At 7'5, Manny Taur was a gigantic beast of a teen, even for a monster.
Being a minotaur, Manny was gifted with the build of a bodybuilder. Every inch of his body was pure muscle, and even then, none of that power was undeserved.
Even after his growth spurt, he worked hard to build his body up to what it was. He lifted weights, worked out, he would even go on jogs and runs to strengthen his already powerful legs.
But everyone knew, as good as he was at athletics… he was less than stellar in the classroom.
His grades were sub-par. He could pass most of his classes, but he would never excell.
Manny's reputation around Monster High definitely wasn't the best one. Sure, he was great at sports. He was the Casketball team's best player, and thanks to his minotaur heritage, he was gifted in track running.
But everyone focused on his less than stellar activities.
Namely, being the resident school bully.
Due to being half normie, Jackson Jeckyll was usually his number one victim, but few were safe from the wrath of Manny's bullying. And where Manny was, Heath Burns wasn't far behind.
But Heath's reputation was still somewhat acceptable.
Manny's, however, was not.
He could be nice when he wanted to be, everyone knew that. He had quite the soft spot for Iris Clops, and most of the ghouls of Monster High were completely left alone by Manny. Even amongst his victims, Manny had rare moments of kindness, such as when Jackson had come to school without any lunch money, and Manny had pitched in and bought Jackson's food for him.
No one understood it.
He was a notorious bully, and yet, he was extremely kind and helpful when he wanted to be.
It was befuddling. Many were admittedly curious, but no one cared enough to really think about why… or wanted to walk up and ask. Not even Heath.
Then again, Manny didn't really have friends. Sure, he had people he would hang out with from sports… but no one who actually knew Manny… what he was really like, who he was…
The thing is… behind closed doors, outside of Monster High… Manny Taur's life is nothing like what many people assume.
Frankie Stein learned this the hard way.
Mr. Rotter's class… Dead Languages.
Oh how Manny hated the class. So completely and utterly irritating.
Manny could read and write just fine. He didn't find it enjoyable, and it wasn't something he did in his past time by any means. He didn't think he needed to know anything else about it.
But Mr. Rotter… his class was so much worse compared to his previous years.
Mr. Rotter would speak… on… and on… and on… and on…
The ghoulish teacher never would shut up. It was an incessant droning that in the same low, monotone frequency that drove everyone in the class mad, even those who enjoyed Dead Languages.
As someone who was on the opposite end of the spectrum… Manny hate the class with a passion.
During times like these, Manny's eyes would wander. He'd find himself just observing the classroom, despite having seen every square inch of it for the past five months, and his fellow students.
One unknown quirk about Manny… he actually had a very keen eye.
Sure he wasn't the most observant of people. Iris's extremely blantant crush on him had to be pushed right into his face before he realized it was even a thing. He wasn't good with noticing personalities, quirks.
He was good with noticing physical details.
The mummy, Cleo… he could see a hickey on her exposed neck, that definitely wasn't there the day before.
Deuce did mention he would be at her place to help with her Mad Science homework.
The werewolf, Clawdeen. Clawd's sister. She had a new ring on her pinky finger, a bright blue gemstone in the middle of it, that if Manny had to guess, was a werewolf class ring that the school was handing out. The ring was meant to resemble a moon.
The ghost, Spectra. She had a new camera, instead of just her phone, hanging from her backpack to help that blog she does.
The zombie, Slow-Mo. He had a cut on his finger from where he'd accidentally managed to slam a door on his finger.
Manny would often observe little things like this whenever he was bored, and needed to occupy himself somehow.
The green walls of the classroom were rather… hypnotizing. Manny had stared into them so often when he'd star into space, that half the time he forgot they were actually brick walls, and not some image his closed eyes had conjured.
But one person who always seemed to catch Manny's eye was one of the newer students. The simulacrum by the name of Frankie Stein.
Frankie had shown up out of nowhere. A completely new student in the middle of the school year. She was physically sixteen years old, mentally two, but she'd actually only been alive for about two weeks when she'd been enrolled.
In spite of her rather unorthodox first day, she'd adapted quickly to Monster High, immediately coming to be one of the most popular girls at school. She'd joined fearleading, ended up friends with Cleo, and she made a reputation for being one of the more kind ghouls in school.
She was also one of the few- scratch that. To date, she'd been the only ghoul to physically get between Manny and Jackson. Even had the gall to grab his nose ring. She was completely unafraid of Manny, despite being practically being dwarfed by the minotaur and nowhere near as strong.
Manny had found himself fascinated by it.
But eventually, his curiosity faded. He'd notice her, every once in a while, and she was definitely a beautiful ghoul who'd catch his eye at times, but she had faded into the background, just another ghoul that gave him disappointed looks, though she'd still gladly get in the middle of Manny and one of his targets.
At the moment, the cadaver looked at bored at he felt. Her elbow was propped against the desk, her head resting on her hand. Her eyes were lidded, half shut as she tried to keep herself awake. Even for someone who paid top notch attention like Frankie, Mr. Rotter's long, zombie-like monologues had a habbit of knocking out their attention and making them wish for the end of class like everyone else.
"Now!"
Mr. Rotter's sudden change in volume admittedly shocked everyone to attention, including Manny, as they all turned to stare at the teacher.
"For the rest of the week, you will be assigned a study partner!" Mr. Rotter revealed. "I will choose the partners, and your assignment will be to go over a story I assign you. By the end of the week, I want an essay on why you think that story's original text is so different from modern variations."
Many of the students were rather caught off guard by the assignment, but they didn't complain. Though nowhere near as bad, Mr. Rotter could be just as sadistic and evil as Hackington when sufficiently angered, and he was much more creative, in spite of rather droll personality.
The teacher began naming off the pairs, and Manny found himself droning out again, uncaring of the announcments. When Rotter announced Manny's partner, he'd know, cause he'd hear his name being called out.
Until then, Manny would just-
"Manny Taur!"
Huh, that was quick.
Manny turned his full attention to the ghoulish teacher, so that way he'd know what he'd need to, who his partner was, everything he needed so that he could get this boring assignment out of the way and continue on with the normal routine that was high school.
"You will be partnered with Frankie Stein. Your story shall be The Beauty and the Beast."
Both Manny and Frankie looked at each other in surprise. Rotter had a habit of assigning partners who worked well together. Frankie was usually assigned with one of her ghoul friends, and Manny was usually assigned with someone he knew that at the very least, tolerated him.
Rotter pairing the two together was more than a shocking surprise.
The simply stared at each other, just as confused as the other, as Mr. Rotter continued listing off the group of people and there book.
Manny had no clue what was running through Frankie's head. Probably annoyance or frustration at being paired with someone like him. That's the way it always was, right? If they didn't at least tolerate him, they hated him with a passion.
"Manny Taur?" Draculara gasped in surprise as she ate her vegan meal in the creepateria, along with the rest of her friends. "Rotter paired you, with Manny Taur?"
"I know." Frankie said with a sigh. "Usually he pairs me with Clawdeen or Cleo, but not this time." She remarked as she rubbed head in confusion. "I just don't understand the thought process behind it."
"Neither do I." Clawdeen remarked. "One of the best students in school, paired with someone who's rather dim in terms of classwork?" She observed with a shake of her head. "The only thing on that bull's mind is sports and being a complete jerk."
"I know, right?" Cleo said with a shake of her head. "Rotter usually pairs Manny with Heath or Clawd, but instead, I have Heath."
"And Spectra has Clawd." Clawdeen recalled, before sighing. "And I got stuck with Slo-Mo."
"Aaaaaaeeeeeegh." Ghoulia moaned out in defense of her boyfriend.
"I know, Ghoulia." Clawdeen sighed. "I guess I'm just used to being paired with Frankie or Cleo. Slo-Mo's a bit of a mix up."
Frankie shook her head. "I think Rotter was trying to shake everything up." She remarked. "It's gonna be so weird working with Manny on this."
Draculara sighed. "I will say this about him, he tries to get his school work done before focusing on anything else." She noted with a nod. "And when it comes to partner work, he at least tries not to bring his partner down to his level."
As if to prove the vampire right, the sound of someone's throat clearing sounded out near the group of ghouls, and they turned to find the very topic of their conversation, Manny Taur, standing behind Frankie.
"Hey, Frankie." Manny said with a wave, before resting his hands in his back pockets. "Where are we gonna work on this project at?"
The fact that he'd gotten straight to the point admittedly surprised the group of ghouls, and threw Frankie off guard some. "Um… is there anywhere you know of we can work?"
Manny looked down in thought. "Not really. With all the snow, the park would be a horrible place to work, and the Maul is closed today because of the gas leak in Steak'n'Fangs." The minotaur noted as he thought for a moment. "My place, maybe. My dad's out on vacation, and that just leaves me, my sister, and my mom."
"You have a sister?" Cleo asked in surprise. Admittedly, it was news to all of them. As far as they'd known, Manny was an only child.
The minotaur nodded, shrugging his shoulders. "Yeah, she goes into middle school next year." He remarked offhandedly. "My little sister, Minnie."
The ghouls couldn't help but look at each othe in surprise.
Frankie looked at minotaur in slight surprise, before nodding slowly. "That would work. I'll have to call my parents when we get out of school, let them know." She informed the minotaur, who nodded.
"That's fine." Manny said with a nod. "We just won't be able to work past ten."
"Why not?" Frankie asked, admittedly curious, considering this is the most she'd ever spoken with the minotaur.
"My dad get's back from vacation about that time, and he doesn't like anyone being over at the house past ten anyway." Manny added offhandedly, but something about the way he said it… it was almost said, fear filled.
But it wasn't noticeable enough for any of them to place it.
"Okay." Frankie said with a shrug of her own, before actually smiling at the minotaur. "That works." She said with a smile.
Manny nodded, before moving back to his usual spot at the creepateria, a little spot where he usually sat alone in the corner of a table on the far side of the large room.
The ghouls all watched him go, before looking at each other, varying degrees of disbelief and surprise on their face at the exchange.
"That… that was Manny Taur, right?" Clawdeen asked in disbeleif.
"It looked like him." Draculara nodded.
"Big guy, minotaur, local bully?" Cleo added in surprise of her own.
"Yep." Frankie nodded.
"Not too bright, barely knows how to make it through Monstory?" Clawdeen tacked on once more.
"Uuuuuuhuuuuuuh…" Ghoulia moaned, nodding in confirmation to Clawdeen's question.
Frankie shook her head, taking another quick glance towards the minotaur. "That was so… unlike Manny."
"To be fair," Draculara spoke up, catching her friends' attention. "Do any of us actually know him?" She pointed out, running her gaze across the group of ghouls. "For that matter, do we even try?"
"What reason would we have too?" Cleo retorted. "He's a bully, a piece of filth who gets off on the misery of others." She listed, her gaze filled with venom as she eyed the minotaur from across the creepateria.
"Hey, I don't like the guy either," Clawdeen spoke up, looking at the mummy. "But it's not like he's a complete bad guy. He did help Jackson out with lunch last month, and he can be pretty helpful when he wants to be."
"Aaaaaaeeegh eeeeeeeuuuuuugh." Ghoulia groaned out, glaring at the minotaur's back, eliciting a sigh from Clawdeen.
"I know, Ghoulia, but I'm just saying, he has his moments." Clawdeen reinforced her moments.
Frankie thought for a moment. "Maybe I can find out why he bullies?" She proposed. "I am a little curious, and I have to work with the guy for a week anyway, so…"
"Not a bad idea." Draculara said with a smile. "Maybe we might be able to put a stop to it!" She gasped in excitement at the prospect.
"Don't get your hopes up." Cleo said with a scoff. "We can try, but I wouldn't be too sure."
Clawdeen couldn't help but smirk. "That's a good point, coming from you."
"Yeah- HEY!"
The snow was biting, it's cold temperatures chilling Frankie's skin down to the bone.
Maybe she should've accepted the ride to Manny's house from her father.
"Cold?" Manny's voice asked as he looked at her shivering form, hugging herself tightly, rubbing her arms in an attempt to warm up some.
"A-a l-little…" Frankie admitted through her shivers.
Manny raised an eyebrow at the cadaver. Since he rarely ever had a ride home, he'd opted to walk with Frankie back to his home. He hadn't considered that since Frankie had a ride for the past couple weeks of winter, she wouldn't really need much of a coat.
With a sigh, Manny took his jacket off. He could make the trip to his house without it, and honestly, he was used to cold, freezing nights of sleep.
"Here." Manny said, setting his jacket atop the ghoul's shoulders.
Due to the sheer size difference, Manny's jacket was comically large on Frankie's delicate frame, and she gasped a little at the unexpected weight upon her shoulders.
"Th-Thanks…" Frankie stuttered out, slipping her arms through the sleeves as best. "B-But won't y-you be c-cold?"
Manny shook his head. "It's not like it's anything new." He remarked offhanded. "The heater in my room is broken, and I usually sleep in a pair of sleeping shorts anyway, so it's not like I'm not used to freezng tempuratures."
Frankie's eyes widened at Manny's words. "H-How can you sleep in this?" She asked in disbelief. "I-I feel l-like my fingers are gonna f-fall off." She remarked with a light giggle.
Manny laughed slightly. "When your tired enough, you can sleep through anything, even ice cold temperatures." He retorted as he glanced down at the cadaver. "You sure your fine coming over to my place?"
Frankie nodded, he voice slightly muffled by the collar of the large jacket against her face as she looked up at the minotaur. "S-Sure." She nodded as best as she could. "It's better than my place. My entire house is more of a laboratory than a home." She admitted, her face flushed slightly from the cold.
Manny shrugged his shoulders, not really caring whether they did the project at his home or her's. He simply offered his own because it was rude to invite yourself into someone else's home.
"So, what's it like at your place?" Frankie asked curiously, looking up at the minotaur.
Once again, Manny simply shrugged. "It's a place to sleep at night." He answered rather vaguely.
Frankie admittedly hadn't expected such a short answer. "Um… what do you do for fun?" She couldn't help but ask. "At home, I mean?"
Manny simply shrugged once more, something Frankie was noticing tended to be his answer for anything regarding his personal life. "Usually I might play some video games on my Wrex Box One. Or, if Minnie talks me into it, I'll end up watching some sort of movie with her in my room." He added. The answer was a little more what Frankie would hope for with an answer, but she supposed it was because it was something Manny actually did.
Frankie nodded at his answer. "That's nice."
"What about you?" Manny asked suddenly, really wanting to turn the topic away from his life at home. He was not interested in the direction it might take. "What's your home like?"
"Well, my dad is a scientist." Frankie recalled. "But since he created me, you probably already knew that." She said with a laugh.
Manny shook his head. "Not really." He admitted. "I don't know much about you, honestly, just what I see and hear." He explained as he glanced down at the simulacrum.
Frankie's eyes widened. "Oh." She said, somewhat put off by the answer. "Well, my grandfather discovered the secret of creating life, years ago." The cadaver explained, smiling up at Manny. "He created my father, and eventually, he created my mother for my father. And then, long after my grandfather died, my father created me."
Manny nodded. "That sounds…nice…" He admitted, looking away slightly.
That sounded nothing like his own father.
"It is." Frankie said fondly, before taking notice of Manny's averted gaze. "Everything okay?"
"Huh?" Manny asked, taken off-guard by the question. "Oh, yeah. Just thinking." He said with a nod.
Frankie took notice of Manny's sudden off kilter mood, but she chose not to question it. "So, what's your sister like?"
Manny smiled fondly at the question, and Frankie inwardly cheered. It was the first reaction she'd gotten out of the minotaur that wasn't just a shrug and a quick explanation. "Minnie is… energetic." He informed the cadaver. "She's always bouncing all over the place, ready to get out of the house and explore. If she hasn't burnt herself out."
Frankie smiled at Manny's description of his sister.
"Minnie's always running aroung. I remember this one time when we were kids, me and her were running through the forest." Manny began, smiling fondly at the memory he had in his head. "She's always been good at climbing, running, stuff like that. She used a loose branch as a monkey bar to swing across a creek."
Frankie was honestly surprised when Manny started chuckling, as if the memory was extremely funny to him. "What happened?"
"She made it across the creek just fine." Manny informed the simulacrum. "But the thing swung back, hit me square in the face. I woke up at my back at my grandparents home on their farm."
Frankie's eyes widened at that. "Farm?"
Manny nodded. "Yeah. I used to go up there on the weekends." He explained with a smile. "I'd help grandma and grandpa do some work around the farm, plow the fields after I hit my growth spurt." He revealed, his smile turning sad. "It was… calm."
Frankie stared at Manny for a moment. The way he was talking… heck, the way he was acting, it was nothing like the school bully she was used to at Monster High. Sure, he had his moments, but this…
He seemed so nice.
It made Frankie curious… moreso than she usually was.
"Manny?" Frankie asked, looking up at the minotaur, who glanced in her direction. "Why do you bully people?"
Manny's eyes widened at Frankie's question, not expecting it at all. "I… I don't know…"
His answer was not at all what Frankie was expecting, nor was it something she would expect.
"What do you mean you don't know?" Frankie asked in a rather heated voice. "You students smaller than you in lockers and make fun of Jackson for being a normie and you don't know why?"
Manny grabbed the side of his head, a migrain coming on. "No." He grumbled softly, and rather heatedly himself. "I don't."
He knew why. He knew damn well why.
But that wasn't book he wanted to open with anyone right now.
Frankie gave a heated sigh, but she dropped the subject. "Fine." She grumbled.
The Taur houshold seemed like a regular run of the mill house, in Frankie's opinion. No different from the others on the block.
"This is your house?" She asked in quiet surprise. It was actually a nice hosue..
"Yep." Manny said as he walked along the concrete walkway towards the front door, Frankie following behind him. "Why?"
"I was just… surprised, I guess." She admitted "It's a nice place. I guess I'm just used to my own mad scientist home." She admitted, rubbing the back of her neck slightly.
Manny laughed slightly. "Well, that's not like mine." He stated as he opened up the front door.
The moment the sweet warmth of the home greeted her minty skin, Frankie gave a wide smile as she took off Manny's jacket. "Oh, that feels so good." She said blissfully as she offered Manny's jacket back to him.
Manny accepted the jacket without a second thought, before calling out to the house. "Mom, Minnie, I'm home!"
Suddenly, a woman walked into view from a archway seperating the kitchen and the living room. A female minotaur, who looked more than happy at the site of Manny.
"Manfred!" The woman said happily as she walked up to her said, setting down a bowl on the table as she did so and hugging her son. "Have a good day?"
"Eh, somewhat." Manny said with a shrug. "Rotter said we have to an assignment with a partner on why a book had changed so much." He explained to his mother.
It was then that the woman's eyes caught Frankie, standing there awkwardly, watching the site in confusion. "And who is this?" She asked with a smile. "You're partner?"
Frankie gave a bubbly smile. "I'm Frankie Stein." She introduced, holding her hand out to the woman.
The woman reached to shake her hand, and Frankie found that despite not being as tall as Manny, his mother still dwarved the cadaver. "So nice to meet you, Miss Stein." She said sincerely. "I'm Millie, Manfred's mother."
Manny groaned slightly at the use of his full name, while Frankie couldn't help but giggle. "Mom…"
"You're name is Manfred?" Frankie asked, trying to stiffle her giggles.
Manny let out a sigh. "Yes, my name is Manfred." He grumbled. "Thanks Mom."
"No problem, sweetie." Millie replied, not at all put off by her son's displeasured glance. "Would you two like anything to eat before you start working?" She offered the two.
Manny shook his head. "I'm fine, thanks though." He replied, before looking at Frankie. "You want anything?"
Frankie was admittedly surprised the offer, and she had to take a moment to gather her thoughts. "Um… no thanks." She politely refused.
Millie nodded as she moved back towards the kitchen, retrieving the bowl. "Okay. Have fun, you two!" She called with a wave.
"Mom!" Manny groaned.
"Oh, one more thing." Millie said, peaking back in front of the archway. "Manny already warn you that you couldn't work past ten?"
Frankie nodded. "Yep. I'll be sure to be out of your hair before then." She replied with a smile.
Millie nodded. "Okay." She turned to look at Manny. "Try to keep it quiet. I think Minnie might've caught that stomach bug that's been going around."
The amount of concern on Manny's face was such an alien site to Frankie. "Is she okay?" The young minotaur asked worriedly.
Millie nodded. "Of course. She's just sleeping right now." She informed.
Manny nodded in return. "Okay. We'll be quet, Mom." He assured, before he began moving up the steps, Frankie following him quetly.
It was so weird, seeing Manny acting… normal, she supposed was the best way to put it.
This was so unlike the Manny she knew from school.
Whereas school Manny was loud, rude, obnoxious, home Manny was caring, gentle, thoughtful. Quiet.
It was as if he were two very seperate people. Frankie was curious as to why.
Despite never slowing down, Manny was able to glide right up the staircase without a problem, not a sound to be made. Even on the second floor, his feet were like paper, the only sound that could be heard was the soft taps of his workman's boots against the wooden floor.
Compared to Frankie, who was admittedly having trouble keeping her own footfalls from making noise in her high heels. It was so uncanny. The Manny she was used to was this large brute who couldn't be quiet if he tried. Yet, in his in home, Frankie wouldn't be surprised if he could sneak up on her on accident.
On the second floor, they came across an open door to what looked like a little girl's bedroom. Minnie, if Frankie had to guess. The light was out, and though open, it was open only barely, a crack that Frankie could see through.
Until Manny grabbed the door and gently pulled it the rest of the way shut.
"You can take off your shoes if you want." Manny's voice was quiet, above a whisper, but not too loud. "So that way they aren't clicking so much."
Frankie gladly accepted the offer, slipping her high heels off her feet so that she could walk a little easier without making as much noise.
She held the pair in one hand as Manny led her to his room.
When she walked into Manny's room at the end of the hall, she wasn't sure what to expect. But she wasn't expecting what she saw.
Manny's room was almost completely bare. A bed, a nightstand, a dresser, a TV and game system, and a closet.
But there were no posters. No shelves full of action figures, or decorated bed sheets. Not covers, or anything that stuck out that really marked the room as Manny's.
It was just a plain bedroom. Pale blue walls, the wooden floor, and the white ceiling.
It was almost as if Manny had come in and decided he didn't want to put anything up.
"This is you're room?" Frankie couldn't help but to question, looking around the room in surprise despite there not being much to see.
Manny nodded. "Yeah. Don't exactly have much in terms of decorations, but I guess there's not much of a point at my age anyway." He replied with a shrug as he opened his closet, tossing his jacket inside.
Frankie wasn't sure what to think of that. Even though they were of similar ages, Frankie still hadn't hesitated to decorate her room with posters of movies, boybands, and the latest celebrity sensations. But Manny made it sound like it was too late for it. "What do you mean by that?"
"Nothing." Manny replied with little explanation, effectively cutting the converstion short.
Frankie let out a sigh, but she didn't push it. "Well, do you care if I sit down? The floor is cold." She wasn't joking either. The temperature in Manny's room wasn't the warmest, and the floor was ice cold on her bare feet.
Manny nodded. "Feel free." He said, gesturing towards his bed. "Cover's yours if you need to warm up."
"Oh!" Frankie was a little stunned by the words, but she wasn't about to refuse them. "Thanks."
"No problem." Manny replied. "At least this is warmer than what it usually is." He remarked offhandedly.
Frankie's eyes widened. "This is warm for you?" She asked in disbelief. Sure, someone could sleep through this no problem, but the chill was biting and she found herself unable to believe that this was a warmer temperature than what Manny was used to.
But the minotaur nodded all the same. "Yeah. Usually I never set foot in here until I go to bed." He admitted with a shrug. "But I figured that we could work up, out of Mom's way while she makes dinner."
Admittedly, Frankie would much rather work on the living room, or in the kitchen downstairs, then the freezer that was Manny's room, but she wouldn't complain. If Manny didn't want to bug his mom, who was she to argue?
"So, our story is Beauty and the Beast, right?" Frankie asked as she bundled up in Manny's large covers, making sure her hands were at least free to work.
"Yeah." Manny said with a nod. "I have the book Rotter gave us, and some paper for us to write notes on in my drawer." He informed, pointing to the drawars in the bed stand by Frankie.
Frankie looked over, and reached out on instinct to pull out one of the drawers, opening the top one first.
However, instead of a pile of paper as she expected, Frankie found herself looking at an old pocket knife sitting alone in the top drawer.
Without a second thought, she closed the drawer and moved to the second one, where she found her target: a stack of notebook paper.
Pulling out a few pieces of paper, she sat them on the top of the night stand, before eyeing a cup that had an abundance of different pencils in it. Frankie's hand reached out to grab one, pulling out a plain Number 2 pencil that looked like it'd been recently sharpened.
"Alright." Frankie said, smiling over at Manny as she looked at him. "Ready to start?"
Manny nodded as he finally pulled the Beauty and the Beast book out of his backpack. "Yeah." He said as he stood to his feet, moving over to the dresser on the other side of the room.
Frankie watched him, confused for a moment as he grabbed something off the top of it, before he turned around with a pair of clipboards in his hands. "Here." Manny said, offering Frankie one of the clipboards.
"Oh. Thanks." Frankie said with a nod, slightly surprised by his rather forward thinking as she took the clipboard, slipping her paper into the clip so that she could write a little easer.
Manny plucked a pencil of his own from his pencil cup, before he took a seat on the floor, on the other side of the night stand.
"So, where do we start?" Manny asked, looking up at Frankie.
"Well, Rotter said that the assignment is an essay on why the original text is so different from modern variations." Frankie recalled, tapping the eraser of her pencil against her chin. "He gave us a week, so maybe we have to read the book so that we can really understand it."
"But he only gave us one copy." Manny noted, holding up the aged book to show Frankie. "Wouldn't have been easier to give us two if he expected us to read it?"
Frankie nodded. Manny did have a point. "I guess… maybe only one of us needs to read it?" She proposed. "You've seen the film, right?"
Manny nodded. "Sure. It's one of Minnie's favorite movies." He revealed with a shrug.
"Really?" Frankie couldn't help but ask.
"Yeah." Manny nodded. "In the summer, sometimes we'll watch here in my room." He informed the simulacrum, chuckling slightly. "She'll drive me crazy with that movie, among others."
Frankie nodded. "Okay, good." She said. "I've seen it too… maybe only one of us needs to read it, so that way, we can tell our partner the difference." She proposed, glancing towards Manny. "Do you want to read it?"
Manny shook his head. "Not really. I'm not a big fan of books, in all honesty." He admitted as he easily reached past the bed stand, handing it to Frankie with small stretch of his arm.
"That's fine." Frankie said as she looked at the book. "Should I start reading it now, then, or wait till I get home?" She asked the minotaur, who shrugged.
"Up to you." He spoke with a shrug of his shoulders. "We have until Friday to do the assignment." He recalled Rotter's instructions. "How fast can you read?"
The book was decent sized, rather large considering it was a fairy tail, but Frankie had the sneaking suspicion that this wasn't a reprint, but one of the original copies of the book. "Something this size? I can have it done in two days." She admitted.
Manny nodded. "Okay… what should we work on today?" He asked, looking at the cadaver with a tilted head.
Frankie looked up in thought for a moment, before an idea clicked in her head. "How about we discuss possible differences?" She proposed. "From what I hear, a lot of these older books are more gruesome and twisted compared to what we know today."
Manny thought about it for a moment. "That's a good idea." He agreed, looking up at Frankie. "I mean, in the older version of Snow White, the evil queen wanted to eat Snow White's heart, so maybe something similar happened in this?" He guessed.
Frankie nodded. "Maybe."
Over the course of the next few hours, Manny and Frankie had brainstormed possible instances that could be different in the book compared to the movie.
Frankie would gladly admit that she was surprised by Manny's actual participation and actual input. She remembered Draculara's words of how Manny didn't try to bring his partner down to his level, but she hadn't actually been expecting this.
"So, you think that maybe, the beast was a lot more violent and controlling than he was in the movie?" Frankie questioned with a tilt of her head.
"Yeah." Manny said with a nod. "Obviously, they'd have to scale some things down for the movie, and I just feel like that would be one of them." He admitted, glancing towards the cadaver with a raised eyebrow. "We won't know for sure if until one of use read it, but that's my guess."
Frankie nodded. "Okay… well, something I think is-"
Whatever Frankie was gonna say was interrupted by the sound of the door opening downstairs rather agressively, accompanied by the sound of Millie's voice.
"M-Max…" Millie's voice uttered out, and it didn't escape Frankie's attention that her voice sounded full of fear.
Glancing towards the clock on Manny's nightstand, Frankie was surprised to find that it was well past ten o'clock. In fact, it was 11:30.
"Oh, fangs!" Frankie gasped as she realized that she'd been late. "I need to-"
"Hide!" Manny's voice suddenly filled her ears, and Frankie had little time to react before Manny's hands were suddenly gripping her arms rather tightly.
"Ow, Manny!" Frankie hissed as Manny squeezed her arms a little tighter than she'd like. "Let go of me!"
"Quiet!" Manny hissed back, dragging Frankie away from the bed, and it was only now that she she got a good look at Manny.
His eyes were wide, frantic, and his entire face was filled with fear as he dragged her towards the closet, and he kept glancing towards his door frame, out towards the hall, as he dragged her towards the closet.
"Manny, was that your dad?" Frankie whispered when she heard a loud, deep voice from downstairs growl agressively.
"I-I'm sorry, Max! You got home later than I-"
Frankie gasped as the sound of skin connecting with skin echoed through the house, and she began to understand why Manny was so terrified as he threw open his closet as quietly as he could and urged her inside.
"You should've kept it warm then, Mill." The voice of a man, a deep growling voice that sent shivers of fear through Frankie's disjointed bones.
"Manny, what-"
"Please!" Manny urged quetlly, his entire face pleading as he looked at Frankie desperately. "Be quiet, don't say anything!" He begged the cadaver.
Frankie looked at Manny for a moment, before gulping, but nodding, her eyes filled with fear at the look on Manny's terror filled face.
"Okay…" Frankie whispered, her breath shuddering out of sheer terror.
Manny nodded, before glancing towards the door as the sound of strong footsteps marching up the steps became very audible. With a gulp, Manny closed his closet doors, before standing up and moving to the middle of the room in terrified anticipation.
Frankie could feel the ground juttering slightly with each footfall, and it only sent bigger waves of fear crashing over her.
She was starting to understand why Manny wanted her gone before ten.
Each and every footfall grew louder, only increased by the sheer force with which it connected to the wooden ground.
Frankie was completely, and utterly terrified. When the footsteps finally made it up the steps and to the second floor, they seemed to only grow more terrifying, despite not having to lift up the weight it needed to carry up the steps anymore.
Frankie's breathing was quiet as she listened to the horrifying sound.
Finally, the footsteps stopped at the door, and she could tell that Manny was noticably tense as he stared at who she assumed was his father.
"Why are you looking at me like that, boy?" The deep, rumbling voice of Manny's father echoed through the room, and Manny visibly flinched in terror at the mere sound.
"I… I'm sorry, sir." Manny said, averting his gaze.
"Hey, look at me, boy." HIs father, Max, if Frankie recalled from Millie's earlier words, began moving into the room at a slow pace, and Manny's gaze snapped back to the man.
"S-sorry, sir."
"S-sorry sir!" Max mocked his son, still out of Frankie's view. "Please, you sound like a pussy, saying that all the time." He growled out, causing Manny to cross his arms in discomfort.
Manny didn't verbally respond, and it was only now that she finally was able to get a look at Manny's father.
And if she thought Manny was big, Max Taur was a giant.
Manny's father towered over him by a good two feet, and he held a lot more muscle mass as well. His father was dressed in a dark red shirt, with a maze pattern all over it, and his baggy tactical pants hung over the pair of worn combat boots he wore.
Every single muscle rippled with power, and Frankie found herself even more horrified as she realized just how small Manny was compared to his father, and she couldn't help but to worry at what might happen to the poor minotaur.
"Look at me when I'm speaking to you, boy." Boy. It's as if that was all Max knew how to call his son. Not by his name, or any other endearing name, but just… boy.
Manny forced himself to look at his father, gulping slightly as he did so. "Yes sir."
Frankie could see through the blinds of the closet doors as Max glowered at his son, his gaze moving towards the covers that Frankie had left bundled up when Manny had yanked her from his bed. "Why's your cover like that?"
"It's cold in here, sir." Manny replied, and though he wasn't wrong, it was clear that wasn't the reason.
Somehow, Frankie had the sinking feeling that if Max knew that she was there, Manny would be in so much worse trouble.
"Cold?" Max scoffed with an eyeroll. "Please, a real man will sleep in colder weather without anything to protect his ass." He retorted with a shake of his head.
"I know, sir." Manny nodded, and Frankie was beginning to wonder if he'd heard similar words in the past.
Max was harsh, cruel. That was what Frankie had learned so far. He put his son down, made him feel like he was less than nothing. It was terrible to watch.
"You finally get a good lay while I was gone?" Frankie couldn't help but to gasp at Max's vulgar words, unable to believe that he'd actually asked Manny such a question. "You a man, yet?"
"No, sir." Manny responded with a shake of his head, never breaking eye contact. But Frankie could see the sweat on his brow, running down the side of his head as he looked at his father with a nervous gaze.
Manny was completely terrified.
"No?" Max questioned in disbelief. "Two weeks and you haven't put it in a girl yet?" He asked in irritation. "What, are you a faggot?"
Frankie's eyes widened in complete surprise at Max's words, and even Manny was taken off guard by the question.
"N-no sir." Manny replied with a shake of his head.
"You didn't sound too sure there, boy." Max narrowed his eyes, leaning in close, way into Manny's personal bubble.
"No sir!" Manny replied, sounding more sure of himself with the repeat.
Max nodded. "Good. See to it that you find a good girl within the next month." The older minotaur growled, before turning away from Manny and walking out of Frankie's view.
Manny let out a sigh of relief, and admittedly, so did Frankie, until the footsteps stopped, before leaving the room.
And then Frankie could see Manny's face turn to one of complete and utter horror.
"Since when do you wear black and white high heels, boy?"
Frankie's hand shot up to her mouth as she suppressed a gasp, and she looked towards her feet.
Her shoes were still out in Manny's room from when she'd taken them off, and neither her nor Manny had thought to grab them.
She could see through the closet blinds that Manny was completely unsure of how to answer, how to handle this. He hadn't planned for this at all, and Frankie's shoes had completely skipped over his mind.
Suddenly, Frankie gasped as she watched Max stomp back into her view, his hand finding Manny's lower jaw. "Is there someone else in here, boy?"
"No, sir." Manny answered, his voice strangled and muffled from the way his father was gripping his jaw.
"Are you sure?" Max growled, his grip tightening, causing Manny to begin struggling to loosen it as he looked at his father.
"Yes!"
"Max, leave him alone!" The voice of Millie's mother could be heard from the hallway, and Frankie couldn't help the small swell of hope that Manny's mother might be able to get them out of this predicament.
But it was crushed a second later.
"The boy's lying, Mill." Max said, glaring at his son. "And he needs to learn."
Frankie let out a gasp of shock that she tried to muffle as Max's free hand curled into a fist, before he drove it straight into Manny's gut.
Manny's eyes went wide as pain shot through him and his breath was knocked square out of him, crumpling to the ground as Max let go of his son's jaw.
"Max!" Millie's voice exclaimed in horror from the doorway, but she was completely ignored.
"You lie to me, boy?" Max growled, his boot finding Manny's ribs, kicking the teen with enough force to roll him onto his back.
Frankie could only watch in horror as a father beat his son like a common thug.
"N-no!" Manny insisted through pained and labored breath's his hands holding his stomach as the pain of the kick and the punch compounded together.
"Did you finally find a girl?"
"No!"
Max's lips pulled back into a snarl, and Manny let out a groan as his father kneeled upon his chest.
Frankie couldn't help but flinch as Manny's father punched him square in the jaw while he was down. Not just a slap, or a backhand, but a full fist to the face of his own son.
It was horrible to watch as Manny's father viciously attacked him, and Frankie's hand covered her mouth in horror, trying to suppress the whimpers of fear as the sound of each hit rocked her to her core.
She could feel the tears running from her eyes, along her hands at such a horrible site. She never would've believed Manny had it this bad…
… but then again… no one had cared to ask, did they?
"Quit lying to me boy!"
"I'm not lying!" Manny snarled back despite the vicious hits, and he made an attempt to swing on his father in an attempt to get him off.
And Frankie couldn't help but to scream at what happened next.
Max caught his son's fist with ease, and with the skill and grace of a trained soldier, something that horrified Frankie, Manny was easily flipped onto his stomach, his arm horribly wrenched behind him in his father's grip.
"You try to swing on me, boy?" Max growled, one hand easily holding Manny's wrist to keep him subdued.
"I'm sorry!" Manny cried out. Any bravado and determination was gone, made way for sheer panic as he thrashed under his father in a futile attempt to throw the larger minotaur off.
It didn't work.
"No you aren't." Max growled, wrenching Manny's arm even further, eliciting a cry from his teenage son. "Not until you've learned."
And what happened next would forever be burned into Frankie's mind.
With expert precision, Max's hand slammed into the back side of Manny's elbow with skilled force, and Frankie couldn't help but to cry out in horror as she watched Manny's arm bend the complete wrong with a horrifying snap.
The shrill, agonized cry that ripped itself from Manny's throat would be forever seared into Frankie's brain.
Max's gaze snapped towards the closet, towards her, but he didn't get a chance to act as another voice could be heard from the doorway once again.
"-at 325 Cunningham Lane! Please, I need an ambulance here now!" Millie's voice could be heard from the doorway, causing Max's attention to turn to her.
"Millie, what the fuck do you think you're doing?!" Max growled, jumping up off Manny with wide eyes of disbelief as he stared at his wife out of Frankie's view.
But from the sounds of it, Millie completely ignored her husband, focusing on her son who was writhing in pure and utter pain as he held his broken arm.
"PLEASE, HIS ARM'S BROKEN FOR GOD'S SAKE!" Millie exclaimed, shouting into what Frankie assumed was a phone with the type of worry only a mother could have.
"Millie, put down the phone!" Max snapped, but Millie completely ignored him.
"Please, get here quick!" Millie begged as she finally came into Frankie's view, Max watching in disbelief and horror as he was completely ignored in favor of his agonized son.
"Millie!" Max cried once more, but Millie continued to ignore him as she crouched down next to Manny, resting her hand on her son's chest.
"God, please just get here!" Millie cried into the phone. "I can see the bone!"
Frankie let out a strangled cry of horror at Millie's words, but it seemed as though Max had completely gone blind to anything else as a look of horror washed over the minotaur's face.
Frankie watched as the large man disappeared from view, and she could hear the footsteps of the brute slamming on the ground, down the hall and down the steps.
Only when she heard the door downstairs whip open did Frankie finally move.
"Manny!" The cadaver cried out as she sprung from the closet, crawling towards the writhing minotaur she knew as he classmate. "Oh my god, Manny!"
Millie looked towards Frankie, her eyes running with tears to match Frankie's own as she looked at the teenage girl. "Frankie?"
"I'm sorry!" Frankie exclaimed, he voice flooded with anguish as she looked upon Manny's form, cries and tears of pain spilling from the teen as she looked at Manny's mother. "I'm so sorry."
"It's not your fault, dear." Millie assured, glancing towards the simulacrum. "I should've done something long ago." She whimpered as she looked at her son.
"What about Manny's sister?" Frankie realized in horror. "What about Minnie?"
"Oh god…" Millie gasped as she remembered her daughter, who was supposed to be asleep. "Millie!"
"I'll stay with Manny." Frankie assured as she looked up at the female minotaur. "Go and make sure Minnie's alright."
"But-" Millie looked more than a little hesitant at the prospect, but Frankie gave her one more look.
"I'll watch over him." Frankie said, taking a deep breath as she tried to wipe up her tears. "I promise."
Mllie looked at Frankie for a moment, before she finally gave in. "Okay."
As the distraught mother stood to her feet to check on her daughter, Frankie turned her attention to her classmate writhing under her, resting a hand under his head as she tried to sooth his pain somewhat.
"I'm sorry, Manny…" Frankie whimpered out in an anguished voice as the tears fell from her eyes, staining Manny's red maze shirt. "I'm so so sorry…"
Manny didn't say anything, only continued to writhe in agony, and Frankie prayed that the ambulance would arrive quickly.