"I'm telling you, go with the tea," said Brandy.

"Don't you think that's stereotypical?" said Ash, peeking around the horse in front of her.

"Whattya mean?"

"Just because he's from England, doesn't mean he's a tea drinker."

Brandy looked up from her phone. "He's BRITISH? Oh em gee! I thought he was Australian. What a relief for you, huh? Now you don't have to learn a second language."

Ash simply blinked in reply, then leaned over to Olive who was still perusing the menu. "By chance, did Brandy flunk geography?" she whispered.

"Well, a D-minus, but only because of the grading curve," said Olive.

After much deliberation the previous night, Ash decided to patch things up with Johnny first before telling him she changed her mind. She still felt guilty for embarrassing him and wanted to surprise him with an apologetic coffee treat. Problem was she never saw Johnny drink anything other than a bottle of water during rehearsals, so it was a gamble on what to get him.

"Look, if it's bugging you that much, just invite him out here and then you can treat him that way," suggested Olive.

"Nah, I'd rather make the effort. That way it seems more personal. Besides, I don't want him getting the impression I was…you know, asking him out."

"Gees, are you still mad about that?"

Ash rolled her eyes. "Mad about what? That you two stuck this idea in my head that Johnny might be crushing on me? Yeah, that wouldn't make things awkward or anything."

"Ok, ok, maybe pushing the romance was a bit much," admitted Olive, "but I still think you two singing together would be awesome to see."

"I guess," said Ash, shrugging nonchalantly. "I just want this to be strictly professional. Besides, a gorilla and a porcupine? I think we can all agree that's a pretty wild combo."

"I dunno," said Brandy, still typing away on her phone. "There have been weirder ones. Remember that reality show about the giraffe and hippo couple? Still trying to figure out how they made their honeymoon work."

Just then, the barista made an announcement over the counter. "Mobile order for Brandy!"

Brandy squealed lightly and sauntered over to the counter. Olive grinned and shook her head. "Oh look. Bert the badger barista is working today."

"No wonder she insisted on coming here," said Ash.

Brandy casually picked up her Fairy Rainbow Blitz; a multi-colored strawberry frappe with extra whip and sprinkles. "Oh, Bert! You even included the gumdrop on top," Brandy cooed as she popped the sugary sweet in her mouth. "You always know how I like it."

The badger nervously scratched his muzzle. "Uh, I was just following the customizations on the mobile order…"

"And you did a grrreat job," Brandy purred before taking a sip. "Buh-bye!" Taking her drink, Brandy returned to her friends making sure to sashay her tail along the way. She couldn't help but notice her friends giving her withering stares. "What?"

"We are so sending you to a convent…" muttered Olive.

"Next in line, please."

Looking up to see they were next, Ash walked up to the counter to order. "Uh…One medium iced tea with sweetener and lemon and one medium iced coffee, sugar and cream. Oh, and a couple croissants to go."

"Good choices," said Olive.

"Yeah," Ash shrugged. "I figured that way I can take whichever drink he doesn't want."

"Smart. You sure you don't want us to drop you off?"

Ash knew that Olive had her job at the music store while Brandy worked part-time at the local floral shop, each conveniently across the street from one another. Unfortunately, Johnny's garage was a distance away from their stores, so it would be a slight inconvenience. "It's fine," said Ash. "I'll just have a Zoomer driver come pick me up. Besides, the last thing I need is Brandy turning all paparazzi when I talk to Johnny."

Brandy stuck her tongue out at Ash, which was comically dyed blue and green from the frappe.

"Suit yourself," said Olive as she picked up her own mobile order. "Text us later to tell us how it went."

Ash waved goodbye to her friends as she stood by the pickup counter awaiting her order. Her eyes glanced around the coffee shop, occasionally straying to random couples. There were a pair of beagles chatting over in the corner, their paws intertwined; a couple of lovebirds pecking away at the same breakfast sandwich; a cute gazelle giving her llama boyfriend a quick peck on the cheek while taking a selfie together.

She remembered when her and Lance did that sort of stuff in public, though Lance wasn't quite as affectionate. He'd often complain that Ash was crowding him when she wanted to snuggle during a movie. She never realized how much she craved physical contact when she broke up with him. Being a porcupine, warm embraces were especially difficult. She pulled out her phone and opened up the photo section. Little did anyone know, she still kept one memento of Lance: a selfie they took outside of a grungy underground club where they had their first date. Before she had taken the picture, Lance had stuck out his tongue and made the rocker hand gesture. It made Ash burst out laughing which was clearly seen in the photo. She wished she could bring herself to delete it…

"Order up for Ash!"

Ash snapped out of her thoughts and turned to see her drinks and pastries were ready in a cardboard carrying case. She checked outside to see her Zoomer was just pulling up to the curb. "Here goes nothing…" she muttered and headed out.

After doing some investigation, Meena had heard people at her church talking about a surly, fedora-wearing mouse playing a saxophone near the train station. It had to be Mike. She hoped that with a little luck, she could convince him to come and sing at the Noodleman concert. She told her family of her plan and, just like her friends, they were entirely against it. She silently scolded herself for telling her family how rude Mike was to her during the rehearsals.

Once she got off the bus, Meena turned off her music and removed her headphones, giving her ears a quick flap to stretch them out. It's common knowledge for elephants to have exquisite hearing and Meena's was no exception. Even before she reached the other side of the street, she could already make out faint saxophone music in the distance. It was coming from the stairs leading up to the train station. Just as she was about to head up, the music came to an abrupt halt and was replaced by a loud, irritable voice.

"Whaddya mean 'do I take requests?' What do I look like, a jukebox?"

"I-it was just an honest question. I really like the song "Jolene" and…"

"COUNTRY?! In what screwed-up universe is the sax a hillbilly instrument, you uncultured swine!"

"I-I didn't mean to…"

"Yeah, yeah, get outta here, ya mook! Treating me like a stinkin' honky tonk!"

Yeah, that's definitely Mike…, thought Meena. She stepped aside to let a flustered pig storm off down the street, then peeked around the corner. There, in the middle of the steps, was a disgruntled mouse wearing a beat up fedora and pinstripe suit, emptying out the spit valve of his saxophone.

"Mike! There you are!" she cried happily, startling Mike into almost dropping his sax.

"Sheesh! Give a guy a heart attack, why don't—Meena?"

Meena shuffled her feet. "H-hey Mike. Long time, no see, huh?"

Mike didn't immediately respond. Upon closer inspection, he looked worse for wear. It was clear his suit hadn't had a proper dry cleaning in awhile. He had bags under his eyes, looked a bit skinnier, and his white fur was less than pristine.

When he finally did speak, his trademark scowl came back as he casually brushed himself off. "Shoulda known that was you. The Richter scale must be going nuts the way you walk."

Meena chuckled nervously. "Yeah, funny. So, uh, I've been looking for you. Mr. Moon's putting together a concert for Nana Noodleman and…"

"Don't tell me," interrupted Mike. "He's behind on his bills again and wants to shmooze her up for moola, right?"

Meena wasn't sure how to answer. Now that she thought of it, the concert was a bit last minute, but the theater had been a huge hit since the grand reopening, so money shouldn't have been an issue.

"I, uh, don't think so," she said. "She's turning ninety next month and Mr. Moon just wanted to commemorate that. It's non-profit, so..."

"Non-profit?" cried Mike. "Good grief, does this guy not know how to run a business? So, what, we're just supposed to sing and dance for the broad, free of charge?"

"Um…I guess? But won't it be great to help celebrate Ms. Noodleman? I mean, she's such a legend and it'd be a lot of fun to…"

"Forget it!" snapped Mike, packing up his sax. "That marsupial is bomb disguised as a con man pretending to be a civilized citizen. I'd sooner sleep in the inside of a cougar's mouth than help him with any sort favor." With that, Mike grabbed his case and started huffing down the stairs.

"B-but Mike," said Meena, anxiously following him. "Don't you want a better venue?"

That stopped the rodent dead in his tracks as he spun around to face the enormous elephant. "Venue? And just what is that supposed to mean?"

"Well, I thought you'd like a proper stage and…"

"And? And what?" Mike snapped "You think I hit rock bottom? You think I'm not able to take care of myself? This is just rehearsal, you oversized diva! I'll have you know I've been getting more gigs than I know what to do with. I am in serious high demand, so if Moon wants me on that stage, I'm gonna need to see a dollar sign at the end of the offer, capeesh? Now buzz off! Go find a peanut store somewhere."

Meena tried to retort, but she knew it was no use. She just sighed heavily as she watched Mike storm down the street, occasionally dodging pedestrians. Guess Mike won't be on the bill, she thought sadly. And the most ironic thing was she was allergic to peanuts.

Ash anxiously rehearsed what she was going to say to Johnny in her head. Her Zoomer drive - a cheery beagle named Bill - tried to converse with her during the ride, but she just gave short answers. It didn't take long for Bill to take the hint.

Once the car came to a stop, Ash looked up to see the giant GAS sign over the building. She wasn't sure why Johnny would be at a place like this; the garage looked like it hadn't been used in years.

"You sure this is the right place?" asked Bill as he opened up the door for Ash.

"Yeah…I think so. It's the address Crawley gave me."

"You want me to wait around, just in case?"

"Nah, it's cool. I hear music, so I think he's nearby. Thanks again," said Ash. Bill shrugged, then got back in his car and drove off. She headed in the direction of the music, scanning the area for her gorilla friend. "Johnny?" she called, adjusting her hands on the carrying case. "Johnny, it's…whoa…"

Ash froze, completely unprepared for what she saw: Johnny washing his truck…shirtless. His head bopped to the beat of a nearby boom box as he worked the soapy sponge all over the black exterior. Once every inch was sudsy, Johnny wrung out the sponge while unintentionally toning his biceps. He took a minute a wipe his forehead and stretch his arms over his head, giving Ash a full shot of his pecs and abdomen.

It was like the world around Ash disappeared. She never considered herself shallow, but it was hard not to admire Johnny's physique. He was so toned and muscular, it was any wonder he didn't consider a modeling career. She felt her heart race as Johnny bent over to pick up the hose to rinse off the truck. It was like the mist from the spray made him glisten and shine. Boy, what Brandy wouldn't give to be here right now… Ash thought.

Johnny was just about finished with the truck when he happened to look up and see Ash standing just a few feet away from him.

"ASH!" he cried, turning to face her. He forgot he was still holding the nozzle as a huge spray of water shot in her direction. Ash was able to snap out of her trance in time to dodge, protecting the drinks and pastries from getting ruined.

"GAH! Blimey!" Fumbling with hose, Johnny managed to turn it off, followed by the boom box . Grabbing a towel, he quickly went over to her. "I am so sorry. You ok?"

Gently putting down the case, she gratefully took the towel and wiped her face, trying to cover her blushing cheeks. "Yeah, you look fine. I mean, you're fine— I'M fine. Everything's fine…" Once she got all the moisture off her fur, Ash handed the towel back to Johnny. It was barely damp, so he started to dry off his own hands before draping the towel over his shoulder.

"Sorry about the mess," he said, pointing behind him. "If I knew you were coming over, I would've done this later…"

"Nono, it's cool," she mumbled, her eyes lightly traveling over his body. "I should've sent you a pecs — TEXT. I just had to abs - ASK you…I have to ask you something."

Johnny fidgeted a bit as he scratched the back of his neck. "Uh, ok? What is it?"

Ash took a deep breath before speaking. "I want to duet with you."

Johnny blinked. "I'm sorry, what?"

"I mean, the duet! The song! Us together on stage for Moon, I-I mean Noodleman. We could sing the thing together and…"

"Whoa, whoa, hold on!" said Johnny, gently hushing Ash's rambling. "Are you…saying you changed your mind? About the concert?"

Ash looked down at her shoes and kicked a random pebble. "Maybe…"

Johnny's eyes lit up and a large smile broke on his face. "Wow! Ash, that's…I-I don't know what to say…"

"Just 'yes' or 'no' would be fine…"

"Yes! Yes, absolutely!"

"Ok! Great. Here." Ash then picked up the drinks and shoved them into Johnny's arms.

Johnny looked down at the offering, trying to figure out how to respond. "Oh, uh…thank you?"

"You're welcome. See you tomorrow, bye!"

Before Johnny could say anything else, Ash was already across the parking lot.

"W-wait!" called Johnny. "Am I supposed to drink both of these or…" The question was soon answered when Ash returned, swiped the iced coffee, then resumed her escape from embarrassment.

As soon as she was far away enough, she stopped on a nearby corner and slumped down against a wall. What just happened? Why did she act that way? She had seen Johnny dozens of times. Sure, he was cute, but she never felt herself go - dare she say - gaga before. Then again, his signature sweatshirt did not due his body justice. It's just what Brandy and Olive put in my head, she said to herself. Taking a small sip from her coffee, she headed home, trying to erase Johnny's image from her mind. Easier said than done.

"She did what?"

"I'm totally serious," said Johnny. "She just showed up at the garage and said she changed her mind about the duet. So…I guess we're back on."

Meena couldn't believe it. She was so happy, she almost dropped her phone in the soup she was preparing. "Johnny, that's so awesome! I knew she'd come around."

"It's just for the concert, Meena. I still haven't asked her out..."

"Not yet, anyway…" she teased. "What are you guys gonna sing?"

"Uhh…we didn't really get to discuss that. Once I said yes, she kinda ran off. She looked…I dunno, flustered."

Meena paused for a moment. Flustered was not a word one would describe Ash the punk rock porcupine. "Why would she be…wait, what did you say you were doing before she came over?"

"Washing me pickup."

"Ok, stupid question: were you wearing a shirt?"

"Well, no. I mean, it was over ninety today. What difference does that make?"

Meena shook her head and tried not to laugh. Her friend was too modest to realize a lot of girls saw him as a hunk. "Oh Johnny…" was all she could say while giggling.

Just then, her mother poked her head into the kitchen. "That soup almost ready, Meena? A new crowd's about to come in."

"Coming, mom!" she said, switching the off the stove. "Johnny, I gotta go. We'll talk tomorrow, ok? Bye." After hanging up, Meena carefully picked up the pot and carried it out to the soup kitchen's dining hall.

"Who was that on the phone?" asked her mother as she helped Meena set up the vat.

"That was Johnny. He said Ash changed her mind about the duet."

"Oh good, baby! I bet those two will sound great together."

Meena nodded in agreement, but then sighed. "I just wish Mike would change his mind, too."

"Why are you so concerned with getting that little rat to sing at the concert?" asked her mother as she prepared the dinner rolls. "His ego probably wouldn't even fit on the stage."

Meena flicked her trunk in annoyance. "I just thought he'd want to perform for Noodleman and…"

"All right, everyone," said pastor Lawrence, the penguin who was the head at Meena's church. "We'll be opening the doors soon. Remember, one plate per person. We want to make sure we have enough food for everyone and we got quite the crowd tonight."

The homeless animals came in single file, anxiously awaiting their meals. Meena loved it when she and her mother volunteered at the local soup kitchen. She already enjoyed cooking and baking, so it was a great use of her talents. Not only that, but her family's trademark vegetable stew was a big hit.

After about twenty minutes of serving, a beagle wearing a habit hurried over to Lawrence. "We have a problem, Lawrence. He's back."

A worried look fell over the penguin's face. "Oh dear, not again."

"Is everything ok, sir?" asked Meena.

"Hopefully. I'll be right back," sighed Lawrence, crossing himself before exiting the building.

Just as Meena was about to hand out another serving a soup, a loud commotion could be heard from outside. "LISTEN HERE, YOU DOPED UP FEATHER DUSTER! I WAS HERE FIRST!"

Meena dropped her ladle and ran towards the shouting, ignoring her mother beckoning her to come back. As soon as she got outside, she saw a hectic scene: pastor Lawrence trying to pull a small white mouse off the neck of a panic-stricken stork.

"Michael, please calm down!" scolded Lawrence, finally yanking the mouse away and tossing him to ground.

"I did NOT cut in front of him," said the stork, rubbing his neck. "I didn't even see him standing there."

"Likely story, you pathological liar!" shouted the mouse.

"MIKE?!"

Mike stopped mid-rant and turned to see Meena standing over him. He immediately forgot the fight and was frozen in the spot, his eyes bigger than dinner plates.

"Mike…" Meena said quietly. "Why are you at a soup kitchen? I thought you said…"

But she was unable to finish before Mike bolted down the street. "Mike, wait!" Meena cried, but was halted Lawrence.

"Don't, my child," said the penguin soothingly. "This isn't the first time he's shown up here causing a ruckus."

A nearby bison snorted in agreement. "Yeah, he's always demanding special treatment just because he plays the sax, but he's more of a bum than all of us put together." All the other animals in line cried out in agreement, individually voicing their own insults towards Mike.

Meena was speechless. He had been to the soup kitchen before? It would explain his disheveled appearance.

In other words, Mike was homeless.