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!

17. Chp 11: Return of the Twins part 1

Happy New Year, everyone! Wanting to submit on the first day of 2015, and because chapter 11 is SO long, I decided to split it and give you what you all have been waiting for! For Andrew who has more than one nice review for this story, I do not regret the twist, but I promise you things will get better. It's okay about how you reacted, and I am not really sure about the voice actors you chose. :D To GildedJournal, hope this was just as you hoped for! ;)

Also, see if you can spot a Big Hero 6 reference here. :)

PLEASE READ AND REVIEW, GUYS! ;D
_

Brock and Claire immediately jumped out of the way as soon as the familiar van came into view. They stood there among other monsters and watched as the OK mom sat at the wheel, kicking it into high gear. Much like last time as Claire recalled too well with the hospital incident.

"What the heck was that about?" Brock exclaimed, his voice able to knock trees over.

The Greek Council president said nothing before both turned to see their Dean hurry up the steps toward her School of Scaring. Hardscrabble looked rather distressed, desperate even, her multitude of legs clacking toward where Professor Knight stood. The latter had a smile too big for his face. The students stood close by and listened in between faculty members.

"Derek!" the Dean of Scaring called as she finally reached the last step. "Mrs. Carlton mentioned only little when she rushed by me on the way here!"

She took a few moments to steady her breathing, her sharp eyes enlarged and full of question. And hope.

"Is it true?" she asked carefully.

The Scaring professor grinned, raising his hands as if in triumph.

"Terri and Terry are awake, Abigail!" he announced happily. "Did you see the look on their mom's face when she came over here? After what she'd been through, this is a miracle!"

The Dean's eyes widened even more, then looked in the direction the van had left. Her heart lifted, unable to believe that just when things were appearing severe all her fears had washed away in an instant. She only witnessed the OK mom's change of expression for a fragment of a second. But she did see happy tears in all five of those eyes.

So they finally awoke, and best of all their mother can see them. Just yesterday the Dean's voice had screeched outside her office's door as she demanded for the hospital to re-permit the terminated permission for the family's visit. Seemed they had no excuse to not allow her request now, especially when the twins needed their loved ones more than ever. And soon return to their beloved MU and Frat Row. All of who had no idea of what had just occurred moments ago.

A small smile traced across her lips, her usually narrowed eyes softening.

"Indeed, Professor Knight," she said, her tone gentle like a monster parent's. "The university will be very thrilled once the good news spreads."

Of course, Brock and Claire had heard everything. The vice-president looked rather excited, like a sports fanatic waiting for that inevitable touchdown. The president managed a smile, her trio of usually sullen eyes softening just like her Dean's. Never had they felt more relieved in their lives.

And they wouldn't be the only ones. Mouths and phones were on the roll as they rushed off in the opposite direction.
_

Recalling the number of times she had been down this hallway, Mrs. Carlton gripped her husband's hand even tighter as they followed the doctor. She prayed to glob that this was it. No more interruptions, no more barring them from the door, no more heart-wrenching difficulties. She just wanted to see her boys.

Her heartbeat tripled as they neared the familiar doorway. The image of having witnessed various medical workers rushing in and working that intimidating heart monitor flashed before her eyes. But there were no other doctors barreling in with defibrillators, no nurses alerting them that someone was having a nervous breakdown, it was just her family and that door. She mentally breathed a sigh of relief, almost at the verge of tears knowing that this was it. She shared a painfully joyous smile with Don, who beamed before giving his wife a nod. With the rest of Oozma Kappa behind them, they watched as the doctor placed his clawed hand on the knob.

However, before he opened it, he regarded the group with a rather grave expression.

"Before I bring you to your sons, ma'am," he spoke in a warning tone, "I just want to let you know that we did our best to save them."

Mrs. Carlton's heart stopped for a moment, and she gawked at him anxiously. The rest of her boys gazed at the doctor in question, wondering what could possibly be wrong if the twins were already awake.

"What?" she almost demanded, her patience ironically running thin. "What is that suppose to mean?"

Gulping, the doctor said nothing more as he turned the knob. As the door opened, he barely had time to get out of the way as the petite woman shoved herself into the room. The OK mom's heart lifted the moment she found the two adorable faces she hadn't seen in what felt like an eternity.

However, she stopped dead in her tracks the moment she had a full body view. Two of them.

Terry smiled as best he could, both he and his brother sitting on the edge of his bed as they stared at their loved ones. To finally see Mrs. Carlton was the best thing they received since they woke up, and to the rest of their OK brothers who barged into the room, they never felt more blessed. However, from the shocked stares of the other monsters, as well as Mrs. Carlton's pale expression, they knew that the reunion was both a relief and a fright.

Their hands linked together, trying to appear as "close" as possible while the others remained staring at them. Their OK mom's jaw was slightly ajar, her curls nearly deflating as she stared at her two boys. Not that she wanted to appear horrified, seeing her two of her little Oozmas again made her feel alive again. But she still couldn't stop herself from gazing at the extra pair of arms that protruded from their sides, which once had been attached to form one whole. Don's glasses nearly fell from his face, his mouth going dry as he stared at the twins. He almost wanted to think that his vision had something to do with the lighting of the room. But as he rubbed his eyes once more and took another look, his shoulders fell. Same for Randall who adjusted his larger lens, his own tail sticking up on end upon seeing his new brothers. Squishy could only look at them, his five eyes knitted in an expression of both shock and confusion. The same went for Mike and Sulley whose own faces duplicated the ones they had when they finally made it out of the human world, before being hauled away by the CDA. As for Art, the twins never seen him look so overwhelmed, his purple hands clasped together almost fearfully. His left eye appeared to also twitch, as if he was looking at an odd masterpiece he just couldn't understand.

"Um..." Art gulped, his hands shaking. "N...nice bed."

Mike elbowed him right on the leg for that comment. Art could have made a jail joke right there on the spot but he didn't have the heart to do it. Not like this.

The older twin swallowed, having expected his friends to react this way. After all, for as long as they had known the Perrys, Terry had always kept his head protectively above his brother's. Now here he was gripping Terri's hand, his own set of legs lightly rubbing against his, trying to be the protective big brother he had always been for as long as the formerly attached twins could remember. They hadn't left each other's sight all night, even with their beds just across from the other they needed to be in the same one. Just so it could feel like nothing even happened. But even with their heads leaning against each other's and their bodies pressed as if they were one, the anguish still lingered.

And judging by Mrs. Carlton's face, and everyone else's, it was catching on.

Terry and Terri noticed the doctor stand to side, silent and looking quite remorseful. He then sighed before turning to the astounded family.

"You see," he began quietly, "we had to separate them. Well, actually, they were separated long before we even performed our operation."

Mrs. Carlton was silent for a few moments before she found her voice. "I...I don't get it..."

"Ma'am," the doctor sighed, "the explosion, the chemicals that caused that, they had been located right down their middle."

"Wait a minute..." Mike suddenly spoke before turning his large eye in his direction. "You're saying the hydrofluoric acid from the science lab caused this?"

He gestured toward the twins, their hands never leaving the other's. Looking at them a second time still placed him in utter disbelief, unable to fathom what such a dangerous liquid had done.

"Well, Mikey," Sulley coughed, shifting his eyes from the twins to his best friend, "remember the bunsen burner. And then the glass. And the fire. And then-"

"Aw, Jimmy," Don nudged him lightly, "let's...let's not remind the boys about that day. The last thing they want to hear after waking up is how they ended up here in the first place."

Terri's bottom lip quivered, suddenly feeling cold as he hunched his shoulders. He gripped his brother's hand even tighter before looking him right in the eye. Terry's heart broke all over again to see his brother in such a state, the memory of their moments as one piece still raw in theirs minds. And the older Perry still blamed himself even though his brother repeatedly told him that younger still felt fault. The taller twin then turned to the others, particularly Mrs. Carlton who dabbed her eyes, still so overwhelmed about everything.

"I...I'm sorry, guys..." Terry said hoarsely, fighting the urge to just cry right now. "I...I know you all must be upset about...well...this..." He jerked his head from him to his brother, his hand holding his much tighter.

A lone tear slid down the OK mom's cheek, horrified her own boys could feel such a way. More tears webbed around her five eyes before she rapidly shook her head, a joyous smile on her lips.

"No!" she insisted, her mouth hurting from being so happy. "I'm not upset! Never!"

And she immediately raced forward and wrapped as much of her boys as her little arms could hold. She swallowed her sobs as she held them close, the feel of their warm flesh and beating hearts making hers lift like a morning sun. Day in and day out she had been yearning to have them in her arms again, praying that they would recover and come back home. While the separation was still a huge shocker, it didn't matter. She had her sons back.

"Split or not," she whimpered blissfully as she rested her head against the chests of the twins, "I'm just so happy to see you two again! You have no idea what I've been through, just waiting for the doctor to tell me you would open those beautiful eyes of yours!"

Terry bit his lip, a few tears leaking from his single eye. His brother wasn't far behind, refusing to wipe his since all four of his hands cradled the woman that had been there for them more than any other adult figure, besides Don. Her hug squeezing them together, it almost felt like the accident had done nothing. Just feeling a mother's loving embrace was all Terry and his brother desired after waking up in this dreary hospital, clinging to each other as they cried for their mistakes. And, just as they hoped, the rest of their brothers joined in and wrapped arms around their forms. He felt the bristles of Sulley's fur from behind him, while Squishy's hand was placed on his set of legs while the other rested on his mother's back. Terri felt the scaly fingers of Randall on his lower arm, the other resting on Don's back who leaned into his wife as his tentacles laid on the younger twin's legs.

The tears dried up by the time everyone broke free, and both Terry and Terri finally beamed at one another. They did notice Mrs. Carlton run her hands over their sides as delicately as she could, her eyes staring at where they used to be attached. Her smile faded for a moment, before it returned and she grinned at both of them.

"It'll be alright," she told him affectionately.

The twins took her word for it, knowing that they would never be alone in this situation. They then turned to the doctor, who smiled appreciatively before clearing his throat.

"I assure you, ma'am," he told her, "we actually did try and bring them back when we thought they would actually wake up."

The frat mom looked at him questionably, her hands slipping into both Terri and Terry's. "What do you mean?"

With the twins' whole family now present, the older and younger now looking for answers, the doctor was relieved to know he could finally get down to explaining. After all, from his previous notes workers have often questioned what had been occurring during their comatose state, right before the doctor answered with full and careful detail. Now it was their turn.

"Well," the doctor began sheepishly, fiddling with his clipboard, "a few days after the boys came here, we were making our daily analyzation between them."

Terry nodded, feeling a strange familiarity when he said that. The older could faintly recall something that sort of transpired during his coma, but it had all been pitch black with a hint of twinkling combustion during the time his eye had been closed. He and his brother shared a glance, then turned back to the doctor.

"See that day we did pick something up," the doctor explained, "we kept our fingers crossed that either of you were going to wake up first. Now keep in mind this was after we officially had you two separated." he added quickly. "But anyway..."

His gaze fell on Terry, the higher head almost flinching.

"You were this close to waking up, son," he told him, "but unfortunately you didn't make it. Glob, we were so disappointed that day..."

Terry swallowed. "So I was going to wake up before my brother?" he asked timidly before glancing over at the younger twin. Mrs. Carlton gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

The doctor nodded. "You almost made it, but since you refused to wake up, we thought over that maybe we could take the time to, ahem, reassemble you two."

Terri was rather chilled by that term, and he shivered a bit before receiving a gentle squeeze by their OK mom as well.

"However, according to our studies and thorough research," the doctor sighed as he looked over his clipboard, "the other workers declared it too much of a risk." He lifted his eyes, turning specifically in the older twin's direction. "I was pretty unsure how you would feel as I saw you laying across from your brother in this room. I wasn't sure how to break the news to you or to your family right here." He gestured to the rest of Oozma Kappa.

Terry could only nod, feeling as if he had heard all of this already. His mind was still absorbing everything since he first woke up, but he could understand that a lot has happened in this room, more than either he or his brother could imagine.

Then a thought occurred to him, something that still felt rather raw in his brain. He did feel some sort of reminisce during his coma. Then after that it was as if he had thrown himself upon a brick wall and his mind grew even more pitch black.

"Did I..." he began uneasily. "Did something happen to us while we were still asleep? I mean, after the separation?"

Mrs. Carlton bit her lip, before lowering her eyes to the ground. The doctor coughed lightly, adjusting his tie.

"Well, Mr. Perry," he replied, "you did suffer a nervous breakdown yesterday. Your brother, however, was perfectly calm. But we didn't want to take chances so we had to inspect both of you. Doctors and nurses came rushing in, before we had to defibrillate both of you."

Terry's other three hands clenched in fists, recalling having felt that jolt before he plummeted into the abyss. He turned to Terri once more, his brother's expression worried and almost scared.

"But we managed to calm you down too," the doctor added quickly. "The surgeons say it was my fault."

"Your fault?" Terry asked. "Why?"

The medical monster sighed before rubbing the back of his head. "I insisted that you two be put together in the same bed, believing it would create more closure even during your coma. Well, you two had shared a bed before being wheeled to the surgery room, I thought that you needed to be much closer afterwards."

"That's very considerate of you, doc," Don commented with a tender smile.

The doctor bowed. "I only apologize to your family for refusing visitation so many times," he said remorsefully. "The CDA had wanted to make sure that everything was alright before we could bring in your loved ones. And accordingly every ounce of the chemical has been washed off, and you're perfectly clean now."

He gave them all a bright smile.

"We've concluded you well enough to go home," he declared. "Today."

Both twins' jaws fell open in astonished smiles as their OK mother squealed with even more joy. The others murmured with glee that their brothers could finally go home, save for a few changes that they needed to regard but that was nothing to fret over. Terry's smile could not get any bigger as he and his brother reached toward each other, their fingers sliding together in a heart-shaped grasp. They just wanted to hop out of bed and dance.

However, they realized one problem...

"Uh, sir," Terri began in a child-like tone. His new set of legs wiggled as he ran the tips across the floor. "Um, when are we going to be able to walk again?"

It suddenly became dead silent as all eyes turned to him and his brother. Mrs. Carlton's smile immediately vanished, her expression even more pale than it had earlier.

"What?" she exclaimed fretfully. "What do you mean "be able to walk again"?"

"Are you saying you guys can't work those new legs?" Mike questioned, gesturing to each seven protrusions from both yellow monsters.

Terry felt his heart plummet just a bit before shrugging sadly. "We...we tried to walk earlier..."

"But we ended up kissing the floor," Terri chuckled weakly.

The OK mom then wheeled toward the doctor, her expression a mix of being incredibly overwhelmed as well as being incredibly furious right now. Her five eyes were set ablaze, her curls rising as if they were producing a crown of flames.

"What happened to my boys?" she demanded.

Don came over and gripped her arm, his lovely wife never actually been angry before.

"Honey, honey, calm down!" he insisted gently. "Let the doctor speak! After all, he has been taking care of our boys!"

"Then how come my own darlings can't walk?" she screeched.

The previous time he met her, she was a sweet and serene woman who only begged to see her boys. Now the doctor was seeing an angry mama bear that threatened to claw him to a gory heap. He held his clipboard tighter, sweat practically pouring down the side of his head.

"It's all part of the separation, ma'am," he assured. "These boys have been together their whole lives. Do you honestly believe they can handle without each other's support so suddenly?"

The moment he said that, the fire then extinguished in her eyes. Her shoulders relaxed, her expression beginning to smooth down as she blinked.

"Oh..." she murmured. "I...I never thought of that..."

"Mom?"

She immediately turned to Terry, who grimaced as he tried to force his legs up. He was quickly but carefully pushed back into bed by both Squishy and Sulley.

"Um, uh, Mrs. Carlton," he quickly said, rubbing his two new arms, "the doctor's right. It really does feel weird having to walk by ourselves."

"Well, yeah," Terri added before jerking his head over to the older twin. "He always controlled four legs while I only controlled three."

Mike gulped, staring at the set of noodles that laid helplessly under their torsos. He then turned to the doctor.

"They'll get better, won't they?" he asked nervously.

The doctor gave a nod. "They'll be fine," he promised. "They just need some time to adjust. Sink into the reality that they no longer share a body."

"Does that mean they no longer share a room?" Art muttered to Squishy who immediately hushed him.

Terry turned from his legs to his brother's. He still remembered the look on his face before the explosion took them both. He felt the guilt engulf him once more, knowing too well that the moments before that had hurt his little brother more than him. How he wished he could just set back the clock and stop everything that led them to this. How he wished he could just take back what he said. The words still echoed in his mind, and he hated himself for unexpectedly making it come true.

Another thought invaded his mind, one that immediately made his blood run cold.

"The Scare Games..." he murmured. He then looked at the others, his eye suddenly wide. "What about the Scare Games?"

Mike could only stare at him silently before turning to Randall, the latter shrugging while adjusting his glasses. The events had been the last thing on anyone's mind, yet here the older twin was immediately questioning the fate of MU's tradition. Even though the Scare Games did happen last semester...

It was Don who cleared his throat, gaining everyone's attention. As the president of Oozma Kappa, he felt it was his job to inform the twins. If Brock and Claire were here, they would have announced it themselves, with even bigger smiles on their faces.

"Son," the mature student began as he laid a hand on Terry's fourth arm, "they've been postponed."

Terry and his brother's eyes nearly hit the ceiling, gawking at their leader who beamed behind his mustache.

"What?" the older twin muttered in shock. "But...how? I mean, can they actually do that?"

"Hardscrabble was the one who brought it up first," Sulley explained. "The other teams were quick to agree to it."

"All of the teams?" Mike asked him with a frown, hands on his sides.

"Okay, so maybe Johnny and his guys weren't exactly up to it..." the blue behemoth shrugged. "But then what do you expect from the RORs?"

Terry felt a familiar bitter feeling run down his veins, and he bit back a scowl wondering if the large-jawed jerk had even felt one bit of pity for he and his brother. It wouldn't surprise the older twin if the ROR president had been demanding they resume the games without Oozma Kappa. After all, Johnny could handle any but the one team that had made it to the final round with his. Just because Terry couldn't feel his legs didn't mean he couldn't still feel hatred for the guy who both taunted and humiliated his own fraternity. And darn him if he dared say anything about his and Terri's new condition.

Because glob help him the older twin will literally strangle the Worthington creep with all four of his hands!

"Terry?"

He was immediately brought out of his brooding thoughts before turning to his brother, who expressed a look of innocence and slight vulnerability about him. Terry's heart tendered, just so relieved to see his brother alright. No more hearing his suffering screams, no more seeing him scared or terrified, just the same lovable twin who had only wanted to have his say in everything. He could share a dance with him immediately, but their disjoined form and lack of footwork proved that to be impossible at the moment.

Still, the older twin smiled, his heart beating rhythmically with his brother's. Despite having been of one body, they did have two of almost everything: their own hands, their own set of organs, and especially their own...well, down there where it really counted. And to suddenly realize that all their bodily attributes could be shared only to themselves, it was still a long way to go before they fully accepted it. But they would still be there for each other. Having been attached their whole lives, growing up through the best and worst times before MU, they could still count on each other.

As well as everyone they knew and loved.

They knew right away that everyone back in MU was thinking about them. They were willing to sacrifice the games for their sake...

"I...I can't believe it..." the older twin murmured. "They really did that? For us?"

"They've been saying they'd rather quit then not have Oozma Kappa in the events, pal," Mike responded with a grin.

Mrs. Carlton sniffled affectionately, seeing the heart-melting smiles on her boys' faces once more. She reached over and hugged each of them, moaning blissfully to feel their hearts beating and their flesh warm.

"Never mind the games, dears," she told them before letting go. "What's most important right now is that you're okay and you can finally come home."

"But, doc," Art began, glancing over at the medical worker before gesturing to his temporarily disabled brothers, "what about their thing?"

"Oh, yes," the doctor nodded before looking over his notes once more, "I already called for a nurse to bring in the crutches."

"Crutches?" Terry exclaimed in disbelief. "You mean I have to use those?"

The doctor gave him an awkward look. "Well, you can't exactly rely on your brother anymore."

Although the remark didn't come out harsh, it still stung the older twin who had assumed he and his brother could somehow just "press together". Like they always did. But no, it was really happening, and instead he wasn't going to hold Terri's hand but a device that would placate his temporary condition.

"So, how long will they have to use them?" Mike asked.

"Well, from what I can measure," the doctor pondered, "about a week and a half."

"Week and a half?" Terry cried, Mrs. Carlton trying to calm him down.

The doctor raised a hand. "If you just keep it up with the crutches, maybe shorter. And then you and your brother can be able to walk on your own. You still have to trust your new hands as well."

Terry shifted his gaze over to his brother, watching as Terri rubbed his second pair of hands tediously. Yeah, they still had to absorb it all.

"Aw, cheer up, fellas," Don said as he patted Terry's hand. "A week and a half will go by before you know it. We'll all be there to help you, and the guys back at the university won't mind extending the postponing."

"They really care about you, dears," Mrs. Carlton reminded them. "Don't be so surprised they would give up so much for you."

Terry silently nodded, biting back a small whimper of gratitude and remorse. He then allowed the petite woman to embrace him once more, then doing the same for his brother. Her bright, motherly smile deepened as she wiped her eyes.

"We'll get home later," she told him. "Right now let's just have a little more time together right here. So much has happened while you two were asleep, and I think you'll be very surprised by it all."

"While you do that," the doctor intervened, tugging at his tie rather sheepishly, "can I make a request that you inform your friend Dean Hardscrabble? The woman has been threatening to bite my head off since yesterday..."
_

Hardscrabble didn't think news could spread so fast, but then again she was surrounded by monsters who cared.

Wings tucked in, she stood atop the steps in front of the Oozma Kappa house, Brock and Claire beside her as they spoke to the massive crowd that gathered around the single house. Greek monsters and students stood attentively, having just heard the astounding news that brought pounding hearts of relief and tears of joy. This was especially a comfort to Frat Row itself, knowing that no longer were the twins harmed or suffering their coma any longer. Now all that they yearned was for them to come home.

The various Greek teams stood close together, sorority girls arm-in-arm and fraternity boys nudging each other affectionately. Big Red stood with his brothers around him, his girlfriend leaning into his chest and her fingers slipping into his. Rosie and her girls bore their smiles, showing that their usually dark and mysterious appearances can have a rather sunny side, especially where good friends were involved. And Sonia was practically spasming, her heart beating for even more news of her beloved Terry and his brother. Carla and her EEK girls stood by Johnny and his ROR boys, MU's most popular frat and sorority standing beside each other. The sleek pink aquatic smiled at the purple gel-furred beast, who just looked away appearing rather sheepish.

"Oh, don't deny it!" she giggled, swatting his shoulder. "Admit it! You're so happy deep down you just can't stand it!"

"Will you hush?" he grunted through gritted teeth.

The sorority leader rolled her eyes, still smirking as she listened to Brock and Claire rile up the already excited audience. Her gaze then traveled over to Brynn, who held her heavy cash box close to her. The blue aquatic had done more than enough, having received so much for a fraternity all the teams loved. Last time she asked Brynn about how much she made so far, the twinkly-eyed EEK had answered that "it was another thousand to add to the rest of her thousands." A lot of monsters had donated every day her booth had been opened, and were awarded with both thanks and various sugary treats that laid scattered for them to choose from. Of course, Brynn had requested the aid of Randall who had been more than happy to provide her some goods straight from the oven. While the business-savvy EEK girl could just buy already packaged sweets, the ones made with love were what the generous monsters deserved. And every day there was always the smell of cupcakes and brownies coming from the EEK house, and from the breaths of donators who were more than happy to do what they could for Terri and Terry.

All night and practically all morning Carla's heart had been heavy with both guilt and fear. And for this good news to suddenly hit her in the face, if it was a dream she never wanted to wake up. Her dear Maria Garcia was overcome with tears, which she furiously wiped away as she listened to Brock and Claire. Who could blame her? Already half the school was tearing up and sobbing happily over all this. And, from the looks of it, as Carla witnessed Naomi Jackson lean into Carrie, the youngest PNK girl was practically bawling into her sister's arm. Carla smiled at this, feeling a few tears prick her own eyes. There was no better happiness than knowing her beloved friends from Oozma Kappa were awake and able to see their mother again.

And their was no better image to frame in her head than seeing Johnny Worthington trying to hide his smile.

From the corner of her eye she could see the ROR leader looking down, his sharp teeth tweaked in that rare smile that benefitted anyone. Even Terry Perry. His secret remained safe, and if he really can be this way, then she was certain more than ever he was deserving of Laura Sharp.

She watched as the EZ leader stood at the front of the steps, her girls huddled together as they watched with raised eyes and open mouths. Katy especially appeared full of awe, her blue eyes practically twinkling and her fists tightening as if she couldn't stand the wait much longer. After all, she broke into a hospital just to see them, Carla hoped she wouldn't do something crazy again...

Carrie smiled sweetly as she rubbed her youngest sister's head, the emotional PNK girl trying to stifle her sobs. They were happy sobs, fortunately. At least the troll's nightmares had been proven wrong, that's what mattered. As Naomi's tears began to lessen before resting her head against her leader's arm, Carrie glanced over at the HSS girls. At Nadya.

Her own trio of eyes met the PNK captain's. She managed a smile that tightened over her lips, hope and uncertainty evident in her features. Carrie recalled that Nadya mentioned wanting to have a word with that troll, and she couldn't help but grow more curious about how the "chat" went. Still, nothing was more important than right now. As Naomi's grayish blue eyes showed life in them, Carrie's heart rose at the sight of a smile that was not at all fake or creepy.

Her sister was happy.

But for how long?

Naomi breathed steadily, watching across the crowd as all eyes focused on Brock, Claire, and the Dean. When the word slipped out from mouth and text, she wasn't sure how to react. At first she cried, then she laughed. Hysterically. Her sisters had rushed into her room wondering if something terrible had happened or her brain had broke (as asked by Taylor), but then they received the texts and realized why. Emotions ran deep for the youngest PNK girl, and she could finally let go of the haunting nightmare from last night. They were alive, that's all her heart yearned to know.

As for the bitter feelings that were supposedly still present in the older twin, Naomi could deal with it. Just seeing him again meant more than life itself, and already she felt alive.

And more determined.

Katy's eyes wandered from Brock to Claire, the latter smiling just as the EZ girl imagined. The usually sullen Greek Council president looked a little uppity and almost enthusiastic, it was almost as if some of Brock's attitude had rubbed upon her. But then again who could not feel this way right now?

Ever since breaking into that hospital and being called into the Dean's office, Katy had often wondered and imagined how she would actually meet Terri and Terry again. They were her buds, full of so much life it was almost crazy! And to hear and be texted about how they were suddenly awake...

She never felt this relieved since the day she left for MU.

Her fists tightened so hard that her dull claws practically punctured through her flesh as she listened to Brock and Claire. Her eyes then darted in the Dean's direction, seeing her smile. Yes, even the serious could smile, and how could the Dean not show so much for MU's most beloved frat?

Not to say Katy assumed there could be a little "something something" between Hardscrabble and the older Perry twin, but then again the discussion about the wedding made her think...

"So, once again," Brock's voice boomed through the university, "the Perry twins are awake. I repeat, the Perry twins are awake!"

"You mentioned that like the last fifteen times!" Claire snapped, although she was smiling.

"When are they coming back?" a voice called out.

"Yeah, are they going to be back soon?" another asked.

"Easy, everyone," Brock said, his hands gesturing for them all the settle down, "we don't know yet, but we've got the OK mom on speed-dial right here!"

With that he raised his eye-phone, the screen already on the main page with all its various apps. The Dean nodded at this before turning to the crowd.

"We are all very aware that at this moment Mrs. Carlton is visiting her boys right now," Hardscrabble announced. "We must all wait patiently until she finds a good time to message us about them."

She she assured the crowd with her soft yet mesmerizing voice, Brock and Claire felt their phones vibrate. Both immediately pulled them out and looked at their screens.

The vice-president nearly screamed with amazement before turning to the crowd.

"THEY'RE COMING HOME TODAAAAAAAY!" he boomed, holding his phone up.

Claire had to clap her hands over her ears, regretting having stood so close to her meathead of a vice-president. Monsters were nearly blown off by his powerful tone, almost as if a hurricane was coming out of his mouth.

The text: "Boys are okay. Doctor said they can come home now. Will come back in a few hours. XOXOXO Mrs. C" could only be made out by the monsters closest to the announcers, mainly Laura and her EZ girls.

And the crowd went nuts, monsters crying out and chanting in joy, others hugging one another, some nearly fainting with smiles on their faces, and many jumping up and down with euphoric bliss. Naomi's tears fell once more, nearly collapsing into the arms of her leader as the other girls held her up and clapped for the good news. Sonia and Maria squealed happily before rushing into each other's arms, shaking their bodies together as they teared up knowing they could see them today. Johnny nodded, hands to his hips as he watched the insanity ensue for the two heads everyone adored. Carla patted him on the shoulder, which earned her a roll of his eyes and a slight scoff.

But he still smiled. Just a bit.

"Oh, glob," Big Red sighed as he and his frat brothers along with Flora came to the front and grinned at Brock and Claire. "That's just great. So great. Greater than greater you just can't see what else can be great!"

Brock nodded before folding his arms, having turned off his phone. "So, the twins will be coming home soon," he said nonchalantly. "Today."

"Yup," Big Red grinned, hand clasped by his girlfriend's.

Suddenly his blue eyes hit the sky as his massive jaw fell in complete horror.

"They're coming home today!" he cried for everyone to hear.

"Red, calm down!" Flora exclaimed.

"I can't calm down!" he grunted, his head spinning. "Flora, everything has to be done before they get home! And we still have so much to do!"

"It's not as easy making it happen as it is just talking about it..." Percy muttered.

"Oh, please," Debbie Gabler muttered as she and the other Greek monsters came upfront. "This is just going to be like the first party we threw." She then turned to Nancy Kim who skittered beside her. "That chocolate fountain better not pull a fast once again."

The single eyestalk just swayed her hips, giving the EEK girl a glare.

"Okay, guys, cool it," Katy stepped up, her blue eyes lowered. "We just got to work together and make another miracle happen today. And even though my girls and I weren't here last semester, I can imagine how heck-ish it was." She placed her hands on her hips. "And I can only imagine how far you guys went just to give OK the major 'I love you' junk to them after what they been through with you last semester." she added stiffly.

That last comment sort of stung the other Greek monsters, and it did very little to lighten up the JOX leader. The recollection of nightmares from last night still spooked them, and despite it predicted nothing, that was no reason to not fret over this highly significant matter. Dot, sensing Katy had said a lot more than she needed to, was quick to speak up.

"It's a party," Dot assured, trying to smile. "What do we have to do?"

"A lot!" Big Red clamored. "There's the decorations! The food! The music!"

Monnie played with her fingers, her earbuds dangling around her neck. "Um, I can help with the music."

"Yeah, listen to the hotshot DJ player right here," Katy spoke, pointing fingers at in Monnie's direction. "You looking for hardcore? Ask her."

The red-haired monster smiled at her roommate before turning back to the JOX leader who was growing all panicky. It was almost as if he and Laura could be related. And ironically her own leader was calm and pretty relaxed out of any of these guys right now...

"Okay, that's one thing down, but we still have so much to do!" Big Red howled. "So much that I can barely remember them all!"

"Allow me..."

All heads turned to Brynn, who smiled sweetly and prettily as she stepped toward him with graceful footing. In her hands was a pencil and clipboard.

"Good thing I'm a great note-taker," she said with a giggle. "Ask the professors since I'm a straight-A student."

She then held out the clipboard for all to see. It was as if it just came out of the printer, all the square boxes perfectly lined followed by the listed errands that needed to be done. Carla smiled, quite impressed and very proud of her EEK sister. Big Red and the others could only gawk in amazement.

"How...?" the JOX leader muttered.

"I've learned from experience," she told him intelligently. "We all have from last semester."

She then ushered for every monster who would give his or her time to make it all happen in less than a few hours to come closer as she spoke.

"Alright, people, listen up!" she called out. "Oozma Kappa will be home very soon, so we got to make a homecoming miracle!"

"Pfft, is that what she calls it?" Chet chuckled to himself, barely listening in as he and his brothers stood to the side. "Homecoming hasn't even happened yet."

"We need to divide into groups!" Brynn ordered. "Three will be doing the grocery shopping." She then turned to Carla and Carrie. "Girls, you'll be part of it."

Her captain nodded, smiling with even more pride over how much her second-in-command has done in little time. Carrie grinned, bouncing on her hoof-like feet.

"Ooh, can I cook?" the PNK captain asked.

"NO!" practically every monster screamed in protest, especially her own sisters.

Quite shaken by that, the sorority leader coughed lightly before folding her arms with a pout.

"You don't have to yell..." she muttered.

"Alright, let's get moving, people!" Brynn ordered as the crowd began to disperse, making room for helpers to exit quicker. "Let's go, go, go!"

Hardscrabble smiled before turning to Carla who had fished her cars keys out of her jacket, preparing for her food rush with the chosen others.

"You should be very proud of her," the Dean told the EEK leader.

Carla beamed before turning to see Brynn get the JOX boys in line.

"I really am," she said quietly.
_

Carrie and Carla cheered and laughed aloud as they rushed through the wide market. With the EEK leader in the cart and the PNK leader pushing it, they sped through all the aisles as if they were fulfilling a game show challenge. While Carrie steered the cart as fast as her lanky legs could do, Carla lifted a tentacle out and slapped food items onto her lap. Both were careful to be perfectly clear of passerby shoppers, especially where children were present. But they still had their fun, goofing off and turning their task into something enjoyable.

"Got it!" Carla exclaimed gleefully as the final product they needed from the aisle they were currently on fell onto her lap. "Next stop the sodas and drinks!"

"You know it!" Carrie giggled as she careened the makeshift vehicle around a corner, just barely colliding with a man who was packing his cart with various chips and crackers. "Excuse us!"

The man yelped before jumping out of the way, then he angrily glared at them as they continued speeding off.

"Hey!" he shouted but they didn't even hear him.

Carla gripped the sides of the cart, food nearly to her chest as Carrie went even faster. She gestured toward the aisle of their choice and the PNK girl took a leap before locking her feet into the back of the cart.

"Lean right!" the EEK girl exclaimed before shoving her weight to the side, her friend doing the same.

"Sorry!" Carrie laughed, waving back at a mother of two who had nearly gotten herself run over. "Special party, we got limited time here!"

"I got the Blort!" Carla squealed as she grabbed packs and shoved them onto the cart. "And I also got the cola!"

"Great job, Carly!" the PNK leader laughed as she felt the rush of wind against her face.

"Yo!"

Both turned and their cart nearly collided by an ongoing cart that joined them in the race. Dirk Pratt winked at them as he guided it, Sonia Lewis in the cart as she gripped the sides. Her raven locks flapped as the speed resumed, and she bore the widest of smiles a HSS girl could give. Both Carrie and Carla grinned before the former began to trample faster.

"Right here!"

And popping up just behind Dirk and Sonia was Violet Steslicki herself, her strength astounding as she managed to push her cart an inch faster than the rest. Susan Jensen was on board, reaching for various drinks left and right as she smirked happily.

"You got the meats from the deli section?" Carla asked the third two-monster group as she enjoyed her ride.

"Chicken, beef, chicki-beef..." Susan listed as she peered at the groceries on her lap. "We even scored the freezer section and bought chicken nuggets! Twenety pounds of it!"

Carla beamed, just grateful their Greek funds will be able to afford all this wide variety of snacks and deliciousness. While some of them were doing the grocery shopping right now, she was certain Brynn was handling things nicely at home. No problems whatsoever.

"Cop!" Sonia screeched before pointing ahead.

At the very end of the aisle was a security guard sounding a whistle that pitched throughout the entire market. Hands held up in front of him, his single eye narrowed.

"Everyone, stop the carts!" Carla cried before Carrie slammed her feet onto the floor, practically scraping it as she pulled the cart back.

The others did the same, Dirk hauling his back while his own feet scuffed the floor, Sonia gritting her as the cop got nearer. Last thing she wanted was to be responsible for sending someone to the hospital! Especially on the same day someone was going to return from it!

"Stop the car!" Susan cried, her colorful hair nearly blinding her. "I mean, stop the cart!"

Violet grunted before gripping the bar tighter, pulling it back as a loud, ear-splitting screech echoed across the floor. Although she managed to stop the cart, it barely held in her passenger. The acrobatic HSS girl screamed as she was suddenly flung out of her seat, flying over the officer's head and many other customers who quickly ducked. The MU students watched in horror as she continued flying, almost as if she was sporting a pair of wings just waiting to pop out any moment.

Unfortunately, she wasn't a born flying monster, just one who grew up with a crazy circus family. And there was nothing in a super market close enough for her to even perform a risky trapeze trick. Gliding across the store helplessly, it wasn't until she landed right on a worker who was handing out free samples in the fruit section. Her friends winced as apple and orange slices splattered everywhere, something between a thud and a "splut" meeting their ears.

As the market worker rubbed her head, secretly hoping she would get a raise for this, moments later the HSS girl's hand reached out.

"Holy glop..." she moaned as she laid against the already ruined sample table.

Then a smile immediately spread across her face, her eyes enlarging with excitement.

"I want to do that again!" she cried.
_

Celia grinned as she ran up the steps of the JOX house. The moment her "googly bear" texted her about the twins, she was so happy about the news that she ditched her remaining classes earlier just to do a little shopping for Terri and Terry. The Fear Tech monster waved to her dear friends of MU as she pulled on the many strings in her hand. She had rushed to the nearest party store to gather as many balloons as she could, a lot being green and yellow like OK's colors, and many more variations that just made a rainbow in her collection. She tugged and pulled them all inside the house while being careful not to puncture any.

"Wow," she murmured as she saw the house setting to work.

The tables were set with many dishes, from hot greasy foods to cold and frothy delicacies that made her mouth water. The fruit bowl and packs of Blort were a sign of perfection, and she never seen a sweeter cookie/candy tray. And even more heavenly smells emerged from the kitchen, so many that even her snakes sighed with amazement. Celia held back a chuckle as Sonia Lewis was tediously dripping the final touches of melted chocolate onto her special chocolate fangs.

Chocolate fangs were basically soft cookie dough on the bottom shaped to look like a monster's mouth. The inside was filled with caramel, and the very top was almonds to look like teeth. Droplets of chocolate were added to look like drool especially. The scent sifted through every student's nostrils, people fighting off the urge to grab a piece without the HSS girl knowing.

Celia watched as some monsters supported each other as they rose to hang some streamers, followed by a few letters that were to spell out Oozma Kappa's name as well as the celebrants'. Big Red pushed the couch that was always in front of the TV and angled it to make room for more furniture, creating a circle so more monsters can see the screen and face each other. A few of the PNK and EEK girls were dabbing glitter onto a new scene that was to hang with the rests, just to add more shine to the already twinkling decor of the living room.

She spotted Brynn Larson sitting on a nearby recliner. The EEK girl's legs were crossed and a confident grin on her face. The Fear Tech student came over to her, careful with all the balloons.

"Oh, hey, Celia," Brynn greeted as she placed her clipboard down. "Ooh, you brought balloons!"

However, her eyes peered at one of them that had text in large, bubbly font.

"Happy birthday?" she read before glancing at the taller girl.

Celia gave a sheepish shrug. "I couldn't find one that said "Happy you're awake from your coma and welcome back"..."

Brynn sighed before giving a playful smile. "It's fine. Just have a balloon in every inch you can tie a string around."

"Yes, ma'am," Celia giggled before slithering off.

The EEK girl checked off balloons on her list. She was just about to check in the kitchen before she heard that familiar skittering noise. When she looked over her shoulder, her smile was replaced with a malicious scowl.

"Hello to you to," Chet muttered bitterly as he laid his claws on his sides. "Seriously, what's your problem?"

"Oh, nothing..." she responded while looking away, "other than the possibility you and your brothers might do something stupid again. And I just might literally kill you this time."

Although he felt a chill run up his spine when she said that, the smallest ROR held his ground. He dealt with this particular mood of hers a number of times, although he really didn't want to peeve her off. Not like last time.

Brynn huffed before turning back to her clipboard, pretending to be busy. "Don't you have a frat brother to suck up to?"

Chet fumed a bit. "Lay off! Johnny is the best, I'm just being what any admirer of his would be!"

"You're not an admirer," she snorted, "you're a fangirl."

"Oh, and what are you?" he countered rather pathetically. "Getting all that dough just for Oozma Kappa when they already have a huge frat fund?"

She wheeled toward him, her three eyes narrowed in warning as her glossy lips opened to show her sharp teeth. Chet closed his mouth, gulping as he saw that familiar vengeance in her glare.

The same one before she...

Brynn smiled as another student slipped a dollar into the cash box. Outside her sorority house, the EEK girl stood proudly before her little table with her sign asking for donations taped in front of it. She had only thought of this idea just today, and she was blown away by how successful it was becoming. Of course, it was obvious that she was not the only monster on campus who would give for the sake of those who were in the hospital at this moment.

And she was definitely feeling the MU spirit right now, even as the short line of students grew and they all added varying amounts of money into the cash box beside her. It was all from the heart and Brynn was glad the overall impression towards the beloved fraternity had changed significantly since last semester. And it seemed that things had indeed changed for the better...a little at first, but she hoped more would come soon.

When she brought out the idea to some of her fellow Greek neighbors as well as Carla, they asked what the money would benefit the twins for. Their medical care was already being paid for by both the university and the CDA themselves, and Oozma Kappa still had an amount of funds from the generosity last semester that earned them their frat house. It was just an idea that came to mind, simply another way for Frat Row as well as MU to show OK, particular Terry and his brother, that they truly CARED. While the younger twin was happy and been keen to allow another chance to them last semester, Terry had been a hard nut to crack at first as explained by Big Red during the night of the party. Brynn knew too well that the older twin had harbored the worst of feelings that moment after calling Johnny out. He didn't just call him out, he called them ALL out.

And that, to the rest of the frats and sororities, was something all of them had wished to give the ROR boys since the day they had ill-treated the OK team. Now since they had been given a second chance, Brynn and the rest wanted to do all they could for the green and yellow fraternity. Well, at least in this another way they could show how much they cared. As she looked at the slowly filled up cash box, Brynn couldn't be happier.

She could only imagine the look on their faces once she presented all this money to Terry and Terri at the surprise party Big Red would throw once the twins returned. There would be dancing, laughing, karaoke, and the buffet table would have the twins' favorites. Blort for Terri, and warm tea poured out from a big thermos that was used for coffee in the Greek Council building. True, OK as well as the twins would be utterly stunned that she had gathered so much money for them, that they could initially refuse. But she would convince them otherwise, and whatever the use of it was, it will be to their hearts' content.

After all, they deserved every cent of it, in her own honest opinion. She was sure that the Perry twins would love the welcome-back party by everyone on campus, as well as Greek Council, since they had offered their services into making it. And Brynn was more than certain both of them would enjoy what all of Frat Row had in store for them.

The thought of it made her heart rise, more confident that they would awaken from their coma and return home. Especially back into the arms of their mother. Brynn smiled and gave her thanks as the last of the few monsters in the now shortened line slipped a larger amount than she expected followed by some change. Cents were good, that way there would be no trouble in breaking a large bill. By now her cash box was beginning to overfill that she had to slide a few bills into an envelope she fortunately carried in her pocket. Right on time as the last few monsters gave their generous donations. Afterwards she would pack everything and keep this box in a safe place, which was her bedroom.

Perhaps she would take a bit of the money to get a nice-looking container in Oozma Kappa's colors, and wrap it up in decorative paper to be presented. They were all bound to love that, another realization that MU indeed loved their frat and everything about it. And now seeing them in a brand new light, everyone in MU was doing their best to start a brand new impression with. And by the looks of it, things were proceeding better than she hoped.

After placing the envelope back into her EEK-colored backpack, Brynn looked up and thanked another few monsters from the New Age Philosophy class who put in a large number of coins into the cash box. Just the clinking sounds of change hitting the bottom of the box nearly made her ecstatic, and Brynn was sure it would be a heavy load by the time it was all finished. She grinned as the last monster finally slid in a large-amounted bill followed by some change. A wink from him could probably indicate two reasons for why he donated, but Brynn was too happy to care.

Finally, the first day of the fundraiser over with, Brynn pushed the lid against the box until she could lock it in place. Afterwards, she placed the money box back on the floor before she began to remove the sign from the table and folded up everything else, intending to head back into the house and hide the cash box in a safe place.

"Were you selling something, Larson?"

Brynn looked up and scowled a little, seeing Chet standing there with a comic book tucked under his larger claw. Looking at her with the usual goofy grin on his face, he was the last monster she wanted to see right now. Especially at a time like this when she was supporting his frat's biggest rival.

"Can't you read the sign, Alexander?" she snapped, rolling her eyes.

Chet raised his eye before he looked toward the sign she had placed against the chair she pushed back. It read, "For Oozma Kappa's very own twins at the hospital! Please give for them!" He turned back to her, stunned by the sight of the cash box that laid beside her. By now he was frowning as he regarded her as if she was insane.

"Seriously?" he scoffed. "You're getting money for these guys?"

"Yeah, so?" she challenged.

Oozma Kappa was still flowing in funds since the generosity of students last semester, and there were always something being done to their frat house, Merely the little things such as adjusting the banisters, creating a bigger garden, or making the initials that were pasted atop the house shinier. Brynn just thought this little fundraiser was another way to prove to OK how much they were cared about, and it was unconditionally. Chet just wouldn't understand that, especially when he was a member of the biggest reason for the rift OK had with their Greek community and campus in the past.

Chet scowled back, having assumed at first she was making a huge business off of selling donuts or something. "You're really sucking up to them, you know that?"

Brynn placed her hands on her hips, glaring down at the rancid ROR brother who had the nerve to speak that way about OK. This was all a matter of jealousy, and no doubt he was following his leader's example. HE was the real suck-up.

"At least I'm showing my concern!" she spat. "And what are you ROR boys even doing while the twins are at the hospital?"

"Just waiting around," Chet muttered. "Waiting around for the games to come back."

"The stupid games?" Brynn exclaimed angrily. "Seriously?"

"Hey, what do you expect us to do?" Chet replied. "Just you wait. When those twins come back, we'll be kicking their tails in the next event!"

The EEK girl almost wanted to remind him that neither Terri or Terry have tails. But she just bit back a growl, wanting to speed those conversation up so she could go back home.

"And just YOU wait," she threatened. "OK will kick your tails in the Scare Games, that's what I hope for."

He glared at her, then glared down at the cash box which she stood protectively by. As if she had anything to protect, Chet wouldn't even think about stealing, especially when he was the heir of a famous and wealthy Scaring family. Brynn's family...he honestly had no idea. But she was a good Scare student, so maybe she had Scaring relatives or whatever. And probably loaded given the luxuries of her sorority despite their home a bit smaller than ROR's.

Brynn just huffed before she bent down and picked up the cash box, holding it close to her chest as she turned away from him. She placed it on her chair before picking up the remains of her stand.

Chet looked at the sign. "You're not seriously going to do it again tomorrow, are you?"

"Actually, I am," she said firmly as she hooked her backpack around her arms. "So what?"

"How much have you even made?" he could help but ask. "And what are they even going to do with it?"

Brynn remained silent, unsure how to respond to the question. Although it had been an idea she came up with just moments ago, the intentions behind it were not so OK could have an extra dime in their pockets, but mainly so they knew how much they were cared about by the campus they had cherished since their first semester. She just wanted them to know they were loved. She glanced over at Chet, who was apparently waiting for her answer.

"That really isn't any of your business, Chet Alexander," she said in a rather authoritative tone, as if she were a member of the CDA.

Chet raised his eye. "What exactly is the point of this little money-getter thing, again?"

Brynn turned away from him as she rolled up the sign. "It's for Oozma Kappa. For Terry and Terri. Don't act dumb toward what's most important right now. Even more important than the stupid games."

"I can't believe you guys would rather give up your chances than just have OK forfeit!" he cried.

She glared daggers at him, fighting the urge to just slap his face for that. "And I can't believe you're just being so selfish!"

"Me? Selfish?" he exclaimed, completely shocked.

"You and the rest of your brothers!" she responded furiously. "Especially your "precious" president!"

"Hey, look here," he spoke rather defensively. "Johnny is a nice guy that everyone should look up to."

"I'd rather look up at the sun and burn my eyes out," Brynn scoffed as she packed her things.

Chet snapped his claws, annoyed and angry by her comeback. "He cares about his frat brothers!"

"And what about Randall and Sulley?" the EEK girl pointed out bitterly. "He kicked them both out."

"Oh, come! Sulley is the biggest slacker that he would have made us a laughing stock if we still kept him! And Randy..." the crab-like ROR fumed. "...did you NOT see him leave us for those OK guys?"

"Okay, first off," she began, "yes, maybe Sulley wasn't exactly a grade-A student, but at least he wouldn't stoop so low and do the horrid things YOU have done. And second, Randy deserves so much better, and who BETTER than Oozma Kappa? Don and his boys treat him WAY better than you and Worthington ever could!

"We gave him popularity!" Chet added.

"And Don and OK gave him that AND real friends!" Brynn countered.

"Oh, like you ever were to Oozma Kappa since the beginning!" he rebutted.

She was about to speak, but no words would come out. She closed her mouth, Chet's comeback having somehow hit a nerve. She wanted to wipe that darned smile off his face, but she held her tongue because he did have a point. Since OK's first year they had been horrible peers to them, refusing to acknowledge their existence or even believe they had worth. She regretted so much, and just the thought of it nearly wanted her to tear up. But now things were different, and Brynn sincerely hoped that things would change for the better, however small it would be. She just didn't want to lose them again...

"That was in the past, Alexander..." she breathed, blinking her trio of eyes to prevent tears. "I...we were stupid. And we're making up for it." She threw him a menacing glare. "And I hope to glob Terry does tear your president like he almost did last semester!"

"Oh, he better not..." Chet grunted angrily.

"Hey, it's your own fault!" she ranted. "Right when Terry was just BEGINNING to trust you guys, you just HAD to humiliate them like that!"

"Oh, hey, you guys weren't any better!" he shot back.

Again, he just had to hit the nerve once more...

Brynn tried to stamp down the growing anger in her chest, since it was the RORs who treated the OK frat even worse than the other teams. But still, her sorority as well as every other Greek group knew they were responsible for it all...

She gritted her teeth, her face growing red in anger. "Says the one who still treats them like slime on the street, you monster!"

Now it was Chet who was taken aback by the insult, and he could practically feel saliva circle around him when she spat out in fury. Every single time he or any of his ROR brothers talked ill of OK, they were always met with the worst in their Greek neighbors. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. And by now Brynn was getting super peeved off it was starting to not be funny...

"What's the difference?" he asked, completely missing the point.

"Idiot! There IS a difference!" she practically roared. "We, the rest of the Greek community, are fully-committed as both friends and family to the monsters known as Oozma Kappa. You guys, on the other claw, are just messed up!

"Hey, watch it!" he warned, waving his comic around.

"Well, it's true and you don't care!" she snarled.

"Girl, please! I got status!" he scoffed.

Brynn growled under her breath as she picked up her cash box. "And I have money to store safely until tomorrow!"

He could only watch as she held it close to her chest, as if protecting it from the likes of him. Good glob, was everyone babying OK more than they already were? Even Easter made themselves look like complete preschoolers!

"You're just wasting your time worrying about those guys!" he said.

"Well, at least it's better than worrying about the Scare Games!" she snapped.

"You know that it just might get cancelled, right?" he grunted.

"I would they were cancelled than compete without OK in it!" she huffed.

"Why does everyone I talk to keep telling me the exact same thing? Geez!"

"Because everyone cares about them, you moron!" she jeered, pointing a claw at him.

He eyed her cash bow closely. "Don't you think you might be caring about them a LITTLE too much?"

Brynn growled. "Caring is never too much. Now Terry and Terri are in the hospital, and we're clinging on to hope that they'll wake up, and come home. Then your precious little games will come back."

"Oh, come on!" he whined. "The games were fine before Oozma Kappa came in! Heck, it wouldn't make any difference if the twins actually DIED in their coma!

His eye widened, unable to button his massive lip up in time before he saw the horrified expression of the EEK girl before him. No wonder the other guys always told him he had such a big mouth...

Brynn, overcome by the infuriating yet almost tear-stricken emotion the smallest ROR had created, replaced her frown with the baring of her teeth. Her pink-tinted cheeks flushed with redness, her rage rising to the roof.

"YOU HEARTLESS JERK!"

And before Chet knew it, she took a deep breath, something gargling within her throat...and spat him right in the eye.

He dropped his comic book, and his claws fought to remove the spit from his eye. He let out a small scream which sounded like a little girl shrieking as he tried to wipe it off, which was tough when one claw was too big, the other too small. He moved around, banging into the nearest tree and toppling onto his back. His clawed legs skittered in the air as he shrieked in fury and agony.

"My eye! Oh, glop! My eye! I'm blind! Oh, glob, I'm blind!"

Brynn rolled her eyes at the childish display, and watched Chet flail around even as he struggled to get back on his feet. He just kept howling like a baby monster refusing to take a bath.

"Serves you right!" she growled before turning away.

Chet was still trying to wipe the spit from his eye to even hear he. He could only shout for help even as she walked back up the steps of the EEK house. She opened the door and walked in, before slamming it behind her as he writhed on the warm streets of Frat Row.

Glob, he must have looked ridiculous right now! He just HAD to get on her bad side. He had been met with threats from nearly every Greek monster he came across with, opening his big mouth and saying that they were being insane in trying to prepare things for when the twins returned. He was not heartless, and he certainly did not mean to say the twins deserved to die. They may have been his rivals, but he would never think of them like THAT.

Great. Just great. Another thing for Brynn to hate him about...

Brynn rushed to the window just in time to see Chet pick himself up from the floor, wincing as he tried to blink. She had to admit that maybe spitting in his EYE was not the best part of his body to spit on. She could have just spit right at his hat, but it was too late to take anything back now. It was better than punching him or tearing him limb from limb. Somehow, she just wanted to do that, make him realize who he was dealing with and see WHY Oozma Kappa was a fraternity that deserved the top spot even more than ROR. She could only sigh, holding her cash box close to her chest before sadly turning away from the window.

Chet swallowed as her trio of eyes stared at him coldly, her lips curved in warning. And probably holding back spit.

"I said," Brynn stated quietly, "do you have something to say about fundraiser, Alexander? Again?"

Her tone was chilling, immediately reminding him of the Dean. He bit over his lip, shaking his head. With that said he quickly scurried off, hoping not to get lodged with another spit bullet. Those really did hurt!

Brynn watched as he bolted away, before sighing sadly to herself, placing a hand on her cheek.
~

"Hand me some tape," Flora gestured, her single eye focusing on the letter she pressed against the wall.

Colette ripped another one off before handing it to her. She smiled to see such pretty decor, especially the glitter! If only everyone could dress up like she had. Ditching the sorority's matching color scrunchie just for today, the fashionist had chosen a nice dress made of green scales that really complimented natural furry collar around her neck. She still wore her special pink heels, which served as a perfect contrast accessory to her outfit. Even her hair was curled and shaped almost as if her head possessed a crown of snakes. If she could dress to impress, why couldn't everyone else?

As she ripped another piece of tape, her reddish brown eyes traveled across the room. And her heart stopped the moment she saw a familiar handsome face.

She watched as the darling George Sanderson helped a few monsters with moving some furniture out of the way. Given his strength and size, pushing an entire coffee table made with metal and heavy glass was no challenge to him. The EZ girl could only mentally sigh, continuously ripping out pieces of tape as he looked even more cute without even trying. They had shared a few good conversations recently, but other than that nothing bigger. Still in the "friend zone" at Katy put it, which ultimately irritated Colette.

She wanted more than be in the "friend zone"! She wanted to be in the "go zone"!

She began to wonder if George had even glanced in her direction without her knowing. Had he seen her in the pretty green dress yet? Was he thinking adorable thoughts about her as well? She furiously kept tearing off tape and planting them in front of her, eyes never leaving the sight of his hunky orange form.

"Ahem?"

Colette turned and her eyes rose in shock to see most of Flora's backside covered with sticky tape. A few even made it to the tips of her horns, looking like flower buds upon her hot pink protrusions. The fashionista hunched her shoulders, smiling apologetically before she hurried to assist her friend.
~

Laura kept her ears low as she focused on hanging a few streamers on a nearby window. Peering through the glass, she could see more monsters bringing in decor and food inside the house. She gave a soft smile, before finally pasting the single streamer into place. She then pushed a stepping stool right in front of the window before lifting one foot up over the other. Reaching the top of the window, she pasted three more streamers before she was satisfied with her work. Ever so quietly she took a step back as to get off her stool.

But a misstep caused her to wobble and lose her balance. Gasping, she clung toward nothingness before she stumbled back, wings first.

However, she felt her body fall into strong arms, her furry feet skidding upon carpet. Catching her breath as she nearly lost herself to a minor panic attack, she looked up at her savior and her eyes rose in surprise.

Marbus Dagon smiled politely, having expected to see his father's co-worker's daughter again. He carefully helped her stand while his own wings laid carelessly to his sides.

"Hey, Laura," he greeted. "Haven't talked to you since that day at the stadium."

The Sharp heiress blinked for a moment, then she smiled which came out more like a wince. How she felt utterly embarrassed right now when she was suppose to appear dignified and sure of herself as a new student of MU.

"Oh, uh, hey, Marbus..." she greeted quietly. "I, uh, didn't see you there..."

"No worries," he said before glancing at the streamers. "Love the work. Big Red appreciates all the help everyone's doing."

He heard a soft cough behind him before looking over his shoulder. His girlfriend gave him a knowing smile, beside her no other than his roommate who bit over his squeals at his "supposed future girlfriend his buddy had caught for him". Having picked and tried his words on various girls in this university, Theo felt his hope recover the moment his best friend mentioned his name to the panic-stricken yet lovely leader of EZ.

Laura Sharp appeared like an easy catch, and she practically looked desperate for a boyfriend! And this was perhaps finally the moment he can speak to her and not be threatened afterwards!

"Oh, Laura Sharp," Marbus began before gesturing beside him, "this is my girlfriend Sephira."

"Hi," the other girl greeted, waving a claw as all six of her eyes regarded Laura mannerly. "Nice to meet you."

"And I'm sure you remember me mentioning Theo," Marbus added, trying to hold back his sigh. "He's in our Scaring class too, in case I forgot to mention that."

Biting back a nervous squeak, Laura forced a painful smile she hoped would hide her embarrassment. She then nodded to Sephira, then her sky forest eyes gazed into the stalks of the slug himself. She gasped almost in fright the moment his hand launched out and grasped her own.

"Hello to you," Theo greeted, trying to sound like a suave prince from a horrid princess movie (take a pick).

Marbus and Sephira wanted to facepalm for his poor display of being a "gentleman". Since his disastrous first semesters last year, Theo had chosen to take on a different side. He still had his confident and eager-to-learn side, but he harbored a desire to express himself as some sort of a "ladies' man". And because he had missed so much last year (how he survived through two whole semesters, no one will know), he made sure not to miss even a second.

And that included a second with the ladies, especially the new ones to MU. He had picked from EEK or HSS, mostly EEK (he didn't want to flirt with the PNKs because they were rather boring and shared the same face which was confusing, and their voices could literally break glass) to see who if any of those lovely girls were easy as pie. Most of them were rather feisty, which he found cute despite now being careful for his life. And having seen the newest sorority, he could take his pick among any of the EZ girls. Dot was pretty hot, and that Katy girl looked like she could play his bodyguard any day, and Laura here was often a talk among the single guys.

He grunted as Marbus nudged him rather roughly, almost injuring his shoulder before he finally let go of Laura's hand.

"So, Marbus has been telling you about me," he said, trying to sound smooth. "Did he also mention I was the only one in my hometown's whole school who got a scholarship for this place?"

Laura, rubbing her hand, looked at him carefully, before turning to Marbus. "Uh, no he didn't..."

"Boo-yah!" Theo grunted, startling her as he thrusted his chest upward in victory. "Ain't no other slug got any of this, baby!"

"Brynn mentioned this..." Sephira whispered into her boyfriend's ear. "Seriously, what the heck is he doing?"

Marbus groaned and rubbed his muzzle. "Acting like a fool, that's what..."

"Did I also mention I was in that explosion that happened recently?" Theo added with a grin.

He yelped as Sephira smacked him from behind. He frowned before looking up, her eyes narrowed in disapproval.

"You have to bring that up?" she hissed. "Have you forgotten what we're doing today?"

"Yeah, the twins coming back and having a party," he said with a wave of his hand. "I haven't forgotten!"

"Uh, you know what..."

All three turned to see Laura fidget with her fingers. Ears lowered even more, her wings tucked in so tight they could very well disappeared into her back, she looked even more intimidated than she had the moment Lane Picca took her picture.

"I'm just going to, uh, finish some work..." she muttered nervously. "Like over there."

And with that said she scurried away, breathing through her clenched teeth as she did not dare look back. Theo watched in confusion, flexing his arms a bit hoping she'd turn around for him.

"Hmm, that was weird..." he spoke.

"Oh, dude!" Marbus scolded. "What was that? You meet Laura for the first time and now you scared her off!"

"What's wrong with you?" Sephira chided, folding her arms. "See, this is why some girls want to murder you."

Theo scoffed. "What, I'm just being a guy the ladies want. Who could kill this handsome face?" he added, gesturing to his eye stalks proudly.

"Yeah, don't freak out," Marbus began as he and Sephira stepped away, "but Donna's coming your way."

The confident immediately died as Theo's eyes widened in horror. Last time he had spoken to her he had tried to act macho and guess the color of her eyes (even though he had no idea where they were), and she almost strangled him for being insensitive about it. Fortunately Marbus had been there, holding her down like a venomous snake while Theo kept himself a foot away from her.

Now there was no turning back, everyone was going to be present at this party. So hate or placate, he had to talk to her. And this time he would not mention anything about her eyes, even though he was pretty sure they were somewhere in those long strands of hair of hers.

Taking a deep breath, he turned and his heart thumped a bit as she slithered in his direction. She did not sport those long pigtails she often wore on a daily basis. This time she had them wrapped into two huge buns, almost resembling Violet Steslicki's curled horns. It made her rather cuter than she already was...

He quickly shook out of his thoughts as he held his hands behind his back, smiling painfully while the EEK girl slithered in his direction.

"Hey," she greeted in a polite tone as she kept going.

"Uh, hey!" he returned, waving almost wildly.

He heard a soft chuckle from her as she passed him, her head bobbing while the tip of her tail flickered behind her.

"Still thinking about that eye comment, you know," she hollered as she went off.

"It's not my fault no one knows where your eyes are!" he nearly shouted. He quickly slapped his hands over his mouth, wandering if that would bring the beast out. But Donna kept going, as if she hadn't heard him, buns bouncing slithered off.

Removing his hands, Theo breathed in relief, yet the question still lingered.

"Does any monster even know where your eyes are?" he asked himself aloud.
~

Reggie silently made his way into the JOX house, his three eyes watching everything that was occurring busily. Decorations were hung, floors were being swept, and monsters were setting more dishes on the table. Separated from his brothers, he had no idea if any of the RORs were offering assistance. He knew Chet wasn't. The "bruiser" of the pact had decided to see how much these guys were willing to do just for two of Oozma Kappa's brothers. Not to say he couldn't feel for the twins' incident, but it almost felt like this celebration could trample any party his own frat had previously thrown. Unlike any of their parties, the girls for any of OK's actually showed more personality!

He was drifted out of his thoughts as his nostrils were met with a powerful aroma. His eyes widened at such a scent, he sniffed it before eagerly following it toward a nearby buffet table. He stopped in front of a tray of gooey chocolate fangs, its almonds even more appetizing. The smell of chocolate was just too much for him to ignore!

Glancing left and right, monsters were too busy with their tasks to notice him. And no one would freak out about one little piece going missing...

Smirking, he reached down to pick up the top one as quietly as he could-

SMACK!

He yelped out before clutching his hand. Though he had been taken by surprise, that did honestly hurt and he could still feel the sting of the slap on his flesh. Cradling his fingers, he turned to see Sonia Lewis, her red lips parted to show her seething. Her eye stalks narrowed as she stood protectively beside her dish.

"No you don't, Jacobs!" she growled, pointing a tentacle at him. "You are not touching these until after Terry and Terri get the first pieces!"

The green-skinned ROR grunted angrily before rubbing his hand. "Geez, Lewis! You didn't have to do that!"

"Trust me, I could do a whole lot worst to you!" Sonia spat. "Maybe that should be my new present for Terry with a "Y", after what you guys have been doing to his poor fraternity."

Regge glowered at her comment. "Oh, like you were any better!"

Although stung by his remark, Sonia breathed through clenched breaths. The nightmare from last night suddenly became raw in her mind, and it was all she could do not to just grab the nearest utensil right now and jam it right in the center of his three eyes. But she was better than that, and Terry wouldn't have wanted it that way either. There were other ways to make Reggie and his brothers pay. This party was one of them.

Tentacles tightening into curled fists, she looked away. For a moment Reggie thought he might have made the tough yet perky goth tear up. But all he saw was a scowl that threatened to show teeth and bite the hand that dared touch her delicious work.

"We changed for the better..." she muttered barely above a whisper. "You haven't."

Letting her final comeback sink into that poor little brain of his, Sonia turned and hurried back into the kitchen. Reggie just watched her, her words stinging him harder than her mighty slap. He forgot he was even hungry.
~

"That cop was a real jerk!" Susan whined as she accepted another streamer from Violet before hanging it over a lamp. "I mean, who the heck gives a stupid ticket for cart racing?"

"At least that was all he gave us," the EEK girl reminded her, shuddering over what had transpired earlier.

That little incident had resulted in a few messy aisles, angry customers, and a slightly traumatized food sample provider. But the monsters had managed to convince him that they had been short on time and were just trying to make a rush on their grocery shopping. He did let them off with a warning, but wrote a ticket that would teach them a lesson and pay for the damage caused by that little flying stunt caused by Susan.

As Violet handed the rest of the streamers for Susan to take care of, she turned just in time to see her cousin Percy gesture for her to come over. After letting the HSS girl know, the EEK girl strolled over to the JOX boy who held a proud grin on his face.

"I know that look," she said, "what did my tech-head cousin do this time?"

Percy's grin deepened. Since experiencing more with the Robotics Club last semester, it gave him bigger structure that involved using the big brain many knew he had. As the smartest among his JOX brothers, he was entitled as a genius, and used that gift often to build things he never thought he could make. Having formerly been afraid that showing off his true nerdy side would result in ridicule and possible hostility from his muscle-bound frat brothers, it relieved him to realize that it wasn't something to be ashamed about. Nerd or not, his friends still loved him. And how was this side any different from the open and enthusiastic brothers of Oozma Kappa, two who were wielders of close-up magic and dancing? And then there was George Sanderson who liked boring poetry and bird-watching! Everyone had something they liked. And for Percy, it was simply showing off what his genius mind could do. And where better to do that than at his beloved Robotics Club? The technology and building was amazing, although there times he liked to take his new "toys" out for fun (some of which involves hustling a little cash).

But this time he built something that was to benefit two friends that were finally coming home.

"I built something really cool, cousin," he explained to Violet. "Terri and Terry are going to flip when they see their new gift!"

"New gift?" the EEK girl chuckled. "Your last present was a box full of light dumbbells. And you're having the party here at your house. I think they appreciate enough already."

But Percy waved it aside, his expression cool and collective. "True, but this is even better than dumbbells! Still tinkering with it, but it'll be done by the time they get here!"

"It better not be another fighting robot!" she grunted, folding her arms.

"Oh, come on!" Percy said defensively. "What do you take me for?"

Violet frowned. "You know I hate it when you go out and do these stupid bot fights for money," she stated. "And neither does Big Red or your brothers."

"I told you, I'm not doing that anymore!" he countered, looking away.

"Uh-huh," she responded, unconvinced, "you said that one night, and then you came home with pockets full of cash."

"It was an easy hit!" the JOX monster replied uneasily. "V, it's better than getting a dead-end job!"

She sighed, shaking her head. It was both a blessing and curse her cousin had found ambition through his nerdy side, challenging his brain and fingertips to design and create things. She just wished he could use his intelligence for something more meaningful.

Percy groaned. "Look, I promise I didn't make a bot for the twins. Something a little more...useful." he added with a simplistic smile.

"Fine," Violet breathed. "Just get it ready before they come here."

"You got it!" he said happily before dashing off.

"And stop making fighting robots!" she called after him, but he hardly even heard her.
~

Carla placed a new tray of candied fruit on the table before he turned to notice her EEK sister Debbie Gabler. The latter was decked in a red-scaled party dress, which was covered by a black coat buttoned at the middle. Her date dress.

"Uh, Debs?" the leader asked. "Pardon me for asking this, but I thought you were going to bring your new date over here." She pondered for a moment. "Where did this one come from, again?"

"The wrestling arena across from the bookstore in the city," Debbie responded, her voice sounding bitter as she fiddled with a serving spoon on the table.

"Oh, from there..." Carla murmured, recalling last time Debbie found a guy who had just got out of jail for trying to steal gummy bears from a candy store. "Uh, yeah, where is he? I thought you were inviting him here."

"He can just drop dead," Debbie growled under her breath.

Carla winced. "What, again?" she asked. "And that fast?"

"Looks like this date ended earlier than I thought," Date responded, sarcasm evident in her tone. "But never mind, I did meet another guy after I thrashed this one straight into the dumpster."

"What, again?" her president exclaimed, although not too surprised. "And that fast?"

"Yeah, I met him across the street from where I dumped the other guy," Debbie responded nonchalantly. "I'm going to see him in a couple of days for our date."

"What, again?" Carla repeated, throwing her hands up in dismay. "And that fast?"

However, the shorter EEK girl barely made a reply before they heard high-pitch scream echo from the kitchen. All heads turned just in time to see Dirk rush out the door, a bottle of ketchup in his hand.

"Oven's on fire!" he cried.

Other voices shouted from inside the kitchen, they could hear the sounds of dishes hitting the ground and noises relating to fire being spurted out like a dragon's mouth. Carla groaned and rolled her eyes, then clenched her tentacles tightly.

"Carrie!" she cried. "What did you do?"

"I'm right here."

The EEK leader's eyes rose before she turned to see the PNK leader herself standing beside her, having organized the cheese and meat trays together. Carla just gawked at her for a few moments before turning back to the kitchen.

"Wait, if you're here..." she said quietly, "then who-"

Throwing the door open, Big Red was gritting his massive sharp teeth as he held a flaming dish in his mittened claws. Surprisingly, the roast didn't appear charred, it's slick exterior still appearing appetizing despite huge flames licked all over the tray. Thankfully his sleeves had been rolled up and he made sure to put on an apron as some meaty juices sloshed beneath his tray.

"Holy glop!" Carla cried as she, Carrie, and Debbie took a step back. "Red, what did you do?

"I tried to make one of those cool flame-y dishes like you see in movies!" the JOX leader cried as he held the meat away from his face as monsters stepped out of his way. "I succeeded, but a little too well!"

Brynn's eyes widened in horror as she watched him wield the dish at his fingertips. Heart pounding as the image of last semester flashed into her brain, she needed to do something fast. She caught sight of the ketchup bottle in Dirk's hand and immediately thought of an idea. Dropping her clipboard and pencil, she quickly rushed over and grabbed it from him before dashing bravely toward Big Red.

"Here, I got it!" she shouted before ripping the cap of the bottle.

Squinting her trio of eyes as flames continuously flickered in every direction, she splashed the ketchup on every inch of the roast. It worked like a condimental fire extinguisher as every goblet of decreased the fire even more. After the last flame was covered in ketchup, the EEK girl and party planner sighed in relief.

"There," she said with a weary smile. "And I just saved you time on dressing it."

Carla lifted her nose at the new aroma, and she grinned at the newfound scent.

"Mmm, that smells delicious!" she exclaimed. "Wait to go, Big Red!"

"Glob, why didn't that happen to me?" Carrie muttered to herself, throwing her hands in the air.

The JOX president breathed before carrying the hot tray over to another table, completely away from any snacks that could melt upon heat. Once he placed it down, he turned to see Nancy Kim working the chocolate fountain. Those three tiers raising up and chunks of chocolate being added to each one, last semester flashed before his eyes and Big Red immediately took a step back.

He wasn't the only one as every other monster quickly went to the other side of the room, watching as the HSS girl made the finishing touches and added more chocolate. Rosie and George were quick to hop over the couch, refusing have a repeat of stained clothing and chocolate blindness. Brynn joined them, keeping her fingers crossed and biting her lip so hard she could just chew it off.

"Please, not again...please, not again..." she prayed to herself as her fingers ached as they ribboned together too tightly.

Carla stood behind a nearby table, just barely noticing Johnny having waltz into the front door. He regarded everyone in confusion, having arrived just now to see how the so-called "homecoming miracle" was doing. He watched as Nancy Kim gave the machine one last kick, startling various monsters who cried out in immediate fear. He turned to Carla, he lowered her head as her tentacles gripped the table.

Nancy Kim narrowed her single eye before slamming using her stalk to flip the switch once more. Everyone was no on edge as the machine gave that familiar whir. The HSS girl slammed her eye shut and looked away, bracing for what might happen. After a few moments she cracked her lid open, and it rose in astonishment as all the chocolate chunks began to grind into the three tiers. Spluttering noises echoed from within the machine before rich chocolate liquid flowed out like a luxurious water display in a mansion. And not one single drop spilled onto the floor!

The proud HSS girl's eye lifted, her lid curved in and expression of triumph before gesturing to her friends. Monsters sighed in relief before emerging from his or her hiding place, handing her their congrats on a job well done that the party would now have a working chocolate fountain. Nancy held her stalk high, beaming as if she had a pair of visible lips on her. Swaying her hips to the side, not noticing she had bumped against the table holding the fountain. No one even took regard as the fountain spurted one single drop of chocolate that flew across the table.

And landed right on the ROR president's sweater.

Grunting in horror, Johnny immediately turned his body away, hoping no one had witnessed that. Fortunately for him nobody noticed, save for Carla who had been near him the whole time. Biting back her giggles, she grabbed a napkin before handing it to him. He snatched it and furiously wiped at the chocolate stain that threatened to ruin his perfectly-made sweater.

"Oops," the EEK leader chuckled, pressing her hand over her mouth.

"Not funny," Johnny growled as he slammed the used napkin back on the table.

"Look, it's gone now," she pointed out. "Lighten up."

"Whatever, you seen Laura around here?" he asked briskly, shifting his eyes back and forth.

Carla frowned. "You came here just to look for her? Have you forgotten why we're even having this party?"

"Yeah, to kiss up to OK like you guys always do," Johnny muttered quickly. "You seen her or not?"

Hands flying down to her hips, she glared daggers at him, appalled by his complete apathy. As usual.

"I can't believe you, Worthington," she said. "Terri and Terry are finally coming back to MU and all you can think about is a girl you hope to make your little trophy?"

Johnny turned to her, eyes raising in surprise by her comment. His fists tightened, but he remained calm and attentive.

"Dang," he scoffed, "and you're telling me to lighten up?"

Carla fumed. "You know I haven't forgotten our conversation last night," she snapped.

Johnny winced, looking away. "Yeah, I hoped you did..."

The popular sorority captain shook her head, wanting to just spit right on the spot where he wiped away the chocolate stain.

"You're unbelievable sometimes, Johnny," she muttered. "I mean, I really had thought you would grow better after buying those gifts-"

She immediately silenced, Johnny's hand cupped against her mouth anxiously. He then looked over his shoulder, seeing that no one was paying any mind to them. Breathing, he removed his fingers off her lips.

"You promised to keep it a secret!" he hissed.

"And you promised to be a better monster!" she seethed back. "Have you not taken my advice to heart? Or are you still going to be the same jerk who humiliated Oozma Kappa and brought us all into it, making us look like bad guys too?"

Johnny leaned back, almost as if she would tear his face off. "What, you're still thinking about that?"

"Everyone is!" Carla responded angrily. "And it was that stupid prank that almost made us lose Oozma Kappa forever!"

"What is this about losing OK for good?" Johnny groaned, palming his face. "You make it sound like life depends on those guys!"

"Maybe it should!" Carla spat. "Frat Row as well as MU itself has become so much better since they've become closer to us! Scaring school may be the crown jewel of this university, but those guys are the kings of those crowns!"

"What?" Johnny gawked at her, both annoyed and confused. "Jewels and kings, what now?"

"Oh, my glob!" Carla grunted through gritted teeth, throwing her hands up. "You really aren't sorry for what you did, are you?"

"Hey, you know I actually helped them out last semester," he countered, folding his arms.

"Helped them?" Carla bit back. "Pray tell how the heck so?"

Johnny scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Hey, I was the one who showed Wazowski that mailroom ad, didn't I? If I didn't he and Sullivan would probably be hitting some dead-end job for the rest of their lives."

Carla's pink skin boiled red as his ROR sweater, her eyes fiery and full of malice. She just wanted to kick him off a cliff right now!

"Okay, first off," she nearly exploded, "that was not help at all! That was a jab to their already broken spirits, and it was during your stupid charity, Worthington! Which featured the humiliation photo, which your stupid little brother took, crushing them and hating us for the remainder of the Scare Games!"

The ROR president chewed his cheek, breathing sensibly as he looked at Carla. She usually got right in his face about the dumbest things he did, especially when it came to butting heads with Wazowski or even the older Perry twin...yet this was different. And he hadn't seen that expression since...

The nightmare from last night immediately gripped him, and he felt his throat grow dry despite his jaw closed. He saw the fury in Carla's eyes deepen, the same one which transpired in the dream, moments before she left him at the hands of human children. Suddenly his brain halted before it dared his mouth to make another comment. He felt rather stupid at the moment, especially when he still felt chilled from the night before.

"You know I still have some hope for you, Worthington!" Carla went on. "But that hope is hanging by a darn thread right now!"

She could see some hinted remorse in his eyes, but it just wasn't enough. She wanted him to feel the agony of her words, just as his left a dent on Oozma Kappa that horrible day. Every moment his "thunder" was taken by any of those monsters in green and yellow, especially "grandpa", it was a thrill to see him gawk with his jaw hitting the floor. For as long as they've known each other, from first becoming Greek monsters to ranking up as the popular Greek leaders they were today, she had seen the good and bad in him. And despite how much she had seen in the latter, she held onto moments featuring the former. The day he secretly dropped those gifts off at OK's house like a secret Santa, her heart beat knowing that she was seeing the kind Worthington pup from Freshman year.

That same monster was still in there somewhere, the stubborn Worthington butt-head was just taking most of the spot right now...

Monsters have often questioned why she would still stick by him, even stand up for him. Carla would simply reply that they had known each other for so long that she just knew what was happening in that head of his. As of right now, she could tell his jealousy still wedged itself between right and wrong. That same envious nerve was a huge reason why he even pulled that stupid prank last semester.

"As much as it makes me barf to say this," Carla sighed before rubbing her forehead, "I'm your friend." she added, trying not to gag. "And I just really hope to see some better improvement this semester. Because, something tells me I could just dump you in a heartbeat if it meant pleasing Oozma Kappa even more."

Johnny's eyes rose in horror, nightmarish images popping into his head once more as he just gawked at her. Feeling his heart thrash against his chest, blood becoming cold as he was pale, he dared to even reach toward her. However, she looked away, breathing deeply.

"You know what? I got to go," she said quickly before hurrying past him. "I promised Carrie we'd bake cookies, and I better get to the kitchen before she gets a head-start. Or we just might have to call the fire department."

She scampered away as fast as her long tentacle legs could take her, unable to look him in the eye any longer. Johnny could only stand there and watch as she practically ran across the room, disappearing behind the kitchen door.
_