Deuce was feeling very outnumbered. Cleo was facing him, hands on hips, extremely angry. Frankie and Clawd were both comforting Draculaura from Toralei's harsh words, the werewolf giving Deuce a look over her head that promised he would have words for the gorgon very soon.

Eyes flashing, Cleo commanded attention. "What are you doing here?" Her tone showed clearly that, in her opinion, he had no reason to be in the school much less the gym.

Deuce decided to go with the obvious. "We came here to watch the fearleading practice."

She crossed her arms and sneered at him. "Longing for what you can no longer have, no doubt."

Deuce rubbed his hand over his scalp, his snake-hawk hissing in agitation. She was so beautiful but so wrong. However, he saw no reason to embarrass her in public.

Romulus stepped in quickly, though, with the truth. "We just showed up to watch the routines. No big deal."

Cleo raised her eyebrow in her patented 'likely story' stare but did not waste any more time on it though she did give Deuce a suspicious glance as she turned back to her friends. Draculaura was leaning into Clawd's hug as Frankie stared at her in concern. Cleo frowned, "Cheer up, Draculaura. Don't let the cat get to you."

Clawd nodded and stroked his ghoulfriend's hair. "Yeah, you know how mean Toralei always is, don't let it bother you. I mean, you don't need her, you're already great."

Frankie nodded encouragement but there was some hesitation in her eyes. Still, she was obviously focusing on the positive, as she patted Draculaura's arm, "Besides, maybe she'll change her mind."

Cleo rolled her eyes, "That cat? Ha! That cat-"

"Why should she?" Deuce cut right across Cleo's comment, tone accusing. Anger burned through his veins at their attitudes. The ghouls and mansters stared at him in shock at his tone and a small part of his brain reminded him he would have been agreeing with them even just the previous week but after talking to Purrsephone and seeing the cats in other lights, he just couldn't let them be ripped apart like this. Purrsephone had defended him against her friends, had been honest with them even when she had every reason to throw him under the hearse. How could he do less? Therefore, he hurried on to explain. "Think about it. She's not your friend, so why did you think she'd do a favor for you? More importantly, why should she?" They stared at him in confusion and he felt the muscles in his neck tense in frustration. "C'mon, if Toralei had walked up to one of you and asked you for help in Bitology or in picking out an outfit or anything like that, would you have helped her?"

Draculaura frowned, "Well...no but she's totes mean. You help her, you only get scratched back."

"How do you know that? Has anyone here actually tried to help her? Help any of the werecats? They're not your friends so why should they help you just because you want them to? Draculaura, you're a sweet ghoul but that's not a real reason to expect someone to help you for no reason. You didn't offer them anything. You wanted them to help you without offering them anything in return so, honestly, why shouldn't they say no? I mean, you could have offered to pay them or take them shopping or even owe them a favor."

Draculaura looked away and Clawd frowned but didn't speak up in disagreement. Cleo, however, did disagree. "I know you're taking their side to hurt me, but, really, Deuce, couldn't you have picked a better argument. They helped Frankie without her doing anything for them and they are part of the fearleading team. I should throw them off the team for disobeying me."

Deuce could not keep the annoyance out of his tone as he turned toward her. "First of all, Frankie did help them. She made sure Granite High didn't lose its school crest which helped out that school. Torale's boyfriend goes to Granite High so, basically, Frankie helped out Toralei's boyfriend so she helped out her. Second of all, they're right whether you want to admit it or not. You're the captain of the team so you should be teaching the ghouls how to improve. Captains teach and train the team. It's what they're for. If you can't handle the responsibilities then maybe you don't deserve the title." He had probably gone too far, but he was angry. He had been getting through to Draculaura, he knew he had and he had been on the edge of being able to arrange for her to get the same help Frankie had gotten. He wanted peace between his friends but Cleo had just had to make it about her...again. He waited for the explosion but Cleo just jerked her head toward the lockers and stalked off. Frankie, Draculaura and Ghoulia followed more slowly, looking back a few times with confused expressions.

Clawd moved in closer, teeth clenched. "Bro, I know you're friends or whatever with the werecats now but you can not believe Draculaura deserved that."

Deuce held his ground, "Toralei didn't deserve them ripping her apart like that either."

Clawd responded with a snarl, "You know what those furballs have done!"

"Yeah, I do and I also know that's not all there is to them. On top of that, Clawd, I know what Cleo did to Toralei, what Cleo did to Clawdeen and Clawdeen did to Draculaura and even what Draculaura did to you! Or have you forgotten a certain Valentine's day?"

"She was under a spell!"

"Not when you built her those stairs, she wasn't."

Pain flashed through the werewolf's eyes at the memory, "She didn't mean...It was a...a misunderstanding."

Deuce lowered his eyes, shoulders slumping. "I know. I'm sorry. It's just...Look, no one's perfect but, you know, with the monster you care about, you can see their side." He looked back up at his friend, tone pleading for understanding. "We both know there's more than one side to every monster."

Clawd's shoulders slumped as well. "You've seen the other side."

Deuce nodded. "I told you, Clawd, she's my friend now. I can't let her and her friends get shredded like that, not when I don't think they really did anything wrong."

"Nothing wrong? They upset Draculaura!"

"Who was only upset because she assumed they should do what she wanted and they didn't. Think about it, Clawd, she didn't really ask them and she didn't offer them anything in return. If that conversation had been reversed, you'd be the first one to say that Draculaura doesn't owe them the time of day and you'd be right, she doesn't owe Toralei anything...but it's true the other way too. Toralei doesn't owe them anything and the main person who should be blamed for the situation is Cleo because she is the captain and she should have already been helping Frankie and Draculaura improve just like you help the SKRM and casketball team. You don't just tell us we suck and to get better. You show us how. As much as the ghouls won't admit it, Toralei was right in what she said."

Clawd began to pace, growling softly to himself. However, after several moments, he stopped in front of Deuce, eyes tired but calm. "You think maybe you can ask Purrsephone for a favor and get Draculaura some of the same help Frankie got?"

"I'll talk to her about it."

Clawd smiled ruefully. "You know this was a lot easier before you made friends with the ghouls that my ghoulfriend doesn't like."

Deuce shrugged and returned the smile. "Yeah, I know...but what do you keep barking in practice? Anything worthwhile is never easy."

Clawd flung his arms out, looking up at the roof in appeal, "NOW he listens to me!"

The mansters shared a laugh and then parted ways, Clawd to wait for Draculaura, Deuce to go look for Purrsephone and Romulus, oddly, tagging along with Deuce.