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 Fourteen

It seemed to have taken quite some time for the entire student bodies to calm themselves and settle down long enough to listen to Headmistress Bloodgood; they were still in the picnic area with much anticipation for the rest of what the day would bring them. "Alright students," she began taking the microphone. It was so routine for her, the students wondered if she even felt nervous talking in front of crowds anymore. The curiosity rose from the crowd wondering if she could sing too. "even though this is technically part of your summer vacation, the rules of school we practice 10 months out of the year are still to be used here." She chuckled when she heard unpleasant sounding moans and groans from the restless students. "Now, now relax. They're not too tedious I promise. Just the fact that you will have classes, but they are fun and interactive and you'll undoubtedly learn new things! Plus there's much to be learned such as important factors of what music is, how it came to be, how to read it and techniques on how to improve your singing, instrumental skills and also charismatic based classes for performing in front of big crowds, it's all very diverse!" The same sound technician troll – like creature from last night tapped Mrs. Bloodgood's shoulder, before she acknowledged the troll she gave a nod to the more intimate crowd than what began the camp. "I have just been notified that a large number of students left the camp late last night and more left just before the picnic. Take a few minutes to let this all sink into your minds and if you really want to be here or not. It's not nice to take up someone's time if you have no intentions of following anything through. Thank you."

Stepping off the small stage, the monster students were left to think both to themselves and amongst themselves. Heath fidgeted nervously in his spot. He didn't notice Jackson approaching his group and sitting down suddenly. "Hi Heath."

"HOLY MOTHER JUMPING BALL BANGING -" He took a deep breath and narrowed his eyes at Jackson, "Are you trying to give me a heart attack?!"

Jackson chuckled and smirked, "Not intentionally, but if it's accidental… don't cross me off the suspect list."

Clawd smirked and Deuce laughed coolly, as he usually did everything. "How's Holt taking this news?" Only the very intimate group of the guys knew about Jackson's dual nature ability with Holt.

Jackson tossed his bangs out of his face, blowing them softly away. "Oh y'know him, he's ecstatic and almost shaking uncontrollably, he's singing quite loudly at the moment." He narrowed his eyes, but then shook his head lightly. "As for me? I'm totally scared."

"Why?" Heath questioned, in an almost clueless manner. His response was a simple shrug from the normie boy.

"I... don't really want others knowing about him." Jackson said simply. "But not just that though..."

Clawd shook his head and waved his friend's comment off. "Dude, a normie at a monster camp? It's only obvious that they're all wondering if you're secretly a vampire or something."

Jackson chuckled to himself. He'd realized that by now the other guys thought he meant that he was scared of how the other student bodies saw him. He didn't overly care about that fact, he meant something different. "That's not quite what I meant, I'm scared with the fact that… having to get up and sing in front of all these… creatures? Not even just our school, but another whole school of monsters? That's some scary stuff right there, not in a good way, don't you think?"

Heath nodded, "Ah, now I got'cha. Yeah, it is pretty scary. And these classes, they're going to break us down into how strong our voices are and what not and without my guitar,"

Slow – Moe heaved a disapproving groan.

Waving him off, Heath continued. "Yeah, yeah I know. But I'm just saying, without my guitar I don't think my voice is all that strong. I feel like, naked. Musically speaking," a cute ghoul walked near them at that moment, "but that can change!" He told her, giving a wink – resulting in the ghoul walking away from them much faster than she was going before.

"That went well." Deuce chuckled and let out a soft sigh. He wasn't much of a singer at all actually, but being at a music camp put him in the mood to do so a little bit. He was positive that he didn't want to start singing now, he'd have to participate all through out and not being sure if he was truly into it? Yeah, probably not a good idea. Maybe he'd just stick to singing in the shower? That sounded like a rock solid plan to him.

As if on cue, another cute ghoul walked by. "I don't just sing in the shower," Heath told her, in a way he thought to be sultry and flirtatious. "I perform!" Watching her walk away too, he just wasn't a chick magnet at all. Maybe today just wasn't his day?

Deuce was floored in temporary shock, as if Heath just read his mind with the whole singing in the shower comment.

"Hey boys!" Meanwhile, to their surprise Draculaura came to crash their boy area, not that any of them minded. She was a cool ghoul.

"Hey you, what's up?" Clawd greeted her happily, with a quick kiss to her cheek.

"Nothing much, I was just wondering what you've all decided you wanted to sing, or if you know yet?" She asked them curiously but genuinely, as Draculaura did everything. From her heart and own good intentions.

Clawd shrugged, "I don't know if I'm gonna keep singing or not." he told her honestly, rubbing the back of his neck in a nervous manner. "I mean, I just did it because I wanted to see if I could, now I know that I kinda can… I don't know if I wanna go on."

"Hey man, y'can't leave me alone in this." Heath teased him playfully. "If I gotta ditch my guitar… you gotta sing with us. Well me, is there any other dudes really gonna sing other than you and I?" He glanced over to Jackson, who looked scared already.

"I really don't know Heath… I couldn't even look at the crowd when I sang that one song… that's pretty wimpy."

"I'll say it was normie," Manny commented, inviting himself to the guys' group. "Y'still got more guts than I do though. This Minotaur, don't sing. At all, what so ever. We make ears bleed and get mistaken for mating calls," he raised an uneasy eyebrow as the others laughed, which he joined with his own laughter. "So yeah, it's best I don't sing. But you guys all have decent voices so go for it. It's a free opportunity to learn stuff you didn't know before and maybe improve, why not? What do any of ya's gotta lose?"

Jackson nodded in full agreement, "When you say it like that, it makes sense. I know Holt's ready to do an entire concert with his energy and loud singing in my head at the moment but I'll just have to get him to calm down somehow."

"Only mom's chili does that," Heath chuckled, "but anyway… I have a couple choices in mind for what I'd like to attempt next… but I heard something about us being given categories and what not, so we might not wanna get too comfortable choosing our songs and stuff."

Clawd's eyes widened, "Oh boy."

Draculaura giggled innocently, "Don't you guys worry, whatever you decide to do will be freaky fab! As Heath said, he doesn't just sing in the shower – he performs!"

Heath's cheeks blushed and he broke out in spontaneous flames, Deuce tossing a glass of water on the fire elemental. Draculaura wished them all the best of luck as she skipped away, most likely off to find her dearest ghoulfriends.

Evening settled upon the camp grounds as the events of the day still whirled about in every monster's mind. They were given their individual 'time tables' that stated what classes they had when. There was a good mix of both schools in the classes, which made for some nervous monsters, but left others anticipating. Operetta however was one of the anticipating ghouls. As of right now, she was sitting outside her cabin underneath the starry night sky.

Not too far from where her cabin was, a bonfire lit up the fields in the distance where a majority of the gang from Monster High were enjoying themselves with a little late night fun. She strummed the strings of her beautiful acoustic guitar as she struck the chords to a familiar song she tried to remember.

It was one of those instances where she remembered the tune, knew most of the lyrics but had forgotten the song title and couldn't remember who the artist was for the unlife of her. Memphis sat inside her guitar; he really enjoyed the sound of the music from the inside.

"Woke up late today… mhhhmmmm, still feel the sting of the pain… brush my teeth anyway… got dressed through this mess and put a smile on my face, I get a lil' bit stronger…" She sang softly to herself, if any monster heard her singing – there'd be quite the turn of events and not in the good way! So she made sure to take much caution. "I'm ridin' in the car to work, mhmm tryin' to ignore the hurt, turned on the radio and the stupid song made me think of you… I listen to it for a minute, then I changed it… I'm gettin' a lil' bit stronger… just a lil' bit stronger." She strummed with more heart as she hummed into the chorus. "I'm done hopin' we can work it out… I'm done with how it feels, spinnin' my wheels, lettin' you drag my heart around and whooaa, I'm done thinkin' you could ever change… my heart'll never be the same, tellin' myself I'll be okay… but even on my weakest day, gettin' a lil' bit stronger."

"Sounds amazing." A voice chimed softly from behind her, almost making Operetta turn around and beat that person with her perfectly good guitar, until she grinned widely, seeing who it was that startled her.

"Jackson! Wait… are ya still, sane? Y'know, when monsters hear me sang… live, they done lose their minds for a few days!" She was astonished that Jackson appeared to be perfectly normal when he just listened to her singing.

He shrugged, "As sane as sane can be I guess, nothing's changed, I just heard you singing and y'know, wanted to come out and listen to it closer. That's all."

She scooped him up into a hug right then and there. "You ain't crazy!"

He chuckled, "Well," adjusting his glasses just so. "You said monsters go a bit crazy for a few days. Holt probably would, but I'm the normie half remember?"

She blushed and parted the hug, composing herself and fixing her hair even though it didn't need to be fixed at all. "Right. Got'cha sweet pea."

"Is there… anymore to that song?" He inquired, pointing to the guitar and raised an eyebrow at the spider waving at him, to whom he sheepishly waved back to.

She giggled, "Indeed there is, ya wanna listen?"

Jackson nodded eagerly and sat down, Operetta obliging and sitting down beside him, taking a few seconds to remember where she was in the song. Clearing her throat, she strummed and sang at the same quiet level – taking precautions just in case. "It doesn't happen overnight, but turn around and a month's gone by… and ya realize ya haven't cried. I'm not givin' ya an hour or a second or another minute longer, I'm busy gettin' stronger." Playing right into the chorus, she continued while Jackson admired not only her guitar playing… but her plentiful beauty in the moonlight. "I'm done hopin' we can work it out… I'm done with how it feels, spinnin' my wheels, lettin' you drag my heart around and whooaa, I'm done thinkin' you could ever change… my heart'll never be the same, tellin' myself I'll be okay… but even on my weakest days, I'm gettin' a lil' bit stronger. I get a lil' bit stronger…"

"Wow…" Jackson breathed quietly, still watching her sing just as amazingly as she did before, only on a much quieter scale. She was pretty talented and it amazed him. He enjoyed the quiet level of her singing, or maybe it was just her singing in general? It didn't matter; he enjoyed every bit of it regardless.

Feeling the lyrics come from her heart, she strummed onward to the climatic part of the song, "Get a long without'cha baby, better off without ya baby. How does it feel without me, baby? I'm gettin' stronger without ya baby. And I'm done hopin' that we can work it out… … I'm done with how it feels, spinnin' my wheels, lettin' you drag my heart around and whooaa, I'm done thinkin' you could ever change. I know my heart will never be the same, tellin' myself I'll be okay… but even on my weakest days, I'm gettin' a lil' bit stronger. I'm just a lil' bit stronger." Strumming off the appropriate ending chord, Jackson gave her a nod of appreciation.

"You're so good at this whole music thing; you've totally got it figured out right down to a well defined 'T'. I bet you're not even nervous about any of it." He assumed that someone who was gifted with a voice wasn't nervous to show it – but unbeknownst to him, it wasn't necessarily the case.

"Ah hell, that ain't true. I'm plenty nervous m'self. A lotta people don't thank that a country twang is hip no more. They're all into the hippity hop, mindless pop thang and what not." She shrugged her shoulders. "If you love music, than you 'ppreciate all kinds o' music though. It's a music lovers' thang. As long as it comes from the heart and deep down, it's music. Y'know what I'm sayin'?" One thing that Operetta loved to do was see if she could have connections with people. And as it stood right now, she and Jackson had quite a lot they seemed to have connected on.

"Yeah, that's very true. If you aren't singing what's from the heart, it's just a song. Music is supposed to speak out to people… and have a meaning, not just a repeated chorus."

She nodded enthusiastically, "Right! Ah, I love sharin' musical philosophy with ya Jackson. It's music t' my ears!" She joked with a hushed hearty laugh.

"I just like plain philosophy, but you make me feel not… afraid to chat about something new. Where I'm not spitting out statistics and learning instead." He blushed and she put her finger under his chin, guiding it towards the desire her heart and lips were sharing, as Jackson's brushed hers ever so gently.

Being the fiery red head she was, she flawlessly set her guitar aside as she deepened the kiss after scooting a lot closer to Jackson, swinging her slender legs over his just so. It felt racy but so good as he let his hand grace her thigh, the other supporting the small of her back just right.

'HEY, I THOUGHT YOU WERE HEARING HER SINGING, NOT GETTIN' SOME WITHOUT ME!'

'Holt, calm down and chill… I got this.'

Thank you all a million times over for being so patient! Oh my gosh, I know it's been forever, but here's an update for this story.

Please read and review if you enjoyed it!

It's always massively appreciated by both of us =]