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  “Wow, Clawdeen, you look fangtastic,” complimented Draculaura.

  The werewolf blushed. “Aroo!” she howled. “I can’t wait to show Rayth!”

  “Rayth!” squealed the ghouls together. “He asked you to the dance?!”

  “Well…” Clawdeen shrugged, remembering a moment in art class just the other day.

  She’d been working on one of her fashion sketches when Rayth interrupted her. Startled, she yelped.

  “Er, well, um, I was wondering…” stuttered Rayth.

  “Are we going to Dancing the Fright Away together or not?” Clawdeen blurted out.

  “What? Um?” Rayth ran in fingers through his hair. “Why, I’d love that.”

  “Great.” Clawdeen grinned. “Now that that’s settled, you can stop sneaking up on me.”

  “Okay!” agreed Rayth. “It’s a date.” He walked off, grinning.

  Frankie looked at her clock. “We better get going.”

  “You think we’ll get a good turnout?” Cleo wondered. “This is the first time I got to plan something for everyone else!”

  When the ghouls entered the outdoor dance pavilion, they couldn’t believe what an amazing job Cleo had done. Glimmering gold chandeliers floated between the trees. A fancy fountain bubbled with warm, liquid chocolate. There was a photo booth for couples to snap special photos of this special night.

  Seeing Cleo arrive, Deuce headed over to the ghouls. “Really cool party,” he complimented her. “You did such an awesome job!”

  Cleo smiled. “I know,” she said.

  Deuce seemed shy. “There’s a photo booth here. If you wanted to…maybe…?” he suggested.

  Cleo rolled her eyes. “Fine,” she said.

  Outside the booth, the ghouls watched the photos shoot out of the machine. Deuce struck a pose, but Cleo looked bored. In the next one, Deuce was making rabbit ears behind Cleo. Cleo was pushing Deuce away in another. By the last one, she was laughing and Deuce was too.

  The ghouls poured into the Spook Booth for a photobomb. How would they all fit in? But they did! It was the best shot of all.

  The lunch lady was spinning turntables with her many tentacles. Monster High students were busting their moves. Dracula looked dapper in a brand-new all-white tux. He was beside the punch bowl keeping an eye on everything.

  “Can I interest any of you ghouls in some poltergeist punch?” he asked.

  “Great!” said Frankie.

  “I want some!”

  “I’m so thirsty.”

  “Looks delicious.”

  Clawdeen’s mom joined the ghouls. “I wouldn’t mind some punch,” she said softly.

  Seeing her, Dracula turned red and dropped the cup he was holding. “Ah, I think I’m all out.”

  Clawdeen’s mother smiled. “Well, let’s go back inside and whip up another batch.” She steered Dracula back toward the house.

  Rayth noticed Clawdeen and ran over to her. He was wearing a purple bow tie. His mouth dropped open when he saw Clawdeen up close. “Wow!” he said.

  Clawdeen tossed her mane of curls. “You’re not gonna get all mush on me now, are you?”

  But it was too late. Rayth was already smitten. “Wh-what?” he stammered. “Not mush. Not me.”

  Clawdeen laughed. “Good.”

  An engine roared from down the road. The sounds of honking drowned out the music. A tour bus careened onto the lawn. The door opened, and Moanica appeared, her narrow eyes taking in the party.

  The Zomboyz emerged from the sunroof and crowded on to the top of the bus.

  “I’m hurt,” announced Moanica. “You’ve started the party without me! I even brought you a present.” With a devilish smile on her face, she snapped her fingers. Some of the Zomboyz were dragging someone out of the bus. It was Tash!

  Draculaura ran toward her idol, but a Zomboy stopped her.

  Tash was struggling against the Zomboy who held her tight. “Let me go you…you…you monsters!”

  Moanica pretended to be shocked. “You hear that, everyone?” she said to the crowd. “Monsters! Now you know once and for all what your beloved Normies think of you.”

  “What are you doing, Moanica?” Draculaura demanded to know.

  Moanica and the Zomboyz dragged Tash to the punch table. “Drac, relax,” sneered Moanica. “I just want her to understand us.” She smiled. “Then I want her to become one of us.” She wanted to turn Tash into a zombie!

  The ghouls didn’t know what to do. But Cleo noticed that the Skullette hanging around Drac’s neck was glowing. Why? She looked at the Zomboyz all clustered close to Moanica. She looked back at the Skullette. She had an idea.

  Moanica was flaunting her power. “Anything to say to your beloved Tash before she joins my army?” she asked Draculaura.

  But before Draculaura could answer, Cleo grabbed her arm. She winked. She motioned toward the Skullette.

  Draculaura understood the plan immediately. The other ghouls nodded. They did too!

  Draculaura clutched the Skullette and held it out in front of her. The ghouls all grabbed on. Draculaura turned to Moanica. “Just one thing. MOANICA. EXSTO MONSTRUM!”

  POOF!

  The ghouls vanished. Where were they?

  A crackling noise above her head made Moanica look up. The ghouls were in the air right above her. How had they done that? They were slamming down toward the punch table. They were between Moanica and Tash!

  “We won’t let you do this, Moanica!” shouted Draculaura.

  “How are you going to stop me?” Moanica was furious. “There’s five of you. I have an army!”

  “And so do they!” It was Rayth! The entire student body was standing behind him. They were all ready to fight for Draculaura.

  “We are better together,” whispered Draculaura.

  Gob grabbed a tray of cupcakes, gobbled them up, and held up the platter like a shield.

  Moanica’s fists were clenched. Her eyes were narrowed. Her teeth were bared. She snapped her fingers, and the Zomboyz staggered toward the students.

  Gob let loose a bloodcurdling war cry and led the charge against the Zomboyz.

  But the ghouls knew that they were really outnumbered. They were going to have to do something. But what? They jumped down and entered the fight. Draculaura locked eyes with Moanica. Draculaura knew she had to defend Tash from the zombie leader.

  As Moanica lunged toward them, Draculaura turned into a bat. She dove toward Moanica’s head. She flapped her wings like crazy.

  Gob was swinging his enormous belly back and forth, knocking down Zomboyz left and right. Marshall, the swamp monster, charged the Zomboyz and stuck them with his thorny head. Crystal generated ice chunks from the moisture in the air and flung them like boulders. She zapped others and turned them into ice directly.

  Cleo wrapped up a Zomboy in bandages but didn’t see another one creeping up behind her. Just in time, Deuce whipped off his shades and turned him into stone. He put them back on again before smiling proudly at Cleo. But he didn’t see another Zomboy sneaking up on him! With a giggle, Cleo swung a linen bandage like a lasso and brought him down. They could both save each other. What a team!

  The lunch lady was hurling LPs from every one of her tentacles. She was a great shot! Every single one brought down a Zomboy. She even kept the music going at the same time. Maybe she had found something she was better at than cooking!

  Running away from one Zomboy, Frankie collided with another. They tumbled into the Spook Booth. Flash! Flash! Flash! Frankie emerged, dusting off her hands triumphantly, and sent a bolt of electricity toward a Zomboy riding on Woolee’s back. Zap! Zap! Zap!

  The finished photos flew out of the booth. Bam! Powee! Zowie! In each picture Frankie was blasting the Zomboy with another jolt of electricity.

  A Zomboy ran past, chased by the pack of Wolf cubs. Toralei, a werecat, tripped a Zomboy and went back to filing her claws. Were the monsters winning? Zomboyz were lying in groaning piles all across the ground.

/>   Draculaura was still flapping her wings as hard as she could to distract Moanica. Lagoona kickflipped her skateboard into her hands and swung it like a bat, taking out a huge row of Zomboyz marching toward her.

  Clawdeen had turned into a wolf and was shaking a Zomboy by the belt like he was a bone. She flung him loose, and he soared up into the air and right over the school. She reached around to grab another Zomboy, and he shuffled away from her, whistling as if he wasn’t involved in this fight in any way at all.

  Bonesy pulled off his own skull and pitched it like a baseball at a straggling Zomboy. The Mousicorn danced through a series of lightning-fast kung fu kicks and brought down a bunch of Zomboyz ten times bigger than she was. Woolee stampeded like a crazed elephant.

  Draculaura was now emitting a supersonic screech. Moanica staggered back, grabbing her ears. Seeing her chance, Draculaura turned into a ghoul again. Moanica was disoriented and slammed into a pile of stacked folding chairs—which collapsed on top of her.

  Oh no! Draculaura rushed over. “Moanica! Are you…”

  The ghouls were cheering. Tash was smiling nervously. Other students came over shouting their congratulations. Draculaura had defeated Moanica!

  But zombie ghouls don’t go down that easily.

  A hand reached through the chairs, a zombie crawled out. She wasn’t done yet. She leaped though the air—right toward Tash. Moanica’s fingers were outstretched. She was going to do it! She was going to turn Tash into a zombie!

  But Moanica flew right through Tash…as if…

  Tash was a ghost!

  Chapter 19

  A Surprise

  “It’s time to come clean,” Tash said to everyone.

  “I did not see that coming,” Cleo whispered to Deuce.

  Draculaura was the most surprised of anyone. “Tash?”

  Tash shrugged. “Ari Hauntington actually. Yes, I’m a ghost. But since I have the power to solidify, I’ve been able to live in the human world.”

  “Back up,” said Clawdeen. “If you’re Ari, who is Tash?”

  “Tash is just a personality I made up so I could finally fit in,” explained the singer. “No one ever needed to know who I really was. Until now. I’m Ari.”

  Draculaura was beaming. “There is nothing wrong with who you are.”

  Moanica chose this moment to try to slip away.

  Dracula was returning with a new bowl of punch. There were Zomboyz rubbing their heads everywhere he looked. There was a new ghost talking to his daughter. What was going on?

  “Why are you being so nice to me?” Ari asked Draculaura. “After the way I treated you, you must hate me.”

  Frankie stepped in. “That’s not what this school is about.”

  “I’m sorry,” Ari apologized. “How can I ever make it up to you?”

  Draculaura grinned. She had an idea. “Well, I was going to ask you to sing at this dance.…”

  “Consider it done!” Ari was thrilled!

  Cleo was even more thrilled. “A rock star playing at our very first high school dance! Whoever planned this event is a creative genius.”

  Clawdeen held up her hands. “Not so fast. This isn’t just some high school dance. It’s Dancing the Fright Away.” She pointed at Ari’s Normie fashions. “Let’s get this ghoul monsterfied!”

  Clawdeen whisked Ari up to her room. Hair. Makeup. Clothes. Clawdeen was going to turn her into a poltergeist pop phenom!

  Ari whirled around when she was done. Lilac-colored hair fell in waves down her back. She wore fangtastic platforms and a totes rad outfit styled with chains. She couldn’t believe how great she looked! She twirled in front of the mirror.

  “So do you like it?” asked Clawdeen.

  A huge smile spread across Ari’s face. “It’s me! Come on, ghouls. It’s showtime!”

  Draculaura was still trying to take it all in. Tash wasn’t some flawless celebrity leading a perfect life. She was a monster who wanted to be accepted, just like any other ghoul. She was Ari. Draculaura held the door open for her—but Ari floated through the wall instead.

  Back at the pavilion, Frankie and Draculaura hopped onstage.

  Frankie grabbed the mic. “Mansters and ghouls of Monster High. As your first-ever student council copresidents, it is our pleasure to welcome…”

  “A world wide celebrity!” exclaimed Draculaura. “Our new student and newly discovered ghost…Ari Hauntington!”

  Ari took the mic. She scanned the cheering crowds filled with monsters and beasties. She smiled.

  “I’ve never seen a better audience,” she told the crowd. “I’ve written a song just for this occasion. So let me hear it, Monster High!”

  What a voice Ari had! What a song she had to sing. She was happier than she’d ever been. She was more herself than she’d ever been. She’d worn so many different faces, but “the best face to be is me!” as she belted out.

  The monsters stormed the dance floor. The beat was crazy! Frankie let sparks fly. Cleo danced like an Egyptian. Clawdeen and Rayth busted a move. Clawdeen’s little brothers watched, giggling. They pretended to dance just like Clawdeen and Rayth and made kissy faces until Mrs. Wolf bared her fangs. Then they stopped immediately.

  Gob entered the Spook Booth with his true love—a tray of donuts. Flash! Flash! Flash! He photographed himself eating them all. His mouth was covered in jelly.

  Dracula was dancing, and Draculaura was trying not to laugh. But she couldn’t help it. He was just too funny! She started imitating his weird dad moves, and he thought she was impressed.

  Lagoona started a wave and helped carry Ari across the crowds while she finished her song. It was pretty easy. In fact, she floated just above their hands.

  Draculaura had never been so happy. Not only was her favorite singer performing at her very first dance, but Monster High had survived. Monster High was here to stay.

  Moanica had been watching everything. She was lurking in the shadows near the trees. She was disgusted with Ari’s performance. “Enjoy your fiesta party now. This isn’t the last time you’ll hear from me!” She snapped her fingers. “Come on, Zomboyz.”

  A few Zomboyz turned toward her. They were woozy. They were holding ice packs to their hurting heads. But most of the Zomboyz ignored her. They were dancing! They were enjoying themselves! They liked Monster High!

  Draculaura knew that there was still a long way to go. Monsters still hadn’t learned how to live with humans, and humans were still scared of monsters. But Draculaura had a feeling that the day would come when everyone would get along and dance together. Why not? They had the most talented monster ambassador the world had ever known—Ari Hauntington.

  No wonder Draculaura had always liked her!

  Chapter 20

  Time to Stand Out

  Draculaura and her father soared through the night sky. Draculaura was now an expert at turning into a bat and flying. When they passed the billboard advertising Tash’s tour, Draculaura fluttered to a standstill.

  The billboard showed Tash singing her new song, “If You’re Tired of Trying to Fit In, It’s Time to Stand Out.” Ari looked as solid as any Normie, but she was decked out in Clawdeen’s most clawesome style.

  “Come on, Drac,” called her father. “You know how I feel about distracted flying.”

  “Coming, Dad,” answered Draculaura. She took one last look at the billboard. “Now that’s what I call flawless.”

  That night, she sat down to make another post on her vlog. She had hundreds of followers these days. She smiled into the webcam. “Sure, the humans thought Tash’s new look was just a costume. But for the first time in ages, monsters were truly coming out of the dark! Because as you know, it’s not impossible. Just challenging.”

  Cleo, Clawdeen, Frankie, and Lagoona were tiptoeing up behind her. They were making faces into the camera. They were photobombing her vlog!

  Draculaura whirled around, laughing. “Hey, I’m trying to impart words of wisdom here.”

  The ghouls�
�� faces became very serious. For an instant. Then they cracked up laughing and started hurling pillows at Draculaura. A pillow hit the webcam, and the screen went black.

  Pillow fight break!

  None of the ghouls would ever be lonely again.

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  Contents

  Cover

  Title Page

  Welcome

  Chapter 1: Midnight at Monster High

  Chapter 2: Fright Flight

  Chapter 3: Fast Friends

  Chapter 4: A Full-Moon Surprise

  Chapter 5: Every Vampire Needs a Pack of Puppies

  Chapter 6: Calling All Monsters

  Chapter 7: Freaky Field Trip

  Chapter 8: A Royal Recruit

  Chapter 9: Creature Feature

  Chapter 10: A Creeperific Campaign

  Chapter 11: Zombie Alert!

  Chapter 12: A Monster with Pride

  Chapter 13: Scare Tactics

  Chapter 14: Zombie vs. Vampire

  Chapter 15: Freak-Out

  Chapter 16: Snack Attack

  Chapter 17: The Results Are In!

  Chapter 18: Attack of the Living Dead

  Chapter 19: A Surprise

  Chapter 20: Time to Stand Out

  Copyright

  Copyright

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  Copyright © 2016 by Mattel, Inc. All rights reserved. MONSTER HIGH and associated trademarks are owned by and used under license from Mattel, Inc.