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!

16. Chapter 10: Bittersweet Awakening

Here it is, guys! The chapter you've all been waiting for! You will finally see what has happened to the twins! And what better day to find that out then on my BIRTHDAY?

I'm 22 today, guys! :)

PLEASE READ AND REVIEW BECAUSE I LOVE THOSE SOOOOO MUCH! :D
_

Carla slept soundly against the silky cushions, dreaming up a storm about marathons and upcoming frat parties. There was a hint of Johnny actually being this sickeningly nice monster, having that change of heart that would totally earn Laura's adoration. There might have been a chance of him finally getting along with OK if the dream moved further into that detail.

However, for some odd reason, things began to take a different direction as monsters and images slowly disappeared...

Carla blinked, taking a moment to realize she wasn't on campus or in any of her usual dreams. She was in a hospital, of all places. She found herself walking down a long corridor, with other patients and medical personnel passing her as she made her way toward wherever her destination was.

She took a moment to observe her surroundings, the white of the walls giving that slightly dreary feeling. As if hope was on the edge of a cliff and all it took was one push for it to crash to the ground. The whole place was busy, but at least the noise was at an acceptable level, and she briefly wondered why she was here. She knew she was not in any pain, not even last semester of being thrown out of the library had resulted in any major injuries.

She hopped out of the way just in time to see a few nurses pass by her. They didn't seem to care where they were going. Judging by their expressions they didn't seem to have the heart to care whether they bumped into anyone or not. They seemed rather sad as Carla noticed, but the EEK leader just kept on her way, trying to see if she could find any familiar faces around here, maybe an EEK sister or even someone from Frat Row.

She proceeded down another hall when one of the doors slowly opened and a few medical personnel trudged out. One of them was a distressed doctor who harbored the same expression as those nurses she just witnessed moments ago.

"We gave it our best shot..." he sighed sadly, turning to one of his co-workers.

The nurse gave a pained nod. "We did all we can," she sniffled. "But I guess there was nothing else we could do."

The doctor sighed as he rubbed his forehead. "How am I going to break the news to their mother?"

"And their family?" she added gravely. "And friends?"

Carla watched in confusion as they exited in the opposite direction she was going. They hardly noticed her, let alone didn't seem to care whether or not she was permitted to be around here at all. What on Earth were they talking about just now?

Turning toward the door that had been carelessly left open by them, the EEK girl curiously strolled toward it. She then slid inside, seeing that no one was in the room at the moment.

It took a few seconds for her eyes to adjust to the darkness save for some dim lights in the room, but she could make out a bulge beneath the blankets that lay on the hospital bed in front of her. It was still and it was covered in more than it was suppose to. Beside it was a machine that was presumably hooked to their bed, although it was off.

This must be the patient the doctor and nurse were referring to as Carla took a step closer. The form was cocooned in white, pillows laying flat beneath where the head was supposedly present. Well, she wouldn't see any faces, and no way was she going to reach over and pull the flap down. Folding her arms, her eyes scanned the surroundings of the bed.

There was a vase of flowers on the table next to it. They were wilted and droopy, the color gone and faded from what used to be vibrant and full of life. Next to it was the slot that contained the clipboard for the patient's information. Curious, and seeing as no medical staff had found her, she reached over and plucked the board out. She then peered at the single page furiously scribbled on by various nurses changing between shifts.

There was liquid transfusion, sponge bathing, and even how much the patient has managed to be fed through the tube. Nothing contrasting to what the usual patient stuck at the hospital received.

However, her eyes fell toward the bottom of the page. Beneath the signature of the supposed doctor that aided them, there was a box that was for writing the observations of the patient. Passing over the medical procedures and who had been assisted for the patient, one small, written statement straight below completely struck the EEK leader in the heart.

Terry and Terri Perry: Deceased; 12:00 PM.

She gasped as the clipboard fell from her tentacles, hitting the ground with a loud clack that echoed through the empty room. She began to breathe unsteadily, feeling as if the walls were closing in and crushing every ounce of air she managed to squeeze out of her lungs.

"No...no...no..." she whimpered, shaking her head until her fins drooped to her shoulders.

But the hospital had informed the Dean that the twins were doing just fine the last time they called! They just couldn't be...gone? Just like that?

Tears began to well in her eyes as she stared at the body beneath the blankets. Probably cold and charred from the incident, but she knew it no longer can feel pain. She could literally puke right now, her mind wrapped by the dejected atmosphere that almost made her dizzy.

This just couldn't be happening! The entire campus was assured they would be fine! It was just a coma, for glob's sake!

"Excuse me, miss?"

She immediately wheeled around to see a couple of nurses standing in the doorway. They slowly entered before one of them reached behind the bed frame, the other hoisting the front. Carla could only watch as the bed was carefully being wheeled away.

"Wait!" she cried, tears welling up in her eyes. "Where are you taking them?"

"We're taking this body to a more secluded room," the nurse at the front said, her voice sympathetic.

"After the doctor calls their mother, she will very well need some alone time with them before further arrangements can be made," the other added.

Carla felt as though her heart had been crushed into bits and pieces by a hammer, and she rarely felt her feet as they began to wobble under the weight of her staggering position. They really were gone...The indispensable part of the OK frat, and a part of the Frat Row family...And now their loved ones would forever have a void now that they no longer had them. Now all of MU would truly suffer...

Why did fate have to cruelly take all their hopes and dreams away by causing this accident? She felt the emotional pain rise, and Carla nearly collapsed right on the spot if not for herself using a nearby table as support.

"But they were fine, weren't they?" she nearly sobbed. "They were given the best medical attention, right? And I heard they were recovering well!"

Both nurses regarded one another sadly, before turning their attention back to the devastated young monster.

"You're from their school, aren't you?" one asked.

Carla tearfully nodded, forcing herself to stand as crystal droplets fell from her eyes.

The nurse sighed sadly before looking back at the bed. "I'm sorry..."

The EEK girl said nothing, too caught up in her own miserable state to return a meager response. She tried to keep it together as the two medical monsters continued wheeling the bed out of the room, bringing them to another one where their closest and dearest visitors would come to see them. The moment the door closed, Carla crumpled to the ground, one tentacle just barely keeping hold of the table that had supported her.

She was alone now, in this white room that had been the final place the twins had until their very last breath. They shouldn't have lived their final moments in here! They should have savored it back home, among the fraternity that was their family, and the friends and faculty that loved and cherished them. Heck, dare she say it that perhaps even the Worthington heir would hint just the least bit of compassion for their return. Rivalry or not, he could care if one looked deeper.

But now the twins would never know that. They were gone.

Just having the word repeatedly echo through her head forced even more tears out of her eyes, and the EEK monster could care less whether or not anyone could hear her as she sobbed uncontrollably. She had been the first monster ever to receive this tragic news, and she could only wonder how everyone else would take it. All that waiting and hoping and praying, and the party Big Red was planning once the twins returned...all happiness vanished as if consumed by a fire.

One of the nurses mentioned that they would call the "mother", and Carla knew too well they meant Mrs. Carlton. That woman who loved and cherished those boys since their very first year. Carla had no idea what the parents of the twins were like, the twins never mentioned any other adult other that Mrs. Carlton as well as Don. It was going to break the OK mom's heart a thousand times over once the news finally reached their ears, and everything would go downhill than it already was.

Their mother would lose it. Because the twins were dead.

Now everyone would be devastated by this tragedy. Carla would not even doubt that the OK frat, even Mrs. Carlton, would be crying their hearts out that Terri and Terry passed away without fulfilling their dreams of graduating university and getting a job in the Scaring industry. Given their scores and abilities, Carla was sure they would have definitely graduated with full honors and probably even be recommended by the Scaring lecturers to a nice Scaring company. After all, they deserved that much for putting in their best efforts into the Scaring program like the rest of their frat brothers. They had worked to make their dreams a reality, even when they had thought all of those were crushed in their first year of MU. They had even tried to work hard in reaching out to their Greek neighbors, even when they held a sense that those hopes were especially crushed along with.

After everything they had been through, from the Scare Games to finally knowing they were truly cherished by the university that regretted ever hurting them...they were gone in an instant.

As she wept knowing that the Perry twins would never see the people who loved them ever again, or ever fulfill their dreams, she heard a soft voice calling out to her. Looking up with blurry eyes oozing with tears, she wiped some away. She assumed it was another nurse reaching to comfort her. However, what she saw made the tears cease and her pink skin become white.

Before her was a terrifying sight that amiably floated just above the tiled floor. Transparent lines blended into the surroundings, but still an image of snowy haze stood before her like crystalized panes of ice. She barely made out it was a figure before she began to notice four sets of arms resting at the sides and a multitude of legs that aimlessly flickered as the form hovered. Her heart halted like a the pistons of a car, as she peered at the figure whose eyes almost seemed lifeless for a moment. Two single eyes, skin coldest of what could have been winter that it felt like the temperature had dropped, and eerie expressions that were much more frightening compared to paranormal movies.

Carla slowly stood up as she gazed fearfully at the figure who sported two heads. Their entire single body was colored as if a sheet had fallen over them and pasted to their limbs to ride their yellow flesh. Their eternal appearance casted a chilling glow that nearly blinded her, like the faintest of neon outlining their features to indicate that they were, indeed, present. She could only stare at them, stare at the taller head whose single eye bore into her two while the smaller beside him looked on, a sullen expression that was far from the sweet and giddy smile that always occupied his face.

Carla gulped as she found her voice. "G-guys?"

She almost screamed aloud when the older twin raised one of his hands, the white complexion rippling like the rings in water once a stone had fallen. He curved his fist slowly, before forming his fingers until it appeared he was pointing at her.

"You did this to us..." he growled, his voice carrying a tempo higher that nearly shook the room.

Carla would have fainted right there, realizing that she was seeing a spirit, but she didn't. Even if she did yell for help, no one would hear her because of the thick door and curtains, not to mention the windows were shut tight and the room was darkened save for the eerie glow produced by the twins. Fumbling behind her, Carla tried to turn the door knob but found it locked, and then she realized she was trapped in the same room as the ghosts, of which both of them were looking at her with an expression of combined hurt and anger.

She pressed her back against the door, heart thumping beneath her EEK jacket as her eyes met the ones belonging to those of the deceased twins. And to think ghostly encounters were nothing but money-grubbing special effects and fake paranormal activity just to earn television ratings. This was all completely real! Her fins lowered and she whimpered helplessly as the single-bodied pair of spirits slowly approached her. Their ghostly legs did touch the floor, and their motions were abnormal and limped as if they had chains to their body. Her tentacles continued feeling the door behind her, wondering if any medical staff would recall that she was still in here, the first ever visitor to witness the corpse of MU's beloved twins. She fought for her voice, seeing that the brothers had remained firmly in place, holding some distance between them as if awaiting for her to speak.

"G-guys..." she squeaked. "...it's me...it's me...Carla...remember?

Her heart about rose to 1,000 BPM when the body jerked forward suddenly, but still the twins remained rooted to their spot. They proved themselves to be a terrifying pair during their living back at school, now as ghosts they could even get the screams out of her if they tried. Terri's eye lay glued on her while his older brother's head rose as if regarding her with disgust. Frowning, Terry's single gaze hardened undoubtedly, and it was then she saw his pair of hands tighten into fists.

"Yeah, I remember..." he growled, contempt flickering out of his tone like the flames. "Carla Delgado...president of the EEK sorority...the first sorority our own fraternity had reached out to..."

She watched as his hands fell limp to his side of their single body, his expression almost sullen but overwhelmed with a mixture of grief and anger.

"The sorority we adored and had hoped to become friends with in our first year..." he went on. "Among many other monsters who we always thought of as our family..."

He hunched his head, sucking in his cheeks, and Carla assumed he was going to spit right at her feet. She never knew ghosts could spit. But Terry just glowered, shaking his head at her.

"Family, our horns!" he suddenly roared, making her jump. "You thought of us as weak and powerless, words that cut us even deeper than what Big Red and his fraternity had told us that same year!"

The pink aquatic fearfully shook her head, back pressed against the door. She felt fresh tears prick her eyes, her tentacles practically clawing the knob as she stared at them.

"Please!" she begged. "We were stupid! We never meant to hurt you guys. We were just-"

"Just what?" Terry cut in, his voice able to slice through the thickest wood. "That you and your sorority were too good for us? Kissing up to ROR's tails and making us feel we didn't belong just because we weren't Scare students?"

Carla breathed heavily, her throat heavy with heat. "Whatever we had done, we're sorry and we've tried to make up for it! And if you're still thinking about the prank, we had no idea!"

"Had no idea?" Terri demanded. "Oh, so when we were humiliated on the spot, you had "no idea" what to do other than just laugh at us? What kind of friends are you trying to be? You could have stood up for us! We had so much faith in you. Because we thought we could TRUST you!"

By now tears spilled down her neck and inside her jacket, her tentacles shaking as they fought weakly to search for a way to escape.

"We're sorry!" she sobbed. "We're so sorry! We didn't mean to hurt you guys!"

"I bet you were all in on it!" Terry shouted.

Carla nearly slammed the back of her head against the door as the ghost of the twins glared at her almost threateningly. She watched paranormal films where ghosts would haunt the souls of the living and terrorize the mind and body until that spirit was finished with vengeance. Not to say the twins would ever do a cruel thing, but given the circumstances she couldn't blame them. This was becoming last semester all over again, when Terry had brooded and ranted and refused to interact with the monsters of his alma mater. His fellow frat brothers had kindly yet quietly ignored and pretended they were not among those that had thoroughly stabbed their dreams like a pick to a steak continuously since last semester. She as well as the others had done hard work to remove the rift that nearly became permanent, and while the party was a step forward, they knew they still had a lot of work to do.

But sometimes anger could live on even among the dead. And for the twins, mainly Terry, it seemed the grudge was still there. Glob, why couldn't there have been someone with her when she came to this hospital? Brynn, Rosie, for the love of glob she would care less if it was Johnny right now! At least all of Terry's anger would be on him, since a huge chunk of everything the older twin had said had been his fault. But Terry had been right, they could have made a choice and proved themselves better friends that night. They could have abandoned the stupid "status quo" of their Greek Life and reached back to them. They had hoped they were well adapted into this new semester, remind OK that they were loved and cherished. But it didn't seem to be enough to even appease the spirits before her.

"We're sorry..." she sniffed pathetically.

The older twin and his brother shared a glance, before gazing at her with cold expressions that made the temperature drop even further.

"You're two years, too late, Delgado," he hissed menacingly that it could shame even Rosie Levin's fork tongue. "You all are."

It was like a slap in the face as Carla gazed at them, tears blurring her vision.

"But we're trying to make up for it!" she cried, lips quivering.

"You are, but it's too late to make the friendship real," he spat. "Now all you have is Johnny..."

Carla shook her head. "What Johnny did to you guys was stupid! And we regret laughing at you! We regret everything we've done to you since you came to MU!"

"How can we believe someone who thought of us as nothing but dead weight?" Terri bellowed. "You never cared about us, and you never will!"

"Please, for the love of glob, believe me! You have to believe me, guys! I am telling the truth! Please, as ghosts don't take away my soul or anything like that!"

It was then the older twin let out a chuckle, one that was hardly relevant to the light guffaws he gave when he once lived. This particular laugh was darkly and quite chilling, and Carla began to fear for her life. She began to wish Mrs. Carlton was here; she should have been the first monster to hear that they were dead and not the EEK monster herself. Had the petite woman been with her, she would try to coax Terry and his brother to calm down, realize how much they were cared about and how far their friends would go just for them! For glob's sake, Brynn was raising to nearly 5,000 dollars a day just for them, and it hadn't even been three days yet!

"If you think my brother and I are going to spook the living glop out of you like those cheesy animated movies, you thought wrong, Delgado," Terry said, almost smiling evilly.

Carla gulped. "What...what are you going to do then?"

Terry pretended to appear as if he was thinking, tapping a finger to his chin while his brother watched on. "Honestly, I'm just going to let you live with this guilt even long after you and all those other jerks graduate."

Eternal pain, of course, that was much more terrifying than even death. The sight of the twins' ghost would forever be engraved in their minds. It would remind Carla and her fellow monsters about how much they had made the Oozma Kappa's lives miserable, since the very first year they had come to their alma mater. All because they had been thrown out of the Scaring program? It took her this long to realize how completely prejudice they had all been, seeking only monsters worthy of their compliments and their frat parties. In some twisted way, Carla realized that they had been killing these poor guys. That she as well as everyone else was solely responsible for their deaths. Johnny was just a part of it, but they all played a mass majority of their final moments.

She turned toward the younger twin, having noticed that since he and his brother had arrived, he hardly said much save for a few angry words. His expression was as cold as Terry's, similar frown and callousness in the eye. But out of anyone, besides perhaps Mike, the younger twin could try to speak to the older.

"Terri!" she called desperately. "Terri with a an "i"! Please, talk some sense into your brother!"

The younger twin remained silent, his gaze burning with hatred. Finally, he spoke, voice tremendous with terror seeping through his buck teeth.

"You hurt my family!" he ranted furiously. "You insulted our frat president because of his age. You EEK girls are the biggest kiss-ups to ROR out of any team!" He rubbed his lips together, as if smoothing them to resume his anger. "Of course, why are we not surprised? You are the top sorority in MU, meaning you have to "get along" with the so-called top frat."

Fear gripped Carla like a clawed fist, and she shook with fright and anguish from Terri's words. Terry's younger brother was usually more open-minded and kind, but the Terri here was as bitter as the other. It scared her beyond any fear of being touched by a human child. Carla was practically digging her flesh against the door now, praying that it would unlock and she would scramble out and cry her heart out. But it remained locked, and she was still in the room with the Perry twins' entity. This was nothing like the scary movies she watched late at night. This was very real, and it was scaring the skin out of her with each passing second.

"Please, Terri!" she whimpered. "We didn't mean to, it was all a stupid mistake!"

The younger twin scoffed. "Yeah, as if I would believe that. You would sell your soul to the RORs to even stay a minute more in their good graces!"

Carla tried to shake her head, tear-stricken and overcome with more grief than she ever had earlier. Every word that slithered out their mouths was like a punch to the gut, and a knife slice to her heart. She never imagined her Greek Council and even MU had dented them this horribly, and she was filled with even more regret.

"I never meant to hurt you..." she sniffed.

Terry's frown deepened, shaking his head with slow, hostile swifts.

"The cold shoulders, the ignorance, the insults," he berated, "we had endured that and more from all of you! Now you will suffer for what you've all done!"

Shaking like a leaf in the wind, she thought fearfully what would possibly happen next. The ghost of the Perry twins would haunt her forever, and so would all of the rest of the monsters who had made their previous semesters at MU a miserable experience. Even without their spirits present as they currently were before her, the eternal pain would continue every waking moment among her and the monsters of her alma mater.

She could only wonder if even Hardscrabble would suffer this sort of punishment. After all, she had been quite apathetic to the likes of the twins since they first began in her program, throwing them out before they even stood a chance with the final exam. But she didn't mock or mentally abuse them, simply allowing them to fulfill their lives differently that didn't involve Scaring. She was very well redeemed, having been the good monster among Carla and the others. Perhaps she was the one being spared, among other monster like Knight or even Madame Foster. Carla began to wonder if Brock and Claire were to suffer this same nightmare. After all, they didn't exactly harbor any real confidence since OK first came into the Scare Games last semester...

But the pain would be the same for all of them. The twins were gone, their spirits angry, and everyone would suffer because of the loss.

And it was all their faults.

"Guys, please!" she begged, tears pricking more of hers eyes. "I'm sorry! I know what we've done to you was horrible, but we're trying to make up for all that this semester!"

Terri glowered along with his older brother, angrily scoffing as he averted his gaze to the floor for a moment.

"Unfortunately, there won't be another semester..." he murmured, his voice partially straining with grief itself. "Not for us. Not anymore."

Terry nodded almost sympathetically, then pointed a finger at Carla as if putting her at the tip of a sword.

"Now you'll just have to live every day of your college life knowing that you were just as responsible for our deaths!" he boomed. "Even after you graduate, you'll forever remember what you had done."

"Our blood will forever be in your hands, Delgado" the younger twin added with a deathly glare. "In every single monster that had killed us from the very start."

Those words struck Carla like hammer blows, and she wept openly now, knowing that their words were harsh but true. She didn't treat them with the respect and dignity they deserved since Freshman year. And now even though they tried to fix things, some just couldn't be fixed. With the Perry twins gone, the OK team would never been the same again, having a large void in their hearts that can never be fulfilled. She hated Johnny and his frat brothers for roping her and her girls and everyone else on Frat Row to witness the humiliating prank before their unexpected eyes. But most of all she hated herself for trying save face in front of the Worthington heir. She should had known better, should have been a real friend, and Carla cried out her helplessness knowing that it was far too late to do anything else. She would be haunted by the Perry twins' souls for all eternity.

Of course, her tears were nothing to the spirits of the twins, not even the faintest of amusement as she was suffering the eternal pain now. As Terri said, their blood would forever be in her possession. In Big Red's possession. In Rosie's possession. In Carrie's possession. Even Johnny's possession. On everyone's hands.

She began to wonder if Mrs. Carlton received the phone call yet, rush to the hospital and be given the horrible news that two of her little Oozmas were gone now. No question how the mother would take it, how everyone would take it. Carla knew that she would be haunted by this for the rest of her life, and know that she had been at fault with this since Oozma Kappa had first made their presence known in MU.

Now they hated everything about MU, from Frat Row to the students that disrespected them, maybe even the Greek president and vice-president if they were really going to hold a grudge. There was no forgiveness or mercy. Carla knew that she and everyone else had failed to redeem themselves.

She began to sob even harder, tears falling to the floor and even staining her jacket but she hardly cared. She blinked them away as best she could as she watched the spirit of the twins float aimlessly before her. She could apologize again, but they would merely brush it aside. They refused to be pitied by the ones who had hurt them most. But she still had one question in mind...

"What...what are you two going to do now?" she sniffed. "Now that you're..." she swallowed the huge lump in her throat which ached her mouth altogether.

"What else?" Terry snapped. "Make sure you never forget what you've done."

Terri nodded bitterly. "Forever and ever. Let's see how you like feeling the pain we had when we were alive."

Carla's eyes widened, tears stopping momentarily. "Please, no! Please don't do this! I'm sorry! I beg of you!"

But the ghostly Perry twins did not shake their heads, instead their faces turned into expressions of snarling rage instead. Carla felt raw undiluted fear running through her heart now. She had heard of stories of ghosts, spirits who haunted dreams and places as they cannot be in peace, but Carla normally brushed those off as rumors. Now, she believed those officially, because she would be experiencing it for the rest of her life.

She watched as their spiritual outlines grew more faded, yet their overall appearance practically glowed like crystallized diamonds. Their legs descended to the floor, hovering above the frightened EEK girl who cried desperately of mercy and to be out of the room. The temperature violently decreased, even with her jacket she was growing incredibly chilly. She wished any monster could be with her right now. Maybe if Mike were here, both twins, especially Terry, would finally calm down. Maybe that former older twin would beam adoringly at the sight of the green monster who would placate the anger, spare her and all the others. But no, she was alone, and she would suffer as everyone else would.

And even though most of her was frightened out of her mind, a small part of her knew she deserved it like the rest of the Greek monsters. They did not treat the Perry twins with the respect and friendship they deserved, and now she was paying the price. Terry Perry would haunt her dreams forever, and she would most likely be scarred for life. She could only cry even more as the ghostly form of the Perry twins neared her, and Carla screamed loudly now, pleading for all this to end.

The last sight she saw of the Perry twins was that they were reaching towards her, intent to give her whatever punishment they see fit to haunt her forever...

Carla woke up covered in cold sweat, shooting up from the couch and throwing off the blankets, nearly screaming her lungs out as she wiped tears from her eyes. After taking a few minutes to compose herself, she looked around the place. She was relieved she wasn't in a hospital room, but back in the study room of the ROR frat house.

Panting heavily, Carla felt more perspiration slide down her fuchsia body as she gripped one arm of the couch. It felt like the thermos had been cranked up to a hundred and it was practically a sauna in here. Her eyes darted from one area of the room to the other, making sure she was indeed back in the study room of the ROR house and not in the horrors that was the hospital room.

It all felt so real, and she rested a tentacle on her chest, feeling her heartbeat rush even faster than when she worked out. She had never been more frightened in her life, and she prayed to glob she would never suffer a nightmare like that again. Just the entire recollection of it made her shudder and crawl into a near fetal position against the couch. She hoped with all her heart that it was all just a bad dream, that it wasn't a sign for the worst to come. But if it indicated that redemption was still a long way to go, she could only hope she was on the right path. She deeply cared about the twins, about Oozma Kappa, and everyone else did as well.

Every single word was as if she was being strangled, and just the image of those ghostly features made her refuse to slumber any more. Slowly gliding off the couch, she cautiously approached the entrance of the study room, and slowly poked her head to see if Reggie and Chet were still awake.

The two ROR monsters were still snoring away, their mouths open and drool running down their lips that made Carla want to barf. Perhaps they were still dreaming, but from the looks of things they didn't seem to have shared a similar dream as Carla herself. Seeing the still switched-on television tuned in to some random channel and snacks all around them, Carla was sure that both Reggie and Chet were having some kind of movie night, and were too tired to return to their own rooms. Seeing nothing amiss, Carla closed the door of the study room and went back to the couch, wiping away her tears and sweat as she steadied her rapid heartbeat, which she felt as though she had ran a marathon.

Sitting down and slumping against the cushions, Carla could only stare at the ceiling as more tears fell down her cheeks. It was all a bad dream, she reminded herself. The twins were alive and only comatose, and they were fine and out of harm's way. They'll make it, the doctors had assured that they would be okay and hopefully wake up soon. And once they came home, it'll be the happiest celebration that not even Monstroworld could measure up to it. They were their friends and their family, and Carla would rather die herself than to have the twins think they were unloved. Those awful previous semesters were history, this semester would prove just how important they were to Monsters University.

She knew it would, because she would personally make it so. And perhaps repay the debt of gratitude she and her sorority owed the OK frat and the Perry twins. Now she prayed for their swift recovery, and for the Oozma Kappa to regain their lively and cheerful spirits to spread love and friendship back to MU again.
~

JOX frat house...

Big Red jolted awake, eye stalks enlarged and bulging with sudden tears. Perspiration soaked his fraternity jacket, and he felt like kid having nightmares about humans coming to the monster world and destroying everything in sight. He covered his stalks in his clawed hands, his entire form trembling with fear and shock as his mind brought back the images of what he had just dreamed.

In the hospital and seeing the Perry twins pass away, and then tormented by their ghostly form which was hurling accusations and hurtful words at him which he knew were all true. The expression on Terry Perry's face still haunted him, the bitterness and anger over past semesters raging like a fire that threatened to char the JOX leader to ashes.

Big Red struggled to keep his breathing under his massive jaw before his eyes darted toward his girlfriend who laid beside him on the couch. He had brought her over to the house for some late-night movies and simply enjoying the evening together. Just hours ago they had been pressing against each other's arms, chatting and watching cheesy but goodie films from the JOX's big screen. Then he began to dream, about food, wrestling, and merely anything incredible involving his beautiful girlfriend. And that's when the nightmare began...

Dear glob, he was scared white into his red skin as everything felt so real. And Terry, just the way he yelled at him reenacted the pain and anguish he felt the moment he and George first set foot upon the OK mom's lawn. It was torture, and everything about it seemed so...expected.

He grunted, more sweat pouring down his skin as he fought the tears from falling down his eyes. Last thing he wanted to do was cry in the middle of the night while everyone was sleeping. And have Flora see him like this.

To his horror, his girlfriend began to shift beside him, moaning softly. He winced as he saw her single eye open and looked at him carefully, before pushing herself up and regarding her boyfriend with concern. She placed her clawed hand on his own. Even though the memories of the nightmare still scared him, having Flora here was something he appreciated at the moment very much.

"Babe?" she muttered, rubbing her single eye before glancing over at the TV that was still on. "You okay? What happened?"

Big Red swallowed, his heart steadying. "Just a bad dream, Flora...Just a little...shook up..."

Despite her concerns, she couldn't help but chuckle a bit. "I didn't know the big and mighty Big Red would be scared over dreams."

He looked at her, not at all offended and he managed a small yet pained smile. "Well, if you were dreaming the same thing, you'd be screaming too."

There was no humor in his tone, just a graving voice as if he had nearly come across a human child. Her smile then slipped away, replaced by an expression of even more concern as she reached over and laid her hands on his shoulders. Holding him firmly yet lovingly, she lightly pressed her body against his. She had never seen him like this since...since the day he planned that party for Oozma Kappa. The day Terry Perry of all monsters finally vented out his rage toward his own Greek community and alma mater.

"Babe?" she asked, gently tracing her fingers over his chin. "Baby, what's wrong?"

He averted his gaze. "Oh, Flora, it was awful..."

"It's okay..." she murmured, caressing his cheek. "I'm here. What happened?"

She watched in confusion when his eyes darted back and forth, almost as if he was living a differed reality and was becoming trapped. He finally ceased before staring her in the eye.

"Flora...the twins...They're okay, right? No recent news on their health? Anything?"

She gave a nod, slightly surprised by his sudden anxiety. "Yeah, they're still in the hospital. I think they're doing fine...despite the nervous breakdown Don mentioned."

He breathed a little easier, wiping a hand across his sweaty neck. "Oh, thank glob. I thought something awful happened to them."

She held him tighter. "Did you have a dream or something about them? I mean the Perry twins?"

"Something like that," he grunted miserably, "and it was awful."

She reached over and rubbed his back as he began to take heavier breaths. She shushed him softly, hoping to ease the tension that had overcome him since they woke up.

"Red, you can tell me," she spoke gently. "Was this what that nightmare was about?

He stared at her, knowing that she was with him and would always be by his side. Just the feel of her body clinging to his was the comfort that would make that nightmare feel so distant. But the image of Terry and Terri's faces still hurt him so deeply.

He took a deep breath before speaking. "Flora...oh, my glob, I dreamed I was in the hospital! In their room!"

She blinked in surprise. "Wait...you saw the twins?" she asked almost frantically. "Are they okay?"

He shuddered as she continued stroking his back. "Flora...oh, honey...oh, glob...the doctors in my dream said they couldn't save them..."

Her eye widened in shock, then she gently placed a hand on his chin and had him look at her directly. "What?"

Big Red groaned, his hand snaking over to her other and grasping it firmly. "Oh, glob...it was so horrible! I didn't want to know what would happen to Mrs. Carlton if the twins didn't survive...and then they appeared in front of me!"

Flora shuddered, feeling a chill run up her spine. "You mean the twins?"

"Yeah! Like a ghost from those legends, you know? They were accusing us of for all we did to the OK frat. And they blamed us for their deaths! And Terry with a "Y" was even peeved than I had ever seen him! He was practically raging against me, and he was ranting about how we were all going to pay for what how we treated them!"

By now he was shaking, and Flora tried to steady him by holding onto his bulky arms and comfort him. That was a nightmare indeed, and she just couldn't imagine what it would have been like to see actual ghosts. She had seen hundreds of variations on cheesy sci-fi and paranormal films, but for her own boyfriend to experience what would be considered real? That was nearly as terrifying as being in contact with human children. She watched as the smallest tears fell from his eye stalks, sliding down his cheeks before falling onto his chest. Dear glob, he was actually crying!

She knew under all that hot lava muscle was a tender and gentle monster. He could be as sensitive as even George Sanderson, and she never minded when he revealed his softer side. Another thing she loved about him.

She reached over and lovingly wiped away his tears. "Oh, Red, babe..."

He sniffed, leaning into her touch. "Holy glop, Flora, I can't imagine living the rest of our college days if this was all real! And their blood would be in my hands!"

Flora stroked his lips. "It's okay, Big Red. It's just a dream. It's not real, I promise."

"But it felt so real!" he almost whined. "I was practically shaking in a puddle of gloop on the ground in front of their ghost! They were so gloppin' real I thought they would kill me!"

"There, there..." she patted his chest, "just cry it out and move on, Big Red. At least it's only a dream. And I'm sure things would get better. That's what this new semester is all about, right?"

She didn't squirm when he reached forward and hugged her, tightening her body to his as if scared she was a dream as well. Flora could only nuzzle her cheek against his while she felt Big Red's tears drop onto her set of horns. She couldn't imagine what would have happened if this had been a reality, the twins actually dying. The entire university would grieve the loss, and Mrs. Carlton would be upset for a very long time. She had been a wreck earlier after learning that Terry had a nervous breakdown through his coma. It scared Flora to think her own boyfriend had such a nightmare, and when he mentioned that the ghost of the twins blamed all the Greek monsters, she could only wonder how they would react if Big Red shared this horrible ordeal.

She rubbed her cheek against him, before leaning up and kissing the side of his mouth, hoping to comfort him further.

"It's okay...it's all over...The twins are okay...And they definitely don't hate you..."

He hugged her tighter. "I haven't been so scared in my entire life!"

"Well, it's all over, right?" she told him. "I'm sure there won't be any bad dreams."

He grunted in reply. "Well, at least you are here tonight right, babe?"

Flora gave a tender grin. "Anything for my boyfriend."

The JOX monster laid his head against hers, arms feeling her smooth skin and array of horns. "Just let me hold you, and I'll be fine."

She smiled, leaning into him. "Don't worry, I'll be right here always." Then her lips grew more cheeky. "You want a lullaby?"

He gave a wry chuckle, having not heard that from anyone other than his mother. But he didn't mind at all.

"Why not?" he gave a sheepish grin. "Just hearing you makes me feel better, babe."

He looked into her sparkling iris, such beauty making him truly lucky to have such a girl by his side. Her voice was breathtaking, soft when it wanted to be, gruff when it should be. Slowly nodding, he held her close before they lowered back against the couch, Flora held close to his chest.

As she hummed and sang softly to him, all the negative stuff began to slip out of his mind as he began to relax. Glob, Flora really knew how to make him feel like all was right in the world. The way she sang to him reminded him of his mother. Even before leaving for college she would sing by his bedside as if he was still a toddler in his crib. He openly denied that he enjoyed the lullabies, but his mother knew well and sang him every night. Even during evening phone calls her voice would be what would lull him to sleep before he slumbered completely.

He could hear his mother's voice out of Flora, and he felt so in peace once more. And he managed to allow himself to sleep, Flora's sweet smile being the last thing he saw before surrendering to slumber.
~

Rosie stood her ground, staring at the terrifying faces of the ghosts before her. She was rarely afraid of anything, save for maybe human children. But the anger of Terry Perry as well as his brother made her even more pale as she pressed her back against the door.

"Not so tough now, are you?" Terry growled almost mockingly. "And you called US pathetic?"

The HSS girls were tough as nails and most of the time emotionless, but Rosie was definitely feeling intense fear as she regarded the death glares from both twins. Their expressions would easily put any of her own sorority sisters to shame. Their severe looks were borne of semesters worth of ridicule, hurt, and insults. And not to mention being ignored constantly and joked at.

"Well, what are you going to do now, Levin?" Terry taunted angrily.
"Make us cry?"

She remained silent, brown eyes enlarged more than they have ever been as she gawked at the older twin. The door was locked and there was nowhere else to escape.

"Looks like you won't be getting another piercing because I'm through with tears!" Terry hissed.

She was shocked at his words, and her heart pounded faster than she had ever thought it would beat. She could not get out, and now faced with the wrath of both Perry twins, she was fearing that her resolve would break at any moment. And soon she might be reduce to a sobbing wreck haunted by the their ghost.

It frightened her to realize that she was solely responsible for this anguish and pain. This semester was supposed to be a new beginning for not just the twins but for everyone, showing OK how much they meant to MU. But now for their remaining college years it would be nothing but pain and misery...

She flinched when the twins lifted up all four of their hands, which seemed to almost glow a violent aura.

"This is your fault as well as everyone else's..." Terri growled.

Rosie swallowed, lump still in he throat. "What? No!"

She did not know if the voice she had just used was hers, which came out as a mere squeak that completely shattered the tough exterior she possessed. Seeing that the Perry twins would haunt everyone like a vengeful spirit, especially those who had hurt them in the past, dooming them to emotional pain and hardship. Now she would have to live with those consequences, and Rosie wasn't sure what lay ahead for her life. No doubt she would suffer every day with the realization of this tragedy.

"You did this to us!" Terry shouted, pointing a finger at the HSS leader. "You made us feel like we never belonged here!"

"You're all just like Worthington, Levin!" Terri boomed. "Every single monster in both Frat Row and Monsters University!"

"We should have never have tried to make friends with the likes of you guys!" Terry snarled.

Rosie found herself whimpering, covering her face with her hands as she pressed further against the door. She could not believe the way she was acting! Like a complete child helpless and yearning for an adult to rescue her. She never thought she would cower with fear, having woman-d up over the years to prove she was as scary as she was fearless. Now here she was on the verge of tears and wishing to hold someone right now.

"You got to be kidding me!" she grunted, trying to find the scariness in her tone as she dared to look at the ghost of the twins. "You really think we hate you guys? Come on!"

Terry scoffed. "Oh, like I'm going to believe your poor attempts at denial. You didn't do a darn thing when Johnny pranked us!"

"You didn't want to do a darn thing with our frat since we first met!" Terri spat. "Admit it! You can't stand us, and you're happy we're gone!"

Rosie never thought she would break down like this, but they were the twins, terrifying than they appeared to be. Not the sweet, kind-hearted Oozmas that opened their arms once more after the party Big Red threw for them. No smile, just overall bitterness that would terrorize her memories for years to come.

"Admit it!" Terry growled ferociously. "You always hoped one day Oozma Kappa would die since we came to your precious Frat Row!"

Rosie shook her head, sucking in her tears as she furiously rubbed her eyes. "We never thought like that! Come on, what do you take us for?"

She felt the air grow even colder as the twins stared her down with incredible malice.

"Monsters," Terry finally responded, his tone venomous and spine-chilling. "You really are monsters..."

"When we invited you to have dinner at our mom's house, what did you say?" Terri shouted. "WHAT DID YOU SAY?"

It was then Rosie remembered how they coldly turned down the offer when the OK frat approached them. Her sisters didn't pay any attention and simply tried ignoring them until they gave up and finally left their sights. A cold shoulder, and even as the monsters in green and yellow greeted their fellow neighbors it grew even colder. Much like the temperature in the room right now.

Rosie swallowed, taking off her glasses for the moment and blinking up at them. She chewed her lip, feeling like a trapped animal.

"That was...erm...we didn't mean..."

Terri's eye glowed brightly, his fingers curling as he seethed at her.

"You told us to take a hike and get lost and go waste someone else's time!" he roared loudly, which was scary enough to earn major points alone in a simulator.

Rosie's mouth clamped shut once more, the older Perry twin able to rise above her with such authority. She couldn't find an explanation, every word she had thrown at them that day was exact and undoubtedly pained his usually cheery frat deeply. She felt like such a fool, unable to believe she had been so cold and callous toward the gentlest monsters MU had been gifted with. She had been known to make the men cry, thus rewarding herself with a piercing for every man who sobbed in her presence. OK had shown no tears the moment she openly turned them down. Yet here she was doing all the crying. Oh, darn it...

"You know what you did, Rosie..." Terry spoke, voice carrying the semesters of pain. "And you don't deserve forgiveness. Or friends. None of you do."

Rosie gulped, wishing she had not been alone since she came to this hospital. She wished anyone else had been present as well. Heck, if Mrs. Carlton was here she could try to placate them. Or the fact that her beloved boys were ghosts now would just kill her even more inside...

"Guys, come on..." she grunted desperately. "We're sorry! We never knew we made you feel that way back then!"

Just hearing her made them grow even more angry, and Terry's expression hardened like the cracks on a surface left after an earthquake.

"Bull-spit, Levin!" he shouted hoarsely.

Shocked by his outburst, Rosie hugged herself, leaning her head against the door. She prayed for a nurse or doctor to come by and save her, the scared monster that had formerly been so fearless and unfeeling.

"You'll forever live with this, Rosie Levin," Terri added. "All of you will."

"Oh, please, for the love of glob!" she cried, shutting her eyes tight.

"Enough with your poor pleas!" Terry grunted. "It's payback time!"

The tears finally fell, trailing down her neck and soaking her HSS top. She felt so pathetic doing it and knew that Terry made a point. Where her bravery was it was gone...

Completely replaced by guilt and terror, she felt herself cry even more, knowing that she was receiving punishment for all the bad she and her sorority had done. And now since the Perry twins were gone, she would forever live with this guilt, long after she graduated from MU, and even through her Scaring career.

Rosie woke up sweating buckets. Her earrings jingled as she pushed herself up from her comfy bed, and her clawed hands immediately flew to her face. She could not believe she was actually crying right now, sobbing out her emotions for a few moments before forcing down the rest of her tears.

Glob, she never thought she would be in a state like this! It was humiliating and overall a reveal to what an emotional wreck she could be if pushed exactly like in her dream. No one had ever seen her shed a tear. True, many have seen her smile (she decided to give a little every now and then but not too much), but she couldn't bare to see the reactions of those close to her should they ever witness this rare state.

But she was grateful it was all just a dream. At least the twins weren't actually dead. She hoped. Because the consequences would be far more horrifying if they met any complications. And the emotional toll on the rest of Frat Row and the university would be disastrous.

Rosie leaned back against the sheets, feeling even more pathetic that she was crying over a nightmare. But there had to be an exception, since she couldn't think of anyone else who would suffer this same bad dream tonight...

But she hoped that the RORs suffered such a dream if possible, especially Johnny. Because they were the ones who did the most harm to the OK frat, intending to crush their spirit, and further cruelty that nearly had Oozma Kappa refuse to associate with their alma mater any longer.

They didn't need just bad dreams, they needed a hard dose of emotional realism. While most monsters would think she was hardly the sentimental type, she knew feelings. Goths were considerable "emos", and sensitivity was something they all shared in Frat Row no matter who came from where. And that particular term is what each of OK possessed. They were so much better than any of them, reaching out in friendship and happiness to others, and treating everyone with respect and dignity. That was more of what Frat Row needed, rather than "every fraternity and sorority for itself" kind of mindset. Rosie felt that they could do without the latter, and began to adopt more of the former.

They were developing well, and they hoped OK could see the incredible changes as the semester began. Most of all, they hoped Terry could see how much he and his brother were loved and cared about in their own community. And pray that no rift would ever rise again.

Sighing, Rosie peered out the window of her bedroom. Good glob, it was the middle of the night. Going back to sleep was going to be a real bite in the tail after all this...

But sleep was needed if she was going to concentrate tomorrow on Scaring class. So Rosie returned to her bed and tucked herself in, looking at the ceiling and silently mouthed a prayer that the Perry twins would return safe and sound to their fraternity. After all, they were an indispensable part of OK, and she knew how much they were cherished and loved by their frat brothers.

Rosie rubbed her eyes, her glasses laying on the dresser beside her as she hoped she wouldn't come to class grouchy and even more sullen. Taking once last glance out the window, she breathed softly as she snuggled back into her bed. The last of her tears fell from her eyes before she dared to close them.
~

Dirk's eyes sprang open, and he gasped before he found himself staring up at the ceiling, claws tightening on his bedsheets. Dear glob, what a nightmare! And it was beyond terrifying than anything he encountered.

Talk about chilling, locked in a spooky hospital room, with the the ghost of the twins who were harshly reprimanding him from past mistakes and pain. The lion beast shuddered and wiped his face of cold sweat as he felt tears trickle down his cheeks, memories of the horrible dream surfacing in his head. That eerie scene of angry glowing light and the screams of two vengeful heads caused him to curl up into a fetal ball and whimper like a baby.

Holding himself and buried deeper into the blankets, he couldn't imagine anyone else having a far worse dream than this, and he wondered if all of this was a sign. He had been doing his best to make the twins as well as OK feel right at home in their community, hadn't he? Ever since last semester when Big Red threw that party for them, he thought that the rift had finally been lifted and the aforementioned fraternity, especially Terry, had re-opened themselves to their alma mater once more.

But that nightmare told him otherwise, with both twins being bitter and full of hate and anger. And they blamed him for his actions that fateful night at the ROR party. That including the reminder of his fraternity's rejections toward OK's offers to come over for lunch or dinner. Everyone had rejected them despite their kindness and willingness to please. Dirk felt even more ashamed having acted like a complete jerk those previous semesters, and he cursed himself for being so easily deceived by Johnny Worthington and his ROR brothers.

He must have really appeared like a major jerk that night, laughing almost maniacally at the sight of OK being covered in paint and all that adorable junk. The horrified expressions of being betrayed broke his heart all over again, and he only wondered what he would have received if he had accompanied Big Red instead of George that day the apology party had set. In high school he had been this slightly cocky and prideful teenager, though nothing even remotely close to the personality of the Worthington heir today. During those days monsters would teasingly refer to him as "Dirk the Jerk". For others, that was an understatement.

As Dirk sobbed into his blankets, he hoped that the Perry twins would be alright, because he was praying for them to survive their accident. And hoped that they would come back and make OK whole again. They were the life of Frat Row, and MU just wouldn't be MU without all of Oozma Kappa.

He blinked back a few tears as he glanced around his room. The heavy state of laundry and wrappers on the floor would be a hoarder's paradise compared to the probable cleanliness of the twins. They were the perfect role models, they were the epitome of Greek Life. How many Scare students could balance between Scaring and other aforementioned interests, such as writing and dancing?

He can hardly balance his wrestling sessions with Scaring, let alone having more work to his work pile! Dirk whimpered and hiccuped for a few more moments, wiping away sweat and tears as he tried to force the dream to go away, as every single time he thought of it he would break out in fear and cold sweat again. It seemed so real, and so horrifying that all those ghost movies and TV shows he watched could not even match up to what he had just experienced in his dream. The ghostly Perry twins were so scary, and looked so REAL.

And when Terry claimed that their death was his and everyone else's fault, Dirk was scared white out of his golden fur. Worse, the chills of being told that their blood would forever be in his hands...he wasn't sure how he could live with that.

To be haunted forever by the Perry twins' ghosts? Sweet merciful oblivion would be a blessing than living each day with them both haunting his dreams and perhaps even his waking life! Dirk shuddered at the thought and cried out for a few moments before tucking his mace tail close to him like a security blanket.

He knew the mere sight of himself was quite babyish, but so be it because he knew that deep down he was responsible for this dream. All of those semesters of ignoring and mocking the fellow fraternity who cared nothing about the backgrounds or status, and he could nearly lose two of them permanently this semester. He blamed himself for what he had done since their first year, and the feeling was mutual.

He, like all the other monsters in the university, prayed for their recovery, and he hoped they would recover very soon. It just wouldn't be the Scare Games without the OK gang, and Dirk would rather his team fall from the events than never compete with OK at all.

And as far as Dirk was concerned, the Worthington heir can go to glop for all he cared. Because of Johnny, they had almost been permanently despised by the OK fraternity. Well, mainly Terry since he was the one who spoke out angrily last semester. For all Dirk knew, Johnny would still be the same whether or not Terry and his brother woke up from their coma. If he and his brothers tried anything on OK again, there would be heck to pay. Big Red made that pretty clear during the party last semester when all hope began to be lost. Brynn was more assertive, wanting to bash Johnny's horns out despite she wasn't the kind of monster to have a raging temper. But they all would have, because of what a major jerk the Worthington heir had been.

Everyone just wanted to wipe that darned smirk off his face forever, and not to mention Big Red would have pummeled him if it wasn't for his girlfriend's careful words. If they decided to prank the OK team again, there were bound to be a lot of monsters banging on their front door with anger and fury on their faces. And forget the rules, heads will roll if that does happen.

Johnny was always asking for a punch to the face, and Dirk was pretty sure even the Greek Council would look another way just to let the Worthington learn a harsh and painful lesson not to look down at others. Not everything was about him. Truthfully, that ROR president would have it coming, and Dirk just wanted to give him a good sock in the face followed by a pile-driver.

Clutching himself, feeling like a furry ball of gold rolling on his bed, Dirk did something he hadn't done in a long time. Since middle school.

He began to suck on his thumb.

Sniffing as he pressed himself further against the sheets, he could only imagine how his brothers would react to seeing him like this. And he couldn't fathom what Violet would even say if she saw the proud Dirk Pratt resort himself to a mere baby...
~

Crumpled to her knees in the lonesome whiteness of the hospital room, Naomi could only sob and whimper as the ghost of her secret crush and his brother hovered before her. The mere sight of them was more terrifying than any human child or conceptually drawn spirit she had ever seen.

Dead...they were dead...gone completely before she even had an official word with them. She had rushed into this room the moment she asked a careless worker where they were. Given the number, her heart pounding as her chance was taking flight, everything came crashing down the moment she saw their bed wheeled away.

They couldn't save them, the twins were gone...And it was all Naomi could do not to jump out the window and meet her fate, knowing that all was lost and there was simply no meaning in life anymore. And the moment she heard their voices, and came face to face with their spirits, she thought she was really losing it. But now, they were not just dead, their spirits were standing before her. And she was too scared to do anything but look and listen to their anger. Especially Terry's.

He continued glaring at her, eye full of even more hatred than she had seen that moment at the library.

"This is all your fault, Naomi..." he growled, fists tightening so harshly she could hear the bones crack upon flesh. "We gave you a chance to be our friends, and you go right to stabbing us in the back just like that."

Naomi weakly shook her head, trying to reason with him once more. The hatred prodded her like a thousand needles, each one digging into her skin and making her entire form numb with agony. Her trio of eyes produced more tears that fell to the floor, her face pale and her voice beginning to hiccup.

"We would never stab you in the back..." she said pathetically. "We didn't know any better! I didn't know what I was doing!"

Terry's expression deepened with animosity. "Don't play innocent, Jackson! You're as cold-hearted as girls can get! You won't get any sympathy from me! Don't even bother to ask for forgiveness either, because like heck I'll ever give you any. Not to the end of eternity itself!"

The PNK girl sobbed even harder, wishing more than anything the brothers would live once more. And just when Naomi thought his tirade had ceased, that he had told her everything that came from the blackness his heart had absorbed, he continued the emotional blows.

"You are nothing, Naomi Jackson..." he growled. "You are just as worse as the RORs themselves, you and your petty little PNK sorority! I wished I had never met you."

Naomi could only whimper and watch as both twins harbored the same anger that had been pent up all those semesters before. As if her heart hadn't been broken enough, it would probably never mend itself. Terry and his brother were dead, and their spirit would forever haunt her and her friends for as long as possible. She truly hated herself, having "stuck to her own crowd" and refused to interact with the kind-hearted fraternity known as Oozma Kappa. Just when things finally looked up and there was no longer that rift formed by said monsters, tragedy just had to arrive.

"Terry...please...!" she sobbed.

She turned toward his younger brother, his expression equal to the other's. He always pitied her whenever Terry refused to associate with her, he could try and persuade him in some way, right?

"Terri! Please, tell your brother he's wrong! That I care about him, about both of you!" she begged.

Instead she was given another bitter and angry glare by the younger twin, and she could see his hands clenching tightly as he glared at her along with his elder brother. Naomi stifled a gasp of shock, when she realized that even Terri was angry at her, and he wouldn't persuade his elder brother on her behalf. Instead he was allowing Terry to do as he wished, and agreeing with whatever punishment they see fit. He no longer felt sorry for her.

"No, Naomi..." he remarked bitterly. "You never cared about us. None of you have."

It was like fate had intended to remind her of that horrid night, repeatedly telling her that she was among monsters who had emotionally hurt those of Oozma Kappa. She felt even more stupid and regretful. They had been so kind, honest, and willing to put down their needs to assist others, yet she and her sorority and everyone else had taken that for granted! Because they were dumb and didn't know the true meaning of Greek Life. It meant family, being among friends, explore each other's interests...everything OK represented from the very start.

Now two of them were dead, and OK probably would never be the same again. She doubt she would ever be the same again.

"Boys...Boys, please..." she sniffed. "I've tried to make up for it! Honest!"

"It's too late for any of that, Jackson..." Terry snapped.

Naomi whimpered and wept, her heart crushed into a withered prune as she heard those words spoken by him. She along with the rest of Greek Row would probably live on in their lives knowing that they had blood in their hands.

Even after graduating, while she was beginning her career as a Scarer, the twins would frighten her far worse than she could with any human child. Their spirits would haunt her and every other monster that had been mean to them since their first college year, and their souls would probably just wander the Earth, reminding them that their deaths were hers as well as everyone else's fault.

She would never have peace in her life, forever haunted by the memory that she had been a monster to these poor, innocent twins. Naomi sobbed even harder, tears flowing like miniature waterfalls as she wept her heart out, knowing that she truly did lose Terry Perry.

She stared up at him through her tears, not one bit of mournfulness was evident on his features. He continuously glared at her, his younger brother equally angered. And all she could do was lay there knowing her life would never be the same...

The dark hospital room began to fade away, a chilling atmosphere shadowed over her, leaving her stranded beneath a single source of light. She watched as the twins stood before her, expressions full of contempt and with nothing else to say.

"I'm sorry..." she whimpered.

Of course, this did nothing to appease them. She could only lay there as she watched both twins turn away, intending to leave her wallow in her grief.
~

Carrie gasped as she rose from her bed. Her trio of eyes blinked back tears as she panted harshly. Gripping her chest and feeling her heart pound excessively, she stared around her before breathing deeply.

Wiping the tears away from her eyes, she tried to take steadier breaths, relieved that it had all been a dream. If this was how Naomi felt some nights before she went to bed, then no doubt the PNK leader would feel the same way if she was in her place.

She respected the twins, something she had never done since OK had been founded, revealing themselves as former Scare students before being openly rejected like roadkill. Scare students or not, they were to be loved, not despised. And as the proud students of the Scaring program, basking in the joys of simply sharing and interacting with their alma mater, death was a cruel thing to happen to them.

Either way, she was just glad it was not real, but she was terrified that Terry would never forgive her sorority like his brothers did. He gave every other monster a second chance, but not PNK. And not Naomi.

Her head shot up towards the ceiling the moment she heard loud sobbing outside her bedroom. Fear gripping her, she immediately threw off the covers and bolted out of her bed.
~

Naomi weeped loudly, Crystal holding her close as tears flowed from her cheeks in great rivulets. The youngest PNK moaned her misery as she stood up from her blankets and pillows, her entire form cloaked in cold sweat but a warm embrace as she felt the last vestiges of the nightmare surface in her mind. Crystal helped wipe her tears away, trying to soothe her with gentle words and a nuzzle of her cheek.

She didn't even turn around when the door of her bedroom swung open with a loud thump against the wall. She felt a second pair of arms embrace her from behind, and she saw a lock of red hair drape over her shoulder.

"It's okay...it's okay..." Carrie murmured tenderly, trying to comfort her littlest sister. "Shh...shh...we're here..."

As Naomi lay cradled in the arms of her sisters, more PNKs entered the bedroom. As Carrie took the time to look at each of them, her eyes rose in shock to see how completely scared they were. And when she had seen Crystal moments ago, the other PNK girl had been shivering, her eyes almost dilated to the point she might have seen a human child.

Or perhaps a ghost...

Running her dull claws over Naomi's bushy head, she realized something had indeed happened tonight.

Because of that troll.
~

Despite her growing fears, Brynn's determination fought back as she daringly neared the anger-fueled twins. While every instinct told her to just work the door and run, her heart persuaded her to remain here. With the spirit of her friends. A few tears leaked from her trio of eyes, but she held her head high and became as brave as she could be.

"Guys..." she spoke gently, "you didn't deserve this..."

Surprised yet slightly annoyed she wasn't screaming her head off, Terry openly glared at her, fists tightening while his brother duplicated his actions.

"You should have thought about that when we first met, Larson!" the older twin spat.

Brynn just stared at them, accepting every cold remark with a grain of salt. She knew they deserved it, and she solemnly embraced the anger of the twins, especially Terry's. This newfound fury was as devastating as the day he called out his own university on Mike's behalf, wanting to make everyone realize that pain of losing Mike and two years of horrible treatment. Even someone as kind-hearted as he could still grasp such a grudge, and she couldn't blame him.

But she would never give up on him. None of them would. He and his fraternity were their beloved friends, and she would gladly travel the human world just to prove how much they meant to the Greek Council, to all of MU.

"I know what we did was wrong," she agreed with a heavy heart. "But deep down we never lost faith in you guys...despite how awful we were." she added mournfully.

"Faith?" Terry gripped. "I lost faith in you guys a long time ago!"

Her fists tightened, keeping a stiff upper lip while tears trailed down her natural blushing cheeks. Take everything with a grain of salt, she told herself, the twins needed to say what needed to be said. While their deaths was a major blow to her being, she would never let them go despite how much they wanted to push her away and make her suffer. She and the other monsters had done that to them for two years, but now she was reaching out and refused to allow a rift to be formed once again.

"What we did to you was horrible and you never deserved any of it," she proclaimed, sniffing a bit. "All we want is for you to forgive us because now-"

"Forgive is a long way from home, sister..." Terri snapped.

Although agonized by the rebuttal, Brynn refused to give up as she turned to the older twin. Her trio of eyes deepened with despair, knowing that out of the two he was the more pained with a massive bone to pick.

"Terry..." she spoke sadly. "We've all changed. All we wanted was for you two to get better and come back home."

Appalled by her slightly calm and insisting demeanor, the older twin angrily shook his head.

"Bull-spit!" he cried, his voice coming out almost like a sob. "You think I'll believe that? After all the years you've constantly ignored us? No one ever cared about us!"

"But we do care!" Brynn retorted miserably, breathing heavily as she dared to approach them. "Please, believe me..."

Terry swallowed, his expression worsening at the angelic tone she kept carrying.

"Believe you?" he demanded. "BELIEVE YOU?"

The aqua blue EEK girl shuddered, then she took a step back. But she didn't press against the wall. Whether or not the ghosts of her friends would harm her, courage was on her side, and it told her to keep reaching out to them. To Terry.

"Give us one good reason why we should even believe you!" he said venomously.

She looked at them carefully for a few moments, her heart racing as she clung to some hope.

"I started a fund for you guys..." she finally said.

And that was true. She had made so much money on the first day, and each day after that grew in great amounts. She planned to present the twins and their fellow frat the humble gift at the party Big Red was organizing. All to welcome them back and show even more how much the twins, and OK, meant to their Greek Council and alma mater. Every day after she closed up her booth, she would carefully count bill by bill, allow her surprise to increase as the amount of money did so. And she would guard it with her life, placing the cash box under her bed and slumber atop it like a security officer on duty.

She noticed a flicker of shock escape from the older twin, the younger looking away, appearing almost remorseful. Her heart beat against her EEK jacket, and the proclaimed purple princess took a further step forward.

Then another one. And another one.

Noticing this, the ghosts floated back, holding their four hands out as if she were a human child threatening to touch them. Although they were spirits who could very well pass through walls, they weren't taking chances.

"What are you doing?" Terry demanded. "Stay back!"

But Brynn denied his rebuffs, her fists tightening with even more determination. Her blue eyes gazed into the single ones that glowed brightly, their spiritual essence shivering with intimidation.

"Bro, she's not listening!" Terri cried.

"Guys..." Brynn spoke bravely, holding a hand out to them, "please..."

"Get away from us!" Terry screamed. "Get away from me, Larson!"

But the EEK girl shook her head, taking step after step as if she were gliding the stairs. She wasn't sure how it would feel to touch a spirit's hand, but she would do so with valiance, and hope they can feel her sincerity and appreciation for them.

"Don't push us away..." she murmured, a lone tear falling from her top eye. "We're here for you..."

The twins could barely move, and the tip of Brynn's finger was just inches away from Terry's hand.

"We love you guys..." she said with ever ounce of her being.

And she felt Terry's hand. It was as fleshed out and warm as she knew it would be.

Brynn's eyes slowly opened, and she stared up at the ceiling. Her hand had been raised toward it.

The EEK girl swallowed before she shifted in her sheets. Then she pushed the covers away, seeing the purple nightgown she had worn for slumber. Sighing in relief, she shifted her three-eyed gazed toward the window. So late yet the moon appeared incredibly pretty at this time...

She looked down at her hand. Then clenched her claws together, biting her lip. It had all been a dream, just a scary what-if to her thoughts and feelings after Oozma Kappa had been denied visitation at the hospital. She felt her face, which was completely dry. No tears at all.

The image of the twins kept her further awake. And with that she reached toward her nightstand and clicked the lights on. Blinded for a moment by the celestial brightness of her bedroom, Brynn dragged her body over the edge of her mattress. Reaching down with her lanky arms, she pushed away her running shoes beneath the bed, then gripped something rectangular and heavy. With a grunt she managed to pull the cash box onto her sheets, the sounds of change clinking against its sides.

Running her fingers over the metal surface, Brynn's heart paced a bit more. Monsters all over campus opened their hearts for Oozma Kappa since the previous semester, straight after the Scare Games. Now they opened their wallets and coin purses just to donate for Terri and Terry, proving that this was an alma mater that cared so much for the kindest fraternity of MU. She recalled her previous banter with Chet regarding what exactly she was doing, the latter criticizing her as doing "too much" for the monsters in green and yellow.

Love was never "too much". And it wasn't like Chet or any of his ROR buddies even knew what that was like. Their families may donate to MU from time to time, but their money was never where their hearts will ever be. And that so-called "charity" last semester was stupid and an insult to generous monsters everywhere. Another reason to hate them.

Terry's hate was dark and terrifying, and she wondered if the dream she had was a sign that deep down he still harbored bitter feelings for his alma mater. Well, the dream was over. And he and his brother were certainly not ghosts. Still, she and the rest of her fellow monster community would keep proving themselves that they would forever hold Oozma Kappa dear to their hearts.

Because she would rather die than lose them forever. Especially the twins.

Seating herself with her legs folded, Brynn opened her cash box using a key she kept in the drawer of her nightstand. She carefully tipped the whole thing over onto her bed, making sure to pour it slowly so that no coins or bills would fall off her beddings. A large mountain of change and notes spilled out like a miniature waterfall, and the EEK girl's eyes softened as she witnessed how much monsters have donated for the Perry twins. She spotted a few stacks of bills tied together by rubber bands among the mountain of coins. She did smile at some food coupons for The Growl, assuming it had probably been donated by the New Age Philosophy students since they were eccentric at times. Counting slowly and carefully, it wasn't long before Brynn managed to push past eight hundred dollars and she was still counting.

Although she already knew the amount, she decided to do it once more just in case. And she was certain tomorrow would be an even bigger amount.
~

Nadya's eyes flew open, her mouth slightly ajar as if she had been screaming. She found herself staring up at the ceiling, her fingers digging into the sheets. Quickly sitting up in her bed, she let out a throaty sigh, as if she had been holding her breath for as long a she had dreamed. She then reached hand over her chest, feeling her heart drum up a violent beat. Her hand then flew to her hair, which had been tied back in a bun for the evening slumber. Every inch of her was fine save for sweat and flesh that felt as if it had reached boiling point like a seafood clam dinner.

She peered toward her window, seeing some lights flicker on in the other Greek houses. Especially the PNK's.

The HSS girl began to grit her teeth, her trio of eyes narrowing as she clenched her fists which bunched up her sheets.

"Holy glop, I'm going to KILL Pyapi!" she growled before dropping her head back onto the pillows with a loud 'poof'.
_

The Worthington heir smiled as he poured another can of Blort into the two fancy glasses. Sitting at the best table of one of Monstropolis' finest (and most expensive) restaurants, he then placed the empty can aside before smirking toward the heiress who regarded him with utter adoration.

"Oh, Johnny..." Laura sighed dreamily, her sky forest eyes blinking flirtatiously. "Tell me again how you won the Scare Games that year."

He chuckled before puffing out his chest. He reached across the table, draping his hand over hers, not intending to let go any time soon.

"Well, it was pretty easy," he bragged as he drank in the sight of her being so close to him. "I mean, what to do expect for a ROR?"

Laura giggled softly. "And here I thought I'd never date the most handsome and most charming monster on campus..." she said, nearly swooning at his touch.

He grinned before his other hand reached over and cupped her chin. She smiled sweetly, leaning into his touch as her lashes fluttered toward him.

"Well, consider us both lucky, babe..." he murmured before inching toward her.

He closed his eyes, wanting to savor every moment he would receive as leaned to kiss the Sharp girl. He puckered his lips, then dove further.

However, he felt nothing but air. Confused, he opened his eyes, and they widened to realize that Laura was gone. Standing up from his seat, he nearly gasped as the entire restaurant began to fade. Every source of light and color darkened into every shade of black and gray, murky green collaborating in the mix as it swirled around him like a vortex from those cheesy cut-rate sci-fi films. His chair slowly disappeared along with his table and Blort, leaving Johnny to stand in what seemed like eerie space.

"The heck's going on?" he cried before gazing around into nothingness.

He nearly jumped when he heard a skitter. He glanced over his shoulder, finding nothing. He immediately wheeled toward his front, hearing another noise. He saw nothing. His tail rose, anxiety pounding through his chest as he tried to keep watch in all directions. He took steps back, hands out in front of him as if assuming to feel anything in this solitary emptiness.

He didn't realize a tiny presence behind him. Five pale, fleshy fingers reaching toward his tail.

He did manage to catch sight of the abomination in time, and he immediately snatched his tail back. His eyes bulged wide as he stared at the face of blue eyes, a nose, and fingers that opened and closed with every bone-chilling grasp at him.

"Hi there!" the human child greeted, blinking her eyes as she grinned up at Johnny. "Want to play with me?"

The Worthington heir felt a scream coming on, but it never escaped his throat. He took a step back, the child giggling as he hurried himself away from her. Had he taken a few more steps back, he could have been touched by more hands behind him. He cried out in alarm, holding his claws out in front of him.

Children. Human children. All with their eyes and mouths that probably contained poisonous venom that could kill with one bite. They approached him with playfulness, their giggles echoing through the empty space he was trapped in. All their hands reaching out, each finger possessing a horrible fate.

The ROR leader grunted as he tried to back away from them, only for the humans to keep at him. He turned around and ran, and it last only a few seconds before he found himself crashing into a door. It just suddenly popped right there. A child's bedroom door. He furiously tried to work the knob, longing to return to the monster world and pretend he had seen nothing. It was locked.

"Play with us..." the children chanted through varied giggles.

He tried working the knob again and again. Is this how Wazowski and Sullivan ended up in when they were trapped in this horrid place? The knob refusing him once more, his eyes darted back toward the human children who were getting even closer. He pressed his back against the door, heart pounding so rapidly it could burst out of his chest. Sweat began to pour down his fur, his teeth grinding against each other with fear.

Watching as the deadly offspring neared him, he spotted something further across from him. Something fleshed in pink skin and with a purple jacket.

"Carla!" he cried out in relief. "Oh, glob! Help me out here!"

But the other popular Greek leader didn't even move. Instead she laid her hands on her hips, her glossy lips curving in a hostile frown. Johnny raised his eyes in confusion, for the moment forgetting that over a dozen human kids were about to literally kill him with their hugs.

"Delgado?" he called out almost desperately. "Hey! What are you doing?"

Carla just shook her head, taking a step back. Her eyes grew even more malicious, narrowing intensely as she regarded the Worthington heir.

"As if I would ever help the likes of you, Worthington," she said, her voice dripping with both sarcasm and hatred.

"W...wha...?" Johnny gulped. "Hey, come on!" he cried out almost desperately. "Carla, I'm about to be contaminated here!"

"It's what you deserve, Johnny," she spat. "And the thing about it is..." she peered at him coldly. "No one will care."

"What?" Johnny cried. "Wait! I thought you did! I mean, you're helping me out, aren't you?"

Carla let out a snarky laugh, then she frowned.

"As if we're actually friends, Johnny," she said with disgust. "I'm through saving your tail every time. Not even how much you can pay me will make me save you now."

And with that she turned away, leaving the Worthington heir to his fate. Johnny could only watch in despair, before turning to the children who were just inches away from touching his ROR sweater.

"Carla, wait!" he screamed. "Come back! Don't leave me like this! I need you! I need you right now! Don't let me-"

And he was cut off the moment a single human finger touched his chest, and he cried out at the realization of what was happening right now.

Johnny grunted before quickly rising from his bed. Panting heavily as he laid a claw on his chest, he peered around to see that he was back in his bedroom, in his ROR pajamas, and no human child in sight.

The heck had just happened there? He ran a hand across his temples, feeling as if he had been working out ragged for hours. Nothing ever terrified the proud Worthington heir...except for human children.

He shuddered at the thought, images of the dream still fresh in his mind. He wondered if this is what Mike and Sulley had experienced when they had been stuck in the human world. Of course, when they had been begged and pleaded with by numerous fans about their so-called "adventure", they merely explained that they had been trapped...and Mike had organized the greatest scare of all MU history according to the Sullivan son. And according to what Hardscrabble had hinted...

But dropping the fact that the green cue-ball was stealing his frat's thunder, Johnny immediately thought back to Carla. She had openly expressed hatred toward him...

True, monsters among Frat Row had often expressed their annoyance and disapproval toward the ROR leader, and it didn't stop even long after the previous semester. Carla was a major exception, because they've know each other since their first year in MU. She called him a moron long before Oozma Kappa even began.

And in the dream she didn't even bat a lash that he was on the verge of getting k-

He quickly threw his blankets off, feet slamming the carpet with a great, abrupt force that nearly shook the trophies of his bedroom. He raced toward his door before flinging it open, crashing it against the wall with a thunderous slam. Already his actions had awoken Javier and Chip, who calmly opened their doors and stared at their president with tired and questionable eyes. But he didn't even notice them as he zipped across the corridor toward the stairs.
~

Gliding down the stairs as if he were a monster born with wings, he leaped over the final three steps before his feet thumped upon the polished wood floor. The impact seemed to awoken his two frat brothers who had formerly been sleeping soundly on the couch. Chet rubbed his single eye with a claw while Reggie popped his thumb out of his mouth, both then glancing over at their leader. But Johnny paid them no mind as he rushed to the study where the door still remained open.

Carla squeaked the moment a large form suddenly thrusted itself through her doorway. After waking up and refusing to go back to sleep thereafter, she had decided to lay on the couch and read one of the many books from the small library in the private room. She did not expect to see Johnny, hunching with bated breaths as he lay a claw upon the doorway.

"Johnny?" she asked, raising her eyes in question. "You look awful! What, did you fall off the bed kissing your own hand or something?"

She nearly jumped when he fell to his knees, staring at her with wide eyes like a fish out of water. She almost dropped her book as he gawked at her, a relieved smile spreading across his lips.

"Oh, man!" he cried. "You're still talking to me!"

"What?" she asked in confusion. "Well, duh, of course I'm still talking to you, moron!"

"And there she calls me a moron again," he sighed as if releasing the breath he had held through his quick jog down the stairs.

"What is up with you?" the EEK leader asked, placing her book down.

"Never mind about that," he grunted, wiping his head. "Holy glop, I think I need a drink right now..." He turned to her. "Why are you still awake?"

Despite wondering about his sudden shift in mood that only lasted a few seconds, Carla's expression softened. She swallowed as she held her legs close to her chest.

"I, uh, just couldn't sleep..." she lied.

Johnny sighed. "Me neither. Want a drink since you're awake too?"

Carla formed a relieved smile as she stood up from the couch. She had shed her EEK jacket, now sporting a light purple top and shorts that slipped into her multitude of legs.

"I really would like that..." she murmured, the dream slinking away almost permanently.

As she and Johnny emerged from the study room, already the rest of the ROR brothers were awake and staring out the window.

"Hey, Johnny! Delgado!" Chet called, beckoning them with a claw. "What do you make of this?"

Both top leaders made their way toward the front and peered through the glass. Johnny raised an eyebrow, he and Carla witnessing four forms approaching the OK house.

"I guess no one feels like sleeping..." the EEK leader muttered, identifying the monsters immediately.
_

The three girls from different sororities quietly ushered for the most innocent of the JOX frat to knock. George Sanderson, in his white night shirt, bit his lip. Clutched in one hand was his stuffed bird, his other just barely lifting toward the door.

"Uh, I don't know..." he muttered, changing his mind at last-minute. "I'd hate to wake them."

"We're all here now!" Susan hissed, dressed in a black top and shorts. "And didn't Big Red send you over here like our leaders did?"

Though unaware of each other's equivalent nightmares, the feeling and growing fear was mutual without even one mention of the sweat and tears that had been shed in each of their beds. Britney and Brynn nodded in agreement, the former playing with her claws nervously, especially with four sisters who were comforting their youngest.

"Just be gentle," Brynn told him with a delicate tone.

"They'll understand our concerns," Britney, wearing a blue night shirt that somewhat clashed with her natural skirt and leggings, assured him. "At least, I hope they do..."

The muscled orange monster turned back to the perfectly-crafted door belonging to the most beloved frat on campus. He swallowed, clutching his stuffed bird tighter. Raising a curled fist, he inched toward it.

He and the girls nearly toppled off the steps in fright when a click emerged from the door. Before they could even calm themselves it slowly pushed open. Standing before them was Don, wearing a dark green robe with the OK insignia stitched on the side. Adjusting his glasses, he regarded his fellow Greek neighbors in confusion.

"Oh, hey there," he greeted calmly, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Oh, Don, we are so sorry!" Britney exclaimed. "Oh, glob, did we wake you up?"

"What?" the mature student chuckled. "Nah!" he assured, waving it aside. "I was just in the kitchen heating up some milk and leftovers until I heard a few voices out here."

He then glanced at their disheveled states, as if they had all jumped out of bed at the same time from a bad dream. But he shook the thought aside, assuming the younger monsters were just unable to get some sleep. He couldn't blame them. After what his family had gone through today, he had thought a midnight snack would tire him out.

"Are you kids alright?" he asked.

The monsters glanced at one another, then turned to the mature student with concerned smiles.

"We just, um..." George began.

"Wanted to see how you guys were doing," Brynn added quickly.

"Any news from the hospital?" Susan asked carefully.

"The twins?" Britney chirped anxiously.

Rubbing his cheek, Don gave a tender smile before chuckling.

"I appreciate the concern, guys," he told them, "and no, we've received nothing from the doctors since this morning." He then sighed. "But they did assure us earlier that the twins are okay, even after the older one's breakdown. They're still in their coma, but are resting just fine."

That had been more than enough of a relief toward the Greek monsters as they all sighed in unison.

"That's really good news," Susan muttered.

"That's all we needed to hear," Britney promised him.

The older monster beamed happily, then stood to the side of the door.

"How about you four come on in?" he offered, gesturing to the living room. "You kids look like you could use some warm milk and leftovers."

His request was too sweet and generous to refuse, and younger students were more than eager to join the OK president. Knowing he was alright as the rest of the fraternity.

"Thanks, Don," George said as he and the girls walked inside.

"Oh, I should be the one thanking you, George," Don chuckled as he closed the door. "After all, your frat was the one who sent all those pizzas."

Brynn, Britney, and Susan turned to the JOX monster, who blushed with a sheepish smile.

"Boy, did my boys eat," Don laughed. "I had almost thought we were going to do some cooking on account of my wife resting."

The mention of Mrs. Carlton shattered the calm atmosphere as all four turned to him.

"Is she okay?" Brynn asked carefully.

"Oh, Sherry?" Don said, trying to give a hopeful smile. "She's doing better."

"We would want nothing more than for your frat to feel better," Brynn told him with all the sincerity in her heart. "Really, we care about you Oozmas so much, Don."

Though mildly surprised at the sudden heartfelt words that oozed out of the EEK girl, the OK president smiled appreciatively.

"And our frat feels the same way, sweetheart," he told her in a fatherly tone.

With that said he gestured for them to sit around the living room before he headed toward the kitchen doorway.

"There's more than enough pizza for you kids!" he called. "Hope you got room in your bellies!"

"Yes, thank you, Don," Susan called as she crossed her legs while leaning into the arm of a couch.

"Well, that was better than we hoped for," George concluded, placing his stuffed bird on his lap as he lay against a recliner.

"Still..." Britney gulped. "What about tomorrow?"

The room was dead silent the moment she said that. Eyes landed to the floor, but three remained on her claws.

Brynn's trio of eyes refused to shed a tear, knowing in her heart that the dream was a completely false reality. But it did tell them something. And with every fiber in her being, they would make sure Oozma Kappa, especially the twins, knew that the Greek Council, and all of MU, would want nothing more than for them to know they were cared about. So much.

The money stashed under her bed was an example of that.
_

Middle of the night...

It took a moment for Terry to battle the pitch black sheet that clouded his mind for what felt like an eternity. He grunted softly as he blinked a few times, until he finally made out the stream of moonlight pouring itself from the window on his side. Rather light in the head as he shifted his gaze, it felt as if he had just been removed from a box container. His skin was rather stiff, almost rarely receiving feeling on all fours.

Wait...fours?

The older twin finally looked away from the blinding glow of the moon before his eye slowly fell down on his front. His single gaze widened in bewilderment, slowly raising the multitude of protrusions toward him. He about flinched when each set of fingers actually wiggled at his command. The arms he knew were okay...but where did those other two come from?

Swallowing the lump in his throat, he used his true pair and ripped the blanket that was atop him. His eye grew bigger when he was met with seven tentacle legs that lay on the mattress.

Seven? Had he just woken up with incredibly blurred vision? Feeling his heart pound, he fearfully reached toward the shocking set of orange and yellow legs. His heart about skipped a beat when he actually felt his own touch.

He quickly pulled his hand away, staring aimlessly at the legs that he wasn't sure were his. He only controlled four while the other three were for his brother-

His face grew pale at the realization before his eye darted to his side. But all he saw were his own arms. There was not another eye that gazed in his direction.

He was alone. The last time he ever saw his brother's face was before the incident in the Biology classroom...

Fear gripped his heart and immediately tears began to well in his blue eye. He looked all over his bed, shifting left to right as if his other half was just playing a good game of hide-and-seek from him. Even though they both knew they were completely useless at that game.

"Terry?"

He stopped, his head rose up. And he gazed across the other room for the first time since he woke up.

There, laying upright from another bed, was an identical face. His single blue eye blinked in confusion and fear mixed into and expression that was overwhelming. Although he was relieved, Terry's heart pounded even harder.

"Brother..." the younger twin whimpered, looking around him and then at himself.

At his own body.

Terri clutched himself, staring down at his own set of arms. It almost felt like the second pair was a stranger's, and he was unsure what to do next as he regarded his seven legs.

"W...what happened?" he asked helplessly.

Tears welled up in Terry's eyes, and they spilled down his neck, onto the hospital outfit made only for one head.

"Oh, glob, Terri!" he sobbed aloud.

His younger brother looked up, and his eye widened as he watched his older twin try to lift from his bed. For as long as they had been conjoined, they always relied on each other for support, especially the physical kind.

But right now it was rather hard when they couldn't exactly...rely on each other.

Terry grunted as he forced himself off his bed. Despite feeling complete numbness at his lower section, nothing was going to keep him away from his brother. All hands gripping the sheets of his bed, he pulled his entire weight with more than he ever thought he would give. Finally, he managed to place his legs onto the linoleum floor.

Terri watched in horror as his own brother gave out a yelp, falling on his face as he tried to stand up.

"Terry!" he cried fearfully.

The older twin groaned as he raised his head. He couldn't walk! These stupid legs were so difficult, especially when they were all his and none were to share! He looked up at his brother, giving his most assuring smile despite the need to just sob at his sudden misfortune.

The best thing to do now was crawl, and he did so with determination as he scooted across the floor. With every thump of his belly against the cold linoleum, he gritted his teeth as he clawed toward his brother's bed. However, he didn't have to suffer for too long. Terri, upon needing him even more, quickly rolled off his mattress. He gasped as he fell to the floor as well, unable to handle his new position.

"I'm coming, brother!" he exclaimed, tears pouring down his cheeks as he crawled toward him.

"Don't come too fast!" Terry grunted, his set of legs wiggling uselessly.

It was as if they were climbing the steepest mountain with only a single rope to pull them up. Every movement of their newfound forms made the task agonizing. Still, they needed each other, and Terry would rather bruise his body than to be away from his own twin any longer. Terri groaned, rubbing himself across the floor as he came closer. More tears fell from his eyes as he regarded the body that he was not a part of anymore.

Finally, with a few more thrusts toward each other, the twins finally grabbed hold of the other's hands. Closing in like two elevator doors, the brothers finally embraced in what felt like forever. Both sobbed against each other, crying out incoherently as they wrapped all of their arms around their now separated bodies.

"Oh, Terry!" Terri whimpered. "What...what's happened to us?"

Terry rubbed his twin's back, which felt incredibly weird to the brother that had once been attached to him. Every touch they laid on each other was completely foreign and discomforting. As if their own bodies were strangers to themselves.

"This is all my fault!" Terry blubbered. "If I hadn't been so mad with you in class-"

"It's not your fault," Terri sniffed, laying his head against his brother's chest. "I was pushing you-"

"But I pushed you even harder!" Terry sobbed. "Literally! And if I hadn't done that, the explosion might not have happened! And we wouldn't be..."

The boys continued clinging to each other, the moonlight blanketing their single-bodied forms as their tears spilled onto the floor. While so many questions still plagued their minds, what mattered now was that they still had each other.

"I never want to lose you, brother!" Terri cried.

"I never want to lose you either!" Terry sniffled, placing one of his hands upon his brother's face, looking him in his tear-filled eye.

Both were startled when they heard the door of their hospital room flung open. They turned to see a doctor gaze at them, his expression overcome with shock and amazement.

"Oh, my glob..." he muttered. "I can't believe it!"
_

Next morning...

Dot casually walked toward Frat Row, carrying a pack of croissants. In her mouth was one she decided to grab for herself, teeth sinking into the cushy bread. The talk on the phone yesterday had been better than she prayed it would be, and she just had to surprise the RORs with a little treat that was both an apology and a thank-you for the tour.

The ROR president sure had been nice about it all. Despite that she and the other girls had wrecked half his house, and made a barnyard of his bedroom. Not to mention the seemingly cold expression on his bug brother's face when Katy threw that pillow at him. But the RORs had been very polite and courteous, with a few chides in-between. And thus Dot was ensured that her sorority was still in good terms with said frat.

Her saliva was beginning to make the bread in her mouth soggy, her teeth sinking deeper into the more tender part of the croissant. She knew she should have finished it before carrying the box. But she couldn't wait another second to see their faces, and she wanted to head out of the dorm room before Colette woke up. She and her beauty sleep...

Before having called the frat president, Dot had taken the next bus to the city. There she hit the grocery store and bought the box of delightful bread that would feed a team. While none of the other girls seemed to have made any attempts to show how apologetic they were, Dot was rather desperate. Which was why she jumped at the chance when Laura asked that she visit the frat president at the nurse's office. The conversation had been rather pleasant, but she didn't blame him for being more quiet as he was tending the bite marks.

But now she was aware that things were still fine between EZ and ROR, so she decided to visit the frat house and serve a surprise breakfast. As she wandered under the bridge, she saw that Frat Row was already crowded with monsters having woken up and ready to start the day. To her surprise, the rowdy pandemonium that usually occurred 24/7 had become a bit more...mellow. Sure, the Greek monsters were out and strolling around the cul-de-sac and talking with others, but there seemed to be a mood-killing dullness in the air.

She spotted the HSS leader sitting at the steps of her sorority house, the PNK leader next to her as they conversed. There were no smiles, rather seemingly depressed expressions. Almost as if either just wanted to cry. Dot never even thought someone as supposedly tough as the president of HSS would cry, so she might have been seeing things.

Then she spotted the JOX monster Colette was crushing on sit on the sidewalk, along with another HSS girl and PNK girl, an EEK one with three eyes and oceanic blue skin sitting closer to him. Dot's green eyes rose in wonder when the purple-wearing monster slowly slipped her hand into the frat boy's. The big pile of orange fur said nothing, merely giving her a tender smile and a gentle squeeze of her claws. Colette would be so peeved if she saw that...

Then Dot noticed the big hulking pile of red known as the JOX president himself, able to be seen through the window of his frat house. He was having a cup of coffee with some girl with horns who must be his girlfriend. Neither didn't appear to say much, but their hands were draped over the other atop the table. Dot especially couldn't recall his name...was it Big Blue because of the amazing color of his eyes? She hated herself again for forgetting names so easily...

Everything seemed so calm and forlorn for some reason. But Dot reasoned that it was probably because of how early the morning was. After all, some monsters were simply not in the mood when it came to waking up for classes. She didn't see Oozma Kappa come out of their house, and she wasn't surprised. After what happened yesterday, it would be expected if they wanted to take a "day off" from showing their faces in the university. Especially for Mrs. Carlton.

The EZ girl gave a shy wave toward a few EEK girls who were just walking around their house toward the backyard. Dot then walked up the steps of the ROR house, careful with her box of bread while her lips smothered her own piece. Grunting as she held the container with one hand, she knocked as carefully as she could. She didn't have to wait long as the door opened. However, standing on the other side was not the ROR leader.

"Starla?" Dot said, mouth still muffled by her croissant.

The EEK president raised her eyes in question, then looked over the contents of bread. She gave a tired smile before opening the door wider.

"Hey, Dot," she greeted kindly despite having suffered a miserable night. "What are you doing here?"

Placing the bread down, Dot removed the croissant from her mouth and licked her lips of its crumbs.

"Just wanted to bring Ronnie and his brothers a little something," she answered, "to show my appreciation for the tour."

"Ronnie?" Carla asked. Then she gave a small chuckle. "Oh! You mean Johnny!"

"Darn it!" Dot muttered to herself. "Yeah, that keeps slipping my brain..." she apologized with a sheepish grin.

The EEK leader laughed before beckoning the taller girl into the household. Dot's smile widened a she excitedly entered the house she had just been into yesterday. Her three legs traced the polished planks as she drank in the interior beauty that would put five-star hotels to shame. Holding her box of bread close, the followed Carla as the older girl led her toward the kitchen of the ROR house.

Johnny, a cup of brewed coffee, looked up from the table to see Carla had returned, and his eyes rose when he saw Dot. Javier was making eggs and bacon while the other brothers were sitting around the kitchen waiting for their morning meal. They looked just as surprised to see the tallest EZ girl once more. It was Chet who held his breath, worried that their kitchen would soon end up on fire as he recalled yesterday's disaster.

Dot beamed happily to see all of the RORs together. Placing her box down on a nearby counter she gave a giddy wave of her fingerless hand.

"Guys!" she greeted happily. "It's so good to see you again!"

Johnny glanced over at his silent brothers, then rose from his seat and gave an awkward smile toward the EZ girl.

"Uh, hey, Dot..." he greeted politely. "This is a surprise."

"That's not all!" she sang heartily before opening her box. "I brought croissants for all of you!"

Chet's mouth water at the sight of flaky breathe glistened with perfection, especially since the kitchen had run out of toast. Javier eyed the bread with interest, knowing it would be perfect to go with their meaty meals. Reggie and Chip especially watched in approval, feeling rather pleased that the RORs had received such a nice gift. Johnny's smile became more sincere, amazed how much this certain EZ girl was doing just for him.

"It's to thank you guys for inviting my sorority!" Dot squeaked before handing a piece to the leader then to Carla. "And, you know, apologize for wrecking your room..." she added shyly.

"Better his than mine..." Chip muttered, earning a glare from his president.

"Wow, Dot," Johnny murmured. "You didn't have to do this."

"But I wanted to!" she insisted playfully. "You guys are great, and what you did for my girls was really cool." Then she grinned at his clawed hand holding the croissant. "Nice to see Archie's bite marks have gone away."

The ROR president chuckled sheepishly, rubbing his fingers. "Yeah, uh, thanks...especially for, you know, visiting me."

Dot let out a child-like giggle, the black bandana that tied her gelatinous hair up bouncing with her movements.

"Thanks, Lonny!" she said.

The leader winced. "It's uh, Johnny."

"Oh..." Dot murmured before biting her lip. "My bad..."

"Yeah, it's cool," he muttered, waving it aside. "Well, since you're here, how about having breakfast with us?"

Dot's eyes lit up. "Really? I'd love to!"

Then her eyes widened before sniffing the air. Her lips formed in the shape of an 'o', astonishment displaying her new expression.

"I smell..." she said as she continued sniffing. "BACON!"

"That's what we're having," Carla chuckled before gesturing to Javier who was piling more contents into a larger plate.

"Hi, Joaquin!" Dot greeted cheerfully.

The insect raised all four of his eyes in question, then sighed.

"It's Javier," the EEK leader corrected.

"Right..." Dot said, her cheeks tinting pink. Then her eyes fell on Chet, Chip, and Reggie. "But I'm so sure I know your names!" She then gestured to each of them. "Fred, Pip, and Arpeggio!"

The aforementioned monsters just regarded her for a moment, then glanced at one another. The EZ girl didn't notice Javier place his face in one hand, grunting under his breath.

"I got them wrong too, didn't I?" Dot sighed.

"Pretty much," Carla told her. "But don't worry! You're getting there! Sort of..."
~

Carrie looked up just in time to see a rose-colored monster descend the steps of the HSS house. Nadya clutched her books, her expression bitter with a lack of sleep that was evident upon her features.

"Hang on for a sec," the PNK leader told Rosie, temporarily stopping their conversation.

The HSS leader gestured for her to go ahead and waited patiently. Nadya didn't even look Carrie in the eye as the PNK president followed her away from Rosie's ears.

"What happened last night?" the sorority leader demanded in a harsh whisper. "All my sisters ended up with the same bad dream. And that includes Naomi! And that's worse!"

Carrie's eyes rose when she noticed Nadya scowl, the beautiful HSS girl's face distorting into a murderous expression.

"You're not the only ones..." she muttered angrily.

The PNK leader then stopped in her tracks, as if Nadya had surrounded herself by a fiery inferno that met her temper.

"Now if you excuse me..." Nadya grunted. "I got a troll to speak with."

Carrie looked on as the HSS girl headed out of the cul-de-sac, a dark cloud hanging over her head.
_

"...and thus another reason why a Scarer should never forget to leave the door open," Professor Knight concluded as he wrote the remaining words on his chalkboard.

Don stifled a yawn as he leaned back against his chair. His frat taking their usual places in the front row, he tapped a pencil onto his notebook. Not that he wasn't paying attention, but most of this lecture had been thoroughly given by Mike at home. It was rather tedious having to hear the same stuff again, but they were prepared for whatever the instructor would throw at them.

His thoughts drifted back to the other monsters last night. Didn't seem like most of them had a good night's rest. While he and his little fraternity had slept like bears during hibernation, it almost felt as if none of Frat Row had been granted the same peaceful slumber. The monsters he had encountered last night seemed to have been unable to gain any comfort in their own beds. And this morning on his way to class they all appeared rather jumpy, skittish, and pretty much worn out. He could only assume they had all shared mutual feeling much like his wife, although Sherry had managed to gain some energy from her extra rest the day before.

He glanced over at his son, who had his face in his hands while absorbing every little detail the professor spoke of. The mature student couldn't help but smile when the littlest Oozma snuck a nervous glance in a certain former Fear Tech student's direction. Randall had suggested she sit between him and Squishy, to feel secure within the "fortress" that was Oozma Kappa. The EZ leader had been unable to refuse and thus accepted the offer. Don had never seen Squishy so red before!

Art leaned back in his seat, mouth hanging open while balancing an eraser atop his eyebrows. He was pretty much multi-tasking at this point: eyes focused on the ceiling, pencil scrawling across his notepad, feet swaying toward each other as they laid on the floor, and all while still able to listen to the instructor.

"I'm seriously hoping something could just happen right now, man..." he muttered, loud enough for only his friends to hear.

He was startled at the sound of something thumping against the walls, making him drop his eraser. He and his brothers, as well as their classmates and professor, looked from their seats to see the front doors having been shoved open, slamming them against the inner walls of the classroom.

The sunlight shone brightly behind Mrs. Carlton as she stood before the monsters of Scaring 101. She quickly turned her head toward the row her boys were sitting in, her expression practically unreadable. Her five eyes appeared glassy, as if she was on the verge of tears once more.

"Mom? Squishy called in confusion.

"Honey?" Don asked, turning from his seat and becoming quite worried as he regarded his wife's troubled state.

The petite woman was silent for a few moments, as if words were unable to come out of her mouth instantly. Finally she released a deep breath she never knew she held in before speaking.

"They're awake," she said, her voice straining almost inaudibly.

But all in the classroom had heard her immediately, and students began to mutter among themselves at this shocking news. Professor Knight's jaw fell as he adjusted his glasses to regard her carefully, before turning to his students known as Oozma Kappa. They all gawked at the frat mom.

"Are you sure?" Don quickly spoke, removing himself from his seat.

His wife gave a silent nod, her expression making her almost too pale.

"Oh, man!" Art cried, hopping out of his seat and grabbing his things. "Terri and Terry finally woke up? Dude, they got to let us see them now!"

"We can!" Mrs. Carlton cried, a joyous smile on her face. "The doctor said we can!"

"Oh, Sherry, this is wonderful!" Don cried as he and his frat brothers hurried up the steps. "Are our boys okay?"

"The doctor didn't say much," she admitted, "only that we get there as soon as possible. Come on, I already called Michael and James! We'll pick them up on the way!"

Squishy hurried after his family, backpack in tow knowing that class had ended just for his frat. He then stopped in his tracks before turning and looked down the rows of seats. Laura Sharp stared up at him, her sky forest eyes observing his multitude of blue. She gave an encouraging smile.

That was more than enough for him. Squishy felt his heart thump against his little chest that he nearly missed a step. Before he even had the guts to wave at her his arm was quickly grabbed by Art. He was dragged out of the classroom before hurried into the van. Wedged between his father and mother, he watched as the latter floored the gas.

Monsters immediately bolted out of the way, the OK mom's van shredding across the courtyard. She could care less about safety first right now and more about finally seeing her boys sooner than ever.
_