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, xTheCrazyDancingPersonx 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 Twelve

The noon hour was fast approaching and many students – or fellow campers as they were now since school ended for the summer howlidays, filled the common area bit by bit. There was at least another opposing school from Monster High when it came to any event. Usually it was track or athletics related but this time… it was summer camp singing related. That'd be a little weird to tell anyone who wasn't there to witness it themselves.

Despite their inexperience, it seemed that some students were willing to jump right into the challenge, even with little to no knowledge of the art that was music while others; not so much. And surprisingly even though it wasn't admitted, it was plain to see that some monsters were hiding a talent or two.

But that'd have to wait for later. It was time to mingle with others and hang with friends; the reason this whole activity was planned.

However, it seemed that no one had chosen to do the latter. Everyone stayed within their groups; their friends by their side and it seemed that some didn't really have a group to go to, aside from their friends.

"Dang shame no one's mixin', that's what music is all 'bout." Operetta said simply as she sat down on a blanket, swinging her guitar in front of her.

"How did you find me?" Jackson replied, with a raised eyebrow.

"Darlin', I know ya well enough." the Southern belle smirked as she began to strum ever so slightly.

Blush rose in his cheeks as he snacked on a lunch meat sandwich. "Well, how do you like this camp so far?"

Operetta continued to strum elegantly as she shrugged her shoulders, "I like it, but there's a couple downfalls or two for lil' ol' me but monsters from all over seem to be enjoyin' it – and that's the main point."

He couldn't help but to be curious as to what the issue was she had. "What's… the downfall?"

"Th' fact that no one's wantin' to mix their tunes is one of 'em." she said quickly. Admitting her freaky flaws was something she never really cared about... save for the one that changed about her love for music.

"Well, yeah." Jackson replied, with a shrug. "You already said that."

Operetta tried as hard as she could not to blush redder than her luxurious locks of hair before replying. "Well, ain't the most important part? I mean, c'mon. This is a music camp."

Jackson nodded; he could totally understand her frustrations. But maybe some monsters weren't… as ready to step into the spotlight as Operetta herself may have been. Even Cleo had some hesitation when it came to stepping up to sing, she wasn't even much of a singer either. "You're right, but it is only the first day… well, kinda sorta. We got here yesterday evening, but still. It's pretty early in the trip and maybe some just don't feel as, 'at home' as you do, y'know?"

"Yeah..." Operetta stopped playing for a moment and her expression read something between sorrow and happiness. "Yeah, I reckon yer right, darlin'."

Just then, Operetta's face lit up as she saw that vampire punk, skating boy head over to Rochelle Goyle, Robecca Steam and Venus McFlytrap. Finally, some mingling would happen! "What's happenin' ladies?" he asked them, skateboard in hand as he plopped down, sitting with them.

The three girls chorused a greeting to him, all having a smile of sorts on their expression.

"Didn't we catch your name?" Robecca questioned, her eyebrows knit as she turned to him.

He shrugged. "Dunno. But in case ya didn't, I'm Xavier. You three performed at the open mic, right?"

"You bet it." Venus grinned, imitating an air guitar motion.

"Look at you. The one who was the most nervous." Rochelle rolled her eyes playfully and chuckled.

The plant girl shook her head and managed a tiny smirk. "At least I didn't think I would break the stage."

"Now, now ladies – all of you kicked musical ass! I think you all sung well and I enjoyed your performances." He stole a cherry tomato from Venus' salad and gave a smile after chewing and swallowing. "So, I have to say that I loved the soul in Robecca's song, the rock out, just don't care vibe you had going on," he addressed Venus again, this time stealing a piece of cucumber. "and I really enjoyed how everyone thought Rochelle was gonna do something real typical and older style, but she just blew them away. Way to go ghouls!" He congratulated them, toasting with the stolen piece of cucumber.

"What a gentleman you are." Robecca said simply, blinking slowly. "Given your appearance, seemed that you would be like all of the other brash punks here."

"Says the girl who's got a 'brash punk' for a best friend." Venus teased.

The robot girl rolled her eyes playfully and giggled. "I mean the boys. Seems they're all the same."

"Eh," Xavier shrugged. "Looks can be deceiving."

The ghouls were all thinking the same question – what would happen now that they sang for the first time? "So, Xavier…" Robecca began, wondering how to put her question politely and not seeming as if she just wanted him to spill the details and leave.

He gave this charming, knowing smirk. "Don't worry – I know you're itching to know what's in store next for you guys. So I'll tell you. We've been doing this for a few years but this is the first year it's not so boring with a bunch of new talent here. Before it was the same old people who participated, doing the same old stuff, old routines and what not – now it's all… 'revamped' if you don't mind the pun." He chuckled to himself, "And what's going to happen is after lunch here, we'll head to the main cabin where we were to get instructions for each day this week – then at the end of the week you perform the song you choose at the beginning of the week in front of everyone – all schools, not just your peers and the best performance each week is chosen but everyone gets a prize, that don't matter. And at the end of each week is a group assignment." He would've explained further, but all of the sudden an iCoffin went off with a ringtone. "Huh, it's not mine…" he assured them, showing them his idle cellular phone.

"I left mine at the cabin." Venus said simply, not even bothering to check her pockets.

"I don't know how to work mine." Robecca chuckled and that left only one victim. Rochelle. From the start, she very well knew and before either of her friends could say a word, she had dashed off. "Now I wonder what that was all about."

"Anyway," Xavier continued on with the directions and way that the camp would go.

However Rochelle was trekking off towards the cabin, staring down at the screen of her phone worriedly, debating whether or not to answer. The caller was quite unexpected and she was thinking of it as a risk to pick up, but nonetheless... "Rochelle Goyle speaking." she said simply, wincing the second the words escaped. Why didn't she just let the machine get it?

Silence on the line.

"Is this some sort of prank?"

"You answered."

Rochelle wanted to laugh. She also wanted to cry. "Garrott."

After not bothering to write her for five months, he now finally calls? With a statement like that?

"Rochelle..." his voice was heard hesitating on the line. "How have you been?"

Fury drove throughout Rochelle at those words. How did Garrott think she would be? All alone in a different country, nothing from him and that's all he could say?

"Fine." she said quickly. "Yourself?"

"I uh, have been better." He told her rather awkwardly. "I was just calling to say to you, that I cannot write anymore. My heart will not find the words to write anymore." What was he saying? After not hearing anything from him, he's contacting her to tell her he's not going to be contacting her anymore? Who even did that?

She sighed angrily, why did he have to keep pulling on her heartstrings like he did? He wrote to her everyday, all of the sudden stops, she thinks they're over – he writes her again. It wasn't fair and something had to give.

"Will you call? Or perhaps scream-mail?" Rochelle fiddled with her bracelet, trying to contain her emotions.

Silence. Complete and utter silence.

"Garrott?"

"When I find time." he muttered.

"You didn't find time in five months." she growled, soon wanting to slap herself for actually saying that out loud.

"I tried to call, but I always seemed to get your machine."

Rochelle wanted to throw her phone against one of the old oak trees throughout the campsite and storm off. Really? This was what she was getting? After so long?

"And you did not to think of leaving a message." she said bluntly. It wasn't a question, it was a statement. They both knew the answer. "You stopped writing, never left messages..."

"I never knew what to say, ma cherie. I don't even know what I'm saying now." Garrott replied, silencing his outraged girlfriend, who's anger had now subsided; sadness and fear replacing it.

"Then why did you even call now?" she choked out.

"Because I wanted you to know that I still love you." he said softly.

Rochelle wanted to scream. Love? Really? You don't break contact from someone you love for almost half a year. She wanted to say that... but why couldn't she? "Y-you still… love me?" She asked, biting back tears. She didn't want to tear up, not now; she'd need the chisel to fix the damage and didn't have one with her.

"Of course I do, why would you think otherwise?"

All of what she'd been storing away to discuss another time came flooding out and Rochelle had no control over it. Thank goodness it was only her around this part of camp. "You are not loving me, Garrott. You're doing anything but that!" It would only be a matter of time now, very little time… as her emotions all played out. But right now she was so angry she was in tears. She wasn't sad just yet, she was angry and about to call him out on supposedly loving her when she barely ever knew if they were together or not.

"Why didn't you ever leave messages? Why couldn't you write? Is it because your feelings have gone to nothing?" her accent was coming in thicker, due to her aggravation, and it was only a matter of time she'd start going off in French.

"Rochelle, please..."

"Tell me why you could not write. Tell me why you are unknown as to why you are calling." Rochelle declared, hot tears billowing down her cold stone skin.

"I… did already, it is obvious that you do not want to try to salvage our relationship Rochelle, I see that. I see clearly now." He argued back, somehow finding a way to turn things back on a very upset Miss Goyle, who planned on breaking it off with him for good right then and there. She'd change her phone number; she'd do something, anything to stop this madness and the hurt in her heart once and for all.

"Why did we have to save it, Garrott?" Rochelle whispered. "Why couldn't it all just stay the same?"

"If you never left, then this wouldn't have happened."

The words hurt her like a bullet to the chest. What could she say? Garrott did have a point, a very valid one at that. If she never left, they could still be happy.

"Rochelle?"

"What does that have to do with anything?" she said simply, her voice rougher than usual.

"Everything! It has to do with everything!" He answered her just as angrily now. "Your new friends, your new ignorant public high school… you're being tainted Rochelle, you don't even write back to me in the same way! You even wrote down another male's name in a letter… and I wish I didn't have to see this darling, but you've brought it upon yourself. We cannot be together. There! That's the reason why I called Rochelle Goyle, there you have it."

She hesitated, biting her lip in an effort not to cry even harder at the truth that Garrott had just stated. She had to admit; moving to America had changed her, she knew that, but not so drastically... but apparently, enough for this to happen.

"Garrott, I..." Rochelle hesitated in her word choice, only to finally actually break down. What did she do? What had she done?

"I think that is enough." he said sternly.

"No, Garrott, please, I..." Too late. He had hung up.

The tears started really rolling now, faster than they did while she was on the phone with him. She'd have given herself credit for lasting this long without breaking down bawling, but she was too upset with herself to barely think about anything else. How could she let her stupid feelings jeopardize the relationship she had? She tried wiping her tears away but the sound of stone grinding against her stone skin wasn't pleasant.

Heaving a sigh she sat down on the grassy ground, what she truly needed was to compose herself and hope that no one found her like this, or she'd have a lot of explaining to do.

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