Life's a Scream!

by cartuneslover17

Post-MU. A new semester at Monsters University, with the OK gang now back in the Scare Program and Mike and Sulley, despite expulsion, close by them every second of the way, it feels like it'll be a good year. Actually, it becomes interesting: the RENEWED Scare Games. That's not all, when a student transfers from Fear Tech, Squishy's life changes even more. PLEASE FOLLOW REVIEW!

5. Chapter 4

Well, I finally got this chapter done! You thought Laura was such a worrier, you'll absolutely PANIC when you read this! :D

Drop by my profile because I linked the pictures of all my OCs from Deviantart. And the song you'll be seeing in this chapter is 'King of Anything' by Sara Bareilles, a cover of it which I discovered on YouTube and linked on my page. ;)

Also, this fanfic actually has its own page on TV TROPES! I thank my friend, DA member, and fellow MU fan Victortky for making it in the first place and encouraging me to be a member as well. :) The link is on my profile page as well, come by the page sometime and maybe add tropes! ;D

PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! ;D
_

Mike dared a peek as he slowly shifted his entire frame to look at the row of seats behind him.

The serpentine monster never looked up, his head bent low and his eyes fully focused on the carpet of the mini-van, ignoring the slight discomfort as he was squeezed between Laura, Art, Dot, and especially Archie in the back of the vehicle.

Mike blinked his huge eye in wonder, so many questions racking his brain as he stole one more glance at his former roommate before turning back in his seat, just as squished with Sulley, Terri and Terry, Monnie, Katy, and especially Colette; Don and Squishy were the lucky ones as they were sat comfortably in the front with Mrs. Carlton as she drove the van.

Despite his entire frame pressed roughly against the door with every turn Squishyʼs mother made, the green-eyed monster continued thinking.

A lot of things had happened back in MU: a team that was miraculously created at the last minute...and Randall.

Squishy had mentioned to Mike before they boarded his motherʼs van that the former ROR member had been ʻblending inʻ, obviously a slang term for putting his invisibility skills to great use and having hid away from everyone, even in Knightʼs class. The lizard was incredibly shy, more so than he had been in the beginning of last year when he was still Mikeʼs roommate.

Thinking of the nerdy but compatible lizard, Mike realized that despite Randallʼs refusal to aid him last semester and being taken under the jerk Worthingtonʼs wing, the green monster knew that he was still the Randy who had been his first-ever friend since arriving at MU.

And no doubt there was still so much on Randallʼs mind. Regret, possibly. And Mike, there was still so much left unresolved, and he never managed to get one word with the lizard for they were always with Oozma Kappa and especially Exceeda Zeta.

But that would change. Randall was with a loving bunch who considered each other more family than just a team.

No pressure, no severe expectations, no Johnny.

Dotʼs eyes fixed on the sketchbook that laid on her lap as she furiously sketched some random figures, slightly frustrated yet determined to finish her work.

"That some nice-looking scribbles down there."

The orange, jelly-like monsterʼs head rose to immediate attention before she shifted her green eyes, staring at relaxing brown ones.

Art gave his usual serene smile as he leaned against the seat, trying his best not to squish the smaller framed monster beside him as his legs were awkwardly bent down to the floor.

Dot managed a small, embarrassed smile. "Iʼm trying to finish my homework," she admitted quietly. "My teacher basically wants sketches done in no time or less. ʻFast-pace Creativityʼ she calls it."

"I know a thing or two about creativity," Art said broadly. "Trust me, I use to be a New Age Philosophy major."

Dot eyed him with confusion. "You mean you werenʼt always in the Scaring Program?"

"Well, I was thrown out of it the first year," he admitted, "but weʼll tell you more about it when we get to the house."

And with that, he gave her a friendly wink before he laid back in his seat. He almost looked like he was going to sleep, his eyes barely open and staring into space.

Dot looked at him for a few moments before she went back to her sketchbook. However, her pencil merely just pressed against the bristled paper, her active imagination unable to resume what it had just started.

She shifted one more look at the arch with legs, then tried her hardest to return to her work.

Laura looked out the window, stroking Archie who slumbered on her lap, realizing that they were driving through a quiet neighborhood, completely out of campus grounds. Confused, she turned back to watch Mrs. Carlton slowly ease into a driveway, stopping right next to a house with faded yellow exterior.

As soon as the doors opened and everyone managed to muscle out into fresh air, Colette stared at the home in confusion before turning to Terri and Terry.

"Um, I donʼt want to sound rude," she said, smoothing the new blouse she had decided to wear for the occasion: a sweater made of red and silver sequins. "But this isnʼt Greek row. I thought you said you were taking us to your frat house."

"This is our frat house," Terri said, motioning to their one true home. "Our very first frat house."

"Itʼs the one we stayed in long before we received our official frat house back in MU," Don said proudly as he and his wife walked up its steps. "We thought weʼd show you girls where Oozma Kappa originated before we finally found a good place with not just the Scaring program, but with MU as a whole."

Laura, Archie in her arms, watched the president with so much intrigue as well as anticipating curiosity.

"Oh, I would love to learn about what your team did last semester!" She couldnʼt help but say with mass interest. "And especially what you guys did at the Scare Games! Yeah, I still need to understand a thing or two...because, you know, Fear Tech made them different and all..." She added sheepishly.

"Come inside, everyone!" Mrs. Calrton called cheerfully as she unlocked her door. "Iʼll make us some nice cocoa!"

"That sounds really good," Sulley commented pleasantly as he and Mike walked up the steps with the others.

Randall lifted his head just a bit, still feeling uneasy as he played with his four hands. He had never seen the original OK house before, having only witnessed their new one which stood across from RORʼs. Despite that their neighborly home looked simple in comparison to the one back in Greek row, the lizard felt its presence welcoming. Homely.

He was so busy admiring the fresh cut grass that he hadnʼt realized he had bumped into a taller being. Lifting his gaze, his emerald eyes stared up at ones of mixed green and blue.

Laura Sharp stared down at Randall, having placed down Archie to rush up the steps at his own will. The draconic-like monster recalled the way he had looked at her the very first time they met, and she eased a small smile, trying to appear friendly and hopefully not screw it up like the former.

Finally, she spoke. "I remember you from Knightʼs class," she said quietly as they neared the steps. "I have to say, Iʼve never seen a monster who possesses invisibility. My father always told me such a skill truly existed, and I hoped one day I could witness it." She gave an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Iʼm rambling."

It was Randallʼs turn to finally speak and he managed a small, assuring smile. "No, no, itʼs fine. Iʼm actually pleased you like my, um, skill..." He played with his fingers once more, having bitten his bottom lip with apprehension. "I...uh...sorry about...you know, your first day...I was just so nervous and didnʼt know what to say..."

"Well, at least I know I wasnʼt the problem," Laura said with a chuckle.

"What? You?" Randall actually laughed. "No, of course not, you could never be anyoneʼs problem. Youʼre a good monster from what Iʼve seen. And look at you now!" He gestured to her as they entered into the living room, a sudden wave of confidence emerging from his timid exterior. "Youʼre a sorority leader! And youʼre going to be in the Scare Games!"

Laura felt herself blush in her darkly blue colored complexion. "I still got so much to understand, especially since it was all sudden..."

Randall looked at her, his eyes softening and the smile slowly disappearing from his lips. "Youʼre not the only one..."

Monnie, who had walked into the house after Mike and Sulley, glanced at them from the corner of her eye. Anxiety as well as slight dread shrouded her face and immediately turned away, eyes to the floor, biting her lip as both her leader and new OK member chatted with so much compatibility.

"You were in ROR from what I heard, right?" Laura couldnʼt help but ask as they stood in the living room while Mrs. Calrton was in the kitchen preparing cocoa and snacks.

Randall swallowed, then all four of his arms fell dejectedly. "Yeah..."

Lauraʼs eyes glimmered with concern. "Look, I know I wasnʼt here last semester, nor the two weeks of this one..." She said quietly. "But from Johnny alone, I can tell you had an experience far from what you had hoped?"

The lizard said nothing, his usually squinty-eyed looked slowly lifting up to her with an intimidated expression.

The EZ leader reached over and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I sort of feel that way as well, just from having met Johnny. I mean, Iʼm sure thereʼs more than meets the eye, but I canʼt help but feel slightly uncomfortable when heʼs around me. Better yet, so close to me." She added through gritted teeth.

Randall eased a smile. "Is it that obvious heʼs flirting with you?" He joked.

"Yeah, Iʼd like to call it being ʻincredibly friendlyʼ..." She said in a firm tone, though sounding just as playful.

Monnie couldnʼt cease from watching, quietly squeezing her way around the couch, avoiding Archie as the pig idly wandered around, where both monsters were taking a seat right next to Mike and Sulley. The redheaded monster didnʼt know why but her face was growing slightly hot, and she felt her fingers clench and unclench. She needed to lean on something and was able to find a nearby cabinet with various antiques before she laid one of her arms against it.

Not realizing her elbow had pressed against a remote of some sort.

Everyone nearly jumped when the sound of faint music began to play, and right above the center of the room the top panel of the ceiling opened.

A disco ball slowly lowered, spinning and glistening in the living room lights.

"What the...?" Katy asked, slightly bemused before she turned to see Terri and Terry rushing over to where Monnie stood.

"Oh, sorry about that!" The younger Perry apologized before reaching over and snatching the remote off the table and pressing a button, resulting in the disco ball lifting back up and the panel closing. "Thatʼs for when we have our first official OK party."

"Last time we were testing it out, it fell right to the floor, right into pieces," his brother said with a sigh. "We managed to fix it, and added improvements!"

Colette, smoothing her fur-like hair, raised an eyebrow at them questionably. "Okay, let me ask this..." She said simply. "Youʼre basically saying you might one day have your first party...in here?" She spread her arms to their surroundings, couch, furniture, and various other timely devices.

"Well, that had been the plan back when we werenʼt in the Scaring Program," Don mentioned as he leaned back against a chair.

"Oh, yeah, thatʼs right," Laura interrupted, she and Randall eyeing him curiously. "You said there was a story to tell."

Don chuckled. "Well, Iʼm not the one who needs to do the story-telling," he said. "These two fellas do." He pointed to Mike and Sulley beside her. "Especially Mike."

Laura and her sorority stared at the small, green monster, who gave a pleasant smile and a confident glow in his large eye.

"No holding back now, Mike," Sulley chuckled, nudging him.

"Alright, alright," Mike laughed. "You want a story thatʼll put you at the edge of your seat, make you spill tears, and leave you with your mouths hung so low to could shove scream canisters into it, and overall completely and utterly true?" He paused for a moment. "Well, now youʼre getting one!"

"Whoʼs hungry?" Mrs. Carlton sang as she exited out the kitchen doorway, her son following behind her as both carried trays with steaming mugs of hot chocolate and cookies. "Hot cocoa for everyone!" She stopped in front of Katy. "And look, with adorably-shaped marshmallow monsters swimming in them!"

The aquatic gazed down at mug handed to her along with a cookie, and gave a slight chuckle at the various white shapes in her drink before she blew to cool the liquid down.

"I shaped them myself," the petite woman said before she walked over to another thirsty monster.

After Mike and Sulley got their mugs, Squishy turned around and slowly made his way over to Laura and Randall.

"Uh, cocoa?" He asked them both, though his eyes were focused mainly on Laura. He hoped she couldnʼt see how hot his face was and it was just the steam emitting from the mugs.

Laura smiled. "Thank you," she said politely before she and Randall took their mugs.

"Have a cookie as well," Squishy insisted, finding his voice as he motioned to the plate of treats on his tray. "My mom made them, and theyʼre really good-"

He nearly dropped his tray when Archie came barreling through, having sniffed the cocoa and cookies and determined to claim some for himself. Luckily, Laura had reached over just in time to grab the tray from him.

"Archibald Sharp!" Laura snapped as she narrowed her eyes at the pig. "That was impolite and downright unmannerly!"

Mike regarded her closely, slightly confused. "Archibald...Sharp?"

The former FT student shrugged. "Iʼm unofficially his owner. Iʼve been there for him even before his first caretaker was fired, so I have every right to give him my last name." She let out a dry chuckle. "Heʼs my pet in a way." She carefully handed Squishy back the tray, smiling apologetically. "Sorry about that..."

Squishy let out a nervous chuckle, noticing how close she had leaned toward him before his hands finally gripped the tray. "N-no problem..."

Laura turned back to Mike. "So...are we getting that origin story or what?"

"Of course, Sharp," Mike chuckled, slightly swishing the cocoa in his mug. "Well, gather around the campfire, kids, and lilʼ Mikey will tell you what happened that changed Oozma Kappa for the better."

Katy and Colette sat at either side of Terri Terry on the second couch while Squishy sat beside Art on the floor who had his large legs crossed. Monnie managed to find herself a seat on the couch with Laura and Randall, the yellow monster gaining a spot next to the lizard.

When Randall glanced at her, she gave a small smile; he smiled back, looking as shy as he had been earlier at the kick-off.

Finally, everyone, even Mrs. Squibbles who sat on the hump of the recliner chair Don was in, quieted down, awaiting Mikeʼs exciting story.

"Well then," he began in a vast tone, "hereʼs how it began..."

As Mike recounted last semester before Laura and the girls arrived, he went into incredible detail from the moment he and Sulley had been thrown out of the Scaring Program to resorting to Canister Design class, which eventually led to Mikeʼs determination to reclaim his chances of Scaring when he wagered with Dean Hardscrabble at the kick-off, which ignited Oozma Kappaʼs spirits of being re-admitted as well as proving what a true fraternity they were to all of the university.

Laura listened closely, every word flowing from the former studentʼs mouth like milk and she just kept drinking it in, her expressions varying from surprise, anticipation, suspense, and even slight sorrow, especially for Oozma Kappaʼs part.

She snuck a glance over at all the OK members, pursing her lips when Mike admitted their miraculous reinstatement in the first event due to Jaws Theta Chiʼs disqualification to their lifted spirits being stomped on during a party at the RORʼs.

Now she knew the secret behind that photo she had discovered in her former alma materʼs paper. Cute- ma Kappa...there was nothing cute about it.

The humiliation these poor guys had endured when they were just showing they were beyond their so- called status quo, and to be trampled on like that because most future Scarers feel ʻit was their place and where they belongedʼ...

Her fingers gripped the fabric of the couch, a sense of rage burning through her throat. Her chest tightened, recalling the ROR president who kept approaching her, flirting with her, made her ʻoverly welcomedʻ in her new school...

She knew he seemed like the type of Scarer child with an arrogance about him, flamboyant and showy and willing to display his obvious hereditary scaring abilities and mention his background; every child of a Scarer Laura had met growing up was just the same.

The midnight-colored monster felt somewhat ashamed such a conceited guy like Johnny had made her heat up with embarrassment, emitting some redness to her cheeks when he stood close by her. Maybe it was a normality because she was usually so anxious due to last-minute planning, the fear of what her MU life was going to be like after just being registered...or maybe even the doubts of forming healthy relationships with those around her, especially since she had just become a sorority leader.

Laura looked up to one of her EZ girls Katy, who leaned back in her seat, just as imbibed into the story as she was. Then she looked over Don Carlton, who placed his tentacles over his bulging belly with a calm, collective smile under his mustache. Then she shifted her eyes over to Randall, whose head was bent low, playing with his fingers as an expression of mortification was evident across his face.

He had formerly been in ROR, thus had no choice but to give a hand in the prank Johnny and his buddies had inflicted on the unsuspecting OK. No doubt Laura could clearly see so much regret glimmering in those innocent green eyes of his, self-hate and feeling like trash off the street clinging at his throat like a claw.

She was about to reach over and comfort him, not caring how much it would surprise the shorter monster or anyone else for that matter, but before she could lift a hand, Randall immediately stood up.

"I...I need some fresh air," he said hoarsely, fanning himself with one hand while his other one tugged at the collar of his sweater, implying his point.

"Oh, go ahead and take the back door," Squishy directed him toward the kitchen area.

Monnie watched as the lizard immediately scurried off, then her eyes turned to Laura, the same expression of concern visible on her face as well. The dinosaur-like monster lowered her gaze, feeling self-doubt invade her mind before she re-focused on Mikeʼs story.

Laura resumed listening, hoping that sending mental thoughts of comfort to the new OK member would help enough as she stared at Mike.

When he spoke of the little ʻfield tripʼ he took Oozma Kappa to(Squishyʼs mother playing her part as the ʻgetaway carʼ), Lauraʼs thoughts quickly brought to attention and her wings rose in surprise.

"You broke into the Monsters Incorporated factory?" She exclaimed aloud.

Mike looked at her. "Yeah, and let me tell you, it was a real confidence-booster."

The draconic-like monster raised an eyebrow. "What floor were you guys looking at, by any chance?"

Sulley cut in. "We donʼt know, we were too busy watching the Scarers racking up the points."

"Like Earl ʻThe Terrorʼ Thompson!" Art added excitedly. "That dude may be an old guy, but he still can scare!"

"Donʼt forget Carla ʻKiller Clawsʼ Benitez!" Don mentioned. He had a dreamy look in his eye at he thought about one of MIʼs Scarers. "Boy, what a woman! Those are some nice nails sheʼs got there! She can scratch my back any-"

He noticed the disapproving look on Sherryʼs face and he shied away, lowering his head.

"...time," he muttered quietly.

"Earl?" Laura exclaimed, eyes lit up. "Carla?" She managed to keep herself under control as she beamed excitedly. "You guys were watching my dadʼs Scare floor!"

Everyone looked at her in disbelief, then the OK members spoke up, all at once.

"No way!" Terri exclaimed. "Your dadʼs floor?"

"How come we didnʼt see your dad?" Terry asked.

"Oh, well..." Laura smiled apologetically, looking away for a moment. "It was his night off, and he was with me and my mom when I visited home."

"You know, I sort of bumped into your dad a few times."

Laura nearly shot up before her eyes loomed over at Mike.

"What?" She breathed.

"Well, yeah," Mike admitted, "after Sulley and I got expelled, we managed to get jobs as mailroom workers at the factory."

"Easy access to all the good Scarers," Sulley added expansively.

Laura just gazed at them with utter astonishment, every bit of info becoming just as surprising as the first, clinging to her curiosity. "How...?"

"How did you guys wind up expelled?" Katy intervened.

Hearing that question, the smile slowly disappeared from Mikeʼs lips as he lowered his mug, and a crestfallen expression overrode his face. Sulley appeared just as mortified, dropping his head rather shamefully as his eyes never left the sight of the green monster.

"It was during the final event," Mike said finally. "OK versus ROR..."

And Mike sadly poured the rest of the truth out. And all five girls, especially Laura, soon learned the reason behind why the Scare Games had arrived so early, why they were renewed.

Oozma Kappaʼs victory...it was completely false.

All thanks to Sulley, who had rigged the simulator when it was Mikeʼs turn to scare in front of the whole school.

While it was, indeed, painful for both him and Mike as well as the rest of Oozma Kappa to recall those certain events, and horrified the girls as well...it really took its toll on Laura.

The new student just sat there, eyes widened in disbelief, having forgotten her mug which lay on the small table before her. She was just a wave of emotions fluctuating as she processed everything Mike admitted.

Surprise...confusion...concern...anger...

That latter was no doubt the center of her feelings as Laura was unable to control the expression of inner rage. Of course, not for Oozma Kappa, those guys were such kind-hearted monsters who gave it their all...

She shot a glance at the blue monster who looked down at the floor in despair.

No, not a glance. A glare.

Sulley...James P. Sullivan...Sullivan...

Now she knew exactly why that name sounded so familiar to her...

6-year-old Laura giggled as she rubbed the belly of her blue-furred monster dog, both sitting in front of the television shortly after her mother picked her up from school.

"Good boy!" She chortled as she tussled the loose strands that hid her beloved dogʼs eyes.

The sound of the front door caught her attention and the little girlʼs wings extended with excitement before she turned around, a loving draconic-like monster with brown eyes entering the living room after just coming home from Monsters Inc.

"Daddy!" Laura exclaimed happily before she rushed into the ready arms of her father.

"Yeah, Iʼm home!" Fillmore Sharp chuckled as he was tackled by both his daughter and family pet.

"How was Switcheroo at the company?" Laura asked brightly. "Whose station did you take over for the day?"

"Oh," her father laughed, "no other than good olʼ Sullivan."

"Sullivan?" She blinked questionably.

"Bill Sullivan," he explained, "as good a Scarer as he is a friend. You know, his son had a field trip to the company just today!"

Lauraʼs eyes brightened. "Did he see children scream?"

"No, he wasnʼt as lucky as you, sweetheart," Fillmore patted her head. "Honestly, the kid loved all the scaring, but..." He rubbed the back of his neck uneasily. "Well..."

"Oh, donʼt tell me!" Laura whined, placing her little hands on her hips, impersonating her mother when she was irritated or aware something unthinkable had occurred. "He didnʼt get to eat some blue corn like my classmates did?"

Fillmore was unable to stifle his chuckles as he sat on the floor in front of his daughter, legs crossed. "No, he got to eat blue corn," he admitted, "but Little Sullivan...he seems...well, he just acts so..."

"What?" Laura pleaded with anticipation.

He sighed. "He seemed a bit showy about his pops...claiming one day heʼll rack up the points as soon as he finishes school and works at Monster Inc. No need for studying or even an assistant; and he said that right in my assistantʼs face..." He added with a wince.

His daughter immediately understood, drinking in the words she had always been familiar with.

"Conceited?" She asked, a word she discovered from their oversized dictionary.

He managed a smile at his daughterʼs intelligent use of words. "Well, while itʼs nice to know how confident he is...I donʼt think the boy understands how every monsterʼs job aids the other-"

"That every monster does his or her part," Laura induced. "To make stuff work. Like the screams."

"Thatʼs my girl," Fillmore said gently, proud how much sheʼs learned at such a young age. "If that Sullivan kid met you, he would understand that every monster-" He glanced at her momentarily.

Laura beamed. "-is special!" She announced, little hands held up high as her wings extended. Her dog barked with agreement, wagging his puffy tail.

Fillmoreʼs smile widened, patting her head once more. "Iʼm sure that Sullivan kid will understand the importance of those words soon enough. I bet if you two ever do meet, maybe in college, heʼll make a good first impression."

Memory fading, it pained Laura to realize how wrong her father was to believe in such when it was far from what he had expected in the now, or just recently.

She was unable to break her cold glare toward the ʻSullivan kidʼ she had only heard about at such a young age. Her fingers gripped the couch tighter, her lips pursing with hostility that the boy she had learned about as some stuck-up brat to someone of a despicable cheater just last semester.

The story went on, and elicited even more unintended hateful feelings once more.

They grew fiery with outrage and horror when Mike mentioned having ventured into the human world to ʻprove himselfʼ with Sulley not far behind.

The human world? It was almost an act of suicide!

And Mike wouldnʼt have committed that if Sulley hadnʼt been such a moronic-

But Mike claimed that Sulley was just trying to help, having reached over and patted his best friendʼs massive paw, earning a small, sad smile from said monster.

Laura knew many lessons had been learned since before she had decided to leave Fear Tech and start anew in Monsters University...but she just couldnʼt shake the feeling that there were still questions unanswered.

Questions only she could ask.

And answers only he could provide.

She slowly breathed through her nose, eyes still blazing but resorting to become placid as Mikeʼs story reached its awaited conclusion.

"And thatʼs how we got expelled," he finished, same cocky grin on his face, "and how we got our mailroom jobs at MI."

The room was silent, all five girls stunned as ever.

"Just...wow..." Katy muttered.

"The human world?" Colette exclaimed frantically. "Thatʼs insane!"

"But still," Laura immediately intervened, "that was...quite the experience." She managed a nervous chuckle. "Donʼt ever do that again!" She added hoarsely, eyeing the two former students with an expression of disapproval that of a mother.

"What happened to calling me brave and fearless?" Mike joked.

Seeing the calm, peaceful expression on his face melted away the ice Laura had possessed, and the new sorority leader had to share a laugh with him.

However, after sneaking one more glance at his best friend, she knew she needed to get personal with the green monster...
_

Randall inhaled the evening air once more, having taken his time to gaze at the stars that blanketed the dark, serene sky. Clutching himself with all four of his arms, the lizard monster let out a trembling sigh. He didnʼt know how long he had been out, but he certainly felt a little relaxed.

Relaxed, yes. Fine...not really.

He had felt his former ʻbest chumʼ pay a glance at him every moment they were together with the rest of Oozma Kappa and Exceeda Zeta, and no doubt things felt pretty awkward despite what a good time they were having.

So many things were left unresolved between them...all according to that very moment when Randall had openly rejected his pleas to join OK.

Johnny...the prank...the games...

The price had become too large for Randall to resume hurting his former roommate and the good monsters that were Oozma Kappa. He was just that weak to try and speak out...

"I hope I was able to make that sweater warm enough."

Startled, Randall wheeled around. There standing just on the last few steps leading to the back door was no other than Mrs. Carlton, her kind face expressing a tender smile.

"Oh, Mrs. C..." Randall spoke quietly. He slowly turned away, looking slightly embarrassed. "I was just...itʼs...itʼs a nice night..."

Sherry quietly descended down the steps before standing beside Randall, eyes watching the sky momentarily before they fell on the shy lizard.

"Randy?" She spoke gently, all five of her eyes knitting in concern.

Randall fought down the huge lump in his throat, timidly playing with his fingers. "Y-youʼve all been so nice to me," he said quietly. "I donʼt deserve it..."

Mrs. Carlton gazed at him sadly, knowing well he was thinking about last semester, when he had been part of the rival fraternity that was pinning against her sonʼs. What the former Freshman had endured and what he gave into was something he just couldnʼt let go of, no matter how much her son and the rest of OK insisted they forgave him.

"Oh, Randy..." She said soothingly.

"Mrs. Carlton," he finally turned to look at her. "I humiliated your son in front of everyone. Didnʼt he tell you that?"

However, to Mrs. Carlton, it was actually ROR that humiliated her son and his friends last semester. While Randall had been their member during that time...she just didnʼt see him as one of their own.

From the moment she had witnessed him for the first time during the ʻToxicity Challengeʼ, she knew he felt completely out of place among Johnny and his buddies. He had looked so shy, so unsure of himself, so...unhappy.

Yes, the former Mrs. Squibbles had been absolutely horrified when her son and OK arrived at her doorstep completely covered in paint and various adorability. Each of her precious boys were crestfallen, and her little Squishy had been near tears from the heartbreaking ordeal that Johnny Worthington had inflicted on them. Each of his ROR brothers had no doubt cherished the moment like ice cream on a sunny day.

But Randall...she could just read so much from those innocent green eyes of his.

Much like Don, she could relate. It pained her to realize how many monsters were resorted to peer pressure to keep up a ʻcoolʼ facade, stay amongst the popular crowd, hurt those so close to him or her. Sherry Carlton had especially done certain things in her younger years she was not proud of.

But if she knew any better, it was never too late to fix things.

And Randall...sweet, innocent, searching-for-belonging Randy...the pieces were being put back together for him!

A small smile played on her lips as she regarded him affectionately, the way she always looked at her son, her husband, and all her other ʻlittle Oozmasʼ.

"You know, Randy," she cooed softly, "sometimes when someone does something wrong, they donʼt really mean to. Especially when said person never meant to do it in the first place."

She watched as the lizard slowly raised his head, staring at her with slight surprise.

"Johnny may not always seem like a nice fellow," she admitted, "and what he did to my boys was every motherʼs worst nightmare..." She added, eyes momentarily drifting with despair. "But I can tell heʼs beating himself around the bush for losing the best member of his team."

She smiled at Randy, who looked incredibly stunned.

"Mrs. C..." His voice trailed off, unable to think of what to say.

Her smile deepened, and she reached up and placed a gentle, motherly hand on his cheek, patting it softly before leaning up and kissing it.

"Let it go, Randy Boggs," she pleaded softly. "Youʼre with us now. Not just a team, but a family."

Family...never thought anything could feel like that in college.

The lizard blinked his squinted eyes. Then a painful smile managed to cross his lips as he looked at her with a tearful expression.

"I...I donʼt know what to say..." He muttered, voice becoming clogged with the need to sob.

"Just come back inside, sweetie," Mrs. Carlton told him as she led him up the steps back into the kitchen. "Warm yourself up again and maybe you can teach me how to make your famous cupcakes."

Randall looked at her with surprise. "H-how did you know I make cupcakes?"

"Oh, well, back at the wedding, one of the HSS girls told me you ʻknew how to wear a good dessertʼ," she was unable to stifle a giggle as she held the door open for him, the lizardʼs eyes widening in realization before he sheepishly smiled.
_

"I canʼt believe it!" Laura exclaimed with a groan, Archie joining her on the couch as she chatted with Terri and Terry. "Not only did I miss two weeks of my first semester, I missed the wedding as well?"

"It would have been cool had you been there," Terri said. "And with a lot of laughs!" And he patted his older brotherʼs side of their chest. "Terry here danced with the Dean!"

Laura nearly spat out the cocoa she had been drinking, and Terry looked at his twin with a murderous expression.

"You did, too!" He snapped.

But his brother resumed smiling. "Hey, people were talking about you. Not me!" He teased. He turned back to Laura. "Want to see the photos?"

"No!" His brother protested.

However, Lauraʼs eyes fell on Mike, the green monster having passed by them with a tray of empty mugs as he walked toward the kitchen.

"Uh, maybe later..." Laura said quietly before she got up from the couch, following him.

She hardly noticed she rushed past Randall, who actually felt relieved to return back to the living room where those who could truly connect with were minding about, chatting amongst each other while awaiting whatever Mrs. Squibbles was going to make.

He picked up one last cookie that laid on the coffee table before he consumed it, resting his back against the old-fashioned printed wall and simply watching everyone, a calm, pleased smile on his lips. He suddenly felt a presence beside him and shifted his gaze to see the backside of someoneʼs red hair.

He slightly tensed. It was Monnie.

Monnie quickly turned around, her eyes slightly raised in surprise behind her glasses as she looked at Randall.

The lizard gave an awkward smile, head lowering in embarrassment as he traced a foot across the floor.

"Uh, hi..." He managed to say.

"Hi..." Monnie greeted, smiling shyly.

They were both silent for a few moments, then Randall forced out a small cough before he finally found the will to speak.

"Hey, uh, listen..." He began quietly. "I...I never got thank you for...you know, earlier at the kick-off." He threw her a sincere smile. "Thanks for being a shield and all." He lowered his eyes, feeling slightly abashed. "I must have looked so pathetic back there..."

Monnie smiled, touched. "You werenʼt pathetic!" She laughed. "If a fight started, it would all be on that ROR guy!"

Randall looked at her, then gave in to a little laugh as well. "Thanks." He held out his hand. "You know me as Randy, right?" They had hardly spoken to each other all day, what with Oozma Kappa close by him and his conversation with Laura Sharp just earlier.

"Yes," Monnie smiled, reaching out and shaking his hand. "And you know me as Monnie."

"Monnie," Randall repeated, unable to conceal his childish grin. "Hey, I want to say that was pretty nice what you and the girls did for Sharp earlier. I was worried she was going to fly off in tears or something. Boy, that would be humiliating!"

"Sheʼs a good monster," she said sincerely. "And, honestly, I sort of wanted to be in the Scare Games myself. The other girls wanted to as well."

"Well, I just want to assure you that you girls are in good hands," Randall stated. "Talking with Sharp, I just know that no other girl could be a better new sorority leader than her."

He didnʼt notice her slightly tense up, taking in how much he was talking about the former Fear Tech student and how he seemed to hold admiration for her.

"Iʼll be honest," he chuckled, "when I first learned she was the daughter of a Scarer, I thought she would be such a conceited jerk!"

That took Monnie by surprise. "Really?"

"Yeah, but now I know sheʼs a really nice girl. Really, really nice girl."

Monnie felt deflated. "Oh..."

"But you all are," he added, "I mean, you came to her when she needed a team, and I canʼt think of any other four girls that would work right with her!"

That brightened her up a bit as she looked at him. "Thanks. Oh, and Randy?"

"Yeah?"

She was unable to stifle a giggle as her eyes casted down at her hand. "How long are we going to shake?"

The lizardʼs eyes widened before he looked down, seeing his hand had never let go of hers, having shook it the entire time they were talking. He immediately released it, eliciting another laugh from the redheaded monster.
_

"So youʼre really okay?" Laura asked once more as she helped Mike refill the mugs. "After all that happened?"

"Of course," the one-eyed monster assured her. He turned to her, looking just as curious. "You know, itʼs pretty cool how incredibly concerned you are. But Iʼm okay, and so are my friends."

"Yeah, I know," she shied away a bit. She paused for a few moments, then decided to just ask. "You and Sulley werenʼt always friends, were you?" She added, voice nearly in a whisper.

That took him by complete surprise as he regarded her closely. Then he let out a sigh as he placed the last mug on the tray.

"I wonʼt lie to you, Sharp," he said, tone sounding deflated, "last year when I had been a student in Knightʼs class, Sulley was the most stuck-up monster I had ever met!"

"I knew it..." Laura muttered quietly under her breath with bitterness. However, she flashed him a nervous smile. "Really?" She asked aloud.

"Iʼm not kidding!" Mike let out a dry-humored chuckle. "Sure, his dadʼs a Scarer and obviously he would do well...if he even bothered to study at all!"

"Oh, gosh..." Laura gasped lightly. "He didnʼt realize that a single look is not a monster make?"

"Hey, thatʼs what Knight said," Mike said. "And yeah."

Lauraʼs wings lowered, gazing at him. "So...Sulley was basically a jerk, huh?"

"And he was with ROR during that first semester," he admitted sadly. "After the quarrel we had with each other on the day of the final exam, resulting in getting thrown out, ROR booted him out as well."

"Oh, Mike..." Laura said softly, eyeing him with concerned eyes. "You must have been so heartbroken, even more so after the events of the Scare Games."

The green monster looked at her, incredibly touched by her sincere words and constant worry. "Yeah, I was..." He confessed. Then he brightened. "But while I know Iʼm not going to be a Scarer, I know I can do great things still."

Laura smiled, almost tearfully. "Thatʼs the spirit, Mike!" She reached down and patted the back of his frame. "The stuff you do is amazing!"

"We only just met," Mike laughed.

"I mean the stuff you did," Laura chuckled. "Venturing into the human world, giving hope to a team of different monsters, showing MU what a real monster is." She beamed. "I can only imagine what else you can do!"

Mike simply looked at her, his grin widening with every word of praise she gave him.

"And look at you now!" Laura added. "Sorting mail at the company! Thatʼs a really great start!"

"Yeah, Iʼm proud of my job," Mike said. "So does Sulley." His single eye sparkled. "And life sure had been grand since the expulsion! I mean, I found a girlfriend over the summer!"

"Oh, a girlfriend," she eyed him with excitement. "Whatʼs her name?"

"Celia Mae," he said dreamily. "And sheʼs a student at Fear Tech. A sophomore, just like you."

"Wow," Laura said, impressed. "Yeah, I never met her last year. I wonder if she saw me during the Scare Games at FT."

"Well, sheʼs going to be watching you during MUʼs Scare Games," Mike informed. Then he smiled at her knowingly. "And you will get a taste of what true Scare Games are, Miss Exceeda Zeta."

Laura blushed. "Yeah, I still need work on this whole leadership thing."

Mikeʼs eye softened. "Hey, donʼt worry. Youʼre going to be great. I know you will."

"Oh, thanks, Mike," Laura sighed, "that really means a lot from an expert in Scaring such as yourself."

Now it was Mikeʼs turn to blush. "Well, Iʼm not sure Iʼd call myself an expert..."

"I mean it!" She insisted. "You coached a team of monsters who didnʼt exactly comprehend how Scaring can work in every way or form! You even destroyed a whole lab of scream canisters while trapped in the human world! You canʼt say thatʼs not expert enough!"

Mike chuckled sheepishly. "Yeah, I guess no other monster could do that..."

Laura laughed. "Well, thanks to you, OK can compete in the Scare Games again, with a new light of confidence and the best coach any monster could ask for. Especially Sulley." Her tone simmered bitterly at that last sentence.

"Now that really means a lot," Mike countered playfully, "especially from the daughter of a famous Scarer."

"Oh, donʼt let that get in way," Laura chuckled, "Iʼm always finding the best in any monster, and trust me, Iʼve found such incredibility these past two days."

"What have you found in Johnny?" He couldnʼt help but ask with a snicker.

The smile immediately vanished from Lauraʼs face and her eyes knitted with discomfort. "Yeah, maybe ʻincredibilityʼ isnʼt the word I would use in reference to that guy..."
_

"Okay, dinnerʼs ready!" Mrs. Carlton sang. As everyone excitedly entered the kitchen and gathered around the table, Mike had headed upstairs.

Randall was up there using the bathroom. This was probably the only chance the green monster would be able to have a moment alone with him before re-joining the others.

He stood beside the door of the bathroom as the sound of a faucet running sounded on the other side, followed by soft humming emitting from no other than the lizard himself. Finally, the door swung open and Randall whistled to himself, having heard Mrs. Carlton downstairs and intended to come down for the delicious dinner his new frat brothers have often talked about; he didnʼt notice Mike suddenly stand behind him.

"Randy?" Mike spoke, his voice barely above a whisper.

The sudden utter took the lizard completely by surprise that he reduced his image, blending with the floral wallpaper, Mike only seeing his sweater.

"Oh, Mike..." Randall gulped, casting his invisible eyes down at his former roommate. Mike could tell how intimidated he was, seeing the green monster close and personal since before he had joined ROR. "You...you scared me there..."

As he reverted back to his visible form, Mike was silent for a few moments, simply regarding the lizard that was now part of Oozma Kappa, Roar Omega Roarʼs ultimate rival fraternity.

"Look," Mike finally said, "itʼs been pretty awkward, I know. And I never thought Iʼd ever be able to see you again-"

"I thought youʼd never want to see me again period," Randall corrected, turning his eyes away shamefully. "What I did was stupid..."

"Hey, you said you wanted to join the ʻcool kidsʼ," Mike insisted, "it just...it just took you a while to realize how far from it Johnny and the boys really were."

Randall appeared even more crestfallen. "Not the kind of friends I had hoped for..."

Mike slowly smiled, his single eye regarding him warmly. "But Oozma Kappa...are they what you hoped for? Both cool and good friends?"

Randall looked at him, the feeling sinking in, and he managed a small smile. "No..."

The green monsterʼs eyes widening, before he could demand why such a response, Randall held up a hand.

"Theyʼre better than what I had hoped for," he admitted sincerely.

That confession could melt even the coldest of hearts and Mike could only stare at him, jaw slightly gaping in astonishment, slightly overwhelmed by the moment.

The lizardʼs smile extended across his snout. "So...does this mean you forgive me?"

Mike looked at him, almost tearfully. Bottom lip quivering, he held out his hand to him.

"Letʼs put all that stuff behind us, Randy...olʼ chum." He added with a hint of humor in his eye.

Feeling completely elated and an agonistic weight lifting from his shoulders, before either knew it, Randall had reached over and hugged Mike.

Taken completely by surprise, Mike let out a small chuckle, nearly having the life squeezed out of him before Randall finally released. Both smiled at one another, thoughts and feelings resolved.

"Randy! Mikey!" Sang the voice of Mrs. Carlton from downstairs. "Hurry up before dinner gets cold!"

Wasting no time at all, both monsters, each otherʼs good chum, quickly descended down the stairs, arms slung around each other.
_

After dinner and a few rounds of family-style games in the living room, it was growing late so Laura and her sorority needed to go back to Monsters University and into the comfort and safety of their dorms.

Squishy gazed at Laura from the steps of his home, a little saddened she had to leave when they were just having so much fun. And he was just starting to speak much better around her...

Finally, Laura turned and looked down at him, smiling so warmly it could melt his heart like chocolate. Squishy returned the smile, though it came out rather awkward, as he rested a hand against the cedar post, his five eyes looking up at her with so much discreet adoration.

"I...I hope you had a good time at Party Central," he said shyly. "I mean, you know, my momʼs house." He chuckled nervously.

"Oh, Squishy," Laura said, her voice sincere, "I had a great time! Thank you for inviting me and the girls over. I really hope we can do this again another time."

The young OK member felt his heart rise like a record-breaking scaring score. His blue eyes sparkled, his smile extending so largely it could have accommodated his whole petite figure.

"Oh, sure!" He spoke rather insistingly, trying to conceal his excitement. "Yeah, we could do lots of stuff in MU as well! I mean, your sisters and my brothers, we could enjoy the time before the first Scare Game event."

He noticed a hint of worry cross her face and he wondered if he had said something lowly.

"I almost forgot about the Scare Games," Laura murmured quietly. "Oh, dear, I really need to see what I can do about my girls. Train them, actually."

Squishy swallowed, realizing he had struck a worrying nerve in the former Fear Tech student.

"Y-youʼll do great," he spoke rather confidently. "Iʼm sure the first event will be a breeze for you." He gave her an assuring smile.

That being said, he once more saw the beautiful smile that radiated from her face, her unique eyes displaying gratefulness towards him.

"Youʼre sweet," she said in a tone that sounded relieved, as if she had been stressing. "If I know anything, I definitely know the first event will be a breeze for you." And she gestured to him.

The way she looked at him was so mesmerizing, and Squishy felt his mouth run dry, his heart pounding, and feeling his cheeks become rosy that he hoped the evening could conceal it.

"Oozma Kappa," Laura announced proudly, "keep doing what you guys do, and youʼll rise victoriously once more."

Squishy gazed her dreamily. "You, too..." He added with daze. "I mean, whatever it is that you girls will do," he added hastily. "Which will help you rise victoriously as well, you know?"

Laura let out a chuckle. Their conversation was cut short when the sound of squealing rose from one of the windows of Mrs. Carltonʼs van.

"Come on, Laura!" Katy called out. "I need to sleep! I got a test tomorrow!"

"I need to put my face mask on as soon as we get to the dorms!" Colette added worriedly. "And will you please control your pig?" She whined, scooting away from the mascot as his tail wagged, tongue at the side of his mouth as he awaited his caretaker.

The draconic-like monster let out a sigh before she turned back to Squishy with an apologetic smile.

"Good night, Squishy," she told him before hurrying over to the van.

As he watched his mother drive off, disappearing around corner toward the university, Squishy could only smile, heart continuously pounding as he held the same dazed expression.

"G-good night," he murmured dreamily.

"Squishy!"

He immediately snapped out of his daze before turning around to see Mike standing in the doorway, atop his head was his old OK cap.

"Come on, we got work to do!" He urged, motioning back to the living room. "You want to get ready for that first event, donʼt you?"

Squishy blinked. "The first event isnʼt for days away."

"Exactly," Mike retorted. "No time to waste! Get in here, scary steps and all!"

No choice, Squishy immediately rushed back into the room to re-join his brothers, his newest one Randall, as Mike went over the basics just as he done last semester. Sulley merely sat on the couch, sipping his mug.

"Enjoy, fellas," he chuckled as he relaxed.
_

After bidding her sorority good night, Laura retreated back to her dorm. Archie scurried inside the room before she quickly closed the door.

She felt a slight itch around her neck and she realized she was wearing the scarf Colette had given her.

Gazing at the mirror, the scarf perfectly wrapped around her neck, feelings of self-assurance vanished in an instant as she regarded herself doubtfully.

"This isnʼt Fear Tech anymore," she reminded herself as she gazed at her reflection. "Now you have to work together with other monsters. No more doing things by yourself."

She turned around to see Archie had made his place atop her bed. Legs tucked under his belly and his head resting against the sheets, the scare pig snorted softly as it began drifting off the sleep. Laura smiled, gazing at him adoringly before she immediately ripped the scarf off and placed it on her desk next to a Scare Games flyer.

Regarding the flyer, Laura still felt the heat of embarrassment that coursed through her earlier at the kick- off. All eyes had been on her, especially the Deanʼs, and the fact that she had almost did not make it to qualification for the competition still left a cringing feeling Laura hoped to rid of by the next day.

All of that happened just because she had been two weeks late. She could have been well-informed of her alma mater, attended her Scaring class at the right time...

And the wedding.

When Laura referred back to what the Perry twins told her, about how on the night of the semester the entire university had celebrated matrimony of Don and Sherry, the new student felt even more bitterness with her former alma mater, her mind unable to erase that such a university was, indeed, full of ʻdummiesʼ. Ill-prepared and irresponsible dummies...

What Laura would have given to see such an event! And the twins even mentioned how Mrs. Carlton had chosen the Dean to be her Maid of Honor while Don chose Professor Knight as his Best Man.

Dean Abigail Hardscrabble, the Maid of Honor? Laura was sure even during wedding planning the head of the School of Scaring was still incredibly surprised by the request. She could only imagine how it felt as she walked down that aisle, head held high before taking her place across the Best Man while Mrs. Carlton herself made her presence known to every student.

Laura could only imagine how HSS appeared as the bridesmaids!

Thinking of them and other Greek groups, she couldnʼt help but refer back to her time in Fear Tech during Freshman year. She had been a good sport during the Scare Games, every monster for his or herself as obstacles neared and the competitive fire burning rapidly.

When days off from the Scare Game events, Laura would often come across several scattered bits of informative short stories that she would find excerpted into her campus newspaper. It was always the same words to every miniscule.

Our Rivals

MU Losers

Pig-stealers

While ignoring the offensive text, Laura had always managed to find something positive in detail in regards to some students at Monsters University. Like that one article where she discovered the top swimmer of Fear Tech had been beaten by MUʼs very own Carla Delgado, active aquatic and Slugma Slugma Kappaʼs leader, the one who had been very eager for Laura to join her sorority.

Unfortunately, being a Freshman and carrying only the good-spirited aspects of neutrality...when Laura mentioned anyone she read about from the rival school, other Scare Game competitors would demand why she would be interested in such ʻtrashʼ, why even think about a university that was ʻnowhere as close to good as theirsʼ, or the popular ʻWeʼre going to crush those MU moronsʼ.

While a little pride seemed okay, the mean-spirited outbursts were a little more than Laura could acquire without narrowing her eyes with disapproval. Of course, Fear Tech contained the toughest monsters and most conceited future Scarers she had ever met. And competition...Brock said the MU Scare Games were like war, and Laura had endured a battlefield at her former alma mater as a Freshman.

Ceasing the not so positive memories of Fear Tech, the sorority leader turned to her old FT cap, its initials blazing toward her eyes. Next to the hat was no other than an MU sticker, given to her by the Greek president.

Smiling a bit, Laura reached into the drawer beneath her desk and took out her old journal. Pushing her hat aside, she gently laid it atop the table before opening it to a certain page.

The date of her first official day at MU had been marked on top. Taking out a pen, the date Exceeda Zeta was born joined under it, followed by the MU sticker.

Closing the book, Laura let out a small yawn before she strolled over to her bed. Careful not to wake Archie as she silently slipped under the covers, the nightly sky outside her window was the last thing Laura saw before she closed her eyes, praying her fountain wish would come true.
_

Scott ʻSquishyʼ Carlton stood proudly at the center of Greek row, the sunlight shining upon his confident smile as students left and right cheered for him and his fraternity.

They had caught the pig. Again.

The youngest OK gently stroked Archie as he held the hog in his tiny arms.

Suddenly, there were gasps and murmurs among his classmates and he looked up as students departed, making way for a certain figure who descended gracefully to the ground.

Laura Sharp.

The awestruck smile smoothed across his lips as the beautiful monster lowered herself, looking as if the high Heavens have brought her forth, the glare of the sun glazing over her black skin, sparkling her amazing irises of sky and forest.

"Squishy..." Laura breathed, her voice soft and ever relieved as she gazed at him. "You saved my Archie!"

His rosy cheeks became even more red as he held the pig to her, smiling rather confidently.

"Oh, it was nothing..." He said shyly.

"Oh, please," Laura said, her voice giving off somewhat of a seductive trance as she bent down to his level.

When he looked in her eyes, they were like stars, staring down at him so adoringly.

"Youʼre my monster," she crooned.

Before he knew it, she had reached a gentle paw around his frame, bringing him closer.

Squishyʼs smile widened, and his heart became excessively throbbing with anticipation as Laura closed her eyes, leaning in.

Squishy smiled, sleeping peacefully as morning shone through his bedroom window. The young OK member giggled as he dreamed, snuggling against something long and narrow of blue.

"Oh, Laura Sharp..." Squishy muttered in his sleep, holding his ʻpillowʼ closer. "You make me feel warm all over..."

He leaned into his ʻpillowʼ, lips puckered out.

"Mmm..." He murmured blissfully.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

His eyes immediately shot open, then stared down at what he was holding.

A tail!

"Yah!" He cried out before shoving it away.

"Whoa!" Randall screamed before he toppled off from the top bunk straight to the floor with a thud.

Squishy breathed, both horrified and disappointed before turning to see the lizard emerge from the ground, rubbing his head.

"What are you doing?" Randall demanded, staring at him questionably.

His new frat brother blinked his five blue eyes, looking incredibly embarrassed. "Uh, nothing..." He muttered, looking away, his cheeks becoming red.

Randall shifted his gaze over to his tail limping beside him.

"Were you kissing my tail?" He asked suspiciously, his eyes squinting even further at Squishy.

"Of course not!" Squishy retorted, fiddling with his hands. He flashed a fake smile, then quickly slipped out of his bottom bunk. "Okay, itʼs morning! Definitely time to wake up!" He announced, trying to change the subject.

The door opened and there stood Terri and Terry, both with their toothbrushes in hand.

"Oh, Randy..." Terri winced. "You fell off the top bed, didnʼt you?"

Last night, when it was time for everyone to go to bed, Terri and Terry had been insistent that Randall should not have to resort to sleeping on the floor, especially on his first night as an official member of Oozma Kappa. Although the lizard had constantly assured them he would be fine and had politely refused to take their bunk above Squishyʼs, they wouldnʼt take no for an answer. Especially Squishy.

So all of them slept in Squishyʼs room together, the young OK member taking his usual spot on the bottom bunk, Randall occupying the top, and the twins resorted to accommodating the floor beside the double decker.

The lizard sighed and rubbed his head once more. "Pretty much..."

"Oh, donʼt worry, it happened to us the first time we used it," Terry admitted. "Maybe that wouldnʼt have happened if someone wasnʼt leaning over the edge." He gave his brother a look.

"Oh, donʼt pin it on me!" Terri retorted. "Your hands were over my side of the bunk!"

"Your side of the bunk?" Terry argued. "Weʼre one body and you managed to take most of the space!"

As the two resumed arguing as they left the room, Randall and Squishy followed behind them, the smell of pancakes sifting through the air.

"That smells great," Randall commented as they neared the kitchen.

"My mom makes the best flapjacks!" Squishy said excitedly. "What a way to start your first morning as an official member of OK, huh, brother?"

Randy smiled, quite touched as they took their seats at the table, watching Mrs. Carlton hum to herself before finishing another batch on her pan.

"Good morning, honey," she greeted cheerfully, her blue eyes bright and full of life before settling the finished batch atop the center plate. She leaned in and kissed her sonʼs forehead.

She turned to Randall, her smile deepening.

"Good morning, Randy, dear," she greeted before she leaned over and kissed his cheek.

Randall blushed with embarrassment, rubbing his cheek. "Yeah, good morning," he responded sheepishly.

"Eat up, dear," she insisted as she placed a few flapjacks on his plate. "A big day at school, need your energy! Especially for all my little Oozmas!" She cooed as she watched all of OK, along with Mike and Sulley, consume her cooking hungrily.

"Great stuff as usual, Mrs. C!" Sulley complimented.

"Hey, Squishy," Mike murmured to the young member beside him. "Are you guys ever going to..." He gestured toward Randall. "You know, like what you did with me and Sulley on our first night?"

"Initiation?" Squishy asked. "Oh, no, we decided not to do it."

"Not do it?" Mike exclaimed quietly. "Sulley and I suffered paddle-whacks to the bums and Randyʼs on easy street?"

"We decided to spare him," Squishy said simply. "Plus, Terri and Terry werenʼt able to replace the paddle Sulley broke."

Don wiped his glasses before looking over the letter he found in the mail.

"Whatʼs that, Don?" Sulley asked, looking over his shoulder.

"A letter from the Greek president," the mature student explained. "Looks like she and Vice President Pearson want all Greek leaders for a very important meeting this morning. Looks like Iʼm going to be missing Scaring class today..." He added apologetically.

"Oh, donʼt worry, Don," Terry assured him. "Weʼll take notes for you."

Thinking of his stepdadʼs meeting alongside the other Greek leaders, Squishy realized that Laura would be there as well, meaning she wouldnʼt be in class with the rest of them as well. Meaning she wouldnʼt sit by him today.

Though disheartened, Squishy pulled up a smiling facade. "Get as much info as you can about what the first event will be."

"Heʼs totally right, Don!" Mike barged in. "I want us prepared for this event like thereʼs no tomorrow! We may have been lucky last semester-"

"JOX cheated," Art commented.

"Okay, luckier than what had hoped for," Mike corrected, "But keep in mind as soon as Sulley and I come back from work, itʼs training time!"

"Is your girlfriend coming to the Scare Games?"

"Girlfriend?" Randall asked with surprise, looking up from his breakfast and looking at Mike.

"Oh, yeah," Mike said flamboyantly to the lizard. "Celia is excited."

"Oh, sweetie, Iʼm sure itʼll be fun for her!" Mrs. Carlton cooed as she cleaned her pan. "Itʼll be like a date!"

"Best part is," Mike said smoothly, leaning back in his seat. "Iʼm not in the events, so weʼll just be watching you guys not get killed."

Randall squinted at him disapprovingly. "Oh, yeah, thatʼs a real confidence-booster..."

"Hey, you made it out of that first event last semester with no problem," Sulley spoke up. "What more this semester?"

Randall said nothing, his eyes squinting even further at the blue monster. He stifled a growl at the back of his throat, gripping his fork rather violently.

"Iʼm sure Iʼll have no problem this semester either, Sullivan," he said, no one noticing his semi-attempted snarl.
_

Laura tore down the courtyard, her legs pumping as her wings splayed behind her as she ran; she wasnʼt going to fly this time.

Earlier the RA had given her a letter from the Greek president and Laura was stumped to realize it was during the time of Scaring 101. But as a sorority leader(last-minute made sorority leader), and the promise to meet up with her team later after their classes, she knew that one Greek leaderʼs responsibility wasnʼt always so easy.

But that didnʼt give her reason to suddenly turn up late!

"Where is it?" She panted as she raced past every building from the School of Scream Can Design to the School of Aviation. "Oh, gosh! Where is it?"

Still uneducated about MUʼs campus as a whole, it was repeating her first official day all over again, and the fact she was practically going to embarrass herself in front of the prestigious sorority and fraternity leaders, Laura felt herself nearly hyperventilate as she kept running.

Wings drooping in desperation, she scanned around the campus, until her eyes fell on two female monsters stretching by the fountain and displaying purple jackets, the word ʻEEKʼ written on the front. Laura immediately recognized them as members from one of the sororities and immediately raced over to them.

"Hey! EEK girls!" She called out.

Brynn Larson and Donna Soohoo looked up from their between-class stretches just as the new sorority leader halted right in front of them taking a moment to breath.

"Your leader..." Laura panted. "She has a meeting, right?"

Both Brynn Larson and Donna Soohoo glanced at each other before turning back to her in confusion.

"Of course," Brynn nodded. "Arenʼt you suppose to be at the meeting as well?"

"I know!" Laura groaned, clutching her face with anxiety. "I was two weeks late into the semester, meaning I never had orientation, which means I donʼt exactly know my way around this place yet-"

Brynn blinked her three blue eyes in surprise, her headfins raising in concern. "Uh, youʼre panting awfully hard there..."

"Yeah...yeah..." Laura breathed. She exhaled deeply. "Okay, relax...relax..." She told herself quickly. Finally, she turned back to the EEK girls. "Where is your leader Carla Delgado? Better yet, whereʼs the meeting?"

"Okay, follow my finger," Brynn assisted before she placed a claw on Lauraʼs lower back before guiding her toward the direction she had just came from. "Over the troll bridge. And when you arrive near the amphitheater thereʼs a wide building with flags surrounding it that isnʼt hard to miss. Itʼs right across from Greek row."

"Okay, bridge, theater, flags..." Laura repeated quickly. She flashed Brynn and Donna a smile. "Thank you! I got to go!"

With that said, Laura released her wings, before bolting upwards and tearing across the sky, hoping to arrive on time; she decided to just fly now. Brynn and Donna watched as she was just a mere speck in the distance.

"Wow," Brynn commented with astonishment. "And to think weʼre going to be competing against that in the Scare Games." She turned to Donna. "Looks like maybe Oozma Kappa isnʼt the only team we have to watch out for."

The bushy-haired monster simply bobbed her head in agreement.
_

Laura kept cautious as she descended near the amphitheatre, tucking in her wings after landing gently on the pavement. Reciting Brynnʼs description to herself, she was able to catch sight of the legendary Greek building.

Its tall, wide exterior stood proudly, shining the vibrant alma materʼs signature colour of independent blue with the words ʻGreek Hallʼ displayed atop its protruding column in the basic Greek font. A trail of light poles led toward the building as Laura followed the onyx stone path; with every turn of her head she spotted a Greek flag with a unique insignia and slogan, each sorority and frat in MU conspicuous for all to see like laundry hung up to dry.

Climbing up the steps, Laura admired the taller columns and beams that held the structure in place, giving it that historical feel that radiated prominently from the many buildings around the university, much like the School of Scaring had before she had crashed right through its doors on her first day.

Easing through the front doors which were made from the finest oak, she was greeted with a narrow hallway of marble flooring and walls displaying moments in the university's history, all relative to the Greek life. In the section of the wall, showing the many presidents and vice presidents of the Greek Council, were the pictures of Claire Wheeler and Brock Pearson, the former in her usual unimpressed expression while the latter was grinning like an overexcited sports fan.

Following the direction of the hallway towards the main atrium of Greek Hall, she noticed that the walls were further decorated with portraits of the various fraternities and sororities throughout the rich history of MU, each one having their own personal section dedicated to themselves. In addition to an elevated transparent glass case at the bottom of each wall displaying each sorority and frat's proudly earned medals and trophies, framed photographs of iconic and worthy moments of memory were also placed alongside their portraits with famous alumni in a place of honor.

Walking into the main atrium of Greek Hall, Laura was greeted by a wall made up of entirely bust pictures of famous MU alumni, with their images bolted onto a silver-blue trimmed medal-shaped plate with their names engraved upon it in bright gold. There was also a large number of celebrated Scarers being featured on the wall, and among them were Earl "The Terror" Thompson, who was a member of ROR; Carla "Killer Claws" Benitez, famed member of EEK; and even the renowned Frank Mc Kay, whose smiling face shone brightly in the gentle spotlights that illuminated the Wall of Fame.

As her sky forest-colored eyes traveled over the rows of alumni, Laura could not help but feel a sense of awe at the many faces of monsters who have graduated from MU from various walks of life. They triumphed over all forms of obstacles, and carved out their names and fame with their individually unique scaring skills. Each was special in his or her own right, and their expectant faces looked back at the midnight-blue draconic monster from those portraits that hung on the wall. It seems as though they were watching her. Judging her.

A single bust picture particularly stood out to her when Laura's eyes reached the middle row. Under the Eta Hiss Hiss sorority insignia was framed a picture of the Dean of Scaring, albeit faded due to the ravages of time, but overall the image was still in acceptable condition. It showed the normally stoic and stern Abigail Hardscrabble in her youth, dressed in a gothy-looking jacket with a spiked choker around her neck, and there are also additional spikes on the arm cuffs of her clothing. The expression on her face was a little rebellious, and with a hint of a devilish smile playing around the lips. And in her perfectly manicured hands was a lovingly maintained electric guitar, and the younger image of Hardscrabble held it like a prized relic. Stylised in goth style underneath the picture were the words: I don't follow the rules, they follow me instead.

Upon seeing such a rare and rather interesting image of the normally unflappable Dean of Scaring, Laura could not help but chuckle a little at the picture, although in her heart she curiously wondered what could have prompted such a drastic change in personality for the Dean. Perhaps one day in her educational journey in MU, she might just find the answer to her question.

The sight of the Hall of Fame and the various frats' and sororities' walls were all well and admirable...but the main problem was that Laura was still lost even in the Greek Councilʼs own building!

"Oh, where is it?" Laura muttered to herself, her head turning around the main atrium, seeking for the appropriate door to the meeting, while chiding herself privately for being distracted so easily from her real task at hand.

"Well, howdy there, Laura!" A familiar voice rang out behind her.

Slightly startled, she wheeled around to see no other than Don Carlton make his way up the steps and through the wide open doors toward her. He was beaming from ear to ear as usual, ever the optimist and never the pessimist.

"Oh, good morning, Don," she greeted as casually as she could sound. "Iʼm not late for the meeting, am I?"

"What? No!" He laughed. "In fact youʼre earlier than expected, as for me, I just came here."

"Oh, thatʼs a relief," she breathed. "Although..." She craned her head toward the hallway of doors behind her. "I have no idea where it is."

"I had a feeling youʼd say that," Don nodded. "Now donʼt you worry, olʼ Don will take us there right away!" He offered her his tentacle. "Letʼs get hoppinʼ, Miss Exceeda Zeta."

Lauraʼs face melted into an expression of gratitude as she linked her arm around the fatherly-like monsterʼs before he led her down the hall toward their destination.

After a few minutes, they stopped at a specific door, a sign taped on it saying ʻGreek Meetingʼ.

"Here we are," Don said cheerfully before he reached over and opened the door.

Every frat and sorority leaderʼs head turned as the OK president led the newest leader into the room, Laura managing a shy, uneasy smile as all eyes regarded them.

"Hey, there!" Don greeted with a chortle. "Good to see everyone! And look whoʼs with me!" He gestured to the former Fear Tech student holding his arm. "The newest addition to our MU family, little Exceeda Zeta!"

Laura couldnʼt suppress a chuckle as he led her down the wide room, the long table with every leader sitting across from another. At the very end were no other than the president and vice-president. She took the time to gaze into the faces of all the Greek leaders she was going to be competing against in the Scare Games.

She could make out the PNK girl from yesterday with her dull-sharpened claws resting on the polished table...though maybe it wasnʼt the same one because of her hair and skin tone and Laura knew that the Python Nu Kappa girls looked alike. Extremely alike.

There was the brick wall with glasses that represented HSS who leaned back in her chair, arms folded as she regarded her with that usual apathetic expression of hers.

Many other leaders were present that Laura was sure she recognized, mostly the fraternity ones she needed to save to memory for later on. As Don led her down the table, she noticed two empty chairs placed between two specific leaders.

Carla Delgado...and Johnny Worthington.

Said fraternity president leaned back in his seat and cocked his head in her direction when she slipped past his chair.

"Good morning, Laura," he greeted, his tone smooth and somewhat charming.

Laura tensed a bit, failing to not make eye contact with those purple irises of his as she and Don stopped in front of the two empty seats.

"Oh..." She swallowed. "Hello, Johnny..."

"Saved you a seat," he said in a gentleman-like tone before gesturing to the chair beside him.

Laura felt even more tense before she felt an arm touch hers and she turned to see Don pull up a seat just for her. The one next to Carla Delgado.

"How very nice of you, Johnny," Don said with a hint of teasing in his tone before he sat beside the ROR leader while Laura sat beside the one representing EEK.

Johnnyʼs smile vanished, replaced by an expression of frustration before he turned away from him and merely rested one arm on his cheek, tapping at the table bitterly.

"Carla Delgado?" Laura whispered quietly, eyeing the EEK leader.

Said monster turned to her and she witnessed the admirable smile on the new studentʼs face.

"I was wondering why you seemed so familiar to me," Laura admitted. "I read about you in Fear Techʼs paper, about how you triumphed against the top swimmers at my school."

Carla blinked in surprise. "You actually liked that I beat one of your own?"

"Well, Iʼm pretty neutral," Laura said shyly. "But anyway, you were amazing. Youʼre quite the aquatic monster."

As Laura turned back to await the meeting to start, the octopus-like monsterʼs violet eyes fell to the table, a small, amazed smile merging on her pink lips.

"Well, looks like everyoneʼs here," Brock Pearson announced, his tone still loud despite using his ʻindoor voiceʼ. "As youʼre all aware, the Scare Games have arrived earlier this year. Why thatʼs happened, Iʼm sure you all already know."

"Sullivan..." Laura muttered under her breath, shoulders hunched.

"And whatʼs even more amazing," Brock said, sounding like his usual excited self. "Is that we got a new addition to the Greek life! A last-minute addition!"

He gestured toward Laura, and all eyes immediately fell on her. She nearly shrank in her seat from embarrassment, but Laura gave a smile, nonetheless.

"OH, BOY! HOW INTENSE THAT WAS!" He boomed, startling everyone, minus the sullen president, his voice reverberating off the walls that he could have nearly made the room shake.

"Wow..." Laura muttered, slightly spooked by her outburst. She turned to Claire. "Is he always like this?"

"Even during study time," the president droned.

"That was some luck there, Sharp." Laura turned toward the HSS leader, who regarded her with one raised eyebrow. "Would have been cool if you had joined my team, though."

"Oh, yeah," Laura chuckled dryly. "What luck." She eyed her curiously. "Youʼre...Rosetta, right?"

"Rosie," she said gruffly.

"Oh, Rosie! Right!" Laura corrected herself, grimacing a smile. "Leader of Eta Hiss Hiss, a sorority thatʼs been around a long time and..."

She tapped a finger to her chin as she deduced another university fact she had picked up since first arriving on campus.

"Your greatest alumna is no other than Dean Abigail Hardscrabble, former MU student and founder of the Scare Games which she won four years in a row."

Rosie raised both her eyes, looking quite surprised how much the former Fear Tech student understood about the Greek life regardless she had been unaware of the Scare Game requirements. Of course, she had only been an MU student for almost three days and had done quite a lot since her arrival.

"Wow," PNK leader Carrie Williams said with amazement, sitting right beside Rosie. "You study really good!"

"Uh, really well," Carla corrected across the table from her.

"Okay, so English isnʼt one of my fortes," Carrie ranted, crossing her arms.

"Thank you for that, uh..." Laura regarded her closely. "Crystal Du Bois?"

The PNK president froze momentarily, her three eyes wide as her red hair nearly stood up on end from the failed recognition; it wasnʼt the first time this semester.

Laura was nearly startled when Carrie dropped her head against the table, mumbling in frustration.

"Uh, Crystal?" Laura said uneasily as all leaders looked to her.

"Thatʼs Carrie," Carla informed her. "Carrie Williams."

"Oh, gosh!" Laura gasped, eyes shrinking in discernment. "I am so sorry about that, Carrie! I mean, yesterday at the kick-off there were six of you, and one of them I recall had purple hair-"

"Two of the PNK girls have purple hair," Don explained.

"-with bluish skin," she finished.

Finally, Carrie raised her head, rubbing her cheek for a few moments before looking back at Laura.

"You mean Heather Olson," she sighed. "The other girl, her purplish-hair is more of a mauve, is Naomi Jackson. And she does not have blue skin."

"Iʼll keep that in mind..." Laura said unenthusiastically. "I am so sorry about that. Itʼs just that you girls look-"

"The same? Yeah, youʼre not the only one whoʼs told us that," Carrie groaned. "I mean, come on!" She turned to everyone in the room. "Yes, we have the same hairstyle, eyes, and even outfit designs! But we donʼt share a brain!"

"Williams, calm down," Johnny rolled his eyes. He shifted his gaze over to Laura and smiled softly. "Donʼt worry, Sharp. Carrie has always been a whiner, another thing she has in common with her sorority."

"I do not!" Carrie retorted. She turned to Laura. "Itʼs alright, though..."

"Alright, everyone, settle down," Claire Wheeler announced as she took out a folder. "Last semester you recall the Toxicity Challenge, right?"

"The what?" Laura questioned.

"Oh, what a way to have started the Scare Games!" Brock laughed heartily. "See, Laura, last semester all teams had to race across a sewer passage with toxic urchins!"

"Toxic urchins?" Laura repeated uneasily. "Wait a minute...were those things suppose to be an analogy for human childrenʼs toys?"

"Exactly!" Brock guffawed. "Oh, man! You should have seen it! One step on those bad boys and youʼll inflate like a balloon!"

"Oh, how right he is," Don sighed, recalling the terrible memory so well. "My team was falling behind while Mike and James were trying to get ahead of all the others."

"And left you behind?" Laura gasped.

"Well, they didnʼt mean to," Don assured her. "Some sort of competitive streak going on in the first event, especially for James."

"Oh, Sulley..." Laura said through gritted teeth. But her expression reverted back to concern before she eyed him and turned to the other leaders. "Was everyone hurt?"

"Oh, a few have," Carla Delgado said with a low chuckle. "Brynn Larson from my team stepped on one of them and my girls had to carry her because her foot was so swollen."

"Oh, wow..." Laura looked at her with horror. "Well, at least itʼs good to know sheʼs alright. But still...yeow..."

"Most of the teams made it out okay," Don added. "But Oozma Kappa..." He lowered his gaze sheepishly.

"Oh, man! These guys were thrown with everything we got!" Brock laughed. "Itʼs still amazing they even managed to make it to the finish line!"

"Now Art knows that some things are to be left untouched," Don sighed. "We ended up in last place."

Laura looked at him curiously. "But how did...?"

"JOX cheated."

She wheeled around to see Carrie pointing at Jaws Theta Chi leader Roy ʻBig Redʼ OʼGrowlahan, the PNK leader smirking as said monster nearly shrank in his seat when all eyes turned to him.

"Zip it, you annoying powderpuff!" The large, red monster growled, his blue eyes glaring at her teasing smirk.

"Wait, wait, wait..." Laura re-collected her thoughts. "Mike Wazowski mentioned something about this..." She rubbed her head. "Didnʼt you guys get disqualified for usage of some sort of protection?"

Before Big Red could answer, it was Brock who spoke up.

"By usage of illegal protective gel," he said in a serious tone, "which refrained then from getting stung during the course."

Big Red just shrugged, smiling nervously as Laura regarded him with raised eyes.

"They better not pull a stunt like that again," Claire intervened, once more taking the conversation by the reigns. "Especially when this new Toxicity Challenge will be a lot harder." For the first time since Laura arrived, the draconic-like monster witnessed her actually smile.

"How severe are we talking?" Laura asked worriedly.

"Explosively severe!" Brock boomed, nearly making the walls shake once more. "Not only do you get stung, you are a victim of infernal agony, my friend!"

"Infernal...agony?" Lauraʼs eyes shrank once more.

"The toughest things the Biology department has worked on!" He went on.

"Theyʼre crazy dangerous," Claire added. "You could totally die."

"Itʼs the Scare Games!" Brock hollered, pounding a fist into the table, startling the whole room once more; Lauraʼs reaction being the worst. "Itʼs a super intense sporting competition! Meaning super intense sporting events! And we just got even more super intense this semester with our first event!"

As Brock rambled on about the dangers every team would face when the first event finally arrived, Laura barely heard him. Her eyes drifted downward as she thought about the incredible severity the Scare Games in Monsters University had in comparison with Fear Tech. True, her former alma mater had events where it was a ʻdie or tryʼ decision, and some students did end up getting hurt...but stinging urchins that explode?

Laura knew the responsibilities of a leader could be hard, but her team could wind up hurt during that event! None of them were in Scaring, let alone ever competed in such obstacles before as she had, even sophomore Monnie never did such when she was in community college.

If anything were to happen to the girls that had become her new friends, Laura would never forgive herself!

She promised she would be a good leader, and by that promise to take care of her members! True, Oozma Kappa had suffered a lot during last semester...but this was different and, quote, even more super intense!

"Sharp?" Carla Delgado turned to her, eyes widening. "Laura? Are you okay?"

The others turned in the new sorority leaderʼs direction, bearing witness as Laura began to pant.

"Okay, youʼre breathing awfully hard," Claire said, her usually bored eyes opening a bit.

Laura barely heard them, she just kept breathing in and out, anxiety clinging at her once more as she thought of the horrors the rest of EZ would have to face.

"Laura?" Johnny said in concern as he stood up and was about to reach over to her.

"Oh, gosh, missy!"

However, Don had beat him to it as the mature student stood up from his seat and placed his tentacles on her shoulders, gripping them as he shook her gently.

"Laura! Laura!" Don cried. "Breathe! Breathe!"

"Does somebody have a paper bag?" Carrie exclaimed frantically.

Finally, Laura let out one last breath as Don rubbed her forehead tenderly, his other tentacle gripping her paw and squeezing it gently.

"Okay...Iʼm okay...Iʼm okay..." Laura gulped, closing her eyes.

After a few moments and she opened them, she realized everyone was looking at her, appearing quite frightened, even Claire had her mouth open.

Laura smiled, feeling incredibly embarrassed.

"Sorry," she breathed, "that was a panic attack."

"Seriously?" Brock said in awe. "I think we were the ones starting to panic here!"

A cup of water was suddenly shoved in Lauraʼs face and she looked up to see Johnny gaze at her, looking relieved. Unable to say anything, Laura silently took the beverage and downed it in a few gulps.

"That...was...intense..." Brock muttered.

Finishing her drink, Johnny had taken the empty cup from Laura before re-filling it, carefully placing it back in her hand while Don rubbed her shoulder comfortingly.

"T-thank you..." Laura managed to speak, having drank too fast.

"No problem," Johnny said. Then he smirked, eyeing her closely. "Although, seeing you hyperventilate was kind of cute."

Laura said nothing, not daring to look at him as she leaned more toward Don, feeling both mortified yet touched by his concern as he held onto her.

Carla rolled her eyes, shaking her head at the ROR president. "Oh, Johnny..."

"Man, you nearly scared me there!" Big Red said gruffly.

"Nearly?" Carla said doubtfully.

"You did that kind of stuff back in Fear Tech?" Rosie asked.

"S-sometimes," Laura admitted, slightly shaking. "But I swear I never went to the hospital." She added timidly.

"Speaking of Fear Tech," Big Red spoke up, now relaxed after seeing the new leader was okay. "Whereʼs their pig? Heʼs always with you, isnʼt he?"

"Oh, Archie..." Lauraʼs ears dropped a bit. "Well, yes, as his caretaker and friend, he is, though unofficially, mine. However, I canʼt always bring him with me everywhere I go. There are limitations and I made sure he stayed in my dorm."

"Does the RA know heʼs in there?" Carrie giggled.

"Maybe," Laura shrugged. "Maybe not. No way am I giving him back to Fear Tech!" She added, looking quite fierce.

"Wow, you really made a heel-face-turn on your old school," Rosie managed a chuckle.
_

However, said pig was strolling down the courtyard, avoiding passerby students as he trailed his beloved friend down.

As much as he had whined and begged Laura to take him out of the dorm, the lovely monster openly refused, saying she was not going to Scaring 101 today and that he certainly wasnʼt going to the Greek meeting with her. He already made quite a show during her first night in the university, and another would just be pushing it.

Usually, the scare pig would listen and accept her orders. Sometimes he would be stubborn.

And he was definitely representing the latter when he had hopped out her open window and onto the yard, having done so before.

Archie squealed softly, rushing across the troll bridge, hoping he was able to pick up his friendʼs scent. He started to run, and students immediately jumped out of his way, claiming a ʻmad pigʼ was on the loose, though some had recognized him as the ʻteam petʼ for the new sorority.

After a while, and nearly colliding with two monsters in purple jackets, Archie made his way toward the amphitheater. He sniffed the air once more, then turned the corner and stood before the giant, blue building with all its proud flags.

Wagging his tail happily, he trotted up the steps, squealing with joy to find the front doors open.
_

Don pushed the snack cart toward Laura after getting himself a cup of coffee while they continued listening to the president and vice president go over the basic rules for the upcoming event as well as do some conversing with the other Greek leaders.

Having officially calmed down and in a more serene state as she usually was, Laura reached toward the cart and grabbed a can of Blort, hoping to wake herself up.

Her ears suddenly lifted to the sound of something shuffling just outside the meeting room door. Followed by the nearly inaudible sound of snorting...

No...Lauraʼs eyes widened in horror.

Before she could decipher some way to keep the possible from happening, all heads immediately turned toward the doorway when the sound of something scratching against the door disrupted them.

"What the hey is that?" Brock wondered. "Big Red, check it out, will you, man?"

The JOX president quietly got up from his seat and made his way over to the door. Laura tensed a bit, and before she could speak out, he already opened it.

And he immediately jumped back with a startled cry when something small and orange flashed right past his legs.

"Whoa!" Johnny cried before lifting his feet off the ground as Archie tore through the room.

"Archie!" Laura cried.

Carrie let out a terrified shriek before Archie crashed into her chair, making her nearly topple over.

"Archie, no!" Laura chided, though it wasnʼt working. "Bad boy!"

"Will someone please take care of the pig?" Claire demanded, her three eyes knitting in disapproval.

Big Red lunged for the pig, but crashed face-first to the floor as Archie jumped out of his way, squealing loudly before he rushed in another direction.

"Come here, you!" Carla demanded as she used both her tentacles to apprehend him as he resumed chase.

However, she tripped over Carrieʼs chair and hit her head against the table. Groaning, she EEK leader remained on the floor while the others pursued Archie.

"Archie!" Laura cried as she crawled under the table, trying to reach him.

"I got him!" Brock called as he held his claws out, nearly reaching him.

However, Archie moved at last minute, resulting in the vice president butting straight into the snack cart, its canister of coffee falling over and spilling its extremely hot liquid.

Right into Johnnyʼs sweater.

"Ow!" The ROR president cried as he furiously tried to wipe away the stain.

Rosie growled as she tried to corner the pig. Bulky hands out, she lunged at him menacingly, which only resulted in getting her pierced horns stuck on the wall.

"You got to be kidding!" She snarled as she tried to pull them off. "I just got new piercings!"

Laura rubbed her head with exasperation. Finally, she climbed atop of the table, legs tucked underneath her, as she watched Archie race around the room, the other Greek members chasing him.

Wings extending, paws held out, Laura timed the moment, getting it just right...

Then she lunged at him, wings splayed out like an umbrella.

She grabbed him, his body pressed against her before both tumbled to the ground, resulting in Lauraʼs wings wrapped around herself.

"Whoa, Laura!" Brock cried. "Did you get him?"

Shaking herself, the new leader lifted herself up, her wings folded around her body like a blanket. She slowly opened them, and finding said pig in her arms, nuzzling her lovingly.

"Yeah, I got him," she chuckled as he reached toward some spilled donuts and consumed them hungrily.

Laura immediately turned to everyone, all the monsters looking as disheveled as she was, making her feel even more mortified.

"Guys, I am so sorry about!" Laura apologized desperately. "I have no idea how Archie left my dorm, but I wonʼt let it happen again!"

"And end the fun?" Much to Lauraʼs surprise, Big Red laughed, followed by the other monsters, minus Claire who merely just gave the smallest smile; Johnny, however, was clutching his soaked sweater.

"That was the most extreme meeting weʼve had all year!" Brock exclaimed. "Sharp, you and that pig are one of the best things to come to MU since that Wazowski guy!"

Still surprised, Laura said nothing, merely just easing a smile.

"Alright, I think the meetingʼs pretty much over," Claire droned. "Everyone out. Let the janitor worry about this."

As everyone immediately filed out of the room, Laura turned to Johnny, paying mind to the coffee stain on his ROR sweater. She held back a chuckle, her humored expression overlain with a guise of guilt.

"Johnny, I am so sorry about your sweater," Laura told him uneasily.

Despite the stain unable to come off without the use of a washing machine, the ROR president merely smirked at Laura, his purple eyes staring down at her sky and forest ones.

"No problem, Sharp," he said smoothly. "I guess you can say I got a little something special from you." And he winked at her.

Laura shied away, giving him a funny look. As they walked down the stairs and Johnny was about to make small talk with her, Don came in, wrapping a tentacle around her arm.

"You donʼt really know your way around MU, do you?" He asked her.

"Yeah, I know," Laura sighed, clutching Archie. "I missed orientation, remember?"

"Aw, donʼt you worry, sweetheart," he said gently, "olʼ Don will be your tour guide."

"Really?" She asked.

"Well, Iʼm a mature student," he chuckled. "Iʼve been here when I was your age." He gave her arm a tug as they walked down the rest of the steps. "Iʼll show you the way of MU, give you a real orientation."

Johnny watched as Laura left with the much older man with bitter resentment. He didnʼt notice Carla walk beside him, gazing in his direction.

"Youʼre not going to give up on her, are you, Worthington?" She sighed.

Johnny turned to her, his purple irises blazing with determination as well as yearning.

"Delgado, sheʼs not like other women!" He retorted.

"And sheʼs not interested," she reminded him, rolling her eyes. "No offense, but Wazowski would have a better chance with her if he didnʼt already have a girlfriend."

That insult infuriated him, making the larger monsterʼs eyebrows knit in a dark expression as he merely glared at the smug EEK leader.

He just stomped off, leaving the sorority president shaking her head with a sigh before she departed in the other direction.
_

Naomi watched from the stairs of her sorority house as Mrs. Carlton watered the plants in front of the OK residence. Seated atop the last step, the PNK girl smiled as the ʻfraternity momʼ did chores around the house like she would do her own.

Sweeping the porch, washing the windows, tending to the new flowers she would place in the front yard to give the house a more homely feel. From time to time she would drive into Greek row in her mini-van after running an errand, intending to make dinner during the nights Oozma Kappa would actually reside there until the next day.

While watching the kindly woman treat the fraternity house with love was calming as well as heartwarming, Naomi had sat outside her house waiting.

Waiting for Mrs. Carlton to leave so Naomi could have the moment alone to talk to him.

Hopefully.

She knew some of Oozma Kappa were taking rest and relaxation in their frat house, one of them being the Perry twins. Every chance Naomi had to walk up those steps and hope to finally have a word with him was usually ruined because either he was out or enjoying ʻfamily timeʼ with his brothers and Mrs. Carlton that Naomi just couldnʼt bare to barge in on them.

She watched as Mrs. Carlton walked up the steps, placing the watering can right by the patio before she reached over and opened the door.

"I got to go to the flower shop, dears!" She called into the house. "Iʼll be back later!"

"Bye, mom," said the voice of the youngest OK member before his mother closed the door and walked down the stairs.

Naomi waited patiently as she entered her car, starting it, followed by the sound of upbeat music blasting through the closed windows. Finally, Mrs. Carlton pulled her car in reverse before backing out of the ʻdrivewayʼ next to the OK house and heading out of Greek row.

Receiving her chance, Naomi quickly got up and made her way over to the OK house. Cautiously walking up the steps, she paused for a moment, biting her lip.

She took a deep breath before reaching the door. Her hand shook with anxiety and she had pulled away. But finally, she managed to knock on the door, her heart pounding just as loud.

Her knees slightly wobbled, but she managed to stand up straight, swallowing the lump in her throat as she agonistically awaited for whichever member would answer the door. If it was him, her words would be all over the place...but she would let it out eventually.

The door opened...and it was his twin.

"T-Terri?" Naomi looked at him, knowing too well that his brother wasnʼt exactly far behind.

The younger Perry gazed at her, his single eye blinking with utter surprise. "Oh, Naomi..." He sounded uneasy.

The PNK girl looked at him, her fingers clenched together nervously. "Whereʼs your brother?"

"Oh, Terry?" He shifted his eye to the side of him.

His brother was hidden right behind the open door, his half of their body completely blocking him out of Naomiʼs view. The older Perry held his breath, a pleading look in his eye as he stayed quiet as possible. Though for anyone on campus who knew Oozma Kappa, that would a useless attempt for obvious reasons.

"Tell her Iʼm not here!" He whispered urgently.

The younger twin looked extremely doubtful but did as he was told before he turned back toward the doorway.

"Uh, heʼs not here?" He told her, giving a slightly agitated smile.

Naomi just looked at him, completely unconvinced before rolling her three blue eyes. "Are you sure?" She asked with a sigh.

"He just told me!" Terri blurted out.

His brother gulped before waving his finger frantically, small shushing noises spurting from his lips.

"Er..." Terri looked at him questionably. "He...didnʼt just tell me?"

Naomi was becoming desperate as well as impatient as her fingers began to clench and unclench.

"Please, I need to see him!" She begged.

Terry rapidly shook his head, knowing how close he was from the PNK girl had the door between them saved him some distance. He gestured with his fingers toward his brother, pretending to shut his mouth like a zipper.

"Heʼs..." His brother squinted at him. "Putting on make-up?"

Terry let out a silent groan of frustration before he slapped a hand to his single-eyed face.

"Heʼs facepalming?"

The older Perry wildly flailed his arms before motioning a hand across his throat, trying to tell him without speaking.

"Heʼs...chopping his head off?"

"Idiot!" Terry said quietly through gritted teeth.

Naomi could hear the older Perry quite well from the other side of the door, and she became just as irritated. She let out a loud groan/scream of frustration, hands tightening into fists before stomping a foot against the patio floor.

"I know heʼs there, Terri!" She snapped.

Terri looked at her nervously. "Well, um..."

The door suddenly slammed right in her face. Naomi just stood there, stunned with her lips agape. She could hear bickering on the other side.

"Doofus! What were you doing?" She could hear the older Perry yell at his twin.

"I was just telling her what you said!" His brother retorted.

Naomi let out a dejected sigh, arms splayed to her sides before she turned around and miserably walked down the steps back to her house. She would have to think of another attempt.

Just as she made it off the last step of the stairs, she suddenly heard knocking.

Wheeling around, her three eyes widened in shock when she saw Nadya Petrov having walked up the steps and waiting outside the door.

It opened and it was Terry who was standing over the threshold, his brother off to the side. He was smiling!

"Hey, Nadya," he greeted courteously. "Oh, you must be asking for that book back."

After a few moments, he returned with it and handed it to the HSS girl.

"Thanks so much!" Terry said gratefully. "Now I have enough inspiration for my poetry essay!"

"Anytime," Nadya said in her usual dark but alluring tone before she turned and walked down the steps, book under her arm.

Naomi watched her in disbelief before shifting over to Terry and his brother actually waving to her before they closed the door.

Nadya nonchalantly walked toward the disconcerted PNK girl. "He needed to borrow my book," she said simply.

Naomi just stood there, mouth agape.
_

Turning away from the closed door, Terry sighed with exasperation before rubbing his temples. His brother looked at him sternly.

"You canʼt avoid her forever," he mentioned.

"Well, I can try," his brother snapped. "I donʼt think I really want to consider dating girls at all after last semester..." He added bitterly, memory fresh in his mind.

"Oh, come on!" His brother urged. "Just because of that one night you lost faith in the entirety of women?"

"Not all," Terry mumbled, thinking of their friendʼs mother and a few others to count.

"Look, you just need to go out there!" His brother insisted before he wheeled his part of their body toward the doorway. "Just open the door-" he instructed as he unintentionally opened theirs. "-walk up to a nice girl, and say-"

"Hey."

Terri nearly let out a startled cry before he realized that just standing outside the door was no other than Katy McCrea, Archie in her arms. Suddenly, the younger Perryʼs confidence began to drift as he froze, simply staring at her.

The Vocal Music major simply smiled, while trying to hold Archie as he slightly wriggled in her arms.

"So this the OK frat house," she said with an astonishment buzz in her tone. "Looks pretty chill."

Terry regarded his brother as the younger twin remained stiff. He coughed rather loudly and Terri snapped out of his daze before flashing the EZ girl an awkward smile.

"Thanks," he immediately said. He gazed at the pig in her arms. "Archie? I thought he would be with Laura."

"Or in her dorm," his brother added. "Laura has a meeting with Don and all the other frat and sorority presidents."

"Yeah, about that," Katy stifled a guffaw, "Archie crashed it!"

"No!" Terri laughed. "Really?"

"I wish I saw it!" She giggled. "Don mentioned coffee getting spilled on Johnnyʼs sweater!"

"Oh, man!" Terri whined playfully. "I wish they took a picture of that!"

"Speaking of Don," Katy resumed before she set Archie down. "Heʼs going to be giving Laura a tour of MU right now, because we all know she never had orientation, so when they met up with me after my class Don told me to come here to Greek row and drop Archie here." She peeked over the gap between the twinsʼs head toward the houseʼs exterior. "Whoʼs in here right now?"

"Just us, Art, and Squishy," Terry explained. "Mike and Sulley are at work, and Mrs. Carlton and Randy are out right now. But weʼd be glad to watch Archie."

"Archie?" All turned to see Squishy come downstairs alongside Art.

The pig immediately rushed into the house, snorting and squealing as he rummaged around the living room.

Terry turned to Katy, looking slightly disheveled and unimpressed. "That thing better know where to go to the restroom," he said sternly.

"Not my problem," Katy scoffed. "Well, I need to head off to the Amphitheater, my Glee Club is waiting for me."

"Glee Club?" Terri questioned.

"Yeah, my teacher recommended I join and itʼs a pretty chill group," Katy said unenthusiastically. "Though sometimes I wish the songs were a little more modern."

"Oh, hey, um..." Terri rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Mind if I come with you?" He shifted his gaze over to his brother. "Mind if we come with you? As a former Dance major, I never exactly witnessed the singing lovers up close." He pondered a bit. "I do know that one of their quartets last year nearly got beat up for singing in the football locker rooms to ʻcheerʼ their team on."

"I cannot blame those football players," Katy smirked, rolling her eyes. "Sure, you and your brother can come along."

"Awesome!" Terri exclaimed. He immediately calmed down, looking quite embarrassed. I mean, cool," he added quietly. "Squishy! Art! Look after the pig!"

Both remaining OK members watched as Terri nearly dragged his brother down the steps as he followed behind the relaxed singer, an excited smile spreading across the younger twinʼs face.

"Uh, okay," Squishy said before he and Art watched Archie having knocked over a book rack.

"Donʼt worry, man," Art chuckled, sustaining his usual calm, serene expression. "With the two of us, how hard can taking care of a pig be?"

Suddenly, the pair of legs spotted something outside the window.

Standing right beside one of the Greek row lamps was no other than Dot Pressler as she analyzed the exact same pole in which she had marked on, which was followed by the terrible ordeal resulting in getting a temporary splitting headache.

"Maybe I should go with the white marker..." She pondered before digging into her pack.

"Whoa!" Art watched with curious awe. He grinned wildly. "Writings on MU property! Nice!"

Before Squishy knew it, he was out the door.

"Later, man!" He called back, slamming the door behind him.

"Uh, okay..." Squishy said uneasily, now having the house all to himself save for Archie.

He rested his five eyes on the rambunctious Fear Tech mascot who started playing tug-of-war with one of the tassels of the new curtains his mom bought for their house.

"Well, Archie," he sighed though smiled. "It looks like itʼs just you and me."
_

Randall leaned back against the tree, enjoying the nice shade it provided while he curled up with a good book.

He had enjoyed his first-ever visit to the Oozma Kappa fraternity house, and already a room had welcomed him for future nights when his new brothers would slumber in Greek row...if Mrs. Carlton was staying for the night as well. But Randall would enjoy a good sneaking out every now and then, finding it both a thrill and an adventure about how much craziness this odd bunch could perform, regardless of what any monster, even ROR, thinks.

Recalling just yesterday that he had been officially made as an OK member, a blissful, relieved smile spread across his lips as the feeling of welcome and belonging struck him greatly; something ROR rarely provided him.

The things OK did, what they stood for, how they respected, it was everything opposed to what ROR represented. Those big Scarers on campus drinking in the applause and attention for being cocky and arrogant while OK accepted their popularity with thanks and good-humored affection.

Was Randall popular now? For real this time?

Well, they had made quite a scene at the kick-off yesterday, every student full aware that Randall Boggs had quit on Roar Omega Roar, choosing to be with the more favorable Oozma Kappa. A good choice as many believed, and he could have sworn Dean Hardscrabble was more attached to the decision than even him when she scolded Johnny for acting slightly reckless toward him.

The lizard was so sure the ROR president would physically harm him, had it not been for a savior-

"Mind if I sit here?"

He was immediately pulled away from his thoughts when he heard that familiar voice and looked up to see it was no other than Monnie, looking down at him with a pleasant smile, a book in her hand.

"Oh," he said with surprise, his emerald eyes slightly widening. "Oh, sure! Go right on ahead."

Monnieʼs smile brightened before she took a spot right next to him on the tree, pulling her legs back as she propped her book atop her knees.

"Just by yourself?" She asked him casually.

"Some alone time and leisure, yeah," the lizard responded, returning to his book. "Going to meet with the guys later for some more intense training once Mikey comes back from work. Donʼs showing your leader around MU, by the way. Looks like Sharp will actually get that orientation she missed out on."

"Good for Laura," Monnie nodded. "The girls and I have to meet up with her later to do some training of our own. Whatever training a Scarer like her can give us..." She added with a shrug.

Randall lowered his book, simply glancing at the female monster with red hair curiously.

"Hey, Monnie, I think I forgot to ask you this last night," he began.

Monnie turned from her book and looked at him, aqua green eyes blinking.

"Iʼve been meaning to ask you but it was late and you girls had to go back to your dorms," he added, rubbing the back of his neck with a sheepish smile.

The EZ memberʼs eyes widened, her cheeks about flushed as she regarded him closely.

"Yes?" She urged gently, leaning toward him, as if awaiting what she had hoped for though didnʼt expect it so quickly. "What were you going to ask me last night, Randy Boggs?" Her tone sounded hopeful and excited, although Randall didnʼt sense it.

Randall smiled. "Iʼve been meaning to ask what exactly your major is."

The smile slowly dropped from her lips and one of Monnieʼs eyes twitched, appearing perplexed.

"Oh, that..." She said, sounding disappointed.

"Yeah, I know most monsters come here to become Scarers," he continued, "but you hardly look like the Scaring type."

The dejected feeling quickly vanishing, Monnie thrusted a smile. "Well, Iʼm in Audio Music," she explained. "I want to be a DJ!"

Randall blinked, looking quite astonished by her choice of career. "Really? May I ask why?"

Monnie turned away, smiling with embarrassment. "Well, my mom was a DJ," she explained, "she was very popular and successful, mostly because she was known for her interactions with the crowd and the time she took to converse with her fans."

Randall watched as her expression glazed over to the clear blue sky, reminiscing as her smile softened.

"Her whole ʻdriveʼ was to put smiles on the faces of everyone she could. Whether that was by her music or personally talking with her various fans. She did her best to support everyone around her and bring happiness to them, even if it was temporary, she was always happy to relieve their stress, even if just for a little while."

Her smiled deepened, appearing quite proud.

"I want to be just like her," she stated. "Become a successful DJ and bring smiles to every monster that hears my music or attends my concerts."

Randall gazed at her with awe, amazed by such inspiration and passion she possessed.

"Wow, Monnie," he said. "Thatʼs so cool. Really neat!"

The yellow monster blushed and looked away temporarily. "Oh, itʼs nothing!" She gave a sheepish giggle.

Then her expression melted to one looking more crestfallen as the temporary spark in her eyes was replaced by a more faded layer.

"No oneʼs officially heard my music," she said sadly. "Yesterday at the initiation had been the only time Iʼve ever played my beats...and everyone was either paying attention to the initiation or Lauraʼs getting whacked in the buttocks!"

Randall regarded her sympathetically. "I listened to your music."

Monnie slowly turned to him, raising her eyes.

"Itʼs really good," he stated sincerely with a smile. "And the way I see it. If you could make Exceeda Zeta happen, you can make your goals happen."

The Audio Music major stared at him, now the one looking just as amazed.

"Thanks, Randy," she said blissfully. "That really means a lot to me."

It was Randallʼs turn to look embarrassed as he merely smiled.

"Anytime, Monnie. Maybe, just maybe...I can listen to some of your tunes?"

The spark resurfaced in Monnieʼs eyes and her smile was as wide as Lauraʼs wingspan.

"Of course!" She said excitedly. "It would be an honor!"

"An honor?" Randall chuckled. "Iʼm just plain, old Randy here!"

"Oh, no!" She playfully nudged him with a hand. "Donʼt say that!" She giggled. "Youʼre just as good as any monster!"

Now something sparked in his usually squinty eyes as he heeded her words with somewhat warmth.

"That really means a lot to me..." He said quietly.
_

"Now they said itʼs not vandalism if the writing is really small and really innocent."

Art just threw her a cheesy smile as they entered the art museum of studentsʼ works. After the OK member had demonstrated to her how not to write oneʼs name on the troll bridge with glitter he smuggled from the Astronomy Club, Dot suggested they just look at paintings and other creativity perfected by various future artists.

"And what was all that with the ʻequals a thousand wordsʼ?" He couldnʼt help but ask as they stopped beside an amateur-looking clay pot display. "I saw what you wrote on that pole back in Greek row."

Dot was unable to conceal her embarrassed blush as she looked away, her jelly-like locks jiggling with every movement she made.

"I guess I just wanted to make something of myself for Freshman year," she admitted softly.

Art regarded her with confusion. "What do you mean?"

She turned to him, her green eyes glistening with hope. "Back in high school, I was sort of a top student. Not grades, honestly..." She added with a low chuckle. "But for what I can do with my skills."

"Sketching?"

"Not just sketches," she said, "drawings, pen work, and painting. Oh, how I loved to paint for my school!" She stared aimlessly. "I was well-known for painting my high school mural."

"Really?" Art asked, surprised. "Must have been messy work."

"Oh, a little paint on the face isnʼt so bad," she giggled softly. "Some say itʼs some sort of ʻself-inflicted good luck charmʼ."

"Oh, getting a little spiritual, are we?" Art asked playfully.

"Well, I guess you can call it spiritual," she shrugged. "But anyway, all that work was worth it, and I made my mark in high school before I graduated."

The smile slowly fell from her lips as she barely regarded an arrangement of paintings across the hall they were passing through.

"I just wish I could be able to do the same for here," she said sadly, "in college."

Art watched her closely, his usually serene smile replaced with lips lined in sympathy.

"Youʼre making a mark," he insisted. "I mean, youʼre in the newest Greek team of Monsters University!" He added with enthusiasm. "Youʼre going to be in the Scare Games."

"Yeah, that is something," Dot said, her tone filled with uncertainty.

Art noticed this and raised an eyebrow. "Whatʼs wrong?"

Dot bit her lip. "Well, Iʼm...Iʼm not exactly the Scary kind of monster," she confessed, "I have no Scaring experience and the fact that Laura has confidence in my so-called ʻabilitiesʼ makes me feel even worse!"

He watched as her eyebrows knitted with self-doubt, rubbing her roundish hands timidly. Her slight hopelessness reminded him so much of Oozma Kappa last semester before Mike and Sulley came into their lives.

Each of them had doubts in their abilities, but when opportunity opened...they triumphed more than they could hope.

Referring to that, Art smiled. "Hey, I was a former New Age Philosophy major, remember?" He chuckled. "I didnʼt think all this had some Scaring potential." He motioned to his entire frame, from head to his leggy appearance in general. "But, boy, was I wrong! Check it!"

And he immediately flexed his lanky arms, grunting as if he had been working out. This sight emitted a small giggle from Dot as he posed.

"I have to admit," she said with a smile, "you really stand out from other monsters."

"Exactly," Art said proudly. "And that can be an advantage." He looked at her with knowing eyes. "So what Laura says, donʼt doubt it."

The corners of Dotʼs lips twitched in another smile, feeling somewhat elated the way he spoke to her.

Maybe an Art major student like herself might actually have some scariness within...
_

Who cares if you disagree?

You are not me

Who made you king of anything?

So you dare tell me who to be?

Who died

And made you king of anything?

Terri and his brother sat in one of the empty seats of the theater as they watched Katy and her Glee Club perform under the guidance of Professor Heimlich, a middle-aged monster of lukewarm green skin and a balding head, his four lanky arms directing his singers as each student projected a steady, falsetto tone.

True, the performance was mesmerizing and alluring with the softness of voices and steadiness of projection...but there could still be room for improvement.

The younger Perry watched as Katy sang, though it was completely inaudible compared to the rising voices of the other members, drowning her out in the process.

But either way, Terri watched her in awe. The confident glow in her cheeks, the determination sparking in her ocean blue irises, the way her hands motioned with every word emerging from her mouth, if only he could just hear her and only her.

He got his wish when the instructor motioned for her to step forward and the semi-aquatic did; Terri noticed the EZ scrunchie wrapped around her arm as of the day she first received it. His single eye watched in anticipation as the other members hummed while Katy took a deep breath.

Than sang the next part.

All my life

I've tried

To make everybody happy while I

Just hurt

And hide

Waitin' for someone to tell me it's my turn

To decide

"Oh, oh..." She hummed alongside the others in unison. "Oh, oh..."

Terriʼs eye widened in pure astonishment as her voice flowed like honey, each word as vibrant and sweet as the first provided with such originality that was her tone. Such a Vocal Music major she was, how proudly she represented it.

"Wow..." Was all he could say in awe, breathing deeply.

His brother merely laid his head against the rest of their theater seat while regarding the music group with interest yet nonchalance.

"Pretty okay," he admitted.

Suddenly, Katy jerked her body forward, a fierce expression on her face as she prepared her voice once more.

Everybody got their own opinion

Everybody got somethinʼ to say

When will we pay attention?

Probably not today!

Terriʼs jaw fell in utter disbelief and his brother watched, just as surprised.

Katy was rapping! Whatʼs more, her own usage of words to a song similar to a lullaby made it sound not just like a wake-up call but something more upbeat and stylish.

Her own style.

"Wow!" Terri cried, unable to contain his excitement as he leaned in closer, watching her gruff out her own lyrics.

Like whatʼs he doing now?

Maybe heʼs making money, how?

He just did what?

He just told me to drop it now!

Or heʼs taking so and so

And everyone knows how bad itʼll go

He said this

She said that

Feel like the whole worldʼs about to blow

"MISS MCCREA!"

Katy immediately ceased her rapping before turning a blind eye toward her fuming instructor.

She winced. "Y-yes, Mr. Heimlich?"

Trying to keep his temper intact, the middle-aged professor breathed out deeply before regarding her with disapproval.

"That is not how the song works!" He barked.

Katy leaned back, dodging the spit that spurted from his lips as he shouted. Cringing with disgust, she held her head high and looked at him challengingly. "Iʼm just making it better," she insisted promptly.

Professor Heimlich sighed with aggravation, one of his hands reaching into his pocket and rubbing his forehead.

"What needs to be better is your constructive follow-through, Ms. McCrea," he said sternly. He turned back to the rest of the silent singers. "Thatʼll be all for today, everyone. Thank you for coming."

Fuming and dull claws clenching with anger, Katy stomped off the platform, lips pursed in rage before she made her way toward where Terri and Terry sat.

Terri and his brother immediately got out of their seats before following the infuriated singer out of the theater.

As minutes passed by since her practice, the younger twin regarded her nervously, feeling pretty bad about what she had endured when she was just doing what she loved.

Swallowing, he finally spoke. "I donʼt know what that old kook was talking about," he said, his tone confident as he looked at her with a fierce expression. "What you did up there was amazing!"

The anger slowly seeped from Katyʼs face before she looked toward the younger twin, her eyes widening with surprise.

"You liked it?" She asked, sounding unsure.

"Liked it?" Terri laughed. "Katy, I loved it! Your rapping was awesome!"

His words sincere and his smile so encouraging, Katyʼs salmon pink skin nearly darkened with redness from embarrassment as she smiled sheepishly.

"Youʼre just saying that..." She muttered.

"Iʼm not!" He urged.

"He really isnʼt," his older brother injected. "That was nice."

"Beyond nice!" Terri exclaimed. "Iʼm sure Sla$ha miffed off her teachers when she was in college, and I bet those guys regret downing on her abilities...just like Iʼm sure Professor Headlock or whatever will be once you go the big time!"

Katy just stared at him, ocean blues blinking with utter awe.

"Thanks," she murmured.

"And if you can rap that good-" Terri started.

"Well," his brother corrected.

Terri rolled his eyes. "That well," he repeated, "then whatʼs more coming this semester!" His eye lit up in realization. "Say, that reminds me! There is a talent show coming up!"

"Talent show?" Katy asked.

"Yeah, itʼs really fun," Terry stated. "Last year my brother and I performed the ancient craft of close-up magic."

Terri smiled. "All about the misdirection," he instructed in a whispering tone.

"Which you screwed up," Terry muttered under his breath.

His younger brother was about to retort when Katy laughed.

"And you think I can enter this talent comp?" She asked. "With my singing?"

"Weʼll help you!" Terri insisted quickly. "My brother will as well!"

"I pretty much have to anyway," the older Perry joked.

"Wow, guys," Katy mused. She turned to Terri. "Man, you are one awesome son a shrew!"

Terri blushed, shrugging it like it was no big deal. "Oh, well, whatʼs a former Dance major for?"
_

Don and Laura laughed as they exited out of the School of Science institution, in their hands fake ID cards Don had used to manage them inside the door making lab.

"I canʼt believe you just snuck us in there!" Laura giggled. "Whatʼs more, you actually opened a door leading to the human world!"

The mature student smiled. "Doubt orientation back in Fear Tech provided that, huh?"

"No," Laura shook her head, guffawing. "Not even close." She looked at him closely. "Youʼve been in that lab before, have you?"

Don quieted for a few moments. "Well, yeah," he replied with a sigh, "last semester. Mike told you what happened, you recall?"

Her eyes widened. "Oh, yeah...that..."

"Here, let olʻ Don get you something to drink," he insisted before they came across a soda machine beside the building.

After buying them both a can of soda, Don and Laura now stood upon the troll bridge, drinking in the scenery of MU while sipping their beverages.

While the liquid trickled down Lauraʼs throat, her mind drifted back to Mikeʼs story, about how he had ventured into the human world to prove himself.

All because of Sullivan.

Swallowing, she glanced at Don.

"So..." She began quietly. "You werenʼt badly damaged when security, you know, apprehended you while you were stalling?"

Don turned to her, a playful smile under his mustache. "Well, I wonʼt lie that they sure gave a crink in my back," he chuckled. "But Iʼm okay."

Laura slowly nodded, clutching her can nervously. She took a deep breath before continuing.

"So Sullivan..." She began, trying to sound nonchalant. "You guys sure were excited when he and Mike joined your fraternity last semester."

"Oh, we sure were," Don said happily, "back then we werenʼt exactly the first fraternity to any monsterʼs mind, what having been non-Scare students and all." He added with a reminiscent sigh. "But those boys sure brought back some faith in us, especially Sulley."

"Sulley..." Laura repeated. "Don, I know Mike had full confidence in all of you from the very start when he made your team recognized in last semesterʼs kick-off...but what about James P. Sullivan? What was he like exactly the moment he became an OK member?"

Don lowered his gaze down toward the river under the bridge, resting his can atop the balustrade before letting out a deep sigh.

"I wonʼt lie to you, Laura," he said, his voice sorrowful. "Sulley sure didnʼt seem to like us one bit from what I could see. I had a feeling we were just a last resort for him to get back into the Scaring Program and he decided to just take it."

Her ears lowered, Lauraʼs expression appearing quite devastated as Don spoke with a heavy heart.

"Then why..." She sounded hoarse. "...why were you so fine with it?"

"Well, sweetheart," he said gently, "as a man old as me, I can understand the younger generation, especially around the college years. Some grow up as uptight, rebellious monsters, others act completely ʻdominantʼ, looking at themselves as better than all the rest because he ʻhas it in himʼ while we were an odd bunch..." He loosened the grip on his can. "So knowing how James was completely doubtful of us, and having wished he could disguise some other team to look like us in hopes of better chances...it did hurt."

"Oh, Don..." Laura whispered sadly.

But the OK presidentʼs expression brightened, looking at her with eyes suddenly full of life.

"Thatʼs all in the past now, Laura," he assured her, "during our time together as a team, James started to change. For the better. He started seeing us as we were, and most of the thanks went to Mike, who, from the very beginning werenʼt exactly the best of friends."

That could have gained a smile from Lauraʼs face, but she still couldnʼt shake one certain feeling.

"But then the final event..." She whispered.

The smile slowly faded from his lips, his expression downcast at the memory.

"We were all very disappointed with him," he admitted, "and deep down, we sort of blamed him for Mike nearly getting killed in the human world."

As Don reflected back on that one night, he could remember so well how frightened he and his friends were when both Mike and Sulley were trapped among the humans, how scared they were that their lives could have ended by the time the CDA arrived.

Yes, Don was ashamed of Sulley for having pulled such a stunt in the first place that resulted in Mikeʼs.

But the blue monster thought he was helping, having not thought any better, and, of course, he had informed the Dean of his deed, taking full blame and accepting expulsion.

Immediate forgiveness was in order and the OK president recalled the rest that led to what they were preparing for this semester.

"But James is a good fellow," he insisted quietly, "he may have done wrong, but he wasnʼt thinking right. He was just trying to help out, even though it wasnʼt helping at all."

The words sank in, and they did only little to appease Laura, whose thoughts contained that of the monster child her father mentioned to her all those years ago.

Sullivan...

...that jerk.

However, Laura stiffened a smile as the one returned to Donʼs face before they resumed looking out toward the natures of the university.
_

Evening blanketed the university as students began venturing the night life like every day of the week once classes were over with and the sound of music and various chatter overcame the campus.

Squishy and his frat brothers entered the gym, intending to prepare themselves for the upcoming games. Sulley was a bit worn out from a long dayʼs work at the mailroom and remained with Mrs. Carlton back in their Greek house while Mike was out on a date with Celia; the green monster insisted that Oozma Kappa work things on their own while he was away, intending to work them to the bone the next day as the first event drew nearer.

For Oozma Kappa, they rarely ever worked out, especially Art who openly claimed that he ʻdidnʼt want to get too bigʼ. All the machines in the massive gym seemed quite intimidating to the brothers, save for Randall who often did stretches and other techniques in his own time, but they had to experience ʻno pain, no gainʻ one way or another.

"Well, if isnʼt our good friends, Oozma Kappa."

All heads turned toward the workout bench to see Johnny Worthington with a white undershirt and a towel around his neck. Beside him was Chet, the usual goofy look on his face as he followed his leader.

"Going to work out?" Johnny chuckled. "Careful now. Most of these machines are a little extreme. Maybe you should go for something a little more your speed."

He pointed a finger toward the other side of the room where laid the smallest dumbbells for those who wanted to take it slowly.

"Those things donʼt seem so bad," he guffawed.

Terry narrowed his single eye at him, clenching his fists. "Watch yourself, Worthington," he spoke for all his brothers. "Weʼre not the same as we were last semester."

The smile slipped away from Johnnyʼs large fangs and he raised an eyebrow at the older Perry twin.

"Iʼm sure," he responded, sarcasm evident in his tone.

"Weʼre going to wipe the floor with you guys!" Chet intervened, sounding tough.

"And weʼre going to polish the windows with your own sweaters!" Terri retorted fiercely.

All eyes stared at him in confusion, his older brother rolling his eye. The younger Perry just shrugged, the only comeback he could come up with.

Randall lowered his head, daring to look at his former leader as he mildly played with his fingers.

His fronds nearly shot up in alarm when the ROR presidentʼs eye fell on him, his expression indifferent and slightly menacing.

"Good luck with your new buddies, Boggs," he snapped before turning away. "Youʼll need it."

Randall gulped, watching as his former brothers departed away from OK to resume their workout somewhere else in the gym. However, his tension lessened a bit when Don placed a comforting arm around him.

"Aw, pay no mind to Jonathan," the mature president chuckled. "Letʼs just remind ourselves that this is all in good fun with a little competitive know-how."

"Iʼm taking the bikes!" Art exclaimed excitedly, walking off toward his destination.

"Terri and I will take over the trampolines over there," Terry said before he and his brother left.

"Iʼll work on the mats," Don told Randall before leaving him with Squishy.

Randall and Squishy turned to each other before regarding the wide assortment of exercising equipment.

"Randy, what are you going to take?" The youngest member asked him.

The lizard tensed a bit. "I guess Iʼll just work on the simpler dumbbells." He told him before slithering off. "Later."

As Squishy gave him a silent wave, his feet padded across the gym, wondering what device could suit him the best.

Bench pressing? No, last time he tried that it nearly left a dent on his belly.

The elliptical? Seemed too fast for him to handle especially with his legs.

As Squishy scanned the room, his eyes fell directly on where the treadmills were.

Using one of them was the Exceeda Zeta leader herself.

His heart throbbed excessively as he watched her work on her calves as she ran upon the speeding conveyor belt, punching the air every now and then as she took deep breaths.

Wings tucked, eyes glistening with concentration, her whole body responding to her machine...it was a magnificent sight to see in the small monsterʼs eyes.

Gulping, Squishy took a deep breath before making his way toward the treadmill beside her. His height proved a little difficult as he reached his tiny hand toward the button that started the machine. Hearing the treadmill start, Laura turned her head and spotted Squishy standing on the side of it, a little worried as he watched the belt speed like a race car tearing up its track.

When his five eyes met hers, he smiled nervously.

"H-hi, Laura," he greeted in a child-like tone.

The smile on her face nearly melted him on the spot.

"Squishy," she greeted, stepping off to the side of the treadmill as she wiped the sweat from her forehead. "Hey, howʼs it going?"

"Fine," he responded, trying to sound casual. "Uh, been working out?"

"Yeah," Laura sighed. "My girls are here as well. I thought this would be the best place to start our training for the first event."

"Well, what a coincidence," Squishy managed a laugh. "Mike insisted we do the same thing while heʼs out on a date."

"Oh, yeah, the Celia girl he mentioned," she nodded, "and Iʼm betting heʼs going to train you as soon as he gets back?"

"Of course," Squishy chuckled, rolling his eyes. "Heʼs the best coach any monster team could hope for."

"I believe that," Laura said confidently. "I mean, look what he had done to you!" She gestured to him. "You guys are well-prepared for the upcoming event." Her ears lowered a bit. "I just hope my team is..."

Squishy regarded her, eyes filled with concern as the monster he was crushing on appeared doubtful of herself.

"I know your team is," he said sincerely. "You said so yourself you promised to be a good leader. And youʼre doing an okay job after only one day."

Laura turned to him, smiling gratefully. "Yeah, okay..." She said hoarsely. "Hey, thanks for watching Archie. I know he can be great trouble-"

"Oh, no, no!" Squishy insisted abruptly. "He was no trouble at all! Things went swimmingly!"

That, however, was an understatement as Squishy recalled all too well earlier how he had to chase Archie all over the house while the pig was knocking over things and the result of his momʼs wax fruit having been consumed.

But he wouldnʼt dare make Laura regretful of leaving her only friend from Fear Tech in his care. He knew she was worried about the day her former alma mater would demand to reclaim their mascot, and Laura was emotionally trying to fight a way to keep her pig who was like her team pet.

"Well, okay, if you say so," Laura said.

She lifted her feet back onto the treadmill and resumed her running.

"You going to pace yourself or go for the ultimate mile?" She asked, eyes focused in front of her as she ran.

Squishy looked down at his treadmill, discomforted by the speeding belt. But maybe he really did need work on his legs and, ever so slowly, he reached a padded foot toward the belt before he immediately placed his other one.

Now he was running on what felt like pavement and he was breathing heavily with every word he uttered.

"This...isnʼt...so...bad...!" He panted as he tried to follow in line with Laura.

"Are you okay?" Laura asked, shifting her eyes to him with concern.

"Oh...Iʼm fine!" He said quickly, flashing her a smile while his heart rate was shooting up. "This is actually...pretty...fun...!"

Laura gave one last look at him before she went back to her workout. Just as she was about to resume her air punches, a bottle of water was placed in front of her. Confused, she turned to see it was no other than Johnny.

A look of horror drew across Squishyʼs face as the rival team leader rested his shoulder against the treadmill, gazing at Laura admiringly. He could have sworn he saw his eyes momentarily shift toward the lower portion of her body before looking at her eyes again.

"Thought youʼd be thirsty," Johnny told her smoothly, wiping his forehead, smirking at her.

Laura was quiet for a few moments, simply regarding him as she resumed her pace. "Uh, thanks," she said out of politeness.

Johnny looked at her, his purple eyes desirable. "I canʼt wait for us to compete against each other at the Scare Games," he said briskly. "Iʼm liking the competition so far." He gazed at her intently.

Squishyʼs mouth fell in despair, and he was so caught up in watching Johnny flirt with Laura that he made a misstep on the treadmill.

The mistake resulted in the little monster tripping over his own feet, landing face-first against the conveyor belt, which threw his whole body backwards. He crashed straight into a pack of exercise balls.

Lauraʼs eyes widened in horror as she immediately turned from Johnny.

"Squishy!" She cried before hopping off her treadmill and running to his aid.

Johnny just stood there, surprised and dismayed as the beautiful monster loomed over the OK memberʼs frame. He watched as she gently placed a hand on the small of his back and helped him sit up.

"Are you okay?" She asked him worriedly.

Squishy chuckled, feeling completely embarrassed about how much of a fool he looked like just moments ago.

"Donʼt worry, Iʼm fine!" He insisted, pride hurt deep down.

However, the conversation was short-lived as Johnny casually walked over, his confident smile flashing in Squishyʼs face as he regained Lauraʼs attention.

"You look worn out, Sharp," he said in his most charming tone before he removed the towel around his neck.

Squishy could only watch in despair as he gently wrapped the towel around Lauraʼs shoulders, fully surprising her.

"I have my own towel," she insisted, trying not to sound rude.

"I know," Johnny said, "I just felt the need to share with you." He eyed her playfully.

"Squishy!"

They both turned to see Randall rush over to the fallen OK member, beside him was Monnie.

"Whoa! Are you okay?" The lizard asked his new frat brother. "We saw what happened!"

"You didnʼt break anything, did you?" Monnie questioned. "The way you fell off that treadmill, I almost thought you-"

She stopped in mid-sentence when her eyes suddenly took in the sight of Johnny, the bigger monster regarding her with surprise.

Suddenly, her concerning expression changed to one of hostility as she glared at the ROR leader coldly behind her glasses.

The expression was enough to drive him away and Johnny merely rolled his eyes before turning back to Laura.

"Iʼll see you later, Sharp," he told her before walking away, leaving his towel with her.

"Uh, okay?" Laura said unenthusiastically before she returned her attention to Squishy. "Oh, Squishy..."

"I-Iʼm fine," he insisted, relieved smile on his face as Johnny left. "Iʼm good!"

He nearly let out a startled gasp as her paw draped over his forehead, checking it. His entire body tense, his cheeks warming up, and his heart rising faster than it had been just moments before.

"Okay, youʼre okay," Laura drew a sigh of relief. "Oh, wow, that was close!"

"Yeah," Squishy tried to stifle the childish giggle as she touched him. "Really close..."
_

Dean Hardscrabble gazed out the window of her personal office as the evening wore on, students enjoying the night life as she regarded the entire university with a calm, rigid expression.

She didnʼt turn when the door of her office opened, knowing too well Professor Knight would visit her on evenings such as this. She could smell the soothing aroma of fresh coffee in a pot as said monster carried a tray over to her.

"Penny for your thoughts, Dean Hardscrabble?" Professor Knight asked casually as he set the tray on her well-maintained desk.

For a moment, the Dean said nothing, simply gazing down her window as she spotted a few oh-so familiar forms emerge from one of the buildings.

No doubt five of those bodies were no other than the newly popular Oozma Kappa. Five other forms followed beside them, the newest addition to the universityʼs Greek life as she had been informed by the vice-president: Exceeda Zeta.

Her eyes aimed at one certain monster in particular as she trailed beside the youngest member of OK: Laura Sharp.

"The new students of this semesterʼs Scaring class," she began quietly, still not looking at Professor Knight, "they have been quite an...active bunch, arenʼt they?"

The professor chuckled. "I am sure they have a surprise or two up their sleeves, Dean Hardscrabble. From what I recall, you are looking out for those especially."

The Dean of Scaring turned and raised an eyebrow at the professor, who was pouring the steaming coffee into two marble cups.

"I, myself, consider them quite the honor students in my class," he said knowingly. "Coffee? Extra dark and gloopy." He held out a cup to her.

The Dean accepted it and her usual stony expression softened a little. "Can you stop doing that?"

"Doing what?" He asked with confusion.

"Please. I have already told you a couple of times. You can drop the formalities when there's nobody around. After all, to the public we may be Dean of Scaring and Professor of Scaring, but when the job is over, we are just old friends. I would feel more comfortable if you addressed me as Abigail, Derek."

The look she gave him may have been her usual stern expression but in her eyes he could clearly see small plead and a hint of playfulness, something so rare so few could find in the former Scarer.

However, having know Hardscrabble for such a long time, he made a sound that felt suspiciously like laughter in his throat.

"As you wish, Abigail," he said. "I will do my best, but old habits die hard."

A small smile played on the Deanʼs lips before sipping her coffee. Her eyes re-directed toward her window, seeing that Laura and her new friends were out of sight now.

"That Laura Sharp..." She spoke softly. "Quite unusual, how she had suddenly marked herself upon our university."

The professor caught on, sipping his cup. "Made quite an entrance the first day she arrived in my class," he stated. "She has a good mind and is doing quite well for someone who missed two weeks of the semester."

The Dean thought for a moment. "Certainly Fear Tech had some appreciation for her before she decided to depart," she said calmly. "However, I do doubt she had managed to gain such opportunity that she accommodated just yesterday."

"What, you mean her last-minute sorority?" Professor Knight asked. "Oh, yeah, that was a real eye- opener. Kind of reminds me of last semester when Mr. Wazowski made that wager with you."

Being reminded of the former student, the Dean reflected back on the previous Scare Games. Mike Wazowski had been somewhat of a pest when he refused to allow her judgment to keep him away from the Scaring Program, his pride taking the best of him that he hauled the most unlikely group of monsters into the situation, making their hopes a reality as they were drafted into the Scare Games at last-minute as well, with addition of James P. Sullivan being their sixth.

How much effort they put into themselves compared to the amount of surprise the Dean felt as she witnessed them succeed event after event, squaring off against ROR in the finals.

The finals brought back a small bitter feeling in the Dean, the entire event having just been a disgrace due to the selfish act of Sullivan, who didnʼt want Wazowski to be considered part of it, thus took all the blame and accepting his expulsion.

Such resentment for him faded soon after the lab incident, her perception of both him and Wazowski completely changed as she realized that maybe she was, indeed, wrong.

Scariness didnʼt have to rely so much on appearance as it did with both knowledge and certain advantage.

And perhaps the same could be said for Laura Sharpʼs team as none of those girls were in her program, each holding pride for a different major that was nothing related to Scariness at all.

But the Deanʼs perception of such had changed since last semester, and she awaited what new surprises would provide her this semester.

Laura Sharp had been her very first.

For the moment, when the Dean saw her for the first time, she wondered if such a girl would be conceited and arrogant that like Johnny Worthington or lazy and careless like that Sullivan used to represent. But the way she looked at her, the way the young studentʼs posture was held up and her materials prepared for whatever lessons she needed, just that glint in her green/blue eyes...Abigail Hardscrabble knew she saw something completely different in her.

At the kick-off when they spoke for the very first time, Laura was anxious for making quite a scene but she held firmly to her belief, her wants and goals.

Fear Techʼs Scare Games were completely different, the Dean knew, and for the new student to experience what the real games were like was something she did not want to miss out after just arriving two weeks late.

Laura was not stubborn, just determined and strong-minded. The Dean was sure she had gotten that from her father, one of Fear Techʼs best former students and Scare Game champions. And she was sure she probably gained the same kind of personality from her mother as well, probably not a Scarer as like Fillmore Sharp but a good influence, nevertheless.

The Dean simply could not bend the rules for Laura despite she was unaware of how they worked, her only suggestion was for her to join a sorority.

Deep down, the Dean seemed to agree that none of them, even her own former sorority Eta Hiss Hiss, fit her quite well.

So when Laura claimed she would make her own team, the Dean was surprised yet doubtful.

But out of thin air, one by one, the future members emerged, thus the creation of the last-minute sorority that made quite a stir among the students of the university.

Though the Dean was impressed such good will aided Laura in getting her new position, that didnʼt mean she had no doubts.

The girl had only been a sorority leader for two days and the Scare Games were perhaps nothing like what she or her father had ever experienced back in Fear Tech.

Mike Wazowski had been ill-prepared for such an event last semester...how prepared is Laura Sharp then?

True, the girl was doing her best to ʻtrainʼ her girls, the possible ways of doing so her only suggestions. But Laura had even her own doubts, not directed at her team, but towards herself.

The Dean was well aware how much pressure Laura placed on herself, striving to be the good leader she wants to be. And if Claire and Brock were right, then the Dean was sure to witness the little panic attacks the young girl sometimes had when the doubt became too severe.

Hardscrabble could only send the girl a mental thought of good luck, and that may her team of non-Scarers be as fortunate yet strong as Oozma Kappa was.

Professor Knight regarded her closely, as if reading her thoughts. "The Scare Games will certainly be interesting this year, donʼt you agree, Abigail?"

The Dean looked on, a pained yet willing smile on her lips.

"Iʼm sure," she said finally.
_

The days wore on, and such amount of days were longer than last semester due to balance between both studentsʼ classes and other upcoming university events.

But the day finally arrived once the president and vice president arrived at Lauraʼs dorm with the awaited letter.

"Here you go," Brock said as Laura took the letter from his hand. "We know you already got this same message like all the other frat and sorority leaders, but just in case you forgot what to expect for the first event."

The color slowly drained from Lauraʼs face but she forced a smile.

"Oh, I never forgot what you told me what to expect..." She admitted unenthusiastically. "Itʼs really going to be tonight?"

"Be there," Claire told her. "It is totally going to make your night unlike any other."

"Oh, that really helps..." Laura muttered sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

Both president and vice president looked behind Laura and noticed something rummaging through her shoulder bag.

It was no other than Archie as he removed a leftover candy bar out of its wrapper and consumed it greedily.

"You still have the pig?" Claire asked, her sullen expression holding no surprise.

"Yes, I still have the pig," Laura admitted. "Heʼs mine, even though itʼs not exactly official..." She added timidly.

"You should totally bring him to the event tonight!" Brock insisted excitedly. "At the SCARE GAMES!" His voice suddenly erupted, making the dormitory walls shake.

"Yes, I heard you the first four times," Laura sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Get your team ready," Claire told her as she and Brock left. "Everyoneʼs buzzing about the new sorority, you know?"

As they disappeared around a corner, Laura looked down at the letter, slightly discomforted, despite Archie nuzzling her leg.

"I just hope I donʼt disappoint..." She gulped.

"Laura?"

She looked up to see her four girls emerge from the hallway towards her dorm, all looking excited yet anxious.

"Tonightʼs the first event!" Colette said excitedly. "Oh, donʼt forget your scarf!"

Recalling the incompatible material, Laura forced a smile. "Yeah, Iʼll wear it..." She noticed they were all wearing their blue scrunchies.

"Is that the letter?" Monnie asked, seeing the card in her hand. "Oozma Kappa already showed us theirs."

"What does it say?" Dot asked eagerly.

Laura opened it, knowing too well the words Brock had informed her from the meeting.

"A child's dwelling is where you will be doing the scaring," she read. "but keep your eyes out for the explosive swelling."

"Explosive swelling?" Colette cried. "Oh, gosh, what are we doing?"

"Guys, the explosive urchins, remember?" Laura informed. "Oozma Kappa last semester barely made it out of that event if it had not been for Jaws Theta Chiʼs disqualification." Her eyes knitted with concern. "I really donʼt want any of us getting stung or hurt, but I do doubt itʼs not going to be easy street on us. After all, the renewed Scare Games are a lot more difficult than the former ones."

The other girls glanced at one another worriedly, knowing that this is what they had expected when they first came to Lauraʼs side.

None of them dare thought of turning back. This was their moment, as non-Scarers, to make their marks on the school. Especially Lauraʼs.

"Well, alright then!" Katy said cheerfully. "We can do this! Want to know why?"

She flexed her arms, a confident glow on her face.

"Because weʼre EZ!" She said proudly.

"Totally EZ!" Colette exclaimed, feeling the mood among them become lighter.

"Super EZ!" Dot added.

"EZ peasy lemon squeezy!" Monnie stated, earning a few laughs from her friends.

They all turned toward Laura, the leader looking a little apprehensive yet surprised by their sudden enthusiasm while she still held her doubts.

But Laura managed a smile, touched by their determination and some hope entered her thoughts before she gave a thumbs up.

"Weʼre EZ, girls," she tried to sound confident. "EZ comes as EZ goes."
_

"Todayʼs is it, Sulley!" Mike said excitedly as they walked across campus near the dorms. "First event! And Oozma Kappa will triumph!"

Sulley chuckled. "Yeah, Iʼm just glad we donʼt have to do the running. And you remember what Don said? Explosive urchins! What do those guys even do in the Biology department?

"I donʼt know what whack jobs major in what," Mike said, "but I just hope my training was able to get our boys ready."

"Iʼm sure it has, Mikey," Sulley told him confidently. "Theyʼre ready."

"Hey, look!" Mike pointed. "Thereʼs Terri and Terry!"

Sulley followed his gaze and spotted the conjoined monsters make their way towards the library entrance. The blue monster was about to call out to them, but then something suddenly caught his eye.

"Mike, do you see...?"

The green monster noticed as a certain female monster with purple hair quietly followed behind the twins, the expression on her face filled with the uttermost determination.

"Yeah," Mike said slowly, quite surprised.

Sulley squinted, knowing that was, indeed, one of the PNK girls...he just didnʼt know which one.

"Is that Carrie Williams?" He asked aloud.

"Carrie?" Mike scoffed. "Sulley, Carrieʼs the one with red hair!"

"Two of them have red hair from what I recall," Sullet countered. "Can you blame me? They all look the same!"
_

Naomi silently tiptoed into the library, keeping her distance from the twins as they entered through one of the large never-ending aisles of books. Knowing Terry, she was sure he needed to find a book of some sort related to his English-inspired interests, something his brother, however, found no interest in.

As the PNK girl lowered herself behind a cart that was centered in the middle of the main hall of the library, she awaited their return, hoping to catch them at the right moment.

For many days now Terry Perry had been purposely avoiding her, that day on their frat house doorstep the start of it all. When he found himself in her sight, he would drag his brother toward the nearest crowd of students and disappear before Naomi could even catch up. When evenings on Greek row became rowdy and it was evident that Oozma Kappa would be residing in their frat house for the night, in one of her attempts to catch up with the older Perry, said monster would engage busily with Mrs. Squibbles, who was often the life of the whole party; Naomi couldnʼt interrupt that of the nice, mature woman. But when she found Terry talk with other girls, those who hold deep admiration for him, the PNK girl wanted to scream, but refrained from doing so as not to make herself self even worse in front of him.

He would run to the menʼs restroom and often sneak out the window to keep her off his trail, sometimes stay after class before knowing he would have a good chance of missing her, treat every moment she was in sight like the ʻHide and Seekʼ event from last semester. And his brother was dragged into this, being the dog on the chain with every stunt the older Perry pulled.

It was getting old, but Naomi was becoming even more restless.

She had to see him. Tonight was the the official start of the Scare Games, and who knew what would transcend once they were drafted as competitive adversaries once more.

She watched from her hiding place as the twins emerged from the aisle they had entered, the book Terry needed wrapped firmly under his arm while his brother held a bored expression on his face.

They neared her spot before passing it, paying no mind to the book cart at all.

Naomi gazed at the calm, collective expression on Terryʼs face, his posture neat and tidy and his eye holding no resentment whatsoever.

How long would he hold that mood before she finally came along?

There was no turning back now as Naomi lifted herself off the ground and emerged from behind the cart, seeing the twinʼs back turned in her direction.

She cautiously walked over to Terryʼs side, grasping her hands with anxiety as she took deep, silent breaths. She wanted to just reach over and touch his arm, so little contact could elicit such big hopes Naomi wished she had more of.

But she kept a small distance between them, hunching her shoulders nervously as the unaware Perry looked over the book he found while his brother pretended to show fatigue.

Finally, she found her voice. "T-terry?"

She watched as the older twinʼs backside stiffened, his brother peering over his shoulder and his single eye widened in disbelief.

Ever so slowly, Terry Perry rotated his head and his gaze fell on her.

It felt like everything around them faded into nonexistence and they were the only ones in the massive room(with the exception of his brother). Silence reigned between them and the PNK girlʼs heart pounded in her chest, anticipation eating at her as the monster that had been on her mind since last semester simply stared at her.

Terry felt a wave of emotions fluctuate as Naomi Jackson stood before him, looking ever so tense and not sure whether to emit the first word or him.

She looked so distraught, her shoulders hunched and appearing so small. Her lips pursed, her hands grasping each other, and her legs slightly bent as her three eyes blinked with unresolved need.

Looking so helpless...

...so innocent...

...so remorseful...

No...Terry thought darkly, knowing that such a facade is what had his hopes set so high in the first place.

And he recalled all too well where that had resulted him in.

To the PNK girlʼs horror, the astounded expression on Terryʼs face transitioned into one of bitterness, rage, and malice.

"What do you want?" Terry growled, his single eye narrowing down at her.

His tone was frightening, and though Naomi had expected such a response from him...hearing so in reality made her heart plummet even more.

"Terry..." She whispered painfully. "Terry, look, what happened last semester-"

"Oh, you want to bring that up?" He shouted.

His outburst had all monsters present in the library turn in their direction, and Terri could only falter as he watched the storm occur that was his brother before shifting his gaze toward Naomi uneasily.

Mike and Sulley, having snuck into the library moments after Naomi had, hid behind one of the tables that were centered near where the Greek monsters stood. Said former students glanced at each other with unsettlement before rearing back to the scene, stunned by Terryʼs complete change of face.

Naomi stiffened, nearly losing all feeling in her legs as she remained glued to the spot, bearing witness to the sweet, gentle monster that was now overcome by someone so infuriated and overall scary.

"Terry, please!" Naomi begged. "I swear! My girls and I had no idea what Johnny had been up to!"

The older twin glared at her. "How can I tell you didnʼt set us up?"

Such accusation was like a slap in the face that nearly reduced her to tears. But she held them back to the best of her ability, trying to reason with the monster she knew had been hurt badly by such an ordeal.

She could feel all eyes stare at them, both with curiosity as well as the desire to just witness college drama. She knew the librarian, not too far from where they stood, was glaring at them intensively.

"We never set you up!" She pleaded. "I really thought Johnny was warming up to you guys!"

Terri finally intervened. "Sheʼs telling the truth, brother!" He insisted, trying to coax the older twin out of his angry aggression. "Sheʼs as innocent as every other monster was in that party!"

His brother quieted down, though his resentful expression remained as he continuously glared at the pained PNK girl.

Nadya Petrov entered the library, having pre-ordered a macabre book she had been waiting all week for. However, the usual atmosphere felt suddenly different and her three eyes blinked in disbelief when she saw Naomi in the presence of the Perry twins.

The HSS girl was shocked to see the expression on Terryʼs face appearing so...severe. But she dared not say anything nor move a muscle; all eyes in the library were on him and Naomi, especially the librarianʼs.

"You know what?" He snapped. "This isnʼt entirely about the party as this is about you."

"Me?" Naomi squeaked, heart wrenching even further. "What about me?"

Terry just shook his head. "You and your little ʻposseʼ!" He spat.

"Terry, whatʼs gotten into you?" Mike whispered in disbelief as he and Sulley witnessed an entirely different side of the mature, cynical monster of the Perry twins.

"Look, I know every other frat, sorority, and monster was there pointing and laughing at us that night!" Terry shouted angrily. "But I know they did it only because this was Johnny Not-Worth-A-Spit-ingtonʼs party and a lot of monsters kiss his tail because heʼs the so-called top dog!"

"Terry...!" His brother tried to calm him down but it was no use.

"JOX, I can forgive!" Terry screamed. "Theyʼre the second to ROR and donʼt exactly know any better given they rely more on brains than brawn, but theyʼre good monsters regardless! The EEKS are on easy street because they were sore from losing to us, a bunch of living, breathing doormats who didnʼt really think beating them was possible! Theyʼre good monsters even outside the competition! And HSS-"

Nadyaʼs eyes widened when he mentioned her sorority.

"Those girls may be frightening most of the time, but theyʼre good monsters as well!" He admitted. "They may have not thought much of us, but at least they donʼt go around tormenting monsters that donʼt seem to come close to them!"

Naomi just stared at him, both frightened and even more devastated.

"What are you trying to say, Terry?" She asked, her voice barely above a whisper as her throat strained with the tears weakly being held back.

Terry breathed. "Iʼm saying that every one of those MU teams are perfectly fine!" He glared at her. "Itʼs yours thatʼs the problem."

"Why?" She asked desperately. "Why is my team a problem to you?"

The older twin rolled his eyes, laughing loudly with sarcasm. "Oh, come! Youʼre the PNKs! You know exactly why youʼre a pain in the bum, tentacles, and any other monstrous appendage!"

The librarian was growing impatient, the young monsterʼs voice reverberating off her walls and disrupting the silence she cherished.

"You girls..." He growled. "Youʼre obnoxious, spoiled, rotten, prissy, and overall just plain mean!"

"W-what?" Naomi stuttered in disbelief, staring at him.

"You heard me!" He shouted, startling her and every other monster present. "ʻCold and mercilessʼ, thatʼs your slogan, isnʼt it? Even before the party, you girls were always looking down at other monsters that are outside your little clique!"

Margaret Gesner growled, her patience having exceeded its limit before she lifted herself from behind her desk. All monsters present trembled as the small frame was lifted by a incredibly large cephalopod body, her tentacles swerving against the floors as she glared at Terry Perry.

Naomi glanced in her direction, completely frightened as she saw the look of anger on the gargantuan monster as she neared them, particularly on Terry.

However, despite his brother trembling at the sight of the familiar, frightening face, Terry showed no fear nor even regarded the librarianʼs presence as she neared the older twin.

She leaned close to his face, crooked teeth baring.

"Be quiet..." She said hoarsely toward him, expression so threatening.

However, much to everyoneʼs utter astonishment, when Terry turned to look at the librarian, his angered expression only deepened with irritation.

"YOU BE QUIET!" He shouted at her.

Such a comeback could have resulted in him being flung right out of the library into the university river. But he appeared ever fearless, the anger that overcame him too great to show even the least bit of intimidation that his younger brother failed to conceal.

And every monster was completely stupefied when Ms. Gesner actually faltered, never before having been told off by someone much smaller than her, let alone even a student.

"No way..." Sulley muttered in disbelief.

The librarian...she actually looked scared!

Terry no longer looked at her before wheeling back toward the stunned PNK girl, she herself astounded that he had the guts to perform what no monster in their right mind would even consider. She watched from the corner of her eye as the librarian slowly backed away, the heat radiating off Terryʼs fuming presence almost like deadly poison to her.

The older twin resumed his glare on Naomi, fingers digging into the the book in his pair of arms.

"You know, in high school my brother and I had often been victims to torment from girls like you," he stated, his voice simmering to a more firm tone. "I had hoped all that would change when we started college."

For a moment, the look in his eye softened, and he appeared almost as pained as Naomi.

"During that first event at the Scare Games last semester, when your captain said you were going to ʻrip us to pieces," he admitted, "it felt like high school all over again. But I was willing to give you guys a chance regardless you thought of us as nothing more than dead weight on the games."

"Terry..." Naomi gulped.

But he wasnʼt finished. "But after the second event and you girls came to us, showing us the respect I had hoped so much from the likes of you," he said, "I felt that college changed my whole perspective on certain monsters."

Slowly, the saddened expression reverted back to maliciousness as he glared at her.

"But after the party, after you and your girls pointed and laughed at us...I realized I was wrong." He sighed. "Youʼre just cold, heartless, and overall just a bunch of girlish jerks who enjoy seeing others in pain for their own amusement 24/7."

Every word was like a brick thrown at her, and the PNK girl could no longer hold back the tears that threatened against the corners of her three eyes.

"Youʼre like ROR," Terry said finally, shaking his head.

And that felt like the ultimate stab in the back as her eyes widened in horror.

"Weʼre not like that..." She tried to reason, nearly sobbing. "We really arenʼt...please..."

She reached toward him, wishing to just press against him and hold him close, embrace him and prove that he was wrong. That it wasnʼt miserable high school...that she wasnʼt the stereotypical kind of girl that provided a horrible impact.

But the older Perry merely shoved her hand away, and the force he used did, indeed, hurt. Pulling her hand back, whole body trembling, Naomi could only stare at him, broken heart now crumbling into another million pieces.

"Just go away," Terry snapped. "Just leave me alone."

And with that said, he abruptly turned around, forcing his brother to do the same as he practically dragged the younger Perry across the room, past the librarian who shuddered in his presence.

All eyes shifted from him back to Naomi, the PNK girl stiff as a board as she watched him leave. His brother managed to twist his head in her direction, giving an apologetic shrug before he had to resume walking his pair of tentacles alongside his brotherʼs.

Finally, it was too much for Naomi and the mauve-haired girl immediately turn on her heels and raced out of the library, tears streaming down her cheeks. She hardly noticed Nadya as she rushed past her straight out the front doorway.

"Come on!" Mike urged as he and Sulley abandoned their hiding spot and raced after her.

Naomi nearly tripped over her feet as she glided down the steps, furiously wiping away the tears as she was met with sunlight out in the open.

"Oh...!" She sobbed as she came over to a nearby tree and rested her forehead against it, wishing the tears would just cease as she stood out in the courtyard.

She sniffed as she thought back to last semester, the way her girls had treated Oozma Kappa the first time they competed against each other. Yes, they were mean and quite threatening, but it was all in good competition...right?

What Terry said about how she and her girls would mock and make fun of others in their own spare time...she wanted to deny that he was completely wrong.

Yes, they pointed and laughed!

Yes, they often acted stuck up!

Yes, they could be ʻgirlish jerksʼ!

But no, they were not, in any way, like Roar Omega Roar!

Johnny and his boys were far different than Naomi and her girls. Johnny was conceited, egotistical, and above all just the worst monster to compete with!

Naomiʼs team may be ʻhighly-maintainedʼ but they were more compatible compared to him! But Terry, the one person she prayed for compatibility with...thought she was just a monster. A real monster.

"Are you okay?"

Startled, Naomi lifted her head and was surprised to see it was Mike and Sulley, Nadya having just joined them seconds afterwards.

Sulley regarded her with the uttermost concern. "You know Terry doesnʼt mean all that..."

Despite his gentle words and his ability to comfort her, it was no use.

"No," Naomi insisted painfully. "Heʼs right..."

Nadya suddenly rushed over and, abandoning her careless facade and darkly characteristics, hugged Naomi.

This took Mike and Sulley by surprise, never having witnessed such an odd friendship. However, if they knew any better, it was a pretty tight-knit university, every monster they knew knowing and caring about the other...much like the monsters of the Greek community.

Naomi didnʼt have a second thought as she wrapped her arms around Nadya, her good, Goth-ly friend who had been somewhat of a younger mentor that prepared her for what to expect if she had ever dared try herself with Terry Perry.

The HSS girl never thought it would have transpired into this.

"Itʼs okay...itʼs okay..." Nadya whispered soothingly, rubbing her back.

Before either knew it, Mike and Sulley stepped in, offering arms and sympathy as they wrapped themselves around the two girls.

This eased the pain just a bit, and the PNK girl was very touched she was surrounded by good monsters. Even thought she herself was probably not an entirely good one.

Lifting her head, she looked at Sulley, then gazed down at Mike.

"Michael...James..." She sniffled. "Look, what happened last semester at the RORʼs..." She swallowed. "Itʼs hard when youʼre under the presence of the top team of MU...you donʼt realize what youʼre doing when you suddenly find yourself following their example and..." Her voice trailed off, fresh tears streaming down her face.

Sulley managed a sincere smile, patting her shoulder. "We donʼt hold it against you," he assured her. "Itʼs okay, Taylor."

The tears ceased for a moment and the PNK girl regarded him with confusion. Mike smacked the palm of his hand against his forehead, muttering in frustration.

"Thatʼs not Taylor Holbrook!" He chided the blue monster. "Itʼs Naomi Jackson! Na-O-Mi!"

Sulley rolled his eyes before turning back to said girl with an apologetic grin. "Sorry, itʼs just that you girls-"

"Itʼs okay," she assured him, managing a small, painful smile. "We get it a lot. Especially this semester."

Mike rubbed her back tenderly. "You going to be alright, though?"

The smile slowly melted away as her three eyes casted down at the grass.

"Honestly," she whispered, "I donʼt know..."

Especially now that the Scare Games were starting tonight.
_

Terri glanced at his brother uncomfortably as the older Perry did most of walking, barging themselves straight through the back door of the library to the natures of the university.

"Uh, you forgot to check out that book," he pointed out, noticing it tucked under his brotherʼs arms as they made their way down the courtyard.

"Donʼt care," Terry snapped, eyes focused on the path before them.

"Okay, look," Terri sighed, becoming quite annoyed. "What you did back there was pretty harsh! I mean, come on..."

"I hate her, brother," Terry growled. "Sheʼs just some stuck-up annoyance whining her way into our forgiveness."

"Well, your forgiveness, actually," Terri remarked. "I forgave her a long time ago." He looked at him carefully. "I know you like her, brother."

Those words uttered, the older twin stopped in his tracks, the younger following. Terry turned to him, single eye narrowed before he pursed his lips.

"Let me rephrase that stupid saying thatʼs implied through almost every cheesy romance movie," he said through gritted teeth. "Itʼs better to never love at all than to love and lose it because that love was going to betray you in the first place."

Terri stared at him, horrified by such words. Being the more romantic of the two, he couldnʼt believe such diction emerged from his cynical brotherʼs mouth.

The older Perry said no more, his hostile expression sinking one to a more calm yet saddened state before he resumed walking. The younger said nothing as well as they continued walking together as one unit.
_

Night had fallen quicker than Laura had expected as she led her girls down toward the cold, dark sewer drain where the first event was to take place. To be honest, each of them was slightly nervous, trepidation barely hidden by their individual facial expressions.

A bolted sign near the entrance of the sewer drain stated the place as Sewer 14. It was probably the largest sewer out of the entire university, and apparently it was also Art's personal favourite out of all the sewers around campus(according to Dot, that is). However, no one knew what Art did down in the sewer though, not even the rest of Oozma Kappas, which was one more peculiarity to his rather long list of eccentricity.

"Itʼs here?" Colette cried in horror. "Are we going to do dirty work or something?"

Laura peered over her shoulder, quite astonished by the outfit the Fashion Design major had chosen for such an occasion.

The purple-tufted monster wore a flowing blouse of bright blue sequins that went just pass her knees, revealing one shoulder as the clothing was lopsided on purpose to give it a more mysterious and alluring appearance to the fashionista. Over a dozen golden bangles writhed against one another loudly on each of her hands with every movement she made, the same said for the abrupt clicks and clacks her trademark pink heels made as she cautiously avoided the dripping ceiling above them.

Laura mentally sighed, knowing too well that ʻdirty workʼ wasnʼt exactly the term the designer should think of. At least it worked well with the blue scrunchie squeezed between her bangles.

Speaking of which, Laura tugged on the scarf around her neck with discomfort, wishing Colette had chosen something less irritating.

The sound of snuffling nearly startled the sorority before they jumped out of the way as Archie the scare pig trailed past them, squealing softly as he stood by Lauraʼs side.

"I canʼt believe heʼs our team pet!" Katy chuckled before turning to Laura. "Wonʼt Fear Tech be wanting him back?"

"Um..." Laura lowered her gaze. "Weʼll get to that eventually..."

She continued leading them down the tunnel. The sound of shouting and cheers invaded their ears as they neared a dimly lit opening.

They entered the crowded arena, drinking in the sight of the interior. Its walls gloomy with the obvious smell of sewage sifting through its many passages, students crowded from below and beyond the entire area like a rock concert; to Laura's further anxiety, it was no doubt the entire school was present.

"This is it..." Laura said quietly, wings tucking in.

"Hey, you made it!"

She immediately turned around and spotted Mike approaching them excitedly, Sulley as well as Oozma Kappa right behind him.

"Yeah, we made it..." Laura said, smiling unenthusiastically.

Mike noticed her discomfort. "What, you still nervous?" He laughed. "Hey, donʼt worry about it! You girls are going to do fine!" He gave her a wink.

"Michael," sang a voice.

Laura peered over her and spotted a taller female monster with snakes in her hair stand beside him.

"Laura, girls," Mike introduced, his hand taking the female monsterʼs. "This is my girlfriend Celia. Celia, this is Exceeda Zeta, MUʼs newest team."

"Hi," Laura greeted, politely shaking hands with her. "Itʼs nice to meet."

"Michaelʼs told me a lot about you," Celia said, her snakes smiling. "You used to be a Fear Tech student. I was wondering why your name sounded so familiar!" She laughed.

"You watched the Scare Games?" Laura asked.

"A bit," Celia said, "You were incredible last year."

"Thanks," Laura waved it aside. "I can only hope I can do the same for here."

The sound of Brockʼs voice echoed through the walls as Oozma Kappa began to depart from her team. Celia gave her one last smile before she went to find a good spot to watch the event.

"Youʼll do great," Don called over his shoulder as they went to take their spot among the frats and sororities.

Laura wished she could believe that as her wings lowered, so much doubt riding on herself as she remained with her group and looking up at the stage where stood the president and vice president.

"Welcome to your most horrifying, terrifying, shocking, appalling and nightmare-ish RENEWED SCARE GAMES!" Brock Pearson shouted excitedly, eliciting more cheers from the audience. "Whoo-hoo! This it the type of energy I am talking about! I love it so much!"

"Let's hear it for all the frats and sororities competing in this year's Scare Games!" Claire announced before she began calling names.

Laura listened as the names were called out, every team striking up a pose and their fans drowning their hearing with their supportive applause, hoots, screams and cheers. Many supporters even waved flags or held banners with the names and sigils of the fraternity or sorority they wanted to support.

Out of the corner of her eye, Laura noticed the unmistakable form of Dean Hardscrabble climbing gracefully along a thick metal pole with her many centipede legs, eventually reaching one of the highest platforms in the sewer where she would observe the proceedings of the Scare Games silently. The Dean of Scaring, as usual, wore her poker face like a second skin, betraying not a single thread of her thoughts. Beside her, the smaller form of Professor Derek Knight watched with his arms crossed in front of him and a grim smile on his face. Both Dean and Professor of Scaring exchanged respectful nods as they acknowledged each other's presence, before turning their attention to the events happening below, among crowds of cheering and screaming students.

Gamma Roar Roar...

Slugma Kappa Theta...

Chi Phi Argma...

Slugma Oozma Python...

Argma Slugma Argma...

Omega Howl...

Laura immediately drew to attention when the six remaining teams were being called up. There was definite a rising tension in the pungent air of the sewer.

"Jaws Theta Chi!" Claire shouted, gesturing down toward the fraternity.

Big Red stood proudly with his JOX brothers, emitting a loud, ferocious roar while flexing his bulging arms as the others posed and bared their most confident yet terrifying features. Lauraʼs eyes widened in amazement when someone threw the leader a thick wooden plank which was now in two halves from the incredible strength Big Red inflicted on it, setting another wave of applause from his supporters. Beside him, Dirk Pratt and Omar Harris bared their fangs threateningly while Percy Boleslaw had a certain one-horned orange and yellow furred monster in a brotherly hug.

"Slugma Slugma Kappa!" Brock shouted.

Laura watched as Carla Delgado and her sorority posed, purple jackets displaying their initials to everyone, looking fierce and competitive with the strive to win, their leader standing atop her tentacles and displaying her athletic skill and agility. Donna Soohoo was bobbing about and shaking her bushy head in excitement, while Brynn Larson and Violet Steslicki (whose horns strongly reminded Laura of her mother) waved to supporters of their sorority. Laura knew Carla was quite a sorority leader, her wave of confidence and unique abilities quite the advantage.

"Eta Hiss Hiss!"

The dark, intimidating looks of the girls pale and black struck Laura quite intently as they merely stood, drinking in the attention on them. Laura nearly flinched when Rosie let out a snarling hiss, her forked tongue swirling out of her mouth with her fangs bared, appearing more menacing as her many piercings glimmered in the dim lights. Around her, the rest of the sorority glared silently at the rest of the competing frats and sororities through thickly applied mascara eyes and pursed lips(except for Nancy Kim, who no one knew where her mouth was). Laura also noticed that Nadya Petrov did not have her usual dangerously fearsome book with her, probably as it could not help her in the Scare Games.

"Python Nu Kappa!"

Laura had to admit she was quite envious of Carrie Williams as her girls cheered excitedly, blinking their trio of eyes lovingly, bouncing on their toes while waving to their fans. One member twirled around showing off her superb cheerleading skills, while another even blew a kiss at some male monster who caught her eye among the crowds. True, Lauraʼs girls were just as excited and couldn't wait to be called upon...but Laura felt the doubt eat at her, making her wish she could momentarily switch brains with any of her EZ sisters.

She noticed that one of the girls didnʼt appear to be cheering herself, nor even smile. Instead, she simply gazed to her side, a doleful expression on her face.

Pink skin and purple hair...was that Heather Olson? No, said girl stood beside Carrie Williams and she had blue skin. This girl, however, had pink skin and her purple hair was more of a mauve texture...

It took Laura a moment to realize it was Naomi Jackson that the PNK leader mentioned back at the meeting.

Looking in the PNK girlʼs direction, Laura caught sight of Oozma Kappa, clapping and cheering alongside their fellow classmates. Confused, she turned back to Naomi, wondering why she appeared so sad as she looked at OK. Maybe she was as nervous about the competition as Laura was? If that was the case, than maybe Laura could feel a little confident knowing she wasnʼt alone in such a fear.

"Roar Omega Roar!"

Hearing the top fraternity's name, Laura casted her gaze toward the group of red sweaters with their initials gleaming in gold color. Four of the members cheered for their fans, with Reggie Jacobs and Chip Goff letting out gruesome roars that displayed their overly-confident dominance. Chet Alexander jumped on his many crab-like legs joyfully, while Javier Rios waved his four arms as though encouraging the crowds to increase the volume of their cheers. She caught sight of Johnny, who merely gave a smug grin as he folded his arms, having been used to such attention from their many supporters.

His eyes suddenly turned to her, having noticed she was looking at him. The ROR presidentʼs smile deepened, giving her a flirtatious wink. Laura shied back, feeling quite embarrassed before looking away.

"Oozma Kappa!"

Hearing that certain fraternityʼs name, Laura and her girls watched as the members of OK stood before their audience, glowing with confidence and good character as they received their applause.

"Weʼre OK! Weʼre OK! Weʼre OK!" The team cheered, jumping up and down energetically, especially Squishy who was bouncing on his smooth feet, and Art's movement were more like a street dancer, dazzling the spectators with his awesome moves. Don Carlton enthusiastically waved his tentacle arms around, while Randall Boggs managed a few timid waves at first, but then he began to get into gear, gradually waving eagerly.

Laura smiled at this, a little pride and confidence burning within her knowing that she was, indeed, honored to be competing against the monsters who she referred to as ʻher heroesʼ back in Fear Tech. They deserved such praise, being so different from any other team and displaying true union through reliance upon each other and strong belief.

And the best thing about it was that they didnʼt abuse such power, they cherished it, thanking every monster who had given them the chance last semester to prove what they truly were.

"Oh, look at the twins!" Katy laughed, nudging Monnie as she pointed at Terri and Terry, the younger brother urging the older to dance in unison with him.

The older Perry eventually gave in with a sigh before managing a smile, swaying their arms and kicking their tentacles up, nearly bumping into Randall in the process.

As Lauraʼs eyes fell on the lizard, she was warmed by how happy he appeared, waving to the crowd while standing alongside his brothers in his green sweater. Certainly much better than what he had last semester when he was a ROR boy!

"Yeah!" Out of nowhere came Mrs. Carlton, pumping her small hands in the air as she stood beside the team, accepting the applause directed at them as she jiggled her petite frame. "These are my boys! And they are going to own the competition!"

"Mom!" Squishy laughed.

Laura chuckled to herself, quite touched by his motherʼs support and happy to see the excitement emerge from his face as his five eyes blinked with anticipation.

She quickly raised her head toward the vice president as he paused for a few moments, allowing the excitement to resume before he made one last introduction.

Them.

"And finally," Brock announced enthusiastically, "made at totally last-minute, the team everyoneʼs been talking about..."

Lauraʼs eyes widened as he gestured down toward her.

"Exceeda Zeta!"

All heads turned toward Laura and her girls, and for a moment, she was afraid they would be met with dead silence.

However, the entire sewer erupted with deafening cheers, the other teams clapping and applauding the new team of non-Scarers led by their Scaring student leader. Archie squealed with delight, bouncing beside Laura.

"I almost thought they were going to get what we got last semester!" Sulley said to Mike with a laugh as he clapped his large paws. "Looks like she brought the pig!"

"Yeah!" Katy cheered, punching a fist into the air. "Thatʼs right! Weʼre EZ, people!"

"Thank you! Thank you very much!" Colette said with a sweet smile, her sequin blouse glittering in all eyes.

Laura stiffened, not sure what to make of the attention. She merely waved, giving off a nervous smile as her wings tucked in.

This wasnʼt Fear Tech anymore.

"Laura!" Colette urged, pushing her gently. "This is our moment! Weʼre EZ!"

"Yeah," Laura winced, smiling anxiously. "EZ..."

"Man!" Brock chortled, staring down at the new sorority. "That one girlʼs outfit really hurts my eyes!"

Claire shook her head, managing a small chuckle before she turned back to the crowd.

"Human children are dead toxic, every Scarer knows that once he or she enters a childʼs bedroom," she announced. "Iʼm sure everyone is aware that last semester, we started off with the Toxicity Challenge. Well, weʼre starting off the renewed Scare Games with the same event. However..."

A devious smile played on her lips as two Biology students hauled over a large armoured box with several biohazard symbols stamped across its cover. Unlocking the hatches and opening it, icy mist spilled out and revealed rows upon rows of small, reinforced glass canisters sitting snugly inside the armoured box. One of the two biology students reached in and brought out a single glass canister to Claire, which shone an azure blue colour. Slowly opening the case, with a pair of tongs in hand, Claire lifted up a round, spiky blue urchin that hissed and sparkled menacingly.

"Now, Art," Don began, turning his gaze to the pair legs. "You remember what you promised?"

"Yeah..." Art said uneasily, staring at the intimidating creature he remembered so well from last semester. "I do not touch it."

"Excellent," Don smiled.

"Thanks to MUʼs Biology department," Brock said excitedly, "we have an upgraded version of the stinging poison urchin from last Scare Games. This time, with an added surprise!"

One student brought over a large metal box and placed it beside the president. Cautiously, she dropped the urchin inside. She took out a pillow provided to her from another student and threw it in.

The box suddenly shook with a large explosion within, ringing off the rusting metallic pipes and old bricks that made up the sewer, startling its spectators. Motes of dust were flung into the air, and the closest students coughed from the sudden intake of dust in their respiratory systems. After a few moments, Claire reached in and took out the remains of the pillow, merely reduced to shreds and stuffing.

"We call it..." Brock said dramatically. "The Explosive Blowdgeon!"

"Okay, I am definitely not touching it," Art said.

"This new poison is extremely concentrated, and is almost guaranteed to send you and your pals to the hospital," Claire said with a smirk. "...express delivery!"

"Yup," he sighed, "definitely not touching it!" He turned in EZʼs direction. "Hey, Dot! Girls!" He called. "Donʼt touch ʻem!"

"Weʼre not morons!" Colette retorted while her roommate gave Art a grateful smile for the warning. The fashionista gazed at the deadly urchin, her brown eyes glinting with absolute fear. "How can something so small and with a good color be so dangerous?"

"I hope you donʼt plan on finding out," Katy told her.

"Remembers, teams," Claire announced as she and Brock stepped down from the stage. " The place where you are standing now is the starting line. The light at the end of the tunnel is the finish line. Last team out is eliminated."

That last word struck Laura hard, and her wings plopped down in fear once more before turning back to her team. Each of them looked just as worried about the possible outcome.

"All teams to the starting line!" Claire ordered.

"Elimination..." Dot gulped.

Laura breathed in and out, daring not to get another panic attack before she gathered her girls together. "Look, donʼt worry," she tried to sound confident, "we can do this. All we have to do is rely on this." She pointed towards herself.

"Of course," Colette said with relief. "You!"

"What?" Laura blinked. "No, I meant heart!" She jabbed at her chest. "Like Oozma Kappa!"

All girls turned to see Mrs. Carlton, Mike, Sulley, and Celia give their final support to OK as the fraternity gathered together at their spot.

"Be careful out there, guys," Sulley said with a serious tone before turning his gaze toward the tunnel where all the urchins laid.

"Remember what I taught you!" Mike told them sternly. "Stick together! Run as fast as you can but be cautious! Like hopscotch of death!"

Celia gazed at her friends, her snakes looking just as worried. "Donʼt get hurt."

Finally, Mrs. Carlton came over, her blue eyes knitted with worry and her bottom lip quivering.

"Please be careful, boys," she pleaded softly, giving each of them a hug and kiss. "I nearly had a heart attack after what happened to you last semester. I canʼt imagine what could happen this time!"

"Oh, mom..." Squishy sighed assuringly as he embraced her before receiving a kiss on the forehead.

"Weʼll be okay, Mrs. C.," Terri assured her as he and his brother bent down and hugged her, each getting kissed on both cheeks.

"Donʼt worry, Sherry," Don hugged her closely, nuzzling against her cheek. "Itʼll be different this time." And he gave her a quick kiss on the lips.

"I said I wonʼt touch it," Art promised as she held his furry, leggy form before getting a kiss on the cheek.

Johnny and his team watched, merely chuckling at the sight of their rivals being hugged and kissed as if they were in pre-school and not college. What babies! The ROR president glanced at Randall Boggs, who looked slightly worried but held confidence as he stood beside his new brothers. Johnny frowned, still fresh from the rejection the lizard had thrown at him in front of everyone.

If he knew Oozma Kappa had a disadvantage, he was looking at it right now.

"Hey, Boggs!" He called out.

The lizard tensed when his former leader said his name and dared to look in his direction.

"Try not step on so many of them!" The ROR president mocked. "Youʼll make this too easy on us!"

And his frat brothers cackled at the joke, decimating some of the lizardʼs confidence as her merely stood there with a hurt expression on his face.

However, soft hands touched his chin and directed him away from the rival team. He looked down to see Mrs. Carlton gazing at him warmly, a confident smile glowing in her face as she lightly caressed his cheeks.

"Youʼll do great, Randy," she told him sincerely.

He managed a smile, blessed to be part of a team who had a mother figure watching over them like an angel.

Mrs. Carlton reached into the pocket of her house dress and pulled something out. Randallʼs eyes widened when he realized what it was.

It was his glasses!

"I found them lying on your desk and thought you might really need them," Mrs. Carlton said.

She stood atop her padded feet and slipped them over his eyes, her smile widening as his usual squint left his face and was replaced by the enlargement of his bright emerald eyes.

Randall blinked, his vision retuning before he adjusted his specs. He looked down at Mrs. Carlton, who merely just beamed at him.

Monnie had witnessed the sudden change to the lizardʼs features, and her glasses nearly fell from her face when she saw those green eyes twinkle among the dim lights.

He looked even more adorable then ever!

She moved her gaze toward Roar Omega Roar, who were howling with laughter at the sight of their former member in his glasses, saying names like ʻnerdʼ and ʻwide-eyed loserʼ. She fumed at the sight of Johnny guffawing at the poor, cute, innocent monster, and she suddenly felt more determined than ever that Exceeda Zeta would manage through this event and kick his tail.

Mrs. Carlton reached over and hugged Randall ever so tightly, her curls pressing against his thin chest, sending mental caresses of assurance. Randall stiffened a bit before all four of his arms embraced back, sucking in the tears he wanted to shed for feeling so wanted and cared for.

Finally, they released each other and the petite woman gently took ahold of his face once more, smothering it with soft, motherly kisses.

"Good luck, Randy," she told him tenderly. "One of my little Oozmas."

Randy beamed, his eyes appearing much larger than ever behind his glasses before Mrs. Carlton left with Mike, Sulley, and Celia to watch the event from a better place.

Laura watched as every team gave a last minute pep talk, psyching themselves for the race across the deadly obstacle course. She already provided the best words she could give her own team, and while she knew each of them was worried, they were ready for the ordeal. She, however, just hoped she wouldnʼt screw it up for all of them, especially after all theyʼve done for her.

"Whoa..."

She swerved her gaze over to Colette, confused by the awestruck expression on the fashionistaʼs face.

"Who is that?" Colette said in a tone filled with fascination.

"What are you looking at?" Laura asked before following her gaze and noticed a team dawned in yellow and orange.

Big Red had gathered his brothers together, huddled like a a group ready to play football.

"Oh, thatʼs Jaws Theta Chi," Laura explained. "Their leader is Roy OʼGrowlahan, but everyone calls him Big Red."

"I know who they are and I know who the leader is!" Colette snapped. "I mean..." Her expression became dazed as she continued staring. "Who is that next to him? The orange one with the horn on his head?"

Laura glanced back and made out each of the members, recalling names Big Red had informed her from the meeting.

Big Red, the color of his wide body matching his temper...Percy Boleslaw, single-eyed monster with horns and purple skin...Dirk Pratt, his yellow, furry form representing that of a lion with a mace on his tail and fangs as long as his wild hairdo...Omar Harris, the smallest of the team and the only one with wings...

Her eyes finally fell on the last member, his bright, orange fur with yellow rings around his torso conspicuous for all to see and his single horn greatly displayed.

"Oh, him?" Laura asked Colette. "I believe thatʼs George Sanderson. Heʼs a pretty nice guy from what Big Red told me."

"Well, he is drop-dead gorgeous!" Colette sighed dreamily, completely captivated by the JOX member.

Laura raised an eyebrow at her, the lovestruck expression glittering in the designerʼs brown eyes as she leaned forward, nearly drooling at the sight of said monster.

"Uh, sure," Laura chuckled. "Heʼs pretty cute."

"Scarers!" Claire called out. "One last thing..."

They watched as she strolled over to a nearby switch, her devilish grin returning as she placed her hand on the switch's red handle.

"Iʼm sure most of you remember," she smirked and flipped the switch down. "You work in the dark!"

The lit sewer before them went completely dark as electricity to its lights cut off completely, and mere moments later the ominous glow of hundreds of blue poisonous urchins laid before them threateningly, their hissing and sparkling sounds filling the air like a swarm of locusts. Soon all the competing frats and sororities were bathed in an eerie azure glow.

"You got to be kidding me..." Katy gulped, eyes widening.

Laura became terrified as she glanced over to her team once more. She had to keep them safe! Brock had mentioned that one year a team had resulted themselves in the hospital...she didnʼt want her team to be the next!

As the teams stood before their starting lines, Carrie glanced over at Oozma Kappa, particularly the older of the Perry twins. Then she turned back to Naomi.

The mauve-haired girl may have been prepared with her sisters, but the crestfallen expression remained. Yes, PNK was aware of her feelings for Terry Perry. It seemed so obvious since that ROR party!

They had nothing against it, of course, having mentally encouraged the youngest of their sorority to pursue what her heart had been going for since last semester.

How horrified to learn it all blew up in her face just earlier.

And Terry Perry...was that what most monsters really thought of Python Nu Kappa?

Carrie bit her lip before turning back toward Oozma Kappa. She forced a smile, though it was painful.

"Uh, good luck to you boys," she called out to them, trying her best to sound enthusiastic and courteous.

The Perry twins as well as well Squishy turned to them. While both Squishy and Terri appreciated her words, Terry just threw the PNK leader a hostile look.

"Thanks," he said bitterly. "Weʼre going to rip you to pieces."

That response immediately sent chills down Carrieʼs spine as her sisters regarded one another with surprise, unable to believe that this was the same Terry Perry they had competed against last semester.

They felt terrified, honestly.

Naomi just lowered her head, hiding her hurtful expression behind her locks as she just wanted the whole event to be over with.

Terri looked at his brother with shock, disappointed at his foul mood toward the girls that were just trying to be nice.

Squishy glanced at Terry in confusion, but turned his attention toward Exceeda Zeta. Mainly Laura.

The beautiful draconic creature gazed at the obstacle course before them, intimidation flowing through her as she tried to keep up a steady facade.

How beautiful she looked, how closely protective she was of her team...Squishyʼs heart throbbed once more.

Finally, he took a deep breath, then dared speak out.

"Uh, good luck, Laura!" He called out, shyly waving to her.

She turned to him, her eyes sparkling even in the poor lighting the urchins offered. He could just melt right now...

"Thank you," she told him with a sigh. "You, too."

A pleased, confident smile crossed his lips, feeling completely elated at the moment.

Archie snorted as he neared Laura, rubbing against her leg.

"No, Archie!" Laura scolded him. "Stay! Weʼll meet you at the finish line!"

"Scarers!" Claire announced. "On your mark..."

"We can do this..." Laura reminded herself. "We can do this..."

"Get set..."

"Hold it!" Brock shouted, halting the whole event on the spot.

Everyone turned to him in confusion, and the vice president motioned toward Exceeda Zeta.

"Hey, princess!" He called toward Colette. "Lose the heels! Itʼs an automatic cheat if you use them while running over those urchins!"

Coletteʼs face heated up with embarrassment as all eyes fell on both her and the tint pink shoes she always wore.

After a few moments, Mrs. Carlton now held the heels in her hands, Archie the scare pig standing beside her as they awaited the race to resume.

"On your mark..." Claire repeated. "Get set..."

Laura shut her eyes for a few moments, breathing in and out.

"GO!" Brock shouted tremendously.

Her eyes immediately opened and she and her team bolted forward.

The glow of the urchins in the dark sewers frightened her as she stood close by her team, each of them pushing as much as they could while avoiding the deadly display beneath their feet.

BOOM!

Laura turned her head and gazed with horror as one of the HSS members accidentally stepped on an urchin. A octopus-like monster with long, raven hair Laura recalled as Sonia Lewis laid on the floor, one of her tentacles swelling severely as remains of the urchin scattered around her, leaving bits of ash and spikes. Rosie immediately picked her up, willing to carry her the rest of the way toward the finish line.

"Girls!"

She swerved around and saw Oozma Kappa not too far behind Roar Omega Roar.

"Youʼre doing great!" Don called out, avoiding urchins left and right as if he was a lively 18-year-old again.

Laura watched as each of the OK members leaped over groups of urchins, not even coming close to touching them. She was amazed by talent, having believed about such since her time in Fear Tech when she first discovered them in the paper.

Now it was no time to admire them as she re-focused on her team, every one of her girls staying close while missing the deadly explosives.

"Whoa!" Colette cried before she tripped.

She nearly fell into a nearby urchin if it had not been Laura grabbing her by the blouse.

"Oh, that would have been a disaster for me!" Colette told her gratefully. "I doubt all the make-up in the world could have hid that blemish!"

Laura just rolled her eyes before urging her forward, realizing other teams were already passing them.

Squishy peered over his shoulder, hoping Laura was okay as the fraternity was inches away from ROR. He saw the EEKs pass them with no problem, and the last-minute sorority was becoming farther and farther away.

Randall glanced behind him, his glasses shaking with every movement he made. He watched as Monnie did her best to avoid urchins around her feet while trying to stay close by her team.

"Incoming!" Don cried, bringing him back to attention before they entered a new section of the sewer, with elevated arches on both sides and railings-covered platforms.

Blue urchins dangled from the ceiling, swinging back and forth near their faces. Worst of all, students standing above the platforms were throwing urchins left and right with either their protective gloved covered hands or improvised catapults, so many easy targets in their view. With no shortage of poisonous explosive urchins and targets, they were definitely having the time of their lives.

"You got be kidding me!" Katy cried as she dodged an urchin that nearly hit her head, and jumped aside another that missed her legs by mere centimetres.

"Dot, stay close!" Monnie told the orange, jelly-like monster as they ducked under a couple of swinging urchins.

Naomi watched as Oozma Kappa rushed ahead of her team, she barely paid much attention to the urchins as she was toward a certain monster.

Terry and his team had improved so much since last semester, the older twin guiding his brother across the section, both dodging and leaping as one unit.

She remembered all too well how assuring he tried to be when they had done this in the previous Scare Games...right before Terry was struck in the head with an urchin that completely inflated most of his face, his brother joining afterwards.

And everyone, even her, had pointed and laughed at their ordeal...

Reminded of the cold, factual words back in the library, Naomi didnʼt notice her foot having stepped on an urchin as she ran.

"Ow!" She cried out in pain as the lower portion of her leg began to swell abruptly.

She immediately wrapped herself in her arms protectively as the urchin exploded near her and she fell to the floor.

Her girls immediately rushed over to her aid, two of them slinging her arms around them before they carried her the rest of the way.

"Donʼt worry, weʼre almost there!" Heather told her as they avoided incoming urchins shot at them. Naomi said nothing, accepting the humiliation as her swollen leg was dragged limp along with her.

"I do not like this!" Colette whined as she dodged an incoming urchin that was inches from her face. "Watch it, you creeps!"

Dot whimpered as she went as fast as her three stubby legs could carry her, arms flailing by her sides as she found herself an easy target.

"Look out!" Monnie cried as one student shot an urchin straight at the unaware Art major.

The redhead monster immediately threw herself forward, reaching her hand out protectively in front of her friendʼs face.

The urchin punctured her fingers, and Monnie wailed in pain before she flung the urchin right off. Her hand began to swell and she stopped in her tracks, agonizing over the wound.

"Monnie!" Laura cried as she and the rest rushed over to her.

Randallʼs eyes widened in horror as he watched the yellow monsterʼs fingers swell. Anger suddenly overcame him, his eyes squinting behind his glasses.

"Randy, look out, man!" Art called out, concern thick in his voice.

Turning, Randy caught sight of one yellow slug-like student with brown spots on his body aiming an urchin at him with a slingshot.

"I got you now!" Theo quipped manically as he released his hold and the urchin flung straight at the lizard, straight as an arrow loosed from a bow.

However, Randy was quicker, having pulled up one of the sleeves of his sweater, he rolled up the loose material around his fist.

And he swatted the urchin right back.

The slug studentʼs expression shrank before the returning urchin hit him square between his eyes. An explosion emitted after that, resorting in most of his face swelling excessively. Those unlucky students standing close to him were also affected, their arms and legs swelling as they came in contact with the poison in the urchin. But Theo's affliction was by far the worst of the lot.

"This isnʼt fun anymore!" He cried in pain as his roommate stood beside him, the latter miraculously surviving the explosion by shielding himself with his large wings as he continued shooting poison urchins at whatever targets in range.

"Hang in there, man!" Marbus cried out as he tried to wipe the poison off his roommate's face while his four golden eyes searched for a referee paramedic.

Smirking with delight, Randy resumed beside his fraternity, still second to Roar Omega Roar. He only hoped Monnie and the girls were alright and could still make it.

"Oh, this doesnʼt feel right," Monnie winced as she clutched her hand.

They were slowly falling behind, Jaws Theta Chi just passing them.

"Weʼre not cheating!" Big Red said as his team passed them. "Good luck to you though, girls!

Laura hooked Monnieʼs arm around her as they resumed pace. At this rate they could wind up in last place. The EZ leader breathed with panic, wondering how she was going to help her team while able to make it to the finish line.

Suddenly, an idea lit up as her eyes widened.

"Everyone, get on my back!" She ordered.

"What?" Colette asked with confusion. "What are you-"

"Just trust me!" Laura urged before she wrapped her arms around Monnie from behind.

Katy and Dot immediately climbed onto her back as the draconic monster crouched. Laura may not have been the tallest, but she was the strongest, and with that able to carry a good amount of weight as she extended her wings.

Colette managed to climb atop to end of her body before Laura shot forward like a bullet after being triggered.

"This is awesome!" Katy cried out ecstatically as the wind hit against her face while Dot and Colette clung for dear life.

A confident smile emerged from Lauraʼs lips as she flapped her wings, her joys of flight mixed with her determination to succeed the event.

"You okay down there?" She asked, arms still wrapped around Monnie.

"Uh, yeah..." The injured monsters replied uneasily as they were going at a surprisingly fast rate.

They were near the final section of the sewer, passing other teams in the process.

Colette peered over Katyʼs shoulder as she spotted Jaws Theta Chi coming straight behind Oozma Kappa.

Her heart fluttered when she spotted the monster known as George Sanderson, who was busy fretfully avoiding the urchins around his feet.

"Wow..." She breathed dreamily.

She was so mesmerized by the JOX member that she had lost her grip on Lauraʼs backside.

And she fell off.

Colette let out a startled cry before landing belly-first against the floor, grateful it wasnʼt urchins. Picking herself up, her eyes widened when she saw that neither Laura or any of the girls noticed she had fallen off.

"Wait!" She cried.

But they were too far now to hear her.
_

"Weʼre almost there!" Katy exclaimed as the light at the end of the tunnel was in their view. "Weʼre going to make it!"

Lauraʼs heart leaped in her throat before she spotted Roar Omega Roar having exited out of the sewer first, Oozma Kappa coming in second behind them.

"Hang on!" Laura said before she swooped down.

They were nearing the finish line, every flap of her wings eliciting a stronger heartbeat that coursed through her entire body. Confidence flowed, every doubtful feeling having vanished as Laura immediately knew her team was close to victory despite coming in third place. Third place was good, it was like taking second place again.

"Laura, look out!" Monnie cried.

It was too late to grasp her warning as one of Lauraʼs wings struck a nearby pillar.

The EZ president let out a cry of pain before she faltered in her aviation, abruptly lowering herself and her team down toward the end of the tunnel.

"Here they come!" Terri said excitedly as he and the rest of Oozma Kappa watched Exceeda Zeta close in.

His brotherʼs eye widened in realization. "Get out of the way!" He cried before dragging his brother to the side.

"Look out!" Art exclaimed before monsters started scattering.

Monnie was immediately dropped as safely as Laura could perform before the dragon-like leader fell against the hard surface, dropping Dot and Katy off her back in the process. Despite her strong scales, the impact was agonizing as she scraped against the cement.

Finally, she came to a complete stop, her head falling forward painfully. Gasps and cries emerged from the spectators as Laura remained on the ground, wincing.

"Laura!" Squishy cried before he and his team rushed over to her and the girls.

Johnnyʼs eyes widened as Laura rolled over on her back, groaning, and he immediately ran behind the small OK member.

"Easy! Easy!" Don said as he fell by Lauraʼs side. He carefully reached over and took her head in his tentacles, holding her closely. "Cheese and crackers! Are you alright?"

Laura let out another groan, painfully opening her eyes.

Her vision was a blur and she barely made out the form in front of her. She could, however, see brown eyes stare down at her with so much concern. Such caring eyes looked so much like-

"D-daddy?" Laura murmured, moving ever so slowly.

She heard a soft chuckle as her vision came back, and she found herself gazing into the brown eyes of Don Carlton.

"Well, some call me ʻDon Daddyʼ," he joked.

Lauraʼs eyes widened before she immediately lifted herself up.

"Easy there," Don told her, his tentacles never leaving her side. "Boy, that was some crash, eh?"

"Yeah, it was..." Laura sighed. "Wait..."

She turned to see the only other teams present were only Oozma Kappa and Roar Omega Roar. From the corner of her eye, she saw Randall kneel by Monnieʼs side, analyzing her finger worriedly; the other girls were well fussed over by the boys of OK.

"We made it?" Laura gasped, eyes darting back and forth.

"We made it!" Katy announced joyfully. "Weʼre in third place!"

"See, I told you girls you could do it!" Mike came over with Sulley, Celia, and Mrs. Carlton beside him. "You did great!"

Laura's eyes widened and a euphoric smile spread across her face, feeling ever more elated. Johnny glanced at her from the corner of his eye, smiling; good to know they were still going to compete against each in the next event.

"Uh, I hate to ruin the celebration."

All eyes turned toward Claire and Brock who stood atop the platform where the row of plaques representing each team was lined up. ROR and OK were already on the very top.

"Youʼre kind of missing one of your teammates," the president pointed out.

The happiness immediately died as Lauraʼs eyes shrank. She wheeled toward her team.

"Weʼre missing someone?" She exclaimed frantically. "No...no...that canʼt be!"

"Easy, Laura," Dot told her gently.

But her leader did not calm down the very bit as she counted heads.

"Okay, we got Monnie, Katy, Dot..."

She let a horrified gasp.

"Whereʼs Colette?" She cried.

"I think sheʼs somewhere back in the game!" Brock called out to her. "Sorry, unless sheʼs able to make it here before all the other teams do, your win doesnʼt count."

As soon as he said that, the color about drained from Lauraʼs face before she wheeled back toward the exit, knowing the fashionista was somewhere in there, probably far behind the other teams.

And Laura had failed to notice she had been missing.

"Third place!" She heard the vice president announce. "Slugma Slugma Kappa!"

She quickly stepped out of the way when the girls in purple trudged past her. Carla Delgado regarded her in confusion as her team cheered in victory.

"Next is Eta Hiss Hiss!"

Laura barely got out of the way as Rosie bumped into her, carrying Sonia on her back.

"Sorry," the HSS leader quickly said.

"Here comes Jaws Theta Chi! Looks like they didnʼt cheat this time!"

"Hey!" Big Red retorted as his team came into view. He shot Brock a rather annoyed glare as they ran past the platform.

One by one, sororities and fraternities rushed past Laura, earning themselves a safe spot to resume competing in the games for another day.

Every moment passed, Lauraʼs heart plummeted even further, the smallest kernel of hope having officially died and her wings drooped down in despair.

Her team, Oozma Kappa, and everyone else present watched her as she appeared almost lifeless.

"Laura?" Mike said carefully, almost afraid to speak.

He and the others immediately rushed to her side when the the sorority leader crumpled to her knees, clutching her head.

"Are you okay?" Don asked desperately as he placed his tentacles on her shoulders.

"No, Don! Iʼm not okay!" Laura cried, startling everyone. "This is all my fault!"

"Hey, hey, easy!" Mike said frantically. "You donʼt know what youʼre talking about!"

"Oh, I know exactly what Iʼm talking about!" Laura exclaimed. "I promised to watch out for my team and look what happened!" She gestured toward the remaining girls. "I left one of them behind!"

"You didnʼt mean to," Don tried to assure her.

However, his words became distant in her ears as she began breathing heavily, eyes shrinking even further.

"Iʼm a...Iʼm a...Iʼm a horrible leader!" She panted with every breath. "Iʼm a horrible, horrible leader!"

Claire and Brock watched with fright as the EZ leader began to have a panic attack, much worse than the one she had at the meeting. Carla, Big Red, Carrie, Rosie, and all the other leaders watched as Laura failed miserably to try and keep her breathing under control.

"Oh no..." Carla gasped. "Sheʼs hyperventilating!"

"I didnʼt think it would be that bad!" Brynn Larson exclaimed worriedly.

"Sheʼs looking a little blue!" EEK member Debbie Gabler cried.

"Sheʼs dark blue, remember?" Nadya told her irritably.

Carrie frantically searched the crowd. "Is anyone a medical student here?" She pleaded.

"Maybe she needs CPR!" Britney Davis suggested.

"Sheʼs not choking!" Rosie growled.

"Itʼs not a bad idea," Big Red insisted.

"Shut it, you meat-headed moron!" Carla snapped at him.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Mike cried, watching Laura begin to breath faster than a pump filling up a bike. "Laura! Laura!"

He immediately reached over and grasped her her hand while Katy gripped the other one while Donʼs tentacles remained firmly on her shoulders.

"Breath!" Mike cried, clutching her hand tighter. "Breath!"

Celia immediately dropped to her knees beside her boyfriend as she placed a worried hand over Lauraʼs forehead, shocked by how hot she felt.

"Calm down, please!" She begged.

Dean Hardscrabble, having witnessed everything with her outstanding analytical skills, watched with her eyebrows raising in disbelief by how much the young girl was inflicting on herself. She could do nothing but watch, only hoping Lauraʻs friends could calm her down; hyperventilation seemed just as dangerous as the concentrated poisons in those urchins. Beside her, Professor Derek Knight had worry plastered clearly on his face, with his hands clasped around a portable walkie-talkie, asking for a referee paramedic squad to quickly respond to the rapidly developing situation under the plaque platform.

After a few moments and a few breathing techniques provided by Mike, Laura began to pant slowly, heart still exceedingly high but the color returning in her cheeks.

"Oh, man, there you go," Mike said with relief as he rubbed her back. "You nearly gave us a panic attack!"

"Iʼm about to have another one!" Laura cried, startling everyone. "Colette is still back there and..." She shifted her gaze over to all the teams that already made it. "Oh, gosh, this is all my fault! Maybe if I hadnʼt been so careless...!"

Squishy gazed at her with despair, so stricken by how much she was beating herself up over a small mistake that any monster could make.

"Laura..." He whispered, intending to walk over and comfort her.

However, he was immediately shoved by Johnny, the ROR president gazing at her just as worriedly.

"Sharp, itʼs okay," he did his best to sound soothing. "Even if you lose, youʼre still a great leader."

"Oh, thatʼs really going to make her feel better, Worthington!" Mike said sarcastically, glaring his single eye at him.

Laura lowered her head, paying little regard to all the comfort and sympathy these good monsters were giving her.

It was over. They lost...

"Wait a minute!" Brock Pearson called out.

All eyes turned to him and Laura managed to lift her gaze up in his direction.

"The game is still going!" He announced before shifting toward the giant video screen(Laura hadnʼt noticed that before).

With the help of Don and Katy, Laura was able to lift to her feet as she gazed at the screen showing the interior of the sewer, realizing that cameras were watching the teamsʼ every move.

She saw Colette dashing through the sewer, worry yet determination burned in her eyes as she moved forward!"

"Itʼs Colette!" Dot cried with excitement.

However, it seemed the EZ girl was not alone as another monster appeared beside her.

"Not all of Slugma Kappa Theta made it yet!" Brock pointed out.

Lauraʼs eyes widened in disbelief before turning back toward the tunnel.

Maybe they still had a chance!

"Colette!" She cried out toward the opening. "Colette, come on!"

The fashionista avoided urchins while clutching against her blouse, panting through her teeth as the girl of another team sneered at her.

"Is that the best you got?" The EKO monster of greenish bronze attire ran as fast as her legs could take her, nearly passing the other who was accidentally left behind. "Sparkle toes!"

Colette glared at her. "You do not want to mess with a girl who nearly got her face ruined with these stupid, spiky things!" She growled.

"See you at the finish line!" The EKO girl cackled as she raced forward, leaving Colette behind.

Laura tensed as she watched the screen, wings flailing every now and then.

"Come on, Colette!" She begged quietly. "Continue!" She muttered under her breath.

Mike looked at her from the corner of his single eye. She spoke French?

"You can do it, Colette!" Katy encouraged.

The fashionista spotted the light at the end of the tunnel nearing them as she tore down the aisle of urchins, the EKO girl furiously trying to outrun her.

"Colette!" Dot called out from the other side, the rest of the team awaiting her. "Come on! Youʼre almost there!"

"Put your back into it!" Mike encouraged.

She gave it all she got, she and the EKO girl head to head, toe to toe, as they fiercely closed in on the entrance.

However, Colette stumbled a bit, nearly stepping on an urchin.

"Ha!" The EKO girl mocked, turning her head to laugh at her as she was a few feet away from the finish line.

She was too busy poking fun at the EZ member that she failed to avoid stepping on a lone urchin in her path.

BOOM!

The impact flung her backwards, her leg swelling up like a balloon before she landed in more urchins, resulting in more stinging agony.

Colette did not dare look back at the fallen competitor as she finally reached the exit.

She made it.

"Colette!" She was nearly tackled by her team as they whooped and hollered, now having officially taken their spot among the other remaining teams.

"Oh, my gosh! Iʼm so sorry!" Laura cried as she hugged her tightly. "Iʼm so sorry!"

"Itʼs alright!" Colette assured her with a laugh. "Itʼs fine!"

"And Slugma Kappa Theta is out!" Brock announced as the plaque representing the sorority was pulled out of its slot before being tossed aside. "And Exceeda Zeta lives to scare another day!"

The news brought back so much relief to Laura as her girls shouted with joy, Oozma Kappa and all the spectators cheering for the surviving team.

As if on cue, Archie raced past students and into the arms of the unsuspecting Laura.

"Oh, hey, boy!" She chuckled, completely calm now as she petted him."We did it!"

The other girls came over and petted the pig while Colette came over to Mrs. Carlton.

"Here you go, sweetie," the petite woman said cheerfully, handing back her heels. "Great job out there!" She winked at her. "We were afraid Laura would actually die on the spot if you hadnʼt made it."

The fashionistaʼs eyes widened before she shifted her gaze over to her leader, who appeared so calm and happy with good monsters around her.

She bent down and slipped back into her heels, dusting off whatever debris plated itself onto her skin during that terrifying ordeal. She hoped she would never have to remove her heels again.

However, a misstep resulting in getting one of the sequins caught against the layer of her shoe made her lose balance. And she fell forward.

Right into a pair of strong, furry arms.

Surprised yet relieved from the impact, Colette looked up to see who she had stumbled into.

It was no other than George Sanderson.

The JOX member blinked in utter surprise, having not expected to catch someone who couldʼve fallen face-flat onto the floor.

Colette blinked, staring into bright amber eyes that gazed back at her in confusion.

"Um..." George began uneasily, not sure what to say. "Hi?"

The designer wasnʼt sure what to say, her cheeks nearly red, the feel of his fur in her hands so soft it could make her fuzziest coats envious.

However, she immediately drew back, releasing her hold on him as she gave him a nervous smile.

"Hi..." She said, feeling embarrassed.

She looked at him closely, heart pounding in her chest as she saw how absolutely handsome he was!

"Hey, Colette!"

She immediately turned around, seeing her team standing alongside Oozma Kappa and other friends as a photographer of the Campus Roar, MU's official student newspaper, prepared to take their picture. It was clearly Lane Picca, the peculiar photographer who will do anything to get the perfect shot for the yearbook and campus newspaper, till the point she has been issued several retraining orders. The photographer was smiling widely, and beckoning the girls of Exceeda Zeta and the boys of Oozma Kappa to squeeze together as her camera frame wasn't wide enough to accommodate everyone.

"Come on!" Katy urged, an arm leaning against Terriʼs shoulder.

Colette slowly turned back toward George. She couldnʼt find anything to say, so she quickly looked away with an embarrassed smile as she trudged toward her team, her heels clicking with every step she made.

She didnʼt dare look back, knowing she must have looked incredibly foolish in front of the captivating JOX member.

Oh, he is so cute! She thought with a mental squeal.
_

Note: Continue!=Keep going!