AN: Thanks for the great reviews, guys!

In case you're wondering - yes, I do write fast, especially when I'm excited to write something.

Randy hummed to himself as he strolled through the sweet, warm air. Finals were now over, and it had seemed like the entire campus breathed a collective sigh of relief. It would soon be abuzz, though, about who got that magical black envelope that carried the news of being on the Scare Team.

Three days earlier, the students who had applied for team management positions had gotten theirs. Randy remembered passing by the engineering school and seeing Fungus looking shocked and amazed, staring down at the envelope in his hands. He had a lot cut out for him, and he wondered if the pill-shaped monster could handle it.

From what he'd heard and seen, a few monsters had gotten theirs already. Three out of the four RORs who had applied had received theirs, and Randy had felt a little uneasy when he saw Johnny parading around, showing off the dark paper to whoever passed nearby. He'd shoved it out of his mind, though, because he'd had finals to focus on and an essay to write.

Besides, it made him feel a little better seeing Chet with a look of pride and worry as he watched Johnny brag.

He made his way through the dorm building, intending to kick back and wait for his letter to arrive. As he opened his door, though, his eyes caught sight of a dark patch on the floor before him.

It was the envelope!

Giddy with excitement, he snatched it up and sat on his bed. He stared at it, before deciding to carefully tear it open – maybe he'd want it as a keepsake someday – and lifted out a card. His hands seemed to vibrate as he opened it, and he took a few breaths before beginning to read.

Mister Randall Boggs -

Your scare was considered skillful enough to earn you the honor of representing Monsters University in the first annual National Scare Games. Please report to Mandible Hall for the congratulatory banquet at 5-10 pm. We do hope that you will be attending, and that you will get along with your fellow team mates. No dress clothes are necessary. Please present this at the door.

After the banquet, please return to your place of residence and prepare for a trip. The event will take place over the summer at Yell University, where you will be staying in one of their empty dorms. All expenses are paid by the Yell School of Scaring, and you may use your leisure time during the games to explore the area off campus.

Congrats.

His eyes scanned the bottom of the card, where the name Dean Abigail Hardscrabble was written in graceful, curling script. A goofy grin crossed his face and he squealed and did some sort of silly dance in excitement. He was glad he was alone – nobody would ever let him live down that. He then flopped down on his bed, giggling as he decided what to do next.

He chose to call his mom, barely able to contain his excitement as he babbled about his trip to Yell. She was excited too, and kept telling him things like "I'm so proud of you!" and "That's my boy!" She'd also expressed worry about the cost, and he assured her that it was free.

Randy eventually hung up about an hour later, then threw on his MU jacket and paced around his room. "That's right, everyone! Randall Boggs has what it's got!" he said, pretending to show off. "Forget your Worthingtons and your Sullivans! There's a new great scaring family in town!"

He couldn't wait until the banquet, having alternated between watching TV and reading to pass the time. At 4:45 he left his room, still wearing his MU jacket and holding his hand protectively over the pocket where his card sat snugly. On the way there, he caught up with the three JOX who got accepted. Their leader scowled at him, and he flashed a cocky grin as he waved his card towards them. He wasn't expecting the scowl to turn into a surprised grin, and the big red monster gave him a thumbs up. "Look, little guy, if Worthington or any of the RORs start to mess with ya, you come to us, okay?" he said. "We'll keep him away from ya."

"Oh, uh, okay." Randy accepted the help, no matter how unexpected it was. "Thanks, uh... O'Growlahan."

"It's Roy to you. We're on the same team, now!" The rest of the JOX roared in agreement, and they crowded around him and gave him a mix of hugs and handshakes. Maybe I'll rush these guys next year, Randy thought as they went up the steps.

The doors opened, and his eyes took in tiny sandwiches and fancy little cakes, along with salads and soups. The Dean herself stood a good distance away from the food table, conversing with the two Greek Council presidents. A stiff-looking monster approached them and asked for their cards, and the four proudly displayed them. "Yooo, Brocky-boy!" Roy called out, and Pearson whirled around to smile at them.

"Hey, Big Red! Great to see you here!" he shouted, and Randy could see Wheeler rolling her eyes as the dean shook her head. He carefully extracted himself from the JOX. "I'm gonna get some food. I'll come see you later if you're okay with that."

The cyclops nodded at him. "Sure dude. You know what? Just sit near us anyway." Randy smiled at him, before leaving to inspect the food.

He settled on taking two sandwiches, a tiny bit of salad, and a piece of cake, then chose a table for himself. Wheeler came up next to him and sat down, and picked at her own sandwich. "So, uh... congrats." she mumbled, before popping a bit of meat into her mouth.

"Oh, uh... thanks." He focused on his food, not sure of what to say. Soon, the JOX came and sat at their table too as more monsters filed in. He could see Johnny out of the corner of his eye, and the horned monster seemed surprised to see him before rolling his eyes and going to the buffet table. The JOX shifted a little as Pearson came to sit next to Wheeler, their eyes fixed on Worthington for a brief second.

They made simple conversation as the hall slowly filled up. The monsters at his table seemed to accept him. No nasty nicknames were hurled his way, and they didn't bring up the hearts incident at all. For the first time in a while, he felt comfortable around others.

Once almost everyone had eaten their fill, the Dean went to the front of the room and tapped her fork on the glass in her hand. "Attention, everyone!" Her gaze settled over the room, and a few monsters shifted uncomfortably. "You are all here today because you were determined to be the best of who rose to the challenge." A few shouts and cheers rose from the room, and she waited for them to settle before continuing. "One hundred and three of you volunteered, and only 25 of you are here with us tonight." The dean started to wander between the tables, catching the sight of a few monsters who shrank under her glare. "I expect you all to be on your best behavior, and -" a sly smile crossed her lips. " - show Yell that we are the best."

Applause ripped through the room as she went back to her seat. Randy clapped too, though the weight of what he was supposed to do was slowly starting to dawn on him. Later that evening as he left for his dorm again, he wondered what would happen if he made another mistake. He'd probably have to transfer schools, or worse – give up scaring for good.

He shuddered, then stared up at the stars. Figuring he might as well, he wished on one that he wouldn't mess up.