Kitsune High - Special 1: The New Guy - Part 1

    It was another day at Monster High with the sun high in the clear blue sky and the campus coming alive with the usual crowds of students arriving to start their day. Of course, no one was more anxious to be at school than Frankie Stein. She loved Monster High very much for this incredible place was like a second home to her. Not only that but she was also known to have the most school spirit out of anyone else in her class. There are actually some who believe it was her attitude alone which helped her get on the fearleading squad in the first place.
    The young stitched-up beauty walked into the building as her mind instantly went to looking for her best ghoulfriends - Clawdeen Wolf, Cleo de Nile, Draculaura, Lagoona Blue, Ghoulia Yelps, and Abbey Bominable. She found them in the creepateria, all at the same table and crowded around Ghoulia’s laptop.
    “Hey guys!” Frankie called out to them as she walked over to them.
    Clawdeen looked up and called back, “Hey Frankie.”
    “What’s going on?” asked the green-skinned girl upon reaching them.
    “Take a look,” said Cleo before moving aside.
    Frankenstein’s daughter looked at the computer screen to see what appeared to be a music video on FrightTube then her mismatched eyes widen in surprise. What she saw was a team of fearleaders doing a routine only trained gymnasts or acrobats could do. It appeared this team had split off to form twin pyramids and were being elevated off the ground along with both top girls performing acrobatic feats as they switched back and forth between formations.
    “Oh my ghoul,” said the stitches-covered student.
    “Totally, right? I’ve never seen anything like this before,” said Draculaura.
    “I gotta say, these gills are something else,” said Lagoona.
    “And if that wasn’t bad enough, just look at the next part,” said the mummy’s daughter then she looked at Ghoulia, “Ghoulia, show her what I’m talking about.”
    “Uhhhh,” said the smartest ghoul in school before doing so.
    What everyone saw next really surprised them; these fearleaders started doing another routine featuring breakdancing moves combined with gymnastic maneuvers which transformed into a upside-down pyramid.
    “They’re really good,” said Abbey.
    “Exactly. If we can pull off routines like these girls, we will be able to dominate Mashionals every single time,” said Cleo as she took a seat at the table.
    “How?” asked the werewolf.
    “I . . . have no idea. I mean did you see them? How can we measure up to that? They’re like . . . perfect” said Cleo.
    “Awww c’mon. We can pull off something even better than what those ghouls did if we just try,” said Frankie, trying to bring her friends spirits up.
    “You really think so?” asked Draculaura.
    “I know so. We did win Mashionals once and we can do it again and we have done even harder stuff so coming up with a totally awesome fear routine should be a walk in the park. What do you say?,” said the stitched-up beauty.
    Her squad members looked at each other then Cleo spoke, “Well . . . it’s better than doing nothing.”
    The others agreed on this plan.
    “Alright! Now that’s settled, what can we-” said Frankie but was interrupted.
    At that moment, the school’s PA system blared then Headmistress Bloodgood’s voice came through, “Frankie Stein, please report to my office. Immediately.”
    The aforementioned girl and her friends gave off a collected gasp as Bloodgood spoke again, “Frankie Stein, report to my office.”
    Her friends looked at her with worried expressions as she said, “What did I do?”


    Headless Headmistress Bloodgood, principal of Monster High, was busy going through some documents at her office’s desk when there was a knock at the door.
    “Yes?” she called out.
    Upon saying that, the door opened to reveal Frankie Stein with a scared expression on her face.
    Bloodgood looked up and smiled a bit, “Ah Frankie, please come in. Have a seat.”
    The student did what she was told as the principal put down her papers.
    “There’s something I need to discuss with you,” said the authority figure as she took her head off and placed it on the table.
    This got poor Frankie even more scared as she knew if Bloodgood’s head was on the table, stuff was about to get serious.
    The poor girl spoke up, “Ms. Bloodgood, if this is about yesterday, I swear it was an accident. My book was stuck in my locker and I was just trying to pull it out. I didn’t know Mr. Rotter was behind me at the time so my elbow just hit him right in the nose.”
    “Frankie-” said the principal but was interrupted.
    “I also had no idea my burner was on too high in Mr. Hack’s class on Thursday. I was so sure I set to the right temperature.”
    “Frankie-”
    “And how was I supposed to know that a small electric shock would bring last Monday’s lunch special to life.”
    “Frankie!” shouted Bloodgood so Ms. Stein would stop her rave.
    It worked as the stitched-up girl fell silent as a smile graced the lady principal’s lips, “You’re not in trouble.”
    “I’m not?” asked Frankie.
    “On the contrary, I actually need your assistance.”
    “MY help?”
    “Indeed. Allow me to explain . . .  I was contacted the other day by an old classmate and friend of mine from Spookyoto, Japan. She informed me that she and her family were moving to America and that she wishes to enroll her son here at Monster High,” explained Bloodgood.
    “Oh . . . . but what does that have to do with me?” asked the stitched-up girl.
    The principal chuckled, “I was getting to that. Her son will be arriving here tomorrow and I would like you to show him around the school and make him feel welcomed.”
    “Really? Why me though?”
    Bloodgood put her head back on, “Because out of the whole student body, you have the most school spirit and could show him what Monster High is really about.”
    Frankie smiled at that praise.
    “Plus, his mother is concerned that he will not be able to fit in. So I figured that if anyone can make him feel welcomed among us, it is you Frankie since you were once new here. You have done it before,” the headless woman stated.
    The green-skinned female smiled a bit then jumped to her feet in determination, “I won’t let you down, Ms. Bloodgood. Is there anything I should know about this guy, just in case?”
    “Other than the fact he’s a kitsune, not really,” her principal answered.
    “A what?” asked Frankie.
    “A kitsune. A Japanese fox spirit,” she said before getting up from her desk, “I think I might have a book that explains everything.”
    The headmistress walked over to her bookcase, browsed through the books, and pulled out one with a pale yellow cover. She opened it up before thumbing through the pages.
    “Kitsunes, kitsunes, kitsunes . . . kitsunes . . . ah, here it is,” she said upon finding the section then handing the book to the student.
    The young Miss Stein started to read aloud, “Kitsunes - an ancient fox spirit from Japanese culture. Said to be descended from the god Inari-ookami. Some are known to be benevolent and celestial while others are to be mischievous . . . if not . . . down right . . . malicious.”
    Her face paled a bit on the last part but snapped out of it when the book left her hands.
    “I don’t think we have to worry about Naruto being malicious. That’s his name by the way, Naruto Namikaze-Uzumaki,” said Bloodgood upon putting the book back.
    “Uh . . . right,” said Frankie.
    “Anyway Frankie, thank you for doing this. I greatly appreciate it. Just remember to meet me at the front door first thing tomorrow morning,” said the principal as she gently guided her pupil out of her office.
    “Right,” said the young girl then something popped into her mind, “what about my classes tomorrow?”
“You’ll be excused from all of them,” when she heard that, Frankie’s spirits soared until the principal spoke again, “ but you will have to come by my office later on to collect any needed homework assignments.”
    “Oh . . . right,” said the daughter of Frankenstein.
    “Thank you again and I will see you tomorrow. Good-bye,” said Bloodgood before closing the door once Frankie was in the hallway.

    “You get to show a new guy around?” asked Clawdeen.
    Frankie was able to regroup with her friends after first period and now they were gathered around Cleo’s locker.
    “Yeah. Headmistress Bloodgood asked me herself. Apparently he’s the son of a friend of hers. She wants to make sure he feels welcomed here,” answered the young Ms. Stein.
    “What did Bloodgood say about this bloke? What’s he like?” asked Lagoona.
    “Is he cute?” asked Draculaura.
    Her friends looked at her with curious expression.
    “What? I’m curious,” said the vampire.
    Frankie chuckled then answered, “The only thing she told me is that he’s a kitsune from Spookyoto, Japan.”
    “What is a kitsune?” asks Abbey.
    The daughter of Frankenstein was about to answer when Cleo interrupted, “They’re fox spirits from Japanese folklore known for their trickster-like qualities and are said to be descended from a god.”
    All the lady mummy did next was start filing her nails but she noticed her friends looking at her in disbelief.
    “How did you know-?” asked Frankie.
    “I took Asian cultural studies in middle school,” replied Miss de Nile.
    “O-kay . . . so what’s your game plan for tomorrow? What are you gonna show this guy first?” asked Clawdeen.
    “I figured I would just play it by ear. Just basically show him the school for the day,” said Frankie.
    It was then the school bell rang to indicate the coming of second period.
    “Anyway, I wish you best of luck Frankie,” said the vegan vampire then the others did the same.
    “Thanks ghouls, I’ll do my best,” said the stitched-up beauty as each of them went to their next classes.


    Tomorrow had arrived and Frankie was waiting with Headmistress Bloodgood by the school’s main door as they awaited for the arrival of Naruto Namikaze-Uzumaki.
The young student was bouncing in excitement and her actions were noticed by her principal.
    “Anxious?” asked Bloodgood.
    “Maybe a little,” chuckled the young Ms. Stein.
    The headless lady smiled then her attention was taken by the sound of an approaching automobile. It was a black sports car with dark orange racing stripes going down either side and a tribal decal of a fox’s head on the hood.
    “Ah, that must be Naruto now,” said Bloodgood as the newly-arrived car parked itself in the nearest student parking lot.
    The stitched-up beauty could feel her heart pounding against her chest in excitement by the time the car stopped running and the driver’s side door opened. What she saw next made her eyes grow and her cheeks heat up - from within the vehicle came a good-looking guy around her age with orange fur, spiky blond hair, and two fox ears sticking out of the top of his head. She could also make out his attire consisting of a black headband, a white t-shirt with a red swirl on the front underneath an orange and black jacket, a pair of dark blue jeans being held up by an orange belt, and brown open-toed shoes looking a combination of sandals and boots.
    This ‘Naruto’ guy started making his way towards the entrance after locking his car then Frankie could make out some of his other features as he came closer. She could see black whisker markings on his cheeks, sapphire blue eyes, claw-like fingernails and toenails, and two tiny fangs sticking out from his upper lip; all of these gave him a sort of attractive feral look.
    ‘Oh my ghoul, he’s HOT!’ the stitched-up girl thought to herself.
    She was not the only who thought so since other girls saw him and gained hypnotized looks upon their faces.
    He had climbed up the steps when Bloodgood opened up her arms and said, “Welcome to Monster High, Naruto.”
    Naruto’s lips curved into a foxy smile and showed off his fangs, “Thanks Ms. Bloodgood.”
    The two of them became enveloped in a hug as the headless lady kept speaking, “It’s so good to see you again, my boy.”
    “Likewise. I’m actually anxious to see this place as well. Mom and Dad would not stop talking about their time here,” said the young fox.
    “Well as per Kushina’s request to make sure you feel welcomed, I have one of our fearleaders here to show you around,” said the headmistress, motioning to the young girl beside her.
    The second Naruto looked at Frankie, she felt her mind go numb and her face heat up once more.
    He held out his hand and smiled, “Nice to meet ya. Name’s Naruto.”
    She took his hand, smiled a slightly goofy smile, then said, “I’m Stankie Frein.”
    He and Bloodgood looked at her like she had just grown a second head; it did not take long her to realize what she just said.
    “I mean Frankie Stein! My name is . . . Frankie Stein,” said the fearleader, blushing again but this time in embarrassment.
    The headless principal giggled as Naruto chuckled then said, “Well, it’s nice to meet you either way.”
    He then bent down and gave her hand a kiss which resulted in him getting an electric shock. Both females present gave off a collective gasp but the stitched-up teen was afraid of what he would say next.
    The fox blew out a small puff of black smoke as electricity crackled through his hair; he shook his entire body and said with a huge grin, “Wow, what a ghoul.”
    Frankie’s blush returned as the present principal said, “Now that introductions are out of the way, the two of you had better run along. Nightmare!” the second she called out, her pet/assistant Nightmare came galloping forth and she jumped on, “I’ll be in my office if you need me. Speaking of which, remember to stop by afterwards to pick up your schedule, Naruto.”
    “Right,” he said.
    “Have fun you two and Naruto, do try and behave yourself.”
    With an annoyed expression and matching voice tone, Naruto asked, “My mom has been telling you stories, hasn’t she?”
    “Indeed. Very . . .  interesting stories,” the headmistress said before riding off through the hallways, leaving the two young monsters alone with the fox still having an annoyed look on his face.
    “What did she mean by 'interesting stories'?” asked Frankie.
    “You don’t wanna know,” said the new guy as they walked into the school, “so, where should we start?”
    “How about right here? The coffin corridor?” she said, raising her arms as a way of presenting their current position, “everyone usually just comes here to hang before heading off to class or whatever.”
    “Cool,” said Naruto after looking around then he turned to her, “what’s next?”
    “Follow me,” said the stitched-up girl as they went on their way.
    As they walked side by side, the kitsune could not help but take quick glances at Frankie.
    ‘By Inari’s tail, Frankie’s really something. I don’t think I have seen a girl like her before,’ he thought as his face turned a bit red then he glanced away.
    It was Frankie’s turn to take a quick glance at her present company.
    ‘Oh my ghoul, he makes most of the guys here look so plain. He’s really something else,’ thought the fearleader as her cheeks turned pink.
    ‘Well, might as well make small talk,’ he thought then he said, “So . . . you’re a fearleader?”
    Frankie was snapped out of her thoughts and answered, “Yeah, I am.”
    “Makes sense,” he said.
    “What do you mean?” she asked.
    “It is always the prettiest ghouls that become fearleaders,” he said with a smile.
    “T-thanks,” said Frankie, blushing for the umpteenth time today.
    “You’re welcome,” he chuckled, obviously missing what had just said to her.
    The simulacra sweetheart giggled a bit then spoke, “So, Bloodgood seems to know you a bit.”
    Naruto put both of his hands behind his head and smile, “Yeah. I met her once when I was about five years old, before me and my parents moved to Spookyoto.”
    “I thought you were initially from Spookyoto,” she said sounding a bit confused.
    “I was actually born here in America then me and my folks moved to Japan when I was still small. It wasn’t until recently when they thought it was best to make the big move back,” he explained.
    “Oh. How come?” she asked.
    “They thought it was good idea to send me to their alma mater so to speak. I agreed to it,” said the fox nonchalantly.
    “What about your friends back in Japan? Won’t you miss them?”
    “We promised to stay in touch so we would not really be missing each other too much. But to answer your question, yeah. I will,” he said in a thoughtful manner.
Frankie smiled a bit at his answer.
    “So . . . where are we headed for?” the kitsune asked after putting his hands down.
    She replied, “You’ll see.”

    As she was asked to by Bloodgood, Frankie began showing Naruto around the school with their second sight being the library. The fox is not really a book guy but even he had to admit it was quite impressive. It was actually a good thing he arrived when he did because he spotted a girl holding a stack of books in her arms on top of a tall ladder and she was trying to get a book from a high shelf when she fell backwards. He was able to catch the falling female as well as the books she had with her in a neat stack; the damsel in question thanked him for catching her and he replied with a wink, “Don’t mention it.”
    She just giggled slightly while blushing. Frankie was more stunned than anything upon seeing what happened because the kitsune moved at a speed she only saw werewolves move during nights of the full moon.

    After that, the fox’s stitched-up tour guide showed him the Study Howl room; it was here Naruto decided to regale Frankie with a story.
    “I’ve spent a lot of fun times in the Study Howl at my old school,” he said.
    “Really?” she asked.
    “Oh yeah. There was this one time me and my friends had an all-out spitball war,” he chuckled then gained a pensive look, “unfortunately the teacher got caught in the crossfire and we got detention for a month.”
    “Yeouch,” she exclaimed.
    “Tell me about it. What about you? Any fun times ?”
    “Well, there was this one time when me and my friends where in Study Howl but instead of studying, we ended up running away from Coach Igor.”
    “Who?”
    “I’ll tell you later but long story short, it was picture day so we were trying to look our best and all that running just made us look terrible.”
    “Now that is a ‘yeouch’.”
    They laughed and decided to move on.

    The clotitorium was the duo’s next stop where Naruto decided to do a little mock performance on stage.
    “I gave her my heart then she crushed it within her cold claws. I was willing to give her the world but she played me for a fool. I saw her in the arms of another man as they were enveloped in passion. I constantly ask myself, ‘why did I bother?’ It is true, love is blind,” said the fox in an emotional voice then turned to the audience and bowed, “thank you.”
    The girl in the front row, aka Frankie, stood up and clapped, “That was pretty good.”
    “Thank you, thank you,” he said, jumping off the stage.
    “What’s that from anyway?” she asks.
    “ . . . . I guess you could call it improv,” was all he said before they started moving on.

    They soon arrived at the indoor pool.
    “And here is our indoor pool where swim meets, races, and any other water-related fun happens,” said Frankie.
    “Nice,” he said then turning towards her, “how about a quick dip?”
    She quickly gained a nervous look, “I really shouldn’t. Water and I don’t really mix well.”
    “You afraid of the water?”
    “Not exactly. Let’s just say we’re a . . . electrifying combination,” she pointed to her neckbolts that sparked with a bit of electricity.
    “Oh.”
    “Though one of my friends is captain of the swim team and her boyfriend is often her partner during competitions.”
    “That’s cool. I knew the swim captain at my old school, not personally though. He was the fastest swimmer. Always stayed close to the pool too.”
    “Loved the water, did he?” she chuckled.
    “That and he always wanted to be near a large body of water in case his head ever emptied out,” Naruto said casually.
    Frankie gained a look of confusion then he said, “He also had a weird habit of trying to look up girl’s skirts too.”
    He exited the room with his guide following right behind him.

    Their next location was the gymnasium but there was a class going on so they could not enter; they would have to come back later. She decided to take him to the football and soccer fields outside where the respective teams were practicing. The duo decided to take a seat in the bleachers at the latter field and watch the players while making small talk.
    “Were you ever on a team at your old school?” asked Frankie.
    “Yeah. I was on the casketball team before I became the player coach of the Scream team,” answered Naruto.
    “You played Scream?”
    “Yeah. My team and I were pretty good.”
    “We have a Scream team here at Monster High too. Wanna tryout for it?”
    “Uh . . . n-no thank you,” he said nervously.
    “Hey, you okay?” she asked out of concern as she put a hand on his shoulder.
    “Yeah I’m fine. Scream just brings back . . . certain memories for me. I’d rather not talk about it if that’s okay.”
    “Of course, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you,” said the stitched-up beauty.
    He looked at her and gave her a reassuring smile, “Don’t worry about it. It’s fine.”
    Frankie gained an expression of relief then he spoke again, “Besides that, my mom wants me to focus more on my grades rather than sports this time around. She told me my grades suffered because I paid too much attention to dribbling a ball or skating through an obstacle course rather than studying.”
    “Oh okay,” said the simulacra then the sound of the lunch bell filled the air.
    “Sounds like it’s lunch time,” said the fox then his stomach growled, “and not a moment too soon.”
    His tour guide giggled before the both of them got up and she lead the way to the creepateria.

    The creepateria was filled with gossiping and hungry students by the time Frankie and Naruto arrived.
    “We better get in line if we want to eat,” said the stitched-up beauty humorously upon seeing the lunch line.
    “You go on ahead. I brought a lunch from home,” said Naruto, patting his left jacket pocket.
    “Oh okay. I’ll meet you at the end of line,” she before getting in line.
    “Right,” he said before heading to his destination.
    They met back up in a few minutes and proceeded to find a table to sit at. It was at that moment Frankie heard her name being called out. She turned to see her friends at a table together and waving at her.
    ‘Perfect’ she thought then spoke to Naruto who was still looking around for a place to sit, “Over here.”
    She began walking towards her friends with the kitsune following her.
    “Where we going?” he asked.
    “We’re gonna sit with my friends. You gotta meet them,” she answered.
    They arrived at the table and the simulacra beauty greeted her friends, “Hey ghouls. Hope you don’t mind but I’ve brought a guest.”
    Frankie sidestepped to reveal Naruto then Cleo said, “Not at all. We were actually hoping you’d bring him around.”
    “Wow. Find one pretty ghoul, you’ll find more,” said Naruto upon seeing Frankie’s friends.
    The girls giggled upon his statement as he and his tour guide sat down.
    “Everyone, this is Naruto. Naruto, these are my friends - Clawdeen, Draculaura, Abbey, Lagoona, Cleo, and Ghoulia,” said the daughter of Frankenstein as she introduced both parties to each other.
     “Nice to meet you all,” said the fox.
    “Likewise, mate,” said Lagoona, “so what do you think of Monster High?”
    “I’ll admit my parents were right about this place. It’s pretty sweet,” answered the fox.
    “Good to hear,” said the swim captain.
    “I gotta say I was wondering if you were cute or not. But seeing you, you are a definite hottie,” Draculaura said with a slight blush.
    Of course, it was nothing compare to Naruto’s blush as he chuckled.
    “Draculaura,” groaned Clawdeen.
    “What? I was just saying,” shrugged the vegan vampire.
    Her werewolf friend just grinned and shook her head.
    “Well Draculaura, if you think so, you wanna have dinner together or something?” he asked with a smirk.
    The ghouls gained a surprised look on their faces except for Draculaura who giggled and said, “Sorry Naruto. I’m actually dating Clawdeen’s brother.”
    “Shoot. If only I came to Monster High a long time ago,” said the kitsune in a joking manner.
    Everyone at the table laughed then Naruto’s stomach growled.
    “I had better eat just to keep my gut quiet,” he chuckled as he dug threw his pocket then pulled out a small rolled-up scroll.
    “That’s your lunch?” asked Abbey.
    “Nope. This is just the thing that carries my lunch,” he said upon opening the paper roll and looking through it for a couple of seconds until he stopped on the Japanese kanji for ‘lunch’.
    He made a quick hand sign then a small puff of smoke appeared in front of him. It cleared up quickly to reveal a black bento lunch box. His present company was surprised about what just happened.
    “Normally I would have just a ramen cup but my mom wants me to eat other things,” he said.
    “How did you do that?” asked Frankie.
    He looked at her and smiled sheepishly, “It’s kind of complicated to explain but for now, let’s just called it an advantage of being a kitsune.”
    Naruto opened the box to reveal steamed white rice, shrimp tempura, some pickled vegetables, and hot dog octopi.
    The fox smiled but noticed something, “Aw man. I forgot to pack my chopsticks,” he got up, “I’ll be right back. You guys need anything while I’m up?”
    They shook their heads or declined then he said, “Back in a bit,” and left.
    Once he was gone, Cleo turned to Frankie and smirked, “So Frankie, what’s he like?”
    “Wh-what?” asked Frankie.
    “C’mon, dish. You’ve been around him all day,” said Clawdeen.
    “Well . . . he’s really nice, funny, and kind of charming,” said the daughter of Frankenstein.
    “And really cute, don’t forget that,” said Draculaura.
    Frankie chuckled, “I guess he’s sort of cute.”
    “I’ll admit, I wish Bloodgood picked me. That guy is giving of some serious animal magnetism,” smirked the she-wolf then she gave off a flirty growl.
    “And you berate me for thinking he’s cute,” chuckled the vegetarian vampire.
    “I have to say that if I wasn’t dating Deuce-” Cleo said smirking but was interrupted by Lagoona, “Cleo! How could you say such a thing?”
    “Oh please Lagoona. You were thinking the same thing about if you and Gil weren’t dating,” retorted the mummy.
    “That’s not true,” the swim captain blushed out of embarrassment.
    The queen of the scene just laughed by the time Naruto came back with a plastic fork and knife.
    “Did I miss anything?” he asked.
    Frankie looked at her friends then back at him, “Ah . . . not really.”
    The kitsune shrugged then he and the ghouls proceeded to eat their lunches.
    “So ghouls, tell me about yourselves,” said the fox.
    Before anyone could say anything, Cleo stood up and struck a graceful pose, “There is really only one thing you need to know about me. I, Cleo de Nile, am always the center of this school. Nothing happens without me knowing about it for I am in charge of . . . well, everything. I am the queen of the scene, the princess of the spotlight, and the empress of the school. Feel free to worship me.”
    Naruto put his hand over his eyes and said, “Oh no, not another one.”
    Unfortunately, the mummy heard that and frowned at him, “What do you mean ‘not another one’?”
    He took his hand away, “No offense Cleo, but I have seen many like you at my old school. Pretty girls who consider themselves the queens of the school. You would not believe the many posers I had to live with.”
    The royal de Nile regained her look of confidence, “I assure you that I AM the rightful queen . . . as well as the captain of the fearleading team.”
    “Really? You’re the captain?” he asked and she nodded then he turned to the others, “besides Frankie, anyone else here on the fearleading teams?”
    “Me and Draculaura are,” said Clawdeen.
    “Nice,” he turned to Lagoona, “and if I’m not mistaken, you’re the captain of the swim team.”
    “How’d you guess?” the sea monster asked.
    The fox pointed his thumb at Frankie, “She told me.”
    “We visited the pool,” said the tour guide.
    Draculaura spoke up, “I just thought of something. We haven’t heard anything from Spectra about Naruto all day.”
    “From who?” asked Naruto.
    “Spectra Vondergeist. She runs the Ghostly Gossip, the school’s gossip column,” answered the stitched-up beauty.
    “Totes. She usually knows when a new student comes to Monster High before anyone else. It’s weird of her not to know,” said the vegan vampire.
    Suddenly, the ghouls’ iCoffins go off; they pulled them out quickly.
    “Speak of the devil,” said Abby.
    Cleo began to read aloud as she sat back down, “Let’s see -‘Females Fired Up for New Foxy Fella’ - ghouls go crazy for Monster’s High newest student’.”
    Frankie giggled, “Looks like everyone will know you soon enough.”
    “Why do I get the feeling that isn’t such a good thing?” he nervously smiled and the ghouls laughed at his response.
    Once they calmed down, the fearleader captain spoke up, “Don’t forget Frankie, we have practice after school.”
    “Right. I’ll be there,” said Frankie then she turned to Naruto, “Naruto, wanna come along?”
    “Huh? Me?” he asked.
    “Why not? It would give us more time to hang out with each other,” she said.
    “Well . . . only if I won’t be a distraction to you guys,” said the fox.
    “Of course not, right Cleo?” Frankie asked Cleo.
    The mummy girl thought for a second then said, “I don’t see why not.”
    ‘YES!’ thought the daughter of Frankenstein and the werewolf.
    “In that case, I’d love to come and watch you guys,” said Naruto.
    “It’s a date then,” said the simulacra who blushed upon realizing her choice of words and smiled.
    The fox smiled in response and the group continued eating their food.

    After the lunch period, Frankie decided to finish up the tour by showing Naruto the entire second floor. It was mostly comprised of classrooms currently in use so they proceeded onto the bell tower.
    The fox boy was looking out onto the grounds below as his guide spoke, “So, what do you think?”
    “Like I said at lunch, this place is really something else. I think I’m going to like it here,” he answered.
    “That’s great to hear,” she said.
    “I gotta admit that Monster High is a whole lot different from my old school,” said Naruto.
    “I’ve been meaning to ask you. What was your old school like?” asked Frankie.
    “Well . . . it’s a high school mostly for youkai with a totally different set of rules. Everyone tries to climb to the top and those who succeed rule over the school. The only way to last throughout the year is to be strong,” he said.
    “Whoa. How did you last?” asked the stitched-up beauty.
    “By climbing it to the top of the social ladder,” Naruto answered then looked back at her and gave her a thumbs up.
    “Wow . . .” said Frankie then she heard the school bell go off, signaling the end of the school day.
    “Uh oh, time for practice. We’d better hurry or else Cleo’s going to be yelling . . . more than usual,” said the fearleader.
    “After you,” Naruto said with a grin then the two of them exited the tower.


    The fearleading squad was in the gymnasium and all suited up but could not do anything until their last member showed up with her guest. Lagoona, Abbey, and Ghoulia were present along with Clawd Wolf (Draculaura’s boyfriend), Deuce Gorgon (Cleo’s boyfriend), and Gillington ‘Gil’ Webber (Lagoona’s boyfriend) because their girlfriends insisted they meet the new guy in person. They were sitting on the bleachers as they awaited for the two absent monsters to arrive.
    “So, what’s this guy like anyway?” asks Clawd.
    “Well, he really nice, funny,-” answered Draculaura but Clawdeen interrupted, “And really cute as Draculaura pointed it.”
    “W-what?” asked the male werewolf in a nervous voice.
    “I was merely stating an obvious observation unlike Clawdeen who has a full blown crush on him,” retorted the vegetarian vampire.
    “It’s not a crush . . . it’s animal attraction. Totally different,” responded the she-wolf.
    “Uh oh. Do I need to get the spray bottle of cold water?” chucked her brother.
    Clawdeen just snarled at him.
    Clawd laughed, “Oh c’mon baby sis, I’m just kidding.”
    His sister just turned away from him and pouted; her actions just made him laugh more.
    “What else can you tell us about this dude?” asked Deuce.
    “Well from what Frankie has told us, he’s somewhat charming. Of course I didn’t see any charm when he was insulting me,” said Cleo, putting on an act.
    “He didn’t insult you. He thought you were a poser,” giggled Lagoona.
    The mummy girl crossed her arms and muttered, “Same thing.”
    “Aww, my poor princess,” chuckled Deuce before giving her a kiss on the cheek.
    “Just remember to try and make him feel welcomed. He is a new student after all,” said the sea girl.
    “Don’t worry. We will,” said Gil.
    The sound of opening doors filled the air then in ran Frankie followed by Naruto.
    “We’re here,” she called out.
    “Yeah. We’re he-oof,” said the fox as he tried to slide to a stop but ended up falling onto the floor.
    This shocked his tour guide but before she could ask if he was alright, he said, “I’m okay.”
    He surprised her again by rolling on his back, leaping forward onto his feet, and standing up straight. The kitsune directed a smile to her and she giggled.
    “There you two are. Where have you been? You’re almost ten minutes late,” said Cleo once she and the others reached them.
    Frankie was the one to explain their tardiness, “Sorry. We hit some traffic on the way here. There was another huge zombie flash mob going on in the hallways.”
    The captain sighed, “Whatever. Just go get ready so we can finally start.”
    “Right. Be right back,” said the stitched-up beauty then she proceeded to the girl’s locker room.
    “While Frankie’s getting changed Naruto, we have more people for you to meet,” said Draculaura as presented Clawd, “this is my boyfriend Clawd.”
    “Nice to meet ya,” said Naruto as extended his hand.
    “Same here,” said Clawd as he took it.
    “And this my boyfriend Deuce,” said Cleo.
    “S’up dude,” said Deuce as he put out a fist for a bump.
    The fox bumped said fist and answered, “Just the usual sky with the occasional ceiling.”
    “Cool,” chuckled the gorgon guy.
    “This mate here is my boyfriend Gill,” said Lagoona.
    “Hi there,” said Gill.
    “Hey,” responded the kitsune with a nod.
    Naruto quickly felt the arm of Clawd around his shoulders and the wolf asked, “So Naruto, how are you liking Monster High?”
    Despite being asked that for the third time today, the kitsune answered, “It’s great.”
    “Cool,” said the werewolf then he turned down his tone to a whisper, “by the way, if you aren’t seeing anyone, I know a ghoul who is just craz-YIPE!”
    That sudden yelp was caused by his foot begin crushed by his sister’s.
    “What were you saying, Clawd?” growled Clawdeen.
    “N-nothing, sis. Nothing at all,” he answered before she removed her foot from his.
    Her brother was slightly cringing in pain then she took him by the scruff of his neck and looked him square in the eye while putting on a sweet face, “Good to hear.”
    Upon seeing the siblings interact, Naruto’s mind only thought of one thing, ‘She would totally make it at my old school.’
    The she-wolf walked away as Deuce spoke, “So Naruto, tell us about yourself. You play any sports or anything?”
    “I used to play on my school’s casketball and Scream teams but that’s about it,” the fox answered.
    “Well we got both if your interested,” said the gorgon.
    “Can’t. They took up a lot of my time at my old school. My mom wants me to focus on my grades this time around,” he explained.
    “Guess that makes sense,” said Clawd in a slight bummed out voice.
    He was always looking for students to tryout for the aforementioned teams. His eyes quickly noticed that one of the casketball racks had been left out then an idea popped into his head.
    “In that case, how about a quick game of one-on-one?” asked the werewolf with a grin.
    “You mean right now?” asked Naruto.
    “Why not? But I should warn you, I’m one of the team’s star players,” boasted Clawd.
    For some reason, that seemed to make Naruto want to play, “When you put it that way, you’re on.”
    “Alright! First one to score five baskets wins,” grinned the werewolf.
    The next thing they knew, the two competitors were on opposite sides of the court and Clawd was dribbling a casketball.
    Naruto took off his jacket and called out, “Could someone hold this for me, please?”
    Instantly, Clawdeen ran up to him and he handed her his jacket.
    “Thank you,” he said with a smile.
    She nodded then went to the sidelines to watch with the others. Her nose quickly picked up an enticing scent; she looked down and it was coming from his jacket. After making sure no one was looking, the she-wolf moved the jacket closer to her face and sniffed. The scent was like a combination of a fresh forest, ocean air, and canine musk; it actually made her heartbeat start beat wildly and her cheeks heat up.
    ‘Serious animal magnetism’ she thought to herself.

    Back on the court, Naruto was stretching his muscles.
    “You ready?” asked Clawd.
    The fox just rolled his neck when he answered, “I am now, though I’m a bit rusty at this. It’s been awhile since I last played.”
    “Then you’ll never get this ball away from me,” grinned the werewolf before charging forward as his opponent did the same.
    They soon passed each other and Clawd was in the clear for a shot but he realized the ball was not with him anymore. He looked back in time to see Naruto make a basket then catch the bouncy orb before it hit the ground and started to dribble.
    The fox began running forward as the werewolf thought, ‘Not this time.’
    Once they were five feet away from each other, Naruto slammed the ball down onto the ground to send it high in the air. Clawd was slightly stunned by this action while the kitsune leapt into the air, grabbed the sphere with one hand, did a mid-air spin, threw the orb forward, and scored another point for himself. The werewolf’s jaw almost fell to the floor upon seeing such a feat but he got over his shock to make a break for the abandoned casketball.

    Frankie had returned to the court and now in her fearleader uniform but she was surprised to see Naruto and Clawd playing casketball.
    She reached her the others and asked, “What’s going on?”
    “Clawd challenged Naruto to an one-on-one match. So far, Naruto is up by two,” answered Abbey.
    “Cool. What’s Clawd’s score?” asked the stitched-up beauty.
    “Zero,” the yeti girl said bluntly.
    That answer actually surprised Frankie but she went back to watching.

    Clawd had just thrown the casketball in an attempt to make a basket but he was denied when Naruto jumped up and smacked the ball away. The fox landed, sprinted for the inflated orb and made a mad dash to the basket once he got it even though his opponent was hot on his heels. Knowing his situation, the kitsune decided to attempt to score so he jumped up and threw the sphere at the intended target. It bounced off the backboard but the youkai re-caught it and made the point while facing backwards.
    Feeling the heat, Clawd grabbed the ball and made a dash for the unprotected basket on the other side. He thought he was in the clear until Naruto jumped out in front of him and swiped the leather orb from him. The fox even had the audacity to twirl around once and make a far away basket without even looking. The poor werewolf was startled by that huge feat but he quickly made a dash for the bouncing sphere, which was in the hands of his opponent again.
    Before his opposition could reach him, Naruto sped past Clawd, leapt into the air, and slamdunked the ball into the basket. The fox hung onto the rim for a bit before dropping down and turning to the werewolf.
    “I lost count. Was that five or four?” asked the kitsune.
    “Five,” said a stunned Clawd.
    Sure the werewolf may lost games before but never like this.
    Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, “Like I said, a bit rusty.”
    The two competitors were met by everyone else as Clawd to himself, “If that’s rusty, I’m afraid to see freshly oiled.”
    “Better luck next time, big bro,” chuckled Clawdeen as she patted her brother’s back then the both of them went over to the winner who was being congratulated on his victory.
    Naruto turned to Clawd and held out his hand, “Good game, Clawd.”
    The werewolf grinned, took the offered appendage, and shook it as he said, “Same to you. We could use a guy like you on the team. Sure you don’t want to tryout?”
    The fox put his jacket back on as he said, “Sorry but my mom was adamant about the whole ‘no-sports-team’ thing. Beside, she would skin me alive and sell my hide to the nearest fashion store if she found out I went behind her back and defied her.”
    Clawd sighed, “Fair enough. Well anyways, I better get going. I have a Clawculus test to get ready for.”
    “You mean the makeup test that you have to take after flunking the last one?” blabbed his sister.
    “Yes Clawdeen, that one,” growled the wolfboy as his sister giggled.
    Naruto chuckled upon seeing the siblings argue then Deuce spoke up, “I’d better get going too. I promised my mom I’d be home to clean up the dragon pits . . . again.”
    The gorgon cringed at the thought of that chore and Cleo gave him a sympathetic hug.
    “I’m afraid me and Gill have to go too, mates. We have a date at the movies,” said Lagoona as she started cuddling up to her boyfriend who stated to blush.
    “I must go too. Need to study for big history test tomorrow. Want to make sure I’m ready for it,” said Abbey.
    “Okay then. I guess we’ll catch you guys later.” said Frankie.
    Dracularua and Clawd shared a small kiss then the werewolf said, “Catch ya later, D.”
    “You bet,” she said then her boyfriend turned to Naruto, “we should hang out some time, bro.”
    “Sounds sweet. Believe it,” said the fox.
    After saying more goodbyes, Clawd, Deuce, Lagoona, Gill, and Abbey left the gym and leaving only Naruto, Ghoulia, and the fearleaders left inside.
    “Okay ghouls. Time to get to work,” said Cleo.