Making Our Mark

Chapter 26: Countdown

"Johnny, why is there an elephant in the backyard?" I questioned from behind the kitchen sink.

Johnny, who just walked in from the backyard with Chet, stared at me bizarrely. "Well, he wouldn't fit in the living room."

"That's not what I meant and you know that," I told him, "and tell me why there are horses in the front yard?"

"Because they were afraid of the elephant," Johnny explained as though the answer was right on the tip of my nose. "What was I supposed to do?"

"Don't you think you're going a little overboard with the New Year's festivities?" I questioned, wondering just how much Johnny spent on the party. The way things were looking, it was probably more than the average monster made in a month.

"Worthington parties are supposed to be big," Johnny justified. "Besides, it's not like we can't afford it."

"Just because our family has money doesn't mean we can blow through it," I told him sternly.

"Hey, the way I see it, I just spend whatever you don't," said Johnny with a shrug. "In the end, it balances out."

"Forgive me if I don't see it like that," I said dryly as I shut off the faucet and dried my hands with a dishcloth. While I prided myself on my budgeting skills, Johnny spent the Worthington wealth like it grew on trees. Thankfully, our dad surprised our mom with a New Year's trip to Las Vegrowls because there was no way that they would approve of a six-ton land mammal trampling around the backyard.

Chip, who also came in from the backyard, slid the door shut behind him and hummed, "Mm, it smells good in here."

"I should hope so," I replied with a pointed look at Johnny, "considering how long I've been slaving away in here."

"Hey, you've always been the better cook of the two of us," Johnny pointed out defensively, inspecting my organized work on the marble island. "What is all of this anyway?"

Pointing to the various hor d'oeuvres on the trays before us, I said, "I have halibut ceviche in twill cornets, spoonfuls of pan-seared Asian beef, Spanish tortas with chorizo, balsamic-infused beet skewers, and pork Wellington with mustard-infused mayonnaise."

"Wow, you really went all out," said Johnny, reaching for one of the tortas, only to recoil in pain when I smacked his hand away.

"Hey, wait until the party starts," I snapped. "Besides, they're bowls of junk food like chips and popcorn too. I also ordered pizzas and a bakery provided the desserts, so you might want to save your appetite for all those as well."

"Damn, sis, the scaring world can sure use your strength," Johnny muttered, shaking his hand. "Where are Bruiser and Jav?"

"Somewhere in the house," I answered with a dismissive wave of my hand. "I had to shoo them out while I was working because they were getting handsy."

Chip chuckled, "Bruiser's like that when it comes to food, but Jav? That's a surprise."

"Oh, it wasn't the food that Jav couldn't keep his claws off of," I elaborated smugly.

Chip laughed while Johnny muttered in disgust, "Didn't need to know that, sis."

"Hey, you brought it up," I pointed out with a claw in his direction. "Teachable moment: don't ask questions that you don't want answers to."

Just then, Bruiser appeared in the doorway between the kitchen and the hallway leading into the foyer. He babbled something that had my ears flicking up in interest.

"Excellent, send him in," Johnny ordered.

Bruiser nodded and disappeared down the hallway again.

"Did I understand Bruiser correctly?" I asked Johnny. "There's a new member of RΩR?"

Johnny did a little seesaw motion with his hand to indicate that I was sort of correct. "With the Scare Games coming up next semester, we need one more monster to compete with us. Bruiser has classes with this guy and says he has potential, so I figured we would invite him over tonight and see if he's a good fit."

"Honestly, anyone would be an upgrade from Sulley," I told him, shuddering at the memories of him trying to hit on me over the course of the first semester. Luckily, he didn't show up to the gala despite having bought a ticket, so I was spared the awkwardness of having to play the perfect hostess in his presence. Something told me that he was too ashamed by his removal from the Scaring program to show his face around the families of famous Scarers.

"Unless it's an Oozma," said Johnny with a condescending laugh. "Don't worry, sis, we're not that desperate."

I shook my head and said, "At least they respect me. You would be lucky to have one of them as part of your team."

Johnny was about to respond, likely with a disagreement of some sort, when footsteps in the hallway grew louder. He straightened up and puffed out his chest, probably with the intention of coming across as strict and intimidating to the monster who would possibly become the newest member of his fraternity. Chet and Chip shifted into their own stern stances on either side of Johnny, with Chet holding up his sharp pincers and Chip folding his muscular arms over his chest.

When Bruiser and Javier re-entered the kitchen, Bruiser went to stand on the other side of Chip while Javier made his way over to stand behind me. He planted a kiss on the side of my head and snaked his lower right arm around my waist, causing me to lean back against his chest.

Footsteps coming to a stop caused everyone, myself included, to turn our attention forward to the skinny purple serpent hovering in the doorway hesitantly, wondering whether or not he should step into the kitchen. His squinted eyes darted around the room nervously. In two of his four hands was a large platter of frosted cupcakes, which he held close to his chest as though they would protect him in the event that he got frightened.

"You must be Randy Boggs," said Johnny simply.

The serpent, Randy, nodded wordlessly.

"Well?" said Johnny plainly. "Are you just going to stay there and count the ceiling tiles or are you actually going to come in?"

Randy gulped and tiptoed into the kitchen. Given how unfriendly the RΩRs were coming across, he was probably grateful that the island in the center of the room put some distance between him and the frat.

"You brought cupcakes?" Johnny spoke again, nodding at the platter. Since he was the president of Roar Omega Roar, it was obvious why he was acting as the spokesmonster for the group.

Randy nodded quickly, but still didn't say a word. Who could blame him with all of the tension in the room?

"Is this your way of saying my sister is a terrible cook?" Johnny questioned bluntly.

Randy, who looked horrified by the accusation, squeaked, "What…n-n-no!"

"I have to say, making a jab at the sister of a RΩR is a good way to get your party invitation rescinded," said Johnny nonchalantly, though his eyes held a hint of malice.

"Johnny, be nice!" I hissed before offering Randy an amicable smile. "It was so nice of you to bring something. You didn't need to."

"I w-w-wanted to," Randy stuttered in response.

"Well, thank you," I said appreciatively. "May I ask what kind of cupcakes they are?"

"Cl-classic vanilla," Randy answered, holding the platter over the island with trembling hands. "W-w-would you like to try one?"

"I'd love to," I said, reaching out to pluck one off of the platter. After carefully peeling the red liner away, I took one bite of the pastry and felt my eyes flutter closed at the fluffy texture of the sponge and the sweet taste of the icing that flooded my taste buds.

"Do you like it?" Randy asked, watching me with careful eyes.

"This is delicious!" I exclaimed, pausing to lick off a bit of icing that got caught on my lips before asking, "Is that butterscream frosting?"

Randy nodded a bit more hopefully. "Yes it is."

"It's the best cupcake I've ever had," I said to him sincerely. "Did you bake these yourself?"

"Sure did," Randy answered with a small smile.

"You have a gift," I praised him before smiling widely in realization. "Wait, you're the Randy who baked that clawberry cheesecake for the RΩRs last semester?"

Randy's cheeks flushed pink. "You know about that?"

"I ate that," I answered with a laugh. "It's nice to finally put a name and a talent to a face. Keep doing what you're doing."

Randy nodded his head vigorously and said, "Will do, um…"

"Danica," I finished for him gently. "Danica Worthington."

"Also known as Johnny's sister and my girlfriend," Javier added, caressing the curve of my hip, a move that did not go unnoticed by Randy judging by his eyes that had zeroed in on the movement.

"You'd do best to remember that," Johnny strongly suggested. "If not, you'll find that your days as a part of RΩR, should we decide to even initiate you into it, will be numbered."

I shot both my brother and my boyfriend a glare. They were both buddy-buddy when they first met Sulley. I suppose given how that turned out, they figured that a change in tactics was warranted. I can't say that I approved of the change, but I realized that it was not my place to undermine Johnny's authority, especially in front of his frat brothers and the monster who might become one.

"Okay, enough pleasantries," Johnny announced. "It's time to get down to business."

I coughed to hide a snort. If those were pleasantries, I would hate to see Johnny being downright rude.

"You mind excusing us, amor?" Javier whispered with a kiss to the back of my head.

I looked up to see that he wasn't looking at me as he spoke, but at Randy and his eyes were communicating some sort of warning. That, coupled with the kiss, told the lizard not to try anything funny with me unless he wanted to end up facing the same consequences that Sulley did. I knew that Javier could be over-the-top protective whenever it came to me, but it was because he cared and I appreciated that.

"Not at all, mi cielo," I answered, untying my stained apron. "Watch the food while I change?"

Javier nodded, his narrowed eyes not leaving Randy's quivering form.

Giving Randy one last smile, I said, "It was nice to meet you."

"You too," Randy replied with a trembling smile.

After hanging the apron on a hook inside the pantry door, I left the RΩRs to their business. I barely stepped one foot into the hallway before the interrogation in the kitchen kicked off and I did my best to tune it out. As curious as I was, what a monster had to endure before they were initiated into a fraternity as prestigious as Roar Omega Roar was none of my concern. As long as Randy didn't get hurt, I would respectfully stay out of it.

Since the curling iron was just not cooperating with me tonight, the party was already in full swing by the time I left my bedroom. Music was pumping throughout the house, laughter rang out here and there, and repeated chanting told me that someone, most likely Chet, was recklessly chugging Blort using a bong designed just for the activity.

Entering the kitchen, I noticed that there were just a few monsters paired off in different corners of the room, probably taking advantage of the distance from the music in the living room to have an audible conversation. The exception was Randy who was scanning the platters of food on the island, both sweet and savory, trying to decide what to eat.

"Hey, Randy," I greeted, causing his head to pop up. "Are you enjoying the party?"

"Oh, yeah," Randy replied, startled by my sudden appearance. "It's great…just…um…"

"A tad overwhelming?" I said knowingly.

Randy nodded immediately. "Yeah, exactly."

I smiled sympathetically. "When your brother is the president of the most popular fraternity on campus, you can guarantee that any party that he co-hosts will be huge. If I had any say in it, it would be an intimate get-together."

"So, it's something I should get used to if I join the frat?" Randy asked.

"I suppose so," I answered, helping myself to another mini cupcake from the half-eaten platter. "How did the interrogation go?"

Randy shivered at the mention of it and said, "Well, I survived. I call that a success."

I laughed and said, "Don't worry, as far as I know, the RΩRs are all bark and no bite. When do you find out whether or not you make it in?"

"Sometime before the semester starts," Randy responded. "They're considering other candidates too. Once they vote on it, they'll let me know the results."

"Well, claws crossed that you make it in," I told him. "I trust Bruiser's judgement. If he says that you're RΩR material, who am I to doubt that?"

Randy smiled genuinely. "It means a lot to hear you say that. I hope it happens."

"It better," I said after swallowing the cupcake bite that I took. "I want to be able to pick your brains for baking tips."

Randy laughed, seeming more at ease for the first time since stepping foot into the house. "You surprise me, Danica."

"How so?" I asked curiously.

"Well, I've seen how Johnny can be," Randy explained before tilting his head at me. "You're nothing like him at all."

"Was that a compliment or a veiled insult?" I teased.

Randy chuckled and said, "I mean it in a good way. You've been nothing but nice to me since we've met. It's nice to know that there's truth to the campus gossip."

"I guess my reputation precedes me," I laughed. "Well, if you ever need a friend, I'll be here. With one RΩR being my brother and another being my boyfriend, I'm around often."

"I could always use a friend," said Randy more meekly this time.

Any further conversation was delayed by Brynn who breezed into the kitchen from the hallway. She squealed the instant she saw me, causing Randy's fronds to shoot up in alarm.

"Wow, you look hot!" she gushed, eying me up and down.

I beamed and did a quick spin on the spot to show off my ensemble for the night: a sparkly dress made out of a silver shimmery material that went down to the middle of my thighs. It also had a pair of spaghetti straps that crossed at my exposed back and a loose neckline that revealed the perfect amount of cleavage to be sexy. Strapped to my feet were a pair of Latin dance shoes that matched the dress.

"I'm assuming Javier didn't see you in that yet," said Brynn, wriggling her eyebrows at me.

"No, he didn't," I confirmed with a grin.

"Better keep away from the ping-pong table then," Brynn warned me. "One look at you will send his winning streak out the window."

I giggled and gestured to Randy in a manner of introduction. "Brynn, this is Randy Boggs. Randy, this is my friend, Brynn Larson. She's in Slugma Slugma Kappa."

"Oh, Chip told me about you!" Brynn gushed, taking one of Randy's hands and shaking it wildly. "It's nice to finally meet you!"

"You too," Randy mumbled, staring at Brynn with a stunned expression. He was probably questioning how a monster so small in stature could be so unbelievably loud.

Brynn shot a glance at the food and groaned, "Goblin, I've eaten more cupcakes than someone my size should be able to put away."

"Randy made them, you know," I chimed in, hoping to get him better acquainted with other monsters in the Greek community. Talking up his talents should help with that.

"Did you really?" Brynn questioned the lizard in amazement.

Randy nodded timidly.

"They were so good," said Brynn, patting her slightly-protruding belly, "but now, I have to get out of this food coma and burn off the extra calories. Why don't we hit the dance floor?"

"Sure," I agreed before turning to Randy. "Want to join us?"

Randy paused to consider the offer and then said, "I don't think I can…"

"Don't say that you can't dance," Brynn interrupted him. "Danica will have a coronary."

"Dramatic as usual, Brynn," I drawled before saying, "Anyone can dance, Randy."

"Not me," Randy insisted vehemently.

"Prove it then," said Brynn, grabbing one of Randy's hands. "Let's go."

Randy shot me a pleading look to rescue him as he was dragged out of the kitchen by Brynn, a sight that was both surprising and entertaining. No doubt he was quickly learning that a tiny monster like Brynn had the strength of the fiercest monster on a scare floor.

I arrived in the dim living room just in time to hear the dozens of monsters cheer to the change in music, this one as upbeat as the ones that played before it. I pushed my way through the crowd and found Brynn and Randy facing each other in the center of the room. Brynn was bobbing her head repeatedly, her little pigtails flopping freely, while Randy simply shuffled his feet from side to side with a sheepish expression on his face. He seemed apprehensive about moving any more than that out of fear of looking silly, but I figured all he needed was a little encouragement to boost his confidence and what was more encouraging than two ladies dancing with him?

I tapped Randy on the shoulder to get his attention and smiled at him when his eyes met mine. I took one of his hands and twirled underneath it before spinning him to face Brynn. Brynn then took the same hand, much like she did earlier, and spun under it before turning Randy back to me. By this point, I was twisting my hips to the Latin-influenced pop song that was playing and a glance over Randy's shoulders revealed that Brynn was keeping up with some moves of her own.

Juggling two ladies as dance partners, Randy had no choice but to go with it and, before we knew it, he was dancing more boldly. His serpentine body made for very fluid movements and he danced with a sense of athletic grace despite having four feet and a long tail that could easily whack others if not controlled. His new carefree attitude brought hoots from the monsters dancing around us, which only motivated him to keep going.

When the song changed to one that was more electropop, I felt a pair of hands slide over my hips. Ready to punch the slimeball who dared to lay an unwanted claw on me, I pivoted on the spot, only to relax when I came face to face with Javier who was smiling wickedly at me.

"I was wondering where I'd find you, amor," he murmured loud enough for me to hear over the music.

"Where else would I be?" I retorted, feigning disappointment. "Honestly, mi cielo, you call yourself my boyfriend."

Javier chuckled, his arms draped loosely around my waist. "At least I knew where to look."

"Fine, point Rios," I relented, marking an invisible tally mark in the air.

Javier grinned and shifted into the rhythm of the music, drawing me into it with a tug of my hips.

Cupping Javier's neck, I let my body absorb the music and danced closer to him. I gradually drew his face to mine so my lips hovered above his. The scent of his sultry aftershave and his hands on my body sent a blaze of fire down my spine. Being this close to him felt so cozy, so intimate. One tiny move and my lips would be on his and I knew that when that happened, I wouldn't be able hold back. Not that I would want to.

One tiny move, however, ended up being a rough shove into Javier's chest from someone else, followed by a splash of something wet on my arms and dress.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry," said the guilty party, an Argma Slugma Argma sorority sister whose apology oozed as much sincerity as a stainless steel toaster.

I blinked up at her in disdain and disbelief, not missing the way that she was ogling Javier with hungry eyes. She wanted to play that card, huh? Clearly, she underestimated who she was dealing with.

"I'm such a klutz," the Argma Slugma Argma sister feigned airily, giving her silky red hair a flip over her slender shoulder.

Quickly composing myself, I exhaled and replied, "No worries, accidents happen." Smiling innocently at her, I added, "You're proof of that."

The redhead looked taken aback while Javier coughed loudly to hide the snicker that slipped from him.

"Well, I should excuse myself to go change," I spoke up, gesturing to the wet stain on my dress.

The redhead recovered from the jab and plastered a phony smile across her painted lips. "As you should, sweetheart." She ran a manicured hand up Javier's arm and said, "Don't worry, I'll keep your monster busy in the meantime."

I didn't miss the uncomfortable look on Javier's face and was determined to give him a way out. "Actually, the zipper of this dress is kind of hard for me to reach. Mind helping me, mi cielo?"

Javier's eyes lit up at the exit strategy and smirked at me. "It will be my pleasure, amor."

"While we're gone, try the lemon tarts in the kitchen," I casually suggested to the now steaming redhead whose empty plastic cup was now crushed in her fist. "They're a lot like you: dry, cold, and bitter."

The redhead let out a huff of indignation as Javier shrugged her off of him and followed me through the crowd of monsters and out of the living room.

Taking his hand, I pulled him up the staircase and into my bedroom. The insulated walls and floor muffled the music booming downstairs, but I could still feel the beat vibrating under my feet.

"Damn, amor, you sure know how to show someone a good time," Javier remarked, closing the door behind him.

"Good because I'll be here all night," I told him en route to my bathroom, "and you don't need to tip me."

Javier chuckled, studying me with a sly look. "Do you really need my help with your dress?"

"Sorry to disappoint you, but I don't need to change," I assured him, walking back out with a towel. "It's just punch. Besides, the material of my dress doesn't soak through, so it's just a matter of wiping it off."

"Damn," Javier muttered dejectedly.

While running the towel over my left bicep, I laughed and asked, "You wanted to take it off of me?"

"Don't get me wrong, amor, you look hot in it," Javier told me, a grin slowly forming, "but I would be lying if I said I wasn't tempted to see what's underneath it."

"If you play your cards right, you just might get the chance to," I said in a teasing manner, but I really did mean the words that I said. The thought of being with Javier in the most intimate way possible had crossed my mind more than once. However, I had never been with anyone in that way before and although I didn't envision saving myself for marriage, I also didn't want to give myself to just anyone. If Javier was going to be my first, it was going to be because I trusted him completely with my mind, body, and soul. Only time would tell when we would take that step, if at all.

Javier's eyes darkened with desire, giving me the same ravenous look that Bruiser gave food.

"So, aside from the boundary-ignoring Argma Slugma Argma, are you having fun so far?" I asked, changing the subject. "Brynn told me that you were killing it at the ping-pong table."

"Sí, I broke out the paddles that you gave me for Clawsmas," Javier told me with a proud expression on his face. "I didn't lose a single match."

"Really?" I asked incredulously. I knew that he was talented at ping-pong, but to win every single match played in one night? That was a first.

Javier nodded. "Those are officially my new good luck paddles. I'm not playing another match without them."

"Are they really that special?" I asked, dabbing the side of my dress that was still dripping. In all honesty, I didn't see what the fuss was about them. Sure, they were personalized with his initials, but they were still regular ping-pong paddles from a sporting goods store that could be purchased by anyone.

"Of course they are," Javier insisted passionately, "because you gave them to me."

My heart melted hearing that explanation. "Aw, you're so sweet."

"Yeah, well, I wasn't always like this," Javier confessed sheepishly.

"I know, I was there at the gala when your mother told me over dinner," I reminded him with a silly grin. "You were all flings and no words until I came along. Now, you're committed and don't shut up."

Javier laughed lightly and admitted, "You know, I'm actually surprised that you took a chance with me."

"Are you really?" I asked, eyeing him in astonishment.

Taking a seat on the edge of my bed, Javier continued, "I know I didn't come across as serious when we first met. I pretty much gave you every reason to run for your life."

"You certainly did," I agreed, tossing the towel into a hamper near the door.

"So why did you change your mind?" Javier inquired.

I thought about the answer to the question as I walked over to the bed to sit next to him. Once I felt him drape an arm over my shoulder, I said, "I suppose it was curiosity."

"Curiosity?" Javier repeated in puzzlement.

I nodded, glancing up at him. "I had this feeling that there was something more to you, something behind the player attitude, and the learner side of me wanted to find out if that feeling was spot on."

"And you liked what you learned?" Javier asked.

I gave him a playful nudge in the ribs. "I'm here with you, aren't I?"

Javier laughed. "Fair point."

I smiled and said, "You know, when I got upset over my full name first getting published in the Campus Roar, you told me all the things that you found special about me. Although it may be overdue, you should know that you're pretty special in my eyes too."

"Am I?" Javier asked, regarding me with keen interest.

I nodded, meeting his eyes directly. "You're a devoted son to your parents, you're a hardworking student, you're a fierce ping-pong player, you're a talented dancer, you're loyal to your fraternity and its brothers, and you're a caring and supportive boyfriend. As far as I'm concerned, you're an amazing monster and I'm lucky to have met you."

Javier tightened his embrace and said, "Aw, you sure know how to make a monster feel special."

"Yeah, well, don't get used to it," I told him, quickly looking to the desk in front of me. "Your ego is big enough."

Javier's warm breath tickled my ear as he murmured, "Trust me, amor, it's not the only thing big about me."

Realizing what he was insinuating, my cheeks flamed instantly. "Javier!"

"Merely pointing out facts, amor," said Javier with a casual shrug and a wolfish grin. "Merely pointing out facts."

I shook my head as I pushed myself to my feet, smoothed out my dress, and said, "Come on, let's go make sure Chet doesn't trash the place."

"After you," said Javier, standing up and motioning to the door like a flight attendant pointing out the emergency exits.

I cocked my head at him and asked, "That's your way of telling me to go first, so you can check out my ass, isn't it?"

"You know me so well, amor," Javier sighed with a smug grin, earning him a dramatic eye roll from me.

Aside from secretly catching Brynn making out with Chip inside a guest room – an incident that was definitely going to be a juicy topic of discussion over our next meal together – the rest of the party unfolded smoothly. The trays of food in the kitchen gradually emptied, the drinks kept flowing, and the guests continued to have a good time as they waited to ring in the new year.

With just a few minutes to midnight, Javier and I found ourselves sitting together on a cushioned bench outside on the backyard deck. Johnny and Chet lounged lazily in matching chairs closest to the door while Bruiser stood by them, enjoying a slice of pizza. Sitting on the porch swing were Brynn and Chip and I didn't miss the way her tiny self was cradled in his large arms.

"So, Jav," said Johnny after taking a gulp of his Blort, "I heard you waltzed with my sister at the gala."

Javier scoffed. "If by waltzing, you mean being dragged around the floor by her, then sí, I waltzed a lot."

"Dmitry was ill and Javier didn't want me left hanging, so he stepped in," I chimed in truthfully, knowing that Javier was trying to play off his dancing, so Johnny wouldn't suspect that he actually enjoyed it. Leaning into my boyfriend, I added, "I appreciated that, mi cielo."

"I heard you guys were good," said Johnny, raising an inquisitive eyebrow at us.

"No, amigo, she was good," Javier corrected, rubbing my shoulder tenderly. "I had to fake being good just to keep up."

"Well, you must have put on quite a show then to have people believing that you actually like that kind of dancing," Johnny remarked with a laugh. "We all know us Scarers don't dance things like ballroom and ballet."

"You probably could," I countered, "but you never try."

Johnny shook his head defiantly, repulsed at the idea of sporting tights or any pair of dance shoes for that matter.

"So where's Randy?" I asked no one in particular. "I'm surprised he's not out here with you guys."

"He's somewhere on the dance floor still, I think," Johnny replied with a glance at the house.

I smiled upon hearing that. Randy felt so out of place when he first came over, so it warmed my heart to learn that he was having fun tonight.

"Speaking of Randy," Javier began, turning to me, "how do you feel about him?"

My eyebrows arched at the question. "Why?"

"Do you think he should join the frat?" Javier asked.

I shrugged. "Does my opinion even matter? I'm not a RΩR."

"We know, but you're the boyfriend of one and the sister of its president," Johnny pointed out. "You're around us all the time, so your opinion is important."

"I know you talked to him earlier and you and Brynn danced with him," said Javier, "but he didn't try anything funny, did he? If he's another Sulley, just tell us and, I promise you, he'll be out of the running."

Feeling the weighted gazes of all of the RΩRs on me, I decided to just be honest about my perception of Randy. "Well, I can't speak about his scaring abilities, but he seems easy to get along with and that's important when it comes to working together as a team and living together, right?"

There was a chorus of agreements from the entire fraternity and a nod from Brynn.

"Sure, he does seem a tad shy, but isn't every freshman as they try to find their place on campus?" I continued. "Maybe the Greek community is his place. If Bruiser is confident in his scaring abilities, then I would support welcoming Randy into RΩR."

Johnny, who was watching me during the entire testimony, nodded. "Good to know, sis."

"Sí, thanks for telling us," said Javier, drawing me closer to him. "You've given us a lot to think about."

The sound of our party guests loudly counting down the seconds to midnight rang out from inside the house, leading me to reflect on the past year. If someone had told me that this year would see me graduate high school as valedictorian, finish my first semester at Monsters University as the highest scoring freshman in both of my majors, start teaching dance classes, and date a wonderful monster from Roar Omega Roar, I probably would have recommended to that monster to get checked into the nearest mental institution. This year was full of some amazing surprises and I was excited to see what next year would have in store.

Just as everyone inside the house and in the backyard cheered the start of a new year, I met Javier's lips in a kiss that can only be described as deep and passionate. I smiled into the kiss when I felt his claws caressing the back of my neck affectionately.

Javier pulled back slightly after a minute, but kept his face only an inch from mine, so I could see the smile gracing his lips and the adoration swimming in his eyes.

"Happy New Year, mi cielo," I whispered to him.

"It is now, amor," said Javier, resting his forehead against mine.