The following days were quiet. Abby kept to herself, as did most of her sorority sisters. Her blood sister had disappeared, probably buried deep in fabric, and her brother was constantly with his new brothers.
This left Abby with her new group of friends.
They all agreed to start training for the Scare Games. However, the problem was no one could figure out how to do that. Phoebe, of course, wanted to take over training—but Abby thought her ideas were dull and meaningless. She suggested a new training regimen, one that specialized in everyone's strong suits rather than everyone working on general skills.
"Absolutely not!" Phoebe argued. "I'm the president, and I've been in the scaring program for three years, and we're doing what I say!"
"Even if it will put us at a disadvantage?" Abby snapped. "I know what I'm doing better than you. You haven't led HSS to victory in all your years here. Give me a chance to prove I'm the best."
"I am not going to let some puny freshman order me around!" Amber snarled.
"I dunno, guys, maybe we should give her a chance," Sophie spoke up.
The girls' voices soon blended into a cacophony of arguing. Abby and Phoebe were at each others throats, but Amber and Lily were shouting in order for their viewpoints to be heard. Lexi grimaced uncomfortably at the noise, and Sophie bounced around trying to diffuse the tension.
Finally, Abby gave her best impression of her snake mother attempting to rein in her trainees. "QUIET!" she roared, silencing the group. Lily, Phoebe, and Amber glared at her and she answered their glares with a fierce one of her own.
"Do what you want," she snarled, "but I won't waste my time with this useless garbage."
With that, she stormed away.
"No, no, that's not right, either. Should I go with this? I'm not sure if it looks any better than the first. Abby's jacket has to be just right…"
A tearing noise echoed through the open room as Arabella ripped out another one of her sketches. Her desk was covered in similar sketches, some marked with black or red and filled with notes and scribbles. A monster dress form stood in the center of the room, layers of black leather draped over it.
A knock came at the door. Arabella was so engrossed in her work that she didn't hear it, and the door opened by itself. Clicking noises were heard as the monster entered the room, bearing a tray of tea and pastries.
"Ah, I was wondering why I hadn't seen you," a light British voice chuckled. "Another project? Looks like a big one."
Arabella glanced at her mother, nervous that she might figure something out. Of course, there was nothing incriminating about Arabella working on clothing—she did that all the time.
"Uh, yes. I'm designing a jacket, you see. But, um, I'm still planning it." Arabella stood, making sure to cover up her sketches, and joined Abigail at her tea table. Abigail poured her the tea as Arabella picked out a pastry to eat. "Thank you, Mummy."
"Anything for my darling daughter. I know you tend skip meals when you get engrossed in a project like this, and I am just worried about you. Make sure you keep hydrated and well fed, even when I'm not here," her mother instructed.
"Yes, Mummy, I will."
"So, Arabella, how is school? Are your classes good?" Leaning in with a teasing smile, she whispered: "Do I have to have a talk with your professors?"
The younger tried to laugh, avoiding Abigail's gaze. "No, Mummy. My classes are good."
"That's good to hear. You know if you ever need help, your father and I are here to help. I know how difficult it can be for a first year student. I want you to know that we would do anything for you."
"Thank you, Mummy." Arabella tried not to feel guilty. Her mother was so kind and caring to her. It was something she had been given from birth, but it was all her step-sister had ever wanted. Abby had to fight for Abigail's love, but Arabella had earned it just by being born "right". If only they could have traded places.
"Are you alright, dear?" Abigail asked gently. "You're zoning out. I hope you don't do that in class."
"Never, Mummy. Of course." If only.
The chilly winter air blew through Abby's coat, fluttering her long red scarf in the breeze. She sat upon one of the HSS house's tallest spires, looking up into the starry night sky.
A noise behind her made her spin in a flash. To her surprise, Lexi was coming out of the window to join her. The larger girl gasped as Abby saw her and froze, clearly not sure what to do next.
Abby took pity on her. With a flat look, she gestured to the space next to her. She watched in mild amusement as Lexi lumbered out the window and across the roof to sit next to her. They both watched the stars in silence, until Abby finally broke it.
"What's on your mind, big girl?"
Lexi was quiet for a moment. "Um, the Scare Games." Abby couldn't remember what Lexi's voice was like…in fact, she had never remembered her speaking. But Lexi had a deep, low voice, almost like a man's. No wonder she was so shy.
"What about them?"
"…I think you were right. About the training."
Abby glanced at her for a moment, inspecting her. Lexi appeared to be truthful. "Thanks."
"But…what if we fail? What if we get knocked out before the first event?"
The centipede girl fell silent for a moment. "We won't."
"How do you-?"
"We're Eta Hiss Hiss, the oldest sorority on campus. We're a gang of mean girls with tough looks and even tougher grit. Besides, we'll be competing against Oozma Kappa. If we can't beat them, none of us even deserve to be scarers."
Lexi looked slightly more relieved at her this. "So…it'll all work out?"
"For now. But once the competition gets tough, the tough need a better training regimen." Abby huffed in frustration. "You know, you would think I know a thing or two about scarer training. My mother is a scarer trainer! It's what she gets paid to do all day!"
Lexi smiled. "Phoebe is a HSS girl. But she'll come around."
"You think?"
"Yep. But Amber isn't going to like it."
"Mm, muscle girl. I think I can handle her. I already have a training plan in mind for her."
"I guess I can't know what it is?"
"Sorry, top secret." Abby threw her a teasing smirk. "Now as your future leader, I order you to get some sleep. It's the first part of your training plan."
"Yes, ma'am." Lexi saluted, and the two girls burst into laughter.
"Are you sure this is where they want us to meet?" Sophie squeaked as the HSS girls made their way towards an abandoned parking lot. An abandoned parking lot that…seemed to now be an obstacle course? An obstacle course that looked like a playground?
A large crowd was gathered around the beginning of the course, around a platform that the Greek Council presidents stood upon. A sign behind them read "Toxicity Challenge" painted in red. As the chants from the crowd grew louder and clearer, Abby scowled at the din.
"I'm sure," she growled. Her scowl grew even more pronounced as the screech of her mother's wings echoed through the air. Abigail landed on the platform, in the darkness, and looked upon the crowd with condescension. Abby sneered at her, pointed teeth bared.
"Welcome to the Scare Games!" one of the presidents announced. "Let's give up for our teams in this year's games! First up—Jaws Theta Chi!"
The JOX boys roared and body-slammed into each other, which would probably cause a concussion if they had any brains.
"Python Nu Kappa!"
As per tradition, the giggly girls of the sorority blew kisses and waved.
"Slugma Slugma Kappa!"
The muscle-built girls all showed off their athletic prowess, some by flexing and some by doing acrobatics.
"Oozma, uh…Kappa."
The underdogs of the games smiled awkwardly and one of them waved. The crowd noticeably went quieter.
"Roar Omega Roar!"
The boys of the top fraternity looked smug. Notably, Nate was among them. Dressed in a red and gold sweater, he was smirking along with the rest of his brothers.
"And finally, Eta Hiss Hiss!"
Of course, they were always ready to look scary. Putting on their regular expressions, they all frowned and scowled at the audience, drawing applause. Abby had on her best sneer.
The vice president took over. "Tonight is the terrifying, heart-pounding Toxicity Challenge! This challenge is not for the faint of heart, kids. Each team must complete this obstacle course. The last one to end is eliminated from the Games!"
"It may look like a playground, but you'll be doing anything but having fun," the president cut in. She walked over to a lever and flipped it down. Suddenly, spikes emerged all over the playground equipment.
"Here's the starting line. The gates of MU mark the finish line."
"—ABBY!"
Abby was listening intently to the Greek Council leaders when her concentration was broken by a cry. Turning, she saw Arabella rushing towards her.
"Arabella. What are you doing here?" Abby asked as her sister caught her breath. Her eyes lit up as Arabella held up a black jacket.
Abby took it in her claws. It was beautifully made. The collar sported spikes from the back, similar to their mother's undershirt. On the lapel, Arabella had hand-stitched the HSS emblem. Abby turned it over to see a long centipede stitched along the spine with wings jutting from its sides.
"Arabella...it's...it's gorgeous," Abby murmured in wonder.
"Put it on!" she urged, already tugging on Abby's old jacket. Abby undressed, but she was hesitant to unravel her scarf. Arabella took it off of her, gasping.
"Geez, Abby, what did you do to this thing? Ugh, and the knitting is terrible. I'll fix this up for you. But I don't want to see you wearing it with that jacket! I didn't design it that way!"
"Uh, okay." Abby shrugged the jacket on, buttoning it up.
By then, most of her teammates had noticed her new outfit. "Whoa, Abby, that's so cool!" "Nice jacket." "Hey you, did you make this?"
Arabella giggled. "Yes, I did."
"Do you take commissions? I could use a fresh breath of air, ya know," Amber laughed.
"Oh! You don't have to pay me. I'll make it for free!"
Arabella smiled as the other girls crowded her, all talking at once. She waved away their suggestions. "Don't worry! I'll get everything settled after the event. Good luck you guys!" And with that, she trotted away.
"Teams to the starting line!"
Abby wiped the smile off and put her best game face on. "Alright, everybody. Let's do this."
The other girls nodded solemnly, and they all lined up. "Stick together!" Phoebe yelled at them, and everyone nodded. That, at least, Abby agreed with.
"Go!"
The teams raced through the starting line. Despite having nearly fifteen times as many legs, Abby took a strong early lead in her team. Her legs seemed to blur as she gracefully but quickly stepped through the toxic spikes.
"How are you so fast?" Sophie cried, having trouble keeping up herself. Abby reached down and picked her up before settling the spider girl down on her shoulders. "Centipedes are one of the fastest insects on the planet," she laughed.
Phoebe and Amber exchanged glances.
The first obstacle was a tire course. Roar Omega Roar sped through them, Nate following them in the air. Oozma Kappa had a tougher time, each trying to avoid the meticulously placed spikes.
The Eta Hiss Hiss team had mixed results. While Abby and Phoebe were able to complete it quickly, Lexi and Amber had a harder time with their larger, less graceful bodies. Phoebe and Abby looked at each other only briefly before they left to help their teammates.
Then they came upon an enormous playground structure. Slugma Slugma Kappa leapt through effortlessly, and Python Nu Kappan soon followed. Jaws Theti Chi was too busy punching their way through the structure to notice the girls passing them by.
"Quickly!" Abby shouted, and with Sophie on her shoulder, she maneuvered through the equipment using her many legs as stabilizers. Phoebe and Lily soon followed, along with Amber and Lexi lugging their way through.
Finally, the last obstacle between them and the finish line was a large gap in the pavement. Abby stopped the rest of the team and glanced down. With her enhanced eyesight (thanks to her snake mother), she could see the glints of toxic spikes at the bottom of the ravine.
Glancing to the side, she observed how Nate carried the rest of his team over the gap one-by-one, starting with the president. No one on HSS had wings, so they would have to find another way.
"Sophie, can you make a web over?" Phoebe suggested.
"Are you nuts? My webs would never hold you big lugs!" Sophie yelled, jumping down from Abby's shoulder.
What to do? They were at a loss, and time was running out. Abby glanced around for inspiration, and finally she spotted it. A swing set.
"Higher, Mama! Higher!"
Their mother stood behind them on the swings, pushing each one of her children one at a time. Laughing, she pushed Nate a little higher. "Don't get too high, you might fly away!"
"Fly away?"
Abby watched as Nate pushed himself higher, higher, as high as he could possibly go. When he reached the peak of his arc, he let go of the swings and jumped out. Extending his wings, he flapped them as hard as his little body could. Unfortunately, it only meant he descended slowly to a soft landing a ways away from the swing set.
"Nate!" Bonnie cried, rushing over to him. This left her daughter swinging to a stop by herself as she checked over her son for injuries. "Oh, don't scare me like that! You could have gotten hurt!"
"But I didn't." Nate grinned.
"The swings," she whispered.
"What?"
Instead of answering her president, Abby ran over to the swings. Stopping far from the swings, she got a running jump and leapt onto the swing with her legs. She swung forward, watching the finish line waver in the distance. Yanking on the chains, she pulled herself as far back as she could go and swung forward again. This time, when she reached her peak, she leapt forward.
Sailing over the gap, she extended her legs and came to a screeching stop on the other side.
Her teammates gasped. Abby spun around, motioning for them to join her. "Come on! This way!"
"Are you crazy?!" Amber screeched. "I could never make that!"
"Why not? I did."
"Okay, new blood has lost it," Lily sighed. "Time to kill her."
"I think it might work," Lexi mumbled.
"Let's give it a try!" Sophie giggled. And with that, she took a running leap towards the swing and jumped off. Phoebe, Lily, and Amber gasped. However, Sophie landed safely in Abby's arms.
Setting Sophie down, she held out her hands to the rest of the team. "Come on! We're running out of time!"
The rest of them all exchanged nervous glances. Until, that is, Lexi narrowed her eyes. "I'm going," she murmured fiercely.
Before the rest of them could say anything, Lexi broke into a run towards the swings. Abby egged her on, holding out her hands. Lexi leapt onto the swing with one foot and sprung from the top of her arc just as Sophie did. But, unlike Sophie, she had a larger mass and not enough force.
Abby rushed forward to catch Lexi's arm before she fell into the pit. The latter looked down with wide eyes and looked pleadingly back to her sorority sister. "Abby! Help!"
"Don't worry," Abby spat through gritted fangs, a fierce look in her eyes. "I've got you. I'm stronger than I look." And with a mighty heave, she managed to pull Lexi's body over the side and away from the danger. Abby collapsed backwards from the effort, but soon jumped right back onto her feet.
"Alright, now the rest of you!"
Amber shrugged. "Alright…if Lexi can do it, I can." She jumped across the gap, followed by Lily and finally Phoebe. The sisters then hustled through the finish line. In 4th place, they beat Jaws Theti Chi and Oozma Kappa.
"Wow Abby, that was amazing!" Sophie squealed. "We won because of you!"
"We didn't win. We didn't even place," Abby reminded her.
"But we're still in the Games," Phoebe spoke up, walking over to put her hand on Abby's shoulder. "That's enough. Nice work, freshman."
A cry of her name made Abby turn. Arabella came running towards her, just as fast as Abby raced in the competition. Her legs clicked along the ground with a smooth gait, unlike Abby's clunky and unorganized one.
"Abby! That was great!" Arabella squealed, hugging her tight.
"We didn't win. We only got 4th."
"But you're going onto the next round! I'm sure, with a little practice, you and your sisters will be dominating in no time!" Arabella put up a fist, her smirk mirroring Abby's.
"We're going back to the house for snacks," Lily told them.
"—And to take a nap!" Amber snapped.
"—So we'll see you back there, Abby."
As the girls left, Phoebe took one last look at the two sisters. Smirking, she nodded to Arabella. "And you can bring your friend, too."