(Sophia's POV)

A knock echoed on the door.

"Hey, Sophia? It's me! Chet!" Another knock followed. "I'm here for studying!"

That was usually our code to sneak off and visit the church, but I couldn't find the will to speak.

"Sophia?" Chet tried again, his voice softer. "I know you're in there. Come on."

I sighed, burying my head under the blanket, falling into darkness again.

..
..

"Hey, Sophia, it's me, Randell." Knocking followed. "Come on, open up."

I rolled over, pulling the pillow over my head. Soon enough, sleep took me again.

..
..

"Sophia, it's Mike." The knocking was quick and only done once. "Come on, Sophia, come outside and sit with us. It's beautiful."

..
..

Loud knocking echoed around the room. I sighed, hiding under my pillow.

"Sophia!" It was Randell. "I know you're in there! Open up! It's been two days, and I'm done being nice!" His multiple hands hit the wood over and over, never stopping or slowing. "I will keep annoying you until you open the door!" More knocking. "Get out of bed, Sophia!"

I groaned, pulling my feet up close to me.

"Go away, Randell!"

"Not till you open the door and join the world again!" More knocking. "If you don't come, I swear I'll get Dean Hardscrabble!"

I sighed, tossing the blanket off. "Fine! So shut up, okay?!"

The knocking stopped before I reached the door. When I opened it, he paused. "Wow, you look awful."

I stared him down. "Don't make me shut the door."

"Sorry. Here!" He almost shoved two paper bags in my face. "I'm coming in." Randell was in my room before I could stop him. "You must be starving, so I got you two plain bagels with butter and strawberry yogurt."

I sat at the table, carefully opening both bags. I was already chewing when Mike walked into the room.

"Wow, you look awful."

Randell snorted, failing to cover his laughter with a cough, and I heard the curtain and window open.

Mike moved, opening the other window in the kitchen but leaving the curtain half down.

As much as I hated the interruptions, the food and warm air felt nice.

"So, are you excited about class tomorrow?"

Both Randall and I stared at Mike.

"Really?" Randall sighed.

"Sorry," Mike chuckled awkwardly. "I'm not very good at conversations."

"Well, why don't you head back to our room, and you can see Sophia when she's feeling better, okay?"

Thankfully, Mike took the hint and graciously bowed out.

"I hope you feel better, Sophia."

When the door shut, it was just the two of us. It was hard to ignore the look on Randall's face. I knew he had questions, but I wasn't sure if I had the answers—or that I wanted him to know them.

"Hey, as awkward as that was, Mike's right. It is beautiful out. So you're going to finish your food, go have a shower, and we'll take a nice walk around the school, just the two of us. And don't even think of disagreeing. You forced me to eat when I was sick; I will sponge bathe you."

Despite my annoyance, I couldn't help the small chuckle.

"I don't know. A sponge bath sounds nice."

..
..

Though I spent the last two nights in bed, I was utterly exhausted. When he showed up, so did all of the memories, all the nightmares. The few hours of sleep I could get were restless at best.

Her screams of pain plagued my mind. Even walking through the quad with Randell, I felt the phantom pain of the thick ropes wrapped around my arms and legs.

"Sophia!" My mother screamed, monsters dragging her down the altar. "Get away from her! Don't touch my baby!" Her tear-filled eyes begged someone to do anything, but they didn't.

Her screams only stopped when a blade slid across her throat with record speed. Blood quickly flowed before her and the masked man. I wanted to scream, to cry out, but my words balled in my throat.

"Sophia?" I blinked, finally registering the feeling of Randell's hand on my arm. "Do you want to talk about it?"

I sighed, finally stopping. There wasn't a bench nearby, but there was a small stone wall.

"I can't..." I stopped, biting my bottom lip. Randell simply sat, looking at me gently. I sighed deeply. "I'm not supposed to tell people, but I'm tired of lying." I looked at the ground. "I've spent my whole life distancing myself from others in fear that they'd find out, and I realized today that I have no one on my side."

"I'm on your side."

"Yeah, but you don't know anything about me."

I saw his lips move, wanting to deny that, but he stopped.

"You know my name, that I'm a good friend and a loving person, but that's it." I looked up at the sky, tears rimmed in my eyes. "When I was six, a group of men broke into my house." Randell's face fell. "They took me and my mother. When I woke up, we were in the middle of some building. There was another boy and his mother..." I squeezed the bricks as tears rolled down my cheeks. "I had to watch all three of them die, and I almost died myself." I swallowed roughly. "The cop that came to the school today was one of the monsters that found us. Seeing him here brought back a lot of memories..."

I felt his colder hand squeeze mine softly. "Sophia, I'm so sorry... I... I'm sorry."

"By some miracle, the boy and I survived, but the cops thought it was best to separate us since they had no idea why it happened. And true to fashion, he happens to be here, at MU."

"What?!"

"Yeah! And now they're trying to make me leave and come back next year." I kicked the ground angrily. Randell didn't miss a beat.

"So he's a senior, huh?"

I sighed, nodding slowly, and watched Randell fidget. "Sophia..." I glanced at him. "I was never attacked, so I don't know how that feels. Well, I was bullied from time to time, but I do understand what it feels like to watch someone you love die." Now it was his turn to tear up. "I was seven, I think? My parents had left on a business trip, so I was staying with my grandmother." He swallowed roughly, and I reached to take his hand. "I hated living with her. We were reptiles..." He lifted his bottom hands, fumbling for the right words. "Her house was always cold; the thing was practically falling apart, but she refused to move somewhere else. My grandfather built it for them, and it was sentimental." I nodded softly. "It had snowed that night, the house was cold, even with multiple layers of clothes and blankets." He sighed, burying his face in his hands. "She had this old heater that I'd always used, but she didn't want me to use it at night." I felt my face drop, already guessing where this was going. "I'd only meant to turn it on for a bit, but I fell asleep..." Tears rolled freely down his face as he looked up at the sky. "Her screams woke me first. The smoke was next." He grabbed my hands. "I tried to save her, Sophia, I did! But the smoke was so thick I couldn't see anything!" I pulled him into a hug, holding the older male. "When I woke up, I was in the hospital. They said firefighters had rescued us, but they couldn't resuscitate her..."

I held Randell tighter, feeling him finally hug back as the two of us cried quietly.

"Thank you for telling me, Sophia."

"Thank you for telling me, Randell. It makes it a little easier now that someone knows."

Ever so clever, Randell's face twisted. "Someone knows?" Oh shit. "Sophia," Randell's face only grew more concerned. "Am I the only one that knows about this?"

I sighed deeply. "When I woke up in the hospital, Detective Douche convinced me to keep it a secret. He said telling people would only scare them, so the official story is that my mom died in a horrible accident."

"Please tell me you're joking."

"My adoptive father and mother know parts of it, but not everything. People tend to get weird if I bring it up..."

"Well, someone dying is always hard for anyone, but Sophia, God, to have to carry around that pain by yourself..." He grabbed my hand again. "That was wrong of him, I'm sorry that happened to you."

No sooner had we gone to hug did the enthusiastic yelling of males rush by. While it was annoying, the sudden interruption was enough to clear some of the heaviness lingering in the air.

"Woo! Party!"

"JAWS THETA KAI!"

"Whoop whoop!"

We watched the six large males run down the street and suddenly stop. The largest, a rich red-scaled monster, turned, taking in the two of us as Randell and I wiped away more tears.

"UH OH!" He kneeled before us. "Look what we have here, guys!" His voice didn't change the slightest. "I think it's a case of homesickness!"

The others, who had now caught up, sighed, hugging each other childishly. "Aww!"

"How do we fix homesickness?!"

All five males tossed up their hands, or well, the smaller flying one hovered up and down quickly. "BY PARTYING!"

Suddenly, multiple pairs of hands were hoisting Randell and me up into the air.

"HEY!" I screamed. "PUT US DOWN!"

"NAW AWE FRESHMAN! AS LEADER OF JAWS THETA KAI AND A SENIOR, IT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO LOOK AFTER THE NEW BLOOD!" He chuckled enthusiastically, hoisting me up and down as he spoke. "IN THE CASE OF HOMESICKNESS, BEING AROUND OTHER MONSTERS HELPS! TRUST ME!"

We were carried down the campus to frat row. Oh God, no!

"Hey!" I glared at the monster in charge of the group. "HEY!"

"Big Red!" he laughed, clearly not bothered by my anger in the slightest.

"What?!"

"My name is Roy, but everyone calls me Big Red!" The red monster chuckled, thankfully toning down his voice. "That's Percy at your feet!" I snapped a look at the purple monster. "And Omar on your hips!" The small flying monster was holding my belt. I got a half-smile from the monster keeping my middle from falling into the large gap. "The orange furball is George! And the blue is Baboso!"

George had Randell's upper and middle body while Baboso easily held the thinner bottom.

Overpowering any complaints with loud cheers, we reached the house in what seemed like record time. I'd chalk it up to their size and watched Baboso turn, smacking the door open with a quick hit of his tail and immediately follow with, "HEY GUYS! NEW BLOOD!"

The group of dancing monsters paused, staring as Randell and I were set on the floor again.

"SOMEONE GET THEM A DRINK!" Big Red hollered. "BUT NOT THE STRONG ONE!" His glance fell to us. "Wouldn't want you getting shit-faced on the first night!" Poor Randell was almost sent to the floor by the powerful hit to the shoulder. "Oops! Sorry, little guy! Kinda forgot my strength!"

Randell and I were shuffled deeper into the house. The beat of the music came back as the boy placed more snacks on the table and turned up the music. Monsters of all shapes and sizes moved around the room.

"Oh my God!" Percy yelled. "Idea!"

Suddenly, like before, Randell was lifted off the ground by the over-enthusiastic monster. "Ping pong!"

Randell, in his shock, dropped his drink, looking back at me in concern as he was shuffled across the room and out of sight.

"Ping pong! Ping Pong!" The large group of monsters chanted, receiving laughter and amused smiles as they danced.

"Randell!" I shouted, trying to figure out which room they went into as more monsters swarmed into the house.

"Woah there, cutie!" Two larger monsters chuckled. "What's the rush!"

"Please move!" I tried, failing to go around them as they thrust their hips in my direction and blocked off the doorway. I saw Randell placed down in front of a large green ping pong table as other monsters cheered. "You guys, I'm serious, move!" I growled.

"Ya know, if you're at the party, you could at least participate," a fuzzy green monster tried, dancing his way toward me.

"I didn't come here to party." I slammed my cup on the table, hoping he would get the hint, but that didn't stop them from pushing me further onto the dance floor. "I didn't even come here of my own free will!"

"Oh, come on, lighten up freshman!" He tried, his arms moving out by my body. "Just relax and move to the beat!"

I felt my hand clenching in a tight fist and I moved, letting it swing at the male before me. Big Red must have been watching, as he yanked the monster out of reach and into a group of his friends. I had to admit I was impressed with his speed.

"Woah, Woah! Settle down, tiger!" He chuckled, stepping between me and the three males. "We're just here to have fun, no harm meant."

When I saw Big Red's hand going for my arms, I snapped. Grabbing his arm and jacket, I spun. Combining the sudden kick into his left foot and his forward momentum, I bent over, easily flipping the three-hundred-pound monster over my shoulder and onto the floor with a loud bang. The music stopped as everyone, including Big Red, struggled to figure out what happened.

"Sophia! Sophia!" Randell stated worriedly, finally reemerging from the crowd and over to my side, grabbing my fist before I could punch another idiot. "I'm okay! Calm down!"

Everyone waited with bated breath for either Big Red or me to make the next move. I eyed the male below me, watching him blink slowly as he gathered his thoughts.

"That..." Big Red finally spoke. "THAT WAS TOTALLY WICKED!" His hands shot into the air and the crowd exploded with cheer. I had to admit I was impressed that he got up like it was nothing. "GIRL, YOU HAVE TO DO THAT AGAIN!"

Just like that, I'm swarmed by JOX members.

"HOW DID YOU DO THAT!?"

"FLIP ME NEXT! FLIP ME NEXT!"

"THAT WAS THE COOLEST THING I'VE EVER SEEN! BIG RED'S LIKE 400 POUNDS!"

"HEY! I'M 325, GET IT RIGHT!" Red stated, causing everyone to chuckle. Seeing my silence, Big Red sighed. "Alright, alright! Give her space, guys." In a few moments, we were left alone, but that did little to stop my annoyance. "Sorry, sorry, we should have asked first," he rubbed his neck. "Sometimes we get a little too excited."

Randell placed a hand on my arm. "Sophia, I'm okay, really, just slightly embarrassed." He glanced across the room, seeing a few people staring at him with big smiles. "They seem adamant about me playing."

"Well, of course," Big Red smiled. "There are so many monsters here, but very few with six arms. When we find someone that can play, we always give it a try. I'm sure Javier and Zane are bored of only playing each other. It's been over two years since we've had fresh blood."

I glanced across the room and fought the urge to pull Randell outside. "I'm honored, really, but I've never played before..."

"It's okay, everyone starts somewhere. Javier didn't play when he first started, and now he's the best one in the school."

"Not for much longer," a third voice added, and we turned, seeing the yellow monster that had been over by the table now beside us. "Sorry, I figured I should introduce myself, I'm Zane Blade."

Red smiled, placing two hands on our shoulders with a look of pride. "These are the young bloods."

"I'm Randell, this is Sophia." Randell smiled.

"A pleasure."

I stare at him for a moment and finally bow "nǐ hǎo, zàn ēn, hěn gāo xìng jiàn dào nǐ" (Hello Zane, it's a pleasure to meet you.)

His eyes widen "nǐ huì shuō pǔ tōng huà?" (You speak Mandarin?)

"zú gòu tōng guò shì de" (Enough to get by yes.)

"You speak Mandarin?"

I glance at Big Red. "It's a long story."

"Anyway!" Baboso states. "You have to play since Javier's not here."

Wait, Javier isn't here?

"Not just him. Roar Omega Roar has hardly left the house in the last two days. Javier's holed up in the library, and when we do see them, Johnny is never there." Big Red shrugs. "The poor monsters probably caught a cold or something."

I feel my stomach drop. A part of me wants to go check on him, but I know that would make things worse.

"So? Will you stay?!"

Randell is suddenly swarmed by monsters, causing the reptile to blush fiercely. "Look, guys, this is nice and all, but we've had a long day." A loud chorus of "Awww" goes through the room, causing Randell to sigh. "I'll stay if Sophia will."

All heads snap to me. The pressure is intense, but I hold firm, crossing my arms in annoyance. Most of my irritation is directed at Big Red. He rubs the back of his head.

"Look, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have grabbed you. But I was serious. I remember what it was like being a freshman, and being around others helps, you know?" He moves across the room, picks up a new red cup, and returns. "Here. A peace offering." I raise an eyebrow. "Look, I'll stop pushing, okay? But you two have to stay. There aren't many four-armed monsters, and Zane is dying to play."

He holds out a beer to me, and my eyes fall on Randell, who now has four paddles in his hands. Despite his obvious nerves, the lizard shrugs but doesn't move from the table. I sigh deeply.

"Fine." The cheer in the room almost drowns out the music. "But I'm not drinking that."

I turn, walk around a few people, and find my way into the kitchen. I pause when I see the cupboard. Most of the cups are chipped, dirty, or plastic red cups. My eyes follow the red cup on the table, and I find Big Red has followed me, an embarrassed look on his face.

"We're not very good at the chores."

I reach under the sink, surprised to find soap.

"You really don't have to."

I shrug. "I'm used to cleaning up after my brother, so I don't mind."

I pop the plug, fill up the sink, and reach up, grabbing as many cups, mugs, and glasses as I can and placing them in the water. When the sink gets full, I add the others to the side of the counter. Even the counter could use a good wipe, and I make a mental note to do that later. This reminds me a lot of home—cleaning up after Sully was practically a full-time job.

I had expected Big Red to go back to his party, so when the music muffles, I turn, fully in shock. Big Red has shut the glass door, giving us peace but a clear view of the ping pong table across the hall.

"You don't have to..."

"It's my frat house, I should help." He picks a towel out of the small cabinet by the stove, and I can't help but smirk. "Besides, if I had done it before, you wouldn't have to do it now."

I flip the water to the other sink and let that fill as Big Red moves, placing a soft plush mat on the other side. I suppose it wasn't how I wanted my night to go, but I'm grateful. The warm water feels nice against my hands, and the talk with Randell lifted a heavy weight off my chest.

I'd forgotten how it felt to be honest with people. I place the soapy cup in the other sink, turning off the tap and watching as Big Red carefully swishes it around. I glance at him with a soft smile as the two of us fall into a comfortable silence.

As we make our way through the pile of dishes, I check back on Randell. After draining both sinks twice and moving from cups to dishes to silverware, Randell is hard at work. The cheering from the ping pong game has taken over the room, and the crowd now swarms the area.

Is this what it's like to have friends? I pause, rinsing my hands under the water and resting them on the counter.

"You okay?" The original volume had long since vanished, Red's voice now just loud enough to be heard over the muffled music.

"Can I ask you a personal question?"

Red spins the last large plate around the towel. "Sure."

"Why did you choose to be a scarer?"

Red smiles softly, placing the plate with the others and moving the pile into the cabinet. "Well... I guess it's what everyone said I should do." He shuts the door softly. "I mean, it should be my choice, right? But everyone just assumed I'd choose scaring."

"So why did you stay?"

"Because it turned out I was good at it. Don't get me wrong, it's hard work, all right, and lots of studying, but I do enjoy it." I nod once. "Are you second-guessing your classes?"

This time I sigh. "Like you, I was always told the same thing. When my mother was alive, she all but groomed me for scaring. But when I found my foster parents, they suggested something a little more laid back."

"Ahh, so now you're not sure what to do." Red smiles softly. "And sorry about your mom. I lost my gran last year."

I nod softly. "I miss her every day."

"Same. Gran was the only one who encouraged me to be myself. She's the one who said if scaring wasn't for me, I should walk away and find something I liked. Screw everybody else."

"My adoptive mother's very controlling."

"You want me to beat her up for you?"

I snort quietly. "Thanks, but I doubt that would help." I spare another glance at Randell and grab a quick sip of my water.

"You could try the beer, you know. It's light, so the alcohol percentage is very low."

"Thanks," I smile, dipping my hands back in the water. "But I'd rather you not spend the night in jail."

His face shifts. "Why would I go to jail?"

"Because I'm underage."

"Aw, come on," he bumps my shoulder lightly. "I doubt your birthday's that far away. Nineteen's the year you're supposed to let loose."

I feel that familiar weight again, the voice urging me to agree with him to avoid suspicion. But I also remember the feeling of freedom I had with Randell earlier.

"... Hey, Red?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you keep a secret?"

He looks at me, the smile fading from his lips as he senses the hesitation in my eyes. He stops, then nods, his expression softening. "What's up?"

I take a deep breath, my fingers tracing the edge of a dish. "You're right. About my birthday coming up soon." I set a few forks in the other sink and sigh. "But I'll be turning sixteen, not nineteen..."

For a moment, Big Red smiles, thinking it's a joke. But as the silence stretches, the realization hits him.

"Holy. Shit." He laughs louder than before. "Holy shit! How?!"

I blush, looking away. "I might have skipped four grades."

"Okay, yeah, no beer for you, then." He picks up the silverware and uses the rag to wipe down the counter. "I take it no one else knows this?"

I look down, embarrassed. "Well, I only know five people on campus, so no. You'd be surprised how many people don't notice."

"I think it's your confidence," he says, grinning. "When you're protective or angry, you look older. It's not a bad thing, but you had me fooled."

I smile softly. "Thanks, Roy."

"For what?"

"For not getting weird about my age."

He chuckles. "Well, thanks for telling me the truth." His heavy hand falls on top of my head, giving it a playful ruffle. "I'll be sure to watch out for you in the future, kid."

"Kid?" I groan, already knowing that nickname would stick.

"Yep." He smirks, ruffling my hair again. "Kid."

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