Chapter 7
(Sophia's POV)
"Hey!" Randell whines as I snatch the book from his hands.
"Rest!" I answer back, snatching up the paper off the desk "Do not read, watch TV, text, listen to music, play video games, or perform any other mental task. You need to rest! Both your body and your mind."
I place a bookmark in the book, shut it between my fingers, place it in the bookshelf, and give Mike a wicked slap on the head.
"Ow!" Mike whimpers, sounding like I'd been beating him with a bag of grapefruit for about twenty minutes. "Owwwwwwwwwwwww."
"Oh, come on. One slap. And what do you think you deserve? You knew what I meant when I asked you to watch him. And Mike, this was NOT what I meant."
I motion to the book that's in his hands. Mike was facing away from Randell, nose buried in a book and six others on his desk. Sometime in the five hours I was in there room Mike voiced his opinion and distaste about my bother and swore to prove both him and Johnny wrong. Devoting his time to studying and nothing else. I've tried to deter him. Stating that it takes more than knowledge to be a scarer and the brain can only hold so much information before it becomes a repetitive motion of wasting time but Mike was relentless.
"I didn't think one book would hurt." Mike groans, rubbing the spot again.
I sigh, throwing myself down beside Randell and pulling the smaller reptile to my body; Randell blushes but moves his head slightly to the left on my lap. Leaning over and pulling open the curtain, the shades sliding up and letting the light in. Now it's both males that groan, Mike shielding his eyes with the book and Randell with my shirt. I chuckle, leaning back comfortably in the sun.
"It's a beautiful day out." I sigh.
"It's burns!" Mike yells out "shut it off!"
By the end Mike's laughing more than talking and so are the rest of us as Mike sets down the book, stretching his sore shoulders.
"We should go out for a walk, come on." I sigh, leaning back again.
"I'm just supposed to relax, not walk around in the hot sun." Randell sighs, completely comfy on my lap "and I'm pretty sure hell would freeze over before you could separate Mike from that book."
"Hey!" mike yells defensively but any amount of complaining is drowned out by our laughter and soon even Mike is chuckling as well.
"You guy really don't want to go outside?" I ask, leaning to look at the bright sun, it was early, a little before seven thirty and most students were still in bed but even now the day was practically calling me outside "it's beautiful out."
I left the room by myself, a promise that Randell would join me when he could and Mike; well I received a half assed possibility as he shoved his face back in his book. I went into the elevator quietly and made my way down stairs. I doubted any of the students would be up right now; the amount of drinking I witnessed last night could kill half the student body, if it hasn't already. Unlike last night the wind seemed to die down, warming up enough so the sun wasn't scalding to the touch and made this blessed morning even sweeter. I turned deciding to walk around campus, each of the booths from yesterday's festival were still out. Empty of course but would be used once again until freshman week was over. But for all the partying the campus felt peaceful.
It was so quiet at first I thought I'd imagined it. I came to a halt, just listening. I had wandered over to the more abandoned part of campus. An area set off for another building that had yet to be started. Most of the area was marked off, barred off by metal gates as the ground had holes in it for the base of the building. Most students stayed away from the area, focusing more on the school buildings and restaurants around campus but a few students sneaked off to have sex. A fact only proven as in the ten minutes I've went through this area I've seen about twenty condoms of all shapes and sizes littering the ground. I stood there weary, wondering if I'd unknowingly wandered into someone's love making but the sounds weren't moans of pleasure but rather pain.
"Ow." The voice came again.
This time I heard it clearly. It was defiantly female and thinking the worst I reach under my jacket, grabbing a Escrima stick and popping it out of its case. I slide down the hill carefully and look around the bend, keeping the stick behind my back so I wouldn't scare anyone. I sighed at what I saw, mentally smacking myself for assuming the worst, maybe I was more like Mike than I thought. The scene before me wasn't rape but a female monster sitting on the ground holding her ankle tenderly. Her clothes were dirty and her hair was a mess but I recognized the purple sorority sweater. She was a monster from EEK.
"Hello?" I ask, clicking the bar back into place and walking around the building.
She gasps, clearly not expecting anyone but her look was also grateful.
The female monster was a member of EEK, the president in fact. Carla Delgado. A pink octopus like monster, with two tentacles for arms and four tentacles for legs. A purple sweater on her body, long enough to cover her whole body to her legs. I had to split my mind in two, one to listen to her words and the other so I wouldn't step on her other tentacles and hurt her even more. I wasn't sure how the skeleton of an octopus worked but I didn't want to put her out of commission for even longer. We were on our way for a quick meeting with the school nurse, Much to Carla's resentment, she bitterly stated that the EEK girls were well versed in the medical field and this injury was nothing to visit the school nurse over but my look sent her ramblings to a stop.
I doubted it was nothing but I think Carla's fears were based around the nurse finding something and giving her three weeks bed rest or worse, never letting her run again but I held firm to my words and we slowly made our way across campus. To distract the worried president I got her talking about all aspects of her life, and the ins and outs of campus.
"God I was so stupid." She sighs, I was holding her like Randell last night, pulling her weight on myself and off her injured ankle "I wasn't watching where I was going and tripped over the stupid hole, and then I rolled down the hill and couldn't get back up!"
"Well I'm glad I found you" I chuckle, Carla smiles "or you would have been stuck there till construction started."
"What are you doing out here anyway?" she asks after a minute "My sorority is known for good body health and working out and even my house was too drunk to come join me." She rolls her eyes as I chuckle, her annoyance was cute "did you not go to the party."
I thought about explaining the whole situation but chose against it.
"Um…" I trail off "No, the whole party scene just isn't my cup of tea."
"Well that's good, alcohol does nothing but destroy brain cells and make you fat." She chuckles "The girls and I only go to a few parties, the first one every year and the ones that only involve the Greek system that makes it pretty much mandatory that we attend." The annoyance is back once more and I find myself chuckling again.
"If the parties are that annoying than don't go, blame it on an injury or something or the flu, it's not like the frat members will come knocking on your door."
Now it was Carla's turn to chuckle
"No, not the boys but the PNK's would." She sighs "their practically ROR's groupies."
The annoyance was back and was it just me or did I catch a little venomous undertone as well?
"Do you not get along with the PNK's?"
The look in her eyes said it all but I let her speak if she wanted, it took a moment but Carla finally sighed.
"It's not that I have anything against the sorority, like ROR it's just a name but the girls in it aren't that nice." She pauses and I stop so she can rest, we sit on the bench outside of The Growl, the restaurant just starting to open "Taylor, the sorority president is a jerk." Carla says, her eyes watering up from painful memories "she'll do anything and everything to make your life a living hell and she revels in it." She wipes away a tear "the other girls aren't too bad but they'll follow Taylor to the grave and often participate in the problems."
"Have you talked to the dean?"
"We've tried." Carla sighs "she wants to help but the Greek System has kind of gotten out of her control, the factions growing too popular and unless someone is injured or it's serious we can't involve the police." Carla wipes away a tear "Dean Hardscrabble has talked to them but it doesn't do much after the incident happened and the other PNK's back her up if they deny it and then it's just a battle of my words against Taylor's."
(Javier's POV)
Despite the amount of alcohol I drank last night I found myself wide awake at seven. My eyed turning to stare at the clock, the bright red numbers staring back at me. I wasn't sure what it was, maybe my running mind? Maybe the million questions running through my head? Maybe the weird reaction of Johnny's last night or the utter guilt that came with it.
I thought that this funk of mine would be over after the party. Drink a few drinks, or a lot, dance the night away and forget about my problems but come the end of the party I was even worse. In a bigger hole than I was before and in no state to sleep with anyone, Johnny, still lost in his own problems saw my dilemma and jumped in, scooping the girl from my arms and whisking her upstairs.
"I got it." He says causally, like he's picking up the check for breakfast.
I got it, he says… and I let him go.
The same amount of pain in his eyes and the questions on his mind but he pulls one up for me and takes the hit. And for some reason, the five year friendship we had built let me stand there, watching them go upstairs. Johnny turns, stopping at the top of the stairs, not to yell, not to tell me what a bad friend I am or a lack luster wing man but to smile and tell me to 'head to bed before a drunken couple takes my room for the night'. That wasn't too likely as my door had been locked and many of the male had taken their partners to their rooms but the thought only killed me more. Johnny already giving so much for me is concerned about where I'm sleeping, wanting me to go to be and hopefully get over the hell in trapped in right now. And just like before I stood there quietly, nodding like an idiot.
The logical part of my brain wanted to justify my actions. Stating that whatever funk Johnny was in would be pushed to the side and ignored in the carnal pleasures of the night and maybe Johnny could be happy in the company of two lovely ladies but the other part of me, the part that was Johnny's best friend wanted nothing more than to bang my head against the wall a thousand times and jump out a window. There were many things people called Johnny, some out of love and lust, others out of anger and jealousy but when you got down to it there was nothing Johnny wouldn't do for someone else. He was selfless like that, held down by titles and pressure sure but completely and utterly selfless when it mattered most.
Little could be said about me, yes I was there for Johnny and my brothers but last night took a chunk out my heart, more than I could really cope with. I wanted to talk to Johnny, to ask him what the hell was going on last night but the other two were still there, so I settled on quietly heading down stairs and finding something to eat. I was flipping over my eggs when a funny thought came to mind. There was one person who seemed to be at the source of all our problems. For a new student that freshman seemed to have something out for us, or someone was out for her and everything really was bad timing. But the pure and utter look of shock on Johnny's face had me worried. There were many times, MANY times that Johnny should have cracked under the pressure of his role and even then, when it was perfectly okay and even logical to cry, to show emotion he didn't, keeping on the mask till the public eye was gone. So for him to break like that, in the open, for her, with little more than a look, meant something was seriously up.
What the hell did they have between them? And why the hell hasn't Johnny told me about it?
(Sophia's POV)
After I gave Carla a tissue from my pocket we set out again. Within twenty minutes and a quick visit to the school nurse, she sent us off with some pills and a note to take the day off, we were walking back to the one place Mike and I vowed not to set foot in again. Greek Row. Thankfully everyone was still asleep and this time I distracted myself by having casual conversation with Carla. I learned many things about the sorority president. Where she grew up, her family. Growing up in a house full of six boys. That partly explains the work-out obsession but on the same note I wasn't any better… and her school life. I learned about her sorority sisters and the fun nights they've had together. And before we knew it we were coming up on the first step of the EEK house. We only realize this when the squealing of four females rips through the morning air making both of us jump.
"Oh my god Carla!" one monster says, Clearly noticing the brace on her foot, the girls all pushed out the doorway at once, getting stuck in the small space but after a bit of squirming and pushing each other they fell to the front porch in a pile.
"Are you okay!" another yells
"What happened?"
"We were so worried"
"We were just about to come look for you!"
Finally after getting their feet under them the girls make it down the steps, surrounding their president as she explains the situation. One girl takes Carla off my shoulders and seconds after I'm pulled into another set of arms.
"Oh thank-you! Thank-you for finding her!" one monster squeals, judging by her fur color and body shape I'd say this was Violet, the larger monster all but lifting me off the ground with ease and crushing me in her bear hug
"Violet let her breath!" Carla yells from the porch and thankfully I'm released.
"Oops, sorry…" Violet blushes, pushing her hands behind her back like a child.
"Sophia, I'm betting the girls are dying to meet you, please, won't you come in for a bit?" Carla asks.
I wanted to say no. I wanted to head back to the dorms and check on Randell, but the looks on their faces were kind, cheery looks that had me sighing in defeat.
"Um, sure. Why not?"
(Javier's POV)
I sighed. Watching the girls head back to their house, a coffee in my hands and a lost look in my eyes. I wanted to know the truth about what happened last night but I couldn't bring myself to ask it. That and the other members were walking down the steps, Chet the usual ball of energy but thankfully a bit quieter as he too was mildly hung over. Chip was the worst, holding his head in pain as he rested his forehead on the kitchen table. I stepped out onto the porch for some peace, taking in a sip of the heavenly brew, black, just like my soul. I swallowed the brew with a smile, only to almost drop it down my sweater as my mouth fell open.
There she was. The freshman from last night. Walking down Frat Row like she owned the place, her hands in the same position as last night as she brought one of the EEK girls with her. Their pace slow and calm as they made their way to the house. It was still early, the morning calm and quiet. Or it was, until the EEK girls burst through the door, yelling at their president. Their actions were warranted, it was obvious that the leader was injured, her one tentacle wrapped in a tenser bandage, I'm guessing a small sprang from the pace and her limping. The sight was quite amusing, the girls all trying to be the first one out the door and as a result got stuck in the door frame before finally falling to the floor.
Much like Big red, the females were rambunctious and loud but Violet was the worst, pulling Sophia into a bone crushing hug of thankfulness and released only after Carla calls out to her. Violet was first cousins with Big Red, so the clumsiness and underestimated strength seemed to run in the family. I could do little but stand there with a grin on my face as I watched the scene play out. I shake my head with a chuckle as they girls convince the freshman to come in the house.
"You know…" Johnny's amused voice comes from behind me "There's a fine line between observing and stalking."
I turn, realising a chuckle of my own before glancing at him.
"Hey about last night-" I try but Johnny raises his hand, stopping my protest then and there, maybe the thought was enough of a headache.
"Don't mention it." He says and turns, looking at the freshman walking through the door of the EEK house, the look back once more, the same frightened one as before, flashing over his features before its gone and the smiles back "Hey you should come in the house before Chet eats all the bacon."
I chuckle once more, sparing a glance in her direction, I wasn't sure why I did, was I hoping she'd give me the answers to my problems or explain Johnny's current predicament, doubtful but still I looked. And after meeting an empty street I follow him in, adding in a smart comment so I wouldn't worry the others.
"Sure, as long as Chet's not cooking."
"Hey!" Chet whines from the table "I'm not that bad!"
"No" Johnny chuckles, wrapping an arm around his shoulder "that bad would imply a few days of food poisoning, what you made sent us to the hospital to have our stomach pumped."
All of us groan as the awful memories, even I pull my cup away from my lips in disgust, my appetite now slightly diminished but Chip groans the loudest, holding his stomach as the memories of that day came back. I smiled once as seconds after Johnny finished that sentence, the memories and the excessive amount of alcohol prove too much and Chip bolts from the table, up the stairs to the bathroom to empty his stomach. I shake my head at Johnny, an innocent smile on his face and motions to the now empty seat.
(Unknown POV)
I was pulled into the choir room by a strong arm, barely holding onto my books but they hit the floor anyway as I'm shoved into the wall. I cringe in pain as my back now throbs and the grip on my arms in anything less than nice.
"What the hell?" I growl but a hand is shoved over my mouth.
"Shut up bitch." A male voice growls. I was trapped, pinned against the wall with a hand over my mouth so I settled on shaking my attacker with a death glare, my eyes glowing blood red, a glare that does little but bring a smile to his face "Oh drop the eyes bitch, your glare doesn't scare me."
My eyes fall back to normal as he all but rips his hand from my mouth, stepping back as he turns. I growl, whipping my mouth off in disgust.
"What the hell are you doing here?!" I hiss as him, my eyes turning red again.
"You were taking too long." He hisses back, he reaches into his pocket and takes out a pocket sized black case and holds it out to me. I pause, my hand frozen just in front of it "I don't have to remind you how the master deals with failures do I?"
"No!" I gasp, grasping the case and opening it slowly "What's in this?"
I look down and see the inside is padded with black squishy foam and in the center holds a vile of golden liquid. The liquid looks pretty normal, tipping it forwards the slightest I notice that the liquid is thicker than water but not by much and even from here it was slightly warm. The liquid gold was almost sparkling in the light.
"Nothing that you need to concern your pretty head about." I look back at him, the smile was sickening on his face and it brought tears to my eyes. I wanted no part of this but my brother life was on the line "just do your part and everything will proceed as planned."
"People are going to get hurt aren't they?" I whisper, my voice now broken.
He smiles. Looking out into the quad, the area already bustling with monsters as the world tries to catch up from last night's partying.
"Maybe some," He whispers like he's talking to a child "but sometimes you must sacrifice a few for the greater good."
(Sophia's POV)
After a few hours talking with the EEK's I was allowed to leave. Okay, allowed isn't the right word. For all my hesitance I found great company in the athletic sisters of Slugma Slugma Kappa and only left when I realized it was close to lunch and I still hadn't checked on a certain reptile, I only hoped the smack on the head had Mike a little more sensitive to the time. I stepped down the steps, saying goodbye for the fifteenth time and finally after Carla tells the girls to shut up and go do some reps do I find myself at peace. I exchange a smile with the EEK president and quietly walk down the road.
flashback
After a five minute argument about where to go we were on our way to the nurses office, the president wasn't happy, stating that all the girls know just as much as the school nurse, studying under her on weekends and getting books of their own and a sprained ankle wasn't enough to wake the school nurse. I fought back, stating the nurse would be up and in her office considering it was almost eight in the morning and brought a complaining Clara to her anyway. I knock on the door and within seconds the door flies open and I'm face to face with the school nurse. Her hair is slightly messier than yesterday, still in a neat bun but I'd assume she's been up since 6, ready from any monsters with alcohol poisoning or excessive nausea. She takes in the scene for a moment before he smile turns to me, her eyebrow raised.
"Sophia, what a surprise." Her tone completely contradicting her words but she moves aside and scribbles something on her clip board "three times in twenty-four hours, I hope you're not making a habit out of this."
I chuckle once
"As long as I'm not the one injured I could walk into this office another hundred times Ms. Swift."
The nurse nods once, the smile a bit softer as she motions us into the room.
"Carla Delgado." She states, not even pulling her folder out for information "what did we do today?"
Her voice wasn't mean or judgmental in anyway but that couldn't stop Carla's blush from forming. I guess this really was a daily routine for the EEK girls and Carla goes into the same story she told me earlier. The nurse says nothing more than a few small 'okays' and head nods before she proceeds accordingly. A few minutes had gone by when Ms. Swift decided to speak, turning to look at me not Carla.
"Well, not that I mind you assisting injured students but if you feel the need to help why not try a safer alternative?"
I look at her oddly as she gently touches Carla's tentacle, the other monster whimpers slightly. The doctor writes down a few notes and looks up at me, a bright smile on her face.
"Study buddies."
I made my way down to the registration hall. I assumed the building would be pretty packed, seeing as it was only the second day of freshman welcome week but listening to Ms. Swift's explanation of the class and Carla's excitement on the subject I'll admit it tickled my fancy.
flashback
"Oh yeah! That would be prefect for you." Carla chuckles "Study buddies! Why didn't I think of that before?"
"Study buddies?" I ask, leaning against the door frame questioningly.
"Yeah it's like a tutoring gig." Carla chuckles.
"The school takes students with high GPA's and puts them with monsters that have troubles with the upcoming classes." Ms. Swifts adds, her voice quieter than but still as excited as Carla's "They place you with a student needing help and you choose the time, the place and the subjects your comfortable teaching."
"Plus they pay you!" Carla chuckles like a little kid "Maria was a study buddy when she was low on cash; it pays very well for what it is."
"You have two hours a day, three to five times a week depending on your preference and time table and you get paid every two weeks."
"Okay, how do I get in?" I ask, slightly interested but still calmer than my two counterparts.
"Well first you'll have to head to the registrations hall and fill out a form form the front desk. Then they'll send in your report card from last year and the teachers of each class will review your results, then hopefully they call you and ask you to come in."
"They will give you a test to write on the subject, it's a little harder, a senior test of sorts and you fill it out as best you can." Ms. Swift adds
"If you get a score higher than forty percent you have the job!" Carla laughs "And the best part is it counts to half of your senior grade! So heading into senior classes, no matter your grades your final mark will never be lower than your final mark on the test! Just show up for class and stay above forty percent on your tests and you'll pass!"
"It's quiet a nice system" Ms. Swift nods "this way the school keeps its academic marks up and the students have incentive to actually try and help others, not just for the money."
Ms. Swift finished wrapping Carla's ankle and looks over at me with a smile.
"What classes are there?"
"Any classes! Any class you can sign up for." Carla laughs before pausing, her happiness dying as quickly as it came "Well, except for scaring…"
I noted the odd bitter tone in her voice and look over to Ms. Swift for explanation. Mr. Swift wasn't any happier about sharing the news, but with another look from me and the clear fact that Carla wasn't adding anything else to her previous statement Ms. Swift exhales tiredly, setting down the extra roll of gauze.
"The class is available" Ms. Swift sighs "but it's practically impossible to get into that no one tries anymore." She rips off a paper and hands it to Carla "the testing for that subject is different than the other classes and you have to go to the dean directly... And I know from personal experience, that's not always fun. The dean rules that class with an iron fist so many of the candidates don't make it past the first step. They get turned away upon first glance and unless you're in the Greek system you can forget it."
"The only ones ever allowed in are the members of ROR." Carla sighs after my confused look "And they usually drop out because there's too many students needing or wanting help that they get overwhelmed."
"Just ROR?"
I paused slightly, was the dean picking favorites?
"The final test for being a scaring tutor is winning the scare games." Carla looks at the wall "Each test is handpicked by the dean. Many groups are eliminated in days and only one group can win."
I push open the door and walk towards the front office. A few students were here, glancing over pamphlets about every type of subject. 'The wall' was just behind them, introduced by a large gold plaque, stretched along the whole wall, not only stopping there but going from the floor to the ceiling, a ladder was on one side for the smaller monsters as thousands of different pamphlets looked back at me. I would have taken a step back in intimidation if I wasn't already here with a purpose. I swerved around the few students and made my way to the front desk. The monster there looked friendlier than the one at our dorm, she sent me a kind smile and lifted up a clawed finger. The main phone in her hand as she finishes her conversations on the line and online, her fingers typing responses just as fast as her mouth.
"Alright, yes thank-you." She chuckles "I will let Mr. Mason know about the changes and have him call you." She nods once, scribbles something down and hangs up the phone "Thank you for waiting, how may I help you my dear?"
"Um, I told to come here for study buddies?"
"Oh yes" she swirls on her chair and slides over to a meet cabinet "Are you in need assistance or are you tutoring?"
"Tutoring… possibly?" I chuckled unsure; the lady smiles softly and pulls out a sheet of blue paper.
"Oh relax dear, the teachers like to blow it out of proportion but if you have grades over seventy percent you have the job, no need to worry." She adds and places the sheet of paper in front of me "Okay, all you have to do is fill out the form completely and add you signature, this allows us to pull your public school records and send them to the teachers." I nod once and grab a pen; the lady clips it to a wooden board and hands it to me "No rush, I'm here all day, so take your time filling it out."
I nod once and walk over to the few rows of chairs. I sit down and look at the sheet, half in shock and half in impressment, for one sheet it was extremely full. Almost too full. Each side needing answers and with a quick scan I noticed the questions were pretty detailed but easy enough for all monsters to understand. I filled my name out on the top, first, middle and last name. The date, the courses I wanted to tutor in, that had over thirty options. I scanned down the list, crossing off some boxes. Pausing to think of my personal strengths and weaknesses before erasing one box. The next question was the days I could work and the times underneath it. I pulled out my phone, looking at my schedule as it was, without classes it was still pretty full.
I had to double check but I marked off the boxes I thought would work. Then it went even more into my personal strengths and weaknesses, what I was comfortable teaching and how I would do it? Leaning towards books, movies, was I a visual learner or something else? Was I comfortable teaching someone in a higher grade than me? Was I okay teaching someone of the opposite sex or did I need a female or male partner? Was I okay teaching someone who needed a push and would challenge me or was I more comfortable teaching someone who just wants a second option on the subject?
The list went on and on but I answered the questions as truthfully as I could, finally finishing the paper a half an hour later. My fingers slid over the paper once more, making sure there weren't any obvious mistakes. Finding none I turned the sheet once more and signed my signature on the bottom of the paper. I clicked the pen and looked back up at the office, the secretary was typing on her computer quietly. I stood up and walked over, placing the board on the table. The lady takes it, un-clipping the sheet and looking over the answers briefly and making sure I'd signed everything I needed too.
"Great. Thank you." She sets the board down and slides the sheet into a folder to her left "keep you phone on and you should know if you have the job in the next week or so. Have a nice day."
I smile, nodding once and head out the door, finding for the first time in half an hour I could breathe. God if that's the questions for other subjects I could only wonder what the scare class was like. I took in a steady breathe and set out to check on Randell.
Read and Review People! Peace.
xxxxTheJonesStoriesxxxx