Judy quietly unlocked the apartment door with her key and crept inside, careful not to step on any of the loose floorboards. It was just a few minutes prior to 1:00 AM. Nick was going to kill her.
She was nearly there; just a few more feet and she would be safely seated on the couch. Judy used her paws to feel for the couch as she edged forward. She felt the edge of the furniture, the couch cushions, and part of the middle seats, but then her paws crossed over something interesting, something she wasn't quite able to identify. Just then, the lights in the apartment flicked on, and there was Nick, right beneath her grasp.
Firstly, he was pissed. He was reclining lazily on the couch, one of his arms stretched out over the back of the couch, his paw just a few inches from the light switch he had flicked on. His eyes were locked onto Judy's, who stood frozen, her paws still resting on Nick's chest as she had attempted to feel for the couch. Their faces were inches apart, and the look on Nick's face instantly made Judy curse herself internally. A few seconds of awkward stares and no words passed, and then–
"Where the hell have you been? It's one in the morning!"
"I got called into work!" Judy blurted, the lie easily slipping off of her tongue.
Nick's eyes narrowed.
"No, you didn't."
"Yes, I did."
Another lie.
"You're lying," Nick retorted instantly.
"No, I'm not," Judy smiled.
Lie number three since she had been home.
"Carrots, I am not an idiot, and you know I'm a hustler. You aren't getting anything past me. Where have you been?"
"You were a hustler, right?" Judy teased.
"We are not playing cute right now, Rabbit. Where have you been?"
"I told you I was shopping."
Lie number four.
"Were you really?"
"Yes."
Lie number five.
"Mmm," Nick scoffed, waiting for her to tell the truth though he knew it wasn't coming anytime soon. "Carrots."
"I was!" she giggled, trying to lighten the mood.
She reached for his tie, so that she could tug at it playfully, but he easily swept it from her grasp.
"You're lying to me."
"I'm not!"
Six.
"Carrots, what's going on?"
Judy bit her lip nervously, trying to think of something other than changing the subject.
"Nothing is going on, Nick. I went shopping, I promise."
Lies seven and eight.
Nick continued to stare at her suspiciously, but he didn't have any evidence to prove whether or not she was being truthful, so he remained quiet. Judy stood up and made her way to their small kitchen, where she grabbed her Veggie Meal from the refrigerator. She began to eat immediately. Nick watched with curiosity.
"Hungry there?" he asked with raised eyebrows.
"It's been a long day," Judy laughed.
Nick nodded, as if he were considering a few things. Then, without another word, he went to the bathroom down the hall. Judy heard the water from the sink start running; he was probably washing his face or brushing his teeth. She sat and continued to eat, listening to the water's gentle sounds.
CRASH!
Something in the bathroom shattered, making Judy nearly jump a foot from shock. Her fork fell out of her hand and clattered to the floor. Glancing down at the now dirty utensil, Judy leaned over the kitchen counter that secluded the kitchen from the rest of the apartment, and peered down the hallway. The bathroom door was open, and the water was still running, but Judy also heard what sounded like a scramble taking place, as if two birds were fighting in the small room.
"Nick?" Judy called, trying not to overreact.
Without warning, Nick came racing out of the bathroom toward Judy and stopped at the kitchen counter, fear in his green eyes.
"Nick! You scared me!" Judy gripped her chest for a moment. "What is going on? Did you drop something?"
Nick didn't answer at first. He was dripping wet, as if he had been in the middle of washing his face when something happened, and his eyes were wide with what seemed to be horror.
"Nick? Did you break the toothbrush holder? I swear, I just bought that thing and it wasn't cheap!"
"Are you pregnant?"
"Am I – what?"
The two stared at one another in horror.
"Are you pregnant, Judy?"
He whispered it, as if scared of her words. Judy stood there, her eyes wide in absolute shock. He had used her first name, something very serious, and looked as if he might throw himself out the window. She then burst out laughing.
"Pregnant? HA! You're kidding, right?"
Judy clutched at her sides, her laughter racking her small body.
"I am not pregnant, Nick," she sighed, wiping the tears that had begun to form at the corners of her eyes.
"Do you know that for sure?" Nick asked, clearly not convinced.
"What?"
"Do you know that for sure?" he was still tense, on edge.
"I mean, no, I guess?" Judy reasoned with a shrug of her shoulders. "Why?"
"Be honest: what were you doing tonight?"
"I was shopping with Clawhauser."
Lie number nine.
Nick ran a paw over his wet face, water dripping everywhere.
"What were you shopping for? Where is the stuff you bought?"
"With Clawhauser."
Lie number ten.
Judy felt the guilt rising inside of her; when would the lies end? Couldn't she just tell him? No, she couldn't, that was certain.
"Did you buy… stuff?"
"What?"
"Did you… you know, did you…" his voice dropped to a very low pitch. "Did you buy a test?"
"I'm not pregnant, Nick!"
The fox then relaxed slightly, and with one final look at Judy, he grabbed the broom and dustpan from the kitchen closet.
"I'm going to go sweep up the toothbrush holder," he muttered as he made his way back down the hallway.
"Aw, Nick!" Judy yelled after him. "I just bought that! It was my favorite!"
Judy put the rest of her Veggie Meal back into the refrigerator and picked her fork up from the floor. Tossing the piece of silverware into the sink, she went back to sit on the couch, where she waited for Nick to finish cleaning up his mess. When Nick returned, he looked stressed, as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders.
"Don't scare me like that," he muttered as he collapsed on the couch, his head resting in Judy's lap.
Judy laughed as she gently stroked one of his ears.
"Trust me, I won't."
Lie number eleven.