Okay, heres the first chapter of my new story, this timeline mainly focuses on the monsters time at MU but might jump to monsters Inc. at some times. As always I only own whats mine. Enjoy

(Sophia's POV)

Silence.

It seemed to be the defining factor of my life. No, I knew it was the defining factor of my life. It was the only thing that seemed to stay with me. People would come and go from my life life the changing seasons, just long enough for me to get attached then they'd be gone.

Adults of my mother's choosing would direct me. Teach me what to do and what to say. How to walk, talk, dance and carry myself. Like a little marionette on a string. A marionette is a puppet controlled from above using wires or strings. Those strings embedded in my arms, legs, head, torso and mouth.

A marionette's puppeteer is called a marionettist. Or in my case, my mother.

Marionettes are operated with the puppeteer hidden -or revealed- to an audience by using a vertical or horizontal control bar in different forms of theatres or entertainment venues.

And like a Marionette I was completely helpless to protest as one person after another would walk into my room, grasping the vertical or horizontal control bar and spend the next few hours twisting and jolting my strings in different directions, each movement only half done before I was yanked in another direction and in the end I could do little more than lay on the floor in a twisted mess. And they'd stand there, ranting to me about MY failures as a lifeless doll when they were the reason I fell in the first place. Each teacher flopping around like a cherry-boy finding himself with a woman for the first time.

But like all cherry boys, we find that practise makes perfect and they too, would work out the kinks, find a working order for my limbs and once I was up right and walking in a presentable fashion they would place me back in the large glass holding case and I'd wait for another to try their hand.

So you see, silence was the only thing in my life that never left. The dark quietness that latched itself to my body like it was trying to feed off my very soul. But despite all the bitterness and the pain I often found myself looking for it, like an addict crawling around on the floor, desperately trying to find enough dough for one more shot of crack, and like that druggy, I'd be waving my hands around to make sure it hadn't left as well.

It never talked you see. Silence was well, silent. So I'd wave my hands around, like some creature doing a bizarre mating dance to attract a lover, and, like always, I'd find it none the less. Crouching in the corner of the glass case like a creature from hell, black tar oozing from its fangs. Smiling a large smile because it knew, like the druggie, I'd always look for it once more.

Half the time I'd say I was silence, the creature itself, lurking in the corner of my mind while my parents paraded me around for their friends. Telling the world that 'this one's mine, look at her perfection and grace' and I'd smile, waving my arms as they pulled the strings and worked my mouth with hours of practised scripts and answers for all situations. And like an anchored child reticent, I could do little more than go along, like a prisoner tied to the mast of a sinking ship. The smiling sharking swimming all around me, there purely white stained with blood or in this case, empty words of praise, echoing in repeat, like an owl, calling through the night. Taunting me with doe eyes and perfect white smiles as they complemented my mother on her 'good work' and saying what a 'fine young lady' I'd grown up to be.

The problem with a marionette doll is when no one's pulling the strings the little cloth or wooden doll is still, lying wherever the last user discarded it. And with mother gone I was lost, placed in a locked glass case for another time, so I sat quietly, looking out the car window. We were on our way, heading to one of the best universities in Monstropolis, Monsters University. The proud school teaching both my mother and father in their trades, and the only acceptable school to teach their young. And like always we drove in silence, the car ride was inconversable to anyone in the car. The trees whipped by as we drove to the university, the only thing that bothered to make noise for every occupant in the car to hear.

Like always and forever, no one said a word. Sulley too lost in a game on his phone, the cheesy music and popping of bubbles echoes around the car. Father was facing out the window, a hand over his open ear, most likely to block out the noise, as he talked to his secretary about some last minute details for the 'big deal in Paris' and I, knowing better than to disturb them, passed the time imagining that some ape-like figure was flipping and jumping over the tree tops. Front flipping and back flipping like a silverback gorilla. Swinging from branch to branch and with its powerful arms, launching its body high over the tree tops once again.

My eyes flicked up and down at impressive speed as it moved the imaginary creature through the large green maze locally known as scaring forest, stupid name I know but thankfully I wasn't the moron forced to take credit for it. If I had been I'd currently be living under a rock till the day of my demise.

Mother had stayed behind, making some claim about finishing work at the mansion. But I could see it was simply a ploy to get out of two hours with me in the immediate vicinity, especially since she couldn't leave after a few moments. She gave Sulley a long hug, telling him many things that a mother would say to her baby boy leaving for college. A twenty minute spectacle that Sulley took with as much acceptance that a male monster his age could muster.

For me, I got a stern look, not the glare I'd been accustomed to but a softer more refined glare, like a king looking down on the court jester and with her warning to 'not cause any trouble at school and disgrace the Sullivan name' she placed a soft paw on my head, her eyes locking with mine for a moment, like she's looking into my future, before nodding curtly and turning away.

I turn and look down the steps, Sulley is having a heart to heart chat with our father, his arms around my brothers shoulders as they go over 'what to do' once more. Sulley turns, the smile ever so present on his face, though it falters slightly so I force a believable smile on my own face and send a thumbs up his direction and watch, the same as ever, as the smile comes back up, just as vibrant as before, as he waves me down the steps.

"Come on Sophia, time to go!"

I glance back up at the house, the house I'd grown up in but unlike Sulley it never felt like a home. Full of faces that left and actions decided from another. For the first time in my life I'd be free. This time I could do what I wanted and not be looked down upon. Sure, the teachers would direct me throughout the day but not like mother, no one could do it as well as mother. Crush your dreams with one hand and caress your chin like and angel with the other.

"I'm coming," I say and start down the steps.There were many universities around the city, each one holding their own records for some achievement or another. Each one boasting about their accomplishments like some adolescent girl finding a crush for the first time, and her in haze, babbles in speed incoherent to everyone but herself, about his good looks and symmetrical facial structure. Each university shoving a pamphlet in your face like an excited child showing his working mother the drawing he just finished. And like her, I take each paper, looking over the contents briefly with mock enthusiasm and adding some chipper compliments before sliding the paper under the ever growing pile of papers and continued working or in my case, walking through a large maze locally known as a 'welcome week' for all freshmen's.

Each clubs activities spread out in booths like a colourful candy store, people excitingly acting out their scrips in hopes that some young mind might be glancing in their general direction. The more extravagant booths caught my attention but only because I wondered how many times they would have to set up, execute and take down each set and how many students they were actually missing each time. The extravagant sets using almost 3 times the amount of time than the others, and three times the work.

My eyes snapped up as a guide went over something important about buildings, at least I think it was important as her voice raised considerably and the amount of force of each word got an added punch. Another thing to add to the ever growing list of rules and obligations that 90% of the people would forget in less than an hour. A pamphlet would have been a much better choice in this case. A physical, tangible, list of rules one could pin to a bulletin board and glance at 9000 times before it turned into a subconscious thought in the back of our minds.

Out of those 90% my idiot older brother would be front and centre. More than one of them as not only would he forget the rules but the rest of the fucking ORIENTATION! As the large Blue furred monster had just vanished from the group. Wandering off to do something else. I ran a hand through my hair and let out a tired side, the thought of watching over my other half all school year weighed heavily on my mind and evaporated any cheerful thoughts of a stress free school year.

Fucking hell.

Bye now the group is moving on and I begrudgingly followed, vowing to find my unruly other half later and give him a piece of my mind. It was the first day of school and he was already causing trouble. Silently thinking that mother should have warned Sulley and not me, but in her mind Sulley could do no wrong, the harshest punishment ever placed on the guy was a half an hour delay on his play time outside. Me, I could walk into the wrong room and I'd be grounded for a month. Sheila had always been on my ass about everything, the littlest things setting her off but despite that I always found a way to be cheerful.

We finish the orientation about twenty minutes later, stopping just outside each of the large dorms. Each building traveling high into the sky, as rows upon rows, lined the outsides. The building itself was modest, being made in 1313 when the campus was first funded and besides the obvious paint jobs the exterior of the building had hardly changed. Most of the money was spent in up-grading and expanding the scaring institute, the prestigious class drawing in more and more hopeful students every year. I thing I knew, as Sulley, a Sullivan no less, barely made it into the class listings, my father had to pull more than a few favors for that one.

Along with the scaring program, there were quite a few other buildings. The school of science, Scream energy school, the engineering school. The school of door technology, the school of business, the school of liberal arts and monstrosities. The school of aquatics, for mammals under the water and lastly scream can design. Then you had the Amphitheatre, a book store, a cafeteria, a library, a registration hall, the university hall and the dorm rooms.

The dorms we were now coming up too, the last stop on this long tour. The dorms were large at first glance but not as large as you'd think as a quarter of the students would end up in frat row. The Greek empire holding 11 fraternities and sororities, each one taking a handful of students. Those who lived close to the university would stay at home with their parents or take residence in one of the many apartment complexes lining the first six blocked from the university. I imagined the inside of the dorms was just as noisy as outside, the music and hustling of other monsters in the quad could still be heard with ease, though we were on the other side of campus by now. The sky was nice, a light blue and the wind wasn't too warm, gently pushing my hair across my face.

The semi-large group of star struck student coming to a semi coherent stop, well mostly, as some of the extremely star-struck students were too busy pointing to some far off object in the distance and as a result run face first into the rest of the group. Luckily they manage to stay on their feet as the group shifts forwards like a wave and then back as our motions come to a halt.

Our energetic guide comes to a stop, spinning around with a grin as the smaller female monster chuckles, clapping her two sets of arms together like a teacher getting the attention of her rowdy class with such happiness that it made you wonder if she missed the almost complete disaster we had or she was purposely ignoring it. I suppose doing this job for a few years she's seen almost everything we could throw at her. No doubt the monster would rather be enjoying the activates across campus but she held her head proudly and kept a well concealed demeanor.

"Okay listen up people" she says with another clap, we turn to face her "This is the last stop of our tour. The student dorms!" her hand moves to motion the building, like we could somehow miss the giant building in front of us "The dorms are large to hold the majority of the students here at MU. The dorms are split up Male and Female!" she adds with a punch "There is no male and female dorm room partners! Same sex roommates only!" this statement gets a few chuckles as no doubt this problem arose in the past "Your room numbers are in the envelope you got at the registration hall" she lifts up an envelope with the MU insignia stamped on it, I lift up my papers and double check I hadn't lost mine "If you have not gotten your envelope you'll need Photo I.D. and you'll get your school I.D. taken along with the envelope. You'll receive your Student cards in a weeks' time." She turns, scanning the heads to make sure she still had us "Present your number to the dorm secretary and she'll give you your key. DO NOT LOSE YOUR KEY! YOU WONT GET ANOTHER!" she says and claps her hands "Alright that's the end of our tour! Are there any other questions, concerns?" Her eyes fault everyone as they silently split up and had other ways "Anyone?"

Her head slowly circling left to right as she takes in the slowly diminishing crowd. Her face calm as she most likely was used to this response. Well, until she notices me, her head pausing is it gently tilted to the left her slowness seeming warranted as my stupid frozen where we had stopped.

"Are you alright?" she asks, calmly walking towards me "Did you lose your envelope?"

"Um," I say like an idiot and look around.

It's not like I was lost or needed direction, as my envelope was in my hand, and I'd remembered everything she's said in the last hour. I was often one of the first in the door, raising my hand to answer a question in appropriate time so mother wouldn't get mad at me, making check lists and check lists for my lists to make sure I'd gotten everything, but for some reason, I felt frozen. Like my mind had shut down and I was left completely confused.

(Dean hardscrabble's POV)

I leaned back against the chair, more truthfully a ramp. A padded ramp with a slight incline so I could rest comfortably. Freshman welcome week was in full swing. And entire week filled with marvellous activities, groups and sports littered the front yard as curious eyes wandered through, taking in the sights. Groups of girls linked hand in hand as they pointed out different things with excitement. Welcome week also gave the sorority's time to scope out and lay claim to potential group members.

The Greek counsel holding tremendous power over the university, even though they were a little more than students themselves. As stories of their success in the scare games helped to draw people into our school. Welcome week had been on for a little more than three hours and the courtyard was already buzzing about the Greek houses, the well-known sororities making quite an impression on the young minds of today.

The event being great fun for everyone, but myself, it was a week of parties and joy but a week of problems for me. A week full of nothing but problems while I sorted out the troublemakers from the goody two shoes. It all honesty I wasn't sure which hell was a lesser evil? Each group of delinquents bringing its own wrath and set of problems.

The troublemakers were obvious, ignoring all of the school rules and everyone around them. Disrupting class like this prestige institute was a little more than a skateboard park that they do have some fun in and then leave.

The goody two shoes were complete mamas boys and daddy's girls. Spoiled children walking around like their still at home and expecting special treatment for being in school. Like somehow their mere presence here is a gift to us, a gift to me, and we should just gracefully slide them through school without any effort or work at all.

Then there were the children that will get homesick, I have at least 30 monsters in my office within the first month. And absolute mess babbling about their hometowns and your parents, like somehow I was supposed to solve all their problems.

I turned away from the window, hoping that it would somehow cure an impending headache I could already feel rolling across my temple. My eyes falling back to the desk, the applicants for the scaring program were sitting in front of me. They were the last group I had to go over. Every year we had a rush of applicants, monsters of all shapes and sizes. Most alpha males, some omegas would try their hand at the class but I would weed out the unfit monsters within the first scaremester. Those was unfit to be in my program would be placing another or sent Home.

I gently lift up some papers with clawed fingers. All the stress made me miss the old days, the scaring days. The danger of doing each room, the toxic toys littering the floor. The satisfaction of their screams, the smile on my face when the high-pitched noise filled the air and I slithered back through the closet door into the safety of my world, only to wait a moment before going once more. Now, my problems were teachers, and their problems with students, the annual budget meeting along with other useless bullshit.

Picking up the sheets I went over the applicants for the program, names, ages and other personal information or scribbled down the sheet. Pictures of each student were clipped to the top left corner and my eyes flipped up once as I put a name to a face before sliding the sheet under the pile and continuing on.

Sophie Gooie.
Mike Creatanus.
Donnakay Ahhhsome.
Jimmy p. Sullivan.

I pause.

Sullivan? Had I just read that right?

Flashbacks of the freshman flew before my eyes. James was an excellent scarer. He was a freshman here at Monsters University when I was a senior. The blue and purple spotted mail causing a scene wherever he went. Even at monsters Inc. Prestigious business, Sullivan caused a scene, flying by the rules and anyone in his way. But for all his trouble, James was one of the best. Riding clothes on my heels every day and breaking the all-time scare record only two years after I had. After time he matured. Finding Sheila helps with that of course and I was proud to say I've known and worked with the monster.

Now we were here.

The situation repeating itself once more. The young monster being a carbon copy of his father, right down through his eyes. I've known the boy for years. Often seeing him at parties and at work fundraisers. The young monster following his father's footsteps with the confident face but unsure eyes. They had put so much pressure on his shoulders, and impossible task for a child and I could do little to help ease the pain.

The years had flown by and in a blink of an eye, Jimmy or Sulley, as he prefers, had grown into a fine young monster. But Jimmy wasn't the only monster it seemed I had failed, as behind Sulley was Sophia. The smaller female monster was under constant watch by their mother, like simply breathing would somehow cause a problem. There wasn't a time I could remember that I ever saw a smile on her face. Always a frown on her lips and disappointing disappointment in her eyes. No matter how hard she tried Sophia was never enough for her. I couldn't understand why she did that. Even if they had wanted another son Sophia was a fine monster and I took great pride -and offense- if her anger was for that. My own scare record proving that females were just as scary as males. I often pulled the youngest monster under my wing and told her stories of my time at monsters Inc. or university. Even getting James to break his composure on a few stories. The older monster barely containing his laughter as his wife looked over with an unapproving glance. For a few hours, I could get the small monster to smile and even laugh A few times. But I could never bring myself to ask, subject to personal and besides the attitude, Sheila had never done anything for concern, never lifting her head to the child or saying something out of line, her attitude was unwarranted but not problematic.

And yet, there was this…

Sophia Jones. Different last name, different I.D. and different classes, Scream major was listed as her class. Someone that sat behind the glass, the brains of the scream can and figured out new ways to capture and produce new energy. The monsters working hard to avoid another boom era. Everything proving she had strayed from the proud Sullivan name and job history and yet her emergency contacts were listed under James and Sheila's names and numbers.

Had something happened? The young monster had such appreciation for my work, claiming her chance at a scarer in the future and now she's ditching out? My clawed hand reached for the phone, my fingers hovering over the first number when a knock resonated through my office. I pull back my hand.

"Come in." I say and place the phone back on the receiver "Well speak of the devil" I chuckle as I the door opens.

In came none other than James P. Sullivan himself. The blue furred monster holding his head proud and his eyes, slightly softer from age still held that mischievous twinkle id grown accustomed too.

"I've been called many things over the years but never a devil" he chuckles "Hello Carla, it's been a while."

I stand up, my many legs moving quickly as I walk around the desk with ease and seconds after I find myself pulled into a strong hug.

"James." I chuckle and hug back just as long.

He pulls back slightly, his arms still holding my waist.

"To think, all the memories held at this school and now were actually hugging in it." He chuckles, I snort as memories of the rowdy freshman plagued my mind once more.

As head of the MU disciplinary action committee, it was my priority to stop any mischief before it happened and James, well, James took that as a challenge, as time after time I would stop his plots. Each time the pranks got more and more extravagant and only when faced with explosion did the shenanigans cease, well… mostly. The occasion glitter bomb went off in the quad every few months and while not claimed my finger never fell on anyone else.

"Are you here to cause more mischief?" I joke, turning around once more and returning to my desk, my hand slides out as I motion to my desk "because if you are" my head snaps back at him quickly "you'll be out on your ass so fast your head will spin"

He shots me the famous Sullivan smile, white teeth almost gleaming in the light.

"Nah, I think it's Sulley's turn to give some hell." He states with a happy sigh, his body easing into the padded chair.

I shake my head with a smile and make a metal reminder to warn the new MU disciplinary action committee president. Not just warn her but give her a few tips on dealing with Sullivan's in general. The simple thought alone was enough to bring on a headache, the dull throbbing being the same as it was all those years ago.

"Usually I turn away drop in visits, my schedule too hectic for the sudden surprise" I state as I shift some papers into a neat pile, my eyes snapping up at him, my eye brow arched to show how serious that statement was "but, I'm glad you're here… I had somethings I'd like to discuss with you."

I say and relax in my chair once more.

"Sophia, right?" he sighs.

Eyes falling to the window where you could clearly see the information on my screen. The window mirroring the information still sitting on her page. The photo now uploaded to her profile.

"Indeed," I nod "did something happen?"

"A lot of things happened Carla." He sighs brokenly "but they're not her fault, their mine. They've always been mine." He places a hand over his face and I lean back slightly, this side of James was certainly new

"What do you mean; it's all your fault?" I ask slowly after it seemed like he couldn't continue

"Why Sheila dislikes Sophia. Why she lives with us. What happened to her mother. Everything comes back to my mistake." My eye brow rises at this and I instantly start thinking about the possible answers, not liking any of them and he looks up, the eyes of a broken monster looking at me. In all honesty, it broke my heart. The monster with the biggest heart sat before me and for the first time in my life the glimmer of light had left his blue eyes and I found myself wanting more than anything to bring it back "I messed up Carla…" he whispers "I messed up big and I've been messing up ever since."

Okay, read and review! Peace out lovelys

xxxxxTheJonesStoriesxxxxx