Monster High 4: Back and Deader Than Ever by Lisi Harrison Read Free Book Online Page A

pulled out a compact and fluffed up her curls. She checked her teeth for berry-colored lip stain and then tossed the mirror into her red bag. Standing in front of the camera, she put a hand on her hip. “How do I look?”
    Irish Emmy peered through the viewfinder. “Cracker. All we need’r lights.”
    “Roger Dodger.” Blue adjusted a chrome task lamp and pointed the 150-watt bulb directly at Clawdeen’s face. Lala and Vlad squinted.
    “Clawdeen in three… two…” Irish Emmy held up a single finger and then pointed at the host.
    “Welcome to another episode of Where There’s a Wolf, There’s a Way. I’m Clawdeen Wolf and—” Teeny Turner barked.
    “Still rolling,” Irish Emmy said. “I can edit that on my lappy. Carry on.”
    Clawdeen stopped abruptly and froze, as if listening to a far-off sound.
    Irish Emmy kept her camera cocked. “Keep firing away, lass.”
    Clawdeen shook her head. “Sorry. I thought I heard—”
    The desk lamp flickered.
    Blue held Kale in her left hand and a paintbrush in her right. “What’s going on?” she asked as the turtle’s head drew back into his shell.
    Squeaks came from a wire cage. Rat-a-tat screeched mournfully, his midnight-blue tail batting against the bars.
    Clawdeen continued. “Teeny Turner was discovered wandering a road in Salem, Oregon. Her coat was dull and her claws were jagged until—”
    “Cut!”
Irish Emmy’s head popped up. “Lala, can you do something about that noise?” The animals were starting to mewl, whine, growl, and hiss.
    Lala raced to soothe her cagey pets.
    “Cheers. Okay, rolling in three… two…” The room went coffin-dark. Irish Emmy’s scream chilled the humid air. The desk lamp flickered. Clawdeen and Blue giggled nervously.
    “Phooey on your energy-saving bulbs, Lala,” Vlad huffed. “They save energy because they’re never on.”
    “It’s not the bulbs,” Lala mumbled, wondering whether thepower was out in the T’eau Dally offices too. As long as her letter made it before the deadline—
    The lights flashed back on.
    “Right, then.” Irish Emmy’s voice was unsteady. “Still rolling.”
    Clawdeen stood uncertainly in front of the camera, took a deep breath, and continued. “Tonight, Teeny Turner is wearing L’Oreal’s all-natural hair dye in russet red. An orange knit scarf, the same color as her paw polish and—”
    Teeny whined and then shook off the scarf. It trailed behind her like toilet paper on a shoe as she squeezed under the bed.
    Another thunder boom rolled across the house.
    “Try the turtles,” Lala whispered.
    Clawdeen faced the camera. “These red-eared turtles were left in an Oregon pond to freeze by someone who didn’t want to take care of them any longer….” Her voice was trembling.
    “Ouch!” Blue dropped Kale back in his terrarium, where he promptly crawled into a plastic hollow log. “He bit me!”
    “What’s going on?” Lala asked no one in particular. “They’ve never freaked out like this before.”
    Teeny yelped from under the bed.
    Clawdeen’s ears tensed. “Lala,” she began. “I think—”
    “Daaaaad-dy’s home,” Vlad said.



CHAPTER FIVE
SPREE AT LAST!
    The energy in the courtyard of the Salem Hills shopping center was electrifying. Frankie wanted to run through the pretzel-scented air screaming about the joy of living freely. She wanted to booty roll in the window of Forever 21—right between the green ribbed tank dress and the studded black mini—and show the passing shoppers her Lady Gaga “Starstruck” routine. She wanted the kids eating soft-serve on the fountain stairs and the lab-coated aestheticians straw-sucking Diet Cokes on their breaks to join in. She wanted to lead a flash mob of liberated dancers
Glee
-style.
    Instead, she was strolling hand in hand with Brett past the three-tiered fountain, eating a passion fruit Pinkberry. Which was perfectly voltage; it just didn’t require much energy, and Frankie had kilowatts to burn.
    Maybe it