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Chapter 2

"Freshman Flutters" Is Right

When her father said that Kat just had the "freshman flutters", that was an understatement. Flutters were light and tickly feeling. This felt like her stomach was on fire, along with her forehead. Her heart felt like as if it would burst, and she was having trouble seeing straight for a few second. She was afraid she would pass out, when a cheery voice demanded her attention.

"Hey there, freshman! Looking for registration?" a monster with two stalked eyes and tentacles greeted her. He wore a shirt that read "Smile Squad" across the front. By the looks of him, he couldn't be more than a sophomore himself.

"Yes, please." Kat managed to say after clearing her throat and giving a weak, nervous smile. She could swear her black fur would catch fire.

"Right over there. Have a great first day!" he yelled over to her as she headed in the direction he had showed her. She gave a glance over her shoulder that was accompanied by a wave of thanks. She swallowed hard and tugged at the collar of her tank top. Was it getting hotter outside? This was going to be a long first year.

"Ok, I'm registered. Now I need my student ID photo taken." Kat sighed to herself. If there's one thing Kat hated, it was having her picture taken. The light was too much for her sensitive cat-like eyes. "Let's get this over with." she grumbled to herself.

"Say 'Hooray!'" the monster said with a little too much enthusiasm for Kat's taste.

"Hooray." she said plainly, giving a half-smile. She only showed a little bit of her teeth. She looked natural in the photo. At least it's not a forced, cheesy smile. She thought to herself as she looked down at her ID before slipping it into her bag. "Ok, room time." she muttered under her breath. She had taken to talking to herself when she got nervous. It made her feel like she wasn't so alone. She suffered with anxiety at times, and talking herself through it often seemed like the best solution.

"Felidae, room 202." the monster behind the desk said happily. "Have a great first year!" he said as she took the key from his tentacle. She gave a curt nod and proceeded down the hall and up a flight or two of stairs to the door that read "202".

"Here we are." she said to herself, unlocking the door and nudging it open to peek inside. To her surprise, her roommate hadn't arrived yet. "Finally, some me time." she sighed, stepping inside and closing the door behind her. She then proceeded to dress the bed with her bed sheets and comforter, hang some posters on the wall, her favorite being Frank McCay, her uncle. She smiled whenever she saw that poster. It gave her confidence. Once all of her things were put in their proper places, she flopped down on her bed and stared at the ceiling for a few moments. Maybe checking out the clubs will calm my nerves. she thought to herself. She forced herself off the bed and out the door once more. She made her way through a group of monsters, finally reaching the row of different clubs. At first, nothing really caught her attention, until she saw a sign that read "Junior CDA Cub". Her dad was in the CDA, so this was perfect for her!

"Join the Junior CDA club and help keep MU safe." a large male monster said to her as he handed her a paper.

"Thanks. My dad's in the CDA, so this looks perfect." she said with more confidence than she thought she had. He gave a surprised look and the two talked more on the matter of her joining. Needless to say, she was in. For the first time that day, Kat felt good. She had a much lighter step and a happier look on her features. Good job, Kat, you've peeked out of your shell. she thought to herself. She kept her new found confidence until she noticed she was getting some glances from some guys that where grouped along the sidewalk. And back in the shell we go. she thought as she avoided eye contact and sped up her stride. When she finally made it back to her room, she was exhausted, physically and mentally. She was so tired that she failed to acknowledge the other monster sitting at the desk on the other side of the room.

"Oh, hey!" greeted the unknown voice.

"EEEEEKK!" Kat squeaked/screamed and jumped in surprise at the sudden peppy greeting, earning a giggle from the other monster.

"So you're my roommate! I'm Naomi! Naomi Jackson!" the other female greeted. She wore a pink sweater and had purple skin and hair and she had bright cherry lipstick on that seemed to pop out at you. Kat growled in annoyance, not enjoying the experience as much as Naomi was.

"Katniss Felidae. But Kat is what everyone calls me." Kat replied, brushing her fur back down on the back of her neck that had risen in surprise. And by everyone, I mean no one. she thought to herself, half-smiling at the grim joke.

"Pleasure!" Naomi beamed. Kat knew how to get a crowd pumped at a party, but she was never this bubbly and peppy, especially around monsters she didn't know, which in this case was everyone. "You planning on joining a sorority? There's HSS, EEK, and my favorite, PNK." the purple monster offered, but Kat just rolled her eyes.

"No thanks. I prefer to spend more time around guy friends than a bunch of girl friends. Less drama that way." Kat replied, making her way over to her bed and sitting on the edge.

"Ooh, well if you're more into the guys on campus, you should check out the JOX or even the ROR fraternities. I think you might like them." Naomi offered once again. "Especially Johnny. He's, like, king of the campus. And he's not even a senior yet!" Naomi almost squealed. Oh boy, a fan girl. Kat rolled her eyes.

"Sounds cool. Maybe, I don't know. I'm not exactly warmed up to the idea of meeting others yet." Kat said curtly, lying on her back and staring at the ceiling.

"Well, there's a huge party on frat row tonight. You should join me. At least you'd be with someone you kind of already know." Naomi suggested, rolling her chair over to the edge of Kat's bed and resting her head on her hands. Kat turned her head to look at the other monster. She wasn't bad, just persistent and peppy. Kat let out a long, exasperated sigh.

"Fine. Wouldn't kill me to get out there I suppose." she finally said, nearly inaudibly. But Naomi must've heard it, because she jumped up and gave a victorious squeal, making Kat jump again, and earning another growl from the black, feline-like monster. "But you're going to have to stop squealing like that out of nowhere." Kat almost chuckled, but she stifled it, offering a smile instead.

"Deal." Naomi laughed, offering a hand to help Kat off her bed. The two females walked the halls, then made their way out to frat row. They shared interests and got to know each other better, talking about their majors and potential clubs and sororities that they wanted to join. Naomi wanted to join PNK, which didn't surprise Kat much, given that it sounded like it would suit Naomi. When they stepped out from under the bridge, what Kat saw took her breath away. Six frat/sorority houses beautifully lit and decorated stood on either side of the street, with the magnificent house that had "ROR" on the top at the very end and in the middle facing them.

"Wow..." Kat breathed. "This is incredible!" she finally perked up, showing her inner party animal. You could almost see the inner child beaming through her eyes, which had dilated in excitement.

"I knew you'd love it!" Naomi beamed, flashing a smile and squinting her eyes shut. The two made their way down the street, getting a few hungry looks from some of the boys. Naomi welcomed the attention, but Kat rolled her eyes. "Come on, Kat! Lighten up! Humor them just for a moment and smile or something." Naomi giggled, playfully nudging Kat's shoulder.

"I'm not fond of guys who think they can get what ever they want by flashing a look like I'm a piece of pizza or something. That's not charming to me." Kat replied, wrinkling her nose and sneering. Guys need to humble themselves more, in her opinion. When she caught a group of sophomores staring, she hissed and bared her fangs, flashing all of the teeth hidden in her cheeks as well. They didn't stare anymore. Kat turned and continued walking with Naomi, smirking to herself. Naomi really had her heart set on joining PNK, so Kat told her to go ahead and go check out the sorority, she would wait near by. Naomi thanked her and took off in the direction of the PNK house, not even looking back. Kat snickered and rolled her eyes, picking a tree close by to lean on. She crossed her arms and took a moment to look down at the four blue and green stripes that resided on each arm. Her black fur would be almost impossible to see in the dark if not for them. She smirked at the thought and took a moment to look at the monsters around her, some big, some small, some short, some tall. The variety was incredible. She must've been really deep in thought , because when she felt a tap on her shoulder, she jumped and almost shrieked. "Naomi, I told you not to-" but when she turned around, she wasn't greeted with Naomi's beaming face. She was met with a grey-blue chin. She followed the chin up to the mouth, which was home to two fangs that where visible due to a severe under bite. She finally met what she was looking for, two eyes. But these weren't just any eyes, they where amethyst orbs that seemed to hypnotize her. The mystery monster gave an amused grin and Kat got a feeling in the pit of her stomach. Now these are "freshman flutters'...