A/N: Three years ago today I uploaded the first chapter of Wrecked... :D Over the years, I've loved receiving reviews and PMs about my story. Thank you so much. I plan to finally conclude Wrecked in the coming year.
Thank you all for sticking with this story for the past years and to those who've recently found it; you all keep Monster High alive.
Happy New Year!
I took cautious steps as the music sent vibrations up the staircase. The silky red dress I wore swayed with each move I made. Red made for a great accessory, but now it was my main ensemble. I nearly stumbled down the stairs just looking at it.
"Frankie!" Lagoona waited for me at the bottom of the steps, arm-in-arm with Gil. "You look fintastic, love."
"Thanks," I said. Lagoona wore a shimmering, strapless gown. Her blonde hair hung in a braid along her shoulder. "So do you!"
With a grin, Lagoona lead me out the foyer and into the living room, where all the furniture had been moved to make space for the party. "I'm so glad Cleo decided to throw this party. I was starting to think there wouldn't be one at all."
"Elissabat said she couldn't," I said, "but I'm totally charged she threw the party anyway!"
The sea ghoul's brows furrowed. "Elissabat said no earlier? That's odd..." She shook her head. "Never mind, love, enjoy the party!" Lagoona gave me a small wave before heading to the middle of the floor with Gil.
The living room was dark except for an array of lights that gently illuminated the walls. Other lavishly dressed monsters had gathered on the dance floor, but I couldn't tell where the music came from.
"Cleo made me set up speakers."
I jumped at Holt's voice and turned to see him behind me. If we weren't by the light, I wouldn't have been able to tell the color of his deep purple tuxedo. However, the orange vest he wore had an unmistakable sheen to it. His hair was combed back, yet some strays fell free.
"She got pissed when I said I wouldn't DJ," he said. "Spent a lotta time organizing the soundtrack, though." Holt's eyes glowed in the dimness. "Nice look, Frankie Fine. Wanna dance?" He held out his hand.
I hesitated and took it. He grinned and guided me to the floor. The music slowed, and everyone swayed to the gentle beat. They barely moved; some of them were buried in one another's embrace. I stiffened.
"Something wrong?"
I wouldn't meet his gaze. "I, um." My eyes flitted over the couples. "I've never danced like that before."
He glanced over his shoulder, then sent me a soft smile. "Don't worry, Hyde's got this." Holt took my left hand and placed it on his shoulder, then he raised my right hand and laced our fingers. He put his hand on my waist, and we gradually swayed to the music. "There you go."
I smiled at him and he beamed.
The strung up lights glimmered as we moved. "Are there only slow songs?"
"'Course not," Holt said. "It's still a party. Gotta make it count while it lasts. Even short ones like this."
"Who says this party needs to be short?" I asked, stifling a giggle as he briefly spun me outward.
He shrugged. "It doesn't have to be. Not everyone's gonna come."
"Come..?" I inhaled. "Is... Is Elissabat still planning to confront the Queen tonight?"
"Yeah." He gave me a curious look. "You didn't know?"
"I thought Cleo convinced her to throw a party instead."
"I wish," Holt scoffed. "But Elissabat's pretty set on starting this thing tonight."
"Just like Cleo is with her party," I said. A thought occurred to me. "Are you going with Elissabat?"
Holt gave me a halfhearted grin. "Well, the Queen did pretend to be you. Not to mention that if it weren't for everything she's done, then I wouldn't have ended up in this situation." He paused like his mind was elsewhere. He blinked and looked back at me. "You thinking of coming, too?"
"I don't know... I don't think so." Nefera's actions may have set the world on this path, but I didn't feel like it was worth confronting her now. Especially when we had the chance to calm down at a party.
Holt tilted his head to sideways. "You okay?"
I hadn't realized I stopped. I pulled away from him. "Sorry, I..." I sighed and met his gaze. "Thank you for the dance."
The song ended as soon as I left the room, and a loud beat thrummed in my wake. I didn't expect anyone to be in the foyer.
"You came out in a hurry," Toralei drawled. She lounged along the banister and dug a claw into the wood. The glossy black gown she wore was torn in most places, but she still managed to look elegant with her hair pulled back. "What happened?"
"Are you going after Nefera tonight?"
The werecat's expression hardened. "You can count on it."
"Why?" I pushed. "Why now? You were on her side so often before."
"That was then," she snapped, her teeth bared. "The Queen was so selfish she decided to remake the entire world. Do you really think I'm going to let her get away with that crap?"
"So you don't care about others knowing what she did?"
"Why should I?" She leaped onto the floor. "What matters is that I know the truth. And she's getting hell for it." Toralei pushed past me and into the party.
"And here I thought she changed." Clawdeen strode toward me with Clawd and Draculaura in tow.
The vampire waved her hand. "Oh, come on, we've all changed at least a little bit." She gasped. "Frankie, you look fangtastic!"
I thanked her and praised both Draculaura and Clawdeen's outfits. The vampire's dress was adorned with sequins fading from hot pink to black while the she-wolf's straightened hair fell nicely past the top of her strapless purple and gold gown.
"Ooh! Do you hear that, Clawd?" Draculaura squealed. "Let's dance!" Clawd winced as she dragged him off.
Clawdeen shook her head and laughed. A wistful left her golden eyes misty. "I'm happy they're okay."
"Clawdeen... Are you going after Nefera?"
The werewolf crossed her arms, and her lips thinned. "Sure I am."
"But why?"
"I've been by her side for years and she lied to me," Clawdeen said. "She lied to the whole world just now. And like me, they need to find out what she did." Her eyes widened in sympathy. "Look, Frankie, I know you probably don't feel comfortable about this—trust me, I don't either—but it's the best time. We have to do this. And the sooner, the better."
I nodded, and Clawdeen joined the party. I sighed, dejected. Holt had said the party would be cut short for those leaving, but I felt like it was ending early for me, too. I understood the reasons everyone had for going after Nefera. I knew what she did was wrong and that the world couldn't be kept in the dark any longer. It was the same story I've been told since the beginning, yet somehow I couldn't wrap my mind around confronting her only to punish her. Didn't she deserve it?
I made my way to the kitchen. Scarah was munching on a bag of chips when I entered.
"Hey." I glanced around. "Where's Invisi Billy?"
"In his room," she said between bites. "He's changing for tonight."
Scarah was dressed head-to-toe in elegance, her deep green gown flattered her in every way.
"When are you leaving?" I asked.
She shook her head. "He's the one going, not me."
"So you don't know when? Or who else is going?"
"No, sorry," she admitted sheepishly. "Elissabat told the details only to the monsters leaving." Her blank eyes lit up, and she handed me the bag of chips. "From the sound of what's knocking around in your head, you could use some comfort food."
I giggled. "Thanks."
Scarah sent me a soft smile, then her expression grew grim. "That Elissabat is more on-edge than ever since we've got here," she said with a lowered voice. "I think that she's in over her head, if you ask me."
I suddenly lost my appetite and set aside the bag of chips. "Do you know what more she's planning?"
She shook her head. "No, but she sure is eager about it." She shuddered. "And it's not the kind of eager you wanna be around. So I told Invisi Billy good luck, but there is no way I'm about'ta be involved. You aren't, right Frankie?"
I shook my head. I didn't need to be a telepath to sense that anything Elissabat had up her sleeve would be without any of the rest of us in mind. She'd been wanting to get on our good side so that we'd follow her. She would take over Nefera's reign, and we'd trade one recluse for another. I couldn't fathom any change beyond that. There was bound to be another way to approach this, but everything moved too quickly around me.
Scarah breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank gore for that. Personally, nothing I've been sensing from that vamp has been all too comforting. Just trying to read her mind unnerves me." She shuddered. "If I'm ta be completely honest, I'm ready for this to be done and over with. So they may as well carry on." She moved beneath the archway out of the kitchen and looked back at me. "Do you plan to head back to the party?"
Another figure appeared beyond her, and I noticed the blues and purples of Whisp's messy bun. "In a minute."
Scarah nodded and strode out the kitchen. Whisp trudged in; not dressed for a party. She circled the island to the fridge.
I twiddled my fingers and approached her. "Are you okay, Whisp?"
The genie shot me a glare. "Why do you ask, Frankie?"
"You look... never mind." My appetite returned and I snatched the bag of chips from the counter.
Did Whisp know? I could ask Clawdeen for more information before I told her but I'd have to lure her away from the party. A laugh huffed out of me. The Wolf was so excited for the party only to follow Elissabat instead. One leader for another.
I swallowed a handful of chips and cleared my throat. "Whisp, do you want to punish Nefera?"
She stilled and turned to face me. "No."
I was taken aback. "Even after she imprisoned you for five years?"
Whisp shrugged. "Nefera wouldn't be where she is without me. If anyone's concerned, I should be punished." Her face fell, and she opened the freezer and took out a pint of ice cream. "But I suppose I'm only punishing myself." She managed a dry chuckle and proceeded to leave the kitchen.
But she stopped short. She didn't look back at me when she spoke, "I know you have something planned for tonight... Whatever you're planning against Nefera, just do what you need to do." She looked over her shoulder. "By the way, when you're all gone... I'll talk to Gigi. Just. Don't waste your time tonight."
I watched as she turned her back on me and left, the only sound the wafting rhythm of the music. I knew she was right. But I didn't know what Elissabat had planned for Nefera. What kind of punishment did she have in mind?
Humiliation?
Torture?
Were the monsters I trusted soon after my first breath capable of such cruelty? Holt, Toralei, Clawdeen, Invisi Billy... I couldn't believe they would do that. I couldn't believe my friends would resort to anything like that. But too much happened. They changed, and I wasn't going to take any chances.
There had to be a better way.
I tossed the bag of chips and bolted up the stairs, leaving the sounds of the party behind. I slammed the door to my room and slipped out of my dress as fast as I could. Shorts, t-shirt, boots... That should do. I pulled my hair back as I opened the door. Across the hall, I noticed Clawdeen's was still open. She was most likely in a hurry.
I went to close the door when she suddenly burst out of the room. "Sorry, Frankie, gotta go!" She dashed past me.
"Wait!" I called.
Clawdeen charged on and I tried my best to chase her down.
When I finally caught up with her, she was at the foot of the stairs, staring at the empty living room.
"Oh, no way..." Clawdeen growled. "They left, didn't they?"
"Who?" Cleo strutted out of the living room, hand-in-hand with Deuce.
The werewolf sighed. "Doesn't matter anymore."
"A group of monsters is going after Nefera tonight," I told Cleo.
She gasped, then stomped her foot. "So that's why Elissabat wanted my party to be short. The nerve of that ghoul! When I—"
"Relax, Cleo," Deuce said. "The party was fun. They gotta do what they have to."
"How come Elissabat didn't tell you?" I asked her.
"Yeah," Clawdeen said, perking up. "I thought you'd be most eager to go after Nefera, so how come you didn't know?"
"That's exactly it, love." We looked up to see Lagoona making her way down the stairs. "Since Cleo has the most against Nefera, Elissabat must've thought Cleo a liability."
Cleo scoffed. "Liability. As if."
"I don't know about that," Deuce said. "I think Frankie has the most against Nefera."
"You have a point there, mate." Lagoona's green gaze shifted toward me. "How are you feeling about this, love?"
"Me?" I glanced down at myself. "I'm planning on going with them."
"But they already left," Cleo said. "It's too late now."
"No." I looked behind me. "Clawdeen was going, so she should know."
The Wolf's ears raised in alarm. "They left on Catty's bus and my car's outta gas. There's no way we'll catch up."
"Maybe I can help." We glanced up to see Gigi standing at the top of the stairwell, dressed in a baby blue gown. "A full tank of gas should be within my power."
Clawdeen's eyes gleamed. "Oh thank you, Gigi!"
"Do you want to come?" I asked.
She shook her head. "I don't want much part in that, but I don't see why I can't help you get there."
The air suddenly chilled. "Where be going?" Abbey asked as she walked out of the living room, Heath at her side.
"Frankie and I are going after the Queen," Clawdeen told her. "Wanna come?"
The Yeti's daughter stared at Clawdeen for a moment, as if processing her question. Then she glanced at me and gave a small, tusked smile. "Okay."
"Then I'll go, too!" Heath said, his hair alight.
Lagoona chuckled. "I don't think so, mate. Maybe I should go."
"And me!" There was a puff of black when Draculaura shifted out of her bat form. "It'll be just like old times!"
Clawdeen grinned. "Yeah. Except..."
We followed her golden gaze to Cleo, whose jaw dropped in indignation as we stared her down.
She sighed emphatically. "Fine. Nefera is my sister... Who else better than I to confront her?"
I clapped my hands together and Draculaura squealed. Cleo rolled her eyes. "Just let me get out of this dress first."
"Me too," Lagoona said as she joined Cleo up the stairs.
I glanced at Abbey's long, jewel adorned gown and she shrugged. "I can stay in dress. In my country, we must do everything in anything."
"Come on," Heath griped. "I should come, too. Can't leave you ghouls alone..."
Deuce managed to clasp his hand on the other's shoulder. "Pretty sure they can handle themselves, dude. Now help your blind bud back to his room."
Heath grumbled, but a quick peck on the cheek from Abbey made him comply.
I was left in the foyer with Abbey and Clawdeen, and I took a seat on the nearest stair step. Abbey sat beside me and Clawdeen let out some shakey yet eager breaths.
"Okay, ghouls," she said. "Are you ready?"
