Beatrix perched on a rock overlooking the Black Lagoon, waiting for Autumn to finish class now that her lunch duties were done for the day.
Although she could've used the free time to read the many letters her aunts had sent over the past weeks, urging her to return home, Beatrix instead flipped through a cookbook she'd borrowed from the school library. Preparing meals had quickly become a passion, and she was determined to make a Key Slime Pie.
Maybe my witchy blood runs deeper than I thought, Beatrix pondered. Concocting things is my forte.
She looked out over the Black Lagoon's rippling waters. Monster High rested on a secluded mountainside near New Salem, and the Black Lagoon was located on the east side of campus. The lagoon was close to the tall iron fence that ran around the school's perimeter. The fence separated the school grounds from a thick forest of fir and pine trees.
In the forest beyond the spiked fence, mossy trees casted sharp shadows and branches twisted menacingly.
All kinds of monsters could stalk through those woods and go unnoticed.
Beatrix tried imagining what Gilda Goldstag's last moments looked like, what she was doing, and what or who she'd encountered out there.
The lagoon was as deceptive as the forest; its murky surface obscured its depths.
Suddenly, next to the rock Beatrix was perched on, two white orbs emerged from the dark water.
Beatrix squinted at the orbs, unsure of what she was looking at.
The orbs blinked.
Beatrix jolted upright. She was looking at two eyes. Two wide, aquamarine eyes.
The next thing she knew, a beautiful blonde fish girl sprung out of the water.
"Lagoona!" Beatrix exclaimed.
Lagoona wrung out her curly hair. "Hi, mate! Whatcha doing?"
"Waiting for Autumn's Biteology class to end. You?"
"I got out of class to set up the assembly in the screamatorium with the rest of the student council members," Lagoona said. "We finished early, so I skipped out on the rest of class to get a swim in."
"A student council rebel. How scandalous," Beatrix poked fun.
Beatrix had learned that Lagoona was the sophomore class representative and consequently was responsible for school events.
This week was the homecoming game and dance, an electrifying time of year for Monster High students. The assembly that was being held today would encourage students to buy tickets for the homecoming events.
"Autumn's doing a cheer routine during the assembly. I have to meet her in the screamatorium soon to watch for injuries," Beatrix said, then confided in Lagoona. "Honestly, hanging around the fearleaders is a pain. If I hear Cleo complain about witches one more time…"
"Don't take it to heart," Lagoona consoled. "Cleo had a complicated home life, that's all."
Beatrix tilted her head. What does Cleo's home life have to do with me being a witch?
Lagoona switched topics. "Have you met Levi?"
"Who?" Beatrix asked, setting her cookbook aside and dipping her bare feet into the black waters.
"Levi is my buddy who lives at the bottom of the lagoon."
Beatrix pulled her feet back out. "Huh?"
"He's shy but he's a nice fella. Lake dwellers get a bad rap."
While Lagoona gushed about Levi and her love of aquatic beasts, Beatrix saw someone on the opposite shore.
Someone tall and determined and moving quickly.
"What's Grey doing out here during school hours?" Beatrix asked.
Grey strode towards the perimeter fence.
"Probably ditching class. I think he likes to meditate near the woods," Lagoona said. "It's best to give him some space."
"Typical. Everyone has to walk on eggshells around him," Beatrix huffed. The insults Grey had flung at her during their MSS meeting swirled in her head. She grew more aggravated by the second.
"You don't seem to like Grey much," Lagoona said with a small smile.
"He started it. He's been rude to me since my first day. Him and Cleo would get along great."
Lagoona smiled again. She likely didn't want to get involved in Beatrix's drama.
Beatrix tried to keep her cool and move on.
She failed.
"I'm over this," Beatrix announced. She shoved her black boots on and stuffed the cookbook in her satchel.
"Not sure what you mean, mate," Lagoona said, concerned.
"Fill you in later. See you at the assembly!" Beatrix called over her shoulder.
As Beatrix reached the other side of the lagoon, she slowed down so the rocks under her feet wouldn't alert Grey to her presence. She lightly stepped towards the school perimeter, away from the lagoon's shore and into the soft grass, keeping a distance between her and Grey's back. Grey was still a few yards ahead, nearing the edge of the school grounds, and walked with his usual laser-sharp focus.
Beatrix thought about calling out to Grey and stopping him in his tracks. He was getting precariously close to the woods, which was against school rules. However, she wanted to see if he was really out there to meditate.
They came upon a small gardening shed tucked between two large trees. Grey disappeared behind it.
Beatrix sneaked over and peered around the side of the shed.
Grey stood waiting for her.
"Need something?" he asked.
Beatrix's face went hot.
Grey almost looked ready for a confrontation, his hand lightly placed on the contraption at his hip, on the retracted staff he always carried. This freaked Beatrix out even more. She had no idea if the staff was a weapon or not.
To make matters worse, Grey had been suspended last year, he was three times bigger than her, and the only other monster around was Lagoona—who'd she'd left far behind.
I'm an idiot, Beatrix realized.
The only thing she could do was deescalate things, so Beatrix extended a hand. "Truce?"