A/N: Something glitched when uploading the previous chapter and an email notification didn't go out to those who followed. So if you haven't read Chapter 13, please do before this one. But if you have, enjoy! Also, thank you again for the reviews. The next couple chapters will be here soon.

"No, you have to wait."

"But—"

"Calm down. She's fine. Trust me."

Two ghouls argued right outside my door. I hadn't fallen asleep last night after I had explored the camp and talked to Holt. His demeanor agitated me. He was so unlike the loud, wild boy I knew in high school.

High school. Years to others felt like days ago to me. But I could handle it. I hoped.

"No, Draculaura, love, she's fine—"

My door burst open and I sat upright. Draculaura stood in the doorway with an embarrassed Lagoona standing behind her. They looked as if they just woke up.

"See?" she told the vampire. "She's fine."

Draculaura ignored her. "Hey, Cleo! I haven't seen you at all since you got here!"

I smiled. At least she was the same monster I knew back in high school.

"Hurry or you'll miss breakfast!"

Lagoona sighed. "Breakfast is already over, mate. Lunch will be over, too, if we don't hurry."

Draculaura gasped. "That means I missed breakfast! Stupid cramps kept me up all night."

Lagoona looked confused. "I didn't know vampires had those."

"Oh, they don't, thank gore. I wouldn't be able to handle the," her eyes widened and she started to look pale, "the bl—"

"It's alright, love," Lagoona coaxed while placing a hand on the ghoul's shoulder. "No need to say it."

Draculaura wiped her forehead. "Phew. Well, see, Heath cooked dinner last night. The cheese screechza, you know. I came in late and got the short-end of the stick. Totes did not agree with my stomach."

Lagoona nodded. "And knowing Heath, we'll be having freezer food for the rest of the week."

Draculaura groaned, "So not looking forward to that."

The blonde sea ghoul laughed. "Don't blame him. His only cooking credibility is a C minus in Home Ick."

I smiled. Just seeing them talk was like being back in Monster High.

"We should go eat lunch, Cleo," Draculaura said.

I nodded. "Let me just change first." I still wore my—Cleo's—wrappings; the nightgown I wore last night plus the wrappings were a bit too warm for me so I took it off to feel more comfortable. It's too bad things turned out this way... Cleo deserves to be in her own body.

The two ghouls walked out and closed the door as I hopped off my bed and pulled some sweats out of the dresser. Orange. I cringed. Cleo wouldn't be caught alive in this outfit, but this color was even worse. I reluctantly zipped up the jacket and opened the door where Lagoona and Draculaura stood expectantly.

Lagoona smiled. "Ready, love?"

I returned her smile and nodded.

"Now let's go eat," the vampire ghoul said, clutching her stomach dramatically. "I'm starving."

-.-.-.-

"Hey ghouls," Operetta said as she plopped down beside me at the table. "How's the food?"

"Where have you been?" Deuce asked her. He was sitting on my left, close enough that I had to repeatedly remind myself I was in Cleo's body and not my own.

"Yeah," Draculaura said across from me, "I haven't heard from you since you got here."

Looking at Operetta now, I noticed she wore the same clothes from when we first got here. I didn't think her dress was entirely suitable for the weather but, lately, it seemed to be getting a little warmer.

"Oh, I've been..." Operetta turned around a shared a look with Johnny Spirit, who was currently waiting in line for his meal, and turned back toward us with a smirk, "Around."

"Don't tell me you two ran off, mate," Lagoona said in the seat in front of her.

"Yeah." Heath leaned in from Deuce's side. "You can't just leave."

"Especially not for silly things like that," Lagoona said.

Operetta rolled her eyes. "Can someone please pull the sticks outta the fun police's dung holes?"

Lagoona glared at her and rose to put away her plate. Heath followed behind her.

"Well, I for one think it's cute," Draculaura said. "You two make a fangtastic couple."

"Hush up," the musical ghoul warned, lowering her voice. "Nothing's going on between us. It's something else."

Draculaura looked a little crestfallen but perked up enough to continue the conversation. "So what happened, then?"

Operetta grinned and leaned in. "Johnny and I snuck back into the city."

"So you did leave," Draculaura said. "Why?"

Operetta's grin grew wider. "We got as much stuff as we could for..." She looked around to make sure no one else was listening, then leaned back in, excitement radiating off her. "A party!"

"A party?" I exclaimed.

Operetta turned back to me and nodded. "Snagged everything we could and stuffed it in a big sack we found lying 'round here. We even got a couple big batteries to power everythin'. We're probably gonna have to get someone to reassemble the DJ booth, though." Then she turned to the others. "Whatcha think y'all? Sound like fun?"

Deuce and Draculaura went silent, both looking a little uneasy.

Operetta groaned. "Come on. Don't tell me y'all have been sticks in the mud all these years."

Deuce cleared his throat. "Uh, we haven't had a party. Not since—"

"Since high school?" Operetta almost yelled. "Are you serious? Well, we're gonna have to fix that then, now aren't we?"

"Well..." Draculaura began timidly, "a party does sound like fun. But it's been so long..."

Operetta waved her off. "Don't you worry 'bout that, ghoul. Once we get our resident DJ on the booth, things'll come to unlife in no time."

"Holt?" Deuce questioned, an eyebrow raised behind his sunglasses. "Don't be so sure."

"Oh, come on," Operetta said. "Just 'cause he hasn't been partying lately doesn't mean he won't do it now."

"It's not that, Op," Deuce said. "I just don't know if it'll be the same."

"Yeah," Draculaura agreed. "Have you talked to him at all? He's a little moody."

Operetta scowled. "Whatever. We're gonna have a party tonight whether y'all like it or not. But first..." She snatched one of the fries off my plate, and Deuce gave her a quick glare.

Operetta snickered at his disapproval and continued. "I gotta eat. I was out all night so I gotta get some grub and some sleep in before the shindig." She grinned and rose from the table. "See ya, ghouls."

Silence passed between the three of us.

Draculaura's squeal pierced the air. "A party! It's only been five years but it feels like centuries. I am totes excited."

"But do you really think the rest of us are ready?" Deuce asked.

"Ready for what?" a new voice asked. I turned around on the bench and looked up to see Toralei Stripe, who wore jeans and a red sweater, her long, pulled back hair still looked strange to me. She gave me a quick smile, and it caught me off guard.

"Hey, guys." Jackson approached the opposite side of the table and sat beside Deuce.

Toralei sat beside me. "What's going on? What are 'the rest of us' not ready for?"

"Operetta wants to throw a party," Draculaura told her.

"A party?" Jackson inquired from the other end of the table, light glinting off the blond ends of his hair. "Tonight?"

"Yep," Draculaura said. "She's even got a battery to power it all."

"A DJ booth, too," Deuce informed them.

"Well if the 'rest of us' aren't ready," Toralei began, "then we'll make them. No way we're missing out on a party."

Jackson looked a little shaken up. "Wow. This'll be my chance to listen to the music I've missed out on."

I gasped. "You haven't listened to any music since you've been separated?"

Toralei spoke for him. "We don't use electricity here for music. Plus, Jackson likes to stick to his science-y stuff and not get off track."

Jackson shrugged. "I just never thought about it. Besides," he adjusted his glasses and sternly said, "times like these aren't meant for partying."

Toralei laughed. "Please. It's the perfect time for a party! I mean," she gestured toward me, "Cleo's back. And we got new monsters here. Why not throw a party?"

"Things are different now," he replied.

"Yeah, so?" Toralei retorted. "We gotta have some fun sometime."

"You kept trying to ruin parties," Draculaura said to the werecat. "Why are you so excited now?"

Toralei shrugged. "Like the nerd said," she glanced over at Jackson, "these are different times."

"So, Jackson," Deuce said to the normie, "think you can convince Holt to man the DJ booth Operetta found?"

Jackson's eyes widened. "Aw, man." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't know if I can convince him to do anything."

Deuce chuckled. "Don't worry, dude. I'll see if I can talk to him."

"Ha," Toralei scoffed. "I'll talk to him. By the time I'm done—"

"Please," Jackson cut in, his hands raised, "don't hurt him."

The werecat crossed her arms. "I was just joking."

"It's always hard to tell nowadays," Draculaura stated.

Toralei stuck her tongue out at her and avoided eye contact, her tail swaying rhythmically.

"You think a party would be fun, right Cleo?" the she-cat asked, still looking away. Then she turned to face me. "Cleo?" She was looking straight at me. Oh!

"Yeah!" I rushed out. "A party sounds totally electrifying!"

"Electrifying?" Deuce mumbled beside me.

Toralei ignored my slip up. "See?" she said to Jackson. "She thinks it's a good idea!"

"I'm not saying it's a bad idea," he said. "I'm just saying it's not appropriate."

Toralei stood up abruptly, green cat-eyes glowering. "Not appropriate?"

"Oh no," Draculaura squeaked, suddenly taking a lot more interest in her salad as the argument unfolded.

"We're trying to reveal who changed the world and, right now, that's the Queen!" Jackson half-yelled from beside Deuce. Unlike Toralei, he had remained seated. "That's our main priority here."

"Loosen up and have some fun for one night, Jackson!" Toralei had actually yelled that, catching the attention of almost anyone in the dining pavilion.

Jackson looked uncomfortable with the attention, yet remained focused and tried to speak up but by then Toralei flicked her tail dismissively and led herself out. A couple tables away, Meowlody and Purrsephone abandoned their meals and rushed after her.

The dining pavilion was silent for a moment longer before chatter took over the area once more as if nothing had happened.

"Well, that was new," Draculaura said.

I was confused. "New? Have they not argued before?"

She brought her index finger to her chin in thought. "Well, sure they have, but about sensible things. And she never walks away."

"So you think this is a bad time for a party too, Draculaura?" Jackson prodded.

The vampire shook her head. "No, I love the idea of a party. I just don't think it's sensible to argue about relaxing during times like these." She sighed and shoved a forkful of salad into her mouth. "I mean, it'll be sort of awkward after all this time but," she swallowed and grinned, "it'll be totes fun."

Jackson sighed. "I guess you're right. As long as the party doesn't take our mind off the mission and is, you know," he looked over at all of us, "harmless."

Draculaura rolled her eyes. "Relax, Jackson. It's not like there'll be alcohol or anything."

"I was thinking in terms of safety but, yeah, that too," he said, giving a firm nod.

"Ugh." The vampire ghoul, Gory, walked up to where Jackson was seated with a disgusted look on her face. "Why would you want to have alcohol at a party?"

Bram sidled up to her. "She's right. What you need are monster world drinks."

Gory smiled slyly. "I know the perfect place to get drinks in the city."

Jackson chuckled nervously. "Uh, no." He turned on the bench to face them. "We don't need any drinks, thanks."

Deuce nudged him with his elbow. "Come on, dude, loosen up," he prompted. A grin etched across his lips. "Besides, if you're so worried about it then you can be in charge."

"What? Manning the drinks?" Jackson asked incredulously.

Deuce nodded and Jackson groaned inwardly.

"So," Gory cut in, "drinks then?"

Deuce gave her a thumbs-up and she flipped her hair and walked with Bram back to their table.

"Hey," a male voice said from my right. I turned to see Heath starting to sit by me. "I just saw Toralei. What's she all worked up about?"

Jackson made a frustrated sound and disbanded from the table and rushed out the dining pavilion.

Deuce shrugged. "She and Jackson got into a fight."

Heath nodded slowly. "It sounded intense."

"You heard all that?"

"Toralei? Yeah." Heath pointed a thumb backward. "I was in the kitchen. We ran out of a few things."

"But you still have salad!" Draculaura cheered victoriously, waving her fork full of lettuce and then stuffing it into her mouth. "Totes agrees with the stomach!"

-.-.-.-

By the time lunch was over, Draculaura spread word of the party so now everyone knew to get ready for it. Since Operetta went to bed, we asked Johnny where the sack full of party stuff was and took everything out of it. Heath wasn't too keen on the party being last minute but he seemed excited. While he, Draculaura, and a couple others started unloading the party goods, Deuce pulled me away from the crowd.

He put his hand on my shoulder. "You tired?"

I didn't feel tired but I assumed I looked that way since I hadn't slept at all last night. I tried to say no, but a yawn came out instead.

He chuckled. "I'll walk you to your room."

I sighed.

He placed his hand on my back as he led me to my room, which was totally okay. Sort of.

I walked inside as he closed the door behind us. The room was a stuffier for some reason so I started taking off my sweater.

"Uh," Deuce began, just as I pulled down the zipper, "what are you doing?"

"It's kinda warm in here," I said, shrugging the sweater off and onto the floor, revealing the upper half of my wraps. I looked down at them, how they were stretched across my shoulders all the way down until they ended at my mid-thigh. Of course, the pants I wore covered anything past my stomach but one patch of bandages looked thicker than the rest of them. It was on the lower right side my stomach near my hip, bandages tightly wrapped around that one place. Entranced and curious, I brought down my hand to the area, gently brushing the ancient cloth with my index finger. Why does Cleo need so many wraps, anyway? I've never seen her wear so many. Maybe Nefera added more before she locked her body away in a sarcophagus for the past five years. I unsuccessfully tried putting my fingers underneath the bandages, but when I tried again a pair of large hands overlapped mine.

"Don't do that," Deuce said sternly. He gingerly pulled back my hand from my stomach. "I understand you have amnesia but messing with those wraps could kill you."

I could tell he was being deadly serious right then and I nodded, making the mistake of looking up at him. I hadn't realized how close we were but... there he was. He leaned forward and I froze. I closed my eyes, afraid he'd kiss me but instead I felt a different sensation. Deuce was resting his forehead against mine. I opened my eyes, his sunglasses-adorned face ridiculously close.

He smirked. "I think we should wait until you feel better, Cleo. It wouldn't feel right with you not knowing you're you."

I heaved out a sigh of relief and he laughed. The door swung open a second later, and a bunch of ghouls stood in the doorway.

"Hey, ghoul! You ready to pick out an outfit for the party?" Lagoona called. A slow grin appeared on her face when she saw us. "Or maybe we should leave you two alone."

The rest of the ghouls giggled behind her. I felt my face heat up.

"No, it's cool." Deuce pulled back, letting go of my hand. "You ghouls have fun." He turned back to me. "See ya, Cleo." Before I knew it, he gave me a quick peck on the cheek and walked out of the room.

I felt incredibly awkward, but Lagoona and the other ghouls seemed to take my blush differently than how I really felt. They giggled and entered my room, crowding the place in an instant.

"Alright," Lagoona said, "time to get the princess ready for the party of her unlife!"

-.-.-.-

Although Lagoona and the ghouls had arrived to prep me for the party, instead we ended up talking for what seemed like hours. During the time, the ghouls would alternate between themselves and leave to take showers and get ready, returning clean and fresh. But now...

"Red!"

"Blue."

"Reeeeddd."

"Blue!"

Gory and Abbey were arguing about the color dress I should wear, each shoving their preferred dress into one another's faces. I sat on my bed along with a couple others. Toralei took up most of it, which wasn't entirely appreciated. At all.

"The red dress," Gory said, holding up the simple yet loud red dress in her right hand, "is the clear choice."

"Must be joking," Abbey scoffed, holding up the embellished, soft blue dress in both hands. "Blue is obvious decision."

"I don't think I've ever seen you in red, Cleo," Scarah said, turning back to face me from where she sat at the foot of my bed. I hadn't seen her yesterday, so it was nice seeing another familiar face.

"Me neither," Howleen said from Abbey's side. "I say blue."

Toralei groaned from behind me. "Let's not choose sides."

"Why not?" Gory inquired. "We should find out what everyone else thinks."

I felt the bed shift as Toralei sat up. The werecat shrugged. "Fine." She looked over the group of ghouls in the room, and then looked up with pursed lips, one word slipping out of them: "Red."

The whole room suddenly erupted with a flurry of shouts, "red" and "blue" bouncing across the walls. Toralei snickered and flopped back down onto the bed.

Lagoona laughed and Draculaura sighed. "I wish they'd just ask you, Cleo," the vampire said.

This caused the sea ghoul to laugh again. "This argument stopped being about Cleo a long time ago."

I wasn't really interested in the argument. I liked both dresses. They were both short and pretty, but while the red was bright, the blue had a lot of flashy stones on it. The rest of the ghouls had gotten their dresses sometime when Abbey and Gory were arguing over my dress. All the ghouls, except myself, looked great in their dresses, all short, form-fitting, and adorable. Of course, none were as extravagant as what we had back in high school—the heels less so—but, nonetheless, they were amazing.

At first, I was confused at how they got a hold of such outfits until Venus had told me that she raided the Queen's closet. My astonished expression had caused her to laugh and Robecca to elbow her, explaining that she had gone along with her to thrift stores, not palaces.

Now, I sat on the edge of my bed in my wooden room full of noisy, arguing ghouls. I didn't expect the door to bust open right then; each ghoul quieted instantaneously.

A disheveled Operetta stood in the doorway, wearing sweatpants and an oversized t-shirt. "Can y'all keep it down?" she yelled half-heartedly, her words slurring and her eyes struggling to stay open. "Some of us are tryin' ta sleep!"

"Operetta," Howleen said, approaching the ghoul, "it's been four hours."

The musical ghoul squinted and stared at Howleen, retracting a second later with wide and confused eyes. "When'd ya get here?"

"Well, if it isn't the party ghoul herself," Toralei said, hopping off my bed and striding over to Operetta at the doorway. "You should probably get ready though," she chided.

Now that it was quiet, I decided to take my chance. I hopped down from the edge of my bed, opened the bottom drawer of my dresser, grabbed a towel, and walked in between Abbey and Gory. I looked at the two dresses and made my decision.

"Red."

Gory grinned victoriously and handed me the dress. I carefully slung it over my arm and smiled appreciatively at her. Then I walked out, the entire room once again exploding with controversial voices.