Song of a Siren; A Monster High Short Story
Chapter 1—First Day
When my parents first told me that I would be going to Monster High, I was nervous. I had been homeschooled my whole life, and now I was going to a regular high school.
I decided to wear my sky-blue dress and my white jacket. I knew that the colors went well with my black hair and blue eyes.
Maybe people will even like me, I thought.
When I arrived at Monster High the next day, I realized that there was a higher chance of me fitting in, because the place was crawling with all kinds of monster kids.
However, I was still nervous. As a Siren, I had a hard time getting a good reputation among monsters. They tended to judge me based on my abilities.
As I walked through the door, I ran into a girl. She was wearing a pink outfit, carrying a pink umbrella, and I could see the tips of her fangs coming from her mouth.
"Sorry," I said, "I wasn't watching where I was going."
"It's okay," she told me, "Are you new? I haven't seen you around before. Do you need help with anything?"
"Yeah," I answered, "Could you show me around?"
"Sure," she replied, "I'm Draculaura, by the way."
"Nice to meet you," I said, "I'm Calypso. Calypso Windwing."
Chapter 2—Creepeteria
As the day went by, Draculaura told me how Monster High worked, and she answered my questions. She even introduced me to her friends.
There was Frankie Stein (daughter of Frankenstein), Clawdeen Wolf (daughter of the Werewolf), Lagoona Blue (daughter of the Sea Monster), Cleo DeNile (daughter of the Mummy), Ghoulia Yelps (daughter of the Zombie), and Deuce Gorgon (son of Medusa and Cleo's boyfriend). They were all extremely friendly, and they helped show me around Monster High.
When lunchtime came around, Draculaura and her friends invited me to sit with them in the Creepeteria.
"Sure," I told them, "I would be glad to."
While we were eating, I started to wonder if I should tell them what I was. I didn't want them to hate me, but I wanted to be honest with them. I was also getting too warm, but I didn't want to take off my jacket.
Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned around, and saw a boy with red hair and a biker jacket standing behind me.
"What's up?" he said, giving me a smile, "Name's Burns. Heath Burns. Are you new here?"
"Please get your hand off my shoulder," I said calmly, "and leave me alone."
"Come on," he said, taking his hand off my shoulder, "Just give me a chance."
"Apparently, you missed the leave-me-alone part of that statement," I said, starting to get irritated, "It means I'm not interested."
"There's no need to be rude," he said, but I'd had enough. I turned to face him.
"Go away," I sang, "Leave me alone."
His eyes became unfocused, and he turned and walked away. I felt guilty for treating him like that, but you do what you have to when people won't listen.
"What did you do to him?" Cleo asked.
Chapter 3—Confession
Oh, droppings, I thought. The other ghouls were staring at me as if I had become a hydra.
"I just..." I started, but my voice trailed off, and I looked down at my feet.
"What?" Frankie asked, "What's wrong?"
"It's hard to explain," I answered, "Everyone else that I've told has run away."
"We won't do that, love," Lagoona told me, "We'll understand."
Ghoulia groaned something, which I barely understood because of my Zombie studies:
"Here at Monster High, everyone is accepted. Freaky flaws and all."
"Are you sure?" I asked hesitantly. She nodded.
I took a deep breath, said a silent prayer that everything would go okay, and I took off my jacket.
All of the ghouls gasped as I unfolded my wings. They were pitch black, and a bit longer than my arms.
"I'm a Siren," I told them, "When I sang to Heath, it put him in a trance."
Then, to make sure they didn't freak out, I quickly added, "I can control it, so it doesn't happen every time I sing."
But the others weren't focused on my explanation.
"Clawsome wings, ghoul," said Clawdeen.
"Yeah," said Cleo, "Why in the name of Ra didn't you tell us sooner?"
"I was embarrassed," I said, blushing. I couldn't believe how they were acting. They weren't judging me because of what monster I was.
This has got to be a dream, I thought, but it's a good dream.
Chapter 4—Interest and Confrontation
At that moment, a boy walked into the Creepeteria. He was wearing a yellow shirt, a plaid sleeveless jacket, jeans, and tennis shoes.
But the look in his eyes was startling. It was a look of extreme intelligence, yet it hinted at an unusual wildness. In short, it was mystery, and it left me feeling curious.
"Um, Calypso?" Draculaura said, bringing me back to reality.
"Sorry," I said, "I just got distracted for a second."
"By what?" Frankie asked, "A boy?"
I blushed harder.
"I do believe that's a yes," Cleo said, but her tone of voice told me that she wasn't being mean on purpose.
"Well, who was it?" Clawdeen asked, "Maybe we could introduce you to him."
"If you must know, it was the boy that just walked in," I told them.
They turned around to look, and when they saw who I was talking about, their reactions were immediate.
Draculaura, Clawdeen, Lagoona, and Cleo exchanged a look. Ghoulia's eyes widened.
As for Frankie, all she said was "Not a good idea."
"I'm guessing you two have a history?" I asked.
"Yeah," she said, "He's… a bit of a handful."
"He seemed nice," I said, shrugging.
"Why don't you go talk to him?" Cleo asked.
"That'd be too embarrassing," I said, "Besides, what would I say?"
"Start with 'hi' and 'how are you'" Draculaura said, and with that, the other ghouls pushed me out of my seat and in his direction. I realized there was no backing out of this.
Halfway to the table, a girl with orange-and-black hair and cat whiskers jumped in my way.
"Excuse me," I said, trying to get around her, but she blocked my way again.
"So, you're the new ghoul?" she asked, and I could instantly tell by her tone of voice that we were not going to get along.
"Yes," I said, "Why?"
"Well," she said, "I heard that you have a to-die-for voice."
"What do you want, cat?" I asked, getting irritated.
"I just wanted to hear you sing," she answered, but I could tell that she wasn't telling me the whole truth.
"I don't know what you heard, but I'm not some performing songbird that you can get to charm stuff out of people," I told her.
As I maneuvered my way around her, she grabbed my arm and hissed, "Who do you think you're talking to?"
"A bully with a terrible outfit and tuna breath. Now, let go of me."
She hissed at me, but she released my arm and walked off.
"Well, that was impressive," said a voice behind me.
Chapter 5—Who Is He?
I turned to see the mystery boy standing there.
"Um... hi," I said, "Who was that, by the way?"
"Her name's Toralei," he answered, "and my name's Jackson."
"I'm Calypso." I replied.
"What did Toralei want anyway?" he asked.
"She wanted me to be her songbird," I answered, "I'm a Siren."
"Oh," he said, "I'll bet your singing's amazing. I wish I could hear it."
"Why not?" I asked, "I can control my trance-singing, so I could sing for you right now."
"It won't do any good," he said with a pained expression on his face.
At that moment, a kid passed by with music blasting loudly from his ICoffin. It was some heavy-metal song, and I had to cover my ears.
Then I noticed Jackson had covered his ears too, but by the look on his face, it was as if someone had stuck a red-hot iron in him.
"Jackson, are..." I started to ask, but my voice trailed off as he began to change.
His skin turned blue, his hair got spikier and turned red, and instead of his regular clothes, he was wearing a red leather jacket, a black shirt, jeans, and red shoes. A pair of headphones was on his ears, and the look in his eyes was completely wild.
When he saw me, a smile appeared on his face, and he said, "Hey."
"Umm... hey," I said, "What happened to you?"
"What do you mean?" he asked, his voice and eyes telling me that he wasn't joking.
"Jackson, you're starting to scare..." I said, but he cut me off.
"Hold on. You were talking with Jackson?" he asked.
"Aren't you Jackson?" I asked.
"Let's just say I'm Jackson's other half," he said, "I'm Holt. Holt Hyde."
Oh, he's the son of Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde, I thought.
Aloud, I said, "I'm Calypso. Nice to meet you, Holt."
"Nice wings, by the way," he told me.
"Thanks," I said, blushing, "I already told Jackson this, but I'm a Siren."
"A Siren?" he asked, "NICE!"
I had to smile at that remark. His wildness was cute.
Maybe Monster High will be interesting after all, I thought.
Chapter 6—New Friends
As the days passed, Monster High did become more interesting.
All of the ghouls I'd met on my first day told me everything I needed to know to survive in this school, like what classes were with what teacher, what teachers gave this amount of homework, and (most importantly) who was with what monster.
Jackson/Holt and I also grew closer as the days passed. When he was Jackson, we talked about books, homework, the newest movies, everything. When he was Holt, we went to the Maul, played music, or just did whatever we felt like doing. (Except for the time when he wanted to prank Mr. Rotter. Then I put my foot down.)
Then, three months later, I found another musical friend.
I had decided to go into the catacombs, and… well, I got a bit lost. Eventually, I came across a space that looked like it had been used recently. An organ was in the corner of the room, and there were posters of an opera woman everywhere.
Suddenly, I heard someone clear their throat behind me. I turned to see a redheaded ghoul with a face tattoo and music-note shoes standing there. On her shoulder was a spider wearing glasses.
"Howdy there, ma'am," she said with a smile, "How can I help ya?"
"Hi," I replied, "Sorry, I got lost. I didn't realize this was your place."
"That's all right," she said, "You're welcome to come any time you like. I'm Operetta."
"I'm Calypso," I said,"I take it you're a fan of music?"
"All my life," she said, "My daddy's the Phantom of the Opera, so..."
"No way!" I said, "My parents are big fans of his work."
Then, when confusion flickered across her face, I added, "Chloris and Jason Windwing. They teach music."
"You're a Siren?" she asked; evidently, she knew my parents.
"Yeah," I said nervously, "Is that a bad thing?"
"Why, no," she said cheerfully, "I wish there were more Sirens around. I'd been thinkin' about startin' my own band, but there ain't many musical people around."
"I can think of someone else," I told her, "Holt Hyde. My… boyfriend."
"Well, then," she said, "maybe we can start a group after all."
Chapter 7—Group Members
I found Holt sitting on the front steps jamming on his guitar.
"Holt!" I called, and he looked up.
"Cally!" he said, smiling, "Wanna hear my new song?"
"Actually, there's something I need to talk to you about," I said, "I just met up with Operetta, and she's thinking about starting a band. Would you want to be in it?"
His eyes lit up, and he played a quick riff on his guitar.
"Count me in!" he said.
Quickly, we raced down to the catacombs, and when we arrived, I saw that Operetta had found someone else.
She was chatting with a ghost-boy with blue hair and a serious expression. He was carrying a fiddle.
When she saw us, she said, "Johnny, this is Calypso, the Siren I told ya about. Calypso, this is Johnny Spirit."
"What's up?" he said.
"Nice to meet you," I responded, "So, Operetta, what are we doing first?"
"Well... um..." Operetta said, looking at her shoes.
"You don't know, do you?" I asked, noticing the expression on her face.
"No, not really," she admitted, "I kinda thought you'd have some ideas."
"I'm not the leader," I pointed out, "This was your idea to start with."
"Yeah, but… I'm not the leadin' type."
"You want me to be the leader, don't you?" I asked, quickly identifying the hint she was dropping.
"Please?" she asked, and the others nodded as well.
Shrugging, I said, "Sure."
Chapter 8—Group Talents
"Okay, the first thing we need to do is find what we can contribute to the group," I said, "Johnny, can you play anything besides the fiddle?"
"I can play guitar," he said, "but not very well."
"I can teach you if you want," Holt said, looking up from his own guitar.
"Sounds good," Johnny said.
"What about you, Operetta?" I asked.
"Only thing I can play is my organ," she told me sheepishly.
"Do you think you can figure out how to play an electronic keyboard?" I asked, "That's sort of similar to an organ."
"I can try, but I can't make no promises."
"And Holt," I said, turning to him, "What can you play?"
"Guitar, a DJ table, and the drums," he said.
"Drums work," I said, "We'll need the beat."
"What'll you do?" Operetta asked.
"I can sing," I told her, "I never learned how to play any instruments."
"Well, one of us could teach you," Johnny said, "if you want to learn."
"Maybe later," I said, "but not for the group. I don't want to mess us up."
The others nodded, and I took a deep breath.
Time to make some music.
Chapter 9—Progress
A month later, we were making regular progress. Johnny finally got a hang of the guitar, Operetta took to the keyboard like a bird to air, and Holt just about slayed the drums every time he sat down in front of them. Eventually, we decided on a group name: New Heights.
Then, one week before Halloween, we got called to the headmistress' office. Nobody could figure out why, but from the tone of the message, it probably wasn't good.
"I'm nervous," I said as we walked down the hallway.
"I'm sure we'll be fine," Johnny said, "She probably won't have anything bad to say."
I wasn't so sure, but I nodded anyway.
When we entered her office, Headmistress Bloodgood looked up from her paperwork.
"So," she said, "I've been hearing rumors that you four are participating in a music group. Is this true?"
We all nodded.
"Who's in charge of this group?" she asked.
"I am," I said, "Why? Are you mad at us?"
"No," she said with a smile, "In fact, I'm very proud of you, and I wanted to ask if your group could perform next week."
I was shocked. We were really moving up.
"Sure," I said, "We should have something ready by then."
Chapter 10—Problems
The first thing we decided to perform was the Monster High Fright Song (mostly out of respect for our school). But then we ran into a problem.
"Seriously?" I asked, "Frighter's block chooses now to show up? This bite's worse than a vampire."
"Cally, calm down," Holt said, "I'm sure that something will come up. In the meantime, there's no use tearing out your feathers about it."
"I just hate not having a song," I told him, "It makes me feel…"
"Guys, I think we all need a distraction," Johnny interrupted. The others nodded.
"I can't," I said, "Nothing will work."
Johnny and the others exchanged a look. Then, as one, they all stood up.
"Sorry, Cal gal," Operetta said, "but there ain't no other option."
And with that, they dragged me out of the catacombs as I screamed, "Hey, let go! Guys, cut it out! HEY, WATCH THE WINGS! I NEED THOSE TO FLY, YOU KNOW!"
The day before Halloween, we still hadn't found anything else to perform.
"You're stressing about it too much," Holt told me.
"Focus on something else," Johnny suggested, "What's your favorite thing to do besides making music?"
"Flying," I answered automatically, "It makes me feel free."
"Tell ya what," Operetta said, "Why don't ya go for a short flight? We'll stay down here and practice."
Chapter 11—Inspired By The Wind
As soon as I took off from the ground, I laughed; it felt like a weight was falling off of me.
Looking down, I saw Lagoona and her boyfriend, Gil, racing in the outdoor pool, and I noticed the football team practicing on the field.
I sighed. This was how I wanted to feel all the times I had to stay indoors or take a test in Clawculus.
I'm a Siren, I thought, and I belong in the air.
Then, like lightning, it hit me.
I know what to write about!
"Wow," Holt said, "How'd you come up with that one?"
"It just... came to me," I said, "It needs some work, but it's something."
"I know I like it," Johnny said, "We'll knock 'em dead with it."
"Then let's get ready for tomorrow," I said.
"You're right," Operetta said, "What'll we wear? Do we need matchin' outfits? Should we…"
"Operetta," I said, "It's okay. I know a few ghouls we can talk to."
Chapter 12—The Big Day
It was the day of Halloween, and we needed to get ready.
For outfits, we went to Wydowna Spider (daughter of Arachne and amazing seamstress), and for shoes, we talked to Marisol Coxi (daughter of Bigfoot and a foreign exchange student).
Our outfits were composed of pitch-black clothes with white symbols on them (mine had falling feathers, Operetta and Johnny had music notes, and Holt had flames).
I knew that this was the moment we had all prepared for, and I was excited.
Then, five minutes before we were supposed to perform, I peeked out from behind the curtain in the Vampitheater.
What I saw made my smile and confidence drop.
There, in the front row, were my parents. They were staring at the curtain, and they weren't smiling.
I backed away from the curtain, and the other group members immediately surrounded me.
"What's wrong, Cal gal?" Operetta asked.
"My parents are here," I whispered.
The others seemed to sense that I was afraid, because Holt wrapped his arms around me, Johnny whispered, "It's going to be okay", and Operetta said "If ya want, we can ask 'em to step out."
"They won't step out," I told her, "Not for a concert."
"Is there a problem?" Invisibilly (son of the Invisible Man) asked as he prepared to raise the curtain.
I almost told him that I was worried about my parents. But I knew that I had to snap out of it, because this was one concert that couldn't be called off.
"I'm fine," I said, "Come on, guys. It's time to knock 'em dead."
Chapter 13—Concerts and New Songs
The curtain rose, and the audience grew quiet.
"Monster High," I said into the microphone, "Are you ready?"
I heard several cheers.
"Then get ready to fly with New Heights!" I hollered.
After we finished the Fright Song, the audience applauded so hard, I could feel it thumping in my heart. But I also noticed something else.
My parents weren't even clapping. They just sat there in their seats, frowning.
My shock quickly dissolved, because the audience was starting to settle down. It was time for our second song.
Operetta started to play on her keyboard, and I took a deep breath, feeling my fears drop away as I did so:
"Chained life
It's the same life
That we're living.
Old life
Just a cold life
On the ground.
Time to spread your wings
And rise up
Take a chance
And rise up
When people say you can't.
Just spread your wings and fly.
Let your dreams take to the sky.
So don't be afraid
To rise up."
Chapter 14—After-Effects
For a few minutes after the song ended, nobody moved.
Then the Vampitheater erupted into applause.
Well, except for my parents. If anything, their frowns got bigger.
As the curtain came back down, Holt turned back into Jackson. A confused look came to his face, and he asked, "What's going on? What did Holt do this time?"
"Jackson, everything's okay," I told him, "Holt's part of a band, and we just finished a performance."
"Oh," he said, relaxing, "Okay, then."
Suddenly, I saw Operetta's face shift from triumphant to slightly worried.
Seconds later, I heard someone call out "Calypso Windwing!"
Droppings, I thought. It was my parents.
I turned to the others and said, "I'll be right back." Then I walked over to where my parents were waiting.
"Yes?" I asked.
"Calypso," my mother asked, "why didn't you tell us you were in a band?"
"Because I didn't know that you would be interested in hearing us," I replied.
"Well," said my father, "It's time to say goodbye to your… group. We're leaving."
"Actually, we were just about to head over to the Coffin Bean," I said. We weren't, but I noticed the look he was giving my friends. It was the same look that he gave any of his non-Siren students: disgust, like they were contaminating the world with their unacceptable music.
"No, you aren't," he said, "We're going home. Now."
"Dad," I said, not even bothering to hide my irritation, "they're my friends, and I'm not just going to abandon them. Especially not after all we've been doing."
"And what would that be?" I could hear the fire behind his words.
"We practice. We get to know each other. And, more importantly," I said, "we have fun."
"Music is serious business, Calypso," Dad said, "and you're treating it like it's a game."
"Jason…" Mom started, but Dad held up his hand.
"Chloris, let me handle this," he said, "Calypso, if this behavior won't stop, you will be punished."
"Go ahead," I said, "but I won't sing anymore if I have to leave this group."
Chapter 15—Horror and Disgrace
Both of my parents stopped, and looks of horror crossed their faces.
There are several things that a Siren hates, and complete silence is one of them. And when I say complete silence, I mean the kind of quiet that comes before a storm. Dead quiet.
I knew I would hate going quiet, but for my parents, this threat would hit home in two places: their Siren natures, and their prides.
"You'll sing when I tell you to sing!" Dad thundered, but even I could hear the fear and doubt in his voice.
"Jason," Mom said, "We should go now. People are starting to stare."
Indeed, a large crowd had gathered.
"Very well," Dad said, "We'll discuss this when we get home."
And I knew that there was no arguing about this one.
As soon as we got inside, Dad turned to me.
"I will not tolerate any more of this behavior, young chick," he said, "I don't want you spending any more time with those…amateurs."
"Dad," I said calmly, "They aren't amateurs; they're my friends."
"Calypso," Mom said gently, "your father's just trying…"
"Chloris," Dad interrupted, "let me handle this."
"Leave her alone, Dad," I said, "She doesn't deserve that."
"Do not speak to me in that tone of voice!" Dad roared.
And that's when my patience snapped.
Chapter 16—A Decision
I flew upstairs and grabbed two suitcases. Then I rushed into my room and started packing up my clothes, music books, and my silver collection (which was mostly comprised of coins, hairpins, and jewelry).
Once I was finished packing, I flew downstairs.
"What are you doing?" Dad asked.
"I'm leaving!" I yelled, "And I'm not coming back! I can't live in this CAGE anymore!"
Mom and Dad both stopped where they were.
"Calypso," Mom said softly, "think about what you're doing."
"I did," I said, "And this is my decision."
"Fine," Dad said, "Get out of here, and don't come back."
I nodded at him, and then I turned to Mom.
"I love you," I told her, "I always will. But I can't live like this anymore."
She nodded, tears flowing down her cheeks.
Then I picked up my suitcases and left the house.
Chapter 17—Better Future?
When I arrived at Monster High, I set my bags down on the steps and sat down next to them.
Now what? I thought.
Suddenly, I heard a cough behind me, and I turned to see Operetta standing behind me.
"Hey," I said, "What are you still doing here? Shouldn't you be at home?"
"I am, Cal gal," she said, "The catacombs ain't just a rehearsal space; I live down there."
Then, noticing my suitcases, she asked, "What happened?"
"I had to leave," I said.
"But don't'cha have somewhere else to go?"
"No. Not anymore."
"Well," she asked, "do ya wanna stay with me awhile?"
"I'd love to," I said, "but I don't want to take up too much room."
"Ya won't be," she said, "Promise."
"Okay, then," I said, giving her a smile.
"Ya want any help with your stuff?"
I nodded, and she picked up one of the suitcases.
As we walked inside, I couldn't help but smile. I might have been pushed away by my parents, but I had stood up for what I believed in.
And, in the end, I knew that that was what mattered.