You told us to come as we are,” Deuce said, greeting Cleo at the entrance to her mother’s welcome-home party with an enormous hug. “So I came as I am!” Cleo’s boyfriend held his arms out wide, waiting for Cleo to compliment his shorts-and-tank-top ensemble.
“Really, Deuce?” Cleo asked. She glanced down at her own gown. To celebrate the occasion, she had found the gold gown that she had admired on her mother so long ago. The gown had been waiting all these years for Cleo’s mother to return for it. But now that it was clear Dedyet de Nile probably would never wear any of her old gowns again, Cleo had happily taken all her favorites for herself. Someone ought to wear them, she reasoned! Clawdeen had helped Cleo reinvent the dress just the slightest bit, to make it feel more in line with modern fashion. She looked like an Egyptian treasure. Deuce, on the other hand, looked as if he had just left the gym. Cleo looked at Deuce and sighed. “We don’t match at all. No one will even know we’re together.”
Deuce slung his arm around her shoulder. “We never match! But everyone knows we’re together. We complement each other. Opposites attract and all that, right?”
Cleo laughed, even as she tried to look annoyed. “In our case, that’s absolutely true.” In fairness, Cleo had told those invited to the party that they could dress for fun… and that there was no expectation that they get glammed up, unless that was their thing. Come As You Are meant come as the monster you are—a true celebration of what makes you unique!
For Cleo, that meant donning a fangtastic gown and making herself look elegant and glamorous. The same could be said for some of her ghoulfriends—Clawdeen, Frankie, and Draculaura loved a good excuse to look freaky fabulous. But Deuce? Not so much. The same was true of Lagoona and Gil, who had shown up in casual beach attire and flip-flops. Everyone seemed totally comfortable in his or her Come As You Are outfits. It was creeperific to see all the different styles and monsters mingling together at the same party!
Cleo dragged Deuce and her ghoulfriends across the de Niles’ backyard so she could introduce everyone to her mother—finally. After a lot of discussion, Nefera and Cleo had agreed to have the welcome-home party outdoors. In their palace ballroom, it would have been absolutely impossible to make the party feel low-key. By having the party outside, they were better able to accommodate some of Nefera’s must-haves, as well as Cleo’s wish list, and also incorporate some things that would make the party feel extra-special for their mother too.
“Wow, Cleo,” Draculaura said, gazing around the yard. “Everything looks totes amazing.”
“You didn’t tell me there would be waterslides!” Deuce said. He stared across the yard at an enormous fountain, complete with marble slides and bubbling jets. Ramses de Nile had had it flown in from Egypt for the occasion. “Bummer,” Deuce said, snapping his fingers. “I forgot my swimsuit.”
“Deuce,” Cleo said. “That is not a waterslide. It is a water feature—a decorative fountain! Its sole purpose is to be admired. It is very elegant, very expensive, and very old.”
“I don’t care how old it is.” Deuce shrugged. He adjusted his shades and grinned. “It still looks like it would be fun to play in.”
As Cleo and her friends made their way across the lawn, they passed elaborate ice carvings (Nefera had insisted), a table heaped with very posh Egyptian cuisine (her dad said that even if they were going low-key with the party, there could be no compromise on the food), and also dozens of Cleo’s mother’s Egyptian relics displayed in beautiful glass boxes all around the garden. Tomorrow morning, most of the relics would be shipped off to museums in Scaris, Londoom, and Boo York—but tonight, Cleo wanted everyone to be surrounded by treasures from her mother’s life.
“Mom,” Cleo said, stepping forward to get her mother’s attention. “I want you to meet some of my best friends from Monster High.”
One by one, Cleo introduced everyone to her mother. Cleo’s mother greeted each warmly, instantly charming the group with her down-to-earth style and soft, gentle nature. “Isn’t she just the best?” Cleo asked her friends, linking arms with her mother. “But admit it: Aren’t you all absolutely shocked to see just how different we are?”
“How do you mean?” Cleo’s mother asked, furrowing her brow. “I don’t think you and I are that different, are we?”
Cleo considered this. For the past few days, she had been thinking quite a bit about the things that set her apart from her mother. There were the obvious things: their differences in style and the fact that her mother was happy with a simpler life. Also, their underlying goals in life were very different: Cleo looked forward to a life of royalty and privilege (with plenty of fun and good friends thrown in, of course!), while her mother aimed to help people and make the world a better place. And Cleo couldn’t stop thinking about how much she admired her mother’s willingness to make sacrifices to help others: her donation of important family relics to museums for the benefit of other monsters, and all the years of her life she had given up to be a part of the archaeological crew on the dig.
Cleo began to explain all this to her friends, but Draculaura cut her off before she could get very far. “Cleo, even though you and your mother look different on the outside, from what I can tell, you do have something very important in common.”
“No.” Draculaura laughed. “That’s not what I meant, you silly ghoul. I was talking about your big, warm heart and your eagerness to always help others.”
Cleo tilted her head. “I don’t understand.”
“Remember when my skirt ripped earlier this week?” Frankie cut in. “It would have been an absolute fashion disaster if you hadn’t agreed to help me. You risked getting into trouble with Headmistress Bloodgood just so you could help me!”
“And even though you were very busy planning your mother’s party,” Draculaura added, “you stayed after fearleading squad practice to help me get our routine figured out.”
Cleo smiled. Of course she’d done those things—what kind of ghoulfriend wouldn’t?
“Don’t forget about how much you helped me with my sister’s dress,” Clawdeen chimed in. “You went out of your way to help me find the perfect fabric.”
Lagoona leaned up against Gil and said, “And when I needed love advice you knew exactly what to say.”
“Not to mention this party,” Deuce said. “I know how much you were looking forward to the usual all-out de Nile affair—but you went out of your way to make sure your mom felt welcome.” He shrugged. “And I feel a whole lot more welcome too. Shorts and skate shoes at the palace? This rocks.”
Cleo’s mom wrapped her arm around her daughter and beamed. “These stories make me so happy. Nothing could make me prouder than hearing all the ways you’ve helped your friends in their times of need. And after all the nice things your ghoulfriends have said about you, I certainly hope you and I are more alike than you think, dear.” Dedyet de Nile gazed out over her party and said, “In the few days we’ve had to get reacquainted, it seems to me that you have become the kind of ghoul who is always there for your friends—and that you believe in and go after your dreams no matter what other people might think.”
“Yeah,” Cleo said, smiling. “That’s all true.”
“Totes!” Draculaura agreed. The other ghouls nodded too.
Deuce mumbled, “Yeah,” through a mouthful of shrimp. “What she said. You rock, Cleo.”
“So maybe we live our lives a little differently,” Cleo’s mom said. Then she gestured to her linen pants and simple tank top, and added, “And perhaps we don’t look or dress alike anymore, though unless I am mistaken, that’s one of my gowns you are wearing. That one was always my favorite, and I must say, it looks absolutely lovely on you—”
Cleo laughed. Before her mom could finish her thought, Cleo hugged her and whispered, “I’m so glad you noticed the gown. And yes, we really are similar in the most important ways.”
“That we are. I’m so proud of you, Cleo,” her mother said with tears in her eyes. “It’s good to be back.”