Jack Howlings had only started this job at Crystal Springs Academy. It was an all-grades high-class academy of well-reknown. Jack had no experience with middle school or high school age kids, he was used to teaching elementary students from preschool to 2nd grade. In his opinion, mixing a student body of middle and high school kids with elementary kids was a bad idea. Still, when he saw how much the job offered and what was happening to other teachers from Shady Oaks Elementary following the "Crazed Preditor in the Woods" debacle he could hardly turn it down. Shady Oaks Elementary was being shut down pending an investigation into a supposed madmammal running loose in the nearby forest. The kids were terrified and the parents were in an uproar, a number of teachers had already lost their jobs there. Jack was one of the last but only because the superintendant liked him. Being a wolf didn't help his case against the parents who were after his job. Who knows how that rumor started or why. He remembered when he first arrived at Shady Oaks, the students ventured to the edge of the forest practically every chance they got. Then the rumor started and the kids were suddenly terrified of the forest. He tried dispelling their fears by telling them he couldn't smell or hear any crazed mammal near the forest but to stay away from the edge of the forest all the same and he'd keep an eye out. Attempts had been made by other teachers, the principal, and the school board to set the kids' and the parents' minds at ease but the panic had already sunk in. The principal had begun handing out recommendations to other schools for the teachers.

Back to present, the school festival was just starting. All the kids were involved in preperations. It was odd to him, the students would work to set up the festival while the teachers would supervise and be ready to act if something happened. Most of the teachers were calm and relaxed about it all but Jack was like a coiled spring ready to jump.

"Expecting trouble, Mr. Howlings?" a veteran teacher named Prof. Hornsong asked.

Prof. James Hornsong was a stern elderly goat with a calm and gentlemanly demeanor, he taught middle school students.

"Professor, sorry. It's just-..." Jack started.

"Take it easy, son. Relax. I know there was trouble at your last school but our students can handle this festival on their own," the old goat advised.

At that, a 3rd grader began crying. Jack was about to move in and attempt to defuse the situation when to his surprise, a 12th grader approached the crying child and began comforting him.

"One of the things we teach students over the course of their time here is responsibility. The high school-level students look after the younger students because they know that the other students depend on them," Prof. Hornsong lectured, "Give it some time, Mr. Howlings. You're still new here so it'll take time to adjust."

Jack walked out to the child. The 12th grade girl who had helped the crying boy looked at him and offered a meek smile.

"Mr. Howlings, it's ok Tommy just tripped over the banner. He'll be ok," she informed him nerously.

"It's ok," he reassured, "I'm just making sure he isn't too badly hurt. Are you ok, Tommy?"

"Uh huh," the little tiger cub sniffled.

"Hey, be more careful kiddo," one of the high school jocks called from up on a ladder.

Jack walked back over to the other teachers. A smile on his face as he remembered how the older girl tended to the boy and what the jock on the ladder had said. The catering and the band were the only things that needed the teachers' final say. Jack headed back to his classroom, he had lesson plans to prepare and papers to grade. He knew he'd just feel nervous standing around while the kids were hard at work. There was a knock at the door.

"Come in," he replied.

"Mr. Howlings? I'm Chelsea Graghm, my homeroom class is in charge of organizing the festival this year," an 11th grade timberwolf girl introduced.

"What can I do for you, Chelsea?" he asked.

Chelsea was stunningly beautiful but Jack subtly reached back and yanked on his tail to remind himself that teenage schoolgirls were off-limits.

"Are you ok?" she asked.

"Just a little self-discipline," he informed.

She handed him a clipboard. "Final say on the students choice of music and catering is in the teachers' paws," she informed.

He looked over the petition, blank spaces to write names and yes or no checkboxes. The band's name was "the Howlers" and catering would be done by an up-and-coming 3-star Italian restaurant called "Spumoni's Bar and Grill".

"I'm not familiar with the Howlers," he told her.

"They're actually a garage band formed by some 9th graders, they volunteered to play at the festival," she explained.

"Sounds good to me, just tell them to keep the crude language to a minimum," he replied.

He signed his name to the empty space for the band and checked "yes". He had heard of Spumoni's Bar and Grill, It was a place that the principal of the academy treated him when they conducted the interview. He approved the restaraunt as well. He handed it back to her with a smile.

"Thank you, Mr. Howlings," she commented before leaving.

When he caught himself following her touche with his eyes he disciplined himself again.

"How do high school teachers deal with this?" he thought.

He opened a window to get some fresh air in the classroom and turned on his desk fan. He was grateful there were no more classes for today.

"I'll go home and have a cold shower," he thought.

The day of the festival was a sight. No classes but student and teacher attendance was required all the same. Jack showed up in his usual work wear. A pair of pressed black slacks, a white button-up, and a dark blue vest. He was going to help the catering staff set up in the cafeteria kitchen. The head chef was a vixen that, to him, put Chelsea Graghm to shame.

"Mr. Jack Howlings? I'm Deborah Wilde," she introduced.

"R-right, f-follow me," he instructed and led them to the cafeteria kitchen.

Inside there were students still trying to clean up.

"Mr. Howlings? Are the caterers here already? We aren't ready!" a 9th grade boy stated.

"It's ok kids, leave the rest of the clean-up to me and my staff," Deborah stated.

One of her chefs, a jackrabbit spoke up.

"Ma'am, we were hired to cook, not clean," he objected.

"True but we must take every client seriously!" she replied.

"They're just kids," the same rabbit responded.

"Just kids? Where is your pride in your work!? They may be kids but they paid for our very best and we WILL give them our very best! Do I make myself clear, gentlemen?!" she lectured.

"Yes ma'am" the others in her kitchen staff replied in unisen.

"Let's get to work!" she stated confidently.

Jack already found himself admiring this vibrant vixen and her inspiring presence. The thought crossed his mind about asking out this beautiful chef, but it was quickly dismissed.

"Mr. Howlings, will you help us out?" she asked.

"Oh uh, sure!" he replied.

As he started helping his ears caught something he wasn't expecting, singing. The voice was enthralling and tempted him to join in.

"Sun down, all around. Walking through the summer's end," the voice sang.

"Waves crash baby don't look. I won't walk away again." he found himself singing along. He started singing quietly but as the song went on, he matched the volume and tempo in his voice to the voice singing.

The other voice didn't seem to mind. "Oh baby, anywhere you go we are bound together. I begin baby where you end, somethings are forever!" both of them sang.

As he got swept away, he hardly noticed the other people in the kitchen or that the work he was doing seemed to fade away.

"Circle in the sand, round and round. Never ending love is what we've found." the voice picked up.

"And you complete the heart of me, our love is all we need," he continued, completely overtaken.

As they both sang, they hardly noticed each other singing along or the work they were doing. The others helping in the kitchen seemed to disappear as well.

"Circle in the sand," they repeated one after the other.

"Mr. Howlings," a student interrupted.

Jack immediately stopped as did his duet partner.

"Sorry to interrupt your private concert, Mr. Howlings, but the parents are due at the school any minute. You'll have to get to your classroom," the student told him.

"R-right sorry 'bout that," he told her as he walked off.

If he had been paying attention he'd have seen that the girl in question was Chelsea Graghm, the same girl that had brought him the petition. Chelsea stared at the other person who had been singing for a moment. Deborah offered her a smile but Chelsea huffed and turned away. She wondered if she had done something to upset this younger girl. Once the girl had cleared out, Debbie noticed that the other chefs were looking at her strangely.

"What?" she asked.

"Never heard you do a love song, boss," a kangaroo answered.

"You should ask that wolf out," the jackrabbit from before commented.

"Ask him out?" she repeated.

"Yeah, y'know on a date," a bear replied.

She considered the advice from her cooking crew. It was only the four of them, maybe if she had brought more cooks along on this job she'd feel alright about leaving the kitchen for personal business.

"Hey as far as any of us know, you're using the bathroom. Just make sure to wash your paws well, boss," the kangaroo replied.

At the insistance of the other cooks she took her "bathroom break". She stopped a group of students of varying ages, genders, and species.

"I'm looking for Mr. Howling's classroom, he dropped something and I need to return it," she stated.

One of the little boys stepped up.

"I could take it to him for you," a female voice piped.

"Thanks but I think I should do it," she explained.

"Alright," the girl relented and led her on to the elementary wing.

It was only once they were alone did she notice that the girl in question was the same from the kitchen.

"Is there a problem?" she asked the girl.

"I suppose not," the girl replied.

It took a moment for the girl's unspoken words to sink into Deborah's mind.

"Listen, I know what it's like to take interest in someone beyond your grasp. For your own sake, let it go. Ask yourself, would an older man be in your best interest? And what about him, this is his career. If it's ruined he may never find work again," she explained.

The girl whipped around, apparently angry at what Deborah had told her but the more she thought about it the more that logic made sense. Her anger turned to sadness and she turned her head downward.

"You're still young, you'll find someone. Chin up," Deborah stated, placing a paw on the girl's shoulder.

What Deborah found inside the classroom was Jack sitting at his desk humming Circle in the Sand, the song from earlier, while he graded papers.

"Excuse me, Mr. Howlings?" she interrupted.

"Yes?" he answered looking up at her.

He was expecting a student or another teacher but while seeing the chef did surprise him, his reaction was tempered.

"Ms. Wilde? What can I do for you?" he asked.

"Do you have plans for this Saturday?" she asked.

"No and before you ask, yes," he answered.

This answer surprised both of them, Jack wasn't normally so bold as to accept an obvious date request. Normally Jack was meek and shy, more likely to clam up and spend the weekend alone regretting that he kept quiet.

"O-ok, well that was easy. Um, where should we meet up?" she stammered.

"Uh well, I'm not originally from Zootopia but I'm sure if you picked the location I could find it easily," he replied.

"How about the fountain at the Savanna Central Park at 3pm?" she suggested.

"Works for me," he replied, his nervousness returning.

With that she returned to her kitchen duties and he returned to grading papers, both of them on cloud nine about it all. All that happened five years before her reunion with her little brother, Nick. They were married after a year of dating. Neither of them remember now the details of that first date or that of a great many others that followed. Eventually Deborah would found her own restaraunt but that is a story for another day.