The following day, at Frankieâs request, Venus, Robecca, and Rochelle headed to Miss Flapperâs classroom at lunchtime. They asked you to accompany them for the extra help, while you agreed to accompany them just to make sure they were safe. You didn't trust Miss Flapper and the fact that they were called to her class, you were skeptical.
Small golden cages, each containing a miniature dragon or lizard, lined the walls of the room. Dragon whispering was an ancient technique based on the idea that by reaching a certain octave, one could hypnotize a dragon into submission. But because it was rather dangerous, teachers often started students on lizards to minimize the risk of crispy skin spots or fried fur.
Venus: Well, at least the trolls are good with someone.
You watched two greasy beasts brush a miniature dragonâs teeth. Fire-breathing often left the mouth covered in a smoky residue.
Rochelle: I still cannot believe Clawdeen and Frankie finished the suit in twenty-four hours.
Robecca: Especially since it took you almost forty-eight hours just to destroy the fabric.
She stopped and realized what she said.
Robecca: Wait, that didnât come out right.
Rochelle: Boo la la! Itâs creeperific!
Rochelle squealed when she saw Clawdeen and Frankie approaching with their creation, a stunning goblin-green suit with silver stitches. You smiled at seeing your friends, but that smile slowly faded when you saw the same blank looks on their faces.
Venus: That is seriously fang-tastic.
Frankie and Clawdeen held up the beautiful garment.
Rochelle: Merci boo-coup! Itâs perfect.
Rochelle clapped her hands in delight. And though she longed to run her thin gray fingers against the suit and feel the fabric, she didnât dare, not after what had happened last time.
Clawdeen: Miss Flapper says the beauty of the suit lies in our own beauty. That is our talent.
Clawdeen spoke in a startlingly serious and monotone manner. She sounded so bored, which was unusual for Clawdeen when she was talking about fashion.
Frankie: Have you had a chance to join MALL yet?
You realized she had turned the question onto you, making you confused. That came out of nowhere. But they were both staring at you, so you quickly came up with an answer.
Y/N: No, but I plan to this afternoon. Weâve just been so caught up with this Mr. Dâeath thing and schoolwork that I havenât had time.
Frankje: Miss Flapper has an idea regarding your Mr. Dâeath thing.
Frankie turned to staring at Rochelle directly in the eye.
Frankie: She would like us to arrange a date for the two of them.
Venus: No offense to Rochelleâs pet project, but Miss Flapper is very pretty. Sheâd really want to go on a date with a bony guy suffering from depression?
Clawdeen: Miss Flapper says that one is always to start with a monsterâs heart.
Y/N: She must keep you guys really busy memorizing everything she says.
Just then Miss Flapper swept into the room, bringing with her an intoxicating wave of rose perfume. You subtly rested your hand on your sleeve, ready to activate your bracelet just in case.
Miss Flapper: Hello again. Have the ghouls told you of my idea?
Rochelle: Yes, they did. And I must say, Iâm most thrilled. A date is just what Monsieur Dâeath needs!
Miss Flapper: But what about you? What do you need, Y/N?
Miss Flapper smirked as she leaned in, bringing her pristine features into sharper focus.
Y/N: I do not need anything, Miss Flapper, but thank you for asking.
Miss Flapper: The world is not built for us; itâs built for the normies. That is why I do hope youâll join MALL soon.
Y/N: I donât know if I'm MALL material. I'm not even a monster.
Miss Flapper: A monster cannot conquer the world without your support.
Y/N: "Conquer the world" huh? Interesting.
Miss Flapper stared coldly at you, her intensity increasing exponentially by the second.
Miss Flapper: What a pretty earring you are wearing. Might I take a closer look?
She started to lean towards you, but you took a step back. Luckily, a sudden burst of wetness washed over the room. Headmistress Bloodgood, accompanied by Miss Sue Nami, was fast approaching.
Bloodgood: Miss Flapper, I am terribly sorry for my absence yesterday, but, you see, I left my head in the maze, and it took Miss Sue Nami ages to find it.
While the headmistress spoke, you got the others and quickly slipped out of the room, leaving Miss Flapper visibly displeased.
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Dr. Clamdestine was an odd man; there was simply no way around that. After all, he had once pretended to smoke a pipe made of cheese. But on this particular day, the man was downright bizarre.
Dr. Clamdestine: Effective immediately, we are no longer reading The Wonderful Wizard of Clawz. It has come to my attention that the book carries subliminal anti-monster messages, which I refuse to condone or propagate. Instead, we shall now read Normie Versus Monster, one of the most important books ever written on monster oppression.
Dr. Clamdestine stated this in an uncharacteristically flat and emotionless voice. He also shot you a look that felt like daggers in your neck.
Rochelle: Pardonnez-moi, but Normie Versus Monster is not even on the syllabus. I should know, as I carry a laminated copy of it with me at all times.
In order for the future generation of monsters to be successful, they must know the struggles of the past generation.â
Veuns: Who said that? Lord Siren?
Dr. Clamdestine: No, those wise words came from our very own Sylphia Flapper.
Y/N: Ugh, not you too.
Lagoona: Miss Flapper sure is aces.
Lagoona Blue began passing out the new books.
Venus: Wait, isn't that a bit.....weird with a normie in the class?
Everyone immediately stared at you with blank eyes. You scanned the room before you began to grab at your sleeve. You did not feel safe here. Robecca shook her head in dismay as she took one of the new books.
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Robecca: Mr. Dâeath! You look even better than the beeâs knees!
Venus: I have to agree. You look pretty sharp.
Venus winked at the still gloomy-faced man; after all, a suit can only change so much.
You ended up joining the three in escorting Mr. D'eath to Miss Flapper's room seeing as you still didn't trust the teacher.
Y/N: Looking good, Mr. D'eath.
Rochelle: You look like a fine middle-aged monster. And remember you must compliment Miss Flapper on her appearance, pull out her chair, and, above all else, do not tell her about your regret list! Unless, of course, you want to add this date to the list.
Mr. D'eath: Yes, yes, I understand.
Y/N: And maybe try not to sigh quite so much.
Robecca shook her head.
Y/N: What? Not everyone digs the sigh. It was just a suggestion.
Rochelle: Bonsoir et bon chance, Monsieur Dâeath.
She tried to reassure him by squeezing his arm sweetly.
Mr. D'eatg: Ouch!
Mr. Dâeath squeaked before shooting the gray girl an annoyed look.
Rochelle: Sorry. Sometimes I donât realize my own strength.
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After escorting Mr. Dâeath to Miss Flapperâs classroom, the girls headed back toward the dormitory. However, they had made it only halfway through the main corridor when Venus and you noticed the troll with the red nose staring at you intently, his eyes bulging with nervous energy.
As the creature motioned for you to follow him, you immediately felt ill at ease, unsure what to do. Although you were tempted to ignore the unattractive little beast, your curiosity got the better of you. Simply put, you wanted to know what the little thing was trying to tell you, even if it was absolute rubbish. Venus herself was curious as well.
Venus: Hey, Iâll meet you guys upstairs. I forgot my Mad Science book in the lab.
Robecca: You are welcome to share mine.
Venus: Thanks, but I wasnât socialized properly as a seedling, so sharing isnât really my strong suit.
Y/N: And I'll be heading out that way anyway, so I can go with her. See you two tomorrow.
Before either could stop you, you and Veuns ducked around the corner.
Standing in front of a row of pink coffin-shaped lockers next to the Absolutely Deranged Scientist Laboratory was the small and grubby red-nosed creature.
Troll: I warn you! Now too late!
His eyes darting anxiously around the purple-floored corridor.
Y/N: Warned me about what?
Troll: You no listen! Now too late. School dead!
Y/N: I still donât understand. Can you please explain it to me again?
Troll: Too late.
The troll then began wobbling off at record speed, an act that greatly belied his stocky frame and advanced age.
Venus: Wait! Wait!
You and Venus quickly stopped him in his tracks to get a proper answer.
Troll: Monster Advancement League League! Miss Snapper!
Venus: You mean Miss Flapper? The dragon whisperer?
Troll: No dragon whisperer. Monster whisperer. She have all trolls but me. Soon she have all of you.
The troll wasted no time in running away. You didn't stop him this time, however. The moment he told you what Miss Flapper really was, you understood what was happening.
Venus: Monster whisperer?
You took a deep breath before turning to Venus.
Y/N: Go back to your dorm. Make sure your door stays locked.
Venus gave you a strange look, but you didn't need her getting whispered to. Miss Flapper wasnât a dragon whisperer; she was a monster whisperer. It all suddenly seemed so obvious. She hadnât any of the burns or marks associated with dragon whispering. Plus, everyone around her seemed to be under an impenetrable spell. Friendly students such as Frankie Stein were now cold, lacking in social skills, and completely obsessed with Miss Flapper.
This begged one question: What was Miss Flapper after? What did she seek to gain from controlling Monster High?
Y/N: I'll see you tomorrow. Maybe...hopefully we can do something to fix this.
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Rochelle: Monsieur Dâeath, there you are! I have been looking for you all day!
Rochelle entered the Libury where she had finally found Mr. D'eath, who had been missing for most of the day.
Mr. D'eath: Why were you looking for me?
He began crossing his arms and narrowing his bloodshot eyes at Rochelle.
Rochelle: I wanted to check in and see how your date with Miss Flapper went.
Mr. D'eath: She is going to save us all, keep us on the straight and narrow, and make sure we reach our destiny.
Rochelle: Pardonnez-moi, but I am a bit confused. You are speaking of Miss Flapper like she is your life coach, not your ghoulfriend. What happened?
Mr. D'eath: Is that some sort of dig? A dead man with a life coach?
Rochelle: Not at all. I just meant that Miss Flapper doesnât sound like your date so much as your guru.
Mr. D'eath: Do not find fault with the Flap!
Rochelle: The Flap? Is that your nickname for her?
Mr. D'eath: That is how she is now formally referred to at Monster High
Anyone speaking ill of her or calling her by her former name shall be met with detention.
Rochelle: Iâm sorry. I wasnât aware of the name change or the policy change regarding free speech.
Mr. D'eath: The Flap had a feeling you were trying to undermine her, to turn us against her work.
His eyes were growing wide with paranoia.
Rochelle: Monsieur Dâeath, I havenât a clue what you are talking about.
Mr. D'eath: She said youâd say that.
Mr. Dâeath grumbled before releasing his trademark sigh.
Rochelle: I think Iâd best be going.
Rochelle turned toward the door.
Mr. D'eath: Not too far now. The Flap is going to want to talk to you and your friends.
Mr. Dâeath spoke so calmly it sent a chill up Rochelleâs stony spine.
Feeling both unnerved and hurt by Mr. Dâeathâs behavior, Rochelle quickly exited the Libury and darted into the corridor. As she hurried back to the dormitory and the comfort of her room, she felt the familiar tickle of tears in her eyes. It wasnât so much what Mr. Dâeath had said that upset Rochelle; it was the manner in which he had said it. There was a distinct lack of personality in his voice, something she had never heard before.
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Rochelle: Though I lack a medical degree, I believe my diagnosis to be accurate. Monsieur Dâeath has gone mad! Complètement fou! Heâs lost all touch with reality. And perhaps worst of all, he seems very ill-tempered!
The normally rational Rochelle cried upon bursting into the Chamber of Gore and Lore. She was surpised to find you there, holding what looked to be a wooden bat of some kind.
Y/N: Forget about Mr. Dâeath. Miss Flapper is holding strange whispering sessions at her MALL meetings. They hiss at one another like snakes! What in the name of Satan do you make of that?
Venus: Iâd say weâre dealing with a monster whisperer, like that troll said.
Robecca: A monster whisperer! What does that even mean?
Y/N: It means Miss Flapperâs able to use her voice to hypnotize monsters. It's an old art uses by cults before it was outlawed internationally.
Rochelle: But why would she want to do such a thing? Monsieur Dâeath! Ah! She must have gotten to him already!
Robecca: What in the foul owl are we going to do?
Rochelle: Robecca, there is no need to grind your gears! All we need to do is notify Headmistress Bloodgood of the situation, and sheâll take care of everything.
Robecca: But can the headmistress handle a situation like this? Sheâs so scattered right now. And yes, I realize that Iâm the pot calling the kettle black.
Y/N: We can't go to her, actually.
The girls all looked at you as you practiced swinging the bat. They were confused. Why couldn't they tell Bloodgood?
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Bloodgood and Abbey played catch with a rubber ball while locked in the basement. They had both been whispered to, so you needed to hold them until you figured out how to stop Miss Flapper.
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Y/N: Weâll go straight to Miss Sue Nami instead. Sheâs rude and pushy, but she gets things done.
Rochelle: The sooner we act, the better. The situation is already seriously out of control.
Venus: Okay, letâs do this! Weâve got a damp woman to find.
She threw open the door.
-----------------
After checking in the main office, the four of you headed straight to the graveyard, having heard that Miss Sue Nami was investigating a possible gardening infraction. The planting of unregulated greenery was a serious offense, as the cross-pollination of the wrong plants could have dire consequences. As you turned the corner to the graveyard, you were met with a most frightening scene just beyond the cemeteryâs spindly metal gate.
Miss Flapper, dressed in a lush, red velvet dress, was engaged in hushed conversation with a student. However, this was not just any student: It was Deuce.
You instantly gasped, throwing your hands over your mouth.
Robecca: In the name of the beeâs bonnet, what do we do?
Venus: Nothing.
The vine-draped girl watched Miss Flapperâs perfect pout pressed close to Deuceâs ear.
Venus: Itâs too late.
Deuceâs face went blank before morphing back to normal, just as the other studentsâ faces had earlier, in the schoolâs main corridor.
Y/N: Deuce!
You called out his name in a futile attempt to override Miss Flapperâs voice. You were a second too late.
Unfortunately, all you managed to do was attract the attention of the deranged teacher. Her face ablaze with wild excitement, Miss Flapper charged straight for you.
Miss Flapper: Ghouls! Y/N! I must speak with you!
Venus, Robecca, and Rochelle exchanged tense looks before you grabbed them and got them to race away. After rounding two corners and dashing across the courtyard, they were stopped in their tracks by a hoarse voice.
Troll: Becca? Benus? Bochelle? Ban Belsing?
Rochelle: How do you know our names?
Rochelle's stone heart began pounding nervously.
Venus snorted.
Venus: Well, they arenât exactly our names, unless youâve changed yours to Bochelle.
Rochelle: Venus, now is not the time for humor!
Troll: The Flap want see you now!
The troll then started spraying all of you with thick balls of spittle. You responded by swinging your bat, sending the troll flying away. You all then broke out into an all out sprint.
And though Rochelleâs stone legs moved more slowly than the you and the others, she was still far faster than the pigeon-toed troll. In fact, so slow was the oily little creature that he couldnât even pass the rogue bullfrog bouncing next to him down the hall. This was, of course, a disheartening situation for the troll, one that he would keep to himself for fear of ridicule.
Robecca: Deary me! I donât think I can handle any more excitement! I might blow a gasket!
Venus: Cool your gaskets! I hear the sound of sloshing.
Y/N: Miss Sue Nami!
You couldn't help but smile upon spotting the thick, damp wall of a woman.
Y/N: We need to speak with you! Itâs an emergency.
Ms. Sue Nami: You have thirty seconds, nonadult human entity. I am in the middle of a plant crisis in the graveyard.
Robecca: Miss Flapper has put the campus under a spell! Weâre not sure why, but sheâs definitely done it!
Ms. Sue Nami slowly looked at you all.
Ms. Sue Nami: That is the craziest thing I have ever heard!
Y/N: I know, but itâs true.
Ms. Sue Nami: I never said it wasnât true. I just said it was the craziest thing I had ever heard. I must admit, Iâve had suspicions about Miss Flapper since day one! I donât trust popular people. I never have, and I never will.
Y/N: Thank heavens for your unhappy school years.
Ms. Sue Nami: You neednât worry. I am going to handle this situation immediately. Might I suggest you go to your room and stay out of the fray?
Rochelle: I think that is a very sound idea!
Ms. Sue Nami: I should have known something like this would happen. What kind of a self-respecting teacher gives herself a nickname?
And with that, Miss Sue Nami marched off, her feet pounding loudly against the ground. And once she was gone, you took a breath.
Y/N: Yeah, we're not going back to the dorms.