Okay, here's the first chapter of my new story, this timeline mainly focuses on the monster's time at MU but might jump to monsters Inc. at some times. As always I only own what's mine. Enjoy.
(Sophia's POV)
Silence.
It seemed to be the defining factor of my life. It was the only thing that seemed to stay with me. People would come and go like the changing seasons, just long enough for me to get attached then they'd be gone.
Adults of my adopted mother Sheila's choosing would direct me. Teach me what to do and what to say. How to walk, talk, dance, and carry me. And like a Marionette I was completely helpless to protest as one person after another would walk into my room, grasping the vertical or horizontal control bar and spend the next few hours twisting and jolting my strings in different directions, each movement was only half done before I was yanked in another direction and in the end, I could do little more than lay on the floor in a twisted mess.
But practice makes perfect and they too, would work out the kinks, find a working order for my limbs and once I was upright and walking in a presentable fashion they would place me back in the large glass case and I'd wait for another to try their hand.
So you see, the silence was the only thing in my life that never left. The dark quietness latched itself to my body like it was trying to feed off my very soul. But despite all the bitterness and the pain I often found myself looking for it, like an addict crawling around on the floor, desperately trying to find enough dough for one more shot of crack, and like that druggy, I'd be waving my hands around to make sure it hadn't left as well.
It never talked you see. The silence was well, silent. So I'd wave my hands around, like some creature doing a bizarre mating dance to attract a lover, and, like always, I'd find it. Crouching in the corner of the glass case like a creature from hell, black tar oozing from its fangs. Smiling a large smile because it knew I'd always look for it once more.
Half the time I'd say I was the creature itself, lurking in the corner of my mind while my adopted parents paraded me around for their friends. Telling the world that 'This one's mine, look at her perfection and grace' and I'd smile, waving my arms as they pulled the strings and worked my mouth with hours of practiced scripts and answers for all situations.
The smiling sharks swimming all around me, their pearly whites stained with blood -or in this case, empty words of praise.
Echoing in repeat, like an owl, calling through the night. Taunting me with doe eyes and perfect white smiles as they complimented Sheila on her 'good work' and' what a fine young lady I'd grown up to be'.
The problem with a marionette doll is when no one's pulling the strings the little cloth or wooden doll is still, lying wherever the last user discarded it. And with Sheila gone I was lost, placed in a locked glass case for another time, so I sat quietly, looking out the car window.
We were on our way, heading to one of the best universities in Monstropolis, Monsters University. The proud school teaching both my mother and father in their trades, and the only acceptable school to teach their young. And like always we drove in silence.
Sulley too lost in a game on his phone, the cheesy music and popping of bubbles echoes around the car. Father was facing out the window, a hand over his open ear, most likely to block out the noise, as he talked to his secretary about some last-minute details for the 'big deal in Paris' and I, knowing better than to disturb them, passed the time imagining that some ape-like figure was flipping and jumping over the treetops. Front flipping and backflipping like a silverback gorilla. Swinging from branch to branch and with its powerful arms, launching its body high over the treetops once again.
My eyes flicked up and down at impressive speed as it moved the imaginary creature through the large green maze locally known as scaring forest, a stupid name I know but thankfully I wasn't the moron forced to take credit for it.
Sheila had stayed behind, making some claim about finishing work at the mansion. But I could see it was simply a ploy to get out of two hours with me in the immediate vicinity. She gave Sulley a long hug, telling him many things that a mother would say to her baby boy leaving for college. A twenty-minute spectacle that Sulley took with as much acceptance that a male monster his age could muster.
For me, I got a stern look, not the glare I'd been accustomed to, but a softer more refined glare, like a king looking down on the court jester and with her warning to 'not cause any trouble at school' or 'disgrace the Sullivan name' she placed a soft paw on my head, before nodding curtly and turning away.
I turn and look down the steps, Sulley is having a heart-to-heart chat with our father, his arms around my brother's shoulders as they go over 'what to do' once more. I glance back up at the house that never felt like home.
For the first time in my life, I'd be free. God give me strength...
I could do what I wanted and not be looked down upon. Sure, the teachers would direct me but not like Sheila, no one could do it as well as her. Crush your dreams with one hand and caress your chin like an angel with the other.
"Come on Sophia!"
"I'm coming."
..
..
There were many clubs around campus, each one holding their own records for some achievement or another, shoving a pamphlet in your face like an excited child showing his working mother the drawing he just finished. And like her, I take each paper, looking over the contents briefly with mock enthusiasm before sliding the paper under the ever-growing pile of papers and continued walking through a large maze locally known as a 'welcome week' for all freshmen.
Each club's activities spread out in booths like a colourful candy store, people excitingly acting out their scrips in hopes that some young mind might be glancing in their general direction. The more extravagant booths caught my attention but only because I wondered how many times they would have to set up, execute, and takedown each set and how many students they were actually missing each time.
My eyes snapped up as a guide wen't over something important about buildings, at least I think it was important as her voice raised considerably and the amount of force of each word got an added punch. Another thing to add to the ever-growing list that 90% of the people would forget in less than an hour. A pamphlet would have been a much better choice in this case. A physical, tangible, list of rules one could pin to a bulletin board and glance at 9000 times.
Out of that 90%, my idiot older brother would be front and center. More than one of them as not only would he forget the rules but the rest of the fucking ORIENTATION! As the large Blue furred monster had just vanished from the group. I ran a hand through my hair and let out a tired side, the thought of watching over my other half all school year weighed heavily on my mind and evaporated any cheerful thoughts of a stress-free school year.
Fucking hell.
By now the group is moving on and I begrudgingly followed, vowing to find my unruly another half later and give him a piece of my mind. It was the first day of school and he was already causing trouble. Sheila should have warned Sulley but in her mind, he could do no wrong. The harshest punishment ever placed on the guy was a half an hour delay on his playtime. I could walk into the wrong room and I'd be grounded for a month.
..
..
We finish the orientation about twenty minutes later, stopping just outside each of the large dorms. The building itself was modest, being made in 1313 when the campus was first funded and besides the obvious paint jobs, the exterior of the building had hardly changed. Most of the money was spent on upgrading and expanding the scaring institute, the prestigious class drawing in more and more hopeful students every year. A thing I knew, as Sulley, a Sullivan no less, barely made it into the class listings, my father had to pull more than a few favors for that one.
Along with the scaring program, there were quite a few other buildings. The school of science, Scream energy school, the engineering school. The school of door technology, the school of business, the school of liberal arts, and monstrosities. The school of aquatics, for mammals under the water and lastly scream can design. Then you had the Amphitheatre, a book store, a cafeteria, a library, a registration hall, the university hall, and the dorm rooms.
The dorms were the last stop on this long tour. The dorms were large at first glance but not as large as you'd think as a quarter of the students would end up in frat row. The Greek empire held 11 fraternities and sororities, each one taking a handful of students. Those who lived close to the university would stay at home with their parents or take residence in one of the many apartment complexes lining the first six blocks from the university. I imagined the inside of the dorms was just as noisy as outside, the music and hustling of other monsters in the quad could still be heard with ease, though we were on the other side of campus by now. The sky was nice, a light blue and the wind wasn't too warm, gently pushing my hair across my face.
The semi-large group of star-struck students came to a semi-coherent stop, well mostly, as some of the extremely star-struck students were too busy pointing to some far-off object in the distance and as a result, run face-first into the rest of the group. Luckily they manage to stay on their feet as the group shifts forwards like a wave and then back as our motions come to a halt.
Our energetic guide comes to a stop, spinning around with a grin as the smaller female monster chuckles, clapping her two sets of arms together like a teacher getting the attention of her rowdy class. I suppose doing this job for a few years she's seen almost everything we could throw at her. No doubt the monster would rather be enjoying the activates across campus but she held her head proudly and kept a well-concealed demeanour.
"Okay listen up people," she says with another clap, we turn to face her "This is the last stop of our tour. The student dorms!" her hand moves to motion the building, like we could somehow miss the giant building in front of us "The dorms are large to hold the majority of the students here at MU. The dorms are split up Male and Female!" she adds with a punch "There are no male and female dorm room partners! Same-sex roommates only!" this statement gets a few chuckles as no doubt this problem arose in the past "Your room numbers are in the envelope you got at the registration hall" she lifts up an envelope with the MU insignia stamped on it, I lift up my papers and double-check I hadn't lost mine "If you have not gotten your envelope you'll need Photo I.D. and you'll get your school I.D. taken along with the envelope. You'll receive your Student cards in a weeks' time." She turns, scanning the heads to make sure she still had us "Present your number to the dorm secretary and she'll give you your key. DO NOT LOSE YOUR KEY! YOU WON'T GET ANOTHER!" she says and claps her hands "Alright that's the end of our tour! Are there any other questions, concerns?" Her eyes fall everyone as they silently split up and had other ways "Anyone?"
Her head slowly circles left to right as she takes in the diminishing crowd. Her face was calm as she most likely was used to this response. Well, until she notices me.
She calmly walks towards me "Did you lose your envelope?"
"Um," I say like an idiot and look around.
It's not like I was lost or needed direction, as my envelope was in my hand, and I'd remembered everything she's said in the last hour, but for some reason, I felt frozen.
(Dean hardscrabble's POV)
I leaned back against the chair, more truthfully a ramp. A padded ramp with a slight incline so I could rest comfortably. Freshman welcome week was in full swing. An entire week filled with marvelous activities, groups and sports littered the front yard as curious eyes took in the sights. Groups of girls linked hand in hand as they pointed out different things with excitement. Welcome week also gave the sorority's time to scope out and lay claim to potential group members.
The Greek counsel held tremendous power over the university, even though they were a little more than students themselves. As stories of their success in the scare games helped to draw people into our school. Welcome week had been on for a little more than three hours and the courtyard was already buzzing about the Greek houses, the well-known sororities making quite an impression on the young minds.
The event was great fun for everyone, it was a week of parties and joy but a week of problems for me. A week full of nothing but problems while I sorted out the troublemakers from the goody-two-shoes. In all honesty, I wasn't sure which hell was a lesser evil? Each group of delinquents brings its own wrath and set of problems.
The troublemakers were obvious, ignoring all of the school rules and everyone around them.
The goody-two-shoes were complete mamas boys and daddy's girls. Spoiled children walking around like their still at home and expecting special treatment for being in school.
Then there were the children that will get homesick, I have at least 30 monsters in my office within the first month.
I turned away from the window, hoping that it would somehow cure an impending headache I could already feel rolling across my temple. My eyes fell back to the desk, the applicants for the scaring program were sitting in front of me. They were the last group I had to go over. Every year we had a rush of applicants, monsters of all shapes and sizes. Most alpha males, some omegas would try their hand at the class but I would weed out the unfit monsters within the first scaremester. Those who were unfit to be in my program would be placed another or sent Home.
I gently lift up some papers with clawed fingers. All the stress made me miss the old days, the scaring days. The danger of doing each room, the toxic toys littering the floor. The satisfaction of their screams, the smile on my face when the high-pitched noise filled the air and I slithered back through the closet door into the safety of my world, only to wait a moment before going once more. Now, my problems were teachers, and their problems with students, the annual budget meeting along with other useless bullshit.
Picking up the sheets I went over the applicants for the program, names, ages, and other personal information or scribbled down the sheet. Pictures of each student were clipped to the top left corner and my eyes flipped up once as I put a name to a face before sliding the sheet under the pile and continuing on.
Sophie gooey.
Mike Creatanus.
Donnakay Ahhhsome.
Jimmy p. Sullivan.
I pause.
Sullivan? Had I just read that right?
Flashbacks of the freshman flew before my eyes. James was an excellent scarer. He was a freshman here at Monsters University when I was a senior. The blue and purple spotted male caused a scene wherever he went. Even at Monster's Inc. Sullivan caused a scene, flying by the rules and anyone in his way. But for all his trouble, James was one of the best. Riding clothes on my heels every day and breaking the all-time scare record only two years after I had. After a time he matured. Finding Sheila helps with that of course and I was proud to say I've known and worked with the monster.
Now we were here.
The situation repeating itself once more. The young monster is a carbon copy of his father, right down through his eyes. I've known the boy for years. Often seeing him at parties and at work fundraisers. The young monster follows in his father's footsteps with a confident face but unsure eyes. They had put so much pressure on his shoulders, an impossible task for a child and I could do little to help ease the pain.
The years had flown by and in a blink of an eye, Jimmy or Sulley, as he prefers, had grown into a fine young monster. But Jimmy wasn't the only monster it seemed I had failed, as behind Sulley was Sophia. The smaller female monster was under constant watch by sheila, like simply breathing would somehow cause a problem.
There wasn't a time I could remember that I ever saw a smile on Sheila's face. Always a frown on her lips and disappointment in her eyes. No matter how hard she tried Sophia was never enough for her.
I couldn't understand why she did that. Even if they had wanted another son Sophia was a fine monster. My own scare record proves that females were just as scary as males.
So I often pulled the youngest monster under my wing. Told her stories of my time at monsters Inc. or University. Even getting James to break his composure on a few stories. The older monster barely contained his laughter as his wife looked over with an unapproving glance. For a few hours, I could get the small child to smile and even laugh.
And yet, there was this...
Sophia Jones. Different last name, different I.D., and... different classes? Scream major was listed as her class. Yet her emergency contacts were listed under James and Sheila's names and numbers. Had something happened? The young monster had such appreciation for my work, claiming her chance at a scarer in the future and now she's ditching out?
My clawed hand reached for the phone, my fingers hovering over the first number when a knock resonated through my office.
"Come in." I place the phone back on the receiver and can't help but chuckle when the door opens "Well speak of the devil and he shall appear."
It was none other than James P. Sullivan himself. The blue-furred monster holding his head proudly yet his eyes, slightly softer from age still held that mischievous twinkle.
"I've been called many things over the years but never a devil" he chuckles "Hello Carla, it's been a while."
I stand up, my many legs moving quickly as I walk around the desk, and find myself pulled into a strong hug.
"James." I chuckle and hug back just as long.
He pulls back slightly, his arms still holding my waist.
"To think, all the memories made at this school and now we're actually hugging in it." I snort as memories of the rowdy freshman plagued my mind.
As head of the MU disciplinary action committee, it was my priority to stop any mischief before it happened and James, well, James took that as a challenge. Each time the pranks got more extravagant and only when faced with explosion did the shenanigans cease, well... mostly. The occasional glitter bomb went off in the quad every few months and while not claimed my finger never fell on anyone else.
"Are you here to cause more mischief?" I joke, turning around once more to my desk, my hand slides out as I motion to the chair "because if you are you'll be out on your ass so fast your head will spin"
He shoots me the famous Sullivan smile, white teeth almost gleaming in the light.
"Nah, I think it's Sulley's turn to give some hell."
I shake my head with a smile and make a mental reminder to warn the new MU disciplinary action committee president.
"Usually I turn away drop-in visits," I state as I shift some papers into a neat pile "but, I'm glad you're here. I had some things I'd like to discuss with you."
"Sophia, right?" he sighs, eyeing the information on my screen. The window mirroring the information still sitting on her page. A photo had been uploaded to her profile.
"Did something happen?"
"A lot of things happened Carla." He sighs brokenly "but they're not her fault, they're mine. They've always been mine." He places a hand over his face and I lean back slightly, this side of James was certainly new.
"What do you mean; it's all your fault?" I ask slowly after it seemed like he couldn't continue.
"Why Sheila dislikes Sophia. Why she lives with us. What happened to her mother. Everything comes back to my mistake."
My eyebrow raises at this and I instantly start thinking about the possible answers. Each one is worst than the first. He looks up, the eyes of a broken monster looking at me. It broke my heart. The monster with the biggest heart sat before me and for the first time in my life the glimmer of light had left his eyes
"I messed up Carla..." he whispers "I messed up big and I've been messing up ever since."
Okay, read and review!
Peace!