Chapter 3

Romulus rested his hand to his ghoul friend's upper arm, offering a smile of warmth. In his dark emerald green eyes was softness.
"Well then, I guess there's no stopping you, huh?" he said, his voice forever cool and somewhat husky, yet soothing.
"Sorry," Chastity said, apologizing sincerely. She pressed her black binder closer against her breast, an expression of sadness settling on her face. "It's just that I really wanted to go and see what the Chess Club was like this afternoon. I hadn't planned on canceling our afterschool date like this…"
A laugh escaped Romulus, a smile of amusement appeared on his face. His hand removed itself from Chastity's arm and fell on her head. He gave her a gentle pet. She'd only be this feminine around him…
For a moment he recalled that strong dominant bravado he'd once seen that seemed to make her usual character so bold. He wondered how such a strong ghoul could go through such a dramatic change. "It's alright. We'll have another chance to go on a date, won't we?"
"Of course," Chastity said, lifting her face so that he could see the bright hopeful smile on her face that seemed to mark something like a promise. "Once I manage my schedule, maybe?"
"Sounds like a date to me," Romulus said, poking Chastity nose with his index finger. He chuckled when her eyes crossed.
She gave his arm a playful slap. "Don't laugh!"
"Alright, alright," Romulus put his hands up in defense. A teasing grin lightening his expression. "Anyway, I better get goin' – I'm gonna stop by Crasketball practice and see if the guys will let me take back my canceled practice time."
"You canceled your practice time just for me?" Chastity asked, her eyes wide with awe. She gave his arm another slap. "Don't go doing things like that! You have your first game of the year is in a few more weeks; you'll probably need all the practice you can get! Well, that and your team probably needs you."
"And with that said, I'll be on my way. I'll see you later Chad." Romulus said, pecking her cheek. He gave a wave as he left.
Chastity waved back, her other hand pressed lightly against her cheek. She smiled softly at the kiss on her cheek, somewhat dazed. She was thankful to have had a boyfriend, one much different from all her other past boyfriends.
"Why does everyone but me get to call you Chad?" a familiar voice sounded, irrupting Chastity's daydreaming.
Her dazed expression turned to one of announce as she glance over to her best monster friend, her eyes coldly glaring. She put her waving hand down, embarrassed. "Where did you come from?"
"Over there," the skeletal being blinked his eyes innocently, putting up his thumb to point behind him. "I was waiting until he left because I didn't want to interrupt you're moment."
"Ah, I see…" the vampire said quietly, her face turning a light shade of red. She folded her arms, rolling her eyes. Somehow she felt like she'd been a child who got caught doing something bad. "Well whatever I guess. Not like there was a moment to irrupt anyway."
"Alright then." The skeletal being shrugged his purple hooded shoulders lazily, following alongside his vampire bestie as she began to walk. "So where are we headed?"
"Weren't you listening? I'm joining the chess club today." The vampire, glancing over to her childhood friend.
"Oh." His skull of a head nodded, causing his braces to flicker and gleam. "Cool."
"Shut up, Brace-Face." Chastity said, walking somewhat faster. Her face reddened. What was the point of spying if he wasn't listening?
Not only had he caught her acting more feminine than she normally would, but he also made her repeat her plans.
Somehow, her embarrassment grew.

"The Chess Club isn't in this room?" Chastity questioned. "I thought I had the location right, I could've sworn this was the correct classroom. I guess not…"
Brace-Face gave a shrug. "Maybe there's just no Chess Club today, or something."
"Maybe," Chastity mumbled, staring down at the yellow tablet paper in her hand. On it claimed that Chess Club met every Wednesday from three ten to five o' clock. "But today's Wednesday and the Chess Club always meet up on Wednesday…"
"They're busy having their first year's tournament." announced an informative, nasally and yet conceited voice.
"First year's tournament?" Chastity asked, turning to the snobby nasally voice that she seemed to know so well. To her unpleasant surprise, it'd been the same exact monster she guessed it would be. "What do you mean, Gordon?"
The young pale green goblin blinked at his ex-ghoulfriend of three and a half years, adjusting his thick black glasses. His gelled smoothed back black hair gleamed proudly. "The zombies are currently participating in their first tournament of the year in the creepateria. If you're looking to join, please, allow me to lead you – but I must warn you, my dear Chastity, there's a rather high possibility that I'll lead you astray; had I been a somewhat jealous boyfriend. But feel free to put your trust in me, I'm more mature than I look."
"Of course," Chastity said, tossing her hair over her shoulder. She strutted forward confidently. "You may not be the jealous boyfriend I'd once hoped for you to be, but I can count on you for being a mature manster at least."
Grimmy (Brace-Face) followed, listening to the conversation as he stalked behind Chastity and Gordon.
"Terribly sorry dearest for not attempting to take you back after you were being whisked away by such a troublesome looking manster. My deepest apologies for not stopping that retched manster when I had the chance. I should have known you'd grow to become angry with me for walking away like I did. My fault." Gordon said, his voice dull and uninterested in the current topic.
Chastity sighed, folding her arms. "Really now, apologizing doesn't suit you. Had you been a real boyfriend perhaps I hadn't even bothered listening to that manster's flirting witty remarks or even bothered to accompany him during that same day of our breakup. But it's fine really. He turned out to be an actually kind and caring boyfriend. I was thankful for the two years we went out. And by the way, dearest: you're a tad bit too late to be handing out apologies now of all times."
"Late is better than never. Do be appreciative," Gordon said, glaring at Chastity from the corner of his eye. He let the coward remark slide. "Anyway…Didn't that same kind and caring manster break your heart within the last day of your sophomore year because you were too governing?"
"Yes, that's correct. We ended things early. There's no shame in ending a mutually unwanted relationship." Chastity said firmly.
"You two don't speak much, do you? That must be the case, or so I hear anyway." Gordon said, rubbing back is hair.
Chastity watched as he adjusted his red with white polka dots bow tie. Her eyes narrowed as an emotion surfaced inside of her. Somehow she became thankful that they weren't dating anymore.
The both of them had been too strong personality wise for their relationship to sugary sweet.
Chastity recalled how over the years it'd gone terribly sour, so sour in fact that they'd severed all ties.
"Perhaps we don't speak as often, but we've both come to terms with each other and are now something like friends. We may not be dating anymore but…unlike the two of us…we can depend on each other and allow some amount of trust. My reliance does not waver with him and because of that in result I bare no cold feelings towards him. He is someone that I could call a friend, instead of ex-boyfriend. If you hadn't noticed, there seems to be a big difference between the two." Chastity said, her voice damped with familiar intense faith and ridiculing coldness.
"Of course I know there is a difference," Gordon said, pushing his glasses further up on the bridge of his pointed nose. "There has to be some explainable reason why we remain enemies, yes?"
"Depends. Is this an academic brawl, or perhaps some sort of intellectual debate?" Chastity teased mockingly, sensing that he felt the string of her words. Still, she showed no mercy to her counterpart. After all…he'd been her worthy adversary.
A light chuckle escaped him. "Well, I wouldn't go so far. It'd be disrespectful to say we're coiling over something so trivial, don't you think?"
Chastity came to a stop, as did Gordon. They exchanged content, satisfied gazes, obviously having been pleased by one another's witty comeback. A half-grin of composure and serenity appeared on Chastity's face.
"You, my goblin opponent of preferable choice, posses a resemblance similar to a cursed unforgiving Death Wish." Chastity stated kindly, insultingly, as if proposing something like a truths between rivals. "…If you will, please do stay that way forever. I must admit that I do in truth take some amount of horrid pleasure in your hatred towards me."
"As do you, my lovely darling of foreshadowing darkness. And I the same. Please, go on mercilessly hating me for the rest of your immortal life." Gordon offered a somewhat motivating grin that encouraged the birth of a sour friendship.
"Oh my, flattery will get you nowhere, my dear." Chastity teased with a tasteful giggle.
"Forever foes then, agreed?" Gordon lifted his hand, coming to a mutual agreement. In his black eyes flickered a vivid, colorful hatred.
Chastity took his hand, approving of his terms. "Forever and on then, defiantly. And no taking back this promise."
"I would never dare of doing such a tiresome thing." Gordon smiled, giving Chastity's hand an official shake.
"I was hoping you'd say that." Chastity noted.
"And I was hoping you'd proclaim such conditions. Until next time, during our beginner's only match." Gordon said, giving a goodbye nod as he released Chastity's hand and began to walk off. Chastity watched, thankful to have made such a bold decision. She felt a new founded strength molding between their broken relationship. Rooted in her heart was appreciation for Gordon having been a mature manster.
Grimmy blinked, a bit indifferent towards the situation. "Don't you hate that guy 'cause he's sort of kind of evil, or whatever? Why'd you just become friends if you hate each other?"
"Well," Chastity glanced to her best monster friend. "Haven't you ever heard of keeping your enemies closer than your friends? And besides, don't go badmouthing my former most hated of friends and greatest of ideal favored rivals. Don't misjudge him because of his misplaced bitter attitude and unjust dreadful taste in humor. He's actually a very caring and responsible manster."
"How?" Grimmy said, puzzled.
"Because he's been worried about hurting my feelings all this time, when I forgave him long ago. Being spiteful…is his way of being thoughtful." Chastity explained, her voice soft with deep understanding. She knew the goblin well, most likely better than anyone else could ever know him.
"I guess?" Grimmy said, still not quite getting the situation. "But you sure date some weird monsters."
"Hm," Chastity thought for a moment, putting her chin to the knuckles of her fisted hand. "Perhaps, but I don't think so. I just like dating intellectually sophisticated mansters."
"Is it possible that's code for complicated brainy mansters?" Grimmy teased with a playful smile.
Chastity gave his arm a slam. "And what's that suppose to mean? Are you implying that I only date smart douchebag?"
"Um…no?" Grimmy said apologetically, rubbing his now sore arm.
"Good," Chastity said, poking out her lips. She took the door handle, pulling the light green door open with a cocky aggression. She treaded into the creepateria with self-assured stride. Its dark salmon walls embraced her overbearing declaration that screamed: "one of the gang" and seemed to leave a mark about the room that was personally hers and would only belong to her. As she stood among chess playing zombies that had their eyes intensely focused on their individual matches, she realized how comfortable she felt.
Among those of her intellectual kind, she felt right at home.
Approaching her was a zombie; roughly around five foot four with blue skin and glossy hair that was the shade of hot pink.
In her hair was a purple bow.
She groaned, offering some sort of greeting.
Chastity smiled apologetically, trying to return the zombie ghoul's soft friendly smile. "Sorry, I'm only a beginner in the language of the dead. My zombie isn't that good yet…"
Grimmy, standing alongside his vampire bestie with the overruling presence chuckled under his breath, carefully making sure Chastity hadn't heard. He mocked in a low voice, "And your confidence is out of the window, just like that."
Chastity managed a fire hot glare and darted it his way. "Shut your face. No one asked you that."
A giggle surfaced from the zombie ghoul before them, a delighted smile appearing on her face.
"Oh, are we funny?" Chastity asked, offering a somewhat embarrassed grin at her childish bickering. The zombie ghoul nodded. For a moment her light blue eyes shifted, lowering. Slowly she began to move. Chastity watched as she grabbing a milk white tablet from cheerful yellow backpack she'd been holding. Second she grabbed a pen.
Once she'd been done writing, she held up the notebook for the two guests to see. In hot pink ink her message read,
Welcome to the Chess Club – a club founded and ran mostly by us zombies. My name is Zombaya Rottmen. Are you looking to join or just here to observe?
"Observe," Grimmy said, raising his hand. His smile was friendly and bright.
Chastity tucked strands of hair behind her ear. "I'm here to join – well, possibly anyway. I was hoping I could join, I mean."
The zombie nodded understandingly. She then went on to write, flipping the page and starting with the hot pink ink pen again. As she wrote, a bubble of pink gum formed and popped.
Now on the milk white paper with wavy blue lines her message read: That's fine. Feel free to observe to your heart's content! As for joining, you'd have to speak to our club leader about that. He's a bit strict on new members since we're so use to being an all-zombie club from the beginning of our freshmen year. He doesn't really let other monsters join, but I'm sure he'll allow it just this third time.
"I hope so." Chastity said, smiling warmly.
She hadn't expected to stumble upon such a polite all-around and well-rounded, graciously welcoming zombie ghoul.
"Uurrg ahhh," the zombie groaned, lifting her hand palm side up. As she began to shuffle away, her feet sliding and barely lifting from the floor with her back slouched, Chastity followed, Grimmy behind her. They walked in a row of three, moving respectively quiet and yet a bit slow. Chastity observed in awe at the chess matches as she passed them, admiring the moves being made, be them good or bad.
She happily shuffled along behind Zombaya, feeling more and more in her place. Somehow, she knew she fit in perfectly here.
On Zombaya's white notebook with blue lines her message read:
When you join, let's be great ghoulfriends, okay?
Chastity nodded, somehow a bit uncharacteristically overly thrilled. "I'd love that!"