Expectations When Expecting

Book 3, Chapter 3

Yuu looked terrified as terrifyingly large waves of boys crowded around the results of the exams, her friends running along the walls, desperate to check their names.

"Okay, where am I in the top fifty?" Grim questioned, scouting while balanced atop Yuu's shoulders. "C'mon, henchman! Get closer!"

"I'm doing my best, but the waves are just too strong!Ack-!" Yuu yelped as she almost tumbled backwards, trying to push past the boys.

"Come on... come on... With an average score over ninety, we've gotta be in there, right?" Ace murmured, finally managing to push through the crowd.

Grim seemed to become impatient as he jumped from Yuu's shoulders and into the crowd of boys, running over their shoulders.

"First ten places...nope. Twenty...nope. Forty-eight, forty-nine, fifty...nope." Grim's eyes widened. "Wait a minute-I ain't in here at all!" He yowled.

"N-neither am I..." Deuce muttered, disbelieving.

"Hooold up. There's a list of the total scores each top achiever got across all subjects." Ace froze, becoming visibly pale. "The top thirty scored perfect marks—500 points!"

Deuce and Grim also seemed terrified. "PERFECT MARKS?!"

"Well, damn." Yuu blinked. "Those tests weren't easy... How is it even possible that 30 students each got perfect scores?"

Grim trembled in Yuu's arms. "B-but if I don't make it into the top fifty, that counts as a breach of contract!"

Ace, strangely terrified, turned to look at Grim, disbelief written across his features. "Wait, 'contract'? Oh no. Grim, did you...?"

"Judging by the look on your face, Ace, don't tell me you also-" Deuce began before the three flinched.

The transformation was almost instantaneous as a sudden cry of despair drowned out Yuu's confusion, only for hundreds of brightly colored sea anemones to sprout from the tops of the heads of many students including Yuu's three rebellious friends.

"What the fu-?" Yuu stared for a moment, grabbing Grim from her shoulder and dangling him in front of her to see if her cat had also grown an invertebrate oceanic predator.

"What in the world?! A sea anemone just sprouted outta my head!" Grim hissed as he swatted at his new friend.

Deuce stared at the anemone, nervous and embarrassed at his own. "G-Grim, you made a contract too?! You big cheater!"

Ace scoffed, rolling his eyes at Deuce. "Yeah, whatever, Deuce. You're just as guilty, keepin' your friends close and your anemones closer over there!"

Yuu set Grim down as he grabbed the anemone at the top of his head. "I'll just give it a quick tug, and...OW! It's not comin' out!"

Yuu stared. "Okay, what's going on here? Why the new sea friends?" She demanded, feeling the dread pool in her stomach, not noticing the gentle giant that had managed to sneak up behind her, placing a sudden hand on her shoulder.

Yuu jumped slightly. "Jeez! Jack! Warn a girl before you do that!"

The giant wolf man gave her a playful smirk before looking at her other friends."I came to see what all the commotion was. Why am I not surprised it's you guys? What're you doing?"

Deuce looked up at Jack, struggling to keep his anemone upright on his head. "Jack, did you make a contract too?" He seemed to squint, trying to see the top of Jack's head before frowning. "Wait... You don't have an anemone!"

"So much for looking like a bad boy. You're more of a square than Loosey-Deucey over here!" Ace scoffed.

"Okay, what?" Jack tilted his head to the side, wrinkling his nose and raising an eyebrow. "I'm completely lost here. What are you talking about, and what are those things growing outta your heads?" Jack grumbled, watching Yuu poke the anemone atop Ace's head.

"Look, it's uhhh..." The anemone between Grim's ears suddenly tugged at him, making the cat monster yelp. "What now?!" He hissed in pain, standing on his hind legs and using his paws to lessen the pressure the anemone's pull.

"This dang anemone's yanking my head!" Grim yowled, slightly panicked. Yuu tried to pick him up as Grim was literally dragged away from her.

"Ack, geez! It's gonna rip my noggin off!" Ace cried, his head moving as if he were using the anemone to search for water in a desert.

"So when he wrote 'absolute obedience,' this is what he meant..." Deuce mumbled, also in clear pain.

Yuu looked at Deuce. "What do you mean by 'Absolute obedience'?"

Deuce, looking guilty, opened his mouth to respond only to cry out as he was pulled again. The countless boys that had fallen victim to whatever deal Grim, Ace and Deuce had cried out in pain as the wave dispersed.

"What now? The way they were walking, it was like the anemones were pulling them in that direction. Is a picture that stupid still worth a thousand words...?" Jack muttered, jumping as Yuu elbowed him in the side.

Yuu gave a tired sigh. "Come on. We'd better follow them."

Jack looked at Yuu, frowning slightly. "Huh? Where do I come in here? This is none of my business." He refused to budge.

Yuu rolled her eyes before turning to face the wolf. "Oh shit, didn't mean to assume. Are you scared?" Take the bait please. This bullshit requires more than just me.

"Who're you calling a coward?" Jack's ears her up and he looked a mix between insulted and annoyed. He gave a huff before grabbing Yuu by the hand and pulling her behind him.

"You're starting to fit in around here a little TOO well. Fine. I'll keep you company for a little while, at least."

Yuu smiled brightly. "Well, there is a saying in my world. 'When in Rome, do as Romans do.'"

Jack sighed as the two followed the horde of anemone controlled boys. "Let's get this straight, though— this is purely out of curiosity. I wanna see what caused this. I couldn't care less about those guys."

"Mmhmm." Yuu nodded, making Jack turn to her, clearly embarrassed. "We clear on that?"

"Crystal." Yuu reassured the tall younger boy.