Free Monster High: Who's That Ghoulfriend? (Monster High: Ghoulfriends Forever) by Gitty Daneshvari

wall. It was, of course, the only means of stopping monsters from removing the important tomes and possibly forgetting to return them. Venus immediately started flipping through the pages, looking for any mention of an Old World society that believed in a hierarchy of monsters.
    Minutes turned into an hour, and then another hour, as the green ghoul scoured the pages of the antique leather book. Annoyed and frustrated, she twice put the book down, but quickly picked it up after thinking of Headmistress Bloodgood. However, upon finishing the last page of the book, the ghoul’s heart sank with disappointment. There was nothing in there even remotely similarto what Mr. Mummy had described. Perhaps it really was just a rumor.
    Why had she wasted hours investigating something that didn’t exist? Venus wondered to herself. Visibly annoyed, she forcefully flipped the last page and prepared to slam the book shut. But at the last second she caught sight of some faint scribbling on the back flap of the book.
ASOME—The only way to keep them at bay is to educate the next generation. Teach them that all monsters are created equal.
    “It’s not much, but it’s something,” Venus muttered to herself as she pulled out her iCoffin to snap a photo of the message.
    “ASOME? What an odd name for a society,” Rochelle stated the following day as the trio munched on barbecue critters and waited for Operetta to arrive for her performance in the Creepateria.
    “Maybe it’s an Old World name?” Venus suggested.
    “Or the founder’s name?” Robecca pondered as everyone around them buzzed with anxiety over Miss Flapper’s “near kidnapping by a normie” the day before.
    “I heard the normie was so taken with her beauty that he couldn’t remember what he was doing. That’s how she was able to escape,” Clawdeen babbled nervously to Lagoona.
    “I’m not sure about that, mate,” Lagoona replied. “Because I heard that Miss Flapper wasforced to use a Thornberry branch to defend herself.”
    “I heard the same thing,” Frankie chimed in.
    “That’s because you’re the one who told me,” Lagoona responded with a laugh.
    “Oh, of course,” Frankie said with a sigh. “Sorry. I was so worried I barely slept last night. I can’t help but wonder who they’ll try to take next.”
    Just then a hush fell over the Creepateria as Headmistress Bloodgood’s horse Nightmare pranced through the doorway. Tall and regal with a shiny blue coat of fur and a bright purple mane and tail, the horse instantly grabbed the whole room’s attention. And though the animal was normally a nervous Nelly, today she exuded unwavering confidence. Even the erratic jerking of her lead by the two trolls guiding her intothe Creepateria failed to startle Nightmare. The surprising change in behavior was the sole silver lining in Headmistress Bloodgood’s disappearance. So preoccupied was the horse with aiding in her master’s return that she simply didn’t have time to think about her own problems.
    “This is the first time Nightmare’s ever let anyone other than Headmistress Bloodgood ride her,” Robecca mumbled as she stared up at a young ghoul atop the creature’s back.
    Operetta, daughter of the Phantom of the Opera, appeared very much at ease on the horse. Dressed in jeans and a sparkly checkered shirt, the ghoul had a distinctive retro flair, especially where her hair was concerned. Styled in 1950s victory curls with short straight bangs, her cherry-coloredlocks were hard to miss. So was the heart-shaped rhinestone-encrusted music note around her eye.
    “Hey y’all, I’m here today to share a song I wrote about Headmistress Bloodgood—the heart and soul of Monster High,” Operetta called out to the Creepateria.
    As students and staff members murmured quietly to each other, Operetta slid gracefully off Nightmare’s blue back, removed her red guitar from the saddlebag, and flung it over her shoulder.
    “Paragraph 58.5 of the Gargoyle Code of