Here's the next chapter!
Zoophobia will return one day. Not sure when though.
Disclaimer: I do not own Monster High. Not at all!
Now, let's resume our tale!
Welcome to Monster High!
"So, where are you ghouls from?" Draculaura asked the werecats as they sat in the Creepateria, slowly eating their food, which consisted of tuna fish and a small salad. The Creepateria had a tall domed glass roof, letting light inside, and had a light blue floor. The walls were a pale pink color and had several purple coffin-shaped windows in them, except for where the kitchen was located. A large "L" shaped counter covered with food sat against one wall, with large cabinets hanging on the wall behind it, as well as the menu for the day.
"Leverstown, Texas," Meowlody replied as she poked her tuna fish with a fork, before taking a small bite. She and her sister were in a fresh change of clothes and had cleaned up, with their dirty clothes now being washed. They still had the orb though.
"Wow, that's pretty far from here!" The Frankenstein relative, who was named Frankie Stein, said with surprise. "How'd you guys get here so fast?"
"The amulet," Purrsephone replied. "It teleported us to the forest."
"You mean the Monster Mapalogue?!" Draculaura said with excitement. "You have it?!"
"If you're talking about the skull amulet, we don't have it," Meowlody replied. "Gavin does. It's in one of his pockets."
"How'd you use it?" Frankie asked them with confusion. "Only we know the phrase to activate it."
"Gavin found some text in an eye socket that we were able to read," Meowlody replied. "It was 'Iter ad monstrum domum' I believe."
"That's not the phrase we use to activate the amulet," Frankie said with surprise.
"It's not?" Purrsephone asked with confusion, her eyes widening a bit.
"No, we say 'Exto monstrum,'" Draculaura replied, before gaining a curious look on her face. "I wonder why that phrase was on the Mapalogue?" She questioned. "And why did it activate it?"
"We'll have to ask your dad," Frankie said to Draculaura. "I'm sure he knows why."
"Yeah, you're right," Draculaura replied after several seconds. "I mean, after all, he was the one who gave it to us." She then looked at the werecats. "Aren't you hungry?" She asked them, noticing that they'd barely touched their food.
"Not really," Meowlody replied as she looked down at her plate, sighing as she did so. Her sister did the same thing.
"I know you two are worried about your friend," Frankie said to them. "But he's in good hands. You heard Nurse Wesley. She can cure him."
"We know," Purrsephone replied.
"We just can't help but worry," Meowlody continued, their tails flicking around a bit. "He's never been this hurt before," She said.
Frankie and Draculaura frowned at this, before Frankie got an idea. "Hey, how did you guys meet him?" She asked them.
"He saved our lives," Purrsephone replied almost immediately.
"What?!" Frankie exclaimed with surprise, while a blue spark of electricity popping off her bolts and flew into the air.
"It was about 7 years ago when it happened," Meowlody began. "Me and my sister grew up on the streets, you see, so we only trusted each other. We were walking around in our cat forms, which we'd been in for several days, as we weren't really good at the time with changing back to human form, when we spotted a dog in a backyard," She said. "The dog spotted us and ran at the fence separating us from it. It was barking at us super loudly, but me and my sister weren't scared. After all, the fence was keeping it away from us."
"At least, we thought it was," Purrsephone continued, before shuddering a bit. "The dog was getting angrier and angrier, and it soon started climbing the fence. We ran once it reached the top," She said. "And it ran after us."
"We ran as fast as we could," Meowlody said. "But we couldn't lose the dog. It was getting closer to us. We ran and ran until we ended up in an alley, and hid in a pile of boxes, hoping that they'd keep the dog away."
"But the dog was relentless," Purrsephone replied, shuddering at the memory. "It wouldn't give up. It tore apart box after box to get to us, and it almost did," She continued. "But then, the dog was kicked in the side by an 8-year-old boy. It was Gavin."
"He yelled at the dog and continued to kick it until it finally left," Meowlody said. "When it was gone, he came over and looked at us."
"I remember him saying, 'You two alright?' before he reached out and rubbed our heads," Purrsephone continued. "He then picked us up and brought us back to his home at the local orphanage, where he bathed and fed us."
"If he hadn't come, that dog would have torn us to pieces," Meowlody replied. "He saved our lives."
"He certainly did!" Frankie said with surprise. "That was very brave of him to do!"
"Yes it was," Purrsephone said with a nod and smile. "And that was just the first time he saved our lives. Another time, he saved us from drowning in a public pool."
"And on our way over here, he saved us and Clawnor from some massive sundew plants," Meowlody replied, frowning a bit and rubbing her arms as she spoke. "We owe him so much."
"It sounds like you do," Draculaura said with a nod.
"Excuse me," Nurse Wesley said to the group as she walked over to their table. "I just wanted to let you know that your friend has received the anti-venom," She continued, making everyone smile. "If you would like to see him, you can. But please remain quiet. He needs his rest." She then turned and walked away, while Meowlody and Purrsephone looked at each other and nodded. They then got up and carried their food over to a garbage can, where they dumped it before they headed off towards the nurse's office.
When they arrived at the office, they quietly opened the door and stepped inside, before heading over to the bed they had put Gavin on, which was now surrounded by a large white curtain. Inside, they saw that his shoes were off his feet and set on the floor, as were his socks, while an IV full of water was hooked up to his left arm. A bandage was wrapped around his right forearm and his left calf.
The twins smiled with relief as they looked at their friend, before they stepped closer to him.
"He looks so peaceful," Purrsephone whispered to her twin, who nodded in agreement.
"He sure does," Meowlody replied, before they watched him rest for several more minutes, smiles on their faces.
Then, the two leaned forward, and pressed their lips to his forehead. "See you later Gavin," The two whispered as they leaned back. "Sleep well." The twin werecats then turned and quietly exited the room.
The next day…
"Mmmm," Gavin hummed as he slowly started to wake up. 'Man, that was the best sleep I've ever had,' He thought to himself as he yawned, before he opened his eyes. 'I wonder how long I was out?' He thought as he sat up, before the curtain was pulled to the side, revealing Nurse Wesley.
"Ah, you're awake!" She said with a smile. "How do you feel?"
"Fine," he replied as he moved his arms, the cold feeling now gone from his right arm completely. "Nothing hurts or feels weird."
"Good," Nurse Wesley said with a smile as she walked over and switched out the mostly empty IV bag for a fresh one. "It sounds like there's no permanent damage from the venom," She continued. "But we'll have to do some tests to make sure that rejuvenation potion I also gave you did its work."
"What kind of tests?" He asked the vampire nurse.
"Oh, just some simple reflex and motor function tests," She replied, making him relax a little, before his stomach growled with hunger. "I'll get you some breakfast," She continued, before she gained a firm look on her face. "Do NOT try to get up and walk around while I'm gone."
"Yes ma'am," Gavin replied with a nod, getting a shiver down his spine as she looked at him.
"Good boy," She said with a smile, before she headed towards the door.
Once she'd left, Gavin sighed, and rested his head against the wall as he looked around. "Dear Kami, this is amazing!" he said with excitement. "I'm at Monster High!" 'It's also rather crazy!' He thought to himself.
As he sat there, stomach growling with hunger, another thought occurred to him. "I wonder how Clawnor is doing?" He said. "And the twins. I hope they're doing alright."
A few minutes passed by, before the door opened, and Meowlody and Purrsephone walked in, carrying a tray of food, with Nurse Wesley behind them.
"Morning Meowlody. Morning Purrsephone," Gavin said to them with a smile, making them smile back. "How are you two doing?"
"Better, now that you're alright," Meowlody replied as they set the tray on his lap.
"These two insisted on bringing you breakfast when they saw me getting you your food," Nurse Wesley said, making the twins blush with slight embarrassment.
"Aw, that's so nice of you!" he said to them with a smile. "Thank you!" He continued, before he looked at the tray of food. Said food consisted of cinnamon rolls covered with icing, a few strips of bacon, a cup of orange juice and a glass of milk, and some scrambled eggs. "It looks delicious." He then picked up a fork and started to eat, humming happily as he did so, while Meowlody and Purrsephone sat in some chairs nearby. Nurse Wesley walked over to the nearby table as he ate and started to rummage through her supplies again.
Several minutes later, Gavin finished eating, and he sighed happily as he set down the empty glass on the tray. "That was good," He said with a smile. "Really good. Thank you."
"You're welcome," Meowlody and Purrsephone replied with a purr and smile, before they took the tray and set it to the side.
"Alright then," Nurse Wesley said, catching their attention. "Are you ready for the tests?" She asked him.
"As ready as I could be," he replied honestly.
"Good answer," She said, before she walked over to him with a small tendon hammer. "Now, turn your body so that your legs are hanging off the side," She continued, prompting him to do so. "Good," She said, before she gently hit the patellar tendon, causing his leg to jerk forward and nearly hit her.
"Well, your leg seems to be fine," She replied with a chuckle as she set the hammer down. "Alright, now I want you to move your arm around in a big circle."
"Okay," Gavin replied, before he moved his arm around like she'd asked.
"Any pain?"
"No, nothing at all," He replied, before he did the motion again to make sure. "Yeah, nothing at all."
"Good," She said with a smile. "Now, wiggle your arm around a few times, and bend your elbow several times."
Gavin did exactly that, and he said, "Still don't feel any pain."
"Excellent news," She replied with a large smile, before she reached forward and gently pressed on his bandage. "How about now?"
"None," He said honestly.
"Perfect! The venom's all neutralized and the rejuvenation potion's taking care of any damage caused by it," Nurse Wesley said with a smile. "I can discharge you today."
"Really? That soon?" He said with surprise.
"Mhm!" Nurse Wesley replied with a nod, before she turned and grabbed a clipboard. "Just sign this, and you'll be discharged."
"Um, okay," Gavin said as he took the clipboard, which had his physical condition on it as well as his name and age. He then took the pen at the top and signed his name on the line at the bottom that read "Patient Signature for Discharge" before handing it back to her.
"Thank you," She said with a smile as she set the clipboard on the counter. "Now, just take it easy. It'll take another day for the rejuvenation potion to finish its work."
"Yes ma'am," Gavin replied with a nod, before he slid off the bed and onto his feet. "And thank you," He said to her with a smile, before he walked towards the door, with Meowlody and Purrsephone on either side of him, ready to catch him if he fell.
"You're welcome," Nurse Wesley called out to him as they left the room and entered the hallway.
"So, um, what now?" Gavin asked the twins with curiosity.
"Meow, I'm not sure," Meowlody replied, before looking over at her twin. "Any ideas Purrsephone?"
"Mrow, not at the moment," Purrsephone answered with a shake of her head.
"Hmmm, well, maybe you can-"
"Gavin!"
"Clawnor?" Gavin said with slight surprise as he turned to look down the hallway. "Hey Clawnor!" He said with a smile upon seeing the young werewolf walking towards him, holding hands with his mother, while his siblings walked behind them, including his sister. "Good to see you!" He continued as the werewolf child let go of his mom's hand and ran up to him, with Gavin picking him up and hugging him. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine!" Clawnor replied with a smile as he hugged Gavin back. "You all better?" He asked him as Gavin set him back down on his feet.
"Yep! Nurse Wesley said I just have to take it easy for a while," He replied. "So I can't play tag."
"Aw!" Clawnor and a couple of the other pups said with disappointment. "But you can still play fetch, right?" Clawnor asked him, making him chuckle.
"Yes, I can still play fetch, Clawnor," Gavin replied, making Clawnor's tail start to wag quickly. "But I think your mom wants to talk with me," he continued as he looked at Miss Wolf. 'Damn! She is hot!' He thought to himself. 'Like, seriously hot!'
"I do," Miss Wolf said with a nod. "But let's do it somewhere a bit more private," She continued, before she turned and started to walk away, prompting Gavin and the twins to follow her and the rest of the werewolves.
They walked through several hallways and up a flight of stairs, before they entered a large sitting room that had dark purple wallpaper and purple carpet. The ceiling was pale purple and had a chandelier hanging from it over a large coffee table. A large window took up one wall of the room, while a large fireplace sat in another wall. A couple large comfy couches sat in front of the fireplace, with a couple chairs facing towards them on either side of the fireplace. A bookshelf sat next to the fireplace, while several paintings hung on the walls.
Miss Wolf and most of her kids sat on the couches, while Gavin sat in one of the chairs, with Meowlody and Purrsephone sitting on the floor on either side of him. Clawnor then sat in his mother's lap, while his sister stood behind the couch, staring at Gavin.
There was silence for several seconds, before he spoke. "So, um," he began, a bit unsure of what exactly to say. "I'm sure Clawnor told you what happened. I'll happily answer any questions you have for me," he said honestly.
"Why?"
"Why what Miss Wolf?" He asked her with some curiosity.
"Why help my son?" She asked him, a questioning look on her face, as well as confusion.
At that, Gavin sighed. "For a couple reasons," he replied. "Number one, he was a lost kid, and I always help kids out," He said firmly. "Number two, I lived by myself in a place that had very few people around it. No one would ever see him. And reason number three," He continued, sighing heavily as a somewhat sad look appeared on his face. "He reminds me of my sisters, who I lost a long time ago."
"I see," Miss Wolf replied, her eyes a bit wide as she took Clawnor off her lap and set him to the side. "And him being a werewolf doesn't bother you?"
"Are you kidding me? I think it's awesome!" he said with a grin, surprising them. "You guys can become wolves! The fiercest canine predators in modern times!" He continued. "That's an amazing ability!"
At that, several of the kids turned into their pup forms and howled proudly.
"So, you helped my son out of the goodness of your heart?" Miss Wolf asked him, prompting him to nod. "And you protected him on your journey here without expecting a reward?"
"Seeing the two of you happy together is reward enough, ma'am," Gavin replied humbly.
Miss Wolf was quite at that, and she continued to stare at Gavin, her eyes wide with surprise.
"Um, Miss Wolf? Are you oka-"
"Thank you!" Miss Wolf exclaimed as she leaped forward and wrapped her arms tightly around him, shoving his face into her chest and cutting him off.
'Holy shit!' he thought with shock and surprise as he felt two large and warm orbs press against his cheeks. 'They're sof-no! No! Do not think about that right now!' He continued
"Thank you so much!" She continued as she hugged him, while his arms flailed in the air. "I was so worried about my baby boy! I was afraid I'd never see him again!" She said as she pulled her arms around him a bit tighter, while Gavin's arms continued to flail about. "But you found him and brought him home! Thank you!"
"You're welcome Miss Wolf," Gavin replied, although he sounded quite muffled due to her chest being in his face.
"Um, mom?" Clawdeen said after a few seconds had passed. "Might want to let go of him. He needs to breathe."
"Oh, sorry!" Miss Wolf replied, before she quickly let go of Gavin and stepped back.
"It's okay," Gavin said as he took a few deep breaths, his face a bit red. "No harm done, Miss Wolf," he continued.
"Oh please, just call me Harriet," Miss Wolf said to him with a smile.
"Alright, Harriet," he replied. "Do you have any other questions?"
"I have one," Clawdeen said, catching him attention. "What are you going to do now that you've brought my brother home?" She asked him.
"Yes, what are you going to do?" A male voice said, catching everyone's attention.
There, standing right next to the door with a hand on the knob, was a male vampire who stood 6 feet tall and appeared to be in his early 40s. He had pale purple skin, a somewhat skinny body, pale purple eyes, and pointed ears, as well as black hair with gray and white streaks in it. He wore a white long-sleeve shirt with batwing-shaped purple cuffs, a dark-pink vest, a pink tie, brown pants, pink socks, black-pink shoes, and black-rimmed glasses.
"Who might you be sir?" Gavin asked the vampire as he stood up.
"I am Dracula, the principal and founder of this school," the vampire replied as he took a step forward, his hands behind his back. His voice sounded quite formal and knowledgeable. "Now, what are you going to do now?" He repeated as he looked at the boy.
"Well, I'm not really sure," Gavin replied honestly. "I mean, all my things are in this orb due to the amulet," he continued as he held up the kettlebell-shaped orb. "And I don't have any other incentive to return to Texas, so-"
"Wait, all your things are in that orb?" Dracula asked him with an arched eyebrow.
"Mhm!" Gavin replied with a nod, before he looked at the orb and said, "Wardrobe please." The orb then shot out a beam of light that quickly coalesced into his wardrobe. "See?" he continued as he gestured to the object, opening it to show his clothes were inside.
"How interesting," Dracula said as he stared at the orb and wardrobe. 'This seems familiar to me,' He thought to himself. 'But why?'
"How'd your stuff get in that?" Clawdeen asked him with curiosity.
"I'm not sure," Gavin replied. "It landed on me after we used that phrase we found in the amulet's eye socket."
"What phrase?" Dracula asked him.
"It was 'Iter ad monstrum domum,'" Gavin replied.
At that, Dracula's eyes widened with realization. "Haha! Of course!" he laughed as he put a hand to his head. "It all makes sense now."
"What do you mean?" Gavin asked him.
"You see, long ago, when monsters would freely go and visit each other, they had one big issue," Dracula began. "Packing everything they needed. So, some monsters got together, and created a spell that would pack everything one needed when it was used. The spell was then added to the Mapalogue," he continued.
"So wait, when we used that phrase, we told the Mapalogue to pack all my things into that orb?" Gavin asked him as he pulled out the amulet and looked at it.
"Yes," Dracula replied, before Gavin handed him the Mapalogue. "Ah, thank you," He continued as he looked at the amulet, before pocketing it. "Now then, you were saying something about having no reason to return to Texas. Why is that?"
At that, Gavin sighed. "Well," he began. "You see, I don't have any friends in the town, besides Meowlody and Purrsephone," He said as he looked at the werecats, who meowed happily. "The reason for that is very simple. I was never adopted, and thus labeled the 'unadoptable one,'" he continued, making some of the pups whine sadly. "Kids don't really want to hand out with someone when they have a nickname like that," He said. "And it didn't help that I managed to skip several grades and graduate this past spring."
"You've graduated?!" Clawdeen said with surprise, prompting him to nod.
"Mhm!" Gavin replied, before he called out, "Diploma please!" causing the orb to shoot out a picture frame, which he easily caught and handed over to Harriet. "Graduated top of the class."
"You must be really smart!" Harriet said as she looked at the picture frame, which held his diploma inside.
"Eh, somewhat," Gavin replied. "But anyways, as I was saying, I don't have any good reason to go back to Texas. Not even for the house I had, as I was just allowed to stay there by the orphanage owner's behalf. So, I'm not sure where to go," he continued.
"I see," Dracula said, an unsure look on his face. "Well, there is a human town somewhat nearby you could go to," he replied.
"Oh, thank you," Gavin replied. "That's good to hear."
"But there is the issue of you knowing we are here," Dracula continued as he looked at Gavin. "How do we know that you won't give us away?"
"Um, I escorted Harriet's son here without telling any other humans about him," Gavin replied. "If I'd wanted to give monsters away, I could have posted a photo of him online or brought him to the police."
"Yes, you did, but how do we know that you won't give us away now?" Dracula asked him with an arched eyebrow. "Now that you know there are more of us here."
"Dracula, trust the boy," Harriet said to the vampire. "He's done nothing to suggest he has an alternative motive coming here. And Clawnor here vouches for him."
"Yeah!" Clawnor added with a nod, before he looked at Gavin with a frown. "I don't want you to leave though," he continued as he looked at Gavin, which made him smile a bit.
"I know, Clawnor," Gavin replied as the boy got up and ran over to him, hugging him around the waist as he spoke. "I don't want to either. But I'm pretty sure that most monsters here wouldn't be happy if a human went to their school," He continued, prompting Harriet to put a hand to her chin in thought. "Not to mention that I need to get a job."
"Will you at least come visit?" Clawnor asked him as he looked up at his face.
"If it's alright with your mother, then yes," Gavin replied, prompting Clawnor to turn and look at his mother with puppy eyes.
"You know," Harriet began as she looked at them, a twinkle in her eyes. "The pups do need a babysitter," She said. "And Clawnor's told me all about how you've taken care of him."
"You can't be serious?!" Dracula exclaimed with wide eyes as he stared at her.
"I am," Harriet replied with a smile. "Gavin, how would you like to be my kid's babysitter?" She asked him.
"Please say yes!" Clawnor said upon hearing that, looking at him with puppy eyes. "PLEASE!"
Gavin chuckled. "I'd be happy to be their babysitter," he replied. "I have quite a bit of experience dealing with little kids," he continued, which prompted Clawnor to let out a happy howl and hug him tighter.
"Yesyesyesyesyes!" Clawnor cheered happily, his tail wagging quickly, while his brothers looked at Gavin with curiosity.
"Then it's settled," Harriet said with a smile.
"Hold on a moment!" Dracula exclaimed. "Miss Wolf, I know you need a babysitter for your kids. But him?! He's a human!"
"Drac, he managed to keep Clawnor occupied on the trip over here and not get driven crazy by his antics," Harriet. "He also managed to make sure he got a good night's sleep. Only I and sometimes Clawdeen have been able to do that with him."
"But-But-!" Dracula stammered.
"I know you don't trust humans," Harriet said to him. "But this could be a great opportunity for the school. We'd have a nice human around all the time, and the students could see how kind humans can be instead of scary," She continued. "Come on."
Dracula was silent for several seconds, before he groaned and sighed. "Alright," he replied very reluctantly. "He can stay," He said firmly. "But I will be watching him closely."
"That's fine," Harriet said with a nod, before she turned to the werecats. "Now, Meowlody and Purrsephone," She said to them, catching their attention. "How would you like to attend Monster High?"
"Meow, that'd be nice," Meowlody replied after whispering with her sister for a couple minutes.
"Wonderful!" Harriet said with a smile, clasping her hands together happily. "Clawdeen can show you to your dorm room to get situated. I'll show Gavin here to the room he'll be staying in," She continued. "Sound good Dracula?"
"That-that's fine," Dracula replied with a reluctant sigh, rubbing his forehead.
"Good," Harriet said with a smile. "Then let's get started!" She continued, before she gestured for Gavin to follow her as she headed towards the door, her kids following her.
Dracula stepped to the side as they reached the door and left the room, sighing again once they had left.
"This is going to be interesting," he muttered to himself as he rubbed his forehead some more to try to ease his headache.
"Come on ghouls," Clawdeen said to Meowlody and Purrsephone with a smile. "I'll show you to your dorm."
The two cats looked at each other and then at Gavin, who smiled. "Go on you two," he said to them. "I'll be fine."
Upon hearing that, the two werecats smiled a bit, and nodded, before they looked at Clawdeen and started to follow her down the hallway.
"Those two are quite attached to you," Harriet said to him as she watched them walk away, before she started heading in the opposite direction, prompting him and the kids to follow her.
"Yeah, they are," he replied with a nod. "Probably cause they feel like they owe me for all the times I've saved them."
"Mm, yes, that is one good possibility," Harriet replied while smirking a bit. 'And because they're in love with you,' She thought to herself. 'I can see it with how they look at you.'
They walked for several more minutes before they came to a stop at a black door with a purple doorhandle.
"This should work for you," She said as she opened the door and stepped into the room, with Gavin and Clawnor following her.
The room was quite large, with the walls and ceiling painted a light purple color. Dark purple carpet covered the floor, while a black nightstand sat next to a bare mattress on a black bedframe. A black dresser sat against one wall, while a doorway leading to a bathroom sat in one wall, along with a closet door. A black chandelier hung from the center of the ceiling, while a large window sat in one wall, with a set of black curtains around it.
"Oh, it will," Gavin replied, before he held up the orb in his hand and said, "Unpack bedroom." Multiple beams of light shot out of it and hit various parts of the room, making the orb look like a strobe light.
This continued for several seconds, before the orb stopped shining and the light beams disappeared, revealing the room had been changed. His wardrobe sat right next to the dresser, which was presumably full of his clothes, as he didn't own a dresser. An alarm clock sat on the nightstand, while a full-sized mattress sat on the bedframe, covered in green sheets, a fox-themed blanket, and two large purple pillows. A small entertainment center with a small flatscreen TV sat in front of the bed, with a couple gaming systems under it, as well as several games. A tall lamp stood next to the bed, with a large bookshelf full of books next to it. A large desk was also there, with a silver laptop on it. Hanging on the walls were several posters of animals, both real and mythical, while a small chest sat at the foot of the bed.
"Ah, that's better," Gavin said with a smile as he walked over to the closet and checked it to make sure it was filled with his things. "Looks like it didn't miss anything." He then walked over to the bathroom and stuck the orb inside, before saying, "Unpack bathroom."
There were a few flashes of light, before he saw the orb stop shining, and he turned back to Harriet Wolf and her kids.
"Thank you for hiring me as your kid's babysitter, Miss Harriet," he said to her with a bow and a grateful look. "That was very kind of you."
"And thank you for bringing home my baby boy," She replied with a smile as she rubbed Clawnor's head, which made him giggle a bit.
"You're welcome, Miss Harriet," he said again. "So, um, how often will I need to babysit them?" he asked her as her kids looked around the room, keeping an eye on them to make sure none of them tried to mark their territory on his things. "Three times a week? Four?"
"Mmm, I'd say about four to five days a week," Miss Harriet replied. "I'm quite busy as the art teacher here, and Clawdeen's pretty busy as well."
"I see," he said. "And I'm guessing I'm getting paid with room and board?"
"Correct," Miss Harriet replied with a nod. "And a salary that I will design."
"Okay," he replied, before he gained a confused look. "Wait, is monster money the same as human money? If it's not, is there a way I could switch it out?"
"We can discuss that later," Miss Harriet said to him.
"Alright," he replied with a nod, before he realized something else. "So, what can I do when I'm not babysitting them?" he asked her.
"Hmm, well, you could visit the library," She replied. "Or help out in a class if need be."
"So, basically anything I want, within reason," Gavin said, prompting her to nod. "Alright," he continued. "Sounds good to me."
"Good," Harriet said with a smile.
"Gavin, can we play fetch?" Clawnor asked him, catching his attention and making him smile.
"Sure! Right after I unpack the rest of my things," he said to him, before looking at Harriet. "You have time to show me around the school?" he asked her.
"I have plenty of time," She replied with a smile. "It is Saturday after all."
"Good," he said, before he walked over to the door. "Then let's go," he continued, prompting her and her kids to leave the room and lead him down the hallway.
For the next several minutes, she led him around the castle, with him unpacking the rest of his food in the kitchen, his laundry supplies in the laundry room near his room, and his living room stuff in their living room.
Then, they led him outside, where he proceeded to play the biggest game of fetch he'd ever been in, while Harriet watched him interact with her kids. Her kids were at first a bit nervous and apprehensive about playing with a human, but they quickly found that it was quite fun to do so.
They laughed and yipped as they played with him, with them all having a good time.
'He wasn't lying,' Harriet thought as she watched him toss another stick away, prompting her kids to run after it. 'He's really good with kids,' She continued, smiling as she watched.
"Come on Clawnor!" Gavin said as he watched the pups run towards the stick. "You can get it!" A few seconds later, he grinned. "Alright Clawnor!" he continued as the pup grabbed the stick and started to run back to him. "You got this!"
Clawnor ran as fast as he could, and soon reached him, prompting Gavin to grin as he reached down and tugged the stick out of his mouth. "Good boy Clawnor!" he said as he pat him on the head, while the other pups ran back over, panting a little bit. "You want to play a few more rounds?" He asked them, prompting them all to nod. "Alright then. Fetch!" he said as he tossed the stick forward again.
Two hours later…
"Alright then," Gavin said as he looked at the pups, who were panting heavily as they laid on the ground. "I think that's enough fetch," he continued as he tossed the stick to the side, while the pups changed back to their human forms. Then, he heard their stomachs all growl with hunger, and he chuckled. "And I think it's snacktime, or lunchtime," he said as he looked at the sun, since his phone was currently dead.
"Yay!" Clawnor said happily, panting as he stood up, while Harriet smiled.
"I'll lead you to the kitchen," She replied, causing the other kids to slowly get up. "Come along."
"Yes mom," Several of the kids said before they walked after her, with a couple straggling behind.
"I gotcha," Gavin said to the stragglers before he picked them up and carried them in his arms with some difficulty, which made them smile a bit.
Soon, they reached the kitchen and Creepateria, and he set the kids down at a table, before sitting down with them while Harriet headed over to the counter to get them some food. A couple minutes later, she returned with a big tray that was covered in various meats, and set the tray on the table, before she set plates on the table as well.
"Alright kids. Dig in," Harriet said, causing each kid to grab some meat and put it on their plate before they started to eat it like feral animals. "Kids, use your manners," She continued, with a couple kids listening to her and grabbing some utensils. The majority of the kids though, didn't listen.
"Guys, you heard your mother," Gavin said to the kids, who ignored him. "Hey!" he said, raising his voice slightly. "You heard your mother. Use your manners," he said a bit more firmly as he looked at them. "Or else no story for bed tonight."
At that, the kid's eyes widened, before they all started to use their forks and knives.
"Thank you," Gavin said to the kids, before he looked at Harriet. "Sorry for doing that," He continued.
"No need to apologize, Gavin," She replied. "I was going to do the same thing. And besides, you showed them that you're an alpha compared to them and need to be respected."
"I see," Gavin said with an intrigued look on his face, before he noticed students start to come into the room. "Well, here comes the lunch rush," he continued as the students walked over to the counter to get food. "And the staring."
As they did so, many spotted him and stared at him with surprise, with a couple skeletons losing their jaws with shock. Some even took out coffin-shaped phones and took photos of him.
"Gavin, want a bite?" Clawnor asked him as he ate, holding out a piece of ham.
"Sure Clawnor," Gavin replied as he took the piece of ham and put it in his mouth. "Mmm, thank you," he continued, making Clawnor smile.
"You're welcome!" Clawnor replied happily before he took a bite of a big sausage.
"Hey guys!" Clawdeen said as she walked over to the table with Meowlody and Purrsephone, who smiled upon seeing Gavin and walked over to him. "How was fetch?"
"Great!" All the kids replied happily. "Gavin's a great playmate!"
"Oh, he is?" Clawdeen asked them with some surprise in her voice and on her face.
"He is Clawdeen," Harriet replied as she looked at Gavin. "A very good one."
"Aw, thanks," Gavin said with a smile and a blush, before he looked to Meowlody and Purrsephone, who had sat down next to him. "So, how are your dorm rooms?"
"They're good," Meowlody replied. 'We just wish they were much closer to you,' She thought to herself, as did her sister. "Quite spacious."
"Good," Gavin said with a smile before he ate another piece of ham Clawnor offered him. "So, what's the plan for the rest of the day?" he asked them. "I'm guessing shopping?"
"Correct," Clawdeen replied with a nod. "These two desperately need outfits."
At that, Meowlody and Purrsephone blushed with some embarrassment. They'd spent so much time in their cat forms that they never really needed more than one set of clothes.
"It'll be interesting to see you two in different outfits," He said to the werecats. "Although I have to admit, I really like the one's you had on when you revealed you were werecats," he continued, causing them to blush. "So, while you girls shop, what'll I be doing?" He asked.
"Helping me put the kids down for naps," Harriet continued as she saw one of her pups yawn.
"Alright, that's fine," Gavin replied with a nod. "I can relax in my room after that."
"Actually, I was thinking I could show you around the castle some more," Harriet replied. "There's still a lot you haven't seen."
"Okay," Gavin said with some surprise. "Sounds like a plan." He then ate another piece of ham, while Clawdeen led the twins over to the counter to get lunch, before returning to eat with them.
After about twenty minutes had passed, Gavin, Harriet, and the pups had finished eating. "Well, I think we need to go put the pups down for naps," He said as he got up from the table and picked up Clawnor, who yawned, as did several of the other pups. "I'll see you two later," he continued as he looked at Meowlody and Purrsephone, before he walked off with the pups and Harriet.
"Meow, see you later," Meowlody said to him as they left.
"Gavin," Clawnor began as they entered the kid's bedroom, which consisted of a large blue room that had a couple large beds in it, as well as stars and the moon painted on the ceiling. It was a bit of a mess, as toys, bones, and torn cushions lay scattered on the floor. "Can you sing me that song?"
"Which one Clawnor?" Gavin asked him as the kids crawled into the beds and laid down, with Harriet setting a couple down, before she pulled up the blankets on one bed.
"You know, the lullaby," Clawnor replied as Gavin set him in the other bed.
"Sure, Clawnor," Gavin said with a smile as he pulled the blanket up before sitting on the edge of the bed. He then quietly cleared his throat, and softly began to sing, holding Clawnor's hand as he did so.
"Come stop your crying
It will be alright
Just take my hand
Hold it tight
I will protect you
From all around you
I will be here
Don't you cry
For one so small
You seem so strong
My arms will hold you
Keep you safe and warm
This bond between us
Can't be broken
I will be here, don't you cry
'Cause you'll be in my heart
Yes, you'll be in my heart
From this day on
Now and forever more
You'll be in my heart
No matter what they say
You'll be here in my heart
Always
Why can't they understand
The way we feel
They just don't trust
What they can't explain
I know we're different
But deep inside us
We're not that different at all
And you'll be in my heart
Yes, you'll be in my heart
From this day on
Now and forever more
Don't listen to them
'Cause what do they know?
We need each other
To have, to hold
They'll see in time
I know
When destiny calls you
You must be strong
I may not be with you
But you've got to hold on
They'll see in time
I know
We'll show them together
'Cause you'll be in my heart
Believe me, you'll be in my heart
I'll be there from this day on
Now and forever more
Ooh, you'll be in my heart
No matter what they say
I'll be with you
You'll be here in my heart
I'll be there always
Always
I'll be with you
I'll be there for you always
Always and always
Just look over your shoulder
Just look over your shoulder
Just look over your shoulder
I'll be there always."
As he finished singing, he slipped his hand out of Clawnor's hand, and quietly stood up. "Rest well little man," He said to a now-sleeping Clawnor with a smile, before he turned to Harriet, who had a surprised look on her face, as well as a large smile. The two then quietly stepped out of the room, and shut the door silently, before they headed down the hallway, with Harriet walking alongside him.
"That was lovely," Harriet said to him once they'd gotten a decent ways away from the bedroom. "You have a good singing voice."
"Thanks," Gavin replied with a bit of a blush.
"That lullaby was quite nice as well," She continued. "You've sung it to my son before?" She asked him.
"Yeah, a few times on our trip," he replied. "It's the only one I could think of at the time, and he was having difficulty sleeping due to homesickness and fear from some of the obstacles."
"Oh, I'm sure he was," Harriet said with a nod. "I know I keep on saying it, but thank you for bringing him home."
"Hey, it was no problem," Gavin replied. "I was happy to bring him home," he continued, before changing the subject. "So, what part of the school would you like to show me first?" he asked her as they rounded the corner of the hallway and went down some stairs.
For the next hour, Harriet showed him the various parts of the school, such as the greenhouse and pool. As she did so, she explained the purpose of each part and what would happen in each part as well. Then, once she'd finished showing him around, they headed upstairs to get the kids, as Harriet had received a notification from a device she'd put in their room that let her know they were waking up. Once they'd gotten the kids, they went outside and played some more, with Harriet turning into her wolf form to play tag with them.
Said wolf form was rather big and covered in brown fur, with a black collar with a white crescent moon hanging from it around her neck.
They continued to play until it was dinnertime, and they all headed back into the school to get to the Creepateria, with the kids and Harriet panting.
"Well that was fun," Gavin said as they walked, holding Clawnor's hand. "Hopefully I can play tag with you guys in a couple days," he continued.
"I hope so too!" Clawnor replied with a smile as they reached the Creepateria and found seats, before Harriet went to get them food.
"Hey Meowlody! Hey Purrsephone!" Gavin said as he spotted the twin werecats heading towards them with Clawdeen. "How was shopping?"
"Interesting," Meowlody replied. "We had no idea there were so many styles!"
"Yeah, but it was fun," Purrsephone added. "I think you'll like what we got," She continued with a smile, before they got in line to get food.
"Oh boy," Gavin said with some excitement. "Sounds interesting," he continued, before Harriet walked up with a large tray full of plates piled high with food. "Let me help you with that," he said to her as he got up and started to take plates off and set them in front of the kids.
"Thank you," Harriet replied with a smile before she started setting drinks before her kids.
"No problem," He said, before he finished setting plates before the kids, leaving two plates left. "I'm assuming the plate that has less on it is mine?" He asked her, prompting her to nod. "Thank you," he continued as he took his plate and sat down.
"You're welcome," She replied, before she handed him a drink of water and sat down. They all then started to eat, with Gavin making sure that the kids at least used some manners while eating the lasagna and veggies, and that they were indeed eating their veggies.
As they ate, the twins and Clawdeen rejoined them, and Clawdeen started to tell the twins some more about the school with Harriet jumping in and adding or explaining something every once in a while. Monsters continued to stare Gavin as he ate, with him too busy listening to Clawdeen and Harriet to notice.
Eventually, they had all finished eating, and they left the Creepateria.
"So, I'm guessing it's bath time?" Gavin asked Harriet as they walked, with her nodding.
"It is," She replied as she looked at her kids. "I can take care of that and everything else tonight."
"Are you sure?" Gavin asked her.
"I'm sure," She replied. "You go on and enjoy the rest of your night," She continued.
"Well, alright," Gavin said. "If you say so," he continued, before he hugged Clawnor. "Good night Clawnor."
"Good night Gavin," Clawnor replied as he hugged him back, before they both let go of each other. Harriet and her kids then walked away down the hallway, while Gavin turned his attention back to Meowlody, Purrsephone, and Clawdeen.
"Gavin, can we watch a movie tonight?" Meowlody asked him.
"Um, sure," Gavin replied with a shrug. "Come by my room in a little bit and I'll set up a movie. Which one do you want?"
"Aristocats," She replied, making him sigh.
"Of course that's the one you want to watch," he said with a smile and a sigh, before he turned and walked away. "See you two in a little bit."
"What's Aristocats?" Clawdeen asked them with confusion and curiosity.
"Our favorite movie!" Purrsephone said with a large smile, before she grabbed her twin by the hand and they started to hurry down the hallway, with Clawdeen going after them with a confused look.
Fifteen minutes later…
"Alright, computer's set up to the TV," Gavin said as he typed on his computer while looking at the TV, which had a small cable connecting it to the computer. "I've showered, and the movie is ready to play," he continued, before he heard a knock on his door. "That must be them," he said as he walked over and opened the door. "Hey girls!" he said upon seeing the twins, who were wearing black and white tank tops, black and white shorts, and black sandals, with them also having their bracelets on. "Nice outfits."
"Mrow, thanks," Meowlody said as they walked into the room and he shut the door.
"Well, the movie's all set up," He replied as he gestured to the TV. "Ready to watch it?" He asked them, prompting them to nod. "Good. You go ahead and make yourself comfortable while I start it," He continued before he walked over to the computer and clicked on the "Play" button. He then turned to sit down on the bed, but paused when he saw that the twins were sitting on his bed, their sandals sitting on the floor.
"Come sit with us!" Meowlody said as she patted the empty space between them.
"Um, okay," Gavin replied before he got onto the bed and crawled into the spot. 'Well, this is going to be fun,' He thought to himself as he looked at the TV, while Meowlody and Purrsephone moved themselves so that they were right next to him, their soft fur touching his skin.
As the credits started to play, Gavin smiled and yawned. "Well, it's over," He said to the twins, who had happy tears in their eyes. "I'm glad you enjoyed it," he continued as he hopped out of bed and turned off the TV, before he turned off his computer.
"Thank you for letting us watch it with you," Purrsephone said gratefully as she and her sister got off the bed and stretched.
"You're welcome you two," Gavin replied with a smile as they headed towards the door, prompting him to open it. "Well, good night you two, and see you tomorrow!" he said to them.
"Good night Gavin," They both said, before they leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek, making his eyes widen and his body stiffen. They then quickly left, walking down the hallway with smiles on their faces.
'…Did that fucking just happen?' He thought to himself after several seconds had passed, before he put a hand to his cheeks, shut the door, and headed to the bathroom. 'It fucking did!' He thought as he stared at his reflection in the mirror. Two pinkish red lipstick marks sat on his cheeks.
"Holy shit!" he cursed quietly. "They kissed me!" He said as he stared at the marks, his mind racing with questions. He continued to stare for several minutes, before he took a towel and wet it. He then started to slowly wipe off the marks and headed off to his bed when he was done, turning off the lights as he went.
As he laid in bed in the now-dark room, staring up at the ceiling, his mind racing. 'I'm the babysitter for some werewolves. My two closest friends are werecats and they kissed me. Does that mean they like me? Do they want to share me with each other or each girl fight for my attention? Why is Harriet so hot? What's my salary going to be?' and on and on his mind raced, before his eyes eventually lowered, and he fell asleep.
Well, this was an interesting chapter!
Can't wait to write more!
"You'll Be in My Heart" is owned by Phil Collins. Not me.
This is PuzzleMaster1998 here, signing off!