not to be the opposite of a fearleader—what would you call that? A Sour Sally? A Debbie Downer? A Frowning Freddie? Jeepers, I sure hope such terms don’t offend all the Sallys, Debbies, and Freddies of the world,” Robecca babbled while tucked into bed later that night.

“What are you saying, Robecca? Or is this more of a stream of consciousness discussion on names?” Venus asked.

“If that is in fact the case, I would like to add Tiresome Teddy and Gloomy Gilly to the list,” Rochelle commented.

“I’m amazed we ever manage to finish a conversation.…” Venus trailed off as she rolled her eyes and smiled.

“Oh, forget it! All I was trying to say is that I don’t know about this plan. I mean, even Penny looks a bit concerned by it,” Robecca finally finished.

“That’s Penny’s natural expression, one of total disapproval. She’s sort of like my great-aunt Fern and my grandma Hyacinth; no matter how much you water them, they’re thirsty. If you open the blinds, they’re getting too much sunlight; if you close them, not enough. Monsters like that are impossible to please,” Venus clarified as she lay in bed dressed in bright green pajamas.

“While I agree with you, Venus, that Penny is impossible to please, I must also agree with Robecca. I too have concerns about your plan. And as any gargoyle will tell you, a poor plan is worse than no plan at all.”

“Ghoulfriends! Get your heads out of the sand! We are in dire straits! We need to go big! We have no other option here!” Venus gestured animatedly.

“Our heads are most definitely not in the sand. And thankfully so, as sand can be very detrimental to mechanical monsters like Robecca.”

“Rochelle!” Venus protested.

“However, you do seem to believe that this is our only course of action. And if there is one thing I have learned since my arrival at Monster High, it’s that I trust my ghoulfriends,” Rochelle continued.

“Wow, that was really impressive. You went from raising my pollens to melting my vines in less than thirty seconds,” Venus admitted with a grin.

“But vines cannot melt,” Rochelle pointed out.

“And back to the pollens.”

“So it’s settled,” Robecca interjected uneasily. “Tomorrow during the assembly, we storm the stage and convince our classmates to rethink ASOME, or at the very least to investigate them further.”

“Exactly,” Venus replied.

“And if it doesn’t work?” Robecca persisted.

“Then we run like crazy and hide from Miss Flapper. I’m pretty sure she’s not going to be feeling very warm and fuzzy toward us after hearing what we have to say,” Venus answered.

The next day Robecca, Rochelle, Venus, and Cy huddled in the back of the Catacombing classroom and muttered conspiratorially to one another as the teacher lectured. And though each was careful to whisper, the combination of four voices created a distracting hissing sound that quickly garnered the attention of other students and finally Mr. Mummy.

“Rochelle, I must say I am surprised at such behavior, talking during my safety lesson? How unbecoming a gargoyle!” Mr. Mummy said while shaking his gauze-covered head, both hands holding tight to his tweed and leather-trimmed vest.

“Monsieur Mummy, je suis désolée. I am very sorry. I am ashamed of my behavior. My gargoyle elders would be horrified!” Rochelle concurred, before dropping her head into her hands.

“It’s all right this time, but let’s not make it a habit,” Mr. Mummy said, and then continued on with his speech.

“So we’re going to storm the stage during the assembly?” Cy repeated back to Robecca, Rochelle, and Venus a short while later as the foursome dug for artifacts in the tunnels of the catacombs.

“I know it sounds crazier than flying across the country with a broken boiler, but it’s the only idea we have,” Robecca replied.

“But what makes you think anyone will even listen to us?” Cy asked.

“Cy makes a very good point,” Rochelle inserted. “There is no reason for the students to listen to us; after all, we are not authority figures. We are not teachers or administrators. We are their peers, their equals.”

“Yeah, the same peers that saved them from Miss Flapper’s Whisper!” Venus blurted out as her vines tightened with tension.

“Venus, s’il ghoul plaît, there is no need to provoke your pollens.”

“I’m sorry. I’m just frustrated at the idea that our voices may fall on deaf ears,” Venus groaned.

“All we can do is remind our fellow students that we care for Monster High and that this is the only reason why we’re asking for a proper investigation into ASOME,” Cy said, before releasing a long sigh.

“Regardez, another old key,” Rochelle said as she pulled a rusty object from the dirt.

“Maybe it’s the key to wherever they’re holding Headmistress Bloodgood and Wydowna… or maybe even where my dad is.…” Robecca prattled quietly to herself.

No matter how hard the ghoul tried, Robecca simply could not help but think of her father when in the Catacombs. It was, after all, the last place he was ever seen.

“We’re going to find them, all three of them. And while I am not quite sure how we are going to do it, I am certain that this key will not be of any help,” Rochelle responded, before tossing the key to Robecca with a wink.

The large Egyptian-themed Vampitheater was chock-full of students and teachers when Superintendent Petra, Scariff Fred, and Miss Sue Nami entered. The threesome marched down the aisle confidently, clearly aware that every eye in the room was on them.

“Hello, non-adult entities,” Miss Sue Nami announced loudly, after taking the stage with Scariff Fred and Superintendent Petra.

Seated directly in front of Miss Sue Nami, in the first row, were Cy, Robecca, Rochelle, and Venus. All of whom were twitching and fidgeting as they awaited the right moment to enact their plan.

“What is it about anticipation that rattles my rivets and dries up my hinges?” Robecca mumbled as Rochelle placed a reassuring hand on her leg.

“Scariff Fred and Superintendent Petra have come here today to speak to you non-adult entities about a new program they are starting,” Miss Sue Nami persisted.

“Step aside,” Superintendent Petra grumbled as she grabbed the microphone. “We are here at Monster High to announce the student representative who, along with Miss Flapper, will personally reach out to ASOME to ask for help.”

“You guys are the future, so it only seemed right that one of you should take part in saving it,” Scariff Fred added while standing with his arms crossed over his belly.

From the middle of the Vampitheater came a scuffling sound.

“What are you doing? Sit down! You’re wrinkling my shirt. And not just any old shirt, but a Moanatella Ghostier,” Cleo growled loudly.

“Relax, gauze head,” Toralei quipped. “I’m just being polite. I’m making my way to the aisle so that when they call my name I don’t have to step on all these monsters to get there in a timely manner.”

“What now?” Venus fretted. “Those two are always starting something.”

“Perhaps we should seize this moment for our plan?” Rochelle suggested.

“I’d wait. If Toralei perceives us as stealing her thunder, we won’t be able to quiet her down long enough to even speak,” Cy pointed out.

“C’est vrai, it’s true. She likes attention even more than Venus likes recycling,” Rochelle acquiesced with a nod.

“Non-adult entity named Toralei,” Miss Sue Nami yelled into the audience. “Sit down. You are not the student delegate who will be joining Miss Flapper.”

“Ha! I knew it!” Cleo screamed happily as she started to push down the row of monsters, dragging Toralei behind her. “Royalty coming through, bow and move to the side!”

“You chose her? This is so wrong it should be illegal!” Toralei hissed.

“Take a seat, Cleo!” Miss Sue Nami cautioned.

As the two dueling divas returned to their chairs, Superintendent Petra pulled an envelope from her pocket and began to open it, all the while remaining as expressionless as ever.

“Ready, ghouls and guy?” Venus said to the others as she popped out of her chair and started for the stage with Rochelle and Cy behind her.

“I don’t know,” Robecca started to answer, before noting her friends’ hasty departures. “I guess that was a rhetorical question,” she muttered to herself as she moved quickly to catch up with the trio.

“What are you doing? You were not chosen either!” Miss Sue Nami yelled. “What is wrong with you non-adult entities today?”

“Return to your seats, now! I do not take kindly to acts of insubordination,” Superintendent Petra fired at the foursome.

“Unfortunately, madame, we must disobey your request at this time. We are all very sorry to do so, but the circumstances require it,” Rochelle replied politely as Venus snatched the microphone.

“Put down the microphone,” Scariff Fred added, oozing exasperation.

“Sorry, Scariff Fred, but I can’t do that. We can’t do that. We care too much about this school to just stand by while we all make the biggest mistake of our lives,” Venus explained.

“Or unlives, as the case may be,” Rochelle interjected on behalf of the ghosts and other dead creatures in the audience.

“There is more to ASOME than what we’ve been told—” Venus tried to continue, before being drowned out.

“I have had just about enough of this behavior!” Superintendent Petra hollered.

“Yes, I agree! Remove them from the stage this instance!” Miss Flapper called out from the audience.

“Hold on, Miss Flapper,” a man’s voice boomed through the Vampitheater, bouncing off the purple walls.

As the audience turned to see who it was, Venus answered their question.

“Dracula!” the plant ghoul uttered into the microphone.

“Dad? What are you doing here?” Draculaura asked loudly from her seat in the audience.

“Trying to stop the worst thing that could ever happen to the monster community. And I’m not here alone,” Dracula said as Mrs. Gorgon, Mr. Stein, Mr. and Mrs. Wolf, Mrs. Yelps, and Mr. De Nile walked into the Vampitheater after him.