The Seasonal Creeping Crawl. A technique invented by Louis Clawtre after an event in the human world left children frightened of Santa Claus. This scare is achieved by, as the name impli-
"Psst. Hey! Abby!"
Abby shut her book in irritation, looking left and right for the source of the sound. Nothing seemed to be around her except a few classmates who had sprawled out on the lawn of the high school to study. Then the rustle of a tree branch caught her attention, and she peered into the leaves to see her worst nightmare smiling at her.
"Hey! I'm up here!"
Abby sputtered, nearly throwing her book in rage. "What are you doing here?"
Arabella giggled, smoothing out her pastel dress. "Getting my clothes dirty so I could talk to you, of course."
"What? Why?"
"Because I want to be friends!" She patted the space on the branch next to her. "Come up here so we can talk!"
"No!"
"Aw, come on. Look, I know we got off on the wrong pair of legs, but let's talk about it! What do you say?"
Abby looked guarded. "You won't attack me or anything? Because I could take you," she hissed. "Easily."
"I know that. I just want to talk!" Arabella's light British voice sounded friendly enough, and with the knowledge that she could protect herself, Abby climbed the tree. Arabella giggled and clapped. "Oh, excellent! Excellent! I'm so glad."
"What do you want to talk about?" Abby snapped. "I don't have anything to say to you."
"That's alright! I have plenty to say to you. I've been thinking about it for a while. You know, I secretly hoped for a sister for a long time! And now you're here! It's so wonderful!"
"We're not sisters!" the other hissed. "I hate you! And now that I know you, I can barely stand you! How could Mother raise a monster like you?!"
Arabella blinked. Then she smiled and laughed, although she looked a bit hurt. "I knew you'd say something like that, too. I'm not sure how to get you to like me. I'm just so glad you exist."
"I'm not your sister, I never will be," Abby stressed. "We're never gonna play dolls or talk about boys or tattoo each other because I hate you. The only thing I'm interested in is being a great scarer like Mother was."
Arabella was quiet for a second, before smiling at her. "I think you're pretty scary. Much scarier than me," she admitted softly. "We don't have to play dolls or anything like that if you don't want to."
"Jeez!" Abby rolled her eyes. "You're not the sharpest fang in the mouth, are you? I-"
"No, no, I get it. You hate me." Arabella wrung her hands, her centipede legs rustling nervously against the bark. "It's just...I...I really want a friend. And you...you're so cool. It's hard to believe we've sisters. Even half-sisters. I wish I could be as scary as you. And I thought, maybe, if we were friends, I could learn how to be like you."
"So you want to use me?" Abby demanded, her voice loud and clear. She even raised her chin a fraction. "Hoping my skills would rub off on you?"
"No, no! I, ugh, that came out wrong." Arabella grimaced, scratching the nubby spikes on her head. "I just...I just want to hang out with you. I...I just wanted a friend. But...maybe it was stupid of me to come here. I'm always doing stupid things."
Abby's eyes widened as her half-sister hung her head. "I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come. I should have known it was stupid to try to get you to like me. I-I'll leave you alone."
A hand on her arm stopped her, but the sound of the school bell stopped Abby. Turning to Arabella, she looked a touch gentler. Like a constrictor snake instead of a poisonous one; still dangerous, but wouldn't kill immediately. "Meet me here at three o'clock next week."
"Arabella. This is...Nate."
The lolita-dressed monstress waved excitedly, only for Nate to half-heartedly raise his hand in return.
"I thought she was our enemy," he whispered to his sister. Abby swallowed, sweating bullets as she fumbled for an excuse.
"She's too pitiful to ignore," she answered hastily.
Arabella waited patiently for them, only for Nate to turn to her. "Hey," he tried to say coolly, clearly fidgeting. "So. Why do you want to be friends with us, again?"
"You guys are so cool," Arabella answered, sparkles in her eyes. "Besides, we're siblings! Why shouldn't we try to get along?"
"Because Mother left our mom for your dad?" Nate suggested before Abby elbowed him in the gut. Arabella giggled guiltily. "I know, but hey! We don't have to be all caught up in their thing, do we? We can have our own thing!"
"'Our own thing'?" Nate repeated doubtfully.
"And what would that entail?" Abby added, folding her arms.
"Uh...I don't know. What do you guys like to do?"
"Study," Abby replied swiftly. "Work out?" Nate answered, almost immediately.
"Hm..." Arabella hummed. "Well, we can just try talking, for starters."
"About what?"
"Well, about our lives, silly! I'll go first. Um...I go a private school, but you guys knew that. I take piano and scaring lessons, and...my favorite food is glazed eyeballs. Now you guys!"
Abby and Nate exchanged doubtful glances. Shrugging his shoulders, he decided to go along with it. Whatever Abby was cool with, right? "Uh...I play football? My favorite food is slime tacos, and...I dunno, I just do whatever Abby says."
"I've never had slime tacos!" Arabella giggled, to which Nate muttered something under his breath about rich monsters. "Now it's your turn, Abby!"
The girl shrugged. "I'm not interesting, really. I study scaring and tell Nate what to do."
"What's your favorite food?"
"...Lamb, I guess. I don't eat it very often, though."
"Really? I have it all the time! Aw, I wish you guys could come to dinner sometime!"
"Us too," Nate told her pointedly.
"Oh." Arabella giggled nervously. "I, uh, I'm sorry. I wish I could come to your dinner, too. I-If it makes you feel better."
The two Flint children were surprised to feel that it did.
These conversations continued monthly until the end of the school year. As they grew older and more independent, Abby and Nate found themselves meeting their half-sister at the park, the ice scream shop, and various places around town. Despite their initial meeting, they soon befriended Arabella.
"So...okay. I have to ask. And I don't want you to get mad, but...um. What...what's your mum like?" Arabella asked shyly, squirming in her seat.
Nate answered her, his arm stretched out across the back of the seat and away from Abby's head. Abby was very clear when she taught him not to do that. "She's usually pretty nice. But damn, the second you disrespect her, you wish you hadn't."
"Mhm," Abby added, taking an entire bite of her ice scream. "She'll tear you in pieces in a second. But other than that, she is very loving. She tries her best to be there for us even though she works a lot."
"Wow. She sounds really great." Arabella swirled her straw in her milkshake.
"What's your dad like?" Nate asked, carefully avoiding the question he clearly wanted to ask.
"Oh...hm." Oddly solemn, the monstress looked down and pursed her lips. "He's...he's great, but he doesn't...understand. Sometimes."
"What do you mean?" Abby asked in a specific tone of hers-quiet, but forceful.
"Oh...I'm not good at scaring. Mummy says I'm just a late bloomer, but...you know how it is with fathers."
"Actually, we don't," Nate pointed out.
"Oh. Hehehe! Sorry!"
"So, where are you guys going to school?" Arabella asked them in senior year in the park, just to make conversation. She knew the answer already.
"Monsters University," they answered simultaneously. "Jinx," Nate laughed, jabbing Abby in the arm. She still remembers the relief on his face when he got his acceptance letter. Nate had natural potential, but wasn't the brightest student. Luckily, his sister was a great tutor.
"Ha ha. Have fun."
"You're not going?" Abby asked curiously. Nate leaned forward, looking concerned. But Arabella waved them off with a giggle.
"No...with Mum and Dad there, it'd just be awkward, you know? I'm going to Fear Tech."
"Oh." It was a slightly disappointing surprise for the two of them.
"Don't be sad!" Arabella laughed. "I'll still be on campus a lot, probably. I'll still see you. We can hang out!"
"Actually, just stay at Fear Tech," Nate groaned. Arabella giggled at his joke, and even Abby cracked a smile.
"What are you majoring in?" Abby asked her. It was a pointed question, and Arabella frowned guilty.
"Scaring."
"Bel!" "Bella!"
Arabella put up her hands defensively. "Well, what was I supposed to do? Tell my legendary scarer parents that their only child doesn't want to be a scarer?" she exclaimed. "Are you mad?"
"You'll have to tell them eventually," Abby told her sharply.
"Yeah, and why are you going to school and studying something you hate?" Nate added, throwing his hands up. "Come on, Bel."
"I know," she moaned. "But not now. And anyway, what are you two going to do?"
"'Bout what?" Nate yawned, but his sister was silent.
"About Mummy! You know, the dean?"
"Oh, yeah. Eh, she's just the dean, y'know? Not going to be grading us or anything."
"She's the final authority of who gets to stay in her program! Not to mention, my father will be grading you. Who knows how that will work out."
"Yeah? You think they might try to sabotage us?" Nate laughed and put his arm around Abby in a one-armed hug. "Nah, me an' Abby got it covered. We can do anything together! Right, Ab?"
Abby didn't react to the shaking, nor did she return the embrace, but she did smile.
"Right."
A month later, five monsters were packed together in Mike's car-the one with, as he boasted, 'six wheel drive'. Mike was obviously driving, with Bonnie in the front seat giving him directions. Sulley was in the back with Nate and Abby, the latter of which had the window seat and the former with the middle. As they passed by the gates of Monsters University, Abby looked up in amazement at the architecture surrounding the massive property. She recognized the two monsters on the roofs of the pillars—the two university presidents immediately succeeding Arthur Clawson—and studied the university crest. As she was gazing at the ironwork, her brother had noticed her look and clammered up to the window so he could squish his face into the glass.
"Whoa...sick," he whistled. "This place looks huge! I can't wait to fly up and check it out."
Normally his mother would chide him for planning to fly off, but she was far too busy arguing with Mike over where exactly the parking lot was. With a lot of frustration, they finally found it. And, true to his word, Nate stretched out his wings as soon as he unbuckled his seatbelt.
However, he was stopped by his sister's hand on his wrist. "Where are you going? We have to get registered. We can sight-see after we move in," she told him sternly.
He blew a raspberry. "I'm gonna go get registered. I'm just gonna fly there. Come on, I'll take you too." And before Abby could protest, his wings began to beat. Giving a short yelp, her claws dug into his arm as she scrambled to cling to him before they were too far off the ground.
"Abby? Nate!" Bonnie's voice called from the ground as she reached out to them. "Come back here!" But they were too far into the sky to hear her. Once Nate had gained altitude, he took off deeper into campus.
Slumping, Bonnie sighed and rubbed her eyes. Sulley patted her shoulder sympathetically. "Come on, they'll be fine."
Up in the air, the two siblings clawed each other for dominance. "You know," Abby huffed, climbing over her brother so that she was perched on his back, "we could just take a tour like everybody else!"
Nate laughed, swinging sharply to the left at the School of Business. "If you haven't noticed, we aren't like everybody else!"
Having gained the dean's wing strength with the structure of Bonnie's lighter body helped develop Nate into a strong flyer. And he loved flying. He had memorized the layout of Monstropolis by heart, and he could pin down a squirrel a hundred feet into the sky. He could easily carry his sister anywhere she wanted, even with her weight on the heavier side. Sometimes, he liked to surprise her with a corkscrew or two.
Like, one straight into the river.
Her screams of terror soon morphed into a creative slew of curse words once he pulled out of the corkscrew, blasting several students with the force of his gale. Snorting in laughter, he ignored the punches on his horns and beat his wings out to sail over the quad.
As he suspected, the punches slowed to a stop as they gazed upon the renown School of Scaring. Their mother's school. And it was impressive.
"Whoa..." Abby breathed quietly, her eyes wide. After she had gotten her fill, Nate asked to see the map. Of course, she had it tucked away in her university jacket pocket.
Nate peered at it, then pointed to a building by the side of the Scare School. "That's the registration building." Upon looking at said building, he noticed students lined up in front of a booth run by a very happy monster. "Looks like that's registration. Hang on, sis!"
Luckily, he refrained from a corkscrew this time.
After that, they had split. Mike and Sulley were helping Nate move in, while Bonnie helped her daughter with her things. Bonnie tried to talk to Abby, but the girl had been unusually quiet around her lately.
"Are you excited?" the snake monstress asked as they weaved through students in the hallway with their bags. Abby only hummed in reply.
They unlocked the door to her room, but no one was in there yet. "Looks like you've got first dibs," Bonnie laughed. Abby picked the bed on the right side of the room and began to unpack her things. Her mother helped where she could, but mostly she just stood there with her hands locked. "Do you want me to leave? Am I embarrassing you?"
Abby shook her head; her mother's terrifying appearance only added to the fear she wanted to strike in others...and she knew she wasn't going to be seeing her for a long time. Throwing her stuff together in piles she could easily sort through later, she glided over to the window overlooking the School of Scaring.
With the door shut, Bonnie came up behind her and stroked her eyes softly. Abby closed her eyes, but remained rigidly at attention.
"What are you going to do about your mother?" Bonnie asked quietly, for the first time.
"Nothing," Abby replied. It was obviously rehearsed. "It's up to her what she's going to do about me, isn't it?"
Bonnie chuckled. "I suppose it is. But are you sure you want to do this? Fear Tech is just as good of a school."
"I'm going to pretend like you didn't just say that." Smiling, Abby turned to look her mother in the eye. "You of all people should know that MU is the best place for a future scarer."
But it's not the best place for the Dean's illegitimate children, is what Bonnie wanted to say. But she faked a smile and rubbed Abby's eyestalks softly. "That's right."
The group met up again outside of the dorms. Mike and Sulley were talking amongst themselves as Nate slithered up to his sister.
"You'll never guess who my roommate is," he blurted out before she could even say anything. Blinking, Abby looked at him curiously.
"Rex. Y'know, Rex Boggs?"
"Oh."
"I hate him! He's so annoying!" Nate bared his teeth and rolled his eyes. "'Looks like we're gonna be best buds, Nate!' What a chump."
Abby nodded supportively.
"What about you?"
"Apparently, she dropped out."
"What?"
"Yes, I asked the front desk and they told me she had dropped out the day before."
"So you have a room all to yourself, then! Lucky!"
"I suppose..."
"Hey, you still got that map? I want to scope out this place thoroughly." Upon receiving said map, he grinned. "Nice. Hey, text me when Mom's ready to leave. I'll see you later." And with that, he was off. Abby looked around to see Sulley in conversation with her mother and Mike observing the aquatic students by Troll Bridge. Pausing a moment, she shuffled over to where Mike was and waited patiently for him to acknowledge her presence.
"Oh, hey, kid. Didn't see ya there." He didn't disappoint. "How're ya likin' this place so far?"
"Very beautiful," Abby answered, her hands clasped together. "Mike, I have a question."
"Shoot, kid. Anything."
She fidgeted, hesitating. She had grown into her mothers' heights, reaching a full 7'7", so like her mothers, she towered over Mike. But he noticed, in these moments, she seemed fragile and small. Nothing but a little girl who was so very unsure of herself.
"What's she like?" she whispered.
He thought she might ask that. Sighing, he turned back to the river and mulled it over. Abby approached him quietly, peering over the edge of the bridge to see the School of Aquatics.
"Know what, kid?" he told her, finally. "She's a lot like you."
Abby blinked, and her voice left her. "R-Really...?"
"Yeah. She's a tough nut to crack, that's for sure. But, y'know, for all her 'Dean of the School of Hard Knocks' schtick, she's really not so bad. Just like you. You put up a wall sometimes, you know. Like you want to be mean, but you're actually a really sweet kid."
"I...I see." Abby swallowed. 'Sweet' wasn't a good quality in a scarer. "...Do you think she knows?"
"I don't know. She knows a lot, but...she doesn't know a lot, at the same time." Mike pat her arm comfortingly. "But don't stress yourself out about her. Besides, who wouldn't like a scary gal like you?"
The girl smiled and giggled. "Thanks, Mike."
Once it was time for the adults to leave, Mike and Sulley said their goodbyes before Bonnie. Sulley wished them good luck, and Mike told her to call if she needed anything. Once it was Bonnie's turn, the snake monstress tenderly embraced the both of them.
"Good luck, you two. I know you're going to be just fine. Call me if you need anything, or just to talk. And don't forget, you can come home any time you want." Pulling back, she kissed Abby on the eye and Nate on the forehead. "I know you can do it."
"Thanks, Mom."
"Bye, Mama."
"Goodbye. Have fun." Hesitantly, she pulled away from the two and sniffed before getting in the car. Abby and Nate stood and watched as the three of them left, waving the whole time.
"Think she's gonna be okay?" Nate muttered to his sister.
"Hm. We may have to come home a few times."
A/N: finally picking up this story again...sorry about all the timeskips, but we've finally caught up to present time now! yay! most of the story will be told from abby's first year.
p.s. if you want to check out little scribbles i've done of the kids, check out my tumblr: abigail-hardscrabble()tumblr()com/tagged/hardscrabble-heiress