Boo York, Boo York

by Pedita Finn

  As he swung around, his eyes landed on Catty, and she smiled. He cocked an eyebrow. Suddenly, a smile of recognition lit up his face.

  “I saw him earlier,” said Catty, riveted by his performance.

  “He’s really good,” Operetta replied.

  Pharaoh’s rhymes were exploding. They were propulsive, irresistible, and amazing. He was so talented. He didn’t seem to need to take a breath. The crowd was cheering. A ghoul fainted. And the whole time Pharaoh never took his eyes off Catty.

  Pharaoh held out his hand to her. “All of you should stand up and dance, no sitting. Straight up out the tomb, big dreams on my mind, gotta find my way in this Boo York way of life,” he rapped.

  Catty opened her mouth and out came the purest of notes and the sweetest of songs. “It’s the place we all wanna go. Be the star of the show. When you’re out in Boo York, Boo York,” she sang, “a ghoul can find what she’s looking for!”

  He rapped, she sang, and their performance was electric.

  But Pharaoh and Catty didn’t even know they were performing. It was as if the crowd and the city had disappeared and the two of them were the only monsters in the whole world. His deep rich voice harmonized perfectly with her lyrical vocals.

  The crowd was snapping pictures and videos.

  “It’s Catty Noir!”

  “It is!”

  “Catty, Catty, over here! We love you!”

  Still singing to each other, Catty and Pharaoh climbed the steps out of the subway station together. They never took their eyes off of each other. It was a dazzling duet. The crowd followed them, shouting encouragement.

  “Okay, everyone, let’s try to stay nice and orderly,” Draculaura urged just as she was almost trampled—luckily she escaped by turning into a bat.

  Out in an alley, Catty and Pharaoh were hiding behind newspapers as the crowd raced past. When at last they were alone, Pharaoh leaned over and introduced himself. “Hey,” he said sweetly, “I’m Pharaoh.” As if Catty didn’t already know!

  Catty smiled. “Hi! I’m Catty Noir!”

  “I know.” Pharaoh laughed. “We sounded pretty good together.”

  A scream startled them. Another fan had noticed them, even behind their newspapers! Catty and Pharaoh dropped their newspapers and ran for it, the crowd in hot pursuit. Pharaoh grabbed Catty’s arm and pulled her into a hidden alley.

  “Come with me,” he sang to her, reaching for her hand. Pharaoh pulled Catty away from the crowd and together they ran down the alley, laughing and singing. “This way! Let me show you MY town.”

  They slipped down another alley as the crowd roared past without seeing them. Pharaoh led Catty up a fire escape, and they watched their fans disappear down the street.

  Catty watched, confused, as Pharaoh began climbing the fire escape. “Wait, we’re going up?”

  Pharaoh grinned. They were! Up and up, he took Catty to the top of the city. The wind whooshed through their hair. They jumped from one rooftop to another. Pharaoh slid down the railing of a giant advertisement and landed on another building.

  “You are crazy!” Catty laughed.

  “What’s crazy,” said Pharaoh, “is a famous pop star trying to walk down the street without getting recognized. C’mon. You can get anywhere you want in the city up here.”

  Catty took a deep breath, grabbed hold of the railing, and shut her eyes. Pharaoh caught her in his arms.

  “Come on, we have a whole city to explore!” invited Pharaoh.

  Catty had never been happier. “Well, then we better get started!”

  “Hey, wait up!” Pharaoh dashed across a catwalk, and Catty sent a quick text to her friends so they wouldn’t worry—and then she hurried after Pharaoh. Wherever he was going, she was going!

  Down on the street, Frankie read Catty’s text to the other ghouls. “She says she’ll meet up with us at the comet gala tonight.”

  “Speaking of which,” said Operetta, “we should probably head back and start getting ready.”

  Draculaura was disappointed. “But what about the Hauntson River Bridge?”

  Clawdeen shook her head. “Sorry, Draculaura, there’s just too much to see and do here. We can always come back for another visit.”

  “That’s right,” said Frankie. “It’s not like Boo York is going anywhere.”

  Overhead, the comet pulsed and brightened.

  CHAPTER 13

  Satellite Games

  At Monster High, Abbey was panicking and pointing at the computer screen. Ghoulia was typing as fast as she could, trying to control the satellites and divert the comet. Heath Burns and Manny Taur, two classmates of the ghouls, were passing by the laboratory and saw what was happening. Immediately they thought they knew what was going on. The ghouls were playing some cool new video game!

  “Yes,” Abbey directed Ghoulia. “Move satellites closer to investigate comet.”

  “Cool game!” Heath and Manny exclaimed together, peering at the screen.

  “No!” shouted Abbey.

  But Heath didn’t listen. He grabbed Ghoulia’s laptop and began pounding the keyboard. “Quit hoggin’, Ghoulia. My turn!”

  “I got next!” Manny announced.

  Heath was pressing all kinds of command buttons. “Okay, so what do you do? Crash into the comet? Cool!”

  Out in the darkness of space, the satellites veered and shifted. They were all headed right toward the comet!

  Beep! Beep! Beep! The control panel, deep in the heart of the comet, was sensing danger. But the pilot or the passenger was fast asleep. Still, an automatic button sent a beam of pure music blasting toward the satellites, which flew off in different directions.

  Abbey and Ghoulia watched in horror. But they didn’t dare tell Manny and Heath what was really going on. They didn’t want to alarm them.

  “Holy smokes!” shouted Heath, excited. He pressed another command and sent a satellite back in the direction of the comet. He was going to destroy it and win.

  Ghoulia pulled Abbey aside, whispering to her.

  “Comets have defense systems?” Ghoulia had explained to her that something very strange was going on.

  Maybe the comet wasn’t a comet at all. Maybe it was a…

  “Spaceship!” exclaimed Abbey.

  But what did that mean? Was it still going to crash into Boo York and destroy it? And what if the satellites destroyed the spaceship? What if someone was on board?

  One of the satellites rotated. The comet blasted toward Earth.

  Ghoulia grabbed the keyboard back. She had to figure out what to do!

  “So spaceship means somebody inside, right?” realized Abbey.

  Ghoulia acknowledged her with a groan.

  Mr. Rotter poked his head into the laboratory. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing! “Video games! On school grounds!”

  Manny and Heath exchanged a worried glance. Were they in trouble again?

  But Mr. Rotter was about to surprise them. “I love video games,” he exclaimed. He high-fived Manny and sat down at the large computer monitor.

  “Yeah!” said Manny. Maybe Mr. Rotter was cooler than he seemed.

  Ghoulia barely noticed her teacher sitting down. She was focused on trying to find out more about the pilot of the comet. How could she do that?

  Abbey was thinking out loud. “Maybe space pilot in deep frozen sleep. No big deal. In old country, we do this all the time.”

  As if on cue, Ghoulia’s laptop screen showed a thermal scan of the comet. Deep in its heart was a figure, hunched over and fast asleep.

  “So we wake pilot, we save world?” asked Abbey. “But how we do that?”

  That was the question, but Ghoulia didn’t know the answer… yet.

  Deep inside the comet, the pilot stretched and yawned.

  CHAPTER 14

  Fright Night

  Deuce slouched as he walked down the street. He was so depressed he didn’t even notice all the televisions in an electronic store he passed, each one showing
a vampire dressed up in a giant, foam comet costume.

  “Hey, Boo Yorker!” shouted the vampire retailer on the screens. “Have you got comet fever? I know I do! Crazy Deady here with a deal so good it only comes around once every thirteen hundred years.” He laughed maniacally.

  High above the street, Catty and Pharaoh were talking about music. They loved all of the same artists—Mummyford and Sons, Scaryanna Groan-day, Casta and the Spells.

  Pharaoh gazed at Catty with wonder. “I can’t remember the last time I got to spend any time with a real music lover like you.”

  “Your friends don’t like music?” Catty asked.

  “No. And my family can’t stand it. They only like the oldies. Like from when Tut was young. They think my rapping is a waste of time.”

  Catty shook her head. “That’s terrible.”

  “Hey,” said Pharaoh, an idea coming to him. “If you like music, I’ve got a place you are really going to love.”

  An hour later, Pharaoh led Catty up a staircase, through a green hatch, and onto a green-hued balcony way above the city. The wind blew through Catty’s pink-hued hair.

  “Oh my ghoul!” she gushed as she took in the amazing view. “Where are we?”

  Pharaoh held his finger to his lips. “Close your eyes and listen.”

  Catty listened, but she didn’t know what she was supposed to hear. “All I hear is city noise.”

  “Ah,” grinned Pharaoh, “but you’re not really listening.” He closed his eyes and began to bop to a hidden beat.

  Catty shut her eyes, trying to feel it too. From far below in the city, she heard a train go by. She heard children, laughing and playing on a playground. She heard cars honking. She heard the bounce of a basketball. The city had its own rhythm. The city had its own beat. The city had its own song. “I hear music!” exclaimed Catty. She opened her eyes. “I’ve found my music!”

  The lights of the city blinked softly, the strains of music floated upward. Catty and Pharaoh were falling in love, and they both knew it. Pharaoh felt like he could be himself with Catty. Catty felt a fluttering of excitement deep in her heart that she had never felt before. Catty began singing in tune with the music below, and Pharaoh joined her, rapping, sweetly professing his love. Their voices rose to the stars. There they were, singing their duet, nestled in the very crown of the Monster of Liberty.

  Back in the hotel, the strains of orchestral music wafted through the open window of the ghouls’ room. They were zipping up their dresses and curling their hair. They were putting on lipstick and spritzing perfume. Frankie carefully drew a line of blue shadow on her eyelid, just like an Egyptian. Clawdeen added another hot roller to her voluptuous mane. Operetta helped Draculaura with her lip gloss because Draculaura, being a vampire, couldn’t see herself in the mirror. All dressed up at last, the ghouls spun and twirled in their ball gowns like they were on the runway.

  Across town in a small, spare apartment, Luna was also getting dressed. Her wings fluttered with excitement. Mouscedes was picking out shoes at her elegant home on the Upper Beast Side. Elle was putting some last touches to her makeup and buffing her steel robot cheeks until they shone. Everyone was gearing up for the big night, the gala, the night of the comet. Boo York hadn’t seen a night like this in 1,300 years!

  The ghouls finished getting ready long before the limos were set to pick them up. They were just so excited.

  Clawdeen checked her watch. “We still have like half an hour before we have to head down.”

  “So what do we do now?” Frankie wondered.

  “More gala gown strutting?” Operetta suggested, and all the ghouls thought that was a perfect idea.

  Alone in her suite, Cleo was not ready to go, however. Her ball gown hung in the corner. Tears stained her cheeks.

  Nefera marched into her room, alarmed. “Cleo! What are you doing? Why aren’t you dressed for the gala?”

  “I’m too upset about Deuce,” Cleo explained between sobs. “Who cares about galas? I’m not going.”

  Nefera wrung her hands. “You have to,” she ordered. “You have to be there to promise…”

  Cleo stared at her sister, waiting for her to finish, but Nefera realized her mistake and stopped speaking. She snapped her fingers, and a guard brought over a tray of makeup. Nefera began lining Cleo’s eyes. “You have to go because you promised you would. Everybody’s expecting you to be there. Your family. Your ghoulfriends. All the important Egyptians.” She sat down beside her sister and wrapped an arm around her. “This is a very special night for us, Cleo. The night of the comet. You don’t want to let everybody down—do you?”

  Cleo stood up and walked over to the window. She sighed. “I’m Cleo de Nile, and I’ve got to give the people what they want.” Listlessly, she began putting on her ball gown.

  Just visible through the skyscrapers was the glowing green crown of the Monster of Liberty, where a new couple, falling deeply in love, was discovering their music together.

  CHAPTER 15

  Love Spells

  The light of the comet bathed the city in a shimmering glow. Still up in the Monster of Liberty, Catty was scribbling song lyrics on a scrap of paper. Her heart was overflowing, and she had to express herself. The words were easy, the rhymes were easy, and the writing was effortless.

  Pharaoh peeked over her shoulder playfully. “What are you writing? A song?”

  “I don’t know,” admitted Catty. “It’s just pouring out of me. Thoughts, feelings. I’m trying to get it all down.”

  Pharaoh noticed that she was almost out of paper and tore off a scrap of one of his mummy bandages. “Here, you can write on this.”

  Catty smiled at him. “I haven’t felt this inspired to write in a long time.” She blushed. “So, where did you learn to rap like that?”

  “I don’t know how to tell you this, but… I’m a mummy!” Pharaoh laughed, holding up his arm so one of the bandages hung down. He wrapped it back around his wrist. “After a few tries, you start to get the hang of it.”

  “Hilarious,” smiled Catty.

  “Seriously, though,” said Pharaoh, “I’ve always been able to do it. I think about how I feel, and it just comes out of me. Kinda like you and your writing just now.”

  Catty gazed adoringly at Pharaoh. “You are very good.”

  “I’m glad you got to hear it,” beamed Pharaoh. “Because after tonight, I won’t be rapping anymore.”

  Catty couldn’t believe her ears. She was shocked. “What are you talking about? You can’t quit!”

  “Why not? You quit.”

  “Th-that’s different,” Catty stammered. “I stopped singing because I wasn’t being true to myself. Because they were asking me to sing songs written by somebody else. But you, you sing from your heart. You’ve found your voice. Why would you give that up?”

  Pharaoh took a deep breath as if there was so much he wanted to say but couldn’t. “It’s complicated.”

  “They offered me fame and money. They wanted to make me a pop queen of the world, and I gave it all up to try and find what you have.” Catty looked up at the sky, and she noticed that the comet was closer than ever. She blinked, remembering that she had a gala to go to. She stood up hastily. “I have to get ready for the big comet gala at the museum.”

  “Did you say gala?” asked Pharaoh, his eyes darting back and forth.

  “Yeah,” answered Catty. “Why?”

  Pharaoh shrugged. “No reason.”

  Catty went to climb back down the stairs. She turned back to Pharaoh before she left. “Think about what I said. I hope I get to see you again.” She disappeared, leaving Pharaoh alone under the stars.

  The hint of a smile turned up the corners of Pharaoh’s mouth. He looked up at the comet. “Hmm,” he murmured. “Maybe it is time to be true to myself.”

  CHAPTER 16

  Freaky Feedback

  Limousines were pulling up in front of the Museum of Unnatural History. Cameras were flashing. Well-dressed dignitaries
in their best bandages and gowns were walking up the red carpet that led into the main hall. A huge banner with the comet on it was strung from pillar to pillar. The crowd outside the museum was all dressed up in comet gear and carrying comet signs.

  Inside, Elle Eedee was working her turntable, playing a classy mix of ancient Egyptian music. The ghouls in their ball gowns strode in time to the beat, past the crowds, and into the gala.

  “Totes fierce!” Clawdeen whispered to Frankie.

  “Can you believe this?” said Draculaura to Catty.

  “A fright to remember!” sighed Operetta.

  Just after the ghouls arrived, a fanfare announced the guests of honor—Madame Ptolemy and her son, Seth. Seth tripped on the carpet coming in, and his mother shook her head. She nodded at Elle as she passed. “Very good. That’s the kind of music we want to hear this evening. None of that other stuff. Isn’t that right, Seth?”

  “Yes, Mother,” agreed Seth.

  Elle plastered a smile on her face, trying to be polite.

  The De Niles arrived, waving their hands at the crowd. Cleo held her head high even though her heart was breaking. Ramses and Nefera were just behind her, whispering.

  “I presume there will be a Promise Ceremony later tonight with the Ptolemy boy?” asked Ramses.

  “Of course, Father,” smiled Nefera, reassuringly. “I’ve got Cleo exactly where I want her…”

  Inside the rotunda, silk banners advertised the night of the comet. Well-dressed guests mingled beside exhibits about ancient Egypt. Spotlights picked out celebrities, and waiters passed by carrying trays of drinks. Up on the balcony was a small stage with a microphone. For a moment, the whole museum was plunged into total darkness and then across the domed ceiling flashed a spectacular light show. It was like being in a planetarium or even out in space.

  Madame Ptolemy took the stage. “Hurtling through space, brimming with magical energy, the great comet only graces us with its mystical presence once every thirteen hundred years. And tonight, it visits us once more.”