Making Our Mark

Chapter 12: Midterm

"What was the answer to la didascalia?" Brynn asked as we exited the School of Liberal Arts and Monstrosities after a midterm spanning an hour and twenty-minutes. That was the maximum time that we were given to complete it, but we were allowed to leave earlier if we had finished sooner. Although I had finished early, I chose to remain behind until the very end. Brynn, too, was among the last of the students to leave the room.

"Los indicadors escénicos, tals como los indicios de sitio ou de tiempo," I recited from memory with ease.

"Shoot," Brynn muttered. "I thought that was for el lenguaje corporal."

"Los gestos," I defined, shaking my head. "Those are written in italics a majority of the time in play scripts."

Brynn heaved a sigh of dismay. "Damn, monsters weren't kidding when they said Professor Rocasolano's exams were doozies."

"That might explain why so many monsters looked so grumpy when they left," I mentioned, "and they left way before we did."

"You sound like you kicked some major tail on it though," said Brynn, "so why did you stay for the entire time?"

"I had time to spare, so I figured I would put the exam aside for a moment and then read over everything again," I explained. "I was in no hurry. If I'm given an hour and twenty minutes, I have every right to use all of that time if I want to."

Brynn nodded, her interest piqued at my approaching to test-taking. "Did that help?"

"It actually did help because I caught quite a number of grammatical errors within my essay that I was able to fix," I revealed. "Incorrect verb conjugations, missing accents, and all that jazz."

"I always thought it would make you second guess everything," said Brynn.

"For some monsters, such an approach might, but for me, reading it over doesn't always make me second guess my answers," I admitted, "but if I do start to question something that I put down, I leave it as it is unless I know for sure that I should change it because, more often than not, my first instinct was right."

Brynn sighed deeply again. "You know how much Professor Rocasolano lectured on the two topics that wound up as choices for the essay portion of the exam?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I had a good feeling that those would be the choices for the essay because the content could easily be broken down into three body paragraphs. That Goblin I focused heavily on them when I was reviewing."

"Yeah, well, it took me a while to figure out which topic I could remember more of and could write more on," Brynn shared.

"And?" I asked, encouraging her to continue.

"I didn't like my odds for either topic," Brynn confessed sheepishly. "I was lucky that I put down all that I did."

I smiled sympathetically as we passed the School of Business. "Here's hoping then that we both did fairly decent."

"If you're up for a Blort back at the EEK house, I'll drink to that," said Brynn.

"Sounds good to me," I agreed.

The topic of conversation changed from our finished midterm to our upcoming ones as we crossed the bridge and proceeded down the road to Frat Row. Brynn was feeling a bit apprehensive about her History of Scaring midterm later in the afternoon and, considering how tough her professor for the course was reported to be, I couldn't blame her. She was, however, looking forward to our Spanish Language Training I midterm the following week, as was I. Given that the content that we were 'learning' was a repeat of that covered in high school, we could probably ace it without studying. I fully planned on studying for it though, just to be safe.

En route to our destination, monsters passing Brynn and me would wave and some even addressed me by my name, which I responded with waves and kind smiles of my own. The attention on me grew since my theatre critique got published in the campus newspaper and monsters started putting a name to a face, but the talk with Javier taught me to embrace it and who I was as a monster. I came to realize that my critique was definitely an asset to my growing portfolio of work, which would be a nice reflection of me when the time came to graduate and apply for teaching positions.

When Brynn and I arrived at Frat Row, I spotted a bunch of construction vehicles parked nearby on a plot of land that a rickety shack used to occupy. Massive piles of dirt and debris were pushed further away. It appeared that the land had just been cleared and a new foundation had been built. I silently wondered if a new fraternity or sorority had been founded or if an existing one was getting a new place. If it was the latter, I certainly hoped that the new house wasn't for Roar Omega Roar; their house was obnoxiously huge as it was and in great shape to boot, so I saw no reason for why they would need an upgrade.

"Oh, yeah, that's for Oozma Kappa," Brynn indicated, answering the question that had formed in my mind. "Carla told me that the Greek Council recently passed a motion to begin tearing down one of the old houses on Frat Row and rebuilding it as their new frat house."

"That's wonderful news," I said cheerfully, feeling happy for my friends. "The Oozmas must be thrilled."

"They are," Brynn replied, her face falling slightly, "but while there is enough funding in place to get the new building up by next summer, there won't be much left for furnishing it."

My face fell at the unfortunate news. When Oozma Kappa moved, they would only have their belongings to bring with them. Everything else that made up the house – furniture, dinnerware, lighting, and appliances – all belonged to Squishy's mother and, as generous as she was, she would probably draw the line at her son's fraternity taking her furnishings with them.

"Although the house is scheduled to be completed by mid-summer, there isn't enough money to fill it with furniture," said Brynn mournfully. "I wouldn't blame the Oozmas for choosing to not move into an empty house with not much to bring to it."

"Have they thought about fundraising?" I suggested, admiring the stacks of new timber and tan-coloured bricks still atop one of the construction trucks.

"Carla brought it up and everyone seemed to think it was a good idea," Brynn explained, "but Johnny pointed out that the council already had their hands full with finalizing everything for the Scare Games and for the campus-wide talent show next semester, and that it wouldn't be wise to take on additional projects if they couldn't fully commit to them."

"Of course he would say that," I mumbled, frowning at Johnny's opposition to a fundraiser that benefitted Oozma Kappa. It didn't surprise me that he disliked the Oozmas and would no sooner agree to raise money for the construction of their frat house than he would willingly stick his tail inside a wood chipper. "How much more is needed to furnish the house?"

"About ten grand," Brynn answered and nodded grimly at my eyes widening. "Less will probably be needed if they get second-hand things, but even used furniture and appliances add up."

"Tell me about it," I murmured. Even though I came from a wealthy family, I still believed ten grand to be a huge amount of money.

"The Greek Council is doing what they can with the funds that they do have," Brynn continued, "but unless they can come up with a way and a time to raise more money, Oozma Kappa's new house will just be an empty building."

I sighed at the empty plot of land before me, my thoughts drifting back to Oozma Kappa. Although I was pleased that a majority of the Greek Council seemed to finally agree that the fraternity was just as much a part of the campus community as the others to the point that they began building them a house on Frat Row, it was heartbreaking for me to learn that they might not get a chance to move into it, perhaps ever if Johnny and whoever succeeded him as President of Roar Omega Roar got their way. I suddenly felt motivated to do whatever I could to help raise the funds to furnish their new house. When and how I was going to go about doing that was another story.

Brynn nudging me snapped me out of my brainstorming. She nodded her head towards the RΩRs who were heading in our direction. Johnny, as always, was leading the group, with Chet and Reggie behind him, and Chip and Javier bringing up the rear. Sulley was unusually absent, which didn't bother me as being in his presence had me rolling my eyes so much that I was worried that they would eventually fall out of their sockets.

"Hey, sis," Johnny greeted as he reached us. He winked at Brynn and added, "Larson."

Brynn blushed slightly as she gave a small wave back.

"Hey, guys," I said, shaking my head at Brynn's sudden lack of composure.

"How was your first midterm?" Javier spoke up.

I smiled at his incredible memory and thoughtfulness, two qualities that I recently learned he possessed. "It was good."

Brynn scoffed. "That's being humble." She looked to Javier and said, "She probably aced it."

"Thank you for not bringing shame to our family," said Johnny gratefully.

"Well, one of us has to make Mom and Dad proud," I quipped, eliciting a laugh from Javier.

"Ha ha, very funny, sis," Johnny grumbled sarcastically as his gaze, now curious, shifted to the side.

I turned as well to see Roy hobbling past us, wearing an expression of immense pain on his face. When my eyes met his, I smiled innocently, causing him to gulp and speed up his pace, seemingly wanting to put as much distance between him and me as possible, but that appeared to only intensify the pain that he was experiencing.

"Wonder what happened to Big Red," Johnny muttered with folded arms.

"Oh, that," I said, watching the monster in question grimace in pain with every step that he took. "That was my doing."

I suddenly felt the bulging eyes of Brynn and the RΩRs on me, with Javier being the first to snap out of his stunned state and ask, "What do you mean by that?"

"He tried chatting me up again while I was on my way to my midterm," I explained, "and got very handsy, I might add."

"He did what?" Johnny roared in outrage, causing Brynn to flinch at the high volume of his voice. Being the older one of the two of us, Johnny was very protective of me, even though I had told him time and time again that I could take care of myself. The lengths that he would go to in order to ward off any potential harm directed at me were extreme and, to my utmost surprise, has yet to land him in jail.

"I warned him to back off, but he didn't," I continued, "so I just kneed him in the balls."

Chet winced at whatever he was picturing in his mind. "Wow."

Johnny, somewhat calmer now, took another look in Roy's direction before he chuckled and said, "You must have done a real number on him because he just walked into a lamp post."

Javier laughed at the sight and said, "Better not mess with you then, chica."

I gave Johnny a look of confidence. "Told you I could take care of myself."

"Well, thanks, sis, you just did us a huge favour," said Johnny, much happier now at the sight of a pain-inflicted Roy. "With Big Red injured, JΘX doesn't stand a chance tonight."

"What's going on tonight?" I asked inquisitively.

"The Greek Council's annual bowling night," Johnny explained. "Midway through every fall semester, the frats and sororities gather to compete in a bowling tournament."

"It gives us a chance to destress from midterms and have some fun," Chip added.

"Wanna come out tonight?" Johnny asked, holding his head high in pride. "You know, to support the best team there is?"

"Sure," I chirped before smiling at Brynn. "I'm sure Slugma Slugma Kappa will appreciate a cheerleader."

"Ouch, chica," Javier remarked with a hand over his chest. "I thought we were friends."

"We are," I assured him, even though I was open to us being more than that. "I just like messing with you."

Brynn laughed. "Your loyalties are torn, aren't they? Your best friend is in Slugma Slugma Kappa and your brother is in Roar Omega Roar. Who will you root for?"

I shrugged. "It won't be a crime to cheer for both."

"Does that mean you'll be there then?" Javier asked hopefully.

I smirked at his eagerness. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Monstropinz, a bowling alley that was just a twenty-minute drive from Monsters University, boasted seventy long lanes, cosmic lighting that bathed the interior in a soft neon glow, upbeat music that kept everyone's energy up, and some of the tastiest and greasiest finger food known to monster kind. The noisiest area of the alley was to the far left where the Greek Council had reserved the first twelve lanes for the participating fraternities and sororities.

From my place at a table behind a partial brick wall separating a carpeted area from the lanes themselves, I had a good view of the entire Greek community in attendance. Seated across from me were Claire and Brock, the President and Vice President of the Greek Council respectively. Speaking with them over a pitcher of Blort revealed them to be quite opposites; while Claire was outright emotionless and cynical, Brock was overly enthusiastic and optimistic. It amazed me how well they got along and worked together despite their clashing personalities.

Brock took a big gulp of his glass and sighed in satisfaction. "Another good bowling night, eh, Claire?"

"Wonderful," Claire responded drearily, running a claw absentmindedly along the rim of her glass.

"Everyone seems to be having a good time," I agreed. "You two did a fantastic job organizing it."

"Thanks, Worthington!" said Brock, his proud voice booming throughout the area.

I smiled kindly, no longer phased by someone addressing me by my last name.

"It's a shame Oozma Kappa didn't show up," Claire murmured before taking a sip.

I nodded sadly, eyeing the only reserved lane that remained unoccupied. When I ran into Don earlier in the afternoon and asked if I would be seeing him and the rest of Oozma Kappa at the Greek Council's annual bowling night, he looked uneasy at the very mention of it and stuttered that they already had plans that night. Although I sensed that he was not being entirely truthful, I didn't press him for more details. I knew that they still didn't feel welcomed enough by the Greek community to attend one of its social events and I wasn't about to pressure him and the rest of his fraternity into doing something that made them uncomfortable.

"They usually don't, but they should get out more!" said Brock encouragingly. "We always have fun!"

"Loads," Claire agreed, a dull expression gracing her dark features.

Turning back to me, Brock asked, "So, are you hoping that your brother's frat wins tonight?"

"If they do, I'd be happy," I answered as I refilled my glass, "but if another group wins, I'd be just as happy."

"The Slugma Slugma Kappa girls are the reigning champs, you know," said Claire plainly.

"Really?" I asked with a bright smile.

"Oh, yeah!" Brock exclaimed. "Three years running, they are, ever since Carla became the President."

"That's impressive," I commented.

"Totally," Claire drawled.

I took a sip of my drink and turned to the teams playing to watch them in action for a bit. Squinting at the screens hanging above the lanes, it appeared that all eleven teams were on their eighth frame at least. Slugma Slugma Kappa was in the lead, being the sports enthusiasts that they were, but Gamma Roar Roar wasn't too far behind. I wasn't surprised to see that Python Nu Kappa was in last place; after Carrie had broken a claw, the entire sorority refused to sink their perfectly-polished claws into the holes of the bowling balls, which hindered their performance greatly.

"Roar Omega Roar seems determined to take home the title and the gift certificate to the Monstropolis House of Pizza this year," said Brock in a dramatic fashion as though he was offering commentary on the event, "but they don't seem to be doing so hot."

"Horrific," Claire chimed in unenthusiastically.

Confused by the remarks, I looked over at the lane that Roar Omega Roar occupied and immediately sensed how off the team dynamic was. Sulley, with a neon green ball in hand, looked to be struggling in his concentration of the pins that lay ahead with Johnny glaring at his spotted back, his arms folded in front of him and his tail coiled in frustration. Bruiser, Chet, Chip, and Javier were seated in chairs nearby and didn't look too happy at their newest recruit either for reasons that were unknown to me.

"They're third to last in terms of scores so far," Claire noted apathetically.

"Usually, they're way better than this!" Brock shouted with a grin. "They always give Slugma Slugma Kappa a run for their money!"

"Something's got them distracted," Claire mumbled.

I watched Sulley gulp nervously before sending his ball rolling down the lane. Unfortunately, his aim wasn't so great; the ball didn't last long on the lane before it rolled into the right gutter, evoking a growl of disappointment from Bruiser that was audible from my place at the table with Brock and Claire. Chet snarled at Sulley as the blue behemoth passed him on the way back to his seat. Chip rubbed the tips of his claws into his temple in irritation while Johnny shook his head repeatedly in a disapproving manner. Javier, who appeared drained, dragged a hand down his face and kept it there.

"Trouble in paradise?" Claire wondered.

"Better hope not!" Brock bellowed. "The Scare Games are only months away!"

"I have a calendar, Brock," Claire reminded him in annoyance. "No need to remind me every flipping day."

Ignoring his colleague, Brock announced, "Looks like the RΩRs are done the first round!"

Looking back, I heard Johnny growl at the flashing screen above that displayed his team's scores. Considering how well they typically performed, their scores could only be described as average, with Sulley's being the lowest of the six.

Johnny shot a deadly glare at Sulley before breezing through a hole in between two partial brick walls and storming off towards the bathroom. A disgruntled Chet followed Johnny while Chip and Bruiser shot Sulley dirty looks as they took off abruptly for the restaurant nearby, possibly to take their minds off of the events of the night with drinks. Javier groaned, making a beeline for the exit of the building.

Claire, who was totalling up the scores for Roar Omega Roar's first round of bowling on her clipboard, said, "They're breaking."

"A break's good!" said Brock hopefully. "Maybe that will help ease the tension!"

"I'm sure it will," said Claire. Given her demeanor, it was difficult to tell if she was being sincere or sarcastic.

I grew concerned watching Javier sail between the double doors that had slid open for him and said, "Would you please excuse me for a moment? I'm going to check on the RΩRs."

"Be my guest," said Claire with a dismissive wave of the hand that held her pencil.

"Good luck, sister!" Brock told me supportively.

After removing a plastic cup from the stack on the table and filling it with some Blort, I got to my feet and began walking towards the exit, being careful not to spill a drop. Once the double doors sensed me approaching, they slid open for me and I stepped outside to a semi-dark sky, a cool gust of wind, and a well-lit parking lot filled with vehicles of all sizes and models.

Javier was leaning against the building with his back to the wall. His four arms were crossed in front of him as he stared off into the distance with knitted brows. His entire body language was closed off, giving an aura of unapproachability. It appeared that anyone who dared to say a word to him would be risking the loss of a body part.

Bracing myself for a loud outburst similar to that of my brother's from earlier that morning, I slowly moved towards Javier, only to hold my breath in surprise when he whipped his head around to hiss at me, his entire body rattling as he did so. I took a step back, partly because I was a tad frightened by his response to my presence and partly because I wanted to give him some space should he need it.

"Oh, lo siento, chica," Javier grunted, relaxing almost immediately. "I thought you were Sulley."

"Sorry to disappoint you," I joked in an attempt to diffuse some of the tension that lingered in the crisp air.

"Believe me, you didn't," said Javier as he uncrossed his arms. "I'm always happy to see you."

I smiled and handed him the drink. "I thought you could use this."

Javier accepted the glass and said, "Gracias."

I watched him down the entire thing in one gulp and asked, "Want to talk about it?"

"About what?" Javier asked, lowering the empty glass.

"You know what," I prompted gently. "Brock and Claire are worried. They, too, can see that something is off with you guys tonight."

"That's putting it lightly," said Javier, squashing the plastic glass with a clench of his fist. "Hope the rest of your day was better."

I nodded, staring at the squashed glass in hesitation as I contemplated my next reply. I decided not to pry and rather follow Javier's conversation cues in an effort to not worsen his mood. "Oh, it was productive. I studied some more and choreographed for my dance classes."

"Speaking of which," Javier began, cracking a smile at the mention of my dance classes, "we're still on for tomorrow night, right?"

"I am as long as you are," I told him as I emulated his stance against the wall. "We'll see if you can remember the suggestions for improvement that I gave you."

"Believe me, chica, I remember everything that comes from you," said Javier, winking at me.

I laughed. "Good, so you have no excuses from this point forward."

"Don't worry, I'm not Sullivan," Javier promised me, a hint of sourness now lacing his voice.

I raised an eyebrow at that. "What does Sulley make excuses for?"

"His bad grades," Javier explained bitterly. "He hasn't been doing too well on assignments and Goblin knows how he's doing on midterms."

"Is that so?" I asked. I was surprised to hear that Sulley, who came from a long line of Scarers like Johnny and I did, was performing poorly in his classes. The only explanation that I could come up with was he was lacking a good work ethic. Given how much he has partied since the start of the semester, I likely hit the nail on the head.

Javier nodded, his expression darkening. "He says it's only halfway through the semester and that he'll do better come finals."

I shrugged. "It's possible."

Javier looked uncertain at the probability of it as he continued, "If his grades are as crappy as his bowling is tonight, he won't be a part of RΩR much longer, even if he's a Sullivan."

I scoffed. "Does he think his name will save his tail?"

"He better not think that because it won't," Javier told me. "Your name means nothing if you don't have the grades to back it up."

"A fraternity with brains," I murmured with an amused smile. "That's a first."

"Can't say the same for Jaws Theta Chi," said Javier, giving me an appreciative smile. "By the way, thanks again for what you did to Big Red. His injury is still bothering him. He can't walk straight, let alone aim properly."

"I only did it because he couldn't keep his claws to himself," I said defensively, "not in support of RΩR."

"Still, I've never seen him get so many gutter balls in my life," Javier snickered. "He's almost as bad as Sulley."

"Well, hopefully he finally gets the hint," I said, leaning my head back in a manner that allowed me to gaze upward at the star-lit sky. "I'm not and never will be interested in him."

"Would you be interested in going out with me this weekend?"

I looked back to Javier to find his mischievous eyes on me and I smirked knowingly. "Are you asking me out on a date?"

"That depends," said Javier, pushing himself off of the wall with an air of casualness, "if you're up for it, then, yes, I am."

"And if I'm not up for it?" I asked, interested as to what his answer would be.

"Then you're hearing things," Javier replied, moving to stand in front of me, "and I didn't say anything."

I chuckled lightly. I knew from the moment we met that Javier was into me, that much was certain. I also knew that I wasn't very fond of him then and made that quite clear on more than one occasion. I didn't expect him to stick around for as long as he did. The longer he did, however, the more I found myself learning more about him as a monster and liking what I was learning along the way.

Any monster would have given up after being shot down so many times by me, but not Javier. No, that bug was as persistent as he was honest and as confident as he was patient. He knew what he wanted and what he needed to do to get it. He was determined to succeed at his pursuit, not to gain a prize, but because he genuinely valued what he was aiming to achieve. Quite commendable really.

The appropriate response to such an enticing invitation was obvious.

"When and where?" I answered easily.

Javier grinned triumphantly at the reply that he received. "How about Saturday at six? I'll pick you up."

I nodded affirmatively. "Then consider it a date, Mister Rios."

"Looking forward to it, Miss Worthington," Javier declared, regarding me tenderly.

It was at this point when I noticed just how close his body was to mine. My face was mere inches from his and I could feel his warm breath – a combination of mint and the Blort that he drank - brush against my skin. My eyes travelled from the fondness in his pink orbs to the smirk that graced his lips. I held my breath in anticipation as the distance between us grew smaller by each passing second.

The whooshing sound of the doors to the building sliding open caused Javier to quickly pull away from me and straighten up. Out the doors came Johnny who seemed to be looking for us. When looking left yielded nothing, he turned in our direction and said, "Jav, bro, there you are."

"Just went to get some air, amigo," Javier informed him.

"Well, hurry up!" Johnny demanded with a resolute expression on his face. "We have only the second round left to pull ahead!"

"Keep your horns on, bro," I told him with a sigh of exasperation. "We'll be right in.'

I watched Johnny looked from Javier to me and eye me suspiciously, probably wondering what we were up to outside, in the parking lot, by ourselves, for who knows how long. I had no intention of letting him into our business, so I just waved at him until he shook his head with a grumble and went back into the building.

"Wonder what he's thinking about," Javier murmured, watching the sliding doors close behind his fraternity president.

"I think he's just hoping that I won't do anything drastic to you that would help Slugma Slugma Kappa win," I said.

Javier snorted. "You won't, will you?"

"Of course I won't," I promised, smiling softly. "We have plans this Saturday after all."

Javier returned the smile. "That we do, chica. That we do."