Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Holt took a deep, shaky breath as he flipped the calendar to the next month. October, the month of Halloween. Despite it only being the first of the month, and nowhere near the holiday itself, he couldn’t quell the shaking in his hands. Or his legs, for that matter. After what had happened the previous year, he’d dreaded its return. He’d hoped that being at Gravedale would make it better, but a pit of fear still filled his stomach. To make matters worse, he couldn’t talk to anyone. His mom didn’t know what had happened- he knew she would have marched straight to the police station to talk to the police chief, and he didn’t want that. He didn’t want to bother the class, either. But that meant he was alone, with no one to talk to.

Holt? Are you doing okay Holt smiled. Well, almost no one.

“Truthfully? Not, not at all.” He ran a hand through his hair with a nervous laugh. “I’m kind of freaking out. I don’t know if I can handle school today.”

That’s alright. I can go to school for us- for the whole month, if you need me to.

Holt sighed in relief. “Yes, please. I would appreciate it- if you’re sure?”

Of course I’m sure. I know Halloween is going to be hard for you.

“Thanks, J.” He took his headphones off, and Jackson appeared. You’re gonna be okay, right? He continued. If you’re struggling, I want you to tell me.

“Of course I’ll be okay. You’re the one I’m worried about.” Jackson grabbed their backpack and pulled it on. “Just relax- I can handle school for a while. Besides, what’s the worst that could happen?”

-

An hour later, Jackson was regretting having tempted fate. He stared, frozen, at Mr. Schneider’s classroom from the doorway. It was decorated for Halloween with cutout pumpkins, ghosts, and bats, and there were fake cobwebs in the corners of the room. All in all, it wasn’t that much- but it still made his stomach twist.

A hand landed on his shoulder, and he jumped. Thankfully, the owner of the hand- Sid- didn’t notice.

“What do you think?” He said, his voice excited. “We all came back to school later yesterday to decorate, to celebrate your first Halloween with us!”

“Oh,” Jackson said. He forced a smile as he stepped into the room, walking to his desk as he looked around, trying to dredge up some form of enthusiasm. “It’s great, I love it! Thank you guys, you didn’t have to do this.”

“It was no big deal,” Duzer said from her desk, where she was filing her nails. She smirked, clearly proud.

“Just wait until Halloween!” Gill said. “The school throws a party every year, it’s gonna be great!” Oh boy. Jackson kept smiling, his face frozen.

“Awesome,” he said, sitting at his desk. “Can’t wait!” Thankfully, the bell rang then and Mr. Schneider started class. Jackson took a deep breath, trying to relax. This wasn’t so bad. It was just decorations. Harmless. He would be fine.

He would be fine.

He had to be, for Holt.

Thankfully, the decorations were the end of Halloween discussion. For the next couple of weeks, they switched back and forth as they had in the months prior to October. Holt found that the decorations didn’t bother him that much- they were cool, and easily ignorable. He was able to focus on the lessons without problems. Nobody noticed anything off with them, which he was thankful for. They’d gone to so much trouble to make the holiday special that he didn’t want to ruin their efforts. Jackson agreed, though he insisted that Holt tell him if it became too much. Overall, things weren’t that bad.

Which of course, meant it was only a matter of time before everything took a downward turn.

“Alright class,” Mr. Schneider said after the bell rang. Holt glanced up to find the teacher smiling at them all. “Halloween is in a week and a half, and Headmistress Crone has given everyone permission to start party planning.” Holt froze as the class cheered. His heart started racing, and he swallowed.

Jackson, he said, mentally- he didn’t want anyone else hearing this.

I heard, Jackson replied. How do you want to do this? If we switch suddenly, they might realize something’s wrong. Should we… tell them what’s going on?

No, Holt said firmly. I’ve got an idea. I just have to… stretch the truth a little. He cleared his throat.

“Hey guys, is it cool if Jackson joins you for the party planning? Halloween is a monster’s holiday, so the other students at Monster High didn’t let him join in on festivities.” Not exactly a lie- Jackson had spent most of the time around Halloween letting Holt take over, as it wasn’t safe to walk around as himself. He’d been barred from joining them to vandalize the human school, and had only attended the party for a few minutes- and only because Clair had put a set of headphones on him to block the music. As he expected, he caught several sympathetic expressions.

“Of course he can,” Reggie replied. Holt smiled at him gratefully and took off headphones, sighing in relief as Jackson took over and greeted everyone. He might add some thoughts, which he knew Jackson would share with the class, but he didn’t want to be there in person. He just wasn’t ready.

-

Jackson climbed onto the bus, in relatively high spirits, considering. The party planning hadn’t been too difficult for him. Headmistress Crone had decided on a dance for the party this year, so the majority of the planning was decorations, food, and ideas for contests. Overall, not too bad- not that he had any right to be bothered, of course. Holt had been the one who-

I’m sorry, what? Holt said, interrupting his train of thought. He sounded angry, and Jackson blinked. He glanced over at Sid, seated next to him. The invisible kid was in a conversation with Frankentyke, but still within hearing distance.

What? Jackson replied, mentally. He didn’t want to risk being overheard.

What do you mean, you have no right to be bothered? Holt asked, repeating his thought from a few moments ago. Jackson shrugged.

I didn’t have to deal with what you did- Halloween shouldn’t bother me like it does you.

J, you were there with me the whole time- and you dealt with some hard stuff too.

But nothing like what you did! Jackson replied. I’m fine, Holt. I can handle a little party planning. It isn’t so bad.

Jackson, Holt replied, sounding exasperated. You don’t have to hide how you’re feeling from me- if you’re bothered, I want you to tell me. Jackson sighed.

I know, but- he stopped, something catching his eye. Flashing lights- red and blue in color. He froze.

No. No, it couldn’t be. He glanced over his shoulder, and his heart started to race. There was a police car behind them, it’s lights flashing. The other students started to notice, and groaned.

“Oh, great,” Duzer groused, rolling her eyes.

“What do you think Boneyard did now?” J.P. asked. Someone replied, but Jackson didn’t hear them over the pounding in his ears.

Jackson, Holt said. He sounded scared, but Jackson couldn’t comfort him. He was shaking, and his breath was starting to come out in panicked gasps. He tried to stifle it, but Sid noticed.

“Jackson? You okay?” Jackson nodded, squeezing his eyes shut.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he managed to get out.

No, you’re not! Holt said. He sounded scared, and a feeling of guilt darted through Jackson’s panic. He was scaring his brother, for no good reason. He needed to calm down- but he couldn’t stop shaking. After a moment, he heard a voice shouting- not Holt, though his brother was talking to him too. When he heard the voice, he fell silent, and Jackson made out the words spoken to him.

“-son! Jackson, can you hear me?” the voice asked. He nodded, eyes still squeezed shut.

“Good, that’s good. Can I touch you, Jackson?” At Jackson’s nod, hands took hold of his, firm but gentle. “I need you to breathe with me, alright?”

“I- I-”

“I know it’s hard, I’ll help you. Breathe in for four seconds. Together. One… two… three…” Jackson followed the breathing pattern the voice led him through, and eventually, his shaking slowed and stopped. He opened his eyes, which he was ashamed to find were wet with unshed tears, and saw Reggie in front of him, looking concerned. The rest of the class was still in their seats, and a glance around showed that Sid had moved away, giving him space. His face burned as he realized they were all staring with matching expressions of concern.

“Are you alright?” Reggie asked, drawing his attention. Jackson cleared his throat and looked away, pulling his hands out of the werewolf’s.

“Yes, I’m fine. Sorry for scaring you.”

“You didn’t scare us, human dude,” Gill said. “We’re just worried about you.”

“What happened?” Frankentyke cut in, leaning forward. “The cop pulled us over for speeding and you freaked out!”

“Frankentyke!” Duzer snapped.

“No, it’s okay.” Jackson took a deep breath. “Police just… dredge up some bad memories.”

“Right, you said awhile ago that the police tried to arrest monsters at your old school last Halloween,” Cleo said. Jackson winced.

“Yeah. When I saw the lights, I thought…” he shook his head, forcing a smile. “Anyway, it doesn’t matter. I’m okay now.” The class exchanged glances.

“Alright, if you’re sure,” Reggie said. He went back to his seat, and Sid moved back to his as well.

“You know you can tell us anything, right?” The invisible teen asked, quietly. Jackson nodded.

“I know,” he said, trying for a reassuring smile.

J, are you really alright? Holt spoke up. He sounded concerned, and Jackson winced. Sid noticed.

“Holt?” he asked. Jackson nodded.

“Yeah. He’s checking in with me, to make sure I’m okay. I am,” he added, silently begging Holt to drop it for now. Thankfully, his brother didn’t protest, though he clearly knew the opposite was true. Jackson was far from okay- but he didn’t want to discuss it with the class. That was one thing they agreed on- they didn’t want the class to have to deal with their problems.

Chapter Text

Sid joined the class at their table at the smoothie shack. It was a few hours after school had gotten out. They’d all gone home, and then come back to town. They couldn’t have Boneyard drive them, because the subject of their meeting would catch on to the fact that something was going on.

“Hey Sid,” Blanche greeted. He nodded at her, taking a seat next to J.P..

“I’m not late, am I?” He asked. Vinnie shook his head.

“No- we haven’t started talking yet.” He frowned, leaning forward to rest his arms on the table. “You all know why we’re here, right?”

“Obviously,” Duzer said, rolling her eyes. “It’s because of Jackson and Holt.”

After Jackson’s panic attack on the bus, they’d all watched the teens closely- although really, they just watched Jackson. Holt didn’t appear at all for the following week. When they’d asked Jackson if his brother was alright, he had been vague, saying something about how he wasn’t feeling well and was taking a couple of weeks off.

On top of that, Jackson had been tense ever since. Mr. Schneider had noticed and asked if he was okay, but the teen had just smiled and insisted he was fine before changing the subject. Mr. Schneider hadn't looked convinced, but dropped it- at least in the case of talking to Jackson directly. When they had told him their plan to figure out what was going on with the brothers, he’d encouraged them. However, he cautioned them against confronting Jackson directly as the topic was clearly sensitive for him and Holt. Hence, the meeting.

“Something is clearly going on with them,” Cleo said. “But how do we find out what? They don’t seem to want to talk about it.”

“Then we find out ourselves,” Vinnie said firmly. “Something happened with them last Halloween, something big- maybe it was reported on by the news. Reg, you do some digging into that.” Reggie nodded.

“I’m on it,” he said.

“What should the rest of us do?” Sid asked, leaning forward. “I want to help them too.” Vinnie nodded.

“So do I. Anyone have any ideas of what we can do?”

“I’ve got an idea,” Blanche said. “You said yourself, Vinnie- something happened with them last Halloween. So that could be part of what’s going on now- Halloween is close, it might be bringing up bad memories. We could plan a different party then school’s. Something unrelated to Halloween.”

“Good idea!” Cleo grinned. “It can be just for our class. A few board games, or a movie. Mr. Schneider won’t mind.”

“Plus, we can order pizza!” Gill grinned. “We can get our favorites and won’t have to worry about getting enough for the school.”

“I’m in.” Duzer rolled her eyes. “The school party this year is lame, anyway. Who plans a dance for Halloween? I preferred the haunted house from last year, and the party after.” The others nodded in agreement.

“So it’s settled,” Vinnie said. “Reg will try and figure out what happened last Halloween, and the rest of us will start planning our own party.” Reggie stood.

“I’ll let you guys get started- I’m going to head home and start investigating. If we know what’s going on with them, we can avoid anything that might upset them when we plan the party.” He said goodbye and left, and Blanche spoke up.

“Where do we start?” she asked. “Decorations? Food? I’ve got a few recipes I can use.” J.P. cleared his throat.

“How about location? Where are we going to have this party?” he asked. “School? If it’s the same night as the school party, there’s not much of a point.” His question was meant with silence and uncertain looks.

“Wow,” Frankentyke said eventually. “Way to be a spoilsport, man.”

“No, J.P.’s got a point,” Cleo said. “Where are we going to have our party, if we can’t have it at the school?”

“I’ve got an idea,” a voice said. The students turned to find Mr. Schneider approaching their table. He aimed a thumb at the door. “I just ran into Reggie outside- he told me about your idea, and I think it’s great. As for location, what do you say to having it at my house? You kids can have fun while I handle trick or treaters.”

“That’s perfect!” Cleo grinned. “Thanks, Mr. Schneider!” The others thanked him as well, and he smiled.

“Of course- I’m proud of you kids, for planning this for Jackson and Holt. I’ll check in with Headmistress Crone, but I can’t see her having a problem with it.” He turned, waving slightly. “Have fun, kids- I’ll see you all tomorrow.”

“Wait!” Vinnie called, drawing his attention. He looked back, raising an eyebrow, and the vampire gestured to the seat Reggie had abandoned. “You should join us- if we’re gonna have the party at your place, you should help us plan it.” The others nodded, and Mr. Schneider sighed but smiled as he sat down.

“Alright, you have a point. So.” He leaned forward determined. “The location is decided- what’s the next step?”

Chapter Text

Reggie sat on his bed and opened his laptop, already thinking over what he would search for. If he wasn’t mistaken, Jackson and Holt had lived in New Salem- so he started there, typing in Halloween, New Salem 2012 incidents. The first link was cheerful sounding- “Monsters and humans united at last!” Reggie frowned and kept going. Sure, it might be true- but he had a feeling it was a puff piece, ignoring any negative things that happened. A few more links down the page, and he saw something more promising. “Monster Vandalizes New Salem High Days Before Halloween.” He clicked the link, and there was a photo of a skull painted on the side of a building. As he scrolled down the page, scanning it, he saw another photo and gasped.

In it, Holt was being held by a police officer. He was handcuffed, and though he was glaring at the officer holding him, he looked scared. Below the photo was a caption.

Police found monster responsible for the vandalism quickly, and arrest him before he can cause more damage.

Reggie frowned and scrolled further. Below the article was a list of others, one of which titled “Monster found innocent!” He clicked it and read through it. In it, the writer described what had actually happened. Apparently a human girl and her friends had vandalized their own school to frame the students at Monster High, and Holt just had the bad luck to be caught nearby with a bag of spray paint. It ended with Holt being absolved of all the accusations against him. Still, Reggie had a feeling that wasn’t it.

He scrolled down to the comments, and sure enough, there were a bunch talking about the way Holt had been treated, and something about trick or treating- which Reggie didn’t understand. As he read through the comments, a few jumped out at him.

Katie: What was wrong with that police chief? Who treats a teenager like that?

Johnny: I know, and he got away with it without getting punished. He was even at the party the monster high kids threw- I saw him with their headmistress

Adam: ???? what? did she just forget what he did to her student?

Johnny: Apparently- she was smiling when I saw them together.

Adam: god, that is so wrong

Katie: I agree, but that chief totally got punished for what he did. Didn’t you guys see that article?

Johnny: No????

Katie: Yeah, after a couple weeks or so a bunch of officers got together and went to the city council to report what happened. The chief was removed and one of the officers got promoted instead.

Sarah: Wait, I’m confused- I wasn’t in town when this happened. Wasn’t the chief just doing his job? Arresting someone for a crime they committed? Sure, it was the wrong person, but it all worked out in the end right?

Adam: here, watch this video- you’ll see for yourself. just a heads up tho, it’s really bad.

edit: it looks like the user had to private it- it was either that, or take it down. sorry.

Reggie smirked. “Private, huh? We’ll see about that,” he said, cracking his knuckles before starting to type. After a few minutes, he had access- but his pride faded as he read the title. “‘Monster receives the trick or treatment?’” he murmured, confused. He pressed play, and as he watched, his confusion turned to horror.

This wasn’t just really bad, it was horrible.. Shaking slightly, he closed his laptop and took a deep breath. He’d have to talk to Mr. Schneider tomorrow- he couldn’t keep this to himself.

-

“Mr. Schneider sir?” Mr. Schneider looked up at Reggie, who was standing in front of his desk with his open laptop in his arms, looking hesitant. He smiled, trying to put the werewolf at ease.

“Yes, Reggie?”

“I found a video from last Halloween, in New Salem- it involves Holt. I think it’s why he and Jackson having been acting strange recently.” He put the laptop down and turned it around so the screen was facing Mr. Schneider. “I think you should watch it.” Mr. Schneider raised an eyebrow but pulled the laptop closer, pressing play.

The video was recorded by a phone camera- clearly not a professional, by how much it was shaking.

“I can’t see!” A voice complained. In the background, over the chatter, he could hear another voice- quieter, further away from the camera. He could just barely make out what was being said.

“Okay, I get it! This is a big prank!” There was laughter- deep and menacing- and a voice, louder than the first.

“Trick or treat!” it said. There was a clank of metal. The voice from before spoke up.

“Look I'm all for joking aroud, but uh- this is getting pretty ridiculous yo!” Mr. Schneider frowned. The person with the camera wasn’t wrong- there were a number of people in between them, and whatever they were trying to record. There was a sudden yell, and the camera jostled as the holder shifted, most likely searching for the source. Still, the camera remained facing ahead.

"Help! A monster's got me!" A voice had cried. People shifted in front of the camera, revealing a group of police officers. One- the chief, most likely- pointed off in a direction, saying something, and two of the officers ran off to follow his orders. There was another cry.

"Heeeeelp! Monster attack!" Mr. Schneider raised an eyebrow. The cry sounded… fake. The chief pointed two more of his officers in that direction, leaving just him and one other. A third cry sounded.

"Help! Wouldn't you just know it? The same exact thing is happening to me! But way over here!” That decided it- it was clearly fake, though the police chief didn’t catch on, beckoning to the other officer to follow him to the source. The scene in front of the camera was cleared, and Mr. Schneider gasped.

Holt was strapped into a piece of machinery, slowly rising into the mouth of a giant pumpkin, an expression of pure terror on his face. Someone passed in front of the camera, and the video ended. Slowly, Mr. Schneider looked up to find Reggie watching him with a grim expression.

“This… this is horrible,” he said, still reeling. Reggie nodded.

“Students at Monster High helped him escape, but they led all the human students to Monster High to invite them to a party and show them they have nothing to be afraid of. From what I can tell, what happened to Holt wasn’t addressed beyond the police chief being fired. Everyone just… forgot.” Mr. Schneider stared.

“Everyone just forgot that they were about to execute a teenager?” He ran a hand over his face, closing his eyes as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. After taking a deep breath, he opened them and looked at Reggie. “Thank you for showing me this- I think I need to talk to them. This is… much worse than what I expected.” Reggie nodded.

“I haven’t shown anyone else,” he said. “I thought it would be better if Holt and Jackson told the others themselves.”

“I agree.” Mr. Schneider shut the laptop and handed it back. “I’ll talk to Holt and Jackson when you all come back from lunch- if you all don’t mind waiting for a few minutes, so they can have some privacy.”

“Of course. I’ll let everyone know.” Reggie left, and Mr. Schneider took a deep breath. He was going to do something about this- today.

Chapter Text

Jackson glanced around as he walked through the halls, confused. The others had dropped back walking a few paces behind him and Reggie, who was walking right next to him. After a moment, Reggie cleared his throat.

“Jackson, Mr. Schneider wants to talk to you- privately. We’re going to stay here, for now.”

“Privately?” Jackson echoed. “Why?” Reggie avoided his gaze.

“You aren’t in trouble, I promise.” He gestured ahead. “I think it’s best if Mr. Schneider explains. He’s waiting for you- we’ll come back when he gives the okay.” Jackson looked at the door warily, but approached and went inside. Mr. Schneider looked up.

“Hi Jackson,” he said. He looked hesitant. “If you both don’t mind, I need to talk to Holt for a moment.” Jackson blinked.

“Holt?” he said after a moment, asking his brother his opinion.

I guess, Holt said, albeit nervously. Jackson looked at Mr. Schneider.

“He agreed- just give me on second.” He pulled out his headphones and put them on, and Holt appeared, a nervous expression on his face.

“You uh- wanted to talk to me?” he asked. Mr. Schneider nodded.

“Holt, I have a topic to discuss with you. It might be hard, and I want you to know you don’t have to talk about it. Say the word, and I’ll drop it. I just want to check in with you.” Holt nodded, and the teacher continued. “We’ve noticed how nervous you and Jackson have been these last couple of weeks, and we were concerned. Reggie did some digging, and found some articles from last Halloween.” Holt’s eyes widened.

“Oh,” he said, forcing a smile. “What’d they say?”

“I’m not going into details,” Mr. Schneider said carefully. “But it involved you, and the police.” He leaned forward. “Are you okay, Holt? I understand if Halloween is hard for you. We don’t want to make you uncomfortable- you can tell us if something is bothering you.” Holt breathed in, slightly shaky.

“I suppose I should have expected this- you’re right, these past couple of weeks have been hard. Last Halloween… I was terrified. The night ended alright- everyone was getting along, and the police stopped coming after me. But I was still scared, and Halloween brings back that fear- even if I know I’m safe now, it’s still hard.” He looked down. “I didn’t want to ruin the celebrations for everyone else.” There was a scraping sound, and soft footsteps that stopped a foot away from where Holt stood.

“You won’t ruin anything,” Mr. Schneider comforted. “The class already started planning a different sort of party- they don’t know what happened exactly, but they know something happened for you last Halloween that makes it hard for you, and they want you to have fun. So instead, they’re going to have pizza and watch a movie at my house. No Halloween talk, and I’ll handle any kids who come by for candy.” He put a hand on Holt’s shoulder, and the teen looked up into his eyes, which held nothing but sympathy. “You don’t have to come- but we’re happy to have you. And I’m right here, if you need to talk about anything. I also know a doctor in town who you can talk to as well, if you feel you need to talk to a professional. Whatever you need, we’re all here for you.”

Holt felt a tear run down his cheek, but he didn’t care. He stumbled forward, legs shaking, and threw his arms around Mr. Schneider. The teacher held him, rubbing his back.

“Thank you,” Holt managed to get out through his tears. “Thank you so much.”

“You’re welcome.” Holt stepped back, and Mr. Schneider patted his shoulder. “Is it alright if I talk to Jackson now?” he asked. Holt nodded. Despite what his brother said, he knew he was just as bothered by what had happened as he was, and was glad Mr. Schneider realized that too. He pulled his headphones off, leaving Jackson in his place.

-

Jackson smiled at Mr. Schneider, and for the first time in a few weeks, it wasn’t forced.

“Thank you for talking to Holt,” he said.

“It’s no problem,” Mr. Schneider replied. “But Jackson- how are you doing?”

“Me?” Jackson blinked in surprise. “I’m fine- why?”

“Because you were there too- you went through everything Holt did.” Mr. Schneider put a hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay if you’re not okay- that wasn’t something either of you should have had to go through.” Jackson’s eyes widened.

“I…”

He’s right, J, Holt said. I remember when we were at the human school- you were stressed and anxious the whole time about being caught, and then we were forced to switch- a few times. You were still there with me- you were the only thing keeping me calm in front of all those people, and inside that horrible machine. Jackson sighed.

“Okay, you’re right- both of you.” He looked at Mr. Schneider, tears welling up in his eyes. “I’m not okay. Halloween- it brings up memories of being powerless. We were dragged to jail, and the chief took Holt’s headphones- something about how they weren’t allowed. He didn’t notice the switch, and I spent the night in that cell with no way to contact anyone. In the morning, he saw me, and I told him Holt had grabbed me and put me in the cell. I thought he would just let me leave, and we could find somewhere to hide, but he drove me to the human school instead.” He paused, taking a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. “I’m sorry- I hate thinking about this part.”

“That’s alright- take your time.” After a few moments and some deep, calming breaths, Jackson continued.

“That was where the police took us from, later. Someone had seen us switch when there was music playing and called them. They took us into custody again, but this time, kept the headphones on. Holt tried, a couple times, to take them off- but they always put them back on. I couldn’t do anything but try to help him stay calm. Until our Monster High friends helped him escape, I wasn’t sure we were going to make it out.” He exhaled, shakily, and when Mr. Schneider drew him in, he didn’t resist, burying his head in the teacher’s shoulder. Quiet sobs wracked his frame.

“I’m so sorry you both had to go through that,” Mr. Schneider said quietly, rubbing his back. “If you like, I can make an appointment for you with the doctor I mentioned earlier. I’ve been to his office before, with another student. The class will even go with you, if you want. Whatever you both want to do is alright by me. Just let me know.”

“Thank you,” Jackson said quietly, his voice still wobbling a bit. He leaned back, rubbing at his eyes. There was a knock at the door, and Reggie poked his head in.

“Jackson?” He asked. “Mr. Schneider sir? Everything okay?” Mr. Schneider glanced at Jackson, who nodded.

“Yes- well,” he amended. “Not okay. But getting better.”

“Okay.” Reggie opened the door further, revealing the class standing behind him.

“We didn’t hear anything,” Sid said immediately. “We just got here.” Jackson laughed slightly.

“It’s okay, we probably owe you an explanation.”

“You don’t owe us anything,” Blanche said firmly. “Don’t feel pressured to tell us until you’re ready. Besides, we’re not here for that.” Jackson blinked.

“You’re not?”

“No,” Gill said. He elbowed Vinnie, and the vampire rolled his eyes. Still, he stepped forward.

“We were hoping for a group hug,” he explained. “If you’re okay with it, of course.” Jackson laughed.

“Actually, that doesn’t sound too bad. If you guys don’t mi- oof!” He stumbled back as Sid threw his arms around him, the rest of the class quickly following suit. After a few moments, Jackson fumbled for his headphones. “Hold on guys,” he said. “I’m going to switch, so Holt can join in.” The class released him, stepping back, and Jackson pulled his headphones on. As soon as the transformation was done, they moved back in, wrapping Holt in a hug.

He smiled. For the first time since the start of October, he felt safe, and happy. It looked like Halloween wouldn’t be so bad this year after all.

Chapter Text

Frankie walked through the halls of Monster High, her hair swinging behind her. Class had just let out for the day. She smiled to herself as she walked, excited for tonight’s party. School had been rough this year- she’d been put into harder classes, and Cleo was working her and the others hard in Fearleading. But tonight, she could finally relax and fang out with her ghoul friends. Speaking of, she spotted them up ahead.

“Hey guys!” She said, waving eagerly. Draculaura saw her first.

“Frankie!” The vampire beamed, her fangs flashing. “Are you ready for tonight?”

“Yep! What about you guys?”

“I’m so glad you asked,” Cleo said, stepping forward. “Have you seen Holt? Or Jackson, I suppose? I want Holt to DJ the party, but I haven’t seen him lately.”

“No, I haven’t,” Frankie said. “I’ve been crazy busy, and I’m not in the same class as Jackson anymore. Advanced Mad Science, you know.”

“Maybe Claud has seen him,” Claudeen suggested. “Or Deuce, or Gil. Don’t they all hang out together?” Cleo shook her head.

“I tried Deuce already- he said Jackson has been busy with school, and he rarely sees him. Plus, Deuce spends a lot of time working on homework. He’s trying to be a better student.” Lagoona pulled out her iCoffin and started texting.

“Hang on, I’m asking Gil. Maybe he knows something.” She finished typing and sent the text, looking up at her friends. “The last I heard from Holt was that first week of school- he DJ’d the back to school party.”

“He DJ’d a few other parties too,” Clawdeen said. “Remember? Cleo, you asked him to DJ at a party for our fearleading kick off. The sports teams had him DJ at their kickoff parties too.”

Lagoona’s iCoffin buzzed, and she looked at the screen. After a moment, she shook her head.

“Gil hasn’t heard from either of them- he’s been busy with swim practice, and when he tried to get together with Jackson a few days after school started, he said he couldn’t because he had to work on homework.”

“Wait, has anyone heard from them at all since the first week of school?” Frankie looked around. “Does anyone have a class with either of them?” Her ghoulfriends all shook their heads, and she frowned. “It’s strange that none of us have seen them in the halls, at the very least. Come on, let’s go see Headmistress Bloodgood- maybe she knows something.” They all started off down the hall, their heels clicking against the floor.

When they arrived, Frankie knocked lightly before pushing the door open and stepping in.

“Headmistress Bloodgood?” She asked. The woman looked up and smiled.

“Hello, ghouls. How can I help you?”

“We were wondering if you could tell us anything about Jackson and Holt,” Frankie said. “We realized we haven’t seen them in awhile, and we’re worried.”

“Ah,” Headmistress Bloodgood said. “That’s because they transferred to a different school.”

“What?!” the ghouls chorused, eyes widening. Headmistress Bloodgood nodded, typing on her keyboard for a moment.

“A school called Gravedale High. They transferred after the second week of school.” She looked up, smiling. “Was there anything else you needed?”

“No,” Frankie said, still in shock. “Thank you, Headmistress.”

“Of course.” They left her office, silent up until the door closed behind them. Then they burst into chatter.

“Holt’s gone?” Cleo said, scowling. “This is awful! Who’s going to handle the music at the party tonight?”

“Cleo,” Clawdeen scolded. “We have bigger problems right now! Why did Jackson and Holt transfer? They love it here!”

“Maybe something is wrong,” Draculaura suggested. “Remember when they attended the normie high school last Halloween? Maybe something like that happened. It might just be a mistake.”

“Well, whatever happened, we have to help them,” Frankie said, determined. “After tonight, we’ll make a plan. Cleo, can you text Ghoulia and ask her to look into Gravedale High when she gets a chance? If we find out where it is, we can go save Holt and Jackson.” Cleo pulled out her iCoffin and started texting.

“Do any of you ghouls know anyone else who can provide music for the party?” She asked as she typed. “If we can’t get Holt back, I’m going to need some sort of replacement.”

“I’ll ask around,” Clawdeen said. “Operetta can play an instrument, and Catty can sing- maybe one of them will help you out.”

“Thanks, Clawdeen,” Cleo said, flashing her a grateful smile before turning her attention back to her iCoffin.

“We should also talk to the guys,” Frankie said. “They’ll probably want to help with the rescue mission.”

“I’ll talk to Gil,” Lagoona said. “We’re meeting up to swim together later.”

“And I’ll talk to Claud,” Clawdeen said. Frankie smiled.

“Voltageous! After tonight, we’ll start planning. Holt and Jackson will be back at Monster High soon.”