Monster High: Season of the Witch

35. A Helping Hand

Beatrix was frantic. "Autumn! Autumn, answer me!" She dropped to her knees, desperate to collect the scattered threads and hay that once formed her friend.

Autumn's shoulder had been torn almost clean through, the tear extending down to the front of her chest. Her right arm hung precariously by a thin thread, barely attached to her torso. Autumn lay crooked on the ground, button eyes wide in shock.

Beatrix heard a voice, Toralei, saying, "I didn't mean to! I jerked away because I didn't want her to get caught on my claws!"

Abbey's blunt voice responded, "I know, it vas simple mistake."

Frankie and Clawdeen moved to help Beatrix gather Autumn up. However, Beatrix shouted, "Don't!" She feared Clawdeen's nails or Frankie's electric touch might cause more damage.

Beatrix tried to gather all of Autumn's stuffing, but with so many monsters around, she worried she'd miss some under their feet.

"Make some room! Back it up!" Astar commanded. The crowd took a few steps back from Autumn's scattered body.

"Watch it!" Manny the minotaur protested as Astar pushed past him.

"Or what?" Astar asked Manny with a sharp-toothed grin.

Despite Manny being much larger than Astar, the minotaur looked nervous. "Hey, man, I'm a lover, not a fighter."

Astar continued past Manny and joined Beatrix on the ground. He broadly sweeped his arms and gathered Autumn's scattered parts in one go. Even with his talons, he was meticulous and did a better job than Beatrix could've.

Astar handed the stray hay and threads to Beatrix, then carefully lifted Autumn into his arms and made his way toward the gym's exit.

"Which way to the nurse's office?" Astar asked no one in particular. Clawd, who had paused the casketball game, pointed him in the right direction.

Beatrix matched Astar's stride down the hall. "Someone go to our dorm and grab replacement hay from Autumn's closet!" she urged the fearleaders behind them.

"On it," Clawdeen said, dashing off.

Autumn hung limply as Astar cradled her, blinking slowly. This was the worst condition Beatrix had ever seen Autumn in.

Astar entered the nurse's office and gently placed Autumn's body on the nearest bed.

"Where are the nurses?" Beatrix asked.

"I'll find one," Astar said. He left in search of help.

Left alone with Autumn, Beatrix pulled out a needle and thread. However, this repair job would be far from easy.

"What happened?" Beatrix pressed.

"I was cheering on Toralei's shoulders, but she slipped and didn't catch me when I fell. I got snagged on Abbey's yeti horns when I went down." She added, "Toralei didn't mean to. It was an accident. Promise me you won't get mad at her; she already feels terrible."

Beatrix wanted to argue but noticed tears welling up in Autumn's eyes. "Okay, I promise."

The room fell into silence for a moment before Autumn spoke again. "I thought I could handle myself at Monster High. I'm so embarrassed. I'm such a burden."

"What? Where is this coming from?"

"Don't act like you don't think so too," Autumn sniffled. "Last semester, you didn't tell me anything."

"What—"

"When you were dealing with all the magic trouble, the vampires, you didn't tell me anything. You talked to Grey, the Monster Sensitivity Seminar boys, Draculaura, but never to me. Because I'm not strong enough." Tears began to spill. "What kind of friend am I if I can't help you?"

"Don't cry!" Beatrix grabbed some tissues and dabbed Autumn's eyeline to prevent her burlap skin from getting stained. Now Beatrix understood why Autumn hated the nickname "strawhead" so much. Autumn had been dealing with self-doubt for a while.

Autumn continued, "I was mad at you last semester because you were keeping secrets from me. But really, I was mad at myself. You don't lean on me like I lean on you. I brought you to Monster High so you could have a better life, away from devils and your aunts, but I still couldn't protect you."

Beatrix took Autumn's hand and began sewing up a tear on her fingertip. "I didn't share everything last semester, not because I thought you couldn't handle it or didn't trust you. It's because I didn't want to burden you. This Monster High thing is your adventure, and you've been doing incredible things since you've arrived! A year ago, you never would've pictured yourself getting top grades and becoming the main flyer for the fearleading team!"

Autumn looked comforted by this.

"You've got to give yourself more credit. Remember, you're the bravest scarecrow I know," Beatrix smiled. "No more secrets?"

"No more secrets. We tell each other everything from now on," Autumn affirmed.

As Beatrix finished stitching up Autumn's finger wound, Astar returned with a cyborg school nurse.

The robot woman examined the scarecrow with digital eyes.

"We'll need some heavy-duty wire to mend her. Ms. Patches, on a scale of 1 to 10, how much pain are you in?" the nurse asked.

"I don't really feel pain. Just a tingly, empty sensation in my chest and I'm light-headed, like I'm in a dream. I'm not dreaming, right?"

"No," the nurse responded.

Autumn was relieved, "Oh, good. So, maybe a 3?"

"Did you see Clawdeen while you were out?" Beatrix asked Astar. Beatrix wondered what was taking the werewolf so long to grab that hay from her dorm.

"Who?" Astar said.

"Maybe she got lost," Autumn suggested weakly.

"I'll look for her," Beatrix said. "If I can't find her, I'll get the hay myself." She pointed at Astar. "Stay here and watch over Autumn. If she needs anything, listen to her like you would me. Except, you don't follow my commands much."

"I'll stick around. Unless I get bored." He glanced at Autumn. "But that's unlikely," he added, wiggling his brow flirtatiously.

"In all the nine hells," Beatrix muttered. She headed out and scanned the halls for Clawdeen. As she rounded a corner, she nearly bumped into someone leaning against the nearest wall.

"Cleo?"