The windows of Bloodgood's office were lined with deep purple curtains, keeping the space dim and casting the room in shadow.

However, this didn't keep Beatrix from discovering that Headmistress Bloodgood was a sight to behold. In a striking velvet suit and white collar, she sat across from Beatrix and Autumn on the other side of her massive office desk. The woman commanded authority with her impeccable posture, her neat curls slicked back into a bun, and her unflinching gaze.

What's really impressive is how she acts like nothing strange is going on here, Beatrix thought.

What Beatrix was referencing was the fact that the Headmistress's detached head was placed upright on the tabletop of her desk, staring directly at Beatrix. There was no blood, and Beatrix and Autumn were avoiding staring at the stump that was Bloodgood's neck. The Headmistress seemed to have complete motor control over her body and face despite them being separated.

Autumn had informed Beatrix before they'd stepped into the administrative building that the Headmistress was a member of the Headless Horseman lineage, a bloodline cursed with the bad luck of being decapitated in his or her previous life—including notorious figures such as the Green Knight from the times of King Arthur, and the riders in ancient Ireland who wielded whips made from human spines—a sick cycle that repeated itself every century or so.

The most recent Headless Horseman before Bloodgood had been a rider who infamously reigned over a New York territory. As a human, the Horseman was a soldier decapitated by a cannonball in battle, and his comrades had hastily disposed of his body. He'd consequently risen as a malevolent ghost, furiously seeking his lost head and terrorizing the locals.

Beatrix wondered what Bloodgood's fate had been when she was living.

Beatrix also found herself growing increasingly more puzzled over the rule towards witchcraft in the monster world. If the Headmistress had experienced a human life at one point, why was a witch considered so foreign—not monster enough?

Is it because my humanity is still intact? Beatrix pondered. Is there a required number of years required between an undead state and an alive one to be considered a true monster? If so, then how many years does it take to gain monster status in the eyes of the school? Surely not every student who attends Monster High qualifies as strictly "undead," right? It doesn't add up.

"Beatrix Felicity Ravenwood?" The Headmistress's question snapped Beatrix out of her thoughts.

"That's me."

Bloodgood's headless body flipped through a manilla folder to allow her head to scan the forms Autumn had filled out weeks prior.

"Novice sorceress?"

"If novice means newbie, then sort-of. I'm not new to the craft, just inexperienced. But I have lots of exposure when it comes to spellcasting."

"Exposure? What did that entail?" Bloodgood's head asked suspiciously.

Beatrix puffed her chest, feigning confidence. "I've been an assistant to my three aunts since I could walk. What I lack in hands-on experience, I make up for in knowledge and safety protocol."

At the words "safety protocol" Autumn stifled an unbelieving snicker. Beatrix kicked Autumn's foot under the desk to keep her quiet.

So what if I blew up the spell shack? That thing was old and falling apart anyway. And you could argue that the pyrokinesis mishap was partly my aunts' fault… Beatrix tried justifying the lie in her head.

"I see…" the Headmistress trailed off, thinking something over.

"Um, Headmistress Bloodgood? If you recall, that's actually the reason we figured the school would make an exception for Beatrix," Autumn explained softly. "We thought that Beatrix could safely live on campus with me for the academic year because she's hardly a practicing witch. While she has been raised around elements of sorcery, you wouldn't need to worry about her casting any spells or exposing any other students to black magic because she doesn't know how to."

Beatrix thought of the charmed witch hat in her backpack that had protected her hair when the spell shack was damaged. She was no stranger to protective spells. In fact, she was quite good at them. Beatrix and Autumn were telling a lot of half-truths today.

And Autumn's words stung Beatrix. She knew Autumn was only trying to convince the Headmistress to let Beatrix stay, but her argument revolved around the idea that Beatrix was utterly harmless and pathetic. With each passing moment in this office, Beatrix grew less hopeful that she had a place at Monster High.

"To be clear, Ms. Ravenwood, you wish to be Ms. Patches's student aid for her sophomore year?"

"Yes, ma'am. Very much."

"And you understand the on-campus responsibilities that accompany this role?"

Beatrix glanced at Autumn, who was sinking into her chair to avoid eye contact.

"I'm assuming you mean that I'll be responsible for providing emotional support for Autumn," Beatrix started, unsure. "So I'll be attending classes with her?"

"Perhaps Ms. Patches hasn't briefed you about the entirety of your expected position here."

Beatrix looked back to Autumn, her lips pressed into a firm line. "Perhaps not…"

Headmistress Bloodgood laced her fingers together and ran through the ground rules for both of them. "Since you are not a formal student, you are not allowed to attend Ms. Patches's classes alongside her. It goes against the rules of our institution to allow a nonstudent to receive our world-class education without going through the proper application process and being accepted. Instead, you will only accompany her during certain intervals throughout the school day. This includes escorting Ms. Patches to Study Howl, ensuring she gets to various academic buildings safely, and being attentive to her should any other needs arise."

"Can I ever sit in on one of Autumn's classes? What if she needs help in the middle of…" Beatrix recounted the class schedule Autumn had shown her. "... in the middle of Clawculus?"

"You cannot attend regularly, no. However, you may assist when needed as long as you do not disrupt the class," Headmistress Bloodgood replied. "You must be available to oversee Ms. Patches's overall well being, whenever she needs first aid or emotional assistance. For instance, Ms. Patches has made it known to me that she tears her limbs easily and is often left unable to repair herself. Thus, you will need to be on standby during her required physical education class to provide adequate support."

"So I can't stick with Autumn during the whole school day, and I'm expected to wait for her to need me from afar? I'd rather not stand around for hours doing nothing," Beatrix said. She was perplexed. And getting agitated.

Without giving Bloodgood a chance to answer, Beatrix continued on, "Look, Headmistress. I came here to help my friend and I'm determined to do so. The only reason she was convinced to attend this school was because she was told that I could basically be her shadow here. I've already done some of my dark arts studies under my aunts, so this isn't a master plan to steal some 'world-class education' or make a scene in classrooms. I'm only here for Autumn."

And maybe that hot biker guy, Beatrix thought.

"As I previously stated, Ms. Ravenwood, it is against school protocol to allow a nonstudent to attend full classes. And I wouldn't be concerned about having too much free time away from Ms. Patches, if I were you," Bloodgood said.

"And why is that?" Beatrix said more sharply than she intended.

Autumn jumped in. "Bea, you're going to work on campus." Autumn said it like she'd gotten a huge weight off her shoulders.

Beatrix leaned back in her seat. "Ya, I know. I'm going to be your aid, isn't that the point of all of this?"

"Bea, no, that's not what I mean. You're also going to help out in the creepateria here."

"Excuse me?"

Autumn hesitated, twiddling with the seam on her wrist.

She was sinking further into her chair but this time she didn't avoid Beatrix's gaze. "You're going to be a member of the school staff, technically. You're going to help out during lunch time. It was the compromise the Headmistress and I came up with to allow you to have 'free' room and board here. It seemed reasonable since the school is already bending over backwards to allow a witch to be here."

"Well, we highly value your work ethic and your intellect, Ms. Patches. It would be dreadful to lose a student who performed so well in the rigorous homeschool curriculum you participated in. We didn't want to lose such a valuable addition to our halls, regardless of your unique accommodations," Bloodgood complimented Autumn while her severed head peered over at Beatrix.

Autumn smiled bashfully. "Oh, thank you. I'm so grateful for what you and the school have done for me already. My family always valued pushing me academically–"

"You volunteered me to be a lunch lady?" Beatrix interrupted, directing the question at her friend.

Autumn kept tugging at some straw from her wrist. Then she swallowed her nerves and said, "It was Granny's idea, actually. She's the one who suggested you have an on-campus job. You just have to help prepare meals for the student body, clean up a bit, and you get to live on campus with me all year!"

"Additionally, you must attend an interactive seminar hosted by our Monster Sensitivity Committee every Monday evening. Its purpose is to welcome newly transitioned supernatural beings into the monster world, as well as those who share more human characteristics than the average monster. The seminar trains these individuals on the mechanics of their changing bodies and how to navigate the nuances of our diverse student body. The meetings are typically held somewhere near the pool house or the screamatorium, depending on room availability. Our committee deemed you fit to attend these seminars, and you will lose your status as Ms. Patches's aid if you do not attend. Do you have any questions?"

Beatrix blinked.

She had a million questions, yet she couldn't muster up a single one because her head was spinning from the information overload she was facing.

Instead, after gripping the edge of her black blouse to get her bearings and taking in a deep breath to clear her mind, all Beatrix said was, "No questions from me. Count me in."

Beatrix meant it.

I want to be here. It's worth it. It's now or never, and I am going to experience Monster High for myself no matter what.

Nevertheless, this line of rationalization didn't stop Beatrix from becoming irritated at her best friend. Autumn had omitted such crucial information, keeping all of the requirements placed on Beatrix a secret and allowing her to get ambushed by the Headmistress. She was going to have to confront Autumn about this later.

"I have a question," Autumn piped up.

Beatrix was annoyed at hearing her friend speak after all Autumn had put her through in the last half-hour.

"Who should Beatrix talk to about where the Monster Sensitivity seminars are located? Since you said the room tends to change," Autumn said.

"I'll put you in contact with the senior student who helps run the seminar," Bloodgood said. "If you ever need help, Ms. Patches, this student is a responsible resource to turn to."

To this, Autumn thanked the Headmistress profusely for her time.

Bloodgood's body picked her detached head off the tabletop and placed it back up on her neck. "Not a problem. Thank you for arriving on campus early to meet with me. My secretary will give the senior student I mentioned both of your contact information. I will ensure that Mr. Reaper reaches out to Ms. Ravenwood when school begins."

"Mr. Reaper? Let me guess, this student's first name is Grim?" Beatrix joked to shake off some of the tension she'd been feeling during the meeting.

"His first name is Grey. Grey Reaper."

Beatrix's body went still.

"Grey, like the color?" she asked.

Bloodgood raised an eyebrow at Beatrix. "I suppose so, yes. Like the color."

"Grey runs the seminar that I have to attend every week?"

"Yes, every Monday. He is one of the founding members of the Monster Sensitivity Committee and his father is a very influential figurehead in afterlife circles. I believe you could learn a great deal from him, Ms. Ravenwood."

Beatrix blinked again.

"I'm sure I could," Beatrix emptily smiled.

Bloodgood returned the smile. "Great. You start Monday."

The East Dormitory was a stone building tucked away on the outskirts of campus within the surrounding forest, and it showed no signs of life from other students yet.

Except, of course, for the scarecrow girl dashing down the dorm hall, squealing bloody murder. Autumn's yells echoed through the entire building.

When the two girls had entered the dorm, Autumn had ditched her bags at the front entrance to flee from Beatrix.

And the young witch was out for revenge.

"Don't kill me! I didn't tell you everything because I wanted to make sure you came! You should be thanking me!" Autumn playfully shrieked.

The scarecrow girl rounded a corner, barely evading Beatrix's grasp. The hallways were long and narrow. Evenly-spaced dorm doors lined every wing of the building. Beatrix and Autumn's shared room was supposed to be on the top floor, but the two girls were far too occupied to search for it now.

Beatrix leaped forward to close the distance between them. She lunged at Autumn's waist and brought her down to the ground with her. Beatrix nearly knocked the wind out of both of them.

"I said I'm sorry!" Autumn yelped, her blue eyes starting to water from laughing so much.

"You made me a lunch lady!" Beatrix tickled Autumn's sides, torturing her to make up for the meeting earlier. "You owe me, strawhead! You made me look stupid in front of that headless lady!"

"Her… name… is Bloodgood!" Autumn wheezed. "Stop, please, stop!"

"Never!" Beatrix cackled. "And don't you think this makes us even! It doesn't!"

Beatrix still felt a bit agitated about Autumn keeping secrets from her. She pulled away and let Autumn take a breath.

Autumn sat up and wiped her eyes.

"Don't be upset, Bea."

Beatrix sighed. "I don't understand why you didn't tell me everything from the beginning. Were you really afraid that I would get mad?"

"Well… you did kinda get mad back there," Autumn said.

"Only for a moment. And I didn't get mad enough to refuse the offer. I was just taken off guard," Beatrix said. "I wouldn't have refused to be your aid even if I was asked to clip a cyclops's toenails for the entire school year!"

"You're right. I'm sorry. I guess I was scared that there was even a possibility that I'd have to do this alone."

Autumn always let Beatrix "win" their disagreements so easily, and it never gave Beatrix the sweet taste of victory she hoped it would. Beatrix felt a subtle tinge of guilt instead.

It felt like Autumn was still holding back her true thoughts on the subject, however Beatrix didn't push for more.

They sat on the carpeted floor for a moment and looked at the hallway around them. It was quiet and tranquil.

"We better go get our bags and find our room," Beatrix finally said.

"Shush," Autumn pressed a finger to her stitched lips.

"Oh, so now you're the one who's mad?" Beatrix snorted. "Fine, I guess I deserve it."

"No, shush! Do you hear that?"

"Hear what? I don't hear anything!"

"Shush!"

Beatrix held her breath and listened.

A soft patter patter patter could be heard somewhere close. Like an animal scurrying across the hallway carpet.

Beatrix and Autumn's heads swiveled to find its source.

Beatrix kept her eyes on the far end of the hallway, and she felt Autumn give her hand a gentle squeeze.

"Bea…"

Beatrix turned back to her friend and saw Autumn silently point down at Beatrix's left hand.

As slowly as possible, Beatrix followed her finger.

To her astonishment, it wasn't Autumn who had taken hold of Beatrix's hand. Both of Autumn's hands were placed in her own lap.

Rather, a disembodied hand had laced its fingers with Beatrix's.

Beatrix let loose a blood-curdling scream accompanied by a stream of curse words. She shook her own hand free and jolted away, scurrying behind Autumn.

"It touched me! It was touching me! I thought that was you!"

The single hand popped up and ran towards Beatrix on its fingertips, similar to a spider. Lines of crooked stitches crossed over the hand's pale green skin.

The hand was surprisingly nimble.

As the hand was about to reach them, Autumn yanked off her straw hat and trapped it underneath.

She pressed down the hat as hard as she could, determined to not let the hand escape. As she struggled, Beatrix heard loud footsteps approaching from the other end of the hall. They were fast and heavy.

"Where are you?" a voice boomed. The hallway nearly shook from the powerful voice alone.

The dismembered hand scrambled harder beneath Autumn's hat, using all of its strength in an attempt to crawl away.

"School hasn't even started yet and we're gonna die!" Autumn wailed.

A figure stepped into the hall, standing nearly over six and a half feet tall, from what Beatrix could tell. And at the sight of the figure's missing hand, Beatrix knew they had what the creature was looking for.