by Pedita Finn
Deuce was the first to speak. “Did she just say…?”
“I’m sure it’s nothing,” said Clawdeen, practical as always. “Let’s move.”
Back in the lab, Ghoulia pushed her way through the students and teachers clustered around the computer console.
“All right, Ghoulia wants a turn!” shouted Lagoona.
Ignoring everyone, Ghoulia connected the keyboard. She stretched her fingers and cracked her knuckles like a professional pianist.
Clawd reached over and hit a note. “Hey, I didn’t realize you could play the game with that…”
Ghoulia slapped his hand away. She had no time to waste. She hit a key on the computer. She touched a note and began to play. She lined up the satellites and moved them in a perfect orbit around the comet.
“She’s good,” whispered Twyla to Robecca.
Ghoulia played music, and the comet glowed brighter and brighter, pulsing to the rhythm of the new sounds. Was it working? Abbey crossed her fingers. She hoped so.
CHAPTER 25
Stop, Drop, and Rock!
The ghouls and Deuce raced across rooftops toward the museum. They dashed across ladders and wooden slats that had been placed between buildings. They swung around vents and danced over trapdoors. Catty had the comet crystal in her hand, and it was pulsing and glowing like never before.
Elle could hear the music coming straight down from the comet, and she spun her turntables in time to it as she ran. Luna spread her wings and swooped between buildings. Clawdeen and Draculaura held hands and jumped onto a fire escape. They had to get to the museum before Cleo and Pharaoh made the ultimate eternal promise that could never be broken.
“Tonight is the night of the comet,” intoned Madame Ptolemy, staring up at the heavens.
Nefera drummed her fingers impatiently. “Get on with it already!”
Cleo took a deep breath. “I guess it’s now or never. Everybody is looking at me. I’m Cleo de Nile, and I’ve gotta give the people what they want. I’m sure I’m making the right decision.”
Without a voice to sing with, Seth didn’t know what to say.
The ghouls were getting closer and closer! Would they arrive in time to save the day?
Ghoulia too was on a mission—to save the world. She blasted the comet’s song through the satellites so everyone on Earth could hear it.
Boo Yorkers looked up at the sky, not just at the comet but at the mad pack of ghouls in gala gowns, and Deuce, racing across the rooftops. What was happening? Something. They could feel it! Everything was getting brighter and brighter as the comet got closer and closer.
Madame Ptolemy raised her arms majestically. “Now is the time for you both to speak your pledge under the magic light. Do you promise to stay together and forever unite our families?”
Cleo gulped, staring at Seth.
Seth didn’t say a word.
Nefera was looking more and more agitated.
Almost out of breath, the ghouls slid onto the rooftop from a huge advertisement. Deuce bounded over to Cleo, who was just opening her mouth to seal the deal.
“Cleo! No!” begged Deuce.
Cleo was confused.
“What is the meaning of this?” Madame Ptolemy demanded.
“Cleo, don’t do it!” begged Deuce. Cleo’s eyes lit up, and Deuce picked her up in his arms and spun her around.
Ramses rubbed his forehead in frustration. “Oh goodie…”
Catty held the crystal up over her head. “Come, crystal, return Seth his voice NOW!”
Pharaoh shuddered as his voice shot out of the crystal and returned to his heart. He ripped off his mask and flung it in the air.
“No!” screeched Nefera. “NO. NO. NO!”
Pharaoh reached out his hands to Catty and together they began singing. Their voices were back; their hearts were open again—and it was electric. It was as if the whole city could feel it, and lights everywhere began blinking back on.
People on the rooftop were singing with Pharaoh and Catty. Their voices filled the city. Skelicopters hovered overhead, capturing the celebration for the news. The gigantic screens in Times Scare lit up with projections of Catty and Pharaoh singing. Everyone was joining in now! It was true what they said about Boo York after all—you could find what you were looking for. Catty and Pharaoh had found their voices, and they had found each other.
Catty and Pharaoh finished their song on the same note, and all the gala guests leaped to their feet cheering. A skeleton mummy clapped so hard his hand fell off.
But Madame Ptolemy was furious. “You could have had everything. You could have created a dynasty. And this is what you want to do with your voice instead?”
With Catty’s hand in his, Pharaoh was at last ready to stand up to his mother. “It’s what makes me happy. This is who I am.”
Madame Ptolemy looked at her son. She had never seen him so happy. She looked around at the guests all beaming. She could hear the singing and celebrating wafting up from the streets. How could she resist it? Maybe she was wrong. She gave Pharaoh a great big hug.
Cleo gazed into Deuce’s eyes. “You came back,” she whispered.
“I didn’t want to lose you,” he replied. “I’m sorry about what I said before.”
“I just want the best for you—and I’ve got the best,” Cleo said. She threw her arms around him.
Deuce blushed. “Sorry about that golden beard thingy. I didn’t mean…”
Cleo pinched his chin playfully. “Forget about it. I like you better this way.”
Cleo took off Deuce’s sunglasses to snap a photo of him, but his gorgon eyes zapped a vulture waiter across the roof. Zap! He turned to stone and fell over.
Deuce shook his head. He was always doing that! “Sorry,” he apologized.
Cleo snapped a selfie of the two of them. They were a couple again, and she wanted everyone to know! The only two monsters on the whole rooftop who weren’t happy were Nefera and her father. They huddled together fuming.
“Stop all of this right now. This is not how tonight was supposed to go. This was my night. What about my power?” whined Nefera.
“What about my dynasty? This is literally the worst thing to ever happen to me!” Ramses complained.
Draculaura pointed up at the sky. “Look!” she cried. “The comet. It’s coming right for us!”
No one had noticed it plummeting through the atmosphere right for Boo York. It was going to crash into the city in a fiery blaze. There was no escaping it. It was too late!
“Okay.” Nefera gulped, cowering. “So maybe that is the worst thing that could happen to me!”
Everybody on the rooftop began to scream.
CHAPTER 26
Dance and Sing Like an Egyptian
Ghoulia was concentrating as hard as she could. She swarmed satellites around the comet. She blasted the music. All around her were students—none of whom, except for Abbey, knew that she wasn’t playing a video game. She was trying to save Boo York.
“Ahh, I can’t watch!” cried Manny. The tension was so high. He pulled his shirt over his eyes. He didn’t want to see what happened next.
On the rooftop of the museum, everyone panicked. Monsters were crying and screaming. Mummies were running this way and that, bumping into skeletons. The ghouls didn’t know what to do. Only Catty was listening—to the music she could hear coming from the satellites, thanks to Ghoulia.
It was a beautiful melody, and Catty couldn’t resist it. She began singing along. Hearing her voice, Pharaoh took her hand in his and began to harmonize with her. Guests stopped and stared at them. Draculaura and Clawdeen joined them. Then Deuce and Cleo lifted up their voices. The mummies began to sing, the dignitaries, and even Ramses and Madame Ptolemy. There was something about the song. No one could resist it. More and more people joined in all over Boo York. The chorus of their voices became louder and louder, mingling with the instrumentation from the satellites.
What no one knew was that the music had awake
ned the being inside of the comet. She was at the controls at last!
The comet pulsed and flared. It was right overhead. It was seconds from crashing right into the museum. Just before it hit, there was a giant flash, and the great comet exploded into a million dots of light, illuminating the entire city.
Back at Monster High, no one was sure what exactly had happened. For a few moments, no one said anything and then everyone began to cheer.
“High score!”
“Ghoulia beat the game!”
“You won!”
Exhausted, Ghoulia leaned back in her chair. Somehow she had kept the comet from slamming into the city. But why had it exploded? She didn’t really know.
Little shimmering dots of light swirled among the buildings of Boo York. As the light from the comet faded away, a tiny orb hovered above the museum. What was it?
“I hear something!” said Elle. Something inside of the orb seemed to be playing the notes of the satellites. Elle played them back. A panel appeared and opened underneath the orb. A tiny star creature appeared in a beam of light.
“Ooh!” gasped the crowd.
“Aah!” exclaimed the ghouls.
“It’s true! The comet came from the beings above,” Madame Ptolemy cried.
“I believe this belongs to you.” Catty stepped forward and handed the star being the crystal.
The beautiful star being bowed with appreciation. “Thank you. My name is Astranova. That song you heard was a distress signal—you all saved me!”
Catty, who knew what it was like to lose your voice and find it again, ran over to Astranova to give her a warm hug of welcome. “It’s funny,” she said, “but in a way, you were the one that saved us, Astranova. We were all searching for something this weekend, and if your comet hadn’t brought us all here, or given us your song, we wouldn’t have found what we were looking for.”
Elle agreed. “I found the voice that was hidden deep inside of me.”
“I found my voice singing loud on a Bloodway stage,” said Luna.
Mouscedes beamed. “I found some amazing new ghoulfriends.”
“And we found what we’ve always known,” Cleo announced, hugging Deuce. “We’re Cleo and Deuce.”
“And nothing changes that,” said Deuce.
Catty had never been happier. “Thank you, Astranova, for helping everybody find their music. I know I found mine!” She gazed at Pharaoh.
Everyone crowded around Astranova, eager to get to know her.
“Your voice is so beautiful!” said Luna.
“I like your sphere ship thing,” Draculaura giggled.
“Welcome! Welcome!” said everyone.
Wide-eyed, Astranova looked around the rooftop. “Are you having a party?”
“Well, it’s midnight,” said Cleo. “I’m in Boo York with my Deuce and my ghoulfriends. You better believe we’re having a party!”
Elle started spinning discs, Catty started singing, Pharaoh was rapping, and Astranova was pulsing with light in time to the music. The whole crowd began to dance.
“I love parties!” exclaimed Astranova. She began to sing in her lovely, ethereal voice. “We all are shooting stars. I am the light in the dark!”
The music was magic, really magic, and everyone began rising, weightless, into the air. Luna fluttered around the party happily, playing with star particles. Astranova caught one and blew it into the crowd like a kiss.
Cleo and Deuce leaned close, touching foreheads.
“Look up into the night. I’m falling out of the sky, falling out of the sky,” sang Astranova.
Madame Ptolemy came up behind Pharaoh and Catty, embracing them both. She finally realized how important her son’s happiness was to her.
Elle was spinning music on her turntables.
“Be who you are! We are shooting stars! Be who you are!”
Ramses was skulking in the shadows, disappointed, until Madame Ptolemy grabbed him and pulled him onto the dance floor.
Pharaoh was rapping. “It’s time that we rise up. It’s time that we get down.”
Catty joined in. “Hear the sound of the whole crowd. Make the declaration out loud.
“It’s a celebration of who we are.”
Under the stars, the couples danced and twirled and sang. Their voices in perfect harmony, they sang a song of celebration and joy. They were lighting up the night!
“We’re shooting stars,” sang Astranova. “We’re shooting stars.”
The music poured out of the computer speakers in the lab at Monster High, and everyone started singing and cheering there too. Fireworks lit up the sky above Boo York, and the heavens themselves seemed to be celebrating as beautiful colored lights glowed and pulsed across the horizon.
“Be who you are! You are a star!”
Cleo and Deuce were back together. Catty and Pharaoh had found their voices. All the ghouls and monsters and mummies were dancing together. Astranova too joined the dancing. At last, with a beautiful flourish, she hit a piercingly high note and everyone cheered. She was going to be a great addition to the chorus at Monster High!
CHAPTER 27
Star Struck
No one loved the new ghoul in school more than Operetta. She loved trying out new instruments on Astranova.
One afternoon when everyone was back at Monster High, Operetta pulled out a banjo and began playing it, her fingers flying over the strings.
Astranova raised an eyebrow and accepted the challenge. She opened her mouth to produce the exact same notes—with an extra trill and riff.
Operetta grinned and added a few extra chords. Astranova echoed them, her body shining and pulsing while the music came out of her.
Operetta plucked the strings faster and faster. Astranova flew through the tune at lightning speed. Clapping erupted around them. Catty, Frankie, and the whole gang loved it when Operetta and Astranova decided to duel.
“Yeah, Astranova!”
“Go, Operetta!”
Operetta hopped on top of her desk, carried away with the music. Astranova hopped on top of her desk too, her notes climbing higher and higher.
Mr. Rotter was standing in the doorway. Operetta and Astranova stopped midnote.
Mr. Rotter cleared his throat. “I admire your appreciation for the musical arts, but I need to teach a lesson.”
Apologetically, the girls stepped down and took their seats. But when Mr. Rotter turned to the blackboard, Operetta fist-bumped Astranova and the ghouls grinned at each other.
The music at Monster High had never been better.
On the way to her next class, Astranova heard her iCoffin begin to ring. Oops! It had been forever since she called home. “Oh, hi!” she said, answering the phone. “Sorry I didn’t return your call. Traveling. But you’ll never believe where I am!”
Astranova looked up and down the hallways of Monster High. It was still hard to believe she was really here. Her phone was on videochat and she held it up so her caller could see everything. “Monster High!” she announced. “It’s real!”
On the other end, Apple White, daughter of Snow White, gasped. “Ooh! Fableous!”
“Yeah and it gets better,” Astranova exclaimed. “All the lands, all the high schools, that we thought were just stories? They are real! Real!”
Raven Queen crowded into the screen with Apple White. “So it IS true!”
Astranova winked and smiled. The adventure was about to begin.
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Contents
Cover
Title Page
Welcome
Chapter 1: The Purr-fect Pop Star
Chapter 2: What a Ghoul Wants
Chapter 3: Bad Hair Day
Chapter 4: All the Ghouls Are Going!
Chapter 5: On Bloodway
Chapter 6: The Mummy in the Golden Mask
Chapter 7: Spectral Science
Chapter 8: The Reluctant Mummy
Chap
ter 9: A Monstrous Mess
Chapter 10: Music from the Stars
Chapter 11: Heartbreak Horror
Chapter 12: Catty Lands on Her Feet
Chapter 13: Satellite Games
Chapter 14: Fright Night
Chapter 15: Love Spells
Chapter 16: Freaky Feedback
Chapter 17: It’s a Wrap
Chapter 18: Promise Power Backfire
Chapter 19: Mum’s the Word
Chapter 20: Singing with the Satellites
Chapter 21: The Cat’s Out of the Bag
Chapter 22: A Star Is Born
Chapter 23: Blackout Magic
Chapter 24: The Comet Chorus
Chapter 25: Stop, Drop, and Rock!
Chapter 26: Dance and Sing Like an Egyptian
Chapter 27: Star Struck
Photos
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 © 2015 by Mattel, Inc. All rights reserved. MONSTER HIGH and associated trademarks are owned by and used under license from Mattel, Inc.
In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher is unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at [email protected]. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.
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