Lost In Purple
Chapter 37: New Semester
Melanie's POV
Today's the day. My first official day as a ROR, and my first official day as a legitimate Scaring Student at Monster's University. As delighted as that makes me, I feel depressed when I start thinking about going back to class, because that winter break was so relaxing. I unfortunately won't be getting another break for a few months which feels like an eternity away, so hopefully I'm hoping that I will be able to survive for that long. The classes that I have to ensure I pass are the few that Professor King suggested that I take. Scaring 102/Intro to Scaring II, is the course I need to focus the most on. The others are Vocal Study, Sneaking, and Light Avoidance, along with an Art core class that I just felt like taking. My schedule is pretty beefy compared to many other freshman, so I absolutely can not regret doing this in the future.
It shouldn't be too crazy though considering that Johnny is going into classes based around Human Studies and 'super special' advanced Scaring classes. He really is a crazy good Scarer. Speaking of Johnny, his Laughing Lupus went away after a day. That medicine must have been pretty potent considering it usually takes a couple days for it to go away completely. That or he has an impeccable immune system. Either way he's cured. He was able to help me sanitize everything in his room, and eventually help me finish unpacking everything for my room. Ever since then I've been sleeping in his room though because I've gotten too used to it, and I don't want to be alone at night anymore. I think he feels the same because he's been pretty vocal about wanting to spend more time with me before school starts.
After Johnny and I have breakfast, we pack all of our things and begin heading out the door. For this semester I go to class at around noon like how Johnny usually does. He luckily got his schedule to be exactly the same as last semester so I won't be sideswiped by any odd changes in his schedule. I swiftly grab my ROR cardigan and put it on for the whole campus to see, while also throwing on my backpack and my new handbag that Johnny got me for Christmas. We exit the house, tip-toeing down the steps, heading towards the Scaring School for another start to the semester. "You alright John?" I ask already trying to forget about school.
"Meh. I wish I could have stayed in bed with you for a little while longer," Johnny responds standing tall and strutting regally.
"Don't tell me you're nervous, I can't have my President being nervous," I tease.
Johnny smirks at me and leans in closer to me in a seductive manner. "Oh, I can be nervous. That would give me a reason to drag you along with me so that I wouldn't be lonely."
While I would like to do that, I would unfortunately be throwing away my career and a couple thousand dollars at the same time. "I'd be too much of a distraction though," I add.
"Pfft. You'd fit right in with your ghostliness," Johnny replies while wiggling his fingers in my direction, "I know everything about Scaring anyways, so it wouldn't hurt me to goof off with you."
"I'm not going to allow that John. I want you to be the greatest you can be, not someone who can just barely get by," I huff playfully.
Johnny puffs out his chest. "You know me, I wouldn't be anything less than exemplary. I couldn't ever dream of disappointing my best friend," Johnny winks.
"Aww, but you would never disappoint me," I reassure.
At this point we've already made our way to the pathway to the Amphitheater. It feels like it been forever since I made the walk through here, and not only that, it feels weird going through here for the sake of going to class and not the Dormitory.
"And I would like to keep it that way," Johnny continues.
I take the time to look up to the sky, seeing the grey clouds covering the atmosphere in a somewhat gloomy manner. There's an eerie breeze that whips through campus, blowing the last bit of dead leaves through the air and sending chills throughout my body. The few students that we have passed by have also looked inconsolable, most likely due to the start of the semester. I think everyone's on the same page, school sucks. Either way, it gets us through life and it allows us to get the jobs we've always wanted. Johnny and I find ourselves within the Scaring Schools proximity, wishing we could turn back and try another day. Before we take our first steps on the staircase I give him a big hug that he generously returns. I start to feel a tad bit drowsy when I lean further into him, but find the strength to pull away once we hit the top of the stairs.
"I'll see you in a few hours. Gotta be early for the Scare Games Sign Up later today," Johnny says hyping up.
I give him a kiss on the lips and wave goodbye. He takes my hand when I turn away and squeezes it, then walks into the building acting like the happiest man in the world.
I take a seat in the lecture hall across from Professor Knights, in the same general area as last semester. The only real difference is the fact that I don't know anybody in class, and the class in general looks a little more…diluted. There's probably 50 less monsters in this class than in Scaring 101, which could be either due to the fact that nobody signed up for this specific section, or that not very many people passed. Either way, I feel like I have more room to breathe... literally. I take out the usual supplies; A pen and a notebook suffice. I also take a quick look around to see that the lecture hall is relatively the same. The only difference would be the crazy double desk setup in the middle of the room that so intricately carved that you can make out many different wooden monsters within it. My thinking is interrupted by the constant whispers of people around me, and again, I can hear them loud and clear.
"Yo, she's a ROR now?"
"Ugh, she must think she better than everyone."
"I thought girls couldn't join fraternities."
Great. I unintentionally brought unwanted attention to myself. I guess I should have assumed that this would happen since Scarers tend to be fairly competitive with each other, and this cardigan just puts a target on my back. Whatever, I'll just have to prove myself.
The doors near the far back right of the lecture hall swing open, revealing a figure I know pretty well. A vantablack wolf with a black and gold suit, and golden slits in his throat that show a slow burning golden flame, a.k.a Professor King. I don't know why he's here since we were all told that we had Professor Hagstrom, but if he's here then it must be important.
"Good morning students," He states with his hands behind his back and looking out to us without any emotion, "I hope you all had a great winter break, and also got enough sleep. God knows we all need it."
A couple of worried whispers generate within the back of the classroom.
"Now I know you were all expecting Professor Hagstrom to be here today, and therefore for the rest of the semester, but he has sadly had to take time away from teaching for reasons that I cannot say, so now I will be your instructor this semester," Professor King explains.
A couple of the whispers in the back turn to groans. I assume they're not excited about that due to his reputation or something. I even hear a guy in the back say he's going to drop the class now. He can't be that difficult of a Professor, right?
"Now I know that you all think you've got passed the hard part of Scaring, and subsequently think that no matter what happens, you will pass this class. If you think this however, you could not be more wrong," He continues with an emotionless expression.
Do people really think that way? That they're already the best in the business because they were given the 'ok' by Dean Hardscrabble? They only have had four months of training at minimum!
"I will also assume that many of you have done your research and chose to take this class with Professor Hagstrom specifically because of his grading curves, grade filling assignments serving as cushions, and hand holding teaching style, but that is not how I or any other Professor does things," Professor King continues.
I hear a whisper from a girl behind me. "Dude, we're so screwed. He's behind some of the hardest classes on campus, he'll expect all of us to flawlessly pass."
Well yeah, he's a scientist who knows his stuff. He also has the philosophy of 'you either can or cannot scare.' Can you really be a Scarer if you don't know the content behind the profession?
"This course has recently had an issue with cheaters, and to counteract that, I will be proctoring you relentlessly with the help of one of the campuses greatest, Miss Carrie Williams, as your teaching assistant," Professor King says while gesturing to Carrie sitting in the front row. "Anyone cheating will be given a zero for the specific exam/quiz/homework, a 'special' meeting with Miss Williams, and a letter to the Academic Ethics Committee that will likely request your removal from the program as we refuse to have cheaters within the Scaring Profession."
Yikes. Yeah this class is starting to seem hardcore. I am starting to see why Johnny likes him as a teacher though. He follows Scaring traditions and prides himself on keeping the schools legacy squeaky clean.
Professor King begins walking up and down the center aisle, probably assuring that everyone is paying attention. "Now, with that out of the way, I should mention that this class will partially discuss the basics of Scare Floor Etiquette, Human Dangers, and the history of Scaring, but will mostly be discussing the foundations for Advanced Scaring. As for assignments, you will be required to write a 7 page essay on a historical Scarer of your choice, demonstrate how to avoid humans based on your knowledge of last semester and this semester, and to demonstrate Scaring capabilities at a greater scale than in Scaring 101."
I hear distressed sighs and groans come from around the room. Am I the only one that doesn't think this will be that bad? If you just do what you're asked, then things will turn out fine.
King turns around, walking back down the aisle and looking straight ahead with great focus. "Now pay attention, the grading in this class will be heavily weighed on exams, meaning if you cheat on one, you will fail this class, if you don't study for at least two hours every week, you will fail, if you don't take notes, you will fail. There will be no homework, so there's no grade cushioning. The Scarer Research essay will be worth 10%, your Scaring Demonstrations will be worth 25%, the four Quizzes will be worth 15%, and your Final Exam, which is still the Scare Simulator, will be worth 50%. In other words, if you can scare, you will pass. If you cannot scare, you will not pass."
This is probably the first time the whole room is silent.
"Any questions?" Professor King asks.
No hands go up, but it's obvious that everyone is terrified for their futures. I mean, I myself wasn't expecting to end up taking the hardest Scaring 102 class, so this has ended up sounding a little daunting.
"Alright…then open your textbooks to page 3, we will begin by reviewing what you've learned last semester," Professor King instructs.
I really hope this won't be another semester of stress, because I don't think I'll be able to handle all of that again.
After two whole hours of easy content, we're dismissed. Many students with their heads down, already exhausted and wishing to go to bed, follow me out of the lecture hall and into the icy-cold monster world. I'm thinking I won't be seeing quite a few of them tomorrow or within the next week, because the class is apparently too difficult for them already. I really don't know how they would expect to make it through their junior or senior years considering Professor King teaches almost all of the required advanced courses, but whatever.
I know that Johnny gets out of his class today within the next few minutes, so I walk to the back of the building where all the senior level classes are taking place. It's very different from the front of the building where all the freshman classes are because of how silent it is. I'm used to there being a couple hundred students walking the halls all at the same time, but there's not even 10 back here. The many paintings of Scarers that are no longer with us, also line the hallways, watching everyone that passes by in a suffocating manner.
I find Johnny's classroom and take a seat on one of the leather benches along the wall. The silence overwhelms me, so I take out my sketchbook and some of my new colored pens, beginning to draw any random thing that crosses my mind. I eventually think of Johnny in that handsome purple suit he wore during the Fall Formal and begin drawing him to the best of my memory. I lightly start outlining his figure, taking into consideration all of his muscles, and making sure his horns are perfect since he's very self conscious about them. I can vividly recall the Victorian patterns on his waistcoat, and how tightly his tuxedo fit. He was...perfect. Before I'm able to add any sort of detail, the doors of his classroom swing open, flooding the hallways with intimidating Scarers of many shapes and sizes. However, none of them are as intimidating as Johnny.
He's scrolling through his phone without a care in the world, and looks up for a split second to see where he's going. I was lucky enough to just barely catch his attention because he stops and grins at me. "Well isn't this a nice surprise," He states happily.
I close my sketchbook and unzip my backpack so that I put it away. "I figured it would be better to just wait for you."
"I'm a lucky guy then," Johnny smiles.
"Can you stop that! It's embarrassing!" I request while bringing up my hands to hide my face.
He grabs my hands and pulls me up towards him. "No, I told you already, the world will end if I can't mess with you."
I keep myself from looking around and noticing all the people that are looking at us. I push my head into his chest, and try my best to keep him from leaning away from me even though he doesn't even try to. He instead grabs both of my hands one more and holds them as he sways back and forth. "Was your class alright? I heard that you got Professor Hagstrom, probably my least favorite Professor here," Johnny asks.
"Oh yeah it was fine. It just wasn't what I was expecting," I reply muffled.
Johnny chuckles. "And what were you expecting?"
"To have Professor Hagstrom and an easy semester. Instead, I now have Professor King and another Scaring class that might be stressful again," I answer.
"Wait what?! Really?! You have Professor King?!" Johnny asks excitedly.
I lean away, look up at him to see his astounded expression, and nod while looking into his exhilarated eyes. "Damn, now I want to ditch class and join yours."
I punch his chest a couple of times. "No no no no no, you had better not. Didn't I explain to you why I don't want you to do that just a couple hours ago?"
"Yes, which is why I'm going to listen to you, and not do that before I get myself into trouble," Johnny smirks.
I roll my eyes, and feel his arm wrap around my waist. "Come on, we'd better sign up for the Scare Games before the others do," He says.
I walk side by side with him, and remember that I have something to ask him as we both leave the school. "Oh hey, I've been meaning to ask you, what kinds of challenges are in the Scare Games?"
"Sneaking, Sprinting, and Scaring. That's pretty much the gist of it," Johnny explains while trying his best to ignore the hundreds of students packed into the cul-de-sac.
Everyone seems to be enthusiastic to see who's in them this year. Johnny and I were lucky to get back at the time we did because ROR would have ended up losing their spot if we had arrived a minute later. I hope that wasn't my fault, if so then maybe I should try and not talk so much, which is weird to say since I've always been more on the quieter side. In the end, I'm glad to see all the boys be so happy to get the chance to do this again. They've apparently won them every single year since they joined ROR, which is one impressive achievement to boast about. As for me, I've been trying my best to ignore the confused looks I get when people see me wearing this ROR cardigan. Everybody is clearly putting the pieces together and realizing that I'm part of a fraternity now even though I'm female.
"I won't be participating in the Scare Games, right?" I ask Johnny with crossed arms.
He keeps that smile on his face, still somehow ignoring all the eyes that are landing on him. He blatantly loves the attention. "I don't plan on it. Wouldn't want you being sent to the hospital for them."
"Ok, John, every time this is brought up you talk about how dangerous they are. Can you please promise me that you won't be the one sent to the hospital?" I beg.
Johnny bows while putting his hands behind his back. God, he's so embarrassing! He's not a prince or anything like that! "With all due respect, that's not possible. Can't have any of the others prove that they're better than us, because if you didn't already know, we're the best," Johnny replies with a gross amount of confidence and raising his hands up as if he were preaching some sort of gospel.
I don't know why but that comment makes my blood boil. "You know it wouldn't kill you to show some respect to the other fraternities and sororities. They have the same chances of winning as you do, I mean they're Scarers as well," I frown.
"Mmm, I don't think so. Compared to you and I, they're amateurs," He replies while shaking his head.
I just sigh, letting the conversation go. I don't think this is really worth arguing over, but I really think he shouldn't be talking about everyone like that behind their backs. They've all put in the work to be a part of this competition and deserve to win it just as much as Johnny does.
"Look Mel, I just want you to remember that we've won the Scare Games for the past three years. We have aced every test that's been thrown our way, and even caught the attention of Scaring Scouts from every scaring company in Monstropolis. None of the others come even relatively close to our level. We're the best of the best, and everybody on campus agrees. I have earned the right to be like this, especially since it's the last time I'll get to participate in them," Johnny explains.
I stay silent, uncertain about what to say. Johnny, however, has a different stance. He raises an eyebrow and looks at me as if he's planning something. "…It also gives me the chance to impress you. Remember how I said that I'll make sure I'm your favorite Scarer by the end of this year?" Johnny states in an almost seductive tone.
I can't help but laugh. "Eww, John!"
He then reaches out towards me and pulls me close to him. "I mean it, I want to show you just how good I am at Scaring. I know I'm just your big dumb jock who's a huge jerk, but behind all that is one hell of a monster."
I start scratching underneath of his jaw, happy that he at least knows he's being mean. "Ok ok. Just, be nice, for me?"
"I'll try my best…for you," He promises, giving me a quick kiss and leaving me uncertain if he actually meant it, "Now how about you go talk to the PNKs, I can see that they've noticed you're a ROR now."
I look over to where Johnny points which, low and behold, is where all the PNK girls are gazing at both Johnny and I with wide eyes and both hands on their cheeks, acting as if they've seen the cutest thing ever…I guess that the cutest thing ever was Johnny and I having a moment. What's even worse is that Johnny isn't even next to me anymore and has moved closer to the stage with the rest of the RORs, acting as if nothing has happened. I follow his advice however, and take a small journey over to the six valley girls within the front lawn of their house, jumping up and down in excitement.
"Melody Melody Melody! You and Johnny are the most adorable couple everrrrr!" Brittany squeals before waving her hands in front of her face. All the other girls start doing the same, not letting me escape any kind of embarrassment.
"And what's this? A ROR cardigan? I'm guessing Mr. Worthington did let you join the RORs after your amazing Scare Final?" Carrie questions.
I'm caught by surprise, putting my hands on my elbows and looking down at the ground. "Wait, you know about how I did on the final?"
Carrie giggles, putting her hand over her mouth. "Everyone knows. It seems the story of you turning into a banshee has changed from something sad to something crazy cool. And now that you've joined ROR, everyone is jealous."
"Oh…geez," I murmur, "Are people really?"
"Of course! Not only are the RORs crazy good at Scaring, you've also caught the attention of the most gorgeous monster on campus," Brittany grins.
"And she means that in the best way possible," Carrie chimes in.
I see Crystal raise her hand in order to catch my attention. She politely pushes her way through the PNKs so that she can be face to face with me. "Melody! Are you participating in the Scare Games?! I want to see you and Johnny scare in real time!"
"Oh oh oh me too!" Naomi adds.
"We all do! Please tell us Melody! TELL UUUUUUSSS!" Taylor says while shaking Crystal to the point where she's dizzy.
Carrie has to pull Taylor off of Crystal and calm them down. It's funny watching her do that so calmly, while also fixing their hair and readjusting their clothes. "To answer that question, all the other boys are the ones who have been wanting to participate since the beginning of the semester, so Johnny has prioritized their participation first. I'm sure Melody isn't confident enough to join them yet," Carrie states, "Oh and I don't mean that in a mean way. You join them when you're ready girlfriend."
"It's alright. I'm only really supposed to be their 'representative' or something like that. They didn't necessarily want me to join anyways because they didn't want me to end up in the hospital," I respond while crossing my arms nervously.
All the girls cry out in disappointment. I don't really know what they were expecting considering that I'm a nervous wreck and I'm only a freshman who has had absolutely zero experience within the Greek life. Although, that argument probably doesn't hold up considering that Randall is in the same situation as me, but is still participating.
The excruciatingly nerve-wracking conversation is immediately interrupted once the goth looking Greek Council Member on stage vocalizes into the microphone, sending sonic waves through the crowd. "Welcome to this year's Greek Scare Games Kickoff."
The crowd roars to life, nearly blowing out my ear drums when they all turn towards the stage. I would be angry but I think it would be more realistic to say that the whole reason my hearing is so sensitive is because I stayed inside my room my whole life without hearing anything considered loud; I'm simply not used to all of this noise. It gets even worse when the other council member starts screaming into the microphone, creating some ear piercing feedback that I can literally feel within each individual vertebrae of my spine.
"Oh my gosh, he has to be on drugs again," Brittany sneers while covering her ears. All of the other PNKs quietly agree with her, which makes me think that I should too, but I end up keeping my mouth shut because he could just be excited.
The council members invite Dean Hardscrabble up into the stage, which creates some sort of PTSD episode for me as I remember all of the stress that sprouted from her. I can't think about it for too long though as the clapping interrupts my thinking. I take a look to where Johnny and the rest of the RORs are, standing in the center of the street with confidence, and respectfully listening to what Hardscrabble has to say. I notice Johnny's cocky smirk, and how his arms are crossed as she explains how you have to be the most fearsome monsters on campus to win the Scare Games. He and the rest of the fraternity then turn around and pose for a very overwhelming picture, where Javier and Chip pose like gangsters, Bruiser growls, Chet turns his hat around to look like a troubled young monster, and Johnny stands tall with his hands on his hips, looking like the most handsome man in the world.
Once she's finished, she turns away and lets the presumably drugged up, griffin-like council member take the microphone. "Alright everybody we're closing down signups, so we'll see you al-"
"Wait!" Yells someone from the crowd.
Everyone on the street turns towards the person who said that, and to my surprise it's Mike, standing fearlessly atop the yellow car parked in front of the EEK house.
"I'm signing up," Mike says while raising his skinny arm in the air.
Everyone starts laughing at him, making me feel a large sum of second hand embarrassment, which is starting to get on my nerves. Why is everything leading to embarrassment today?
The laughter continues for a couple seconds, and I look to see Johnny shaking his head and saying the word 'what' while also laughing. As much as I liked Mike, I really don't understand what he's doing? He failed his exam (while also making a fool of himself) and is still trying to prove he has what it takes to be a Scarer. A couple months ago I would have let him follow his heart, but he clearly doesn't have what it takes.
The goth looking council member takes the microphone and speaks into it. "Uh…you have to be in a fraternity to compete."
This was clearly the queue he was hoping for because he starts acting like a businessman giving his pitch for a new product or a magician about to blow the minds of the masses by waving both hands to his sides. "Behold the next winning fraternity of the Scare Games, the brothers, my brothers, Oozma Kappa!"
He dramatically points down to his left, revealing three small monsters that look way too cute to be Scarers. Well maybe four since one of them has two heads.
I look back and see Johnny with a very serious look on his face. Everyone else seems to think this is a joke, but to him it's almost like it's an insult or threat. I also remember back to last semester when Johnny mentioned Oozma Kappa were a bunch of Scaring Program dropouts and failures. In his words they're a 'sorry excuse for a scaring fraternity.' I can't say he was completely wrong, because if they were to enter the Scare Games, I would be certain they'd all end up being severely injured. I can't say that their failures though, I'm sure they've found some other profession they enjoy...right?
"Mr. Wazowski what are you doing?" Dean Hardscrabble asks while walking off the stage. She sounds fed up already.
"You just said that the winners are the most fearsome monsters on campus. If I win it means you kicked out the best Scarer in the whole school," Mike replies without hesitation.
The PNK girls start whispering to each other, so do the RORs, and so does every other fraternity or sorority that I can see within the crowd.
"That won't happen," Hardscrabble states snootily.
She turns away, attempting to drop the subject, but Mike continues on. "How about a little wager? If I win, you let me back in the Scaring Program?"
Hardscrabble turns back around, still not wanting to entertain this idea of a wager. "And what would that prove?"
"That you were wrong," Mike announces.
The whole crowd gasps, and lets out their bottled up emotions in the form of a collective "Ooooooo."
Hardscrabble then accepts, explaining how she'll let his entire team in the Scare Games, but the condition is that he'll have to leave Monsters University if they lose. I don't know about him but I would not accept that condition at all. Not only does it take a lot of work to get into this school, but a lot of money as well, but maybe I think that way just because I'm not the most financially stable monster.
Mike thinks it over for a couple seconds. "Deal."
Alright then. This is starting to feel more like a wager based on vengeance. I really hope this doesn't backfire in some way, or cause Johnny and the rest of the RORs to suffer.
"Now all you need to do is find enough members to compete," Hardscrabble mumbles.
At this point I've had enough of listening to this, and turn around to the PNK girls. I hear the council members use the microphone again but don't really process what they're saying since I try to say goodbye to the girls for now. "I'm sorry, I think it's best that we talk later."
Carrie and Brittany both give me a thumbs up and turn their attention back to the situation at hand. I start finding my way through the crowd, trying my best to get to Johnny. I see him talking to Chet and then yell out to someone in the crowd. After looking around I see that it's Randall who walks up to them all and is asked by Johnny to 'do the thing.' Within a blink of an eye he vanishes, showing off his ability to become invisible/blend in. It's weird seeing him wear a ROR sweater as well. Wow, the RORs have kind of stepped up their game this semester haven't they? The situation at hand continues to play out, keeping Johnny's attention as the council members sputter into the microphone again, saying things I don't really have time to care about. I finally reach the RORs and find that they're all happy to see me again.
"Where have you been amiga?" Javier asks.
"Oh you know…around," I reply with a sigh.
Javier puts his hand on my shoulder with worry. "Are you alright? You look exhausted."
I take his hand and put it back to his side. "I am, but I'll manage."
Johnny's POV
After Hardscrabble turns away from Mike, and the council members start packing up their stuff, I sense Melanie standing right next to me. "Can you believe this Mel? Both Mike and Sullivan have found a way to exploit their way back into the program," I scoff.
"You know, I get that it's a little shocking, but I think you should just ignore it and focus on yourself," She responds seriously.
On myself? Why should I? They've shown that they don't have what it takes to be a Scarer and now they get to just bend the rules at their will! "What are talking about Melanie, aren't you furious about this? They're literal jokes who think they stand a chance against us!" I ask.
She shakes her head, taking my hand gently. "No. It doesn't affect us either way. Like you said, you're the best of the best, so it doesn't matter…right?"
I stare deep into her eyes. While I may not understand her view on this situation, I do trust her with every ounce of my being. If she's not worried about it, then I won't worry about it. I just hope that the little green beach ball doesn't get any ideas, otherwise I might have to worry about it.
"Let's worry about something else, like what we're having for dinner," Melanie smiles.
I squeeze her hand a little bit more firmly, and smile back at her. It's nice to have someone around who always thinks on the brighter side of things. However, my thinking is then interrupted by my vibrating phone within my sweater pocket. "God damnit. Why is everything happening all at once," I growl quietly to myself. I fish it out and see that it's my father calling me again. "Sorry Mel, I have to take this," I whisper.
She nods and walks over to the other RORs, now deciding to welcome Randy into the fraternity. Before I get too lost in thought, I tap the green button and lift my phone up to my head.
"Took you long enough to answer," Dad grunts.
"Uh, I don't know what to tell you. There's a lot going on today," I sigh.
"Yeah yeah whatever. I'm calling you to tell you that all internships have been canceled. The Scream Energy crisis is getting worse so there won't be anyone available to teach you the ropes. While I'm not at all happy about this, I'm deciding to give you a chance," Dad grumbles.
Woah what? I don't have to do this internship now? Thank god! Now I can focus on my last Scare Games, and maybe keep this relationship thing going with Melanie! But before that, I have to keep myself calm. I'm talking to my father after all. "So, what do you want me to do now?" I ask.
I hear a defeated sigh on the other end of the phone. "You will win those Scare Games. I'm sending a Scaring Scout to watch every little thing you and your Scaring buddies do, so you had better not disappoint me again Jonathan."
"Wait really? Th-thank you, you will not regret this dad, I promise," I beam.
I hear a little more growling before he speaks again. "He will be at every challenge, and watch everything you do. If you do not impress him…then you will not be working at Fear Co. or Monsters Inc. Got it?"