"Dude, are you sure this is a good idea?" Heath asked as he and Clawd Wolf helped Deuce stake out for the week in the janitor's closet.

"It's fine, man. My mom already told me I could," Deuce replied as he relaxed on the hammock they had already set up.

Deuce's plan, for the duration of the time that the three of them had figured it would take for Cleo to calm down, was to spend the entire week in the janitor's closet, relying on Clawd and Heath for food and water, and on the old bed pan for his bladder. Neither of his two helpers really liked his plan, probably because they had been asked to be deliverymen for a week. Still, Deuce himself felt that it was an awesome idea, and he had always wanted to do something like this.

"I don't know... I don't like it," Clawd offered as he set up a power bar for Deuce's electronics. "I mean, this kind of makes you look guilty, you know?"

"Eh, I know," Deuce chuckled. "But I'm not, so I'm okay with it. Rochelle's just a friend, and as soon as Cleo sees that, I'm a-okay in her book once again."

Heath eyed Clawd worriedly. Clawd could only shrug in reply.

As the boys were getting into their own trouble, Clawdeen was struggling with something else that had nothing to do with the rumor. She had been noticing, that out of all her friends, she wasn't quite so sure what kind of boy she wanted.

This wasn't saying that Clawdeen wanted to have a boyfriend. This was Clawdeen finally admitting to herself that she didn't exactly like any of the boys in the school... that way. Not even the hunk Andy. In fact, when she looked at them, yes, she said to herself, "Man, that boy is smoking!" but then she would look at a girl, and say, "... But that girl is far more beautiful!"

She wandered through the halls in a daze, wondering why the heck her brain had just figured this out now during an obvious rise in the rumor business.

Seriously, the Ghostly Gossip was having a field day with the whole Cleo/Deuce/Rochelle thing. Draculaura's phone beeped with a new text message practically every five to fifteen minutes with a new update on the whole matter.

Beep! Cleo found out!

Beep! Rochelle is not declaring herself guilty of being a boyfriend stealer!

Beep! Cleo is outraged!

Beep! No word on Deuce.

Beep! Cleo is STILL outraged!

It was because of the whole thing that the girls, for now, were avoiding Cleo. Clawdeen gave an annoyed grunt as once again, an update was made and Draculaura checked her phone.

"The Ghostly Gossip says that Cleo and Rochelle had another argument," Draculaura announced. "I wonder where Deuce is and how he's taking all this."

"He's probably waiting for one to kill the other," brought up Operetta, who came out of nowhere. "Take the winner and claim her to be his girlfriend and walk out of the issue without even a bruise."

Her words caused a pair of raised eyebrows from Frankie and Abbey, who had been quietly discussing the Mad Science assignment behind them.

"Uh... what?" Frankie even spoke.

"Could be the reason why no one knows where he is," Operetta offered, shrugging. "I even checked the catacombs - he's nowhere!"

"Perhaps he is just being smart," Abbey countered. "Is staying out of it. Waiting for it to blow over."

Frankie nodded.

"Good luck with that," Clawdeen sighed. "Cleo's not letting this go. How many times as she attacked Rochelle verbally now?"

Draculaura's phone beeped. She glanced at it. "... Six."

"My point is made, we're done here, can we go to class now?"

"... Clawdeen."

She looked at Frankie with a stern glare. Frankie stepped slightly behind Abbey, who appeared bored and not intimidated in the slightest.

"... We're on a free period...?" was Frankie's timid reply.

Clawdeen sighed. "... Oh yeah... I forgot..."

"Is everything alright, Clawdeen?" Draculaura quickly asked. "If my phone's bothering you, I can turn it off. I can always check the gossip later."

"No, no, it's fine, Ula-D... I just have... a headache. Um... Excuse me, I'm going to the bathroom..." Clawdeen, after she finished her words, quickly stormed off down the hall, to her destination.

"... It is more than just headache," Abbey stated after the group had paused for a short while.

Operetta frowned. Frankie worriedly whimpered. Draculaura looked down in shame, still thinking it was her phone.

"I..." started the vampire. "I'm kind of getting tired of this whole thing, myself. I'm turning off my phone. If Clawd ever needs me, he usually comes to find me instead of texting anyway."

Spectra had noticed Clawdeen storm of and felt that this was her chance. Was this going to be the big scoop that she had caught wind of?

With this in mind, she quickly posted that she was researching more about Deuce, before rushing off to follow Clawdeen Wolf.

Clawdeen looked at herself in the mirror, horribly ashamed of herself. Now, of all days, she had to figure this out. Now, of all days, she had to come to terms with herself like this.

Clawdeen Wolf wasn't straight. She looked at guys and admitted they were good looking, but she didn't fall in love with them. Girls, on the other hand...

She crumpled into a furry heap into the corner of the bathroom. She sobbed a little, hoping to the ends of the earth that Toralei and those twins wouldn't step in.

She was ashamed. What would her friends think of her? Would they still like her? Would they still hang around with her? Would they leave her?

The door to the bathroom slowly opened.

"... Deenie?" called out the distinctive voice of Operetta. "Clawdeen?"

She quickly sniffled and dried her tears. "I-I... I'm over here..."

Operetta went to her side immediately. "Oh, darling... Abbey was right. This is a bit more than just a headache, isn't it?"

For a moment, Clawdeen hesitated, and for a very long time. She wouldn't say that Operetta was as close to her as say, Draculaura and Frankie, but at the same time, she was considered as part of their group, being a friend. She was also a neutral party, so to speak, so before she knew it, Clawdeen was letting it out. "... Op, I think I'm lesbian. And I'm not sure what I think about that, or even if I like that. I mean, I like boys, but I like girls... and that way."

"Did you ever consider that maybe you like both? That you swing both ways?" Operetta offered, sitting next to her. "A few of my friends back home in New Orleans are bi-sexual you know, and not afraid to admit it. A few of my friends were also gay and lesbian. It's completely normal now, not something to be ashamed of."

Clawdeen eyed the phantom carefully, blinking in slight confusion with clear worry on her face. "... I..."

"You said it yourself, girl. You like girls. But you also said that you like boys."

Silently, the werewolf thought it over. "True... I suppose... I suppose you're right. But I'm worried about is my friends' reactions. Are they still going to like me? Hang out with me? Go shopping at the maul with me? Have sleepovers and invite me?"

"... I'm sure they will, sugar. They're your friends. And if they keep someone like Cleo around, then I'm sure they're going to keep you and love you just the same as they do, now." Operetta smiled.

"Still... I don't think I'm ready to tell them..."

"Then we'll wait until you are," Operetta answered, calmly.

Neither noticed the quick disappearance of a ghost from the bathroom.

Spectra settled herself down before the laptop, smiling gleefully. She truly felt that she had discovered the secret.

"Don't worry, Clawdeen," Spectra said, speaking to air. "I'll do it for you, so you don't have to worry. Maybe I'll make this one more about what I think, too... Lighten it up a little..."

Ghostly Gossip !

This is the rumor: Word is, that Clawdeen Wolf is a bi-sexual! Is this true? Not like it makes any of a difference, she's still the regular Clawdeen Wolf to this gossip. You go, girl!

"... Oh... My... Ghoul..."

As Draculaura had turned off her phone to quell the noise it was emitting from the still active Rochelle/Deuce/Cleo debate, she was a little behind on what was causing her classmate's slight terror - a freckled cyclops with her hair in braids.

"What's wrong, ghoul?" she asked curiously.

"Um..." The cyclops girl stayed silent, simply handing her phone over to the vampire.

Draculaura read the words, and couldn't help but feel slightly ashamed for Clawdeen. This wasn't the Ghostly Gossip's place. Something like this took time, and was only supposed to be announced by the person, when they were ready. Still, she couldn't help but smile at the attempt of being supportive.

"I see..." Draculaura finally stated, before handing back the phone and digging out her own. She glanced around the room, trying to find her friends.

Once again, Frankie and Abbey might as well be attached by the hip. The two were talking quietly among themselves as they giggled and did the work together. Cleo was angrily filing her nails as Ghoulia worked hard on two separate papers, doing her own homework and Cleo's. Lagoona and Gil weren't even doing the work - they were just simply staring at each other dreamily. Clawd, oh dear sweet Clawd, was doing his own work quietly, occasionally making a passing comment to Heath, who chuckled.

With a sigh, she resigned to her fate. She'd have to wait until class was over.

"Did you hear? Clawdeen's... one of them."

"You make it sound like she has a disease. The Ghostly Gossip's right, nothing's changed about her, she's still Clawdeen."

"Meowr~, I don't know, this just screams blackmail..."

"Nothing's wrong, it's not like she's totally homo, you know. She still likes guys."

"I don't care if it's true. I still like Clawdeen, she's a scary cool chick."

Operetta quickly made short work of the monsters who disapproved of Clawdeen's newly discovered sexuality. Clawdeen openly admitted to all her friends shortly after, fearing the worst. Nearly all of them were there, the only two exceptions being Deuce (who still was a no-show), and Rochelle (who said she wasn't going to appear anyway.)

"... Ghouls... It's true. I'm bi-sexual," was all she had said. She looked up in fear, glancing at each of them with worried eyes.

Frankie was the first to speak, still wearing her trademark smile. "... Okay. What's the big deal?"

Cleo returned to filing her nails. They were very sharp now. She was probably planning on scratching Deuce next time she saw him. "I agree, this isn't exactly a big enough deal for an announcement such as grand as this, I think this qualifies more Deuce's location..."

"I don't see any problems with it," Lagoona intercepted, quickly cutting off Cleo, who glared daggers at her. "You like gents and gills? Fine by me."

"Yeah, I see the same way," agreed Gil. Both looked at each other adoringly, happy that both agreed.

Clawdeen glanced worriedly at the others.

Draculaura smiled and rushed to her side. "Oh, Deenie, you know, I'm so happy that you figured out something about yourself, something that I didn't know, or the others, and you know, I'm fine with it, too, this isn't the nineteenth century anymore, and I'm okay with it, I mean it's not like you changed drastically or anything..."

She was cut off by Clawd, who covered her mouth with a smile and looked at his sister. "Yeah. You know I'm not going to judge you, and neither is our mom. I'm proud of you, little sis, either way."

Robecca and Venus were both obviously put off, but both nodded all the same, Venus even saying, "Yeah, nothing all that much has changed."

Operetta simply raised a thumb.

Everyone at that point glanced at Ghoulia, Abbey and Heath, all had neither said anything by this point.

"Uuuuugh," chimed Ghoulia. (Translation: It's great that you have figured this out, and I wish that the announcement had gone a little better, what with the Ghostly Gossip probably overhearing and posting it on her blog. Still, I see no problem with this and I support you, congratulations, Clawdeen.)

Heath smiled. "Yep. No problem here."

Abbey glanced around. "Do not understand what big deal is. Wolf should not fear reject, is no big deal."

Clawdeen had never been so glad to have the friends that she did.

"What do you mean that wasn't it?" Spectra asked her "source".

"It wasn't the secret. It didn't even qualify. Clawdeen had been figuring it out by the time you had learned of it. The secret is just what it sounds like. One of your little Boo Crew is hiding something from her friends. If you want to find out, that's your business."

"Can't you just tell me?"

"... That takes the fun out of it."

To Be Continued...

Hi Ho, monster fans. Evangel here.

This is where things become a little darker. A friend of mine recently figured out that he was bi, so I felt the need to include it. A lot of our friends began to shun him after that, which I think is a load of bullsh*t, but I'm not them, I guess.

Anyway, a bonus chapter, seeing as I had just started this yesterday. Update's not happening tomorrow, due to me working, but keep an eye out Friday. I'll post on Twitter whether or not I'm writing. If I am, keep your eyes out. It may be posted.

Signed,

Evangel