The clock chimed midnight as Christina quietly untangled herself from Shaggy. Effortlessly silent she crept from the room, flying upstairs to her tower workshop where she bolted the door shut before lighting a fire. Shade cawed quizzically at her.
"I've tried to refrain, Shade but after that stunt tonight," Christina began tossing things in the cauldron, "No One calls me a Freak, not anymore, the NERVE! Well, she's about to learn quite the lesson,"
...
Prom. This is HER night! As chair of the Prom committee, she had secured the PERFECT venue, and the PERFECT band; the Hex Girls! Her dress was PERFECT. Her makeup was PERFECT. Baylor, her date, was PERFECT. And her pathetic ex-boyfriend Shaggy was a PERFECTLY MISERABLE wallflower moping in the corner all by himself! Everything was going PERFECTLY. All that was left for her PERFECT night was to be crowned Prom Queen.
"HOW IS EVERYONE TONIGHT? YOU ALL HAVING FUN?", Thorne asked, getting a cheer from the crowd. "THAT'S GREAT! YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALL HERE IN THIS AWESOME PLACE BECAUSE OF ONE GIRL, WITHOUT WHOM TONIGHT WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE; GOOGIE HALE (MORE CHEERS) A CLOSE, DEAR FRIEND OF OURS CAME HERE WITH US TONIGHT. A FRIENDS WITH A VOICE EVEN MORE MAGICAL THAN OURS! AND SHE GONNA SING A SPECIAL SONG FOR YOU TO 'HONOR' THE GIRL GOOGIE IS! GIVE IT UP FOR CHRISTINA ROSE SHADOWFAE DRACULA!"
"WHAT?!", Googie screamed, drowned out by the cheering crowd as in a flash of lightning and clap of thunder, a hooded-cloaked figure appeared on stage as if by magic! The black cloak slid off the figure's shoulders to reveal Christina wearing a dress that put Googie's to shame with the sheer amount of eye-catching sparkles. Unlike everything else Googie had seen Christina wear this dress was obsidian, ball-gown style with short sleeves and a low neckline.
"Thank you for having me tonight," Christina took the mic from Thorn with a devious smirk, fangs gleaming as she spoke, "Before I sing for you all I do believe it's time for the crowning, Thorn?"
The leader of the Hex Girls tore open the envelope as Dusk beat the drums in anticipation. Googie rubbed her hands together.
"And Your Prom Queen is...CHRISTINA ROSE SHADOWFAE DRACULA"
Googie couldn't even scream as the magnificent crown was set on Christina's head. The hybrid's smirk grew into a full-blown evil smile.
"And, your Prom King..."
"Why don't we hold off on that?" Christina asked, "Let the mystery build, yes?"
The crowd cheered their agreement.
The band began to play once more.
Was Christina looking directly at her?
"I know he loved you a long time ago
I ain't jealous of you, just thought you should know
You were never good enough for him or anything like me
So you might as well sit back 'cause I ain't trying to show maturity"
She was definitely looking directly at her. In the blink of an eye, Christina was right in front of her with that same chilling evil smile. Googie stumbled back uselessly.
"X" is the shape I drew through your face
In permanent marker, oh, yeah
Just like the mark you knew you were making
Who do you think you are
To write on his heart in permanent marker?"
Christina drew a black X on her face. Big, garish, awful. Spinning on her heel Googie ran to scrub it off but Christina kept pace beside her as soon as she managed to wipe it off it was replaced with another.
"I found that picture of you in that green dress
He sure had a good time cleaning up that mess
He found thirty other pieces but he'll never find them all-Christina's hands burst into purple flames, and she sent a column of fire at the fleeing blonde-Tried to tape it back together, now he knows to keep it off the wall"
Was the room this big before? This empty? It seemed the other guests were disappearing as they danced but Googie couldn't be sure because Christina kept drawing that horried X on her face. And, Shaggy who'd been moping, trying not to be noticed started to smile, a small group began to pull him toward the stage where the 'thrones' were set up beside the band.
"Why isn't it coming off?" Googie was running out of makeup wipes, the X was hardly disappearing now only her once-perfect makeup, not that it stopped Christina. The hybrid was everywhere Googie turned, flames in one hand, marker in the other to keep drawing the X over and over.
"X" is the shape I drew through your face
In permanent marker, oh, yeah
Just like the mark you knew you were making
Who do you think you are
To write on his heart in permanent marker?
"X" is the shape I drew through your face
In permanent marker, oh, yeah
Oh, just like the mark you knew you were making
Who do you think you are
To write on his heart?
"X" is the shape I drew through your face
In permanent marker, oh, yeah
Just like the mark that you knew that you were making
Who do you think you are
To write on his heart in permanent marker?"
Grabbing Googie roughly by the shoulders Christina spun Googie to the stage just in time for her to see Thorn set the King's crown on Shaggy's head.
"In permanent marker
Oh, permanent marker, yeah"
Googie screamed.
...
Screaming still Googie fell to the floor. It took her far too long to realize it had all been a horrible nightmare, untangling herself from the blankets she was incensed to see Baylor was still fast asleep. Deciding she needed a cold glass of water Googie stomped to the bathroom only to scream in horror again.
THERE WAS AN X ON HER FACE. A BLOOD-RED X THAT COVERED HER FACE.
"What are you screaming about now?" Baylor stumbled behind her, flipping on the bathroom light.
"DON'T YOU SEE IT, YOU MORON?" Googie roared, "There is an X on...my...face?"
It was gone. As if it never existed.
...
In her tower Christina shrieked with laughter, clutching her sides trying to breathe. Wiping tears from her eyes she tried desperately to compose herself.
"Oh, Shade," she giggled, taking a long drink of water, "You should have seen her face! It was great"
It took several minutes before Christina was composed enough to creep back to her room where she found Shaggy wide awake.
"What did you do, Christy?" Shaggy asked.
"Nothing," Christina smirked climbing back into the bed, kissing Shaggy, "Midnight snack?"
"Yes, please"
"Here you go," Christina conjured a snack, prettily presented on a tray as she turned on the lamp.
"Thank you, Happy Birthday"
"It's not-"
"It's like, after midnight so yes it is"
"Oh, thank you"
"You're very welcome"
After Shaggy had finished his snack the couple settled down to sleep again, Christina with a triumphant smile on her face.
...
"Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday Christina, Happy Birthday to you"
Christina opened her eyes to her smiling boyfriend above her.
"Good morning," she yawned.
"Good morning"
"We have to go to the Maul today," she sighed.
"You'll have fun, I promise"
"I don't know"
"Would it like, make you feel better if we like drove your motorcycle?"
"Can we?"
"Yes," Shaggy laughed, "We can"
"What about the others?"
"Fred can drive the van"
"What do you want for breakfast?"
"What do you want?"
"I asked you first"
"But it's your birthday, not mine"
"Don't remind me"
"Come on," Shaggy pulled her up from bed, "Let's like, get some coffee and like, have some quiet time before everyone else wake's up"
...
Googie was so tired. After that horrid nightmare, she couldn't or wouldn't dare to go back to sleep. Christina and her falsely sweet persona would've been waiting to torment her! So the normally confident blonde had no choice but to cake on makeup to hide the dark circles under her eyes. Because she was already awake, she heard the giggly couple headed down the hall.
Think you can mess with me? She thought to herself, I'm going to ruin your special day.
Googie cracked open the door just enough to see the couple without being seen. Shaggy and Christina were already dressed for the day, Shaggy in his usual clothes, did he own anything else? As for Christina, she wore a purple dress Googie recognized, she had the same outfit. The same but better, right down to the silver stiletto heels.
Perfect.
Closing the door softly, Googie quickly changed to the matching outfit. And to think she almost, almost didn't bring this dress. She was bouncing with excitement waiting for the breakfast chimes to sound. So excited she didn't even react when Baylor paid her no mind, sleepily smacking his lips as he stumbled toward the shower. Just when she thought she couldn't take it anymore the chimes finally rang an hour and a half later. Anxious to implement her plot, Googie bounded down the stairs and strutted her way into the dining room where the others already sat chatting away.
"Really?" Clawdeen set down her coffee, "Isn't it a little early to be desperate for attention?"
'i know, It's great to see the real thing, isn't it? Googie smirked, glowering briefly at Christina.
"Oh no," Duncan shook his head with a laugh, "You've done it now, Googie"
"If I wanted to see the real thing I'd look at Christina, everything about her is real, unlike you"
Christina choked on her latte.
"She's right though," Shaggy nodded.
"What are you insinuating?" Googie growled, arching an eyebrow at the lovely werewolf.
"Just that you've had more work done than anyone ought to, I'd call you Barbie because you're so plastic but that would be am insult to Barbie"
A strangled yell escaped Googie's throat as she rushed Clawdeen who caught her arm and held her off with one hand while drinking her coffee.
"I grew up in a house with twelve brothers and a sister, you can't hurt me"
"You-you-you-"
The insult never left Googie's mouth as the blonde suddenly found herself locked into her guest room with a bowl of cold, soupy oatmeal for breakfast.
...
Back downstairs Christina dusted her hands off in satisfaction before snapping her fingers, "I think I'll wear this instead"
The form-hugging sparkly obsidian dress was eye-catching and didn't match what Christina typically wore for a romp around the mall. One look at the twinkle in the hybrid's eye however and the others knew she was up to something. When the group finished their meal, they hurried to the maul, Christina briefly trading her dress for more approach bike-riding attire that dulled in comparison to the smile on her face as she blazed toward their desalination, with Shaggy hanging on for dear life.
"Shaggy, we're here, you can open your eyes now," she patted his hand.
"Like, are you sure?" he asked.
"Yes, look, here come the others"
Duncan parked in the space beside theirs while Fred found a spot in the next row over. Googie was first out of the van hauling Baylor by his arm, desperate to be as far away from the van as possible only to freeze with shock when she saw the outfit Christina had popped into.
"You-you-you did that on purpose!"
"Did what?" the others looked at Googie like she'd grown another head.
"I had a nightmare last night, she was in it and she wore that! She invaded my dreams on purpose!"
"Googie, I have no idea what you're talking about," Christina took Shaggy's hand, "Perhaps it's just your guilty consciousness?
Googie was slack-jawed at how easily everyone believed Christina. They collectively shrugged and followed the hybrid inside.
...
"CHRISTY!" Draculaura slammed into her cousin with an excited squeal, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY"
"Thank you," Christina flushed red
"C'mon, c'mon the others are waiting for us at the coffin bean!"
Help, Christina mouthed as her cousin yanked her away.
"We're like, right behind you, Christy"
"Yes, because coffins are so much fun," Googie muttered but no one paid her any mind.
The rest of the gang stuck close behind Shaggy, hyper-aware of the looks directed at them. Thankfully, the coffee shop was pretty empty save for a group seated at two tables pushed together. Unlike the rest of the maul, these monsters smiled and waved at them.
"These are the rest of my friends," Christina explained taking a seat, "Cleo, Deuce, "Lagoona, Gil, Abby, Heath, Frankie, Kenny, and, Ghoulia"
"Hello," the group collectively greeted.
"Like, here you go, Christy," Shaggy returned from the counter, setting something that looked more like ice cream in front of the hybrid, "One extra sweet chocolate and mint frappicono with extra whipped cream"
"Yum! Thank you!"
"Like, don't be shy," Shaggy encouraged, "Get something!"
"They can make anything," Lagoona smiled encouragingly.
Googie rolled her eyes so hard it was a wonder they didn't fall out of her head, "I doubt that"
Yet again, she was ignored, the gang heading to the counter to place their coffee orders. Once they'd returned with their various drinks Frankie asked if there was anywhere in particular they wanted to shop.
"No," Fred looked to the girls for input but they were shaking their heads, "Not really,"
"Like, I have to take the birthday girl here to the bookstore for a shopping spree," Shaggy informed them.
Christina's eyes lit up in a way that irked Googie, The bookstore?'
"Yes, the bookstore"
"Now?"
"Yes, Christy, we can go now-WHOA!"
"See you later!" Christina sing-songed over her shoulder as she pulled Shaggy out of the coffee shop.
"I think we're going to hit the arcade," Clawd declared, looking at the other mansters then Fred, "Care to join us?"
"Sure," Fred nodded with an easy-going smile.
"We can show you ghouls some of our favorite shops," Draculaura squealed, looking at Daphne and Velma.
"Sounds fun"
One by one the group left until Googie was simmering with rage by herself. Baylor had left to chase down girls unapologetically, conveniently forgetting that he was HER boyfriend. Oh, she had never been so insulted in her LIFE.
When would this nightmare end?
...
Could Shaggy see a single thing in front of him? No, the cart-since when did bookstores have carts- was piled with so many books that he worked extra hard to avoid a collision. Behind him, Scooby, on his hind legs, pushed an identical cart while Christina skipped ahead stopping every few feet to read the back of a book that caught her attention before adding it to the mount Everest. Most would call such a spree excessive and unneeded but this was for Christina. The same girl who had been with him through all his ups and and downs for the past several months, she answered the phone no matter the hour, comforted him if a mystery turned sour, answered all his questions at the beginning of their friendship no matter how stupid they seemed now. Besides, for his birthday she had personally cooked an eighteen-course meal of all his favorite foods, ending with a dessert course so grand, the stores had thought she was catering for a 1000+ guest wedding, the crown jewel being a twenty-layer marble cake suspended in the air.
(She still wouldn't tell him how she'd done that)
She had invited his family, his ENTIRE extended family, and Scooby's, decorated her entire castle, and made sure everyone had a good time from the oldest of the family to the youngest. So, if a pile of books-more than he could ever, or had ever read-was enough to make her deliriously excited so be it.
"Whoa!" Christina spun, "I went way overboard"
"Like, don't you dare touch a single thing in these carts unless your handing them to the cashiers"
"But-But-but-"
"Trust me, I have enough to cover it"
"I-"
"Christina, chill, it's like, okay, okay?"
"Okay"
Thankfully, they wouldn't have to haul them all over the place. No sooner were they paid for did they disappear into Christina's library to be sorted by an army of bookish pixies.
"Happy?"
Christina squealed.
"Like, I'll take that as a yes, should we like, go Disney hunting next?"
"Yes!"
While Monsters had many exclusive stores this was still an American shopping mall with the staples of an American shopping mall nestled between the monstrous options. Bath and Body Works, with monster exclusive lines, there was a Build-A-Bear that was always jam-packed with children and luckily for Christina this particular mall had one of the largest, remaining Disney Stores. One so large it spanned multiple floors. Shaggy laughed watching Christina skip into the store heading right for the massive selection of Funko Pops spanning the wall. She liked sprinkling them throughout the library, they stood attention at the very tops of her shelves as if they were guarding her books. While she was distracted he took a minute to answer some texts.
"Look at this one!" Christina reappeared with her arms around a very, very large Maleficent dragon pop.
Startled, Shaggy fumbled his phone into his pocket, thankful that Christina hadn't seen it.
"Is it like, not weird to you that that's your grandmother?"
"Nope"
"Not even a little?"
"No, it glows in the dark, see? See?"
"Yes, I see"
"And I know just where to put it!"
"Of course you do," Shaggy laughed.
Christina picked up a few more things, shirts and a new bag before they deemed it time to rescue the gang from the ghouls stampede across the maul. In their quest to locate the others, however, they spotted Baylor sprinting to get away from a very angry Manny.
"COME BACK HERE YOU NORMIE FREAK"
"Don't tell me he hit on Iris," Christina face-palmed.
"Like, that's my best guess"
"Can we let Manny pulverize him? Baylor makes my skin crawl"
"Baylor makes EVERYONE'S skin crawl but we have to save him"
"Are you sure?"
"Come on"
Shaggy cut Manny off effortlessly while Christina put a barrier between Baylor and Manny.
"What happned?"
"He was coming on to my ghoul!"
"That like, doesn't give you permission to pulverize him," Shaggy spoke sternly, "As vulgar as he is"
"Don't make me call your sister, Manny," Christina added, "Go see if Iris is alright"
As soon as the minitour stomped away, Christina lowered the barrier, seizing Baylor by his collar.
"Listen here you pompous, sexist, pig, we saved you this one time but if you don't stop thinking with your junk I'm going to let them kill you, I might even help, got it?" she snarled venomously.
Baylor peed himself.
"I'll take that as a yes," Christina chucked him aside, pulling Shaggy away.
...
Aside from the Baylor incident, the rest of the day passed peacefully but Christina was ecstatic at the idea of going home to kick back with a book. She was so set on this idea that she didn't notice how the rest of the friend group followed them back to the castle at a distance. Didn't notice how suddenly the light from Melinda's room blinked out as she pulled into the garage. Didn't notice a thing until:
"SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHRISTINA!"
Christina dropped her bags in shock as the lights flipped on. There stood her family under a sparkly birthday banner.
"Hwhat-" Christina felt tongue-tied, flabbergasted.
"Shaggy planned it," Alissa smiled.
Christina spun to face her smirking boyfriend, "You-"
"C'mon Christy, wait until you like, see the dinner table" Shaggy laughed, wrapping an arm around her.
"So we're forced participents?" Googie piped.
Everyone present turned to glare at the duo.
"I like, had this planned before Christina so grasiously invited you and I will like, not have you ruining it," Shaggy warned with a snarl, "So sit down and shut up"
Not bothering to wait for a response the massive group surged forward leaving Googie and Baylor, still whiter than a sheet, on the fringes. Googie fumed. This was horrible. No, this was worse than horrible, whatever worse than horrible was. Googie was too steamed to really think about it then, she relaxed slightly, tomorrow was Monday meaning she and Baylor could finally leave this hellhole and turn their attention to what really mattered, the prom. A prom Christina couldn't crash!
While Googie was lost in thought, standing dumbly in place everyone else headed for the dining room. The sight of this made Christina gasp again. Purple streamers were hanging overhead, chandelier had been shined until it sparkled as did her favorite candle holders. A purple tablecloth with a lacy covering spread across the table already set with her favorite china; judging by the mouth-watering smells wafting from the kitchen dinner was waiting.
"Do you like, want to guess what's for dinner?" Shaggy chuckled, pushing Christina in.
"My very favorite meals?"
"Someone give the lovely lady a prize"
A splendid meal followed one that left Christina smiling so hard her face hurt. A meal where she scraped her plate clean. A meal Googie glowered through, Baylor meanwhile, hid away scared by his run-in at the maul so she was very very alone. Just after the cake had been cut and served Shaggy cleared his throat, calling for attention.
He isn't seriously going to PROPOSE?
"Christina, I like, know you weren't a fan of dances when you were in school but-but senior prom is coming up and-and I wondered if-if-if you would-would-"
"Shaggy," Christina grabbed his hands with a soft smile, "I would love to be your date"
NO NO NO NO NO NOOOOO Googie screamed internally, SHE CAN'T STEAL MY PROM! I WON'T ALLOW IT!