Making Our Mark

Chapter 2: Tour

"Happy Monday Monstropolis! It's five after the hour of eight in the morning here in our gorgeous city. You can expect sunshine today and a temperature of – "

Slamming a hand over my clock radio to shut it off, I dragged my groggy self out of bed. Stifling a yawn, I wrenched open my curtains and was greeted by the sight of the campus being bathed in the soft glow of the sun rising over the horizon. There were only a few monsters crossing the campus this early in the morning and I was about to be one of them. While my first class didn't start until ten in the morning, I liked to take my time getting up in the morning. If I rushed, chances are I would forget something. Plus, I wanted time to wander around campus and get to know the place that I would be calling home for the next four years.

When I walked into my private bathroom, I nearly jumped out of my skin at the sight of my reflection. My ombre locks were sticking up in different directions, making me resemble something between a troll doll and a sheep that needed some serious sheering. I grimaced at the sight of a perfect white line trailing from the edge of my lips of the back of my neck. Oh, please don't tell me that's a piece of lettuce in my teeth from dinner last night.

Definitely gives new meaning to the term 'scary', I thought.

Once I got cleaned up, tamed my unruly hair, and made sure that my makeup was on par half an hour later, I exited the bathroom and darted over to my closet. I threw on my dress and jacket and cast a quick glance at my reflection in my full-body mirror. As I did so, my stomach rumbled noisily. Fortunately, another perk of getting up early was being able to grab breakfast and a coffee, which I planned on doing before exploring the campus.

After making sure that the required books for today's classes and my wallet were packed safely inside my messenger bag, I grabbed my keys and left the dorm, locking the door behind me. I took a quick elevator ride down to the lobby of the building, which was empty due to the rest of the building's occupants being either still in bed or out and about. I extended a cheerful greeting to the monster at the front desk before pushing the main doors open and stepping outside, expecting to be greeted by fresh air, chirping birds, and rays of sunshine.

Instead, unfortunately, I was greeted by a, "Good morning, chica."

It was, I thought as I gave the familiar bug-like monster leaning leisurely against the wall of the building a look of pure disdain. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you actually," Javier answered, pushing himself off of the wall with a grin.

"Well, now that you have, you can run along now," I told him as I started walking away, "I have better things to do than to stand here and let you annoy me for pure amusement."

"As fun as that would be, that's not why I'm here," said Javier, suddenly appearing by my side.

"Shocking," I remarked, my voice oozing sarcasm, "so why are you here?"

"I'm here to show you around campus," Javier explained simply.

I frowned at him in puzzlement. "Why?"

"Johnny mentioned that you didn't get a chance to look around yet," Javier explained.

I turned to arch an eyebrow at him. "He did?"

Javier nodded. "Since he has class, he asked me if I would give you a tour since we're both free this morning."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "And you willingly agreed to get up early just to do it?"

"It would be loco of me to say no," Javier replied.

I scoffed. "Because no one dares to says no to Johnny?"

"Because spending the morning with a beautiful chica like yourself is too good to pass up," Javier explained with a sly grin.

I rolled my eyes at his attempted flirting. "What else has my big mouth of a brother told you about me?"

"Nothing much other than that," Javier replied with a smirk, "but I'm hoping to learn more during this tour."

"Good luck with that," I retorted, "because there's a lot to me and not a lot of tour time."

"I guess we'll see, won't we?" said Javier with a chuckle. "So is that a yes or no?"

I heaved a sigh. "Very well, it would be beneficial for me to know where I'm going." I then gave him a warning glare. "Just don't try anything funny or I'll smack that smirk right off of your face."

"RΩR's honour," Javier promised, holding up a hand to swear his oath, which appeared to contradict the mischievous grin that graced his lips.

After a quick stop at the cafeteria to grab a breakfast wrap and an iced cappuccino, both which Javier insisted that he pay for ("Consider it part of the tour, chica," he told me), we made our way back outside. Since I had pretty much seen everything from the front gate to the troll bridge and most of what was called East Campus, Javier offered to show me around whatever Upper Quad was. I stayed by his side during the tour, but kept a respectable distance from him to ensure that his hands didn't wander where they shouldn't.

"So this is the School of Business," said Javier, pointing out the brick building that we were passing by. "Self-explanatory."

"Pretty much," I agreed with a quick glance at the building in question.

Pointing at another building ahead, Javier continued, "And that's the School of Door Technology where monsters learn how to build doors to the human world."

"Sounds creative and dangerous," I remarked before taking a sip of my cappuccino.

"Not as dangerous as going through the doors themselves, trust me," Javier told me.

My ears perked up at this comment. "You're a Scaring major?"

Javier nodded proudly. "Just like everyone else in the Rios family."

I simply nodded before doing a double take in surprise. "You're a Rios?"

Javier nodded again, this time with a chuckle. "You're full of questions today, aren't you, chica?"

I glared at him. "You offered to give me a tour of the campus, so you should expect questions."

"Didn't know any would have to do with my family," said Javier with raised eyebrows.

"It just explains a lot, that's all," I told him. I should have guessed that he was a Scaring major given that he was a member of Roar Omega Roar and if he was good enough to be in that fraternity, then it should have been no surprise that he came from a family of successful Scarers.

"Impressed, chica?" Javier asked smugly.

I scoffed at him. "Names don't impress me. You could tell me you're the son of Frank McCay and I'd still think you're a pompous asshole."

"Is that so?" Javier asked, raising his eyebrows at me.

I nodded confidently. "I'm not one to care about names."

"But you're a Worthington," Javier pointed out.

"So?" I responded with another scoff. "It doesn't matter who I am. What matters is what I can do."

"And what can you do?" Javier asked, his voice dripping with intrigue.

Smirking at him, I answered, "More than you can possibly imagine."

Javier grinned. "Well, I would like to see what you can do."

"Well, I can't do much without knowing my way around this place," I pointed out, "so let's continue with the tour, shall we?"

Fortunately, the rest of the campus tour continued on a more positive note without me having to issue any fatal threats to Javier. In fact, I was actually quite amused when we passed the School of Scaring, which propelled him to launch a speech about it in a manner that was more passionate than pompous. I could tell by the way his eyes lit up and the way in which he spoke that he was proud to be part of both the program and of the university. It was a surprise coming from a monster who, according to what Johnny had said over dinner the night before, tends to be more reserved during social interactions.

As we made our way between the School of Science and the Scream Energy School, I started noticing that more monsters had awoken for the day and were out and about. A few female monsters gave flirtatious waves to Javier as they passed us by, causing him to nod his head towards them in acknowledgement. I didn't miss the way they glared menacingly at me, but I simply rolled my eyes in exasperation.

Before I knew it, we had arrived at the Sci-Tech Parkway. I discarded my empty breakfast wrapper and plastic glass into a nearby trashcan before we crossed the parkway over the river and headed in the direction of a building that was a bit shorter in height compared to the rest on campus, but longer in size.

"Well, here's our final stop: the School of Liberal Arts and Monstrosities," said Javier as he gestured to the building. Giving me what he probably thought was his most charming smile, he added, "I hope the tour was to your satisfaction."

I nodded. "You certainly know a lot about the campus, I'll give you that. Then again, you could have been lying the whole time and my first class isn't in this building at all."

Javier chuckled. "Guess you're just going to have to trust me then."

"That better not be my first mistake as a freshman," I said, narrowing my eyes at him suspiciously.

"I assure you, it's not," said Javier with a smile that I perceived as genuine and hoped it truly was.

I cleared my throat to break the brief moment of silence that followed after he spoke. "Well, thank you for the tour and for breakfast."

"De nada, chica," Javier replied with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Have a good first day. If all goes well, come to Frat Row tonight."

"Why?" I asked with an air of caution mixed with curiosity.

"Jaws Theta Chi is throwing a party for Rush Week," Javier explained. "It's a good way to mingle and get to know other monsters."

I nodded, folding my arms in front of me. "And if I don't end up having a good day?"

Javier grinned. "I still hope to see you there."

I shook my head in disbelief. "You're quite the persistent one, aren't you?"

"Nothing good ever came from a lack of trying," Javier answered. He bowed his head courteously and said, "Good day, my lovely señorita."

I watched in wonderment as he turned his back to me and proceeded across the grass in the direction of the troll bridge. As much as I hated to admit it, I admired his determination. It seemed that when he had his heart set on something, he would relentlessly pursue it. It would serve him well if he would just direct it towards his career rather than me.

Shaking my head to rid my mind of any lingering thoughts of my tour guide, I turned and ascended the steps to the main entrance of the school. Upon walking through the doors and climbing up the steps that followed, I immediately was in awe of how the entire building opened up above me like a rustic church. It was a characteristic that I certainly did not pick up on from simply staring at the brick structure from the outside, but it definitely made the environment more pleasant to be in.

After verifying the directional signs posted on a pillar before me, I turned and headed down the corridor to the left, pausing just outside a brown door. Taking a moment to exhale and collect myself, I pulled open the door and entered a lecture-style classroom that seated between fifty to seventy students. About twenty monsters were scattered throughout the seats; some were chatting amicably with each other while others sat in silence, their faces pale as ghosts, probably from some freshmen nerves that have yet to sink in.

Spotting a sky-blue monster with fin-like pigtails of aqua blue sitting by herself in the front row, I made a beeline for the seat to the right of her. I always liked sitting at the front of classrooms because the presence of the teacher forced you to stay awake and pay attention, and you were not distracted by the monsters seated in front of you.

"Excuse me," I said, getting the monster's attention, "is this seat taken?"

The monster turned her head and smiled brightly, her trio of eyes twinkling. "Not at all."

"Thanks," I said with a smile of my own as I sat down and placed my bag on the desk in front of me. "I'm Danica."

"Nice to meet you," said the monster, shaking my hand that I had offered. "I'm Brynn Larson, Spanish Studies and Scaring."

"Pleasure," I replied. "Spanish Studies and Education here."

"Nice," Brynn remarked. "I'm glad to learn that I'm not the only freshman double majoring here."

I laughed. "Same, my brother thinks I'm crazy for doing it."

"Your brother goes here too?" Brynn asked.

I nodded, removing a notebook and my pencil case from my bag. "Yeah, he's a senior majoring in Scaring."

"Wow, well, now I know who to go to for advice," Brynn remarked with a laugh.

I smiled. "He would probably be a great help if he wasn't busy flaunting his looks, partying, and flirting with girls."

Brynn laughed. "He's a player, huh?"

"Oh, yeah," I answered with a grin. "I'm surprised he still manages to do incredibly well in school."

Brynn smiled. "Well, here's hoping that we can do well too."

"I know we can," I said with an air of confidence before giving her a fist pump.

The classroom door opening, signalling the entrance of a maroon-scaled lizard with a briefcase, halted any further conversation between us for the rest of the class.

The campus cafeteria was bustling with activity around noon as Brynn and I carefully manoeuvered our way around chatting monsters and food displays, balancing our filled lunch trays: mine had a tuna salad sandwich with a bag of chips and a can of Blort while hers had a piece of grilled chicken on quinoa with a bottle of water.

"Is it just me or was that first class easy?" Brynn asked me as we seated ourselves at an empty table.

"Very easy," I agreed. "I have a feeling this course will be a repeat of the Spanish grammar covered in high school."

Brynn nodded, reaching for her bottle of water. "Should be an easy A then."

"Hey, one less course to focus on this semester," I pointed out with a grin.

"And more time for Greek life," Brynn added, "because I was thinking of joining Slugma Slugma Kappa."

"A sorority?" I asked curiously, pulling open my bag of chips.

"Yeah, they're apparently big on fusing fitness with scaring, which is something that I'm interested in," Brynn explained before taking a sip of water.

"Have you reached out to them yet?" I asked before nibbling on a chip.

After swallowing, Brynn nodded. "I talked to Carla Delgado, you know, the president, and she's open to me joining."

"That's wonderful," I remarked with a genuine smile.

Brynn beamed. "One of the frats is throwing a party tonight in celebration of Rush Week and she invited me out to it to get to know the rest of the sisters better."

"Party?" I said with a raised eyebrow. "The one Jaws Theta Chi is hosting?"

"Yeah, that one," Brynn replied with an air of surprise. "Were you invited too?"

I paused. "I guess you could say that."

"By who?" Brynn asked keenly.

"Just some guy from my brother's frat," I answered nonchalantly before popping another chip into my mouth.

"Which frat?" Brynn asked eagerly.

I paused again to swallow. "Roar Omega Roar."

"Your brother is a RΩR?" Brynn exclaimed, startling a few monsters seated at a nearby table.

Hushing her quickly, I hissed, "Geez, not so loud Brynn!"

"From what I heard, that's the best frat on campus!" Brynn gushed, clearly ignoring my warning. "Plus, their president is quite easy on the eyes."

I scoffed as I opened my can of Blort. "Who told you that?"

Blushing furiously, Brynn answered, "Carla pointed him out when he passed us by and I think he's one fine piece of tail."

I grimaced in disgust. "I'd rather not think of him in that way, thank you."

"What are you, blind?" Brynn questioned with a laugh.

I shook my head. "No, I'm his sister."

Brynn dropped her fork in astonishment. "Get out, your brother is Johnny Worthington?"

I nodded, unsure of whether or not to be proud of that fact.

"That means you're a Worthington!" Brynn exclaimed loudly as though I was a celebrity.

I sighed at the unwanted gazes that suddenly shifted our way. "Yeah."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Brynn asked, smiling brightly.

I sighed again. "Basically, I'd rather monsters like me because I'm me, not because I'm a Worthington."

Brynn nodded. "I understand. Hey, if it makes you feel any better, it doesn't change anything. I thought you were cool before I learned you're a Worthington and I still think you're pretty cool."

I smiled kindly. "Right back at you, Brynn."

A familiar voice boomed in an enthusiastic greeting, causing Brynn and me to turn our heads in the direction of the double doors. I spotted Johnny, who had entered with the rest of his fraternity, shaking hands with a monster wearing an Omega Howl jacket and an obnoxiously-curly afro. I recognized Chet and Javier, but the dark purple monster and slobbering green monster, both sporting Roar Omega Roar gear, were new to me.

"So," said Brynn, eyeing me with a teasing grin, "who's the RΩR that invited you to the party?"

I discreetly jabbed a claw in the direction of Javier who stood proudly and silently next to Johnny. "The one with the antennae."

Brynn shifted her gaze back to the monster whom I was referring to and wolf-whistled in appreciation. "Damn, you sure know how to attract the hot ones."

I rolled my eyes with a scoff. "I did not attract him. I just happened to run into him twice."

"Twice?" Brynn asked excitedly, her gaze now on me again. "When?"

"Last night after dinner with Johnny," I explained, "and this morning before he offered to give me a tour of the campus."

Casting another glance at Javier, Brynn tilted her head and said, "He seems like the silent type."

"Johnny says he tends to be, but he's not with me," I muttered as I unwrapped my sandwich.

"So he gave you a tour of the campus and then invited you to the party," said Brynn, grinning madly. "He's so into you."

"So not," I retorted. "I'm sure he just invited me to toy around with an innocent freshman, but I'm not someone to be played."

Brynn stared at me like I had just grown a second head. "Don't tell me you're not going to the party tonight then."

"Going would mean playing into his claws," I explained, "and I would rather venture aimlessly into the human world or hold my breath until I turn as blue as you."

"Oh, come on, Danica," said Brynn encouragingly. "You should still come. If not for Mister Chiseled Abs, then at least to mingle with other monsters."

I gave her a look of bewilderment. "Mister Chiseled Abs?"

"Hey, I call it like I see it," said Brynn with a sheepish grin. "Plus, I don't know his name."

I shook my head at her ridiculousness. "It's Javier Rios."

Brynn shook her head in amazement. "Should have known a sexy monster would have an equally sexy name. Rolls off the tongue, wouldn't you say?"

"He's lucky then that one of us thinks that," I retorted before taking a sip of my Blort.

"Hey, at least he comes from a well-known family too," Brynn pointed out. "Rios and Worthington, they're up there with all those names like Sullivan, Gunderson, Thompson, and McCay."

"Remember how I said that I didn't care about family names?" I asked her with an arched eyebrow.

"Just saying that he's quite the catch, Danica," said Brynn, waggling her eyebrows at me. "You two could easily become the campus' biggest power couple."

"Well, to be honest, that isn't exactly on my list of goals to achieve before I graduate," I quipped with a laugh.

Brynn chuckled. "Danica, he's a RΩR and a Rios, so he has to be a great Scarer. On top of that, he's fine as hell and, based on what you've told me, has all four eyes on you. Are you sure you don't want him?"

Upon being asked such a question, I glanced up and was surprised to find that all four of Javier's pink orbs were, indeed, on me from afar. When he winked at me, I quickly turned back to Brynn and said, "Yeah, I'm sure."