(BP) With Grimm's intentions exposed he was quickly removed and sentenced to jail.

(TP) and he won't be getting out until he's very, very, very old.

(MN) That means the Monster Royals have an easier time adjusting to Ever After High

(FN) That's what you'd like to assume.

…...

"So, how do you like classes so far?" Christina asked Clawdeen and Cleo as she sat down at the lunch table, "Where's everyone else?"

"Maddie's juggling teapots over there," Cleo rolled her eyes but there was a ghost of a smile on her face.

"How does she do that?" Clawdeen questioned.

"You mean so quickly?" Christina laughed, "She's from Wonderland. I've learned not to question it"

"Right"

"Hey, Christy, Cleo, Clawdeen." Raven greeted, she and Arthur joining the group.

"Hi, Raven, Arthur," Christina greeted.

"Where's Shaggy?"

"Showing his friends the courtyard"

"How have you adjusted to having so many people at home?"

"I haven't really paid attention considering the prep for the show"

"And the auditions are-"

"This Wednesday, I'll miss my free period and Mad Science class but I've worked it out with the Headmistress"

Shaggy and Scooby entered the castleteria in the middle of a boisterous conversation with their friends as they made their way through the lunch line.

It was at this point that Maddie's performance ended and the other Monster Royals returned to the table.

"What are you girls talking about?" Duncan questioned.

"Do I look like a girl to you?" Arthur asked in mock offense.

"Sorry, sorry,"

"Christy," Melinda popped out of thin air, "The audition sign up sheet is full, here you go,"

"Thanks, M," Christina took the outstretched sheet of paper, "Have you had lunch yet?"

On cue, Melinda's stomach rumbled.

"Here," Christina shoved her still very full tray at her best friend, "Eat, now"

"Yes, Your Highness," Melinda teased, dipping into a curtsy.

Christina face-palmed before scanning the audition sheet. All the usual suspects, theater kids, some first years on a dare, and in the very center large looping letters declared that Duchess Swan wanted to be the lead. Biting back a groan, Christina folded the paper and slipped it into her bag, swapping it for a large binder with butterflies and dragons on it. Her head fell.

"Is it time to go to Monster High yet?" she asked, "Or you know, home?"

"Bad day?" Sam questioned.

"I miss my bed," Christina moaned in response.

"That would be a yes," Clawdeen chuckled.

"Like, her parents banned her from like, helping so often"

Christina groaned again.

"We'd better get moving, guys," Clawdeen checked her phone.

"Right"

…...

"So, can someone tell me why Rachel attends a fairy tale school?" Velma inquired quietly.

"Yeah, like, why does she?"

"She's a mermaid, Meshell's very distant cousin, the youngest daughter of one of Ariel's sisters, don't ask which one, I can't keep them straight,"

Shaggy could've fainted from the news.

"That's Monster High?" Daphne exclaimed as the school came into view.

"The one and only," grinned Christina, "Come on"

Once inside Christina was displeased to see Drew waiting just inside the entrance, fully healed with a scowl on his face.

"Hi, Princess"

Christina just kept walking.

"I see you haven't lost the guard dog"

Shaggy growled, startling his friends.

"Shaggy.." they gasped collectively.

He didn't hear them, briskly following behind Christina to prevent Drew from following. He still tried, stepping in front of her and blocking her path.

"Excuse me," she said, icily, her voice a contrast to her fire-filled eyes that seemed to glow red at her mounting anger.

"Aren't you going to say hello?" he asked, reaching for her face.

That was enough for Shaggy who slammed him into the wall. Fred and the girls thought quickly, tearing down some low hanging banners and tying Drew up with them. Duncan knocked him out cold with one punch before dragging his body out of school. Danny, not to be left out of the fun pulled a sharpie from his pocket and scribbled rejected on Drew's forehead while the others took photos.

"Like, are you okay, Christina?" Shaggy asked.

"I'm okay," Christina swore, "Really, Shaggy"

"What was that all about?" asked Fred.

Christina moved on, not saying a word so Clawdeen stepped in to say, "That was Drew and he's psycho,"

"We don't talk about him," Added Duncan in a warning.

"Gotcha"

…...

"Okay, what are you stressing about now, Christy?" Clawdeen asked seriously as they gathered in the lounge.

"And don't say it's nothing," piped Draculaura, "We know you too well,"

"Math?" Lagoona guessed when Christina made no move to speak.

"Faybelle?" pondered Cleo.

"Noo," Christina said stretching the word like a slinky before letting the loose strands of hair cover her face.

"Then what is it?"

"Like, she has a group project-"

Christina slid to the floor while Cleo clued into what Shaggy was referring to.

"In princess class, you were partnered with the cousins Rosabella and-"

"Briar," Draculaura finished, "Oh, that must be weird"

"Do they not get along?" Sam looked up from the book of scary stories she was reading.

"It's not that," Frankie said slowly.

"Christina's grandma cursed Briar's mother-" Lagoona started

"And her aunt cursed a distant relative with the same sleeping curse-" Gil continued

"And she's still sleeping" Christina mumbled.

"Awkward" Sam declared, eyes returning to her book.

"It won't be that bad, Christy," Draculaura said sympathetically placing a hand on her cousin's shoulder.

"But, what if it is?"

"What if it's not?"

"Laura,"

"Christy"

"I say we change the subject," Frankie turned to Cleo, "Is Nefera still upset?"

"She's grounded so-"

They all shuddered.

"Yeah, she was screaming when I left this morning"

…...

Nefera paced around her bedtomb, still angry at Daddy choosing Cleo over her as his heir-apparent! CLEO! To make matters worse, he grounded her, took her iCoffin and dead-it cards, then sent her to her tomb! There was a gentle knock on her open door.

"WHAT?", she snapped, before she realized it was Tannis. Seeing her littlest sister cringe filled her with regret. Tannis was perhaps the only one capable of reaching Nefera's better side. "Sorry, kiddo, I didn't know it was you. Did you want something?"

"I heard you scream earlier", Tannis said softly. "And ever since you've been so upset. I just wanted to see if you were you okay, Nefera."

"Come in, Tannis, and sit next to me here on my bed", the older mummy said. Tannis came and sat with her. "It's nothing for you to worry about, okay? I'm mad at Daddy and Cleo, not you. But thanks for caring."

"Okay", Tannis replied with mild relief. "But why do you and Cleo fight all the time? You used to be so close when I was little. But now it's like you hate each other. What happened?"

"I still love Cleo, Tannis", Nefera confessed. "She IS our sister. We just don't always get along now that we're older and have changed. Understand?"

"Not really. I love you, Nefera."

"You love EVERYBODY, Short-Stack. And I love you, too. And I DO love Daddy and Cleo, I'm just mad at them right now."

…...

Christina face-planted into her bed as soon as she got home that day. Shaggy trailed behind her, a look of concern ever-present. A look that did not go unnoticed by his family and friends.

"I think he likes her," Daphne giggled.

"Yeah, that's pretty obvious," Velma deadpanned.

"But, they've only known each other for what? A few weeks?" Fred argued.

"Love at first sight does exist, especially in this world"

Alissa leaned casually on the door-frame watching them with a bemused look on her face.

Stacy turned from her spot at the table shell-shocked, "So you think they're going to marry?"

"Yes and have children," Alissa smirked," lots of children"

Sam tried to stop his wife from going off the deep end but it was too late.

"Excuse me? your world doesn't dictate my son's life! What if I don't approve?"

Alissa cold as an ice cube replied, "I didn't say it would happen tomorrow, my goodness"

"But you seem awfully set on it"

"I just no these things," Alissa never lost her composure, not once.

"How?"

"Personal experience"

And, she moved past the table to start dinner.

(Daphne would later add this to the very short 'Times Shaggy's Mother has been speechless' list)

…...

Wednesday:

"Boys you can't eat in here," Christina informed Shaggy and Scooby who arrived with pizzas.

"Like, no fair!"

"Yeah"

"Hey, it's not my rule, it's the school's, get rid of it, please"

Shaggy and Scooby did just that by inhaling the pizzas in one gulp.

"Thank you"

"No problem"

Christina glanced at the audition sheet in her hand, "Okay, Justine, you're up first"

But it wasn't Justine who danced onto the stage.

"Duchess, I called Justine not you"

"But, I am a better dancer, Christina, therefore I should go first"

"Nope, not how it works, get backstage and wait your turn"

"But-"

"NOW!" thunder crashed, Christina glanced upward with an indifferent shrug.

"Stupid half-breed"

Shaggy growled at the comment, Christina put a hand on his arm to keep him from lashing out.

Justine swapped places with Duchess and Christina relaxed, nodding to Melody to start the music.

Shaggy watched curiously. Not the auditions but Christina herself. She sat straight, tall and commanding, cone ankle crossed behind the other. Her binder was on her lap and a pen in her hands. She studied each dancer, scribbling notes but never taking her eyes off those onstage, clapping politely when they each finished.

"You like, done this before?"

"Yeah," Christina nodded, adjusting her headband and smoothing her dress.

"How often?"

She bopped him lightly on the nose with her pen, a quiet way of asking him to stop talking.

All-too-soon it was Duchess's turn.

While she danced beautifully, fluid like water and flexible in ways Christina could never achieve she just didn't seem the right choice. She danced across the stage with a bold commanding edge that demanded your attention whereas Justine had danced the lead perfectly. Shy, graceful, and humble. Her twirls had been delicate, she might as well had wings when she leaped. And her expression one of pure innocence.

But, Duchess spun fast, leaped high, and while it was certainly eye-catching it didn't fit the character. Not in the way it needed to.

"Thank you, Duchess," Christina's smile was tired and a bit forced, "That was beautiful"

"I got the part, right?"

"You'll know next week" Christina stood, slipping on her messenger bag, "Come on boys, there's a Dead Languages test I need to take"

She left duchess standing alone in the auditorium with a scowl.

…...

"Wait up, Christina!"

Christina turned to see Rosabella headed her way, Briar not far behind.

"Um, I can't really talk-"

"We know," said Briar, "We just wanted to see if you wanted to meet in the library on Saturday? Start our research project"

"Sounds good, ten-thirty?"

"Great," Rosabella smiled, "See you then"

…...

"You like, shouldn't be so nervous," Shaggy remarked as they entered Monster High.

"I have every right to be nervous, Shaggy" Christina muttered, dropping the books in her locker.

"Deep breaths, like, it will all work out"

"Sure, sure it will,"

…...

(FN) What Christina didn't know was that this group project would open the door to a dark, tangled web of secrets.

(MN) and bring them to the light.