The practice room is silent as I pack up my saxophone after spending almost five hours practicing for my end of semester jury, which is in a couple weeks and I can't help but feel so nervous. I've never actually played by myself as basically a soloist so I can't help but feel worried I might freeze up from stage fright, but I know I will be okay. I have been preparing for this all semester. Though, lucky for me my jury is the same day as my scare final, this should be an interesting couple of weeks.

Once I step outside the huge music hall and into the bright afternoon sunlight, I set my saxophone case down and reach my arms above my head, giving my back a good pop. I breathe in the fresh air, allowing my eyes to adjust to the natural lighting. I relax my body and brush off my cardigan that Johnny gave me. It's embarrassing to admit that I've worn it everyday since he gave it to me. It's just so nice, and every night I go out to the grass in front of my dorm building and set up my telescope to watch the stars. I have started to keep a journal of all the stars and constellations I have identified. It is probably the best gift I have ever received from anyone, but then again, I've never really been close to someone who was wealthy.

I reach down to grab my saxophone and notice Johnny walking from the library with another ROR. The tall bug monster with four arms, four eyes, a barrel-like torso and legs for days, his sweater almost like Johnny's except it's a button-up with the letters going down the left side. I watch them as Johnny looks like he is telling his frat brother a story, the two laughing and smiling. What was that guy's name? Jose? Juan? Jalapeno? I shake my head, whatever. I'll figure it out eventually.

I start walking down the steps, but not too quickly so they don't notice me. I keep a close eye on them as they continue down the path, but right as I think I'm out of the water I notice Johnny turn around, his eyes immediately meeting mine and I wince. "Great."

"Well hey there, freshman." He calls to me, nudging his friend to follow him as he walks back. "Where are you going?"

"I was about to go back to my dorm." I pause, allowing him to approach me. "I was planning on taking a nap." I can't help but feel annoyed, though it's mainly due to lack of sleep.

"You seem a bit put off there, shrimp." He smirks, nudging my shoulder. "You alright?"

"Yeah," I watch his friend join him. "Just tired, I guess."

Johnny nods his head before looking to his fellow ROR. "Ah, you two haven't been formally introduced." He gestures to his taller peer. "Freshman, meet Javier. Javier, meet freshman."

Javier bows his head politely. "Seniorita." His voice is deep with a flattering accent.

"Nice to meet you," I smile. "And my name is Reed," I shoot at glare at Johnny who simply chuckles. "Not freshman."

"I know it is," Javier says, his smile kind. "Johnny just enjoys giving you a hard time, no?"

"Oh you have no idea," I look at the horned senior who laughs again. "Are you a senior too?"

"Si," He must be from some Spanish country. It's very attractive, I must say.

I smile at him and he bows again before I look over at Johnny as he adjusts his gold collar. "What are you two doing?"

"Oh we were just talking about Sulley," He shakes his head. "If he doesn't shape up he's gonna be thrown out."

"What's the problem?" I ask, setting my case down vertically so I can lean on it.

"The boy just does not take his grades seriously." Javier shakes his head, closing his bright pink eyes. "Tis a shame, he would have made a great scarer."

"So you really weren't kidding about the grades thing?" I look back to Johnny who shakes his head, crossing his arms over his chest.

"RORs are the best scarers on campus, and he is being shown up by that little green beach ball." Johnny growls.

I think for a minute. Is he talking about Mike? "That sounds like quite the dilemma."

"Oh it is," Johnny walks towards me, uncrossing his arms. "He better ace that scare final or else he's out."

"Are you going to do anything about the little green guy?" I ask, genuinely curious as to whether or not I should be watching out for Mike.

The senior shakes his head. "No, he may have book smarts, but once he steps foot in that simulator he's done. He isn't that big of a threat." He pauses for a moment, looking to Javier then to me. "Wait, you're going to be taking that scare final too, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I'm a double major, remember?" I say, narrowing my eyes. What is he thinking?

I notice Javier give Johnny an impressed glance. "You seem very sweet for a scarer."

Johnny laughs. "Wait till you get to know her."

I hiss at Johnny. "I'm nice, most of the time."

"Yeah, some of the time." Johnny throws his arm around my shoulders and looks at me from the side. "I'm actually going to get to see what this little shrimp can do."

"What do you mean?" I look up at him and he smirks.

"Well we are going to be there during your final to see how Big Blue does," He pats my back before letting go of me, rejoining Javier's side. "So I'll get to see you scare for the first time."

"Oh great," I sigh, tapping my claws on my case.

"Hey, if you do good maybe I could make you an honorary ROR member." He says with a wink.

"I'm not a guy," I roll my eyes.

"Yes," Johnny says, with a knowing smile. "But if the boys agree to it then they can induct you as an honorary sister. You wouldn't be able to compete in the Scare Games with us, or stay in the house, but you would be considered a part of the Roar Omega Roar fraternity. I could even have our letters sewn onto your sweater, and it would actually make sense."

I consider this for a second. "Don't try and butter me up, senior."

"I'm not," He holds his hands up. "I just thought it might make things interesting. Maybe even motivate you to do well on your scaring."

"I already do great with my scaring thank you," I smirk myself, holding my head up. "I mean, who do you think helps Mike study?" I suddenly realize that the words that just left my mouth probably were not the best.

"Who's Mike?" Johnny asks, narrowing his eyes and looking to Javier.

I hesitate, feeling uneasy. "Just a friend of mine."

Johnny arches an eyebrow at me, his expression stern. "Don't tell me he's the little green ball."

I look down. "I didn't know you guys had problems." My voice is low.

I hear a sigh and look up to see Johnny rubbing between his eyes, his other hand on his hip. "I know, but I will tell you this now." He stops rubbing and his eyes shoot daggers through my soul. "If you are going to be part of ROR, you need to separate yourself from those that are inferior."

I feel myself get angry but I try to remain calm. "He's a good monster. He's not going to be a problem."

"I understand that," His voice softens a bit. "But you need to know that there are monsters like us, and there are monsters like him. Monsters like him work for monsters like us. Not the other way around."

"Yeah," I try to keep myself from yelling at him for being so mean towards such a sweet monster. "I know."

Johnny must've picked up on my irritation because he walks back over to me and crouches down to look me in the eye. "Hey, I know it's not an easy thing to accept, especially for a monster as kind as you. I'm not saying you can't be nice to him, but you don't have to sink down to his level. You're adorable, but I know you also have the potential to be a great scarer. That's why I would be more than happy to accept you as an honorary ROR after finals." Johnny looks to Javier for approval and the bug crosses his arms and nods.

I can't help but feel a little better after him saying that, but I still don't feel comfortable with how he speaks of Mike. Yeah, he's not exactly scary, but he isn't inferior. "Alright, I guess I understand."

"Good," He gives my shoulder a friendly pat before walking back to Javier. "I would stay and talk some more but we have some Scare Game prep to get back to. Have a good rest of the day, shrimp."

"And to you as well, horns." I call back, picking up my saxophone. "It was nice to meet you, Javier."

The tall senior simply nods back to me before joining his superior as they walk back towards the frat house.

I return to my dorm, removing my sweater since Addison doesn't know about that night, to find her lying in her bed, studying a huge medical textbook. "Have you ever been so tired of doing something that you've even contemplated your own death just to get out of it?"

"Sometimes," I say in all seriousness, setting my saxophone down, thinking back to a couple weeks ago when I almost broke into the door lab.

"Well, this book is making me seriously consider it." Addison lies it down on her lap before sitting up. "All this terminology makes me want to die."

"At least you don't have to learn another language." I say, gesturing to my music terms sheet, which are all in Italian.

"I might as well be," She replies, setting her book to the side and stretching. "Where have you been?"

"Practicing for my jury," I say, sitting on my own bed.

"I'm surprised you weren't with Johnny." She gives me a knowing glance.

"What, why?" I say trying not to sound too worried.

"Oh, honey, you really think I don't know about you two?" I feel my face get hot and she walks over to my saxophone case, opening the side pocket, pulling out my sweater. "You really think you can hide this from me? I mean it looks almost exactly like the sweater he owns minus the letters and the monogram."

I cover my face, trying to hide my flushed cheeks. "And I guess you didn't believe the story where my rich uncle decided to send me a new telescope?"

"Not a chance," Addison laughs, tossing me the sweater. "But I wanted to see how long you would keep it from me. How come you didn't tell me?"

"I didn't want you to think we were a thing," I say, my voice annoyed.

She joins me on my bed and puts her hand on my shoulder. "Reed, a guy who wanted to be 'just friends'," She uses her claws to make air quotes. "Wouldn't have bought you a ten-thousand-dollar telescope and a fifteen-hundred dollar sweater."

I look up at her. "How do you know how much they cost?"

"Because I helped him pick them out, dummy." She punches my shoulder, laughing a very delicate laugh.

I stare at her, my jaw almost to the floor. "Are you serious?"

"Mhmm," A mischievous smirk grows on her face. "You're welcome."

"Why didn't you tell me?" I say, trying not to yell.

She giggles. "It was a surprise, silly. You don't spoil surprises."

I sigh, grabbing my pillow and screaming in it. "You seriously helped him find that stuff? How long had he had them?"

"He had the sweater for a while, after he showed you how to play tennis and you made comments about his shirts. The telescope he bought right after you told him about how much you love looking at the stars." She smiles, her bleached fangs glimmering.

"He told you about that?" I say, looking up from my pillow.

Addison nods. "I had to ask why he was buying you this stuff. You know I'm over at the ROR's almost twenty-four-seven because of Sulley. You think Johnny and I never discuss you?"

"He talks about me?"

"Oh yeah, it's really sweet actually." Addison rests on her elbows, looking up at me. "You really put him through a loop. You're really all he talks about sometimes."

I think for a second, "He told me he had to guess the size of the sweater though?"

"He did, I wasn't able to go with him when he went to actually go buy it. I helped him pick out the style though." She sits up again. "Don't change the subject. He likes you, a lot. And something tells me you like him. Give him a chance."

"He did say he wants to make me an honorary ROR member if I do well on my scare final." I say, refusing to look at her.

"See?" Her voice is high in my ear as she shakes me violently. "He wants you, he wants you so bad he's even willing to let you be a part of the fraternity."

I shake my head, trying to recover my vision. "I guess…" I trail off, looking out the window of our room.

"You guess what?" I can feel her anticipation.

"I guess," I sigh. "I guess you're right."

"I am right, sweetie." She nudges me before going back to her bed. "You two are going to become the biggest thing to happen on this campus since Hardscrabble became dean of the scaring school."

"Why?" I ask, not removing my gaze from the outside world.

"Because he's not only a senior but the senior, and you're just a freshman." She laughs, and I turn back to see her looking over her textbook once more. "Like I've said. You're going to make every monster on campus that's interested in Johnny jealous, but you will also have him to protect you. It's kind of a lose win."

"Great," I sigh, staring back out the window. Am I really going to give him a chance? I mean, I want to, but he told me to not associate myself with "inferior" monsters like Mike, and I don't know if I'm okay with that. I sigh again and watch as a group of female monsters gather outside the huge gymnasium where the fall formal is going to be held in a week. I wonder if Johnny still wants to take me.

There you have it. Chapter 10 of Ambition. I'm getting super into this fic myself. I even find myself reading it after I post the new chapters. I'm just so excited for where this fic is going to go. I can't wait to bring it further. Also, I'm going to be changing the summary because I am not sure if I am going to follow what I originally had planned for this fic. So yeah. Also, if you are curious about the whole "honorary member" deal that is an actual thing, at least I know it is in music fraternities and sororities. I did not just make that up. It's cool because if you're made an honorary member of a sorority or fraternity you get to be involved in a lot of what they do and you get to where their letters. It's actually a really cool thing. Also, thanks again for the kind reviews. Whenever you guys give me advice I take it and try to apply it as best as I can. So feel free to give me ideas and feedback as to what you want to happen! I love when you guys want to get involved! Anyway, thanks for reading and until next chapter, bye-bye!