EDITED BY: DrummerMax64

Chapter Seven - Contact

A pent-up breath made its way out of Edward's snout, the gust gently brushing the top layer of his fur.

He could feel his entire body shaking out of pure anxiety. The coffee resting inside the mug in his paws sloshed around the sides, spilling a couple times over the rim and onto his fur. Was it obvious that he was scared out of his wits? With the exception of his wedding, he couldn't imagine anything else in his life that could have made him quite as nervous.

Alabaster Snow was (and still is) a difficult mammal to deal with. On top of being Edward's father, he was incredibly stubborn, resistant to change, and overall, one of the strictest mammals in the entire family. Edward of all mammals should know. He spent the first eighteen years of his life being raised by him.

Edward felt incredibly thankful that he had the bustling city of Zootopia to call home. Here, he didn't have to worry about being part of a pack, about being shunned for who he loved-at least, as long as his secrecy stayed intact-on top of being shunned for not following the wolf mentality, or even the fighting.

Zootopia was nearly perfect. Take away the bigotry and hate towards predators, then it would be a true paradise.

Years ago, when Sharla and him both finished high school and ventured out past their home town of Bunnyburrow, Edward was finally able to escape the weight of his family. Since his departure, he hadn't looked back. At that point, he had already accomplished his goal and became the better mammal that Alabaster Snow wished he could be. Edward was finally happy, content even, to have a stable life with a mammal he cared for even if she wasn't a wolf-sadly, much to most of his family's dismay. He went to college, got his Bachelor's, obtained a well paying job in the heart of the city, and had friends that he could trust and depend on.

And even if the rest of his family were still stuck in their ways, at least he could have solace in the fact that Charolete understood. What mattered most of all, however, was Sharla. She and Edward fully understood one another and loved each other deeply, and that was all he could ever ask for.

So it went without saying that the thought of returning back home made him slightly overwhelmed. With all of the negativity surrounding the topic, who would be surprised? When he explained the situation to his friend and colleague, he agreed, coming to the same consensus as Edward did. Although, he didn't share a similar reaction. The tiger was notably calm. Even when he shared his findings from their trip to the precinct and gave Charles the bits and pieces of what he could in regards to what exactly 'Nighthowlers' were. However, the information was sadly limited. Edward just couldn't remember.

A frown and heavy eyes stared down the mug in his paws. He couldn't help but feel sorry for Charles, mostly because of the same melancholy expression from earlier that morning that still plagued his muzzle hours later. If Edward had to take a guess, he was becoming borderline annoying, and by now Charles was tired of it. He was sure.

But, his friend would never would tell him that directly. Charles was too kind to be blunt about that sort of topic, he had way more understanding about it than most mammals could in their entire lifetime. So instead, he left the thoughts to linger and fester inside his head, hoping they would eventually die.

Edward took a sip of coffee and pulled his attention to something else, this time towards the Watering Hole. The protesters in the park had managed to dwindle off, their numbers lessened to only a few select mammals.

If you took away the papers scattered around the ground, the park would be back to its normal, peaceful self.

However, before Edward could fully immerse himself deeper into the setting, Charles concluded his thinking on the other side of the booth and hesitantly opened his maw. It was back to business as usual.

"So… what you're saying is that these… 'Nighthowlers' are something we need to look into for our story…"

Edward gave a nod.

"And that the only way to obtain more information is to go back to your home and to your jerk of a father?"

The question hung in the air for a moment, but eventually the wolf gave another nod.

"Are you sure that this is the only way to get the information, Edward? Like, completely positive?"

"...Yes," came his quiet reply.

Charles sank back into the black cushions of his seat, and crossed his arms. A light sigh billowed through his nostrils. He went back to thinking. Edward looked down at his coffee in the meantime. His cobalt eyes focused on the point where the light brown liquid and the mug met as he attempted to answer a few questions that he'd accumulated on his way to the diner.

Was he completely sure that going back home was the only option he had? If he had to answer, it would most certainly be a flat-out no.

Going off of his very spotty memory, all he remembered was that he'd heard the term somewhere back on the farm from his parents. If he had to guess, it was more than likely some major fight.

That also begged another question. If this information was as important as he thought it was for the story-and more importantly, his job-why was he having so much trouble remembering the meaning of that simple word? It seemed almost idiotic.

Before an answer could accompany his question, Charles pulled his attention with the rumble of his smooth bassy tone.

"The timing of it all couldn't be any worse," Charles sighed, his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose.

"I know…" Edward admitted.

"And I know you know. What concerns me is… well… are you even sure you want to do this, Ed?"

The wolf gave Charles a puzzled look, prompting his friend to clarify his statement.

"Look, I know that we probably need this information for the story, I get that. But what and who I also know is your father, and more importantly, you. I know your history with him and what I don't want to happen is to put you in a situation where you're dealing with his problems again. Edward, I want to look out for you. I don't trust him."

Edward slowly slumped in his booth.

"But, I mean, that aside, what if on the off chance this lead gets us absolutely nowhere? We have to consider the fact that this lead might be a dead end. Then we would've wasted precious time-a good day's worth-accomplishing absolutely nothing to attribute to our story, which is something we can't afford to do."

"I… I know…" Edward repeated, letting out a breath of his own. "But, as you said, we need this. There is no probably, this is our livelihood on the line. This story is everything. And… I just can't describe it, but I have this strange feeling that we should pursue it. Even if it means going back."

The end of his hunch left Edward fighting back another wave of tears. He wasn't going to cry. Edward refused to. There was no need to fight himself or the subject anymore. He was strong… right?

Edward swallowed down the sadness with a sip of his coffee and pressed on.

"In order for this story to move forward, as much as I hate to admit it, I need to go back home. And although we might be wasting time by even trying this in the first place, we'd be shooting ourselves in the foot if we didn't expend all of our options and resources."

The wolf shivered while he released his cup, finally noticing that the anxious shaking of his body left him with an ugly chill that his coffee couldn't satisfy.

Charles placed a paw on Edward's shoulder. They locked gazes.

"Are you sure? Are you absolutely sure you want to do this?"

There was this other side of him that fought the idea. He just couldn't fathom it being worth going back home for anything, even it was for work.

However, the need for the information outweighed his personal vendetta against most of his immediate family. Although they were a pain to deal with, he would have to push through it for the time being. With all of the strength he could muster, Edward pushed his griping aside and gave Charles a final answer.

"...Yes."

Charles first looked at him with a blank stare, then flashed a grin that caused Edward to awkwardly turn away.

"Alright then," the tiger said.

Although he couldn't bring himself to fully smile himself-given the nature of what was being expected of him-he was able to give his friend a quick twitch on the corner of his mouth, generating this awkward half smile that nearly made Edward want to facepalm. After that he stared outward towards the park, letting normal nervous thoughts run their course.

A round of sporadic questions fluttered in Edward's head. These were made up of the general 'what would I or should I say,' and the 'what would happen if he became hostile or uncooperative,' then transformed into a personal debate that ended in him giving up on whatever point he was trying to make.

On top of those questions was a small sum that he failed to consider before he agreed to this excursion. One of these questions brought up a good point: what if his father didn't want to see him? Or rather, what if Alabaster shut out Edward before he got the chance to explore the topic of interest in the first place? It was incredibly plausible that he would not agree to see him. That would surely leave him and Charles with no other leads to work with and set them back to square one.

That left him with his other question: would he be able to handle it all-going back, facing his father and Lavender, the topic at hand-and not be an emotional wreck by the end of it? If it came to that point, getting information was the least of his concerns.

Edward couldn't help but express some curiosity. He began to wonder; what would happen once he got there? How would his father act? What about his sister? More importantly, what about him? How would he turn out by the end of it all? There were so many questions to ponder, so much uncertainty in his head, and out of everything, it was the one thing that scared him the most, even more so than Alabaster himself.

Edward's thumbs traced the rim of his coffee cup as he thought about the problems that were rising up like mountains in his mind. He could feel the tension in his shoulders and the headache that tempted to distract him. Stress was beginning to take over.

However, he couldn't help but imagine beyond the stress of his work what the relationship between him and his father would have been like if he hadn't been the runt of the litter, or even if the impact of Norman's death hadn't affected Alabaster so harshly. It was curious to try and think about a kinder version of his father. Or, at least it was until Edward shook the dream away.

Wishful thinking, the wolf thought before completely abandoning the whimsical fantasy. A kind version of Alabaster? Not a chance. He would have to come from another world entirely, similar to a vast multiverse just like from one of the superhero television shows he watched some time ago.

Instead, Edward's eyes began honing in on his immediate surroundings. He began with the walls of the restaurant and the minimalistic modern decor, suitable for something so close to the very heart of Zootopia. Considering the lower than expected cost of some of the food they had, it was almost as nice if not better than some of the high-end restaurants back in the downtown area if the sheer volume of mammals in the room meant anything. Perhaps it was the constant low chatter mixed with the clanging of silverware and glass that contributed to the ever growing headache building at the front of his head.

I need to focus. Edward scolded his drifting attention span. As much as I hate it, I need to figure out how I'm going to tackle… going back…

He let the thought trail off. Another sigh blew slowly through his nose. He knew it would be better if he brought it up now rather than after they got their light meals, but at the moment it was like pulling teeth.

"...How would I even tackle this?" Edward quietly mumbled while he thought to himself.

"Hmm?" Charles's brow raised as he sipped on his own mug of coffee.

Heat rushed to Edward's ears as embarrassment fueled the frantic need to explain himself. The wolf cleared his throat. "Sorry, I was talking to myself. I was trying to figure out how I'm going to convince my dad to let me visit."

"You could just call and ask him," Charles shrugged. Before Edward had the chance to object, the tiger explained, "I mean, the worst that he could say is no. At least then we'd have a clean-cut answer and we can continue to get leads on our own."

"But how would I ask him? Just tell him that we're working on something for… a story…"

Charles took another sip of coffee and reveled in satisfaction with a sly grin. "And there you go. Doesn't need overcomplication."

The wolf pulled his smartphone out of his front pants pocket and quickly unlocked it using the paw print scan. It didn't take long for him to find his contact list and locate the contact named 'Home' between 'Wallaby Harrison' and 'Julia Hoof,' two of his old classmates he hung out with back when he and Sharla were still in college studying for their degrees. When they all had the time, they and a few other friends all made an attempt to hang out either at a bar or one of their homes, but they hadn't been able to now for months because of various reasons, one of which was Charolete's unfortunate passing.

After a quick recollection of their last meetup, his thumb hovered over the contact that was his old home. But, instead of clicking on it, he sat there in a trance staring at the name a few contacts below.

The name of the contact he was stuck on was none other than his boss's, Danielle Horn. Because he thought it would be easier in the long run, his personal phone was used also as a work phone and had all the contacts from the co-workers he usually spoke to embedded in his list. This unfortunately included a direct contact to his boss's number.

Just looking at the name made him uncomfortable. A stark reminder of the ultimatum flashed in his head. The uncertainty that took root began making his body shiver yet again.

Before those thoughts could take him anywhere grim, Charles's pure bass tone sounded over the chatter of the cafe, his warm smile offering some reassurance as he spoke.

"Just take it slow. Take a breather. There's no need to rush this."

Edward hesitantly nodded and took his friend's advice. He once again filled his lungs with a slow, deep breath, then another as he let his previous worries slip away.

Although he couldn't help the nerves that stemmed from the mere thought of talking with his father, he wouldn't dare let Horn get to him. It wasn't an option. Period.

Once his final breath completely escaped his muzzle he looked at the contact name and tapped his thumb on it, bringing up the contact menu. He tapped on the green phone icon. The phone call finally began. He took a quick breath and pulled the phone up to the side of his face.

Rapid questions flew around in Edward's mind, such as 'how am I going to start,' and 'what will I say,' addingonto the anxious tension that was building in his shoulders. His free paw attempted to remedy this with a massage, and seemed to help for the moment.

Edward could clearly imagine the digitized voice of their caller ID speaking throughout the house. "Call from: EDWARD...CELL."

How would Lavender and Alabaster react? he wondered. He rarely ever called home in the first place, and if he did it would be to talk with Charolete about events in his life worth sharing. So the fact that he would be calling now after everything that had happened, they would probably be shocked, astounded even.

Eventually, he managed to get a connection to the house and the device in his paw rang sharply in his left ear. Then it rang again. And again. Another ring. Doubt started setting in.

Another couple of rings solidified his remark, and upon the seventh he shook his head.

"He's not going to answer-"

But before his thumb had the chance to end the call and call it quits for this daring idea, a familiar digital voice hit both of his ears, causing them to twitch.

"Hello?"

That specific voice and that tone were both unmistakable. It was Alabaster. He had answered the phone, much to Edward's surprise. A curse fluttered in Edward's head before he brought the phone back up to his ear.

"Hello?" Edward sheepishly replied.

"Edward?" came a light reply from the other end of the line.

"…?"

Light was a very unusual characteristic for someone as brunt and brash as Alabaster. His suspicion loomed in the far reaches of his mind. Edward would trudge on carefully. Something was up with his father, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to find out what it was just yet.

"Hi Alabaster. I-I'll keep this short and sweet so I don't take up too much of your time." He sighed quietly and thought about his next set of words carefully. "I was calling to ask you if I can ask some questions about a story I'm working on for work. It turns out that you're the only one who might have the answers I'm looking for, so I'd really appreciate it."

"Um…"

Um? Edward questioned skeptically. What's there to think about? It's just a simple yes or no question. His sheepishness had quickly subsided and now turned into irritation.

Alabaster continued, "I just got done with the farming work for today… I'd have to-"

Edward could clearly tell where the conversation was heading. Essentially, the gist of his father's reply would end up being a decline to Edward's request. The silver wolf huffed. As usual, his father tried his best to avoid him and dodge the topic of interest as much as possible. Edward surely wasn't going to sit idly and watch it happen to him.

Edward finally had to put his foot down. "You know what, it's fine. I understand-"

"No, no! I… I…"

An audible sigh could be heard over the speaker. Edward raised his brow.

"I would… appreciate having you over for a bit. I'll answer anything you've got."

"…?"

He was… wrong?

Of all the responses he could have gotten from his father, one of the rudest, bluntest, strictest parents he could've ever ended up with, Alabaster said the one that was the most unbelievable. He was actually being… kind… as well as compliant. Edward just simply didn't know how to react.

And before he had the chance to completely process the information, it was his father's turn to ask a question.

"When are you planning on stopping by?"

"I… um…" he muttered, still trying to find the answer. "I mean… I-"

"Just give-" Alabaster began to talk in his normal loud tone, but stopped himself mid-sentence. He took another breath, barely audible over the sound of laughter in the cafe around Edward, then started again in that unfamiliar light fashion. "Take all the time you need. It's not like I'm going anywhere."

A spark of familiarity pulled his attention away from the phone and made his eyes train on Charles who was watching the whole ordeal from the seat across from Edward. Why was his father actively trying to be nice to him? The sudden kindness just didn't make sense. It was like his father was just toying with his emotions, which would be a new low for Alabaster.

That has to be it, Edward determined. His free paw clenched. You're a real piece of work Alabaster.

After a couple of seconds he brought himself back to the topic at hand and forced the anger building inside him back down his throat. He took the bunched up paw and wrapped a couple of his fingers through the handle of his mug, then found an answer to his father's question.

"Tomorrow. I'll try to catch the first train over so we can get this done and over with. The train should arrive at Savannah Central around eight in the morning if I'm not mistaken."

"I think that'll work. That'll put you at around lunchtime when you get to the house."

"Yep," Edward drew out, rolling his eyes.

"While you're at it, maybe you could stay and have a meal with Lavender and me. It'll feel like old times again."

Old times… Edward frowned. Did he mean it from his perspective, or from his son's?

The silver wolf shook his head. "I don't know... I've only got until Saturday to finish this story and I can't waste any time."

"It won't take that long. We're having salad and burgers. You're going to love it, and you can take my word for it."

"…I'll see what I can do. I'm not promising anything."

"That's all I can ask for," Alabaster persisted.

Edward's conflicting thoughts nearly pushed him to decline the offer. What he already knew from their conversation was that there was something off about Alabaster. Not only that, but his motives for bringing him back to the farm were almost entirely unknown. And on top of that, him coming back could potentially open up another can of worms that he hadn't touched for nearly eight years.

But, based off of that information, it wasn't enough to make that judgement call. Whether Alabaster's intentions were pure or not, he still had to make the trip. For the sake of their story, Edward had to take this chance, regardless of how he felt about the situation.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow then," the silver wolf said begrudgingly.

"You will indeed," his father gladly replied.

After a short string of good-byes Edward pulled the phone away from his ear and hit the red 'end call' button. He blankly stared at the screen for a short moment before Charles eventually pulled him out of his trance.

"So?" he asked Edward. "How did it go?"

The silver wolf placed his phone on the table and let out a sigh. "He agreed to meet tomorrow to answer some questions about our story," he started.

"…Why do I feel like there's a but to this?" Charles asked rhetorically.

"But," he emphasized, "he wants me to stay for lunch afterward."

The tiger raised a brow. "Why would he want to do that? I thought you and him weren't on speaking terms?"

"We aren't," he confirmed, "I'm still trying to figure that out. He sounded so… understanding over the phone, it was like he was actually attempting to be kind."

"That sounds too good to be true."

"My thoughts exactly."

Edward slouched back into his booth. He stared upward towards the ceiling and played the conversation over in his head, every sentence, every little detail that stuck out to him. Yet no matter how much he thought about the exact details, he still couldn't pinpoint a reason for Alabaster's strange friendliness.

"Well, there's only one way to find out why exactly he insists on having you over," Charles grinned as he brought his mug of coffee up to his lips. "Looks like you've got some packing to do."

"I wonder what Sharla would say," Edward mumbled as Charles took another short sip.

"She'll probably be just as suspicious as you are. I know I am. We both know better than any mammal how your father can be. I mean, who knows, this could very well be a blessing in disguise and we're just overanalyzing. For all we know his kindness could be genuine. I don't know what reason he could have to pull a full one-eighty, but it's still a possibility."

The wolf bit down the inside of his mouth. He could almost feel a growl beginning to rumble in his chest. He couldn't imagine the thought of that mammal so suddenly being kind after all that he did to him. Even if it were true, his actions were unforgivable. End of story.

Edward was starting to feel the after-effects of the topic, the long day of walking, and the emotional strife of talking about his father for the latter portion. And now, after hours of active work, he was beginning to grow tired of talking and thinking about life back on the farm or work for that matter.

Fortunately for the both of them, their waiter finally made it back to their table and placed their respective meals in front of them. Edward and Charles thanked the male hyena and unwrapped the silverware from their white cloth napkins.

Before they started eating Edward made one simple request to his friend, "If it's okay with you, can we not talk about my dad anymore, please? I've got a lot to think about after we leave here today and I'd rather not talk about him anymore than I have to."

Charles cracked a smile. "Fair enough," he agreed.

With that, chatter between them quieted down to a mere whisper as they dug into their food. Metal forks scraped across white ceramic, joining the chorus of other sharp sounds across the dining room. The two of them attempted to enjoy every bite as much as they could. For Charles, this was a fairly easy task. For Edward, the task seemed astronomical.

The whole conversation about his father left him with a sour taste in his mouth and nearly prevented him from enjoying his food. Inside, his mind was a flurry of different emotions that tempted to sway his mood to a more negative, depressing direction. He eventually managed to keep them in check by ignoring them for the time being. He couldn't wait to get back to his apartment and be in Sharla's embrace.

o o o

The snow-white wolf pulled the home phone away from his ear and clutched it inside a paw. He looked around the space of the living room and stared at the various family photos scattered around. He couldn't help but feel this strange tension building inside of him.

He hadn't expected his youngest son to call back home after so many years, let alone the attempt to visit. Back then he wouldn't have paid no mind to it. It was normal at that point for the runt of his litter-or rather, any one of this litter-to branch out away from home and chase their dreams. Kids often trail back home to check up on their parents after a while out on their own. But, with Edward's case, that might not be so easy for him.

Was he doing the right thing by inviting him back to the homestead? If he were being completely honest with himself, he had no idea. What could he do? What would he say? These were only a few of the questions that he would have to think about in the hours to come.

For now, he would prepare the house for his son's arrival.

Better late than never, Alabaster thought to himself.

o o o

It had been a long day for the first rabbit officer of the ZPD. Judy had been walking around all day watching out for all signs of suspicious and unlawful activity on her patrol, leaving her legs abnormally tired. Could it be that she was just trying to mask the hurt and strain that she felt in her heart? Or was it just another hard day on the job? She couldn't believe for a minute that it was the latter.

Earlier that morning Chief Bogo had assigned her to patrol Savannah Central and keep watch on the protests that had popped up inside the park, a constant reminder of what her words did to the city of Zootopia and the civilians that inhabit it. On top of that, she'd have to make her rounds through downtown and check up on the mammal known as Emmitt Otterton, one of the few she found last Sunday that had gone 'savage.'

At the end of the day, she had only managed to make two arrests, which in her eyes was pretty good considering the unrest surrounding predators since her briefing. That being said, it was a short day for the rabbit officer. She shouldn't have been as tired as she was.

All Judy could manage to do was shake her head and take the day in stride. This was only her, what, second real day on the job? She knew full well that police work wasn't going to be this wild adventure full of mystery and action; it was full of watching and waiting for the right opportunity. In the words of Chief Bogo himself, she needed to let this go.

But, she had to admit, it was a lonely day without the fox-her friend-keeping her company. She could properly say that she might've actually missed his sly charm and incredible wit. Nicholas Wilde was one of a kind. He could have made one heck of an officer. Yet she had the gall to be so single-minded after everything he did for her and that case.

Why would she ever push him away like that? She was insensitive not just to Nick, but to every predator in Zootopia. And she would be lying if she said it wasn't eating away at her.

No one deserved this much hate because of who they were. Judy knew this as well as any other mammal. After all, she held the title of the 'first rabbit officer in the Zootopia Police Department.' She had to fight like mad to get where she was, had to overcome obstacles that were nearly ten times her size. She even fought a rhino to achieve her goal. But for what? Look at what she'd done to the city. She broke it and she had no idea how to put it back together.

"Maybe I should just get some sleep," Judy compromised with herself. She'd figure this problem out eventually. There was still hope, and that's all she could ask for.

Judy stepped onto the pink welcome mat she had bought nearly a week ago and dug out the key to her apartment from one of pouches on her utility belt. Without hesitation, she managed to stick the key into the lock on the doorknob and gave it a good twist, unlocking the door with a satisfying clunk.

With the doorknob still twisted in paw she pushed on the door, allowing it to slowly swing open to reveal her still lightly decorated apartment.

Home sweet home, she thought to herself.

She trudged inside and shut the door behind her. She made it to the desk in the far corner of the room, setting down the phone and notebook she still had in her other paw. After giving a little stretch, she wiggled out of her police uniform and hopped into a comfy pair of black pyjamas and a pastel yellow t-shirt. She slipped onto the twin-sized bed along with her phone, pulling a blanket over her torso. When she got settled in she went ahead and began her last tasks for the day.

Firstly, she checked the emails in her Zmail inbox to make sure that she hadn't missed anything crucially important. Fortunately for her, this only included emails about the next upcoming Carrot Days Festival next month, some hundreds of emails from her siblings and parents back on the farm, and the usual amounts of spam and offers from online stores and other miscellaneous companies that strived to obtain precious personal information.

Secondly, Judy checked her social media accounts and scrolled through the recent events plastered on her news feed. It only took her a couple of seconds to abandon the task completely once she saw the plethora of articles and videos surrounding the topic of predator and prey, the savage attacks and the conference that she took part in only days ago. Judy felt bad enough on her own already. She didn't need some reporter or some news anchor to remind her of that. She was seeing enough of it through her own eyes and her job, and by her clock she wasn't due for another rehash until later on tomorrow afternoon.

Lastly, she made an effort to check the voicemail text messages she'd received while on the beat today. Some were, again, directly from some of her siblings back on the farm, and others from both Bonnie and Stu. They were filled with questions such as 'how's work,' 'are you making the world a better place,' 'are you staying safe,' the usual protective parent rhetoric. But the questions that caught her attention were ones that dabbled into her personal life. 'Have you made any friends yet,' and from her mother, 'have you met any cute boys yet.' The second one managed to get a laugh out of her. The first one, however, stuck with her.

Judy frowned. She had a friend, but she managed to push him away so far he might as well be on another continent entirely.

To them, she simply replied that everything was going well, and that she was living her dream, most of which was a flat-out lie. She was almost thankful that her parents rarely watched news channels like ZNN. They would definitely be up her tail about it if they saw the latest headlines.

But then again, she had a family of over two-hundred fifty siblings. Word spread like wildfire in her home. If there was even a smidgen of gossip in her home, everyone would be in the know before lunch. So, what if they were in the know? This was ZNN. Someone in her family had to be in the know. This was news junkie gold. This could very well mean that her parents would know by word of mouth. And if they knew about it, how could she explain herself? How would they react? That thought scared the dickens out of her.

She let out a breath and closed her eyes, allowing her arms to lazily fall to her sides. How am I going to fix this? she wondered.

Before she could find an answer to that specific question, her iCarrot buzzed and rang about on the palm of her paw. The sheer unexpectedness of it nearly gave her a heart attack. When she calmed back down she decided to look at whoever decided to disturb her moment of what she could consider for her sake 'peace.'

Amethyst eyes and a twitching nose stared down the number on the screen and the contact assigned to it, her name listed above the number in thin serif font. Then she went bug-eyed. She read over the name a couple more times to make sure it was correct. The confirmation allowed the corners of her mouth to form into a small smile. She remembered that name.

It was none other than one of her friends from the Burrows. The young aspiring astronaut, Sharla Mcdewegell.