Disclaimer: This is a complete work of fiction, there's no resemblance to actual persons or events or places. If so, it is utterly not intended. We do NOT own Monster High, or anything to do with it. Thank you.

Heartlessly Heartfelt

Chapter Six

"Oh my ghoul, I'm so nervous!" Draculaura told her friends as she linked arms with Clawdeen. "Can't you feel me shaking like a leaf? I can't even remember the last time I was this scared."

Clawdeen giggled and shrugged it off, but then again this probably did seem like a small affair to her anyway with her heightened charisma. "Don't worry about it ghoul, besides… you're not singing are you?"

Draculaura shook her head, "Of course not. But still, I am still terrified."

Frankie, who'd been walking along side them had her bolts spark in excitement. "This will be totally voltage!"

"You got a clue what you're gonna sing, Frankie?" Lagoona inquired in her lovable and highly recognizable accent.

"Who, me?" She seemed quite astonished. "Ooh I don't know about that ghouls. I didn't prepare a song and we're on our way right now…"

Draculaura gave a warm smile, "Well you can keep me company in the back of the establishment then." The ghouls shared a giggle as they met up with their friends and fellow students of Monster High. When it came to any kind of event they always enjoyed sticking together.

"I'm going to blow them all away." Cleo grinned. "Ghoulia! I need a makeup
touch-up!"

Like the friend she always was to Cleo, Ghoulia handed out a makeup to the
princess who took it and started to apply lipstick without a word. The zombie shrugged it off. It was typical.

Spectra floated around next to her friends, "I'm quite excited! It'll be very interesting to see how this open mic thing goes. A very chilling experience I think." She voiced lightly as she floated off to more than likely spread the word to others.

"Aw, c'mon Heath!" Clawd persuaded his good friend. "You gotta sing tonight. It'll be stellar. Totally clawsome. You can't back out."

Heath shrugged as he and Clawd walked a bit of a distance behind the other ghouls. "Man, I don't know… I don't think I'm feeling it tonight. Besides, I have no idea what I'd even sing… Slow-Moe smashed the shit right out of my guitar…"

Slow-Moe gave an apologizing groan.

"Nah it's all good man, no worries." Heath patted the big zomie's shoulder reassuringly. He just felt his nervousness amped right up more than it would normally be, he never sang without an instrument before.

Slow-Moe added in a thought he had.

"Y'know, that's a decent point." Clawd agreed with a confident nod.

Heath raised an eyebrow, "What's that?"

Clawd glanced from Slow-Moe to Heath before explaining. "Well he said that it's just an open mic, not everyone who's gonna get up and sing tonight will be amazing. Some will be great, sure… but some might not be so great. What do you really have to lose?"

Heath sighed, "My dignity?"

Slow-Moe grinned.

"Yeah I know I lost it a long time ago," he mused with the big male zombie. "but I still don't think it'd be a good idea for me to sing tonight. I think I'll just watch." He decided, much to the dismay of his friends.

"Your choice, bro." Clawd shrugged.

"Besides, from the looks of it..." Deuce added. "I don't think many guys are gonna be singing anyway." The crowd of those who looked eager to get up and sing were mostly ghouls who were all shoving their way as close as possible to the cabin, very few of them were boys.

Heath sighed, "Does that mean that I shouldn't sing? Or… it'd just be too awkward to sing? What to do… what to do?"

That same vampire male skated towards them, "Don't worry about what everyone else is doing! You just go do what you're gonna do!" He disappeared once again on his way. Man that guy was busy.

Clawd raised an eyebrow, "Well… that was interesting."

They walked into the cabin where the open mic was being held. It was a nice little cabin; it had the theme of a tavern. There wasn't a huge stage to be nervous of, it was just a small casual gathering amongst monsters they knew and some they didn't. There was a good chance some mingling would occur tonight.

"Alright, alright, alright!" a troll-like creature stumbled up to the front of the room by the music equipment. The 'stage' wasn't all big and glamorous; it was just a carpeted spot up at the front of the room and nothing more. He had a microphone in hand. "The counselor man gone. I'm charge."

"This is what's running the show?" Lagoona whispered, getting a laugh from her friends. It was quite hilarious, to see a midget troll on stage, saying he was in charge.

Abbey frowned lightly, "What is wrong? Abbey see no point to laugh. That is rude."

The creature narrowed his eyes, "Anyway, here's what'cha do. Find a table to sit at with your friends, maybe order some drinks…" Mrs. Bloodgood's eyes widened as she whispered a quick fact to him about every ghoul and monster not being of proper age to consume anything of the likes. "some uh, virgin drinks… uh, a round of food for all your bloodies, whatever you please – it's on the house."

The students nodded as they each found a table that suited them. The round tables filled with monsters, the longer rectangular tables filled with more monsters, this would be a great – and perhaps long night.

"You will notice," Mrs. Bloodgood decided to take it from there, politely dismissing the previous speaker, "a very big book on each table accompanied by pencils and some little pieces of paper for you to fill out. That very big book contains a big list of songs that you may choose from to come up and perform casually. This is not a competition; it's a showcase of many other talents excluding your own. It's a chance to see others shine too. All I ask of each of you is that everyone who comes up here will get applause; it's only fair – being up here gives me the shakes – and it's nice and encouraging in my opinion to give plenty of positive reinforcement." She paced back and forth elegantly, as she often did when speaking. "Are we ready to start?" She asked the eager bout of monsters.

The crowd of teenagers didn't bother to respond, they were already at the tables, filling their names in for what song they would sing. It was already utter chaos, and it all just started. However, Operetta decided not to join the huge crowd... she'd find a slot somewhere; she just didn't want to be part of the ruckus.

"Hey, you're not going to go pick a song?" a voice said from behind her. It was Jackson.

Operetta looked behind her to see the normie boy, leaning up against the wall near the corner.

"Oh, I am..." she smiled. "I just ain't one for wrestlin' through those big 'ole crowds..."

He nodded, totally able to understand where she was coming from. "Yeah I hear you; I'm not one for big crowds either. Did you want to step outside for a few minutes while people get all warmed up?" It was just a suggestion of course, but Jackson was hoping she'd want to spend time with him as badly as he wanted to spend time with her.

Operetta took one glance at the crowd, before her gaze fell back on Jackson.
"Sure, why not? I like this kinda weather anyhow." She got up from her seated spot near the food and drink bar as she exited the cabin with the normie boy right behind her.

"So... you like the summer?" Jackson questioned once they got outside.

Operetta nodded. "Yeah, there ain't nothin' like them good 'ole Southern summer
winds." she sighed. "I remember living down in these parts; it was real nice, y'know but, well, I had an incident with the normie kids and..."

"They found out?" Jackson murmured.

"Sang in public." she growled, kicking a nearby pebble. "And some nut of a kid
stole my mask; gosh..." Operetta blew a lock of hair from her face. "I ain't ever felt like that before." she leaned up against the wall. "That's why I moved again and came to Monster High."

He could understand her story in all honesty and he didn't blame her. "Yeah, that'd be a little hard to live down I'm sure." He leaned up against the wall next to her. "It's a nice night out, isn't it?"

She nodded, looking up at the big starry night sky.

Shifting her gaze along with his upward, "There's the big dipper, just over there is the little one…"

'AND WE ARE GONNA SKINNY DIP, HELL YEAAH!'

'HOLT! Keep it up and I'll hurt you, I swear.'

'You? Do damage? HA, I'd pay to see that.'

'Just shut up, thanks.'

Jackson gathered up courage to ask her another question. "Are you truly happy at Monster High?"

"Well," Operetta shrugged. "it's nice… best place I've ever been I'm gonna give it that, it's just..." she sighed, looking back up at the stars. "I miss being a little ghoul, y'know? When it was all just fine and dandy and I didn't really have 't worry 'bout a thang."

Jackson nodded. "I guess I can relate to that." he murmured.

The Southern belle looked to him; her amethyst eyes truly looking like gems
with the moonlight reflecting off of them. "Ya can?"

He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, "Well yeah. I mean, I like school and all but I'm glad it's the summer now. It was getting kinda overwhelming and a nice break is needed, even for a 'nerd' like me." He shrugged his shoulders. "I mean to you guys, I'm a normie… this human that's invading the halls of Monster High. But letting you in on a bit of a secret, well it's no secret actually. I don't even fit in amongst other 'normies'." He sighed and leaned fully against the wall. "But that's life… or unlife for you."

She nodded, her red curls bouncing along in unison.

Jackson adjusted his glasses and shifted his gaze and connected it with the pretty ghoul next to him. Without speaking because he knew it'd be too awkward, he leaned in to eliminate all space between them with a sweet, subtle kiss to Operetta's cheek.

Letting out a shy squeak as he did so, Operetta then gave a blush a darker red
than her hair; if that really was possible.

"Why, Jackson, I..." her sentence was soon cut off as loud music from inside the cabin soon started to blast outside and in one quick burst of flames and flashes, the infamous Holt Hyde appeared before her.

"Heeey there cute thang," he greeted loudly, manipulating her southern style a little bit with a signature 'Holt Hyde' twist to it. He knew that Jackson had a subtle moment with Operetta and he didn't want to do anything to ruin it.

'You kissed her! It was just on the cheek, but it's a small step in the right direction. GO YOU YEAAAH!'

'Thanks… I guess? But just a favor, could you tone it down a bit for Operetta though?'

'I'm sure she likes shit freaakaaay!'

'Oh great, I'm screwed.'

Holt stepped to Operetta, "Did you wanna go inside and get our sing on?" He took her hand, kissing it gently. "What says you little songbird?"

Again, she blushed, this time, her cheeks going pink. "Why not?" she gave Holt a playful wink.

"Alriiiiight!" he cheered, fist-pumping towards the night sky. "Let's do this thang!"

They made their way into the cabin only to be greeted with the ending of a song that was being sung by a dude they didn't know. Holt and Operetta watched from the doors as the skater vamp they'd met up with earlier grabbed a microphone, "Hey, hey – guys and ghouls, it's getting very late tonight so I'm afraid we have to wrap it up. However, everyone who hasn't sung yet – y'know who you are – will have a chance tomorrow morning! This is the biggest turn out we've ever had!" He smiled but remembered what else he wanted to say, "Enjoy all the camp facilities from the in-ground pool and hot tub, to the casketball courts. Prepare yourselves to sing tomorrow! Peace and love to all." He put the microphone down after shutting it off to prevent feedback as he helped dismiss all the monsters from the main cabin.

With the lack of music, Holt quickly ran back outside. The least thing he could do was give Jackson enough dignity to not change in front of everyone… again. It wasn't too long before everyone spilled out of the cabin; however Jackson was down further, leaning against the wall trying to catch his breath.

Operetta lightly trotted towards him in her heels, brushing some hair out of his face. She continued to run her fingers through it, it was so soft! "I – I'm so sorry about…"

"Shh," she told him gently, her index finger upon his lips. "s'all good sweet pea. I totally get it, I do."

Instead of talking further and having a tendency to make things extremely awkward, he briefly shifted his gaze from her eyes, to her lips and reconnected his eyes with hers. When she gave the smallest of nods, Jackson put each hand on her cheeks so tenderly as he kissed her lips so sweetly.

Kissing her once more before parting, Jackson blushed so heavily. "Wow," she smirked, stepping back from Jackson a little bit.

"Yes?" he questioned nervously.

She grinned brightly, "It really is the quiet ones y'gotta watch out for!"

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