It was a beautiful morning in Midtown and Sarah Schneider was getting ready for the first day of school.
The first day at Gravedale High School.
Not too long ago, Sarah just arrived at Midtown and was anything but thrilled. Then Sarah went to the morbid old school after being challenged by a local bully.
That's when Sarah discovered the terrifying secret that it's really a school for monsters by monsters and the staff are monsters too!
Well, except for her uncle, Maxwell Scheider, who's the only human teacher at Gravedale High. And Sarah was going to be the first human student!
A week ago, Sarah went to school early with her uncle to meet Headmistress Crone to discuss her transfer. In her office, the witch-like monstress sat on her chair stroking a green cat with tire marks on it's body. "This is highly unusual, Mr. Schneider. Never have we had a human student at my beloved Gravedale." Headmistress Crone said as she stroked the undead cat. "But I see potential in you, young lady." Crone grinned, her lips curled over her yellow teeth. "Don't disappoint me."
Sarah nodded and smiled politely, she was a little spooked, but she had to be strong. It was her choice to come here after all.
Headmistress Crone got up and extended her hand, which was made of metal. "Welcome to Gravedale, Sarah Schneider."
"Thank you." Sarah shook the metal hand, which detached and clamped onto to Sarah's wrist.
After reattaching her iron appendage back onto her arm, Crone showed the two humans out.
"I hope you know what you're doing, Sarah." her uncle said.
"Well, don't get me wrong. I am a little nervous, but I'll be fine." However, it was a mixed bag for Sarah. She was excited to attending a school with the monster kids she befriended, but she also felt it would be hard to fit in with the monsters who aren't her friends.
The day had finally come. Sarah's first day of school. Her uncle offered to drive her to school, which she humbly accepted. As they drove through Gravedale, which was made up of multiple cemeteries, Sarah was getting more and more anxious, she couldn't tell if she was nervous or excited.
Maybe it was both.
"I must say, Sarah. I'm impressed you decided to enroll here than at a human school." Max said. "I'm proud of you."
Sarah smiled. "Thanks, Uncle Max."
They pulled into the faculty parking lot. When they got out of the car, Sarah spotted the parking spot sign for Max, a tombstone that read: Here Parks Max Schneider. Beloved Teacher.
"Wow." Sarah said. "That's very...thoughtful of them."
"I know, it may not be your average parking spot, but it's truly an honor." Max said. He and Sarah walked up to the school, where she saw a hearse shaped bus with a basic black paintjob. When the doors opened, Sarah got a wide eyeful of her fellow students. There was a floating brain with glasses, a girl that greatly resembled a pig, like an animal hybrid. A cyclops, a four armed cheerleader with books in one set of arms and pompoms in the other.
'Whoa.' Sarah thought as she wore a blank stare. 'This is gonna be some year...'
"Hey, hey, hey! It's Saaaarah Schneider!" someone belted in a Fat Albert voice.
Sarah grew a wide smile and her fears just blew right past her. "Sid!" She ran up to the invisible kid who came out of the bus. "Good to see you!" She scanned him. "Or not see you!"
"Very funny, Sarah." Sid replied. "But there's only room for one class clown in town!"
"Don't worry about it, Sid." said Sarah. "You can have the spotlight."
Sarah was happy to have Sid for a friend and vice versa. To him, life's a big stage and he's the comedian performing on it. So Sarah can always count on Sid to brighten things up. "Ready for the first day?" Sid asked.
"You bet!" Sarah said. She was hardly afraid now. She and Sid walked inside school together. The first thing Sarah noted;
"Is that a sarcophagus?" She spotted said sarcophagus standing against a wall.
Sid nodded. "Yup, you might wanna hold your breath."
On cue, the sarcophagus opened and inside was a pudgy mummy covered in grayed wrappings wearing sunglasses, a brown coat and a necktie with traditional Egyptian symbols on it. He coughed and Sarah felt her nose hairs curl, that mummy had the foulest smelling breath she ever smelled.
The mummy staggered towards Sarah. "Well, well! You must be Schneider's niece! I've heard so much about you. You're exactly as he described." His voice sounded as old as his wrappings looked.
Sarah nodded as she held her breath, covering her nose.
"My name is Mr. Tutner. Welcome to Gravedale High." he wheezed. "Have a good day." Once he walked away, Sarah rushed to an open window and inhaled some very needed fresh air.
"Geez! I thought I was gonna pass out from that stench!" Sarah said when she pulled her head back in.
"I know, Tutner's two-thousand year old breath can make an army of skunks surrender!" Sid said.
Once they arrived at their classroom, there was no one to be seen.
"Guess we're here early." Sid said. He took Sasha by the wrist and took her to the middle seat in the back row. "Sit here, you'll be right next to Vinnie Stoker." He gave Sarah a nudge.
"What?!" Sarah felt nervous again. Vinnie Stoker was a vampire who Sarah had a huge crush on. "I can't sit there!"
"You better not or you're dead!" snapped a vicious voice.
Sarah jumped, almost knocking into Sid. She turned and gasped. It was a girl with blue skin, yellow eyes that stared right though her soul, and a stylish outfit. But what Sarah was really staring at were the three snakes on her head that were pulled up into a high ponytail.
"What are you looking at?" the snake-haired girl sneered. Her snakes hissed at the stunned girl.
"Uh, nothing!" Sarah said quickly. She slipped into her seat.
"Hey! That's my seat, kid!" Snake hair said loudly. "And what are you doing here anyway? This is Gravedale High, not Human High!"
"Yo, back off, Duzer." said the cool voice of Vinnie Stoker as he came through the window. He landed before Duzer. "She's new here. This is Schneider's niece, remember?"
"Then what's she doing here?!" Duzer said.
"She happens to be a student here, Duzer." Mr. Schneider said as he walked in. "And I hope you'll treat her like any other student here."
"What?! A human student at a monster school?!" Duzer shouted.
"Yeah! What's up with that, man?!" said a bratty boy's voice.
Sarah looked back and fourth. "Who said that?"
"Down here, Human dweeb!"
Sarah looked down and jumped again. It looked like Frankenstein, only he was midget sized. But he still had the green skin, flattop head, and sunken eyes.
Vinnie patted Sarah on the back. "Don't worry about Frankentyke." he said. "The little guy's all bark and no bite."
"What?! Come over here and say that, man!" Frankentyke challenged, waving his green fists in the air.
"That's enough, class!" Max shouted. But his plea fell on deaf ears.
Sarah felt her skin crawl when she felt a slimy hand on her shoulder. "Hey! Are you the human dudette that Teacher dude was telling us about?!" Sarah looked over and had to let out a yelp. It was a tall, well-built lagoon creature covered in saturated green scales. It looked like he just emerged from the swamp. "Name's Gil Waterman." Gil took out a pizza box. "Here! Brought you a little welcoming pizza from Papa Igor's!"
Sarah kindly took the pizza box and opened it. She almost barfed. The pizza's toppings were live snails, seaweed, and other things Sarah didn't even want to know about. "Uh, I don't know what to say..."
A lanky werewolf nerd with red hair came up to Sarah. "You must be Sarah! It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Reggie Moonshroud. Vinnie told me a lot about you!"
"He did?!" Sarah said, feeling warm.
"Why, I do declare! If it isn't sweet ol' Sarah!" Blanche the zombie Southern Belle said, walking in with a blue gnome-like monster. "Sarah, this is J.P. Ghastly the III, the wealthiest monster in school."
"Yes. How do you do, human?" J.P. said.
His eerie little voice made Sarah gulp. But she smiled sweetly anyway. "I do well. Nice to meet you, J.P."
Mr. Schneider clapped his hands together. "Well, now that everyone is acquainted, let's take our seats and get started, huh?"
Just then, an obese, pigtailed mummy girl rushed into the classroom. In her rush, she stepped on one of her own wrappings and fell face first on the floor.
"Oooh! Total wipeout!" Gil said.
"Guys! She could be seriously hurt!" Sarah replied. She rushed to the mummy's aid. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, sort of." the mummy girl groaned. "Hey! You're that girl Mr. Schneider told us about! I can't believe they let you in as a student!" She got up and adjusted her round glasses. "I'm Cleofatra."
Sarah frowned a little. Cleofatra sounded more like an insult than a name.
Once Cleofatra arrived, class was now in session. It was a bit difficult for Sarah. Her uncle tried to keep Vinnie from resting his boots on his desk, Frankentyke was shooting spitballs at Reggie, Duzer and Blanche were admiring themselves in their mirrors, Sid cracked a few jokes here and there while Gil was munching down on Sarah's pizza.
But all and all, Sarah was actually enjoying her class.
Once class was over and it was time for lunch, Sarah was sitting next to Sid and Blanche. "So, what are you guys having?" Sarah asked.
"My homemade Monster Gumbo." Blanche said.
"Peanut butter and jellyfish sandwich." said Sid. "Want some?"
"No, thanks." Sarah replied, regretting her question. She was about to dig into her pudding cup when a big, burly, thuggish looking zombie walked towards their table. Behind him were more thuggish monsters in football uniforms.
"So, the rumors are true." the zombie bellowed. "That human Schneider let one of his own in here."
"She shouldn't be here." a gargoyle jock said.
"Well, she's here now, isn't she?" Vinnie said. "So get used to it, Nardo."
"Tryin' to start somethin', Stoker?" Nardo said, jabbing his finger at Vinnie.
Mr. Schneider stepped in between the two. "That's enough! Break it up!"
The zombie grabbed Schneider by his shirt collar. "Hey! You don't tell one of my students what to do, Schneider."
"Leave our teacher alone, Coach Cadaver!" Duzer barked. "And the same goes for your traveling circus!"
Coach Cavader sneered. "Yeah? Or what?"
"Or you'll have to deal with me." Sarah said, standing up with her fists balled up.
The coach looked at his jocks, the they all laughed. The coach laughed so hard, he dropped Mr. Schneider.
"Oh, man! That's hilarious!" Nardo doubled over.
"Not only are humans dumb, they're funny too!"
"Stop laughing at my niece!" Mr. Schneider ordered.
"Pipe down, human!" The coach raised his cleat to stomp on the teacher, but then Sarah knocked the zombie off his feet with a judo sweep.
Everyone gasped. Sarah just casually tossed her hair aside.
Coach Cadaver got back up, he was boiling mad. "WHY YOU LITTLE!" He charged at Sarah like a raging bull.
But Sarah was unfazed. As quick as a flash, she grabbed the coach by his arm and hurled him over like it was nothing.
Now Nardo and the jocks were mad. "Let's get her!"
If only they didn't.
Max and his students watched with their mouths hanging open as Sarah took down each member of Coach Cadaver's team one by one. She slammed, kicked and thrashed through them all until they were completely down.
The lunchroom was quiet. No one made a sound until Coach Cadaver struggled himself up and yelped when he saw his whole football team defeated.
Sarah stomped her foot forward, making the coach flinch. She looked at him straight in the eye and said, "Leave my uncle alone, understand?"
"Y-Y-Yes, Ma'am!" Cadaver whimpered. He ran over to Mr. Schneider and helped him off the floor. Cadaver even dusted him off before running away.
As soon as he left, the stunned students gaped at Sarah. She felt horrible. "Are you alright, Uncle Max?"
"I'm...fine, Sarah." Max said, adjusting his glasses as if he couldn't believe what he'd just seen.
Gil finally broke the tension. "Whoa! That was totally righteous, Dudette!"
"Yeah, man! You totally creamed Coach Cadaver!" Frankentyke said. "You flipped him over like a flapjack!"
Even Duzer was impressed. "Is she a cool human or what?!"
Sid grabbed Sarah's arm and held it in the air. "Ladies and gentleman; we have an unexpected champion! Give it up for the one, the only, Sarah Schneider!"
Most of the kids applauded. Sarah, however, sulked and dipped her head, pulling her arm our of Sid's grip. Everyone stopped applauding.
"Yo, what's the matter, Sarah?" Vinnie asked.
"You know why." Sarah's sad sadly. "I shouldn't have done that."
"Why not? You did it to protect me, Sarah." Max said.
"I know, but I didn't want anyone to know that I can do Karate." Sarah began. "Back at my old school, when bullies tried to beat me up, the tables were always turned and they backed off. But at the same time, everyone else else backed off."
"What do you mean?" asked Blanche.
"I mean that everyone at my old school was afraid of me."
"Afraid of you?!" everyone said.
Sarah nodded. "They thought it was weird for a girl like me to fight like I just did. I never wanted to take Karate. But my dad taught me since he used to work in the police force before he passed away." Sarah sniffled. "I never wanted anyone to be afraid of me. I just wanted to fit in with everyone else. But I can't even do that here." She covered her face in shame.
Then a friendly hand touched her shoulder. Sarah turned and saw that it belonged to Vinnie. "Well, I'm not afraid of ya."
"You're not?!" Sarah gasped. Normally, cute boys would be terrified of Sarah.
"Yeah, me neither, Sarah!" Sid included. "I think you're amazing!"
"We all do, Sarah!" Cleofatra said.
Vinnie grinned. "So what if ya know how to fight? I can fly with a snap of my fingers." Vinnie did just that, snapped his fingers and his wings appeared.
"And I'm an invisible comic." Sid said.
"You see, Sarah? Everyone is different here." Mr. Schneider said. "Even me, I'm a human who teaches at a monster school and enjoys it."
Sarah looked around and smiled. Everyone was different, and even if they were, she felt she belonged here at Gravedale.
Vinnie put a hand on Sarah's shoulder. "I gotta say, Sarah. You're pretty cool."
Sarah got that melty feeling in her heart again. "Thanks, Vinnie." she breathed out.
"By the way, class," Mr. Schneider said. "there will be a pop quiz after lunch."
Everyone groaned, Sarah as well.
Yep, she was fitting in just fine.