A thousand apologizes, my dedicated fans, for not posting fast enough. It's been a crazy time for me between all the soccer and projects and tests and family things! I promise to try and post as fast as possible from now on, because it's not fair to leave you all hanging on the bet! Please enjoy this chapter, I hope it was worth the wait!
By the time Paige returned to her dorm room with a foolish grin on her face and a pig in her arms, everyone on campus had heard about the bet between the frat president and the new sophomore. It spread like wild fire and even the most unpopular of students had been placing bets and chatting about her audacity. The other frats were beginning to doubt the ferocity of the top frat and Paige could tell that this was going to be a tough fight; there was no way that they would stand for losing. Although, Paige didn't seem worried as she filled in her winged friend about the details of the bet and the way she stood up to Johnny, nervous butterflies fluttered around in her stomach. If she lost, she would have to slave around for Johnny, and besides that, he would probably make her wear some demeaning maid's outfit. He might even put it in the school year book where he would boast about his win against cocky little "Bones."
Molly sighed as soon as Paige had finished explaining. "Figures you would do that. Remind me to never let you leave alone. I mean, ever."
Paige rolled her eyes at the reaction of her fellow roommate. "I couldn't just let Johnny get away with everything. He's...just a bully. I need to put him in his place for the good of everyone. Even the people in his own frat." Paige yanked up the bed sheets as she prepared to open the gates of sleep and enjoy its welcome. She stared up at the ceiling, ignoring her friend's gaze. "I...I just want someone to teach him a lesson."
"I know, sweetie, but it doesn't have to be you! Don't get in trouble because of this, Paige." Molly warned as she pulled her own covers up so she could climb underneath them. "By the way, what's with the pig?"
Paige grinned sheepishly back at her friend before bringing the furry pig up to her friend and rubbing her cheek against it. "Isn't he adorable?! This is Archie, my old Fear Tech buddy. The only guy at that school who didn't like me for my looks." Molly managed to smile back despite the sleepiness in her eyes. "This guy named Sulley stole him from his home. I can't believe he would do that to this poor little guy. Did that mean monster scare you, baby? Don't worry; mama will protect you."
Molly shook her head at the behavior of her friend. "Talking to a pig. I didn't know you were that desperate for friends."
"I am not desperate for friends. Archie just happens to be the cutest guy in the entire world!" Paige said while smothering her pet with kisses. "I don't even need a boyfriend with him around! I'll just be happy with him!" Molly laughed at this. "What's so funny?"
"Nothing, nothing at all." She waved a hand dismissively in front of her face as she snuggled underneath her covers and prepared to sleep. Paige stared at the lump in the bed and frowned not catching what her friend was trying to hint to. She followed suit, eager to get some sleep after the fiasco with Sulley and Johnny and Archie. With her comfy pajamas on, Paige buried herself under the covers and pulled Archie close to her. The pig squealed happily as he snuggled into her chest with a snort electing a smile from the young monster. After a while of Archie chewing on her hair and Molly threatening to eat the pig if he pooped on the floor, Paige drifted off into sweet sleep.
A gentle knock on the door woke Paige up before her obnoxious alarm clock could and she grumbled as she began to wake. Archie growled next to her as if to say who is awake at this hour? With a loud groan and another knock, Paige kicked off her covers and pushed away her speckled pet to the side to walk to the door. Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, Paige grasped the brass handle of her door (after lots of fumbling in the darkness) and yanked the door open. Paige was surprised to see the familiar form of the martial arts president, Heat Fist, standing at her door with a wide grin on his face as if he had been awake for hours.
His eyes roamed her form and usually she would have snapped at him, but she was so tired that she barely noticed. "Nice pajamas, Paige." He mused. Paige blushed as she remembered she was wearing her pink pajamas with the word "love bear" printed across her chest and multiple hearts slapped on the matching shorts. "Anyways, since you have classes later on, I was wondering if you would mind trying out now for the club. Unless you really need those couple hours of sleep. I can always come back later." Heat Fist said sincerely. Paige hesitated she really wanted those couple more hours of sleep, but she had promised him that she would show up. And he looked so desperate standing in front of her dorm door wearing his little martial arts belt.
"Alright, I'm game." She answered finally and chuckled when he let out a very excited 'yes.' "Just let me get dressed, I'll be right out then." Heat Fist nodded as she shut the door and attempted to find clothes that were somewhat decent for a martial arts training session. She maneuvered her way around the room without the lights, afraid she would disturb Molly, and hissed as she occasionally knocked into various furniture pieces. It didn't help that little Archie was awake and following her around, squealing and biting at her long pants. "Knock it off, Archie!" She whispered fiercely but he continued to squeal. She eventually found a decent shirt, a short sleeved shirt with the words "Allergic to stupid people" and fitted black yoga pants that hugged her legs.
Ever so quietly, she tip toed over to the door and opened it to join Heat Fist outside. He gave her a thumbs up. "Much better. You're not gonna impress anyone with your pink pajamas." She blushed a horrid shade of red but he just laughed, not mockingly like Johnny, but just a kind laugh. Heat Fist placed a comforting hand on her small shoulder and it was then Paige realized how awfully small she was compared to the giant red monster with his gleaming white fangs. "Don't worry, Paige, you'll do fine. I know a good martial arts kid anywhere."
Dressed in her gym clothes at a time too early to speak of, Paige sat on the floor of the gym with twelve other hopefuls, waiting for the try-outs to begin. It turned out that it was so popular that not everyone could make the team, and therefore people had to be told no. As she slowly stretched and warmed up her muscles, she felt out of place among the other girls with their curvy, developed figures that were only emphasized by the skimpy, fitted clothing they wore. After being rejected by the other clubs, they probably figured that the best chance they had a getting into any club was martial arts. Paige sighed with derision as she stayed off to the side, away from the other girls and boys, trying to ignore their whispers and covert glances.
"What am I doing?" She muttered softly to herself. "I don't need anyone more teasing. There's no way I can do this." She sighed softly. "I don't belong here…"
Paige never felt this way in the martial arts world. There was no reason to...all the girls looked just like her in both height and build. Granted, some were a little heavier muscled than others, but that did not matter. The point was, it was an environment were girls did not care about being either flat or short. Boobs were merely things that got in the way. Lucky boys, they didn't have to deal with such a problem.
Heat Fist smiled and waved at Paige as she walked by before taking his place beside his other club-mates. Now that they were both standing, Paige could see that Heat Fist was about two inches taller than she was, and while he wasn't ripped, she could see the lean muscle tone that kept him from being skeletal. The a medium height girl , a monster of about 5'5" with piercing blue eyes, green reptilian skin, and four arms accompanied by two legs, stepped forward.
"Wake up, ladies and gentlemen! I know it's early but come on. On a different note, I will introduce myself, my name is Clara, and the red guy beside me is my brother, Heat Fist. And I would also like to thank all of you for waking up so early to come to these tryouts."
The other martial arts club members clapped in agreement to their friend's words.
"Because the open positions need to filled A.S.A.P., we'll be letting you know right away if you make the club or not." Clara motioned to Heat Fist who in turn knelt and put a CD into the portable boom-box the guys had brought in with them from football. "While my captain is prepping, I'm going to explain how this is all going to work." She held up a clipboard. "We have all your names on this list. Depending on how many years of martial arts experience you have, you will be asked to do certain moves based on what you should now." As she spoke, Clara held up the silver whistle that hung from her neck. "When I blow the whistle, that's your signal to stop and move aside for the next monster who I'll call up to start grooving. Does this make sense to all of you?"
Paige and all the other monsters nodded.
Clara smiled. "Good. Now, if we like your moves, then we'll ask you to stay and see how you fair against one of us." As she spoke, Heat Fist, who had finished with the radio cracked his knuckles and grinned. "Now," Clara continued. "We're not expecting you to be experts, but we hope you at least make it a little difficult for us. Please don't be discouraged; all of us have trained since we were very little, I don't expect anyone to beat us." Clara smirked. "All right, now...are we ready?"
The tweleve hopefuls clapped and cheered. Paige quickly joined in with them.
Clara beamed. "All right, then. Ladies and gentlemen, move off to the side if you please...Heat Fist, start the tunes," she said as she consulted her list. Suddenly the gym was alive with rock music that Paige often listened to during any work out. "Freeman! You're up first!"
Paige stood back and watched each monster as they were called, internalizing the beat of the song as she waited for her turn to come. There were one girl and two boys who were genuinely talented...the others were either too stiff, uncoördinated or simply could not find the beat of the music. It made Paige cringe just to watch them. The whistle blew.
"Jordan! You're up."
Paige smiled when she saw Heat Fist flash her the thumbs-up sign, and quickly went to work. She started off at a slow run before performing an air flare on the cold wooden floor and then flipping onto her feet to do a hook-kick combo and they back flipping once more to finish with a round house kick.
When Clara blew the whistle, her eyes were wide-as were eyes of all the other clubbers. Heat Fist alone smiled softly. "O...okay, guys. If I call your names, please stay so you can advance to the next challenge. I your name isn't called, sorry you didn't make the cut, and thanks again for trying out." Clara consulted her list. "Freeman...Moore...and Jordan!"
After the practice was finished, the two other students; a girl and a boy were just as excited as she was to be in the club. One was a tall and willowy girl with long orange braided hair that pooled down her dull yellow skin. She had pointy spikes poking from her spinal cord and a long tail that occasionally wrapped around her leg when she was nervous, which was quite often. She also had large glasses that sat on her tiny face and in a way she was reminded of the shy Randy with his purple lizard body.
The next and last competitor was a tall monster, who resembled Heat Fist in many ways; tall, brooding, handsome, and a smirk across his features. It wasn't arrogant, but it was amused as if he was telling himself jokes about each person he looked at. He had two sets of arms that rippled with muscles and two lean legs that jutted from his somewhat large waist. He had fur covering his head, his chest, and the small of his back that looked misplaced with his orange fur while it was white. He had beautiful eyes, she realized as she stared into the orbs on his face, a color of the deep sky, a fierce blue. Obviously the others realized this as well as they stared and whispered to one another when he looked there direction. And he had looked at her.
Paige felt her cheeks warm as his smirk turned into a warm smile and he waltzed over to her in slow motion. All eyes fell upon her and the mysterious boy and a hush went over the group in the gym. Heat Fist and Clara stopped their arguing to see what the fuss was about as well. He stopped in front of her and Paige grumbled as she realized how short she really was. "Hello, Miss. You did pertty well today." He complimented with a drawl to his speech and she shivered involuntarily.
"H-Hi, you're not that bad yourself."
He rubbed the back of his head nervously. "I'm not as good as the rest of y'all. I just started bout a couple years back." Seeing the question in her eyes he began to explain. "I moved here from Malabama for my senior year in high school and I've been here ever since. I got t'a admit. The big city takes some gettin' used to, but I'm pertty sure that I'm gettin' the hang of it."
"I've never met anyone from Malabama before," Paige confessed and watched as his smile grew wider. "What's it like?" Paige was a city girl, born and raised, and as a city girl she had never left the hustle in bustle since she was born. She often heard of the countryside and the peacefulness, and it sounded so tempting, but Paige wasn't sure she could handle the silence without it becoming unnerving to her.
"Beautiful. " He admitted. "I love the city now, but I'll never forget where I came from until the day I die. You should come out and see it sometime, get a break from the city life.
She smirked playfully in return. "Is that an invitation?"
He chuckled half hardheartedly at her quip.
"I guess it is."
Paige smiled sheepishly, her blush gradually fading as she grew more comfortable. "How long have you been at MU?"
"Since I was a freshman, boy was that a harsh year." He shuddered as the memories resurfaced and Paige suppressed a giggle. "I joined a frat on the first day, guess they were pertty desperate for someone to join. Lookin' back, I can't believe I did."
"Which frat?" Asked Paige, already fearing the answer.
"Roar Omega Roar." He responded with a sigh.
"Oh?" Paige managed to finally say, trying to keep her voice light and surprised.
He nodded as a sour expression settled on his features. "Yep. I still don't know why I joined. Guess I really wanted acceptance. They weren't all bad, but I quit after the new president, Johnny, took over. Can't stand the guy. He's kind of like a spoiled little kid, ain't he?"
Paige could have kissed him she was so happy. Another monster who agreed Johnny wasn't mister amazing and was truly just a pompous buffoon. "You can say that again."
"He's kind of like a spoiled little kid, ain't he?" He repeated and Paige smiled in return. She didn't know him, didn't know much about him besides the fact he was gorgeous and accented, but she was sure they were destined to be good friends. He understood! It was a miracle, a male who was just as brilliant as she was. Her day was beginning perfectly.
"Oi, Bones!"
Paige paled on the spot as she didn't dare turn and face the owner of the voice. Her "friend" looked over her head and she was sure he was seeing Johnny and his annoying little gang trailing behind him like silly girls with crushes. She could hear Chet's legs clip clapping against the gym floor and hear Javier's equally accented voice asking him to stop exaggerating his steps. "Bones, are you deaf?" He called again and Paige felt a nerve burst inside her head. She slowly turned to face the incredibly close Johnny and the rest of the Roar Omega Roar Frat. So uncomfortably close she could smell his expensive cologne and a faint scent of fresh flowers, with that smell, she frowned. Why would he smell like flowers? She glared up at Johnny who smirked down at her and glanced over at Javier who offered a rare smile that few, especially Johnny, would ever see.
She sighed, irritation filling it. "No, I'm not deaf. What do you want?"
"Oh I think you know," he responded and he looked past her to the boy. "Oh, it's you."
Paige looked back and forth between the two men and even the Roar brothers seemed nervous. They regarded one another with judgmental eyes and annoyed eyes. Each waited for the other to move, to react, to speak; anything that would bait the other into a confrontation. Paige wasn't going to step in and save Johnny, but she certainly didn't want her mysterious friend to get in trouble like she did. "Long time no see, Johnny." He answered cooly.
Johnny regarded his former frat brother with curious eyes before looking back to her. "Whatever. I came here at this stupid hour to tell you that we need to begin our project." She suppressed an annoyed groan as she remembered the due date of the project was nearing the more she procrastinated. The project that she would be doing with the stupid monster would decide the fate of her spot in MU, along with Molly's. "So, what are we going to do? I was thinking someone from my pure blood line would be better than your own."
She snorted. "As if. Were choosing a Jordan."
"Over my dead body."
"That can be arranged."
"Try me, pipsqueak."
"That's original."
"Enough!" Heat Fist shouted as he pushed Paige and Johnny apart from one another and glared at Johnny more than her. He looked royally pissed that the president had interrupted his tryouts, but knew their was so little he could do without getting in trouble with the dean. "Paige was just leaving anyways, she's finished with tryouts for the day. But if she tells me you're bugging her, I'll make you regret coming in here."
"I'm sooo scared." Chet mocked and the brothers snickered in response to the threat. "Just go back to your dancing club okay?"
Heat Fist scowled at the smaller monster before placing a hand on Paige's shoulder as she stood furiously in front of Johnny who smirked down at her. "Everything okay over here?"
Paige nodded, even though she wasn't sure herself. "Yeah, I have to go. He's my partner, in one of my classes." Heat Fist looked hesitant as he glanced back and forth between her and the frat. "S'okay. I can handle myself, he's not going to do anything. Just don't make it worse, you'll only yourself in trouble." Heat Fist opened his mouth to protest, but she shook her head in warning for him to silence his complaints. Heat Fist finally nodded and with one last glare at Johnny, she followed after the ROR. She looked back one more time at her mysterious friend who tilted his head at her in a farewell. She wanted to wave goodbye. Say something. Ask for his name, anything. All she could muster was a slight wave of her hand and he turned on his heel and joined Heat Fist who walked away with clenched fists.
Johnny gave her a look of mocking disapproval. "The martial arts club? Really, Bones, are you that desperate for friends?" She said nothing as Javier pushed the door to the gym open and held it open for her and his leader. The green monster snarled when she slowed down her pace to look back at the club once more. They were all looking at her, even the monsters who didn't make it, some gave her looks of pity, others jealousy and some looked suspicious. "Bones? Anyone home?"
She looked back to Johnny, who almost looked innocent when he sounded curious. "Nothing, I'm coming."
Javier spoke up next. "Miss. Bones, we are only here to discuss the project. Then we shall leave you alone."
All of the ROR brothers looked at their bug member with puzzled expressions. "Miss? What the hell, Javier? She ain't royalty or nothing."
Javier shrugged. "Her great-great-great grandfather is Magellan Jordan. That makes her Monsters University Royalty." Everyone, including Paige, gawked at the purple bug who kept a calm and apathetic expression. "What? Did you not know? Magellan Jordan founded Monsters University, if it wasn't for him, we wouldn't all be here today. Perhaps you should use him for your project, no?" Johnny frowned in deep thought as Chet began to scold Javier for interrupting Johnny, and Paige nodded her head as a smiled formed.
"Yes! You're a genius, Javier!" She snapped her fingers in thought and the ROR brother's looked at her like she had monster munchies coming out of her nose. Javier blushed, an awkward color on his purple face as Johnny's frown seemed to grow into a full-fledged scowl. "That makes sense! I must have plenty of information about him at home. It's makes so much sense."
Javier shrugged. "Thank you, señorita."
Chet blinked his one eye. "Senorita? Are you trying to pick her up, Javier?"
"Enough." Johnny ordered roughly and they all silenced. "Fine. You want to do the stupid founder of our school? Alright. Will use him, but I won't like it." Paige faced the horned monster and actually managed a smile. Despite the fact that he stood for everything she hated. "I really, really won't like it."
"Wouldn't have it any other way." Paige confessed. She picked up her bag, the one the green monster had taken for her, and walked off towards the dorm room for classes. She could feel the eyes of ROR on her back as she sauntered away and one of them focused on her butt (she hoped it wasn't Johnny), but she was actually happy. He wasn't nearly as difficult as she thought he would be, it was almost disappointing for her. He would usually put up a fight; add some smart remarks and maybe a jab at her height or mask. I wonder why he's in such a good mood, she thought.
"Johnny!" A feminine voice called out and Paige froze mid-step. She turned to face Johnny and a watched as a wide grin spread across his face. An genuine smile was on his face, something she wasn't used to seeing. Even his fellow brothers were smiling, not cocky or arrogant either. A group of women, the fraternity PNK, giggled as they charged over to the ROR. One in particular, a girl with short purple hair and a wide smile, pranced over to Johnny and wrapped her slim arms around him in a hug. Paige's jaw dropped as his larger arms snaked around her waist and pulled her closer to him. She could have gasped in shock, but she was too busy be disgusted by the sight. "Awe, did you have to see your stupid partner today? At this time in the morning?!"
Johnny sighed before twirling her around in his arms. "Yep, I had to meet her at her stupid martial arts club. I don't think she made it, which makes it a even bigger waste."
She gave him sympathetic eyes, big and wide with admiration. "Really? She sounds awful. I'm so sorry that you have to work with her."
"I'll manage." He informed her and she giggled in response. He looked up at her and she cocked her head back in disgust. He noticed her look and so did his creepy three eyed girlfriend. The girl gave her a look of pure hatred and hostility that normally would have made Paige upset if she wasn't so disgusted by the fact that Johnny was capable of affection. "Jealous Bones?"
Again, I'm really sorry about not posting sooner. I hope that this story makes up for the wait. So far, this chapter has been the most fun to write. Please leave reviews, the more the better. Thanks again!