A/N:

Nothing to say! Onward!

For Judy, the following month passed in the blink of an eye. Her life was a bipolar whirlwind. On the one hand, there were days of classes and exams sprinkled with friends and outings; all the usual mania one associated with the halcyon days of youth. Then, there were the days—and often very late nights—of contrasting peace, filled with modeling, long talks, and new experiences.

She was fast friends with the metalworking professor within a week. Judy relished the time she spent with Jack as much as she did her oldest and closest of friends. The buck was older and wise, but not above childlike silliness when the mood was on him. From him, Judy slowly learned the subtle art of not taking herself so seriously. It was a slow process requiring constant attention, according to Jack, but it was worth it. The proof of it was evident in her end of term exams.

For once in her life, she wasn't an anxiety-riddled mess by the time the testing ended. Not that she ever doubted her scores, of course. She was an excellent student and she knew it. However, being a rabbit lent itself to higher stress when under pressure, even if it wasn't her own.

"No, Amanda."

"Judy, please!"

"Amanda Hopps, you've had three cups of black coffee already today."

"I'll take tea."

"Herbal, or nothing."

"Oh gods, Judy. I need caffeine!"

"Any more and you'll get a heart attack and you know it. I will not be the mammal responsible for explaining what happened to Mom and Dad."

"But—"

"No buts," Judy commanded as her sister pouted. "No coffee, no tea and no other stimulants."

"I don't know how you're so calm this semester. Shouldn't you be a nervous wreck?"

"I'm nervous, but I'm handling it better."

"Uhhuh… Your "private lessons" with Professor Savage, right?"

"It's not what you think and they aren't lessons. We just talk."

"Right. You just talk with the hottest prof on campus into the wee hours of the night after modeling nude for his roomie. Please tell me you know how absurd that sounds."

Judy rolled her eyes. "It may sound weird, but it's the truth. Jack's a great guy and a lot of fun to talk to, but zero interest, here, Ammy."

"Either you're crazy, or that crush of yours has fried your brain completely."

"That's my issue to worry about," Judy replied with a smirk.

"Is that what has you so relaxed? Did you bag the fox and he's just that bloody good in bed?"

"I wouldn't know," Judy replied wistfully.

"Judy for as laid back as you are these days I'd be tempted to say you were getting double teamed by them." Amanda waggled her brows at her sister, hoping to finally get a rise out of her far too calm sibling. Her anticipation fell flat when Judy's ears flitted thoughtfully and her eyes widened slightly.

"Now, there's an idea…"

"Judy!"

"We could try a spit roast, next!"

"Judith Laverne Hopps, stop it!"

"Kidding!" the grey doe cheeked at her sister. "I'm not sleeping with either of them. And you're too young to pull off the full-name thing. Only Mom can do that."

"Judy, seriously, what gives? This is a lot of change I'm seeing. Modeling was never a thing for you and now it's constant. You haven't painted in a month and the Doc was asking about you. He's afraid you've been scared off your art and feels responsible."

"One, You're right. Modeling wasn't a thing for me. Now it is and it's a better paying job than I've ever had. Two, I'll be back at the easel soon. I'll stop by and see Doctor Mousekewitz before we leave for break, just to ease his mind."

"And three?"

"Why three?"

"You always do three. It's a thing for you."

Judy snorted. "Three, change isn't a bad thing."

"Too much change at one time isn't good. I worry, Jude."

Judy gave her sister a quick hug. "And I appreciate it. I'll be painting again in no time. Now," Judy said as she shouldered her bag. "No more caffeine for you and I have to go."

"Another "lesson" with the hot professor?"

"Another modeling session, but first I have an assignment."

"Another one?" Amy asked incredulously.

Judy smiled as she slipped out the door and was gone.

It wasn't the first time the sisters had gone through such a conversation in the last few weeks. Ammy meant well and was being a responsible sibling. Judy bore her no resentment for her concern. It showed she cared. It was sisterly. The familial concern that worried her was that of her parents whom she would be seeing at the weekend.

With the end of term, she had three weeks at home to look forward to. She was close to dreading it. If her parents hadn't gotten a mangled version of events there was a chance Judy would be able to give them enough truth to keep them updated without causing a stir. Her mother she could talk to more openly, but her father… he was always on the lookout for a threat to any of his little princesses. Hopefully, with a little maternal aid, he'd hear her out and be understanding. It was a long shot, but it was what she had to work with.

Judy smiled to herself as she scampered her way to the location for her latest assignment.

As much as she had grown closer to Jack, her relationship with Nick was still very much an enigma to the grey doe. There was a connection there and chemistry enough to make her nose twitch. She felt it as surely as the ground under her feet. However, there was something that still felt off by a few degrees.

The sculptor had effectively become her mentor. The scope of which was uncertain, but a clear indicator of his interest. Above and beyond the modeling, he took time out of is schedule to spend with her. When she was upset or having a bad day, he encouraged her to express herself and was patient until she could manage it. On good days he'd arrange small outings between modeling sessions. The picnic they had in the park was a wonderful afternoon she'd never forget.

Judy grinned to herself as she ambled down the sidewalk. It was positively hilarious when Jack had shown up. The buck had arrived somewhat breathless and fidgety. It wasn't until a few minutes later that Judy discovered why. A rather annoyed arctic vixen had stalked up to their group and simply crossed her arms and she stared the striped hare. Judy had been slightly concerned until she saw the look of barely restrained mirth in Nick's face.

The vixen, however, only had eyes for Jack. "Professor Savage."

"Miss Winters! A delight to see you again."

"Is it? That's difficult to believe when you flee at the sight of me."

"I have done no such thing!"

"Oh?" The vixen's level gaze cracked as she raised an eyebrow. "So, you have no objections to my company?"

"None whatsoever."

"Good! We're having dinner tonight, then."

"Um… I have plans tonight. Terribly sorry. Previous engagement and all that."

"Not true, Jack."

"And what gives you that idea Miss Winters?"

"Your accent thickens when you're fibbing."

Jack looked to Nick for help or confirmation, Judy wasn't sure which, but all he got was, "It's true Jackie. It's how your mother always knew."

"You could have told me, then."

Nick chuckled and winked at the buck, who turned back to the other fox. "Miss Winters, I do in fact have plans for tonight. I regret that I will be unable to join you for dinner."

The white fox turned to the red one and primly asked, "Is this true?"

Nick shrugged. "I'm not his secretary, so I've no idea. I think he was planning to work on his latest creation while I was with Miss Hopps, here."

The vixen's expression softened slightly under the benign attention of the sculptor. "So, you won't be needing me to model for you?"

"Not this evening. In a few days I'll need you for the next hanging piece, If you are interested."

"Another small scale?"

"Alas, not."

"I'll ask Celeste if she's free."

"Most wise of you."

Skye nodded with a small smile before turning her attention to the young rabbit. "Hopps, was it?"

"Oh! Um, Yes," Judy chirped awkwardly as she stood and offered a paw. "Judy Hopps."

"Skye Winters," the vixen stated as she took the proffered paw. Turning to Nick she smirked. "Finally gotten a taste for lagomorph?"

"I've always appreciated beauty."

"Sweet talker."

Nick grinned and popped a blueberry into his mouth.

Judy, meanwhile, was flummoxed. She knew her ears were beet red at his compliment and it was clear that Skye noticed. The vixen's smirk grew to a warm, resigned and knowing grin. Nick may well have meant his statement from an artistic standpoint and intended the ambiguity to be a tease. That possibility didn't stop her heartrate from climbing any more than it stopped the nervous little smile that grew on her face.

"And I can see why you like her. Will she be joining us?"

"That remains to be seen, but I am hopeful."

Judy looked between the foxes and then at the other rabbit, who happened to be staring at the red fox with an expression of curious surprise. "Jack, what are they talking about?"

Before the hare could respond the vixen cut in. "That's between you and Nicky. He'll tell you when it's time."

"Thank you. That's maddeningly unhelpful," Judy groaned. Nick's deep chuckles and Skye's silvery laughter echoed through the little grove they'd claimed.

"Oh, I like you, bunny. Do please stick around," Skye chirped before turning back to the subject of her ire. Judy was startled at the sudden drop in temperature. "And you! As you have plans tonight, you'll have lunch with me now."

"I'm having a picnic with Nick and Judy!" Jack stammered.

"A meal they can easily finish on their own and, as you don't even have a plate, you haven't even begun eating. Come on!"

Judy watched bemusedly as the white furred fox hauled the hare to his feet and marched off with him in tow, stammering at every step.

"That poor girl…"

"What? Skye? Shouldn't we be more worried about Jack?"

"He can handle himself," Nick chortled as he popped another berry into his mouth. "He just can't handle her."

"What do you mean?"

"He may be exceptionally competent in the classroom and in social settings he's in his element. He's a fair artist, as well." Judy scoffed at the understatement. "However, get him tangled up with a pretty girl and he's a bumbling goof."

"You claim I'm pretty, but he's perfectly fine around me."

"I claim more than that, but there is one great difference between you and Skye as far as Jack is concerned."

"I'm a rabbit and she's a fox?"

"You he appreciates as a friend, whereas Skye is closer to an addiction for our dear professor. He's been infatuated with her for years."

"What? That's nuts! If that's true, then why was he so fighting so hard?"

"Like I said, he becomes a bumbling goof around her."

"Does she know?"

"I'm quite sure she does." Nick smiled at her poleaxed expression. "His accent thickens for other reasons than fibbing, Miss Hopps. Also," Nick tapped the side of his nose. "Unmistakable."

"So, foxes can tell when a mammal is attracted?"

"A lot of mammals can pick up the scent markers, but don't always know what they mean. It helps to know the mammal." Mischief twinkled in the depths of the fox's eyes. "I know Jack extremely well. I can tell."

"Can Skye?"

"I suspect so, but either way, she knows."

"How can you be certain?"

"I told her."

That was him. He flirted and teased. Rarely serious and even more rarely open. More than anything, he listened. The rapport was there, yet something still was absent. Judy was certain that it wasn't on her end. She held little, if anything, back and was perfectly happy that way. Nick, Judy felt, was almost the opposite. There were things he never showed and it made Judy endlessly curious as to why.

That wasn't to say her quasi-employer was in any way lacking in emotion or understanding thereof. He was frighteningly adept at knowing what she was feeling and responding to it. Moments of joy were met with gleeful celebration. Moments of her calm were joined with serene companionship. Whenever she expressed anxiety or uncertainly he responded. Usually, with something she didn't expect. He'd offer puzzles that always seemed to comfort her or give her little tasks she rarely understood, but that he insisted would help her. They almost always did.

That was how her assignments started.

One afternoon, about two weeks into her modeling, she was feeling despondent and Nick expressed part concern and part frustration at it. Her mood was infecting him and by extension the small-scale form he was working on. His vexation took the form of scrapping away what he had been working on and telling her to get dressed. As soon as she was, he offered her no opportunity for anxiety as he picked her up and unceremoniously dropped her in a very large, empty barrel in the corner of the studio.

"There's a candle, matches, a sketchbook and coals in there. Don't come out until you've made something you're pleased with."

Sitting in the barrel, Judy goggled up at the opening at the top. "What?"

"An excellent question! You're a clever rabbit. You'll figure it out."

"You must be joking."

"No joke, my dear. Why do you think those supplies are in there, in the first place?" The waning of his voice told her clearly that he was already walking away. "It's a trick I use when I hit a roadblock."

Judy had wanted to climb out and give the fox a piece of her mind but didn't want to jeopardize her burgeoning relationship with him. She also didn't want to gainsay a technique that he used himself, even if she couldn't see the sense in it. Instead, Judy harrumphed to herself and sat. There was ample space and then some in the barrel for her, so she didn't feel cramped or claustrophobic, which was nice. Judy wasn't a fan of tight spaces.

There was enough afternoon light for her to find the matchbook and candle, as well as the rest of the supplies. After a few minutes Judy located what felt like a knothole in the bottom of the barrel surrounded by wax dribbles. It must have been what the regular occupant of this space used to hold the candle, she reasoned. In absence of any other vulpine guidance, she crammed the candle into the knothole and shed a little light on her predicament.

"If I were an anxious nibbler this would be paradise," Judy groused half-heartedly. The rich laughter that answered her from the outside of the barrel startled her. "Are you eavesdropping on me?"

"Yes. When you aren't complaining to yourself, my psychic powers allow me to listen in on your thoughts."

Judy rolled her eyes at the obvious sarcasm sent her way. "Why?"

"It can be a challenge for me to get out of there on my own, some days. I figured I'd hang around and offer assistance when you got tired of trying."

"I could just call you."

"I have an enormous throw pillow and a good book right here. I'm fine."

Judy huffed out a resigned breath. "Alright. Suit yourself."

What followed, however, surprised her.

"Why are you anxious?"

"Aside from getting dumped into a barrel by someone I've known for only two weeks?"

"Fair point."

"…When I was a kit I was playing hide and seek with my siblings. I hid in a culvert connecting the drainage between two fields near the house and got stuck."

"I can see how that'd upset you."

"My parents told us so many times to stay away from it, but I'd hidden in the same spot dozens of times with no problem. I thought they were being stupid and overprotective, but I didn't realize I'd grown. I wedged myself in and waited, but I couldn't get out when my sister found me. I was stuck for about an hour, until my dad got me out. It just stuck with me."

"I'll get you out."

"You really don't have to."

"It was cavalier of me to assume you'd be fine with this little exercise and now I've made you uncomfortable."

Judy couldn't help but laugh. "You're overreacting."

"I would disagree."

"Nick, I'm fine. I don't like tight spaces, but this isn't that bad. Besides, it's not claustrophobia, just a little discomfort."

"I still feel responsible."

"That's all well and good, but you didn't know. I won't hold it against you."

"Still…" Nick responded pensively.

"This really bothers you doesn't it?"

"I have some… history, shall we say?"

"How very obvious, Mr. Wilde. We all have some history."

"Alright, clever bunny," Nick chuckled. "I meant history with trauma."

"Nick? What do you mean?"

"A story for another time, Carrots. If you're not going to freak out or have a panic attack, you have an exercise to do."

Judy hummed to herself. "I don't think so."

"Excuse me?"

"You're keeping secrets and I respect that, but I won't be put off so easily."

"What are you getting at?"

"Do you still want to make it up to me?"

"Certainly. How?"

"When I get out of here, I get a hug." Feeling brave, she pressed on. "And your word to tell me what happened when you're ready."

"You are a devious little lagomorph, aren't you?"

Judy was pleased at the odd compliment, but also concerned by the tone of his voice. "Why do you sound nervous?"

"I'll give you a preview on the story. I have a little trouble with affection."

"Oh..."

"You inadvertently chose a very fitting way for me to make it up to you."

"I'm sorry. You don't have to. I didn't know."

"Neither did I."

Judy was mortified. Accident or not, she'd managed to put her foot in it big time. Her guilt was curtailed, however, when Nick's voice wafted in from the barrel mouth.

"You'll note I didn't say no."

"Really?"

"I said I wanted to make it up to you and you chose well. If you can suffer through sitting in a barrel and sketching, I think I can endure an embrace from a lovely young lady such as yourself."

"You keep talking like that and I might start to think you're flirting with me."

The silence that followed was loud in comparison. She nearly gave up on his response when she heard, "And wouldn't that be an interesting development?"

Judy's jaw worked soundlessly for a few moments before her brain reengaged. Rather than think on the implications of what had just happened, she set about her task. There had to be a reason for his rather bizarre instructions, so she gave it a chance. Besides, it was a better option than blushing herself to death.

An hour later, a still flustered rabbit found herself awaiting a verdict. Once she got herself focused on the play of light and shadow over the wood grain, the sketching came fairly easily, even if she had no clue why she'd been told to do it. In truth, she'd been done in less than an hour. It had taken her fifteen minutes or so to work up the courage to face the mammal outside her temporary residence. When she did, she felt like a school kit with a crush all over again.

"Good bunny!"

"Please, don't talk to me like I'm a kit," Judy groused. "I was in there for an hour and all I got was a jumbled mess."

"Don't sound so put out. This is good."

Judy fought to keep from smiling at the compliment. "It's wavy lines and smudges."

"One could argue that all art is wavy lines and smudges."

Judy's paw found her hip as she sassed, "Including sculpture?"

"In the planning stage." The fox punctuated his glib response with a wink. "Now, let's get back to the studio, shall we?"

"I thought my mood was throwing you off."

"Your mood has improved significantly." Nick smiled softly. "Something cathartic about sketching shadows on wood, isn't there?"

It should have infuriated her that he was right. Instead, she was mildly annoyed despite her new relaxation, which was, evidently, the emotion he wanted from her. However, she was not without recourse for a little comeuppance.

"Aren't you forgetting something?"

"I'm trying to?"

"You owe me a hug."

"I… do. Come on. Get in here."

Giggling, Judy tossed herself into a massive mistake. She had intended the hug to be a momentary squeeze and maybe something to tease the fox about later. The moment her arms wrapped around his torso everything changed. His heat was a comfort she needed after her stay in the barrel, causing her to nuzzle in as her muscles eased. The awkward tension that rippled through his muscles made her smile. Then, his arms settled around her pressing her into his chest and her breath caught.

Sensations assaulted her.

She had no clue what did it for her. It could have been the sinewy muscle of his arms caging her that sent a thrill down her spine. It might have been the memories of a warm, safe place where she hid as a kit that popped into her head thanks to his heat. It might have been the dawning realization that she was physically hugging her crush—a crush she knew was hopeless fantasy to have. The scent of musk and clay emanating from him was intoxicating. The feel of him under her paws electrified her. His breath and heartbeat tickled her ears and fur, tantalizing her. The effect was narcotic. Judy's eyes rolled up into her head as she let her body shift and adjust to mold itself to him like a second skin. For a breath she let herself imagine how it would feel without the layers of clothing. For another breath she prayed she would find out.

The spell broke gentle when she heard him chuckle.

"If everyone hugged like you do, I'd enjoy them more."

Judy snapped back into reality to a few awkward realizations. The hug had gone long—awkwardly so. She was immensely turned on and was positive that her arousal was not missed by the fox. How could he miss it? If her scent didn't give her away, the fact that she was plastered to him was pretty clear as far as indicators of interest went.

Feigning calm, Judy extracted herself. "Sorry. I'm pretty affectionate by nature. I didn't mean to get that lost in it."

"I just said I enjoyed it, so why are you apologizing?"

"To cover how awkward I feel?"

"For hugging me like that, or wanting to do it again?"

Judy's ears went from pink to scarlet. "I don't think I can answer that question."

"So, you do want another. Good to know."

"How do you know that?"

"First, you just told me. Second, if you didn't you'd have said you felt awkward about the duration. Leaving it open was a sign you were conflicted about which. Therefore, both."

"Alright, Mister Smarty-fox. Yes, I want another hug. You've successfully embarrassed me to death."

"At least I know when I want one, I know where to go."

Judy blinked. "Nick?"

The sculptor refused to answer with anything more than a grin and headed back to his work table. Once there, he sat and waited patiently for her to take her place as a model, again. Judy got nothing further from him on the topic of their hug, though she was acutely aware of the after effects. As she shed her clothes and posed, she was fantastically conscious of her arousal. The fact that she was displaying herself in that state for the male she was seriously infatuated with was exceedingly nerve-wracking. It was made worse when she felt her heat spike.

She liked it. She really liked it. Judy tried to force down the lurid fantasies with mixed success. Images of all the reactions she hoped she'd spark in him flitted through her mind. When she was finally in position and settled, she was relieved and disappointed to see he hadn't moved.

She found his lack of reaction exceptionally frustrating. After their conversation about scents and their meanings she was sure he'd know. He wasn't scent blind. She couldn't hide it. The only options she could accept were either he didn't know her well enough to be able to tell—which was highly unlikely—or he was playing with her. Seeing his twinklingly mischievous eyes, she decided on the latter. He captured her pouting exquisitely.

That pattern had become the norm. Their usual sessions, sprinkled with bizarre tangents and very few clear explanations. He introduced her to a wide array of mammals and there were lots of late nights in the artists' company just talking about whatever came to mind. She was learning paw over fist, but she rarely understood the lessons.

Sometimes, it was as simple as attending an event or trying something completely new to her. Two notable examples were a tobogganing league event in Tundratown and a seminar on toads. Then, there was that tiny food stand in Hyena Heights which he insisted she visit. In the cases of the tobogganing and the food stand, she'd come back wondering if she'd ever feel parts of her body again, but had no regrets. The sledding was a surprisingly fierce competition, though she couldn't follow the rules and the tiny meal she'd eaten was among the most flavorful—and spicy—that she'd ever tasted.

There were also rare occasions along the lines of her visit to Marcelle's where she'd experienced something new and interesting in the company of the good Professor Savage. In the cases where Jack was involved, she invariably had the time of her life doing something delightful. Her visit to the archives of the Metropolitan Museum of Mammalian Art with the hare was a life changing experience she'd never forget.

And then there were the exceedingly few occasions where Nick himself took her somewhere. In the whole of the month since they'd met it had happened only twice. The first was the picnic in the park. The other was as his plus one to a gallery opening. Both were amusing and filled with the vulpine's irreverent wit and cheeky demeanor.

The fox insisted that everything he had her do and everywhere she went had a point and was important to his next piece. What it was he wouldn't say, but Judy couldn't help but agree. There was an elusive feeling that crept at the edge of her mind after each event. It tickled her, daring her to reach out and grasp it. It got stronger with every lesson, and conversation—every assignment made it grow, but it was like putting a puzzle together face down.

She was making slow progress with no idea what the end result was supposed to be, but she knew it was getting closer. The idea thrilled her and spurred her paws past the student center and into The Meadow, as the campus green was often called. It was a pretty space of tall grass and sunlight. Judy enjoyed painting or sketching The Meadow and its occupants on sunny days—she'd even used it as the subject for her first term final art project. That was when she'd been assigned to Dr. Mousekowitz.

In a moment of serendipitous opportunity, that was precisely who she saw enjoying their breakfast on a bench under a sycamore tree. It was a chance to get a small task over with on her way.

"Doctor!" Judy called out as she headed his direction. The middle-aged rodent was very surprised to see her.

"Judy! What a surprise!"

"I know, right? Amanda told me you were looking for me."

"I was. When I said I didn't want to see you for a week, I expected you back in a few days. That was a month ago. I was getting worried."

Judy chuckled in embarrassment. "Sorry, Doctor. I picked up a part time job and it got kinda involved."

"I didn't want you to trade one obsession for another."

"It's not an obsession," Judy sighed in frustration. "It's an opportunity."

"Judith, I know as a student you need money but you can't neglect your schoolwork."

"I'm attending classes and up to date on all my assignments. And I'm not neglecting my art. I'm just not painting much at the moment."

The mouse didn't appear displeased at her taking an extended break, but remained concerned as he asked, "What is this job exactly?"

"I'm modeling for a sculptor," she said proudly. "What?"

Her advisor's face was a mixture of confusion and bewilderment. "I'm sorry, Judy. I'm just a bit surprised. You've never expressed an interest in that before. If I had known I would have been able to help you find work earlier."

"I wasn't. This is just…." Judy foundered trying to find the words. "I went to the interview on a whim. It was an impulse. And it turns out that I like it. The artist I'm working with is very good and I'm learning a lot from him."

"Him?" A strong note of suspicion crept into the mouse's voice. "Is this artist associated with the university?"

"Directly, no, but his housemate is a professor in the Art History department."

"Oh! Well, that's different. What's his name?"

"Um… I can't really say. I'm sorry, Doctor, but it's part of my agreement." Judy didn't like fibbing, but she didn't think Nick would want their association advertised. In light of Dr. Mousekowitz's obvious suspicions, Judy was fairly sure she didn't want to advertise either.

"I see… Not unusual, I suppose. Still, as long as you're being safe and keeping up with your classes, I have no complaints. Have you decided what you're doing for your midterm and final exam pieces?"

"No on the midterm," Judy admitted, but before she could say anything about her final project an image of a fox in sunlight flitted across her mind. "I might on the final."

The Doctor chuckled. "Well, you still have some time. Try to have something for me after break and come back to the studio soon. You're supposed to check in weekly for status updates, so after the break it's back to business as usual. However, we will not be seeing you asleep at the easel again, will we?"

"It's a work in progress, but I'm hopeful."

"Alright. We'll talk in the next term. Enjoy your break."

"You too, Doc! Bye!"

Judy sprinted off, happy to have gotten that chore over with. She liked the Doctor and understood his concerns, but she wasn't worried about his opinions at that precise moment. Then and there, all she wanted to do was get to her session with Nick. Before she could do that, however, she had her latest assignment from the fox to complete.

Her arrival at Lemon Hall was remarked upon by no one. That was because it was completely empty of conscious life except for the professor. Nick had instructed her to sketch "Irony". As usual, she had no idea what the fox was looking for, but she figured the Applied Physics 303 lecture was a solid bet. It was a truly unique class.

The professor was an ex-con who used his personal experience with car theft and street racing to illustrate physics applications, and his exams always began with, "You just boosted a Furrari." By rights, it should have been the single most exhilarating class the university had to offer. Yet, no student could stay awake for a full lecture. That might have been partly due to the scheduled time for class, immediately after lunch. The common opinion, however, was that anything was boring when it was taught by a sloth.

Judy skated off a sketch of the room, including somnolent co-eds, drooling TA's and the slow moving, tattoo-and-fur-dyed prof in fifteen minutes. A speed-sketch of the slowest class in the fastest subject on campus that no one could stay awake through was as irony-intense as she could think of. She hoped Nick would appreciate it. As soon as her feverish scraping of pencil on paper came to an end she scarpered, hoping it would a sufficient offering.

She enjoyed the little tasks he set her, but she really only wanted one thing most days and that was only found in the house on Safflower Lane.

She grinned as she sped through campus. However, her disappointment was boundless when she arrived. There was a note attached to the door with her name on it.

Carrots-

Lemmington Hall, Room 427. 2:30pm. See you at 4:00.

-N

Another assignment.

Checking her phone, it was 2:16. Lemmington Hall was across campus. For a moment—and not for the first time—Judy questioned why she was doing all these things for someone she barely knew. Then, she was making tracks, hoping she'd make it before 2:30. She'd just have to express her annoyance with Nick when she saw him at 4:00.