M.U. The Freshman Years

Chapter 10

Sulley was sure his brain had turned to mush or at the least he was dreaming.

Not only did he find out his first real friends were practically born and raised into the mafia, but also that the one he was crushing on was dating his frat's president so he wouldn't get kicked out.

Never in a billion years could he have found better friends on the first day of school.

When Chow's dad walked in, he was kind of scared at first, but he warmed up to him quickly after he started joking about him going out with Chow.

He would give his left arm for that to be a reality, but, at this point, he felt like he'd be friend-zoned indefinitely. If only he knew.

Chow and Sulley rode in the former's Bugatti while Henry drove Eric and Chow's dad in his jeep.

They sat in a comfortable silence until Chow started talking.

"So when we get to the house, just tell the chefs what you want and they'll cook it. They're really good at what they do and they enjoy a challenge." Chow explained as they drove down the freeway.

"Does your dad just have chefs on hand at all times?" Sulley asked, still a bit dazed from the day he had today.

"Actually he only calls them in on the weekends. Something about the weekend being lazy days and 'ain't nobody got time for that.'"

"Your dad sounds like a funny guy..."

"He is... Or he was I guess. We haven't really talked in years. Just messages passed through his bodyguards mostly." Chow elaborated as they pulled up to a medium-sized white house.

The lawn was kind of on the dead side and there were weeds everywhere. The paint was also peeling off the sides of the house. It was a fixer-upper, that's for sure.

"This doesn't seem all that big. No offense, but I kind of expected a tiny mansion." Sulley admitted as they got out of the car.

"Oh... This is just a front. The real house is actually much bigger. You can thank my granddad for that." Chow explained as he opened the door to a huge foyer like you'd see in a 5 star hotel.

The rest of the house was just as big. The stairs were curved around the sides of the room while a giant green and gold emblem graced the center of the floor. Sulley could tell being here brought back good memories because Chow was deep in thought until the others caught up to them.

The group walked into the huge dining room and sat at the solid bronze table.

"I always wanted to ask... Why bronze?" Henry asked Chow after everyone placed their orders.

"Bronze ups the flavor of food or so I've heard." Scarf answered as they waited for the food.

"That... was the best steak... ever… in the history of the world. They even got the sauce just right." Sulley groaned as he lay on Chow's childhood bed in his old room. The bed was pushed flush against the wall next to an oak nightstand.

The room itself was the size of a small classroom. It was decorated with band and video game posters alike and filled with ancient looking swords.

"Yeah... You never get used to that. I always ask for something different and they always make it perfectly. Probably because they know who their client is and what they're capable of." Chow elaborated as he sat next to him.

They basked in a comfortable silence as an old movie played on the 45' flat screen. Sulley decided to break the silence.

"Chow... Thanks... For everything." He gushed as he leaned back against the wall.

"I didn't do anything I wouldn't have done for any other one of my friends."

"Maybe I want to be more than friends..." Sulley whispered inaudibly.

"What was that?"

"I said maybe we could study again. Tomorrow?"

"I'd like that." Chow replied as they stared at the star-painted ceiling of the huge room, the television's light bathing the scenery in flashes of blue and orange.

The final snuck up on the campus in a flash. It had been a little over a month since Chow started tutoring Sulley and his body was ready. Chow prepped him and he studied his ass off so he felt confident as he walked up to the scare building.

The annoying green marble walked passed him looking happier than he'd ever seen him while talking to his best friend.

"I am gonna wipe the floor with that little know-it-all." Sulley uttered as Johnny walked next to him.

"Yes you are, Big Blue." Johnny replied as he slipped Sulley's ROR jacket off his shoulder and folded it.

"Hey wait, what are you guys...?"

"It's just a precaution... RORs are the best scarers on campus, Sullivan. Can't have a member getting shown up by a beach ball."

"I'm gonna destroy that guy."

"Well then you'll get this back right away. It's time to start delivering on that Sullivan name." Johnny stated as him and the rest of the frat walked back towards the cafeteria.

Sulley walked into the classroom with resolve; completely unaware that today was his last day in the scare program.

On the day of the final, the class was split into three groups so they could take the exam.

The task was simple. Just scare the test dummy using the appropriate scare and make it scary.

Professor Knight probably thought having the dean there would trip someone up. Obviously, he was mistaken.

Henry and he had the exam periods before Sulley, so they had to get up earlier.

"Catch you later when I take out the trash." Chow joked as Henry left to the café to get a coffee. He hyped himself up a bit, and then entered the classroom.

When it was Chow's turn to scare, he strolled up to the door and pulled the file from the slot.

"Let's see. An 8 year old girl scared of loud noises and dragons. Give me a challenge. It's obviously the Boom Clap with a roar." He gloated as he opened the door and rolled to the front of the bed.

He made a fake thunder clap with his hands that woke the kid up, and then let one of his loudest and sexiest roars rip, filling the bar completely.

"No need to be amazed. Next monster." Chow gloated as he walked down the stairs towards the exit.

"Mr. Devower... You're not done yet." Dean Hardscrabble stated as he stopped in front of her.

"Ok... What else is there?"

"You must scare the child again using this file on the highest setting." She replied as she held out a folder.

"So you're trying to stump me with a near impossible scare. Challenge Accepted." Chow stared as he took the file.

"A 12 year old boy who's afraid of scary movies and the color green. That's not in any book from this class, but I still know the correct scare. It's the Leprechaun Leap. Watch."

Chow entered the room with his shirt over my face. First, he made himself queasy. Then, he jumped onto the bed and snarled causing the kid to scream, filling the bar 80 percent.

"Well done, Mr. Devower. I look forward to seeing you in my more advanced class." The dean congratulated Chow as he left the room to hurl.

Later that day, Chow decided to finally break up with Johnny once and for all. He hadn't spoken to Sulley yet, but he assumed he passed due to the fact that they went over everything he would need to know until he could recite it practically verbatim.

Chow walked down Frat Row and up to the ROR's house and knocked on the solid oak door. Lucky for him, Johnny was the one to answer.

"Oh. It's you. Are you here to chew me out for kicking Sulley out of the frat? Because he's not even a scarer anymore." Johnny greeted Chow with a drawl.

"Wait... Come again?"

"The dean dropped him from the program because he knocked over her legendary scare can and flunked the scare. He didn't even let her finish the child's info before he roared right in her face. Good thing I took his jacket before he even went inside."

"So you're telling me that he's out of the frat?" Chow asked him warily.

"Yup."

"So you have nothing to keep me here..."

"I guess?"

"Great. I'm breaking up with you. We're done. Don't call me, I won't call you. It's not me, it's you. Bye, bitch!" Chow listed off classic break up lines as he slammed the door in Johnny's face.

That night, Chow tried to talk to Sulley, but he was either asleep, not in his room, or just didn't feel like talking.

"Looks like trouble in paradise... Someone needs to take a chill pill." Chow turned to see the blonde monster from the homecoming brawl.

"What do you want?" Chow asked him.

"I know how this story is supposed to go, and what happened to him was meant to be. You pushing him to study was never part of the plan. You being involved in his life at all was never... part... of the plan. Just you showing up here at Monsters University was supposed to be avoided by your uncle. Your destiny doesn't involve this place." He explained as he circled Chow.

"What do you mean? Who are you exactly to say that?"

"Like I've said before, you can call me Joshua, but I'm known to my subordinates as the Composer of Monstropolis and its surrounding areas. At least for now."

"What does that mean?" Chow asked him, confused.

"It means that everything that happens here, I know about it. And anything that needs to be done to make sure that the world you live in prospers and stays rich in energy, I do it. It's such a chore, but someone has to do it." He explained as he pulled out a blank card and tossed it to Chow.

"I can give you anything you desire, but you must leave James Sullivan alone. Unless you still want to go through the whole Scare Games thing, but what frat would let you in after what Johnny is about to do to your image?"

"Thanks, but I've never taken a handout from anyone and I refuse to start now. And Sulley needs me now more than ever regardless." Chow replied as he tossed the card back to him.

"That's what I hoped you'd say. This is gonna be fun. Have a nice winter break." Joshua stated as he disappeared down the hallway.

"Sulley. Open up." Henry called through his door as Chow and he stood outside his room a few minutes after Joshua left.

"Here... Allow me." Chow insisted as he picked his lock with his claw and opened the door.

"Why?" Sulley growled as they walked into the dark room. He was lying on the ground.

"What happened? We studied and everything. Your body was ready."

"Well, when I walked in, I forgot it all somehow. Then I told the dean I didn't need to know any of that stuff." He explained as he sat up in his bed.

"You just… forgot?"

"Yeah… Like my old self just took over."

Chow knew why he was kicked from the program and who temporarily wiped his memory, but nothing could change the past.

"It may not sound cool, but want a hug?" Chow offered as he sat next to him.

"Only because it's you." He replied as they grabbed each other and he yelled into Chow's shoulder. Chow was glad he wasn't crying. Tear stains were murder on his fur.

Suddenly, an idea came into his brain. It was either stupid or absolute genius. Either way, it was the only way that Sulley could get back into the scare program.