Making Our Mark

Chapter 14: Official

Monday morning saw me lounging leisurely across my bed, thinking about the events of Saturday night with Javier: the delicious dinner, the night of dancing, and the occasional kissing between songs. Even though I was fully dressed for the start of another week, getting out of bed would signify that the weekend was officially over. It was claws down one of the best weekends that I have had in a long time and I was reluctant to accept that it had come to an end.

Turning to the side, I laid eyes on the plush bug that Javier won for me at the carnival earlier in the month and smiled at it. Reaching out to toy with one of its arms, I continued to reflect on the weekend. While I had gone out with Javier on Saturday, we only crossed paths on Sunday as we went about our day. I wasn't surprised since Johnny had asked him for help with Greek Council matters while I was doing more midterm exam review and choreographing for this week's dance classes. While we both agreed that we had a good time Saturday night, I still wondered where we stood in terms of our relationship.

Glancing at my wristwatch caused me to shoot up in bed and climb out of it to grab my messenger bag laying on the floor. I had a long day ahead of me – a midterm for my Spanish Language Training I class, more exam review, my Pedagogy of the Arts class, and my weekly beginner-level Latin Fusion dance class – and if I was going to get through it all, I was going to need a nice dose of caffeine.

Leaving my dorm building, I made my way over to the cafeteria and made a beeline for the Tim Howlton's kiosk, which had quickly become my favourite place on campus to grab a bite to eat or a caffeinated drink to get me through the days that seemed to go on forever. Fortunately, the line wasn't long and neither was the wait.

When a cashier finally freed up, I stepped forward. I didn't recognize her as one of the usual employees – she appeared to be a few decades older than them - and I figured that she was new. "Hi, may I please have a medium chocolate claw iced cappuccino and a sausage, egg, and cheese wrap?"

The monster nodded as she reached for a plastic cup of the appropriate size and a marker. "Your name please?"

"Danica," I told her.

The monster paused before looking up at me. "Are you Danica Worthington?"

"Yes," I answered slowly, pulling a few dollars from my purse, "why do you ask?"

The monster smiled. "Just checking because someone has already paid for your order."

I simply stared at the monster who busied herself with whipping up my order. As I returned the money to my purse, I frowned in confusion, silently wondering who paid for my breakfast and drink, let alone knew what my order would be and that I would come here to get it today. If I had to guess, it would be Brynn as we grabbed breakfast together more often than not.

"Here you are, my dear," said the monster brightly, sliding not only my drink and paper bag containing my breakfast wrap across the counter, but also a small hot coffee and a long-stemmed red rose.

"Um, thank you," I stuttered, accepting the glass and the paper bag, "but I didn't order the small coffee."

"I know, your boyfriend there did," said the monster before winking at me. "He's a keeper, dear."

To my surprise, Javier came forward out of nowhere to claim his purchase. "Thanks."

The monster smiled again before grabbing an empty coffee pot to whip up a fresh batch of java.

Javier chuckled at the stunned expression that was no doubt written on my face. As he handed me the rose, he said, "Good morning, chica."

"That's to be determined," I quipped, taking the rose and tilting my head up at him. "Why did she assume you're my boyfriend?"

"Well, after Saturday night, I figured I was," said Javier as we began walking away from the counter and towards the commons area, which was what the campus community affectionately called the vast open space of the cafeteria. The space was often used for hosting events such as bake sales, fashion shows, and job fairs.

I smirked at him. "Are you?"

"You tell me," said Javier, smiling slyly.

I smiled at the answer to the question about our relationship status that had been on my mind since Saturday night. "You could definitely be much worse."

Javier grinned widely. "Is that a yes?"

I rolled my eyes playfully and said, "It's not a no."

Javier's eyes lit up like mine would in a dance costume store. He passed me his coffee and said, "Hold this."

"What?" I said, but took the coffee anyway in my arms since my hands were holding my wrap, drink, and rose.

Javier turned his back to me and exhaled before zipping forward in a run and leaping energetically towards the roof of the building, punching the air with a victorious whoop under the curious and bewildered gazes of the monsters passing by or seated nearby.

I laughed at the abandonment of Javier's typically laid-back composure. Watching him stroll back towards me with a determined look on his face, I momentarily stopped breathing when he rested his hands under my chin and pulled me in for a fierce kiss, eliciting cat-calls and whistles from the same onlookers who had stopped to watch the spontaneous moment unfold.

Breaking the kiss, Javier murmured, "You have no idea how long I've waited to hear you say that."

"Was I worth the wait?" I asked coyly.

"Claro," Javier replied affirmatively before kissing me again.

I returned the kiss before pulling back and saying, "Right, now that we're established that, I have to get going. I have a midterm to get to."

"Yes, Spanish Language Training I," said Javier, proving how well he paid attention to me. Draping an arm across my shoulders, he said, "Allow me to walk you there."

"I know how to get there, Jav," I joked. "I haven't missed a single class this semester."

Javier chuckled. "Can't I spend some time with my beautiful girlfriend?"

"If you must," I sighed dramatically, but smiled at Javier calling me his girlfriend. The title made our relationship sound official and, to my utter delight, it was.

Together, Javier and I crossed the commons area and exited the building through its main doors to bright rays of sunshine and the amicable chatter of monsters walking by, going about their business. I leaned into his side more as we walked, relishing in the feeling of being next to him. He used his arm wrapped around me to guide me, much like he did when we danced the Serpentine Tango. He offered to hold my drink while I fished for my breakfast wrap in its bag.

"Want some?" I asked, holding out the meaty, eggy, and cheesy goodness.

"No thanks, I already have what I want," said Javier, rubbing my arm tenderly.

"The coffee?" I joked, knowing full well what he meant.

Javier laughed and whispered into my ear, "Nah, she's hotter."

"And don't you forget it," I quipped with a wink.

Javier chuckled as he handed me back my drink and sipped his own coffee.

I enjoyed my breakfast as we walked, fully aware of the double takes, shocked glances, envious glares, and hushed whispers from monsters that passed us by. Some of these whispers were audible and while some of them were of genuine surprise, others were less than flattering.

"How did she snag a monster like Javier?"

"Isn't she Johnny's sister?"

"Lucky girl!"

"She's probably wild between the sheets."

"Little tramp."

I rolled my eyes at that last one as I took a rougher bite of my breakfast wrap.

"¿Qué pasa?" Javier asked, noticing how irritated I was getting.

"These nosy monsters have nothing better to stare at or talk about, do they?" I muttered as I chewed. "We're students, not zoo animals."

Javier laughed. "A beautiful, brilliant, and talented freshman just took a handsome, charming, and suave RΩR bachelor off of the market. Of course the campus will talk."

I nodded, knowing that he was right. With Javier's popularity as a RΩR, anyone who was closely acquainted with him was sure to be the talk of the campus. Being his girlfriend was probably going to earn me a spot on the front page of the Campus Roar by the end of the week. I wasn't looking forward to the attention that our growing relationship was bringing and would continue to bring, but I wouldn't trade it for a life in obscurity. Being with Javier made me happy in ways that would take an eternity to explain and I hoped that we could handle anything that was thrown our way.

As we finished crossing the troll bridge, a chipper voice rang out, "You guys!"

Turning in the direction of the familiar voice, I spotted Brynn sprinting towards us from the other bridge further down the river that led to Frat Row. She looked to be bursting with excitement as though she had news that she was dying to share.

"Good morning, Brynn," I greeted casually.

"And what a good morning it is!" Brynn exclaimed, looking from me to Javier. "Congratulations on becoming an item you two! I'm so happy for you guys!"

While I was pleased to receive such amazing support from Brynn, I was astonished that she found out about Javier and me so quickly. "How?"

Brynn looked puzzled at the simple question that I posed. "You're my friend, Danica. Of course I would be happy to find out that you and Javier got together."

"No, I mean, how did you already find that out?" I clarified. "Javier and I only got on the same page, like, fifteen minutes ago."

"Word travels fast across this campus, honey," Brynn pointed out sweetly.

"It does, especially if the Python Nu Kappas are involved in spreading it," Javier admitted before he took another sip of his coffee.

Eyeing Brynn curiously, I asked, "How did you find out exactly?"

"You said yes in the cafeteria, right?" Brynn asked.

"Yes," I answered slowly.

"Well, the manager of the Tim Howlton's there where we usually grab coffee has a nephew who is a Scream Can Design major, who's best friends with a dude from the football team, who has classes with a yogi, who does weekly pilates with Carrie from Python Nu Kappa, who is a cousin of the songstress who's dating Baboso from JΘX," Brynn rambled before pausing to catch her breath and then continuing, "Baboso told Percy who told Violet who told me."

"Whoa," I groaned, rubbing my forehead with the tips of my claws. "That's a confusing gossip chain."

Javier snickered next to me.

"What's so funny?" I asked, giving him a look.

Giving me a few taps on my shoulder, Javier explained, "It took the campus a little over a month to figure out that you're a Worthington, yet only fifteen minutes to find out that we started seeing each other."

I laughed. "Well, to be fair, your reaction to me agreeing to go out with you wasn't exactly subtle."

"Can you blame him?" Brynn asked me. "He has been chasing after you since the moment he met you. It's about time you give him a breather."

I shook my head with a smile and asked Javier, "Do you think Johnny knows yet?"

"If Larson found out in fifteen minutes, then all of Frat Row probably knows by now," Javier guessed.

I sighed heavily and asked, "Who do you think Johnny would kill first: you for dating his sister or me for dating one of his frat brothers?"

Javier shrugged. "Johnny may not always think twice before acting, but I don't think he'll be out to get us."

I nodded slowly. "Yeah, he's probably not going to kill his sister who feeds him."

"Nor his frat brother who makes sure he gets up on time every day," Javier added. "If it wasn't for me, he would probably be late to today's midterm."

Brynn giggled and asked me, "Speaking of midterms, we should probably get going to ours."

"Yeah," I agreed before turning back to Javier. "I'll see you later?"

Javier nodded. "Come to the RΩR house after your midterm. I'll make something for lunch."

I smiled at the invitation. "I'll see you then."

After giving me one last kiss, which was tenderer than the ones from earlier, Javier gave a curt nod to Brynn and then sauntered back across the troll bridge, presumably towards the School of Scaring for his class on Error Analysis in Scaring.

Brynn whistled lowly once Javier was out of hearing range. "That's some smile on your face, honey. He must be one hell of a kisser."

I blushed, knowing that she hit the nail right on the head, but I wasn't about to admit that. "He's okay."

Brynn laughed. "Well, if okay turns your cheeks pink, I can only imagine what making out will do to you."

"Okay, let's talk midterms!" I hastily suggested before my face could redden any further and cause a spike in body temperature. Giving Brynn a light shove towards the School of Liberal Arts and Monstrosities, I said, "Don't forget those subject-verb agreements."

After an hour of conjugating verbs, translating phrases from one language to another, and reading over my responses prior to submitting them, I left the building and began the journey to Frat Row by myself. Normally, Brynn would leave class with me, but it seemed that she was not quite ready to hand in her exam by the time I was finished. I caught her eyes on the way out and smiled reassuringly before leaving her to nibble on her pencil and make use of the half an hour that remained for the exam.

Upon arriving on the front porch of the Roar Omega Roar fraternity house, I fiddled with the doorknob and found it unlocked, so I just turned it fully and opened the door. Both Johnny and Javier had given me permission to make myself at home whenever I stopped by the house; as long as the door was unlocked, someone was home and I was more than welcome to come in.

"Hello?" I called into the silent and seemingly-empty house.

"In here!" a voice responded from the adjacent room.

Shutting the door behind me, I smiled and crossed the living room, slipping off my bag on the way and leaving it on the couch. I stopped in the doorway leading into the kitchen and quietly watched Javier study the contents of the oven through the window of its door.

"Hey, you," he said when he noticed me and straightened up immediately.

"Hey, yourself," I responded as I stepped into the kitchen. Taking a whiff of the aroma that floated in the air, I asked, "What are you making?"

"Chicken enchiladas," Javier announced proudly. "Remember, you're not the only one around here who can cook."

"Sounds delicious," I remarked, feeling my stomach rumble in anticipation. I paused for a moment and then added, "I'm surprised you're already out of class."

"The midterm was easy, so I left early," Javier explained. "Since I wasn't expecting you for another half hour, I assume yours was too?"

"I think I did fairly well," I answered honestly as I lightly finger the soft petals of the rose that Javier had given me earlier. "Grammar and translation come easy to me."

"So do other things, I'm sure," said Javier, looping an arm around my waist. "Face it, you're incredibly brilliant."

I just looked at him and scoffed lightly. "Jav, I already agreed to go out with you. You can stop the flattery."

"That's not flattery," said Javier, pulling me closer to him, "that's the truth."

I laughed sheepishly as I rested my hands against his chest. "Don't let the enchiladas burn."

"We've got time," Javier assured me before his lips met mine.

I smiled into the kiss and slid my arms up around his firm shoulders, allowing our chests to press against each other and the rose to drop to the floor. Where it ended up was beyond my scope of knowledge, given how the kiss was more than enough to lose any sense of awareness to anything else but the monster giving it and how it was making me feel.

Javier nudged his hips against mine, backing me into the marble island and taking control of the kiss, much like he did whenever we danced together. His claws traced the curves of my waist as though he was trying to memorize what they looked like. The wonderful sensation sent feelings of bliss up my spine.

Unfortunately, the moment was abruptly cut short, but not by charred food in the oven. I suddenly found myself yanked aside, only to roughly collide, face first, against the island. I splayed across it like a rag doll carelessly tossed aside. Groaning in pain, I looked up and turned to see Johnny had cornered Javier near the sink, glaring at him murderously and looking ready to pounce on him and pummel him to a bloody pulp.

"¿Qué diablos?" Javier barked in annoyance, giving Johnny a dirty look.

"So it's true," Johnny snarled lowly, clenching his fists in anger.

"I take it you've heard," Javier muttered with furrowed eyebrows.

"Found out from Bruiser earlier this morning," Johnny growled. "I was hoping I misunderstood his babbling and then I come home and find you all over her."

"You know, that interruption wasn't necessary, amigo," Javier told him sternly.

"Neither was going after Danica!" Johnny spat before dragging a hand down his face in exasperation. "Goblin, Jav, out of every girl on campus, why did it have to be her? She's my sister!"

"Can you not talk about me as if I'm not here?" I interjected, reminding my brother that I was still in the room. I grimaced at the pain that shot down to the center of my abdomen; it was worse than any menstrual cramp that I had ever experienced.

Shoving Johnny aside, Javier came over to me and carefully took me by the arm. "Estás bien?"

"Sí," I mumbled, pushing myself off of the island with one hand and clutching my stomach with another. "That's going to leave a bruise."

At that moment, Chip made his return to the house known by popping his head into the kitchen, looking concerned at the ruckus that even the students by the main entrance of the campus could probably hear. "What's going on?"

"Johnny's making a scene," I explained, giving Johnny an irked look. "What else is new?"

Johnny huffed, folding his arms in front of him. "Turns out Bruiser was telling the truth."

"Seriously?" Chip asked, his wide eyes shifting from Johnny to us, just as Javier slipped an arm protectively around my waist. His eyes then travelled to the fallen rose by my feet.

Johnny nodded, fuming at Javier and me. "Yep, can you believe it?"

"Nope," Chip replied, grinning madly. Turning around, he called, "Yo, Chet, Jav and Danica are a thing! You owe me fifty bucks!"

"Aww fangs!" Chet's disappointed voice cursed from the living room.

I laughed, more so at Chet losing money than at my relationship with Javier being the subject of a betting pool amongst some of the RΩRs. As I reached down to pick up the rose, a part of me questioned if anyone else in the Greek community had money in the pot.

Chip happily took the money that Chet's outstretched claw offered him before turning to Javier and me with a smile. "Congrats, guys, I'm happy for you two."

"Thanks, Chip," I said warmly.

"Wait until Bruiser gets out of class and finds out that he heard right," said Chip as a discontent Chet scuttled into the kitchen, glaring at me en route to the refrigerator.

"Hey, hey, hold up," Johnny interrupted, pointing between Javier and me. "I want to know how long you two have been a thing."

"Only a few hours," I answered honestly, "but I would be lying if I said we weren't dancing around the idea for longer than that."

Giving me a look of despair, Johnny groaned, "But why him?"

"I'm been asking myself that too," I jested.

"Hey!" Javier chided.

I laughed and patted his chest lightly. "Just teasing you."

Johnny sighed wearily. "Seriously, did it have to be one of my frat brothers?"

I stared at Johnny plainly. "He's not the pompous ass that you make all RΩRs appear to be. I was intrigued."

"And you," Johnny continued, jabbing an accusatory claw towards Javier, "my sister?"

"Amigo, I liked her from the moment I saw her," Javier confessed. "I would have gotten to know her even if you two weren't related."

The built-in timer of the oven dinging cut Johnny's interrogation short.

"And that would be the enchiladas," Javier spoke up, pulling away from me and swiping two sets of oven mitts from the counter on the way to the oven.

Chip eagerly climbed onto a barstool, awaiting lunch, while Chet continued to rummage through the stocked refrigerator.

Looking to Johnny, I saw that he was still bristling and I sighed dejectedly. "Johnny, you know that I don't want to fight with you and I certainly don't want to spend any more time defending my relationship with Javier to you."

"Or making out with him in our kitchen," Chet piped up, only to yelp and duck behind the refrigerator door in time to avoid the ladle that I had chucked at him.

"Next time, it will be a frying pan," I snapped at the crab menacingly before turning my attention back to Johnny. "Look, I'm not here to tear apart your precious fraternity. The bottom line is that Javier and I decided to see each other. As my brother and his friend, please accept and respect our decision."

Johnny looked ready to argue, but I cut him off.

"And before you answer, let me remind you that Javier is a RΩR thanks to your willingness to welcome him into the fraternity. You and I both know that you wouldn't have done so if you didn't think he was a decent monster at least. The fact that he's your right-hand monster and that you can rely on him for anything speaks wonders about how much you trust him. If you can trust him with fraternity-related matters, surely you can trust him with me."

Johnny grumbled at my reasoning and boldness. "I suppose you could have chosen worse. If you were seeing Chet or Bruiser, I would be worried."

"Hey!" Chet protested, popping out from behind the refrigerator door in outrage.

"And don't get me started on the Oozmas," Johnny went on, ignoring Chet's outburst. Pinching his forehead, he mumbled, "Goblin help us all if you decided to date one of them."

I rolled my eyes at that remark. "They're a fraternity, not a group of drug dealers or marauding vikings."

Pointing a claw at Javier in a threatening manner, Johnny said, "You better treat her right, Jav, or else you're going to have to deal with me."

"Don't worry, amigo," Javier assured him as he pulled out a tray of freshly-baked homemade enchiladas that appeared to be stuffed with chicken and cheese and dripping with a savory sauce of some kind. "You can trust me with her."

"Hope so," said Johnny with narrowed eyes, "or else you can trust that no one will find your body."

I rolled my eyes at the threat issued. "Is that really necessary, Johnny?"

"Hey, you're a Worthington and you deserve the best," Johnny explained defensively. "Not too sure if Jav fits the bill but, like I said, you could do much worse."

"Gracias for your vote of confidence," said Javier sarcastically.

"Look, just don't let me catch you two making out all over the house," Johnny warned. "No one needs to see that."

Giving Javier a pointed look, I asked, "You hear that, Jav? Behave."

"Hey, you can't deny that you find me irresistible," said Javier cockily.

"Hey, none of that talk!" Johnny cried, shielding his ears with his hands. "We're about to eat."

"Alright, lunch time!" Bruiser cheered as he entered the kitchen. "What's new?"

"Javier and Danica, that's what's new," Chip chimed in. "By the way, Chet owes you fifty bucks."

"Oh, come on!" Chet roared, scowling at Chip for the reminder, but reaching under his cap for the money anyway.

I laughed before accepting a cheesy enchilada from the tray that Javier offered me.

Luckily, the rest of my Monday was smooth sailing. My Pedagogy of the Arts class followed lunch with the RΩRs, the former during which all of the students were randomly assigned to groups of four monsters each. Rather than take a final exam, we had a final group project to complete: a video that spanned between one and two minutes that encompassed different forms of the arts discussed over the duration of the course. The theme of the video would be up to each group to select. To my utmost relief, I was part of a group with some pretty polite and creative monsters who pitched some great ideas for what we could do. We ended up leaving the class that afternoon with a rough outline of the project, a list of delegated tasks, and a tentative filming schedule.

I had dinner with Brynn and some of her sorority sisters at their house on Frat Row and they were delighted when I confirmed that Javier and I were indeed a couple. While Carla and Maria begged for me to spill the details, Donna and Debbie were more reserved and simply smiled throughout the meal, that is, I assumed that they did behind all of their hair. Brynn mentioned that since it was possible after all for a freshman to be dating a RΩR, she wondered if that meant that she had a shot with Johnny. My response to that was choking on a stem of broccoli.

As tired as I was feeling after dinner, I still had my weekly beginner-level Latin Fusion dance class to teach. I arrived early as I normally did to set up, greeting Violet at the front desk of the fitness center as I walked by. My thoughts during setup drifted to my students in the class, specifically to Terri and Terry. I wasn't sure what they would think once they find out about Javier and me, especially given their disdain for the RΩRs, but I hoped that they, as my friends, would be happy for me. If Johnny could bite his tongue, why not them?

Around quarter to seven, students began trickling into the studio with eager expressions on their faces. A few of the students were clearly new because their apprehensive faces were not familiar to me, but I was more than happy to welcome them to the class and expressed my hope that they would enjoy the lesson. That made them smile more.

"Hey, Danica!" George greeted once he entered the studio.

I politely excused myself from the newcomers and turned to address the JΘX brother. "Hey there, George! Excited for another lesson?"

"You betcha!" George answered cheerfully. "By the way, congrats to you and Jav."

"Thank you," I said kindly.

"When I heard the news, I was ecstatic," George continued, his lips curved into a broad grin. "Super ecstatic."

I smirked openly at him. "How much did you win?"

George laughed and said, "You heard about that, huh?"

"Yeah, almost all of RΩR had something in the pool," I explained in amusement. "Don't worry, I'm not mad about it."

George smiled and said, "I won big, but I heard Chet wasn't too pleased."

"He still isn't," I told him and laughed.

George let out a snicker and took a look around the studio. "Looks like we have some newbies."

I nodded, scanning our surroundings. "Yeah, I'm so happy about that. The more the merrier." I paused then and frowned. "I wonder where the Perry twins are."

"Oh, I ran into them on the way here and we chatted for a bit," said George. "They should be here soon."

The class went well and I dismissed my students the moment eight o'clock rolled around.

Sadly, Terri and Terry were not among them.