Chapter 1

Don't tell me about no beach
Don't wanna hear about your mountain
How the good life is a peach
You drink your sunsets from a fountain
No I don't wanna think about it
Save your breath, I don't wanna hear about it

I just wanna get right down at the fire light
Let my baby sing "Hold me tight
"You honky tonk nighttime man"
Drink away this crazy world
Hold tight to a longneck-holdin' girl
Won't you give it all boys, the fed-up give a damn
Bartender, here's a fifty
Pour some whiskey on this drowning man

We put the smoke in the stack
Put the seed in the ground
While Lady Liberty turns her back
And Uncle Sam just turns around
No I don't wanna think about it
Oh tonight I don't wanna think about it

I just wanna get right down at the fire light
Let my baby sing "Hold me tight
"You honky tonk nighttime man"
Drink away this crazy world
Hold tight to a longneck-holdin' girl
Won't you give it all boys, the fed-up give a damn
Bartender, if you're with me
Pour some whiskey on this drowning man

I continued to hear the music playing on the radio, while me and my long time friend Kai, were waiting for a few buddies of ours for a bonfire party. I was on the wheel and the truck is on park. We usually planned for bonfire parties on weekends, usually for young adult critters and sometimes predators like myself would mingle and socialize.

"You think she's coming?" Kai, a twenty year old rabbit in the front passenger seat asked.

"I don't know. She was interested of comin', so I'll find out and see." I answered.

"You only met the bunny for three weeks ago." Kai added.

"Yeah, but only on social media." I told him. "She doesn't know who I am. We only saw each other's photos posted online."

"She's probably living Bunnyburrow, like rest of us." Kai added.

I nodded. "That's what it said on her profile."

"Stalker!" Kai joked.

"What?!"

"You're a total stalker, man!" Kai fist-bump on my shoulder.

"I'm sure everyone does that, about eighty to ninety percent." I exclaimed.

"Yeah, but not everyone though."

We heard truck and car horns that were sounding off nearby, with flashing headlights. I grabbed my cowboy hat from the back seat, as Kai just grabbed his ball-cap. We exited out of the truck to lower the tailgate from the back and grabbed our coolers for drinks. Easy drinks like sodas, sparkling ciders, and punch. The vehicles came into park towards our truck, by the time we started our bonfire. The party comers are usually people we knew back in college and/or at work, sometimes we even have party crashers probably from the city.

Everyone mingled by the fire, while others danced on the truck's tailgate. We're listened to mostly country music. Usually, where we from, mostly everyone would prefer to Gazelle's music.

"Any sights of her sore eyes?" Kai sat down by the fire.

"I haven't seen her." I answered.

"Really? Someone is trying to look for you."

"Who?" I asked.

Kai pointed at the rabbit on the tailgate truck. "She's your girl."

I watched her slow dance, until I recognized the face after the fire's height dropped. It was her! I got up and started to walk towards her, while watching her dance. My heart started to pound when she opened her eyes and spotted me. I took a deep breath, as she walked towards me and I helped her down.

"Thanks, but I couldn't got it." she smiled.

"It's... it's alright." I said.

"You alone?"

"Yeah, with a friend of mine of course." I answered.

She looked at the stars and the field. "Sure looks beautiful at night."

"You been around here, before?" I asked.

"My friends usually hung around here during the day. I never thought of coming back here at night."

"It's beautiful indeed. My friend, Kai and I partied here since college and it's a good spot." I added.

She started to run away from the party and went deep in the fields and waved.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"Surprise!" she shouted.

I started to go after her, as we came out to the fields and looked up to see shining stars on a cloudless night. "I love to see bright stars at night, when I'm not around street lights."

I nodded with agreement. "Me too. My parents and I took me to the beaches and watch the moon and stars at night, as we howled also."

"Really? How cute! Try it." she wanted me to try.

"I haven't done it for awhile." I said.

"Please try, for your old times sake." she asked.

I slowly breathed, as I looked up at the stars and eventually found the moon. I let out a howl, as it echos around us.

The rabbit giggled. "You sound not bad."

"Thanks. I know we haven't formally introduced yet, but what's your name?" I asked for name.

"Claire Hooper." she introduced herself.

"I'm Trey Wolfer." I introduced myself, as we both shook each other's paws.

"I know a river for a good swim. Care to join me?" she offered me for swim.

"Sure." We than walked towards the woods, where we find a small lake. There was a trespass gate that blocked our entry. Claire felt bummed.

"I'm sorry. I used to remember never owned by anyone." Claire apologized.

I smirked. "There's a saying about 'wolves would have keys to the city.'"

"What do you mean?"

"Watch." I used my claws to unlock the gate's latches and opened the gate.

"Trey..." she was impressed.

"Just an ol' family trick. My family mostly." I said to her. "You still want to swim."

"I don't know." she felt unsure.

"I'm sorry, how about we don't need to take a long swim, just a dip with our feet." I tried to assure her.

She lightly smiled. "Okay."

After having her convinced for a short swim, we followed the wooden floating dock, before it reached the end. We sat down with our punches on the side, to make her feel better I even put some tunes from my phone.

Every time my feet are danglin' in the water
I can't help but think about her
Lyin' there with her wet hair
Didn't know what we were doin' but we didn't care

"Oh my gosh, I loved this song." she said.

I chuckled. "Wouldn't be surprised, since we're at the floating dock." I took off my boots and let my feet be refreshed from the cool lake water. Claire joined me, when she sat down and let her feet be wet on the water. She started to cuddle me with her arms.

"I'm glad you came." she said.

"As for you too." I said back. "What do you do?"

"I'm living with my older sister. We worked at our parent's farm." she answered.

"Really. Wow... you should be proud, you guys grow delicious carrots." I said.

"Come on, you're just saying that."

"No, I know there's another farmers that grow other vegetables and mostly fruits. Still they're all equally great." I complimented.

"Thank you." she thanked me. "What about you?"

"Well... I currently work at a retail market to provide money for my family. The reason why we're out here is to celebrate for my degree for history." I answered.

"Wow... a college grad, from where?" she asked.

"Vine Country University."

"In Zootopia?!" she was surprised.

I nodded. "Yes, by the time I graduated I got homesick that I had to come back and live back in Bunnyburrow."

"Your parents are sure proud." she said.

"Yes, my mother sure is..." I got a little heartfelt emotional for a moment. "... and I'm sure my father is too. He died about a year ago."

"Oh Trey, I'm sorry."

I sighed. "The lost time I saw was when he visited at the university and we drove around Zootopia to spend time together, before he headed back. He suffered a heart attack and he couldn't wake back up."

Claire reached for my paw. "I know he was a great father to you."

"Both of my parents are, since I was a cub." I said softly.

She than gave me a kiss, before we both shared a kiss. She hugged me, unexpectedly, she pulled us into the water. We both swam back up and started to splash each other, like we're a young cub and kitten. We than got close, as we held onto each other's arms. We closed our eyes and we're about to share another kiss, until we heard shouting. We looked to see if someone was close.

"Whose that?!" she became worried.

"Get back on the dock." I told her too, as I swam to follow the noise and at a further distance. I saw a band of animals were meeting with each other. I figured they weren't the animals that owned the dock. One of them was a ram and turned towards my direction. I gasped, as if he spotted me and I started to swim back towards the dock.

"We got to go." I called out to Claire.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I'm not sure, a meeting I saw, but it's best we should leave here." I answered, as I climbed back onto the floating dock.

Without arguing, we left the floating dock and ran to escape from the woods, in case the band of animals from the meeting might spotted us. By the time we reached towards the fields, everyone was starting to pack.

"Trey! Claire! We're packing up, we're leaving!" I heard Kai shouting for us.

We looked at each other, as we're walking up to our vehicles. "I'm sure I got to get going back for home. I need to be up in the morning."

"So do I." I told her. "I really enjoy your company and hoped to see you soon."

"Of course, that was a wonderful experience to swim at the lake again. Thank you." Claire joined my company.

"Yes, thank you." I thanked her also for her company that we shared. We both gave each other a farewell kiss. "Have a goodnight."

"And a goodnight to you two." she said also. "I'll message you on Facebook."

"Absolutely, I'll be waiting." I agreed, as she hopped into her friends car. The top roof opened, as she came and played our song again, where I played at the dock. She continued to dance to the rhythm and the beat, as she was being drove off.

"Come on, love wolf! Are you ready?" I heard Kai's voice.

"I'm coming!" I told, as I headed my way to the truck.

"Cute bunny right." Kai said, as I got into the car.

"Hey, you can't say that!" I exclaimed.

"I can, because I'm a bunny. You're not, so you can't say it." Kai laughed.

I shook my head. "She's beyond that, she's beautiful."

We buckled in, as I started my truck and started our ride home.