CHAPTER II

"Everything changes but change."
-Israel Zangwill

Spending time with Leeta brought back many wistful memories for Ari. Like all children must do eventually, the thin and small ape she knew back when they were just learning to climb trees had changed, now that she was older. Her locks were no longer messy or tangled, but they were now straight and soft, while her stick-skinny body had grown considerably into a very flattering figure. Perhaps the most drastic change was not in her appearance, but in her character...

For all the years Ari had known her best friend, she was the quietest thing on the face of the planet. When she first started schooling, Leeta was always found playing by herself and purposely avoiding the other ape children, including Ari (in the beginning). Sometime during the second week of class the others made fun of her and called her 'Bush Head,' and it was later on that Ari found her poor classmate huddled in a lonely hole of a tree trunk with tears streaming down her thin face. She was the only one who bothered to comfort the upset ape. After that incident they quickly became friends and totally secluded themselves from the rest of the group; ever since Leeta never spoke much to anybody except for the senator's daughter, nor did she care about forming other social ties. Ari always liked her because she was not like the other females, who only cared about looks, males, and other petty things, even at their ridiculously young age.

Now...

"You know I missed you dearly, Ari, but you caught me at such an awkward timing!" Leeta exclaimed while she tried to straighten her large comb and brush collection. "I had been fixing my hair by the time you knocked on the door. I'm expecting several visitors -just some apes you might recognize from a long time ago- to come here very shortly, and since Kalb is coming--"

"Kalb?"

Leeta swung around on her rotating chair away from her vanity mirror. "You don't know Kalb?" she demanded, as if Ari was the first ape who didn't seem to know who Kalb was.

"I was away at the high seminary for the past several years...?"

"Oh... right." Ari's friend returned her attention towards the mirror. Grabbing a random carved bone necklace from her vast jewelry collection (perhaps vast is an understatement), she replied very casually, "Kalb is currently courting me right now."

Ari tried to hide the look of surprise on her face--since when was her friend interested in males? Last time they spoke, both mutually agreed to stay away from their kind. Most of the males their age were still considered immature, after all. How much things change when you're away for so long! "I see..."

"He's a soldier from the Red Army. We met at a mutual friend's dinner party and... well, here we are! His father is quite rich, you know -- owns a jewelry business. That's where I get all these beautiful necklaces from. I also hear he's being considered for a promotion by the general himself," Leeta boasted, her eyes looking as if she just found gold. "Altair and Krull have to retire sooner or later, so we'll need younger apes to take their place. Those two are sprouting gray all over! Besides, what if they're killed in battle or something?"

Ari's eyes went wide. "Those are horrible thoughts, Leeta!"

"We are at war, dear Ari." Leeta shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, close to it, anyway. I'm just saying that Kalb could be the next army officer commanding legions of troops into battle! Isn't that exciting?"

Quite exciting, but why would I care? Trying not to roll her eyes at her friend, the liberal female gently spoke, "And what about Thade? I hear he's the one who's moving up the ladder."

A soft sigh escaped from Leeta's bright pink lips. "I've forgotten about him. He's quite a distinguished character, isn't he?"

Now that was an entertaining thought. Thade is quite a character, Ari had to agree, but distinguished? Perhaps, but there were better descriptions. She tried to think of some words that could describe the chimp officer she had seen so rarely in her life, but strangely she could only come up with the word cold. That had been her thought when she first laid her eyes upon him, and ever since he hadn't changed. "I suppose he is..."

There was a loud ringing sound coming from the outer chambers of the house.

"They're here!" Leeta quickly turned to Ari, "Do I look all right?"

Ari took a long look at her friend; honestly, she thought her face had looked like a painting gone all wrong... but that was simply too harsh to say, especially considering it was their first meeting in years. "Lovely," she reluctantly lied without looking at Leeta's face. She really couldn't stand her hot pink lip coloring.