Disclaimer: I do not own Monster High or it's characters.
Chapter 3,
The following day, Heath was sure that Toralei was right about everyone moving on to something else. So imagine his discomfort to realize he was still being stared at like some wildfire. He couldn't imagine how in the world this letter business could get worse.
"Ow!" A ghoul walking past Heath tripped and fell hard.
"Oh, let me help you." Heath said grabbing her books and pulling the creature up to her feet.
"Thanks, I can be so clumsy at times, and-" then she stopped and gasped.
"You're Heath Burns." She muttered, a strange fear growing in her eyes.
"I guess I'm more popular then I realized. What was your name?" Heath asked handing the Ghoul her books. She snatched them right out of his hands and this hurt him.
"Stay away from me, I didn't write that letter." She said, running down the hall just to get away from him, and Heath sighed.
"You're welcome." Heath said and Frankie rounded the corner.
"Oh, hey Heath." Frankie said, and paused when he didn't respond right away.
"Heath? You ok?" She asked and she tapped his shoulder which surprised him.
"Frankie, you're here. Next to me. Uh, you're not going to run away from me are you?" He asked shyly and Frankie chuckled.
"You're being paranoid, Heath." Frankie said and Heath's expression dropped for a moment.
"I'm really not." Heath said and Frankie grabbed his sleeve.
"Come on, negative energy. You still got to get to class." Frankie said and Heath walked with her for a bit. He kept his usual smile, but seems like with a girl beside him, he was getting more unwanted attention.
"So, do you think that Stripes will ask you out?" Frankie said and Heath blushed.
"I don't even want to think about that." Heath said, and Frankie looked at him.
"Why not?" She asked and Heath kept glancing around.
"If you haven't noticed, Ghoul-fiend, just one single letter made the whole school look in my direction. I have been so focused on keeping my cool so that I don't flame out. I haven't been thinking of someone, just walking up to me and asking me out." Heath said and Frankie shrugged.
"Well, I guess that makes sense. But still, I kinda like the idea of you finally getting a girlfriend." Frankie said and Heath looked at her.
"Finally?" Heath repeated and Frankie chuckled nervously.
"Just that, I do agree with Stripes that you are a good guy. And you deserve a girlfriend who cares for the best side of you." Frankie said and Heath nodded, though he didn't really feel better.
"I don't get why everyone is so curious as to this whole thing. Stripes didn't say who she liked, but everyone says that it's me. Why does the whole school care?" Heath said and Frankie paused.
"You know, I remember my mom saying that my dad was a different monster when they were dating. So maybe you are a different monster when you're trying to win a girl, then when you are in a relationship with one. My guess is that everyone is curious to see what kind of a boyfriend you would be. And they wouldn't be curious if they didn't care." Frankie said and Heath thought about this.
"The whole school is curious because the whole school cares about me?" Heath summed up Frankie's evaluation.
"Exactly, Heath. Just try to be understanding, ok? And besides, Cupid is bound to get more letters today." Frankie said and Heath smiled.
"You make a lot of sense Frankie. Oh, look, that zombie/unicorn guy is waving at you." Heath said pointing to the hybrid.
"His name is Nathan, Heath." Frankie said as she giggled.
"Nathan is such a normie name. Are you sure that's his actual name." Heath said and Frankie rolled her eyes.
"Oh, you. I'm gonna go say hello. See you in Study Howl?" Frankie asked, though she didn't wait for an answer before leaving the fire element alone.
"I'll be there." Heath whispered and he stopped at his locker and opened it up.
"Me-ouch." He heard someone purr and he adjusted his locker door, and saw Toralei standing there.
"What do you want?" Heath asked, more confused then annoyed.
"Oh, cat's claws are out I see." Toralei said with a low chuckle.
"Sorry." Heath said, not completely sure why he felt the need to say it.
"No, I respect it. Even if I'm the one getting hissed at." Toralei said and Heath rolled his eyes and smiled.
"Seriously though, did you need something, Toralei?" Heath said as he grabbed the books he needed for his Mad Science class.
"Normally I wouldn't care but I have a slight problem at home that my... my, um..." Toralei hesitated slightly, and Heath briefly wondered if she was in trouble.
"My... F.M. thought that you could help with." She finally finished and Heath rose an eyebrow at her.
"F.M?" He questioned and she scoffed.
"The 'lady of the house'." Toralei explained and Heath understood that this was her mother.
"Oh, well what's the problem?" Heath asked and Toralei examined her nails.
"F.M. is doing this charity fundraiser or something like that. She is baking a whole bunch of cookies and cupcakes and stuff, but our oven broke. She knows about you, and thought that you could help her bake." Toralei said and Heath blinked.
"How did she know about me?" Heath said and Toralei shrugged.
"Whose to say. So I'm required to ask, but you don't have to say yes." Toralei said and Heath stared at her for a minute.
"Don't you want me to come over so that she can finish baking?" Heath asked, wondering why she was so neutral about his participation.
"I don't care if she bakes." Toralei simply said and Heath rolled his eyes.
"Whatever. I was planning to go to the mall with Deuce and Clawd after school." Heath said and Toralei's eye twitched.
"Like I said, I don't care." She stared and Heath thought her tough, but pouting expression was kinda cute, so he smiled.
"They really want to look around to help each other find anniversary gifts for their Ghouls. Apparently they are close together so they both keep each other calm. I was just going to tag along, but I can help your mom bake." Heath said and he almost saw a smile on Toralei's face, until he said the word 'mom'.
"Fine, I'll call the F.M. and tell her you're coming over after school." She said and she pulled her phone out of her pocket and dialed a number. Heath looked at her, and remembered the Ghoul who ran away from him earlier. Wasn't she worried that people would think she liked him?
"Hey, Christine... I just talked to him and he has agreed to help out with the baking... uh huh, right after school... 'kay... 'kay..." Toralei looked at Heath and crossed her eyes which made him chuckle.
"Christine, you know what time I'll be home, it's the same as every day... fine, not every day... I'm sure Heath will be a gentleman... I don't know, I never asked... bye." Toralei hung up and shook her head.
"Just so you know, Christine may ask why your parents named you 'Heath'." Toralei warned and Heath blinked.
"Who is Christine?" Heath asked and Toralei shrugged, not really caring.
"Christine is the F.M. Normally I just call her Christine and that's it." Toralei said and Heath nodded.
"Ok, I guess that explains why she wants me to be a gentleman." Heath said and Toralei giggled.
"Oh, that barely has anything to do with you. She's thinking about Rocco. Remember him, from Granite City High?" Toralei asked and Heath nodded.
"The Head Gargoyle on the SKRM team for his school, right?" Heath asked and Toralei smiled.
"Purr-cisely." She said and Heath closed his locker.
"Yeah, he's also your boyfriend. I guess your parents aren't a big fan then." Heath said and Toralei shrugged.
"Rocco and I found attraction in our love of playing dirty. Sometimes Christine and Harry thought we went too far, but we didn't care. So that's why Christine wants to know that your nothing like Rocco." Toralei said and Heath shrugged.
"Ok, I'm your bro, calico." Heath said with a smile and his comment earned an eye roll and a quiet chuckle from Toralei.
"Whatever, flame head." Toralei said and she walked away from him. She probably wasn't going to her class, but the way her tail swished back and forth was quite hypnotizing.
