so instead of calling sulley "sullivan" or something im just going to refer to him as sulley while narrating. I hope thats all good with you guys, i know this story is mostly from michaela's pov so it may seem weird to call him sulley since she doesnt know him as that yet, but it made the most sense to me to just call him sulley for the benefit of the readers
anyway enjoy the chapter! i didnt REALLY edit this one too much, but hopefully its still ok
also the next chapter might be a while just because i have a lot on my plate atm and i don't have much time for editing. I'll try to get it out eventually, it might not even be a while idk, it could just be a few days or so before i can post it. we'll just have to see i guess!
"Come on, Michaela. It's a party," Randall urged, "We have to go!"
Michaela flipped her school calendar to December and marked down the day of the scaring final exam in red, tacking it up over the Scare Games flyer she'd picked up the day before.
"We flunk that scaring final we are done. I'm not taking any chances." She said firmly, climbing down from where she'd been standing on her bed to sit down at her desk and pull a stack of scaring textbooks towards her, taking one from the top.
"We've got the whole semester to study," Randall protested, "But this? This might be our only chance to get in with the cool kids. That's why…"
He held up a finger for her to wait as he opened the door to her dorm, Michaela watching curiously as he retreated back into his own room before returning with a tray of cupcakes that he happily presented to her.
"That's why I made these cupcakes!"
She looked at the tray. Each cupcake had a letter iced out on top of it in red, spelling out "be my dal."
She looked over the cupcakes silently, unsure what "dal" was.
Randall noticed the misspelling and quickly twisted the cupcake with the "d" around to a "p", the message now reading "be my pal."
"Oops." He said, "That could've been embarrassing. Now come on!"
"I'm sorry Randy, but no. Besides, when I'm a scarer, life will be a nonstop party," She said, standing from her desk and walking him to the door, "Stay outta trouble, wild man."
"Wild man." He chuckled a little, shaking his head, "You're sure?"
"I'm sure. Now go have fun!" She smiled, gently shoving him out the door, "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Alright. Have fun with your books, then." Randall waved her off, turning and making his way down the hall.
She closed the door behind him, rubbing her hands together as she sat back down at her desk. She opened the textbook she had taken from the top of her stack, skimming over the index for important chapters of note.
She paused when she heard a small creaking noise, glancing over puzzlement towards her window as it nudged itself open. She could only stare, confusion growing on her face as a pig-faced animal popped its head up over the sill.
The creature snorted before flopping in through the window and landing over her shaggy carpet, its six legs flailing wildly. It quickly jumped up, squealing loudly and tearing through her dorm room. She cried out and stood up on the safety of her chair, watching the pig knock over her trash bin and kick up her carpet as it darted around the small space.
Two hands grabbed onto the window sill, a boy suddenly pulling himself up into the room.
"Archie!" Sulley cried with a grin on his face.
Michaela squawked in surprise at his sudden appearance, making the boy yell out in surprise as well and lose his grip on the window sill before falling into the room with a loud thump. The pig jumped over his back and scrambled beneath Michaela's bed, an impressive feat given the creature's girth.
Her surprise quickly faded to anger, "Hey, what're you—!"
"Shhh!" Sulley hushed, holding a finger to his lips.
"Wha—You're shushing me?!" She yelled, hopping down from where she was perched on her chair and stalking over to him, "You can't shush me—"
The boy quickly snagged her and covered the lower half of her face with a large hand once she was within grabbing distance, silencing her.
She tried to yell in protest, but her voice was muffled by his palm. She briefly considered licking it to get his hand off her but decided against it.
Sulley was attempting to bite back a grin as he peeked out over the window, four large Fear Tech students in letterman jackets coming to a stop below the window.
"Where'd he go!?" One called out.
"He's dead meat." The largest one said, punching his hand into his palm.
"Hey guys, over here!" Another called, the small group taking off after the voice.
Sulley watched them leave with a barely restrained grin.
"Fear Tech dummies." He snorted.
Michaela slapped at his arm urgently, growing light-headed from the hand covering both her mouth and her nose.
Realizing his hand was still clamped over her, he quickly released her.
"Oh, sorry about that." He chuckled.
Gasping for air, Michaela panted as she fixed him with a glare.
"Why are you in my room!" She demanded.
He slowly stood up, releasing his hold from around the smaller girl, "Your room? This is my—"
He stood there for a moment.
"This is not my room." He declared.
Shrugging, he turned his attention to the bed.
"Archie? C'mere boy!" He called, attempting to mimic pig noises.
"Archie?" She questioned.
"Archie the scare pig!" Sulley clarified as he knelt down and tried to pull the animal from under Michaela's bed. "He's Feat Tech's mascot."
"Why is it here?" She asked.
Sulley chortled, "I stole it. Gonna take it to the RORs."
"The what?"
The boy stood up, giving her an incredulous look. "Roar Omega Roar? The top fraternity on campus? They only accept the highly elite."
Michaela merely looked at him. He rolled his eyes.
Bending his knees, he reached down and hooked his hands on the underside of the bed.
"Okay, I'll lift the bed, you grab the pig." He said, looking at her, "Ready?"
"What? No—"
"One-two-three!" Before she could protest further, he quickly lifted the bed and shoved the unsuspecting girl beneath it.
The bed started to buck and jerk the moment she was thrown to the mercy of the near rabid pig between the small space of bed and floor.
"Don't let go!" Sulley called down, "And watch out, he's a biter!"
Archie shot out from under the bed, yanking a tousled Michaela behind him to the opposite wall before she managed to pull free, Sulley grabbing the pig and juggling him in his arms as Archie attempted to escape the hands trying to capture him. The pig leaped out of the boy's hands and shot across the room, managing to scurry up her tall bookcase.
"I got 'im!" Sulley cried as he quickly climbed up the shelves after him, reaching for the pig just as the entire bookcase began to teeter before falling and crashing down to the floor on top of the boy.
Michaela pushed herself back on her feet, staring at the body sandwiched between the floor and bookshelf, unsure if she should attempt to help or not. Before she could do anything, the piece of furniture was suddenly pushed off and thrown to the side.
"That was awesome." Sulley laughed from the ground, covered in books. He looked at Michaela, moving to sit up as he brushed the books from him. He outstretched his hand towards her. "What am I doing? I haven't introduced myself. James P. Sullivan."
He accompanied this with a wink.
Michaela resisted the urge to grimace at him as she took his hand and shook it, "Michaela Wazowski. Listen it was quite delightful meeting you and... whatever that is, but if you don't mind I have to study my scaring."
She opened her door and motioned out into the hallway, hoping he'd get the message.
He blew out air from between his lips. "You don't need to study scaring, you just do it."
"Really?" Michaela asked, voice flat, "I think there's little more to it than that."
She reached down and picked up a few of the many books that now lay strewn across her floor, walking to her desk and setting them down.
"But hey, thanks for stopping by—"
Archie suddenly jumped up and snatched her hat from her desk, scurrying across its wooden surface before jumping to the floor and promptly hopping out the open window.
"My hat!" She yelled, rushing towards the window.
"My pig!" Sulley shouted.
Michaela leaped for her door, wrenching it open and running out in hopes of intercepting the pig outside, Sulley hot on her trail.
Michaela desperately chased after Archie as he bolted through campus with her hat clamped in his teeth. Finally, as she drew close enough, she made a flying leap towards the creature, straddling it with her legs and grabbing the Fear Tech blanket that was strapped around its body as she attempted to yank her hat from his clenched teeth. The pig's legs crumpled underneath their combined weight before quickly recovering and pushing himself back up, taking off again with the girl still on top.
"Yeah!" Sulley cheered, watching Michaela as she continued struggling to free her hat from his jaws. "Ride it to Frat Row!"
Michaela cringed as the pig just barely missed a guitar-playing student singing a ballad to several girls gathered around him, Sully crashing through the little group behind Michaela and sending half the students sprawling across the grass. Laughing, he continued to race after both the pig and the girl who were heading toward the lights of Frat Row.
Still at top speed, Michaela rode Archie through the first story of a fraternity house as she struggled to free her hat, crashing through the partying students.
She spotted Randall offering cupcakes to a few students sitting on the deck of the fraternity house. Knowing she couldn't stop the pig under her, she squeezed her eyes shut as she barreled over him, his cupcakes sailing into the air and splattering down on top of his head.
The pig beneath her veered sharply around a corner and ran out onto the grass, colliding with a boy chasing a football. The impact sent Michaela tumbling across the grass, gasping on the ground while Archie continued running. Sulley leaped over her, chasing after the pig.
It still had her hat. Desperate, Michaela looked around and noticed a trash can at the end of a row of bikes, Archie running right towards them.
She stood, grabbing the football that lay next to her and timing her throw before leaping back a few paces and hurling it into the air. It collided with the first bike, the rest falling after it like dominoes and knocking the trash can right into the pig's path. Unable to stop himself in his tracks, Archie ran straight into the can. Michaela gave a victorious laugh, rushing over and crouching down, dragging the squealing creature from the can and yanking away her MU hat from him with a triumphant "Ha-ha!"
Sulley ran up next to her, quickly grabbing her around the waist and hoisting her up into the air along with the pig like a trophy, setting her on his shoulder.
"Fear Tech's mascot!" He announced victoriously. "MU rules!"
The rapidly gathering crowd cheered, Sulley handing the pig over to another student who slapped an MU sticker over the pig's Fear Tech blanket. A grin spread across Michaela's face as she looked around at the surrounding crowd that was chanting "MU! MU! MU!"
The crowd parted for several hulking fraternity boys in letterman jackets as they closed in, Sulley carefully setting her down to her feet.
"Did you see him catch that pig?" One of them said, "You are Jaws Theta Chi material, freshman!"
Michaela felt a tiny spark of irritation strike inside her, "Hey, I was the one who—"
"No, no," Another fraternity boy said, clapping Sulley on the back, "He's an Omega Howl guy."
"Back off, we saw him first."
"No, we did—!"
"I'll take it from here, gentlemen." A smooth voice interrupted,
The fraternity brothers all parted for a figure sporting a crimson sweater with the letters "ROR" stitched across the chest, a pair of massive horns perched on top of their head and two tusk-like teeth jutting up from their lower jaw.
The figure, a boy with muted purple hair, strutted up to Sulley and extended his hand towards him.
"Johnny Worthington. President of Roar Omega Roar." He introduced, "What's your name, big blue?"
"Jimmy Sullivan. Friends call me Sulley." Sulley said, taking his hand and giving it a firm shake.
"This guy's a Sullivan!? Like the famous Sullivan!?" Exclaimed a squat-looking ROR member with a lisp. "I can't believe it! That is crazy—!"
"Chet, calm down."
"I'm sorry."
Johnny turned back to Sulley, "Any freshman with the guts to pull off a stunt like that has got future scarer written all over him."
The fraternity president drew his arm over Sulley's shoulder, leading him away.
"Hey, did you see me ride the pig?" Michaela piped up, "That took guts."
"Slow down, sweetheart. This party is for scare students only." Chet said, turning to face her and puffing his chest out until she backed away. "Why don't you go find PNK."
"Why would I do that?" Michaela lowered her eyebrows and crossed her arms defensively.
Johny turned as well, towering over her despite being shorter than Sulley by a good few inches.
"Oh, sorry sugar. You might want to hang out with someone a little more your speed." He pretended to look around before his eyes landed on a spot behind her. He placed a hand on her shoulder and turned her around, pointing. "They look fun!"
She followed his finger to a group of awkward-looking students surrounding a table that was decorated with balloons and a cake, the sign above reading "Oozma Kappa" accompanied by a small green banner boasting their co-ed status despite the fact that no girls appeared to be among them.
Michaela looked at the group blankly.
"Go crazy," Johnny said, patting her head once,
She glanced back at him in disbelief, "Is that a joke?"
Johnny sighed with annoyance, "Sulley. Talk to your girlfriend."
"Well she's not really my girlfriend, but sure." He turned to Michaela, "You heard him. This is a party for scare students."
"I am a scare student!" She protested.
Sulley shrugged, "I mean… for scare students who actually, you know… have a chance."
"Oh, snap!" Chet yelled as the other ROR brothers chuckled.
His remark coupled with the ensuing laughter cut Michaela down to the core, her eyes narrowing at Sulley.
"My chances are as good as yours." She insisted.
"You're not even in the same league as me!" Sulley snorted, turning and following his new brothers up the stone steps that lead to the path of the ROR fraternity house.
"Just wait, hotshot." She said, glaring after him, "I'm gonna scare circles around you this year."
Sulley chuckled, glancing over his shoulder, "Okay, I'd like to see that."
"Oh don't worry," She said under her breath as she watched ROR's retreating backs, determinately setting her hat over her head, "You will."
"Ready position." Professor Knight said as the lined up students took their starting stances. "Common crouch."
They all hunched, their arms extending in front of them as their professor walked down the row.
"I want to see matted hair and sharp teeth!" He said, "Show me slobber! Drool is a tool! Use it!"
Michaela growled and attempted to concentrate on her form. She was having trouble doing so with her growing issue, though—That issue being Sulley standing at her immediate left sending her smug looks every chance he got. Randall caught her eye and silently urged her with his eyes to just ignore him, but it was difficult with him right there next to her.
Professor Knight walked around the room, making adjustments to the students' poses. As he got to Sulley, he paused.
"Now here is a monster who looks like a scarer." He praised.
Sulley looked to Michaela as the professor walked away, the blue-haired boy winking. He grinned obnoxiously when Michaela responded with a seething glare.
"If you want a hope of passing this class, you better eat, breathe, and sleep scaring," Professor Knight said to them.
Michaela took her teacher's advice to heart. She read piles of books late into the night, memorized different scare techniques, and practiced for hours, snarling and growling in the mirror of her tiny dormitory bathroom whenever she got out of the shower or brushed her teeth.
Her retainer kept popping out whenever she attempted to practice however, so she eventually resolved to remove it during her more hands-on study sessions and when she attended scare class.
Weeks passed and Michaela didn't falter in her rigorous studies. Fall football arrived on campus, but she paid no attention to it. Instead, she spent hours in her room while she and Randall quizzed each other.
"Fear of spiders?" Randall asked.
"Arachnophobia," Michaela answered quickly.
"Fear of thunder?"
"Keraunophobia."
"Fear of chopsticks?"
"Consecoteleophobia," Michaela said, looking at him with a grin from where she'd been lounging against her bean bag chair and tossing a hacky sack into the air above her, "What is this, kindergarten? Give me a hard one!"
The semester continued, and Michaela's efforts began to pay off.
"The answer is C, fangs!"
"Well done, Ms. Wazowski." Professor Knight praised.
"A clown running in the dark!" She said confidently.
"Right again!"
"Warts, boils, moles! In that order!" Michaela answered.
"Outstanding!" Professor Knight said, smiling at her with a pleased look
Sulley looked over to the small green-haired girl and gave her a nasty stare, looking away when she turned to give him a smug look.
Soon it was October and the semester was half over—An important scaring test coming up as both winter break and Hardscrabble's final exam loomed on the horizon.
After Professor Knight handed out the test results the following class, Sulley walked down the School of Scaring's steps holding his results. He grinned and gave Johnny a thumbs up as he approached, confirming that he'd passed.
Michaela came hopping down the stairs, ducking between the two boys and showing off her perfect score without even turning around to face them as she walked off.
Johnny snatched Sulley's exam and unfolded it to reveal a lowly C-minus. He and the RORs exchanged looks.
Michaela remained fired up—Barely able to contain herself at the thought of taking Hardscrabble's upcoming exam as she went through the motions of day to day college life, including the student job she'd taken up in order to take some of the weight off her mother who was single-handedly paying for her meal plan and what little of her tuition wasn't going into loans for Michaela to pay off herself after she graduated.
Every day after classes she'd punch in her work-study card and steer a floor polisher across the halls with one hand while holding a book on scare tactics in the other. She had become remarkably good at carrying out both tasks at the same time, able to (mostly) dodge around oncoming students as she studied.
In the classroom, Michaela presented her prepared display to Professor Knight for his in-person scare demonstration test. She expertly performed all the important poses: Piranha-Jaw, Ogre's slump, Zombie Snarl, Dominant Silverback Gorilla, and so on.
"That is some remarkable improvement, Michaela." Professor Knight praised, marking down a grade for her before moving on to Sulley.
Sulley hunched over and extended his arms, making a deep low rumble as he bared his sharp teeth.
Professor Knight merely shook his head, marking down a grade for him as well.
"One frightening face does not a scarer make, Mr. Sullivan." He said disapprovingly before moving on to the next student.
Sulley looked at Michaela, his confidence frayed by the professor's words, subsequently made worse when the girl next to him mimicked his smug wink back at him.
The next morning Michaela ripped another page off her calendar to December, the day for Hardscrabble's final circled in red. The exam had arrived.