Monster High: Season of the Witch

24. Ice Out

"I can't hear you, ladies!" Cleo called, clapping her hands in the passenger seat.

"We got spirit, yes we do! We got spirit, how 'bout you?" the ghouls in the car chanted. They stomped to the beat as they drove across the mountainside, along the winding road back to Monster High. Dusk was falling and the horizon was a faint pink.

The fearleading team had won first place in the semi-finals that day and were now returning to campus after a long road trip to Washington State.

They'd competed against a plethora of small monster private schools, but none of their competitors measured up. The other schools lacked the diversity of talent that Monster High showcased, and consequently Monster High had swept the semi-finals by a landslide.

Beatrix had never seen Cleo so happy. It was likely due to the excitement of winning, as well as the newly restored freedom for students to leave campus whenever they wanted.

The fearleaders had taken separate cars to the competition and Beatrix's car was on its last stretch back to the school.

Ghoulia, the zombie who was always by Cleo's side, drove at a leisurely pace. Beatrix was grateful for the zombie's slow motor skills. It was the only reason she wasn't getting car sick.

In the far back seat, Beatrix was wedged between Autumn and an ice monster named Abbey, whose skin was so cold it was making Beatrix's arm go numb.

Abbey wasn't the only one giving Beatrix a cold shoulder. Autumn had been ignoring her all weekend.

Out of the corner of her eye, Beatrix watched Autumn scroll through her iCoffin.

Although the school board trial was being held tomorrow, Beatrix wasn't nervous about it anymore. Ever since the ban had been lifted, Beatrix figured that the vampire boys had been deemed guilty by Bloodgood and that she'd be allowed to stay at Monster High.

However, this was all an assumption on Beatrix's part.

Ghoulia pulled the car through the school's front gates and parked in the student lot. The fearleaders scrambled out to stretch their legs.

"Took you long enough!" Clawdeen called. "The rest of us got back over an hour ago!"

The werewolf sat in the grass nearby with Venus—another member of the fearleading squad. All Beatrix knew about Venus was that she didn't approve of a witch accompanying Autumn to every fearleading activity, and that she was head of the gardening club at school.

The latter was what piqued Beatrix's interest.

Beatrix needed to get her hands on some wolfsbane, and the school gardens were probably the only place she could acquire the plant.

She'd snuck into the garden a night ago, but the greenhouses were locked, preventing her from looking around.

"Maybe we wouldn't have taken so long if someone drove faster," Toralei hissed.

"You have a problem with Ghoulia, you have a problem with me," Cleo scolded. The mummy was used to putting Toralei in her place.

Toralei backed down, looking a little dejected. "Pfft. Whatever."

Autumn placed a hand on Toralei's shoulder to comfort her. Beatrix expected Toralei to shrug Autumn's hand off, but she didn't.

Huh... maybe Autumn was right about them becoming friends, Beatrix thought.

"Don't be angry, kitty. We gotta celebrate winning the semi-finals!" Clawdeen rallied. "You ghouls going to Draculaura's or what?"

"Is something happening tonight?" Beatrix asked.

"You didn't hear? We're meeting up at Draculaura's house for a kick back," Clawdeen said. "I texted the group chat."

"Oh..." Beatrix said. Autumn hadn't informed her.

Autumn chatted with Toralei on the side, aloof to the conversation. After the bonfire, she'd been keeping Beatrix out of the loop more and more.

It was obvious Autumn had put up a wall between them and Beatrix had no idea why. The scarecrow had never done this before; it was entirely new territory.

"Who is going to this, how you say, 'kick back'?" Abbey asked Clawdeen in her thick accent.

"Just the fearleaders. We're having a ghoul's night."

"I'm not going anywhere until I bathe," Cleo said.

Clawdeen rolled her eyes. "Try not to take a three hour bubble bath, your royal majesty. We'll meet you at Drac's soon."

The remaining fearleaders journeyed back to their dorms, hoisting their luggage over their shoulders, while Clawdeen and Venus stayed put to watch the sun set.

Autumn looked over her shoulder at Beatrix. "You coming?" Autumn asked, more out of obligation than genuine interest.

"Go ahead," Beatrix said.

Autumn walked off with Toralei.

Beatrix sat down with Clawdeen and Venus in the soft grass. "Mind if I join you?"

"Not at all," Clawdeen reassured.

Venus didn't look half as pleased at Beatrix's arrival.

Beatrix attempted to come up with a way to organically ask about whether the gardening club grew wolfsbane. "So, Venus, I need your help. I think the lunch ladies could benefit from adding some more spices and herbs to their dishes. Do you have any plants in your garden I could use?"

"If you want oregano, you'll have better luck at a grocery store," Venus said.

Unaffected by being shot down, Beatrix tried again. "I was hoping for something more unique. Something with a kick to it."

"I mean, you won't be able to use them, but we grow snapdragons, wormwood, hemlock, wolfsbane—"

"Wow! Can I look at them? I hear they're a feast for the eyes," Beatrix asked, trying her hardest not to act suspicious.

Venus looked uneasy.

Clawdeen chimed in. "Weren't you heading over there anyway, Venus? To check on your poppies before we go to Draculaura's?"

Thank the hells for Clawdeen, Beatrix thought.

"Ya... I was," Venus mumbled.

"Awesome, I'll tag along," Beatrix eagerly said.

It didn't matter how displeased Venus looked, Beatrix was determined to get some wolfsbane.

Following Spectra's advice and replicating a werewolf power was the only line of self defense Beatrix had against Gory and the other vamps.

She refused to die like Gilda Goldstag.