Sometimes he hated his life. He knows he has a good life, a great one really. A rich family, good parents in a loving relationship, and awesome friends. But it's times like this, at four in the morning when his roommate is in the other room humping like a rabbit the night before a big test, that he wishes he had taken his dad's offer of forgoing college and learning the family business with a tutor on the side.

He glances at the clock on his bedside table. 4:02 AM. B-e-a-utiful. He wondered momentarily if Faline would mind him coming over. But then he remembered his therapist's words, "You seem to be twitterpatted, my boy. A dangerous ailment for one so young. I suggest spending some time away from this girl, then next session we will review again." He scoffed at the thought. He wasn't twitterpatted! Not like Thumper or even his other friend Flower.

They had been acting like the stupid songbirds, his and his friends nickname for the "popular group" at school, lately. He had gotten used to it though. Flower had gotten a job at the local Dairy Queen and promptly fell head over heels in love with a pretty Indian girl. He and Thumper had rolled their eyes at his blush when Flower told them, but it was too late. He was twitterpatted.

It had been fine for a while after that until it happened to Thumper too. He found a blonde haired, blue eyed girl named Jessica at the club he worked at as a DJ and never looked back.

It had been hard for Bambi to accept that his friends suddenly had new lives while he was still the same. He felt ignored and rebuked each time his friends went out with their girlfriends and, as a result, he hung out outside of the house more often. And he met the hunters. He would regret joining them for the rest of his life. His friends had tried to help, but he spurned them, not seeing the dark path he was being dragged down.

His spiraling descent was abruptly stopped when he had a couple at his house when his parents had come to visit unexpectedly. Hyped up on drugs, they had attacked his parents, thinking they were cops. Bambi was forced to watch the whole scene, so doped up; he was almost overdosing. His dad had taken care of them and called the police. It had taken long months of rehab and therapy before he was anywhere near normal when it happened. When she happened.

She had transferred to his school for the next semester so she could focus on her major. She lived a couple blocks from him. And she was his best childhood friend. Faline. She re-entered his life like a breath of fresh air and set everything back in order. His grades went up, he hung out with his friends more, and he called his parents for the first time since fall. Everything had been going fine until this! Why'd that old owl have to say something like that! And what control did he have over his life anyways? It's 4:27 in the morning and he cant sleep. It wouldn't hurt anyone if he wanted to see his best friend right? He decides and gets up, sliding on a pair of jeans and pulling on a clean T-shirt. He sneaks out of the house and into the balmy air.

As he stares up at the darkened window of Faline's room, however, he starts doubting his decision to come. But it was 4:32 in the morning and he had already come so far, so he scooped up a couple rocks. He tossed them up toward her window and after a few minutes pass, her sleepy face appears in the window. He waves and she waves back, then disappears. She appeared fully dressed at the front door.

"Bambi? What are you doing here? It's nearly 5 in the morning!" Bambi winced.

"I know. I'm sorry. Do you want to go for a walk?" He is surprised by his own question, but it made sense as he thought about it. Faline huffs, half in amusement, half in irritation.

"Well, I'm not getting any more sleep tonight anyway…" He shuffles sheepishly as she steps out, locking the door behind her. He glances around to get his bearings as she walks out to stand next to him. They start off, heading vaguely in the direction of a nearby park.

"So, how are you?" He glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes as he spoke.

"Good," She said mildly, "Where have you been? I haven't seen you in a while."

"That old hoot, my therapist, had me… doing something." He finishes awkwardly, ducking his head. Faline raised an eyebrow.

"Doing something? That involved avoiding me for half a week?" Bambi glanced away nervously.

"He thinks… He thinks I'm… twitterpatted." He mumbles the end so low that Faline, who had leaned in to try and hear, can't make it out.

"What?" But Bambi shakes his head.

"It's nothing." She hesitates but then rolls her eyes and they continue walking in silence.

They reached the park and sat under an early flowering tree. Its dew-heavy flowers hang low around their heads, the sweet scent surrounding them.

"Brr…" Faline shivered. "I wish I would've remembered to bring a jacket." Bambi looked at her in confusion. He was practically sweating.

"Come here, I'm burning." He holds his arms out invitingly and she crawls in obligingly. This was a comfortable position for both of them, having done it so often before, and they relaxed. Faline's shivers died down and she glanced up at Bambi, blinking at him with big doe eyes.

"Thanks." She whispered and leaned up to press a kiss to his cheek.

Bambi blushed furiously at the kiss and looked down at her . He felt suddenly energized, his heart beating double-time. He gently turned her head up toward him, cupping her cheek. They stayed there for a moment as they stared into each others eyes. Then Bambi lowered his mouth to hers, pressing a kiss to her lips. They kissed softly almost in a daze, in a dream world. When they finally pulled back, Bambi sighed.

"That old hoot was right." He admitted softly. "I am twitterpatted."