Jolyne Kujo

Monster High was not a normal school.

Located in New Salem, it was one of the places where the children of the strangest, oldest, and most legendary creatures in the world could grow up surrounded by others like themselves. Vampires, werewolves, ghosts, mummies, sea creatures, gargoyles, artificially created beings, and descendants of monsters belonging to much older legends all shared the same hallways.

Here, being different was not an anomaly.

It was normal.

From the outside, Monster High looked like an enormous Gothic structure standing among dark trees and a thin layer of mist. Its towers rose above the rest of New Salem, crowned with pointed rooftops and enormous windows that allowed in a dim light during the day and glowed from within at night like eyes watching over the city.

The architecture combined the appearance of an ancient castle with that of a high school. Stone walls, stained-glass windows, endless staircases, heavy wooden doors, gargoyles perched on the rooftops, and corridors decorated with symbols associated with different monster species.

Nothing there seemed completely human.

Even the smallest details constantly reminded everyone where they were.

Lockers lined the hallways, covered with photographs, stickers, little family mementos, and objects related to the different creatures their students belonged to. Some had decorative fangs. Others displayed wings, chains, scales, or tiny monster figures.

During class hours, the hallways filled with students.

Some walked calmly while carrying books.

Others ran because they were late.

There were those who talked beside their lockers, those who argued about an exam, and those who simply waited for the bell to ring so they could leave.

At first glance, it looked like an ordinary school.

Until you paid attention.

One student might have vampire fangs.

Another might have wolf ears on top of their head.

Someone might accidentally walk through a wall.

A sea creature might need to stay hydrated throughout the day.

And, somewhere in a corner of the hallway, there would probably be someone whose family belonged to a legend humans considered nothing more than a story.

The differences between them were enormous, but that was precisely why Monster High existed.

For them, being monstrous was not something that needed to be hidden.

It was part of their identity.

The cafeteria, known as the Creepateria, was one of the busiest places during lunch. The tables quickly filled with groups of friends, couples, new students, and the same groups that had been sitting together for years.

It was there that most rumors were born.

Friendships, too.

Arguments.

Reconciliations.

Secrets.

And, occasionally, some disaster caused by one of the students’ supernatural abilities.

After classes, the school took on a different energy.

The gyms and sports areas filled with students practicing different activities. Clubs held meetings. Some stayed in the library to study, while others simply looked for a quiet corner to spend some time.

And when school parties arrived, Monster High stopped looking like a school altogether.

The large halls could be transformed into dance floors decorated with spiderwebs, lights, skeletons, bats, and symbols belonging to different species. Students appeared dressed in their best outfits, each one trying to express their own personality through their clothes.

Because at Monster High, appearance was also a form of identity.

There was no single way to be a monster.

Every family had its own traditions.

Every creature had its own abilities.

Every student carried a different story.

Some were direct descendants of famous monsters.

Others came from families that had lived among supernatural creatures for generations.

And some were simply discovering what it meant to belong to a world that had never been completely human.

But beneath all those differences, they were still teenagers.

They had classes.

Homework.

Exams.

Complicated friendships.

Rivalries.

Secrets.

Parties.

Crushes.

Family problems.

And all those little things that could turn a completely ordinary day into a complete disaster.

Monster High was, essentially, a place where the strange was ordinary.

Where a vampire could sit beside a sea creature during lunch.

Where a ghost could unexpectedly appear in the middle of a conversation.

Where a werewolf could arrive late to class because they had missed the bus.

And where nobody needed to pretend to be something they weren’t.

Because there, among gargoyles, fangs, scales, shadows, and creatures born from ancient legends, difference was not something that separated the students.

It was precisely what made them belong.

And above all, Monster High had one rule that everyone eventually learned:

It doesn’t matter what kind of monster you are.

There will always be someone just as strange as you.

The first bell of the morning began to ring, announcing the first class. Students entered their classrooms according to their schedules, the sound of hooves, claws, and shoes echoing against the wooden floor of the second story.

—Don’t push me!—

—Coming through! Fire boy passing!—

—We’re having chemistry first period, bro...—

Those were some of the murmurs coming from the group of students hurrying down the hallway.

Your shoes stopped in front of the dark oak door. You sighed, knocked, and entered.

The moment you stepped inside, everyone’s eyes fell upon you, and not because of your beauty, you were fifteen minutes late.

—Miss Bloody.— The teacher’s voice, belonging to a rather tall centaur, immediately made you feel like a little child. It was a warning. —I imagine you enjoyed the installation a little too much, didn’t you?— he asked, crossing his arms behind his back.

When you tried to defend yourself, his hand stopped you.

—You’re lucky I’m barely going over the rules. Come to the front. You’ll be the first to introduce yourself to your classmates. You seem to enjoy being the center of attention.—

As you approached the wooden bleachers, a few murmurs could be heard behind you. You climbed the steps and stood in the center while the teacher asked everyone to be quiet. Everyone fell silent for a moment.

When you introduced yourself, giving your name as {{User}} Bloody, your last name was immediately recognized by a girl with light bluish-green skin. Her eyes widened, her already-small pupils shrinking even further.

—Bloody Mary!— she exclaimed as she stood up from her desk. —You’re her daughter, right???— Her cheeks glistened from the hydration her body naturally maintained, giving her skin a healthy glow.

—FF, for God’s sake! You don’t ask someone who their parent is!— a slightly deep yet feminine voice interrupted her. A brown hand with several greenish scales rested on her shoulder, forcing her back into her seat.

—But look at her!— she pointed at you while smiling.

—You can’t point at monsters! It’s rude!— She lowered her hand.

—Why?— she raised a thin, almost translucent eyebrow.

—Misses Ermes and FF, do you have anything important to share with the rest of the class???— The teacher walked toward the front, his hooves softly striking the wooden floor. —Miss Kujo! Do me a favor and take those headphones off!— He descended the stairs and climbed the ones leading to the last rows of long desks, extending his hand and waiting for the headphones and phone.

Jolyne opened her eyes, her dark aqua-green irises widening as her vertical pupils narrowed. She looked at her friends, frowning, her thick eyebrows dark enough to stand out immediately.

—Fine...— She took them off, moving her hands, which had green markings running along them and across her entire arm, standing out against her warm undertone skin. She handed everything over to him.

Her eyes fell upon {{User}}, and she raised an eyebrow. The two additional pairs of eyes beneath her first pair opened. They were completely aqua-green, without visible irises. She narrowed all six eyes at the girl standing at the front.

The two additional pairs closed again, remaining in four downward-curving arches. Her eyelids were shaded in three shades of green:

Dark green in the corners.

Medium green in the center.

And light green toward the inner portions.

The colors gave her eyes a striking sense of dimension.

Black eyeliner surrounded her entire eyes, making her look intimidating. Visually, she was captivating, especially with the slightly darker green spiderweb-shaped markings along her left temple.

Her long, pointed green nails looked thick and sturdy.

Well cared for.

—Who’s that?— she asked Ermes quietly, who rolled her eyes.

—Bloody Mary’s daughter. I think her name was Ameli..?..Nisha..?..mmm... I forgot. I don’t think she said it.— She shrugged, dismissing it as unimportant, while the scales along her shoulders shimmered beneath the classroom’s warm light.

—Her name is {{User}}, and I feel like she could appear right in front of us if we say her name three times..!— FF held up three fingers, which were translucent, with tiny membranes connecting them.

—Oh, don’t be stupid.— Ermes scolded her as her teeth began to lengthen and sharpen, resembling those of a crocodile about to sink them into an animal’s flesh.

—{{User}}..?.. What a...such a...—

—If we say your name three times, are you going to appear right in front of us? HAHAHAHAHA!— a boy from the row in front asked.

A few laughs broke out. Ermes raised a thick eyebrow at the question.

FF remained in her own world, bringing her thermos to her lips as she drank some water.

—Silence! Silence!— the teacher ordered. —I remind you that you’re supposed to be monsters old enough to leave the childish jokes behind! You’re not little monster babies anymore! Now, as punishment, you’re going to give a group presentation in teams of four on The Anatomical Division of Monster Species: How Physical Characteristics Determine the Abilities of Each Creature.— He looked at everyone as he placed Jolyne’s phone and headphones on his desk.

—In my case, technically, there isn’t a clear division between an individual and a colony...— FF commented.

—Can you speak like a normal person for five minutes?— Ermes placed a hand against her forehead, her nails noticeably sharp.

—No.— FF continued drinking her water.

—Better make it a pair. Jolyne, you’ll be with {{User}}. {{User}}, sit beside Jolyne.— It wasn’t a request.

It was an order.