by the time the final bell of the day echoed through the corridors and classrooms of Monster High, ASOME fever had reached an absolute frenzy. Monsters walked faster, talked louder, and generally looked more alert as they delighted in the news.

“ASOME to save the day! Go to my blog for the latest on the secret organization set to rescue Monster High from the grasp of the normies!” pale-skinned ghost Spectra Vondergeist said as she floated down the hall, her chains rattling against her lavender lace-up boots.

“Hey you! Ghoul with the purple hair! No yelling in hall! That the rule!” a troll grunted in broken Fanglish at Spectra while waving his filthy finger in her face.

“I don’t have time for rules. I’m too busy covering history. Or haven’t you heard? ASOME is going to stop the normies from walling us in,” Spectra replied with gusto as she continued gliding just above the purple-checkered floor.

“Boo-la-la! What a peculiar thing to say. Who doesn’t have time for rules? Why, I’ve never even heard of such a thing,” Rochelle babbled as she watched Spectra’s purple locks disappear from view. “Rules are what keep society running! Rules are the cornerstone of civilization! Rules are—”

“Heavens to batsy, Rochelle! Who cares about rules?” Robecca interrupted.

“Évidemment, I do. That is why I said what I said,” Rochelle replied directly.

“I’m getting worried,” Venus said as she looked around the hall and noted the manic energy of her peers.

“Tell me about it. This growing obsession with ASOME is about to make me steam up—big time,” Robecca declared as she furrowed her copper brow.

“It’s definitely not good. But we did warn Dracula. Although I couldn’t tell how seriously he took our warning,” Venus responded.

“I believe Monsieur Dracula realizes that support for ASOME is increasing. However, I doubt he realizes just how fast it’s growing. I must say, even I am a bit surprised by it,” Rochelle said as she noticed a vampire pinning a poster to the wall.

“A is for Awesome. S is for Savior. O is for Oppressing the normies. M is for Monster protectors. E is for Evil destroyers,” Venus read the sign aloud. “Wow, that is some serious ASOME propaganda right there.”

“And now for the musical version,” Rochelle replied as she motioned to a pumpkin head skipping happily down the hall.

“ASOME is going to save Monster High! Now we can all relax and sigh! Thank you, Miss Flapper, for a happy ever after,” the petite creature crooned as Cy approached the trio.

“Hey, ghouls, have you see Spectra’s blog?” Cy asked while shaking his head. “I don’t even know what to say.”

“Moi non plus. Neither do I. But I mean that literally, as I have yet to read her blog,” Rochelle explained to Cy.

“Spectra took a poll, and it turns out that ninety percent of Salem monsters and ninety-three percent of Monster High students support the idea of reaching out to ASOME to help us stop the normies,” the boy explained.

“Holy mackerel! That is fangtastically frightening,” Robecca muttered anxiously as steam poured out of her nostrils.

“There’s no need to fog up the hall and frizz everyone’s hair, we’ve finally found monsters who can help us,” a soft voice called out.

“So I’ve heard,” Robecca replied coldly as she watched Miss Flapper sashay down the hall, her long red locks bouncing against her back.

“I wonder where she’s off to,” Venus pondered aloud.

“To see Scariff Fred and Superintendent Petra,” a voice chimed in.

“Jeez Louise! Where did you two come from?” Robecca yelped as she turned to see Jinafire and Skelita standing behind the group.

“Jinafire and I like to follow Senorita Flapper whenever we can. She’s muy interesante. And with everything that’s been happening we feel safer with her around,” Skelita replied as she flicked her orange-and-black locks off her shoulder.

“You said she’s on her way to see Scariff Fred and Superintendent Petra?” Cy repeated to the dragon and the calaca.

“That is zhǔn què or accurate as you say in Fanglish,” Jinafire answered.

“And do you happen to know why she’s meeting with them?” Venus inquired.

“To lobby on behalf of ASOME. To do everything in her power to make sure that we reach out to them in a timely fashion. For as the Fanghai proverb says, when there is only one chance, it must be nurtured, for without it there is nothing,” Jinafire stated solemnly, before nodding her head and continuing on her way.

“Adios, chicos,” Skelita added, and then proceeded after Jinafire.

“That proverb is not sitting well with me. ASOME is not an idea that I want to see nurtured. Boo-la-la, quel désastre!” Rochelle proclaimed as she shook her granite head side to side.

“We can’t just sit by as Miss Flapper campaigns on behalf of ASOME,” Venus remarked, and then began to grimace.

“Agreed. We need to do something to try and stop this wave of support before it’s too late,” Cy seconded.

And so that night over screamed corn and chicken à la vampire, Robecca, Rochelle, Venus, and Cy set about once again presenting their concerns to the puddle-prone Miss Sue Nami.

“There’s more to ASOME than what Miss Flapper said. We’ve heard that they follow a monster hierarchy. They believe that certain creatures are superior to others,” Venus said while shaking her head, clearly disturbed by what she was saying.

“How do you know this, non-adult entity?” Miss Sue Nami barked. “Have you personally dealt with ASOME?”

“Madame, we have heard things—” Rochelle started to reply, before being cut off by the ever-damp woman.

“Rumors? I don’t have time for rumors. This whole town has been acting crazier than Clawdeen on a bad hair day, and all because of rumors. These normie stories have pushed Salem over the edge. Turned everyone’s brains soggy with fear!” Monster High’s acting headmistress groused.

“Miss Sue Nami, I don’t mean any disrespect, but can you shake the water out of your ears—and I mean that literally and figuratively—because we need you to listen to us,” Venus instructed.

“All clear and ready to hear,” Miss Sue Nami answered, after pulling at both of her permanently pruned earlobes.

“Have we ever steered Monster High in the wrong direction? Come on, just think of all we’ve done for this school. We’ve been like fertilizer to a plant, helping Monster High grow in all the right ways,” Venus expounded.

“Do we have to be fertilizer in this analogy? What about being water or the sun? Not that there’s anything wrong with fertilizer, it’s just not the kind of thing you want to be compared to, well, not if you know what it’s made out of anyway,” Robecca muttered to herself as Rochelle motioned for the ghoul to bring her fertilizer soliloquy to a close.

“Careful, fertilizer is a very sensitive issue for plants. Insulting it is a bit like calling your kindhearted and helpful cousin unattractive. In other words, not very nice,” Rochelle whispered.

“Um, Rochelle, it’s nothing like that! Fertilizer is—oh, forget it—I don’t have time to give you two a lesson on gardening!” Venus huffed, and then turned back to Miss Sue Nami. “What do you say? Will you help us?”

“Non-adult entities, you have done a lot for this school. I know that better than just about anyone. But on this one, I don’t think you have enough information, or enough proof. And considering how bonkers everyone has been acting, I can’t just push away the only chance of calming this lot down… not based on a rumor.”

“But—” Venus tried to reply.

“But nothing. Bring me proof and I will support you ghouls. But without it, my hands are tied.”