Monster High: Season of the Witch

16. Hyde on the Loose

"You must be Trixie!" the blue boy exclaimed.

Beatrix looked up at him and faintly recognized the curve of the boy's jaw and the shape of his eyes. "How do you know me?" Beatrix asked.

"I was sure Jackson would've told you about me by now," the blue boy mockingly sighed. "I saw all the notes Jackson wrote about you. There were a ton. I'll never get that guy's obsession with studying. Normies, am I right?"

Jackson's been taking notes on me? she thought.

The boy propped open the restroom door. Violin notes floated in. He nearly purred like a cat at the music.

"I'm Jackson's better half, Holt Hyde. Nice to meet ya," he said. Beatrix put two and two together. Jackson and Holt were one and the same.

"DJ Hyde!" Guillermo cut in. Guillermo and Orion were in the doorway, enamored at the sight of Holt.

"We were waiting for you to show up, man!" Orion said.

Holt took Orion's hand and hit him on the back like they were old friends. "What's up, boys? It's been a while!"

"You guys know him?" Beatrix asked, lost.

"He hosted the back-to-school bash at Deuce Gorgon's house this year. Everybody on this side of the monster world knows him," Orion said.

Holt's face lit up. "Let's get out of here. There's gotta be a high-voltage party we can crash."

Despite Holt's contagious energy, Beatrix didn't trust him. Her heart was still thumping from the first impression he'd made moments ago.

"I wish we could go, but Mr. Gore and Johannah won't let us out of their sight," Orion said.

"Ditch 'em! Rules are meant to be broken," Holt said.

"I don't want bad marks on my school records, and I don't want to disappoint Draculaura by getting detention," Guillermo said.

"You guys are lamer than Jackson! I'm outta here," Holt declared, and turned to open a small restroom window.

Beatrix quickly realized that he was going to shimmy through the window and escape. "Holt, you can't leave! Jackson has to take the shuttle back with us after we eat!"

"Sorry, Trixie. The music gods are calling me! See ya!" Holt hollered. He climbed up and out of the window, and was gone.

Beatrix, Orion, and Guillermo dashed to the open window and helplessly watched Holt sprint down the street. He disappeared in a blink of an eye.

"You've got to be kidding me," Beatrix said.

"What are we gonna do?" Guillermo worried.

Orion raised a brow. "Why is this our problem?"

"Holt just ditched the field trip! What if Johannah deems us guilty by association and when she scolds us, her head rips apart again? She freaks me out!" Guillermo cried.

Orion was comprehending the stakes. "You don't think Mr. Gore will blame us for letting Holt leave, do you?"

The two boys started to panic.

Beatrix thought it over. Jackson was probably forced to repeat MSS because his alter ego, Holt, is so uncontrollable.

If Johannah and Mr. Gore find out that Holt ran off in a human city, Jackson will be the one to suffer the consequences. He might have to repeat the seminar a third time.

Beatrix didn't want that. High school life was hard enough already for Jackson. The last thing Jackson needed was another reason for his monster peers to ostracize him. But what can we do?

Then she remembered the mermaid book in her satchel.

She took a moment to weigh her options, yet she came to the same conclusion over and over again.

Beatrix faced Orion and Guillermo. "I have an idea. But you have to promise to keep what happens tonight a secret. Understood?"

The boys blankly stared at her, not understanding at all.

Regardless, Beatrix believed she had no choice. She needed to replicate a monster ability now.

More specifically, she needed to replicate a mind-controlling song from the mermaid book.

Beatrix had already read most of the book from cover to cover, but she was still missing a crucial element: a witchcraft spell to aid her in carrying out the incantation.

She wasn't a supernatural creature who possessed the innate ability to control minds like a mermaid or a phantom. Therefore, she needed to pair the song with a spell.

She scoured her memories for some kind of witchy spell that was similar to a mind-controlling monster power.

The most relevant form of witchcraft Beatrix could think of was the failed sleeping elixir she'd made when she was twelve.

Sleeping elixirs are kinda similar to mental manipulation... since the brain makes you sleepy... right? Beatrix hoped.

She wished Autumn was there to advise her. Between them, the scarecrow was the book smart one.

However, Beatrix was running out of time. Every second she hesitated, the further away Holt was.

"Orion, I need you to discreetly grab the textbook that's in my bag at the table. If Johannah and Mr. Gore ask why we're not back yet, say that Jackson's sick in the restroom and we're helping him," Beatrix ordered. "Guillermo, go grab salt from the restaurant's kitchen. Make sure it's pure sea salt. And find me some herbs, like chamomile or lavender or mint—preferably all three."

Beatrix's grave tone was enough to make Guillermo and Orion obey her orders without question.

She shut the bathroom door when they left.

Beatrix peered over the overflowing restroom sink, turned off the faucet, and circled the surface of the water with her fingertips.

My aunts always say that intent is just as important as ingredients, Beatrix recalled. So I better get my intent right.

She prayed to all the circles of hell that crafting a magical elixir wouldn't be much harder than cooking.

And that Grey wouldn't find out what she was about to do.