Guest: Omg, you have no idea how happy your review just made me! When I first started posting this on deviant art, I thought that nobody was reading it and I kept thinking about deleting it. I absolutely LOVE feedback, so thank you so much for taking the time to review on here! It means so much to me to know that you're enjoying the story. Are you a big fan of Chet then or...? :)

Nymris: Yeah...I actually had some even darker things written on my old account. I guess you could say this is my usual writing style. Thanks so much for liking the way I'm writing Chet and him getting distracted so often. My friend and I both think that he could be ADHD. If you watch closely in the movie, he almost constantly clicks one of his crab claws. xD I hope you keep reading this!

xBearingSecretsx: Yeah, this story does start out a little darker than my other one. I promise that it will get better though! I was going through some tough stuff when I started writing this and I think my feelings got the best of me. I'm definitely ready to crack some crab if you are! *cracks knuckles* If you hate Chet's dad now, you'll hate him way more in the next chapter! Random question, but what do you think of the other Roar Omega Roar members? I liked all of them. :P

a fan: I know what you mean about it being dark. I don't think it's dark enough to raise the rating, but the beginning of this story does have a darker feel to it, I agree. I promise that it will get happier though! Thanks so much for reading this even though you haven't seen MU yet. You know who Chet is though, right? I'll definitely keep posting chapters. Thank you for the kind words! :)

Chapter II

While mommy is still busy in the kitchen, daddy waves Mr. Worthington and his son into the living room with a big smile on his usually scowling face. The expression seems almost foreign. You know, dad, maybe it wouldn't hurt to smile a little more often, you know? Thinking that this smiling thing is a big improvement, I scuttle after daddy and his guests with Jacky reluctantly trailing behind me. She looks as wary of our new guests as I am curious about them. We don't have guests here at the house very often. Daddy's not exactly the social type and mommy's not the type to have friends. Jacky and I have been discouraged from making friends. I used to wonder why when I was just a 'lil crab, but now I get why. Imagine what would happen if daddy came barreling into the house after a long day with his bottle of booze in the shed while Jacky or I had a friend over. Things could get real ugly after that.

"Here you go, John. Please sit," my father speaks as politely as he can with only a distant slur in his voice as he pulls out a chair for Mr. Worthington and sends him another one of his dazzling smiles. A sort of sad feeling sparks up somewhere inside of me as I realize that my smile will never look like that. Daddy still has all of his teeth, but he's knocked out a good portion of mine. We look similar with the same color exoskeleton. The only difference between us is the fact that daddy is quite a bit larger than me.

"Thank you, Gregory. This is awfully kind of you for having us over, especially at such a late moment's notice," Mr. Worthington tells my father graciously as he takes the seat father holds out for him and glances around the room in approval.

"Anything for a friend," daddy tells Mr. Worthington, making me think that it doesn't seem right how daddy is willing to do anything for a friend while he barely lifts a claw for his own family. I've long since learned not to try and figure out daddy's logic though. It's very confusing and I'm happier without trying to put the pieces of the puzzle of his mind together. Pulling out another chair, my father motions for Mr. Worthington's son to sit down on it and murmurs, "For you, young Mr. Worthington."

Mr. Worthington's son's vivid violet eyes gleam in amusement as he waves my father's words away, chuckling, "Johnny's fine, sir. I'm no 'Mr. Worthington' yet."

"Oh, but you are, son," Mr. Worthington interjects, looking at his son the way a proud father looks at his most prized possession. He looks just like my father does when he gets his claws on a bottle of booze after an alcohol free day. I wish daddy would look at me that way. Still feeling wishful, I keep my thoughts to myself as Mr. Worthington goes on, "You led the Roar Omega Roar fraternity to victory twice in a row. That's nothing to sneeze at!"

I dunno anything about whatever this "Roar Omega Roar" thing is, but it sounds interesting, so I hurry forward to sit next to Johnny. Before I can get too far, daddy sticks out a leg and trips me. I practically go sprawling face-first to the ground, but manage to save myself from a nasty fall by latching onto the underside of the table with a crab claw. They can come in handy more often than not!

Daddy meant to trip me in a way that nobody would notice me, but I think that Johnny noticed because when I look up next, I note his sharp eyes flicking from my daddy to me. Then again, maybe I'm just seeing things. Anyway, I hesitate before scuttling forward again, not sure where I'm supposed to sit. I don't want to displease daddy again because it will only come back to bite me later as mommy always says.

"Jacky, come sit here by Johnny. The two of you are about the same age," my father says, a hinting tone in his voice as he motions for Jacky to sit next to the gray-furred monster. Jacky looks less-than-pleased at the prospect of sitting next to Johnny Worthington. She slouches in her chair and sits as far away from him as possible. I don't blame her. It seems like my father is setting her and Johnny up to make little crab babies. Mommy keeps saying that Jacky should find a husband soon so she can "fulfill a woman's purpose" or something like that…

Instead of pulling out a chair for me, my father gives me a stern look and points a crab claw at an empty chair before he sits across the table from Mr. Worthington and asks, "So how are things going at the company, my old friend? Are things still up and running well at Monsters Inc.?"

I feel kinda disappointed about having to sit at the far corner of the table. Daddy wanted me to sit here on purpose. He says that I talk too much and that I should stay out of sight where I don't bother other monsters. I try not to talk too much, but when I have something to say, it just sort of comes out, you know? I can't help it!

Jacky still looks like she's trying to pretend that she's invisible, and so far, she's doing a pretty good job of it. Mr. Worthington's attention is focused on father and Johnny's attention isn't on my pretty sister like I expected it to be. Instead, he's looking at…me? My eye practically bulges out of its socket as I do a double-take. Yup, the horned monster is definitely looking right at me! It could just be a mistake since I'm not much to look at what with my missing teeth, stocky body, and single aqua-colored eye, but it could also not be a mistake, right?

I try to catch the violet-eyed monster's eyes, but mommy has to choose that moment to enter the room with lunch. I'm not complaining. I like lunch, but I find that I like Johnny's gaze on me even better. Oh well, lunch is better than nothing, right? I try to console myself with that thought as I reach forward to take a sandwich from one of the trays of food that mommy is setting on the table. I dunno how she did it, but she somehow managed to make sandwiches, cut up fresh fruit and vegetables, and make jello all within thirty minutes.

Mr. Worthington finally answers my daddy's question about Monsters Inc. while he absentmindedly takes a sandwich and bites off the corner of it, replying, "Oh yes, things are running as smoothly as always. I retired last year though. Decided that I had had enough of the company and needed a little 'down time'. I'm hoping that Johnny here will actually decide to graduate from college and take up a position at Monsters Inc. this year."

Johnny's face immediately stiffens and I can tell from the look of rotten eggs under his nose that he doesn't like this idea too much. I wonder why. Isn't working at Monsters Inc. what every monster strives for? Shouldn't Johnny be jumping up and down over the opportunity to work at Monsters Inc.? I would be jumping up and down if I was in his shoes! Well, trying to jump up and down anyway. I'm not so good at jumping. I'd probably end up face down on the floor.

Father must be thinking the same thing as me because he looks from Mr. Worthington to Johnny with a slightly amused smile on his face, asking with a raised eyebrow, "I take it that your son enjoys the college life, John?"

"I prefer it to the idea of working in a factory," Johnny speaks up for himself, tossing his head slightly as if to remind my father that he's part of the conversation too. Wow. Monsters don't usually act that way around my father without fear of getting a slap or a kick. Johnny, however, remains unscathed as he goes on to explain, "A few extra years of college can't hurt anyone. Besides, I enjoy participating in the scare games. They're different year after year. There are new events, new participants, and new leaders."

I've been shoveling a sandwich into my mouth while staring at Johnny as if what he's saying is the most important thing that I've heard in my whole life. Needing to know what the scare games are, I speak with my mouth full and mumble, "What are the scare games?"

"Chet!" my father snaps, giving me an annoyed look that will probably earn me a slap later. "How many times have I told you not to speak with your mouth full? Stop being such a pig and leave some sandwiches for our guests!"

"Oh. Sowwy," I apologize, immediately hanging my head in shame and staring at the crumbles of whole wheat bread on my plate. Daddy has told me not to speak with my mouth full before. I just, well, I forgot.

"Since when is curiosity a sin, huh? It's good to show interest in the scare games," Johnny surprises me by speaking up on my behalf. I immediately look from the crumbs on my plate to my savior with a blissful smile on my face. Daddy catches my expression and rolls his eyes, but I don't care. Nobody has ever spoken up for me before. Not looking too interested in the food on the table and far more interested in talking about the scare games, Johnny goes on, "The annual scare games take place at the end of the college year. The students from Monsters University split into six different sororities and fraternities to participate in several events that make up the scare games. If you manage to defeat all of your opponents with your fraternity, you are marked as one of the school's top scarers. There's no greater honor than this. I've been lucky enough to lead my own fraternity to victory twice in the last two years."

The way Johnny speaks doesn't make him sound arrogant, but I notice his chest puff out slightly as I stare at him in awe. It doesn't take much to impress me and knowing that this horned monster is one of Monsters University's top scarers is enough to make me feel a new respect for him. In fact, I'm so awestruck that I drop the remaining bit of sandwich that I was holding in a crab claw onto the floor as I burst out, "That's amazing!"

"Chet, please for the thousandth time watch your manners!" my father exclaims, appearing at wit's end as his disapproving gaze follows my sandwich to the floor.

I flush a darker shade of red as I quickly duck under the table to retrieve the remaining bit of sandwich, apologizing, "I'm sowwy, I'm sowwy."

When I appear back at the table all decked out in shame, I realize that everyone is looking at me with different expressions on their faces. Jacky is wincing since she knows that I'm earning myself a later beating, daddy dearest is glaring at me with dagger-like eyes, Mr. Worthington is ignoring me, and Johnny still has that amused look on his face. In fact, he's actually leaning toward me now! My heart skips a beat and I almost drop my sandwich again.

"It is amazing, Chet. You have to be one of thousands of university students to be in the school's top fraternity," Johnny says, voice deadly serious as his violet eyes look into my aqua one. What is even more amazing in my opinion is the fact that Johnny remembered my name! Nobody ever remembers my name. I set my sandwich down before I can drop it from either excitement or from glee and hang on Johnny's every word as he continues on, "It takes the top scarers from the top scaring families to make up the perfect fraternity. That's what my role as leader of Roar Omega Roar is. I pluck out the weeds one by one until only the monsters who deserve a position on my fraternity remain. Who knows? Maybe you deserve a place there."

At this comment, my heart practically beats out of my chest as I stammer in excitement, "M-me?"

Jacky gives me a look that says don't-get-your-hopes up, but it's already too late for that. My heart is singing even as father scoffs and says, "Pardon me for interrupting, but I don't think that you'd want Chet on your fraternity. He's not exactly what you'd call 'tough'. Besides, Chet's not going to college this year. Jacky is though, aren't you, Jacky?"

I can tell that father is trying to get Johnny's attention back on Jacky and away from me. Jacky nods inaudibly and continues sitting picture perfect in her chair. Johnny doesn't even send her a sideways glance and continues looking straight on ahead at me as he says, "Well, we can always wait a year or two, can't we, Chet?" Johnny's words seem to have a deeper meaning to them that I'm not aware of, but I find myself vigorously nodding up and down anyway. Johnny smiles a fanged, polished smile at me and says, "Believe me, you'll love the college life so much that you won't want to graduate either. You'll see."

I consider this for a moment, but then think about what I've been taught. At this point, you would think that I would know to keep my mouth shut, but the words are already spilling out as I ask, "But what about your future? What about settling down and making babies?"

My father winces and Mr. Worthington laughs. Jacky winces too, but I'm not sure why. It's an honest question! Mommy always tells us that our purpose in life is to repopulate the planet. I look to Johnny for an answer. He doesn't laugh at me, but he seems like he's resisting a smile as he says, "I'm in no hurry to grow old. Besides, there are plenty of chicks at the university. You can have your pick of them if you hang with the right crowd."

Johnny winks at me and the awkward moment created by me dissolves. Daddy and Mr. Worthington go back to discussing jobs and boring things. The scare games aren't brought back up again and the visit comes to an end much too soon. I sigh loudly when Mr. Worthington and Johnny get to their feet. I don't want this visit to end. Mr. Worthington is nice and Johnny has already become a sort of idol to me.

"Well, I'm afraid that we'd best get going. We've got to get Johnny ready for college," Mr. Worthington explains as he steps toward the door with a smile in my father's direction. "Thank you for lunch, my friend!"

"Anytime, anytime," my father slurs, pushing Jacky in front of me on purpose as he says, "Perhaps your son and my daughter will be seeing each other soon, eh?"

I'm busy feeling frustrated about my father pushing Jacky in front of me for the third time today when I feel a tap on my shoulder. Looking up, I find Johnny looking down at me and immediately wipe the scowl off of my face as he gives me a friendly smile and says, "Hey, search me out when you come to college in a year or so, alright? I'd love to have an Alexander on my scare team. You've got true potential, kid. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

I beam in the light of Johnny's praise and feel like I'm walking on sunshine. It's a good thing that these are Johnny's last words to me because they end up being the only thing that keeps me going during the next long, hard months.

Review please? :)