The ghouls were all sound asleep in the loft. Outside, the storm was finally quieting down. There was no more thunder and lightning. The rain fell softly against the windowpanes. The ghouls were lost in dreams. Cleo muttered in her sleep. Lagoona’s breath made a quiet whisper like the surf flowing in and out. Webby rocked back and forth in his hammock made of cobwebs. Frankie glowed.
But Clawdeen was wide awake.
She could not fall asleep. She could not stop thinking about the opening of her salon. She had to come up with a theme. She threw off her blankets and stepped over the sleeping ghouls. She snuck past Cleo, who was talking in her sleep. “I would look fabulous in these jewels, Mr. Talking Pineapple.”
The whole school was dark and quiet. It was the perfect time to think. Clawdeen settled down in front of her desk, pulled out her sketchbook, and started to draw.
“What are you doing’?” asked a sleepy voice.
Clawdeen jumped, startled. It was Draculaura, sitting up in her bed and rubbing her eyes. Clawdeen’s desk light must have woken her.
“I’m trying to work on our looks. But I’m not happy with any of my designs. We’ve really got to wow the Normies.”
“Well…” Draculaura yawned, her eyes barely open. “Why don’t you just bring monster style to the humans?” Then, she lay back down and rolled over, fast asleep again.
Clawdeen thought about what Draculaura had said. Monster style? Monster style! “That’s it!” Clawdeen exclaimed, her eyes wide with excitement.
“Shhh!” whispered Webby.
Clawdeen grinned. She had the answer to her problem. She’d show Normies just how spooktacular it was to look like a monster! She was finally inspired.
As Clawdeen sketched away, the light on her desk sparked. A thin trickle of energy wafted through the air—right to Frankie. Her eyelids fluttered. She glowed a little brighter. How much more electricity could she handle?
The next morning, the storm was gone, but all the lights in Monster High were flickering—especially when Frankie walked by. It was as if she were an electricity magnet.
Twyla noticed the lights flickering as she walked to class. When Twyla saw Frankie, she was worried. She kept touching the bolts on her neck and twitching.
“Good morning,” Frankie called out to her brightly. “That was quite a storm last night, huh?”
“Yeah,” agreed Twyla. “That electricity thing is still happening to you?”
“It’s no big deal.” Frankie shrugged off her concern. “In fact, I woke up full of energy. Ha!”
Twyla tried to smile. “Right…”
The two stepped outside together. Shingles had blown off the roof, trees were down, and debris was scattered across the campus. Still, students were out on the steps enjoying the sunshine—and getting in some last-minute studying before class.
In a hushed voice so no one would overhear them, Twyla told Frankie her plans. “So I’m going to spy on that Zombake sale. I’m pretty sure those guys are hiding something.”
“Be sure to call me when you find out,” whispered Frankie.
“I will.”
Frankie looked up at the sky. Not a cloud in it! The mountains that surrounded Monster High were fresh and green after all the rain. The sun felt warm on her face. She just had so much energy today!
She spotted Dracula high up on the side of the building taking down the boards he’d nailed over the windows. Clawdeen’s mom was watching him.
“Are you sure you know what you are doing?” Mrs. Wolf called up to Dracula.
“I can promise you that I’m not going to fall this time,” he responded confidently.
Mrs. Wolf shook her head. “Because the way you’re leaning…”
Dracula was holding on to the window with one hand and balancing precariously on the ledge.
He dismissed her worries. “It’s all a matter of balance and…AAAAAAH!” The board he was holding pulled away from the window frame…and so did Dracula. His hands waved in the air helplessly. He slipped off the ledge and plummeted toward the ground. Down, down, down. But luckily, Clawdeen’s mom was right there again—and, just like the time before, she caught him in her arms.
“Did you do that on purpose again?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Yes?” Dracula answered. He tried to maintain his cool and turned himself back into a bat. It took him a few flutters of his wings to lift off the ground. Clawdeen’s mom laughed, her hands on her hips. He flew back up to the ledge to continue taking the boards off the windows. She shook her head. He would probably fall again—and she would be right there to catch him.
But at least the storm was over.