Chapter 1: A Monstrous Day

Why does it have to be Monday?

Kylie Carson pulled the blanket over her head and pretended not to hear her snooze alarm beeping for the third time. And Monday, November 6, no less! Her fourth-grade teacher, Ms. Shottlan, had asked everyone to pick a topic they were an expert on and share ten fabulous facts about it.

“The idea,” her teacher said, “is to wow us!”

The big red circle on the calendar had stared at Kylie for two weeks. By this time, most of the kids had already presented their reports. Emily Dutter talked about horseback riding. Jeremy Saperstone explained about football, and Meredith Mitchell? She went on and on about gymnastics—and held up the three gold medals she won at last year’s state championship meet.

But what had she chosen to talk about? Monster movies! It was truly the only thing Kylie was an expert on. Dracula vs. Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Phantom of the Opera. She saw them all a million times! But now that the day was here and the clock said 7:57, she was having second thoughts.

She plopped down in her seat at the kitchen table, still in her peace-sign pj’s and fuzzy slippers.

“Is it Pajama Day at school?” her mom teased. “Or are we just starting a new fashion trend?

Kylie groaned. “Expert presentation today.”

“Ah-hah!” said her mom. “And you are an expert at being late to school?”

“I don’t want to go,” said Kylie. “It’s going to be a colossal disaster!”

“Colossal disaster, huh? That’s a pretty dramatic way to describe a five-minute report in front of your class. But then again, monster movies are very dramatic—so I suppose it’s appropriate.” Her mom chuckled.

Kylie rolled her eyes. “What if they laugh at me?” she asked. “Or worse…throw things.”

“They won’t laugh,” her mother assured her, tossing another pancake onto Kylie’s plate, even though she had barely touched the first one.

“No, trust me, they will. Gavin Gilligan flicked a grape at Jeremy Saperstone yesterday in the cafeteria—and that was just because Jeremy looked at him funny. One weird look and Jeremy got a grape in his eye! No one in my class likes monster movies. They’ll think I’m stupid!”

Her mom handed her the maple syrup. “I think it’s a little late to change your mind, don’t you? School starts in twenty minutes.”

That was it—she was doomed. Doomed like the Wolfman when the sheriff came after him with a gun loaded with silver bullets. The furry fiend knew he was in for an unhappily-ever-after, and Kylie knew the same. She could feel it in her bones. If she could just miss school this one day!

“You know, my throat’s a little sore,” she said with a cough.

Her mom felt Kylie’s head. “Nice try,” her mom said. “Cool as a cucumber. Get dressed.”

Kylie came out of her room five minutes later, dragging her feet—this time in gray high-top sneakers. She’d chosen her black jeans and a black, long-sleeve tee, because the dark color matched her dark mood.

“Much better,” her mom said. Then she handed Kylie her backpack, her lunch box, and the huge poster board she’d made: a collage of the world’s greatest monsters at their bloodiest, creepiest, scariest best.

“You’ll be great, honey,” her mom said, planting a kiss on Kylie’s cheek. “It’s normal to feel butterflies when you speak in front of a group of people. I always do.”

It wasn’t so much the group as it was one particular person Kylie was worried about. And it wasn’t butterflies she felt in her stomach, it was more like vampire bats. But telling her mom that wouldn’t help. Instead she trudged outside and just made the school bus before it pulled away from her corner.