Monster high, big school, big problems. There's a thousand different stories in a place like this. That's where I come in. Name's Spectra and I report the news. The truth is always out there and I'm certain that I'll find it. I've been in the record longer than I can remember. I thought I've seen it all until she walked into my life…

Kendal sighed as she saw her reflection in the bathroom mirror. She was Instinct now. A monster. Three weeks ago, she had transformed under the gleam of the full moon and was stuck in her mutant form. She could not go to school, or see her mother, or even leave G.H.O.S.T.'s headquarters. She felt like she was in prison – held captive by her own father.

"Still Instinct?" A concerned voice asked.

Yoko's reflection appeared in the mirror.

"Yeah, I harmed six civilians this week! It can't go on!" Kendal yelled.

Franklin Poulter had taken pity on his daughter and let her make trips to the skate park, but only past midnight to practice her skating stunts. Still, her instincts took over and she had attacked innocent passers-by.

"Hush, girl. Patience's the key. Br. Jean's making the cure,"

"What do you know?! You're royalty – the God of Death's daughter1 you float around the WORLD when you please! I'm just a girl stuck in her mutant form!"

"you need a chill pill, Kendal," a voice said from the doorway.

The girls looked out of the bathroom. "Go away, Stone! Girls territory!" They yelled simultaneously.

"Frank gave me the skeleton card, he wanted me to get you slowpoke dudettes to breakfast. Stop frettin' over your image, Kendal, you still look like a beast."

Youch! Stone's casual remark pricked Kendal like a splinter in her claw. That's right – her claw – because she no longer had fingers.

"I've got good news for you, Kendal!" Franklin grinned as his daughter and Yoko entered the dining hall.

"Dr. Jean's found the cure?" Kendal asked hopefully.

"Nope. You're going to Monster High!" Logan broke the news, earning a well-deserved scowl from Franklin.

"WHAT?!" Kendal's jaw dropped.

"Well," Franklin began, "Kendal, you need some more fresh air. Midnight sneaking around is no good. Dr. Jean's cure won't be for another couple of months –"

"TWO MONTHS?!" Kendal's jaw literally hit the floor. And for her jaw to really do so…let's just say it's a long way down. Don reached up to close it.

"I'm sorry, dear, but yes, two months. No more, no less. So I've enrolled you into a high school for monsters only where you can be Instinct." Franklin concluded. It was clear there was no room for arguments. But Kendal clearly didn't accept the facts.

"Because I'm a monster?! And so you're sending me away?!" Kendal growled. She felt her instincts kick in. she felt like pouncing on her father and finish him off in one swift bite. But she held in everything and ran out of the dining room. Her stomach protested furiously but she held that in too.

Three hours later, a packet of fries were dangling in front of her snout. She glanced up and saw Stone. Kendal huffed and showed him her back. Which really wasn't much, just a mountain of dark brown fur.

Stone did not give up. He would never do that. He held the food by her snout again and grinned as Kendal tore the bag open and devoured the fires like the ravenous beast she was.

"Why are you not afraid of me? Even my own father wants to send me away!" Kendal cried. But she would never shed a tear in front of anyone else.

"Because you're still Kendal inside. And that's all that matters, dudette! Frank just wants you to be happy in a place where you will fit for now."

"But if I'm Instinct forever, I'll never see you again!"

"We'll be fine, although maybe Logan's not going to take it too well," Stone chuckled. He always called Kendal the mother of Logan. "You know, with his mom gone and all,"

Kendal punched Stone in the arm, which sent him, flying.

"I don't think Logan needs a macho mom," he grinned wickedly.

"Yeah, but I don't think he needs a sissy dad," Kendal retorted.

"Hey, you're the one who sent me flying!"

"Well, when you straightened yourself, you should have seen how you crossed your legs!"

"Just go to Monster High,"

"What?!"

"Chillax, you'll love it there, Kendal. I know you will." Stone looked deep into her eyes that were filled with uncertainty.

Kendal walked up the stairs to her new high school. It was majestic! The gargoyles on each side of the staircase greeted her dully, as if wishing her first day to be a rotten one. She headed to her locker through the silent hallway which was dark and eerie.

Kendal had arrived in the middle of the school day. Just as she shut her locker, the bell bwooped and monsters rushed into the hallway from all directions. It was as if the floodgates had just opened. At least some things were the same.

The student population made up of monsters all shapes and sizes. There was much more variety than she had seen at mutant convections! Most of these monsters looked kind, not like the mutants who were equipped with the skill to kill.

"The new dude! Sup!" A boy with a head of green snakes and reflective Ray-Bands greeted her warmly.

Kendal was shocked to see such a Mohawk. He looked like Medusa. "I'm not a dude," she had an edge in her voice.

Kendal was keeping up her guard. No one could mess with her today.

"Dude – I mean, dudette, sorry ghoul!" Medusa Head said.

"Hey! Is this the new boo?! You could join the casketball team!" Another monster came, standing beside the first one. This boy was on fire! His head shot flames and his eyes burned into his head.

"Dude, she's a ghoul," Medusa Head said coolly.

"Really?!" Fire Head's eyes widened as he looked up at Kendal. She was a whole head taller than him after all.

"Yes," Kendal snapped. "Why would you think I'm a guy?!"

"Whoa! She's feisty!" Fire Head exclaimed. He dug into his pocket and pulled out a coffin shaped device and pushed it into Kendal's muzzle.

'New boo in school – one hunk of a beast. His name's Instinct…' Kendal read it off a blog titled: the Ghostly Gossip.

"Who wrote this?" Kendal asked.

"Oh! It's Spectra – our ghostly gossip columnist! She gives the latest gossip on everyone and everything! She –" A small girl with sharp fangs appeared and began blabbering. "And she gets things wrong most of the time," another girl with big fluffy hair said sarcastically. She had sharp teeth and claws – definitely a werewolf.

Sharp Fangs was clearly a vampire, but she had pink streaks in her hair and carried a bright pink parasol. She wore two pigtails as well. Oh well, who said a vampire couldn't love pink and be cute?

Just then, an ancient mummy, a Frankenstein, a scaly blue sea creature and a member of the living dead joined them..

"The new boo!" the Frankenstein gasped, grabbing Kendal's paw and shaking it, sending a jolt of electricity through Kendal. She jerked.

"Oh my volt! I'm sorry!"

"She zaps when she's excited, no worries, mate," Blue Scales explained kindly in her thick Aussie accent.

"Shouldn't we all introduce ourselves?" The mummy declared. Kendal could tell that she ruled the school. That mummy had enough beauty and sophistication to prove it. "To begin, I'm Cleo deNile –"

"QUEEN OF DENILE!" Fie Head cut in and erupted into howls of laughter.

Cleo gave him a death glare and he stopped. "That joker over there is –" she spat but he cut her off again.

"I'm Burns, Heath Burns. And I have the license to grill," Heath introduced while flaming up his hair.

"Very funny, James Burn," Kendal rolled her eyes, but laughed despite herself. These monsters were warming up on her.

"You understand his lame-raw joke?" Fluffy Hair interjected. "BTW, my name is Clawdeen, and I think you need some grooming tips,"

"You're going to spill your secrets?" Sharp Fangs cried.

"No, just some wolf-tastic tops."

"Oh, haha. I'm Draculaura, but call me Lala for short. It's a cute story but my –"

"Don't scare the new ghoul," Cleo said flatly and Lalas toped talking at once.

There was a moment of silence but the Frankenstein broke it. "My name is Frankie Stein and I was the new girl too. So I totally understand what you feel," she then looked at Blue Scales.

"I'm Lagoona Blue, but please, Shelia, call me Blue,"

"Deuce," Medusa Head offered a hand and Kendal shook it politely.

"Ooooorrrr," Living Dead moaned, letting a fly escape from her mouth.

"Sorry?" Kendal asked.

"Oooo-laaaaa," Living Dead tried again.

"She's Ghoulia," Frankie smiled kindly, but Ghoulia shot her an offended look. "She speaks Zombese, but it's okay, you'll understand her after a while,"

Ghoulia looked fed up.

"Okay, you've met us boos, now let's get to Mr. Hack's class or we'll all be HACKED!" Cleo ordered.