It was a silent ride to the marsh in the Grimwood's "van"; with Ms. G driving and Phantasma sitting shotgun, the young girls in the middle and a sulking Sabella and Elsa in the back. "Girls, we will be arriving soon, so put on a smile and be as pretty as you look."
"Without the shallow pretences, fake laughs, materialistic tendencies, and boy crazy minds." Sabella muttered fingering the pale pink sundress that had butterflies and oversized pink and purple buttons, that Tanis had forced on her; at least they hadn't put her in heels; who the hell would wear heels on a hike. "But I guess we already look the part" she sighed as the vehicle turned off onto a bumpy overpass.
The vehicle sped down the road hitting every dent and pothole. The girls bumping up to the crappy roof of the 50's hearse knocking any sense they may've had in the way of turning around. Sabella muttering the cruellest of words under her breath, as her purple hair wrapped around her fangs and got flatter and flatter until it was no longer cushioning the force from the hearses dented ceilings.
"Are we going to arrive soon? If we don't at least one of us ghouls will have more than permanent brain damage." Sabella hissed rubbing the purple skin on her forehead. Causing Winnie to giggle haughtily from the row behind her "lighten up Bella, don't complain now or you'll never make it to the picnic area. And we all know you are just dying to see one of the cadets again." An annoying smirk placing itself on her face driving Sabella crazy, which today was not taking much work.
"Winnie, I expect you to act like a lady in front of our dearest cadets. We need not try to scare the boys away- if we ever get around to explaining our conditions to the cadets that will take care of scaring them. We need not do it before then, no matter how horrid Winnie's manners are." Miss Grimwood scolded without her eyes leaving the road. "Oh but I do agree with you Winnie, Sabella please smile and be ladylike, or your father will not be happy to have heard from me, Transylvania is not so beautiful at this time a year is it?" Sabella's eyes lowered "no your father mentioned how truly awful the cold weather is on the mortal blood, how awful to be cramped up inside that cold, and dreary castle all alone with your father while both in full withdrawal mode."
A sudden whimper arose from Bella's throat as she remembered the last winter she spent cooped up with her father, all his ex-wives and past victims. It was not the best memory; her own Uncle Ferdinand had suckled her trying to coax any blood out of her own veins. She had felt so violated and as such she vowed never to return to the castle during a blood shortage. The only person, well ghoul she'd ever told was Elsa whom was now trying to calm the nervous vampire.
"Miss G that was a little far even for you." Elsa whispered allowing Sabella's head to rest on her shoulder as she gently started to cry, remembering the moment more than vividly. Phantasma rubbed her shoulder as the pink hearse gently slowed to a rolling stop.
"I know girls, but right now, well, we need the alliance and to scare them away is not going to help anything, as the matter is, it could take Grimwood's apart; and send us all back to home." Ms. Grimwood explained stepping out into the slightly chilled, fresh country air. "Let us hike to the top of the mountain, and meet the cadets for a lovely picnic; which reminds me Elsa grab the basket and blankets. Let's start going girls- the last thing we need is to be late! Hurry, hurry there is absolutely no sense in slow; we are Grimwood's, we are fast and strong and there is nothing to stop us- hurry, hurry and up we go!"
"Promise, me Colonel that you spoke with Ms. Grimwood about Sabella's behavioural problems, such as; extreme paranoia, brute aggression, and well those are the only two we've had to face- but I'm sure there is an angrier emotion she hasn't faced." Grunt asked slightly shaking as he thought of the last time Bella had gotten angry. "Please Colonel, please say you talked to her- we don't need any serious injuries today."
"Calm down Cadet Grunt- Ms. Grimwood said she'd try everything within her power to keep Sabella's temper tightly caged. But since Cadet Williams has well-equipped our first aid kit, we should be ready for anything." He replied keeping a tight-lipped frown as the boys continued up the steep hill, "now we are only about three quarter way up so please just continue up the hill at a normal pace. Now we will not be seeing the girls until the other quarter way up the hill, so please control yourselves." And with that he commanded total, complete silence from the boys until they would reach the top.
A little while later...
"Now cadets we may speak of our reached success; but please put calm nerves in the place of any scared ones in lieu of Ms. Dracula." The Colonel announced keeping an absolute straight face along with the commands he was presenting.
"But Colonel" Miguel started stuttering "her last name is extremely scary, even you must admit- I mean Dracula that is one freaky last name, like that vampire Count Dracula. Man that movie was so scary." Miguel continued "wait that is so creepy!"
"What Miguel" Jamal sighed pulling open the abnormally large first aid kit.
"Sabella's last name is Dracula, like the vampire, she's from Transylvania, like the vampire, Dracula had a daughter whose name was Sabella- oh my god, What if she's Dracula's daughter."
"Who would be Dracula's daughter?" Miss Grimwood's shrill voice called over to the bunched up Calloway Cadets. "Why Colonel I do hope we were not to terribly late, as we had to calm ourselves before we finished our hike, however" she paused and allowed the cadet's to hear a young woman's shrill shrieks of sadness as she came over the last bend "ah, you will have to take special care of the dearest Ms. Dracula today. I'm afraid I may've struck a very tender memory on the drive over, so please be careful." She chided them, "now getting back to our previous topic- whom is Count Dracula's daughter?"
Tug blushed lightly and stared at the ground "well you see ma'am Miguel here has been reading too many monster novels and believes that Sabella Dracula is Count Dracula's daughter Sabella. But of course we here at Calloway want not to place such um.." he scratched his head "well impossible rumors and I will personally apologize to Sabella, if you so wish." He looked up dragging his foot across the dirt patch he was standing on.
A light smile began appearing on the short witch's face "actually I believe that is just the thing needed to cheer the dear girl up," she giggled "a laugh could do all of us good, actually. Wouldn't you say so Ms. Frankenteen?"
The tall monster stamped over still clutching a crying Sabella, concern etched on her face "you said something Ms. Grimwood" she asked still in the dark over the entire conversation.
"Why yes, and Sabella- you may want to perk your ears to this as well," she paused looking Miguel in the eye, who then quickly broke eye contact. "Miguel, our dearest friend Miguel here..."
"Oh we know he's someone's dearest friend Miguel- I don't have all day woman." Came a straggled cry from the mass of purple known as Sabella Dracula, "please continue Ms. Grimwood." She added retucking herself into Elsa.
"My dear Miguel here believes you are Count Dracula's daughter!" Miss Grimwood's laugh rang out causing Colonel Calloway to see stars, "my dear Sabella why are you not laughing, it is funny is it not?" Miss Grimwood paused seeing an angered reaction in the vampiress' eyes.
"I do not believe that it is funny Ms. Grimwood so please calm yourself, and as a matter a fact" she added pulling away from Elsa "I do wish for an audience of all the members of Grimwood's alone." She walked to the campfire pit, "whenever you are ready girls!"
In a sudden motion all five other Grimwood's other members students and headministress alike sat around the purple skinned girl. "I cannot do this Elsa's friend he is too smart, he has noticed the name, which is not common. It will not be long before he will notice the rest; how can we think them thick enough to walk through walls around them" glares at Phanty "using incredible strength and truly strange habits- like we are comfortable with them." She paused to wipe her wet eye against her sleeve "and if we want them to see everything, why must we hide the biggest secret from them. Do we not owe them the truth?" Again she stopped "if this blows up in our faces I will stand down as head girl and banish myself back to the castle. I will stay there and never ruin anything else for you again. Please consider it." Her lips trembled and she sat bawling once again.
Elsa looked at her emotionally battered best friend "I know just as well as any of you what we have to lose, if we do tell them. But Bella's right; here we want people to see the real us not some girl in a magazine but really if we hide what really makes us different, we are those girls. I am all for telling the cadets and the colonel the truth. So is Sabella- and she has the most to lose; she promised us she'd go back to her own personal hell if anything went wrong. And I believe that if she's willing to put herself on the line then go for it." Placing a large hand on the dainty girl's shoulder "let's, do this girls" and followed by a quiet for Sabella."
They all stood up with Elsa supporting Sabella, they walked back over the cadets, and Ms. Grimwood spoke "boys, first I must apologize in advance this will be the scariest thing you will probably ever hear, but to be honest- we're all surprised you haven't figured out more than that one tiny bit." Seeing their confused looks she sighed, but Sabella spoke first "what Ms. Grimwood is trying to say is that- I am Count Dracula's daughter and you've all met the Count." Baxter the youngest cadet fainted, and Sabella sat down, no longer crying but not jumping with joy either.
"Sabella's not the student who's a ghoul at Grimwood's; I'm a werewolf, Tanis is a mummy, Elsa is Frankenteen's daughter- yes that does mean Frankenstein's granddaughter, Phanty is a phantom and Ms. G herself is a witch. So I'm sorry if we've scared you, you think we're freaks but that is who we really are," Winnie finished with a howl.
The colonel stood up "I am truly sorry Miss Grimwood but we cannot stay as that would be very, very wrong. We are going- collect Cadet Baxter and we will head on our way." He started to walk away.
"Halt colonel" Ms. G raised her hand "Calloway will not be leaving we will be right girls," she paused "sit colonel, it is best if we leave."
"Plus, I've got to do some packing anyway," Sabella mumbled.
"Going on a trip Ms. Dracula?" The colonel inquired. "No sir, I've resigned from my position at Grimwood's for ruining these girls' lives, so I must go face my family at home, during the most horrible time of year. So I really must be going, it vas fangtastic to meet you all, too bad it was cut so short. May I be receiving a ride back to the school Ms. G?"
"Yes, let's go girls; hope to speak to you someday Colonel Calloway, but until then have a nice life." Ms. Grimwood finished leading the school for ghouls back down the reasonable sized hill.
A few hours late...
A brightly colored plane landed right in front of the moat at Grimwood's school. And off the plane came a tall, strange, pale man dressed in black clothing- he motioned two other large men to come off the plane. Walking into the dark school quickly and without any sunlight hitting their pale skin the men disappeared. Coming out later all carrying large boxes filled with purple things, box after box until it finally led to the re-entering the plane with Sabella following as quickly she could run.
The young vampiress walked into the school never looking back. Not at Calloway where the cadets were staring at her hasty retreat. Watching as the plane flew into the dusk sky, and far away into the clouds.
"Men, I do believe Grimwood's just lost their head girl, and I believe they believe that they have lost any alliance with our school." The Colonel told the cadets "not that it would be wrong to assume. Whom do we know who would fraternize with monsters?"
"Colonel we really shouldn't be too hard on the girls it must have been really hard to come out and tell us what could possibly have ruined any chance they have in the world, so please do not be too incredibly hard on them. Your reaction" Cadet William's paused looking his superior in the eye and continuing "may be exactly what scared them into not telling us for the longest time. If we were more supportive maybe- just maybe everything would go back to normal."