Nick explores his now empty room, before leaving it for the last time and finds a secret he doesn't remember. While reeling from its revelation, his Mom delivers some startling news.
Sunday afternoon finds me in an empty bedroom, void of all the things that made it mine. The movers had just left, taking with them everything that made this house our home for the last 7 years. It's strange to see my room without all the junk that had piled up. It looks so much larger but feels much less loved. The only thing that shows someone
may have lived here is the rug that sat underneath my bed, an ancient dusty decoration that before today, I had never seen all at once. I feel dazed, being in this room that is both mine and not. I wander about, admiring the carpet from every angle, hoping to get some sense of familiarity back in my life.
But I get nothing. Spurred by some curiosity, I walk atop the rug, letting its threads brush against my toes. The edges are rough and worn, with the middle almost plush in comparison. As I near one of the far corners, a board suddenly creaks underfoot.
Something springs up from within me, a long-lost memory. Laughter plays in my ears as I hear my younger self look about the room. A creak of a board, a small giggle, then my little voice rings out, "You'll be safe here!"
Almost automatically, I reach down and flip over the nearest corner of the rug. I'm almost surprised when I find the loose floorboard. I pull it up and find a small space, with two containers jammed tightly inside.
"Think I would remember having a hidden stash," I say,
I grab one of them and find it to be a circular cookie tin.
"Better not be sewing supplies in here," I chuckle.
I seat myself against the wall and pull on the lid. It's stiff from age and rust, but once I dig my claws into the lip, it pops open. Inside, I find a pile of letters crammed tightly inside. I pick up one and see my name clearly written in a fancy scrawl on the side.
Flicking open the envelope, I pull out the folded letter inside. My heart skips a beat when I stare at the loopy script, a painful pang of familiarity tugging on my chest. My breathing quickens in apprehension as I read the long-forgotten letter.
Dear Nick,
I'm so happy to hear your mom was able to save up for that scout's uniform! I'd wish you good luck for your first meeting, but I don't think I'm very lucky today.
It all started so well! The harvest festival was on and everyone was happy. We put on our play and actually got applause! Damian, Shauna and Adam did so well! Everything was perfect! And then the play was over. My parents didn't take my dream so well, tried to convince me to be a carrot farmer. Eugh! I don't wanna do that, I wanna be a police officer with you by my side, making the world a better place!
In fact, I got a chance to do that. I saw your cousin Gideon steal some tickets from my friends and I managed to get them back from him. However, he clawed my face. It still stings! Mom was so mad, marched right over to the Grey's house to give him a talking too! Dad was even madder. Said it was proof that predators couldn't be trusted, especially foxes. He forbade me from writing to you anymore! That's so unfair, you didn't do anything, it's all your jerk cousin's fault! I tried to tell him that, but he didn't listen. He went so far as to tell the post office to stop any mail we send each other. Said it was a good thing, to end things now before you betrayed me.
But, you'd never do that, right Nick? You're my best friend! It might be a little harder now that we can't write, but we'll stay that way forever, I just know it! Besides, we'll see each other when we become cops together! And then my parents won't be able to stop us from doing anything.
-Your best friend, Judy Hopps.
I feel a tear tread its way down my cheek. I pick it up with a finger and admire it. It's been so long since I last cried, I almost forgot that I could. I feel a sad smile overtake my muzzle. Guess it's good to be reminded… With a swish of my wrist, I flick the tear away and turn my attention back to the letter. "Now, how on earth could I forget someone like you?" I whisper. The question sits heavy in my heart, a seed of disappointment that I know will fester until it's resolved.
A sudden knock interrupts my depressed musing. "Nick, are you in here?"
I swivel towards the door. "Yeah, Mom."
The door creaks open and Mom softly steps in, looking apologetic. "I just got some news from-" Her face morphs with surprise as she takes in the scene. "Are those what I think they are?"
I nod. "Judy's letters? Yeah, I just found them."
A small grin grows on her face. "Well, that's good, I thought we had lost them. They help you remember anything?"
"Not yet, but I only read the one." I sigh. "Mom, did Gideon really attack Judy?"
Her smiles falls. "Oh boy, I wasn't looking forward to this." She sighs, walking over to sit down beside me. Once settled, she turns to me, the smallest of grins on her face. "Why do you have to be so difficult, forgetting all this? It was hard enough to talk about this the first time."
I try to muster up a grin in response, but all that comes out is an embarrassed chuckle. "How did I forget all this? Trying to figure that out myself, actually."
She smiles sadly at me. "Well, you just keep trying okay?"
"Okay."
She pauses, collecting herself, putting on what I've named "The Mom face." She takes a deep breath and begins. "I won't lie to you, Nick. Gideon attacked Judy. I saw the slash marks myself."
I interrupt, confused. "Wait. You saw them? How?"
She looks at me sardonically. "I'm getting to that part, Nick, don't rush me."
I grin sheepishly at her. "Sorry."
She rolls her eyes at me, then continues, "Anyway, the moment you got that letter, you came to me bawling your eyes out. I'd never seen you so upset and that includes the… incident with the troop." Her voice trails off and she looks at me, concern in her eyes.
My heart clenches at the mention of the troop. I'm mad she brought it up, I wanted to forget it happened. But I play it cool and don't react, hoping she'll move on. She stares for a brief moment more, than, apparently satisfied I'm alright, goes back to recollecting. Internally, I sigh with relief.
"Well, when I finally calmed you down enough that you let me look at the letter, I was appalled. I thought my sister knew better than to raise her kit like that. And how Stu reacted to it-" She clicks her tongue. "Well, I wasn't really surprised, just disappointed. Especially in Bonnie, I thought she was the more level-headed of the two. That she'd keep him in check."
She shakes her head. "Well, I couldn't exactly do nothing, you were so worried, and I couldn't do anything here. So, I took the next day off and grabbed the first train I could to Bunnyburrow." She sighs. "It was expensive but worth it." Her mouth twists into a grin. "You should have seen the look on your Aunt Artemis's face when I showed up at her door with that letter. She was not expecting that, I can tell you. Nor the grand shouting at I gave her and that lazy husband of hers." She scoffs. "I still can't believe they let Gideon get so bad. Our parents raised us better than that. Although considering what I remember from their last visit, I don't know if I can say he's improved."
She turns to me, face serious. "That reminds me… If I even hear a whisper about you getting into fights at your new school, you're grounded for a month, got it!"
The sudden topic change catches me by surprise, so all I can do is nod silently.
She grins. "Good, I'm glad you understand. Now, where was I…?"
"Shouting at Aunt Artemis?"
"Right, thank you." She taps her chin, lost in thought and I slowly watch the joy in her eyes fade away as she recalls whatever happened. When she opens her mouth, her voice is heavy with a strange sadness. "You know, Nicky, it was so easy to change my sister's mind about what happened being wrong, I expected it to be just as simple to change the Hopps' minds about letting you write to Judy. In a way, I was right." She stops, her muzzle ticking up into the slightest of smiles. "Bonnie was always more progressive than her husband but was held back by her upbringing and her environment. Changing her mind was easy. But Stu?" She growls. "Stu's so stuck in his ways, I'm surprised he let you and Judy be friends in the first place. I tried to reason with him, but he wouldn't budge, said I was just trying to trick him. He refused to let me see Judy, to see how hurt she was. Bonnie had to sneak me in while he was working." Mom turns to me, expression reassuring. "She was fine by the way, was barely scratched. It wouldn't surprise me if the scars had faded by now."
Despite Mom's assurance, anger and resentment towards my cousin grows within me. I've hated bullies, ever since the troop. Gideon never came off as the nicest mammal when his family came to visit, and this certainly puts a new perspective on my view of him. However, it's been four years since he last came to visit, so I can only hope he's grown up since then, otherwise, I don't know if I'll be able to hang around him at all. A sharp pain comes from my paw pads and I look down, relaxing the fingers I hadn't realized I'd clenched. I take a breath to calm myself, then look back at Mom.
She looks away again and makes a sound somewhere between a groan and a sigh, her face twisted with frustration and disappointment. "Bonnie and I tried to think of any way we could circumvent Stu's ban on your letters. But he's friends with the postal workers, so any attempts to use a third party would be found out pretty quick. And phones were definitely out of the question. No way either of us could afford the amount of long distance calls you would make to each other. So, we accepted defeat." Her mouth twitches upwards into a small smile. "Judy took it rather well when she was told you really couldn't write each other anymore. Said it didn't matter, as you'd see each other when you joined the force together." She laughs. "Wish I could be that optimistic."
I'm suddenly struck by a thought, one that makes me feel queasy and hopeful at the same time. Shaking her arm, I ask, "Mom, do you think Judy remembers me? I mean, she was so important to me, and I still forgot."
Her expression morphs with contemplation and she still, lost in thought. "I… I don't know, Nick. Judy was always so forceful about what it is she wants out of life, I doubt she would forget you on purpose. But you were just like her when you were younger, and well… Losing your line of communication with her hurt you, Nick, broke you in ways I still don't understand." A sudden look of realization crosses her face. "There's no way you would forget her under normal circumstances. Perhaps, your brain blocked out all memories of her, so you wouldn't remember how hurt being unable to contact her makes you." She looks at me, gauging my reaction.
The idea has elements of truth and is certainly plausible. I shrug. "It's about as good as any idea I've heard so far."
Mom looks at me, expression deadpan, as if to say, "Really?" She keeps it up for a few more moments, then sighs, giving in as I remain impassive.
"Anyway, I have no idea if she remembers or not. You forgot, so she could have too. At this point, you may as well just hope for the outcome you want most and see what happens."
The outcome I want most… What is that? My brain swirls as the pros and cons of each side bounce in my head. A larger chance of having a guaranteed friend, or the possibility of us discovering the past together. Having her dissatisfied with how I've changed since she last saw me, or not wanting anything to do with a Fox she doesn't even remember? Thoughts twist in my mind as the endless possibilities pile up and a headache begins to form as my head quickly shifts into overdrive, losing myself to the ideas my brain conjures.
And then suddenly, I'm pulled out as Mom calls out, "Nick."
I pull myself out of my head and back into the room, where I see mom looking at me with worry, apprehension and… apology?
Concerned, I ask, "Mom, what's wrong?"
She sucks in a pained breath. "I just remembered why I came looking for you in the first place. You're probably not going to like this."
"Mom?"
She heaves a huge sigh, her chest rising and falling in a large wave. "Nick, I got a call from our landlord in Bunnyburrow. He was taking a look around our home to be, checking that everything was alright, when he found a termite nest. We won't be able to move in for a while. They need to get rid of the bugs, and then assess and repair any damage. They said it would be a minimum of a month before we can stay there."
My heart drops in my chest and my paws clench. "Well, where are we going to stay?" I exclaim.
Mom gives me one of the most apologetic looks I've ever seen. "Nick, this is the part you really might not like. I called up my sister, and she agreed to house us in the meantime."
My brow furrows in confusion. I don't get it, I like Aunt Artemis, it's-
"I'm going to live with Gideon?!"
Mom forces a smile. "Hey, it might not be that bad, he could have grown up since we last saw him."
I force a smile back at her, outwardly agreeing with her, but deep inside me, I get a sinking sensation that this will not turn out in my favour at all.
Well, this got away from me. I initially planned this to be part of chapter two, since they were so similar, but it got to a point where I finished Judy's section and I hadn't completed this part. It was long enough, so I posted it as it's own chapter. I went back to this, figuring I could finish it up quickly enough and just post it the next day. Clearly, it didn't turn out that way. At 2400 words, this is almost half of what I've written for the whole story so far. If this trend continues, I might actually make my chapters chapter lengthed!
Latest update, August 29, 2018. Thanks to jknight97 and Seaside Skies for their help.
