her hands. “You have to,” she ordered. “You have to be there to promise…”
Cleo stared at her sister, waiting for her to finish, but Nefera realized her mistake and stopped speaking. She snapped her fingers, and a guard brought over a tray of makeup. Nefera began lining Cleo’s eyes. “You have to go because you promised you would. Everybody’s expecting you to be there. Your family. Your ghoulfriends. All the important Egyptians.” She sat down beside her sister and wrapped an arm around her. “This is a very special night for us, Cleo. The night of the comet. You don’t want to let everybody down—do you?”
Cleo stood up and walked over to the window. She sighed. “I’m Cleo de Nile, and I’ve got to give the people what they want.” Listlessly, she began putting on her ball gown.
Just visible through the skyscrapers was the glowing green crown of the Monster of Liberty, where a new couple, falling deeply in love, was discovering their music together.