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. Nor do my co-writer, Anonymous Chica and I own ANY songs, lyrics, artists, labels – nothing. Their exposure in this story is completely non – profit and just for fun I (we) are not claiming to own anything except our own darn story plot. Thank you.

Heartlessly Heartfelt

Chapter Eight

After the incident with the syrup, and a food fight over the last plate of bacon, each and every camper was now clean, fully awake and ready for the days events.

"Everyone?" that was all it took from Bloodgood to hush the entire crowd of teenagers. "Thank you... Now, I'm assuming why you're all gathered here..."

"We're gonna get more bacon?" someone joked, causing most of laugh, that whole situation was quite hilarious in the end.

"No, you will not." Bloodgood replied. "Back to the matter at hand, students, as many of you may have noticed, this camp has exclusive groups that will pique to your musical interests. Whether they are classical," the group of prep-wearing monsters stood up and bowed. "Or hip-hop," one of the gangster-dressing werewolves let out a loud howl. "Popular music," the skater vamps and wolves cheered. "Or anything else," the rest of the crowd cheered and whooped. "You will all find a place I'm sure and right now, this event will be a mingling opportunity to find your group, or groups, and meet the other campers as well. Open Mic Karaoke will kick off this event in a few moments." Bloodgood glanced to her side; to see a troll tangled in wires. "Or longer."

While they waited for the technical difficulties to end, the groups had started mingling already. "So, what's your talent?" a skeleton male asked Deuce as he tossed on his hoodie.

"I… uh, can beat box a bit but I don't think that's cool anymore dude."

"Nonsense! At least you're not the guy we had last year, he totally thought passing gas in the form of a tune was cool. I mean it seems cool in theory but not when he knocked the drummer right out cold." He laughed at the memory, "Ah, not cool man. Not cool."

Deuce chuckled. "Dude must've been powerful."

"You bet!" a werewolf boy with highlighter colored streaks in his midnight black hair. "Man, the dude got kicked out of the camp too; after making about... ten counselors pass out."

He laughed and shook his head, "Yeah… but music, it's just not really my thing." Deuce admitted.

The skeleton looked at Deuce in a peculiar manner. "You're spending your summer, at a music camp… but music isn't really your thing?"

Deuce blushed and nodded. "Well yeah, I guess. Seems really silly when you put it that way but, pretty much. It was the ghoulfriend's idea."

The other males gave nods of their heads, "Ahh, got'cha now bro."

Operetta entered the cabin, giving a soft smile and sitting down right beside Jackson. "Hi ya darlin', how'd ya sleep in my- uh, last night?"

The normie gave Operetta a warning glare but faked a laugh, "Aha, ha… uh, well thanks. Hey, can I speak to you over here for a minute?" As soon as she obliged, Jackson took her over by the bathrooms. "Are you insane? You can't say anything about us rooming together last night Operetta. You just can't. We'll be in so much trouble." He told her calmly, but nervously.

She bit her lip. "I thank I've realized that now, sorry. I just ain't that best on keeping secrets. I'll try, though."

Jackson gave Operetta a reassuring smile and nodded. "But if it's too much you know, for you to keep a secret, then..."

"Oh, no." she shook her head. "I know I can manage, don't you worry 'bout me."

Jackson sighed, not being able to deny that Operetta was looking quite cute this morning. He was able to appreciate the time she took into making herself look presentable, because he'd watched her get ready just earlier that morning. It consumed a lot of time just to do a bathroom routine in the morning for ghouls.

"Alright, okay. Shall we get back to the groups? Oh hey, by the way – do you have in mind what you're gonna sing? There's one of those big books of songs over there. Let's check them out." He insisted, making his way over to grab the book. He brought it back to where they were seated together.

"Oh, I've already picked a little somethin' - somethin'." she grinned. "But d'ya have yer heart set on anythang?"

Jackson shrugged. "Not really..." he replied, flipping through the pages. He wasn't sure of what he wanted to sing, even though there were countless songs that he knew just by flipping through the pages, he had no idea if he could actually sing them. It was completely different from just plain knowing a song, to singing it. One wouldn't think it'd be that different, but it sure was. "I don't even know if I want to sing at all."

They were both interrupted by a beat and both Clawdeen and Cleo, microphones in hand and striking a pose. Jackson couldn't help but to raise an eyebrow, but he sat respectively and watched. Even if this was far from what he enjoyed personally. "Wake up in the mornin' feelin' like P. Diddy." Clawdeen began boldly.

Cleo cut in right on time, "Hey, whaddup ghoul?"

"Grab my glasses I'm out the door I'm gonna hit this city."

"Let's go!"

"Before I leave brush my teeth with a bottle of Jack, 'cause when I leave for the night I ain't comin' back." It took no time at all for Clawdeen to start grooving to the beat and rhythms of the song in its bare beginning. When it was one of her jams, she clearly went all out

Cleo joined in with a subtle hip bump, almost knocking Clawdeen right over unintentionally. "I'm talkin' pedicure on our toes (toes), tryin' on all our clothes (clothes). Boy's blowin' up our phones (phones). Drop top and playin' our favorite CD's, goin' up to the parties. Tryna get a little bit tipsy."

Clawdeen made her next entrance, "Don't stop!"

Cleo followed in effortlessly, "Make it pop!"

Both ghouls joined one another in unison, dancing along however but singing right on spot together. It was an awesome feeling when you sang with someone else, at least if you or they messed up, it could be covered up by the other. "DJ, blow my speakers up tonight, Im'ma fight 'till we see the sunlight. Tik tok, on the clock but the party don't stop no. Woah-oh oh oh. (Woah-oh oh oh)."

Had they not really had one another, this song might not go as smoothly as previously planned. They brought the chorus around for a second time, this time starting with Cleo cutting in. "Don't stop!"

"Make it pop!"

And they joined again together, "DJ, blow my speakers up tonight, Im'ma fight 'till we see the sunlight. Tik tok, on the clock but the party don't stop no. Woah-oh oh oh. (Woah-oh oh oh)."

They'd only rehearsed this once or twice, but this was Clawdeen's part coming up right now and the femme werewolf did it up with pure pride. "Ain't got a care in world, but got plenty of beer. Ain't got no money in my pocket, but I'm already here."

Cleo grinned as she feigned a pretty smile, moving her curvaceous body perfectly, her hips swaying to the music just so. "Now, the dudes are lining up 'cause they hear we got swagger, but we kick em to the curb unless they look like 'Deuce Gorgon'." She gave an obvious wink to her peers briefly as the song went on.

Clawdeen coming in right when she was supposed to – they weren't doing too bad for only having rehearsed it barely once in full. "I'm talkin' bout - everybody getting crunk. (Crunk) Boys tryna touch my junk. (Junk) Gonna smack him if he getting too drunk. (Drunk)."

"Now, now - we goin' til they kick us out, out. Or the police shut us down. (Down) Police shut us down. (Down)Po-po shut us - (down)."

Clawdeen and Cleo swung it back around to the chorus once more, they could hardly believe how well this was truly going - especially if it included two ghouls who agreed only some of the time. "Don't stop!"

"Make it pop!" Cleo echoed.

"DJ, blow my speakers up tonight, Im'ma fight 'till we see the sunlight. Tik tok, on the clock but the party don't stop no. Woah-oh oh oh. (Woah-oh oh oh)."

Cleo thought she'd add a little twist and start the next part, nothing that little ever threw Clawdeen off her game. "Don't stop, make it pop!"

"DJ, blow my speakers up tonight, Im'ma fight 'till we see the sunlight. Tik tok, on the clock but the party don't stop no. Woah-oh oh oh. (Woah-oh oh oh)" As long as Clawdeen knew the song, she could make any last minute commands or changes right up there on stage while she was performing. Absolutely nothing threw her off her game.

Feeling the adrenaline of the crowd seeming to enjoy it, Cleo approached her favorite part of any song – the dramatic, climatic part. "You build me up. You break me down. My heart, it pounds, yeah you got me."

Clawdeen knew how much Cleo adored parts like these, so she decided to just give it to her more or less. "With my hands up, you got me now. Y'got that sound yeah you got me."

She took that offer graciously and enjoyed every passing second as she took her turn to shine. "You build me up. You break me down. My heart it pounds, yeah you got me. With my hands up, put your hands up. Put your hands up. Now, the party don't start 'till I walk in."

"Don't stop! Make it pop! DJ, blow my speakers up tonight, Im'ma fight 'till we see the sunlight. Tik tok, on the clock but the party don't stop no. Woah-oh oh oh. (Woah-oh oh oh)"

And Cleo took over the last verse, leading directly to the ending of the song. "Don't stop! Make it pop! DJ, blow my speakers up tonight, Im'ma fight 'till we see the sunlight. Tik tok, on the clock but the party don't stop no. Woah-oh oh oh. (Woah-oh oh oh)!"

The cabin seemed to be almost at an uproar just after that first performance alone. They really enjoyed it. Operetta gave a soft clap, they were only the first act after all. Not to mention she had other things on her mind, she noticed Jackson get up and leave near the start of the song.

She pondered the thought and began connecting two and two together. 'It must mean that he's now that Holt guy!' She realized rapidly.

As the music ended, Clawdeen and Cleo received their applause just as Operetta saw a flash of orange right outside the cabin doors.

'Jackson.' she thought, with a sigh. How was he going to last at a camp like this if he constantly worried about changing into Holt with others around? After all, he did it at school with no problem… but then again, these kids from other monster schools might've thought he was a real freak. They probably wouldn't understand Jackson.

"Who's next?" the troll announcer bellowed in the microphone, causing some of the teens to practically go deaf.

It didn't take too long before the beloved DJ'ing monster took the microphone from the troll, singing a great 'THANK YOU YEAAH!' before quickly flipping through the book and making his decision on the spot right there.

Many other monsters 'Ooh'd' and 'Aww'd' with how daring that move was. Most everyone at least had their choice of song in mind; they didn't usually just go up and wing it like Holt Hyde was doing.

It didn't take long for the beat to kick in and some monsters to really get the feel of the beat as they let it inspire them to enjoy the upcoming tune. "Watch me as I dance under the spotlight - listen to the people screaming out more, and more. 'Cause I create the feeling that keep 'em coming back. Yeah, I create the feeling that keep 'em coming back. So captivating when I get it on the floor."

He was the type of creature to make everyone at least stop and stare at him, whether it was in favor of him or not may have been another factor but he didn't get too many complaints either way. "Know y'all been patiently waiting, I know you need me I can feel it. I'm a beast, I'm an animal, I'm that monster in the mirror. The headliner, finisher, I'm the closer, winner. Best when under pressure with seconds left I show up."

"If you really want more, scream it out louder. If you on the floor bring out the fire and light it up, take it up higher. Gonna push it to the limit, give it more. If you really want more, scream it out louder. If you on the floor bring out the fire and light it up, take it up higher. Gonna push it to the limit, give it more." He seemed to have no issue whatever keeping the performance amped up to full capacity as he both danced and sang effortlessly. Being a DJ meant that he not only had to know songs, but maybe do a little performing here and there too. He had to be all – around awesome.

This was an area he already had experience in being a natural with music and all. So this camp thing would probably be a breeze for him. "Get up both your hands, I'm in the zone, s'aite put em in the air, if you want more (and) more. 'Cause I can't wait to feel it. I go hard, can't stop, but if I stop it just know that Im'ma bring it back. Never quittin' don't believe in that." He made a quick twirl as he managed to get the crowd going, clapping right on beat. "Know y'all been patiently waiting, I know you need me I can feel it. I'm a beast, I'm an animal, I'm that monster in the mirror. The headliner, finisher, I'm the closer, winner. Best when under pressure with seconds left I show up."

Sometimes there could be stragglers who missed the clapping beat but clapped anyway, but that was far from the case here. He had everyone on full swing as he went right into the chorus. "If you really want more, scream it out louder. If you on the floor bring out the fire and light it up, take it up higher. Gonna push it to the limit, give it more. If you really want more, scream it out louder. If you on the floor bring out the fire and light it up, take it up higher. Gonna push it to the limit, give it more." Even Operetta was dancing a little in her seat; she had to admit that it was a very catchy beat going about. This was far from her thing but she had such a deep musical appreciation that she adored every genre of music. "Ooooh... Gotta push it to the limit, give it more... Ooooh... Gotta push it to the limit, give it more."

"If you really want more, scream it out louder. If you on the floor bring out the fire and light it up, take it up higher. Gonna push it to the limit, give it more. If you really want more, scream it out louder. If you on the floor bring out the fire and light it up, take it up higher. Gonna push it to the limit, give it more." Even the staff was now getting a little bit of a groove on. When Holt Hyde started any type of music, it became infectious and inevitable to ignore. "Oooh... Gotta push it to the limit, give it more..." He made the last finishing line with a perfect ending pose, "Oooh... Gotta push it to the limit, give it more."

The cabin up roared in absolute applause. They couldn't believe how amazing that performance was. The ghouls were cute up there doing their thing, but no one could pump up a crowd and stir up the energy like Holt Hyde could.

He could feel the beginnings of transformation as the music faded and knew Jackson was more than self – conscious about it, so he quickly bowed and made a rough dive in behind the equipment. Whispers went about, but when a poor, hazy Jackson finally stood up, there was applause once more, with murmurs of him now being a 'wicked magician'. "HOT DAMN PEANUT BUTTER AND JAM!" Xavier gave a grin as he fist pumped the air. "That dude's my new best friend!" He hopped up and took the microphone, "How'd you guys like that?!" He asked the excited crowd. "We're gonna take a short, short break, but stay tuned for more awesome songs!"

Thank you so, so much for reviewing, reading and just doing what you guys do!

It means a lot to both Anonymous Chica and I. :3

Hope you continue to read the story, more will be on its way soon!